A/N: I want to give a HUGE thank you to my mother for beta-reading this
chapter (she watches JAG too, although for different reasons). Mom, you
are the best!!!
Spoilers: "Yeah, Baby" and any other episodes up through "A Girl's Best Friend".
A/N #2: Since the events of this story take place four months or so from now (in May 2004), I have made a few assumptions based on AGBF (which aired last night). 1) Harm and Mattie have not yet gotten a house (they're still looking, but there's no rush since the arrangement with Coates is working nicely). 2) Mac finally lost patience with Webb and his disappearing acts; he was disappointed but surprisingly understanding when she broke it off. 3) Mattie and Mac are now on a first-name basis.
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Saturday; 0015 Zulu; North of Union Station
After AJ's party, Mac and Harm had mutually agreed that the Miller case took priority over the *other* conversation that still needed to be held, so Mac had stopped by her apartment to pick up the necessary documents before heading on to Harm's loft. They had chatted casually over dinner, mostly about the court martial to make sure they would be fully prepared for Monday's court session. Neither seemed to want to ruin the good mood that had graced them throughout the day; it was nice to finally be back in their easy, comfortable relationship. Empty white take-out cartons and legal files littered the coffee table in front of where Mac now sat comfortably at one end of the couch, feet tucked under her legs. She watched Harm as he began gathering up the assorted papers that lay scattered around them.
"AJ really liked his tire swing," she commented. "But I thought you had been planning to get him a remote-controlled airplane. What made you change your mind?" Harm paused for a moment to think about it before answering.
"When I was little and we were living on base, my dad promised that when we finally settled into a house of our own I could have a tire swing. It was something he was always talking about; looking back I wonder if he hadn't wanted it more for me than I wanted it for myself." He shrugged, not looking at her. "Anyway, it wasn't a promise he was able to keep. I've been thinking about that a lot lately, and it just seemed like a gift that AJ would appreciate." He dropped the files onto Mac's briefcase and turned to collect the discarded doggie boxes.
"You never told me that."
"Actually, I'd forgotten all about it until a few months ago. I don't know why it suddenly came back to me." Then, breaking into a grin, he added, "But I don't mind -- it was certainly a lot cheaper than the plane, not to mention a hell of a lot harder for AJ to break."
Mac returned the smile. "He's certainly turned into quite the hell-raiser, hasn't he?"
"Yeah. You should have seen Harriet's face this morning when she realized he'd managed to get soda all over the cake. Bud said she'd spent over an hour decorating it."
"Believe me, I can imagine."
Arms full, Harm moved over into the kitchen and dropped everything into the garbage. "Would you like some coffee?"
"Coffee sounds good," she replied. "What's Mattie up to tonight?"
"She and Jennifer rented some DVDs and are having a 'girls-only' movie night." Catching Mac's frown out of the corner of his eye, he confessed, "I kinda told them we needed to work on the case. Otherwise you would have been invited."
"Oh. Wanted me all to yourself, squid?"
"Something like that." The sound of coffee brewing filled the apartment as he settled down in the chair across from her. "So, what do you think we should tell the Admiral?"
Sensing the change in Harm's voice, Mac straightened up and looked at him. "I don't want to say anything until there's something to tell. Frankly, it's none of his business before then. The Marine Corps Policy on Pregnancy and Parenthood specifically states that 'a Marine who suspects she is pregnant is responsible for. . . . . .informing her commanding officer within 30 days of confirmation'(1)".
"You want to wait until after you get pregnant." Mac nodded. Harm leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Shouldn't we at least give him the head's up so that he can start working on a way for both of us to stay at JAG?"
"There will be plenty of time for that. Besides," she argued, "who says that we will be able to conceive right away? We're both over thirty-five, which means we run a greater risk of suffering infertility problems." Staring down at her hands, she muttered to herself, "Good thing you wear boxers."
"Okay, so we won't tell anyone until you're pregnant. Which leads us to. . ."
". . .how we go about getting there," Mac finished, her eyes meeting his. They both fell silent, trying to figure out how to maneuver through the awkwardness of this conversation. A long moment passed before Harm finally worked up the courage to speak.
"I think we should try the traditional way before resorting to medical intervention."
Over the years since AJ's birth Mac had, admittedly, developed an image in her mind of how this tête-à-tête would proceed. Despite all her daydreams, a little voice of reason always cautioned that Harm would probably suggest the most impersonal means of conception, or even back out of the deal entirely. Every time she had opened the door to deepen their relationship he had just as surely slammed it in her face. But now their positions were suddenly reversed; he had tossed the gauntlet at her feet. A jumble of thoughts ran through her mind as she stared at him, unable to quite reconcile the words with the situation before her. His expression was guarded, features kept carefully neutral.
Just as she opened her mouth to respond, a quick knock on the door rang through the loft, followed by the sound of a key in the lock. They dragged their eyes away from each other to see Mattie letting herself in.
"Oh, hey, Harm, Mac. I didn't think you were here." The teenager noted the uncomfortable tension between the two adults but wisely refrained from commenting.
"Where did you think we'd be?" Harm asked, recovering quickly. "I told you we were working on the case."
"I dunno," Mattie said. "I guess I thought you'd be working over at Mac's."
At the sound of her name, Mac snapped out of her speechless trance. "Harm said you and Jen were having a movie night?"
"Yeah, actually that's why I came over -- we need some butter and salt for the popcorn." Without waiting for a response, Mattie crossed to the kitchen to retrieve the necessary items. "Um, your coffee's done."
"Thanks." Shooting Mac a quick glance, Harm rose.
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To be continued.
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(1) Section 4.c., Marine Corps Order 5000.12D w/Ch 1, 2, and Erratum (Marine Corps Policy on Pregnancy and Parenthood), dated 4 Oct 1995
Spoilers: "Yeah, Baby" and any other episodes up through "A Girl's Best Friend".
A/N #2: Since the events of this story take place four months or so from now (in May 2004), I have made a few assumptions based on AGBF (which aired last night). 1) Harm and Mattie have not yet gotten a house (they're still looking, but there's no rush since the arrangement with Coates is working nicely). 2) Mac finally lost patience with Webb and his disappearing acts; he was disappointed but surprisingly understanding when she broke it off. 3) Mattie and Mac are now on a first-name basis.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Saturday; 0015 Zulu; North of Union Station
After AJ's party, Mac and Harm had mutually agreed that the Miller case took priority over the *other* conversation that still needed to be held, so Mac had stopped by her apartment to pick up the necessary documents before heading on to Harm's loft. They had chatted casually over dinner, mostly about the court martial to make sure they would be fully prepared for Monday's court session. Neither seemed to want to ruin the good mood that had graced them throughout the day; it was nice to finally be back in their easy, comfortable relationship. Empty white take-out cartons and legal files littered the coffee table in front of where Mac now sat comfortably at one end of the couch, feet tucked under her legs. She watched Harm as he began gathering up the assorted papers that lay scattered around them.
"AJ really liked his tire swing," she commented. "But I thought you had been planning to get him a remote-controlled airplane. What made you change your mind?" Harm paused for a moment to think about it before answering.
"When I was little and we were living on base, my dad promised that when we finally settled into a house of our own I could have a tire swing. It was something he was always talking about; looking back I wonder if he hadn't wanted it more for me than I wanted it for myself." He shrugged, not looking at her. "Anyway, it wasn't a promise he was able to keep. I've been thinking about that a lot lately, and it just seemed like a gift that AJ would appreciate." He dropped the files onto Mac's briefcase and turned to collect the discarded doggie boxes.
"You never told me that."
"Actually, I'd forgotten all about it until a few months ago. I don't know why it suddenly came back to me." Then, breaking into a grin, he added, "But I don't mind -- it was certainly a lot cheaper than the plane, not to mention a hell of a lot harder for AJ to break."
Mac returned the smile. "He's certainly turned into quite the hell-raiser, hasn't he?"
"Yeah. You should have seen Harriet's face this morning when she realized he'd managed to get soda all over the cake. Bud said she'd spent over an hour decorating it."
"Believe me, I can imagine."
Arms full, Harm moved over into the kitchen and dropped everything into the garbage. "Would you like some coffee?"
"Coffee sounds good," she replied. "What's Mattie up to tonight?"
"She and Jennifer rented some DVDs and are having a 'girls-only' movie night." Catching Mac's frown out of the corner of his eye, he confessed, "I kinda told them we needed to work on the case. Otherwise you would have been invited."
"Oh. Wanted me all to yourself, squid?"
"Something like that." The sound of coffee brewing filled the apartment as he settled down in the chair across from her. "So, what do you think we should tell the Admiral?"
Sensing the change in Harm's voice, Mac straightened up and looked at him. "I don't want to say anything until there's something to tell. Frankly, it's none of his business before then. The Marine Corps Policy on Pregnancy and Parenthood specifically states that 'a Marine who suspects she is pregnant is responsible for. . . . . .informing her commanding officer within 30 days of confirmation'(1)".
"You want to wait until after you get pregnant." Mac nodded. Harm leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Shouldn't we at least give him the head's up so that he can start working on a way for both of us to stay at JAG?"
"There will be plenty of time for that. Besides," she argued, "who says that we will be able to conceive right away? We're both over thirty-five, which means we run a greater risk of suffering infertility problems." Staring down at her hands, she muttered to herself, "Good thing you wear boxers."
"Okay, so we won't tell anyone until you're pregnant. Which leads us to. . ."
". . .how we go about getting there," Mac finished, her eyes meeting his. They both fell silent, trying to figure out how to maneuver through the awkwardness of this conversation. A long moment passed before Harm finally worked up the courage to speak.
"I think we should try the traditional way before resorting to medical intervention."
Over the years since AJ's birth Mac had, admittedly, developed an image in her mind of how this tête-à-tête would proceed. Despite all her daydreams, a little voice of reason always cautioned that Harm would probably suggest the most impersonal means of conception, or even back out of the deal entirely. Every time she had opened the door to deepen their relationship he had just as surely slammed it in her face. But now their positions were suddenly reversed; he had tossed the gauntlet at her feet. A jumble of thoughts ran through her mind as she stared at him, unable to quite reconcile the words with the situation before her. His expression was guarded, features kept carefully neutral.
Just as she opened her mouth to respond, a quick knock on the door rang through the loft, followed by the sound of a key in the lock. They dragged their eyes away from each other to see Mattie letting herself in.
"Oh, hey, Harm, Mac. I didn't think you were here." The teenager noted the uncomfortable tension between the two adults but wisely refrained from commenting.
"Where did you think we'd be?" Harm asked, recovering quickly. "I told you we were working on the case."
"I dunno," Mattie said. "I guess I thought you'd be working over at Mac's."
At the sound of her name, Mac snapped out of her speechless trance. "Harm said you and Jen were having a movie night?"
"Yeah, actually that's why I came over -- we need some butter and salt for the popcorn." Without waiting for a response, Mattie crossed to the kitchen to retrieve the necessary items. "Um, your coffee's done."
"Thanks." Shooting Mac a quick glance, Harm rose.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
To be continued.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
(1) Section 4.c., Marine Corps Order 5000.12D w/Ch 1, 2, and Erratum (Marine Corps Policy on Pregnancy and Parenthood), dated 4 Oct 1995