Disclaimer: Don't own'em.
--
Roberts' Residence
Saturday
1321 Local
Mac sat on the grass, looking for all the world like she was innocently playing with the birthday boy. But Harm had been watching her closely, and knew for a fact that she was actually sneaking Cheetos to little AJ. He shook his head as he made his way over to the duo.
"That can't be good for him," He took a seat next to her on the grass. He moved to tickle AJ, but the boy was too engrossed at gnawing on his illicit snack to care. He gave Harm an accusing look for attempting to interrupt his fun, and then focussed all his attention on eating.
Mac smiled at him. "Probably not. But he kept taking them off my plate. Besides it's his birthday. He can have a treat," She turned her attention to AJ. "Can't you, big guy?"
AJ looked up at Mac with a wide grin, his teeth and lips and fingers orange. "Mak!"
Mac's eyes widened in shock. She grabbed Harm's arm and shook it violently.
"Harm! He said my name!"
He gave Mac a sceptical look. "He said 'Maa', Mac."
"He said Mac!" She insisted. Her excitement was infectious, causing little AJ to laugh. "Look. Hey AJ, sweetie, who is this?" She pointed a finger at herself. "Who am I?"
"Mak!" He repeated, bouncing up and down, clapping his hands.
"See!" She squealed. "That's me!"
Harm scoffed. "Mac. That's pathetic. Maybe he wants his mom."
She arched an eyebrow in his direction, before turning to AJ.
"Hey, AJ, where's mommy?"
"Mama?" AJ asked, searching the yard. His eyes fell on Harriet, who was standing a few feet away. "Mama!" He clapped for himself.
"Clever boy," Mac praised him dutifully, ruffling his hair. She gave Harm a challenging look.
Harm was not convinced.
"Hey big guy." He said to AJ, "What's my name?"
AJ grinned at Harm, then waved his arms at Mac. "Mak!"
"See!" Mac gave the orange boy a big kiss. "You are so clever!"
"Mak!" AJ repeated. He reached into Mac's plate for another Cheetos.
"See! That is so me!" She was grinning so widely Harm was surprised her face didn't split in two.
"Power down, Marine!" Harm laughed, unable to resist teasing her when she was like this. "And you are not allowed to feed our kids Cheetos."
He hoped that was another subtle hint in his grand scheme to propose-to-Mac-and-have-her-say-yes.
She stared at him, mouth agape, eyes searching.
"What?" He asked, suddenly nervous. Maybe that wasn't so subtle. And why was she looking at him like that? Surely she'd thought of having kids with him before.
They did have a deal, after all.
She opened her mouth to speak and he waited with bated breath for her words.
"There you are, Commander." The admiral interrupted what had the potential to have been the most pivotal moment of his life. "I trust you're ready for this week's presentations. You spoke to Harriet, correct?"
"What?" Harm said, slightly annoyed and not prepared for an interruption from his CO. He looked up to see the man blocking his sunlight. How metaphorically apt, he thought.
The admiral frowned.
"Sir." Harm added, realizing his response could have been construed as rude. He stood up quickly. The sight of a frowning admiral looming above him was rather daunting.
"You spoke with Harriet, didn't you?" The admiral eyed him, arms crossed, eyebrow raised.
Damn it.
"Of course, Sir." Harm hastened to assure his CO, while trying to sound like he was clued in. "I just need to brush up some on Maritime Law."
The admiral frowned. Not a good sign, in Harm's not-so-limited experience.
"I wouldn't worry about that," He enunciated carefully. Also not a good sign. "I doubt your audience could care about Maritime Law."
"Yes, Sir." What in hell was he doing this week.
"I won't expect you in the office during the afternoon, Monday through Thursday."
"Understood, Sir."
"Very well." He turned from Harm to Mac and little AJ. "Colonel."
Mac stood up as well, bringing AJ with her. He rested comfortably on her hip, still chewing on his Cheetos.
"Good afternoon, Sir." She smiled warmly at the admiral. Big AJ eyed little AJ with amusement.
"Is that what they're feeding kids these days?"
Mac laughed. "Only on birthdays, Sir."
"Very well," The admiral chuckled. "I'll wish him a happy birthday when he's less ... orange. Carry on." With that, he made his way through the rest of the crowd.
Harm and Mac and little AJ watched him go. Harm smiled, wondering when, if ever, the admiral let his hair down. Figuratively, of course,
"You have no idea what he was talking about, do you?" Mac interrupted his musings.
Harms' smile gave way to a frustrated scowl. How the hell was he supposed to have any kind of idea when she kept distracting him? "Damn it." He muttered.
She nudged him with her elbow. "Otnay in front of the idkay." She scolded.
He couldn't help but laugh. "Ateverwhay."
--
Harm's Apartment
Thursday
1806 Local
Harm loosened his tie as he walked towards his bedroom. He sighed heavily. At least it was Thursday. He could spend the whole day at JAG tomorrow instead of being carted around to various schools for career day talks. That was what the SECNAV had volunteered him for. Apparently it would work as a wonderful complement to the recruitment commercial he'd been roped into filming. He honestly felt like he was being pimped out by his CO. If one more kid asked him if war really was as cool as it was in video games, he would not be held responsible for his actions.
The phone rang just as he was climbing the stairs leading to his room. With a sigh, Harm did an about-turn and made his way to the living room to pick up the phone. He saw the number on caller ID and only hesitated for a fraction of a second, to his credit, before he dutifully picked up the phone.
"Rabb."
"Hello, Harm."
"Hi Mom." He wondered if she'd ask outright about the engagement ring. She had in every previous phone call. It had become some form of twisted ritual in his mind: she'd ask if he'd proposed, he'd say no, she'd sound disappointed, he'd feel guilty in addition to stressed and nervous at the thought of proposing to Mac. He sighed again. "How are you?"
"Just fine, dear," Came her cheery response. "How are you doing? And Sarah?"
"Alright." He sat down on the couch. "I just got home. Spent the week making the rounds at local career days. It was terrible."
"Poor you." She sympathized, and he felt a bit better. "I actually called with a specific purpose in mind."
So much for feeling better. Here it comes, he thought. She's going to ask about the ring. He braced himself.
"But first..." She began, obviously expecting him to pick up on the sub-text.
"First?" He replied, not giving an inch. He wasn't going to play the role she'd set for him in this ridiculous ritualistic phone call.
She sighed heavily. "You haven't proposed yet, have you?"
It was his turn to sigh. "Mom."
"I'm just asking, dear. It's not like I expected anything when you took the ring. Heavens, I'm sure a lot of young," She paused here before emphatically amending her statement, "I mean, middle-aged men carry around family heirloom engagement rings when they are dating the most wonderful woman in the world without ever intending to propose."
He laughed at his mother's tone of long-suffering patience. She really had perfected it.
"Are you worried about asking, or are you not yet ready?" She prodded.
Harm stared up at the ceiling, shaking his head. "I never realized how nosy you are."
"Dear, you are so tight-lipped if I wasn't nosy I'd never know anything about what was going on in your life."
"I'm working on that," He answered honestly.
"I know," She was smiling, he could hear it. "I'm very proud of you, Harm. Proud of the person you've become."
He felt a bit embarrassed by this praise coming from his mother.
"And while we're on the topic, where's Mac?"
Harm frowned in confusion at her segue; that was hardly the topic they'd been on.
"What?"
"Where is Mac?" She repeated.
"I don't know." He shrugged, his frown deepening at the odd question. "Out. Why?"
"See!" Vindication coated her response."I knew you were pulling my leg about always knowing where she is!"
Oh, that's what she meant.
"It works within a certain distance," He came to his own defence. "I told you that..."
"Bullshit."
"Mom!" He protested, appalled – he'd never heard her swear before – when a slight tingle in the tips of his fingers, a warmth at the back of his neck, caused him to break into a grin. "Actually, she's on her way up."
"What do you mean? Up where?"
"She probably just parked her car or entered the building." He surmised.
"You can see her outside your window." She declared. "Don't pull my leg."
"I am not looking out my window."
"Yes," She insisted. "You are."
He laughed. "Mom. Alright, look. She'll open the door in ... five ... four ... three ... two ... one."
The doorknob turned and in walked Mac.
"Hey, Mac." Harm greeted. Silence was the only response he got from his mother.
"Harm." She was carrying a grocery bag in one hand. She gave him a bright smile. He took the chance his mother's silence afforded to walk over to her and give her a greeting kiss.
"You are pulling my leg," His mother's voice sounded through the line, full of distrust.
"Ask her yourself." He promptly handed Mac the phone, and took the grocery bag from her.
Mac frowned, taking the phone.
"Hello?" She tentatively asked.
Harm set the grocery bag on the counter, watching the smile spread on Mac's face as she spoke with his mother.
"Hi, Trish ... Fine thanks, and you? How's Frank? ... Really?" She laughed. "I bet he loved that ... What?" She eyed Harm with a slight bit of awe. "He did?" She turned a very endearing shade of pink. "Well, um..." She cleared her throat in slight embarrassment and he resisted the urge to hang up on his mother and take Mac to bed.
"He told me the same thing once ... Well, no, I haven't tested him ... What? ... Yes. I did just walk in ... Okay ... No ... Yes ... Definitely ... I won't, thank you ... Of course, I'd love that, too ... You, too ... Bye, Trish."
She handed the phone back to Harm, looking both amused and embarrassed. She might as well get used to it, Harm thought. He was discovering that his mother was a master of evoking that combination of emotions.
"Ha." He said into the receiver. "Told you so."
"Nonsense," His mother replied. "One test does not a theory prove, Harmon."
He laughed, "You'll just have to repeat the test."
"Don't you worry, I will. And Harm."
"Yes, mom?"
"The ring could get scuffed if you carry it around in your pocket all day. Make sure you get it polished before giving it to Sarah."
"Goodbye, Mom." He refrained from rolling his eyes.
She was laughing when he hung up.
"You told your mom you always know where I am?" Mac asked. Her head was cocked to the side as she watched him.
He nodded, and followed up with a slight shrug. "She doesn't believe me, though."
Mac just kept looking at him.
"You don't believe me either," He realized, offended.
"Well," She hesitated. "Honestly I thought you were just kidding around. Being metaphorical, maybe."
He shook his head. "Come on, Mac." He grabbed her hand and tugged her towards him, his hands settling on her hips. "Of course I know where you are. I can feel you."
"That's weird, isn't it?" She looked up at him.
He shrugged. It just was what it was, as far as he was concerned. He'd stopped thinking it weird ages ago.
"I..." She hesitated for a moment. "I can feel you too, sometimes."
"Just sometimes?" He grinned, liking this idea of some kind of supernatural connection with her. It was just like in comic books. Or in the movies.
"Well, you remember how I found Chloe, when she'd gone missing?"
"That psychic connection?"
She rolled her eyes. "Let's not call it that."
He laughed at the idea of Mac's über-rational side battling with her supernatural predilections.
"What do you want to call it?"
"A fluke."
"But you can find me too?"
She nodded.
"How far does this go? How often does this fluke work?"
She shrugged. "Not sure."
"Well," He decided to start. "I sort of know when you're nearby. And I can find you in the same building – like at JAG or on a carrier – without really looking."
"Maybe we just know each other well enough to guess at where we'll be at a given point."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Mixed in with some blind luck," She supplemented.
His eyebrow inched higher.
"Or not," She relented. She studied him for a moment. "Did you find this connection got stronger after we ... Well, after we slept together?"
Both his eyebrows shot up at hearing that statement. He couldn't keep the arrogance out of his voice. "Did it for you?"
She punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Stow it, Sailor."
He couldn't keep the grin off his face. Maybe he had superpowers, too. There was one way to find out...
"We should test it."
"What do you mean?" She frowned. "How?"
"Let's go play hide-and-seek at Rock Creek Park."
She laughed. "Let's not."
"C'mon, Mac. I'll even let you dress up in BDUs. Camouflage print."
"Harm!" She kept laughing.
"I'm serious, Mac," He insisted, even though he didn't think he was. Well, maybe a little.
"Do you really want to test this?" Her laughter ceased, uncertainty taking its place. "Let's just leave it as one of those unexplained things."
"I like answers, remember?" He teased. "You're the one who's fine with open questions."
"You want to traipse around Rock Creek Park, you and me – two fully grown adults – and play hide-and-seek in BDUs?"
He grinned at the image that conjured.
"And maybe..." Her voice lowered, "Maybe we shouldn't tempt fate."
"What do you mean?" He shook his head in confusion. "Tempt fate how?"
"Well, I found Chloe when she was hurt and lost. Maybe we shouldn't take this so lightly." The tone of her voice made him uneasy. He thought perhaps she was taking this too seriously; the worrier in her.
"You going superstitious on me, Marine?" He teased her, trying to erase the anxiety in her voice, the seriousness in her eyes.
She shook her head. "No." Her arms tightened around his waist in a hug, her head on his shoulder. "I don't believe in superstitions, remember?"
"Only in flukes?" He smiled at her stubbornness.
"Only in flukes."
