Disclaimer: Not mine.
A/N: A quick, short piece. It is fluff in the truest sense of the word, and very incredibly sappy. But, sap can be a good thing, right? I hope you enjoy.
Ice cream
Harm groaned as the sun fell over his eyes, an unwelcome intrusion in his bed. He turned over to his side and buried his head under the pillow. He just wanted to sleep. Just a few more minutes. He blindly reached out in search of Mac. When his hand hit nothing but air and the cool bed sheets, he cracked open one eye. Was she already awake? They'd barely slept last night. Actually, he amended: he had barely slept last night. Mac had done just fine. She'd woken up, and asked him very sweetly to satisfy her cravings. Then, once she'd deemed his task complete and had properly indulged, she'd just rolled over and gone right back to sleep. He, meanwhile, hadn't been able to do anything but watch her by the moonlight for much longer than he would dare to admit.
He sighed. It had been the same pattern, every two to three nights for the past two months. He couldn't handle it for much longer. Thankfully, he knew that he wouldn't have to. Another three or four weeks, maximum. That was how long this phase had lasted the last two times. Then Mac would go back to her usual self, for the most part.
Speaking of which, where was Mac? He lay still for a moment and tried to listen for any hints as to her location. She was probably in the kitchen. He heard soft laughter, the pitter patter of feet and the clink of dishes being jostled coming from downstairs. He grinned at the familiar sounds, and catalogued them in his mind: Mac was laughing, their daughter was running around the kitchen, their son was helping Mac set out the dishes for whatever she was about to feed them. He hoped it was something marginally healthy. However, since it was Saturday and Mac was the one puttering about the kitchen, he seriously doubted it. She usually allowed them one treat – junk food, as far as Harm was concerned – on Saturdays. No matter, he'd take advantage of his turn to cook and add some extra vegetables to their dinner tonight.
Harm debated staying in bed for a few more minutes before Katie and Matt's giggles drifted into the bedroom. He rolled out of bed and slipped into a pair of sweat pants. He'd much rather be downstairs with Mac and the kids, spending time with them, than be up here by himself.
Harm headed down the stairs. He reached the kitchen and saw his family seated at their small kitchen table. The late morning sun was casting a soft light over them, as they faced each other over a scattering of ice cream cartons, bowls and a box of ice cream cones. He stopped in the doorway and watched as Mac scooped ice cream into cones, handing one to each of their two kids.
He grinned as Katie excitedly jabbered away to no one in particular while Matt, ever the model big brother, half listened to Katie and half watched Mac. It never failed to surprise him how protective Matt was of his mother. It seemed to be a trait he'd had from birth; he'd always been attentive and attuned to Mac's moods. Harm had noticed it when Mac had held Matt for the first time. They'd stared at each other silently for a moment, before Mac had broken out into a smile he'd never seen before, and Matt had waved his arms in that way peculiar to newborns. It'd seemed to him that they'd reached an understanding of some kind.
Since then, he could've sworn that Matt always had some part of him focused on his mother. It was the uncanniest thing. Especially since Matt looked exactly like Harm. It made Harm wonder if he himself was genetically predisposed to fall head over heels in love with Sarah Mackenzie and make her wellbeing a priority in his life. Maybe it was some essential part of who Harmon Rabb was? The idea was absurd, he knew. But still.
"Now, Sweethearts," Mac began. "Mommy's going to teach you one of the most important lessons a Mommy can ever teach her children." Her eyes were warm, but solemn.
"Ready?" she looked from Matt to Katie.
Harm watched as their two kids nodded, looking as solemn as their mother. Well, Matt did. Katie was busy humming Rapper's Delight and staring at a bluebird that was perched on the windowsill.
"The first and most important lesson about eating ice cream in a cone is to never let any of the ice cream drip over the sides. Okay?"
Matt carefully searched his ice cream cone for any drips.
Katie swung her legs back and forth, and giggled excitedly as the bluebird flew away. Her ice cream scoop seemed precariously close to falling off the cone.
"If there are drips, you have to lick them up, like this." Mac carefully licked up a few drops of ice cream from the side of her cone. Matt mimicked her motion and grinned when his mother winked at him in approval. Katie frowned in concentration as she watched her brother, and then tried to lick the drops but only ended up getting her nose covered with the icy treat. She stuck out her tongue, trying to lick her nose clean. She gave up once she realized her tongue was too short, or her nose was too far, and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. She then licked her hand clean. All three of them giggled at her antics, and Harm fought from joining them at the kitchen table. Instead, he crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway, smiling. He was enjoying the show too much to interrupt.
"That's great, kids." She grinned at them both. Matt swelled with pride at her praise, and Katie bounced excitedly in her chair. Her sharp burst of laughter mixed with the sounds of summer that were wafting through an open window.
"Now, to keep the ice cream from dripping over the sides, you have to lick the ice cream scoop evenly." She enunciated the word for Katie's benefit. Harm shook his head at her motherly tone. Their kids had an incredible vocabulary, thanks to Mac's insistence on the importance of having a broad lexicon. He sometimes wondered if the kids in their playgroup even understood Matt and Katie half the time. He made a mental note to tease Mac about it later. Her soft voice brought his attention back to the scene unfolding in the kitchen.
"That means in the same way around the whole scoop.Equally. Like this." Again, she demonstrated by licking first one side of the scoop, then turning the cone in her hands and repeating the same action. Harm watched as her tongue darted out and licked up small amounts of ice cream. They'd been married for seven years and the sight of her eating ice cream was still enough to capture his rapt attention.
"Now you try." She looked at Matt and Katie, and gave them the smile that was theirs only. They'd been parents for six years and he still thought the sight of her talking to their kids was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
Matt cautiously mimicked Mac's actions. He grinned at Mac once he was done, and she leaned across the table to place a kiss on his forehead. Matt's eyes lit up with happiness and pride at his accomplishment. Harm suddenly felt an indescribable contentment wash over his skin. Knowing that his kids were happy, that he and Mac had been able, so far, to give them the type of childhood she'd never had and he'd only had for five short years, made him think he'd achieved a fundamental success; he'd put a meaning to his life that would far outlive him.
"Mommy! Me too!" Katie exclaimed, her legs now swinging rapidly where they dangled over the side of her chair. She dipped her head towards the ice cream and stuck her tongue out. Her scoop had melted and ice cream was dripping over the sides of her cone and onto her fingers. She took a massive lick that unstuck the scoop from the cone and sent it toppling onto the table with a loud plop. Katie's eyes widened as she stared at her scoop and then at her mother. Tears brimmed in her large, brown eyes and a slow pout took form on her face. She sniffled once and Harm was ready to vault from his spot and rush to her side. Katie was a spitting image of Mac – in fact, she looked just as Harm had always imagined Mac had looked as a child. Seeing her cry invariably twisted his heart.
Before he could move, however, both Mac and Matt jumped in.
"Aw, it's okay, Katie." Mac gently ran her fingers through Katie's hair. "We can clean that right up, and there's a lot more ice cream. You want to try again, Sweetheart?" She tapped Katie's nose lightly.
"You can have my ice cream, Katie." Matt handed his cone to his little sister.
Katie sniffled and looked up at Mac. She wiped her nose with her sleeve and turned to Matt. She took his cone and gave him her empty one in return. Then she broke out into a massive grin and resumed swinging her dangling legs back and forth.
"I can do it too, Mommy!" she said excitedly.
"I know you can, Sweetie." Mac mirrored Katie's grin and tugged on one of her daughter's curls. "Why don't you show me and Matt."
"You have to lick it slowly, Katie." Matt advised in his big-brother tone.
Katie slowly stuck out her tongue and took a tiny lick. She pulled back, holding her breath as she watched the scoop. When she was convinced the scoop wasn't going to fall, she grinned at Mac and Matt.
"Look, Matt! I did just like you!"
Mac ruffled Katie's hair and handed Matt her ice cream cone. "You take this cone, Mattster." She looked Matt in the eye. "I'm really proud of you, Matt. That was a very nice thing you did for your sister."
Matt sat up a little taller in his chair, grinned and began eating his ice cream, just as Mac had taught him to.
Harm watched as Mac cleaned up the mess Katie made, and then scooped herself a fresh ice cream cone.
"So, kids. Today we learned about ice cream. Next Saturday," she threw them both a conspiratorial wink that had them giggling, "We're going to learn about warm chocolate chip cookies dipped in milk."
"Can Daddy learn too?" Katie asked innocently. "Daddy never eats cookies with us. Does Daddy know how to eat cookies?" She looked up at Mac as she licked ice cream off the fingers that were holding her cone. She really was making a royal mess.
"Why don't you ask Daddy, Katie-Pie." Mac's expression was all mischief, and Harm knew he was in for it. Katie would not take no for an answer. Given her tendency to go overboard in everything she did, Harm was sure he'd end up eating half a box of cookies. Not that he even wanted to refuse, if it meant spending an afternoon with his wife and kids at a kitchen table covered in sunlight and laughter.
Katie giggled. "Okay!" She swung her legs in an even wider arc. "Can I ask now?"
"May I." Mac corrected. "How about you wait until Daddy wakes up?" Mac leaned back in her chair and began eating her own ice cream cone.
"Mommy, why is Daddy still sleeping?" Matt asked as he licked the ice cream that was trickling down his cone.
"Well, Sweetie, Mommy and Baby wanted some ice cream late last night, and your Daddy went to get us some from the store. So he's still tired."
Katie peered over the table at Mac's bulging belly.
"When's Baby coming out of your tummy? I wanna be a big sister like Matt." She grinned at Matt.
"I'm a big brother," Matt said importantly. "Not a sister."
"Mommy," Katie looked at Mac. "Can I be a big brother, too?"
"Only boys can be brothers," Matt interrupted.
"I wanna be a big brother!" Katie challenged her brother.
"Girls can't be brothers and boys can't be sisters." Matt replied, unfazed by Katie's hostile glare.
Katie frowned, unable to understand Matt's words. She looked to Mac for a better answer.
"Girls are sisters and boys are brothers." Mac supplied. "Just like girls are mommies and boys are daddies. Daddy and I love you the same, right?"
She waited for Katie's to process. After a moment, Katie nodded with her entire body, and Harm held his breath as her scoop of ice cream tipped back and forth along with her.
"In the same way, you and Matt will love Baby the same, because you'll be Baby's big sister and big brother."
"Okay." Satisfied, Katie turned her attention back to her ice cream. Harm watched as another question took form behind her eyes. Mac insisted that Katie's personality was exactly like his, but he thought her insatiable curiosity and intelligence came from Mac.
"Mommy?" Katie asked between licks.
"Yes, Katie?"
"Is ice cweam a boy or girl?"
Harm couldn't help but laugh at his daughter's questions, and three sets of eyes turned to him in surprise.
"Daddy!" Katie cried. "I lear-ned how to eat ice cweam! Look!" She leaned forward and, driven by her excitement, took a too-large lick of her ice cream. The scoop tipped over slightly, and Katie hurriedly put out a hand to stop it. She firmly pressed the scoop back in place, causing ice cream to ooze through her fingers. She then proceeded to lick her ice cream-covered fingers clean. "Shee!" She said with a mouthful of sticky fingers. "I do-ed ith by myshelf!"
Harm laughed harder as he stepped towards the kitchen table.
"You sure did." He dropped a kiss on the top of her head, and then ruffled Matt's hair. "You're doing a great job there, Matt." He encouraged his son, knowing Matt rarely demanded attention for himself. He thought back to the deal he and Mac had made all those years ago, on the front steps to JAG. It seemed the results were the opposite of what they'd shaken hands on. They had a son with his looks and her brains, and a daughter with her looks and his brains. He wouldn't change a thing. He did however wonder quite a bit what their third child would be like. He couldn't wait to find out.
He shared a grin with Matt, and then pulled a chair out to sit down next to Mac. He gently rubbed a hand over her belly.
"So," he looked up at Mac. "Baby just can't get enough ice cream, huh?" He teased.
"Apparently not." She replied. "Baby and I both thank you for going out to buy it, Harm." She looked like she felt just a little guilty.
"Don't worry about it, Mac." He leaned forward and lightly kissed her. He ignored their kids' giggling in favour of tasting ice cream off Mac's lips. Chocolate Fudge with Marshmallows – the flavor she'd ask him to go get from the 24-hour grocery store at 0230. He grinned as he pulled back.
"At least it's not Philly cheese steaks this time around. I had a heck of a time finding that stuff at three in the morning."
She rested her hand on his thigh. "Thanks for that, too."
He waived his hand over the kitchen table, where their kids were merrily eating their ice cream cones. Matt was occasionally correcting Katie, who was pointedly ignored him and throwing an occasional glare in his direction, which he in turn would ignore. Harm turned back to Mac and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"Early morning grocery runs are a small price to pay for all this, Mac."
She gave him an affectionate smile. He entwined his fingers through hers, and watched her, content to simply see his happiness in her eyes.
"Mommy!" Matt's squeal jarred them from their moment of peace. "Tell Katie to stop licking my ice cream!"
"Daddy! Matt's not sharing with me!"
Harm sighed as Mac turned her attention back to their two sometimes-devils.
"Behave, you two." She said sternly.
Katie and Matt both scowled at each other while Mac rolled her eyes.
Definitely a small price to pay, he thought happily.