TITLE: Harm's Hell
AUTHOR: Clairisant and Brenda
CLASSIFICATION: Harm/Jen, Harm/Mac, Harm/Harriett?
FEEDBACK: Would love to hear both good and bad feedback but please try to be kind and constructive. and
CREDITS: A special thanks to our beta readers, Qupeydoll, Emma and Jennifer.
Chapter 1
Thursday, September 16, 2004
1700 EST
Jen's apartment
North of Union Station, DC
Jennifer Coates stopped at the drug store on her way home from work that evening. She was going to help Mattie get ready for her first date, and wanted to pick up some make-up more suited to Mattie's skin tone than her own. There was one other thing that she needed to add to her purchases, so she hurried down the aisle that sold what she was looking for. Grabbing a box that was on sale she hurried to the check out counter to pay for her purchases.
At home she hid away the last item that she had picked up. Jen planned to use it after Mattie had left the apartment on her date.
When Harm had come down the hall to see Mattie off he was surprised at how old she looked. Once Mattie and Tim had left he turned on Jen, "Have you lost your mind? She looks like and adult, Jen, not a teenage girl."
"Harm, she wanted to look special tonight. She'll be all right. You worry too much about her. She has a good head on her shoulders. Mattie, will be home right on time or probably before 2300 so stop worrying," Jen assured him.
"You really think I'm being too over protective?" he asked walking the floor. "That I'm acting like a
concerned father?"
"Yes, I do. Not that it's a bad thing, but she's almost grown. You're going to have to give her room to breath or she'll rebel," replied Jen knowing from experience.
"All right, Jen, I get the message. I'll check back later. If she comes home early, please let me know," Harm said closing the door.
As soon as Harm left, Jen pulled out the box from its hiding place, she was a bit surprised to find that she had picked up a 2-pack, but shrugged it off as she read the instructions. She tried to work up her courage before she opened the box by pouring herself a glass of wine. Just as she was about to begin, Harm popped open the door and asked, "Have you heard from Mattie, Jen?"
"No, Harm, I haven't! She's only been gone an hour! Get lost!" Jen understood that he was worried about Mattie, but she had other things on her mind right then and hurried him out the door.
It took her some time to re-gather her courage after Harm's visit and when she finally had, she took a last gulp of her wine and opened the box. A week ago, when she realized she was overdo for her monthly cycle, she was only slightly concerned. She had been up to a week late before with no disastrous results. But that had been last week. She was now two weeks late and that was most unusual for her.
Harm's next visit to check on Mattie's return status occurred just after Jen had peed on the little stick and was busy praying that this was one test that she would fail! Jen was very abrupt with him to get Harm to leave. "Go home and fix something to eat, watch TV, anything! Just go!" she told him ushering Harm out the door. "Don't come back because I'm going to take a bath and don't want to see you again tonight." She didn't want him there when the five minutes were up and she would have the results.
Giddy relief flooded her when she saw the negative result! She was NOT pregnant! Tossing the stick in the trash she poured another glass of wine and decided to watch a movie until Mattie got home. She ended up falling asleep before Mattie arrived.
After being kicked out of Jen's apartment Harm went back to his place and grabbed a beer. Kicking his shoes off and leaning back on the couch he flipped on the TV. Watching an old movie he laid down and after a bit he fell asleep.
To be continued…..