A/N: Wow, thanks everyone for your advice on the pregnancy issue! I think
I know now how I plan to handle it, but we'll have to wait and see how it
comes out. ;-)
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Saturday; 1547 Zulu; Roberts Family Residence
Ringing the doorbell with her elbow, Mac stood on Bud and Harriet's front porch with AJ's wrapped present under her left arm and several weighty plastic grocery bags hanging from her right. The front door was open, but without a free hand she found herself unable to grab the screen door to let herself in.
"Just a minute!" a male voice called from the rear of the house. An instant later, Lieutenant Bud Roberts appeared at the end of the hallway holding a roll of paper towels. Greeting Mac, he rushed to open the door.
"Accident?" Mac asked, noting the towels and the large, brown wet spot on the front of Bud's shirt. He looked down and smiled sheepishly.
"Yeah. AJ tried opening a bottle of root beer and shook it a little too much in the process. It exploded all over the kitchen counter, floor, party favors and the cake --- Harriet and I are doing damage control. Here, let me help you with that." Taking the groceries, he glanced down at the contents. "Ah, more root beer. Thanks, Ma'am."
"Bud-"
"Sorry. . . Mac" he chuckled, smiling with self-deprecation. "After eight years, it's a hard habit to break." The screen shut quietly behind them as they made their way back into the kitchen.
"Is that the Colonel?" Harriet's disembodied voice asked as they stepped into the room.
"Hi, Harriet. Where are you?" Setting the present down on a chair, Mac peered around the island to see Harriet kneeling on the floor between the island and the sink, wiping up a giant puddle. Light brown liquid was dripping down the front of the cabinets, and Harriet's blouse sported a mottled stain similar to Bud's. Harriet rocked back on her heels, blowing her bangs out of her face in exasperation.
"Morning, Ma'am," she smiled weakly. "Bud, will you pass me some more towels?
"Looks like you had a minor catastrophe. Anything I can do to help?" Mac offered.
"No, thanks, I think we've got it under control." Handing the roll of towels to his wife, Bud grabbed a sponge from the sink and began to wipe off the trickle of soda on the cabinet doors. He glanced up at Mac. "Why don't you go out back and help the Commander and Mikey keep an eye on AJ? The guests should be arriving soon and it would be a tremendous help if you could keep him out of trouble."
"Sure, no problem." *Harm's here already?* Mac thought, but hid her surprise from her friends. She hadn't seen Harm the day before as he'd spent most of Friday in Norfolk conducting interviews relating to another investigation. Had Harriet changed the party time without telling her? No, he must actually be early for once. Dismissing the thought, Mac pushed open the screen door.
Stepping out onto the back verandah, her gaze skimmed over the yard. It was a gorgeous day for the party. Springtime in Washington tended to be unpredictable, but the sun was out and shining down warmly on the earth below. The yard was decorated with clusters of red and blue helium balloons, swirling ribbons of similarly colored crepe streamers, and a giant blue banner that read "HAPPY BIRTHDAY AJ". Over in the corner, Little AJ and his uncle sat in the sandbox playing with a plastic bucket and an old set of what appeared to be Star Trek action figures. Mike glanced over and waved. Nodding in acknowledgement, Mac noted that the front of AJ's overalls was immaculate; Harriet must have cleaned him up before tackling the mess in the kitchen. What would she think when she saw those nice clean pants covered in sand?
Chuckling, Mac started down the steps when a sound to her right drew her attention. The Roberts' picnic table had been moved out of the middle of the yard closer to the fence, where Harm was now entertaining baby Jimmy. Mac's breath caught in her throat. Bouncing the eight-month-old child up and down on his knee, Harm appeared completely absorbed by Jimmy's gurgling laughter. Fascinated and somewhat overwhelmed, Mac simply watched as Harm's flyboy façade melted away in the face of infant babble. She couldn't recall ever having seen him this at ease with a child, even AJ, whom she knew Harm loved like his own son. Seconds ticked by before Harm's eyes lifted to meet hers.
"Hey, Ninja-Girl."
*He hasn't called me that in years.* Snapping out of her reverie, Mac strolled towards him. "Hey, yourself, Sailor," she smiled back. "You're here early. Feeling alright?"
"What, can't a guy be on time for something without taking flack from his friends?" he asked, acting affronted. Mac looked at him pointedly. After a moment, Harm flashed a self-satisfied grin and patted the bench in invitation. "I wanted to give AJ his present before the rest of the party showed up." He gestured towards the willow tree opposite the garage, and the tire now hanging sturdily from one of the branches.
"Tire swing, huh? Clever."
"Bud and I hung it this morning."
Sitting beside him, Mac and Harm looked down at Jimmy, whose attention immediately focused in on the shiny necklace Mac wore. The infant reached an open hand for the pendant and missed.
"Oh, no you don't," she admonished, tweaking Jimmy's nose. "Mine." Both adults chuckled at the child's reaction: he gazed up at his godmother with a scowl. As she leaned over to give Jimmy a kiss on the forehead, Jimmy, enraptured by the glint of light off her earring, saw an opportunity and grabbed.
"Ouch!" Mac grunted as the baby's hand fisted tightly around a chunk of her hair and pulled her towards him. Surprised at the strength of the youngster's grip, she fell sideways and collided with Harm's chest. Despite the sudden awkwardness of the situation, Mac was grateful when Harm reached over her shoulder to help unclench the tiny fingers from their grip.
"Aunt Mac!" Little AJ bounded over from the sandbox, bucket in hand, and tackled her. Bud's younger brother Mike, an Annapolis midshipman, followed close behind.
"Look, it's the Birthday Boy!" Mac greeted AJ warmly, giving the little boy a clumsy hug and wincing briefly as Harm pulled the last of her hair from Jimmy's hold. "And how old are you today?"
AJ proudly held up five fingers and announced, "I'm five years old and I'm gonna join the Navy when I grow up!" Harm and Mike laughed, but Mac shot AJ a mildly challenging look.
"Oh, really? Why the Navy and not the Marines?"
For a moment, the little boy appeared perplexed. "Can I be a Marine and still be an Admiral?" he questioned.
"Nope, they don't have Admirals in the Marines. But you could be a General instead."
AJ's response was immediate. "No, I'm gonna join the Navy so I can be an Admiral just like Big AJ," he said firmly. Then, switching gears, he asked, "Want to help me and Uncle Mikey build a fort for Mr. Spock?" Without waiting for an answer, he turned and raced back towards the sandbox. Mike excused himself and headed after his nephew.
"Looks like you've been overruled, Counselor," Harm teased as he watched AJ dive knee-first into the sand. When Mac didn't immediately respond, he glanced over to see her vainly attempting to comb her fingers through her hair. Between the baby's grasp and Harm's subsequently hurried efforts to free her, a huge snarl had formed behind Mac's ear. "Here, you take Jimmy and let me do that." He plopped the infant over onto her lap before she could protest.
"Wow, you've got a good knot back here. It's a real bird's nest."
"Stow it, Squid." Mac was suddenly uncomfortable. After the inherent intimacy underlying Thursday evening's discussion, or perhaps because of it, Harm's physical nearness and the familiarity of his fingers on her scalp suddenly pushed the reality of their agreement into sharp focus. She swallowed hard. After all they had endured over the last five years, it was actually happening. They were really going to go through with it. The man at her shoulder, her one-time best friend and long-time partner, Harmon Rabb. Jr., was going to father her child.
Harm's fingers went still.
"All done." His arms drifted down, one hand settling down on the picnic table behind them, the other resting casually on Mac's forearm. Tentatively, she brought her gaze up to meet his.
"Thanks."
'You're welcome."
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To be continued. . .
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A/N #2: FYI, I probably won't get Ch 4 posted until 1/7 or 1/8 since my vacation is over and, much as I'd like to, I can't spend hours on end writing anymore. How do you think it's going so far? By the way, I just finished writing this and it hasn't been beta-ed or even been through my own second glance. If I see something I want to change when I read it again tomorrow (when I'm not so tired), I'll update it and post a note at the beginning of the chapter to let you know.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Saturday; 1547 Zulu; Roberts Family Residence
Ringing the doorbell with her elbow, Mac stood on Bud and Harriet's front porch with AJ's wrapped present under her left arm and several weighty plastic grocery bags hanging from her right. The front door was open, but without a free hand she found herself unable to grab the screen door to let herself in.
"Just a minute!" a male voice called from the rear of the house. An instant later, Lieutenant Bud Roberts appeared at the end of the hallway holding a roll of paper towels. Greeting Mac, he rushed to open the door.
"Accident?" Mac asked, noting the towels and the large, brown wet spot on the front of Bud's shirt. He looked down and smiled sheepishly.
"Yeah. AJ tried opening a bottle of root beer and shook it a little too much in the process. It exploded all over the kitchen counter, floor, party favors and the cake --- Harriet and I are doing damage control. Here, let me help you with that." Taking the groceries, he glanced down at the contents. "Ah, more root beer. Thanks, Ma'am."
"Bud-"
"Sorry. . . Mac" he chuckled, smiling with self-deprecation. "After eight years, it's a hard habit to break." The screen shut quietly behind them as they made their way back into the kitchen.
"Is that the Colonel?" Harriet's disembodied voice asked as they stepped into the room.
"Hi, Harriet. Where are you?" Setting the present down on a chair, Mac peered around the island to see Harriet kneeling on the floor between the island and the sink, wiping up a giant puddle. Light brown liquid was dripping down the front of the cabinets, and Harriet's blouse sported a mottled stain similar to Bud's. Harriet rocked back on her heels, blowing her bangs out of her face in exasperation.
"Morning, Ma'am," she smiled weakly. "Bud, will you pass me some more towels?
"Looks like you had a minor catastrophe. Anything I can do to help?" Mac offered.
"No, thanks, I think we've got it under control." Handing the roll of towels to his wife, Bud grabbed a sponge from the sink and began to wipe off the trickle of soda on the cabinet doors. He glanced up at Mac. "Why don't you go out back and help the Commander and Mikey keep an eye on AJ? The guests should be arriving soon and it would be a tremendous help if you could keep him out of trouble."
"Sure, no problem." *Harm's here already?* Mac thought, but hid her surprise from her friends. She hadn't seen Harm the day before as he'd spent most of Friday in Norfolk conducting interviews relating to another investigation. Had Harriet changed the party time without telling her? No, he must actually be early for once. Dismissing the thought, Mac pushed open the screen door.
Stepping out onto the back verandah, her gaze skimmed over the yard. It was a gorgeous day for the party. Springtime in Washington tended to be unpredictable, but the sun was out and shining down warmly on the earth below. The yard was decorated with clusters of red and blue helium balloons, swirling ribbons of similarly colored crepe streamers, and a giant blue banner that read "HAPPY BIRTHDAY AJ". Over in the corner, Little AJ and his uncle sat in the sandbox playing with a plastic bucket and an old set of what appeared to be Star Trek action figures. Mike glanced over and waved. Nodding in acknowledgement, Mac noted that the front of AJ's overalls was immaculate; Harriet must have cleaned him up before tackling the mess in the kitchen. What would she think when she saw those nice clean pants covered in sand?
Chuckling, Mac started down the steps when a sound to her right drew her attention. The Roberts' picnic table had been moved out of the middle of the yard closer to the fence, where Harm was now entertaining baby Jimmy. Mac's breath caught in her throat. Bouncing the eight-month-old child up and down on his knee, Harm appeared completely absorbed by Jimmy's gurgling laughter. Fascinated and somewhat overwhelmed, Mac simply watched as Harm's flyboy façade melted away in the face of infant babble. She couldn't recall ever having seen him this at ease with a child, even AJ, whom she knew Harm loved like his own son. Seconds ticked by before Harm's eyes lifted to meet hers.
"Hey, Ninja-Girl."
*He hasn't called me that in years.* Snapping out of her reverie, Mac strolled towards him. "Hey, yourself, Sailor," she smiled back. "You're here early. Feeling alright?"
"What, can't a guy be on time for something without taking flack from his friends?" he asked, acting affronted. Mac looked at him pointedly. After a moment, Harm flashed a self-satisfied grin and patted the bench in invitation. "I wanted to give AJ his present before the rest of the party showed up." He gestured towards the willow tree opposite the garage, and the tire now hanging sturdily from one of the branches.
"Tire swing, huh? Clever."
"Bud and I hung it this morning."
Sitting beside him, Mac and Harm looked down at Jimmy, whose attention immediately focused in on the shiny necklace Mac wore. The infant reached an open hand for the pendant and missed.
"Oh, no you don't," she admonished, tweaking Jimmy's nose. "Mine." Both adults chuckled at the child's reaction: he gazed up at his godmother with a scowl. As she leaned over to give Jimmy a kiss on the forehead, Jimmy, enraptured by the glint of light off her earring, saw an opportunity and grabbed.
"Ouch!" Mac grunted as the baby's hand fisted tightly around a chunk of her hair and pulled her towards him. Surprised at the strength of the youngster's grip, she fell sideways and collided with Harm's chest. Despite the sudden awkwardness of the situation, Mac was grateful when Harm reached over her shoulder to help unclench the tiny fingers from their grip.
"Aunt Mac!" Little AJ bounded over from the sandbox, bucket in hand, and tackled her. Bud's younger brother Mike, an Annapolis midshipman, followed close behind.
"Look, it's the Birthday Boy!" Mac greeted AJ warmly, giving the little boy a clumsy hug and wincing briefly as Harm pulled the last of her hair from Jimmy's hold. "And how old are you today?"
AJ proudly held up five fingers and announced, "I'm five years old and I'm gonna join the Navy when I grow up!" Harm and Mike laughed, but Mac shot AJ a mildly challenging look.
"Oh, really? Why the Navy and not the Marines?"
For a moment, the little boy appeared perplexed. "Can I be a Marine and still be an Admiral?" he questioned.
"Nope, they don't have Admirals in the Marines. But you could be a General instead."
AJ's response was immediate. "No, I'm gonna join the Navy so I can be an Admiral just like Big AJ," he said firmly. Then, switching gears, he asked, "Want to help me and Uncle Mikey build a fort for Mr. Spock?" Without waiting for an answer, he turned and raced back towards the sandbox. Mike excused himself and headed after his nephew.
"Looks like you've been overruled, Counselor," Harm teased as he watched AJ dive knee-first into the sand. When Mac didn't immediately respond, he glanced over to see her vainly attempting to comb her fingers through her hair. Between the baby's grasp and Harm's subsequently hurried efforts to free her, a huge snarl had formed behind Mac's ear. "Here, you take Jimmy and let me do that." He plopped the infant over onto her lap before she could protest.
"Wow, you've got a good knot back here. It's a real bird's nest."
"Stow it, Squid." Mac was suddenly uncomfortable. After the inherent intimacy underlying Thursday evening's discussion, or perhaps because of it, Harm's physical nearness and the familiarity of his fingers on her scalp suddenly pushed the reality of their agreement into sharp focus. She swallowed hard. After all they had endured over the last five years, it was actually happening. They were really going to go through with it. The man at her shoulder, her one-time best friend and long-time partner, Harmon Rabb. Jr., was going to father her child.
Harm's fingers went still.
"All done." His arms drifted down, one hand settling down on the picnic table behind them, the other resting casually on Mac's forearm. Tentatively, she brought her gaze up to meet his.
"Thanks."
'You're welcome."
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
To be continued. . .
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
A/N #2: FYI, I probably won't get Ch 4 posted until 1/7 or 1/8 since my vacation is over and, much as I'd like to, I can't spend hours on end writing anymore. How do you think it's going so far? By the way, I just finished writing this and it hasn't been beta-ed or even been through my own second glance. If I see something I want to change when I read it again tomorrow (when I'm not so tired), I'll update it and post a note at the beginning of the chapter to let you know.
