Title : Where Do We Go From Here… (at last, Part III of the Trilogy!)

Author : Jaggie 107

Disclaimer : JAG characters belong to DPB, CBS and Paramount. 'Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye' belongs to PAX TV – and I hope all parties will allow me to have fun for a little while, and replace them all when I'm done. Thank you.

Rating : G to PG-13 (Just in case!)

Error : Please note that the underline facility doesn't appear to be working today (at least not with my computer) so I've just typed in 'Line' where there should be a line (and you have to use your imagination for the rest!) :o)

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Just a quick reminder that this is the final part in the Trilogy that started with Hear No Evil, See No Evil, and went on to Where The Sea Meets The Sky. At the end of the latter, Harm and Mac had their blessing on the beach, and then Harm's parents went off to the Bahamas. For this story to begin, I had Mattie go along with Frank and Trish to get to know them, and for them to get to know her. I think I got the formula right. I look forward to all your reviews to let me know what you think!!!

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Burnett Cottage, The Bahamas

Mattie made her way to the deck outside the cottage, and found Trish already up, busying herself laying the table for breakfast.

"Good morning," Mattie spoke up as she smiled at Trish, and the older woman smiled in return, standing up from the table to give Mattie a hug and drop a kiss on her cheek.

"Good morning, darling. I don't need to ask if you slept well. I looked in on you when Frank and I returned from the club and you were out for the count."

"It must be the sea air," Mattie returned, smiling. "I can understand why Harm loves it here so much. It's a pity he and Mac didn't come here for their honeymoon, but I can understand Mac's reasons." Trish nodded, surprised by Mattie's empathy with Mac.

"Mac's understandably cautious as this is her first pregnancy, and with twins there can be complications. They'll get their chance to spend time here, and Frank and I will get chance to spoil the twins."

"They'll be your first grandchildren, won't they?" Mattie asked, helping Trish to finish laying the table. Trish lifted her head in surprise at the comment.

"Not at all! Mattie, darling, you're our first grandchild!"

"But…I thought, I mean…the twins are Harm's natural children."

"Mattie, you are Harm's daughter, and that makes you our granddaughter. Harm has told us a little about your family, and we understand that your mother died under such tragic circumstances. However, you have to believe that you are Harm's child, whatever the circumstances were that brought you into his life. You've chosen to take him on as a father just as much as he has chosen to take you as his daughter."

"Do you really mean that?"

"Yes, she does. We both do." Frank answered for his wife, having overheard most of the conversation. Stepping out onto the deck he put his hands on Mattie's shoulders and looked at her. "From here on out, kiddo, you're stuck with us. We don't know much about this grand-parenting business, so we're learning as we go, as most new parents and grand-parents do, but although you've got a head-start in the age department, you're definitely a part of our lives now, and we both hope we can play a bigger part in yours."

Mattie didn't answer; she couldn't speak for the lump in her throat, but she put her arms around Frank and hugged him, and then around Trish, who held her close and comforted her as she let the tears fall. When the tears subsided Mattie pulled back slightly.

"Can…can I call you something other than Trish and Frank,then? I mean, I've never really had grand-parents, so I wouldn't know what names to use."

"Well, Harm called his grandmother Sarah, Grams, and her husband was always known as Gramps, even though Harm didn't know him. I'd be very happy if you wanted to call me Grams."

"And I'd be more than happy with Gramps."

"Then it's a deal! Grams and Gramps!" Mattie drew them both into a hug with an arm round each of them, and both Trish and Frank were content with their new status.

"It's our last day today," Mattie murmured a little later as the three of them were making their way through breakfast.

"Yes, back to California, and then onto Washington for you, Mac and Harm. Have you enjoyed yourself, darling?"

"Are you kidding?" Mattie was enthusiastic to say the least, and both Trish and Frank shared a smile.

"I feel much closer to Harm since I've shared some of his life here; Frank's taught me to drive, too – on the wrong side of the road! I don't know if Dad's going to like that! I've got my eye on his Corvette for when I take Drivers Ed, but he's determined I'm not getting near anything like that until I'm way older!" Frank laughed, and Trish smiled.

Mattie looked at them both and cocked her head. "What's so funny?" she asked, curious at their expressions.

"While Harm was taught to drive here, during the holidays he had his eye set on a sports car, but I told him that he'd have to learn to drive the farm tractor first before I'd let him loose on anything faster! He did his time, and you could too."

"Ugh! A tractor! That's so slow!" Mattie drew out the last syllable, pulling a face at the same time, and Trish patted her arm.

"Look on the bright side. Harm went on to fly Tomcats, and drive a Corvette, so there's still hope for you!"

"I guess," Mattie accepted dubiously, and then she brightened. "I wonder what he thinks to a motorbike!"

"A what!" Trish looked at Mattie with an expression of such surprise on her face that Mattie laughed.

"A motorbike, Grams. The first time Dad came to the airfield he was riding a Harley."

"Oh, my God! Does Mac know?"

"I'm not sure. It was when he and Mac…well, they weren't 'together' then…" Mattie was cautious about how much she told Trish and Frank about what Harm had done in the time since he had left the Navy and gone to Paraguay.

"If I'd known…" Trish began, but Frank shushed her.

"Harm pilots jets, Trish. A Harley in his hands is as safe as anything he gets in to or on to."

"I guess so…but he his still my only son…and I worry," Trish defended, and Mattie smiled at her knowingly.

"He's still 'your' baby," she added, and Trish nodded, smiling at her bout of parental worrying.

"Seems a bit silly when you put it like that, darling. After all, he's in his forties now. I should be past worrying about him, shouldn't I?"

Mattie shook her head. "I don't think so. You'll still be worrying about him however old he is!"

"Are you sure you're only fifteen, Mattie?" Trish teased, and Frank smiled at the two of them.

"We forget that despite your youth, Mattie, you've experienced a life many don't have even as adults. Harm asked us not to forget that you ran Grace Aviation by yourself for quite a while. We'd just like to help him give you chance to experience life as a child growing up too."

"Harm's something else, isn't he?" Mattie mused, her chin resting on her upturned palm as she looked at Trish and Frank. "He went through an awful lot of questions from counsellors and social service investigators before we even got to court. Did you know that?"

Both adults shook their heads, and watched as a sheen of tears appeared in Mattie's eyes. Her next words had them laughing, though.

"Now if only I could work on his eating habits! At least Mac eats real food, when she's not pregnant!"

Burnett Residence - La Jolla, California

"Time to wake up, Mrs Rabb! We have to get ready for Mattie and my parents coming home."

"Ugh! Do I have to get up?" Mac rolled over in the bed, as well as she could manage, and came face to face with Harm. "Hi," she murmured huskily as she opened her eyes to look at him.

"Hi to you, too," Harm answered, rubbing his nose gently against hers, and lifting a hand to move the hair out of her eyes. "You look…"

"Sleepy?" Mac ventured, attempting to close her eyes again. Harm's next words opened her eyes wide.

"I was thinking more of sated. Although you obviously don't remember, we have already been 'busy' this morning."

"We have? No! I would have known!" Mac protested, the thought that Harm had made love to her and she hadn't even remembered was causing her some distress. Harm relented a little.

"Actually, you seemed to be having a very erotic dream, and practically jumped my bones while I was sleeping."

"I didn't!" Mac was unsure now, and apologetic. Harm could have kept her guessing, but the tilt of his lips gave him away and Mac punched his arm gently.

"Oh, you!" she muttered, but then mutters turned to moans, of pleasure, as Harm leaned in to kiss her.

"Well, we don't have to get up exactly right now, but we do still have to start getting ready, sweetheart. We're headed back to DC tomorrow."

"Mmmn, I know…but exactly right now, I need you to show me what I missed this morning. Was I good?"

"Good? You were amazing, Mac!" Harm made an exaggerated gesture, and Mac swatted him again, before bringing her arms up around his neck and pulling his head down to hers.

"Show me, Sailor," she instructed, and Harm obliged.

To be continued

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A/N :

It has taken ages to get to a point with this story that I was happy to post it, and I think I've reached it now. I have a beginning, and an end (already!), I just need to produce a middle – I've got the ideas written down, and some of them fleshed out, I just need your support to tweak the chapters as I go along. As before, I don't know how many chapters will develop from my ideas, so it's a 'wait and see' exercise, and I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I'm going to. I really enjoy writing, and I love getting your reviews. Enough waffling, and on with the writing, reading and reviewing! And thank you to all who've read and reviewed the two previous stories for getting me this far! It's been a blast!!!