CHAPTER 3
Monday, a week later
JAG Headquarters
Harm walked out of the elevator with a smile on his face. He bumped into Bud when he entered the bullpen.
"Welcome back, sir."
"Thanks, it's great to be back. Have you seen the Colonel this morning?"
"She's in her office, sir. Did you hear the latest news?"
"What's going on, Bud?"
"The Admiral is retiring."
"What?" Harm didn't quite believe it. "Seriously?"
"Yes, sir. He said so himself."
"Wow."
Bud nodded. "It sure will be different around here without him."
"Tell me about it." Harm made a move to walk away. " I'll catch up with you later, Bud."
He walked over to Mac's open office door and peeked inside. He had to smile when he saw her scribbling down notes on a legal pad with intense concentration.
"Good morning."
Mac looked up. "Harm." She smiled. "Welcome back."
Harm stepped fully into her office. "You look busy." He closed the door behind him.
"It's one of those days." Mac gave him a teasing smile. "Someone has vacation and someone has to do the work, as usual it's the Marines who do the work."
Harm chuckled. "Funny."
"I'm a funny girl."
"I would have thought that the mood around here would be worse, considering the recent news."
Mac sobered up. "Yeah, it came as a surprise. But I can understand it, I'm sure he wants to see his daughter more often."
Harm nodded. "I guess."
"Listen, I need to get some work done, how about you come to dinner tonight?" Mac suggested.
"Absolutely." Harm gave her a sexy grin. "See you later." He opened the door and walked out, already impatient to get the day over with.
That same night
Mac's apartment
Mac grabbed Henry just as he was about to trip over his own feet. "Be careful, big guy."
"Come on, mommy." Henry had a firm grip on her hand and dragged her along.
"What's the rush?"
"Bagetti night, mommy."
Mac laughed. "Okay. Let's get inside and start dinner." Mac said as they reached the apartment door. Mac unlocked and opened it.
Henry ran inside. "Come on, mommy."
"Do I have the time to change before I start dinner or are you starving?" Mac ruffled her son's head.
Henry shook his head in disagreement. "Okay."
"Your head says one thing and your words say something else." She bent down to give him a kiss. "I'll be quick."
She hurried to change into some sweats and got back into the living room to find Henry standing there stamping his foot. "I'm hungry, mommy."
"Okay, let's make dinner." Mac reached for his hand and walked to the kitchen.
Ten minutes later there was a knock on the door. Mac hurried to the door and found Harm on the other side. "Come in." Mac hurried back to the kitchen to watch the food. "Henry, uncle Harm is here."
"Cool." Henry ran into the living room. "Unca Harm."
"Hi, buddy." Harm lifted Henry into the air and walked to the kitchen. "What are we having?"
"Bagetti night, Unca Harm." Henry said with a big smile on his face.
"Your favourite, lucky you." Harm put the boy down. "I brought you something." He handed Henry a present.
Henry removed the paper and held a new book in his hand. "Boats." Henry studied the book.
"It's about different boats and ships." Harm smiled. "We'll go see some of them in real life someday soon. I'll even get you a trip on a real Navy ship."
"Thanks Unca Harm." Henry sat down on the floor and started turning pages.
"Is this one of your attempts to get him into the Navy?" Mac teased.
Harm laughed softly. "It's a boy thing Mac. We like boats, cars, planes. All things big and fast. I already gave him books about cars and planes, now it was time to start with the boats."
"How about you boys set the table." Mac suggested.
"Come on buddy, we have to set the table."
An hour and a half later dinner was finished, the table was cleaned, Henry had had his bath and Harm was reading to him. Mac sat down on the couch and started flipping through the channels while she waited for Harm. It took him thirty minutes to get Henry to sleep.
"Finally, he's asleep." Harm joined Mac on the couch.
Mac laughed softly. "He's been very awake at bedtime, and very tired in the mornings lately. Yesterday it took three books to get him to sleep."
"He's a great kid." Harm reached for Mac's hand. "I've missed you."
Mac leaned closer to Harm. "I've missed you too."
Harm leaned in and kissed her. "It's good to be home."
"It's good to have you home." Mac kissed him again. "Want to stay here tonight?"
"I really do." Harm whispered against her mouth.
An hour later they were snuggled together in Mac's bed.
Harm propped himself up on his elbow and studied her. "I have a question?"
"Okay, what?"
"How am I supposed to act around you?"
Mac was confused. "What do you mean?"
"Obviously at the office I'll treat you as a co-worker and a friend, but outside the office? Are we a couple or should I treat you like I did before we did this?" He pointed between them.
"I haven't told anyone about our changed relationship, but I don't think anyone will be surprised when they find out." Mac ran a finger down Harm's chest. "I don't see any point in keeping it a secret."
"What about Henry, what will he say to me being around more than usual? And what about Mic?"
"First of all; Henry is two years old and he loves you. You have been around almost every day since he was born and I don't think he'll have anything to say about you sleeping over. As for Mic, he doesn't have a vote. We were over a long time ago, and we both realised that we got married because I was pregnant. I would have called it off if I hadn't discovered the pregnancy, you told me that yourself."
Harm nodded. "I know and I was out of line when I said that."
"You were right." Mac reached for his hand and started playing with it. "Mic and I were over before we started and I hate that I let it go as far as it did, but I don't regret any of it."
"Because of Henry." Harm lay his head down close to Mac's neck.
"Yeah, he's the best thing that's ever happened to me."
Harm kissed her shoulder. "I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday."
TWO YEARS EARLIER
Mac breathed through the contraction and let go of Harm's hand.
"Okay, the next contraction you can start pushing." Jane, the birth mother, said.
"Finally." Mac said.
"I know you're tired, Mac, but this is where the real work begins." Jane reminded her.
"No problem." Mac responded. She had been waiting for this for thirteen hours now and she was ready to get the baby out.
"That's my Marine." Harm reached for Mac's hand again. "I'm sorry Mic couldn't make it."
"That's okay, I have everything I need right here. Thanks Harm." Mac knew that Mic would hate to miss this, but he was out of town on a fishing trip with some friends and there was no way to reach him. Mac had gone into labour two weeks earlier than her original due date and Harm had taken her to the hospital.
Harm kissed her hand. "Any time."
A little while later
"I can see the head now. When the next contraction hits, you give it all you've got." Jane said.
Mac did what she was told and soon she could hear the crying of her newborn baby boy.
"He's here and he's beautiful." Harm kissed Mac's head.
Jane handed a newly born Henry, wrapped in a blanket, to Harm. "Here's your godson Commander Rabb."
Harm handed the boy over to Mac. "He looks like you."
Mac held her son close and kissed his head. "I'm really a mom?"
Harm smiled. "You really are."
PRESENT TIME
"I know it's wrong of me to be happy that Mic missed his son's birth, but having you there meant everything to me."
"It was pretty special, being the first person to hold him." Harm pulled Mac closer. "You're a wonderful mother."
"Thank you." Mac snuggled closer to him.
Harm kissed her head. "So are we official now?"
"I don't see any reason why not. It might become a problem when the new JAG arrives, but we'll take it from there."
"I'm sure it'll be fine."
"Yeah." Mac agreed. "Good night Harm."
"Good night." Harm whispered in her ear.
