AN: This part wasn't really nice to me when I was writing it, but I hope you'll like it... Great thanks to Cria and TZ who were very helpful in actually getting the part ready for posting. I also appreciate the feedback you're giving me for the story. It definitely encourages me to write more and try to be better. Also about this part, I'm aware that my characterization of Trish, Harm's mom, is a bit different from what you see normally, but I don't think it's that far away from what we've seen of her on the actual show, which really isn't much. Anyway onto the story...
Part 11
Mac was standing in the kitchen making her Saturday-pancakes when there was a knock on the door. She went over to the door to open up and Mattie, who had also heard the knock, came to the door as well.
"Good morning," the older nicely dressed woman behind the door said when it was opened "I'm not sure if you remember me," she added mostly addressed to Mac.
"Mrs. Burnett. Of course I know who you are. Mattie, this is Harm's mother," Mac turned to Mattie to explain.
"Oh... Hello Mrs. Burnett," Mattie said and shook her hand "I'm Mattie Grace, Harm's ward... but I guess you figured that out."
"Did Harm know you were coming here?" Mac asked though she knew that if he had known, they would have known as well.
"No, he didn't. I was flying back to US from Europe over Boston, but I had to stay an extra day and then I got to fly over Washington instead. Thought I'd stay here and visit my son for the day. He wasn't in his apartment though. You don't happen to know where he is, do you?"
"I'm sure Harm will be glad to hear that. He's out running for the moment, but he'll be back any moment now. He's coming over here for breakfast anyway. You're welcome to join us," Mac offered and Trish Burnett willingly accepted. Mac led the way out to the kitchen and Mattie and she followed behind.
"Do you want some coffee, Mrs. Burnett?" Mac asked "Mattie can you take out a cup?"
The tensions were running high. Neither Mac nor Mattie felt really comfortable in the situation. They both looked at their watches thinking Harm should be back by now.
"I can wait with coffee until we sit down and eat all of us," she made a small pause "You're both welcome to call me Trish," she offered them.
"Everyone calls me Mac," Mac smiled.
"OK, Mac," Trish smiled back.
Neither Mac nor Mattie knew what to say or talk about, but Trish didn't have that problem.
"So how did the hearing go? It was yesterday, right?" she asked. Harm had told her about the new date for the hearing right before she had left for Europe and now two weeks later she didn't know what had happened.
"It was...Harm got custody of Mattie," Mac explained when Mattie didn't answer.
"Was your father there?" Harm's mother continued to ask Mattie.
Mattie nodded, but didn't say anything more. Mac was slowly getting a bit annoyed with Trish for continuing to ask Mattie questions about it when she was obviously uncomfortable with talking about it with her.
"And how did he react to Harm getting custody?" Trish continued to ask.
Mattie was quiet and Mac decided that enough was enough.
"I'm sure that Harm will answer all the questions you have when he gets here. Mattie doesn't seem to want to talk about it."
"Then all she had to do was say so."
Harm walked into the apartment at that moment so the discussion was stopped for the while being.
"Mom," he exclaimed.
"Hello Harm. I thought I'd stop by and see how you all are doing."
"Well, that's a surprise," Harm said and they embraced.
Mac had finished making the pancakes and put the plate with them on the table. All four of them sat down at the table and started to dig in. Trish told them about her trip to Europe and Mattie surprised them with her rather large interest in art, something she had inherited from her mother. Despite the earlier questions from Trish she actually seemed more at ease with her now.
After breakfast Harm left to take a shower and change and Trish helped Mac cleaning up after the meal. Mattie had a lot of catching up to do from school because of her not so great effort the previous weeks with all of the stress with her father. It was tough on her to once again have fallen behind when she was just about to be caught up with what she'd missed last term.
"I'm sorry if you were offended earlier. Mattie just seems strong enough to be able to speak her mind if there's something she doesn't like," Trish tried to half-apologize and half-explain.
"Right now she isn't as strong as she'd like to be."
"Children are always capable of more than their parents think they are."
Mac didn't say anything at all at that. Trish might have a point, but she still felt that Mattie was in need for some protection at the moment.
They continued their work in silence until they were finished and Harm had returned to the apartment. He and Trish stayed there and they sat down in the living room together with Mac and caught up a little on what had happened the last couple of weeks. Harm told her more about the hearing and the upcoming trial against Mattie's father in two weeks. At the moment Mr. Johnson had been released pending the trial, but he was not allowed to approach Mattie or the apartments where they lived.
"Do you still have that awful motorbike of yours?" Trish asked him all of a sudden.
"No, I sold it when I started thinking about buying a house. I could use the money for that better."
"I can't understand why you bought it in the first place."
Harm just shrugged.
"What kind of house have you been looking at then?" Trish continued to ask him. Harm explained a little about the houses they had been looking at last week.
As they sat there the phone rang and Mac got up to answer the call. It turned out to be Admiral Chegwidden. He needed Mac to go into the office and handle a search warrant a NCIS-team wanted. Harm said he'd ride with her and go to the supermarket while she was in the office. He needed to pick some things up for lunch. They left and Trish stayed behind stating that she could need a quick nap after her long trip. She was going to have to leave for the airport in the late afternoon.
"I hope you don't mind my mother being here," Harm said as they were driving back from Falls Church.
"No of course I don't," Mac said.
"I know she can be nosy at times. She seems to have an opinion about everything."
"Harm, really, it's OK. I mean if my mother was around I'm sure you'd have to endure her too," Mac smiled at him. Harm pulled up in front of the building and they both got out of the car. Mac grabbed two of the big bags full of groceries in her arms and Harm also came around to the back of the car.
"Stand still," he asked her as he caught a glimpse of her face. "You have something there," he touched her chin and then showed his finger with an eyelash of hers.
"Thank you," Mac said quietly. She looked straight into his eyes, saying with them what she yet wouldn't let herself say with words.
"You're welcome," he leaned in and gave her a quick and soft kiss on her lips. Then he grabbed the rest of the groceries and they made their way up to the apartments.
Outside Harm's apartment they met Trish who had rested for a while there. She followed them back in and Harm started making lunch while Mac put the rest of the groceries away.
While Harm started getting lunch ready, Mac went and rescued Mattie from her studying. Her only break had been as she shared a talk with Trish over a cup of tea earlier.
After lunch Trish and Harm went out for a walk, Mattie went back to studying and Mac read a book while helping Mattie with her schoolwork.
Harm and Trish walked the short distance to the park where Harm and Mac would normally go for their run.
"So how is everything, Harm?" Trish asked him.
"It's been tough lately. Especially on Mattie, but I think it's looking up now. We just need to go through that trial..."
"Well let's hope everything goes well."
"Mattie really doesn't look forward to the trial... She's worried he'll have to serve time in prison."
"What? She wants to go back to live with him."
"No. I don't think so. I guess she just doesn't want her father to be in prison."
"Hm."
"You're playing with fire with the whole situation with Mac," Trish said after a few moments of silence.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that you and Mac need to be careful or it will all blow up in your face. She has a boyfriend, doesn't she? Mattie thinks so at least."
"Yeah, she does have a boyfriend," Harm agreed "But he knows all about her living here with me and Mattie."
"Does he know that you're more deeply involved with Mac then that too?"
"What do you think you know?" Harm asked, but his mind was going back to meeting Trish outside his apartment, which had windows with a view over the parking lot, after coming back from Falls Church and he figured it out on his own. "It's not the way you think."
"No?"
"It's complicated."
"Mac's alone now that her boyfriend is away and she's letting you stand-in for him for the time being... I know you've been in love with her for as long as you've known her and can't say no. I'm just afraid you'll be hurt when Mac's boyfriend comes back," Trish explained calmly.
"No, Mom. It's definitely not the way you think," Harm was finally able to protest. "It's complicated because we both want it so much and at the same time we want to wait until we can have what we want for real. We want to do this the right way. Mom, you don't know Mac. You have no right to judge her like that."
"Are you sure you both feel that way? Harmon, I just don't want to see you hurt by her... again."
They had been walking beside each other and now Trish tried to link her arm with his, but he refused until he had gotten something else off his chest.
"I was to blame for that too. And I can take care of myself," he tried to convince her. He finally agreed to link his arm with hers. "I hope you will be proven wrong soon," he added not so much to Trish as to himself.
"So do I," Trish answered anyway. She smiled and the smile was met by his.
"We better get back now if you don't want to miss your plane," Harm said and they turned around to walk back to the apartment. Though Harm had offered her to drive her back to the airport, she refused and said she had already ordered a taxi. Back at the apartment she only had time for a short goodbye to Harm, Mattie and Mac.
"Talk to Harm about what we talked about earlier and I'm sure it won't be too long until we see each other again," Trish told Mattie. Harm and Mac were left wondering what it was all about.
Harm followed her back down to wait for the taxi. It took just a minute and it was there. Harm said goodbye. Considering it had only been 9 hours long, Trish's visit had been able to stir up quite a lot of emotions.
TBC
Part 11
Mac was standing in the kitchen making her Saturday-pancakes when there was a knock on the door. She went over to the door to open up and Mattie, who had also heard the knock, came to the door as well.
"Good morning," the older nicely dressed woman behind the door said when it was opened "I'm not sure if you remember me," she added mostly addressed to Mac.
"Mrs. Burnett. Of course I know who you are. Mattie, this is Harm's mother," Mac turned to Mattie to explain.
"Oh... Hello Mrs. Burnett," Mattie said and shook her hand "I'm Mattie Grace, Harm's ward... but I guess you figured that out."
"Did Harm know you were coming here?" Mac asked though she knew that if he had known, they would have known as well.
"No, he didn't. I was flying back to US from Europe over Boston, but I had to stay an extra day and then I got to fly over Washington instead. Thought I'd stay here and visit my son for the day. He wasn't in his apartment though. You don't happen to know where he is, do you?"
"I'm sure Harm will be glad to hear that. He's out running for the moment, but he'll be back any moment now. He's coming over here for breakfast anyway. You're welcome to join us," Mac offered and Trish Burnett willingly accepted. Mac led the way out to the kitchen and Mattie and she followed behind.
"Do you want some coffee, Mrs. Burnett?" Mac asked "Mattie can you take out a cup?"
The tensions were running high. Neither Mac nor Mattie felt really comfortable in the situation. They both looked at their watches thinking Harm should be back by now.
"I can wait with coffee until we sit down and eat all of us," she made a small pause "You're both welcome to call me Trish," she offered them.
"Everyone calls me Mac," Mac smiled.
"OK, Mac," Trish smiled back.
Neither Mac nor Mattie knew what to say or talk about, but Trish didn't have that problem.
"So how did the hearing go? It was yesterday, right?" she asked. Harm had told her about the new date for the hearing right before she had left for Europe and now two weeks later she didn't know what had happened.
"It was...Harm got custody of Mattie," Mac explained when Mattie didn't answer.
"Was your father there?" Harm's mother continued to ask Mattie.
Mattie nodded, but didn't say anything more. Mac was slowly getting a bit annoyed with Trish for continuing to ask Mattie questions about it when she was obviously uncomfortable with talking about it with her.
"And how did he react to Harm getting custody?" Trish continued to ask.
Mattie was quiet and Mac decided that enough was enough.
"I'm sure that Harm will answer all the questions you have when he gets here. Mattie doesn't seem to want to talk about it."
"Then all she had to do was say so."
Harm walked into the apartment at that moment so the discussion was stopped for the while being.
"Mom," he exclaimed.
"Hello Harm. I thought I'd stop by and see how you all are doing."
"Well, that's a surprise," Harm said and they embraced.
Mac had finished making the pancakes and put the plate with them on the table. All four of them sat down at the table and started to dig in. Trish told them about her trip to Europe and Mattie surprised them with her rather large interest in art, something she had inherited from her mother. Despite the earlier questions from Trish she actually seemed more at ease with her now.
After breakfast Harm left to take a shower and change and Trish helped Mac cleaning up after the meal. Mattie had a lot of catching up to do from school because of her not so great effort the previous weeks with all of the stress with her father. It was tough on her to once again have fallen behind when she was just about to be caught up with what she'd missed last term.
"I'm sorry if you were offended earlier. Mattie just seems strong enough to be able to speak her mind if there's something she doesn't like," Trish tried to half-apologize and half-explain.
"Right now she isn't as strong as she'd like to be."
"Children are always capable of more than their parents think they are."
Mac didn't say anything at all at that. Trish might have a point, but she still felt that Mattie was in need for some protection at the moment.
They continued their work in silence until they were finished and Harm had returned to the apartment. He and Trish stayed there and they sat down in the living room together with Mac and caught up a little on what had happened the last couple of weeks. Harm told her more about the hearing and the upcoming trial against Mattie's father in two weeks. At the moment Mr. Johnson had been released pending the trial, but he was not allowed to approach Mattie or the apartments where they lived.
"Do you still have that awful motorbike of yours?" Trish asked him all of a sudden.
"No, I sold it when I started thinking about buying a house. I could use the money for that better."
"I can't understand why you bought it in the first place."
Harm just shrugged.
"What kind of house have you been looking at then?" Trish continued to ask him. Harm explained a little about the houses they had been looking at last week.
As they sat there the phone rang and Mac got up to answer the call. It turned out to be Admiral Chegwidden. He needed Mac to go into the office and handle a search warrant a NCIS-team wanted. Harm said he'd ride with her and go to the supermarket while she was in the office. He needed to pick some things up for lunch. They left and Trish stayed behind stating that she could need a quick nap after her long trip. She was going to have to leave for the airport in the late afternoon.
"I hope you don't mind my mother being here," Harm said as they were driving back from Falls Church.
"No of course I don't," Mac said.
"I know she can be nosy at times. She seems to have an opinion about everything."
"Harm, really, it's OK. I mean if my mother was around I'm sure you'd have to endure her too," Mac smiled at him. Harm pulled up in front of the building and they both got out of the car. Mac grabbed two of the big bags full of groceries in her arms and Harm also came around to the back of the car.
"Stand still," he asked her as he caught a glimpse of her face. "You have something there," he touched her chin and then showed his finger with an eyelash of hers.
"Thank you," Mac said quietly. She looked straight into his eyes, saying with them what she yet wouldn't let herself say with words.
"You're welcome," he leaned in and gave her a quick and soft kiss on her lips. Then he grabbed the rest of the groceries and they made their way up to the apartments.
Outside Harm's apartment they met Trish who had rested for a while there. She followed them back in and Harm started making lunch while Mac put the rest of the groceries away.
While Harm started getting lunch ready, Mac went and rescued Mattie from her studying. Her only break had been as she shared a talk with Trish over a cup of tea earlier.
After lunch Trish and Harm went out for a walk, Mattie went back to studying and Mac read a book while helping Mattie with her schoolwork.
Harm and Trish walked the short distance to the park where Harm and Mac would normally go for their run.
"So how is everything, Harm?" Trish asked him.
"It's been tough lately. Especially on Mattie, but I think it's looking up now. We just need to go through that trial..."
"Well let's hope everything goes well."
"Mattie really doesn't look forward to the trial... She's worried he'll have to serve time in prison."
"What? She wants to go back to live with him."
"No. I don't think so. I guess she just doesn't want her father to be in prison."
"Hm."
"You're playing with fire with the whole situation with Mac," Trish said after a few moments of silence.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that you and Mac need to be careful or it will all blow up in your face. She has a boyfriend, doesn't she? Mattie thinks so at least."
"Yeah, she does have a boyfriend," Harm agreed "But he knows all about her living here with me and Mattie."
"Does he know that you're more deeply involved with Mac then that too?"
"What do you think you know?" Harm asked, but his mind was going back to meeting Trish outside his apartment, which had windows with a view over the parking lot, after coming back from Falls Church and he figured it out on his own. "It's not the way you think."
"No?"
"It's complicated."
"Mac's alone now that her boyfriend is away and she's letting you stand-in for him for the time being... I know you've been in love with her for as long as you've known her and can't say no. I'm just afraid you'll be hurt when Mac's boyfriend comes back," Trish explained calmly.
"No, Mom. It's definitely not the way you think," Harm was finally able to protest. "It's complicated because we both want it so much and at the same time we want to wait until we can have what we want for real. We want to do this the right way. Mom, you don't know Mac. You have no right to judge her like that."
"Are you sure you both feel that way? Harmon, I just don't want to see you hurt by her... again."
They had been walking beside each other and now Trish tried to link her arm with his, but he refused until he had gotten something else off his chest.
"I was to blame for that too. And I can take care of myself," he tried to convince her. He finally agreed to link his arm with hers. "I hope you will be proven wrong soon," he added not so much to Trish as to himself.
"So do I," Trish answered anyway. She smiled and the smile was met by his.
"We better get back now if you don't want to miss your plane," Harm said and they turned around to walk back to the apartment. Though Harm had offered her to drive her back to the airport, she refused and said she had already ordered a taxi. Back at the apartment she only had time for a short goodbye to Harm, Mattie and Mac.
"Talk to Harm about what we talked about earlier and I'm sure it won't be too long until we see each other again," Trish told Mattie. Harm and Mac were left wondering what it was all about.
Harm followed her back down to wait for the taxi. It took just a minute and it was there. Harm said goodbye. Considering it had only been 9 hours long, Trish's visit had been able to stir up quite a lot of emotions.
TBC