AN: Okay, here's the final part of the second chapter. I hope you enjoy it as much as you have enjoyed the whole tale so far. Have a great week everyone and till soon I hope. Love, Michi
Home Is Where Your Love Is Chapter II - Part 29
Disclaimer - See part one for all important information
Harm woke slowly, savoring the last vestiges of sleep. He stretched, and though his eyes were still closed, he knew by the freedom of movement and the missing warmth that normally surrounded him that he was alone in the bed. Well, not exactly alone because Jingo and Snowball had comfortably taken up residence at the foot of the bed.
He rubbed his eyes before sitting up and immediately realized that he felt much better. He looked around for Mac, but she was no where around so he let his head fall back to the bed, causing the note Mac left on her pillow to float off and on to his chest.
Good Morning Sailor,
Thought I'd get an early start to the day. You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't want to wake you. Thought I'd go and see if Mrs. Williams feels like talking today. Hope you feel better and if not, you better not even think about going to work today. You got that, mister? Oh, by the way, I left Grams in charge.
Love you.
Harm laughed. 'Always the Marine… and leaving Grams in charge, boy she learns quickly. Can't put anything past that woman,' he thought. He learned that lesson the hard way back when he was still a toddler. 'She had a knack of seeing through anything and anyone,' he continued to muse, sitting up again. 'Boy do I need a shave,' he concluded as he ran his hands over his face, down his jaw, and around his chin feeling the two days worth of hair growth.
Jingo and Snowball were immediately roused by his movements and lifted their heads in his direction, hoping they were not about to be read the riot act for sleeping on the bed. "Hey there guys. Did you sleep well, too?" he asked the duo. His only answer was a loud snort and tiny meow. Seeing that Harm wasn't angry with them, they decided it was okay to scoot a little closer, looking for attention which Harm gave readily.
After patting and petting each of them whole-heartedly he announced that the party was over and it was time for them to get down so that he could get up and attend to his morning routine before going into the office.
He showered and shaved before donning his uniform and headed downstairs where Grams was pouring him a cup of coffee. "Morning Grams," he greeted, kissing her cheek.
She immediately reached up and felt his forehead. "Good, no more fever," she announced happily.
"I'm feeling much better today, Grams. I think the worst of it is over. So I am definitely well enough to go to the office," he concluded with raised eyebrows.
Grams acknowledged that he indeed looked better and since Mac had left her in charge, she deemed him well enough to leave the house. The minute she thought of Mac, his antics of the previous night immediately came to her mind. She had all she could do to contain her laughter and let out a soft giggle.
"Did you say something Grams?" Harm asked, noticing how she appeared to be studying him. "Is there something wrong? And, what's that twinkle in your eyes all about?" he continued.
She immediately got her thoughts back under control and looked away before answering. "Oh, it's nothing, dear… just an old lady thinking about the past is all," she offered.
She wasn't sure he had bought it, and he hadn't, but he didn't have the time to get a confession out of her so he simply crossed his arms over his chest and nodded.
He grabbed his coffee, taking a few quick gulps and headed for the door.
"Hey, how about some breakfast before you go running out to work?"
"Can't Grams… no time… gotta run… see you later." And with that said, he picked up his briefcase and cover on his way to the door.
Grams was left standing there hands on her hips and shaking her head as the door closed behind him.
*
Mac spent the drive to the Vice Admiral's thinking about how she was going to approach Mrs. Williams. She so desperately wanted to help Harm, but she needed a game plan. She thought of several ways to interview the woman, but she didn't want to push or upset her, but she needed her to open up so in the end she decided to put the Marine aside and just be a woman talking to another woman about her family.
She knocked and was greeted by a young man who she immediately recognized as one of the twins Harm had spoken about. After introducing herself to the teenager, she asked to speak with his mother. He showed her into the living room and left to find his mother. Mac walked around the room, admiring the grace and elegance of the room.
"Colonel," Mrs. Williams greeted Mac with her hand extended.
"Please, call me Sarah," Mac responded, shaking hands with her.
"Very well, Sarah. What can I do for you? If you are here to ask me more questions, I already told the Commander and Lieutenant yesterday... I'm sorry but I really can't help you."
"Yes, the Commander told me. I thought maybe after talking with him you might have remembered something and that's why I'm here. Maybe if we just talk a little something might jog your memory," Mac continued.
Mrs. Williams shook her head and began to pace nervously around the room. Mac sensed her extreme discomfort at the thought of being questioned again so she opted for small talk.
"That is a lovely picture of your family," Mac stated, pointing to the portrait over the fireplace.
"Thank you. It was the last one taken be.. be… before Nathaniel's death. It's so unfair, first I loose my son and now I am loosing my husband," she concluded sobbing.
"If I may ask, how did he die?"
"He… he…"
"It was all my fault! He died because of me!" Danny suddenly screamed from the doorway before walking into the living room. He had been listening from behind the door and couldn't bear to see his mother upset and crying any longer.
"Danny, be quiet," Mrs. Williams pleaded. "You don't know what you are saying. Go on get out of here, NOW!" Mrs. Williams shrieked, attempting to hush her son and get him out of the room.
But he didn't listen and walked further into the room. "It was me, Colonel. I was driving the car that night, not my dad! He's innocent. He doesn't belong in jail. I do."
"DANNY, STOP!" Mrs. Williams warned. "Please stop," she cried. "Please."
"No, mom, enough is enough. This has to end here and now. I need to take responsibility for what I've done. I can't stand by and watch you and dad suffer any more. You both have endured enough pain because of me already. It has to stop. You can't lie any more to protect me. It isn't right and it's not fair. I can't let dad go to prison for something I did. I love you both too much for that," Danny concluded, falling to his knees in anguish.
Mrs. Williams ran to her crying son's side immediately. She put her arms around him, offering him comfort and giving him her love. "It's okay, sweetheart. Everything is going to be okay. Your dad and I are here for you," she soothed.
"I'm so sorry, mom…so sorry," he repeated over and over.
Mac watched mother and son intently as her heart went out to them. It was such a tragedy for what appeared to be a warm and loving family. It made her think of her own childhood. She wondered. Would her father be willing to go to prison for something she had done? Would her mother stand by her and comfort her the way Mrs. Williams was comforting Danny? She didn't have to think long…the answer was all too obvious.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Why was she even going there?
"I'm really sorry for all your troubles, ma'am, but Danny will have to be taken into custody. You did the right thing, Danny. I know it was a horrible accident and it wasn't intentional, but you will have to pay the consequences for your actions," Mac stated solemnly.
Both Danny and Mrs. Willliams nodded acknowledgement.
*
JAG HEADQUARTERS
The Admiral and his people were congregated in the conference room. The staff meeting was well underway when Tiner knocked once and entered. "Excuse me, Sir, but Colonel Mackenzie is on line one for Commander Rabb, and she said it was important."
Lieutenant Singer immediately made a face, thinking that this was not the time or the place to have a personal conversation. 'Couldn't they keep it out of the office?' she pondered to herself, 'and why is the Admiral allowing it?' She didn't have to think hard or long about it. 'They were the chosen ones,' she snickered to herself.
Harm picked up the phone that was on the side desk and listened intently to what Mac was telling him. "What?" he asked wide-eyed, a hand on his hip. "Wait a minute, Mac, I'm sitting in the conference room with the Admiral, Mattoni, Bud, and Singer. Do you mind if I put you on speaker so that they can hear what you have to say as well?"
("No, that's fine, Harm.")
Harm pushed the loudspeaker button on the phone. "Okay, Mac, go ahead everyone is listening."
"Well, I just left Admiral William's house. You were right Harm. He's innocent. His son Danny just confessed to being the one driving the car that night. The authorities should be taking him into custody right about now."
"How, Mac? How did you get it out of him?" Harm asked.
"I really didn't do anything. I just asked about Nathaniel and how he died when Danny burst into the room confessing to everything. He just couldn't watch his parents suffer because of him any longer and admitted to being the one who was behind the wheel that night."
"Did he go into any details, Mac?" Mattoni asked.
"Well," Mac sighed. "He had a lot to say actually. Mostly about Nathaniel and how devastated he was over the death of his twin brother. Last year, they found out that Danny had leukemia and Nathaniel was able to be the blood donor. He died short after the procedure by a cardiac. Danny couldn't cope with the loss and blamed himself, never believing that Nathaniel way ill as well and that his dead had nothing to do with the procedure and helping him. He started to drink and also got into drugs. He was trying to ease his pain in all the wrong ways. He got behind the wheel that night high and drunk. He decided to race another car wildly through the city in an attempt to impress his girlfriend who sat in the car as well when the accident happened. The Vice Admiral at first thought his car had been stolen, and when he realized that Danny had been the culprit; he covered for him."
"Great job, Colonel," the Admiral said impressively.
"Thank you, Sir, but… but I think I may have a problem here."
"What's going on? Where are you?" Harm asked when Tiner once again rushed into the room.
"Sir, I just saw the Colonel on the news. She is here, outside the building and several reporters and a camera man are badgering her as she is making her way in." He quickly turned on the television in the room and they all became witnesses to what was taking place outside of headquarters.
Mac came into view with a "no comment" to the reporter, which was also heard over the open phone line. Then the reporter began to question her about Mic Brumby. The Admiral and Harm exchanged knowing glances.
"Hey, I know that guy," Tiner suddenly shouted. Then he turned his gaze to Singer. "Isn't that your boyfriend, Lieutenant Singer?"
Harm turned, glaring at Singer. "You?" Why wasn't he even surprised? He quickly glanced over at the Admiral who was now standing with his hands on his hips, eyes locked on Singer. He was clearly seething.
"Sir, permission to…" Harm started to ask when the Admiral gave him a nod.
"Granted," the Admiral agreed and Harm quickly left the room in search of Mac.
Before the door shut behind him he heard the Admiral bellow to Lauren. "In my office. Now, Lieutenant!"
Harm was in panic mode and ran to the elevators. It opened the minute he pushed the button. "Thank God," he mumbled to the empty car. He began pacing around the small quarters, thinking it would never reach the first floor. When it did and the door opened, he saw Mac and his heart skipped a beat as he held the door opened for her. She spotted him and quickened her pace, a "no comment" still ringing in the air.
She ran into the elevator and the minute the doors closed, Harm had her in his arms. She was shaking and held on to him for dear life. "It's okay, Mac. Everything is going to be okay," he soothed. "I told you whatever happens, we will get through it together. You and me. There's nothing we can't handle together. After all, we make quite a team."
"Yeah, we do, don't we?" Mac responded into his shoulder before lifting her head to look into his eyes. In his eyes she saw all the love he had in his heart for her, and she knew without a doubt that she would never be alone again. "Together," she whispered.
"Together," Harm agreed before they sealed the deal with a long, loving kiss.
The End… for now
