AN: I hope you're all still there... I know some of the last couple of parts hasn't been very exciting maybe, but they were needed to build the rest of the story up. Remember good things come to people who wait... Thanks everyone who sent in feedback. And when you're reading this part remember that anything after that scene in AGBF where the story started didn't happen.
Part 12
"Did you tell Mattie she has to go to the wedding?" Mac had returned home late at night after having spent the whole day in Norfolk. She had knocked on Harm's apartment to check that everything was all right. Mattie had called Mac on the way quite desperate wanting to get out of going to the Admiral's wedding so she could go to one of her friend's birthday party.
"Yes. She wasn't thrilled, but I didn't give her much of a choice, but to come with us," Harm smiled. "Have you eaten? There's still something left from dinner."
"I had a burger on the way. I was too hungry to wait."
"Good. Coffee then?"
"I'd love to," Mac said and started to unbutton and take off her uniform jacket. Just in her shirt she was more comfortable.
"You can go to your apartment to change and come back later if you want to. The coffee will be a while anyway."
"I'm quite comfortable like this," Mac answered him. It just wouldn't be the same thing if she left and came back later. In the background there was some soft music playing. Sade, Mac realized it was. It was beautiful. Mac closed her eyes just enjoying the music and the increasing scent of the brewing coffee. She rolled her head around to try to loosen up the tight muscles in her neck.
"I'd offer to give you a massage, but I'm not so sure that would be a good idea," Harm had observed her. He offered her the cup of coffee and sat down beside her on the couch.
"So when do we have to leave on Saturday?" Mac asked to change the subject. The Admiral's wedding was being held in Annapolis and everyone at JAG, and of course a whole bunch of other people, were invited to it. Mac, Harm, Mattie, Sturgis and Varese were going to drive over together and back later the same night as well.
"Sturgis and I talked about leaving at 12 o'clock. We'll take the SUV and pick Sturgis and Varese up at his place. Sounds OK to you?"
Mac nodded her head.
"I'm sure it will be a nice drive."
"Yeah. As long as we can convince the teenager to play along nicely too."
Mac just looked at him not quite convinced of that fact.
"So anything else happen at work today?"
"Bud and Harriet were exhausted after AJ's birthday party. Apparently 15 five-year-olds can be pretty tiresome.
"I can't believe he's five."
"No. Me neither. It's getting scary thinking about how long we've known each other too. We're getting old, Marine," Harm said.
"But all of the time we've known each other... I wouldn't give it up for anything in the world."
Harm just smiled at her. He definitely agreed.
"Did you talk to your mother about Mattie going over there this summer?" Mac asked him when they had sat silent for a few minutes.
"I did."
"Wow. You got a lot done when I was away."
"No distractions," Harm explained and smiled a smile Mac was starting to know really well "We decided that Mattie's flying over there two weeks after school's out and she'll stay for five weeks."
"It's going to be really weird without her here."
"Yeah, it sure will. It's a great experience for Mattie though, working and earning some money. I'm sure working in a coffee shop will be quite different from running a crop dusting business. Maybe it will be a piece of cake for her, but it's still more suitable for her age I think."
Mac nodded and added, "Even though I've heard you tell me about that sometimes when I'm around her I can't imagine that little girl who... you know... is Mattie, that she just six months ago lived on her own and ran her own business. Not that she's not independent now, she just seems like such a normal teenager."
"I know what you mean."
"Did your mother say anything else?"
"No," Harm answered much too quickly and it was obvious to Mac that she had.
"OK. You don't have to tell me."
"There's nothing to tell."
Mac looked at him still disbelieving, but then they went over to discuss something else. They kept talking for a while, but eventually they both sat there silent with closed eyes. All of a sudden Mac woke up from her head falling down on her chest. She realized that she had fallen asleep and now it was time to go over to her apartment. She said goodbye to Harm by kissing his cheek. He stirred and she realized he had fallen asleep as well. She kissed him on his other cheek to make sure he'd wake up so he could go to bed where he'd be more comfortable.
"Goodnight, Harm," she whispered when he opened his eyes.
"Goodnight my darling," he whispered back.
"So how long is this really going to be?" Mattie asked as they had just picked up Sturgis and Varese. Harm was driving and Sturgis sat on the front seat next to him. Mattie was sitting between Mac and Varese in the backseat.
"Mattie, with that attitude I can assure you that you will not enjoy this," Harm told her.
"Yeah, yeah."
"So what have you been up to lately?" Mac asked Varese. They had met Varese on a couple of occasions in the past few months and they had hit it off pretty well.
"I was in Europe last month, but otherwise I haven't been too busy."
"Things have been pretty slow at JAG too."
"How about you, Mattie? Have you been busy lately?" Varese asked Mattie politely.
"A bit. School's been rather tough lately."
"And the boys? How are things with... what's his name?"
"Rick. Good. We broke up."
"Oh... and that's good?"
"Yeah, I guess we realized that we were better as friends. We're like Mac and Harm, you know, like brother and sister."
Varese looked at Mac, who was trying her best not to give anything away about her not so sisterly feelings towards Harm. Sturgis looked at Harm much the same way Varese was observing Mac.
"Really," was Varese's only comment.
"I used to think they were secretly in-love with each other, but I realized that isn't true," Mattie explained to Varese.
"May I have this dance?" Harm came over to where Mac was sitting. The dancing was just getting started and Meredith and the admiral had ended their first dance as a married couple.
"Yes," was Mac's answer and she stood up. They started dancing and Mac whispered to him "We need to be careful. Remember we're like brother and sister."
"Right," Harm said and twirled her around. "Am I still allowed to tell you that you look wonderful tonight?"
"Thank you," Mac blushed a little "You look very handsome too, you know."
"It was a beautiful ceremony."
"Yes, it was.
"I wonder for how long we'll get to keep the admiral," Harm said.
"You think he will retire?"
"I don't think he'll want to make the same mistake in his second marriage as in his first."
The song ended and Harm and Mac walked towards where Mattie was sitting and sat down beside her.
"Did you enjoy yourselves dancing?"
"You were watching?"
Mattie nodded.
"Well I had fun," Mac said.
"Me too," Harm smiled at Mac.
"When are we getting out of here?" Mattie asked them.
"The night is still young..." Harm said
"You haven't caught any of the romantic atmosphere around here?" Mac asked her.
"No... are we really going to stay here forever?"
"Yes, we are really going to stay her forever," Mac answered her and stressed the word forever.
Harm got up from his seat and stood in front of Mattie.
"Will the beautiful young lady dance with an old sailor like me?"
"I guess," Mattie answered not so enthusiastically.
Soon Mac was sitting there watching them dance, and Mattie too looked like she was enjoying herself.
"You have a beautiful family," an older lady, who sat at the other side of the table, said to Mac.
"Thank you, but Harm isn't my husband and Mattie..."
"I'm sure they aren't, but that wasn't really what I said anyway," the lady pointed out "Families come in all sorts of shapes."
"Yes, they do," Mac agreed.
TBC
Part 12
"Did you tell Mattie she has to go to the wedding?" Mac had returned home late at night after having spent the whole day in Norfolk. She had knocked on Harm's apartment to check that everything was all right. Mattie had called Mac on the way quite desperate wanting to get out of going to the Admiral's wedding so she could go to one of her friend's birthday party.
"Yes. She wasn't thrilled, but I didn't give her much of a choice, but to come with us," Harm smiled. "Have you eaten? There's still something left from dinner."
"I had a burger on the way. I was too hungry to wait."
"Good. Coffee then?"
"I'd love to," Mac said and started to unbutton and take off her uniform jacket. Just in her shirt she was more comfortable.
"You can go to your apartment to change and come back later if you want to. The coffee will be a while anyway."
"I'm quite comfortable like this," Mac answered him. It just wouldn't be the same thing if she left and came back later. In the background there was some soft music playing. Sade, Mac realized it was. It was beautiful. Mac closed her eyes just enjoying the music and the increasing scent of the brewing coffee. She rolled her head around to try to loosen up the tight muscles in her neck.
"I'd offer to give you a massage, but I'm not so sure that would be a good idea," Harm had observed her. He offered her the cup of coffee and sat down beside her on the couch.
"So when do we have to leave on Saturday?" Mac asked to change the subject. The Admiral's wedding was being held in Annapolis and everyone at JAG, and of course a whole bunch of other people, were invited to it. Mac, Harm, Mattie, Sturgis and Varese were going to drive over together and back later the same night as well.
"Sturgis and I talked about leaving at 12 o'clock. We'll take the SUV and pick Sturgis and Varese up at his place. Sounds OK to you?"
Mac nodded her head.
"I'm sure it will be a nice drive."
"Yeah. As long as we can convince the teenager to play along nicely too."
Mac just looked at him not quite convinced of that fact.
"So anything else happen at work today?"
"Bud and Harriet were exhausted after AJ's birthday party. Apparently 15 five-year-olds can be pretty tiresome.
"I can't believe he's five."
"No. Me neither. It's getting scary thinking about how long we've known each other too. We're getting old, Marine," Harm said.
"But all of the time we've known each other... I wouldn't give it up for anything in the world."
Harm just smiled at her. He definitely agreed.
"Did you talk to your mother about Mattie going over there this summer?" Mac asked him when they had sat silent for a few minutes.
"I did."
"Wow. You got a lot done when I was away."
"No distractions," Harm explained and smiled a smile Mac was starting to know really well "We decided that Mattie's flying over there two weeks after school's out and she'll stay for five weeks."
"It's going to be really weird without her here."
"Yeah, it sure will. It's a great experience for Mattie though, working and earning some money. I'm sure working in a coffee shop will be quite different from running a crop dusting business. Maybe it will be a piece of cake for her, but it's still more suitable for her age I think."
Mac nodded and added, "Even though I've heard you tell me about that sometimes when I'm around her I can't imagine that little girl who... you know... is Mattie, that she just six months ago lived on her own and ran her own business. Not that she's not independent now, she just seems like such a normal teenager."
"I know what you mean."
"Did your mother say anything else?"
"No," Harm answered much too quickly and it was obvious to Mac that she had.
"OK. You don't have to tell me."
"There's nothing to tell."
Mac looked at him still disbelieving, but then they went over to discuss something else. They kept talking for a while, but eventually they both sat there silent with closed eyes. All of a sudden Mac woke up from her head falling down on her chest. She realized that she had fallen asleep and now it was time to go over to her apartment. She said goodbye to Harm by kissing his cheek. He stirred and she realized he had fallen asleep as well. She kissed him on his other cheek to make sure he'd wake up so he could go to bed where he'd be more comfortable.
"Goodnight, Harm," she whispered when he opened his eyes.
"Goodnight my darling," he whispered back.
"So how long is this really going to be?" Mattie asked as they had just picked up Sturgis and Varese. Harm was driving and Sturgis sat on the front seat next to him. Mattie was sitting between Mac and Varese in the backseat.
"Mattie, with that attitude I can assure you that you will not enjoy this," Harm told her.
"Yeah, yeah."
"So what have you been up to lately?" Mac asked Varese. They had met Varese on a couple of occasions in the past few months and they had hit it off pretty well.
"I was in Europe last month, but otherwise I haven't been too busy."
"Things have been pretty slow at JAG too."
"How about you, Mattie? Have you been busy lately?" Varese asked Mattie politely.
"A bit. School's been rather tough lately."
"And the boys? How are things with... what's his name?"
"Rick. Good. We broke up."
"Oh... and that's good?"
"Yeah, I guess we realized that we were better as friends. We're like Mac and Harm, you know, like brother and sister."
Varese looked at Mac, who was trying her best not to give anything away about her not so sisterly feelings towards Harm. Sturgis looked at Harm much the same way Varese was observing Mac.
"Really," was Varese's only comment.
"I used to think they were secretly in-love with each other, but I realized that isn't true," Mattie explained to Varese.
"May I have this dance?" Harm came over to where Mac was sitting. The dancing was just getting started and Meredith and the admiral had ended their first dance as a married couple.
"Yes," was Mac's answer and she stood up. They started dancing and Mac whispered to him "We need to be careful. Remember we're like brother and sister."
"Right," Harm said and twirled her around. "Am I still allowed to tell you that you look wonderful tonight?"
"Thank you," Mac blushed a little "You look very handsome too, you know."
"It was a beautiful ceremony."
"Yes, it was.
"I wonder for how long we'll get to keep the admiral," Harm said.
"You think he will retire?"
"I don't think he'll want to make the same mistake in his second marriage as in his first."
The song ended and Harm and Mac walked towards where Mattie was sitting and sat down beside her.
"Did you enjoy yourselves dancing?"
"You were watching?"
Mattie nodded.
"Well I had fun," Mac said.
"Me too," Harm smiled at Mac.
"When are we getting out of here?" Mattie asked them.
"The night is still young..." Harm said
"You haven't caught any of the romantic atmosphere around here?" Mac asked her.
"No... are we really going to stay here forever?"
"Yes, we are really going to stay her forever," Mac answered her and stressed the word forever.
Harm got up from his seat and stood in front of Mattie.
"Will the beautiful young lady dance with an old sailor like me?"
"I guess," Mattie answered not so enthusiastically.
Soon Mac was sitting there watching them dance, and Mattie too looked like she was enjoying herself.
"You have a beautiful family," an older lady, who sat at the other side of the table, said to Mac.
"Thank you, but Harm isn't my husband and Mattie..."
"I'm sure they aren't, but that wasn't really what I said anyway," the lady pointed out "Families come in all sorts of shapes."
"Yes, they do," Mac agreed.
TBC