Author Notes: Sorry for the delay in continuing the story. Life has
intruded on my writing time lately. Thanks to all of you who have
graciously reviewed the story so far. Your words have encouraged me! On
with the story ...

The Papers

Chapter 3

Mattie wondered whether Harm had received his copy yet; she knew that he
would soon if he hadn't already, and she didn't know what to do. She'd
guessed that he would come by to take her to school this morning, and
for the first time ever ... she wasn't looking forward to seeing him.
That feeling, the totally unfamiliar reaction of not wanting to be
around the person she loved more than anyone else in her life, except
for her mother ... scared her ... as much as the letter in her backpack had.
She blew out a breath in frustration and quickly shook her head; she
didn't understand why she was reacting this way - she loved Harm so
much, and wanted so badly to add his last name to hers and be his legal
daughter. She already thought of the two of them as family because of
the deep love they shared for each other, and she knew he felt the same
way. He'd told her every day, of course ... but even if he didn't say a
word, she knew every time he looked at her ... and she also knew he saw
that same love for him returned in her eyes.

So why was she freaking out, afraid of showing the letter to Harm, or of
even being around him? She didn't like feeling like this, not one bit.
The connection between them was everything to her, and she couldn't
imagine it, or him, not being in her life. She heard the whispers at
school, though ... some of the other kids gossiping about her and the
other rumors floating around. How she didn't have a real father, and
the Navy officer that often brought her to school and came for parent
meetings and events was assigned to her because she was a troublemaker
or something ... or that her mother had left her because she wasn't
loved or too wild and uncontrollable ...

... the tears came to her eyes as she remembered first hearing the
rumors about her, and the incredible pain that came because of them.
She knew she shouldn't pay any attention, and she'd never told Harm,
Jen, or Mac about them – knowing Harm, he would buzz the school in an F-
14 if he found out -- but hearing them still hurt her. In spite of all
her efforts not to worry, she couldn't stop wondering if something bad
would happen with she and Harm because of the papers. She knew it was
just self-doubt she was feeling, and unreasonable worry that Harm might
not want to go through with the adoption after all - even though he
hadn't for one second given her any reason to think he wouldn't. That
stupid voice in her head just kept telling her that she didn't really
deserve having someone like him as a parent, or of having the other
people in his life love her the way she'd come to love them. She even
thought of Harm's mother as her real grandmother, and thinking about her
kindly face made Mattie cry even more, because all she could think about
was how she couldn't imagine not having that incredibly loving woman in
her life, if Harm somehow decided to change his mind. He wouldn't,
though ... he promised her, and she knew he always kept his promises.

But what would she do if he did ...??

The bus jerked to a stop in front of the school, and she was startled
out of her thoughts ... the tears still streaming down her face as she
gathered her backpack and stood to get off the bus and head into the
school. "I don't want to be here," she thought to herself, "I just
can't think right now". She fooled Jen this morning - Mattie hadn't
gotten much sleep, and had tossed and turned most of the night after
reading the letter. Her heart just couldn't let go of the fears her
mind kept coming back to, over and over ... and as she dragged her feet
up the stairs into the building, she didn't even notice the stares and
concerned glances of some of the students and teachers around her.

Maybe she could just rest in the library for a couple of periods, she
thought to herself.

Harm entered JAG a little early this morning, having beat some of the DC
traffic he normally had to fight through after dropping Mattie at
school. He greeted the officers and enlisted personnel he passed on the
way to his office, noticed Mac's door was still closed and dark, and
sighed to himself. He had been thinking about Mattie and the letter
she'd received during the ride into the office, wondering what it meant
and why it apparently had such a big effect on Mattie. He couldn't think
of any papers Mattie would be getting that he, as her guardian,
wouldn't, and had decided to talk it over with Mac in case he hadn't
thought of something. Mattie's behavior concerned him, too ... she
always preferred to go drive to school with him, their morning times
together being a great way to start both their days. He enjoyed
continually teasing her about not being a "morning" person, and he still
chuckled whenever he remembered her retort the other day that "all he
was doing was helping me exercise my 'sass' muscles". Fifteen minutes
into her first conversation ever with his mother, and he'd heard his mom
ask her testily, "Are you sassin' me, child?" Mattie had apparently
caught on to the fact that Harm's mom loved it when the people she loved
"sassed" her right back whenever she dished out her own unique brand of
sass, and he watched in awe as Mattie quickly moved into her new
grandmother's heart as well. Both adults loved everything about Mattie,
including her amazingly dry and witty sense of humor. She could hold
her own with almost any adult he knew in that particular area, and yet
she was still very much a young girl in other ways. That contrast
continually amazed him as he headed to the kitchen for some coffee,
wondering whether he should call her on the cell phone he'd gotten her
so they could keep in touch in case he had to be called away from her
for any reason. Even though he tried not to call her during school
hours, he really wanted to hear her voice that morning ... his "trouble"
sense telling him there was more to the court letter than he or Jennifer
knew. He was filling his cup with the strong Navy brew when he sensed
his partner come up behind him into the kitchen.

Colonel Sarah Mackenzie moved like the Marine officer she was, as quiet
as a cat, even in high heels ... still, she'd never yet managed to sneak
up on her partner and friend. She'd always suspected he had some kind
of sixth sense about her, like her own uncanny way of being able to
always know what time it was without a watch or clock ... but when she'd
asked him once about it, he would just make some kind of stupid joke
about superior Navy training or something like that. It always made her
smile, though.. which, she suspected, was one of the reasons he
continued with his lame jokes on that subject.

"Morning, Mac," Harm spoke up as she slipped into the room past him,
before turning to her with that trademark cocky "flyboy" grin of his.
Someday, she swore to herself, she'd sneak up on him without his sensing
her. Yeah, and that winning ticket would arrive any day now, she
thought sardonically to herself.

"Hi, Harm ... how are you and my girl doing today?"

"I'm great.. and thanks so much for asking about my car, too, Mac - she
loves it when you call her your girl!" He laughed as she stuck out her
tongue at him before reaching around his tall, lanky frame to grab her
coffee mug. "You know very well I was talking about Mattie, you idiot!"
she groused at him with a twinkle in her eye. "Who besides you cares
about your car, anyway! Mattie's much more important, squid!"

"The car doesn't consume as much as Mattie does, that's for sure," Harm
replied, chuckling.

"Watch it, flyboy ... or I will tell her what you said. THEN you'll be
in big trouble!!" She gave him her brightest smile, and it was all Harm
could do to stay on his feet. "God, she's amazing," he thought not for
the first time since he'd first met the beautiful Marine.

"She's fine, Mac ... though I didn't get a chance to talk to her before
she left for school this morning. I wanted to drive her in, but Jen said
she'd gotten up early and left before I came by."

"MATTIE got up EARLY? Somebody contact Homeland Security!" Mac
jokingly replied, giving Harm a surprised look.

"Tell me about it! I was as surprised as you when Jen told me. She
also mentioned Mattie got a letter from Family Court yesterday."

"Really?" Mac asked him, looking carefully in his face as he nodded.
"Did you get one, too? What does that interesting judge have to say?"

"Don't know, Mac, 'cause I haven't received anything yet. I have a
feeling, though, that whatever was in it affected Mattie very much ...
Jen told me Mattie seemed kind of rattled and distracted before she left
this morning."

"Well, it couldn't be bad news about the adoption, Harm ... if it was,
they would have notified you first as her guardian."

"Maybe Tom filed a new motion or something ..." Harm wondered aloud, a
distant look on his face.

"Harm?" Mac spoke forcefully to him, starting to worry about Harm's
lack of focus on the issues. "Don't worry – I'm sure everything's fine.
Mattie loves you, Harm, and you love her too, remember? You two are
each others' destiny – I have absolutely no doubt of that."

Harm looked into Mac's eyes as she spoke, and saw the conviction and
deep caring she felt. It gave him a much-needed jolt of reality and
confidence.

"Thanks, Marine." he whispered gratefully.

"You're very welcome, flyboy. Now, why don't you wait till she's
between classes or at lunch, and call her? Don't you two talk like a
million times a day?" The teasing tone in Mac's voice brought a smile
on Harm's face. The new topic to tease Harm on in the JAG office these
days, it seemed, was the number of times he and Mattie called each
other.

"Very funny, Mac. Don't you have someone to prosecute or something?"

Before Mac could reply, Jen Coates popped her head into the kitchen,
drawing the officers' attention. "Excuse me, Colonel, Commander – the
Admiral would like to see both of you right away."

"Morning, Coates – thank you. We're on our way – right, Harm?" Mac
answered.

Harm snapped to attention, facing both ladies. "Aye aye, ma'am!"
Jennifer smiled, trading a glance with Mac.

"Idiot", Mac mumbled under her breath with a smile, as Harm marched
behind her out of the kitchen. Harm looked behind him to wink at Jen,
who was getting coffee for the Admiral. She stood for a second,
laughing again as she watched Harm still march behind the Colonel, who
was throwing bemused looks over her shoulder as they headed towards the
Admiral's office.

"And so it begins ...", Jen thought to herself with a shake of her head.