Part 4
Harm, AJ and Mac just sat and stared at her for a second.
"Good grief, I've done it!" the Admiral exclaimed, his smile equally as radiant, "I've made her smile again!"
He took the ripped pieces of paper in his hands, turned them around and ripped them into eighths. Ana threw her head back and bellowed with laughter. All of the adults laughed delightedly as they watched her. There was something about her tired, hysterical laughter that raised the fatigued atmosphere of the office.
Just then, Harriet knocked on the door, a teething ring in her hand. She had been about to deliver it to Commander Rabb's office when she heard the noise from inside.
"Commander Rabb?" she asked, holding up the cold teething ring, "I thought you might want to give Ana this…"
"Come here and looking at this, Lieutenant," AJ spoke up.
When Harriet had walked around the desk and stood to watch, AJ ripped up the bits of paper again.
Ana let out a bellow of baby-laughter and Harriet clasped a hand over her mouth in delight.
"Oh my Gosh, Sir!" she exclaimed, happily laughing along with the rest of the staff.
Before long, the whole bullpen was crowded into Harm's office to watch AJ's antics with the little girl.
Everyone suddenly fell silent as the grinning little girl reached her arms out to Mac and exclaimed, "Ma, Ma!"
"Uh…" Mac stammered, "I think it's probably just because I speak Russian like her Mommy does."
She lifted the little girl into her arms and told her, gently, "You call me Aunty Sarah, Sweetie."
The little girl just looked at her, grinning sweetly and Mac felt her stomach flutter again.
"Come here, you little monkey!" Harm exclaimed taking her from Mac, "I think it's time for your lunch. He crossed over to the changing bag and took a jar of baby food, a small pot of yoghurt and a bib out.
Everyone crowded around the desk as Mac held Ana while Harm lifted spoon after spoon of food to her mouth.
It was an amusing sight to see all of the staff members opening their own mouths, encouraging the little baby who was watching them.
In this instance, it seemed to take not a whole village, but a whole bullpen to raise a baby!
The End