FRIDAY,
26 JANUARY 2001
1825 ZULU
REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT
ARLINGTON,
VIRGINIA
Sergei watched the passengers disembarking from the plane, reflecting that he felt a lot calmer and less nervous than the last time he had stood at the airport awaiting a flight from San Diego.
Stepping out of the jet way, Trish searched the crowd for a familiar face, finally spotting him standing off to one side out of the crush of the crowd. "There he is, Frank," she told her husband.
"Sergei!" she called out, walking towards her stepson. Sergei finally spotted Trish and Frank and started towards them.
"It's good to see you again," Trish said, hugging him warmly. She had spoken to Sergei several times on the phone after the younger man had moved to Washington and Harm had filled her in on Sergei's background. By the time they had met in person at Christmas, Trish had developed a warm and friendly relationship with her stepson.
"It is good to see you, Trish," Sergei returned her greeting. He then turned to Frank and offered his hand. "It is good to see you, Frank."
"Harm and Mac are at work?" Trish asked as Sergei took her carry-on bag and they started towards baggage claim.
"Yes," Sergei replied. "Harm is in court this afternoon and he did not want Mac to drive in this weather. I told Harm I would come to the airport."
"So how are they doing?" Frank asked. "Is everything okay with the babies?"
Sergei considered his answer, causing Trish to asked worriedly, "The babies are fine, right?"
"Yes, they are good," Sergei answered hurriedly. "I am sorry. I do not mean to concern you. Harm and Mac are, um, bespokoit'sya ..." he trailed off, trying to think of the proper word in English. As good as his English was, every so often he would draw a blank when trying to translate something.
Finally, it came to him and he continued, "Anxious, that is it. They are anxious because the babies have not been born yet. Mac is ystaly – weary ..."
Trish relaxed as she realized what he was trying to say. "She is tired from carrying the babies and they were expecting them to have been born by now," she concluded.
"Yes, that is it," Sergei agreed, thankful that he had gotten his point across on his own. There were times occasionally when he did need his sister-in-law to help him translate. "Harm told me the doctor said the babies would probably be born early and it is surprising that they are not born yet."
"If this pregnancy goes on much longer," Trish commented, "Mac may be ready to kill Harm." At Frank and Sergei's blank looks, Trish shook her head. Men. How could they ever truly understand about pregnancy?
-----
1910
ZULU
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
"Colonel, here's that case file you requested," Tiner said, handing Mac a thick folder. Mac took it with a tired sigh.
"Thanks, Jason," she said wearily, rubbing her neck. "Is Commander Rabb still in court?"
"Yes, Ma'am," he replied. "The last time I checked, it sounded like it was still going to be a while. The defense attorney appeared to be objecting to everything the Commander asked."
"Welcome to the wonderful world of trial law, Jason," she said dryly. She got a thoughtful look on her face, tapping her temple with her finger.
"Did you need anything else, Ma'am?" Tiner asked.
"I don't think so," she replied. "I'm just trying to think if there's anything else that I need to take care of before I start my leave. After all, you guys won't be seeing me at work for at least two months – probably more the rate this pregnancy is going." Mac had already planned to take two months off after the babies were born. Since twins tend to arrive early, even though these twins had not shown an inclination to do so as of yet, Dr. Calder had insisted that Mac's maternity leave begin no later than 29 January. Mac was looking forward to sitting at home just waiting for the babies to be born about as much as she was looking forward to having a root canal. The only thing so far that made the idea bearable was that she would have various family members around to help keep her from going crazy.
"Darling, sounds like your children already have their father's sense of timing," Trish commented, knocking on Mac's open office door. Mac looked up and smiled broadly at her in-laws.
"I'd definitely have to agree with that and I hope to do something about it once they're born. Mom, Frank, it's good to see you," she greeted them, pushing herself out of her chair by using her hands on her desk as leverage. "How was your flight?"
"It was pretty good," Trish replied, hugging Mac. "We ran into some bad weather over the center of the country. How are you doing or need I ask?"
Mac sighed dramatically. "Exhausted, aching," she replied. "I never thought I'd ever say this, but I wish I would give birth early. My back aches all the time, I feel like I weigh as much as an elephant and these babies are so active that I never seem to be able to get any sleep anymore."
"Well, as much as I wish I could say that I understand completely," Trish said, "I've never had twins. I know you're probably sick of hearing this, but they will get here eventually. Once they are, you'll find that all the aches and pains were worthwhile."
"I hope so," she said. She walked around the desk to hug Frank. "How are you doing, Frank?"
"I'm doing good," he replied simply. As a man, he thought it was better if he didn't try to commiserate about how she was feeling during the last days of her pregnancy.
"I'm sorry," Mac said, indicating Tiner. "Both of you remember Jason Tiner, don't you? Jason, you remember Harm's parents, Trish and Frank Burnett?"
"Yes, we do," Trish said, "although he was still a Petty Officer the last time when we saw you at the wedding. Harm and Mac said you have been at OCS. Congratulations on your commission."
"Thank you, Mrs. Burnett," Tiner replied. "Mr. Burnett, it's good to see you again. Colonel, if you don't need anything else, I'll go check on the Commander in court."
"Thank you, Jason," she said, dismissing him. "Would you guys like to take a walk around with me? I'm supposed to get up and walk around at least once every couple hours and I'm a little overdue."
"Sure," Trish agreed for all of them. "Do you just walk around the halls?"
"In weather like this, yes," Mac replied, referring to the light snow that was currently falling, adding to the four inches already on the ground. "Have you guys had anything to eat yet? We could go down to the cafeteria and pick something up."
-----
They all picked up something to eat and took their food back to Mac's office, eating while Mac and Sergei caught Trish and Frank up on everything that had been going on since their visit at Christmas.
"So, are your friends planning a baby shower or have you already had one?" Trish asked.
"Baby shower?" Sergei asked. He had never heard the term before.
"It's a party usually held near the end of a pregnancy where the mother's friends will bring gifts for the new baby," Mac explained to him. "And to answer your question, Carolyn and Harriet have organized one to be held Sunday afternoon. It's going to be coed."
"Good, I was hoping that we wouldn't have missed it," Trish said. "You can count on Frank and I being there."
"Good," Mac said. "What about you Sergei? Can you be home for the party on Sunday?"
"Why would I not attend a party for my niece and nephew?" Sergei countered, confused.
"Because some men have the idea that baby showers are for women only," Mac replied, a hint of anger in her voice.
Trish, Frank and Sergei all exchanged looks, having the feeling that she was talking about one man in particular. Trish decided that it was probably best to change the subject. "What about your family? How are they doing?"
"Mom is doing good," Mac replied. "She likes the apartment we helped her find and she's been keeping busy with crafts, making a lot of things for the babies." Deanne had decided after Harm and Mac had returned from their honeymoon to stay in the DC area so that she could rebuild her relationship with her daughter and build a new one with her grandchildren. Since she was living on disability income, it was no problem for her to pack up and move across the country. "Uncle Matt's parole hearing is on Wednesday, so he should be here by Thursday or Friday depending on paperwork. Bud had been helping Harm with the prep work for the hearing, just in case Harm can't leave DC."
"That's good to hear," Frank said. "I'm sure you don't want to hear this from the perspective of the pregnancy lasting any longer, but your uncle is probably hoping that he'll get here before the babies are born."
"Yes, he is," Mac admitted. "I do have to admit that it would be nice if he can be here although that means holding out another week."
"What about you, Sergei?" Trish asked. "How are your classes and ROTC going?"
"It is good," he replied. "The ROTC is not as hard as my training in the Russian Army. Some of my classes are more difficult than others, but I have some friends at school who are helping in exchange for Russian language and history lessons. Many people are fascinated that I come from Russia."
"I imagine meeting someone from a former communist country would be fascinating," Trish commented. "And the car is working out for you?"
"Yes, it has been good to have a car," Sergei replied. "Thank you." Once he had gotten his US driver's license, Harm and Mac had discovered the problems of three people trying to share two cars, especially once winter arrived and made driving the Corvette problematic at times. Trish and Frank had solved the problem by getting Sergei a Jeep for Christmas. Although embarrassed at first by what he had thought to be an extravagant gift, they had insisted. Now, Frank got a delight out of teasing Harm and Mac that at least one member of the family drove a car made by Chrysler.
"Mom, Frank," Harm said as he entered Mac's crowded office. "Jason said you guys had gotten here."
"How are you?" Trish asked, standing to hug her son.
"I'm good," he replied, although Trish thought he looked a little tired. He probably wasn't getting much more sleep than Mac was. "How was your flight?"
"A little bumpy in the middle and long," Frank replied, "but we're glad to be here."
"Have you guys been home yet?" Harm asked.
Trish knew where this was going. They'd had almost the same discussion at Christmas. "Harm, we're staying at the Doubletree in Arlington," she told him. "You're going to have even more people around than you did at Christmas. You've got three bedrooms besides the master – the nursery takes up a room and your brother is occupying a room. You've only got one more bedroom and aside from us, you've got Mac's uncle and your grandmother coming for the birth. We can't all stay at your house."
"Mom, we have room," Mac insisted. "Uncle Matt has already said that he's going to stay with my mother once he's released. And Sergei has offered to sleep downstairs in the spare room in the basement and let Gram have his room. That leaves one spare bedroom that you two can use."
"We don't want Sergei to be put out either," Frank insisted, but Sergei shook his head.
"It was my idea," he said. "You should not come to visit and stay in a hotel."
Frank and Trish looked at each other and shrugged. "Okay, we'd be happy to stay at the house," Trish conceded.
-----
SATURDAY,
27 JANUARY
1520 ZULU
THE RABBS' RESIDENCE
MCLEAN,
VIRGINIA
Harm sifted through the hardware that came with the crib, looking for two tiny screws called for in the instructions. He was ready to throw his hands up in frustration when he heard his brother's voice from the doorway.
"You know how to fix furniture, big brother?" Sergei asked teasingly.
Harm almost smiled at the question, which echoed one he had been asked in Russia several months ago. He sighed as he replied, only half joking, "Let's hope so or these kids will be sleeping on the floor."
Sergei sat on the floor next to Harm and looked at the instructions and then at the pieces scattered over the floor. "You need some help, Harm?" he asked.
Harm nodded gratefully. "Right now, I'm looking for these screws," he said, pointing to the instructions. It only took a moment before Sergei held up the pieces in question.
"Guess I needed another pair of eyes," Harm commented as he took the screws. Picking up the two pieces he needed to fasten together, he positioned them then motioned to Sergei to hold them in place while he put in the screws.
With Sergei's help, the work went a lot faster and it wasn't long before they had one crib completely assembled. As they moved the crib into position along the wall Mac had designated earlier, Frank appeared in the doorway.
"I can't believe that you're just now getting around to putting the cribs together," Frank commented. "I would have thought that with the possibility of the twins arriving early you would have had the nursery finished already."
Harm shrugged as he stepped back to survey the placement of the crib. "There always seemed to be something going on," he explained. "One weekend I had to go out to the Sea Hawk, another weekend the new Congress had been seated and I had to meet with the new members of the Armed Services Committee."
"And he is having trouble putting the cribs together," Sergei teased, causing Harm to pull him into a headlock.
Frank watched the teasing, playful attitude between the brothers with amusement, reflecting on how relaxed and at ease Harm seemed to be. There had been so many changes in his life recently but they all appeared to be changes for the better. After watching them tussle for a few minutes, Frank cleared his throat and asked, "Could you use some help putting the second crib together?"
Harm and Sergei quickly pulled apart as if embarrassed to be caught goofing off. Harm shrugged sheepishly and replied, "Sure."
The three men working together, it took even less time to get the second crib assembled. Once the were finished and the crib moved to its place beside the first crib, Harm stepped back and looked at the cribs, a faraway look in his eyes.
"You okay?" Frank asked. Both he and Sergei looked at Harm with concern.
Harm shook his head as if to clear it and replied, "Yeah. I was just thinking about the babies. Now that they're almost here there's a lot of things to think about. I'm just wondering ..."
"What kind of father you're going to make?" Frank concluded.
Harm nodded. "I imagine it would be hard enough learning to deal with just one baby," he continued, "and we're getting two."
"Harm, let me tell you something," Frank suggested. "Now, obviously, I don't have any experience with babies since your mother and I decided not to have any of our own, but children in general do not come with instruction manuals. All that you can ever do is to do the best you possibly can and deal with any mistakes you make as best you can."
"It couldn't have been easy," Harm pointed out, "dealing with a resentful thirteen-year-old who wanted nothing to do with you."
Frank shrugged while Sergei watched them curiously. He hadn't seen or heard anything since he'd been in Washington to indicate that Harm and Frank's relationship had ever been anything less than warm.
"I knew what I was getting into when I married Trish," he pointed out. "All I ever wanted or tried to do was to be there for you, to be a friend if you needed one. Although I admit that it did hurt sometimes that I never could seem to do the right thing as far as you were concerned, I never thought of or loved you any less because of it. I understood that the circumstances made things difficult but I couldn't hold that against you."
"I'm sorry for that," Harm told him. "As I've said before, I was so wrapped up in the idea that my father was alive and maybe could come home that I didn't give you a chance. But I've realized some things, especially since Russia."
"You mean, because you found out our father had another family," Sergei realized.
"Exactly," Harm replied. "He moved on with his life. At that time he'd been a prisoner in the Soviet Union for eleven years and had no hope of ever returning home. But he found someone to love and he had another son. That doesn't mean that he loved Mom or me any less. But at least we can say that his last days were happy ones.
"Mom thought he was dead, so why shouldn't she move on with her life?" he continued. "Looking back, I realize that it wasn't fair to expect her to live her life in limbo waiting for someone who was never going to come home. She deserved to move on with her life and find happiness. It doesn't mean that she loved my father any less."
"I think that you're going to make an excellent father," Frank concluded.
"What makes you say that?"
"Because one of the most important things you learn in being a parent," he explained, "is how important it is to consider other people's feelings and what they need – in this case, your children. And. . . "
"I'm not as selfish as I used to be," Harm added quietly.
"I wasn't going to put it quite like that," Frank said with a smile.
"No, but I am saying that," Harm countered. "It was has always been about what I wanted or what I had to have. I never thought about what Mom wanted or what was best for her and I never cared about what you wanted and I've learned how wrong I was."
"Harm, I never thought that what you felt was wrong," Frank pointed out.
"I know that," Harm said. "And that's why you have been such a good father to me, even when I didn't deserve it. But you know what? Despite what I may have thought about our family situation in the past, I'm pretty lucky."
"How is that?" Sergei asked, the first time he had spoken in several minutes.
Harm smiled at Frank and Sergei. "Mom found a good man who makes her happy and not only did she get a great husband, I got a second father who had a lot to do with raising me into the man I am today," he explained. "Dad found a good woman to make him happy during the final two years of his life and I got a kid brother out of the deal."
"Thank you for that," Frank said, his eyes moist.
"No, I should be the one thanking you and apologizing for making you put up with me, Dad," Harm countered quietly. He made the statement so matter-of-factly that it took a moment before what Harm had said registered with Frank.
Frank turned and looked at Harm, stunned. Despite the fact that their relationship had been better in the last year than it ever had been, it still surprised Frank that Harm seemed to have completely and openly accepted him after nearly twenty-five years.
Harm shrugged at Frank's expression. "It's about time, don't you think?" he asked. "For most of my life, you've been the only father I've known."
"I don't know what to say ... I'm honored," Frank said. "As I've told you before, you're the only son I've ever had."
Sergei watched the interaction between Harm and Frank with interest. Harm noticed and asked, "What?"
"Do you realize how lucky you are?" Sergei asked. "I had not yet been born when our father died and just over two when my uncle died. For years, it was just my mother and me. I have wondered what it would be like to have a father."
Harm smiled. "It's scary how smart this kid is," he teased.
Frank laughed. "I think we all wish we could have been that smart at the age of eighteen," he remarked. Harm and Sergei both laughed.
-----
SUNDAY,
28 JANUARY
1845 ZULU
THE RABBS' RESIDENCE
MCLEAN,
VIRGINIA
"Okay, how do we do this?" Mac asked with a laugh. "Is there anyone whose present just has to be opened first or can we just start taking them off the top of the pile?" When no one answered, she added, "I guess that means I just start opening presents here. Harm, hand me one of those packages."
Harm handed her a shirt box off the top of the pile of present on the coffee table. Mac tore open the card, Harm reading it over her shoulder. "It's from Alfred Aldridge on the Patrick Henry," he announced. After Christmas, Alfred's time with JAG headquarters had ended when the Patrick Henry had gone back out on deployment. Mac carefully unwrapped the box and pulled out two infant t-shirts with the Patrick Henry logo on the front.
"Very appropriate since Daddy used to serve on the Patrick Henry," Mac said, smiling as she held up one of the t-shirts for everyone to see. Setting the shirt back in the box, she handed the box and card to Trish, who was writing down who gave them what, while Deanne was taking care of disposing of the wrapping paper. Harm handed Mac another box.
"This one's from Meg Austin," she said, reading the card. She added for the benefit of those who had never met Meg, "She's Harm's old JAG partner from years ago."
Opening the box, she squealed with delight when she saw Meg's gifts. "These are so cute," she exclaimed, tilting the box in Harm's direction so he could see. Meg's gift was also a pair of t-shirts, these ones Marine red with white lettering 'Don't mess with me, my mom's a Marine'.
"I guess our kids should have some Marine stuff," Harm said, shrugging as Mac showed one of the shirts around.
"Squid, if I were you, I'd remember that in our house right now, Navy is outnumbered two to one by Marines," Mac teased as he handed her the next box, this one rather large. As she opened the card, she looked at Sergei, who was standing on the other side of the room videotaping the shower, questioningly.
"That was in the box I received in the mail Thursday," Sergei said in response to her unasked question.
Mac read the card then told everyone, "This is from Sergei's mother in Russia." She lifted the lid off the box and gasped as she lifted out two baby quilts. "These are gorgeous," she exclaimed as she unfolded the first quilt. White in color, appliquéd on the quilt were scenes from a Russian folk tale 'The Snow Maiden'. The other quilt, brown in color, was similarly appliquéd with scenes from 'Peter and the Wolf'. "Your mother made these for us?"
"Yes," Sergei replied. "In the letter she wrote me, she said that she remembered you from when you were in Siberia. She said my brother was very lucky to have such a beautiful and strong woman. She wanted to make something for the babies because you are my family."
"And she would have said this about Harm being lucky to have Mac after they were in Svischevo two years ago?" Clay mused from his place at the back of the room. Rumor was that AJ had threatened Clay to get him to attend the shower, although many suspected that it actually hadn't taken too much convincing, given his seldom mentioned – or admitted to - soft spot for both Harm and Mac.
Mac started shaking her head. "We're not starting that again, are we?" she asked as Harm rolled his eyes and groaned. There were grins and chuckles from almost everyone else in the room.
"I do not understand," Sergei said.
Trish looked up from studying one of the quilts and said, smiling, "Your mother is a very smart woman, Sergei, which is more than I can say for your brother and his wife at times, especially back then." She folded the quilt and handed it back to Mac. "Anyway, these are beautiful. Your mother does very beautiful work, Sergei."
Harm surreptitiously watched the interaction between his mother and brother, still amazed at how well they got along. When he had first faced telling his mother about Sergei, he had been afraid the news that his father had another family would reopen old wounds. He'd been very surprised when Trish had calmly accepted the news. When she'd finally met Sergei at Christmas and had welcomed him into the family with open arms, he had finally worked up the courage to ask her how she had been able to accept the news so easily.
"How can I condemn your father for finding someone else when I did the same thing myself?" Trish had replied when he'd finally brought up the subject. "At least I have the comfort of knowing that your father had some happiness before he died – a woman who loved him, another son. Even if I did have a hard time dealing with it, I can't condemn Sergei for that. He's the innocent one in this entire situation."
"Harm?" Mac asked softly when she noted how distant he seemed. When he didn't acknowledge her, she gently shook his shoulder.
He finally turned and looked at her. "What?" he whispered.
"You okay?" she asked, concern evident in her eyes.
"Yeah," he replied. Louder, he added, grabbing another present and handing it to her, "Time for the next gift."
Mac studied him as she took the large box, resolving to mention it later in private. Opening the card, she told everyone, "This is from Chloe. She's on a school trip this weekend, so she couldn't come down for the party." Opening the box, she pulled out two teddy bears, one wearing a Navy flight suit and one wearing Marine cammies.
"Those are so cute," Jackie proclaimed. "Do they come in other uniforms?"
Harriet answered, "I've seen them in uniforms for all four services and for different specialties – drill sergeant, paratrooper, pilot ... Mac, are you okay?"
Mac was leaning forward slightly, a hand pressed to her side. The eyes of everyone in the room were on Mac as Harm put his arm around her and was ready to help her off the couch, but Mac pushed his arm away and straightened up. "I'm fine," she insisted. "It was just one of those Braxton-Hicks contractions."
"Are you sure?" Harm asked, concerned. "We can head to Bethesda ..."
"I said I'm fine," Mac snapped. "I've been having Braxton-Hicks contractions for three weeks now. I think I know what they feel like."
Harm was about to say something when he saw Trish out of the corner of his eye shaking her head. Forcing a smile, he picked up another gift and handed it to Mac.
-----
0225 ZULU
Harm entered the bedroom to find Mac already in bed lying on her side, the covers pulled up under her chin. He disappeared into the bathroom, returning a few minutes later dressed only in his boxers. He climbed into bed and scooted over so that he was lying right behind her, her back against his chest. Harm draped an arm over her, his hand resting on her stomach. When he leaned over her to kiss her cheek, he was surprised to find it wet with tears.
"Hey, what is it?" he asked, brushing the tears from her cheek with his thumb.
"I'm horrible," she whispered.
"Why? Because you snapped at me earlier?" he asked. "I think everyone understands that you're feeling a little out of sorts at times these days. At your last appointment, Dr. Calder said that the babies look like they're about six pounds each now, right?"
"Yeah," Mac replied. "So?"
"So that's twelve pounds worth of baby," he pointed out. "I would think that would be enough to make anyone feel tired and out of sorts. And if you take it out on me from time to time, well, I've had worse things said."
"I can't believe you're being so nice," she said.
"I love you, Sarah," he countered, "even when you're snapping at me. After all, I'm the reason you're in this position in the first place, right?" When she didn't say anything, he added, "Come on, that was funny."
Mac slowly rolled over so that she was facing him and Harm could see that she was smiling just a little. "Better," he declared, causing her to smile even more. He rolled onto his back and Mac slid closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder while Harm rested one hand on her belly as they both tried to drift off to sleep.
-----
WEDNESDAY, 14
FEBRUARY
1315 ZULU
THE RABBS' RESIDENCE
MCLEAN,
VIRGINIA
Harm was in the walk-in closet buttoning up his uniform shirt when Mac came in on her way to the bathroom. "Still can't sleep?" he asked. She had been restless all night long, even waking him up several times, although he had tried to remain as still as possible so that she wouldn't get upset that she was causing him to lose sleep.
"Babies are restless," she replied. "I just ..."
"I know," he interrupted. "You wish the babies would get here."
Mac leaned back against the wall and said, "You know, every time someone tells me that I look about ready to deliver or that it will be any day now or that twins almost never go to term, I just want to shake them."
"I know," he reminded her, "I saw how you reacted to Dr. Calder, remember?" At her last appointment two days earlier, when Dr. Calder had said that she should deliver any time now, Mac had snapped that she'd been hearing that for nearly a month and that she still wasn't any closer to delivering than she had been then. Fortunately, Dr. Calder had been an obstetrician long enough to have seen pregnant women go through many different emotional states, especially as they got close to the time to deliver.
"So what's going on at JAG today?" she asked, changing the subject. She dwelled enough on her never-ending pregnancy without talking about it all the time.
"Not much," he replied, pulling on his uniform jacket. "I've mostly got some paperwork that I need to get caught up on before I go on leave, especially since I've been acting as Chief of Staff the last couple of weeks."
"So if you've been taking my place since I've been on leave," she mused, "who takes your place once you go on leave?"
"The Admiral hasn't said anything to me," he replied, "but I would think it would either be Imes or Mattoni. So are you going back to bed?"
"Would it do any good?" she mused. At his look, she sighed and said, "Eventually. My back is bothering me, so I thought I would take a bath, see if it would relax me."
Harm held out his arms and she stepped into them, resting her head against his chest. "I'd give you a back rub if I didn't have to go to work. You going to be okay?"
Mac pulled back a little to look up at him. "Harm, it's not like I'm going to be alone here," she reminded him. "Your grandmother's here, Sergei only has one class today so he'll probably be home most of the day and except for going out for brunch for Valentine's Day, your parents will be home most of the day, too. I'll be fine."
"Okay," he said, "but if you need anything, I've got my pager and cell phone ..."
"We go through this every day," he reminded him, laughing. "Harm, don't worry. If I do go into labor, you'll be the first to know."
Harm was about to respond when he felt one of the babies kick. Laughing, he put his hand on her stomach and said teasingly, "Hey, kids, how about putting your mom out of her misery soon? We're both pretty anxious to see you guys."
Mac smiled. Sometimes both of them would talk to the babies or Harm would get out his guitar and sing for them. It touched her to watch Harm act like that; Mac thought it showed just how wonderful a father he was going to be. She joked, "I'm going to have to work on them once they're born. They seem to have your sense of timing."
Harm kissed her. "Okay, I think on that note I'll head to work," he said, grinning. "Try to get some more sleep and let me know if you need anything."
-----
1535 ZULU
Mac slowly pushed herself onto her other side, trying to get as comfortable as possible, despite her aching back, so that she could try and get some more sleep. She couldn't remember the last time when she had slept for more than a couple of hours at a time before waking up for one reason or another. Ever since her bath, all she'd been doing was sleeping in snatches and trying to get comfortable. Why the hell can't men go through this? she wondered as she closed her eyes, trying to force herself to fall back asleep.
After lying there for about ten minutes, she gave up and pushed the covers back. Taking a moment to gather her strength, she pushed herself out of bed and slowly headed towards the closet. Pulling on a pair of sweats, she decided to go downstairs for a while. Frank and Trish would be at their brunch date and Sergei would be at school, but she could spend some time with Harm's grandmother. Maybe she could also give her mother a call and ask her to come over.
Slowly making her way down the stairs, Mac was surprised to find Sarah and Sergei in the living room looking through a photo album together. "I thought you had a class this morning," she said as she slowly sank into an armchair.
"Class was cancelled," Sergei replied, confusion evident in his voice, "because of the weather."
"It's snowing?" Mac asked. "I haven't even looked outside today."
"Actually, the news says it's the beginning of a pretty strong Nor'easter according to the weather on TV," Sarah explained. She went over to the window and pulled back the curtain so that Mac could see the snow blowing outside.
"It is coming down pretty good," Mac commented. "Maybe I should call JAG and see what's going on there. The Admiral may secure for the day."
"I do not understand," Sergei said. "Why are school and work closed when it snows?"
"Because this isn't Siberia," Mac replied. "Around here, we don't get snow storms like this very often and when we do, the streets are a mess. I'd bet there's probably already been twenty accidents on the Beltway."
"Sergei, the problem with some American drivers is that they drive the same, no matter what the weather is like," Sarah added. "A lot of people don't have the sense to slow down when there's rain, snow or ice on the roads."
"I think ..." Sergei began, trailing off when the lights flickered for a moment then went out.
"Mac, honey, do you have some candles?" Sarah asked.
"They're in the kitchen," Mac replied, starting to get up. Sarah waved her back down.
"Just tell me where they are," she insisted. "I can get them. Sergei, why don't you bring some firewood in? With the heat off, it's going to get cold in here very quickly."
While Sergei was out bringing in firewood and Sarah was getting the candles, Mac picked up the phone, then remembered that a cordless phone would not work with the power off. She went into the office and brought the phone from there into the living room. The new phone connected to the phone line, she now got a dial tone. She dialed Harm's office number and was surprised when Gunny answered.
"Gunny, it's Colonel Rabb," Mac said. "I was looking for the Commander."
"The Admiral secured for the day," he informed her. "Commander Rabb left about ten minutes ago with the Admiral."
The news didn't surprise Mac. "Thanks, Gunny," she said. "You have a safe drive home." She hung up the phone as Sarah came back into the living room with an armful of candles.
"Did you just try to call Harm?" Sarah asked as she set the candles up around the living room.
"Yes, but he left JAG about ten minutes ago according to Gunny," Mac replied. "The Admiral secured for the day because of the weather. It usually takes about twenty minutes to get here from JAG, so I'd guess it'll take at least forty minutes, maybe more, today the way that snow is coming down."
"At least you know he's on his way," Sarah said, lighting the candles. "I hope Frank and Trish decide to cut their brunch short and get back here. Being from Southern California, they are definitely not used to this weather."
"Here is the firewood," Sergei said, entering with an armload of firewood, setting it in the basket next to the fireplace. "Do you want a fire upstairs?"
"Yeah, we probably should start one up there, too," Mac replied, crossing her arms and rubbing them. "There's no telling how long the power will be out and it's already getting cold in here."
"I will get more firewood," he said, heading towards the back door again while Sarah began stacking the wood in the fireplace.
Mac pushed herself out of her chair and said, "I'm going to put another layer of clothes on and get some blankets to use until it warms up in here. Do you want anything from upstairs, Gram?"
"A blanket would be nice, dear," Sarah replied.
"Okay, I'll be back down in a few minutes," Mac said. She headed upstairs, pausing on the landing halfway up when she felt a pain in her back. After a few seconds, the pain was gone and she continued up the stairs. But as soon as she reached the top of the stairs, she doubled over in extreme pain, crying out as the first contraction hit and her water broke, clutching the railing as she fell to her knees.
"Alright, kids, when you father suggested putting me out of my misery by hurrying up and getting here, I don't think he meant arriving in the middle of a Nor'easter," she said aloud between gasps for breath. She leaned her head back against the wall and tried to focus on her Lamaze breathing while she waited for the contraction to pass.
Sergei was heading up the stairs with the wood for the fireplace in the master bedroom when he saw Mac collapsed at the top of the stairs. Dropping the wood on the floor, he fell to his knees next to her. "Mac, the babies are coming?" he asked.
Mac nodded as she continued breathing through the contraction, exhaling a long breath as the pain eased. She looked up at him and said, "This is definitely it. My water broke and that was no Braxton-Hicks contraction."
"I will help you to your room?" Sergei asked, putting his arm around her to help her up.
"No, let's go downstairs," Mac replied. "We need to figure out how to get to the hospital."
Sergei helped her back down the stairs and into the living room, calling for his grandmother. Sarah, who had gone to bring Jingo in from outside, came racing into the room as Sergei helped Mac onto the couch. She took one look and understood immediately what was going on.
"I'll call an ambulance," Sarah said. "I don't think we should even attempt to drive to the hospital ourselves in this weather." She picked up the phone and dialed 911.
"Yes, we need an ambulance," Sarah said once the operator came on the line, giving the address. "My granddaughter-in-law is in labor."
She listened for a minute, then said firmly, "Look, she's having twins. We need that ambulance as soon as possible." She was silent for another moment, then said, "Yes, that would be appreciated. Thank you."
As she hung up the phone, she looked at Mac sympathetically. "An ambulance will be sent," she said, "but there's no telling when it will arrive. All the ambulances are tied up right now with accidents and other emergencies so they're prioritizing other calls. Since you're not in a life-threatening situation, you'll have to wait. In the meantime, do you need anything?"
"Well, those blankets that I was going to get would be nice," Mac replied. "I'm still a little cold."
"Okay," Sarah said, patting Mac's shoulder. "I'll be right back. Sergei, you want to come help me?"
Sergei nodded and followed his grandmother upstairs. Once they were out of Mac's hearing, Sarah said, "I didn't want to worry Mac by telling her this, but I don't think an ambulance will get here, not in this weather. We may have to deliver the babies ourselves."
Sergei paled slightly, but didn't argue with her conclusion. "Have you delivered babies before, Gram?" he asked.
"Well, your father was born at home," she replied as she grabbed several blankets from the hall closet and handed them to Sergei. "Back then, a lot of babies were born at home. Of course, that was also over sixty years ago. It's been a long time since I was around babies being born. We just have to hope there are no complications."
"Complications?" Sergei echoed nervously.
"There is always the possibility of complications when giving birth," Sarah explained calmly, "even more so when there is more than one baby. We just need to stay calm. If complications arise, we'll deal with them when they do. There is a good possibility that everything will be just fine."
They went back downstairs with the blankets, finding Mac in the middle of another contraction. Sarah glanced at her watch, estimating the time since the previous contraction. As the contraction ended, Mac looked up at Sarah and answered her unasked question, "Just under four minutes between contractions."
Sarah handed her a blanket and said, "It could still be hours yet. That will give the ambulance time to get here."
"But it may not get here because of the weather," Mac concluded.
Sarah reluctantly nodded. Since Mac had brought the possibility up, Sarah didn't want to lie to her. "We just need to have faith that everything will work out fine," she said encouragingly.
Mac smiled and said, "I could really use Harm and the Admiral here right now."
"I can understand wanting your husband here," Sarah said, slightly confused, "but what can the Admiral do?"
Mac laughed at the memories. "Let's just say that for a lawyer, the Admiral makes a very good midwife," she said. "The Admiral delivered Bud and Harriet's first child on the floor of his office. Wait a minute. You know, I didn't even think of Sydney." She picked up the phone and dialed the Admiral's home number.
After three rings, the answering machine picked up. "Sydney, it's Mac," she said. "If you come home early from work, could you come over to my house? I went into labor and we called for an ambulance, which may or may not get here in time in this weather."
She hung up the phone and looked at Sarah and Sergei. "Hopefully, she'll make it home and can get over here," Mac said. "With twins, I would feel better at least having a doctor present."
She picked up the phone again and dialed another number. "I'm trying Harm's cell phone," she explained. After a moment, she hung up. "I was getting a 'no service' message. It's possible the storm is causing interference."
"Do you want to go upstairs and lie down?" Sarah asked. "It may be several hours, so you could try to get some rest while you can."
Mac considered for a moment, then nodded. "Will you guys come upstairs and keep me company?" she asked. "We could tell stories or something."
"Of course," Sarah replied. "Earlier, Sergei and I were going through one of my old photo albums and I was telling him stories about his father." She paused, noticing Mac tense with another contraction. She sat down next to Mac and rubbed her back soothingly while Mac breathed through the pain. Once Mac relaxed, Sarah and Sergei helped her get to her feet.
"Sergei, grab some of those candles," Sarah instructed, picking up the photo album that she and Sergei had been looking at earlier and handing it to Mac. "Here, carry this upstairs and I'll grab some more candles."
"The fire!" Sergei exclaimed. "I did not light the fire upstairs." He quickly took off upstairs to pick up the wood he had dropped earlier and to get the fire started in the master bedroom.
Mac looked at Sarah and shrugged. "He was carrying the firewood upstairs when he found me at the top of the stairs when my labor started. He just dropped the wood on the floor and forgot about it," she explained.
Sarah laughed. "You know, if Harm was home he would have done the same thing," she pointed out.
"It must be genetic," Mac added.
"You know, neither of them really knew their father all that long," Sarah pointed out, "but both of them are so much like him. Watching them is like getting to see my son again." She brushed a tear from her cheek and smiled. "You don't need to listen to an old woman ramble on. The phone upstairs, is it cordless?"
"Yes, it is," Mac replied, unplugging the phone she had earlier gotten out of the office. "I'll take this one upstairs with us."
Sarah and Mac went upstairs to find Sergei already had a good fire going in the fireplace. Mac climbed into bed and pulled the covers up around her, shivering slightly in the still chilly air. "Mac, do you want another blanket?" Sarah asked.
"That would be nice," she replied. Just after Sarah left to get another blanket, the phone rang.
"Hello?" Mac said into the phone.
"Sarah, it's Mom," Deanne said. "I wanted to check in and see how you're doing in this storm."
"Power went out about half an hour ago," Mac replied. "Sergei's here because his class got cancelled and he has lit a fire in both fireplaces. Harm's grandmother is getting some blankets for us to bundle up in until it warms up in here."
"What about Harm?" Deanne asked. "Have you spoken to him?"
"I tried calling JAG, but he had left about ten minutes earlier," Mac told her. "The storm looks like it's getting worse, so there's no telling how long it will take him to get here. Trish and Frank aren't here either. They had gone out for brunch for Valentine's Day."
"Sarah, are you okay?" Deanne asked. "I don't know, you just sound a little funny."
Mac took a deep breath and replied quietly, "Mom, my water broke just after the power went out."
"Oh my, baby," Deanne exclaimed. "Can you get to the hospital?"
"We decided not to risk trying to drive on our own, so Gram called for an ambulance," she explained, forcing herself to sound normal as another contraction hit. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sergei watching her with concern. "We don't know when it will get here. There's apparently a lot of accidents so those take priority."
"I'll see if Matt can drive me over there," Deanne suggested. "I think ..."
"Mom, don't even risk it," Mac insisted. "I don't want you and Uncle Matt to go out and get into an accident trying to get here. The best thing you can do is sit at home and pray that everything goes well."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Mom," Mac said firmly. "Look, I'll have Gram or Sergei call you when anything happens. Just stay at home, try to stay warm and think good thoughts."
"You're right," Deanne said. "You've got enough to worry about without worrying about Matt and I being out on the roads. I love you, honey."
"I know, Mom and thanks," Mac said, hanging up the phone.
Sarah came back into the room with a stack of blankets in time to hear the tail end of Mac's conversation with her mother. "She wanted to try and come over here?" she asked.
Mac nodded. "She suggested that Uncle Matt try to drive her over here. I told her to stay put and that we would call her when ..." she trailed off.
"Honey, relax and try to think good thoughts yourself," Sarah said, taking Mac's hands in hers. "I know this is a little scary. Hell, I'd expect you to be scared even if you were sitting in a hospital room right now with a full team of doctors around. All we can do is believe that everything will be okay. After all, women used to give birth at home all the time."
"I just wish Harm was here," Mac said quietly.
-----
1805 ZULU
Mac's eyes fluttered open and she was surprised that a check of her internal clock showed that she'd slept for nearly two hours despite being in labor. A quick glance around the room showed lit candles scattered around the room, so she surmised that the power must still be out.
She pushed herself up into a sitting position and noted that she was alone in the room. She started to get out of bed, but stopped when another contraction hit, this one the strongest yet.
As she struggled to breathe through the pain, Harm entered the room and raced to her side, pulling her into his arms and comforting her. Gasping for breath as the contraction ended, Mac look up at him and smiled. "When did you get home?" she asked.
"About an hour ago," he replied, his hand moving over her back in small circles. "You had fallen asleep, so we didn't want to disturb you. How do you feel?"
"Better now that you're here," she said, resting her head against his chest. "What's the weather like outside?"
"Getting worse, if anything," he replied. "The snow is falling faster than it can be plowed off the streets. Mom and Dad did call and said they're getting a room at a hotel near the restaurant they were at."
"Good, I don't want them to take any unnecessary risks trying to get back here," Mac said, pulling out of his arms and lying back against her pillows. "What about the Admiral? Is he here?"
"Yes, and so is Sydney," Harm told her. "She got home, got your message and came over here just before the Admiral and I arrived. Do you ... Sarah, what is it? Another contraction?"
Mutely, Mac nodded, gripping his hand tightly. Harm glanced at his watch and calculated that the contractions were now just over two minutes apart. He looked up to see Sydney standing in the doorway.
"How are we doing in here?" Sydney asked.
"Her contractions are just over two minutes apart," Harm replied. He breathed a sigh of relief when Mac relaxed as the contraction ended. "How much longer do you think it will be?"
"That's hard to say," Sydney replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Could be within the next hour or two, could be a lot longer than that. Harm, why don't you help Mac get changed into a nightgown and I'll examine her. Looking at how much she's dilated will give us an idea how long this will be."
Harm put an arm around Mac's waist and helped pull her to her feet, supporting her as they walked into the closet. He watched her carefully as she changed, ready to help if she needed it. But there was something in her expression that concerned him. "Sarah?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she insisted to his unasked question. Finished changing, she let him help her back out to the bed, where Sydney examined her.
"You're about eight or nine centimeters," Sydney announced.
"Close, but not quite," Mac said flatly.
"Mac, you are close," Sydney tried to reassure her. "Your contractions are just over two minutes apart and you're almost fully dilated. Try to relax as much as possible because I promise you won't have much opportunity in an hour or two. I'm going to go downstairs and have AJ and Sergei get some more wood for the fire."
As Sydney left the room, Harm followed and stopped her in the hall. "Sydney, is everything really okay?" he asked. "Sarah seems, I don't know, maybe a little worried or maybe anxious is a better word."
"Everything looks fine," Sydney insisted, realizing that he needed to be reassured as much as Mac did. "But this is her first delivery and we can't get her to the hospital, so she's bound to be a little anxious. The best you can do is to comfort her as much as possible. If she sees that you're calm, then that will help her tremendously."
Harm went back into the room as Mac was coming out of another contraction. He sat down on the edge of the bed and brushed a strand of hair off her forehead. "I won't ask how you're doing," he said.
"Good, 'cause I'd have to kick your six," Mac retorted. Harm grinned at her statement.
"That sounds like my kick-ass jarhead," he teased.
"Harm," she said hesitantly, taking his left hand in hers and twisting the wedding ring on his finger, "do you think everything's going to be okay?"
"Of course I do," he replied, perhaps a little stronger than he should have. Taking a deep breath, he continued in a more even tone of voice, "Harriet managed to give birth to AJ in the Admiral's office with no problems. At least you've got a doctor here. Anyway, you've been in worse situations – the Appalachians, Coster, the Watertown, the shooting."
"Will you lay down with me?" she asked, patting the space beside her. "I want you to hold me."
"Anytime," he promised, lying down beside her on his side. Mac rolled over onto her side and slid back so that she was pressed against his chest. Harm draped an arm over her and took one of her hands in his, squeezing it comfortingly.
-----
1925 ZULU
"I hate to sound like a broken record," Mac ground out between pants as she breathed through another contraction, "but when is this going to be over?" Her contractions were so long and so close together that nearly as soon as one was over, the next one began.
"You're fully dilated now," Sydney reported, "but the first baby hasn't crowned yet."
"They'll be here soon," Harm tried to reassure her. "It's ..."
"Don't you dare tell me that it's going well and they'll be here soon," Mac retorted. "Why don't you try doing this next time?"
"I don't think that's possible," Harm said lightly. Mac just glared at him. "Just think about those beautiful babies that you'll be holding in your arms soon."
"Harm's right," Sydney agreed. "Soon your babies will be here and trust me as a mother when I say that nothing else will matter."
Mac nodded wearily as she leaned back against Harm's chest. She knew it had only been four hours since her water had broken, but it felt like she'd been in labor forever.
"I just want the babies to get here," Mac said softly.
"I know," Harm whispered, wrapping his arms around her. He pressed a kiss to her damp temple.
"I'll be back in a few minutes," Sydney said. "Give a shout if you need anything, okay?"
Mac and Harm nodded as Sydney left the room. Harm rose from the bed as well. "I'll be right back," he said, going into the bathroom. Mac heard water running and Harm returned a minute later with a wet washcloth.
Gently, he wiped her face. Mac smiled as she remembered a similar show of concern in the past. "Are you going to promise to get me out of this?" she asked lightly.
Harm remembered the same incident. "It's good that you can joke," he commented as he set the washcloth aside. "What if I promise never to put you in this situation again?"
She laughed, realizing that he was teasing her. "Okay, you know how hard it is to laugh when I'm supposed to be breathing?" she asked between gasps of breath. "Harm, if you ... get Sydney, now. I need to push."
"No, don't push," he insisted as he ran into the hall. "Sydney, we need you now!" he called down the stairs.
"Sarah, honey, don't push yet," he encouraged her as Sydney rushed into the room followed by AJ. Harm could see his grandmother and brother hovering in the hall just outside the room, anxiously awaiting news.
"Okay, the first baby is crowning," Sydney said. "Mac, on the next contraction, I want you to push as hard as you can. Harm, do you guys have a baby bath?"
When Harm nodded, Sydney turned to Sarah. "Mrs. Rabb, can you get it for us? We'll need to clean up both of the babies. We'll also need diapers and sleepers for each of them and some baby blankets."
Sarah nodded, heading for the nursery with Sergei in tow. Mac tensed as she felt another contraction beginning, pushing as Harm held her, whispering words of encouragement. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out.
"You're doing good," Harm told her as the contraction ended as she relaxed against him. "It's almost over."
"Don't tell me it's almost over," Mac insisted wearily. "I've got to do this twice, remember?"
"This baby is almost here," Sydney pointed out. "Now give me another good push." As Mac pushed, the baby's head emerged and Sydney instantly realized there was a problem. "Stop pushing, Mac!" she cried out.
"Sydney, what's wrong?" Mac asked, terrified. Harm tried to look and see what Sydney was doing, but AJ shook his head. Every prayer he'd ever said in his life flashed through his mind as Mac gripped his hand tighter than she had during any of the contractions.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Harm and Mac, Sydney breathed a sigh of relief and told Mac, "It's okay. You can push now."
As she pushed, a prayer that everything be okay kept repeating itself in her head. Relaxing as the contraction ended, she burst into tears when she heard the hearty cry of a baby. Sydney held up a screaming, red infant. "Mom, Dad, here's your daughter," she announced, tears in her eyes.
Harm remembered the look of wonder on Bud's face when he'd first laid eyes on baby AJ and he finally understood the feeling as he looked at his daughter for the first time. "She's beautiful," he whispered, brushing her tiny foot with a finger as Sydney tied off the cord.
"Dad, would you like to do the honors?" Sydney asked, holding out a pair of medical scissors. His hand shaking slightly, Harm took the scissors and cut the cord. Sydney wrapped the baby in a towel and handed her to Harm, who found himself uncharacteristically tongue tied as he held his daughter for the first time. Tears were falling freely as he showed her to Mac.
"Hello, Sarah Patricia Rabb," Mac whispered through her tears, pressing a kiss to her daughter's head.
"I hate to break up this family moment," Sydney said, "but Sarah's brother is still waiting to join us. Harm, why don't you give Sarah to your grandmother and let her give the baby a sponge bath?"
Harm motioned his grandmother and brother into the room, Sergei carrying the baby bath. Carefully, Harm placed Sarah in her great-grandmother's arms. "Gram, meet your namesake, Sarah Patricia Rabb," Harm said.
"Aren't you a beautiful one, Sarah?" she remarked quietly. "I do believe you're going to look like your mother."
"Then she'll definitely be beautiful," Harm declared. He looked at Sergei, who looked a little nervous. "Sergei, would you like to hold your niece?"
Sergei looked even more nervous when he set the bath down and Sarah placed the baby in his arms, gently instructing him on the proper way to hold her. After a moment, he visibly relaxed. "She is beautiful," he agreed. "I have not been around babies much before."
"You'll have plenty of time to be around babies now," Harm pointed out. He turned and looked at Mac as Sarah and Sergei took the baby into the bathroom. "Speaking of babies, how are you doing?"
"Your son seems to be in no great hurry to join his sister," Mac declared.
Harm quirked an eyebrow at her. "My son?" he echoed.
Mac smiled despite the pain of another contraction. "We've already established these kids have your sense of timing," she joked.
"There's no telling with twins how long it will be between babies," Sydney told them. "It could be a few minutes; it could be half an hour."
"Half an hour!" Mac exclaimed, panting. "I didn't want to hear that."
"The baby's not crowning yet, so it will be some time," Sydney said.
"Sydney, what happened with Sarah?" Mac asked hesitantly. Despite the fact that Sarah was obviously fine, she had to know what had happened earlier.
Sydney hesitated, but a look at both Harm's and Mac's faces told her they were not going to let it go. "The umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck," she replied. "When you pushed, it caused the cord to tighten, so I needed you to stop pushing while I loosened the cord."
"But she will be fine?" Harm asked.
"Yes," Sydney replied without hesitation. "It's not an everyday occurrence, but it's not unheard of for the cord to get wrapped around the baby."
"What about Matt?" Mac asked. "Will the same thing happen to him?"
"Probably not," Sydney replied. "Try not to worry. Everything is going well so far, the scare with the umbilical cord notwithstanding."
Almost half an hour later with the other baby still not born, Mac was just about convinced that it was some kind of male conspiracy to torment her. Harm couldn't even open his mouth at this point without her snapping at him, so he just kept his mouth shut. She had even snapped at AJ, who had been shocked at her uncharacteristic behavior. Sergei had disappeared before she could bite his head off too, ostensibly to get more wood for the fires.
"Mac, come on," Sydney tried to encourage her. "Your son's almost here."
"He's been almost here for half an hour," she retorted weakly. "When is he actually going to be here?"
"How does a few minutes sound?" Sydney asked. "The baby's crowning, so give me a good push on the next contraction."
"Come on, Sarah," Harm said. "Do you want to see our little boy?"
Mac nodded weakly even as she said, "I'm so tired now."
"I know," Sydney said. "You've worked hard already to give birth to one baby. We just need a little bit more and then you'll have your son." Encouragement from another woman who was also a mother was just what Mac needed to push.
"That's good, Mac," Sydney said encouragingly. "The baby's almost here. Just one more push and he should be here."
'Just one more', Mac repeated in her head. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on bringing her son into the world. She opened her eyes when she heard a baby cry and saw Sydney tying off her son's cord.
"How is he?" she asked.
"He's perfect," Harm declared as he cut the cord and took the baby into his arms. He placed the baby in Mac's arms and put his arm around her shoulder as they both looked down at their son.
"He is perfect," Mac agreed. She kissed the tiny hand wrapped around her finger. "Hello, Harmon Matthew Rabb."
"I love you, Sarah," Harm whispered as he rested his cheek against the top of her head. "Thank you for our beautiful children."
Mac smiled, more tears falling. "No, thank you for creating with me the family I've always wanted."
-----
2305 ZULU
BETHESDA
NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER
BETHESDA, MARYLAND
Harm raced down the hallway, looking for the flower shop. He finally found it at the end of the hall, but the lights were out and the door was being locked by a store employee.
"Excuse me, ma'am?" he asked. "Would it be possible to buy some flowers real quick before you leave?"
"I'm sorry, sir, but the flower shop closes at six," the clerk replied, "which was a few minutes ago."
"My wife was just brought in by ambulance," Harm explained, giving her his best flyboy grin. "She gave birth to twins at home a few hours ago and I wanted to get her some roses for Valentine's Day. The ones I had ordered for her a few days ago weren't delivered to our home because of the weather."
The clerk relented and unlocked the shop door. "I'd say a woman who just gave birth to twins definitely deserves flowers," she remarked as she flipped on the light, "especially on Valentine's Day."
"Thank you," Harm said gratefully. "I'd like two dozen roses."
The clerk got the roses out of the refrigerated case and arranged them in a vase. "What did she have?" she asked.
"Excuse me?"
"Your wife, did she have boys or girls?" she asked.
"One of each," Harm replied. The clerk grabbed three balloons and inflated them, attaching them with ribbon to the vase. One was a red heart proclaiming 'Happy Valentine's Day' and the other two proclaimed 'It's a boy' and 'It's a girl'. "Free of charge," she explained. "I'm a sucker for romance."
Harm handed over his credit card to pay for the roses and a card to go with them. While the clerk ran his credit card, Harm wrote a short message in the card and sealed it in its envelope. "Thank you," he repeated. "I appreciate you letting me get these flowers."
"I hope your wife enjoys them," she remarked as she slid the credit card slip across the counter for him to sign.
"They're roses," he replied, "so I don't think I have to worry about whether or not she'll like them."
"Her favorite flower?"
"Yes but that's not the only reason she'll like them," Harm explained as he picked up the vase. "We met in a rose garden."
-----
1825 ZULU
ROOM
425
BETHESDA NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER
BETHESDA, MARYLAND
Mac turned on the television and started flipping through the channels. Harm had gone to admissions to fill out her paperwork and as soon as she had been settled in her room, the twins had been whisked away to be examined and their measurements taken.
Finding nothing on, she turned the television off and tossed the remote onto the bed. She was about to pick up the phone when Harm entered the room, carrying the vase of roses in front of him.
"Happy Valentine's Day," he proclaimed, setting the flowers on the nightstand and sitting down on the edge of the bed.
"Thank you," she said, her hands on either side of his face. "They're beautiful." She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his, wrapping her arms around his neck as she deepened the kiss.
"I love you," he whispered as they broke off the kiss. "We've come a long way from where we were a year ago."
Mac was puzzled for a moment, then she remembered. "Yeah, we have come a long way since Australia," she agreed.
"If someone had told me a year ago that you and I would finally be together and that we would be celebrating the birth of our son and daughter, I would have said they were crazy," he remarked.
"After the ferry, I would have thought the same thing," she said. "But we don't have to worry about any of that anymore, do we?"
Harm smiled and kissed her forehead, pulling away when he heard the door open. Dr. Calder walked in followed by two nurses bringing in the babies.
"Well, Mom, Dad," Dr. Calder said. "I think in my fifteen year medical career, these have got to be the healthiest twins I've seen. All those extra calories you consumed during your pregnancy really paid off. Sarah Patricia weighed in at six pounds four ounces and Harmon Matthew is six pounds seven."
"So they're fine? No ill effects from not being delivered in the hospital?" Mac asked.
"They're perfectly healthy," Dr. Calder reiterated. "In fact, there's no reason why all three of you can't go home on Friday just as if they'd been born here."
"Thank you," Mac said, tears forming as a nurse placed Sarah in her arms. She ran a finger over her daughter's features, marveling as tiny fingers wrapped around her finger.
"We'll just leave the four of you alone to get acquainted," Dr. Calder said. "I'll stop back in later to check on you."
Mac barely noticed when the doctor and nurses left, so enthralled in her babies was she. She looked over at Harm, who was holding Matt and looking down at him with a similar expression of awe and wonder. "I think he's going to look like his Daddy," she commented, watching Harm as he watched Matt wiggle in his arms.
"Does that mean he'll have Mommy wrapped around his little finger?" he teased.
"You're horrible," Mac proclaimed, laughing. "What, do you think you just flash that flyboy grin at me and I melt?"
"I know you do," he retorted confidently. He looked down at the baby in her arms. "She looks like you, so I know she'll have me wrapped around her finger."
"Yeah, but she's got your eyes," she pointed out. They both smiled as Sarah yawned, waving her little arms around.
"We did good here, didn't we?" Mac mused softly, her voice full of wonder.
"Yes, we did," Harm replied softly, tears in his eyes.
-----
The End