Title: The past is never forgotten
Author: Tempus Meum
Rating:
Disclaimer: The characters and premise used in this story are unfortunately not owned by me. If JAG was mine…the possibilities.
Spoilers: Season Five
Summary: Mac married Mic and headed to Australia for a new life, but things didn't work out as she had planned.
7
1145 hours
MacKenzie Residents
Melbourne, Australia
"So…this is where we live!" Mac exclaimed as they turned into their street.
"This is really nice!" It was a relatively new neighbourhood, when they moved in six months ago their house had just been completed as had many of the other houses on their street. Mac loved it, as it wasn't crowded like many of the other suburbs she had considered. Theirs was a two storey, five bedroom house, with a reasonably large backyard. There was a park just down the street with a soccer field and a play ground that she took the kids to as often as she could. She loved it and so did her kids.
Climbing out of the car Mac opened the back door on her side as Harm opened the door on his. Once the kids were out and their bags were on the ground Caitlyn led them towards the house.
"Did you get to sleep on the plane? I've got the guest bedroom set up if you'd like to lie down for a while." Mac asked as they carried the bags into the house while Caitlyn and Samantha led the others through the house.
"I couldn't sleep but Charlie and Jack were dead to the world for most of the flight, I'm alright for the moment though."
"Well lets get these bags up to your room and I'll give you a tour, seems Caitlyn has gone ahead without us."
"Mac took her time showing Harm around the house, she wanted him to feel as comfortable as possible. As they reached Caitlyn's room they found their children all on her bed giggling animatedly.
"Lunch will be about half-an-hour." Mac called as she closed the door.
"Okay Mum!" Caitlyn called back.
"Coffee?" Mac asked as they descended the stairs.
"That would be great."
Five minutes later they were sitting at opposite ends of the couch, comfortably facing each other.
"I've dreamt about this for years!" Mac whispered, as she stared into her coffee.
"Me too!" Harm replied just as softly. "I should have called you years ago, but I guess…I just thought you didn't want to talk to me…after I got your letters back."
"Mic…Mic must have sent them back…I didn't…I didn't get any of them."
Harm was silent, he somehow knew that she wanted to continue.
"I guess I should tell you what happened!"
"You don't have to Mac, if you don't want to its okay…"
"No…I want to…I need to…you said in the letter that you didn't want to believe what you were suspecting…well…" Mac placed her empty mug on the table and sat back again. "I guess I better start from the beginning…" Harm put down his empty mug and turned to face her.
"Take your time, Mac!"
"We were so happy, Caitlyn was three and Sam had just turned one. I wanted to go back to work…Mic left for work every morning and came back every night, I stayed at home and looked after the girls…I felt like my life…didn't have meaning anymore…I was a lawyer and a marine, I needed to work…he just laughed like he thought the idea was ridiculous. The most I'd done in the last three years…was just enough to keep my status active. He even said that was a waist of time…that I didn't need to work, all I had to do was take care of his children, take care of the house and make sure his dinner was on the table on time…I couldn't help it…I laughed at him…and he…he hit me." Harm went to say something, but Mac held up her hand to stop him, "I need to…" Harm simply nodded. "He apologized profusely and I forgave him. Why I don't know…we compromised…and I went back to work three afternoons a week…I was home in time to make his dinner so he was happy. At least until I was five months pregnant with Brayden. It was at about the time we found out he was a boy…from then on Mic was…I don't know…weird. He insisted that I stop working. But without him knowing it, I was working from home…I may have been pregnant…but I still felt like I needed to be doing something…I couldn't just sit around doing nothing…I had Sam at home with me all the time, Caitlyn went to preschool three days a week. I was sitting on the couch…with files spread all over the coffee table…he came home for lunch…he'd never done that before…he saw me and something inside of him just clicked. He walked in…bundled all the files together and put them in his briefcase. Then he grabbed me by the arm and…and dragged me to our bedroom. I fell onto the bed…he told me that I was stay in bed…I was to look after our daughters, the house and his dinner and the rest of the time I was stay in bed. Before Brayden was born the abuse…it was just psychological…he made me feel worthless…like I was nothing. When he started to hit me…it was just…it was once a month…less even. He loved Brayden…he loved the girls to…but not like he loved Brayden. At first it was just making sure he was happy…that he ate before the rest of us…that his nappy was always clean…but then…I mean babies cry." Tears began to stream down her face. "You can't stop them from crying…they cry because…because their hungry…because their tired…because they need to be changed…they cry because they want attention. But Mic…he believed that if Brayden was crying he wasn't being looked after properly. I had two other children…I couldn't ignore the girls…that didn't seem to matter…if Mic heard him crying he'd hit me…but never in front of the girls…never." Harm was holding both of her hands,, every so often he would wipe the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs, but he never spoke. "Not long after Brayden had turned three Mic came home late and Brayden was asleep in bed…Mic would put him to bed…every night…he would read him a story and then tuck him in…it was like their time. But that night…that night he was late…Brayden was tired…he wanted to go to bed…so I read to him and he fell asleep. Mic came in…he asked where Brayden was…I told him…and he went mad...he started yelling and…and he…he hit me…the first time I didn't fall…the second time he drew blood but I still didn't fall…Brayden started screaming…that only made him hit me harder…but I wouldn't…I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knocking me down…I couldn't…he just kept yelling…and punching…he snapped…when I felt my arm break…I fell to my knees…curled into a ball…he stopped…said he was sorry…he just said…sorry…sorry…and then he was gone…I pulled myself off the floor and called Angela…Angela Ryan she was a junior officer and the only one that knew about my…problems with Mic…I didn't want them to see me…I knew that my face was swollen and bruised…my left arm was broken and at the very least I had a couple of cracked ribs…when she got there…her husband was with her…they packed some clothes for the kids, but Caitlyn wouldn't go with them…she wanted to see me…she saw…she saw what he did to me and from that moment she wouldn't leave my side…Angela's husband took Sam and Brayden and she took me and Caitlyn to the emergency room. Three cracked ribs…a broken tibia…a mild concussion…it was that moment…when the doctor told me how lucky I was…it was that moment that changed everything for me…I knew…I knew then that I…that we had to get out…I couldn't let him hurt me or my children ever again…I didn't want Caitlyn to become me…I didn't want her trying to protect me…I didn't want her getting hurt. The next morning I called my lawyer, and I filed for a divorce…we both wanted the children…I didn't want to…but the custody battle…it was taking so long…things were going his way…I couldn't stand it…but then something happened…my lawyer said something during the trial and he erupted…he was yelling at my lawyer…and then at me…and when Caitlyn tried to defend me he yelled at her…the judge…right then and there…he granted me sole custody. A month later I was offered the job here…it meant that I would get a promotion…and I would be the head of a smaller team. I talked about it with the kids…I guess the rest is in the letter." She looked from their joined hands up to his face; there were tears in his eyes that matched the tears in hers. For several minutes they just sat there, finally Harm reached up to her face with both of his hands and wiped the tears from her cheeks, then he pulled her into his arms. Mac fell into his embrace and let out a deep breath.
"You did it Mac, your children are safe, and their happy, they love you very much."
"He's right mum." Both of the adults jumped as Caitlyn walked up to them. "We love it here and we don't blame you for anything." Mac pulled back from Harm and held a hand out to Caitlyn, when she took it Mac pulled her onto her lap. Caitlyn had tears in her eyes too, which made Mac wonder how long she had been listening. Caitlyn seemed to sense her mothers pending question so she answered before it could be asked. "Sorry…I was listening…but I heard…most of it."
Mac reached up and wiped her daughters' wet cheeks, before pulling her down against her chest and leaning back down towards Harm.
A few minutes later Mac slowly raised her head, "I think it's time for lunch! Caity, could you go and make sure everyone washes their hands for us?"
"Okay!" Mac squeezed her lightly before releasing her.
"You can stay here if you like!" Mac turned to Harm as she stood. "I'll just make some sandwiches."
"No, I'll help!" he slowly lifted himself to his feet and followed her to the kitchen.
