Part 2

August 2010

"Benji, your father will be here anytime," Mac said to calm her brown eyed and brown-haired son down a bit. Except for the eyes he looked so much like his father. Benji had however inherited her sense of timing and was now sitting on the bench in front of their little, yellow house waiting for his father to show up very much aware of his lateness.

"Was he always late like this?" he asked his mother.

"Yeah, pretty much. You know he still really looks forward to seeing you, don't you? I'm sure of that."

"Look, there's his car," Benji said and got up and started pointing at the red Corvette that was making its way down the street. Mac had to hold him back so he wouldn't run out on the street.

"There he is," Mac said slowly and took her son by the hand and walked over the front lawn to exchange some words with Harm and say goodbye to Benji.

"Hey, Ben. Are you all set?" Harm asked his son showing just as much enthusiasm as his son.

"Sure am."

"When are you bringing him back on Sunday?" Mac asked.

"Sometime between five and six if that's okay."

"Sounds good," Mac kneeled down before her son so their heads were on the same level and she could look him straight into the eyes. "I'll see you on Wednesday like always and then you'll come back here on Sunday," she told him seriously "You be good to your father now."

"I will. I love you, Mom."

"I love you too," Mac wrapped her arms around her son and then watched how he with the help from his father was buckled up in the seat of the Corvette. She knew that he was going to have a good week with his father just like he did every other week when he went and lived with him. It was hard for her to say goodbye to him and let him go to his father.

"Jane isn't going to be there, is she?" Benji asked his father skeptically as they were driving away.

"Not this time, no. She isn't going to be around anymore at all actually," Harm explained.

"Great," Benji said not hiding his enthusiasm at this new information. Harm looked at him a little sternly, but didn't say anything. Benji had never liked any of the girlfriends that he had met and Jane hadn't been an exception to that rule.

"Did you have a nice week at your Mom's?" he asked instead.

"I guess. Did you know Mom broke up with Malcolm?"

"No, I didn't. Is she sad about that?"

"They had a really big fight after they thought I had gone to bed. I don't know about what though... Maybe you could be Mom's boyfriend instead. I'm sure she'd be glad then..." This was something Benji had given a lot of thought to. "You could come and stay with us all the time. You wouldn't have to move."

"Ben, you know that isn't going to happen. Your mom and I... we are never going to... You also know why I have to move."

"I guess so, but I still think it would be kind of neat if we all lived together like Jimmy and AJ and Harriet and Bud."

--

Mac was sitting in her kitchen together with Sturgis. They were talking and drinking coffee like they did every Sunday Benji was at Harm's. Harm was going to bring Benji over any minute now. She had talked a little with her son yesterday and he had seemed really happy and busy, but had also said that he missed her.

"Tough week at work?" Sturgis asked her.

"A bit," she took a sip of her coffee "I had a really rough case and... You know I can't talk about it, but it kind of still hangs over me."

"I know what you mean," Sturgis nodded.

"How about you? Are you coming along in civilian life?"

"Yeah, it simply had to be that way with the girls and all. I didn't want Varese to have to give up singing," he told her. Mac sensed a small sting of loss. She had however also seen the amount of thought he had put in before making the decision to resign and doubted that he would regret it in the long run. "So, have you told Benji about Harm's transfer yet?" Sturgis asked her.

"Yeah, we told him when Harm dropped him off last time. He took it pretty well I think. I don't think he quite understands it yet though."

"It's not going to be easy for him," Sturgis concluded "Being away from his father for such long periods of time."

"No, it won't, but I can't do anything about it... and still I think I'll get the blame for it. You know Harm can do nothing wrong in his eyes."

"Sons and their fathers."

"The two of them, they share something. Something Benji has never shared with me," Mac said with a little sadness. However she was also very happy that he had a father to share those things with.

Their talk was interrupted when they both heard the door open and Benji came in running to the kitchen where he knew from past experience that he would find his mother and Sturgis.

"Hi Uncle Sturgis!" he threw his arms around Sturgis first and then went over to hug Mac.

"Hey," Harm came into the kitchen with Benji's bags. "How are you?" he asked both of them.

"Good," Sturgis said and Mac just nodded.

"Mac, can I talk to you in private?" he then asked her.

"Sure, let's go out on the porch," Mac agreed.

"I've been thinking about Benji a lot lately and about my transfer," Harm started once they were out of the hearing range of their son.

"You're thinking about not going?" Mac asked a bit more hopeful than she had meant it to be.

"No. I want to take him with me."

"What do you mean take him with you?" Mac asked already suspecting where this was going.

"I want him to move to San Diego with me."

"No way," was all Mac said and turned around to go back into the house.

"What do you mean 'no way'? He's my son too and I think it would be good for Ben. He needs his father," Harm protested and grabbed her arm to stop her from walking away. Mac swung around and made him loose his grip.

"You think he needs you more than he needs me? Let me tell you something. I'm the one who has given everything up for him. I cut down on work and travels to be more with him, gave up my military career for him. I'm not going to let you take him to California just to have a babysitter take care of him," Mac said harshly trying to make him understand why she couldn't let her son go and live with him.

"It's a command position, I won't need to travel as much as I have done now."

"You'll still work all of the time. Harm, this is not a discussion we're going to have. The next time a good career opportunity comes up and you need to leave, are you telling me you won't take it?"

"Mac, you know as well as I do that I didn't choose to get this transfer. It was long overdue. You also know as well as I do that we've been really lucky that I've been stationed here in DC for so long. Orders are orders."

"But that doesn't make a difference, Harm. I don't want him growing up changing school every other year," for Mac this wasn't anything she was willing to discuss any further. She turned around to walk back in, but was stopped by Harm grabbing hold of her arm once again. This time she just stayed with her back turned against him.

"Mac, I hoped we could talk about this," he said calmly "If we can't agree some way we're going to need help from someone else."

"You want to take this to court?"

"Not unless I have to."

"Harm, don't do this," Mac pleaded with him much softer.

"I have to."

"You'll loose."

"Then at least I fought for him," 'It's what I should have done it for you.' He let go of her arm and she went back into the house.

--

"Is he asleep?" Sturgis asked as Mac came down from Benji's room.

"Not yet. I told him he could read for a while. He heard us fight... again."

"Yeah, it was pretty hard to not do that."

"Thank you for staying. I know you're needed at home."

"Mac, I'm your best friend. What kind of friend would I be if I left you when you are as upset as I can clearly see that you are? What happened? What did you fight about?"

"Harm wants sole custody. He wants to bring him with him to San Diego. He's going to take my baby away..." Mac started crying and Sturgis was quickly there holding her and trying to comfort her.

"It's going to be okay. Everything will be okay, Mac."

"No, it won't. It never was."

TBC