A/N: I would sincerely like to thank all those who reviewed Chapter 16, it was a chapter I took upon myself as a challenge and apparently it was well-received. Here's a light chapter to break some of the angst and action.
"Figures, you host a dinner party and I wind up cooking." Harm stood in the kitchen making lasagne.
"Hey, I'm helping and you're teaching me to cook so zip it, Navy." Jim fired back as he stood by the stove scrambling some eggs.
"You even enlisted your son to help set the table. Have you no shame?" Harm jostled as he stood over the pan laying the noodles.
"Enlisted nothing, David likes to help don't you buddy?" Jim called over to his son who was helping Mac set the dinner table.
"Sure do, Daddy; Auntie Mac's a good teacher." David smiled as he rather emphatically set the silverware down next to the plates.
"See, Harm, somebody appreciates me." Mac smiled and looked up at her boyfriend who took on a look of offence.
"I appreciate you Mac, you know that." Harm smiled weakly as he protested from the kitchen.
"I know you do, sailor." Mac smiled as she showed David how to fold the napkins.
"Uncle Harm, Dad says you're one heck of a good guy for a squid." David beamed and nodded over at his father.
"Well your dad is my second favourite Marine; he helps me out a lot when I'm in tight spots." Harm smiled at the child who walked over to him in the kitchen.
"Is Auntie Mac your favourite Marine, Uncle Harm?" David was sitting on the counter Harm had lifted him on to.
"She sure is, buddy." Harm and Mac exchanged smiles across the room.
"Do you love Auntie Mac, Uncle Harm?" For a seven year-old he sure knew how to cut to the quick.
"Did you tell him to say that?" Harm looked over his shoulder at his friend who was standing over the stove laughing away.
"Hey, that kid has a mind of his own and you'd better answer his question or you'll never hear the end of it." Jim smiled and shook his head as he set up the food for the buffet.
"Yes David, I love your Auntie Mac very much." Harm smiled as Mac walked over to his side and wrapped her arm around his waist.
"Daddy says that when people love each other they get married, are you going to marry Auntie Mac?" David smiled so innocently that Harm couldn't help but laugh nervously at the question while Mac looked up in anticipation at him.
"You sure you didn't tell him to ask some of these questions?" Harm looked over at his friend expecting to see a look that would indicate he'd caught his hand in the cookie jar.
"I told you, the kid's got a mind of his own, the way he puts two and two together makes me worry that I might have raised another lawyer." Jim smiled as he got glasses out of the cupboard.
"No way, Dad! Recon Oorah!" David shouted from the counter which caused the adults to laugh. "So are you going to marry Auntie Mac?" David looked up at Harm who was at a loss for words.
"Well buddy, I uh…I uh…I uh." Mac was looking up at Harm anticipating some kind of answer. "I'm thinking about it." Harm recovered having found a suitably neutral answer. Mac smiled with a somewhat confused look on her face at Harm's response. She picked David up off the counter and the two of them walked back to the dining room to finish setting up the table.
"Nice save, Navy." Jim said quietly.
"Yeah I know that was a close call." Harm smiled and chuckled.
"I'll have a talk with him and try to explain to him why he shouldn't but into people's personal lives. I would've interrupted but it was kind of funny to watch a seven year-old make you squirm under questioning." Jim's laughter earned him a friendly punch to the shoulder.
"I know a lot of lawyers that would like to have that gift." Harm shot back. "Speaking of relationships, is Carolyn Imes coming tonight?"
"One drink and a few dances does not a boyfriend make." Jim refuted.
"So, you got dumped?" Harm inquired.
"No, we just decided there was no chemistry." Jim stated as he closed a cupboard door. Harm let the conversation drop after that comment. A knock came at the door and Jim moved to get it but his seven year-old was just a little to fast and he beat him to the door.
"Jason!" David yelled as Tiner appeared at the door.
"Hey Davey, how's school?" Tiner bent over to look the young man in the eye.
"School's good, teacher's mean but school's good." David smiled and walked back over to Mac as Tiner walked into the apartment.
"Tiner, welcome to my humble abode." Jim called from his place in the kitchen.
"Nice to be here sir." Tiner said as he walked over.
"Tiner, what've I told you about calling me 'sir' outside of work." Jim said almost as a reflex not even looking up from the counter.
"Right, sorry, Jim." Tiner said as he sat down on the couch in the living room.
"Not a problem Tiner, watch some TV make yourself at home." Jim stated sarcastically, noting that Tiner had done just that. As David and Tiner took their place on the couch with the Playstation; Harm, Mac and Jim continued to prepare the food. The next knock on the door came about five minutes after Tiner showed up. Once again the seven year-old fleet foot, beat everyone to the door.
"Uncle Bud! Auntie Harriet!" The seven year-old shouted as he opened the door wide for Bud and Harriet. Bud and Harriet had taken some babysitting time with little David when Jim was out of town on investigation. In many ways Bud and David got along because David always brought the video game over to Bud and Harriet's apartment and he and Bud played well into the wee hours of the morning.
"Hey Davey, are you and Tiner playing the video game?" Bud knelt down and the young man nodded with a very innocent gleam in his blue eyes.
"Come on, Uncle Bud, you rock at this game." David led Bud over to the couch where they sat with Tiner. Harriet walked over to where Mac had finished setting up the table.
"Almost makes you want one of your own doesn't it?" Harriet said as she stood next to Mac.
"Yeah, but I'm enjoying things as they are right now." Mac replied under her breath before she could stop herself.
"So you're not, thinking future?" Harriet looked with quiet anticipation at her friend and saw a growing smile.
"When the guys brought me back from Syria a few weeks ago, I realized how much the present can really mean, I just want to live for that." Mac whispered to Harriet while trying to contain the happiness in her voice.
"Yeah but still, come on, the idea of a few little Mac and Harms running around hasn't crossed your mind?" Harriet looked shocked.
"Well it's not exactly an easy topic to consider or talk about. It's not like 'Hey Harm, how are you and by the way let's have a child'. This is kind of delicate, Harriet." Mac's eyes softened and her tone gained an ounce of worry.
"Ma'am, I think you should think about the future at least. You know he's going to be overjoyed to be a father." Harriet placed a sympathetic hand on her friend's shoulder.
While the ladies were conversing near the dining table, Jim and Harm were having their own conversation in the kitchen. Harm looked over at the two women who seemed really emotionally enthralled in a conversation. "What do you think they're talking about?" Harm nudged his friend and pointed in the direction of the girls.
"Children." Jim replied after looking up.
"What makes you say that?" Harm smiled waiting for the argument.
"Scientific fact, Harm; two women over the age of twenty-three in a room with a child under the age of ten, not talking with their significant others and instead keeping the conversation to themselves are always talking about kids." Jim stated it like it was a medical fact.
"Alright, Great Gazoo, what more can you read into that conversation?" Harm gave Jim another tap on the shoulder and the Marine looked up from the cucumber he was chopping. Jim looked over and after spending a few seconds analyzing the body language and facial expressions he brought down his verdict.
"Mac's uncomfortable with whatever Harriet's talking about, either that or she's doing her taxes in her head again. Go rescue your girlfriend." Jim gave his friend a pat on the back and pushed him off toward Mac.
Harm trotted over to the dining table and roped his arm around her waist. "Hey Mac, can I talk to you about something quick?" His voice was light as he talked so he didn't unnecessarily worry her. She nodded and the two of them walked hand in hand over to the main area near the door where they carried on their own little aside conversation.
"When did you get so good at reading me?" She smiled as he took her by the hand.
"I've always paid close attention to you, Sarah." He smiled weakly, noting in the back of his mind that she was skirting the issue. "Besides, I had a little help." He gave her a grin and chuckled.
"Ah yes, the Marine Green Wizard, I'm starting to regret making you two friends." She smiled and pulled him close.
"Sarah, if it's important, you know you can talk to me, in fact I want you to talk to me so please, tell me what's going on." He looked with a plea into her eyes.
"Okay, it's just Harriet, she was talking about kids and I kept telling her that I just want to enjoy what we have right now, anything too big could really throw us off course and this is too good." Mac started never breaking eye contact.
"Yeah, I understand completely, it's nice to just be a couple for once. Our friendship, not too mention our relationship is too special to me to want to superimpose anything on it just yet. Promise me that you won't get wedding fever when we go to Bud and Harriet's wedding next week?
"You, my dear flyboy, have nothing to worry about. The only thing I'm looking for from you right now is maybe a few more pairs of comfortable shoes." She smiled and the two of them shared a laugh at the comment.
"Am I to guess that this means you've already found your good career and good man?" Swift one that Rabb boy, Mac thought. She nodded. He stepped into her and with a big smile he wrapped her in a big hug and lifted her off the ground. "Thank you for making me a very happy flyboy, sweet thing." He whispered into her hair.
"Now, let's get back to the party before anyone thinks we're so in love that we're considering running off together." She smiled and gave him an Eskimo kiss
"So, business as usual?" Harm looked at her with a coy smile.
"Which brings us to our last item for the night; I practically live at your apartment, don't you think that might be moving just a little fast?" She looked at him with a mature sensibility but she didn't want to push him away but there was just something liberating about having one's own space.
"Well, I don't know if we have to go that far, I mean, before we ever even started dating you were spending practically every night over at my apartment. I'm starting to forget what the place used to look like before your cute little six showed up on the scene." He discreetly slipped a hand down to her six.
"Harm! Someone might see!" She was in disbelief, they were trying to keep under the radar so that they didn't have to explain themselves to anyone at work.
"Someone did see, Major." The voice was that of the Admiral who had quietly slipped into the apartment without knocking. Didn't exactly matter, the door was half open anyway. The two of them came to attention almost out of habit. It was an act that brought a sarcastic smile to the Admiral's face.
Once the Admiral's presence was made known, a lightning bolt shot across the floor in the form of a seven year-old terror named David Grant. "Uncle AJ!" The youngster shouted as he fix himself to the two-star's leg. "You going to show me the rest of the SEAL moves from when daddy and Uncle Harm were in cereal?"
"It's pronounced Syria, buddy." The Admiral said as he knelt down to the seven year-old's height. The Admiral positioned the seven year-old behind him and told the child to put him in a headlock.
"See, now what you want to do is…" The Admiral was interrupted by Mac.
"You're teaching SEAL tactics to a seven year-old?" Mac said incredulously as she walked through the front door.
"Well, he's so bent on Force Recon I figured I'd try and make the small conversion from that to a SEAL." The Admiral protested as he got to his feet.
"I don't think it'll take Admiral, that kid is Marine Green from his belly-button out in all directions." Harm supplied.
"Uncle AJ, what's a SEAL?" David looked up at the Admiral who had willingly pulled more than his fair share of babysitting duty in the last few months.
"Well, you know how your dad is Force Recon, right?" The Admiral sat down at the table with the young man sitting on his knee.
"Yeah." David replied with a crooked smile.
"Well the SEALs are the guys who get called in when a job is too difficult for Force Recon." The Admiral had a broad smile on his face as he made the explanation.
"Hey, there'll be no Recon bashing!" Jim comically protested as he set up the last of the trays in the kitchen.
"Just trying to open his eyes." The Admiral called back. Jim came walking out to the table and everyone gathered around. Jim and the Admiral sat at opposite ends of the table with Harm, Mac and David on one side and Harriet, Bud and Tiner on the other. "Which one of us is going to take the lead in saying grace?" The Admiral asked from the far end of the table.
"I don't know, Mister Roberts, what's the protocol for saying grace at dinner?" Jim snapped his gaze over to Bud who looked flustered.
"I…I don't know sir. I suppose we could just let the senior or the junior officer do it." Bud tried to resolve himself.
"Well, that would mean it's either the Admiral or Tiner, any takers." Harm smiled from his place in the middle of the table.
"Why you people make things so complicated? I do it! Rub a dub, dub, thanks for the grub. Let's eat!" David shouted from his place near his father. The adults broke out into laughter at the young man's protest.
"And you have suspicions that he'll be anything other than a Marine?" Jim looked down the table at AJ.
"Not with an appetite like that, I know how Marines eat." Harm added which earned him a good smack across the arm from Mac.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Mac looked offended at her boyfriend who was searching for a suitable response and had the active attention of everyone at the table.
"What I meant to say was that it amazes me how you can eat like you do and still have a body that could make any woman jealous and every man fantasize." Harm's cover had earned laughs and remarks from the other men at the table.
"Nice save, Navy." Jim said as he gave Harm a clap on the shoulder.
"Close one, Commander." The Admiral added as the laughter died down.
"Alright, well now that the Junior Marine has taken the initiative in saying grace; Harm and I have worked through the day to prepare a buffet which is available for all and is laid out nicely in the kitchen, feel free to help yourselves." Jim motioned toward the kitchen and everyone picked up their plates and headed for the kitchen. The wave of hungry Navy and Marines raiding the kitchen was a priceless scene, there were nothing but hands and arms everywhere, like some great unleashed octopus had taken over the counter. The most touching part of the scene was when the Admiral took David up on his shoulders and let the youngster rest his plate on his head while the Admiral filled his own plate.
When everyone came back into the dining room, David was still sitting on the Admiral's shoulders. "You having fun up there, Marine?" Jim asked as he saw the broad smile on his son's face.
"Uncle AJ's head is perfect for my plate." David said with some excitement as the Admiral lowered him into his chair.
"Just don't get too used to it, slugger." The Admiral said as he gave David a pat on the head. The guests dug into their food exchanging light banter about the workplace and other events, especially the upcoming military baseball season.
"Now, from what I understand, this isn't softball, this is fastball; just like the big leagues. We're going to need Mac playing third base, which, though it may disappoint a few libidos around the office, means she won't be in that cheerleading uniform." Jim smiled as he raised a little bit of Harm's lasagne to his mouth.
"You got the line-up all set, Colonel?" Bud asked from the far side of the table.
"Sure do, Lieutenant. The Admiral's our pitcher. Tiner will catch. Mac's got third, Harm's playing short-stop, I've got second base and that leaves you at first Bud." Jim looked down the table awaiting the Admiral's approval.
"Sounds like a good line-up, Colonel. Ensign Sims, you and Commanders Imes and Mattoni will take the outfield, any problems." The Admiral looked over at Harriet who was smiling widely.
"No, sir." She replied.
"Good, now that we've managed to take Harriet's mind off of the fact that she's here and not home planning the wedding for another twenty minutes, does anyone have anything else that might help keep her mind off of it?" Harm looked around the table to see if anyone had anything else to talk about.
"We could talk about what we were going to do for Bud's bachelor party?" Jim suggested with a hesitant smile. His comment earned him rather annoyed looks from both Mac and Harriet. "Just a thought."
Harm nudged Mac with his elbow as if to get her to share her news and she shot him a look. "Harm, not here." She whispered.
"Come on Mac, I'm so happy I could shout it from the roof-tops." He whispered right back.
"Well what about…" She started but he stopped her.
"I don't care, to hell with the regs." He whispered with a great smile creeping across his face.
"Fine, but you're taking the heat for it." Mac pointed a foreboding finger at him. Harm wrapped his arm around her and the two of them got to their feet. "We have an announcement." Mac said as she leaned into Harm's side, one arm draped across his back.
"Ten to one she's pregnant." Jim challenged the Admiral across the table.
"At five dollars and I'll give you same odds that it's a marriage proposal." The Admiral fired back.
"Deal!" Jim said as the two men looked back up at a very confused and slightly annoyed Harm and Mac.
"Well, before we were so rudely interrupted, as I said we have an announcement. We've decided to finally come out with it, we're seeing each other and it's our three month anniversary!" Mac beamed and smiled as everyone stood up to congratulate them. Harm got handshakes and pats on the back from his friends and Mac got a hug from everyone. Eventually the festivity died down and everyone sat back in their seat smiling widely.
"Worst kept secret in the Navy!" Harriet looked over at her friends from her seat across the table.
"Or the Marine Corps, from now on you can only interrupt food if you've bigger news like engagement, pregnancy or death. And if it's good food you'd better be having twins." Jim added.
"This happened on the T.R. right, Commander; you were taking advantage of not being in the same Chain of Command, Commander?" The Admiral had a paternal grin on his face as he turned toward the younger man.
"Something like that, sir." Harm smiled and Mac laughed as she leaned against his arm.
"Well, Colonel, do you think this qualifies as more concrete evidence than a few late night work sessions and friendly kisses?" The Admiral quoted the argument Jim had made to keep his two friends out from under the UCMJ spotlight more than two months earlier.
"Sure does, Admiral. I'm lucky I get to take a crack at overturning the fraternization regulation in front of the Military Court of Appeals next month. If I can make my case, even if I can't completely overturn the regulation, I might be able to put enough holes in it to let you two slip through one or two of them." Jim smiled wisely as he saw his friends breathe a sigh of relief.
"And until Colonel Grant's case is argued before the Military Court of Appeals, I refuse to pass any reprimand for disobedience of a regulation that is falling under scrutiny." The Admiral saw the worry completely lift from their shoulders at his words. "Even if Colonel Grant's attempt to put the nix on the fraternization regulation doesn't work, I'm prepared to pull some serious strings to keep both of you at JAG.
"And I'll throw my influence in whenever I can." Jim added as they sat back enjoying their time after dinner.
"I guess this means Mac won't playing third base come summer. I can't have them making out on the diamond" The Admiral added with a small laugh.
"I think Harriet should just be grateful that the wedding is next week and she won't have to worry about aiming for Mac when she throws the bouquet." Jim added with a smile.
"I thought we were trying to take Harriet's mind off the wedding." Harm jostled his friend.
"You're right, sorry." Jim made a look like he was apologetic then his typical fraternal grin covered his face.
"I can't believe we all have to wear dress whites next week." Tiner look frustrated.
"Hey, it may be the last time for me, the Marine Corps is phasing out the dress white uniform for Marines. But hey give me the good old black any day. White makes me look too Navy." Jim smiled and got scowls from the Admiral and Harm but laughs from Mac and David.
"Hey, don't knock the whites; I know my girlfriend can't control herself when she sees me in my dress whites and gold wings." Harm looked auspiciously at Mac who was still leaning on his arm.
"In your dreams, flyboy." Mac smiled and looked up him with a 'don't go there' kind of look in her eyes.
"It's already happened there, Major." Harm said with a remarkably self-assured look in his eyes.
"Alright, it's 2000, time for the little one to go to bed." Jim got a disappointed look from his son. "Say your good-byes to everyone, buddy, okay?" David got out of his chair and got a hug from Harm first. Then he walked over to Mac who wished him goodnight and gave him a kiss on the cheek which caused him to blush.
"Good night Uncle AJ." David said with yawn.
"Night, slugger." The Admiral said as he gave the child a pat on the head.
"Night, Jay!" David was emphatic; he treated Tiner like an older brother.
"Night, Davey, be good and maybe you and I can play playstation again soon okay?" Tiner's words earned him one of the young man's smiles.
"Night, Auntie Harriet and Uncle Bud!" David waved to the two of them and they waved back before the young man toddled off to his bedroom.
"Now, if you'll excuse me; I have to go sing his favourite lullaby or he won't fall asleep for hours." Jim sighed and walked toward his son's bedroom with his guitar in hand.
"What's the lullaby?" Harriet inquired as she heard the faintest notes of the acoustic guitar.
"The Marine Corps Hymn." Mac replied as the group sat around the table.
"That kid's been through a lot in his short little life." The Admiral said introspectively.
"And if he follows in his dad's footsteps the way it looks like he's going to, he's going to go through a lot more." Harm added as his fingers began to idly stroke Mac's hair.
"Somewhere in the last two years, we all became a family. Why do you think that is?" Mac looked around the table as Jim sat down to rejoin them.
"Because all the necessary elements were there. The father…" Jim pointed across the table to the Admiral.
"My two trouble making oldest sons…" The Admiral nodded to both Harm and Jim.
"Our favourite lackey little brother." Mac pointed at Tiner.
"Our well-meaning and kind-hearted middle child." Harm pointed his index finger in Bud's direction causing the young Lieutenant to smile.
"Not to mention his sweetheart fiancé." Jim added as Harriet added her smile to the infectious wave of happiness that seemed to be engulfing the table.
"And the protective, feisty and intelligent woman that captured my brother's heart." It was by far the most composed thought Bud had ever laid issue to. A smile and a sigh of contentment passed through the Admiral as he nodded in his chair.
"We really are a family." Harriet squeaked as Bud wrapped his arm around her. Mac started to sob and Harm smiled slightly as she pouted into his chest.
"Too much for you, sweet thing?" He questioned as he saw her pouting into his chest.
"Yeah, that and you guys and your sentimentality." She smiled and sniffled as she tried to retract the tears.
"Admiral, we're special ops, we're not supposed to be this soft hearted." Jim smiled across the table.
"When these two first met," he pointed over at Mac and Harm; "I told them not to get too close because they were going to have to work together. In the last two years we've all violated that order and you know what? It was the best decision any of us ever made." The Admiral stated with a very fatherly tone.
"Hey, to family." Harm stood and raised his water glass. Everyone at the table stood and their glasses clinked together. "To Family." Was the response from all those at the table.
Eventually, that night, like all nights before it had to end. Tiner was the first to leave, after waving good-bye to everyone. After helping slightly with clean-up, the Admiral left for the long drive back to McLean. After the clean-up had finished, Bud and Harriet left for the drive back to Rosslyn. Soon all that were left were the regular tenants of the building North of Union Station.
"It was a good night, tonight." Jim slid the last of the glasses back into the cupboard.
"We should do this more often." Harm offered as he slung the last dish towel back over the handle of the oven door.
"Yeah, tonight was…something special." Mac drained the dishwater from the sink. The three of them walked toward the door to the apartment and Jim opened the door for his last two guests.
"Goodnight, you two." Jim had his crooked smile on his face.
"Goodnight, buddy." Harm said as the door closed behind them. Harm and Mac walked to the elevator silently his arm around her shoulders, her head on his shoulder and his lips pressed into her hair.
"Harm, how were we lucky enough to find each other?" Mac looked up from her head's resting place at his shoulder.
"I don't know. Combination of wise career choices and good timing maybe?" Harm smiled and pressed a kiss against the top of her head. "You did once tell me that you had good timing."
"I do, but you don't." She shot back with a smile.
"Hey, I've been making it into work on time since a certain Marine started waking me up in the morning." He smiled at her and she tossed him a playful elbow to the ribs.
"Harm, four minutes and thirty six seconds late is not on time." She informed him.
"Better than before." He insinuated as his arm slid down around her waist.
"Hey, just because you're not as late as you used to be doesn't mean I'm going to give you what you want as a reward." She smiled coyly and bumped her hips against him as they walked into his apartment.
"And what would that reward be, Major?" Harm smiled as he followed her over to the couch.
"If you don't know, flyboy, I'm not telling you." She smiled as they cuddled together on the couch.
"Maaaaac." Harm moaned as she leaned into him.