Well, will you look at that, another chapter with in a day. I am on fire. Hopefully i will be able to get another one out tomorrow as well.
Thank you for all the reviews.
byrhthelm: I plan on some Mac and Admiral bashing. :)
VisualIDentificationZeta: I have gone through and correct the errors, i will update those fixes soon. Here is you next chapter.
Michi uk: Hope the cold shower helped. :)
Guest: Thank you for the review, don't know how far i am going with this story but alot cleared up in this chapter i hope.
Chapter 7
Mattie & Jenn's Apartment
Falls Church, VA
North of Union St.
1030 Hours (Zulu Time)
Mattie woke with a small groan from her dry throat. She felt better than she did yesterday. Sitting up in bed she noticed the note from Jenn, she was surprised that she had come home last night, or this morning with the weather as bad as it was. She flipped the covers off her and padded over to her dresser to look in the mirror.
"Well, least I don't look like the living dead anymore." She shrugged her shoulders and moved out of her room. As she passed Jenn's door she knocked.
"Jenn, it's Mattie, I'm awake. I'm going over to see dad." She started to head to the living room to the front door when she heard a thump and a yell.
"Dam it… Mattie wait..." There was some movement behind the door before it was flung open. Jenn came out of the room wearing a pair of sweat pants and one of Harm's Naval Academy t-shirts.
"Sorry Matts, when I came home last night your father was entertaining someone until early this morning. I don't know who it was but from the sound of things…" She let it trail off know, well hoping she got the hint. Jenn was the one to give Mattie the talk several years ago. She figured Harm would stumble and falter, so she told him she would do it.
"I know Jenn, dad had Loren pick me up yesterday from school when I wasn't feeling well. He came home and we all ate dinner then he put me to bed and I don't really know what happened after that. But the way they were looking at each other. I'm pretty certain it was her and him you heard last night." There was a small blush across her face.
"Oh… Well then, this should be an interesting morning." Jenn stated as she pulled her hair into a pony tail and headed to the door.
"Come on sis; let's go get some breakfast from dad." The girls left the apartment giggling at the joke. Jenn treat Mattie like a younger sister and Mattie treated Jenn like an older one. Jenn had even joked with Harm by calling him Dad once when they went out to eat one night. Of course he took the joke and threw it back at her by telling her it could happen.
As they entered the apartment of one Cmdr Harmon Rabb Jr. they could smell breakfast being made as well as hear the shower running. Jenn stopped at kitchen and blinked, standing there in the same shirt as her was Lt Cmdr. Loren Singer, flipping pancakes as she assumed Harm was in the shower.
Loren heard the door and figured it was Mattie, she wasn't expecting Jenn to be home with how bad the weather was last night.
"Morning Mattie, how you feeling today?" She asked turning around and seeing the girl in question.
Mattie smiled at the women. Here she was the queen bitch of Jag, making breakfast, asking how she was doing. Mac had her all wrong, and she was glad.
"Morning Loren, I'm feeling much better, just hungry now." She gave her a big smile as she sat down at the counter.
Loren smiled at the greeting; she turned and saw Jenn standing there. He smile never wavered and she nodded to the younger women.
"Ma'am, it is good to see you this morning." Jenn almost came to attention out of habit.
Loren laughed for a moment and returned to smiling. "Jenn, when we are here it is Loren. None of that Ma'am stuff ok? Now either sit down or get some plates out please."
Jenn blinked a moment as what was just stated to her. The Queen Bitch knew her name, and told her to call her Loren. "Yes Ma'… Loren, I'll set the table."
As she walked past Loren to get the plates Loren reached back and handed her a mug of coffee and a smile.
No words were said as the table was set, Jenn was surprised that the coffee was made just the way she liked it, and that Loren knew how she liked it. It was a weird morning to say the least and the man of the house wasn't even out here yet.
Harm stood next to the door and watched the drama, or the lack thereof unfold in his kitchen. It was a small surprise on Jenn being there but that added to the morning and his life.
"Well it's nice to see you ladies getting along this morning." He smiled as he gave Mattie, Jenn, and Loren a kiss on the check, forehead or lips as he moved past to get some coffee. Jenn handed him his cup of coffee that was passed to her from Loren. It almost seemed like that had all done this before.
"Of course we would get along. What you expected Loren and I to start going at it like cats?" Jenn asked as she sipped her coffee.
Loren just smirked as she put the plate of food on the counter for those to grab. She sat down as harm held her chair out for her.
"Smells wonderful Loren, Thank you…" He said taking his seat next to her and Mattie.
Mattie and Jenn nodded as they started to eat. "You have to go into work today Dad?" Mattie asked with a glob of syrup running down her chin.
Harm looked at his daughter and shook his head. "No, state emergency was put into place last night, there is just some guards there today but tomorrow we have to report in." He turned his attention to Jenn.
"And you young lady, what are you doing home, I would have thought with the raods last night you would have stayed with you friends?"
Jenn ducked her head a bit. "Yeah, about that Dad, My date for the evening was expecting more than just a concert. He wanted a after show performance. I wasn't going to stay in a house with him and his roaming hands." She shuddered at the thought. "I hate blind dates, he really creped me out."
Harm looked on with concern at her, the question was unasked. "No, he didn't get too far, just a grope that ended when I slammed him onto the counter." She smiled at the memory. "I doubt he will try to get to friendly again"
Before Harm could say anything he heard Loren. "You go girl. I would have put his face into the counter, but you did good." Loren was smiling at the younger women.
"Well it helps that a man trained by several seal teams, a Marine Recon team and others gave me some hand to hand training. He started to give Mattie some too." She stated while looking at Harm finishing her plate of food.
"Yes, well it never hurts to be prepared you know, and I want to make sure Mattie can protect herself when she is out. Jenn I think of you as a daughter and want you to be safe as well."
He sipped his coffee as another thought came to him. "As for that matter we discussed last month, it is ready, all it needs is your signature and a witness then it would be official."
Jenn's eyes grew wide as saucers as the implication hit her. He had actually done it. Got her father to sign away his parental rights to her, she was right now an orphan even though was 19. Could she do it. Could she be Harm's daughter, An older sister to Mattie. Hell yes she could, she was already. It would also help greatly with their living arrangements.
Loren looked between the two of them for moment and was about to say something when harm looked at her and just smiled.
"Last month I started the process of adopting Jenn, her father had signed away his rights to her, and even though she is 19, it would help her out a lot, and us if she was my legal daughter. I have all the paper work just needs to be signed, and if you could as an officer of the Navy and Court, could sign as a witness it would help a lot too."
Normally she wouldn't do this because it didn't help her out at all, but now she felt the need to do this. She thought for moment as she saw Harm put the papers on the counter. If what she hope would happen in the future she would have a husband and two daughters, and after last night and this morning maybe more.
"Where do I sign?" as she picked up a pen. Harm pointed out where she needed to sign and as she set the pen down she was tackled by a young petty officer and a 16 year old as the squealed with delight about the change in their family.
After all the dishes and counters were clean from breakfast or brunch the group sat down in the living room to watch some movies for the day.
"Dad, what is going to happen with you and Loren when you go back to work? You know mac and baldy are not going to take your relationship very well. I doubt they are going to like the fact that you are adopting Jenn either."
Loren looked at Mattie, then to Harm with a frown on her face, know it was to good to be true. Here fairy tail was coming to an end with that statement.
Harm took Loren's hand in his and smiled. "I don't care. They have no say over my personal life. Loren and I are both officers and she is not under my direct command. The Rules are clear on this. So the admiral can't do anything or say anything about it. Mac on the other hand, she can either let it go or she might just become a supper bitch about it. I am thinking she will do the later. She thinks that I am to hold off on all relationships so she can have a fall back guy. Well sorry, but I found someone who I am happy with, yes it has only been 24 hours but, I have seen the women underneath the officer."
Loren smiled at that comment. "Yeah I was that women under the officer last night." She mumbled. "I can handle Mac, either as the Chief of Staff, Marine, or Women. I can take her." She was smug, but to be fair her smugness was real. She had caught a glimpse of her recent FIT REP and it was bad. She had a lot of failed to meet a lot of the qualifications to remain an active Marine. The admiral had been green marking her through to keep her at Jag.
Harm looked at Loren and nodded. "FIT REP Report huh?" Jenn Nodded as well, apparently the whole office knew what was going on with her and were just waiting for it to come to head.
"Dam, thought I was the only one. Oh well I can take care of it." Loren snuggled into Harm's shoulder.
Jenn spoke up this time. "What about the two of you, how deep are you going with this?"
Harm smiled at the thought sin his head. He went pretty deep last night. They had talked this morning about the lack of protection and decided whatever happens will happen.
"We did talk this morning about that, and as of right now we are a couple with future plans to stay together. Once the two apartments are joined together, I plan on purchasing the other apartment on this floor and join it with this one as well, so we will have this whole floor as ours and Loren has agreed that moving in here would be great since she has a one bedroom and not enough room for her things as it is, but can't afford a bigger place until her promotion comes in."
Jenn and Mattie shared a look. "So, does this mean that there will be a wedding sometime soon and make it all official. You will be getting a good wife and we will be getting a mom?" There was hope in the young girls voice as Mattie spoke. Ever since that day Harm had adopted her fully she had wanted him to meet someone and become a mom to her.
Loren answered her this time. "We are not saying no to a wedding, we just want to be together for a bit before we plan to get married, but as of right now Mattie, that is what the future holds."
Once again Loren was engulfed in a hug from the girl as she cried happy tears on her shoulder. Loren wrapped her arms around her and gave her the best motherly hug she could give.
Loren looked at Jenn and smiled. "I know you are 19 and Harm is adopting you, but, I am saying if we get married I would like to be included on the adoption papers as well. I would be proud to call you my daughter as well."
Jenn smiled at Loren as her eyes teared up with the thought of having a mom, she moved over to the sofa and hugged the other side of Loren and Harm was well. It was a happy day for the new family.
Tomorrow would be fun, they would be rocking the boat at Jag.
Thank you for the reviews, please continue to review, it helps me know how i am doing.
Next chapter will be at Jag and the fur is going to fly. Mac and the Admiral will be with in the cross hairs.
