~~Full Disclosure~~
1635 Local (Wednesday)
Maddie's Office
As far as Maddie was concerned, it took forever for Wednesday to get here. She wasn't entirely sure how her clients felt about today's impending session, but she was certainly impatient. After Monday, she initially had doubts that they would continue with their counseling. The way Mac left upset and Harm desperate to run after her, tore at her heart. She hadn't heard from them except for confirming their next appointment, so she took that as a good sign they were coming today.
The butterflies in her stomach were doing a mean mambo right now. Of course the three cups of coffee and a can of diet coke did nothing to calm them either. She thanked the stars that today was a "light day" as far as appointments were concerned. Usually Wednesday mornings were reserved to catch up on errands or chart reviews. Today was no exception. Although she was too distracted for chart reviews, she did manage to take Zolly for his monthly pampering at Feline Finesse Spa-grooming, bath and mini-massage. She made a mental note to schedule something similar for herself-at the human spa, of course!
To drive the autumn chill from the office, Maddie kindled a fire in the fireplace. Zolly immediately found his spot on the rug directly in front of hearth. He stretched and then curled up into a furry ball, flicking his bushy tail around to cover his eyes.
Checking the time, Maddie pulled Harm and Mac's file from her drawer to review her notes from Monday-not that she needed to. Little by little Harm and Mac had taken Maddie deeper into their past during their last session. Everything that had transpired was quite clear in her mind. She felt like she had to chase the ghosts out of the closet in order to get to the real story-their story. "Wonder what mysteries will unfold today," she said aloud to herself.
The ringing of her private phone interrupted her train of thought, much to her dismay.
"Hello?" Maddie answered, trying to keep her annoyance to a simmer.
"Maddie? It's AJ Chegwidden. I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"Not at all, AJ. How are you?" she said, amiably this time.
"I'm fine," AJ paused, unsure of how to broach the subject of Harm and Mac. Since he had "unofficially" ordered them to counseling, he was curious to see how they were complying with his recommendation. But, he didn't want to step on Maddie's toes either.
Maddie had a feeling she knew what direction he was going to take this conversation. However, all she could do was give a brief overview as to how things were going or ask AJ a few questions without disclosing too much information on Harm and Mac. Specifics were something she kept confidential no matter who it was that was calling; she hoped AJ realized this.
She waited only a moment before deciding to take control of the impending discussion, asking, "What can I do for you AJ?"
"I hope I'm not out of line in asking how things are going with Harm and Mac."
"Not at all, as long as we keep things to generalizations," Maddie explained.
AJ jumped right to the question that was at the forefront of his thoughts, "So, are they making any progress?"
"Yes and no."
"What do you mean by that?" he asked bewildered by her comment. So help me, if those two are pulling stunts with the shrink, I'll kill them, he thought.
"Um, well, to put it to you bluntly, I think the easiest way to resolve this is to put the both of them in a room together-alone-and let nature take it's course," Maddie responded humorously, yet being honest at the same time.
"Excuse me?" AJ was flabbergasted at her frankness, even though the identical thought had briefly crossed his mind a time or two.
"OK, a hotel room to be more specific," Maddie added, not really sure that he was getting her drift.
AJ paused to try to suppress the laugh that was building up inside him. He knew all along that's what they needed, but how could you put THAT in a report? Realizing that there was dead air over the phone, he regained his composure and said, "I see" in his best authoritative tone.
"But, seriously AJ. Getting to the bottom of this is will take a lot more than one or two sessions. There is a lot more emotional baggage than either of them realizes they have," Maddie continued.
"They are quite the pair, aren't they? They've been to hell and back for one another," he said, mentally recalling what those two put him through over the years.
Now it was Maddie's turn to be confused, "What do you mean, AJ?"
"Well, there was South America, the Appalachians . . . and of course, Australia. And let's not forget Russia."
Maddie was taken aback, "I thought they were lawyers? They sound more like CIA operatives."
"CIA? They've done that too," AJ laughed.
"Honestly, AJ, so far it's going well," Maddie said, "They haven't missed an appointment and have been cooperative. I don't think you have anything to worry about."
"Good. I'd hate to follow through with the charges against both of them," he stated quite matter-of-factly.
"Now, AJ, would you really do that to them?" Maddie said with a teasing note to her voice.
He paused, giving thought to her question, "No. But what they don't know won't hurt them. They need to get their act together-pronto!"
Maddie laughed at his comment, figuring that his patience probably had a short fuse. Realizing the time, she said pointedly, "I really hate to cut this call short, AJ, but I have clients coming in at five o'clock and I need to prepare their file."
"No problem. You will keep in touch regarding their progress?"
"If the need arises, I will call you," Maddie replied. "Have a good evening, AJ."
"You too, Maddie."
She clicked the phone off and sighed, realizing there were less than 15 minutes until Harm and Mac's arrival. Looking at the open file in front of her, one sentence jumped out at her "did one of them want a relationship and the other wasn't ready". It was obvious the feelings for one another ran silent and deep, so why wouldn't they want a relationship with one another?
Choosing not to cloud her thoughts right now, Maddie kept that one question in the back of her mind. Her only plan at this point was to progress delicately today. And, maybe lock the doors-she didn't want either one of them leaving until the session was over!
****
6 Minutes later
King Street
Old Town Alexandria, VA
The drive over to Maddie's office was nerve wracking for Mac. It was 47 hours and 34 minutes ago that Harm finally opened the little black box that harbored the secret he kept for the past 18 months. Today she was going back to the scene of the "crime", so to speak. Since those hours and minutes ticked away, she had had time to think. Spending a little time with him yesterday watching little AJ was just enough to soothe her troubled soul. It didn't take her long, however, to realize that maybe she was carrying her anger a little too far. Although it truly wasn't anger the whole time-her emotions were so muddled that it was becoming hard to decipher anger from hurt and hurt from fear.
In her solitude, she had reconciled herself to the truth that there was "something" else there under that protective armor that Harm frequently wore when confronted with his feelings. Lately she had seen little bits of it peel away-at her apartment and then again at Bud and Harriet's. But, was this "something" that was there all along and she just didn't see it? Mac was hesitant to wonder what it was. Every time she thought she had the man figured out, he managed to take her down another path of elusiveness.
Sighing heavily, Mac pulled into the parking place near Maddie's building. Time for round three of Mackenzie vs. Rabb, she thought as she turned the ignition off and exited the car. As she crossed the cobblestone road, something, or rather someone caught her eye. Harm was leaning against the building, looking in her direction and waiting-for her. Mac's heart skipped a little. After being late for two sessions, he was not only on time, but early. She wondered if this was some sort of sign, but promised herself not to read into it too much.
Harm watched as Mac crossed the street in his direction. He had been waiting for her to show up for the past 10 minutes. Although his coat was zippered securely to fend off the damp autumn air that swirled around him, watching her he was suddenly filled with a warmth he couldn't explain. He knew that whatever lay ahead of them in this session they would need to confront those demons together. As far as he was concerned, he was done running.
She nervously bridged the distance between them. Mac never expected him to be waiting for her-late, maybe-but definitely not this.
"Hi," she said quietly as she came to a stop in front of him. His presence had caught her off guard and she was having a difficult time concentrating. Dressed in jeans with a cream colored sweater peeking out from under his leather jacket, his dark features were a striking vision to her.
Drawing a breath, all he could manage to say was "Mac," acknowledging her presence. His words were lost in the sight of her as she stood in front of him. The stone fortress he had created long ago was beginning to crumble. The rust colored shirt she wore with her black pants made her face glow in the fading daylight. He felt he could stand there forever and drink in the vision before him. Silently he hoped today's session would be a little less traumatic for them.
Breaking the silence, he quietly said, "We should go in." She nodded her agreement, walking through the door as he held it open for her.
They climbed the stairs to the second floor together. Once they reached the landing, Mac turned to Harm and said, "Excuse me for a moment, I think I'm going to find the rest room first. I'll meet you in the office."
"No problem," he said, watching her walk in the opposite direction before he turned to walk toward Maddie's office.
****
Checking her watch, yet again, Maddie realized it was nearly time for their session. Hearing the opening and shutting of the outer office door, she assumed that Mac had arrived-first as usual-for their session. Having only spoken to Mac briefly since Monday, she had wanted to have a moment alone with her prior to Harm's arrival to make sure she was alright-considering the way she left last time. Closing the folder, Maddie stood up and went to greet her client.
As she opened the door, she was stunned to see Harm, having just seated himself in the leather chair. Well, this is a surprise, Maddie thought. Usually we're the ones waiting for him to get here. She did her best to suppress her astonishment and greet her client pleasantly.
"Hi Harm. How are you?"
Ever the gentleman, he stood when she entered the room. "Hi Maddie. I'm fine."
"I guess we'll get started as soon as Mac arrives."
"She's here," Harm said, "She just went to find the rest room first."
Maddie looked at him peculiarly, wondering if they had arrived together but then dismissed the notion entirely. After the last session, she worried if they'd even show up, let alone come together. Their arrival together was purely coincidental, she thought.
****
Mac stood in the bathroom at the sink, just staring into the mirror, trying to calm the nerves that suddenly gripped her. Harm had managed to surprise her by waiting for her and it definitely threw her off. Her composure was deteriorating. Sure, all was well YESTERDAY when they ran into each other by accident. This was different. This was yet another session of baring their souls to Maddie and to one another.
She wondered what other revelations he'd have for her today. But she also wondered where Maddie would take this session. Mac paced in the small bathroom wanting nothing more than to just leave. Things are fine the way they are right now, she thought. They weren't fighting, but their relationship wasn't perfect either. It never was, so why start now? Sighing, she looked in the mirror and tried to compose herself. Harm knew she was here so it was out of the question to leave unseen. And if she did, it meant putting this session off to another day, which was the absolute last thing she wanted.
Taking another deep breath, Mac straightened her sweater and opened the door to begin her trek down the hall. Her mouth was dry and her palms sweaty-she felt like she was going into combat right now. Except she wasn't facing her mortal enemy-she was facing her best friend-someone who had been there for her through everything, good and bad. This had to work, she couldn't lose him. Not now-not this way! She only hoped that Harm wanted to make this work as well.
Before grasping the handle to the door, Mac closed her eyes and offered up a silent prayer that whatever happens, she wouldn't lose her best friend. Putting her self-control in full throttle, she stood tall and opened the door.
1635 Local (Wednesday)
Maddie's Office
As far as Maddie was concerned, it took forever for Wednesday to get here. She wasn't entirely sure how her clients felt about today's impending session, but she was certainly impatient. After Monday, she initially had doubts that they would continue with their counseling. The way Mac left upset and Harm desperate to run after her, tore at her heart. She hadn't heard from them except for confirming their next appointment, so she took that as a good sign they were coming today.
The butterflies in her stomach were doing a mean mambo right now. Of course the three cups of coffee and a can of diet coke did nothing to calm them either. She thanked the stars that today was a "light day" as far as appointments were concerned. Usually Wednesday mornings were reserved to catch up on errands or chart reviews. Today was no exception. Although she was too distracted for chart reviews, she did manage to take Zolly for his monthly pampering at Feline Finesse Spa-grooming, bath and mini-massage. She made a mental note to schedule something similar for herself-at the human spa, of course!
To drive the autumn chill from the office, Maddie kindled a fire in the fireplace. Zolly immediately found his spot on the rug directly in front of hearth. He stretched and then curled up into a furry ball, flicking his bushy tail around to cover his eyes.
Checking the time, Maddie pulled Harm and Mac's file from her drawer to review her notes from Monday-not that she needed to. Little by little Harm and Mac had taken Maddie deeper into their past during their last session. Everything that had transpired was quite clear in her mind. She felt like she had to chase the ghosts out of the closet in order to get to the real story-their story. "Wonder what mysteries will unfold today," she said aloud to herself.
The ringing of her private phone interrupted her train of thought, much to her dismay.
"Hello?" Maddie answered, trying to keep her annoyance to a simmer.
"Maddie? It's AJ Chegwidden. I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"Not at all, AJ. How are you?" she said, amiably this time.
"I'm fine," AJ paused, unsure of how to broach the subject of Harm and Mac. Since he had "unofficially" ordered them to counseling, he was curious to see how they were complying with his recommendation. But, he didn't want to step on Maddie's toes either.
Maddie had a feeling she knew what direction he was going to take this conversation. However, all she could do was give a brief overview as to how things were going or ask AJ a few questions without disclosing too much information on Harm and Mac. Specifics were something she kept confidential no matter who it was that was calling; she hoped AJ realized this.
She waited only a moment before deciding to take control of the impending discussion, asking, "What can I do for you AJ?"
"I hope I'm not out of line in asking how things are going with Harm and Mac."
"Not at all, as long as we keep things to generalizations," Maddie explained.
AJ jumped right to the question that was at the forefront of his thoughts, "So, are they making any progress?"
"Yes and no."
"What do you mean by that?" he asked bewildered by her comment. So help me, if those two are pulling stunts with the shrink, I'll kill them, he thought.
"Um, well, to put it to you bluntly, I think the easiest way to resolve this is to put the both of them in a room together-alone-and let nature take it's course," Maddie responded humorously, yet being honest at the same time.
"Excuse me?" AJ was flabbergasted at her frankness, even though the identical thought had briefly crossed his mind a time or two.
"OK, a hotel room to be more specific," Maddie added, not really sure that he was getting her drift.
AJ paused to try to suppress the laugh that was building up inside him. He knew all along that's what they needed, but how could you put THAT in a report? Realizing that there was dead air over the phone, he regained his composure and said, "I see" in his best authoritative tone.
"But, seriously AJ. Getting to the bottom of this is will take a lot more than one or two sessions. There is a lot more emotional baggage than either of them realizes they have," Maddie continued.
"They are quite the pair, aren't they? They've been to hell and back for one another," he said, mentally recalling what those two put him through over the years.
Now it was Maddie's turn to be confused, "What do you mean, AJ?"
"Well, there was South America, the Appalachians . . . and of course, Australia. And let's not forget Russia."
Maddie was taken aback, "I thought they were lawyers? They sound more like CIA operatives."
"CIA? They've done that too," AJ laughed.
"Honestly, AJ, so far it's going well," Maddie said, "They haven't missed an appointment and have been cooperative. I don't think you have anything to worry about."
"Good. I'd hate to follow through with the charges against both of them," he stated quite matter-of-factly.
"Now, AJ, would you really do that to them?" Maddie said with a teasing note to her voice.
He paused, giving thought to her question, "No. But what they don't know won't hurt them. They need to get their act together-pronto!"
Maddie laughed at his comment, figuring that his patience probably had a short fuse. Realizing the time, she said pointedly, "I really hate to cut this call short, AJ, but I have clients coming in at five o'clock and I need to prepare their file."
"No problem. You will keep in touch regarding their progress?"
"If the need arises, I will call you," Maddie replied. "Have a good evening, AJ."
"You too, Maddie."
She clicked the phone off and sighed, realizing there were less than 15 minutes until Harm and Mac's arrival. Looking at the open file in front of her, one sentence jumped out at her "did one of them want a relationship and the other wasn't ready". It was obvious the feelings for one another ran silent and deep, so why wouldn't they want a relationship with one another?
Choosing not to cloud her thoughts right now, Maddie kept that one question in the back of her mind. Her only plan at this point was to progress delicately today. And, maybe lock the doors-she didn't want either one of them leaving until the session was over!
****
6 Minutes later
King Street
Old Town Alexandria, VA
The drive over to Maddie's office was nerve wracking for Mac. It was 47 hours and 34 minutes ago that Harm finally opened the little black box that harbored the secret he kept for the past 18 months. Today she was going back to the scene of the "crime", so to speak. Since those hours and minutes ticked away, she had had time to think. Spending a little time with him yesterday watching little AJ was just enough to soothe her troubled soul. It didn't take her long, however, to realize that maybe she was carrying her anger a little too far. Although it truly wasn't anger the whole time-her emotions were so muddled that it was becoming hard to decipher anger from hurt and hurt from fear.
In her solitude, she had reconciled herself to the truth that there was "something" else there under that protective armor that Harm frequently wore when confronted with his feelings. Lately she had seen little bits of it peel away-at her apartment and then again at Bud and Harriet's. But, was this "something" that was there all along and she just didn't see it? Mac was hesitant to wonder what it was. Every time she thought she had the man figured out, he managed to take her down another path of elusiveness.
Sighing heavily, Mac pulled into the parking place near Maddie's building. Time for round three of Mackenzie vs. Rabb, she thought as she turned the ignition off and exited the car. As she crossed the cobblestone road, something, or rather someone caught her eye. Harm was leaning against the building, looking in her direction and waiting-for her. Mac's heart skipped a little. After being late for two sessions, he was not only on time, but early. She wondered if this was some sort of sign, but promised herself not to read into it too much.
Harm watched as Mac crossed the street in his direction. He had been waiting for her to show up for the past 10 minutes. Although his coat was zippered securely to fend off the damp autumn air that swirled around him, watching her he was suddenly filled with a warmth he couldn't explain. He knew that whatever lay ahead of them in this session they would need to confront those demons together. As far as he was concerned, he was done running.
She nervously bridged the distance between them. Mac never expected him to be waiting for her-late, maybe-but definitely not this.
"Hi," she said quietly as she came to a stop in front of him. His presence had caught her off guard and she was having a difficult time concentrating. Dressed in jeans with a cream colored sweater peeking out from under his leather jacket, his dark features were a striking vision to her.
Drawing a breath, all he could manage to say was "Mac," acknowledging her presence. His words were lost in the sight of her as she stood in front of him. The stone fortress he had created long ago was beginning to crumble. The rust colored shirt she wore with her black pants made her face glow in the fading daylight. He felt he could stand there forever and drink in the vision before him. Silently he hoped today's session would be a little less traumatic for them.
Breaking the silence, he quietly said, "We should go in." She nodded her agreement, walking through the door as he held it open for her.
They climbed the stairs to the second floor together. Once they reached the landing, Mac turned to Harm and said, "Excuse me for a moment, I think I'm going to find the rest room first. I'll meet you in the office."
"No problem," he said, watching her walk in the opposite direction before he turned to walk toward Maddie's office.
****
Checking her watch, yet again, Maddie realized it was nearly time for their session. Hearing the opening and shutting of the outer office door, she assumed that Mac had arrived-first as usual-for their session. Having only spoken to Mac briefly since Monday, she had wanted to have a moment alone with her prior to Harm's arrival to make sure she was alright-considering the way she left last time. Closing the folder, Maddie stood up and went to greet her client.
As she opened the door, she was stunned to see Harm, having just seated himself in the leather chair. Well, this is a surprise, Maddie thought. Usually we're the ones waiting for him to get here. She did her best to suppress her astonishment and greet her client pleasantly.
"Hi Harm. How are you?"
Ever the gentleman, he stood when she entered the room. "Hi Maddie. I'm fine."
"I guess we'll get started as soon as Mac arrives."
"She's here," Harm said, "She just went to find the rest room first."
Maddie looked at him peculiarly, wondering if they had arrived together but then dismissed the notion entirely. After the last session, she worried if they'd even show up, let alone come together. Their arrival together was purely coincidental, she thought.
****
Mac stood in the bathroom at the sink, just staring into the mirror, trying to calm the nerves that suddenly gripped her. Harm had managed to surprise her by waiting for her and it definitely threw her off. Her composure was deteriorating. Sure, all was well YESTERDAY when they ran into each other by accident. This was different. This was yet another session of baring their souls to Maddie and to one another.
She wondered what other revelations he'd have for her today. But she also wondered where Maddie would take this session. Mac paced in the small bathroom wanting nothing more than to just leave. Things are fine the way they are right now, she thought. They weren't fighting, but their relationship wasn't perfect either. It never was, so why start now? Sighing, she looked in the mirror and tried to compose herself. Harm knew she was here so it was out of the question to leave unseen. And if she did, it meant putting this session off to another day, which was the absolute last thing she wanted.
Taking another deep breath, Mac straightened her sweater and opened the door to begin her trek down the hall. Her mouth was dry and her palms sweaty-she felt like she was going into combat right now. Except she wasn't facing her mortal enemy-she was facing her best friend-someone who had been there for her through everything, good and bad. This had to work, she couldn't lose him. Not now-not this way! She only hoped that Harm wanted to make this work as well.
Before grasping the handle to the door, Mac closed her eyes and offered up a silent prayer that whatever happens, she wouldn't lose her best friend. Putting her self-control in full throttle, she stood tall and opened the door.