"...I know Frank..." Mac said on the phone on Saturday morning. The doorbell rang. "That's probably Jen so I should go... I know... No I won't buy anything without talking to Harm and I'll call and get your opinion too.... Thanks for your help. Give Trish my love." Mac hung and walked to the door as the bell rang again. "I'm coming." She opened.

"Hi Mac."

"Sturgis, sorry I was expecting Jen. Come in." Mac stepped back to let him in.

"Am I interrupting then?" Sturgis asked.

"No, she's just going to baby sit for a while. But this is a nice surprise or did Harm send you to check up on me?" Sturgis paused before responding.

"I found this while I was out shopping and thought I should by it for my goddaughter." He held out a little gift bag.

"Why don't you give it to her?" Mac suggested. "She's in the playpen."

"It would probably be better if you opened it, she might try and eat it."

Mac took the bag opened it pulling out a little t-shirt. She opened it up and chuckled at what it said.

"'Don't mess with me my Mom is a Marine'?" Mac read.

"I thought it was very apt."

"I'm sure Harm will appreciate it. Look Abi what Uncle Sturgis bought you." Mac showed it to Abi, who was lying on her back playing with her foot. Receiving no reaction, "I'm sure she will appreciate it. As nice as this is Harm asked you to come by and check on me didn't he?"

"Yes." Sturgis admitted.

"Well I'm going out. But if you're not busy you could come with me. A male opinion is always useful."

"Where are you going?"

"Shopping for a minivan." Mac replied.

"A minivan?" Sturgis questioned.

"I have husband who is six foot four, an eight month old and in just over five months I'm going to have twins too. The SUV is not big enough. I've talked to Frank for advice, so I'm going shopping."

"Does Harm know about this?" Sturgis questioned.

"Not yet, but he's in the middle of the ocean at the moment. A minivan is practical."

"You're going to go out and buy a minivan without telling him, this is worse than painting Abi's room, when he went flying and almost as bad as Harriet buying the house without telling Bud."

"I'm not actually going to buy one today. I'm just going to look for one. I promised Frank I wouldn't buy one without consulting him and Harm and I'll stick to it. But if I have one picked out and I know it's the most practical it will be an easier sell to Harm."

"Harm's not going to appreciate having to drive a minivan."

"Oh I know his opinion on minivan's from when Harriet was trying to convince Bud into buying one when she was pregnant with AJ. I'll be driving it most of the time anyway, I told him before Abi was born that he could keep the corvette and I still say that. We just need to trade the SUV in."

"I'll come with you just to make sure you don't get talked into buying anything you don't want to."

"Sturgis, I'm a Marine and a judge, do you really think I'd get talked into buying something I didn't want to?" Mac asked.

"No." Sturgis admitted. The doorbell rang.

"That will be Jen." Mac said. She glanced at Abi who was still trying to figure out how to put her feet in her heels in her mouth. "Hi Jen." Mac opened the door.

"Hi ma'am. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine thank you. Come in make yourself at home, Abi's in her playpen trying to eat her foot. She's had breakfast so she should be okay until lunch, which is in the fridge."

"I'm sure we'll be okay." Jen said. "Hi Commander."

"Jen."

"Sturgis is here to check up on me, so I'm taking him shopping."

"Did Mr Burnett give you any good advice?" Jen asked.

"He gave me the right area to look at, but unfortunately Chrysler don't make anything big enough so we could get the family discount." Mac explained.

"You knew about this?" Sturgis questioned.

"Sir, we had to talk about something other than my big mouth all week. It's practical, and Abi has a lot of stuff now, let alone with two more."

"Thank you." Mac said. "Let me just get my purse. I'll have my cell phone Jen."

"We'll be fine ma'am. Have fun shopping for a car."

#

Sturgis stood back and watched as the salesman tried to pitch the benefits of his particular minivan to Mac. As this was the third dealership they had been to, he knew not say anything as Mac had the situation handled.

"So you see Mrs Rabb this minivan has all the practicalities you need with a growing family."

"I really don't know and with my husband away at sea." She played the part of the dim witted nervous wife who had never bought a car by herself perfectly.

"It's exactly meets your needs Mrs Rabb and at only $35 995." He said patronisingly.

"I don't think so." Mac said slipping out the drivers seat. "One that's way too much for what it is, it's fuel consumption is way top high, fighter jets have better fuel consumption and I should know. I would never fit a double and a single buggy the back the back and the all the other baby equipment I need. And you are a patronising little twat. Sturgis why is it that car salesmen always think women who are trying to buy a car are stupid?"

"I don't know Colonel, but hopefully Chrysler have better policy otherwise you'd better get your father-in-law to sort it out."

"Helps when he's the VP there."

"Your father-in-law is a VP at Chrysler?" The salesman questioned.

"Yes and I'm a Marine Colonel and a judge. Excuse us we have to go somewhere else to buy a car."

Mac walked towards the door. "Come on Commander." Mac said.

"Yes ma'am." Sturgis followed her.

TBC