Isabelle put out her hand to shake it the way her mother had taught her to say hello to people she didn't know.
"I'm an old friend of your mother's. My name is Harm," he took Isabelle's little hand and shook it
"Cool, just like my father's. My biological father, not Dad," she pointed at Jack.
"Belle, come here," Mac called Belle over to her and Jack decided to leave them some privacy. She lifted her daughter up to sit on her lap as she slowly started talking "Harm, this is my daughter Isabelle. She will be eight in a month. She was born almost 8 months after you disappeared," Mac tried to warn Harm a little before she told him straight out who Isabelle really was "Belle, Harm is your biological father. He's come home from Afghanistan now."
"No, he's not. He doesn't look like that in the pictures."
"Well, Jack, Sturgis, your grandma and I all recognize him so I think you've been proven wrong there."
Harm still hadn't said anything
"I think he might have forgotten how to speak English, Mom," Belle stated.
"Eh, no, I'm just shocked. I didn't know," he looked from Mac to Belle and back.
"Belle, why don't you go and find Jack and go down to Mrs. Sommers' to get an ice cream."
"OK," Belle left fast so her mother wouldn't have a chance to change her mind about the ice cream.
"I got pregnant that night we slept together and I found out when you were away on the Patrick Henry," Mac said when she heard Jack and Belle leaving the house "I was going to tell you when you got back, but you never did."
"That little girl is my daughter," Harm was in shock. He had tried to prepare himself to come home and find many things changed, but this had not been a part of any of his wildest fantasies.
"Yes, she is. Belle has always known that Jack isn't her biological father, but she calls him dad."
"Does my mother know about her?"
"Yes, we had a DNA-test so that your name could be placed on her birth-certificate. Your mother has been very supportive ever since I told her I was pregnant. I hope you don't mind that I told her..."
"No, of course not. I'm glad she knows. That they both know. What... what does she know about me?"
"She knows that you went missing before she was born. There's this wall for the people who went missing or died in Afghanistan, we go there sometimes. We haven't told her that you were back and I guess you don't look that much like the photos from back then," they both smiled "We agreed that I should talk to you before we told her. I didn't know how you were going to react to all of this. I mean it must be a shock... I was afraid that you might not take it so well. At least not at first."
"It is a shock, but I hope you knew and know that if I had been able to I would have supported you and I would have been there for you. For both of you."
"I do, Harm. I do. That was one thing I never doubted. That you would have wanted her. And I've always told Isabelle that too. I just wasn't so sure about how you'd feel about finding out you have an 8-years-old daughter."
"Isabelle," Harm said and there were minutes of silence.
"I don't know what to say to all of this," Harm said "It's so much at once."
"I understand that," Mac nodded.
"There are still so many questions."
"You can ask me anything. You can call me at any time," she got a paper out and scribbled down the numbers to her cell and to the house.
"I think I want to meet her, you know for real?"
"Of course, I'm really glad you do. You should know that you're free to see her at any time. I guess if you want to be more involved we need to make some agreement about that eventually, but that can wait until your properly settled here again and you've gotten to know each other. I want her to know you," Mac felt like she was talking too much and took a deep breath "What are your plans for now?"
"I don't know. Do I still have my apartment? Are you still at JAG?"
"No, I'm an instructor at Quantico. You still own your apartment, but there are some people renting it right now. Your mother and I both agreed that it was better to rent it out then for it to be empty all of the time. I think your mother told the tenants that you're back, but there's still a few months of cancellation time if you want to go back to live there. Trish has a hotel room for you for now. I would have offered you to stay here, but ..." Harm nodded understanding why that wasn't a very good idea considering the situation "We'll see what happens, I guess. You can borrow my car if you'd like. Your Corvette is in storage, somewhere. I thought it would be nice for Isabelle to have it eventually, but now it's yours of course," Mac took yet another deep breath. She had done it again, talked far too much.
"You really thought that I was dead."
"Yeah," Mac said slowly "The first couple of years I didn't, but then I realized that I didn't want Belle to grow up like that. Searching, never at peace with what she had. I saw what you went through, what I was going through myself. I didn't want that for her. I had to be happy and..." she shrugged her shoulders unable to explain what was in her mind right now.
"This must be quite a shock for you as well. To have me back here, I mean."
"It is," Mac sighed and quickly continued so there would be no misunderstandings "But it's purely positive. I'm really happy for Belle's sake."
"You're not happy for you?" Harm asked carefully, afraid of the answer. He took her hand and squeezed it.
"Harm... please don't," she pleaded with him. She didn't want to admit to the strong feelings that were once again starting resurfacing and making themselves known in her heart.
"I'm sorry..."
"No, it's... of course I'm happy that you are back," she started to with her hands wipe together the crumbs that were lying on the kitchen table. "Your mother wanted to have a homecoming party for you, but she thought that it might be too much for you today so they are having it tomorrow night instead."
"I think I do need some time to think about all of this. Are you coming tomorrow? With Isabelle?"
"If you want us to, yes."
"I do," Harm said and after that it wasn't long until he was out of the house. Mac wasn't quite sure if he was at all happy about finding out about Isabelle or if just felt obligated to be happy. She hoped that once the shock had eased, he would be able to be really glad that Isabelle did exist.
TBC