Matchmaking: Bud & Harriet Style

Summary: It's been a year. The proposal never happened; Harm is in London and Mac is in San Diego. After visiting them, Harriet and Bud decide to reunite them.

Disclaimer: I don't own them, DPB does. Other than Jennifer Coates, all of the characters from San Diego and London are mine.

Dedication: This story is dedicated to Reba McEntire, whose song "If You See Him, If You See Her" inspired this.

Author's Note: I haven't seen anything past the third episode of season 9. Therefore, some of the things that I've heard/read about from seasons 9 and 10 never happened, as far as this story goes. (Mattie's accident, for example.) I'm also not sure where Mattie went when Harm got his promotion; for the purpose of this story, she's with her dad. Also, I've never heard the names of the Robertses' twins, but I've often read Nikki and Nicholas in fanfic, so I'll stick with those.

Prologue: The Phone Call

1722 ZULU

FRIDAY, JULY 14TH, 2006

ROBERTS RESIDENCE

ROSSLYN, VIRGINIA

"Mommy!"

Harriet Sims-Roberts stopped folding clothes and hurried into the den. One-year-old twins Nikki and Nicholas were in their playpen, napping. Three-year-old Jimmy was standing on the couch, holding a toy Corvette high above his head. Seven-year-old AJ was standing nearby, clearly upset.

"What's wrong, AJ?" Harriet asked, picking Jimmy up and setting him on the floor.

"Jimmy took my Corvette!"

Harriet examined the toy in her son's hand. It was just a plastic car, designed for two-to-three-year-olds. "You never play with that car anymore, AJ. Why not let him have it?"

AJ crossed his arms over his chest and stuck out his lower lip. "Uncle Harm gave me that car."

Now Harriet understood. AJ was missing his godfather. Gently she pried the toy from Jimmy's grasp and handed it to AJ. "Go put this someplace safe, then, okay?"

Nodding, AJ ran off. Harriet sat down on the couch and pulled a crying Jimmy into her lap. Rocking him gently, she told him that the car was very important to his brother. "You've got your own cars to play with."

Jimmy's cries had turned to whimpers by the time his father walked through the door ten minutes later. "Daddy!" he exclaimed, running to him and hugging him around the legs.

Before Bud could reply, the telephone rang. "Roberts Residence."

"Hey, Bud!"

"Captain!" Bud replied excitedly. "It's great to hear from you. How are you?"

"I'm great," Harmon Rabb, Jr. answered. "How are you and Harriet? The kids?"

"All fine, sir."

"How many times have I told ya, Bud? Drop the 'sir'!"

They laughed. "Old habits die hard, Harm."

After a few minutes of catching up, Harm got around to the reason for his call. "I need your help, Bud."

"What's up sir…uh, Harm?"

He explained that there was a tough case he needed Bud's help with. "I need your computer skills, Bud, and your brain skills. I've already spoken to the General; he's agreed to send you TAD to London for two weeks. That is, if you'll agree to help me."

"Of course!"

They spoke for a few more moments, working out the details. When Bud hung up, he relayed the call to Harriet.

"I leave on Tuesday," he said. Then he looked around. AJ was sitting at the coffee table, working on a puzzle. Jimmy was pushing a fire truck along the carpet. Nicholas was still napping, and Nikki—who had just woken up—was perched on her mother's hip. "I'm not sure about leaving you to take care of four kids by yourself, though."

"I can handle it," Harriet assured him. Then her eyes lit up. "Or my parents can."

Bud looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"My mom and dad have been wanting to spend some time with the kids. I've been dying to get to San Diego to see Mac. Why don't I ask my parents to come up and watch the kids for two weeks? You can go help Harm and I'll go see Mac."

She was on the phone a few minutes later, making arrangements with Mac and her parents.

Author's Note Part 2: For those of you waiting for an update of my other story, "Another Year, Another Fundraiser", I assure you I have not abandoned it. I hit a bit of writer's block, but it's slowly coming together. The next chapter of that one should be up in the next few weeks. The next chapter of this one will be up on Monday; I've got the first few chapters already written, I just need to type them.