Chapter three
JAG Headquarters Two days later
Mac kept silent the rest of the ride to Norfolk but the awkward tension that had previously filled the air was long gone. She seemed more peaceful. Harm was hopeful he'd gotten through to her. He was more certain when shortly before reaching their destination Mac reached over to hold his hand, squeezing it in a silent thank you.
The investigation took little time. Although, Lt. Commander Parker was indeed a mediocre pilot, Lt. Bradley, was also skewed in his judgement of her landing skills. An agreement was easily reached to the satisfaction of everyone, including Bobbie Latham.
Mac seemed to be on a more even keel the last couple of days, though she still wasn't eating with her usual gusto. Harm hadn't decided what to make of it all.
Walking towards the break room, Harm thought he heard his name. He turned to see Mac coming towards him from the bullpen.
"What's up?" he asked.
She had tears in her eyes again, but a smile on her face.
"I just needed to get away from the crowds, but wanted you to see this. Isn't she sweet."
Mac handed him a card with an adorably sad puppy dog on the front. Inside Chloe had written a touching note about how much she wished she could be in two places at once.
"This is nice, but why are you going to cry."
"It's a woman's prerogative to get tearful if she wants."
"I thought it was a woman's prerogative to change her mind. Where does it say anything about tears? You guys have to stop changing the rule book on us." He shook his head in mock frustration.
"That would be too easy!" She shot over her shoulder heading back to her office.
Returning to his original mission, in search of some much needed caffeine, Harm noticed Harriet sniffling at her desk.
"Everything okay Harriet?" His crusade for coffee postponed to check on his friend. Harriet was occasionally prone to being emotional, but rarely without merit.
"Yes sir. Everything is fine." She smiled awkwardly as one tear slipped down her cheek.
"I was just on my way for a cup of coffee. Why don't you join me?" He pointed to the break room.
"Thank you sir but I have a lot of work to do and I'm really fine." Hurriedly, she began shuffling papers.
"Lieutenant." Harm's tone reminding her he outranked her.
"Yes sir, good idea sir."
Sitting down at a small table in the courtyard. Harm stirred his coffee waiting to see if Harriet said anything first. Harriet sat quietly contemplating the label on a bottle of apple juice.
"Why is everyone crying today?" he finally asked.
"Well, I don't know about everyone sir, but chalk mine up to hormones." She smiled sweetly.
"No offense Harriet, but I really think you ladies should give us guys a break and just put a sticker on your forehead that says 'that time of the month, steer clear." He said looking down at his coffee to avoid any backlash.
"That wasn't what I meant, sir." Harriet giggled under her breath. Looking to see if anyone else was around, Harriet leaned down closer to the table. "Please keep this under wraps until I tell the admiral sir," Her voice was almost a whisper, "but I'm pregnant." She straightened back up in her chair, sporting a grin from ear to ear.
"Congratulations, Lieutenant. Does Bud know?" Despite being genuinely happy for his friends, a pang of jealousy surged through him.
"Thank you, sir, and yes, we've known for about a week now."
"Well then why the tears Harriet." A deep frown quickly replaced his previously broad grin. "Is there a problem?"
"No sir, it's just, hormones, like I said. I'm really happy, don't get me wrong. But the morning sickness has already started, and I'm getting a little tired of eating toast all the time to settle my stomach."
Harm watched Harriet intently.
"Soon the cravings will start and poor Bud will be running around, at who knows what hour, searching for God knows what. With AJ it wasn't so bad, I kept craving shrimp scampi. But with Jimmy, it was pomegranates. Do you know how hard it is to find exotic fruit off season?" Her frustration was clearly showing.
"Off season fruit." He mumbled. His face suddenly took on a lovely shade of green.
Lost in her own jumble of emotions, Harriet was oblivious to Harm's reactions.
"Eventually, my feet will hurt, my back will ache, I'll look like the good year blimp and getting anything done in a reasonable amount of time will be impossible because I'll always be tired."
A sick feeling was starting to creep up on Harm along with the hair on the back of his neck.
"To top it all off, these blasted hormones have me crying at the drop of a hat over the stupidest of things. The colonel showed me the sweetest card that Chloe sent her....."
Harm didn't hear another word. Mangos, toast, tears. WEBB. Oh God.
"Commander, COMMANDER!"
Blanched, Harm looked back at Harriet.
"I'm sorry sir, I shouldn't have rambled on like that. I love children so much, I just wish you didn't have to be pregnant to get them." Harriet sighed.
"Mangos," was all Harm could say.
"Sir?" Harriet questioned, truly confused by Harm's irrational response and stunned expression.
"Sorry Harriet, I just remembered I need to add mangos to my shopping list."
"I think they're out of season sir." Still confused, Harriet decided maybe now would be a good time to excuse herself.
"I'd better get back to my desk before the admiral sends out a search party." Harriet returned to her desk, blissfully ignorant of the seed she had just planted in the musings of Harmon Rabb.
"No problem, Harriet, see you upstairs, and congratulations again."
'Oh Mac, now what?' Harm grabbed his cover and headed back to his office.
JAG Headquarters Two days later
Mac kept silent the rest of the ride to Norfolk but the awkward tension that had previously filled the air was long gone. She seemed more peaceful. Harm was hopeful he'd gotten through to her. He was more certain when shortly before reaching their destination Mac reached over to hold his hand, squeezing it in a silent thank you.
The investigation took little time. Although, Lt. Commander Parker was indeed a mediocre pilot, Lt. Bradley, was also skewed in his judgement of her landing skills. An agreement was easily reached to the satisfaction of everyone, including Bobbie Latham.
Mac seemed to be on a more even keel the last couple of days, though she still wasn't eating with her usual gusto. Harm hadn't decided what to make of it all.
Walking towards the break room, Harm thought he heard his name. He turned to see Mac coming towards him from the bullpen.
"What's up?" he asked.
She had tears in her eyes again, but a smile on her face.
"I just needed to get away from the crowds, but wanted you to see this. Isn't she sweet."
Mac handed him a card with an adorably sad puppy dog on the front. Inside Chloe had written a touching note about how much she wished she could be in two places at once.
"This is nice, but why are you going to cry."
"It's a woman's prerogative to get tearful if she wants."
"I thought it was a woman's prerogative to change her mind. Where does it say anything about tears? You guys have to stop changing the rule book on us." He shook his head in mock frustration.
"That would be too easy!" She shot over her shoulder heading back to her office.
Returning to his original mission, in search of some much needed caffeine, Harm noticed Harriet sniffling at her desk.
"Everything okay Harriet?" His crusade for coffee postponed to check on his friend. Harriet was occasionally prone to being emotional, but rarely without merit.
"Yes sir. Everything is fine." She smiled awkwardly as one tear slipped down her cheek.
"I was just on my way for a cup of coffee. Why don't you join me?" He pointed to the break room.
"Thank you sir but I have a lot of work to do and I'm really fine." Hurriedly, she began shuffling papers.
"Lieutenant." Harm's tone reminding her he outranked her.
"Yes sir, good idea sir."
Sitting down at a small table in the courtyard. Harm stirred his coffee waiting to see if Harriet said anything first. Harriet sat quietly contemplating the label on a bottle of apple juice.
"Why is everyone crying today?" he finally asked.
"Well, I don't know about everyone sir, but chalk mine up to hormones." She smiled sweetly.
"No offense Harriet, but I really think you ladies should give us guys a break and just put a sticker on your forehead that says 'that time of the month, steer clear." He said looking down at his coffee to avoid any backlash.
"That wasn't what I meant, sir." Harriet giggled under her breath. Looking to see if anyone else was around, Harriet leaned down closer to the table. "Please keep this under wraps until I tell the admiral sir," Her voice was almost a whisper, "but I'm pregnant." She straightened back up in her chair, sporting a grin from ear to ear.
"Congratulations, Lieutenant. Does Bud know?" Despite being genuinely happy for his friends, a pang of jealousy surged through him.
"Thank you, sir, and yes, we've known for about a week now."
"Well then why the tears Harriet." A deep frown quickly replaced his previously broad grin. "Is there a problem?"
"No sir, it's just, hormones, like I said. I'm really happy, don't get me wrong. But the morning sickness has already started, and I'm getting a little tired of eating toast all the time to settle my stomach."
Harm watched Harriet intently.
"Soon the cravings will start and poor Bud will be running around, at who knows what hour, searching for God knows what. With AJ it wasn't so bad, I kept craving shrimp scampi. But with Jimmy, it was pomegranates. Do you know how hard it is to find exotic fruit off season?" Her frustration was clearly showing.
"Off season fruit." He mumbled. His face suddenly took on a lovely shade of green.
Lost in her own jumble of emotions, Harriet was oblivious to Harm's reactions.
"Eventually, my feet will hurt, my back will ache, I'll look like the good year blimp and getting anything done in a reasonable amount of time will be impossible because I'll always be tired."
A sick feeling was starting to creep up on Harm along with the hair on the back of his neck.
"To top it all off, these blasted hormones have me crying at the drop of a hat over the stupidest of things. The colonel showed me the sweetest card that Chloe sent her....."
Harm didn't hear another word. Mangos, toast, tears. WEBB. Oh God.
"Commander, COMMANDER!"
Blanched, Harm looked back at Harriet.
"I'm sorry sir, I shouldn't have rambled on like that. I love children so much, I just wish you didn't have to be pregnant to get them." Harriet sighed.
"Mangos," was all Harm could say.
"Sir?" Harriet questioned, truly confused by Harm's irrational response and stunned expression.
"Sorry Harriet, I just remembered I need to add mangos to my shopping list."
"I think they're out of season sir." Still confused, Harriet decided maybe now would be a good time to excuse herself.
"I'd better get back to my desk before the admiral sends out a search party." Harriet returned to her desk, blissfully ignorant of the seed she had just planted in the musings of Harmon Rabb.
"No problem, Harriet, see you upstairs, and congratulations again."
'Oh Mac, now what?' Harm grabbed his cover and headed back to his office.