Chapter Sixty Nine
Mac stood at the pier with Mattie, Mackenzie, and Brennen anxiously waiting the arrival of the Patrick Henry. Mattie and Max were in their uniforms because they were supposed to be meeting the group of cadets that were supposed to be coming a few hours after the ship docked. They saw the ship coming in at a distance.
Mac was holding Mackenzie, and she smiled. "Mackenzie, do you know where Daddy is?"
Mackenzie smiled at her Mom and pointed at the ship that making its way to port. "Da!" She said. Mac put her on the ground and held her fingers helping her stand, and then she started bouncing.
Brennen was playing with Max and Mattie's ribbons, fascinated by them. It was the first time in six weeks that her family would be together. The ship got in closer and blew the whistle, startling Mackenzie. She let go of her mother's fingers and fell to the ground crying.
Mac picked her up and rubbed her back. "It's okay Mackie. That is where daddy is." She gathered her cousin and headed towards the ship as it got closer, she bent down with the kids. "Look Brennen, Mommy is on the ship."
Brennen saluted the ship. They watched the crewmen get ready to disembark the ship. "Aunt Mac, where is Mommy?"
"Come here Brennen." Max requested of the toddler. "I'll put you on my shoulders so you can spot your Mom." Mac whispered a thank you to him and watched as Max swung him on his shoulders.
Mackenzie was content in her mother's arms. Suddenly she heard Brennen yell, "Mama!"
"Oh my God, Brennen baby!" Max put him down and they watched Brennen run towards his Mom.
"Brennen, who flew you here?"
"Aunt Mac."
Emily quickly spotted her cousin standing off to the side with her children and the boy she assumed to be Mattie's boyfriend.
"Mac, thank you so much!"
"No problem Em. Where is Harm?"
"He landed about an hour ago on board, him and Johns are getting debriefed as we speak."
"Why was he flying?"
"There were a couple of unfriendlies in the area."
"Where did they come from?"
"We don't know. We don't even know how they got the planes, Harm said the planes looked like throwbacks from the old Soviet Republic."
Mac sighed and shifted Mackenzie to her other hip. "Thanks Em." They looked around and saw other family members kissing and hugging their deployed family members. Out of the blue they heard Mattie yell and saw her running towards Harm.
"Daddy!" She ran up to him and he caught her in mid air. "I missed you so much Dad!" Realizing she was in uniform, she squirmed out of his grasp. "Sorry, sir, I will remember proper military conduct."
"Don't even try Cadet Johnson. I missed you too Mattie. So your mother told me that Max was going to be here, where is he?"
Mattie pointed him out, and Harm went over to him and Max stood at attention. Mac watched waiting to see what Harm would do to the boy that was dating his daughter, Harm stood there for a minute and studied the boy. "At ease Cadet Durham." Captain Ingles said from behind Harm. "Rabb, give the poor boy a break."
"Sir, he is the one dating Mattie." Max started shifting uncomfortably with all the brass that was standing around him.
"Sir, I just want to let you know that my intentions towards Mattie is nothing but pure. I care deeply about her." Max said to him.
"Good to know son. So who are your parents?"
"I was adopted, so I don't really know who my real parents are. I was adopted when I was just a baby. My adoptive parents are both CPAs working for a firm in DC. They have since adopted two more children from Russia."
Harm smiled when he realized that Max was rambling. "So, where is the rest of your NJROTC unit?"
"They are due in a couple of hours." Mattie supplied.
"Where is Mackenzie?" Harm asked her.
"Over talking to Cousin Emily, Gram and Gramps." Mac and he locked eyes and they started walking to each other.
"Mackenzie look who it is." Mackenzie started squealing when she saw her father. "Harm, I think she missed you."
Harm reached them and swooped Mackenzie up and tossed her in the air and caught her. "Wiggle Worm!" She laughed, being content in her Dad's arms. He leaned down and captured Mac's lips in his crushing Mackenzie between them. She was their bond, their child. They looked over the Mattie, the child they both loved fiercely.
"Hi Honey, I have missed you."
"I missed you too."
"What is on the agenda for today?"
"Well, I have to stay for a couple of hours and help the captain give a tour of the ship to Mattie's group, he has already given permission for you guys to be on board. Then after that, the night is ours."
"Good, we are already settled at Frank's villa, and they are watching the babytonight."
"What did you want to do?"
"Well, I made reservations for a room, that way we could have a couple of nights alone. Then tomorrow, I figured we would meet the cadets for their two day cruise in a couple of days."
"How did we get roped into helping out?"
"Considering our daughter is taking place in this cruise, I only thought it would be nice to help out."
"Rabb, Mackenzie, front and center!" Captain Ingles said. Mackenzie started squealing at the top of her lungs hearing her name.
Harm and Mac walked towards him. "Colonel, it is a pleasure to see you again. I trust that I can see you and your lovely family in my stateroom for a late lunch while we are waiting for the rest of the cadets to show up."
"It would be my pleasure Captain Ingles. Do you mind if Cadet Durham comes along? I got his parents to agree to let him come on this trip if I kept an eye on him. They are very protective of their son."
"That is fine."
They gathered the kids and walked up to the ship. "Permission to come aboard Captain?" Mattie asked.
"Rabb, you taught her proper etiquette?"
Mattie spoke up, "My father has taken me sailing, and we practice proper boarding and unboarding procedures on The Star of the Sea."
"Commander, you didn't tell me that you sail."
"Only every so often sir, after what happened in China, I take to only sailing in the Atlantic now."
Mattie and Max looked at the sheer size of the aircraft carrier and were in complete awe. Max spoke up, "Commander, so you fly jets off the carrier and then land them back? It seems almost impossible to land."
"Max, it takes tons of practice."
"The Commander here right now is our most experience fighter pilot, and a damn good one at that."
"That is awesome Dad," Mattie exclaimed while walking into the officer's mess hall.
Mac walked up with Mackenzie and handed one of the workers Mackenzie's bottle to be warmed up. "Colonel, may I hold the baby?" Captain Ingles asked.
"Sure. She isn't exactly a shy baby when it comes to being held by different people." She handed Mackenzie over to him. Mac smiled, "Captain, you are a natural with children, do you have any?"
"Oh no Colonel, I am married to the Navy. But when I see the innocence of a child, I remember the reason why we are fighting this crazy war."
AN - There will be more to come, thanks to all for the excellent reviews, this story is finished with a sequel in the works, all of this story will be out before the series finale of JAG. I will try to post another chapter tonight.
