OOOO
Part Four
"Mac, do you fancy going out into town for dinner?" Harm asked Mac, from across the room.
When he got no answer, he turned to see what was occupying her. She seemed to be lost in her own little world.
"Mac, you okay over there? Mac, hello…"
"Huh?" Mac jumped to life, "Sorry, just thinking…What were you saying?"
"I wondered if you wanted to eat out tonight…Where were you just then? Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Mac dismissed quickly, "I'm fine, my mind was just somewhere else….I'd actually prefer to just stay in the hotel tonight. I don't really feel like going anywhere else tonight."
"You sure you're okay?" Harm asked her, concerned, "We don't even need to leave the room, if you don't want, we could just get room service. Do you want to talk about this?"
"No, lets just go downstairs to the restaurant tonight," Mac dismissed again, rushing her words, "It'll probably do more good if we left the room, started mixing with the people in the hotel…Maybe Bud and Harriet will be down there."
Harm didn't push the point, thinking that being able to touch base with Harriet again might do Mac some good. The two of them were very close, even when they were both so busy at JAG. Clay had said that it would probably be okay for them to meet up for a bit, now that they had 'met each other' through the adoption ring.
Mac quickly went into the bathroom to change, while Harm called down to the restaurant to make reservations.
Bud and Harriet had also made a reservation in the restaurant that night. They were there for about half-an-hour before Harm and Mac were, talking quietly between themselves.
When Harm and Mac arrived, they quickly waved them over.
"Hi there!" Bud greeted them cheerily, "How are the two of you doing tonight? You out celebrating?"
"Oh yes, we are," Harm told him, enthusiastically, putting an arm around Mac for effect, "It's been a heck of a day, hasn't it?"
"I can't remember the last time I felt this excited," Harriet told them, "Not even on the plane here. I guess I've been trying to keep my hopes realistic. But now it seems like everything's going to work out this time."
"Of course it is, sweetheart," Bud told Harriet, smiling in assurance, "In three days time, everything will be sorted out and we'll be arranging for our little girl to come home with us."
Harriet looked back to Harm and Mac, happily.
"Have the two of you got reservations? You're welcome to join us."
"Are you sure you won't mind that?" Mac asked Bud and Harriet, looking to Harm first to check that it would be alright.
"Of course it would," Bud told them.
"Okay," Harm agreed, "Maybe we'll get a chance to talk some more about our girls."
Harm and Mac took seats at the table and they all settled into easy chitchat.
"So what is it that you do, Mike?"
"Gemma and I are both Lieutenant j.g.'s in the Navy. We're based in Washington DC. The two of you?"
"I'm a Lieutenant Commander. Wow, it is a small world. Chris is an agent with the Bureau. We live in Quantico, though I have to travel into Norfolk for work."
"What made you decide to come all of this way, to find your child?" Harriet asked them.
"Well," Mac told her, "I heard about the problem of orphaned children in Russia from a friend of mine at work. She did a PhD on the subject. Garry and I discussed it a bit then just decided to go for it. I guess that we've just been disappointed so much before that we realised that we didn't have anything else to lose, anymore. You can't succeed if you're not willing to put your heart on the line. We felt that we had to try."
"Wow, it feels as if you're describing the two of us," Bud exclaimed, "Gemma and I read an article in Time magazine last year and decided to do some careful research on orphanages in Russia. We know of a family who adopted their children abroad, too, although they went to Vietnam and to China. I guess Russia is just a little bit closer, though."
They passed several hours like this in comfortable conversation. It helped settle Mac's feelings, although she would have liked to talk to Bud and Harriet using their real personas. All four knew that would be too dangerous, though, especially now that the ball had really started rolling. It was a small comfort, though and when they went back to their suite that night, Mac found that she didn't have too much difficulty drifting off to sleep. Harm had picked up on Mac's emotions clearly, though and was now trying to think of ways in which he could approach Mac and get her to talk to him about what was going on inside her head. Their mission would always come second to him in terms of priorities. Mac's emotional well being would always come first and if she told him that she needed to pull out, he'd support her completely.
OOOO
Mac seemed much brighter and cheerier by the next morning. Harm felt a bit more at ease and decided to play things by ear for a while, because bringing the situation up again might end up doing more damage than good. But he'd be best to keep an eye on the situation, too.
"We'd better look like we're really doing something," Mac told him, that morning, as they were returning from breakfast, "It's going to look kind of suspicious if we don't start preparing for bringing a child into our lives."
"But Mac," Harm gently pointed out, "That isn't actually going to happen…As much as we wish it would, we're going to have to hand Katya back to the Russian social services once the bad guys have been rounded up and the operation is over."
Mac froze as he spoke and Harm immediately felt guilty for rubbing more salt into the wounds. It was something that he really had not wanted to do.
Mac quickly pulled herself together, arguing, "Yes, but we've got to keep up appearances, don't we? We have no idea just how closely we're being watched. Besides, shopping can be a fun leisure activity and with CIA money, we won't have to worry about the bills! When this is all over, we can always donate the gifts to the orphanage."
Harm thought about it for a second, "You know…you're right Mac! I say that we go totally wild with our CIA ready-cash account! Let's go out and spend like we've never spent before!"
Mac just beamed back at Harm and he realised that his heart had stopped. There really wasn't much better in life that seeing a happy Sarah MacKenzie.
OOOO
They scoured all of the major shopping centres in the city that day, spending liberally using the credit card that Webb had supplied them with. Harm was pleasantly surprised at just how much he was enjoying a pastime that he'd previously dismissed as purely feminine. Part of him realised that it was Mac's company that influenced his participation. But there was a part of it that was something more, something that he'd never experienced before. He was growing up, gaining a real maturity. His Mother had always teased him that he was still such a little boy, sometimes. But lately he found himself seriously considering settling down, ceasing his spontaneous, frivolous antics. There was a lot to be said for stability and maturity. Well, if this didn't help him in his personal life, at least the Admiral's trust in him wouldn't suffer! His CO would be happy, to not worry about what Harm was going to get up to next!
They were hauling their bags home, heading across the road to the Sheraton, when they encountered Bud and Harriet, on their way out to an early dinner and a theatre performance.
"My goodness!" Bud exclaimed, "Doing some shopping for your little girl?"
He and Harriet shot them a curious look and Mac knew the question that was circling through their minds.
"Some," Mac explained, "but we thought that we'd buy some stuff to donate to the orphanage, too. Zania was telling us yesterday that they're short on a lot of teaching materials for their classrooms."
"I think we're going to have to buy them a set of shelves, just to put all of these books on," Harm joked, lifting up several bags of children's picture books.
"That's so thoughtful!" Harriet exclaimed, "We really should have thought about that, too."
"It's even better if you charge it all to the 'company account,'" Harm added, grinning.
Bud smiled back, nodding in understanding.
"Are you guys going anywhere nice?" Mac enquired, noting that Harriet and Bud were dressed up, tonight.
"We're going for a meal out, then we're going to see a production," Bud told them,
"'Carmen.'"
"Very nice," Mac approved, nodding in Harm's direction, "I wish this one would think like that!"
"Hey," Harm protested, "You never told me that you wanted to go see a stage production! You only needed to ask."
"I can't complain, really," Mac conceded to Bud and Harriet, "He did help me pick out all of these gifts."
Bud and Harriet just smiled then the couples parted ways, Bud and Harriet heading to their night out, Harm and Mac heading to their suite, to go over the day's purchases.
OOOO
Later on, relaxed on the bed, Harm watched Mac begin to unpack the shopping bags. Books were placed in one pile, other toys in another and focus was put first on the clothes that they had bought.
"Oh, isn't this the most adorable little thing that you've ever seen in your whole life?" Mac exclaimed, pulling a little dress out of a carrier bag. She teamed it with white patent leather shoes with clip-on buckles at the side and frilly white socks.
Harm found himself smiling, both at the adorable outfit and at how Mac was acting. He had always known that she carried a maternal side, but it wasn't often that it came out for the world to see. It wasn't exactly an obvious compliment to her Marine green uniform.
"What?" Mac asked, looking over at him, "Don't you think it's cute?"
"Of course I do, name one person who wouldn't!" Harm told her, getting into the swing of things, too, "Where are the little purple overalls that you got, with the butterflies on the front?"
"Right here," Mac said, grabbing another bag off the floor, "It was in that shop where we got those suede boots with the tassel trim."
Over the next hours, they re-examined boots, shoes, slippers, robes, pyjamas, dresses, socks, skirts, t-shirts, jeans, trousers, coats, scarves, gloves, bonnets and hats.
When that was done, they went through all of the toys, which Harm got into even more. He tried to convince Mac that this sort of behaviour was a necessary part of raising a child, but Mac viewed him with scepticism.
For her part, Mac was actually glad to see Harm like this, it reminded her about times they had shared, long since past. They no longer did the same things that they used to do together, so much had happened over time, things that could never be erased from their history. Mac had decided that the best thing that they could possibly do was to move on and try to concentrate on the friendship that still remained relatively unaffected.
But had she been right to believe that the prospect of a relationship with Harm was truly dead and buried? Conceding that this was hardly the time or the place to ponder such a thought, Mac went back to what they had to deal with at present.
They all faced a difficult time ahead of them, even more so than any of them could have predicted.
OOOO
It was on the Thursday afternoon that they were contact by Dr. Zebrovnik, two days after their visit to the orphanage.
"Hello? Christine speaking," Mac spoke up, as she picked up the phone, "Oh, hello Dr. Zebrovnik! Garry and I have been looking forward to hearing from you…Yes, we are completely free tomorrow…in the morning, at eight o'clock? Yes, we will be at your office then, with the money…Goodbye."
"He's much more to the point, today. No speech about the plight of Russia's orphans, no sympathising with our rush against time, just money," Mac commented to Harm.
"Why does that not surprise me?" Harm gave a sigh, "So we're going to see him with the money, tomorrow at eight?"
Mac nodded, telling Harm, "It's just like the Sykes's told us. The bulk of the money is handed over to Zebrovnik, we're allowed to go and see Katya again afterwards, then a time and place will be set up for next week, for the final exchange of the last payment for the child."
"Bud and Harriet have probably heard from Zebrovnik, too," Harm noted, "Do you think it would be too risky for us to go round to their room, to find out what their itinerary is?"
"We probably shouldn't risk it," Mac decided, "We're so close to our final goal, now."
Harm noticed Mac's sudden deflation at her mention of this 'final goal.' Harm felt a similar feeling, inside his chest, when he paused to consider it. Even though it would signal the end and success of their mission, Harm couldn't keep from thinking about how they would also be letting down two little girls, who thought that they were about to get their greatest wish; a new Mommy and Daddy.
"Fancy a meal in, tonight?" Mac looked over and asked him, looking just how Harm was feeling.
"Yeah," he agreed.
They both gave each other sympathetic smiles, before Mac headed to the bathroom to shower and Harm went to the phone to ring down to reception, to order their meal.
The night was spent in, eating dinner followed by chocolate cake and ice-cream for desert and watching Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves on the hotel's cable TV.
OOOO
They were at the clinic early on the Friday morning. Bud and Harriet's appointment wasn't until a half-hour after theirs, so they were still at the hotel when Harm and Mac took a seat in the waiting room. Dr Zebrovnik was right on time for their appointment, which Harm supposed had a lot to do with the briefcase that they had picked up at the hotel concierge before they left. Inside it was five hundred thousand US dollars. Mac caught the doctor's eyes pause momentarily on it in Harm's hand as they were ushered into the room.
Harm placed it straight onto the doctor's desk, telling him, "The money, as we agreed."
"Good," Dr. Zebrovnik approved then tried to continue off the subject of the money.
Harm noted that he probably had it in the back of his mind, all through their subsequent discussion.
"I'm told by my contacts that you have chosen a little girl whom you have become very much attached to."
"Yes," Mac told him, looking to Harm, her smile reaching up into her eyes, "She's going to settle in perfectly with our family back home. She is around the age of most of her cousins."
"Our parents will think the world of her," Harm added, "I can just tell."
While he was saying it, Harm tried to keep his mind from wandering off to his own Mother. She would have been ecstatic to become a Grandmother.
"That warms my heart greatly, to hear that," Dr. Zebrovnik smiled, "I'm sure that you will all have a very happy life together, as a family."
Harm and Mac nodded in agreement and the doctor continued, "Now we have very little left to deal with. There are only a couple of little things, but today, we shall focus first on you spending some time with your daughter. In half an hour, my contacts shall be in the car park down the street again. I will meet you there, as soon as I have finished my duties here and we will drive together to the orphanage."
Harm and Mac nodded in understanding and left the office to go and get breakfast, while waiting for Bud and Harriet to finish their consultation with Dr. Zebrovnik. It was not long before they all met up again and were being blindfolded, Dr. Zebrovnik included, ready for the journey to the orphanage. They seemed to take a different route out of the city this time, but one just as twisting and disorienting as the last.
According to Mac's calculations, though, they once again arrived at the orphanage after a journey of one hour, forty-three minutes.
Sergei was already waiting outside for them, so Mac supposed that Zebrovnik must have phoned ahead before he left his clinic, to let him know that they were coming.
"Good day, Mr and Mrs. Whitman, Mr. And Mrs. Anderson," the man greeted them, "it is a fine day for such a joyous meeting is it not?"
Both couples agreed, readily and followed Sergei up a set of stairs and into the building that they had seen the man emerge from, three days previous.
"Today, you will be able to spend some time with your little girls. We will go into the management building; there is a quiet little lounge in there for the orphanage staff. We will not be disturbed and you can have some time to bond with your children."
"How are the children today?" Bud questioned.
"They are just fine," Sergei replied, "We have not let them know about the adoption, yet. It would only have served to excite them and they have an important examination in their ballet class, today. They will be finished in just a few minutes and Zania shall bring them right over."
They were all shown into the main management centre, a busy floor of desks and office equipment, where most of the admission and accounting work for the orphanage seemed to be done. They took another staircase just off the office, down a flight of stairs into an open-plan lounge. They were seated on a pair of old sofas, where they continued to talk to Sergei about the children some more.
Despite her resolute convictions that she would not get personally involved in this situation, Mac began to feel an increase in her heart rate and the squirmy sensations in her stomach. It was obvious that they could not just be put down the large coffee she had had with her breakfast, earlier. Minutes passed and both Harm and Bud began to notice that they were beginning to sweat, despite the sudden cool in the weather. An assistant came in and asked them if they wanted coffee or tea, which they all declined.
Dr. Zebrovnik was just starting to mention the schedule for their last meeting, the next week, when their attention was attracted to the office above them. The heavy door to the main building sounded with a bang and all unconsciously held their breath, peering up at the top of the staircase. Dr. Zebrovnik stood from where he was sitting, also looking to the top of the stairs. Zania soon appeared, the two little girls trailing slightly behind her, one holding onto each of her hands. They had come straight from their ballet exam, both still dressed in pink pinafores and little pink ballet slippers, their hair twisted up into buns, the look finished off with a pink alice-band. They stopped short when they caught sight of the group at the bottom of the stairs below them. At first they simply stood where they were, wide-eyed, then shuffled behind Zania. Zania smiled apologetically at the group of adults as she tried and failed to pull the children out from behind her.
Dr. Zebrovnik laughed heartily and explained to Harm, Mac, Bud and Harriet,
"I am afraid that the children are not always so glad to see me! I only meet with them a couple of times a week when I come to do my rounds and assess any of the sick children. They have come to associate me with unpleasant treatment for their maladies, as is often the case with children and their general practitioners."
He spoke softly to the children in Russian, "Come, children, do not be afraid of me. We have wonderful news to give you today."
OOOO