PART FOUR
SUNDAY, MAY 29, 2005
NORTH OF UNION STATION
Harm woke to the aromas of coffee and cinnamon. He got out of bed and slipped on some sweatpants. He made his way to the kitchen where he found Mac making French toast. Mac had already eaten, so after fixing him a plate and pouring him a cup of coffee, she excused herself.
Harm had enjoyed his first few bites when he heard the shower come on. He was tempted to join her. However, her current state of recovery made him decide against it. For the time being, it was best to keep intimate encounters more loving and less hurried than sex in the shower, but the thought of sex in the shower with her put a smile on his face.
With his plate empty, he placed it in the sink and topped off his coffee before grabbing the newspaper and moving to the bedroom.
Harm was leaning back on some pillows stacked against the headboard, glancing at the headlines until movement caught his attention. A towel-clad Mac stood poised at the end of the shower's glass block wall.
Realizing that his eyes were on her, her hand fell away from the wall and she walked towards him. "Mac," he managed to utter. "I've had this dream before," he gasped.
She sat on the edge of the bed. "Then tell me what happens next, Harm."
Harm began to raise his back off the pillows while pushing the newspaper to the floor.
Mac leaned in to meet his lips.
A moment before their lips touched, in a husky voice he said, "We do more of what we did last night."
Their lips finally met as he reached up to tug on the towel around her.
Their love for each other would overflow as their passion exploded in a union that would satisfy their needs and desires.
In a state of bliss from lovemaking, it was hard to leave the loving bed that they shared, but today was a special day, and they couldn't stay in bed to enjoy the afterglow.
While Harm showered and dressed, Mac dressed and began to clean up the kitchen.
As Mac moved about the kitchen, she heard the sounds of water running. She had thoughts of joining him to make her fantasy with him in the shower into a fond memory, but something else was of greater importance today. Their first outing as a family needed to come before making her fantasies into reality.
WESTOVER REHABILITATION CENTER
Harm and Mac arrived holding hands and smiling and, after the usual greetings were exchanged, Harm told Mattie that she needed to get ready to go.
Mattie asked curiously, "Go where?"
"We're all going to the Roberts' home for a cookout," Harm replied.
Mac added, "You see why you needed a new outfit."
"Mac, will you help me get ready?" Mattie was excited. She was getting out of the hospital. Mattie's hands made a shooing motion at Harm. "I need to get dressed."
It took no time at all for Mac and Mattie to reach an agreement on the order that things should happen to get Mattie dressed.
Once the plan was in motion, Mattie became very quiet, in part because she needed to concentrate on every movement that she needed to make to get dressed.
Mattie had the jacket half on, and Mac was adjusting the way that she was holding the jacket to allow Mattie to slip in her other arm.
Mattie had been so excited, and now she was too quiet.
Harm was standing in the corridor just outside the door and would hear the following conversation between Mac and Mattie.
"Mattie, is something wrong?" Mac asked.
"I'm not sure," Mattie replied.
"If something's bothering you, please tell me or Harm. He'll be back in a few minutes. I'm sure that one of us can help."
"Well, that's the thing. You and Harm are here together...like a couple. It seems strange that we're all going somewhere together. It's kind of cool, but strange. I'm not making any sense, am I?"
"I think I understand." Mac paused. "I've been in love with him for years. Did you know that?"
Her jacket was on, and Mattie was concentrating on zipping it up and answered with a simple "no."
Mac went on, giving Mattie the time that she needed to zip it herself or ask for help. "Sometimes I think that I'm dreaming all this." Mac waved the hand with her engagement ring on it in Mattie's direction. "When I realize that I'm not dreaming, it's strange, but wonderful at the same time."
The nurse, who'd checked Mattie's vital signs when Harm and Mac had first arrived, now passed by Harm and entered the room to tell Mac that Mattie could be released to leave whenever she was ready. When the nurse came out, she told Harm that the ladies were ready to go.
When Harm entered the room, Mac and Mattie were standing side by side. Mattie was holding onto Mac, and Mac's arm was around her, keeping her steady.
Mattie's hair was pulled back and held there with some sort of hair ornament, and she was dressed in the outfit that Mac had bought her.
"Mattie, you look great," Harm complimented, which had Mattie smiling from ear to ear.
The nurse returned and went over the rules with all of them before letting Mac sign Mattie out in the logbook.
Since Mattie was now using a walker to get around, it wasn't difficult to get her downstairs in the elevator and into the rental car.
The walker was also as simple to fold up as a stroller, so it wasn't long before they had it folded and locked away in the trunk so they could be on their way.
ROBERT'S RESIDENCE
Harm parked Mac's rental car in front of the Roberts' home and got out quickly to help Mattie out of the car.
With Mattie outside the car, the sight of the steps leading to the front door made Harm and Mac realize how unprepared they might be for today's outing.
After Mattie tested the first step to see if the step was deep enough to accommodate her walker, which it was, Mattie informed Harm and Mac that she could climb the stairs. However, Mac was less certain and stood directly behind her on the step below, ready to assist Mattie in any way while Harm moved the car from directly in front of the house.
When Harm caught up to Mattie and Mac a few moments later, it was hard for him to watch Mattie struggle up the steps.
One at a time and slowly, Mattie made it to the top of the stairs with no assistance. She was doing better, much better in fact since he'd left a couple of months ago.
Before ringing the doorbell, Harm and Mac made sure that Mattie had a chance to catch her breath.
Bud answered the door and greeted them in his usual jovial manner; genuinely delighted that they were able to attend.
They may not have considered the steps to the Roberts' home, but they had taken into account that Mattie might feel uneasy at having to use a walker and the fact that their friends and coworkers were virtually strangers to her. This morning, on the ride to the hospital, they'd decided that one of them would stay close to Mattie while the other one mingled, and then they'd switch off.
Seeing Varese talking to two of the new lieutenants at JAG headquarters, Lieutenants Bunting and Douglas, Mac moved towards the trio to say hello, making her the first one of them to mingle.
As Mac approached, she heard Lt. Douglas say to the other ladies present. "Yes, I saw the colonel come in with him. I must say that I understand now why she's leaving the Corps. That man is gorgeous."
Mac sighed. He was, and so much more - he was hers. She hoped that she wouldn't have to point that out to the lieutenant at some point. Mac said her hellos, and soon Sturgis joined the four ladies.
The lieutenants left the group, and Mac, Varese and Sturgis spoke for a few minutes before Mac excused herself to get drinks for Mattie and Harm.
Mac found her family in the living room, and they were happy to see that Mac had brought them some refreshments.
Since Mac was now with Mattie to keep her company, Harm took his turn at mingling.
When Harm returned to the living room some minutes later, he found Bud with Mac and Mattie, and Harm sat down and joined in the casual conversation. However, when Bud called him sir for the third time, Harm had to say something.
"Bud, I know that old habits are hard to break, but we aren't in the same command any more, and I'm not in uniform. I'm here with my family in your home. Call me Harm."
Harm had been focusing on Bud as he spoke, so he didn't notice the smile that the word 'family' put on Mattie's face.
"Yes, sir -…Harm."
"Keep practicing, Bud," Harm said with a smile.
"Yes..." He paused to think. "...Harm."
Harriet came into the room, wanting Bud's assistance with something, so Bud was soon off to help Harriet.
Mac and Harm continued to take turns moving about the crowd and socializing so that Mattie wouldn't be left alone. Then Harriet started to let everyone know that it was time to head outside where lunch would be served.
Several people had made it to the backyard before them, but no one had taken up space at the patio table, so Harm, Mac and Mattie took up residence at the outdoor table, and Jennifer Coates joined them, which pleased Mattie because she now had someone else around with whom she felt comfortable, and she began to relax a little.
No longer worried that lunch wouldn't be served on time, Harriet began to mingle. One of her stops was to talk to Mac and to congratulate Harm on the excellent job that he'd done in picking out Mac's engagement ring, saying that it was gorgeous.
When lunch ended, it was time for Harm and Mac to say their goodbyes so that they could get Mattie back to the hospital on time.
When they approached Harriet to say their goodbyes, she asked them to wait a moment and disappeared. She appeared a couple of minutes later with a framed picture of them taken at McMurphy's the night that they'd announced their engagement. Harriet said that she'd have given the picture to them sooner, but she couldn't figure out how to download it from her cell phone, and she'd finally gotten Bud to do it for her.
Mattie hadn't been out long, but it was more excitement and activity than she'd had in months and she was exhausted.
Once they got Mattie back to the hospital and settled into her room, Mac told her that she'd be coming to see her in the morning, so they could watch the Memorial ceremony on TV and see if they could spot Harm. After Harm reminded Mattie that he'd be by as soon as he could get away from the luncheon, it was time for Harm and Mac to say good night in order to let Mattie rest after her outing.
Mac used the ride back to their apartment to wear down Harm's defenses until he consented to watch the movie of her choice when they got home.
At home, they sat curled up on the couch, watching the movie and eating micro-waved popcorn.
After the movie, they headed to the bedroom where they made love before falling asleep.