Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to say I owned them, I don't. There's
nothing in this for me but the fun of writing about existing characters.
Thanks for letting me play with your creations, DPB!
Spoilers: If it's in an episode, it's considered fair game.
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! They make my life brighter when my day job has me living out of a hotel room for weeks at a time.
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Wednesday; 1747 Zulu; JAG Headquarters; Falls Church, Virginia
The hot and steamy days of Washington D.C. in August had finally given way to the cooler temperatures of September. Like others at JAG, Harriet and Mac had opted to take advantage of the fine weather by eating lunch outside on the patio in front of the building. Holding the door open for Harriet, Mac balanced her sandwich carton and drink before following the lieutenant over to an unoccupied table.
"Something wrong, ma'am?" Harriet asked as she watched her friend's normally graceful figure slide awkwardly into a seat.
Glancing around as she leaned forward to open the plastic container, Mac's voice took on a confidential tone. "Not really... it's just that my skirts have started getting uncomfortably tight," she divulged quietly, struggling to find the right words. "It's incredibly annoying to have anything across my waistline. I don't know how to explain it... it feels like... like..."
"Ma'am, don't worry. Believe it or not, I know exactly what you mean. Rubber bands."
"Rubber bands? I don't follow."
"They're great for helping to relieve some of the sensitivity," Harriet advised as Mac bit into her sandwich. "You'd be surprised how much breathing room you can get just by looping a rubber band through the buttonhole and around the button... Voila! Instant elastic waistband. Oh, and when I was pregnant I wore Bud's pants whenever I could. That is, I did until I was ready to buy maternity clothes."
At that, Mac laughed. "The Admiral might have a problem with me wearing Harm's pants into work."
"He and Harm both," Harriet agreed with a giggle. "I was actually referring to when you're off-duty. Even if you wanted to wear Harm's pants at the office, you couldn't -- they're the wrong color, remember?"
"As if I could forget!"
Their laughter eventually tapering off, the women fell silent while they ate. After a bit, Mac let out a small chuckle. "Well, at least I'm finally getting used to waking up to pee in the middle of the night. But I still feel tired all the time. Does it ever go away?" Harriet nodded.
"Look at it this way -- you'll be prepared for those two A.M. feedings! Trust me, you'll be grateful when the baby starts sleeping through the night."
Mac smiled. "I'm sure I will."
Taking a sip of her drink, Harriet continued. "The good news is that you'll actually have more energy during the second trimester. Being tired during the first and third trimesters is Mother Nature's way of keeping you healthy. The first few months it's to help prevent miscarrying, and then later it's to keep you from going into labor too soon. You'll feel *much* better in the middle, though, so--"
"Excuse me, Colonel, Lieutenant," a deep voice interrupted. "May I join you?" While Harriet had been talking, Sturgis Turner had quietly approached the table. He looked between the two women, his expression indicating that he'd caught at least the tail end of their conversation. Mac was abruptly aware of just how close he was standing and her heart began to race nervously. *Oh, God. He heard!* was all she could think.
"Of course, Commander," Harriet invited, motioning to a vacant chair. "Tables out here seem to be in short supply today."
"Thank you, Harriet."
Harriet glanced fleetingly at Mac while Sturgis sat down. Immediately she began gathering up what remained of her meal, instinctively knowing that Mac would want to speak with Sturgis alone.
"You know what? I just remembered that the Admiral asked me to have a report ready for him by this afternoon. Enjoy your lunch, sir, ma'am." Pushing back from the table with a smile she grabbed her things and scurried away before either of her companions could react.
Mac picked at the edges of her sandwich, unable to meet Sturgis' questioning gaze. Finally gathering her courage, she asked, "Okay, how much of that did you hear?"
"Enough to know there's something you haven't told me." He'd actually wondered what was going on with Mac for a few weeks, ever since she'd gotten sick at Beltway Burger on their return trip from Annapolis. She and Harm had seemingly gotten closer over the summer, and lately Harm had taken to hovering around her like a papa hen. Sturgis' suspicions hadn't been confirmed, however, until just now. Leaning back in the chair, he folded his arms across his chest and smiled at her. "Spill it, Mac."
She looked around at the other personnel out on the patio before hesitantly turning her eyes to his. "Would you mind waiting until tomorrow? Harm's not expected back from Pax River until sometime this evening. We wanted to tell you together in private, before we make the public announcement," she said quietly.
"Mac, you're stalling."
*Damn, am I that transparent?* For a few moments she deliberated on what to say, internally debating whether to wait for Harm or to just go ahead and tell Sturgis now. Knowing that he could be trusted to keep the news of her pregnancy to himself, she reluctantly decided to tell him now. *Harm would understand,* she thought as she cocked a teasing eyebrow at her colleague. "Okay. Since we both know you can keep a secret..." A sweet smile blossomed over her features. "I'm expecting."
"And Harm's gonna be a daddy," Sturgis added softly, breaking into a grin. "When are you due?"
"End of March."
"Mac, this is wonderful news! I assume this means you've finally told Harm how you feel?"
When she didn't immediately answer, he stroked his chin thoughtfully. It was a gesture he usually kept reserved for the courtroom when facing an uncooperative witness. Mac fought the urge to squirm under his penetrating gaze. Taking a deep breath, she admitted, "No, I haven't. Not yet." As briefly as possible, she gave Sturgis the truncated version of the deal she and Harm had made after Little A.J.'s birth.
Sturgis pondered her words. "Do you still love him?" he asked. "A lot has happened over the last two and a half years."
"You certainly don't pull any punches, do you," Mac said wryly, reaching for her drink. "But to answer your question... Yes, I still love him."
"Then what's holding you back?"
"Sturgis--"
"Mac, at the risk of interfering, you should know that Harm cares for you very, very deeply. I think you need to tell him what's in your heart, because his reaction might surprise you."
She opened her mouth to protest, but Sturgis held up his hand. "Now, I *know* that you and Harm are very much committed to each other. It's pretty obvious to anyone who's ever seen the two of you together. But, Mac, you're having a CHILD together. Don't you think it's in the baby's best interest for you to finally admit that commitment in public? Make it more official?"
"Why does everyone keep bringing up marriage?" Exasperation crept into Mac's voice as she leaned forward. "First Harriet and Bud, then the Admiral, and now you--"
"I didn't say anything about marriage, Mac," Sturgis interrupted smoothly. "You did."
"But, you just said--"
"No, I said that you and Harm might want to make that commitment public. Mac, it's one thing to privately agree to raising a child together. But people are bound to start asking questions when you announce your pregnancy."
"Meaning?"
"Look, both you and Harm are honorable, exemplary individuals. No one will doubt for an instant that you have anything but the best of intentions for this child. However, up until this point you haven't been in any kind of romantic relationship. The two of you having a baby together is going to catch a lot of people by surprise." Sturgis sighed. "All I'm saying is that you need to consider what kind of image you want to present to the outside world."
"Yeah, well, we're still working on that," Mac murmured.
Realizing from her shell-shocked expression that he probably wouldn't be able to get further today, Sturgis immediately backed off. Besides, he fully expected to have a similar conversation with Harm when he got back to Washington.
"Feel up to talking about the Whittier case instead?" Sturgis asked, switching gears. "That was actually what I'd come over to discuss with you in the first place."
"Absolutely." Instantly, Mac transformed from unsure expectant mother into the no-holds-barred prosecuting attorney Sturgis knew so well. "I take it this means your client has agreed to accept our offer?" she smirked.
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To be continued...
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Spoilers: If it's in an episode, it's considered fair game.
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! They make my life brighter when my day job has me living out of a hotel room for weeks at a time.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Wednesday; 1747 Zulu; JAG Headquarters; Falls Church, Virginia
The hot and steamy days of Washington D.C. in August had finally given way to the cooler temperatures of September. Like others at JAG, Harriet and Mac had opted to take advantage of the fine weather by eating lunch outside on the patio in front of the building. Holding the door open for Harriet, Mac balanced her sandwich carton and drink before following the lieutenant over to an unoccupied table.
"Something wrong, ma'am?" Harriet asked as she watched her friend's normally graceful figure slide awkwardly into a seat.
Glancing around as she leaned forward to open the plastic container, Mac's voice took on a confidential tone. "Not really... it's just that my skirts have started getting uncomfortably tight," she divulged quietly, struggling to find the right words. "It's incredibly annoying to have anything across my waistline. I don't know how to explain it... it feels like... like..."
"Ma'am, don't worry. Believe it or not, I know exactly what you mean. Rubber bands."
"Rubber bands? I don't follow."
"They're great for helping to relieve some of the sensitivity," Harriet advised as Mac bit into her sandwich. "You'd be surprised how much breathing room you can get just by looping a rubber band through the buttonhole and around the button... Voila! Instant elastic waistband. Oh, and when I was pregnant I wore Bud's pants whenever I could. That is, I did until I was ready to buy maternity clothes."
At that, Mac laughed. "The Admiral might have a problem with me wearing Harm's pants into work."
"He and Harm both," Harriet agreed with a giggle. "I was actually referring to when you're off-duty. Even if you wanted to wear Harm's pants at the office, you couldn't -- they're the wrong color, remember?"
"As if I could forget!"
Their laughter eventually tapering off, the women fell silent while they ate. After a bit, Mac let out a small chuckle. "Well, at least I'm finally getting used to waking up to pee in the middle of the night. But I still feel tired all the time. Does it ever go away?" Harriet nodded.
"Look at it this way -- you'll be prepared for those two A.M. feedings! Trust me, you'll be grateful when the baby starts sleeping through the night."
Mac smiled. "I'm sure I will."
Taking a sip of her drink, Harriet continued. "The good news is that you'll actually have more energy during the second trimester. Being tired during the first and third trimesters is Mother Nature's way of keeping you healthy. The first few months it's to help prevent miscarrying, and then later it's to keep you from going into labor too soon. You'll feel *much* better in the middle, though, so--"
"Excuse me, Colonel, Lieutenant," a deep voice interrupted. "May I join you?" While Harriet had been talking, Sturgis Turner had quietly approached the table. He looked between the two women, his expression indicating that he'd caught at least the tail end of their conversation. Mac was abruptly aware of just how close he was standing and her heart began to race nervously. *Oh, God. He heard!* was all she could think.
"Of course, Commander," Harriet invited, motioning to a vacant chair. "Tables out here seem to be in short supply today."
"Thank you, Harriet."
Harriet glanced fleetingly at Mac while Sturgis sat down. Immediately she began gathering up what remained of her meal, instinctively knowing that Mac would want to speak with Sturgis alone.
"You know what? I just remembered that the Admiral asked me to have a report ready for him by this afternoon. Enjoy your lunch, sir, ma'am." Pushing back from the table with a smile she grabbed her things and scurried away before either of her companions could react.
Mac picked at the edges of her sandwich, unable to meet Sturgis' questioning gaze. Finally gathering her courage, she asked, "Okay, how much of that did you hear?"
"Enough to know there's something you haven't told me." He'd actually wondered what was going on with Mac for a few weeks, ever since she'd gotten sick at Beltway Burger on their return trip from Annapolis. She and Harm had seemingly gotten closer over the summer, and lately Harm had taken to hovering around her like a papa hen. Sturgis' suspicions hadn't been confirmed, however, until just now. Leaning back in the chair, he folded his arms across his chest and smiled at her. "Spill it, Mac."
She looked around at the other personnel out on the patio before hesitantly turning her eyes to his. "Would you mind waiting until tomorrow? Harm's not expected back from Pax River until sometime this evening. We wanted to tell you together in private, before we make the public announcement," she said quietly.
"Mac, you're stalling."
*Damn, am I that transparent?* For a few moments she deliberated on what to say, internally debating whether to wait for Harm or to just go ahead and tell Sturgis now. Knowing that he could be trusted to keep the news of her pregnancy to himself, she reluctantly decided to tell him now. *Harm would understand,* she thought as she cocked a teasing eyebrow at her colleague. "Okay. Since we both know you can keep a secret..." A sweet smile blossomed over her features. "I'm expecting."
"And Harm's gonna be a daddy," Sturgis added softly, breaking into a grin. "When are you due?"
"End of March."
"Mac, this is wonderful news! I assume this means you've finally told Harm how you feel?"
When she didn't immediately answer, he stroked his chin thoughtfully. It was a gesture he usually kept reserved for the courtroom when facing an uncooperative witness. Mac fought the urge to squirm under his penetrating gaze. Taking a deep breath, she admitted, "No, I haven't. Not yet." As briefly as possible, she gave Sturgis the truncated version of the deal she and Harm had made after Little A.J.'s birth.
Sturgis pondered her words. "Do you still love him?" he asked. "A lot has happened over the last two and a half years."
"You certainly don't pull any punches, do you," Mac said wryly, reaching for her drink. "But to answer your question... Yes, I still love him."
"Then what's holding you back?"
"Sturgis--"
"Mac, at the risk of interfering, you should know that Harm cares for you very, very deeply. I think you need to tell him what's in your heart, because his reaction might surprise you."
She opened her mouth to protest, but Sturgis held up his hand. "Now, I *know* that you and Harm are very much committed to each other. It's pretty obvious to anyone who's ever seen the two of you together. But, Mac, you're having a CHILD together. Don't you think it's in the baby's best interest for you to finally admit that commitment in public? Make it more official?"
"Why does everyone keep bringing up marriage?" Exasperation crept into Mac's voice as she leaned forward. "First Harriet and Bud, then the Admiral, and now you--"
"I didn't say anything about marriage, Mac," Sturgis interrupted smoothly. "You did."
"But, you just said--"
"No, I said that you and Harm might want to make that commitment public. Mac, it's one thing to privately agree to raising a child together. But people are bound to start asking questions when you announce your pregnancy."
"Meaning?"
"Look, both you and Harm are honorable, exemplary individuals. No one will doubt for an instant that you have anything but the best of intentions for this child. However, up until this point you haven't been in any kind of romantic relationship. The two of you having a baby together is going to catch a lot of people by surprise." Sturgis sighed. "All I'm saying is that you need to consider what kind of image you want to present to the outside world."
"Yeah, well, we're still working on that," Mac murmured.
Realizing from her shell-shocked expression that he probably wouldn't be able to get further today, Sturgis immediately backed off. Besides, he fully expected to have a similar conversation with Harm when he got back to Washington.
"Feel up to talking about the Whittier case instead?" Sturgis asked, switching gears. "That was actually what I'd come over to discuss with you in the first place."
"Absolutely." Instantly, Mac transformed from unsure expectant mother into the no-holds-barred prosecuting attorney Sturgis knew so well. "I take it this means your client has agreed to accept our offer?" she smirked.
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To be continued...
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