"God, it’s not even daylight yet!"

Commander Harmon Rabb grinned as he hustled Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie into the front seat of his SUV and shut the door. Around on his side he slid behind the wheel and started the engine.

"We have to get going early so we can miss the traffic on the Beltway," he answered, pulling out of the parking lot.

It was snowing heavily and the weather channel was calling for several more inches before the day was out, giving them a record-breaking snowfall if it all came down as expected. Harm and Mac were on their way to spend the Christmas holiday with Grandma Rabb. Trish and Frank were taking a cruise so Harm asked Mac to go with him to see Grandma Rabb since she had no family of her own to be with. Mac had gratefully accepted.

"There’s coffee in the thermos between the seats," Harm offered softly. "Or you can go back to sleep. There’s a blanket in the back seat."

Mac smiled wanly and reached behind her for the proffered item. Harm knew she suffered from insomnia on a regular basis. Tucking the blanket around her, she kicked off her boots and curled her legs under her, nestling in the seat. Harm only smiled as she made herself comfortable and drove on. Two hours later it was still not light out and the snow had all but blinded Harm. They had left the main Interstate to travel on one of the county roads and there hadn’t been even a hint of another car for the past hour.

"Are you sure we aren’t lost?" Mac asked, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

"No, we’re not lost. I know the way to her house like the back of my hand. I’m more concerned with this weather," Harm murmured, peering out the windshield.

"Is there anywhere we can stop or pull over to wait it out?" she asked.

"Not here. We just need to keep going until we get back to another junction," he answered. "Maybe in another…"

"Harm! Look out!"

He rounded a bend in the road and slammed on the brakes hard when they saw a tree blocking the way. The Lexus went into a flat skid, turning around and around. Harm fought with the wheel, turning it in the direction of the spin, dimly aware of Mac grabbing the dash. Then they came to a bone-shaking halt as the car slammed into something. The airbags on both sides shot out and then everything went black.

Several long minutes passed without movement from either of them. Mac was the first to lift her head, groaning as pain exploded in her head. She pushed the heavy airbag away from her face and looked over at Harm. He was slumped forward over the steering wheel, the airbag enveloping him. Mac leaned over and pulled him back in his seat, cradling his head so it wouldn’t hit the headrest.

"Harm? Harm, wake up!" she commanded gently.

His eyes opened slowly and he shifted slightly to look at her. "Are you all right?" he mumbled.

"A little sore and I hit my head," she told him. "You?"

"Same here." He drew in a deep breath and shoved the airbag out of the way. "Let me get out and see how bad it is."

Mac donned her boots and coat and reached for her door handle but only saw white out the window. "I can’t get out over here," she told him. "We must be against the embankment."

She crawled across the console to his side and grasped his hand as she got out to stand beside him. They walked around the front of the SUV and Harm frowned. Part of the front end and all of the passenger side was wedged in the deep snow. Harm sighed and planted his hands on his hips.

"I guess we aren’t going to drive out of here," he muttered.

"Guess not," Mac echoed, shivering as she pulled her coat around her tighter. "What are we going to do?"

"We’ll have to walk and see if we can find a house. Unless you want to stay here and let me go?" he offered.

"No, I think we should stay together," she returned.

"Let’s get bundled up then and head out. Why don’t you wrap the blanket around you, too?" he suggested gently.

Mac did as he said for once and minutes later they started out. They walked in silence for several minutes. Despite her heavy coat and the blanket, Mac was shivering harder. Harm moved closer to her and she stumbled. His arms shot out to grasp her waist.

"Steady," he murmured.

"Are you okay? Dizzy? Tired?" he questioned.

"Fine… just tired," she answered, her words slurred.

She slipped again and Harm huddled her closer against him, his arms tight around her. They were both blanketed with snow now yet they trudged on. Several minutes later, Harm was beginning to get worried.

"There." She lifted a trembling arm and pointed to something ahead.

"I can’t tell," he answered.

They kept walking and as the item drew closer, they saw it was a mailbox. Harm squeezed her gently.

"Let’s head up that way. Mail means a house."

The snow off the road was up to their knees and covered any visible trace of a driveway or sidewalk. It was slow going and very cold and wet as the chill seeped clear into their bones.

"Oh, thank God!" Harm breathed a moment later.

"Hmmm… what?" she mumbled.

"There’s a house."

They made their way to the small ranch style. There were no cars in the drive and no sign that anyone might be home. But it was shelter nonetheless and Harm would make sure they took advantage of it even if they had to break in. They stumbled up on the wide front porch and much to their surprise, found the front door unlocked. Harm shoved it open and practically dragged Mac across the threshold.

They were in a small foyer that narrowed into a hallway straight ahead. To the right an entryway led to the living room and to the left the kitchen. Harm guided Mac into the living room and sat her down on the couch.

"Stay right here until I go check the place out. I want to make sure we aren’t surprising anyone," he murmured.

"‘kay," she answered, huddling deeper in the snow-encrusted blanket.

Slowly, Harm made a tour of the home. There were dirty dishes in the sink and crumbs on the kitchen counter. And one of the cabinets was open. The refrigerator was almost empty and if he didn’t know any better, Harm would assume the people who lived there left in a big hurry. There were three bedrooms and a main bathroom. All of which showed signs of recent activity. The bed in the master bedroom was unmade but the closet and drawers were empty. One of the smaller rooms belonged to a child from the looks of it – maybe two since there was a bed and a crib. Unlike the emptiness of the master bedroom, this small place was filled with toys and clothes. The last room was an office and again, it was stripped of everything but the furniture.

Frowning, Harm went back to join Mac. She was sitting exactly like he’d left her, eyes closed and shivering wildly. There was a fireplace on the far side of the room and wood piled in a holder on the hearth. In minutes, Harm had a small blaze started. He went back to Mac and reached for the blanket.

"We need to get out of these wet things and get in front of the fire," he told her. "I’m going to go get some dry stuff from the bedroom and some towels. You get your clothes off, Marine, and that’s an order."

"You…can’t… order me…around," Mac retorted through chattering teeth.

"Then let me rephrase that – you either get them off or I’ll take them off for you," he stated succinctly.

She glared at him and he flashed her a charming grin. Her spirit was still intact so he knew she would be okay. However, when he returned with an armload of stuff later, she was still dressed and struggling to get her boots off. She looked up at him, on the verge of tears.

"I can’t… get these off," she mumbled miserably.

Without a word, Harm put down the blankets and knelt at her feet. In seconds he had the boots and her socks off. Rising, he tugged her jacket and scarf off and reached for the hem of her sweater. Mac tried to push his hands away but her fingers were so cold she couldn’t even grasp the hem herself. Keeping his eyes on her face, Harm pulled the heavy cable knit off and then did the same with the turtleneck under it, leaving her clad in her bra. He reached for a fresh blanket and wrapped it around her shaking shoulders. Then he pulled her to her feet and undid the front of her jeans. They joined the growing pile of clothing on the floor and he guided her over to the fireplace where the fire was gaining size. He pushed her down into an armchair and draped another blanket over her lap.

"Stay here until you start to warm up," he told her gently.

Mac sighed and leaned sideways until her head rested on the side of the chair, her eyes closed.

Quickly, Harm stripped off his own clothes, rubbing a towel briskly over his arms and chest before wrapping a blanket around his lean waist. He gathered up their clothing and went to the kitchen where he found a small utility room. He fiddled with the buttons on the dryer and found that the electricity still worked so he tossed everything in. Back in the living room, he lowered his tall frame to the floor next to Mac’s chair.

"Thank you," she murmured.

He looked up. "For what?"

"For getting my sorry butt in here and dry." A tiny grin teased the edges of her mouth.

"It’s my fault we’re here in the first place," he answered.

"You couldn’t have known this would happen. Don’t beat yourself up over something you can’t change," she ordered softly.

"I can’t…" he stopped in mid-sentence, a funny look on his face. "Did you hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?"

His eyes narrowed slightly. "It sounds like a baby crying," he muttered.

"A baby? It’s probably just the wind. There wouldn’t be a baby out here," she returned.

"Listen," he commanded, falling silent.

Several seconds passed and the sound came again. Sure enough it sounded just like a baby crying. Harm rose to his feet.

"That isn’t the wind," he stated flatly.

"But, Harm, a baby?" she echoed, also standing.

"Let’s go take another look around."

Silently, they crept into the back part of the house, following the sound as it grew louder. They ended up in the child’s room. Harm and Mac stood in the center of the floor and stared at each other for a minute. Harm went to the closet and pulled open the double doors, peering inside. There was nothing there except for some clothes and a few pairs of tiny shoes. Boxes lined the overhead shelf. He went back to Mac, who was staring at the bed, a frown marring her pretty face. She looked at him and pointed to the bed. He raised one eyebrow and looked that way, too. Slowly, he went over to the small single frame. In one smooth motion, he bent, grasped the frame and lifted it.

They came face to face with a terrified little girl and a crying infant.

"Oh, my," Mac breathed.

"Oh, my, is right," Harm echoed.

"What do you want?" The little girl demanded defiantly.

Mac smiled gently and squatted down to eye level with the child. "We’re not going to hurt you. We got lost in the snow and had to find someplace warm. Where are your Mommy and Daddy?" She inquired softly.

The girl shrugged. "Don’t know," she muttered crossly. "Who are you?" she asked.

"My name is Mac and this is my friend, Harm. Who are you?"

"Sophie. This is my little brother, Bobby. I call him that ‘cause Robert’s too big for him," she answered.

Mac looked at Harm. She was so tiny and couldn’t be more than four years old and the baby boy – well, he looked close to newborn size.

"Sophie, how long have you been alone?" Harm questioned softly.

"I dunno," she shrugged again. "For a ‘lil while. I been takin’ real good care of Bobby. I had to feed him cereal, though, ‘cause I couldn’t find any of his bottles."

"I’m sure you’ve been doing a very good job," Mac soothed. "Why don’t you come out to the living room with us where it’s warm? Harm built a fire."

Sophie eyed them both and then looked at her brother who had stopped crying the minute he heard the two new voices.

"’kay," Sophie mumbled, looking for the first time scared and unsure.

Mac rose and then scooted forward. "May I carry Bobby?" she asked.

"’kay," Sophie agreed, tucking his blanket around him with such an air of importance Mac wanted to cry.

She grasped the tiny boy and lifted him into her arms, careful to keep him wrapped up.

Harm rose and held one broad hand out to the little girl. "May I walk you to the living room?" he asked politely, bringing a small giggle forth from her.

Sophie simply nodded and slipped her tiny hand into his.

Out in the living room Mac sat down, cradling Bobby. Harm let go of Sophie’s hand and she scrambled up on the couch. He sat down next to her, smiling reassuringly.

"When was the last time you had anything to eat?" Mac asked.

"Ummm…" Sophie scrunched up her delicate features in thought. "Last night. We had applesauce."

"Is that all you had?" Mac probed.

"Uh-huh."

"Well, why don’t I go see if I can find something for us to have now?" Harm suggested. "And you can do me a favor and keep Mac company."

"’kay," she agreed again.

He disappeared from the room. In the kitchen he found that the dryer had stopped but their clothes weren’t completely dry. He pushed the button to start it again and nothing happened. Then he flipped the light switch – still nothing.

"Oh, great," Harm muttered under his breath. "Now the power’s out."

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Harm started digging through the kitchen drawers. He found a handful of utility candles, several loose batteries and a flashlight that still worked. A search through the cabinets found a jar of peanut butter and a box of Ritz crackers. It would do for now. He took the entire stash back to the living room where he found both children asleep on a blanket in front of the fireplace and Mac curled up on the couch wrapped in her blanket. Harm smiled tenderly at the sight they made. He put his armload of goodies down on the floor and pulled the blanket up a little more on Mac’s shoulders. The rest would be good for all of them. There was room on the blanket where the two small children lay so he made himself comfortable and closed his eyes.

Mac opened her eyes and stared at the blazing fire for a moment, trying to remember where she was. They were stranded at the house in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately, it was all coming back to her now. She grimaced as she gingerly raised herself into a sitting position. It was fairly warm in the room and the fire was still chugging away. Harm must have stoked it up. Her eyes went to the blanket where she’d put Bobby and Sophie and a tender smile turned up the corners of her mouth. Harm was lying to one side of the blanket, fast asleep. But what held her attention the most was that both kids were pressed up against him. Sophie was holding onto her baby brother but she’d wedged her little body up against Harm’s chest, her head tucked beneath his chin. For all her bravado earlier, she was still little more than a baby herself and Mac’s heart ached for the strength the little girl was trying to display. It reminded her of herself many moons ago.

Harm stirred just then, interrupting her thoughts. Slowly, his eyes opened and he blinked to clear his vision. Then he saw Mac watching them and her soft smile and glanced down at the bundle nestled so trustingly against him. He smiled at Mac.

"Guess she got cold," he murmured.

"Guess so," Mac agreed.

"All three of you were asleep when I came back earlier. The power was out but I found some candles and flashlights," he continued.

Mac turned to the side and stretched her arm out to the nearby lamp. There was no answering power when she flicked the switch. She looked back at Harm and he shrugged.

"We’ll be all right for a little while."

Outside the wind was howling, shaking the walls of the house with its force. Holding the blanket around her, Mac got up and went to the window. It was dim and dreary outside and the snow was still falling in a heavy veil.

"How long of a little while?" she asked him quietly.

"That bad?" he called back.

"That bad," she confirmed.

"A couple days if need be. I’ll have to go outside and see if there’s anymore firewood cut. We’re almost out and with no power I have to keep the heat going somehow. We’ll have to stay here in the main room. Maybe we can bring one of the beds out," he suggested.

"Tired of sleeping on the floor already?" Mac teased, coming back to the couch to sit down.

A whimper escaped from Bobby as he began to move. The noise instantly brought Sophie out of her sleep and she sat bolt upright.

"Shh, don’t cry," she told him in a singsong voice. "Don’t cry, baby. I’m right here."

Mac couldn’t stop the tears that welled in her eyes as she looked helplessly across the small distance to Harm. Sophie bent protectively over her brother, patting his round little bald head and murmuring comfortingly to him as she wrapped his blankets tighter.

"He’s hungry," she stated.

Harm looked at Mac and then back to Sophie. "There isn’t much we can feed him," he told her.

"I’ll find him som’thin’," she returned stubbornly, struggling to her feet.

"How ‘bout if I come with you and we’ll look together?" Harm suggested.

"’kay," she answered.

After they left the room, Mac picked up Bobby and cuddled him close, cooing softly to him. She was learning more and more about babies with little A.J. around to take care of. And she knew enough to know that this little one needed to be changed. Mac took him down the hall to their room where a small changing table sat near the crib. Fortunately, it was stocked with clothes and diapers. It took her just a minute to take care of the task. She got back to the living room just as Harm and Sophie did.

"What did you come up with?" Mac questioned.

"Not what he should be eating, I’m afraid," Harm sighed. "I found a can of evaporated milk and we mixed it with some mashed up bran flakes. It isn’t much, though."

"It’s better than nothing and at least we can get it down him," Mac reassured him. "Babies are tough. He’ll be fine for a couple of days as long as he eats." She turned to the child at Harm’s side. "Sophie, do you know how old Bobby is?"

"He’s little," Sophie stated.

Mac smiled and glanced at Harm. "I know, sweetie, but do you know when he was born? How long ago?"

"He was born same as me."

"Same as you…" Mac hesitated. "On your birthday, you mean?"

"Uh-huh."

"When was that?" Harm prodded.

"July. Mama always said I din’t wait ‘til it was cold."

"July," Mac repeated slowly. "So Bobby is about six months then. How old are you, Sophie?" she continued.

Sophie simply held up her hand – four fingers in the air and her thumb bent down. She was four years old.

"Sophie, honey, I know we’ve already asked you this but are you sure you don’t know where your Mommy and Daddy are?’ Harm questioned again.

"Nope. Mama tucked me in and then Bobby woked me up cryin’. I couldn’t find Mama or Daddy. Do you know where they are?" Sophie asked.

"No, baby, we don’t. We hoped you did," Harm told her.

She just shook her head. She looked down at her hands – clasped tightly on her little lap and sighed deeply. She looked so small and alone sitting in the chair by herself. Without stopping to consider what he was thinking, Harm rose from Mac’s side on the couch and went to the chair. He grasped the little girl by the arms and lifted her from the chair as he turned and took the seat himself, cradling her on his lap. Sophie threw her arms around his wide shoulders and turned her face into his neck, her thin little body shaking with quiet sobs. Harm pressed his cheek to her silky hair and rubbed her back, murmuring little bits of nothing to comfort her.

For all her indifference and displays of attitude, she was still just a baby herself who had apparently more than a day alone with an infant and no parents. Harm caught Mac’s gaze and the look in her eyes made his breath catch in his throat. She looked like the Madonna sitting with the blanket wrapped around her and cradling the baby. Bobby was only in a diaper and rested trustingly against her breasts, his head beneath her chin and one fist curled loosely against her throat. An image flashed in Harm’s mind. An image of her holding another baby. Only this baby looked like them with dark hair. He closed his eyes against the picture and went back to rocking Sophie.

After awhile she stopped crying and lay quietly against him. His big hand stroked her hair, smoothing it down her small back. He glanced down occasionally and on the third try found that she’d gone to sleep again. And Bobby was asleep in Mac’s embrace.

"What are we going to do, Harm?" Mac whispered.

"I don’t know, Mac. I wish to God I did but I don’t. I can’t try to get the car out until the snow stops or to even go for help and until the power comes back on…" his voice trailed off but Mac didn’t need to hear more.

"Where could their parents have gone?" she murmured absently, rubbing the baby’s back.

"I can’t imagine but from what Sophie remembers it doesn’t sound good,"
Harm muttered.

"Surely they wouldn’t have just left them here?" Mac demanded incredulously.

"Parents have been know to do stranger things. The images of what Charlie Lynch did to that baby will be burned behind my eyes forever."

"But you saved Darlyn," Mac pointed out gently.

"I would have died to save her. I couldn’t let him get away with it a second time," Harm swore.

"Tomorrow is Christmas. Grandma Rabb is going to be worried about us," Mac continued.

"I’ll call her as soon as I can get out on the phone. I have to go gather more wood. Can I put her down over there by you?" he asked, rising to his feet with a firm hold on his sleeping bundle.

"Of course," Mac answered, scooting to the side a little.

Harm went to retrieve their clothes from the kitchen and found that they had dried while everyone napped. He donned everything he could and then tugged on his winter gear.

"I’ll be back as soon as I can," he promised Mac, scooping up the flashlight and tucking it into his pocket.

"If you’re not I’ll come looking," she flashed the briefest of grins and he saw something in her expression like earlier.

Harm winked at her. "Maybe I’ll get lost on purpose," he teased.

"Don’t you dare, Sailor," she retorted.

"I’ll be back, Sarah," he stated softly and then he was gone.

Mac stared at the spot where he’d been standing, comprehending that he’d used her given name. There had been something in his expression all day… and the more she thought about it, the more she realized it had been there for several weeks now. But it was always just a flash of something in his face that she couldn’t identify. Maybe soon…

Harm found a woodpile not too far from the back of the house. It had enough wood to get them through the night only. Snow covered everything but there was a stump off to one side and upon dusting it off, he found an axe and the stump where the logs could be split. Pulling his hat down a little more securely, he yanked the axe free and struggled through the deep snow to the edge of the tree line. It took him awhile since he was unused to this particular activity but he managed to down two good size trees and split them into smaller sections. Mac spotted him from the back door and waved once. Harm waved back to let her know he was all right and went back to his chopping.

"We thought you could use some help."

He jerked around, startled. "I didn’t even hear you coming," he grinned.

"That’s why I waited until you stopped swinging," Mac grinned.

"Can we help? Huh? Can we? I can help, too. I’m a big girl," Sophie declared, fairly hopping at Mac’s side.

"Where’s Bobby?" Harm asked, looking past them to the house.

"He’s sleepin’. Babies do that lots you know," Sophie stated matter-of-factly, cocking her head to one side.

"They do, huh? It’s probably good for them," Harm nodded sagely.

"Mac says I can help," Sophie announced.

"She did, huh? Well, I can use a strong girl like you. I have to do something very special," he stated, squatting down to eye level with her.

"What’s that?" she asked.

"I need to pick out a Christmas tree," he whispered conspiratorially.

"A Christmas tree! Yea!!" Sophie cried, clapping her mitten clad hands together. "And I can help?" she demanded eagerly.

"Well, you’ll have to. It takes a very special eye to find just the right Christmas tree," he assured her. "I just don’t think I have the right eye."

"I do! I do! Oh, I know I can help you find the bestest tree!"

Harm smiled fully at her and tapped the end of her snub nose. "I just knew you could."

Mac watched them, an indulgent smile on her face. "How about I carry the wood up while you two hunt for the perfect tree? I need to stay close enough to hear Bobby on the monitor," she explained, holding up the hand that held the baby monitor.

Harm nodded. "Don’t wear yourself out," he cautioned under his breath.

"I’ll be careful," Mac promised.

"Okay, Sophie, you ready?" he grinned.

"Yep."

"The snow is pretty deep through here so what do you say to a piggyback ride?" he inquired, arching one brow.

"Can I really?" she was fairly crackling with excitement.

"Yes, really. Why, if I lost you in this snow I’d never find you!" Harm declared with mock horror, eliciting a giggle from her.

"I don’t wanna get lost," she shook her head.

"Then you better let me do the walking."

Harm handed Mac the axe and then he swung the little girl over his head to his shoulders. She laughed in delight and wrapped her thin little arms around his head.

"Hey!" he protested, laughing. "I can’t see!"

Sophie moved her hold to his forehead, mashing his hat down. Winking at Mac, Harm took the axe from her and they set off, trudging through the deep snow back to the trees. Shaking her head and sighing with the first touch of enjoyment she’d felt since leaving JAG, Mac set about gathering the wood up.

Harm took Sophie several feet into the small crop of trees and stopped in a small clearing.

"Yes, baby, you get to pick. The biggest and bestest tree," he promised,

Sophie gazed this way and that - carefully studying all of the big trees. "Can I get down, please?" she asked finally.

"Yes, ma’am." Harm carefully lifted her off his shoulders and set her in the deep snow. "Careful," he cautioned.

Slowly, she pushed her way through the snow to a tree a few feet away. Harm watched with a small grin as she planted her tiny fists on her hips and further studied the dark green Fir. Finally, she turned back to him.

"Can we take this one?"

Harm came over beside her and looked the tree up and down. It wasn’t too tall but not too short. The color was dark and the branches were full and wide, just perfect for decorations.

"It’s beautiful, Sophie. I think it will look perfect in the living room window," he told her sincerely.

Sophie just beamed at him and moved back so he could chop it down.

When they got back to the house, Mac had almost all the firewood up on the back porch. She’d taken off her coat and tossed it over the railing, the baby monitor sitting next to it. She smiled when she saw them come into sight. Harm was bent under the weight of the Douglas Fir he was carrying and Sophie was carefully lugging the axe by the end of the handle behind her, careful not to let it get too close to her.

"Need some help?" Mac called.

Harm grunted in response, breathing heavily as he came to the porch. "Open… the door," he gasped.

Mac did so and helped him guide it inside. He put it down near the big living room window and carefully propped it against the wall since they didn’t have a tree stand.

"Sophie, do you have an attic or something?" Mac called to the little girl, who was checking on Bobby.

"Uh-huh. I’ll show you."

A minute later, Harm pulled the folding stairs down for them and Mac cautiously went up. Dim light shown in from a small window at the far end. Looking around, she saw a light bulb and tugged on the string. Weak light filled the cluttered space.

"You okay?" Harm called up the stairs.

"Fine. Let me see what I can find."

Mac went all the way, careful not to hit her head and started glancing over the multitude of boxes. Finally in the very back corner she saw some marked ‘Christmas’. There were only three, which was odd for a family of four. Frowning, she got them out and pushed them back to the stairs. Harm climbed part way up and took them one at a time from her.

Minutes later they were back at the tree with Sophie, who was standing front of it, gazing at the spread branches like she’d never seen a Christmas tree before.

"Sophie? Are you okay?" Mac touched her shoulder gently.

Sophie looked up at her solemnly. "Yep. It’s just the most bestest tree I’ve ever seen. We’ve never had one this big," she murmured.

"No?" Mac returned.

The little girl shook her head. "I only remember last year and it was big as me," she revealed.

Mac exchanged a glance with Harm. "Well, we’re going to make this the most perfect Christmas, Sophie, so I’m going to need your help to make it beautiful."

"I can help?" Her eyes lit up eagerly.

Mac knelt down and hugged the little girl tight, feeling her small arms close around her own neck. "I couldn’t do it without you," she murmured.

They set out the three boxes and tugged the lids off. There was a pitifully small amount to decorate with. Mac struggled to keep a straight face as her mounting anger toward the parents of these two small children grew. Without a word, Harm took out the strings of lights and laid them aside. They found a small tree stand in the bottom of another box and he turned out the adjustment screws and set about putting the tree into the base.

Mac got up and started to look around the living room, filing spying a pile of newspapers over by the easy chair. She searched through the old copies until she found a Comics section then carried it back to Sophie.

"Do you have any construction paper or markers?" she asked her.

"Yes! I’ll go get them!" she answered, jumping up from the floor.

When she disappeared down the hall, Mac looked up at Harm, catching the tight set of his mouth. "If we ever find them I’ll wring their necks personally," she ground out.

"You’ll have to wait in line behind me," he muttered gruffly.

Sophie came back lugging a plastic storage bin behind her. She parked it next to Mac and sat down again. Tugging off the lid, she started sifting through the contents.

"What have you got there?" Mac asked, smiling.

"Crayons, papers, markers, glue, scissors…" she called off.

"That’s exactly the stuff I was looking for. We’re going to make some pretty decorations for our tree," Mac told her.

Sophie looked up at Harm. "Are you gonna help?"

"If it’s all right with you," he smiled gently.

"Yes, please," she stated.

Hours later, the three of them were exhausted but thrilled with the way their tree had turned out. Mac had stopped twice to feed Bobby and to put out the crackers and peanut butter from before for them to munch on. The majestic Fir was now wreathed in colored paper chains. For ornaments, they had cut out individual frames from the popular comic strips and pierced them with string. They hung up what little there was in the boxes, too. Now there was only one thing missing.

"We don’t have an angel," Sophie muttered. "I saw a picture once in one of my stories. There was a bootifool angel on the top. We have to have an angel, Mac," she stated forlornly.

"Well," Mac drawled slowly. "Can I look at your toys?"

"Uh-huh. Come on."

In her room, she showed Mac the small toy chest that contained all of her things.

"Is this all?" Mac murmured.

"Yes, ma’am," Sophie answered, dropping her head slightly. "I don’t have lots of things," her voice was almost a whisper.

Mac drew her close for a hug. "Maybe Santa can fix that tomorrow night," she whispered.

"He won’t be able to find us in the snow!" Sophie cried, burying her face in Mac’s shoulder.

Mac tilted her chin up and wiped away a tear, feeling her heart melt a little more when she looked into the child’s bright green eyes. "Santa always knows where to find his children, baby. He’ll find us," she assured her gently.

"Promise?" Sophie sniffed softly.

"Promise," Mac dropped a kiss on the end of her pert nose. "Now let’s see what we can find in here for our tree." She rummaged through the pitiful selection of toys, spying a small stuffed bear in the corner of the box. "How about this little girl?" she asked, holding up the item.

"She’s pretty. She’s old as me," Sophie stated.

Mac laughed. "She’s very pretty," she agreed. "Can we put her on the tree?" she looked at the little girl at her side.

"I think she’ll like it there," Sophie mused.

"I think she will, too, honey. Let’s go see what she thinks."

Back in the living room, Mac winked at Harm and set about fashioning a way for them to put the small bear atop the tall tree. Then she handed it to Sophie, who looked up at the tree. Then she turned to Harm.

"Can you pick me up?"

"Sure can," he answered, lifting her easily.

He held her close to the tree and she hooked the little bear dressed like an angel to the treetop just like Mac showed her. When she was done, Harm cradled her in one arm and turned to slip the other one around Mac and they stood there together looking at their finished product.

"What do you think?" Mac questioned softly.

"It is the most bestest tree ever!" Sophie exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Thank you."

"You’re welcome, baby," Harm answered, squeezing her.

Much later, both children had been put down to sleep for the night. It had taken a while for Sophie to wind down from her excitement over the tree. The power was still out but they had hopes of it coming back on before Christmas morning. Harm sat down on the couch next to Mac after making one last check of the outer doors and windows. He tipped his head back against the couch and sighed deeply.

"Tired?" she murmured, patting his leg.

"Exhausted. But in a good kind of way. It was worth every second to see her little face," he answered, raising his head to look at Mac. "How could they walk away and leave them here?" he questioned deeply, anger in his low tone and in his expression.

Mac shook her head sadly. "I don’t know. They’re precious, Harm. There are dozens of people who would get down on their knees to have these two and this couple seem to have just discarded them like they would their trash," she returned, her frustration evident.

"I guess we should give them the benefit of the doubt since we don’t know for sure where they are. It could be that they couldn’t afford to buy her anymore toys or to have a big tree and lots of decorations," he continued doggedly, pushing one hand through his hair.

"I don’t believe that," Mac shook her head. "Not in my heart. There are too many nice things in this house. And the piece of land, the home itself…" her voice trailed off. "They have enough money to buy more than these two babies have in that room. Whether they wanted to leave them or not, they still did," she reiterated. "They left them here in the middle of a storm with very little food. Sophie isn’t old enough to be alone by herself, let alone with a baby!" she cried, her voice rising.

Harm reached out and put his arms around her, pulling her against him. Mac fell silent, clinging to his neck, her face against his hair. Slowly, Harm stroked one big hand up and down her back, savoring the moment. Lately, his feelings for his lovely partner were growing out of control. Every time he was near her, he wanted to pull her close and kiss her. But he held himself back since they were partners. He wasn’t sure how she felt about him and he wasn’t sure he wanted to risk their working relationship or the friendship they’d built over the years.

Tentatively, Mac lifted her head and moved back a fraction. Harm turned his head to look at her. The air around them began to change ever so slightly. In the background, the fire popped and crackled and they could hear the gentle, even breathing of Bobby and Sophie. Harm lifted on hand and touched the tips of his fingers to her cheek. Mac’s breath caught slightly, her nostrils flaring the tiniest bit even as her eyes were darkening. She removed on of her own hands from his shoulder and covered the one that touched her cheek, bonding with him.

"Harm…" she started, her voice a mere whisper.

"Mac," Harm interrupted. "May I kiss you, please?" he asked very gently.

The briefest of smiles touched her mouth. "Yes, please."

His lips settled over hers before she finished the please. Sighing, Mac wound her arms around his neck, sliding one hand into the coolness of his hair. Harm gathered her close, her slender body melting into the hard angles of his own as he splayed his hands across her back. He kissed her slowly, tenderly and with a thoroughness that stole her breath. He kissed her like she was the only woman he’d ever kissed before or ever would kiss again. And Mac kissed him back, pouring everything she had into the meeting of their mouths. Hoping to convey to him how she felt about him. About how her feelings for this tall, stoic Commander had only grown stronger over the years. Harm was everything to her. Everything her world centered around.

Slowly, gently, his arms slid beneath hers to wrap around her waist. Drawing her up, Harm pulled her onto his lap, splaying his large hands across her back and bringing her in tight. Just as slowly, Mac draped her arms around his shoulders again, relaxing against him, feeling her soft curves against his hard angles. Harm gently broke their kiss with a sigh and buried his face in the cloud of honey-colored hair at her neck, breathing deeply of her scent - her perfume, soap, flower-scented shampoo. Tenderly, his hands moved over her, learning, petting, soothing, over her hips and across the bare expanse of leg exposed by the long T-shirt she was wearing. Mac sighed deeply and the sound touched Harm’s heart. She sounded uneasy.

Nervous.

Like she wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

"Are you all right?" he whispered softly.

"I’m just nervous," she admitted softly, reaching down to stop his roaming hand.

"Me, too," he admitted ruefully. "I don’t want to hurt you."

Mac searched his expression, looking for some kind of sign that he was having a bit of fun at her expense. "You’re serious, aren’t you?" her eyes widened.

"Of course I am. Did you think I was joking? Can’t you tell? I’m not playing with you, Sarah. I’ve wanted this with you for so long now I’ve forgotten when it first started."

"I thought...well, I don’t know what I thought. It’s just that the majority of the men I’ve dated have always used some sort of line to make me think they were sincere. But you’re my best friend and...." her shoulders lifted helplessly and the miserable expression on her face told Harm she thought he wouldn’t understand.

"You know me a lot better than most people. I realize this is new for both of us, Mac. I never stop thinking about you. I would never toy with your feelings or hand you a line." His fingers trailed down her arm. "You have the most wonderful curves right here," His lean fingers brushed the outer swell of her breast and Mac felt a tingling start in the centers. "The swing on your back porch makes my mouth water. Haven’t you noticed that I always let you walk ahead of me?" Mac saw the teasing glint in his eyes at the reference to her bottom.

Mac studied him closely as he spoke. The look in his green eyes was honest and sincere. She knew this man almost better than anyone else. He wouldn’t hurt her for anything in the world. She could bet her life on that. Mac lifted her arms and her small hands found their way into his hair, sifting through the short strands, hesitantly bringing him close to her.

Harm felt something shift into place deep within - felt that one missing piece moving into alignment. Being here with her felt right. He imagined this is how it would be if they were married. Having time for each other at the end of the day to share their thoughts and feelings. That’s the way his parents had been. He wanted it for himself, too. Wanted that one special woman to spend the rest of his life with. And being here with the children especially… his heart let the thought dangle.

Mac was vastly different from all the other women he’d ever been involved with. She truly cared about what he felt and thought. About what he went through and what made him happy or sad. She was open. Loving. Some of the very things he was searching for.

Harm hoped to God she was feeling the same way he did and Lord help him if she didn’t.

"You feel good," he murmured, his breath tickling her ear.

"I’m nothing special," Mac responded, her lips moving against his jaw. Harm lifted his head and gazed down at her, his eyes meeting hers in the dark. "Why would you say something like that?" he asked quietly.

"Because it’s the truth. I’m nothing special. You’ve been with other beautiful women – like Jordan."

Harm could see the anxiety in her expressive eyes. Suddenly, several little pieces fell into place for him. "I’m here with you because I want to be. Jordan is beautiful – yes – but she can’t hold a candle to you," he grinned tenderly. "But I don’t want Jordan, Mac. I want you," he stated simply.

"I have so many ugly scars from the past," she whispered distantly. "A lot of baggage."

"Don’t we all? You’ve taken a lot from me, Mac. I’ve hurt you more than once but you find a way to forgive me and keep going. I have my own crosses to bear. Why don’t we bear ours together?"

She studied him for a long moment. His expression was clear and honest, meeting hers head on. He touched one finger to her lips and smiled.

"I’d like that," she murmured finally, earning a bigger smile from him.

He shifted slightly and she felt the uncompromising line of his muscled thighs beneath her bottom. She also felt the hard arousal he’d openly admitted not being able to hide from her. Mac’s hands moved up from his shoulders until they rested against the sides of his neck, her fingertips touching his jaws. Harm’s hands imbedded themselves in her silky hair, cupping the shape of her head. The ebb and flow of desire crashed in like waves on the shore - increasing the roaring in Mac’s ears. Her heart was thudding so hard she thought it might burst from her chest. Slowly, Harm lowered his head and Mac watched the descent. The first touch of his lips was tentative. He felt Mac shift slightly, her fingers tightening, her breath catching.

Harm sensed every nuance, heard ever sound - and he fed on it. His lips began to move against hers, warm and firm, demanding that she give of herself in return. And give was exactly what Mac did. She leaned into him, one arm going around his shoulders to hold him close, her other hand pressed to his cheek. When his tongue played along the seam of her closed lips, Mac parted them, allowing him entry. His demand of her and the response it was invoking, left little room for her doubts to intrude. Feeling took over instead and she answered, giving herself over to the moment.

Harm’s response was swift and commanding, his tongue learning the contours inside the moist cavern of he mouth. The edge of her teeth, the gentle rasp of her tongue sliding against his. His hands closed around her upper arms, holding her tight. Mac sighed into his mouth, tilting her head so that their mouths found firmer footing. She felt him drawing her in, completely open to the drugging pull of his mouth.

The harsh sounds of their breathing filled the night silence as Harm lifted his head. Green eyes glittered dangerously at her from beneath half-lowered lids. "I don’t want to rush this," he ground out raggedly.

Disappointment edged Mac’s mind. She leaned back just slightly. "Is something wrong?" she questioned softly.

"I don’t want to rush us," he repeated, drawing one finger over the smooth curve of her cheek. He saw the disappointment in her bright eyes and cupped her chin in his hand. "Don’t sell yourself short, Mac. I didn’t come ask you to go away with me for the holiday with the intent to seduce you but I’m quickly losing my head with you in my arms."

Her eyes searched his, as if seeking the truth in his words. She must have decided she believed him because her face cleared and she formed a tentative smile. "We have all the time in the world. We’ve waited this long," Mac answered, running the tip of her finger across his bottom lip. Harm caught it with his teeth and she laughed, the sound filling his heart.

"That’s right, we have," he confirmed. He forced her eyes up to his, pinning her with a hard, heated glare. "Make no mistake, Mac. If I thought for one second the time was right, I’d be making love to you before you could draw another breath."

THE NEXT DAY

CHRISTMAS EVE

"What are we going to do for presents for her, Harm? We have to figure out something," Mac whispered, eyeing Sophie across the room where she was playing with Bobby.

Harm sighed and planted his hands on his hips. Then his face cleared suddenly. "Wait a minute. We have those toys in the car that we’re supposed to go to Grandma’s church. Remember?"

"But how are we going to get to them?" Mac demanded.

"I’ll walk back there myself and get them," he stated flatly.

"But it must be snowed over by now!" she retorted.

"Can’t be too bad. It stopped snowing yesterday afternoon. You said it yourself, Mac – we have to do something for her. She’s so excited about Santa coming and I couldn’t bear to see her disappointed in the morning. I’ll get that stuff one way or another and get it back here," he promised.

Mac sighed. "Promise me you’ll be careful. Don’t take any unnecessary chances, " she warned.

"I won’t."

Armed with a shovel he found out back, Harm set off down the driveway to the road, pushing his way through the deep, powdery snow and thanking God every step of the way that he was in good shape. The county road that ran in front of the house was the same one they’d skidded off of and it hadn’t been cleared by a plow yet. It took him a long time to make it down the road, making him realize just how far he and Mac had traveled before finding the house where Sophie and Bobby lived. The SUV was still where they left it, covered with snow halfway up the sides. Carefully, he began to clear away the heavy fall from the back of the vehicle.

Everything they had packed was still there waiting. Pulling out the garbage bags he’d stuffed in his pockets, Harm unfurled them and started filling them with the brightly wrapped presents. They had separated the gifts into boxes by gender and infant. He took everything they had for little girls and all the infant items for little boys. He also packed up the presents he’d loaded for Mac and the ones she had for him. By the time he was done he had three of the huge black bags full. He locked the SUV back up and headed home.

Mac was on pins and needles by the time he finally showed back up. She heard him banging around on the back porch and knew he was putting the gifts away until they could be put out under the tree that night. He came in, his cheeks and nose red and his face alight.

"All done," he smiled, unwinding his scarf.

"Where did you go?" Sophie asked, getting up to come over to him.

Harm pulled the snaps of his coat apart and knelt down in front of her. "I had to go see what the roads looked like. We can’t stay here much longer, honey. We’re running out of things to eat for you and Bobby," he explained.

"We have to leave?" she asked, her expression drawing closed.

"We have to, honey. It’s not safe to stay here in this weather."

Suddenly, she began to cry, her little body shaking in earnest as she threw her arms around his neck and clung tightly to him. Hearing his sister set Bobby to crying, too, and Mac hurried to scoop him up. Harm clutched the little girl tight, standing up with her cradled against him as he met Mac’s eyes over Sophie’s small head.

"Sophie, what’s is it, baby? Why are you crying?" he whispered tenderly, sitting down in the chair.

"I don’t want to go! Please, don’t make us go! Bobby an’ me like it with you! You’re gonna send us away an’ leave just like Mommy and Daddy!" she sobbed, her body shaking harder.

Harm sighed and closed his eyes, resting his cheek against her silky hair for a moment. Then he grasped her by the shoulders and lifted her away from him a little, settling her on his lap.

"Sophie, stop crying. Please," he commanded gently.

Sophie pulled herself up mightily, her little body shivering with the effort. She scrubbed at her small cheeks with both hands and drew in a shuddering breath. A few more tears fell but she seemed subdued now. She peaked up at him through tiny, spiked lashes.

"I’m sorry," she muttered. "I’m not a’posed to cry. Daddy gets mad at me," she finished.

"For crying?" Harm raised one eyebrow.

Sophie only nodded.

{I’m gonna kill that bastard myself, he thought to himself}

Mac’s hold tightened on Bobby and he could see the fury in her eyes as she rocked the infant.

"Sophie, listen to me. I don’t mind it if you cry. Mac and I cry sometimes, too."

"You do?" she asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Uh-huh. It’s okay for us to cry sometimes. I wanted you to stop because I was afraid you’d make yourself sick," he went on. "You have nothing to cry about. Mac and I aren’t going to send you and Bobby away and we aren’t leaving you behind, okay? When we leave you’re going with us and then we’ll see what happens."

"But what about Mommy and Daddy? Who will take care of us?"

Harm looked at her for a long moment. Tenderly, he lifted his hands and stroked them over her long brown hair. Sophie sat still under his hands, her eyes locked with his.

"I can’t make any promises, Sophie. I don’t want to disappoint you later but I will promise that Mac and I will do everything we can to keep you with us – at least until we find your Mommy and Daddy. We won’t let them take you away somewhere, okay?"

"’kay," she answered quietly. "Promise?"

"Promise."

Both children were sound asleep in front of the fire. Just to be safe, Mac watched them carefully while Harm put out the multitude of presents. Mac watched him to as he arranged them this way and that, making sure all the bows and ribbons were just right. When he was done, he moved the couch a little so that if Sophie happened to wake up, it would block her view of the tree and presents. Then he caught Mac’s hand and led her to the big window.

Standing before her, he slid his big hands down her arms and clasped her hands warmly in his. He looked at her for several long minutes, his expression pensive. His thumbs made small strokes across her palms, setting up a tingling along her spine.

"What is it, Harm?" she asked softly.

He sighed gently, his warm breath fanning her face. "I’ve been doing a lot of thinking today."

"About what?"

"About us."

"And?" she prompted, swallowing hard.

"I want Sophie and Bobby, Mac."

That wasn’t what she expected to hear from him. "To keep?" she asked in clarification.

"To keep," he confirmed, nodding.

"Harm…" she started and then stopped. "What about their parents? There may also be other relatives," she reminded him.

"I know. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. But, Mac, tell me the truth – can you let them go?"

She sighed, her heart in her eyes. "No," she answered in a small voice. "I love them, Harm. I think I fell in love with them the first time I saw them under the bed."

"Same here. All this time together the past two days has made me see something that’s been under my nose for a long time. Well, that’s not quite true. I was already thinking but being here with you and taking care of them has just moved me a long a little faster," he amended.

"And what’s that?" Mac asked, a tiny tendril of hope beginning to unfurl deep within her.

He smiled suddenly at her and it made her knees weak just like it had the very first time she saw him. Unannounced, an image came to her. Of them together, alone on a dark night headed for the middle of nowhere.

His smile almost did her in all those years ago at a time when she felt she most needed her defenses. But as she worked with him and their friendship grew, so did her feelings. And along the way, his smile never lost the power to melt her resolve.

"Mac? You still with me?" he interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes," she answered. "I was just thinking about something."

"Apparently. You looked far away." One corner of his mouth tilted up.

"I was – back to a rainy night on the way to Red Rock Mesa."

He lifted one eyebrow. "Wow, that is a long place off. Anything in particular?" he murmured.

She smiled mysteriously. "I was thinking about your smile."

This brought a full-fledged one from him. "Still thinking it always gets me what I want?" he teased.

"Something like that," she nodded. "And how it still makes me melt."

A tender look entered his eyes at that. "I’m glad because you take my breath away. You always have," he admitted softly. "And that’s what I’ve been spending the last few weeks thinking about. Lately it seems like all I ever think about is you – and how you make me feel. I want…"

Bobby picked that precise moment to interrupt them with a cry. Mac shot Harm an apologetic look and rushed around to pick up the baby before he woke Sophie. She carried him with her back to where Harm was. Harm smiled and wrapped one arm around Mac and the other around her and Bobby. The small little scrap looked between them and cuddled his head beneath Mac’s chin, closing his eyes.

"Faker," Harm whispered affectionately. "You just wanted to be held, didn’t you?" he asked Bobby. Then he looked at Mac. "Can’t say I blame him," he added.

Mac only smiled.

Harm snuggled her and Bobby closer, holding them tight in his embrace. "Now where was I?" he murmured. "Oh, yes, back to how you make me feel. We’ve talked a lot about not wanting to ruin our working relationship. The way I see it now, we have two choices. We can worry more about our futures and what will make us happy or we can worry about working together. Personally, I’d rather worry about the first option," he stated conversationally.

Mac frowned. "How so?"

Harm brought one arm out from around her and tucked his hand beneath her chin. "Sarah."

She laughed a touch self-consciously. "Must be serious for you to call me Sarah."

"I guess if you consider a proposal serious."

Mac’s mouth dropped open. "Wh.. what?" she stammered.

"Sarah MacKenzie, I’m asking you to be my wife."

Mac was sure she heard him wrong and all she could do was stand there and stare at him. Then she shook her head. "I can’t have just heard you right," she muttered.

"You heard me right. Look at me, Mac."

She brought her eyes back to his.

"I’m not asking you because of Sophie and Bobby. I’m asking you simply because I love you and I can’t imagine my life without you."

And that was it. No poems or hearts and flowers. No fanfare. Just the straight, honest words from his heart to hers. It was all she’d ever wanted and for months and months, all she wanted from him. For several long minutes she couldn’t even find the words to answer him.

Then it was her turn to smile brightly and she did just that, managing to make it shine even through the tears that clouded her vision.

"I love you, too, and it would be my honor, Commander, to marry you."

And then it was Harm’s turn to be surprised. It must have shown in his face because Mac laughed delightedly.

"Don’t tell me the over-confidant Harmon Rabb was scared?" she teased.

"Who me?" he asked, wide-eyed with innocence. "I was terrified."

They both laughed at that.

"I guess I thought it would be harder than this," he went on.

"Why?"

"I just did. Maybe I thought you’d say no."

"How could I when you’re all I’ve ever wanted, Harm? I love you. I have for so long I can’t remember when I started. But I’ve made so many mistakes before. So many things I regret. I was afraid I would never be good enough for you," she confessed.

"No one will ever be better for me than you," he corrected. "I told you last night that we all have our crosses to bear. All the mistakes we‘ve made and the things we regret were stopping points on the road that led to each other. I believe that. For every single time I thought I would never find a woman who made me happy, God was just steering me to you."

Mac smiled at that. "There’s my hearts and flowers," she teased.

He flushed slightly. "You know I’m not good at pretty words."

"You do just fine for me," she reassured him. "I don’t need pretty words. Just the truth is all I ever want from you. And your love," she amended.

"You have that, Sarah. You have that forever."

"Santa came! Santa came!"

Sophie’s exuberant cries awoke Harm and Mac from a sound sleep on the couch. Slowly, they shifted, both sitting up and stretching slightly. Sophie raced back around the couch in front of them, fairly bouncing up and down.

"He came! He came!" she repeated. "Can we open the presents?"

Harm laughed and looked at Mac. "What do you think, Mac? Should we let her at it?" he asked.

Mac sighed deeply as if the decision required a great effort. "Well, I guess we may as well," she drawled slowly.

Sophie giggled delightedly. "You’re silly," she stated.

"I am?" Mac declared with mock indigence. "Just for that, young lady, I’m going to get you good!"

She lunged off the couch in Sophie’s direction and the little girl raced off with a shriek. Mac chased her around the living room, cackling sinisterly at her and making grabs at the little girl. Rounding the couch a second time, Sophie ran smack into Harm who scooped her up, turning her upside down. Mac caught up to them and started tickling the little girl’s tummy where her shirt had ridden up. Sophie laughed and laughed, setting off a chain reaction and making them laugh, too. When she was gasping for breath, Mac stopped and Harm swung her upright, handing her to Mac.

"Let’s get your brother and open these presents!" he stated.

"Yea!!" Sophie cried, clapping her hands together.

Seconds later the four of them were on the floor in front of their pretty tree. Sophie sat next to Harm, who was holding Bobby upright in his lap and waited as Mac slid a present over in front of her. She stared at it for a moment and then looked up at Mac.

Mac nodded encouragingly. "Most of these are yours, honey. Go ahead and rip off that paper," she smiled warmly.

Sophie needed no further encouragement. The paper came off in a flurry of rips and scrapes and when she saw what was inside, she dropped it like a hot potato and clasped her small hands over her mouth, eyes wide and round.

"What is it?" Harm demanded, alarmed by her look.

"It’s a baby," Sophie answered, hushed. "I only have one baby an’ she’s old an’ dirty – but I try to take good care of her. Are these really mine?" she asked again.

Harm laughed softly and leaned over to kiss the top of her head. "Yes, baby, they’re all yours. There are presents for Bobby, too, but since he’s so little you’ll have to open them and show them to him, okay?"

Sophie smiled so bright it was blinding. "‘kay!"

And that was all it took to get her going. Helping Mac, she made short work of all her own presents, stopping after every other one to open one of her brother’s and present it to him. When all of theirs had been opened, she looked between Harm and Mac.

"Where’s yours?" she asked, frowning. "You have to have some."

"We do, baby. See those back there?" Harm asked, pointing to the far side of the tree.

Sophie jumped up and ran around to get them, bringing them back to Mac one at a time. Then she sat back down next to Harm.

"Hurry! Let’s see what Santa got you!" she cried, bouncing excitedly on her little round bottom.

"These are the things we got for each other. Santa didn’t bring these," Mac explained to her.

Sophie looked at the brightly wrapped packages again and then back to Harm and Mac. "I didn’t have an’thing for you," she whispered, her bottom lip beginning a telltale tremble.

Mac scooted over quickly and hugged her tight. "Having you and Bobby with us is the best present ever. And you picked out the tree. If you hadn’t done that Harm and I wouldn’t even have one," she pointed out.

"Then I did good, huh?" she asked.

"Yes, Sophie, you did very good. Now, hand me that pretty red package, please."

As the remaining presents were opened, they revealed a sweater from Mac in beautiful shades of green and blue that would bring out Harm’s eyes. Two turtlenecks – one blue and one green – were in other boxes. There was also a bottle of his favorite cologne – and hers, too. And a book on the history of the biplane. Nestled in heavy tissue paper in a thick box was an exquisite model of a yellow Steerman made completed from wood. The details and paint were so finely done that you could barely tell it was wood. Harm was so moved that he couldn’t speak for several minutes as he sat staring at it. He was still holding Bobby as Sophie helped him open his gifts but he reached out one hand to run it over a delicately formed wing.

"It's beautiful, Mac. Thank you," he murmured.

She smiled lovingly. "You're welcome."

"There's only one left," Sophie announced, pushing over a box about the size of a regular TV set and wrapped in shiny emerald green paper.

"That's for Mac," Harm directed, watching it exchange hands.

Mac pulled the box closer and began pulling the paper off it. Breaking the tape across the top, she folded back the flaps and found another brightly

wrapped package - this one blue. Smiling playfully at Harm and Sophie, she

took the box out and unwrapped it. Then there was a red one. And then a

deep, rich purple. Each one was smaller than the last.

"Harm!" she protested, laughing.

"Keep going," was his only reply.

Finally, Mac got to the very last box - one about the size of her palm and

wrapped in a shimmery silver. Carefully, she peeled away the wrapping. Inside was a black velvet jewelry box. Her breath hitched just a little and she

glanced up at Harm. He was watching her, an enigmatic smile on his handsome face.

"Open it," he urged softly.

Very slowly she lifted the hinged lid. And her heart seemed to stop.

Setting inside on a heavy bed of velvet was a platinum band set with

diamonds. A large oval in the center and two smaller rounds on each side.

Mac could only stare at it in disbelief.

"Oh, my, God," she whispered deeply. "Harm?" her voice trailed off as she looked up at him.

Without a word, Harm scooted closer to her, shifting Bobby into his left arm. Tenderly, he took the box from Mac and took the ring. Stretching his long arms around the baby, he picked up her left hand and held it for a moment, his thumb stroking her knuckles.

"You said yes last night," he stated very, very softly. "Is your answer

still the same?"

Mac stared into the eyes she loved so much. "Yes."

1420 ZULU

JAG HEADQUARTERS

FALLS CHURCH, VA - TWO DAYS LATER

It took a lot of time to explain about all that happened in the blizzard.

And coming into JAG that morning with two children in tow was the greatest

surprise of all. One that had promptly landed them in Admiral Chegwidden's

office.

"Would you two like to tell me what the devil is going on?" A.J. demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We had an accident in the snow the morning we left, sir," Harm began. "I was concerned that Mac had a concussion so when we found the house we broke in so we'd have shelter. We hadn't been there very long when we heard the sound of a baby crying. We found Sophie and Bobby."

"And their parents are where?" A.J. prodded.

Mac sighed and clasped her hands tighter on her lap. "No one seems to know. We came straight here after the plows got the SUV dug out. Harm and I think they abandoned the children. They were alone for more than a day before we got there, there was virtually no food in the house and no sign of any foul play," she explained.

A.J. frowned thoughtfully and went around to sit in his chair. He laid his

hands flat on the desktop and looked at both of them. "Have you contacted

the local police?" he questioned.

"Not yet," Harm returned. "Like Mac said, we came straight here."

"You have to call Child Protective Services and the police and let them handle this," A.J. pointed out gently. "I can see you don’t want to do that but you have no other choice. As lawyers I’m sure you realize that."

"Yes, sir," Harm answered dully. "I’ll go call them myself.

An hour later a detective came in wit a social worker from CPS. Harriet brought them to Harm’s office where he and Mac were entertaining Sophie and Bobby.

"Commander Rabb, Colonel MacKenzie, Detective Bariman. This is Elizabeth Estes from CPS."

"Detective Bariman, Ms. Estes, please have a seat," Harm greeted, shaking both their hands.

"Harriet, would you take Sophie and Bobby for a little while?" Harm asked the young blonde.

"Yes, sir."

A second later the door closed behind her and the four adults looked at each other.

"Commander Rabb, tell us, please, how you came to have these two children and where their parents are?" Detective Bariman started out.

Slowly, Harm and Mac started their story with the trip to Grandma Rabb’s, detailing the accident, the trek through the falling snow and the break in to the house – of which they had no choice since it was the only place and they needed shelter. Harm told of hearing a baby crying and searching the entire house a second time until they located the two under the bed. Detective Bariman and Ms. Estes took a steady stream of notes, documenting Sophie’s own words about being alone, doing her best to take care of her brother and having no idea where Mommy and Daddy were.

"I brought this from the house. It was the only one I could find. There was nothing in the house anywhere that had their names on it. That’s why Mac and I don’t suspect foul play was at hand. All of their clothes and belongings are gone. It was just the children’s things and the furniture and stuff left behind. But the lack of food, firewood, etc., etc. all tells us that they packed up and left and just happened to forget their kids," Harm finished, his disgust evident.

"Sophie said her parents names are Victor and Diane Hemming. She couldn’t recall any times of ever being with grandparents or anything, though, so we don’t know if they have other relatives," Mac tacked on.

"Well, this is a bad situation," Detective Bariman sighed. "Child cases are some of the worst we see. Ms. Estes will take Sophie and Bobby to the children’s home where they’ll stay until we can place them with a foster family and we’ll…"

"No!" Mac cut him off with a sharp cry.

"Excuse me, Colonel?" The detective asked sharply.

"I’m sorry, it’s just that Commander Rabb and I promised Sophie they wouldn’t be taken away somewhere," she went on.

"That was a foolish promise to make, Colonel MacKenzie," Elizabeth Estes reprimanded.

"Foolish, Ms. Estes? To promise a child who’d been alone with an infant for two days that we’d do all we could to minimize any further upheaval in her life?" Mac demanded crisply, staring hard at the older woman.

Elizabeth Estes tightened her thin lips and flushed slightly, raising a hand to smooth her dark hair. "I’m sorry, it’s just like Detective Bariman said, child cases are some of the worst. We only have the best interest of the children at heart, Colonel."

"Then let us keep Sophie and Bobby until you can locate her parents and decide what to do next. They’ve already been with us for a week. They’re well behaved, they’re eating good and sleeping regularly. We can continue to take care of them and we’ll do whatever we have to for your guidelines," Mac pleaded, trying to keep her voice steady and her emotions under control.

Detective Bariman’s blue eyes narrowed on the couple. He leaned forward slightly and pushed one hand through his short dark blond hair. "Am I to understand that you two are partners?" he asked inquisitively.

"Yes, sir," Harm returned.

"So, you’re not involved on a personal level?" he continued.

"Well, as far as this office is concerned no. However, just recently we’ve done a lot of talking about our feelings. I asked the Colonel to marry me and she’s accepted," Harm explained. "We haven’t made it public knowledge yet because there’s protocol to deal with and right now we wanted all our attention on Sophie and Bobby."

"Did you decide to get married because of these children?" Ms. Estes questioned gently, her face softening a little.

"No, ma’am, we did not," Harm replied. "This has been coming for a long time. I had already planned to ask her to marry me on Christmas day. We just weren’t in the place I originally intended to ask. But Mac and I want these children, ma’am. We want them badly. They haven’t been out of our sight for over 72 hours. We’ve taken care of them, fed them, bathed them, rocked away their tears, put them to bed and listened to all the rotten memories those two have suffered at the hands of their parents," Harm stated coldly. "And when you find that son of a bitch and his wife I’ll gladly strangle them myself."

Detective Bariman bit back a gleeful smile. "Child abandonment is not looked upon lightly, Commander. The law is going to make the Hemmings very sorry if they did, in fact, leave Sophie and Bobby behind."

"Congratulations on your engagement," Ms. Estes put in. "Let me go back to my office and make some phone calls. I’ll leave the children here with you for now and I’ll call you back before the end of the day with an answer. Fair enough?" she asked.

"Fair enough," Harm agreed.

"And I’ll get on the phone with the State police and we’ll put an ABP out on the couple. We should be able to track down a vehicle registration on them," Detective Bariman promised. "I’ll call you as soon as we know something."

After the two left, Mac and Harm went in search of Sophie and Bobby, finding them in the conference room with Harriet. She smiled as Mac carefully lifted Bobby from her arms.

"How’d it go?" she asked.

"Right now we wait and see," Mac answered.

"Oh, my, God," Harriet gasped suddenly.

"What is it?" Mac demanded sharply, looking down at Bobby for some sign of injury.

"Colonel! Ma’am, you’re wearing an engagement ring!"

Mac lifted her hand and smiled at the beautifully set stones. "Yes, Harriet, I am."

"But… who…?" she stuttered.

Without a word, Mac turned and smiled at Harm. Harriet looked between them two, her eyes wide.

"You two?" she demanded. "Oh, that’s wonderful! That’s the best news I could have ever heard! Oh, I’m so happy for you!" she cried, throwing her arms around Mac first and then Harm.

They hugged her back, sharing in the enthusiasm.

"Have you told anyone else?" she questioned.

"Not yet. We wanted to tell the Admiral first, which is where we’re headed now. Also, we wanted to talk to you about keeping Sophie and Bobby for us during the day while we work," Mac explained.

"I would love to. How long do you think it will be before they find something on the parents?"

How long indeed. They settled into a workable routine after Ms. Estes called to say they would have temporary custody of Sophie and Bobby Hemming. Admiral Chegwidden was told about their engagement and ordered them to keep it low key for the time being. They would talk about the effects of it on their working relationship later when more important matters were solved. But as idyllic as their little world was becoming, it quickly turned the other way.

"Commander Rabb," Harm greeted, picking up the phone at his elbow.

"Commander, Detective Bariman. We found the Hemmings."

The bottom dropped out of Harm’s stomach. "Where?"

"In San Diego living under assumed names. They’re being transported back to Washington as we speak."

"Have they been questioned yet?" Harm asked.

"Only the preliminaries. They’ve refused to speak at all about the children or why they left them at the house. We also located the parents of the husband. Wealthy family."

"The Hemmings?" Harm demanded. "Lord, why didn’t I make the connection sooner?" He rubbed a hand over his face.

"You’ll be notified as soon as the indictment hearing is scheduled but I imagine Ms. Estes will calling before that. The Hemmings have already demanded their grandchildren be handed over to them."

"Oh, no," Harm muttered.

"What is it?"

Harm’s head snapped up when he heard Mac’s voice form his office doorway. "Is that all, Detective?"

"I’m sorry, Commander. I’ll be in touch."

Harm hung up the phone and got up to go around to Mac. He drew her in the office and closed the door, holding her hand tightly. "They found Michael and Diane Hemming. They also found out that Michael’s parents are the D.C. Hemmings. They want Sophie and Bobby immediately."

For a minute Mac didn’t move or speak and he thought maybe she hadn’t heard him. But then her mouth moved.

"What?" she gasped, her eyes wide.

"Detective Bariman said Ms. Estes will probably be calling anytime to get them," he went on.

"No. Harm, they can’t just take them like that," she whispered.

"They’re blood relatives, Mac. We can’t stop them," he stated, swallowing down the lump in his throat.

A soft knock sounded on the door.

"Enter," Harm called.

Bud pushed the door open a little and stuck his head inside. "Sir, ma’am, there’s a Ms. Estes here to see you."

A soft moan escaped Mac’s tightly clenched lips and she dropped her head forward to Harm's chest.

"We’ll be right there, Bud," Harm answered tightly.

"Yes, sir."

Harm hugged Mac hard and stepped back, clasping her hand. "Be strong, Marine. We’ll get through this. There has to be a way."

They went out to the bullpen where Elizabeth Estes waited patiently, a sad smile on her face.

"We have to go get them," she stated without preamble. I’m very, very sorry," she added gently.

Harm only nodded. "Would you like to follow us?"

"Yes, please."

They reached Bud and Harriet’s home in short order. Harriet was already waiting and opened the front door as soon as she saw them. She moved back to let them all in without a word, her lovely eyes troubled as she studied her two superiors and friends.

"Harm! Mac!" Sophie cried when she spotted them.

She jumped up and raced across the living room, throwing herself into Harm’s grasp. He swung her up and hugged her tight, closing his eyes against the wave of emotion that threatened to overtake him. An intuitive, emotional child, Sophie immediately drew back, knowing something was wrong because it wasn’t how he normally greeted her.

"You’re sad," she murmured, laying her small hand on his rough cheek.

Harm tried to smile and failed miserable, blinking to clear his vision.

Sophie turned her head to look at Mac, who was cradling Bobby tight and then to Ms. Estes who was clutching her purse and looking like she wished the floor would open up and swallow her.

"Sophie," Harm began, stopping when his voice cracked.

Turning, he crossed the living room and sat down on the couch. Mac joined him, sitting close so that the kids were together.

"Sophie, the police found your Mommy and Daddy," he announced gently. "And your Daddy’s parents. Your Grandma and Grandpa."

"So?" she demanded. "Why din’t they take me an’ Bobby?"

"I don’t know, baby. They’re a long way from here and they’re coming back right now. But your Grandma and Grandpa – they live here and they want you and Bobby to come stay with them," Harm explained simply, his heart breaking a little more with each word.

"No!" Sophie cried. "I don’t want to go! You promised you wouldn’t make us go! You promised!"

Mac could no longer contain herself and tears spilled down her cheeks. "Sophie, we don’t want you to go anywhere but we don’t have a choice. We can’t keep you unless they say we can," she tried to explain.

Sophie began to cry and she curled her tiny hands into the front of Harm’s suit jacket. "Make them! Tell them to let me an’ Bobby stay with you!" she cried, her body shaking.

Harm folded her in his arms and rose to his feet. "We’ll do everything we can, baby. I promise you. Do you remember that I told you this might happen? That if they found someone related to your Mommy and Daddy you would have to go? But I also promised you we wouldn’t let them take you unless it was absolutely necessary. It is now but Mac and I will do everything we can, honey. We promise." He eased his hold and pulled back a bit to look at her.

Sophie continued to cry but they could see her mentally drawing up her defenses. Lord only knew what life had been like with her parents and for such a little thing, she had an endless amount of fortitude and too many barriers around her little heart. Probably from too many broken promises.

"You promise?" she whispered, lifting her hands to frame his face.

"We promise."

She leaned forward and pressed her small cheek to his, her head resting just below the brim of his cover. Harm reached up and yanked it off before wrapping his arm back around her.

"Down, please," she whispered, pulling back.

Harm set her down and she went across the room to where she’d been coloring. Picking up a paper, she came back to him. Harm picked her back up and turned closer to Mac.

"I made you somethin’," Sophie told them. She held up a tracing of her small hand done in red with each tiny finger carefully outlined. Next to it was another tracing of Bobby’s hand – not quite as smooth probably because of him wiggling but there nonetheless. "If you think about us sometimes, you have us here," she went on. "Just put your hand on here like this," she demonstrated by placing her own hand over the drawing. "And pretend."

Harm closed his eyes as a tear spilled down his cheek and he hugged her tight. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice gruff with emotion.

Sophie laid her head against his shoulder for a moment and then leaned forward to sling her arm around Mac, drawing her and Bobby into the embrace.

"We love you," Sophie stated in the tiniest voice and just loud enough for Harm and Mac to hear.

"We love you, too, baby," Harm answered deeply.

"We really should be going," Ms. Estes interrupted softly, hating to do what she had to do.

Harm set Sophie down as Mac handed Bobby to Ms. Estes. With one last look over her shoulder, Sophie took the hand the social worker offered and they went out the door. The click was louder than any gunshot could have ever been and Mac collapsed against Harm, silent sobs rattling her slender body. Harriet quietly slipped away to give them a few minutes alone, her own heart in tatters as she went down the hall to her own baby’s room to cuddle him, wondering to herself how she would ever handle it if something happened to him.

Harm held Mac as tight as he could, tears running in silent rivers down his own face as she cried uncontrollably against his neck, her tears wetting his jacket. A painful feeling unlike anything he’d ever known settled in on him. There had been other traumatic times but nothing like this. Their own parents had discarded them like old newspapers. He and Mac loved and wanted them more than anything yet they were the ones being forced to give them back. As Harm had learned over the years with Frank, just because you were a biological parent, did not mean you were a good one. Anyone could plant the seed but not everyone could make it grow. Harm couldn’t love those two children anymore if they were from his own seed and he knew Mac felt the same, even though she wasn’t the one who’d given them life.

"I thought I knew what my life was all about," he began to talk, his words slightly muffled by her hair. "I thought I had all the pieces arranged and in order and just like magic they’re all shaken up again. There’s nothing in this whole world that would hurt more than losing you, Mac." His grip tightened around her and he felt her hands clench on his neck. "But this comes damn close. I never thought my heart could break into so many little pieces."

It didn’t take long for Michael and Diane Hemmings to be convicted. They refused to talk on their own behalf and the elder Hemmings wanted nothing to do with them so help from that corner was out of the question. The only explanation the young couple offered was that they were tired of being tied down. Jefferson and Margaret Hemming were cold, stiff people who were very concerned with appearances. Sophie and Bobby were at home with a caretaker and the older husband and wife refused to even speak to Harm and Mac. Elizabeth Estes was there, though, waiting out in the hall for them when the trial was over.

"I can see this has all been very hard on you," she opened as they found a bench several feet away to sit on. "When I first became a social worker I was so naïve and idealistic. I thought I could save the world. Working with children is one of the greatest rewards in itself but it breaks my heart every day to see the way the very people they should trust most abuse them. I see them broken and beaten, neglected, starved, some things that would turn your stomach," she went on, not giving either of them a chance to respond.

Her words brought forth images of Darlyn and her sister and Charlie Lynch to both Harm and Mac. They listened as she went on, holding hands.

"Part of my job is to follow up in placements. I’ve been to see the Hemmings and Sophie and Bobby several times. We had a talk yesterday and I brought something for you from them."

With trembling hands she pulled a sheaf of papers from her briefcase and handed them to Harm, who folded back the cover sheet and held it up to read. Mac leaned closer over his arm and then looked up at him, her eyes wide with surprise.

"This is..." she stuttered, her voice trailing off.

"It’s a legal and binding release. There’s something else, too," she stated, pulling another bundle from her case and handing it over. She waited just long enough for them to read the first lines. "Maybe Santa heard what you wanted for Christmas after all."

They were married in April despite the deep sadness of not having Sophie and Bobby and life couldn’t be more perfect. Well, it could be but they weren’t skipping over any of their blessings. Their new home was not far from the Admiral’s and it was fully decorated for Christmas. Mac admitted that she went a little overboard but it was their first Christmas together and the big house was still a little empty with just the two of them in it.

Admiral Chegwidden pulled some strings and Mac was officially transferred to the Pentagon but like Harriet before her, she was on permanent loan to the JAG office so she and Harm could continue to work together as partners.

"Colonel Rabb, you’ve outdone yourself," Harm grinned, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around what was left of her waistline.

"Thank you, Commander. This is a special Christmas. It just seemed like I had to keep doing more," she answered, covering his hands with her own where they rested on her tummy.

The newest member of the Rabb family answered with a sharp kick and they laughed softly.

"Practicing the kickboxing again, I see," Harm teased.

"All the times nowadays. I guess it’s getting too cramped in there. I could pass for the guest house, though, so I can’t see how she could be cramped," Mac sighed.

"You look more beautiful than anything I could have ever imagined. You can’t imagine how it makes me feel to see you carrying my child," he stated fervently, hugging her tight.

"In another month you can see what it’s like with round the clock feedings," she told him playfully.

"I won’t mind at all. I’ve learned a lot in the past year," he told her. "And I was reminded that Christmas is so much more than gifts and decorations and too much food. It celebrates our lives and all that we’re blessed with. It’s a time to remember what we have and not how much we’re going to get."

"I agree," she stated tenderly. "I have more than I ever dreamed I would have and I can’t imagine ever being happier than I am with you."

Just then the doorbell rang. The two of them jumped slightly and Mac’s hands flew to her hair.

"They’re here. Do I look okay?" she demanded.

"You look beautiful," Harm smiled reassuringly. "Let’s get them the hell – I mean heck in here and get on with it."

He jerked open the front door and a wide smile spread across his face. Ms Estes stood on the other side on the porch holding a small boy. Next to her was a dark-haired little girl who was staring out at the street. She turned when she heard the door open and her eyes grew wide with surprise.

"Daddy!" She yelled, shocking them all and promptly threw herself in Harm’s waiting embrace.

Laughing, Harm swung her up, clutching her tightly as the past few months of waiting and red tape fell away. She really was his now and not because she just called him Daddy. Mac appeared at their side and she took Bobby as Ms. Estes passed him over. Sophie Catherine and Robert Jefferson Hemming were now Sophie and Robert Rabb.

Holding Bobby close, Mac reached out to tightly clasp the hand of Elizabeth Estes. "Thank you," she stated gratefully. "We could have never asked for a better Christmas or one with such a truer meaning."

"You’re very welcome," Ms. Estes stated warmly. "I only wish we could have hurried things along much faster. But they belong to you and Harm now, Mac. God bless you and the new baby," she smiled brightly, nodding her head toward Mac’s burgeoning stomach.

"You did more than we could have ever hoped for. You’re responsible for them giving Sophie and Bobby back to us," Harm put in, stepping closer to the women. "Thank you."

"What’da mean?" Sophie interrupted, looking between the three adults.

Harm glanced at Ms. Estes. "I didn’t tell her anything." The woman shook her head.

Harm looked down at the young girl who was now a very grown up little lady at five. "Your grandparents decided you would be better off with us, Sophie. So if it’s all right with you and Bobby, Mac and I want to keep you with us," he explained carefully.

"Forever?" Sophie questioned in a small voice. "We won’t have to go back there?"

Harm shook his head. "We signed papers for good this time. If it’s okay with you, then we’ll keep you forever and ever," he returned, remembering that day so long ago in the courthouse when Elizabeth Estes told them the elder Hemmings didn’t want to be bothered with the burden of caring for two children anymore.

One solitary tear traveled down the curve of her cheek, perching halfway down like a sparkling diamond. "What you said ‘bout Santa was true," she murmured, looking at Mac. "He did find us and he brought ‘xactly what I asked for."

"What was that?" Mac inquired gently.

"You for our Mommy and Daddy."

The End