OOOO

Part 11

Mac struggled back into her uniform jacket then rose from behind her desk to open up the blinds and unlock her door again. She only ever used her own personal time during the lunch hour to do her exercises, but it still felt incredibly awkward, because she was at her place of work…She sincerely hoped that it would get easier, because she knew that her frame of mind during these instances wasn't helping her any. Whereas she enjoyed the personal time she took at home to prepare for nursing Dominic, the same was not true of doing so at the workplace. The entire time, she was aware that the busy bullpen lay just beyond the barrier of her door. She had contemplated going elsewhere, but knew of no nearby places (stores, restaurants etc) with the facilities to cater to a woman nursing.

She'd have to ask Harriet how she had gotten past it, for she was aware of Harriet mentioning that she had nursed Little AJ and Jimmy into toddlerhood, continuing to express milk even after she went back to work.

Getting back to her paperwork, Mac put it to the back of her mind for the time being.

OOOO

"You okay?" Harm asked, watching as Mac shifted again, having done so several times in the last ten minutes.

"Yeah," she flinched a little as she moved the wrong way, "I'm just a little uncomfortable, itchy…It's just taking some time to get used to, that's all."

Harm gave her a smile, reaching across the table and squeezing her hand comfortingly. For about the twentieth time that day, he marveled at all that Mac was putting up with, in order to help Dominic. His brother had sure known just the right person to entrust the care of his son to.

OOOO

The General had ordered Harm, Mac and Sturgis into his office so that they could give him an update on their progress concerning a high-profile court-martial. Sturgis and Bud were opposing Harm and Mac on the case, but Bud was on scheduled leave today, so Sturgis was handling it himself.

After filling General Cresswell in on what had been done to prepare for court and what still needed to be done, Sturgis then turned to Harm and Mac. Harm had just gotten back from the law library and didn't yet know just what Mac had accomplished while he had been gone, but he filled Cresswell in on what he'd taken care of.

"Um, what have you been working on, Colonel?" Harm turned to his partner at the same moment that both Sturgis and Cresswell did so, but were met with Mac's suddenly ashen face.

"Are you okay, Colonel?" Cresswell asked, a little concerned by the pallor of his Chief of Staff.

Sturgis went to pull around the chair behind him for Mac, so that she could get off her feet.

She quickly waved him off, saying, "I'm fine, thank you, Commander…Sir…I think it's just a little warm in here, that's all…"

Cresswell was a little confused when, conversely, Mac unconsciously went to pull her jacket tighter around her.

As she finished informing the General of what she had taken care of over the past morning and what still needed to be done over the weekend, in her head she was thanking the enormous stroke of fortune that meant they were still wearing uniform jackets and not their summer uniforms!

After hearing the dismissal from Cresswell, Mac quickly saluted and made a rapid beeline for the door, so that she could go and retrieve a clean uniform blouse from the sea-bag in the trunk of her car. She went to quickly drop her case files in her office and pick up her keys, but before she had even managed to turn back from her desk, Harm hurried in behind her.

"Mac?" his concern for her was obvious, "Are you okay? What happened in there?"

"It was nothing," Mac shook her head.

"That was most definitely something, Marine," Harm disputed.

"Yes, yes it was something," Mac amended, "but it…it wasn't something to worry about…I just…It's just…"

It was hard to find the correct words when those deep blue/green eyes were fixed on her, staring so intently.

"I'm…my milk has just come in, that's all," Mac finally blurted out.

"Now?!" Harm consciously fought the dropping of his jaw, "While we were in there with the General?!"

"Of all the times, huh?" Mac smiled, "Yeah, but it's okay…We're still in uniform jackets and I've got a spare uniform in the sea-bag in the trunk of my car. I'll just go get it…"

To Mac's consternation, Harm was still parked in her office when she got back.

Oh well, if he wasn't going to leave, there was no way she'd stay in a damp, uncomfortable blouse just because he wouldn't move. She took off her jacket, surveyed the two dark, circular wet patches on her blouse and started to undo the buttons. They weren't that big, but would definitely be noticeable, even after they dried.

"You want me to turn around?" Harm joked, with a grin.

"Yes and make sure I've locked that door, would you?" Mac ordered him, joking back, "Or else we'll be the ones facing court-martials next week!"

Harm checked the door as Mac dropped the damp blouse onto her desk, picking the freshly laundered one out of her bag. As she was doing up the buttons again, she felt rather than saw Harm approach her, so didn't jump when she felt the warmth of his hands on the back of her neck and shoulders, rubbing soothingly. It didn't help her state any, her eyelids fluttering slightly and she felt like asking him to stop. She was already fighting a wave of emotion that had crashed over her inexplicably in the parking lot, but Mac fought the impulse to pull away, instead looking up to smile the most put-together kind of smile she was able to, at that present moment. Harm seemed to believe that she was really okay, so relinquished hold after a couple of seconds.

After setting up an appointment to go over their case during the weekend, Harm returned to his office and Mac snuck out the nursing bra that she'd wanted, but had been unable to change into with Harm in her office. After locking the door again, she quickly made short work of getting comfortable again.

OOOO