jag

Harm looked up when Mac came into the room. "Hey," he smiled, as always, but his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

He showed her the file he'd been looking at. The trial lawyer had been Grace and she'd done just as she should, but there had been threats made at the sentencing.

"I won't let anyone hurt her, you know that."

"They never should have let him out. From what I've read, he's almost as sick as Palmer."

"Don't worry."

He made sure no one could see and kissed her temple. "Go check on her. I'll tell the Admiral."

"Alright."

He watched her leave before trying to gather his strength to face their boss and friend. AJ was finishing some paperwork when Harm knocked.

"Sir, do you have a minute?"

"Is something wrong with the lieutenant colonel?"

He shook his head. "It's the admiral, sir. I, we, are worried about her."

"Grace? Why?"

Harm told him about the case and that he'd been notified that the criminal had been released.

"That's just great." AJ sighed. "Have the lieutenant colonel bring Grace here."

"She's already gone to check on her."

"Bring them both here."

Harm went in search of the women. AJ sighed again, worried,
**************
Grace looked up from her desk when Mac appeared. "Hey."

"Hi. Can we talk about something?"

"You look serious. What's wrong? Is Harm being a jerk again?"

"Harm told me something."

She groaned. "What now?"

"Death threats? Grace, that's not good."

"You heard about Private Jameson getting out."

"Yes."

"He was a kid. That was fifteen years ago. I'm not scared, Sarah, and I don't think you should be either."

"Can't help it. You are my best friend, all my instincts tell me to protect you."

"So who else did Harm tell about this?"

"Probably the admiral."

Grace muttered something under her breath in Italian.

"Hey, he was going to find out eventually."

Harm appeared in the doorway. "I'm supposed to take you both back to the Admiral's office."

"If the admiral wants to talk to me, he can call or come here. I have other cases."

"I'd rather not tell him that," Harm told her respectfully.

"Harm, I'm staying with Grace, we don't need the protection," said Mac,

"You try telling the admiral that." He wasn't sure which woman was more stubborn, Grace or Mac.

"I will."

Groaning, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed the admiral's private line.

"Yeah Harm?"

Grace held her hand out for his cell phone and he gave it to her. "A.J."

"Grace. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Did you send a messenger to deal with me?"

"I need you to come here."

"And you couldn't have called and politely asked me?" Part of it was that she didn't like to be handled, but part of it was that she liked busting his chops.

"Would you have listened?"

"Who said I am now?"

"Please?"

She couldn't remember ever hearing those words. "Is an hour okay? Give me time to finish up here?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." She handed the phone back to Harm.

Mac frowned. "Really Grace?"

"What?"

"You gave in that easily?"

She lowered her voice so that Harm couldn't hear. "He said please. He never says please."

"Fine."

"I didn't say I would go under protection. I said that I would go see him."

"Okay. At least let me come."

"Why?"

"Cause I want to."

"Don't you have cases to work or Harm to terrorize?"

"I heard that," Harm said, hanging up the phone.

"Please?"

"Go back to work. There's no sense in the possibility of his return upsetting other cases."

"Fine." She turned to Harm. "Let's go."

"Please be careful. Maybe I can get someone stationed at the door..."

"Harm. Go." She smiled slightly though.

Mac grabbed Harm's hand and they left.

"I don't feel right leaving her."

"Me either."

"Then what are we doing?"

"She's not going to let us."

He nodded, but didn't feel better about it.

"Let's just go."

He walked back next to her.

She showed up exactly at an hour later, in his office.

"Good, I was wondering if I was going to have to call again."

She closed the door. "If you want me, you come get me or you call me. Don't send errand boys."

"Fine, next time I'll come."

She smiled, making her look far less like stern admiral and more like a beautiful woman.

"I just want to make sure you're safe."

"I know. It's been a long time since I had someone look out for me."

"Time to get used to it."

"I'm really okay, A.J. That was years ago. He was a kid. As a kid, you probably said a lot of things you didn't mean, right?"

"Nothing like that."

"You didn't do anything like that, either."

"It wouldn't be the first time he goes through with his threats."

"What would you do if I were Mac or Harm?"

"Same as now."

"Why don't you come over tonight for dinner?"

"Are you sure?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" It wouldn't be the first time that she'd cooked dinner for him.

"Just a question."

"I always like having you around, A.J. Whether or not you worry too much." She smiled at him.

"Alright, I'll come."

"Am I dismissed?"

"Where are you going?"

"Home to cook."

"Fine, but call when you get there, alright? Please?"

"Okay. Don't forget dinner. There's a game on tonight."

"I won't. I'll be there soon."

"See you then." She smiled, leaving.

The building shook fifteen minutes later. Mac looked up as papers flew off her desk. She saw AJ running and followed him, knowing Harm was right behind her. Bud was calling in for help even before they got to the parking lot. AJ stopped in his tracks when he saw the car burning, but he quickly regained his composure and ran to check on Grace, barely noticing that Mac had joined him. She was frozen, the keys still in her hand. She'd been close enough that she could feel the heat, but not enough to be seriously injured.

"Grace?" AJ took the keys from her and pulled her away from the car. "Grace?"

She held him, not focused on Mac or Harm at the moment, not even really knowing they were there.

"It's alright. You're okay," soothed AJ.

"Scared," she whispered, not able to let go of him.

"I know, but you are safe."

She nodded, her breathing evening out, calming down a little.

"Come inside. I don't want you alone."

She nodded, turning. "Mac. Harm." She was obviously surprised to see them.

"Are you okay?" asked Mac, checking her friend over.

"Yeah, I'm not hurt."

"You should get checked out anyway," Harm said, concerned.

"Harm's right," said AJ.

She started to argue, but remembered how wrong she'd been earlier and just nodded.

"I'll take you."

She nodded, still holding his hand in one and Mac's in the other. Mac let her go.

"We can call to check on her later," Harm assured Mac.

"I know."

"Go with them."

"No, it's okay."

"You sure? I'm going to stay here with the car. Someone's gotta tell the local pd what's going on."

"I'm sure."

They watched A.J. and Grace leave together in his SUV. "Kid could have killed her."

"What if he tries again?"

"The admiral's with her. I think maybe someone needs to have a talk with him though."

"About?"

"About how much trouble he could get in if he blows up an admiral's car at a Naval facility."

"I'll do it."

"Over my dead body."

"Why not?"

"Look what he did to Grace. You want getting him after you too?"

"I wasn't planning on letting him go anywhere when I was finished with him."

"No, Sarah."

"Please Harm?"

"No."

"I won't let you do it."

"And I won't let you."

"Together?"

"I guess that's the only option I've got."

"Thank you."
************
"I'm okay," Grace said in the waiting room of the hospital.

"I know, but I want to make sure."

"What?"

"I want to make sure you're okay."

She looked at him and could understand, but she couldn't hear him on that side.

"Grace, are you okay?"

"I hear a phone ringing."

"There's no phone ringing."

"That's what I hear."

"I think you need your hearing checked."

She nodded.

A doctor came out a few minutes later. "Grace?"

Grace looked up, standing.

"Let's go."

She put her hand out for A.J.

"I'm right behind you."

She nodded, following the doctor. AJ was right behind her, holding her hand. Her heartbeat was all over the map and was racing.

"What happened?"

She told him about the bomb in her vehicle.

"Did you get injured?"

"I'm fine."

"Her ear is ringing."

The doctor checked her ear.

"Is it okay?"

"Her hearing doesn't concern me as much as her heartbeat. If she was close enough to the accident, she could be experiencing temporary deafness. I'd like to revisit that in a week if it hasn't improved. Her heartbeat is all over the map. I'd like to perform some tests."

"Do it. I'll stay with her."

Grace had to change into a gown and lay down for an EKG. The doctor attached leads to her chest and plugged in the machine. AJ sat next to the bed, not touching her so he wouldn't screw up the test results.

"I see here she doesn't have any medical problems, other than diabetes." Grace nodded in reply. "Never any heart problems." Grace shook her head, trying to be very still, but her eyes showed how frightened she was.

"Is it bad? Can't it just be the fear?"

"It is abnormal," he said, looking at the results as she got dressed. "I'm hoping it's just the fear. I want her to check her blood pressure for a week and report in on that as well."

"If she starts fainting or is exhausted, get her in here. It's better to be safe than sorry."

"Okay. Does she need anything?"

"Plenty of rest and relaxation. As much as you can give her right now. Stress does cause palpitations, but she's over fifty and diabetes is connected with some heart diseases as well."

Grace came back out. "Can we go?"

The doctor nodded. "I want to make an appointment for a week from today. Other than that, we're good." He smiled for her.

"No problem. I'll bring her back next week. Come on Grace. Let's call Harm on the way home."

She nodded, walking out with him, still holding his hand. AJ hugged her. She hugged him back and settled into the passenger seat of his SUV. AJ dialed Harm's number on the car phone.

"Sir," Harm answered immediately.

"Is Sarah with you?"

"Yes, sir."

"We're heading home. Grace is okay, but she needs to rest."

"I'll tell her. I'm sure she'll want to see her when she's feeling up to it."

"Of course. I won't be coming back today and probably won't be there tomorrow so I'm trusting you to keep everything under control."

"We've got this."

"Thank you."

"Yes, sir. Give Grace our love." He hung up and relayed the message to Mac.

"Thank god," said Mac in relief.

"You still want to do this?"

"Yes. He's dead if I get my hands on him though."

His hand grazed hers as he got the files out from the case, figuring that the best place for them to start is with the case itself. Mac shivered at his touch.

"Gracie will feel like visitors tomorrow, I'm sure. If you want, I can take you over there."

"Thank you."

"Sure."

"We should get to work."

He nodded, opening the first box. Mac took half the files and settled on the couch in Harm's office, engrossed immediately.

"You know what this reminds me of?"

"Huh?"

"We hadn't been working together long. The corpsman walks into the admiral's office, ends up taking him, you, and Bud hostage to go through his case." He remembered how steady and calm she had seemed when his insides were flipping like pancakes. "I don't know why that reminded me of this."

"Me either."

He grew quiet, studying.

"Harm?"

"Yeah, Sarah?" He asked, looking up.

"I know you trust me to do things. So why did you agree to come get us when the admiral asked you to?"

"I don't know. Something told me not to argue this time. I guess...I guess I don't like seeing Grace in danger, or you by extension."

"Really?" Mac felt like a teen with her first crush.

"Of course. She's like my big sister."

"Did you mean what you said about me?"

"From that first case we worked together with Matt, I never liked seeing you in danger, Mac."

"It's nice to know you care."

"You're my partner," he simply said, getting back to work.

Partner, she thought sadly. "Right."
**********
Damnit barked when he saw A.J.'s SUV come home and wagged his tail when he saw Grace. AJ smiled when he saw Grace play with the dog. The German Shepherd licked her face and hands, letting Grace hug it.

"Bring him inside with us. He'll stay with you."

"C'mon, boy. Let's go inside." The dog needed no encouragement, but didn't budge from her side.

"I'm going to get the spare room set up for you. Call if you need me."

"I'm fine." She waited until he was gone before starting dinner.

Ten minutes later, AJ returned, frowning. "Aren't you supposed to rest?"

"What?" She asked innocently.

"Go lay down. I'll do that."

"I'm not used to doing nothing."

"Too bad."