Part 4

"Hmmm," Harm and Mac snuggled deeper into the covers as the birdsong and sunshine penetrated their sleepy cocoon, "I think we should just stay here and snuggle…Besides, Bud and Harriet have that shopping to do for the kids."

Mac couldn't help but agree. It was far too warm and peaceful being wrapped up in Harm's arms. It certainly beat having to brave the cold tile floor of the bathroom to get into the shower! She was definitely not going to enjoy winter this year. And they called this mild!

"Yeah," she murmured softly, "Let's just stay right here…"

"Yes, Ma'am," Harm tightened his arms around her and nuzzled his face further into the back of her neck.

With a sigh of contentment, Mac thought about how blissful this was. As much as she enjoyed and celebrated the more physical aspects of their relationships, she felt it was good for them to be like this and not automatically expect it to lead to something more. Harm was a fantastic and generous lover, but this reminded her that he loved her no matter what and that their spiritual relationship could exist independently of their physical one.

"Let's go back to sleep, baby," Harm settled back into a close, but more sleep-permitting position, allowing her to feel safe and cherished, but still giving her some space too.

Mac didn't need any more encouragement than that.

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Bud and Harriet were just unpacking the car when Harm and Mac showed up, that afternoon.

"Oops, looks like we're a bit too early, Harm," Mac noted, as they got out of their car.

After wandering over, they went to apologize, but Harriet waved them off.

"No, we're the ones who are late," she told them, "When you're taking care of school supplies and you've got three primary- and one pre-schooler, as well as two infants in tow, things can take more time than you expected."

Harm and Mac's eyes flitted to the back window of the car and they could see three little people, mercifully occupied by the in-car entertainment system.

"Uh, Harriet?" Harm questioned, then joked, "You said…'three primary and one pre-schooler?' Did you pop out another couple while we weren't looking?"

As Bud moved to usher the kids out of the car, Harriet explained, quickly, "Well, I can't say too much right now…I will explain later…but we're going to have a couple extra staying for a bit."

Bud brought the older children around to them, then went back to the middle seat for Jimmy and the twins, who were in their car seats. For a second, Harm and Mac took in the sight of Harriet's newly acquired, 'extra children,' trying to downplay their surprise and curiosity.

"AJ, sweetie," Harriet suggested to her oldest child, "Why don't you introduce your little friends to your Godparents?"

He dutifully did so, but his young mind didn't think about two sides to the situation.

"This is my Auntie Mac and Uncle Harm," he told his friends, "Uncle Harm works with my Dad and my Aunty Mac used to."

The two little faces shifted between the new grown-ups and their friend as AJ spoke.

Finally, when he was done, they uttered a small, "hello," that was confident, but just came from two very small individuals.

"This is Tiegan and Tyler," Harriet finished the introduction, when she realized that AJ hadn't completely grasped her instructions.

"You two can call AJ's Aunt and Uncle 'Mr. and Mrs. Rabb, kids," Harriet told the children, who nodded.

"How about we give you guys a hand with all of these bags?" Mac suggested and with that, they all made their way indoors.

When they were all settled inside with coffee, Harm was surprised when AJ's friend Tyler came over to him.

"Mr. Rabb?" asked the little boy with very curly, dark blond hair, "AJ says that you fly airplanes…Is that true?"

"Yeah," Harm smiled at the small boy, "I used to be a pilot. I work where AJ's Dad does, now, but I still fly when I get the chance."

"Wow," the little girl, Tiegan, sitting beside AJ pronounced, "That's ace, Mr. Rabb!"

"You two can call me Harm, if you want to," Harm told them both, kindly, "It'll be a lot easier than saying 'Mr Rabb' all the time. I'm not used to being called 'Mr.' It makes me feel old!"

"Oh," Tyler's face became serious, "Nana Moon doesn't like us calling grown-ups by their Christian names…"

"She says it's disrespectful," Tiegan added, as the two of them watched the two grown-ups carefully through wide eyes.

"That's okay…" Harm tried to put them at ease, "I suppose 'Mr. Rabb' is alright."

"So, are you guys twins?" Mac asked, trying to divert the attention away to another subject. She had become more and more curious as the minutes passed and she could tell that Harm was, too.

The kids smiled and shook their heads at her question.

"She's a whole month younger than me," Tyler indicated to Tiegan beside him.

"I'm not a whole month younger, Tyler," she protested, "It's less than that! And it doesn't mean that I can't still thrash you!"

"You can not!"

"Oh yes I can!"

"And when was the last time you ever thrashed me at anything?" Tyler challenged.

"Just today!" Tiegan met his challenge, "At the zoo."

As the argument continued, Harriet brought through the cookie tin, offering them around.

"The kids are in AJ's class at school," she explained, over the noise in the background, "And the class went on a trip to the zoo."

When Tyler and Tiegan still hadn't stopped, she gently reasoned, "Now, now, you two…Tell Mr. and Mrs. Rabb what a good time we had at the zoo today."

The argument was settled with a fresh challenge, "Yeah well, I'll beat you next time. And I won't need a head start, either."

Harm and Mac were reminded of their rivalry during the Jag-A-Thon in DC, a few years back.

The children then began to tell them about their trip to the zoo.

But Bud nearly choked on his tea when Tiegan, Tyler and AJ told them about the Mommy and Daddy bear 'wrestling.'

Harm and Mac just laughed as Harriet thumped Bud on the back to help get the liquid up and out of his lungs. Well, at least the rivalry had been put aside for now.

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