AN: Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad to see that some people are reading
it. Not sure if this is a good chapter, but I just needed to get it out
there. Keep in mind; sometimes you must go down before you can go up.
The Road of Life Turns
November 15th
Harm was sitting in his office as he saw Mac returning from court to her office. He went over to talk to her, trying not to show how determined he was. H felt like everybody was watching him, knowing what he was going to do.
"How was the hearing?"
"It's going to court martial. I guess there wasn't much I could do about it," Mac said still looking down at her file.
"I just came over to ask you, if you'd like to have dinner tonight," he said with a nervousness in his voice, which went by Mac unnoticed.
"The admiral assigned as to a new case while I was in court?"
"No, I thought. I mean if you want to. maybe. we could make it a date?" The last word caught Mac's attention. She looked up finding a really tense and nervous commander in front of her. Clearly he was being serious.
"I can't. we can't." She rushed out of her office heading towards the restrooms. She hadn't experienced any morning sickness, but now whether it was the pregnancy or the situation as it was, she kneed in front of the toilet and threw up.
15 minutes later she walked out of the restroom and crossed the bullpen to get to her office. Harm was back in his office. He would probably never broach the subject again and that was like a knife twisting in her heart at the same time as it was a relief. She knew she wouldn't have to tell him no again. She had lost her chance with Harm.
When she came home to her apartment that evening she had started to fully realize what impact this would have on her life. She had felt like she had been walking around in a fog since she had found out. No one had noticed that she behaved differently, but now was enough. She needed to get a grip on herself.
Starting now she would take on the responsibility that being a mother meant. Stop running away from people and situations she was afraid of and instead deal with them straight on. Tomorrow she was going to call and get that appointment set up at the hospital. She'd have to inform the admiral of her condition so that arrangements could be made at work. But first of all she was going to have to tell Sturgis. Even though she still had no idea how she was going to tell him this, she called him to ask if she could come over to talk.
Since that night seven weeks ago they hadn't seen each other alone outside of work. They hadn't even called each other at home, so Sturgis was more than a little anxious to know what she wanted to talk to him about.
At the same time Harm was sitting at home wondering what he had done wrong. Had he really read the signals so wrong? It had taken him a lot of courage to ask her out on a real date. This wasn't just an ordinary woman. If it didn't work out there was so much they risked losing. It hadn't even come so far as not working out. Mac had killed it off even before that. He didn't think that he was that arrogant, but he really hadn't expected to be turned down, at least not like that. How were they ever going to repair this damage to their friendship? He'd do anything if he could at least keep her as his best friend.
Harm picked up the phone to call Sturgis. Maybe a game of basketball and a drink with his other best friend would make him see things more clearly. The line was busy, but that meant that at least Sturgis was at home, so Harm decided to drive over to see him.
As he drove into the street where Sturgis lived, he saw a familiar red corvette. Mac was getting out of the car and headed hesitantly towards Sturgis building. 'I guess she needed someone to talk to as well' he thought and kept on driving, turning his car around at the next crossing and returned to his home still alone with his thoughts.
Mac knocked on the door and didn't have to wait long before Sturgis answered it.
"Hi"
"Hi" Mac said without looking at him. The thoughts of taking control over her life and dealing with the situation was blown out of her mind. Most of all she just wanted to turn around and run.
". Mac, come on in," he said and backed into his apartment. It wasn't very big by normal standards, but Sturgis was used to the tiny spaces on submarines and in fact found it to be quite large.
"How come I get the feeling that there is something wrong? I thought you and Harm were getting along."
"This isn't about Harm," she explained "I don't know how to tell you this."
"Try. I will listen."
"I went to the doctor and it turns out that I'm. I'm pregnant, Sturgis."
Sturgis sat down on the couch behind him.
"I don't want to offend you by asking, but it's mine right?"
"Yes"
"How long have you known?"
"Since Monday. I don't want to pressure you for an answer right now, but I'm here and I'm going to state my intentions and when you are ready to give me an answer just let me know," Mac said trying to sound more secure than she was.
"I'm planning on keeping this baby. If you want to be involved in his or her life, I'd be glad, because I want my child to know its father, however I won't force you into anything you don't want to be a part of. That wouldn't be fair to the baby." She stopped talking and looked into his eyes to make sure he had understood everything she had said. She nodded her head and turned around, leaving a very shocked Sturgis behind.
TBC
The Road of Life Turns
November 15th
Harm was sitting in his office as he saw Mac returning from court to her office. He went over to talk to her, trying not to show how determined he was. H felt like everybody was watching him, knowing what he was going to do.
"How was the hearing?"
"It's going to court martial. I guess there wasn't much I could do about it," Mac said still looking down at her file.
"I just came over to ask you, if you'd like to have dinner tonight," he said with a nervousness in his voice, which went by Mac unnoticed.
"The admiral assigned as to a new case while I was in court?"
"No, I thought. I mean if you want to. maybe. we could make it a date?" The last word caught Mac's attention. She looked up finding a really tense and nervous commander in front of her. Clearly he was being serious.
"I can't. we can't." She rushed out of her office heading towards the restrooms. She hadn't experienced any morning sickness, but now whether it was the pregnancy or the situation as it was, she kneed in front of the toilet and threw up.
15 minutes later she walked out of the restroom and crossed the bullpen to get to her office. Harm was back in his office. He would probably never broach the subject again and that was like a knife twisting in her heart at the same time as it was a relief. She knew she wouldn't have to tell him no again. She had lost her chance with Harm.
When she came home to her apartment that evening she had started to fully realize what impact this would have on her life. She had felt like she had been walking around in a fog since she had found out. No one had noticed that she behaved differently, but now was enough. She needed to get a grip on herself.
Starting now she would take on the responsibility that being a mother meant. Stop running away from people and situations she was afraid of and instead deal with them straight on. Tomorrow she was going to call and get that appointment set up at the hospital. She'd have to inform the admiral of her condition so that arrangements could be made at work. But first of all she was going to have to tell Sturgis. Even though she still had no idea how she was going to tell him this, she called him to ask if she could come over to talk.
Since that night seven weeks ago they hadn't seen each other alone outside of work. They hadn't even called each other at home, so Sturgis was more than a little anxious to know what she wanted to talk to him about.
At the same time Harm was sitting at home wondering what he had done wrong. Had he really read the signals so wrong? It had taken him a lot of courage to ask her out on a real date. This wasn't just an ordinary woman. If it didn't work out there was so much they risked losing. It hadn't even come so far as not working out. Mac had killed it off even before that. He didn't think that he was that arrogant, but he really hadn't expected to be turned down, at least not like that. How were they ever going to repair this damage to their friendship? He'd do anything if he could at least keep her as his best friend.
Harm picked up the phone to call Sturgis. Maybe a game of basketball and a drink with his other best friend would make him see things more clearly. The line was busy, but that meant that at least Sturgis was at home, so Harm decided to drive over to see him.
As he drove into the street where Sturgis lived, he saw a familiar red corvette. Mac was getting out of the car and headed hesitantly towards Sturgis building. 'I guess she needed someone to talk to as well' he thought and kept on driving, turning his car around at the next crossing and returned to his home still alone with his thoughts.
Mac knocked on the door and didn't have to wait long before Sturgis answered it.
"Hi"
"Hi" Mac said without looking at him. The thoughts of taking control over her life and dealing with the situation was blown out of her mind. Most of all she just wanted to turn around and run.
". Mac, come on in," he said and backed into his apartment. It wasn't very big by normal standards, but Sturgis was used to the tiny spaces on submarines and in fact found it to be quite large.
"How come I get the feeling that there is something wrong? I thought you and Harm were getting along."
"This isn't about Harm," she explained "I don't know how to tell you this."
"Try. I will listen."
"I went to the doctor and it turns out that I'm. I'm pregnant, Sturgis."
Sturgis sat down on the couch behind him.
"I don't want to offend you by asking, but it's mine right?"
"Yes"
"How long have you known?"
"Since Monday. I don't want to pressure you for an answer right now, but I'm here and I'm going to state my intentions and when you are ready to give me an answer just let me know," Mac said trying to sound more secure than she was.
"I'm planning on keeping this baby. If you want to be involved in his or her life, I'd be glad, because I want my child to know its father, however I won't force you into anything you don't want to be a part of. That wouldn't be fair to the baby." She stopped talking and looked into his eyes to make sure he had understood everything she had said. She nodded her head and turned around, leaving a very shocked Sturgis behind.
TBC