One week later
Harm walked into the youth club and looked around. He saw some teens he coached in basketball and offered a nod and a smile. They looked busy with homework. He waived to Claire who was on stage instructing someone. She had been working hard to get everything ready for the show. He crossed the room and peaked into the next room, stopping and leaning against the doorframe. Mac was busy with her self-defense class, and he smiled. He loved her in full marine mode.
"Okay, that's it for today," she noticed him and smiled. "Unless Harm would like to take me on?"
Harm pushed off the doorframe. "Nah, I'll pass," he smiled sheepishly.
"Good decision," she walked over to him. "I feel strong enough to fight a bear."
"The bear wouldn't even know what hit him," he chuckled. "Are you having fun?"
"I totally do," she kissed him softly. "What are you doing here?"
"My meeting ended early, so I decided to see if you wanted to pick up some take-out with me?" he reached for her bag. "And Claire texted me to ask if I could pick you up because she got invited out to eat with some friend's and wanted the car."
"It was nice of her to think of me," Mac smiled as he took her hand in his.
"Did you get those tickets arranged for our San Diego trip?" Harm wondered.
"I did, we'll be leaving as scheduled. Trish seemed happy about us visiting," Mac turned her focus to Claire who walked up to her.
"I need the keys," Claire held her hand out.
Mac handed them over, then stopped before putting them into her hand. "Where are you going?"
"Just out to dinner," Claire shrugged. "I'll be home early."
"This is not a good neighborhood…"
"Mom, I'm not going to walk anywhere on my own around here, and besides, we're not going to some dumping ground for criminals. I'll be fine," Claire grabbed the keys. "Don't worry."
"As if that will ever happen," Harm commented.
"Just be careful, and use your head," Mac warned.
"Mom, I'm eighteen," Claire reminded her.
"I know, but serial killers, gang members and other dangerous people wandering around doesn't care about your age," Mac argued. "And now that you're all independent and wandering around on your own I need to trust that you're careful."
"I am. See you later," Claire hugged her Mom and headed back on stage.
Mac let out a sigh.
"Let's go," Harm headed for the door.
In the car, he turned to his wife as he stopped for a red light. "Our daughter seems very grown up lately, huh?"
"Very," Mac put her phone away.
"I guess it's a good thing," he shrugged as he let the car move again. "Right?"
"Right," Mac knew she didn't sound very convincing.
He let out a sigh. "The traffic is hardly moving at all."
"No point getting worked up," Mac smiled. "Long day?"
"Aren't they all?" he mumbled.
"What's up?" she wondered.
"The Gilmore case," he stopped at another red light. "My investigation isn't going anywhere."
"What about the police?" she wondered.
"They think they have their man," he didn't look convinced.
"You have a plan," she assumed.
"I think I can knock one out of the park," he looked convinced now. "In the courtroom, I can get my client off. That smug little Detective won't know what hit him."
"You do have a way of making people look stupid on the stand," she smiled teasingly. "What's your problem with the Detective anyway?"
"He's so full of himself, so sure that my client is guilty when he hasn't even looked into the possibility that there was a third person in that apartment when the shooting started. Yes, my client fled the scene, but who wouldn't when someone opens fire?"
"Most people would, she agreed. "About this weekend…"
"Matthew, Rose and I have a plan," Harm reassured.
"I'm sure you do," Mac chuckled. "I was just letting you know that I forgot that I promised Jenn I'd watch the kids' while she and Victor went to that concert on Saturday night. Which means that…"
"Matthew and I will be on kid duty until you get back from Baltimore," Harm chuckled. "It's fine. I think we can handle that."
"Jenn will be eternally grateful," Mac smiled.
"We have them until Sunday I assume?" Harm looked hesitant. "What about…"
"You have to drop Rose off at the stable," Mac reassured.
"But she…"
"She won't be there alone. Mrs. Jacobs will stay with her and Carly and drop Rose off at home when they finish. Probably around 12.00," Mac smiled.
"Matthew and I should be back by then," he smiled. "Sometimes you could let me finish my sentences."
"It saves time," she teased.
Friday
Mac sipped shut her suitcase. She was staying overnight in Baltimore with Claire because Claire's debate team from school were meeting other teams in a competition Saturday morning. She realized that this was the last time she went on something like this with Claire since she was graduating High School and was going to College in the fall.
"Are we ready?" Claire peaked into the master bedroom.
"Yes," Mac smiled. "I can't believe this is the last time we do this."
"You sound sad," Claire was surprised.
Mac shrugged. "I guess. It's just another reminder that you're all grown up."
"It's a good thing. You'll have your weekends for other things now. Like," Claire looked thoughtful. "Actually, you still have Matthew and Rose so it'll still be years before you're off the hook."
Mac smiled. "That makes me feel better."
Claire turned to leave. "Come one; we have to go. I need to go over my notes tonight, so I don't want to arrive too late."
Mac took her suitcase. "Coming."
As they descended the stairs, Harm joined them. "Drive carefully, and stay out of trouble."
"I have Mom, what kind of trouble could I get into?" Claire wanted to know.
"Actually, I was talking to Mom," he leaned in and kissed his wife. "Stay out of bad neighborhoods."
"I'll try," she smiled. "I'll be home around dinnertime tomorrow. Do you think you can hold down the fort until then?"
"Jennifer and Victor are dropping the kids' off around 1400, that should give me enough time to influence them to join the Navy before you get home," he smiled sweetly.
"As if Victor would let that happen," Mac kissed him again. "I love you."
"I love you more," he hugged her close.
"Enough, we need to get going," Claire said impatiently.
The said goodbye to Rose and Matthew, and soon they were on their way.
Later
Mac and Claire had been out for dinner with Claire's teammates and their family members. Now they were heading back to the hotel so that Claire could look over her notes before bedtime. Mac had prepared and brought a book to read while Claire indulged in her notes. Mac couldn't count how many of these she had been to with Claire on. Spelling Bee's, and debate competitions, piano recitals, ballet, and choir. Watching the kids grow up was truly the best experience of her life.
Back at the hotel, Claire sat on the bed with her notes, her earphones on. Mac found her phone and called her husband.
"Hi there."
"Hi," Mac stretched out on the bed. "How's it going?"
"Good. We had dinner, and now the kids have retreated in their rooms. I'm getting some work out of the way," Harm leaned back in his chair.
"Some Friday night," Mac teased.
Harm chuckled. "How about you?"
"We've been out to dinner. Now we're back at the hotel. Claire is looking over her notes, and I brought a book."
"Our girl is prepared and then some as always?" Harm assumed.
Mac chuckled. "Pretty much, yeah."
They talked for a while longer before Harm handed the phone over to Rose, then Matthew.
"Did we buy chocolate?"
Mac put her phone away and noticed that Claire was looking at her.
"I'm done," Claire put her notes away. "I know everything now."
Mac handed over the chocolate bar. "Dad says hi."
"He has texted me three times since we arrived," Claire leaned back against the headboard.
Mac smiled. "Of course he has. He's a good dad."
"Tim has texted ten times," Claire rolled her eyes.
"That's cute. He cares," Mac took a bite of her chocolate. "But you don't think so? You think it's too much?"
"A little, yes. He's been like that lately," Claire hesitated. "He's jealous."
"Of whom?" Mac wondered.
"Marcus," Claire admitted. "He's cute and all, but not my type. He asked me out and ever since Tim heard that he's been… You know…"
"Texting and calling a lot?" Mac assumed. "He just knows what he's got and wants to make sure you know he's invested."
"He should know that I am very invested by now. Anyway, that other thing at school. My trouble with Veronica. I sorted it out," Claire looked clever.
Mac hesitated. "What did you do?"
"I overheard her talking with a friend about how a guy filmed them having sex and that he threatened to share the video around school if she didn't agree to do it again. It happened at a party, and apparently, she was really drunk. Anyway, I told Tim, and he sent over a video that was actually a virus, and when the guy opened the video, his phone went all bye bye. Tim hacked into the guy's computer and went through his files; it turned out that the guy is a bit of a creep, so Tim made sure that he lost all his files," Claire noticed her mother's look. "What?"
"Hacking is a criminal offense," Mac pointed out.
"How do you fight evil? Besides, it can't be traced back to Tim. He's a genius," Claire reassured. "Veronica was so happy she now worships me. Veronica told the guy that she had hired someone to make the video go away and he was furious but backed off when she threatened to call the police. He probably has other things he didn't want them to find out about. Some people are just destined to end up in the criminal justice system aren't they?"
"I don't know about that, but some people make bad choices. Let's hope this guy learned something," Mac didn't look convinced. "So how smart is Tim anyway?"
"When it comes to computers and everything with technology, he's as brilliant as they come. Colleges are after him, offering scholarships. He can pick from the best tech colleges in the country," Claire let out a sigh. "Which will take him far away from me in the fall."
"I'm sorry," Mac reached out and took her daughter's hand. "Life sucks, huh?"
Claire smiled. "Totally."
They laughed. "Okay, so about what Tim did," Mac sobered up.
"You don't have to say it. You don't approve, and I get it, but I still think that we sometimes have to fight evil with whatever means we have available. Because, Mom, the world out there, it's crazy and ugly," Claire pointed out.
"It's hard to argue with you about that," Mac agreed and hugged her.