FF: Homecoming
Spoilers: Season finale and perhaps the episode before this. Don't
read any further, if you haven't seen these. Set some time in the
future.
Summary: Harm gets the homecoming he's always dreamed of. Just a
short piece I came up with, pretty much in the space of an hour.
Rating: Pretty much G. I may just rethink this in the future and
extend it to a more adult rating.
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: JAG and its main character belong to Don
Bellisario, Bellisaruis Productions and to CBS. I don't make any
money from my endeavors, but simply get to exercise my overactive
imagination every now and then. Please don't sue me, as I'm fresh
out of uni, with no job yet to speak of!
OOOO
"Goodnight, Sir."
I turn to acknowledge the junior officer who has accompanied me on
this long and frustrating case, before saluting the officer on watch
and making my way down the gangway.
The night air is crisp, deathly cold and silent, the air that slowly
filters from my nostrils and mouth showing as frost. I silently muse
how long it'll be before we see snow, lord knows the frost is already
apparent, twinkling across the ground of the dockside. Over here,
though, the general consensus is that it warms up slightly before the
first snow of the season falls. Apparently (according to our
neighbor) if it is too cold, the snow stays up in the clouds, unable
to fall. It's funny, I never heard that one when I was living in DC
and have never really noticed that kind of trend during our three
winter seasons here in the UK. Who knows, maybe it's true, but I'm
banking on it being an old wives tale.
Once I reach the base parking lot, it takes just a few minutes to get
my car unlocked, because it's been sitting here for over two weeks
while I've been gone. I'm thinking about going to find help, when
the lock finally gives and the key twists. Giving another sigh, I
reach inside and open up the glove compartment, extracting the
windshield-scraper before setting to work.
Once my windshield is clear and I've checked that I'll be able to see
adequately using my mirrors, I fold myself in the small confined
space. After fourteen days contained aboard a C-class carrier, the
last thing I want is to be confined again, but the thought of my
family at home overrides this feeling and I close the door, belt up
and start the ignition. It takes a few tries, but eventually the
engine turns over. Maybe it's just that I grew up using American
cars, but give me a reliant SUV any day. These funny European cars
don't seem to be up to the sometimes-harsh weather conditions here,
like the cars at home.
On my journey home, I think over just how the court martial had gone,
the previous week. One of the perks of this command position (apart
from being a springboard to a future Judge Advocate General position)
was that it meant I'd have to travel only infrequently. This had
later turned out to be (in one way) a great plus, once the kids came
along. However, despite this, I now find it harder to be away from
the family, harder than I had ever thought possible before my
marriage. And my wife, despite being a military reservist, finds my
absences just as hard. All through my trip to the USS Coral Sea,
we've had to survive on what a few fleeting, shared phone calls could
bring. With others to think about now, phone calls are never really
private and whenever we did manage any once the kids were asleep,
there was always the fact that I was calling from the public phone
aboard a carrier that got in the way of any intimacy. This has made
my unexpected homecoming all the more welcome.
OOOO
After an hour and a half, I finally pull into our street and a quick
look at the dashboard tells me that it is still only ten-thirty. We
were due in well after mid-night and the journey home would have
added even more time to that. Maybe somebody might still be up…
As I pull into the drive, a glance at the windows of the house dashes
my hopes. The lights are all out, indicating that everybody will be
in bed.
Disappointment flares in my chest before it is quickly suppressed by
my more mature side. I'm sure it's been a long week for them; before
I went away, Kimmy was starting play-school, Matthew was going
through a rough spot with colic and Mattie was applying to and
attending university interviews. There will be plenty of time to
spend with the family over the coming weekend. I've gone without it
for fourteen days; another ten hours or so won't do me any harm.
I switch the ignition off and grab my sea-bag from the passenger seat
before I exit and lock the car after me. The movement turns on the
security light and I silently curse it, hoping that it doesn't shine
into the main bedroom that looks out onto the front yard.
OOOO
Quietly opening the front door, I'm surprised to be greeted by my
middle-child, in the darkness.
"Daddy!"
"Hey, little one! What are you doing up in the dark, all by
yourself?"
"She's with me," a voice I recognize speaks up from the doorway of
the kitchen.
Once my eyes adjust to the darkness inside the house, I pick out
Mattie, standing holding two cups of water, one for herself and the
other obviously for Kim, in a bright pink sippy-cup.
"She was here when I came down for a drink," Mattie explains, "I
found her having a tea party under the dining table with her bears
and dolls. Mom took her to bed with her, so I don't know how long
she's been down here…"
Here, Kim cuts in to add, "Mommy went sleepy."
"She must have wandered back down," I muse, lifting the two-year old
into my arms and giving her pajama-clad softness a cuddle. She has
on the all-in-one, pink and purple striped, feet-included pair that
Harriet and Bud gave her for Christmas and feels like a cuddly little
old-style teddy bear in them.
After giving Mattie a one-armed hug too, I usher them both back
upstairs.
"You want me to put her down?" Mattie asks.
"Have you been helping your Mom while I've been gone?" I ask her,
ignoring the question.
"Of course," Mattie is a mixture of sleepy and indignant.
"Good girl," I stroke my hand over her bouncy curls, "I'm proud of
you…I'll take care of Kimmy, you go and get some sleep."
"Kay," is all that Mattie answers, giving Kim the drink before
disappearing up the stairs, to the third floor where her room is.
I turn left and down the hallway, then right and into the nursery.
By now, Kim has her head resting upon my shoulder, sleepily and I
take the cup of water out of her relaxed hand.
"You ready for Daddy to tuck you in, bunny?" I ask and feel her nod
against my shoulder.
She really must be tired if she's allowing this,' I think to myself,
as I lower her in to her crib.
Once I have kissed her lightly on the forehead and brushed my fingers
through her light, silky waves, I bid her goodnight, thinking all the
while about those beautiful dark locks that are so much like her
Mommy's.
Then I cross to the other side of the room, where a second cot is
located. The wood of the cot creaks softly as I put my weight upon
it, leaning in to gaze at my three-month-old son. He's grown, even
in the time that I've been gone. It shouldn't surprise me, because
even though he has blond hair and my blue eyes, he's got an appetite
like his Momma.
"Good-night, buddy," I tell him, dropping a soft kiss into his light,
smooth hair and patting him softly on his diapered rear-end, before I
leave the room.
OOOO
"Hmm…" Mac stirs as I enter the room, "Is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me," I whisper to her, dropping my sea bag and proceeding
to quietly strip down to my boxers.
"You're early," she rolls over, to face me where I am sitting on my
side of the bed, noting, "It's only 2233. You're earlier than you
said you'd be."
Nowadays I've given up on asking her how she does that.
"Yeah," I tell her, pulling back the sheets and sliding in, "we
docked early."
"Good," Mac snuggles up to me and I wrap an arm around her, "I've
missed you but..."
Whatever she was about to say is cut off by a wide yawn.
"But you're exhausted," I finish for her, tucking her head underneath
my chin, hugging her and giving a deep sigh of contentment, "It's
okay, honey. I am too. We'll get back to this once we've had some
more sleep."
"Love you," Mac relaxes, closing her eyes.
"I love you, too," I tell her in return and settle down myself.
OOOO
We are awoken a good few hours later by Kim, who is tugging the
covers around at Mac's side of the bed.
"Mommy," she reports, not taking the trouble to keep her voice
down, "Mommy, wake up..."
"What is it, Kimmy?" I ask her, from where I lie, on the other side
of Mac.
"Bad dreams, Daddy," she tells me, tremulously, as Mac lifts her onto
the bed, in between us.
"Bad dreams?" Mac sighs, "my poor little bunny…There's no need to be
scared, now. Mommy and Daddy are here. How about we make it all
better, huh?"
Mac unbuttons her nightshirt as I help settle Kim down beside her,
propping her head up on one of the throw cushions I've grabbed from
beside the bed. Kim readily settles beside Mac, and with some gentle
guidance latches on as I rub her back, softly. Even though Kim is
already two and now attends nursery, every now and then events
dictate that she'll request a breast-feed, mostly for comfort. Mac
doesn't mind, she gets just as much from it as Kim does…and I guess I
do, too. I cuddle in behind Kim and stroke her hair as Mac and I get
a few welcome home' kisses in. Even though I detest being sent
away on investigation, I must say that I couldn't possibly do without
the fantastic welcome home that I get in return.
FIN