Mac could hear Harm fighting with Hodge. The ammonia was still burning her

eyes bad enough to blind her. With her hands out to guide her, she patted

her way along the wall, coming into contact with a pipe of some sort. Her

small hands closed around a valve wheel and she started turning it. The

sound of boiler steam hit her ears and she felt the rush a hot air past her

leg. Stumbling forward a few steps, she fell to her knees next to Harm,

patting her way over his chest, Her fingers touched something wet and she

lifted her hand to her nose. It was blood from... Suddenly Hodge had her

from behind. Mac struggled wildly against him, the steam and the ammonia

clouding her senses. His arms closed around her throat and she heard him

whispering something into her ear. Something about how he wanted her and how he would be so much stronger for this. {My God, he's crazy, she thought

hazily, trying harder to get free.} Darkness was beginning her narrow around

her. Her chest was burning, too. She couldn't a breathe in. Her last

thought was of her partner at her feet. This couldn't be the way it was

going to end. Not when they'd been fighting. When she couldn't say she was

sorry... and couldn't tell him. Blackness closed completely around Mac and

with it brought final peace.

With a cry of rage, Harm hit Hodge from behind with a hypodermic needle,

plunging it into the younger man's back. Howling anger, he reared back,

stumbling against the wall. It took only a second for the drugs to work and

he slumped to the floor.

Harm turned and grabbed Mac, lowering her to the floor. Tipping her head

back, he cupped one hand around her chin and the pinched her nose with the

other. Fitting his mouth to hers, he blew in one quick breath. He turned

to look at her chest. Nothing. He blew another breath and looked again.

Still nothing. He started to blow once more when she gasped, immediately

coughing as air filled her lungs. Harm got her by the neck and shoulder and

lifted her up, moving behind her. He held her close, his own heart beating

frantically as he pressed his rough cheek to her soft one, closing his eyes

on a prayer of relief. Mac drew in several shallow gasps, lifting her hand

to her burning eyes. Harm pressed his hand to her forehead, sliding it back

over her damp hair as Mac lifted her arm and pressed her hand to his cheek.

Harm turned his head into her caress, closing his eyes for just an instant.

"Oh, my God, I thought I'd lost you," he whispered roughly.

"You saved me," Mac ground out, hoarse from the pressure Hodge had put on her windpipe.

Harm turned her in his arms so that she was facing him, her body resting

against him and wrapped both arms around her shaking form, pulling her close

to him. Mac held him as if her very soul depended on it, plunging her hands

into his hair and pressing her face into his shoulder. She felt his warm

breath on her neck where he tucked his face into her soft skin.

"I'm so sorry! I know I've been horrible the past few days. I've been too

sensitive and things have gotten out of hand and..." she was rambling but

couldn't seem to stop herself. "I never wanted to fight with you! Never!

It makes me sick. And it's not how I... mmph!"

She never got the rest of the sentence out as Harm's mouth crashed down on

hers. His hands were in her hair, dragging her head back and giving him

access to her full lips. Years of longing and weeks of fighting and tension

poured out. Mac tightened her grip on him, meeting him kiss for kiss. This

was what she'd wanted forever but she never thought he would feel the same

about her.

Harm's mouth gentled on hers. He kissed her tenderly, sealing their mouths

together in more of a caress than an actual kiss. He slid his hands around

to cup her face, holding her still. His eyes were closed but there were a

million colors behind his lids. His senses were alive with her. The feel of her satiny skin beneath his palms, the delicate scent that was always around her, the press of her curves. He moved his mouth and lips, feeling every tiny nuance of her mouth, feeling the moist lushness of her lips. He touched the tip of his tongue to the seam of her mouth and she opened up to him, allowing him inside. Harm kissed her very slowly and deeply, trying to convey everything he'd ever felt for this one small woman to her in this kiss. Very, very slowly, he pulled back just far enough to look into her face. Her eyes were filled with tears and he wasn't sure if it was from just the ammonia, the intensity of the moment or a combination of both. His thumbs, moved across her cheekbones, catching the many tiny tears.

"I love you."

The words exploded inside of Mac. Stunned, she could only look at him. His

beloved face was slightly blurred but her heart knew every tiny lines, every

whisker, every pore. Her hands slid around from his hair and her fingertips

touched his mouth.

"Say it again," she demanded.

He smiled against her skin. "I love you," he whispered very tenderly, his

smooth voice stroking her senses.

"Oh my God," she whispered.

"Is that good or bad?" he asked.

"Oh God!" she whispered again. "I love you so much!" she cried softly,

throwing herself back into his arms.

Harm caught her tight and held her close to his heart. Relief liked he'd

never known washed over him in great waves. It was a risk to tell her what

was in his heart but the risk just paid off. He closed his eyes and hugged

her so tight he lost track of where he ended and she began.

"I'm so glad you love me," he murmured deeply. "I was afraid..." his voice

trailed off. "I was afraid you wouldn't feel the same."

"Not feel the same?" she choked out against his neck. "I've loved you

forever it seems. Since you looked at me in the rose garden with such

intensity. Since... since I don't know when. I just know I love you. I

love you, I love you, I love you," she stated, punctuating each declaration

with a kiss against his smiling mouth.

"I'll never let you go," he promised, burying his hands in her hair again.

"Never, Sarah. I love you, adore you... I'll go down in the dark calling

your name. Is that enough for you?"

"You've always been enough for me," she answered tearfully. "Just don't ever

stop loving me."

"That's a promise I'll gladly keep," he murmured just as his lips settled

over hers once again.