Disclaimer: They don't belong to me, I'm only borrowing them for a short time & promise to return them as good as new J I'm not making any money from this & no infringement is intended.

A/N: Here it is: the edited & revised version.  Hopefully all those pesky mistakes have been corrected this time around *g* Thanks must go to Laura for offering to beta for me and doing such a sterling job.  *Hugs* And thanks also to Pat for all your help J

Love Has Come

By Melanie-Anne

Part 1 – Moment By Moment

"Love has come, and it's giving me hope to carry on." – Caedmon's Call

Standing in front of his partner's apartment, Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock. One, two, three short raps and he waited.  Seconds later, the door opened to reveal the smiling face of his partner, Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie.

"Harm!" she said pleasantly, always happy to see her partner.  "This is a surprise."

"Is this a bad time?" he asked.

"No, not at all," she assured. "Come in."

Now that he was actually in her presence, Harm felt his courage slipping and stifled the urge to laugh at himself.  He was not afraid to defy gravity and risk his life every time he climbed into the cockpit, but he was too petrified to tell the love of his life how he felt.

"What's up?" Mac asked.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing."

Mac accepted his words at face value and offered him a drink.  She didn't really care what his reasons for being there were, she was just glad he was. Maybe…  maybe I'll tell him today….

Her phone rang while she was in the kitchen and she told Harm to answer it.

"Rabb," he said into the mouthpiece, as if answering her phone was the most natural thing in the world.

"Sir, why are you answering the colonel's phone?" Harriet asked.

"Er…."

"Never mind. Sorry for interrupting.  Tell her I'll call back later."

"Umm…."

"Bye, sir!" she called cheerfully and hung up, turning to face her husband with a huge smile on her face. "Mac can't babysit."

"Well, can we ask Harm?" Bud asked.

"He can't either."

"What- Oh…oh!" He returned his wife's smile.  "Do you think-?"

"We can only hope," Harriet said, crossing her fingers.

"But we still need a babysitter."

"Sturgis!" they said together and Harriet started dialing.

*

Back at Mac's apartment, Harm stood staring at the phone with a puzzled look on his face.  Does everybody know how I feel about her?  Am I that obvious?

"Who was that?" Mac asked, returning to the living room with two glasses of orange juice. Misinterpreting Harm's confused look, she grew defensive.  "Hey, I don't only eat junk food!"

"What? Oh, the juice. Thanks."

"So who was on the phone?" Mac took a seat on the couch.

"Harriet," Harm sat next to her.

"What did she want?"

To know if I'd told you I love you. "She said she'd call again later."

"Oh. Okay." Okay, now's your chance.

She was about to speak when the phone rang again.

"Mackenzie."

Silence.

"Hello?" she tried.

Her back to Harm, he missed the expression of panic that flitted across her face as she listened to the heavy breathing coming from the caller's end.  She hung up, her expression normal by the time she turned around again.

"Harriet?" Harm asked.

Mac shook her head.  "Wrong number," she lied smoothly and briefly debated telling Harm about the number of 'wrong numbers' she'd had over the past few days.

The moment passed.

"So, Commander, what brings you to my side of the world?"

Tell her! Tell her! Tell her! "Can't I just visit my best friend?"

Best friend.  Right.  Just friends, she thought despondently.

Picking up on her change of mood, Harm shifted closer and lifted her chin.  "Hey, what's wrong? What did I say? Sarah?"

She frowned. He never called her by her first name unless he was in a serious mood. "It's nothing.  I'm just hormonal." She smiled.

"Whoa!  Too much information there."

Their faces only inches apart, they gazed at each other, each wondering what the other was thinking, the distance between them shortening with each second that passed.  Mac's heart was pounding so loudly she wouldn't be surprised if Harm could hear it.

"Sarah," he whispered hoarsely, his mouth dry.  He raised his hand to tenderly cup her cheek as his lips brushed hers.

The first kiss was gentle – chaste, almost – but the second was not.  Mac wound her fingers through Harm's hair, needing to touch him to believe that this was really happening. He nibbled gently on her lower lip and pulled her onto his lap.  Finally, succumbing to their need for oxygen, they broke apart and looked at each other.

Mac smiled first, unable to help herself.  She was too happy.  Harm had been holding his breath, wondering what her reaction would be.  At her smile, he sighed with relief and hugged her.  Neither felt the need to speak just yet; they were content to sit in each other's arms and savor the moment.

"I could hold you all night," Harm said, some time later.

Mac sighed contentedly and snuggled closer. "Okay," she said amiably.

"Sarah, I- dammit!" Harm pulled out his cell phone.  "What?" he answered gruffly.

It was his mother.  Mac watched his expression turn from annoyance to surprise to alarm. "What's wrong?" she asked when he hung up.

"Grandma Sarah slipped and fractured her arm.  My mother wants me to spend the night at her place."

"Does Grandma Sarah know this?"

Harm shook his head.  "I'm supposed to just pop in to fetch a book or something and when I see the cast I'm supposed to insist on staying."

"Well, I guess you'd better go then.  It's already late for you to be 'picking up a book,'" Mac said regretfully. Then, brightening, "Do you want me to go with you?"

"It's okay. She's going to be miserable and grumpy and taking it out on everyone she sees and I love you too much to let you suffer through that."

Mac's breath caught in her throat. He said he loves me! He loves me! He loves me! He loves me!

Hand in hand they walked to Harm's car where they shared a parting kiss.  Mac waved as Harm drove away, only turning to go back inside when his lights were just pinpricks in the distance.

She never made it back inside.  Just before she reached the safety of her building, someone grabbed her from behind and held a chloroform-soaked rag over her mouth before she could even scream.  She collapsed like a rag doll into her attacker's arms.

If Harm had known then that he wouldn't see her again for two months, he would have taken her up on her offer to accompany him.  He would have walked to the car by himself.  He would have waited until she was in the building before driving off.  He would not have left her alone.

He would not have left.