AN - lololol, you gals and guys rock! Thank you so much for your feedback (I'm getting back to you as soon as real life gives me some time. Promise!) and most of all for allowing me to 'use' you if it's necessary ;-) But let's hope it won't happen again, okay :-) Here's part 17… Enjoy (I hope)

... oh, and Ana-Maria... your idea from chapter 11... hmmm, now there's a thought... I have to think about it :-)

A Snowy Weekend – Part 17

Disclaimer - See part one for all important information

3:17 PM

Little AJ sprinted down the corridor of Mac's apartment house to push open the heavy door that would lead him to the parking lot and finally to the snow he'd craved for. "Yeah," he hollered in excitement, throwing his arms into the air and ran out.

"AJ, slow down and be careful," Mac called after him. "It could be slippery out there."

"Ya," Jimmy loudly screamed and ran as fast as his legs would carry him after his big brother. His path however was broken when the heavy door fell loudly back into its slot. Jimmy stopped in front of it and tried to reach the knob but failed to due his height. He turned his gaze to his godparents and pointed with his finger at the door. "Out," he said before turning back to the door and pounded his little fists on it. Once more he tried to reach the knob while jumping up and down.

Harm and Mac chuckled at his impatience and made their way to him. All they could do was shake their heads in disbelief about the energy and enthusiasm these two little boys had. "We're coming, we're coming," Harm told Jimmy while he picked him up.

"After you, Milady," Harm said and bowed to Mac while gentlemanly-like holding the door open for her, trying to keep a squirming Jimmy in his other arm.

"Thank you, Milord," Mac replied with a smile and stepped out into the parking lot, just to be confronted by the cold winter air. Her hands immediately went to the labels of her coat, holding them safely together. "Was it already this cold yesterday?" She asked Harm in wonder.

He stood right next to her and could just shake his head. Each time they exhaled into the cold air, they were creating foggy clouds. After placing Jimmy down, Harm blew at his hands before getting his leather gloves out of his coat. "Not that I can remember."

Harm took off his scarf and gently started to put it around Mac's throat. "Here, I think you can use it more than me."

Mac's hands immediately stopped his doings while she looked into his eyes. "No, Harm. You should keep it or you'll get too cold. I'm wearing a turtleneck sweater but you're not. You need the scarf more than I do, or I could go back to my apartment and get one of my own," she softly told him but only got a shake of his head in answer.

"Don't worry about me, Mac. As soon as I start working, I'll get all warm," he replied just as softly and gave her a kind smile. "And now take good care of my scarf, Marine, while I dig out my car." With that, Harm turned around and crossed the parking lot to get to his car.

"Will do," Mac whispered and pulled his scarf even closer to her face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, sighing in pleasure when she could smell the unique scent she loved so much of its owner. "Believe me, I will."

"Come on, Auntie Mac," Little AJ suddenly yelled a few feet away from her and brought her back to the present. "Play with us."

Mac opened her eyes again and had to laugh when she saw her giggling godsons lying in one of the snowdrifts while throwing some of the snow into the air just to get covered with it. She had to laugh even more when she saw Harm right in the middle of their newest playground. While shaking her head Mac walked to the snowdrift and was greeted by three pairs of shining eyes and the sound of happy laughter.

"Hey, Mac," Harm welcomed her with one of his flyboy grins and chuckled. "Want to play with us boys?"

"You boys are having fun I see," Mac said with a raised eyebrow and smiled at them. "Good thing you guys are wearing snowsuits. Well, at least the ones named Roberts that is," she added while looking at her godsons. Then she turned her gaze to the very happy looking Harm. "Now you, Mister, are not wearing any kind of snowsuit. I just hope you won't get sick."

"Don't worry, Mom," Harm replied, his smile getting even wider if that's possible. "If I'll get sick, I hope a certain marine will take good care of me and give me some TLC."

"Really? I somehow doubt the General has time for such a full-time job, Harm," Mac jokingly pointed out while crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Harm placed both of his hands over his heart and gave her a wounded look. "You wound me, Mac. How can you think and tell me that the General won't have the time to take care of me? I have to let you know that we're buddies."

"Auntie Mac, you're a marine. Why don't you take care of Uncle Harm?" Little AJ wanted to know and looked in wonder at his godmother.

"Yeah, Mac. Why can't you take care of me if I should get sick?" Harm repeated his godson's question and gave her a 'so there'-look.

Mac held out her hand to Harm so that she could help him out of the snowdrift. "Let's hope it doesn't come to it in the first place, okay? I know how you get when you're sick, Harm."

Harm took hold of Mac's hand, but for now stayed where he was. "How do I get, Mac?"

Mac's first mistake was to look at Little AJ and Jimmy while they were getting out of the snowdrift to find another one they could jump on. Her second mistake was to give her partner an answer while her mind wasn't one-hundred percent directed at him. "You're one cranky squid while being sick," she told him and immediately got his answer.

Harm's facial expression changed and a devilish look and smile took place on his face before he pulled in one swift motion at Mac's outstretched arm.

"Haarrmm!" Mac yelled in surprise and fell right on top of Harm. She was barely able to catch her fall and ended up nose to nose with him. "You! How dare you," Mac hissed, trying to sound upset but terribly failing when she couldn't hold back her own smile.

Harm chuckled and took her face into his palms. "That's what happens when a marine challenges the Navy while said marine isn't on alert," he answered with a boyish grin. Then he pulled her face even closer to his and finally was able to kiss her lips with all the love he felt for her.

Little AJ obviously was engaged with playing in the snow so that his godparents only needed to end their kiss when they'd needed to take a breath and not because he was telling them it was 'yucky' to kiss like they'd just done.

"You're one sneaky squid, you know that?" Mac gave his chest a gentle slap.

Harm looked up at Mac with some puppy eyes. "You would take care of me, if I should get sick, right?"

Mac got off of Harm and once more offered her hand to him, finally helping him up from the snowdrift. "I promise you the best TLC you ever got in your life, Harm," she seductively answered him with a sweet smile.

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah," Mac promised before giving him a little push to the direction of his car. "But like I said, let's hope it doesn't come to it, okay? And now you better dig out your car. The sooner you get out of your wet clothes the better."

Harm's eyes glimmered and he once more showed her his best flyboy grin. He made a step forward to put his mouth right next to her ear. "Hmm, you want to get me out of my clothes. I already like your version of TLC, Sarah," he purred into her ear before his tongue darted out to trace the lines of her ear.

Mac could only giggle but suddenly had to moan when he took her earlobe into his mouth to nibble on it. She once more pushed him away from her and cleared her throat. "Harm," she hoarsely groaned out and pointed with her forefinger at the still snow-covered car a few feet away from them. "Your car…. Now…. Dig it out…. Just dig it out." Without waiting for a response she turned around and joined AJ and Jimmy to build a snowman.

Harm just chuckled and followed her with his eyes, knowing that he'd caught her unexpected with the move he'd just made. The fact that she couldn't bring out one full sentence made it clear to him. It felt so great to him. To be finally able to flirt with her this way, to know that they'd reached the point where they were reading at the same time the same page of their book called 'Us'.

However, Harm also had to admit to himself that his move surprised him too, wondering why it wasn't so easy before. 'Does it really matter?' He asked himself and could immediately give himself the answer. 'No, not at all. The only thing that matters is the here and now, and the fulfillment of this dream. Our dream.' With that he turned around and made his way to the snowed-in car, hoping that he would be able to dig it out as soon as possible so that he could help with the snowman.

Mac took another deep breath. 'Get a grip, MacKenzie,' she told herself, still surprised about Harm's actions.

Earlier, she'd actually thought about helping him with the car, but now she knew it was the best for both of them to let him do it alone and to stay away from each other. Otherwise, they would never get done with the work.

'I'm feeling like a lovesick teenager, who can't wait to make out on the couch with her prince.' Mac had to giggle about her own thoughts. "Geez, you really got it bad, Marine," she murmured out loud and couldn't keep herself from turning around to look once more at the object of her thoughts. "Really bad."

TBC