A Nickel Trumps a Dime of Fate
AN: Well folks, we're halfway there. I'm pleased you're having as much fun reading the story as I did writing it. And for the individual who asked…I'm not military, but I did have a friend 'in the know' who advised me on some of the military issues. I'm actually a neonatologist…what's that you ask? That means I'm a physician who practices newborn intensive care.
Thank you for all your wonderful reviews.
Disclaimer: I don't own JAG or any of the characters. I just take them out and play with them on occasion before replacing them safe and sound back on the shelf.
Part 11
07:15
Thursday
15 February 2007
Mac's House
San Diego, California
"Damn…."
"Harm, I told you…you can't swear in front of the baby. I don't really want that to be one of his first words."
He wiped the applesauce off his shirt, "I swear I'm wearing more of this food than he has in his stomach." He turned around and grinned, "Besides, I believe his first word was Dada."
She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, whatever." She couldn't suppress the smile that appeared on her face at the sight of her sailor making airplane noises while flying spoonfuls of apple sauce and rice cereal into Benjamin's mouth. Just as they'd suspected, the baby had an ear infection; the pediatrician started him on an antibiotic with the caveat that it would take 48 hours before the fever dissipated and Ben started feeling better. In the meantime, they continued to push fluids, give Tylenol, wipe the never-ending trail of goo and drool that dripped from his nose and mouth, and walked the floors with the fussy infant. She poured another bottle of formula and turned around just in time to see the last bite of applesauce fly from Ben's mouth, as he mimicked the sound of an airplane engine in the form of a 'raspberry.'
Dam…Doggone…ah, the dog's gone…have you seen Molly lately, Mac?" Harm wiped the applesauce off his cheek. "Maybe she can lick-up all the baby food on the floor."
Mac shook her head, "Nice save, flyboy…I'm not sure I've ever heard your repertoire of pseudo-curses. Does it include dagnabbit and sick-a-fricka?" She walked over to the pair with a clean rag, "I keep telling you, you gotta duck, Dada."
He grabbed the rag and wiped off his face, "Come on, Mac…don't you think he's had enough already?"
She stirred the spoon through the bowl of rice cereal, "Few more bites of cereal, Harm…then you can quit."
He sighed and looked back just in time to watch Benjamin bring his fist down on the handle of the spoon. The cereal-filled implement flew into the air with a huge dollop of the pasty glue landing in Harm's hair. He pushed himself away from the highchair, running his fingers through his hair, "Oh yuck…Mac, this is disgusting."
She released a short chuckle followed by, "Harm, watch out…he going to…."
He turned back around and grimaced at the image of the stunned infant with a bowl of cereal turned upside down on his head. Rivers of the thick pasty goo dripping down the sides of his small face, "Oh man, sicka…a…frick…dag…dollburn…"
Mac strolled over laughing at the sight, "Harm, one of the first rules of baby feeding, is to never…ever relinquish control of the bowl and spoon unless they're empty." She removed the bowl from atop Benjamin's head and began scooping the cereal remains from his hair. Running a damp cloth over the baby's face and hair, she sighed, "Never mind, Harm. Thanks for trying."
He stood up, still trying to rake the sticky substance from his own hair, "Are we even now?"
She tugged at the bottom of her nightshirt, taking inventory of the colorful artwork painted by the morning's doses of Tylenol, Amoxicillin and formula. Then running her hand over the spots of dried baby drool on the back of her neck, announced, "Not even close, Sailor. It's your turn to give him a bath."
"But Mac…."
She waved a finger, "Don't even start, I cleaned up the last mess from when he got sick early this morning." She loosened the tray from the highchair then stood back for him to pick up the baby.
He lifted the kicking infant from the seat and pulled him into his arms. As Ben got close, Harm scrunched up his face and held the baby at arm's length, "Oh Mac, remember when the doctor said the antibiotics might cause diarrhea?" He held the baby out to her, "Well, I think it's safe to say, he's now exhibiting that undesirable side effect."
She backed away waving her arms, "No way, flyboy…I changed the last messy pants; this ones all yours."
"But Mac, I think it's in his toes," he whined.
She relented, "I think the only viable option here, is for both of you to hit the shower." She took the baby from his hands, and motioned with her head toward the bedroom, "Go on and get in the shower…I'll get him out of this sleeper and hand him into you." She blew the hair out of her face, "Is it too much to ask that we start parenthood with a healthy child…this is like trial by fire…basic training isn't this hard!" Benjamin grinned at the adults' facial expressions. "I'm glad you find this so amusing, mister." When he giggled outright, both parents had to join in at the happy sound.
Once he was out of the filthy sleeper and diaper, Mac handed the baby off to the large arms protruding from the shower. "Harm, I'm gonna try and scrub all the…'yuck'…out of this sleeper. Call me if you need anything."
Ten minutes later, she stuck her head around the door, "Are you two about done?"
"No way…we're not prunes yet," came the jovial response. Harm was buried in a tub full of bubbles with Benjamin sitting on his chest.
She smiled at the sight of her two sailors engulfed in bubble heaven, "I thought you two were gonna take a shower?"
Harm raised a brow, "Mac, have you ever tried to hold onto a wiggling soapy baby in the shower? I thought this was a safer alternative. By the way Marine, your tub is woefully undermanned for us sailors…there's not a toy boat in sight." Ben slapped at the bubbles, sending splashes of water in every direction.
Mac laughed as Harm turned his head away from the torrent, "I'll get right on that, Captain. In the meantime, this will just have to do," she filled a plastic cup with water and handed it to the baby. Benjamin squealed in delight as he shook the cup, flipping water in Harm's direction.
"Thanks a lot, Marine," he wiped a hand over his face. "You know, you could always join us…the more the merrier," he grinned.
She waved a dismissive hand, "No thanks, the miniature sailor there isn't too bad, but that tub is barely large enough to hold you…no way I can fit too." She tapped a finger against her lips, "Hmmm, note to self, in our next house we need a huge whirlpool tub in the master bathroom.
Harm's eyes twinkled, "Sounds good to me." He watched the baby's eyes blink shut as his little head bounced forward, "Mac, I think our little guy here is ready for a nap. You want to take him so I can finish getting cleaned up?"
She lifted the baby from the water and wrapped him in a large fluffy towel. As she turned to leave, she threw over her shoulder, "Hurry up Harm, I need a shower too." When he failed to appear 10 minutes later, Mac stuck her head back into the room, "Harm, are you getting out anytime soon?"
He pointed a finger, "Mac could you hand me that towel over there." When she got close, he reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her into the tub. She landed on his chest, with large waves of bubbles and water cascading over the side.
Pushing her wet hair out her eyes, she gasped, "Harm, what do you think you're doing?"
He grinned unrepentantly, "You said you needed to get cleaned up…I just thought I'd help."
She tugged at her soaked nightshirt, "Harm, my clothes are all wet."
He waggled his brow, "I can see that, Marine. I would say that's an added bonus."
She crossed her arms over chest and glared, "Listen Sailor, you're gonna clean up this entire mess!"
His smile widened to a full flyboy grin, tongue peaking out, "That's OK, Marine…this was worth whatever punishment you meter out." As she tried to maneuver out of the tub, he pulled her back into his embrace and kissed her senseless. "Oh and Mac, that requirement for a huge tub in the new house," he kissed her again, "…definitely a brilliant idea." She blinked away a dazed expression as he helped push her from the watery depths of the tub.
Once the fog lifted, she tossed a stack of towels at him. "Swab the deck, Sailor…then hit the laundry."
As she exited the door, she heard him mutter, "I guess we're even now."
Twenty minutes later, she was still sitting on the bed, in an oversized chenille robe, waiting for a shower. He finally emerged with a towel wrapped around his waist and a mountain of wet terry cloth in his arms. Grinning like a Cheshire cat, he tipped his head, "Showers all yours, Mac."
She released a loud yawn, "Thanks Harm."
He returned the yawn, finding the behavior infectious, "Tell you what…you go take a nice hot shower. I'll get a load of laundry going, then we can meet back here for a much deserved nap…while the boss over there is still fast asleep." He yawned again in reply.
She nodded to the affirmative and shuffled into the bathroom. Energy stores now depleted; she couldn't muster the where with all to speak.
06:00
Sunday
18 February 2007
San Diego Airport
San Diego, California
Harm placed a kiss on the soft silky head of the infant sleeping peacefully on his right shoulder. He couldn't believe how fast the last week had flown by. In one week's time, they had become a family and those memories of the two people now in his arms, needed to sustain him for the next seven weeks. Mac snuggled tighter against his left arm trying to fight the whisper of sleep that tugged at her eyelids.
An elderly woman stopped before the serene trio and smiled in admiration, "Beautiful family you have there. Remember to take the time to enjoy them while they're young."
Harm nodded a thank you, "Oh I intend to," he whispered back, "…I waited much too long to get to this point…to not enjoy every moment."
The women reached out a shaky hand to stroke Benjamin's dark hair, "God bless you, little one." She winked at Harm, "Have a wonderful day."
He smiled back, "Same to you." As Mac stretched beside him, he laid his cheek against her hair, and whispered lazily, "Go back to sleep…I don't need to board for another hour."
She tilted her head up, "I don't wanna sleep." She gently kissed his lips, lingering and enjoying the feel of his warm breath on her face, "I don't wanna miss a single minute with you." Tears ringed her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
He kissed her back, "We'll see each other again in a few weeks. In the meantime, we'll talk everyday…I don't want Ben to forget me."
She reached up to stroke her fingers over his cheek, "I won't let him forget. I promise to show him Dada's picture everyday and you can talk to him on the phone." She saw matching tears appear in his beautiful blue-green depths. As she studied the emotions displayed in those eyes, she realized for the first time that his eyes said everything his words never could. If she'd just paid closer attention to the message in his eyes, they might have gotten to this wonderful place so much sooner. She ran her fingers over his lips and smiled, "I promise to take pictures everyday so you don't miss anything. That's the nice thing about e-mail…you won't have to wait to enjoy the special moments."
He fought the tears, "But I'd rather be there in person."
She closed her eyes as the tears spilled over, "Soon…we'll all be together, soon. I love you, Sailor."
He laid his head back against hers, "I love you, more."
Closing his eyes, he thought back over the events of the last two days. After a long restful nap on Thursday morning, they'd discussed housing plans for their family. Mac's bungalow was just too small to accommodate the baby and all his paraphernalia. They were tripping over toys, clothes, the portable crib, high chair, and the stroller and playpen had yet to make an appearance. They decided to pursue buying a home before Harm relocated from London. They made a list of necessary housing features required by both, and a second list of desirable options. They both agreed that they would like to live close to, but not on the beach. Both feared a wee one escaping undetected to live the dreams of riding a wave. Other essentials included three preferably four bedrooms, a study, fireplace, formal and casual living spaces, a play yard and that luxurious romance-inspiring whirlpool tub in the master suite.
By Friday, Ben was returning to his former loveable happy self. They contacted Frank about a realtor and found themselves looking at houses by noon. The last house toured on Friday evening proved to be their dream come true. Located on a setback from the beachfront homes, it had a small private path leading directly to the shore. The dwelling itself had four bedrooms and met all their demands and more. There was a backyard pool secured behind a privacy fence. A grassy side yard provided space for gardens, an elaborate swing set with all the works, and a barbeque. They were shocked at the ridiculously low asking price and submitted an immediate bid for the full list price. They celebrated the acceptance of their offer over lunch on Saturday. They toured the home a second time with Trish and Frank, before enjoying dinner at the Burnett home.
It was over dinner that he and Mac discovered the secret to their real estate treasure…the house was owned by Frank. He and Trish had wanted to offer the home as a wedding gift, but knew neither of the kids would accept the offer outright. So, they had priced the house at an irresistible level, hoping Harm and Mac would bite. When the betrothed couple started to protest, Frank merely shook his head…after all, the inheritance would all be Harm's one day, why not enjoy the benefits now. Frank refused to take a higher sale price, shrugging his shoulders in nonchalance…take it or leave…the offer would stand. Unable to budge the astute businessman from the terms of the deal, Harm accepted the gift in the spirit of love that it was intended. Harm and Frank had finally mended all fences; they each reveled in the new father-son relationship.
After dinner, Trish and Frank fawned over Benjamin, while the soon-to-be separated couple took a moonlit stroll along the beach. Everyone retired early for the night, in preparation for a predawn trip to the airport. Harm had suggested taking a cab, but Mac insisted on spending every precious minute together before his flight departed.
He was roused from his musings by the overhead announcement to board the flight for London. He nudged the sleeping marine at his side, "Hey beautiful, time to wake up." As she stretched, he explained, "They're calling for pre-boarding…I need to get through security."
She rubbed her face against his arm and whispered, "I'm awake…I just…."
"I know, sweetheart. I wish I didn't have to leave either."
He handed off the baby into her arms. Benjamin stirred awake and began to whimper, "Dada…Dada."
Mac patted his back, settling him back to sleep on her chest, "It's OK, baby…we'll see Daddy again, soon."
Harm gathered his things and they strolled to the security checkpoint. Pulling up short, he pulled his most loved treasures into his arms. Placing a kiss on Ben's cheek, he whispered, "Be good for Mama, little man. I love you." He leaned in to kiss Mac, lingering to enjoy a second.
As he turned to walk away, she called him back, "Harm, I almost forgot…Benjamin has something for you."
She handed him a gift-wrapped box. Quickly dispensing with the paper, he opened the box to find a tri-fold picture frame holding three different poses of one giggling, soon-to-be Benjamin Carter Rabb. He looked up with tears in his eyes, "How did…."
She wiped away the tears, "Your mother had a photographer friend of hers shoot the pictures on Friday afternoon, while we were away. We thought you should have a reminder of your son to put on your desk at work…until the real thing can come for a visit."
"I don't," his voice cracked, "…know what to say…they're beautiful. I'll make sure they have the most prominent position on my desk." The overhead speaker announced the second boarding call. "I gotta go, sweetheart. I love you…take care of our son. I don't know how I'm gonna survive the next seven weeks away from you both."
She leaned in for one last kiss, "We love you, too. See ya at Easter."
To Be Continued...