Chapter Ten

Harm woke up the next morning with a stiff neck. He found Mac still asleep so he grabbed the phone to call Clay. He wanted to make sure that Mattie was alright, the poor girl was so young and had already experienced so much in her life.

Clay picked up his phone, "Sexy Beast."

"Please tell me you are kidding, right?"

"Hey Harm. I take it you want to talk to Agent Johnson."

"I would like to talk to my kid, Josh how is she holding up?"

"I'm not going to lie, she took it really hard last night. Mattie blames herself for what happened to Mac, Andrew and she are running through the game room right now."

"At 0700?"

"Mattie's idea. It is her way of blowing off steam, reminds me of you in that way Retread."

"Have her call the hospital when she is done with the room. I'll be by to pick her up as soon as Sarah is discharged."

"Will do. Sarah is okay, isn't she?"

"She is. I will let her know that you asked about her."

"Thanks. I'll have your daughter call you as soon as she is ready to go."

Thanks, bye."

"Bye."

Harm walked in and saw Mac waking up. "Hey there beautiful."

"How long have I been out?"

"Going on nine hours. You were beat; I think you and Madeline did a little too much shopping yesterday."

They continued idol chit chat until the OB came in with the portable ultrasound. "Colonel Marks, Mrs. Marks, I just want to check again on the baby to make sure that the baby isn't suffering any ill effects from whatever was in your system."

"Okay."

The tech prepped Mac and the cool gel on her stomach once again made her wince and squeeze more on Harm's hand. He made a mental note to himself not to let her squeeze his left hand anymore. He kissed the top of her head.

"Ready?" the doctor asked. She positioned the Doppler wand and found the baby. "Baby is looking a good size and still has a steady heart beat. I'm keeping you on the fetal monitor until you get discharged."

"Thank you doctor." Harm said shaking her hand. The doctor printed up the picture and gave it to him.

Mac got cleaned up and scooted over on the bed so Harm could lie next to her in the bed. "You know Flyboy, I woke up in the middle of the night and saw the way you were sleeping. That couldn't have been good for your neck."

"Well, I still didn't want to leave you. I love you Babydoll."

"I love you too. Have you heard from Maddie this morning?"

"I called Josh. I'm going to pick her up as soon as you get sprung from this joint, and then we are going to go home and I will cook my girls a good dinner considering she probably had McDonalds last night and you didn't touch your dinner at all. What would you like?"

"I think the baby is taking after you, I would really like a pasta salad with a lot of tomatoes in it."

"That I can do sweetheart. Now, lie against me and finish getting your beauty rest while we are waiting for the doctor."

He played with her hair and held her until she fell asleep again getting in her last couple of hours of sleep until the doctor came in and wrote her discharge papers up.

1300 EST

CIA Headquarters

Langley

Harm stood on the platform and watched Mattie run the familiar training course. Clay came up from behind him. "You know she is a natural."

"Sometimes I wonder if we are doing the right thing, she is a child, and she shouldn't have to know how to shoot a gun when she is fifteen. I wonder if she ever regrets coming to live with me after all Clay."

"Rabb, I know you and I haven't gotten along lately, but I like to think that we can still be friends."

"We are getting there Clay."

"Then Rabb, I can tell you that Mattie worships the ground you walk on. She loves you so much."

"You are getting soft in your old age Clay." Harm said to him knowingly.

"Did you get soft when Mattie came to live with you?"

"Oh yeah. Having children changes your life. Mattie has made me a better person," he said watching her as she took out Andrew. Harm smiled, she saw him up on the platform and she ran towards him.

"Dad!" She flung herself into his arms. "I'm sorry, I should have taken better care of Mom and the baby."

"Baby, you had nothing to do with that, do you understand? I don't want you beating yourself up over something that there was nothing you could do nothing about."

"Mom's been targeted hasn't she."

Mac came up. "Honey, we are not going to lie to you, we never have and we aren't going to start now, yes."

Mattie looked at them with dead resolve. "I have already lost one set of parents, I am not going to lose another."

Mac hugged her, "Mattie, your father and I love you so much. Are you okay?"

Mattie tightened up her hug on her mom, "I was so scared. I don't think I can handle losing another set of parents right now."

Harm watched the scene intently and walked over to his girls. "I promise just as long as I have breath in my body, no harm will come to either of my girls unless it is me!" He joked at his own name. "I will protect you guys no matter what." His tone turning deadly silent.

AN - I know it has been awhile since this story was updated, but I hit writers block with it. This chapter came to my head, and I wrote it. Read and review as always - tell me if you want this story to continue.