Decisions
A/N: It's really sad when it takes several road trips to get me to write. Yes, once again, I'm out of town. Sorry about yet another long wait for an update, but I've been totally swamped with school the last couple months, and that leaves, sadly, very little time for writing. Plus, there's a MAJOR writer's block stuck in the part of my brain that secretes the creativity and imagination I need for writing. Inspiration for this chapter just has not struck. I promise I'll try harder to get chaps up. Spring Break's coming up soon, so I'll have some time to write then. Well, enough of that, here's chapter 10!
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MAC'S APARTMENT, HARM'S POV:
It's so good to be back. I can't remember the last time I saw Mac so relieved. I don't think it was even a full second from the moment I got off my plane to the moment I had her in my arms, hugging me with the Jaws of Life…not that I mind, of course. I was a little surprised when I didn't see Mattie with her, though. She said that Mattie offered to spend the evening with Jen so that we could have some 'alone time'. I wouldn't have minded seeing her as well, but I am grateful for the time with Mac. We really haven't had much time to spend alone together since we got engaged. I need to remember to thank that kid later.
The car ride back to Mac's apartment was comfortably silent. No words were needed. Everything that needed to be said was said in both of our eyes. Well…the fact that we had been holding hands almost from the moment we left the airport up until now definitely helps. God, it feels so good to finally be able to do something so simple, yet so meaningful as holding hands! Sure, it's not like it hasn't happened before, but this is the first time I can just grab a hold of her hand any time I want to. Before I knew it, we were at Mac's apartment and on our way upstairs with a pizza in hand.
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SAME TIME
MATTIE AND JEN'S APARTMENT, MATTIE'S POV:
"Thanks again for agreeing to let me just come home tonight, Jen. It meant a lot to Mac, and I'm sure it does to Harm, too."
"It's not a problem, Mattie. Besides, we both still have a LOT of packing to do before the move to London, anyway. Although I did figure that you would have wanted to spend some time with Harm tonight, too."
"Yeah, sure I do. But I just think that he and Mac could really use the alone time, you know? They haven't really spent any time alone together since the night they got engaged. It's just been one thing after another that seems to prevent them from doing just that. I can see Harm tomorrow. Tonight's for them."
It's true. Mac and Harm have spent so little time alone since they got engaged. Before Harm left town, it was always the three of us, or they were at their own apartments packing for the move to London. Then Harm left for London and was gone for what felt like forever! They need to be alone tonight.
And I don't even WANT to imagine that reunion!
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THE NEXT MORNING
MAC'S APARTMENT, HARM'S POV:
I can't believe this. It's almost 0600 and I'm up before Mac is! God, I missed her so much. I don't think I've ever seen her as beautiful and relaxed as she is right now. She looks so beautiful when she sleeps. And last night…WOW, that was just amazing! No, we didn't do anything like that…I'm just awed at how…I don't know…complete I feel when she's wrapped in my arms. I really started to believe that we would never get to this point.
"Harm?"
And she's awake. Have I mentioned that she's beautiful, yet? Well, I take that back…she's absolutely breathtaking! Her eyes open lazily and I'm blessed with the sight of those gorgeous warm chocolate eyes looking lazily at me. God, how I love this woman!
"Morning, Marine. 'Bout time you got up."
"What time is it?"
Did she really just ask me that? What happened to that eternally accurate internal clock of hers?
"What did you just ask me?"
"What time is it?"
"I can't believe you just asked me that, Mac. What happened to your internal clock?"
"A good night's sleep in the arms of a certain 6'4" sailor. I don't think I've ever slept as well as I did last night, Harm. Musta thrown my clock of…temporarily, I hope."
That's really not hard to believe. Mac's always been an insomniac, and if it just so happens to be that I'm that cure, then I'll make sure that she never sleeps without me there if at all possible.
"Well I hope it's permanent, 'cuz it's just creepy the way you do that."
It really is. The first few months after our first assignment together were mind boggling. To this day, I can never figure out how the hell she does that! And the thing is, she won't tell me!
"Harm…you still with me, Flyboy?"
"Yeah, sorry, Mac. I was just thinking."
"Don't hurt yourself."
Funny, Marine. Real Funny.
"Ha, ha, Mac. You hungry, Ninja girl?"
"Yes!"
I shoulda known…Mac's always hungry.
"Then why don't you stay here in bed, all warm and comfortable, and I'll go make us some breakfast. I'll even cook some of that greasy pig ribbon that you love so much."
"It's called bacon, Harm."
"I know," is all I say as I leave her bedroom reluctantly and head toward the kitchen to get breakfast together. Now…let's see what she has in this kitchen…eggs, milk, flour, oooh…strawberries. Perfect! Grandma Sarah's Strawberry Pancakes and Waffles with eggs and…ugh, dare I say it, bacon. Well, I guess that's okay as long as I don't have to eat it. Hey, there are oranges, too. Some fresh-squeezed OJ is just what a breakfast like that needs. Thank God Mac hasn't packed all of her cookware yet. I definitely don't want to spend half of the morning searching through boxes just so I can make breakfast.
"Harm?"
"Hey, I thought I told you to stay in bed."
"Since when does a marine bow to a squid, huh?"
"What about the admiral?"
"COs don't count, sailor."
"Okay, okay…what's up?"
"I was just thinking…shut up…why don't we head over to Jen's and grab her and Mattie and spend the day on the Mall, just the four of us. I'm sure Mattie's as anxious to see you as you are to see her. She really missed you, Harm"
"I missed her too…I missed both of my beautiful ladies."
I wrap my arms around her and pull her snugly to me for a kiss…or not. She turned her head so that her cheek ended up being my unexpected target. What the heck?
"Brush your teeth first, Harm!"
Ha-ha…I should have known it would be something like that. Before she can say a word I duck my head toward hers and our lips meet quickly before I turn back to the ingredients in front of me.
"What are you making?"
"You'll see…"
"Well, I'm sure I'll love whatever it is as long as there's coffee…and NOT that weak squid coffee that you and Bud and Sturgis drink."
Note to self: remember to put LOTS of water in my mug before drinking any of that brake fluid that Marines call coffee. I salute her and get back to the job at hand.
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90 MINUTES LATER
MATTIE AND JEN'S APARTMENT, MAC'S POV:
I knew he'd want to see her. He made his way through the apartment like a chicken with its head cut off as soon as Jen answered the door. She didn't even get a chance to say 'come in'. I just shrugged and apologized with my eyes as she invited me in. The next thing I knew, I heard Mattie squealing and Harm laughing. Jen and I made our way over to where they were to see Mattie off the ground and in Harm's arms. I always knew he'd be a great dad.
Both Jen and Mattie loved the idea of spending the day on the Mall. At first, Jen thought that it sounded like a family thing and said that the three of us should just go along, but we all argued that she is family. I mean, Mattie sees her as somewhat of a big sister, and Harm certainly treats her like a father would a daughter at times, so she's as much a member of this family as any of us…and none of us are even really related yet. Isn't it ironic how life works things like this out?
I never thought that my life would turn out this way. Had someone told me a year ago that I would end up with a ready-made family and engaged to the man of my dreams, I would have driven them to the nearest psych ward myself. Hell, had someone told me when I was a drunk sixteen-year-old that I would be a JAG lawyer in the United States Marine Corps, I probably would have told them that they were insane, cussed them out, then had some more to drink. It's been a long, hard road, but we made it. I never thought Harm and I would be here right now, but we are. I know that the hard times are gonna keep on coming, but I also know that we'll make it through all of them. We always have, even when we've had to take the long way around. We'll make it.
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Okay, okay. I'm sorry that it's been SOOOOO long since I've updated. I'M SORRY! I'll honestly try harder to be a little more frequent in my updates. If I start taking too long, somebody seriously leave a review or PM me telling me to hurry up and post the next freakin' chapter. I don't want this to happen again. I know everybody says this, but I really will try to post more often. So, Until Chapter 11, Folks!