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Obsessed 10:  Closure

By:  slick1969

Summary:  After Bud's curve ball, Harm and Mac regroup and get to the truth.

Rating:    IM15 (Inappropriate for children under the age of 15. Some references to drugs, sex, bad language, and violence, but not in an overly descriptive manner)

Disclaimer:  See Part 1.  Also, I may have taken some creative liberties with how much a doctor can reveal about former patients - apologies in advance.

Spoilers:  Anything through Season 10 is fair game.

Harm blinked and shook his head. "What?!"

Bud continued, "I was on the phone with Dr. Gregory Reardon."

"I thought you said ...?" Mac's voice trailed off.

"... who is on sabbatical.  In Vienna." Bud looked around at everyone. "He's been there for the past eighteen months."

"So who was treating Petty Officer Simpson?" General Cresswell asked.  Harm and Mac had been shocked into silence.

Bud replied, "It's possible that it's one of Dr. Reardon's former patients, sir." He outlined for them how Dr. Reardon had been treating a Mark Page, who had transferred his obsession with a girlfriend to him.  "Apparently he became fixated with everything connected to Dr. Reardon.  He wanted to be him.  That's one of the reasons the doctor went on sabbatical."

"So he went off to Austria, and left this patient on the loose?" Harm started to rise from his seat, but Mac put a hand on his forearm, and he subsided.  General Cresswell raised an eyebrow at the pair, but they didn't notice.

Bud continued, "Not exactly, sir.  When he left, Mr. Page had been placed in a psychiatric facility, Breeden Hospital.  I called them after talking to the doctor.  What Dr. Reardon didn't know is that Mr. Page was released about nine months ago."

Mac nodded. "And Mark Page picked up where he left off."

"Yes," Harm stated, "and now Petty Officer Simpson is dead because of him."

General Cresswell said, "Thank you, Commander Roberts.  I'll expect the notes on your conversations with Dr. Reardon and Breeden Hospital within the hour."  Bud saluted and left the office.

The general turned back to Harm and Mac.

"So what are our next steps, sir?" Mac asked.

"I think this is now a matter for NCIS."

Harm snorted. "NCIS, sir?  They didn't give her case any attention before, why should we trust them with it now?"

General Cresswell said, "I don't think they'll be inclined to ignore a phone call from the Judge Advocate General, do you?"

"Uh, no, sir."

"Besides, I want us to be above reproach on the resolution of this case .  You are too close to it, Commander.  You too, Colonel.  If only because of your relationship with the Commander."

Mac's mouth dropped open and she pulled her hand away from Harm.  "Our-our what, sir?" Mac stuttered.

"I'm not blind.  And I do know what it's like to be in love." To their surprise, the general smiled at them. "Don't worry, you haven't done anything wrong.  But I think this will be the last case you two work on as a team."

"Thank you, sir," Harm and Mac said together.

"Don't thank me yet," he replied. "I'm assuming this isn't some fly-by-night affair, so to speak?"

"No, sir!" Harm stated emphatically.

"In that case, if and when you decide to make it official - meaning a trip down the aisle - be prepared for a transfer.  There are some rules that I won't bend, not even for you."

"We understand, sir," Mac replied.

"And any personal business stays out of JAG.  Am I being clear?" His voice turned stern.

"Yes, sir!" they chorused.

"All right, then.  Back to the case.  I assume you both have notes on the investigation you did."

"Yes, sir."

"I'd like copies of those to give to NCIS." The general sighed. "Petty Officer Simpson's brother is her next-of-kin. He came to collect her body and has been staying locally until we had some answers on her death.  Now I'd like the two of you to come with me to tell him what we know."

"We'd be glad to, sir," Harm said and Mac nodded in agreement.  Unspoken for both of them was the question:  Why?

In the next sentence, Cresswell answered them. "First, I think it's important to give both you and her brother closure.  Second, to let him know that his sister meant something to people, that senior staff took an interest in her case and saw it through.  That her death wasn't just another suicide."

Monday Evening

Harm's Apartment

"General Cresswell was right." Harm lay on the couch, Mac in his arms.

She twisted to face him. "About what?"

"Well, a lot of things," he said, "but I meant about talking to Petty Officer Simpson's brother.  It's weird, but I felt like I got to know her better.  Not just dry facts from the investigation, but insight into her personality."

"I know what you mean," Mac nestled her head against his shoulder. "We don't often have that opportunity."

"And thank you, Mac," Harm hugged her tightly, "For being there for me, for keeping my head above water.  I wouldn't have made it through this without you."

"I'm just glad you let me help you."

"I love you, Mac."

"I love you, too."

The End.