Part 9
Three weeks after Harm and Mac's Saturday-flight, they were still doing the we're-just-friends-until-Webb-gets-back-routine. It was starting to get tiresome, but it was what they had to do for now.
At first they had been so careful not to touch each other Mattie had asked them both if they had had a fight. After a week or so it had proven to be an even worse approach than anything else. It just made them even more frustrated. Right now they were allowing the innocent touches in public, but tried to avoid it when they were alone. It was too much of a risk that something more would happen then. They had ended up kissing a few times, but they had at least not gone quite as far as they had on that meadow
It wasn't just touching that was 'forbidden', they weren't expressing their emotions in words either, they didn't talk about what would happen once Webb was back and Mac could talk to him. Right now they were in a complete understanding even though they weren't talking about it. The 'rules' weren't something they had talked about either, but something they were in an agreement about to make it all work. Every day made the situation grow tougher on them.
This Monday, they had driven home from work together and were now walking up the stairs to their apartments. Since it was a Monday, they still had a whole working week in front of them and they weren't really looking forward to it. As they arrived at Harm's apartment, he snuck into it and Mac continued on to hers. Harm was going to change and then come over to the other apartment where Mac was going to cook dinner. They both heard loud music coming out of Mattie and Mac's apartment and they wondered what caused it, it wasn't like Mattie.
"Mattie," Mac shouted in vain when she walked into the apartment. There was no way Mattie would be able to hear her over the music. She walked over to Mattie's room and entered it. "Mattie," she tried once again and was barely heard. Mattie was sitting at her desk hunched over some books. Mac walked over to Mattie's stereo and turned down the volume.
"I was listening to that," Mattie protested.
"I can't believe you can work with that music playing."
"It's none of your business anyway."
"Excuse me?" Mac asked. This really wasn't like Mattie. "Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"
Mattie started shaking her head, but then she gave up "Two police officers were here."
"What? When? Why?" Mac asked very quickly going from annoyed to worried. She put her hand on Mattie's shoulder and turned her around so she could see her face.
"Dad checked himself out from the rehab-center, got himself drunk and broke into my house out in Blacksbury. Totally scared the children of the family there. The police officers thought I'd know where he was," Mattie's anger was obvious in her whole appearance.
"They talked to you even though we weren't here? Why didn't you call us?" Mac was trying to get a grip of the situation. She knew she needed to go and get Harm so he'd be informed of the situation as well.
"I'm not a baby. I could handle that alone."
"Mattie, you're still a child," Mac protested. At the same time they heard someone opening the door and they went out to the living room to meet who they thought was Harm. It wasn't Harm though as they would soon see. Mattie's father was stumbling across the living room floor. He had never been there before so he hadn't known exactly where to find Mattie. His face lightened up a bit when he saw her.
"Mattie come over here. We're getting out of here," he slurred and waved at her to come with him.
"No," Mattie simply said.
"What do you mean 'no'? Just get your butt over here."
"No," Mattie said once surprisingly calmly.
"Mattie, go into your room and close the door, please," Mac asked her.
"Who are you to tell my daughter what to do?" Johnson protested loudly and walked up closer to her "You're just like me, you just think you're better than everyone else."
"Mattie, please," Mac pleaded with Mattie who still hadn't moved. She turned to look at Mattie to see if she'd turn around and walk away and then she turned herself back to watch Johnson. Right before he was in her line of sight again, Johnson's fist connected with Mac's cheek. Mac couldn't help screeching out in pain and shock. She almost lost her balance, but found it before she fell to the ground. Because of the condition he was in it was more luck than skill that his fist hit her as strong and well-placed as it did.
"Mac," Mattie screamed. She had turned around at the sound of the hit and rushed over to Mac. Mac put out her arms out to make sure Johnson couldn't get to Mattie.
The door to their apartment was still open and they could see Harm's door being opened. The sound from the door being opened scared Johnson and he started backing away and then running, as well and fast as he could at the moment, out of the apartment and passed Harm who tried to stop the man he didn't recognize at the moment, but seeing as he came running out of his girl's apartment, it couldn't be good. Harm tried to get a hold of him and when he did he swung him around to press him up against the wall.
"You?" Harm was confused when he recognized who he had pinned up against the wall. Despite the stunk of alcohol coming from him, Harm released him at once and backed away. Johnson saw his chance to get away and continued to move towards the stairs and on down them. Harm was distracted when Mattie screamed after him. He decided to go and see what was wrong in the apartment rather than chasing after Mattie's father.
"Harm," Mattie screamed desperately again. He rushed over to the apartment and was shocked to see Mac sitting on the armchair with her hand covering her cheek. Mattie was slightly hysterical and Mac was trying her best to get her to calm down.
"Mattie, sit down her," she asked her and patted the place beside her on the armchair.
"What happened?" Harm asked
"He hit her, he hit her," Mattie screamed.
Mac reached up to take a hold of Mattie and dragged her down to sit on her lap. She hugged her tightly and brushed her hands over Mattie's back trying to get her to calm down.
"Everything is going to be OK. Everything will be just fine," she repeated over and over again. Harm could see the skin where she had been hit starting to change color and swell up. He went out to the kitchen to get some ice cubes from the freezer and Mac gladly accepted them when he returned. Harm kneeled in front of them and put his hands on Mattie's shoulders so she could feel that he was there for her as well. Mac felt how her shoulder started getting wet from Mattie's tears.
"Mr. Johnson fell off the wagon and went out to the house. The police was here earlier looking for him and then he showed up. He just walked into the apartment and wanted Mattie to come with him," Mac spoke calmly and rather quietly trying to fill Harm in on the situation.
"And he hit you?" Harm asked.
Mac just nodded in response.
"Mattie, did the police give you a number to call if he showed up here?"
Mattie nodded into Mac's shoulder. "Are you going to call the police?" she asked quietly.
"Mattie, we have to. But you don't need to worry about it," Mac said sensing Mattie's aversion to the idea.
"I'm so sorry, Mac," Mattie said.
"Oh Mattie you have nothing to be sorry for. You did nothing wrong here," Mac tried to convince her.
"But if it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have come here. He wouldn't have hit you."
"It still isn't your fault in any way," Harm said trying to convince himself that it wasn't his fault either. Logically he knew it, but emotionally he was blaming himself. He felt that he should have been at the apartment when it had all happened and not next door. He thought he would then have been able to prevent it from happening.
"Do you have that phone number in your room?" Harm asked Mattie after a minute of silence.
"Yeah... I'll go and get it," Mattie got up despite Harm telling her that he could go and get it.
In the short time that Mattie was gone Mac filled him in a little more on what Mattie had said when Mac got home and what had happened in the apartment. They agreed that Harm would stay with Mattie and Mac would go into the kitchen and call the police.
One hour later the two officers who had been there before showed up. They hadn't picked Mattie's father up yet, but they thought they would pick him up soon. At least that is what they said they thought.
Mattie and Mac both told them what had happened and Mac was going to have to go into the police station the next day to fill out a report. The police officers also explained more about what had happened at the house in Blacksbury. He hadn't been physically violent against them, but the family's three children, all under the age of eight had been really shaken up afterwards. Then they left and Harm, Mac and Mattie were left to deal with the situation alone. As they had been waiting for the police to arrive, Harm had called the social worker Mrs. Lemoyne, who had been handling the original investigation on whether Harm was suitable as a parent. They had agreed that Mac and Harm were going to come in to her office tomorrow and explain more about what had happened.
Though it wasn't very late Mattie was exhausted and Harm and Mac convinced her to go to bed. She had been quiet the whole time as they had been waiting for the police to get there and she only gave short answers when she was asked something. Mac and Harm followed her into her room and tucked her in. Mattie lay down on the side and they could see how her shoulders started to shake. She was obviously crying.
Mac stood there at first not sure what to do, but then she let her instincts take over. She wanted to feel Mattie close to her and for Mattie to feel that she was there no matter what. She climbed up in the bed as well and wrapped her arms around Mattie. Mac could feel in her whole body all though she couldn't see her face that Mattie's sobbing had increased. Harm had remained standing not sure how he could support them the most. Mac chose for him when she for a second released her arm around Mattie to tug on his shirt to lay down behind her. He did so and soon they were lying all three spooned together. Their hearts were beating at the same pace.
TBC
Three weeks after Harm and Mac's Saturday-flight, they were still doing the we're-just-friends-until-Webb-gets-back-routine. It was starting to get tiresome, but it was what they had to do for now.
At first they had been so careful not to touch each other Mattie had asked them both if they had had a fight. After a week or so it had proven to be an even worse approach than anything else. It just made them even more frustrated. Right now they were allowing the innocent touches in public, but tried to avoid it when they were alone. It was too much of a risk that something more would happen then. They had ended up kissing a few times, but they had at least not gone quite as far as they had on that meadow
It wasn't just touching that was 'forbidden', they weren't expressing their emotions in words either, they didn't talk about what would happen once Webb was back and Mac could talk to him. Right now they were in a complete understanding even though they weren't talking about it. The 'rules' weren't something they had talked about either, but something they were in an agreement about to make it all work. Every day made the situation grow tougher on them.
This Monday, they had driven home from work together and were now walking up the stairs to their apartments. Since it was a Monday, they still had a whole working week in front of them and they weren't really looking forward to it. As they arrived at Harm's apartment, he snuck into it and Mac continued on to hers. Harm was going to change and then come over to the other apartment where Mac was going to cook dinner. They both heard loud music coming out of Mattie and Mac's apartment and they wondered what caused it, it wasn't like Mattie.
"Mattie," Mac shouted in vain when she walked into the apartment. There was no way Mattie would be able to hear her over the music. She walked over to Mattie's room and entered it. "Mattie," she tried once again and was barely heard. Mattie was sitting at her desk hunched over some books. Mac walked over to Mattie's stereo and turned down the volume.
"I was listening to that," Mattie protested.
"I can't believe you can work with that music playing."
"It's none of your business anyway."
"Excuse me?" Mac asked. This really wasn't like Mattie. "Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"
Mattie started shaking her head, but then she gave up "Two police officers were here."
"What? When? Why?" Mac asked very quickly going from annoyed to worried. She put her hand on Mattie's shoulder and turned her around so she could see her face.
"Dad checked himself out from the rehab-center, got himself drunk and broke into my house out in Blacksbury. Totally scared the children of the family there. The police officers thought I'd know where he was," Mattie's anger was obvious in her whole appearance.
"They talked to you even though we weren't here? Why didn't you call us?" Mac was trying to get a grip of the situation. She knew she needed to go and get Harm so he'd be informed of the situation as well.
"I'm not a baby. I could handle that alone."
"Mattie, you're still a child," Mac protested. At the same time they heard someone opening the door and they went out to the living room to meet who they thought was Harm. It wasn't Harm though as they would soon see. Mattie's father was stumbling across the living room floor. He had never been there before so he hadn't known exactly where to find Mattie. His face lightened up a bit when he saw her.
"Mattie come over here. We're getting out of here," he slurred and waved at her to come with him.
"No," Mattie simply said.
"What do you mean 'no'? Just get your butt over here."
"No," Mattie said once surprisingly calmly.
"Mattie, go into your room and close the door, please," Mac asked her.
"Who are you to tell my daughter what to do?" Johnson protested loudly and walked up closer to her "You're just like me, you just think you're better than everyone else."
"Mattie, please," Mac pleaded with Mattie who still hadn't moved. She turned to look at Mattie to see if she'd turn around and walk away and then she turned herself back to watch Johnson. Right before he was in her line of sight again, Johnson's fist connected with Mac's cheek. Mac couldn't help screeching out in pain and shock. She almost lost her balance, but found it before she fell to the ground. Because of the condition he was in it was more luck than skill that his fist hit her as strong and well-placed as it did.
"Mac," Mattie screamed. She had turned around at the sound of the hit and rushed over to Mac. Mac put out her arms out to make sure Johnson couldn't get to Mattie.
The door to their apartment was still open and they could see Harm's door being opened. The sound from the door being opened scared Johnson and he started backing away and then running, as well and fast as he could at the moment, out of the apartment and passed Harm who tried to stop the man he didn't recognize at the moment, but seeing as he came running out of his girl's apartment, it couldn't be good. Harm tried to get a hold of him and when he did he swung him around to press him up against the wall.
"You?" Harm was confused when he recognized who he had pinned up against the wall. Despite the stunk of alcohol coming from him, Harm released him at once and backed away. Johnson saw his chance to get away and continued to move towards the stairs and on down them. Harm was distracted when Mattie screamed after him. He decided to go and see what was wrong in the apartment rather than chasing after Mattie's father.
"Harm," Mattie screamed desperately again. He rushed over to the apartment and was shocked to see Mac sitting on the armchair with her hand covering her cheek. Mattie was slightly hysterical and Mac was trying her best to get her to calm down.
"Mattie, sit down her," she asked her and patted the place beside her on the armchair.
"What happened?" Harm asked
"He hit her, he hit her," Mattie screamed.
Mac reached up to take a hold of Mattie and dragged her down to sit on her lap. She hugged her tightly and brushed her hands over Mattie's back trying to get her to calm down.
"Everything is going to be OK. Everything will be just fine," she repeated over and over again. Harm could see the skin where she had been hit starting to change color and swell up. He went out to the kitchen to get some ice cubes from the freezer and Mac gladly accepted them when he returned. Harm kneeled in front of them and put his hands on Mattie's shoulders so she could feel that he was there for her as well. Mac felt how her shoulder started getting wet from Mattie's tears.
"Mr. Johnson fell off the wagon and went out to the house. The police was here earlier looking for him and then he showed up. He just walked into the apartment and wanted Mattie to come with him," Mac spoke calmly and rather quietly trying to fill Harm in on the situation.
"And he hit you?" Harm asked.
Mac just nodded in response.
"Mattie, did the police give you a number to call if he showed up here?"
Mattie nodded into Mac's shoulder. "Are you going to call the police?" she asked quietly.
"Mattie, we have to. But you don't need to worry about it," Mac said sensing Mattie's aversion to the idea.
"I'm so sorry, Mac," Mattie said.
"Oh Mattie you have nothing to be sorry for. You did nothing wrong here," Mac tried to convince her.
"But if it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have come here. He wouldn't have hit you."
"It still isn't your fault in any way," Harm said trying to convince himself that it wasn't his fault either. Logically he knew it, but emotionally he was blaming himself. He felt that he should have been at the apartment when it had all happened and not next door. He thought he would then have been able to prevent it from happening.
"Do you have that phone number in your room?" Harm asked Mattie after a minute of silence.
"Yeah... I'll go and get it," Mattie got up despite Harm telling her that he could go and get it.
In the short time that Mattie was gone Mac filled him in a little more on what Mattie had said when Mac got home and what had happened in the apartment. They agreed that Harm would stay with Mattie and Mac would go into the kitchen and call the police.
One hour later the two officers who had been there before showed up. They hadn't picked Mattie's father up yet, but they thought they would pick him up soon. At least that is what they said they thought.
Mattie and Mac both told them what had happened and Mac was going to have to go into the police station the next day to fill out a report. The police officers also explained more about what had happened at the house in Blacksbury. He hadn't been physically violent against them, but the family's three children, all under the age of eight had been really shaken up afterwards. Then they left and Harm, Mac and Mattie were left to deal with the situation alone. As they had been waiting for the police to arrive, Harm had called the social worker Mrs. Lemoyne, who had been handling the original investigation on whether Harm was suitable as a parent. They had agreed that Mac and Harm were going to come in to her office tomorrow and explain more about what had happened.
Though it wasn't very late Mattie was exhausted and Harm and Mac convinced her to go to bed. She had been quiet the whole time as they had been waiting for the police to get there and she only gave short answers when she was asked something. Mac and Harm followed her into her room and tucked her in. Mattie lay down on the side and they could see how her shoulders started to shake. She was obviously crying.
Mac stood there at first not sure what to do, but then she let her instincts take over. She wanted to feel Mattie close to her and for Mattie to feel that she was there no matter what. She climbed up in the bed as well and wrapped her arms around Mattie. Mac could feel in her whole body all though she couldn't see her face that Mattie's sobbing had increased. Harm had remained standing not sure how he could support them the most. Mac chose for him when she for a second released her arm around Mattie to tug on his shirt to lay down behind her. He did so and soon they were lying all three spooned together. Their hearts were beating at the same pace.
TBC