AN - Underline means on the phone.
AN – We made a minor mistake in the last chapter. The SECNAV should have been Sheffield, not Nelson. Thanks to Hieros Gamos for pointing that at. We thought we got those little things. Thanks.
...Till Death Does Us Part Chapter III – Part 14/24
Disclaimer - See part one for all important information
JAG
1:27 PM
Mac and Harm stood there staring at their CO and the SECNAV, their faces a mixture of shock, horror, and total confusion. The expression was somewhere between one from a surprise birthday party and a deer, right before the highlights nail it. They would have broken regs and stared at each other, but they didn't dare.
AJ crossed his arms. "Do you two have anything to say?"
They both remained quiet, not trusting their voices and not knowing what to say. Harm knew he was in trouble, and Mac was just plain confused. Sheffield looked at AJ, "AJ, I have a meeting. I expect this to be cleared up by tomorrow morning." Sheffield gave Harm and Mac one last look. "Sometimes it's best not to upset people who can bring you down." Then he left the office.
AJ watched the door close and then he saw the confusion and shock in Harm and Mac's eyes. "I know it was part of the case you two worked together in Vegas." He picked up the marriage license. "Little Lost Love Chapel of Las Vegas." He sighed and sat down. "Sit down and spill it."
Harm and Mac sat down in the chairs in front of the Admiral. Mac took a deep breath. "We were trying to outrun Kassman's associates and ended up getting married by accident," Mac explained.
AJ looked at Harm and knew something else was under this story. "Did you two have any intention of getting married?"
"No, Sir," Mac answered and looked at Harm, who was still silent. "Sir, I don't know how the SECNAV found out about the marriage, but it doesn't matter. The marriage was, at the time, when the Commander wasn't in the NAVY. We also got it annulled at the time I was on my way to Italy."
AJ held the papers up in front of her. "The SECNAV's papers don't show that. There are no records that show it being annulled. You and the Commander are married."
"What? That has to be a mistake. I mailed the papers to the Commander, before I left for to Italy." Mac looked over at Harm and watched as he almost shrunk in his seat. "We're not married. Harm, tell him."
Harm took a deep breath and fear was etched on his face. AJ actually for once in life saw the look of shear terror in Harm's eyes. Harm cleared his throat and softly said, "I can't, Mac."
Mac was silent for a minute before she looked at Harm. "What? What do you mean you can't?"
Harm looked at Mac. "I never took the papers down to the courthouse," he admitted. He had to admit he felt slightly better knowing that she finally knew the truth.
Suddenly the room, and the JAG himself, cringed. "You what??!!!" Mac shouted at Harm as she felt complete anger and rage towards the man who was apparently still her husband.
AJ knew he had to do something. "Snap to!" He ordered. Harm and Mac quickly stood at attention. "This is neither the time, nor the place, to discuss this. Go home and come in tomorrow with an explanation and a decision on what we should do next." AJ ran his hand over his head. "I need to do some research, and after we talk tomorrow, I'll meet with the SECNAV and see how he wants to proceed." He took a deep breath. "Dismissed."
"Aye, aye Sir," Harm and Mac said before they turned and left the office.
As soon as they were outside AJ's office with his door shut, Mac turned and looked up at Harm. Her face was deadpan and Harm saw the rage and anger in her eyes. "Not one word, Rabb. I will meet you at home," Mac said in a monotone voice through a clenched jaw.
Harm just shook his head and knew that there would not be much rational talking once they got home. Part of him was glad they took separate cars to work this morning.
Harm and Mac's House
McLean, Virginia
2:25 PM
Harm and Mac had made it home, but did not make it past the kitchen when the fight started. Harm followed Mac into the living room where she proceeded to yell at him for not sending the papers in.
"Damn it, Harm, explain this to me," Mac demanded.
Harm took a deep breath. "Are you going to be quiet enough for me to explain, or are you going to yell at me as I tell you what happened?"
"Yes," Mac responded crossing her arms in front of her chest.
Harm glared at her. "I never wanted the annulment."
"We decided it was the best course of action," Mac informed him as their tempers started to rise.
"I signed the papers and left them with you. Why didn't you take care of them?"
"You are not going to blame this on me." Mac took a step towards him and he took a step back. "I mailed them to you with a note, telling you why I couldn't take care of them."
"Mac, it's all in the past. There is nothing we can do about it now."
"Like hell, there isn't. We could get charged and court marshaled," Mac told Harm as she started to pace the room.
"We're not going to get court marshaled," Harm told her.
"Harm, we're legally married and serving in the same unit without letting anyone know. Not only did you screw us, but you put AJ in one hell of a spot."
"Me. Hey, Mac, I'm not the only one involved here!" Harm yelled at her.
"Don't remind me," Mac muttered as her anger kept growing. She wanted to know the truth, but couldn't keep herself calm enough to hear it.
Harm took her mutter and the silence that followed as a sign, which the fight was slowing down. He took a step towards her and touched her arm. Mac jerked it away from him as if his touch burned her skin. "Mac," Harm softly said.
"So you just took it upon yourself to keep us married. Damn it!" Mac yelled at Harm.
Harm stared at her. "We're legally married, Mac. We can't get an annulment; our son kind of ruins that."
"I can't believe you did this." Mac took a few steps away from him.
Harm ran his hands over his face. "I didn't do all of it on purpose."
Mac stormed over to him. "All of it?"
Harm bit his tongue. "I found the papers a few days after I knew Ty was mine."
"So you've known for the past few months and you didn't tell me?"
"I want us to be married."
"We are not married."
"Like hell we aren't."
Mac took a step closer to him and was about to say something when Harm pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She was thrown off for a few seconds, but quickly found her ground. She pulled back from him and slapped him across the face.
The first sound after the smack was Ty who lets out a wail. Harm's hand went to his face and Mac turned around to see Trish, Frank, and Sarah standing there. Ty cried in Trish's arms. Mac glanced at the shocked faces of Harm's family, standing in the doorway of the living room. She didn't know how long they were standing there, but that didn't matter. She could tell they heard what was going on.
Mac felt the tears fill up her eyes. She had to get out of the house. She looked back at Harm, then quickly walked over to Trish and picked Ty out of her arms. She grabbed her coat and stormed out of the house.
Harm moved to follow her, but Frank grabbed his arm. "Let her go, Son. She has Ty. Nothing is going to happen to her. Right now the worst thing you can do is to go after her and make it worse."
Harm stared at his stepfather and knew he was right. He heard the front door slam and his heart broke into a million pieces.
Frank took a breath and had no idea what to do. Trish and Sarah shared a concerned look and wondered what had happened and where Mac was going with Ty.
"Harm, why don't we go into the kitchen and you can tell your mother and grandmother what happened," Frank suggested.
Harm shook his head as his world fell around him. The four adults went into the kitchen. Harm told them everything and to say Sarah and Trish were surprised was the understatement of the year. They stared at Harm and their jaws dropped as he told the story.
McLean, Virginia
3:07 PM
Frank drove the SUV down a street and found a small park, nestled at the end. He should have told Trish that he was going to find Mac, but he didn't. As Harm told the story to them, he left, figuring Mac couldn't have gotten that far; all she had was her coat and Ty. However, what he didn't know was that in the pocket of her coat were her keys, wallet, and cell phone.
He pulled the SUV off to the side of the road and looked at the map he had on the passenger seat. "Damn it, Mac where are you?" He looked up from the map and out of the passenger window. His view moved onto a nearby bench. "Thank you."
Mac sat on the bench with Ty in her arms. Tears rolled down her face as she held Ty to her chest. Ty was confused at why his mother was crying like this, but all he knew was that he was warm. His grandparents made sure they bundled him up before they took him out for the day earlier. His winter clothes kept him warmer than his teddy bear sleeper.
Mac was so caught up in her misery she didn't hear Frank walk up to her. "Mac." She jerked her head up and stared at Frank and fear filled her eyes. Frank quickly knew what she thought. "It's just me. Okay?"
Mac shook her head.
"Can I sit down?" Frank asked, knowing he would have to take this slowly. Mac shook her head again. Frank sat down next to her. Mac looked at her feet and noticed Frank had brought something with him.
Frank followed her eyes and he explained. "I figured Ty might need something. So I brought his bag."
Mac looked up at Frank, opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't. Frank pulled her into his arms. Mac went willingly, and he held her to him. His hands soothed down her back. "Shhh...it's okay, Mac. Just let it out." And she did. Mac let all of her anger slip out of her, and Frank just held on. He wished, he could take away her pain, but knew he couldn't. He kissed the top of her head and continued his whispering to her.
After about twenty minutes, Mac's sobs stopped. Frank pulled back from his hold on her so he could see her face. He reached into his pocket and offered her a handkerchief. Mac tried to smile and took it from him. He took Ty from her arms as she blew her nose and wiped her eyes.
Ty looked up at his grandfather and smiled. Frank kissed Ty's forehead and tighten the hood on his coat. Frank felt Ty's nose and was a little worried. "Mac?"
Mac looked over at Frank. "I know. But I can't go home, yet," Mac whispered.
Frank shook his head. "I passed by a coffee house. Why don't we go there? We can get a cup of coffee and something warm for Ty." Frank then sniffed Ty. "And it seems like he could use a changing."
"Okay," Mac's voice was barley above a whisper.
He picked up the baby bag, stood up and held Ty with one arm to him. He offered Mac his free hand. His heart lurched as he watched her smaller hand tremble before hers was placed into his. His body shivered as he wrapped her ice-cold hand into his. They slowly walked over to the SUV. Frank opened the car and Mac climbed in. Then he placed Ty into the baby seat. Once the three of them were in the car, he started it and turned the heater on full blast.
Java Café
McLean, Virginia
3:35 PM
Frank sat in a booth in the back of the café. Mac was in the restroom changing Ty and washing her face. He reached into his coat to get his cell phone and hit three on the speed dial. He waited for someone to pick up.
"Hello," Sarah Rabb said into the phone.
"Sarah, it's Frank," he said in a drained voice.
Sarah looked around the kitchen. Harm was at the table and Trish was running her hand across his back as he stared at the wall. "Where are you, Frank?" Trish's head snapped up at her husband's name.
"I left while Harm was talking to find Mac."
Sarah quickly cut him off. "Did you find her? Is she okay?" Harm looked over at his grandmother, knowing she was asking about Mac.
"I found her. She's upset, scared, and a little cold." Frank watched the restroom door, and hoped Mac wouldn't get upset at him for calling the house.
"Where are you?" Sarah asked as her eyes looked at Harm's pain filled ones.
Frank took a deep breath. "We're at a coffee house. Try not to worry. I'm going to get her to talk and then we'll come back to the house, once she's ready." Frank saw the restroom door open and Mac walk out. "Don't let Harm leave the house."
"I understand," Sarah said, knowing if Harm left to find Mac, it wouldn't do any good.
"I've got to go, now. Just tell Harm that Mac and Ty are fine," Frank said, hanging up his phone, before Sarah could say anything else.
Harm and Mac's house
Same Time
"Okay," Sarah said into the phone before she hung it up.
"Is Mac okay?" Harm asked worried.
"Scared, upset, and cold; those were Frank's exact words," Sarah told her grandson.
Harm quickly stood up. "I've got to talk to her. Where are they?"
Sarah looked at Trish. Trish stood up, knowing Sarah was going to need help controlling Harm. "She and Frank are at a coffee shop. Frank said you need to stay here; he's going to talk to Mac and calm her down."
Harm went to open his mouth, but Trish glared at him. "Don't even think about finding them, Harm. It won't do any good." Trish took his hand into hers. "Frank's good with people, let him talk to her first."
Harm looked at his mother, pain, fear, and desperation passed on his face. She pulled him into her arms and held onto her son. Sarah just watched, wondering what would happen to her grandson's family once Mac did come home.
Java Café
Mac sat down at the table after Frank offered to hold Ty as she drank her coffee. She looked at the cell phone on the table. "Did you tell them where we are?" Mac asked.
"I told Sarah we were at a coffee house and not to let Harm leave the house," Frank told her as Ty reached for the bottle of milk on the table. Frank picked it up and Ty proceeded to drink down the warm milk.
Mac's hands trembled at Harm's name. She looked down at her coffee. "Did he send you to find me?"
"No." Frank paused as Mac looked up at him. "I left while Harm told Trish and Sarah everything."
"Why did you leave, don't you want to know all the details?"
Frank knew these words might hurt Mac. "I already knew."
Mac stared at him. "What?"
Frank took a deep breath. "I overheard you and Harm talking after he was shot. When we were at Sarah's for Thanksgiving, I asked him a few questions and he told me everything. When he called and told me about you being pregnant we talked again. He promised me at Christmas that he would tell you everything after New Years."
"Why didn't he tell me?"
"I don't know, Mac. Only Harm can tell you that."
"I know." Mac took a drink of her coffee and wrapped her hands around the warm mug. "I just don't understand anything right now. Why did he do this?"
Frank took a breath and touched one of her hands with his. "Mac, only Harm can tell you."
Mac looked up at him. "Does he hate me for hitting him?"
"I didn't talk to him, but I know he doesn't hate you." He wrapped his fingers around hers. "Right now, just focus on getting warm. When you feel up to it we'll go back to the house."
Mac shook her head. "You're a good man, Frank. Ty's lucky to have you as a grandfather."
Frank grinned and looked down at the baby in his arms. "No, I'm lucky to have Ty."
For the first time, since the SECNAV told Mac about still being married to Harm, she smiled.
Harm and Mac's House
McLean, Virginia
6:45 PM
Frank pulled the SUV into the driveway and looked over at Mac. They had talked and drank coffee for three hours at the café before they decided it was time to go home.
"Are you sure you're ready, Mac?"
Mac took a deep breath. "Yeah, I can't run away from this."
Frank shook his head and turned the motor off. They both got out of the car. Mac got Ty out of his seat and Frank quickly took him from her. "I'll go put him to bed, he looks tired."
Mac shook her head. They both walked onto the porch. Mac looked at the swing and walked over to it; Frank just watched her and walked into the house. When the door opened Trish quickly walked over to the door. "Thank God, you're home."
Frank gave Trish a smile as he closed the door. "How's Harm?"
"Scared. Where's Mac?"
"On the porch," Frank said as they walked into the family room, where Sarah was handing Harm a cup of tea.
Harm looked up. "She's home?"
"On the porch," Frank said.
Harm stood up and looked at Frank. "Does she hate me?"
"She's just confused, Harm." He glanced towards the doorway he just walked through. "Why don't you get your coat and go outside and talk to her? Don't yell back if she gets upset. Just talk to her and explain everything."
Harm shook his head. He stepped towards his stepfather and thanked him with his eyes. He then left the room and grabbed his coat off the rack by the door. Harm took a breath, opened the door and stepped onto the porch before closing the door behind him. Mac was looking at the tree in the front yard with her back to him.
Harm opened his mouth, but the sight of her slumped shoulder left him speechless and scared. He watched as Mac took a breath. "I don't hate you, Harm."
"I'm sorry, Mac," he responded.
Mac slowly turned around and looked at him. "I know, Harm. But why? Why didn't you tell me about the papers? I thought we promised each other, that we wouldn't do this to each other anymore."
"I know Mac, and I wish I could tell you why. I found the papers in my desk drawer the night after we told AJ about the baby. A few minutes before you came over for dinner, actually. The envelope was still unopened." Harm took a breath. "The day I came back from my last CIA mission I saw the envelope in the mail. I could see it was from you. I was so sure I would find angry words inside it that I didn't open it. So I put it in my desk drawer and just forgot about them."
"Why didn't you tell me about it that night? We could have talked about what to do. The annulment was null and void, but we could have gotten a divorce then."
"No!" Harm forcefully said, looking Mac in the eyes.
"Excuse me? What do you mean 'no'?" Mac asked wondering what he was thinking.
"I don't want a divorce. I want this marriage."
Mac stared at him and hoped she could explain. "Harm, this isn't a marriage, it never was one in the first place. Why do you want it to be a marriage anyway? You were the one who walked out on me that night. You left a note and told me it wasn't real for you. That hurt me, Harm. That night was very real for me and I thought we finally got to the point where we could be together, but you didn't want it."
Harm looked at her and put it together. "Wait a second. Is that what you thought the note meant? You thought that I meant the night we spent together wasn't real?"
"What else should I've thought, Harm?" Mac took a few steps down the porch.
"Mac, I didn't mean the night we spent together. God, how could I anyway? The night was how I always thought it would be. I meant our marriage. I didn't want to be a husband who was always out of country. I had a job where I would have been unable to tell you where I was going or for how long I would be gone. I couldn't even tell you what kind of job I had to do." He took a step towards her. "That night, I forgot everything around us. In the morning I got up and saw my phone. I knew I would have to go again. It wasn't right; I had no right to drag you into that kind of mess."
Mac sat down on the porch swing. She chuckled softly to herself before she addressed him. "You know, that's why I backed away from you every time you tried to get near me. But that night I knew I could handle it. Everything would have been better than not being with you at all. You should have talked to me first, Harm. But to just walk away and to leave that kind of note was the wrong way to handle it."
Harm sighed and looked at her. "I know. Believe me I know, now."
He looked at the empty spot next to Mac and motioned to it. Mac nodded her head and Harm sat down next to her on the swing. They were silent for a few minutes. Both wondering, why they kept screwing up their lives.
"So, what now? I mean, it's no longer just about us. There is this cute little boy upstairs we have to think about, too," Mac said breaking the silence.
"I don't want to lose this all, please don't take it away from me," Harm begged.
Mac turned and looked into his eyes. "Harm, I could never take this away from you and I don't want to. But you know as well as I do what we have to do here. We're both lucky AJ believes us. He's going to support us no matter what we come up with." Mac paused. "We just need to figure out what to do."
"I know what I want," Harm muttered
Mac gave him a confused look. "What did you say?"
"Umm... nothing, Mac." Harm thought for a second. "Sturgis told me about a TAD on the Patrick Henry. I think I should talk with the Admiral and ask for permission to take the assignment. Maybe we both need some time for ourselves."
Mac thought about the option. "How long will you been gone?"
"Thirty days."
"When would you leave?"
"If it's okay with the Admiral, Monday," Harm told her, hoping she would go with this idea. It would give both of them the chance to think without getting into each other's faces about what to do. "Is that okay with you? If you think it's not a good idea, I'll drop it."
Mac thought for a minute, and knew he had the right idea. "No, it's a good idea. Maybe it's something we both need at the moment. But Ty will miss his daddy."
Harm smiled softly at her. "And Daddy will miss him just as much. But we'll keep in touch, right?"
Mac returned a soft smile at him. "You bet. When he doesn't want to sleep, I'll have to call you for lullabies."
Harm grinned, knowing she would do it if she had to. He knew this was something that couldn't really hurt them. The only thing that could hurt them would be being near each other, especially considering he knew their ability to push each other's buttons.
They fell silent as they both considered what to do. A question popped into Harm's head. "Mac?"
"Yeah?" Mac said looking at him.
"How do you think the SECNAV found out about the marriage?"
Mac took a breath. "I have an idea."
Harm was about to ask her, but the door opened and Trish was standing there. "I'm sorry, but Ty's being fussy." They then heard a cry from Ty. Trish looked back into the house.
"We'll be right in there, Mom," Harm said. Trish shook her head and left them.
"Guess we're done here for now," Mac said.
"Yeah, let's go take care of our little guy." Harm stood up from the swing and looked down at Mac. "Want to try a lullaby?"
Mac stood up. "Wouldn't miss it." Then the two of them walked into the house to calm the upset baby boy.
End Part 14