I seriously tried to get this part out earlier, but I've been as busy as
all Hell. From now on, I'll try to be better about this. ~~Lissa
Part 4...Ghosts Of Christmas Past
December 24, 1999
2105 EST
Harm's Apartment
North of Union Station
***AN: I've never seen GOCP, so everything in this part is based on what
I've read from episode guides online. It's an AU fic, so you can also
base differences on that.***
"Can I please open one?" Par begged the adults who were sitting at the
kitchen counter. She was sitting in front of Harm's small "bachelor"
Christmas tree eyeing the presents that were already placed underneath.
They were the ones from the people at her mom and Harm's work, but she had
been assured that Santa would bring more after she went to sleep. She had
been very well behaved about it all night, but since dinner was done and
there was nothing else to do, she had to at least ask to open one.
"Tomorrow morning when we come over to have breakfast, you can open them,"
Mac told her for the fifth time that night.
"Can we stay here with Daddy tonight? Will Santa know to come here?" Par
asked going into the kitchen. She climbed up into Harm's lap. She had taken
to calling him 'daddy' which Harm and Mac neither endorsed nor chastised.
Both secretly liked it, but it was never a topic of discussion.
"Harm's going out to the Wall to visit his daddy tonight, so he won't be here
for awhile," Mac explained.
"I'll see you in the morning, though. Bright and early," Harm assured her
with a kiss on the back of her head.
"I want to be with you tonight," Par pouted.
"If you don't get to bed soon, Santa may skip right by your house," Harm
warned.
"We'll see you tomorrow?" Par asked skeptically raising an eyebrow in his
direction with an expression of deep concentration on her face. As much as
she wanted to be with Harm, she didn't want to miss Santa's more.
"You bet, squirt," he promised picking her up and carrying her over to the
coat rack. He grabbed the puffy purple coat and helped her button it up.
When he was done, he helped Mac into hers.
As they were about to leave the apartment, Harm and Mac realized that Par
wasn't following. They turned around to see her pouting with her arms held
up toward Harm in a silent request to be carried. Unable to deny the little
girl anything--especially on Christmas Eve--Harm squatted down to catch her
as she jumped into his arms. They left the apartment together--Par hanging
onto Harm for dear life, Harm not doing much better with letting her go, and
Mac trying to breathe past the lump that formed in her throat.
2130 EST
The Wall
The Mall (Washington, DC)
Harm walked through the soft blanket of snow that had settled on the ground
toward the panel that had his father's name. He had gotten across DC in
record time since it was so late on Christmas Eve. Most people were at home
with their families, and he was here spending the evening with a long lost
memory instead of with living, breathing people.
Instead of with Mac and Par.
"Hey, dad. Mac wanted me to say 'Hi' for her and Par," Harm told the engraved
name on the black wall. He removed his glove and touched the name adoringly.
"Par wanted to stay with me tonight, but I couldn't make myself not come here
tonight. I wanted to stay--I almost didn't come out. I'm still not sure if I
made the right decision. How can I believe I love her--them--if I chose to spend
Christmas with a memory instead of them?" He leaned his forehead against the
cool wall and closed his eyes tight.
"Merry Christmas," a woman's voice said from behind him. He turned around to
see an aging woman holding a flower in her gloved hand. "Who are you visiting?"
"My father," he responded. He stuck his hand out. "I'm Harm Rabb."
"Jenny Lake," the woman replied grasping his hand tightly.
0815 EST
Harm's Apartment
North of Union Station
"She really knew your father? She was with him the day before he went down?"
Mac asked almost amazed.
"You met someone who knew your daddy, daddy?" Par questioned shoving another
bite of her dinosaur pancakes that Harm made her into her mouth.
"Yeah. They talked and..." Harm couldn't say anymore. As old as he was, he
still saw his father through the eyes of a five year old. "It's nice to know
he wasn't alone."
The three of them sat at the kitchen table silently as they ate. Afterwards,
it was an entirely different story though.
"Can I open my presents now? You said I could open them after breakfast. I want
to open them now. Please, please, please," Par asked as she jumped out of her
chair and ran out to the living room where, under the tree, there were even more
presents than the night before. One--which Harm hoped would be her favorite--was
hidden in the corner behind the others.
"Go ahead, Par," Harm chuckled at the girl exuberance and sat down on the couch
with Mac to watch as Par tore through the gifts he bought her.
"You're spoiling her," Mac whispered teasingly into his ear. She put her head
down on his shoulder just enjoying the moment.
"I am not sp--"
"A puppy!" Par shouted upon finding the hidden pet carrier.
Mac raised her eyebrows at Harm as if to say 'Oh, really?' And all he could
do in return was shrug his shoulders embarrassedly.
TBC...
all Hell. From now on, I'll try to be better about this. ~~Lissa
Part 4...Ghosts Of Christmas Past
December 24, 1999
2105 EST
Harm's Apartment
North of Union Station
***AN: I've never seen GOCP, so everything in this part is based on what
I've read from episode guides online. It's an AU fic, so you can also
base differences on that.***
"Can I please open one?" Par begged the adults who were sitting at the
kitchen counter. She was sitting in front of Harm's small "bachelor"
Christmas tree eyeing the presents that were already placed underneath.
They were the ones from the people at her mom and Harm's work, but she had
been assured that Santa would bring more after she went to sleep. She had
been very well behaved about it all night, but since dinner was done and
there was nothing else to do, she had to at least ask to open one.
"Tomorrow morning when we come over to have breakfast, you can open them,"
Mac told her for the fifth time that night.
"Can we stay here with Daddy tonight? Will Santa know to come here?" Par
asked going into the kitchen. She climbed up into Harm's lap. She had taken
to calling him 'daddy' which Harm and Mac neither endorsed nor chastised.
Both secretly liked it, but it was never a topic of discussion.
"Harm's going out to the Wall to visit his daddy tonight, so he won't be here
for awhile," Mac explained.
"I'll see you in the morning, though. Bright and early," Harm assured her
with a kiss on the back of her head.
"I want to be with you tonight," Par pouted.
"If you don't get to bed soon, Santa may skip right by your house," Harm
warned.
"We'll see you tomorrow?" Par asked skeptically raising an eyebrow in his
direction with an expression of deep concentration on her face. As much as
she wanted to be with Harm, she didn't want to miss Santa's more.
"You bet, squirt," he promised picking her up and carrying her over to the
coat rack. He grabbed the puffy purple coat and helped her button it up.
When he was done, he helped Mac into hers.
As they were about to leave the apartment, Harm and Mac realized that Par
wasn't following. They turned around to see her pouting with her arms held
up toward Harm in a silent request to be carried. Unable to deny the little
girl anything--especially on Christmas Eve--Harm squatted down to catch her
as she jumped into his arms. They left the apartment together--Par hanging
onto Harm for dear life, Harm not doing much better with letting her go, and
Mac trying to breathe past the lump that formed in her throat.
2130 EST
The Wall
The Mall (Washington, DC)
Harm walked through the soft blanket of snow that had settled on the ground
toward the panel that had his father's name. He had gotten across DC in
record time since it was so late on Christmas Eve. Most people were at home
with their families, and he was here spending the evening with a long lost
memory instead of with living, breathing people.
Instead of with Mac and Par.
"Hey, dad. Mac wanted me to say 'Hi' for her and Par," Harm told the engraved
name on the black wall. He removed his glove and touched the name adoringly.
"Par wanted to stay with me tonight, but I couldn't make myself not come here
tonight. I wanted to stay--I almost didn't come out. I'm still not sure if I
made the right decision. How can I believe I love her--them--if I chose to spend
Christmas with a memory instead of them?" He leaned his forehead against the
cool wall and closed his eyes tight.
"Merry Christmas," a woman's voice said from behind him. He turned around to
see an aging woman holding a flower in her gloved hand. "Who are you visiting?"
"My father," he responded. He stuck his hand out. "I'm Harm Rabb."
"Jenny Lake," the woman replied grasping his hand tightly.
0815 EST
Harm's Apartment
North of Union Station
"She really knew your father? She was with him the day before he went down?"
Mac asked almost amazed.
"You met someone who knew your daddy, daddy?" Par questioned shoving another
bite of her dinosaur pancakes that Harm made her into her mouth.
"Yeah. They talked and..." Harm couldn't say anymore. As old as he was, he
still saw his father through the eyes of a five year old. "It's nice to know
he wasn't alone."
The three of them sat at the kitchen table silently as they ate. Afterwards,
it was an entirely different story though.
"Can I open my presents now? You said I could open them after breakfast. I want
to open them now. Please, please, please," Par asked as she jumped out of her
chair and ran out to the living room where, under the tree, there were even more
presents than the night before. One--which Harm hoped would be her favorite--was
hidden in the corner behind the others.
"Go ahead, Par," Harm chuckled at the girl exuberance and sat down on the couch
with Mac to watch as Par tore through the gifts he bought her.
"You're spoiling her," Mac whispered teasingly into his ear. She put her head
down on his shoulder just enjoying the moment.
"I am not sp--"
"A puppy!" Par shouted upon finding the hidden pet carrier.
Mac raised her eyebrows at Harm as if to say 'Oh, really?' And all he could
do in return was shrug his shoulders embarrassedly.
TBC...