Chapter Two

Harm looked at his wife who was taking a nap after their long morning with their children. Mattie had thankfully understood that they needed some time alone, and had offered to keep the children occupied. Mac had curled up next to him when he heard a tiny knock on the door.

"Daddy?" Jakie asked walking slowly into the room carrying his stuffed F-14.

"Come here Honey." Harm said. Jakie climbed onto be bed. "Can I sleep in here with Mommy and you during nap time?"

"Sure." Harm let his three year old son climb on top of his chest, and Harm put a protective arm over him. Mattie must have done a great job tiring out the boys if they were ready for a nap at 1000. Gabe walked in a couple so seconds later and Harm thanked his lucky stars that they had opted for the California King bed when they moved into the new house.

"Daddy, can I climb into bed too?"

"Sure son." Harm scooted Jake over to one side and Gabe took residence on the other.

The twins fell asleep quickly and Harm fell asleep a couple of minutes after them. The boys had woken Harm up the night before, and he had slept on the floor of the living room with them.

Mac woke up soon after Harm fell asleep and caught him protectively covering their sons. It had been awhile since Harm had held both of the boys. She smiled and reached over into the bedside table and took out her digital camera. She caught a picture of him with the boys snuggling closely up to their father. She quickly got up and covered all of her boys. She smiled, if someone had told her that her life was going to change that cold winter morning, she would have laughed in their face. She walked downstairs and found Mattie and Gemma playing in the center of the living, Mattie's boyfriend Jason was in the kitchen.

"Hey Mom, did we wake you?"

"No Matts. Thanks for watching Gemma. You know you could have woken your dad up. He would have watched Gemma for you while Jason was here."

Jason walked out of the kitchen carrying two sandwiches and two sodas. "Hello Colonel."

"Hi Jason. How was the drive over?"

"The roads were getting pretty bad by the time I pulled up in the drive."

Mac opened up the door and saw sheets of ice just coming down. "Jason, you may have to end up staying here tonight. I don't want you driving through this. I'll call your mother to let her know that you are more than welcome to stay here if need be."

"Thank you Colonel. I hear congratulations are in order. Mattie told me she would be becoming an older sister again in five more months."

"Thank you Jason." Gemma looked up and saw her mother standing there and held her hands up to be picked up by her mother. "Hi honey! Mommy is going to make a phone call, are you going to help?" She held her baby close and reached for the cordless. She talked to Jason's mother who was more than happy to hear that her son wouldn't have to drive through the ice storm. She hung up and rocked with Gemma in the rocker.

Mattie curled up next to Jason on the sofa. "Mom?"

"Yes sweetheart?"

"Tell us about the night the new baby was conceived. . .you know the case you were working on."

Mac looked at her teenager, who was cleaning up their early lunch. Mac smiled, "In the mood to hear a romantic/action story?"

"Yeah, and you and Dad have so many."

"Let's see, I think it starts something like this . . ."

Mac's memory

"Commander and Colonel Rabb reporting as ordered sir!" Mac said standing at attention.

"At ease." AJ Chegwidden told them. He was going to hate to tell them this. "The President needs to send you guys overseas for a week. There is an incident involving missing weapons. Petty Officer Coates has your travel arrangements."

"Sir, my children, I just can't leave them." Mac protested.

"Mac, we need you on this, your language skills are an added bonus."

"Sir . . ."

"Jen has offered to help Sergei." The Admiral told her.

Harm smiled. He knew about the budding romance between Jen and Sergei. "Yes sir, I will pack my seabag."

Mac just stared at him. It was her first week back after maternity leave with Gemma. "How can you say that so calmly! We are leaving our children behind for a week, not just me, or just you, but the both of us!"

Harm looked at her. "Because the reason we put on our uniforms every day and fight for this nation is for those four children in the house. Mac, I just don't trust anyone else to do it." He pulled her close and hugged her. "We have to keep them safe." It put it all into perspective.

End Memory

"Wow Colonel, you must have hated having to leave them so soon."

"Well Jason, it is all part of the job. Mattie understands this, Gabe and Jake know that sometimes Mom and Dad have to go, but we always come back." She told him putting Gemma down in the bassinet she kept in the living room.

"Tell us what happened!" Mattie asked her.

Memory

Mac paced the corridor. Harm had flown in to help arrest an American citizen who was selling secrets that could deter the efforts against terrorism. She heard the COD land and waited for Harm to show his face.

"Colonel Rabb, he refuses to answer in English."

"I see," Mac said following them to an interrogation room. The man yelled at them in Farsi.

/Well that wasn't to nice now, is it/ Mac said to him in a calm tone. /Is there anything we can do for you Mr. Ali/

/Colonel, I didn't want to do it, but my wife is sick, and they said they could help us with the money needed for her treatment. It was our only choice./

/There is always a choice./ Mac answered him back. /Can you tell us what you sold to Fahed./

/This week I sold him a weapons prototype. Last week, I sold him carrier group movements./

/Hang on./

Mac ran out the door. "We have to get off this course. Last week Ali sold carrier movements to Fahed, this week, a weapon."

Clay came out of nowhere. "Which weapon? Ali was one of us, I was tailing him, and lost him last week."

"I don't know."

Harm and Mac made their way to her quarters to grab a tape deck when they heard an explosion. Harm was knocked back and his head hit the wall. Mac landed a few feet away from him. She heard the alarm sound. There was a fire on the ship and they were taking on water. She went to open the door and it was stuck.

"Harm, wake up!" She screamed at him shaking his shoulders lightly.

"What happened?"

"Our worst nightmare. The ship is taking on water and there is a fire." Harm go up and tried to pull the door open to no avail.

"What do we do now," She asked.

Harm pulled out his cell, "Phone home. We have to prepare Mattie, Jen and Sergei for the worst."

"Harm, our children, we can't leave them now!" She sobbed. Harm dialed the number for home and talked to Mattie who was devastated. He then wrapped his arms around his wife and held her.

"I love you Marine." He whispered. "I promise you, no matter what happens, we are in this together."

Mac finally calmed down. "I love you too."

He picked her up off the ground and set her on the bunk. They made love for what they thought could have been the last time.

End Memory

Harm came down the stairs and listened to the story. Walking into the room he grinned, "And that is how Rabb baby number five came to be. You two, don't get any ideas now. I am too young to be a grandfather." He said kissing Mac on the forehead.

"Are the boys still asleep?"

"Yeah, I figured I would let them sleep for another twenty minutes before we wake them up to have them terrorize the house right now, and that way I can spend time with my three most favorite girls."