A/N: I realize March may be a little late for a snow storm but since I currently find myself snowed in, I couldn't resist. You know there's a lot of snow on the ground when the water company is asking people to dig out any fire hydrants on their property. Thanks to Chris for the beta.
Spoilers: I do mention things that are supposed to happen in future episodes but all things considered I can't be to faithful to the spoilers, can I?
Harm and Mac's House
1635 hours
03/10/2004
"Ah!" I squeal as I step into the entryway.
"Mac! You okay?"
"Yeah, Mattie, I'm fine I just slipped. Shoveling is done at least for awhile."
"Here let me help you out of that."
Mattie reaches up and undoes my hood and unzips my jacket. I'm actually thankful for the help. I'm so cold I'm not sure I could get my gear off without help. I hate shoveling snow but the snow blower is out of gas and Harm's in the Netherlands so that leaves me. Mattie offered to help but one of us needs to stay inside with the boys. Once my snow gear is off I head for the kitchen.
"Uh, Mac? Why don't you go take a bath?"
"That sounds wonderful, Mattie, but I need to get dinner started." And it does sound wonderful I got quite the workout out there.
"Already done, Mac. There's cornbread ready to go in the oven and leftover chili heating on the stove. Dinner should be ready by the time you're done."
"Thanks, Mattie. I think I will." I head upstairs and prepare a bath. It feels really good to soak in the hot water. It's amazing the muscles you work shoveling a foot of snow.
I can smell the chili and cornbread as I head back downstairs. I also hear music coming from the family room. I can't help chuckling when I recognize the music. AJ is watching Muppet Treasure Island and they're at the part where the ship's hands are singing We've got Cabin Fever.
When I get to the living room I find Jimmy playing on the floor, Mattie reading, and AJ watching the movie. Mattie looks up at the sound of my chuckling.
"What's so funny, Mac?"
"Listen to the movie, Mattie." It only takes 15 seconds before Mattie's laughing too.
"That is kind of funny. Especially since we've been cooped up here for three days."
"Exactly. How's dinner coming?"
"Ready whenever we are."
"Well the movie's almost over, let's wait until it's done. What are you reading?"
"Romeo and Juliet. They covered it first semester."
"Need any help?"
"Nah, I got it. Thanks, Mac."
I sit down on the floor to play with Jimmy and watch the rest of the movie. We're down to the
last few minutes of the movie when Mattie starts laughing. I turn to look at her and she's got tears
in her eyes she's laughing that hard.
"Uh, Mattie, last time I checked Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy not a comedy."
Mattie takes a couple of deep breaths trying to calm herself down.
"I know it is. A teacher gave me this book called a Red Reader. It has the play and some notes explaining what's being said, and some of them are hilarious."
"Like what?"
"Well during the nurses speech in Act I, there's a comment that says 'what part of shut up don't you understand.' But that's not my favorite."
"What's your favorite?"
"Well the part where they refer to Romeo as a raging hormone is good. My favorite though is during Romeo's first speech in the orchard it says 'Guys, I know you're tempted, but don't try these lines on your next date. Remember, Romeo is a trained professional.' Then they sum up the 25 lines of Romeo's speech into 'Juliet is a hotty!'"
She's right they are pretty funny.
"You know Mattie, you're right those are funny. If they'd had those when I was in school I might have paid more attention to Shakespeare."
"Yeah, I don't mind reading the play now, and I understand what's going on."
"That's important. Well the movie's over let's go eat dinner."
"Yeah, dinner!" AJ yells tearing into the kitchen.
Mattie looks at me. "Think he's hungry?"
"Maybe just a little." I pick up Jimmy and we head into dinner.
Harm and Mac's kitchen
1805 hours
03/10/2004
Mattie and I are just finishing cleaning up from dinner when the phone rings.
"I got it!"
Mattie grabs the phone. I assume it's a friend from school who's as tired of being snowed in as she is. The conversation is only one minute and thirty-seven seconds old before I know I'm wrong.
"NO!"
Mattie slams down the phone and runs upstairs to her room. I know she's in her room because I can hear the door slam from where I'm standing in the kitchen. I start to go after her but don't get very far before the phone rings again.
"Hello."
"Hello Mac, it's Tom Johnson. Can I talk to Mattie?"
"I'm not sure that's a good idea. She just ran to her room and slammed the door. Was she talking to you on the phone earlier?"
"Yeah, I wanted her to come see me."
"Tom, let me talk to her. We've been snowed in for 3 days and we're all a little cranky. Can you come by JAG Friday for lunch and we'll talk?"
"I can do that. Mac, I just want to make things right."
"I know. Like I said, let me talk to Mattie. I'll talk to you Friday."
"Okay bye, Mac."
"Bye."
I really wish Harm were here instead of Europe defending the SECNAV. I check on AJ in the family room before heading upstairs to talk to Mattie.
"Mattie, can I come in?"
"I guess."
Mattie's sitting on her bed looking out the window. I sit next to her.
"I talked to your dad."
"I don't want to go see him."
"What about if he came here to see you?"
"I don't know."
"Mattie, I know it's hard but you need to forgive him." Boy! if looks could kill I'd at least be in intensive care.
"Not for him, Mattie. It's not healthy to be this angry. Did Harm ever tell you about my parents?"
"No."
"My dad drank and was abusive. Not physically towards me but still abusive. My mom left him and me on my fifteenth birthday. For along time I was mad, and being mad defined a lot of what I was. That anger lead me to make some really stupid choices. It wasn't until my father was dying that I found a way to forgive him. I'm happier since that happened. I've still made some bad choices but I've been able to find my way back from them easier. All that anger is going to make it hard for you to be happy, and your mom would want you to be happy right?"
"Yeah."
"So will you work on things with your dad?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"We'll take things slow. I promise."
"Okay, I don't want to go stay with him though."
"That's fine if you're not ready. What if he came here for dinner Friday or Saturday night. Would that be okay?"
"I guess."
I figure that's the closest thing to acceptance I'm going to get. I give Mattie a quick hug and head back downstairs to check on the boys. I really can't wait for Harm to get back.
A/N2: Red Reader's really do exsist. They are published by Teacher's Discovery. They have them for Romeo and Juliet, MacBeth, Julius Caesar, The Scarlet Letter, The Tempest, and Edgar Allan Poe. The comments Mattie quote are actually from the Romeo and Juliet Red Reader.