Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. fixed his gaze on the headstone in front of him, the setting sun warming his back. He knelt down before the grave, his knees cracking not quite so quietly in the stillness, reminding him once again of his rapidly increasing age.

He crossed his fingers in front of him, resting his elbows on his thighs, his eyes never leaving the name engraved on the headstone: Lieutenant Diane Schonke, USN. Seven years now she’d been gone. Harm shook his head in disbelief. It truly felt like just yesterday, yesterday that he’d unzipped that body bag to reveal her lifeless face, yesterday that an unthinkable gash had wounded his heart, yesterday that his life had changed forever.

“Hey, Di,” he finally said aloud, surprising himself with how clear his voice sounded. “Been a while, I know. Sorry about that.” It was true – he hadn’t made it to her grave for nearly two years. He'd never actually gone on a regular basis, unlike visiting his father at the Wall every Christmas Eve, but this was the longest amount of time he’d ever gone without coming.

“I’ve actually been really busy.” Harm continued his one-sided conversation, drawing comfort from it. “Man, so much has happened lately - seems the world is turning so fast I can hardly keep up.” He looked down at the ground, idly twisting his Academy ring around his finger as he spoke. “Guess what? I’ve got a new brother. Well, he’s not new in the technical meaning of the word, but I just found him a couple years ago. His name’s Sergei, and he’s about twenty years younger than I am.” He chuckled. “You would’ve thought he was cute. Let’s see… oh, yeah, Sturgis got assigned to JAG Headquarters. He’s doing great - even dating a Congresswoman. Typical, huh? He always went for the difficult girls.” Harm shifted his weight slightly before moving on. “And you’re gonna love this: I got a dirty nuke up my Tomcat’s six and led it away from the Seahawk battle group last year. That was something. Wish you could’ve been there. And I even got accused of murder a few weeks ago. Talk about nerve-wracking…” Harm went on, going over the recent events of his life, until there wasn’t anymore to tell. He remained kneeling there in the intense quiet of the cemetery, lost in thoughts and memories, until the sound of walking startled him out of his reverie.

Harm looked up in utter shock to see Mac standing a few feet behind him, biting her lower lip and looking decidedly uncomfortable. “Hi,” she greeted him quietly.

“Hey,” Harm replied, rising to his feet. The surprise in his voice was clearly noticeable, but there was no trace of annoyance.

“Are you all right?” Mac’s expression contained nothing but concern and sympathy.

Harm nodded. “Yeah.” He returned his gaze to the headstone, and silence hung in the air for several minutes.

Finally, Mac asked, her eyes worried, “Is it OK that I’m here? Because I can leave-”

Harm jerked his head up, surprised that she’d even ask the question. “Mac, you’re fine. I’m glad you’re here.” He cocked his head at her, a curious look covering his features. “How’d you know where I was?”

“Just a hunch.” Mac moved to stand beside him. Once more, silence reigned until she broke it again. “You still miss her, don’t you?”

“Every day.” Harm stared at the headstone, his throat tightening ever so slightly. “I – I thought I’d let her go,” he admitted in a tone so low that it was nearly a whisper.

“Harm.” Mac reached over and laid a hand on his arm. “It takes a long time to get over the death of a loved one, you know that.”

“Mac, it’s been seven years.” Harm shook his head, obviously frustrated with himself. “I thought I’d be over it – over her – by now.”

Mac swallowed. “How can you be so sure you aren’t?” Her gaze was met with one of pure puzzlement. She took a deep breath and continued. “Harm, there’s a difference between letting go and remembering. When we first met, I couldn’t go a day working with you without catching you looking at me with that pained expression. You don’t do that anymore. Sure, you think of her, that’s natural, normal; in fact, it’s good. Don’t blame yourself for the memories. Enjoy them.”

Harm stared intensely at her without a word for nearly a minute, and after a while she began to feel uncomfortable. At last, he said simply, “You’re amazing, you know that?”

Mac blushed and looked down at her feet. “Not really…”

“Yes, you are.” He opened his arms to her, and she gladly stepped into his warm embrace. “Thank you,” he whispered, his face buried in the crook of her neck.

“For what?” she asked, her voice muffled against his shirt.

“Everything.” As he pulled away, he smiled at her. However sober, it was genuine. Then a thought occurred to him. “How’d you get here?” he asked, recalling that she’d taken her Corvette to the body shop that morning.

“Cab.” Mac was visibly shivering in the damp twilight. Despite being spring, the evenings still tended to be on the chilly side due to the frequent rainshowers.

“Come on, let’s go,” Harm told her. “You can ride with me.”

Mac nodded, and they began the trek across the hill, their feet making squishing noises on the wet grass. Harm kept his arm around her, and the gentle contact eliminated any remaining doubts in Mac’s mind of the choice of her coming. It had been the right thing to do.

They got to Harm’s ‘Vette, and he opened the passenger door for her, holding it ajar so she could slide in. After she’d gotten in, he moved around to the driver’s side and started the car.

* ~*~*~*

The first twenty minutes of the ride were in complete, yet comfortable, silence. After a while, Harm reached over and turned on the radio, flipped through a couple stations due to commercials, and landed on one just as the beginning of a country song began to play with the notes of a piano.

Every now and then
Soft as breath upon my skin
I feel you come back again

And it’s like you haven’t been
Gone a moment from my side
Like the tears were never cried
Like the hands of time are holding you and me

Harm’s hands gripped the steering wheel like two vices.

And with all my heart, I’m sure
We’re closer than we ever were
I don’t have to hear or see
I’ve got all the proof I need

There are more than angels watching over me
I believe
Oh, I believe

A knot began to form in his throat, and he weakly swallowed it down.

Now when you die
Your life goes on
It doesn’t end here when you’re gone
Every soul is filled with light
It never ends, and if I’m right
Our love can even reach across eternity
I believe
Oh, I believe

Visions of Diane’s face began to swarm through Harm’s memory, and he was starting to find it difficult to focus on the road ahead of him.

Forever you’re a part of me
Forever in the heart of me
I will hold you even longer if I can
Oh, the people who don’t see the most
See that I believe in ghosts…

He immediately thought of his first meeting with Mac, and the cold chill that had run up his spine as he’d gotten a good look at her face. It had truly been like seeing Diane return to life.

…If that makes me crazy
Then I am
‘Cause I believe

Oh, I believe

Knowing full well the emotions swirling through Harm’s mind, Mac reached over and gently took his hand.

There are more than angels watching over me
I believe
Oh, I believe

Every now and then
Soft as breath upon my skin
I feel you come back again

And I believe

Only when the last chord had been struck, the last word sung, did Harm’s eyes begin to mist with tears. Mac stroked his knuckles comfortingly with her thumb, and he squeezed back in return, thanking her.

They sat like that for a few minutes, then Mac kicked off her shoes and tucked a leg up under her. Settling back in the seat, her eyes drifted shut, her hand never leaving Harm’s.

*~*~*~*

Harm pulled up and parked in front of Mac’s apartment building, turning off the ignition with his left hand. After the engine had quieted down, he turned his head to stare at his sleeping partner, feeling that familiar joy that always sang in his heart at the sight of her.

She’d been right. He had let go of Diane, without even realizing it. And without Mac’s help, he might’ve gone for the rest of his life without knowing it.

He’d always thought that Diane was the one – the only – person he should share his life with. After her death, he’d decided that no one could ever take her place, and that he’d never feel the same about anyone again. Looking at the woman at his side, Harm now knew he’d been wrong. And that wasn’t just a belief. It was a conviction.