Title: A Change of Heart.
Spoliers: Hail and Farewell part 1 and the flashback portions of H&F part 2, but nothing else in that episode, onwards.
Because of the date discussed in this fic; Yeah Baby, too and any episode that makes reference to Harm and Mac's baby-deal.
Also, I've changed Sturgis a little, though don't go into his feelings too much. I couldn't stand what TPTB made him into, in the ninth season, so thought I'd change him so that he didn't have a big(-er than normal) stick up his six.
Summary: It's almost little AJ's fifth birthday. Events lead to Mac changing her mind, a week after the events of H& F part 1.
AN: So sorry that it's been so long since my last posting! All I can say is that life has been unbelievably hectic and terrible loss within the immedate family has made it much harder to express my creativity...Anyway, onto the story! Technically, we don't see the conversation about Mac's endometriosis until H&F part 2, but seeing as it is covered in flashbacks, I think we can assume it happened just after the end of H&F part 1, before anything else from part 2 occurred. This story takes place the week after the dining out, in particular just before Little AJ's fifth birthday. Let's say that this takes place the Friday following the Admiral's dining out, with Little AJ's birthday being the next day, on the Saturday. I'll try and get the next part up as soon as possible!
Disclaimer: This is done purely for fun, so please don't sue me. No copyright infringement is intended at all.
Rating: K+. This is safe for most. Rating just to be cautious.
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Part 1
Mac was running on autopilot that afternoon and didn't bother to knock before she entered Harm's office, to ask his opinion on the Becker court martial.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had company, Commander…"
She should have known. His blinds were closed and that usually meant that he didn't want to be disturbed.
What she didn't know was that he'd just neglected to open them, when he returned from Norfolk that morning. He'd had much bigger things on his mind.
"That's okay, Mac," he shook his head, dismissively, "I'm glad you stopped by. I wanted you to meet somebody…"
They both turned to look at the pretty little girl whose stacked up chairs were pulled up to his desk, so that she could lean on it while she drew a picture on some blank office paper.
"Mac, this is Bianca. Bianca, this is my partner, Colonel MacKenzie."
When the child fixed her gaze on Mac, she changed her opinion. This little girl wasn't just pretty, she was absolutely gorgeous. Her dark brown hair contrasted starkly with the light blue eyes whose color made Harm's seem almost dull in comparison. She thought she'd only ever seen eyes that color on dolls…and her eyelashes! Well, needless to say that Mac wished she herself was able to achieve those long, dark eyelashes with an eyelash curler and an expensive tube of designer mascara, every morning.
"It's nice to meet you, Bianca," Mac smiled at the girl, trying not to seem like she was staring. She was just so curious! Just who was this child and what was she doing spending time with Harm? Exactly whom was she to Harm?
There was little point in her not to staring at the child though, because Bianca was openly doing just that at her.
Mac contemplated just asking Harm, straight-out, but knew that she really didn't really have the right to be so nosy. Harm seemed to notice her curiosity.
"Uh, Bianca is the daughter of Petty Officer Monroe…You remember the case that Sturgis gave to me, this morning?"
Before Mac could nod, 'Yes,' Bianca spoke up, "Commander Rabb's going to find my Momma…"
As both of the officers could not help but stare at her, unable to speak, Bianca turned back to her picture. In her innocent mind, there was only one eventuality and a grown-up like Commander Rabb would be the best person to make sure that eventuality came about quickly.
Mac found her voice, first.
"I just wanted to run this past you, Harm," Mac continued, turning her attention to Harm, "It's the Becker court martial and I wanted to get your opinion on the best defense to go with…"
"If you leave it there, I can read it and get back to you before the end of the day," Harm asked, to which Mac nodded, satisfactorily.
"That's great, thanks," she told him, before turning to leave.
"Are we still riding to AJ's birthday party together?" Harm asked.
"Yeah," Mac turned back, adding, "if you don't mind bringing me back here for my car, later…"
"Not at all. I'm also bringing Coates back…She has things needing finished, before the weekend."
"Okay, I'll see you later, then."
"Okay, see you later."
They had chipped in together to get little AJ his birthday gift; a ride-on Thomas the Tank Engine train, completely with about a mile of track! They both knew that Bud and Harriet would probably be horrified to think about how much it had cost them, but this was a special birthday for their Godson and neither of them had been able to resist it when they saw it on display in Toys R Us. It was all boxed up in the trunk of Harm's SUV, which had considerably more space than Mac's Vette.
When Mac was gone, Harm tried to get his mind back on his work, but try as he might, he couldn't help but commiserate about how this should have been such a special day for Mac and himself, too. AJ's fifth birthday was a day that had such hopes pinned to it. But it would serve neither one of them to think about it, too much. There was no way to change what had happened, nobody to blame but fate and at the end of the day, she wouldn't be ready to consider any options until she'd had a chance to come to terms with what her doctor had told her. Harm knew it must all be incredibly raw, still.
"I want to cut my hair," Bianca suddenly announced, out of the blue, now standing next to him.
"But you've got lovely hair," Harm looked at her in assessment, "Why would you want to cut it?"
It was true, one of the first things he'd thought when Social Services had introduced him to Bianca was that one day he'd love to have a little girl with long hair, so that he could spend hours just brushing it. It was strange how such a bizarre thought had just jumped into his head, but there you go…
"I want it short," Bianca told, "Like Colonel MacKenzie's is, in that photo, on your bedside table…"
Oops, maybe he should have been more careful about letting her wander around his apartment. There was no knowing what she might let slip in front of everyone, later! He'd been busy getting her backpack ready at the time, when she was looking around his apartment, so he hadn't noticed where she'd wandered off to for a few minutes.
"Well, how about we just settle for braiding your hair for Little AJ's party, tonight?" Harm suggested, "We can think about cutting your hair when y….uh, another time, okay?"
He was careful not to make mention of the child's Mother, again. She was a thoughtful and strong little girl, but he knew that behind her strong façade, she had to be missing her.
Bianca conceded to this, so he buzzed through to Petty Officer Coates, who had offered her help when she found out that Bianca would be coming along to Little AJ's party, tonight.
"Petty Officer? If I could have your assistance for a few minutes?"
"I'm on my way, Sir…" came her reply.
Harm rummaged through the small, purple backpack they'd brought with them from home, extracting a little make-up-style zippered pouch.
"I think you should find everything you need in there," he told Jen, when she joined them and began sorting through the contents.
"My spritzing bottle isn't in there," Bianca informed her, "It's in the outside pocket of my backpack so it doesn't leak and get everything wet…"
'This little girl sure knows her way around her beauty products!' Harm joked, internally, 'She's going to be a handful, when she hits her teens…'
Then he sobered, remembering that they still didn't know if her Mother was alive or dead…or just who would be enjoying the company of Bianca, once she was in her teens.
Luckily, Bianca and Jen, now working on braiding Bianca's dark, silky hair into twin braids, didn't notice his sudden down-turn in mood.
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