Title:      On the Watertown...
Author:     Kimberly Knipp
Rating:     PG
Spoilers:   Silent Service
Disclaimer: Standard blah, blah, blah… DB missed some wonderful shipper 
moments with this one!

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.

The End