Chapter 14:
"Ugh…" said Mac as she stood in front of the full-length mirror trying to button her skirt. She was 10-and-a-half weeks pregnant and while no one could tell by looking at her, none of her uniforms fit properly anymore. She'd taken to unfastening her skirt at her desk whenever she could get away with it, but that was getting real old real fast. "I need some maternity uniforms in the worst way" she uttered as she managed to get her skirt done up. This meant only one thing - they had to make their announcement at JAG.
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"Got a minute?" Mac asked Harm as she walked into his office.
"For you - always" he replied, giving her one of his warmest smiles. Knowing she was carrying his child somehow made him love her even more, something he never thought was possible since he'd loved her from the very depths of his soul from the first time he laid eyes on her, but it was possible after all.
"I know we said we'd wait until I was out of the first trimester before we made our announcement" said Mac, "but I really need to order some maternity uniforms, and I can't exactly do that unless we tell everyone about the baby."
"Well, we sure can't wait any longer if you're physically uncomfortable" said Harm, "we'll do it today if you'd like, what do you think?"
"Today is fine with me" said Mac, "besides, I'm only a week-and-a-half away from the end of the first trimester, I think we've waited long enough."
"Yeah, I think so, too" replied Harm. "How do you want to tell everyone?" There were several possibilities, he wanted to give her first say in how they went about it.
"Well, we should definitely tell the General ourselves, first and in private" she said. "After that, assuming we make it out of his office with our sixes still intact, we can call everyone else into the bullpen and tell them. Sound OK?"
"Sure, I can't think of anything better" said Harm, "and you're right, we'll be in enough hot water with the General when we tell him ourselves, there's no way we can chance him hearing it through the grapevine."
"Indeed not" said Mac, picturing the tirade that General Creswell would likely unleash on them as it were.
"OK then, let's do it today, a few minutes before quitting time" said Harm, and he gave Mac a hug and kiss before she returned to her office.
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"Enter" they heard General Creswell call from behind his office door.
"You ready for this?" Harm asked Mac as they readied themselves to step into the line of fire.
"I sure am" she replied. "Well, not really ready for the third degree we'll no doubt receive, but am I ready to tell the world that you and I are having a baby together? You bet I am." The smile on her face made his heart skip a beat. It always did.
"Yeah, me too, Mac" said Harm, "I want the whole world to know." With that, they went to face the music.
"At ease" said the General, "what can I do for you two?"
"Well sir", said Harm, "there's something that we need to talk to you about."
"Very well, what is it?" asked the General, still busy behind his desk and not fully paying Harm or Mac any attention.
"Sir" said Mac, "the Commander and I are having a baby." No dragging it out, no beating around the bush, she just laid it all out in one simple statement.
"Excuse me?!" said Creswell, now paying complete attention to the officers standing in front of him.
"That's right , sir" said Harm, "Colonel Mackenzie and I are expecting a baby." By now they were both really nervous, but it felt good to have the announcement over with.
"Let me get this straight" said a very annoyed General, "two of my best lawyers, lawyers who've both prosecuted numerous military personnel in fraternization cases, are having a baby together?!"
"Yes, sir" said Mac.
"What the hell's the matter with you two?!?" exclaimed the General. "Do you realize the trouble you've caused with your idiotic act of passionate indiscretion?!"
Mac could feel her blood beginning to boil at the way the General was speaking to them. Harm, sensing this, stepped in and handled the matter.
"With all due respect, Sir" he said, "it wasn't like that at all. This pregnancy is something we both wanted very much, and we went through a lot to make it happen, including losing our first baby through miscarriage, and undergoing medical intervention to conceive this one. This didn't arise from any, as you put it, 'passionate indiscretion'."
"'Mm-hmm", replied a still irate General, "and just what do you propose we do regarding the rules you've both broken in your quest to procreate?!"
"Well sir, that's your decision" said Harm, doing a remarkable job of keeping his cool, "but we love each other very much, we want this baby more than anyone could possibly know, and we don't regret our actions or choices."
"I see" muttered Creswell. "Have you told anyone else about this?"
"Not yet, sir, we felt you should know first" said Mac, "but we plan to make an announcement to the rest of the office as soon as you're finished with us in here." She had calmed down a tiny bit, but was still ready to clobber the General for his harsh comments.
"I have a lot of thinking to do here and I don't know what my decision will ultimately be", said the General. "On a professional, military level, I'm required to be aghast at this situation. This kind of thing - a sexual relationship between two officers within the same chain of command - goes against every reg in the book."
"Yes, sir, we know - " said Harm.
"I'm not finished, Commander!" interrupted the General.
"Sorry, sir" said Harm.
"On a personal level, however" continued Creswell, "I've suspected you two were an item for awhile now, and while I can't say I understand why you two would purposely set out to have a baby together right now, I believe every baby is an enormous blessing from God, and congratulations are in order."
"Thank you, sir" said Mac, completely shocked that Major General Gordon Creswell, a man whom she felt had been out to get her from his first day as the new JAG, had just offered her congratulations.
"Yes, sir, thank you, sir" said Harm, "that means a lot to us."
"Now, get out there and shock the rest of JAG like you did me, that's an order!" said the General.
"Aye Aye, sir" answered Harm.
"One more thing before you leave" said the General. Harm and Mac anxiously turned around.
"Please accept my belated sympathies on the loss of your first baby. I didn't know any of that was happening or had happened, and I know that must have been very difficult to come in and work each day all the while dealing with your loss."
"That's very kind of you sir, thank you" said Mac, feeling a sense of compassion towards Creswell that she'd never felt in all her days.
"Well, that could have gone a lot worse, don't you think?" Mac asked Harm as they headed towards the bullpen.
"Oh yeah, could've been a whole lot worse" agreed Harm. "We're not out of hot water yet, but hopefully the fact that he offered us congratulations and sympathy means he won't throw the book at us."
"We can hope" said Mac as they reached the bullpen. "You wanna call everyone's attention?"
"Unless you want to" answered Harm.
"No, I'll let you have this honor" replied Mac.
"OK, here goes nothing. Can I have everyone's attention, please?" he said as he stood in the center of the bullpen. People stopped what they were doing and gathered around, not possibly knowing what Harm was about to say.
"The Colonel and I have an announcement to make" said Harm.
"Oh, I bet I know what it is…." said Coates giddilyunder her breath.
"Oh, I bet you don't, Petty officer" whispered Mac, who was near enough to Coates to hear her.
"Sorry, ma'am" said Coates quietly, a bit embarrassed.
"This will undoubtedly come as a shock to most of you" continued Harm, "but Colonel Mackenzie and I are expecting a baby."
Silence. Total, utter silence.
Coates was the first of the crowd to say anything. "Wow, sir, ma'am, that's such a surprise! I mean we all knew you two were 'together' and all, but a baby, that's a big surprise - a great one, but still, wow!"
"How did everyone know we were 'together'" asked Mac, a little surprised.
"With all due respect, ma'am" said Coates, "that kind of love can't be hidden. We all just chose to look the other way and not say anything, you know, it's against regs and all, but take it from me, we were all thrilled when you finally got together."
"Well, thank you, Petty officer" said Mac, "I guess you're right, this kind of love is hard to hide, but not half as hard to hide as my pregnant belly will be within another 4 weeks."
"Would the Colonel like me to requisition some maternity uniforms?" asked Coates, very eager to help.
"Yes, I would" answered Mac, "these are already getting really tight. I've been unfastening my skirts at my desk, but even that won't work much longer."
"I'll get right on that, ma'am" replied Coates, "and congratulations to you and the Commander. I know you'll both make wonderful parents."
"Thanks, Petty officer" said Harm, stepping into the conversation.
"Sir?" asked Coates
"Yes?"
"Any chance I'll get to baby sit?" she asked.
"I'm sure you will, Jen" answered Harm, "but that's a long ways off yet, the baby's not due until September."
"Oh, I know, sir" said Coates with a smile, "I just wanted to put my request in early is all." With that, she left to go start the paperwork necessary to order Mac's maternity uniforms.
"We've got a babysitter" laughed Harm as he and Mac walked back towards their offices, "two actually, you know Mattie will jump at any opportunity to help."
"She sure will" replied Mac, "she was so excited when we told her she's going to be a big sister, wasn't she?"
"Very" said Harm, as they both thought back to a couple evenings earlier. They'd taken her out for pizza and ice cream, then after they got back to Harm's apartment, they shared the big news. Mattie squealed with excitement, ran around the room a few times, then stopped to give Harm a super tight hug, and Mac a not-so-tight one, on account of the pregnancy.
"Yep, we've got two great babysitters, now all we need is the baby" said Harm as he put his hand on Mac's little bulge of a belly.
"Only 6-and-a-half more months to go….." said Mac, reaching down to touch Harm's strong hand with hers.
"I love you, Harm" said Mac.
"I love you, two" said Harm, and he smiled at his girl.
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