Wednesday;
0029 Zulu;
Mac's Apartment;
Georgetown, Washington D.C.
The keys jangled in the lock as Mac pushed open her front door. With a sigh, she dropped her briefcase in front of the armoire before moving into the bedroom to change out of her uniform. It had been a long day. On top of her normally heavy workload, she'd found the unexpected discussion with Sturgis mentally exhausting.
A few minutes later she emerged wearing a large t-shirt and a pair of unzipped, unbuttoned old jeans. Heading for the kitchen she made a beeline for the junk drawer, exclaiming triumphantly when she found what she wanted. She had just looped the rubber band through the buttonhole of her jeans and around the metal button when her cell phone rang out in the living room.
Catching a glimpse of Harm's mobile number on the caller ID as she picked up the phone, Mac grinned. "Hey, stranger."
"Mac," the familiar voice carried over the line. "I tried you at home about twenty minutes ago but got the machine. Everything okay?"
"Everything's fine." Looking down with a smile, she patted the rubber band at her waist, pleased by her own success. "I've only been home for about fifteen minutes. How was Pax River?"
"I'm just now hitting the road back to Washington."
"Why so late?"
"My last interview didn't wrap up until about nineteen hundred." She heard him chuckle. "They had a problem tracking down the final witness."
"Uh-oh. What happened?"
"Apparently, he accidentally fell into the trunk of a friend's car while loading in some suitcases and then somehow managed to lock himself in. It took the NAS MPs three hours to find him."
"Sounds like a reliable witness," Mac snickered.
"Fortunately, I doubt this one's going to need to go to trial," he commented. "Why they thought they needed a senior attorney for this is beyond me."
At that, Mac laughed. "Harm, the Admiral was probably thinking more about your aviation experience than legal skills when he assigned you to investigate."
"You always were an optimist. How'd your day go?
Mac plopped down onto the sofa, tucking her feet up underneath her. "I had an interesting discussion with Sturgis over lunch."
"Really? What about?"
"Let's just say that he overheard me talking with Harriet."
The other end went silent for a few long seconds before Harm finally found his voice. "So Sturgis knows?"
"Sturgis knows."
"How'd he take it?"
"Frankly, he didn't seem all that surprised..." Mac trailed off as she heard the sound of a horn blaring on Harm's end of the conversation.
"Sorry, some idiot cut in front of me. Could you repeat that, please?"
"Sturgis didn't appear surprised when I told him. Harm, listen, I don't want to keep you on your cell phone while you're driving. We can talk more tomorrow, okay?"
"You're right," he agreed. "Have a good night."
"See you in the morning. Drive safely."
"I will. G'night, Marine."
"G'night, Sailor."
Ending the call, Mac set the phone down on the coffee table. For a moment she remained seated on the couch, contemplating some of the things Sturgis had told her earlier that afternoon. 'The two of you having a baby together is going to catch a lot of people by surprise... ...up until this point you haven't been in any kind of romantic relationship... ...do you still love him?' The words jumbled up in her mind. What on earth would she and Harm tell people? Sturgis was right when he said they'd have to put on some kind of united front, demonstrate their commitment publicly. But how?
Her concentration was broken when her stomach began to growl. "Sounds like someone wants food," she remarked, glancing downward and laying a hand on her abdomen. Rising from the sofa, her soft laughter echoed as she padded into the kitchen to make some dinner.
* * * * * * * * * *
Thursday; 1242 Zulu; JAG Headquarters; Falls Church, Virginia
Locking the 'Vette, Harm picked up his briefcase and headed through the parking lot towards the building. As he neared the front door, he heard someone calling his name.
"Hey, buddy," Sturgis smiled as he caught up with his old friend. "I understand from Mac that congratulations are in order."
Grinning widely, Harm shifted his briefcase to his other arm and shook Sturgis' extended hand. "Thanks. I wanted to tell you myself, but..." He trailed off, belatedly recognizing that they were standing in a highly public place. "Listen, can we continue this up in my office?"
"Unfortunately, I've got a packed schedule starting at 0800. How about a game of one-on-one after work instead?"
"You're on. But I'm warning you now, you'd better be prepared to lose."
"That'll be the day," Sturgis snorted as he pushed past Harm into the building. Raising an eyebrow, Harm turned and disappeared through the doorway as well.
* * * * * * * * * *
0132 Zulu; McMurphy's; Washington D.C.
The room was already filling with patrons when Sturgis and Harm entered the establishment. Having changed into civilian attire after their game, the two men were enthusiastically arguing over who had actually won as they crossed the crowded floor over to the bar.
"C'mon, Sturgis," Harm said pointedly as they slid onto neighboring stools. "I would have made that last shot if you hadn't fouled me."
"Fouled you? When was the last time you had your head examined? That was a legitimate block and you know it." Gesturing, Sturgis caught the bartender's attention. "Face it Harm, you make a better lawyer than you do a referee. You wouldn't recognize a foul if it came up and smacked you in the face."
"Tell that to my ribs. I'm going to have one hell of a bruise tomorrow," he winced, rubbing his side tenderly as the bartender approached.
Placing their orders, it wasn't until after the publican had left to get the two beers that Sturgis looked back over at Harm. "So, Mattie was okay with you ditching her to hang out with an old timer like me, huh?" Harm nodded mutely. Seeing an opportunity, Sturgis continued before his friend could say anything. "Harm, if I haven't said so before, I admire the way you've been looking after her. I can't even imagine what kind of a challenge this must have been for you. Becoming a parent overnight would be hard on anyone."
"It hasn't been easy," Harm admitted, picking up the bottle the bartender placed in front of him. "I hope I've done the right thing, taking on a fifteen year-old girl with an adult-size load of emotional baggage."
"Second thoughts?"
"No, not exactly," he shook his head. "I'm just beginning to realize how much I have yet to learn. Don't get me wrong -- I love being there for Mattie. I'm proud of her for who she is and what she's accomplished. But to be frank, I can't help but wonder what I missed not being there for her first fifteen years. Her first steps, teaching her to ride a bicycle, seeing her off on her first day of school..." He paused, taking a sip of beer. "I'd always figured that someday I would have children of my own. Acting as Mattie's guardian has only strengthened my desire to guide and influence a child from birth."
"So you think having a baby now is going to make you a better parent?"
"No, I want those first fifteen years. And I want them with Mac."
"Well, it looks like you're going to get them." Nursing his drink, Sturgis fell silent for a moment. "Harm, how do you and Mac plan on explaining this to the general public? You must have given some thought to how people will react."
"Honestly? We were so worried about those close to us, like the Admiral and Mattie, that we haven't really talked about what to say to everyone else."
"Well, you ought to consider what you're going to tell everyone. Mac's pregnancy is going to catch people off guard. You two have worked together closely over the years, but if you don't handle this situation carefully folks may start to wonder just *how* close you actually were."
"Excuse me?"
"Buddy, the last thing you want is to walk down the hall and hear some petty officer in the copy room whispering, 'Yeah, I heard they got drunk one night and he knocked her up!' You know how ruthless scuttlebutt can be." Sturgis sighed. "All I'm saying is that you and Mac need to be prepared. Not everyone is going to look favorably on this, unfortunately."
Harm nodded reluctantly and looked down at his watch. "As much as I hate to admit it, you've got a point. Look, it's getting late and I promised Mac I'd stop by her place tonight."
"Didn't see her much today, huh?"
"Nope." Sliding off the stool, Harm tossed a few bills onto the bar to cover the cost of the beer. "The Admiral had her busy with staff issues most of the day. We kept passing like ships in the night."
"See you tomorrow, then."
"Tomorrow." Grinning farewell, Harm disappeared into the throng of people, leaving Sturgis alone with his thoughts. He lifted the bottle to his lips. From what he could see, Mac and Harm were heading in the right direction but still needed someone to give each an occasional nudge along. *Well*, he mused to himself, *The ball is in their court. I've done what I can, for now.*
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
To be continued...
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
The keys jangled in the lock as Mac pushed open her front door. With a sigh, she dropped her briefcase in front of the armoire before moving into the bedroom to change out of her uniform. It had been a long day. On top of her normally heavy workload, she'd found the unexpected discussion with Sturgis mentally exhausting.
A few minutes later she emerged wearing a large t-shirt and a pair of unzipped, unbuttoned old jeans. Heading for the kitchen she made a beeline for the junk drawer, exclaiming triumphantly when she found what she wanted. She had just looped the rubber band through the buttonhole of her jeans and around the metal button when her cell phone rang out in the living room.
Catching a glimpse of Harm's mobile number on the caller ID as she picked up the phone, Mac grinned. "Hey, stranger."
"Mac," the familiar voice carried over the line. "I tried you at home about twenty minutes ago but got the machine. Everything okay?"
"Everything's fine." Looking down with a smile, she patted the rubber band at her waist, pleased by her own success. "I've only been home for about fifteen minutes. How was Pax River?"
"I'm just now hitting the road back to Washington."
"Why so late?"
"My last interview didn't wrap up until about nineteen hundred." She heard him chuckle. "They had a problem tracking down the final witness."
"Uh-oh. What happened?"
"Apparently, he accidentally fell into the trunk of a friend's car while loading in some suitcases and then somehow managed to lock himself in. It took the NAS MPs three hours to find him."
"Sounds like a reliable witness," Mac snickered.
"Fortunately, I doubt this one's going to need to go to trial," he commented. "Why they thought they needed a senior attorney for this is beyond me."
At that, Mac laughed. "Harm, the Admiral was probably thinking more about your aviation experience than legal skills when he assigned you to investigate."
"You always were an optimist. How'd your day go?
Mac plopped down onto the sofa, tucking her feet up underneath her. "I had an interesting discussion with Sturgis over lunch."
"Really? What about?"
"Let's just say that he overheard me talking with Harriet."
The other end went silent for a few long seconds before Harm finally found his voice. "So Sturgis knows?"
"Sturgis knows."
"How'd he take it?"
"Frankly, he didn't seem all that surprised..." Mac trailed off as she heard the sound of a horn blaring on Harm's end of the conversation.
"Sorry, some idiot cut in front of me. Could you repeat that, please?"
"Sturgis didn't appear surprised when I told him. Harm, listen, I don't want to keep you on your cell phone while you're driving. We can talk more tomorrow, okay?"
"You're right," he agreed. "Have a good night."
"See you in the morning. Drive safely."
"I will. G'night, Marine."
"G'night, Sailor."
Ending the call, Mac set the phone down on the coffee table. For a moment she remained seated on the couch, contemplating some of the things Sturgis had told her earlier that afternoon. 'The two of you having a baby together is going to catch a lot of people by surprise... ...up until this point you haven't been in any kind of romantic relationship... ...do you still love him?' The words jumbled up in her mind. What on earth would she and Harm tell people? Sturgis was right when he said they'd have to put on some kind of united front, demonstrate their commitment publicly. But how?
Her concentration was broken when her stomach began to growl. "Sounds like someone wants food," she remarked, glancing downward and laying a hand on her abdomen. Rising from the sofa, her soft laughter echoed as she padded into the kitchen to make some dinner.
* * * * * * * * * *
Thursday; 1242 Zulu; JAG Headquarters; Falls Church, Virginia
Locking the 'Vette, Harm picked up his briefcase and headed through the parking lot towards the building. As he neared the front door, he heard someone calling his name.
"Hey, buddy," Sturgis smiled as he caught up with his old friend. "I understand from Mac that congratulations are in order."
Grinning widely, Harm shifted his briefcase to his other arm and shook Sturgis' extended hand. "Thanks. I wanted to tell you myself, but..." He trailed off, belatedly recognizing that they were standing in a highly public place. "Listen, can we continue this up in my office?"
"Unfortunately, I've got a packed schedule starting at 0800. How about a game of one-on-one after work instead?"
"You're on. But I'm warning you now, you'd better be prepared to lose."
"That'll be the day," Sturgis snorted as he pushed past Harm into the building. Raising an eyebrow, Harm turned and disappeared through the doorway as well.
* * * * * * * * * *
0132 Zulu; McMurphy's; Washington D.C.
The room was already filling with patrons when Sturgis and Harm entered the establishment. Having changed into civilian attire after their game, the two men were enthusiastically arguing over who had actually won as they crossed the crowded floor over to the bar.
"C'mon, Sturgis," Harm said pointedly as they slid onto neighboring stools. "I would have made that last shot if you hadn't fouled me."
"Fouled you? When was the last time you had your head examined? That was a legitimate block and you know it." Gesturing, Sturgis caught the bartender's attention. "Face it Harm, you make a better lawyer than you do a referee. You wouldn't recognize a foul if it came up and smacked you in the face."
"Tell that to my ribs. I'm going to have one hell of a bruise tomorrow," he winced, rubbing his side tenderly as the bartender approached.
Placing their orders, it wasn't until after the publican had left to get the two beers that Sturgis looked back over at Harm. "So, Mattie was okay with you ditching her to hang out with an old timer like me, huh?" Harm nodded mutely. Seeing an opportunity, Sturgis continued before his friend could say anything. "Harm, if I haven't said so before, I admire the way you've been looking after her. I can't even imagine what kind of a challenge this must have been for you. Becoming a parent overnight would be hard on anyone."
"It hasn't been easy," Harm admitted, picking up the bottle the bartender placed in front of him. "I hope I've done the right thing, taking on a fifteen year-old girl with an adult-size load of emotional baggage."
"Second thoughts?"
"No, not exactly," he shook his head. "I'm just beginning to realize how much I have yet to learn. Don't get me wrong -- I love being there for Mattie. I'm proud of her for who she is and what she's accomplished. But to be frank, I can't help but wonder what I missed not being there for her first fifteen years. Her first steps, teaching her to ride a bicycle, seeing her off on her first day of school..." He paused, taking a sip of beer. "I'd always figured that someday I would have children of my own. Acting as Mattie's guardian has only strengthened my desire to guide and influence a child from birth."
"So you think having a baby now is going to make you a better parent?"
"No, I want those first fifteen years. And I want them with Mac."
"Well, it looks like you're going to get them." Nursing his drink, Sturgis fell silent for a moment. "Harm, how do you and Mac plan on explaining this to the general public? You must have given some thought to how people will react."
"Honestly? We were so worried about those close to us, like the Admiral and Mattie, that we haven't really talked about what to say to everyone else."
"Well, you ought to consider what you're going to tell everyone. Mac's pregnancy is going to catch people off guard. You two have worked together closely over the years, but if you don't handle this situation carefully folks may start to wonder just *how* close you actually were."
"Excuse me?"
"Buddy, the last thing you want is to walk down the hall and hear some petty officer in the copy room whispering, 'Yeah, I heard they got drunk one night and he knocked her up!' You know how ruthless scuttlebutt can be." Sturgis sighed. "All I'm saying is that you and Mac need to be prepared. Not everyone is going to look favorably on this, unfortunately."
Harm nodded reluctantly and looked down at his watch. "As much as I hate to admit it, you've got a point. Look, it's getting late and I promised Mac I'd stop by her place tonight."
"Didn't see her much today, huh?"
"Nope." Sliding off the stool, Harm tossed a few bills onto the bar to cover the cost of the beer. "The Admiral had her busy with staff issues most of the day. We kept passing like ships in the night."
"See you tomorrow, then."
"Tomorrow." Grinning farewell, Harm disappeared into the throng of people, leaving Sturgis alone with his thoughts. He lifted the bottle to his lips. From what he could see, Mac and Harm were heading in the right direction but still needed someone to give each an occasional nudge along. *Well*, he mused to himself, *The ball is in their court. I've done what I can, for now.*
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
To be continued...
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