1348 EST
JAG HQ
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
Looking up, the Navy Captain could've sworn someone was watching him. After scanning the bullpen numerous times he decided that there was no one watching him and finally let his eyes travel to the window of his wife's office.
Standing from his seat behind his own desk he quickly strode across the bullpen knocking on his wife's door before letting himself in, "Hey Marine, you hungry?"
"Always," she smiled looking up from the paperwork she had been so engrossed in, "but sorry I can't, I promised the Admiral that while we were opposing we wouldn't make any public displays."
"Like you being eight months pregnant isn't enough of a public display," he smiled, closing the door as he entered the office shutting the blinds, before leaning over to kiss her, "not to mention the two rascals down in daycare."
"They aren't rascals," she replied swiping him on the shoulder, "they're our children."
"Admit it sometimes they give you a headache as much as me," he laughed, dropping into one of the chairs at the far side of her desk.
"Okay so maybe sometimes they can be, but this definitely isn't one of them I mean come on, they are two of the most well behaved kids, although this little sailor likes to get his kicks in while he can," she laughed running her hand over her distended middle smiling as once again the life within her gave a swift kick.
"He's just making sure that everyone knows he's in there," Harm laughed moving to pull her chair out from her desk and squatting in front of her to feel as well.
"His father's son, has to have all the attention," Mac retorted, just as there was a knock at her door. "Enter!"
"I'm sorry, ma'am, sir!" Petty Officer Coates quickly apologized, "but there is someone here to see you, says his name is, Mic Brumby."
"Thank you Coates, send him in please," Mac, sighed quickly situating herself under her desk where the pregnancy wasn't obvious.
"Did you know he was coming?" Harm asked standing behind her.
"No, and I'd really hate to think that you would think that of me," she responded quickly just as there was another knock at her door. "Enter!"
"Sarah, it's . . . sorry the Petty Officer said I could just come on in," he stopped short at seeing the two together.
"No it's okay we just weren't expecting you that's all, what can we do for you?" Harm asked laying a protective hand over Mac's shoulder.
"I just came to ask the Colonel out to dinner that's all," he smiled softly, hoping his charm would work.
"I'm sorry Mic, but I already have plans," Mac replied, "but maybe if you called I could squeeze you in." She quickly wrote their home phone number on a small slip of paper before handing it to him.
"I don't want to upset your plans but I'm only in town for the week maybe lunch, if that would suit you better," he tried again hoping to leave the bullpen with at least an actual answer.
"Umm," Mac flipped through her planner that sat on her desk, "I'm sorry Mic, but it looks like all my lunches this week are taken."
"Alright then I'll give ya a ring tonight and see what we can come up with," and just like that Mic Brumby was out of her office as fast as he had been in.
"Don't tell me you are actually going to have lunch with that man," Harm exclaimed closing the door, so that their conversation wouldn't be overheard.
"Harm, this is ridiculous, you don't have a reason to be jealous or to be worried," Mac rested her head on the palm of her hand.
"I think I have every right to be worried. You were going to marry this man," Harm sighed.
"But I didn't and if I remember correctly it had something to do with a certain Navy Commander Aviator turned lawyer flying into the ocean," she smiled coyly, "and even though I was very worried about you I finally realized what I really wanted in life."
"Oh really? And what would that be Colonel?" he grinned back.
"A good career, a good man, good kids, and comfortable shoes lots and lots of them," she laughed remembering their conversation from years ago.
"That's new, but I think you've got 3 out of 4," he smiled sadly.
"Nope, I'm pretty sure I got all four, now Flyboy get out I've got work to do before court."
1830 EST
RABB RESIDENCE
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA
"Whoa, slow down," Harm's arm wrapped around the waist of small boy, who was carrying a small plane through the house. The speed with which the boy was moving caused the cowlick at the front of the boy's head to fly up with the wind.
"Got to land, Daddy," the young boy of three yelled trying to squirm out of his arms.
"But you've got to slow down Trey, we are inside; but I'll tell you what if you go play quietly; after dinner I'll come play with you," Harm smiled kissing the little boy on the forehead, setting him on his own two feet.
As Trey ran towards his room, he headed for the kitchen where he knew he would find his wife. "There are my girls," he smiled brightly wrapping an arm around his wife's rapidly expanding waist.
"What did Trey do this time?" she asked not bothering to stop what she was doing at the stove.
"Running in the house, just had to slow him down a little," he replied, kissing her neck lightly looking over her shoulder into the pasta she was cooking.
"Look Daddy I made this for you," the five-year-old Katie laughed, holding the paper up to him.
"Really well let's see," Harm picked her up setting her on the counter and took the drawing to look it over, "I see a little dark haired girl, and is that another little boy?" he asked studying the picture, "That looks like Mommy in her Marine greens, and is that me in my summer whites and gold wings?"
"Yes, and look I even made sure to include the new baby, you see Mommy is fat," she laughed pointing it out in the picture.
"Hey! I'm not fat," Mac laughed reaching out to tickle her daughter, with all the commotion going on in the kitchen the only person to hear the phone ring was Trey.
"Rabb Resdence," he answered politely the same way he had heard his sister do.
"Is there a Sarah MacKenzie there?" the thick Australian voice asked.
"Hold on," he sighed in an irritated voice, much like his father's. Walking into the kitchen Trey found his father holding his sister by the ankles while Mommy tickled her. Walking to his mother he tugged on her jeans, holding the phone up to her, "he asked for a Sarah Kenzie," he tried to articulate.
"Thank you, Trey," she lowered to his level placing a quick kiss on his nose before taking the phone from his hand, "This is Sarah MacKenzie," she swatted at Harm to quite him and Katie, and pointing toward the other room.
"I didn't realize you and Rabb were sharing residence," Mic's voice carried from the other side as she pulled herself up from the floor and continued with the noodles on the stove.
"Aw, I guess that was just something that slipped by you," she smiled to herself turning when Harm came back into the room, "what day are you asking for?"
"Tomorrow night?" there was a hopeful tone to his voice, "I made reservations at La Tours."
"Actually we have dinner every night, you're welcome to join us," Mac invited linking one hand with Harm's letting him take over the cooking and leaning back against him.
"I guess that could work, I'll stop by the office tomorrow to get the directions," he sighed somewhat dejectedly, "Bye."
"Bye," she answered clicking the phone off and setting it aside, resting her hand with the other and Harm's on her belly. "He'll be joining us for dinner tomorrow night," she looked toward Harm.
"Alright so what do you want to do with the kids?" he asked rubbing a smooth circle on her stomach and continued on the sauce.
"I think we should feed them before he gets here and then have dinner for us with Mic," she replied before calling the kids to the table slipping out of Harm's embrace and pulling the plates down from the cabinet.
"Katie you want to say the blessing?" Harm asked settling into his seat as the last member of family.
"God is great, God is good, Let us thank him for our food, by his hands, we shall be fed, give us lord our daily bread, Amen," she finished quickly letting go of both her brother's and father's hands to grab her fork.
Dinner and bedtime were done with their usual normalcy and Harm met Mac at the doorway to the bedroom. "Is mommy tired?" he asked as she yawned.
"Yes, Mommy is very tired and realizing second trimester energy has faded," she sighed leaning into his warm embrace accepting the kiss he offered.
"Then let's make sure you get plenty of rest," Harm pulled her into the room and shut the door softly behind them.
2015 Local
RABB RESIDENCE
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA
The knock at the door caught the Rabbs off guard; Mac was trying to put Trey down while Harm cooked dinner. Katie called that she had it as she ran to the door, "who is it?" she asked, just like her parents taught her.
"Mic Brumby," he called, Katie looked back as her father entered the room and nodded for her to open the door.
"My you are a miniature of Sarah," Mic smiled at the little girl as he squatted to her level, handing her a flower out of the bundle he carried.
"You sound funny," she answered not accepting the flower he held out to her, "Daddy why does he sound like that?"
"Because he's from a different country honey," Harm answered his daughter, "now young lady it's your bed time, go on up I'll be up in a few minutes, and I'll be inspecting those teeth too."
"Yes, sir," she saluted him exactly the way she had seen both her mother and father do on many occasions.
"She's quite the Sheila," Mic smiled after the little girl as she scrambled up the stairs.
"She's her mother's daughter," Harm motioned him to follow him to the kitchen, "I hope you enjoy pasta, we've been having it a lot lately."
"Harm, don't tell me you're mocking my cravings," Mac joked entering the kitchen, "I believe you've got a munchkin to tuck in."
"Yes, I'll be right back," he quickly dropped a kiss on her forehead heading to the stairs.
"So you and Rabb, how long has that been?"
"Well Katie's 5 and Trey is 3 and we were married two years before Katie was born, we're pushing eight years," she sighed looking over the current pasta of choice as it cooked on the stove top.
"I'm guessing that means any chance I could possibly have had would be out the window?" He asked taking the plates she took down from the cabinet.
"I'd say that's a pretty safe bet," she laughed, "we'll eat in the living room if that's okay," she told him as he started to set the plates on the kitchen table.
"Alright, they are settled on our bed finishing 'Shrek'," Harm entered the kitchen grabbing the oven mitts as the pasta started to bubble over. Taking it to the sink where he quickly drained the water and dumped it into the big bowl adding the sauce when it finished.
"Harm--" she warned.
"Hey for one thing it's Friday night, and this is early for them anyway," he defended placing the bowl in the middle of the coffee table.
"Fine but you're moving them to their own beds," she sighed sinking into his large recliner, the only chair comfortable enough anymore.
"I know," he replied handing her a full plate and a glass of milk, "Mic, a beer?"
"If you don't mind," he replied serving himself and finding a spot on the couch, "so how is it that you two managed to find each other?"
"Well once we were both single we just somehow managed to start seeing each other more often and next thing I know, he's transferred and down on one knee in the middle of the bullpen," Mac laughed remembering how everyone seemed to be quite puzzled when he showed up in his dress whites that day for work.
"So Harm what is it you do now?" he asked when Harm had settled himself in a kitchen chair next to Mac.
"Well I'm the legal liaison between JAG and Congress, which means that ninety percent of the time I'm at JAG anyway, in fact I just kicked this one's six in court," he joked nudging Mac gently.
"That doesn't count we both knew she was guilty before we even started," she sighed setting her half-eaten plate aside.
After more than half an hour Mac had tuned out the conversation as the pain, that she'd been having all day mind you, in her back started to become unbearable. She was focused so hard on breathing normally that she didn't even notice that her son had come down stairs, until he crawled into her lap and rested his head against her breast.
"Trey, I thought you were going to sleep?" Harm asked leaning down eye level with his son.
"Katie went sleep and me got scared," he replied, snuggling into his mother fully jostling her belly a little too much causing her to plead with Harm through her eyes, her hand reaching for his.
"Mac, what's wrong?" he asked noticing how her forehead creased in pain, "Trey come here son."
"NO, stay wif Mommy," he cried taking a death grip on her neck.
"Honey you need to go to Daddy, please," she whispered in his ear, not noticing Mic quietly slipping out of the house.
"Why Mommy?" he asked his lower lip lowering.
"Because Mommy's in labor," she whispered, Harm suddenly going on alert taking Trey from her lap and running up the stairs.
He returned moments later with both children dressed holding their packed bags, the phone attached to his ear as he went into the kitchen, "Yeah, Bud just meet us at the hospital, they'll have what they need."
Trey and Katie both observed the scene with keen interest and Daddy rushed around, running out side with Mommy's bag and the key's coming back moments later, "Okay the car's warming up," he squatted in front of Mommy taking her hands. "How you doing?"
"Good, considering," she squeezed his hand gritting his teeth a couple of foreign words escaping her lips.
He grabbed both children one under each arm, taking them to the car, getting Katie into her booster seat was a lot easier than getting Trey into his car seat especially since he was once again calling for his Mommy.
He came back, helping Mac from the chair, wrapping an arm around her lower back as they started the slow trek to the car stopping only once as her legs almost gave out on her.
2200 Local
BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL
BETHESDA, MARYLAND
Harm strolled into the delivery room in the protective wear they had given him; Bud had taken the kids about half an hour ago. "Hey how you doing?" he asked sitting on the stool by her head behind the raised sheet.
Her other two children had been c-sections and the doctor's felt it best to deliver this one the same way. "Excited," she answered a little wearily after almost a full day of labor, of course most of which she ignored, she was ready for a nap.
"Alright, Captain, Colonel you about ready to meet this one," Lt. Marcus asked as he was handed the scalpel, "You may feel a little pressure Colonel." And not five minutes later, the healthy wail of a newborn drifted through the room, "You want to tell her." He looked Harm holding up the baby.
"It's a boy," he smiled behind his surgical mask and squeezed Mac's hand, "he's perfect."
"Well go cut the cord," she ordered, releasing his hand turning her head to watch as they cleaned the baby and allowed Harm his fatherly duty.
0734 Local
BETHSDA NAVAL HOSPITAL
BETHESDA, MARYLAND
The Australian knew they would come to this hospital so he watched the crowd gather early the next morning as the Naval Captain pointed to the small bundle wrapped in blue through the nursery window. He held his other son so he could see while his daughter held his hand.
The little boy asked something and all the adults laughed and the Captain nodded, setting him on the floor and speaking to a nurse before he led both his children down the long hallway. Mic imagined it was to see their mother and get a chance to hold their new brother. He slipped out the door muttering to himself about missed chances.
"Hey look who I found," Harm held the door open allowing the kids in. The nurse had beaten them and was handing the newborn to Mac.
"Hey guys, I've got somebody here I want you to meet," Mac smiled as Harm lifted them onto the bed and then stood close to them. "This is your new baby brother."
"What's his name?" Katie asked trailing a finger over his exposed foot.
"Matthew James," Harm supplied. All the while Trey watched the scene carefully, "where's he going to live?" he finally asked.
"In the room next to Mommy and Daddy," Katie told him in a matter-of-fact tone, in the next breath asking to hold him.
"Sure," Harm set her in the chair next to the bed and reached back for Matt.
Leaving Mac and Trey on the bed, a pout firmly on his face, "We should give him back."
"We can't honey," she pulled him to her, "he's your brother, he belongs at home with us. Tell you what Daddy and I never had any brothers or sisters growing up and we got lonely a lot."
"I guess he can come home, but if he takes my Tommy he goes back," he told her; Tommy of course being he Tomcat model.
"Of course," she laughed pulling him onto her lap ignoring the pain it caused just content to hold her little boy.
THE END