Part 16: Adding To The Family
October 6th 2003
"Mattie, we called children's protection services today," Mac started off the conversation. Harm had driven her back to the airfield this morning and then come back for her after he finished work. Mattie had been totally surprised when she woke up this morning and found the apartment cleaned and in order. She doubted Mac had slept at all. She hadn't minded staying here as much as she thought she would. With or without the mess the apartment was really nice and warm and Mac was pretty cool too. Just like Harm. That was why she was so shocked when Mac made that announcement. She really hadn't thought they would turn their back on her like that.
"I'm leaving right now," she said and started to get up.
"No you're not," Mac said and pushed her back onto her chair.
"You had no right to do that. You don't even know me," Mattie said getting more and more upset.
"Mattie, we had to," Harm tried to explain.
"You're just covering for yourself. You just want get rid of me without having to feel guilty about it."
"Mattie until you say anything more you need to let me finish," Mac made a pause but soon continued, "As I said we talked to them. They might let you stay here with Elena and me until they can find a permanent home for you. If you don't want to stay here, they will find you another place to stay temporarily, but they aren't going to let you go home to your house and live there alone. If you say you want to stay here someone from the agency will still have to come here and approve my home, so it's not totally certain you would be allowed to stay here anyway. However most of it is up to you, so what do you say?"
"Why can't they just leave me alone? I'm not hurting anyone... I just want to go back home," Mattie pleaded with them. Tears were slowly coming down her cheeks.
"But you are hurting someone, Mattie. You are hurting yourself. You shouldn't have to live on your own and have all of those responsibilities. We don't want that for you, because even if we don't know you all that well we do care about you." Mac moved over closer to Mattie. "I'll tell you how this will work. As you saw yesterday, this isn't always the most organized and calmest place. I'm still fairly new to being a mother and I work a lot. You'll have to work hard for school, I understand you haven't been there lately, and I don't want to have to force you to. At times you'll also have to help me out here with cleaning and things like that."
Mac was quiet for a while and carefully put an arm around Mattie's shoulders. It was hard to tell what Mattie was feeling, but she didn't shake off Mac's arm even if she didn't seem like she liked it especially either.
"I guess I'd rather stay here than go to some foster family..."
"Don't sound so enthusiastic..." Harm said and smiled. He had remained silent throughout the conversation, but he was really as much in on Mattie staying there as Mac was. He had promised to help out even if he didn't live there.
"So what will happen to my business then if I have to go to school?"
"Someone will be assigned to look everything over and decide what's best. I'm sure you can talk to him or her then. You'll just have to wait and see," Mac told her.
"I'm sorry I was so angry with you. I guess it really will be OK to stay here," Mattie said and that was all the recognition Mac was going to get.
TBC
October 6th 2003
"Mattie, we called children's protection services today," Mac started off the conversation. Harm had driven her back to the airfield this morning and then come back for her after he finished work. Mattie had been totally surprised when she woke up this morning and found the apartment cleaned and in order. She doubted Mac had slept at all. She hadn't minded staying here as much as she thought she would. With or without the mess the apartment was really nice and warm and Mac was pretty cool too. Just like Harm. That was why she was so shocked when Mac made that announcement. She really hadn't thought they would turn their back on her like that.
"I'm leaving right now," she said and started to get up.
"No you're not," Mac said and pushed her back onto her chair.
"You had no right to do that. You don't even know me," Mattie said getting more and more upset.
"Mattie, we had to," Harm tried to explain.
"You're just covering for yourself. You just want get rid of me without having to feel guilty about it."
"Mattie until you say anything more you need to let me finish," Mac made a pause but soon continued, "As I said we talked to them. They might let you stay here with Elena and me until they can find a permanent home for you. If you don't want to stay here, they will find you another place to stay temporarily, but they aren't going to let you go home to your house and live there alone. If you say you want to stay here someone from the agency will still have to come here and approve my home, so it's not totally certain you would be allowed to stay here anyway. However most of it is up to you, so what do you say?"
"Why can't they just leave me alone? I'm not hurting anyone... I just want to go back home," Mattie pleaded with them. Tears were slowly coming down her cheeks.
"But you are hurting someone, Mattie. You are hurting yourself. You shouldn't have to live on your own and have all of those responsibilities. We don't want that for you, because even if we don't know you all that well we do care about you." Mac moved over closer to Mattie. "I'll tell you how this will work. As you saw yesterday, this isn't always the most organized and calmest place. I'm still fairly new to being a mother and I work a lot. You'll have to work hard for school, I understand you haven't been there lately, and I don't want to have to force you to. At times you'll also have to help me out here with cleaning and things like that."
Mac was quiet for a while and carefully put an arm around Mattie's shoulders. It was hard to tell what Mattie was feeling, but she didn't shake off Mac's arm even if she didn't seem like she liked it especially either.
"I guess I'd rather stay here than go to some foster family..."
"Don't sound so enthusiastic..." Harm said and smiled. He had remained silent throughout the conversation, but he was really as much in on Mattie staying there as Mac was. He had promised to help out even if he didn't live there.
"So what will happen to my business then if I have to go to school?"
"Someone will be assigned to look everything over and decide what's best. I'm sure you can talk to him or her then. You'll just have to wait and see," Mac told her.
"I'm sorry I was so angry with you. I guess it really will be OK to stay here," Mattie said and that was all the recognition Mac was going to get.
TBC