Part 33: Birthdays, Deals and...
May 16th 2004
It was the day of Little AJ's fifth birthday. Harriet and Mac had thought that it would be nice to have a small celebration for their children with their friends from JAG together even if the children's birthdays were two weeks apart. Elena would probably not notice it anyway if they celebrated her a little late and besides the family had still celebrated her a lot on her real birthday. This was more for the working colleagues of the parents and their families. Little AJ had had a party for his friends yesterday and Harriet had warned Mac from ever letting Elena have a fifth-birthday-party for her friends. She said she was lucky the house was still there at all.
They had wanted a simple picnic in the park and had been very lucky with the weather, so now all of the guests were starting to gather on the pre- decided spot. They had brought their own blankets and it looked very nice with all the happy people who gathered in small groups to talk and the children running around.
"Ahm, Ahm," Elena cried in delight when she saw Harm returning from the car with the last of the baskets of food.
"Hey, Elena," He said and put the baskets down to scoop her up instead and let her fly over his head. She knew this game and spread her arms out as wings as wide as she could.
"He's good with her," Harriet remarked to Mac who was standing with Mac unpacking all of the baskets and putting them in some sort of order.
"Yeah," Mac said and looked up at them "I never thought this would work out this well when I first found out that I was pregnant."
"I can imagine that."
"Mhm, Mattie and I talked about that a while ago. She said that Elena was so lucky, because most people are lucky to have at least one decent parent and she has three. And who knows if things work out for Sturgis and Varese, maybe she'll have four..." Mac smiled. She had been happy for him when Sturgis had told her that he had met someone. She wanted him to be happy, even if it was also hard to accept that she wasn't going to be in control of all of the people her daughter was influenced by. On the other hand she trusted Sturgis and other parents probably had to learn this too at a later point.
"What?" Mac realized Harriet had asked her something that she hadn't heard.
"I was just wondering how things are going with Mattie's father," Harriet repeated.
"Oh, well we're having dinner together with her father next weekend and then we'll talk about making a schedule for when she's going to stay with him and so," Mac told her.
"It will be hard for you two, won't it? To let go of her."
"Of course, but it's what's best for Mattie. Her father has really turned his life around and I think she really wants to go back to him even though she's still scared of what will happen if he starts drinking again. We'll always have a place for her, though."
"I'm sure she knows that."
"I hope so," Mac said. The two of them preceded to invite everyone to come and get something to eat.
Everyone had gotten something to eat and they were starting to dig in on the dessert, which consisted on apple pie. Harm had gone to dispose of some garbage and got back to where Mac was sitting nudging her a little on the shoulder to make her come with him. She got up and they started walking along the path away from the group of people.
"It's been five years," Harm started saying and looked up at her. They were well out the other's hearing range by now.
"I know. Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday that we stood there watching the ambulance leave with Harriett and Little AJ and then I think about everything that has happened since then. It was a lifetime ago," Mac stopped and looked back at him.
"I know what you mean."
"Harm, if this is about that deal... You know, legally speaking we're off the hook, since we are both in a relationship," Mac trailed off. She touched his arm and trailed her hand down to his fingers. They braided them together. This was a conversation they were going to take to the end together.
"You don't want more children?" Harm asked a little disappointed, but most of all surprised.
"I do, but... but I thought you didn't. You seemed so relieved when you thought that I was pregnant and I told you I wasn't."
"But that's not... I do want children with you, Mac, and very much too, but I don't want it to be because of some deal we made years ago when we were completely different persons or because the birth control failed. I," he paused and stopped taking both of her hands in his and looked even more intensely into her eyes.
"I love you Sarah Mackenzie. You're my best friend in the whole world and I never want to lose you. There is no one who knows me as well as you do and I don't think there's anyone who knows you as well as I do either. We once said that we had seen each other at our bests and at our worst and still that was nothing compared to the intimacy and closeness we have now. This thing with us just gets stronger the longer we're together. I know that I can only really live with you, I couldn't survive without you, and that we'll get through whatever that is thrown at us as long as we're together. And that's why I want to ask you, Sarah, will you marry me?"
"Oh, Harm... I love you so much, "Mac said, hugged him tightly and buried her face in his shoulder. She remained like that for the longest time. An eternity, Harm felt it was.
"Now, would be a good time to answer," Harm said nervously when it seemed like she wasn't going to give him a straight answer and he was afraid to assume anything.
"Harmon Rabb," she said and took his face in her hands so they were looking straight into each other's eyes. "There's nothing in the world that I want more than to marry you and continue to have this wonderful family with you. Face every trouble by your side..." she didn't know what more to say and instead she just sealed it with a kiss. There were no assurances that they weren't going to face any more trouble on their road of love, but the truth was that they would face those troubles and their consequences together.
The End
AN: I want to dedicate this part to everyone who has supported and encouraged me in writing both of these two stories. Cria, TZ and all of the reviewers this is for you! I can only wish that you realize how much your comments mean to me.
I've enjoyed writing this story very much and I hope you've enjoyed reading it too.
Until the next story
Hermiine
May 16th 2004
It was the day of Little AJ's fifth birthday. Harriet and Mac had thought that it would be nice to have a small celebration for their children with their friends from JAG together even if the children's birthdays were two weeks apart. Elena would probably not notice it anyway if they celebrated her a little late and besides the family had still celebrated her a lot on her real birthday. This was more for the working colleagues of the parents and their families. Little AJ had had a party for his friends yesterday and Harriet had warned Mac from ever letting Elena have a fifth-birthday-party for her friends. She said she was lucky the house was still there at all.
They had wanted a simple picnic in the park and had been very lucky with the weather, so now all of the guests were starting to gather on the pre- decided spot. They had brought their own blankets and it looked very nice with all the happy people who gathered in small groups to talk and the children running around.
"Ahm, Ahm," Elena cried in delight when she saw Harm returning from the car with the last of the baskets of food.
"Hey, Elena," He said and put the baskets down to scoop her up instead and let her fly over his head. She knew this game and spread her arms out as wings as wide as she could.
"He's good with her," Harriet remarked to Mac who was standing with Mac unpacking all of the baskets and putting them in some sort of order.
"Yeah," Mac said and looked up at them "I never thought this would work out this well when I first found out that I was pregnant."
"I can imagine that."
"Mhm, Mattie and I talked about that a while ago. She said that Elena was so lucky, because most people are lucky to have at least one decent parent and she has three. And who knows if things work out for Sturgis and Varese, maybe she'll have four..." Mac smiled. She had been happy for him when Sturgis had told her that he had met someone. She wanted him to be happy, even if it was also hard to accept that she wasn't going to be in control of all of the people her daughter was influenced by. On the other hand she trusted Sturgis and other parents probably had to learn this too at a later point.
"What?" Mac realized Harriet had asked her something that she hadn't heard.
"I was just wondering how things are going with Mattie's father," Harriet repeated.
"Oh, well we're having dinner together with her father next weekend and then we'll talk about making a schedule for when she's going to stay with him and so," Mac told her.
"It will be hard for you two, won't it? To let go of her."
"Of course, but it's what's best for Mattie. Her father has really turned his life around and I think she really wants to go back to him even though she's still scared of what will happen if he starts drinking again. We'll always have a place for her, though."
"I'm sure she knows that."
"I hope so," Mac said. The two of them preceded to invite everyone to come and get something to eat.
Everyone had gotten something to eat and they were starting to dig in on the dessert, which consisted on apple pie. Harm had gone to dispose of some garbage and got back to where Mac was sitting nudging her a little on the shoulder to make her come with him. She got up and they started walking along the path away from the group of people.
"It's been five years," Harm started saying and looked up at her. They were well out the other's hearing range by now.
"I know. Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday that we stood there watching the ambulance leave with Harriett and Little AJ and then I think about everything that has happened since then. It was a lifetime ago," Mac stopped and looked back at him.
"I know what you mean."
"Harm, if this is about that deal... You know, legally speaking we're off the hook, since we are both in a relationship," Mac trailed off. She touched his arm and trailed her hand down to his fingers. They braided them together. This was a conversation they were going to take to the end together.
"You don't want more children?" Harm asked a little disappointed, but most of all surprised.
"I do, but... but I thought you didn't. You seemed so relieved when you thought that I was pregnant and I told you I wasn't."
"But that's not... I do want children with you, Mac, and very much too, but I don't want it to be because of some deal we made years ago when we were completely different persons or because the birth control failed. I," he paused and stopped taking both of her hands in his and looked even more intensely into her eyes.
"I love you Sarah Mackenzie. You're my best friend in the whole world and I never want to lose you. There is no one who knows me as well as you do and I don't think there's anyone who knows you as well as I do either. We once said that we had seen each other at our bests and at our worst and still that was nothing compared to the intimacy and closeness we have now. This thing with us just gets stronger the longer we're together. I know that I can only really live with you, I couldn't survive without you, and that we'll get through whatever that is thrown at us as long as we're together. And that's why I want to ask you, Sarah, will you marry me?"
"Oh, Harm... I love you so much, "Mac said, hugged him tightly and buried her face in his shoulder. She remained like that for the longest time. An eternity, Harm felt it was.
"Now, would be a good time to answer," Harm said nervously when it seemed like she wasn't going to give him a straight answer and he was afraid to assume anything.
"Harmon Rabb," she said and took his face in her hands so they were looking straight into each other's eyes. "There's nothing in the world that I want more than to marry you and continue to have this wonderful family with you. Face every trouble by your side..." she didn't know what more to say and instead she just sealed it with a kiss. There were no assurances that they weren't going to face any more trouble on their road of love, but the truth was that they would face those troubles and their consequences together.
The End
AN: I want to dedicate this part to everyone who has supported and encouraged me in writing both of these two stories. Cria, TZ and all of the reviewers this is for you! I can only wish that you realize how much your comments mean to me.
I've enjoyed writing this story very much and I hope you've enjoyed reading it too.
Until the next story
Hermiine