Disclaimer: They are not mine, but playing with them has been so much fun...

A/N: I have nothing random rising up in me right now... I wrote this while listening to Professor Nielson ramble on and on about product distribution... blah blah blah... Journalism's a jerk- kick it if you see it running around...

Enjoy and please review!

Through Thick and Thin

Part Thirteen

I open my eyes to find Mattie standing over me and Mac. She's sporting one of the goofiest grins I have ever seen..

"Hey.." I somehow manage to say, my throat soar and scratchy.

"Hey, yourself... Wow, so you guys are doing it now, huh?" She asks, laughing at me.

I can feel myself blushing as I change the subject. "You feeling any better?" I ask, prying myself away from Mac, who is sleeping soundly.

"Yeah. Mac gave me caffeine and Tylenol, so I'm fine now. So, how long have you guys been... 'together'?" She asks, following me.

I grab a t-shirt out of the closet and pull it over my head. There is no simple answer to that question, so I pretend the question was never asked. Mac is exhausted, I can tell... She didn't stir at all when I slipped out of bed, which is unusual... "Come on... she needs her rest." I say, my voice barely a whisper.

"I bet... So, yeah, are you going just leave me hanging or what? Out with it, Harm... How long have you been together? When's the wedding? When did you propose? Where did you propose? Oh, my God, so are we getting a house and a back yard and a dog now?!" She's asking me all these questions and all I can do is smile.

"Come on, Mattie...you can go home and take a quick shower, change clothes, then we'll come back and pick Mac up. All three of us can talk over food... I know Mac's going to be hungry by the time we get back, if not before then." I tell her, grabbing my keys off of the coffee table. I smile. Mac must have straightened up the kitchen...

"Sounds like a plan... So, wow, you told her that you love her and all that, then you guys got all physical, and now you're engaged.. I don't know if that's gross or if it's sweet." She says, laughing at me once again.

"Watch it..." I warn playfully.

Once on the way to her place, I ask her how school has been going lately.

"God, Harm, I mean, it's school. A bell rings, you get out of one cell, a bell rings telling you that you should, by now, be in another cell... The people are infantile stupidheads who deserve whatever horrible fate that befalls them. This one guy, Jonas Spencer, has taken to calling me Chattie instead of Mattie because he thinks I talk too much. He said I was hogging all the words so I told him he was hogging all the ugly." She says, munching on some Doritos she must have found in Mac's apartment.

"You're going to ruin your appetite." I tell her, laughing at the fact that she told this Spencer kid he was hogging all the ugly. Something about her reminds me of Mac and I can't help but smile to myself.

"Ah, hello, I'm hungry.. so anyway.. Then there's Sarah Pruitt. Her dad bought her a car and now that she has her license, she thinks she's all that. She was throwing it in my face that all my dad buys are six packs.. She said something about driving down to their beach house this weekend, and how she was taking people with her but I wasn't invited, so I just up and blurted out that she bites it big time. Ms. Allen gave me lunch detention. It's worth it though because she really does bite it big time. Then there's Hudson Scott. He sits in front of me in Algebra II. He sleeps through the class all last week then Friday he takes a test. Last Thursday night Jen and I were up way late studying, remember? Well, today we get the grades back. I made a 90, a strong B. I was fine with my grade until Mr. Zeltman woke Hudson up to hand him an A! An A, and he SLEEPS through the class.. And don't get me started on Gibson Phelps. Three weeks ago, Mac picked me up from school and we went out to eat then picked Jen up and went bowling. Girl's night out, remember? Well, ever since then, he has been telling all his friends that I have this smokin' Marine friend who drives a red Corvette. He talks about her everyday at lunch and all the guys laugh as he talks about her being stacked, having long legs, and a beautiful smile. I swear, I love Mac, but I'm tired of hearing about how hot she is... Maybe once I tell him you're marrying her he'll fixate on someone else..." She's rambling on and on about... something.. I don't know..

I'm thinking about this Phelps guy. He sees Mac once and falls head over heels in love with her?

I can't really blame him... I mean, damn... she drives up in a red Corvette, gets out wearing that tight, Marine green uniform, saunters over to Mattie... I can see why he would talk about her day after day after day... A teenager sees a woman like Mac and his heart rate increases, his palms get sweaty, and anything smooth he might want to say to her is ruined by his recently acquired stutter... Who am I kidding? You don't have to be a teenager for Mac to have that affect on you, I should know...

I pull up in front of our place and kill the engine.

"Alright, Chattie.. I mean, Mattie.. Quick shower, toss on something, then we're gone.." I say, laughing as she glares at me.

"You know, I've been taking kickboxing lessons with Mac... I suggest you never call me that again... unless, of course, you want to find out just how much I've learned.." She threatens, her tone serious but playful. "What's that?" She asks, getting out of the SUV and peering into it, pointing.

I spot Mac's monkey and laugh.

"I got that for Mac. You record a message then press his hand and he plays it back for you. It was a failed attempt to be romantic." I tell her, shaking my head. Before I think to lock the doors, Mattie opens the door and grabs the monkey.

"Hey, you're cute!" She says, holding the monkey.

"Mattie, DON'T!" I yell, watching in horror as she reaches for the monkey's hand...

"Fuck you." The monkey says.

"Oh my God, what kind of monkey is this?!" She says, laughing and running towards the apartment.

"MATTIE GRACE!" I yell, trying to sound stern. I fail. I laugh and chase after her.

"Eat shit." I hear the monkey say... once again...

"Oh, my God, this is too freakin' funny! Say something else!" She squeals in delight.

"You're ugly and you smell like butt." The cute little monkey declares.

"You smell like butt!! That's classic!" She says, pressing the monkey's hand once again.

The monkey quickly spits out nasty little phrases as Mattie laughs so hard she can barely continue running.

"You gave this to Mac and she told you she would marry you? She's stupid or it's love!" Mattie says, listening to the monkey and laughing still.

"Do you have mirrors in your pockets? Because I can see myself in your pants." The monkey says, and Mattie is almost breathless.

"Mattie! Give me that stupid monkey!" I say, chasing her to the elevator.

Once inside the elevator, she presses the monkey's hand and finally hears my message to Mac.

"So that's what you said to convince her you're not a waste of her time.. Dice, that's hot! No wonder she said yes when you asked her to marry you!" She says, smiling and handing me the monkey.

I look down into his cute furry face and laugh.

Mattie heads to her and Jen's place to get ready.

I head to my apartment to go through the mail and check my messages. I am surprised to see that I have eleven new messages.

The first seven messages are from companies wanting me to give them money. The eighth message is from Bud, the ninth from Sturgis, and the tenth from my mom. She just wants to check on me and would appreciate hearing her son's voice every once in a while... mothers..

The eleventh message makes me smile. It's from Mac.

"When I woke up you and Mattie were gone, and someone doesn't have his cell phone on... I'm hungry.. Call me. I love you."

I reach into my pocket and pull out my cell phone.

"Hello?" I hear her say.

"Hey, I got your message... Mattie's taking a quick shower, throwing on some clothes, and we'll be to your place to pick you up. What are you in the mood for?" I ask, mindlessly flipping through bill after bill, advertisement after advertisement.

"I'm in the mood for... you." She says, and just from her tone of voice I can tell that she's smiling.

"Is that right?" I ask, playing along.

"Yeah... it's lonely over here... I woke up and the bed was cold. And you left no note.." She tells me.

"I'm sorry about that.. I promise I'll make it up to you.." I say, noticing that my voice has deepened slightly.

"When will you make it up to me?" She asks, this little game of hers taking us exactly where we want to go...

"I'll make it up to you tonight... all night long." I assure her, smiling to myself.

"I have to wait that long, huh?" She asks, pouting a little.

"I'll make it worth the wait." I promise her.

"I'm sure you will..." She says, and with that said, the line goes dead.

I put my cell phone in my pocket at about the same time Mattie walks in. Her hair is still wet and she is wearing a pair of faded jeans that are ripped at both the knees, a grease-stained gray t-shirt that has a vintage Corvette on the front of it, and a pair of black Converse with orange shoe laces. I smile... Something about her reminds me of Mac yet again as I ask, "Those the shoes Mac got you?"

"Yeah. She got the laces too... said they would spice things up a little. I'm glad you guys are together but.." She stops mid-sentence and the look on her face concerns me.

"But what, Mattie?" I ask, walking over to her and resting a hopefully reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I was just going to say that I like you guys being together but I'm worried about her taking to me, you know? I mean, I'm a teenager... You and I have a lot in common... What if she doesn't like me once she gets to know me better or something?" She asks, fear in her eyes.

"Mattie, I've seen Mac when she's around you... you're as good for her as she is for you. I think that the two of you compliment each other well... I can't explain it, but something about you makes me think of Mac... and you may have more in common than you realize. When you guys are together you are laughing and smiling. Mac needs you, and I think if you allow yourself to need her, an amazing friendship will be formed." I tell her, knowing that she must feel as if she's an imposition. I put my arm around her shoulder and pull her into a side hug and add, "Mac's a tough Marine, but there's also a side to her that is... that is.."

That is what? A mother? A protector?

"I know.. I've seen that side of her a few times... Like when she's talking to Chloe on the phone, when she's with Bud's kids, or when she's concerned about you. Someday, she's going to be a great mom... who knows, I might adopt her as a mom... I mean, she is going to marry my 'kind of sort of Dad', you know?" She says, smiling up at me.

On the way to Mac's apartment, I listen to her talk about school, Grace Aviation, and her desire to get 'back up'... I can tell that she misses flying.. I miss it as well.. Maybe we can put in some air time this weekend... Mattie and I could fly, Mac could drive and meet us in Flanagan Field... Then Mac and I could fly home and Mattie could drive Mac's Corvette home... Mattie would love that.. I think Mac would too...