A/N: Thanks, as always, for all the reviews! Without them, I'd be really sad:(
Chapter 54:
"Hey everybody, we've got just a few minutes before we need to head outside for the countdown to 2006" said Alex, "but before we do that, we've got another special dance to do."
Mac looked a bit confused - she knew they'd already done the only special dances they decided to do. She also knew that Harm was a man of many surprises.
Harm walked across the dance floor to where Mattie was standing and talking with Jen. She had her back to him, and jumped just a little when he tapped her on the shoulder.
"Huh? What?" she said when she turned around and came face-to-face with him.
"May I have this dance?" he asked her, holding out his right hand to her.
Mattie's trademark smart-aleck façade was lost in an instant as a smile spread across her face.
"OK" she answered, accepting Harm's requests for both a dance and her hand. As they walked onto the dance floor, Alex started the music Harm had picked out, "There You'll Be" by Faith Hill.
Mattie looked up into Harm's eyes and thought back on the day they met, how neither one had a clue just how much they'd impact the others life.
Harm looked down upon Mattie and marveled at how much she'd grown since he first found her, and how much he'd grown just by having her in his life.
"Do you really mean that?" asked Mattie, blinking back a couple of tears.
"Mean what, Mats?" asked Harm softly as the song continued to play.
"That line" she said, "that you'll always keep a part of me with you?"
"You bet I do" he replied, "you know how much I love you, don't you?"
Mattie began to answer, but the lump in her throat made speaking impossible.
She took a few deep breaths as they danced in a comfortable circle, and was eventually able to get the words out.
"I was in a pretty bad place when you found me" she said, "in the sense that I was living the life of someone twice my age. You rescued me when I didn't even really know I needed to be rescued, and you've helped give me a life I never imagined."
She could see the tears welling up in his eyes as a few ran down her own cheeks.
"You gave me a real family life, which I'd never had before. You gave me a big sister in Jen, and now I've got a baby sister, too and a step-mom and, and... you may not be my father, but you're most definitely my daddy and I love you so much." She leaned up on her tiptoes and hugged Harm as tightly as she could as the bridge of that beautiful song played around them.
"You know, kiddo" said Harm as they held onto one another, "you've done more for me than I'll ever be able to do for you."
"No way - " said Mattie, but Harm kept talking.
"Yes, you have" he insisted. "You helped pull me out of a spiritual hole I'd dug for myself after so much had fallen apart in my life. You helped me remember what it felt like to really be needed and to make a difference in someone's life."
"You always made a difference in Mac's life" said Mattie adamantly.
"I know that now" said Harm, "and I think part of me knew it then, I was just too…"
"Stubborn to realize it!" said Mattie.
"I was gonna say too hurt to realize it" he replied with a grin, "but I suppose stubborn works too. Either way, so many things in my life were upside down when you came along, and if it weren't for you who knows when or if I ever would have gotten them figured out."
"I guess we each feel like we owe the other a lot, huh?" said Mattie as the last verse drew to a close.
"I guess so" agreed Harm, "but I wanted to have a dance, just you and me, and let you know how special you are to me and to Mac and Ainsley and the whole family. We love you, kiddo, and don't ever forget it."
"I love you all, too" replied Mattie, pulling her "daddy" into another super hug. She gave him a kiss on the cheek before they parted ways, resounding applause filling the room.
"That was so sweet" said Mac, wiping away her tears as Harm returned to their table.
"Thanks" he replied.
"I didn't know you wanted to dance with Mattie" she said.
"I'd been trying to find the right song before I said anything about doing it" he answered. "I didn't want a love song or a father/daughter wedding dance song cause neither of those would have fit."
"When did you find that song?" asked Mac.
"Heard it awhile back on the radio" said Harm, "but I couldn't remember the title or the artist, which made it hard to track down. I heard it again 2 days ago and happened to catch the title, which gave me enough info to go to the music store and find the CD."
"Which CD is it?" asked Mac, peeking down to check on the sleeping baby beside her.
"Pearl Harbor movie soundtrack" replied Harm.
"Oh yeah" said Mac, "I'd forgotten about that song, but now that you said that, it rings a bell. That was a really good song for you and Mattie, I think it said the things you wanted to say to her."
"It really did" replied Harm. "I hope she liked it."
"She did" said Mac, "believe me."
"Hey-hey everybody!" exclaimed Alex, "it's just a few minutes before midnight, time to grab your coats and gloves and head out to the backyard so we can ring in the New Year!"
"That time already?" asked Mac. "Wow, tonight has gone by fast!"
"Clock still fried?" asked Harm.
"Yep" answered Mac, "but it'll get back in the game tomorrow, I'm almost certain."
"Hey, beautiful girl" said Harm as he knelt down beside Ainsley's carrier.
"She woke up just in time" said Mac.
"You wanna go outside with mommy and daddy?" he asked the baby as he reached down and picked her up. "Let's get you all bundled up, it's cold out there." As Harm got Ainsley's hat put on her and wrapped a fleece blanket around her, Mac put her own coat on and grabbed her bouquet.
"All set?" she asked.
"Tell mommy 'yep'" he said, holding Ainsley up so Mac could see her. She looked adorable with her little hat on and only her face showing from the end of the blanket.
"Good" said Mac, "now, where are the girls?" Just then, Harriet walked back through the door.
"Everyone's outside" she said, "we've got less than 2 minutes till midnight - are y'all gonna make it out here?"
"On our way now" answered Harm. They followed Harriet out the back door and out to the large side yard just in time to hear Alex's instructions from the back porch.
"Alright folks" he said, "it's just under a minute till midnight, and in another 40 seconds or so, I'll start the countdown and I want everyone to count with me got it?"
"This is so exciting" said Trish as she, Frank and Grams stood nearby.
"Where's the bride and groom?" asked Alex. "We need them up here, pronto!"
"Oops" said Mac, "looks like we're MIA."
"Well, let's get up there" replied Harm, "we've got a few seconds yet." They hurriedly made their way up the porch steps and stood next to the DJ.
"Here we go!" said Alex as he looked at his watch. "Ten…nine…eight…"
Harm and Mac looked into one another's eyes.
"…five…four…three…"
Everyone was counting in unison, except for them. They were too lost in the realization that in mere seconds, they'd embark on a brand new year together, brand new in every good and perfect way.
"two…one…HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
The sounds of party blowers, kazoos and a very out-of-tune version of "Auld Lang Syne" filled the bitter night air.
"Happy New Year, Mac."
"Happy New Year, Harm."
They shared a warm and tender kiss on the porch, forgetting for just a moment that they were the center of attention.
"Doesn't that sight just make your heart melt?" asked Harriet to Jen as they watched from the yard.
"Like butter in a microwave" replied Jen. Their conversation was interrupted as a bright light came over the sky.
"Fireworks!" exclaimed Mattie. "Cool!"
"Whoa!" said Mac as the pyrotechnic boom that made her jump made Ainsley cry. Harm immediately pulled his daughter closer and tried to calm her down.
"Did you know there'd be fireworks?" Mac asked as she patted the baby's back.
"No, I sure didn't" he answered, "but Grams did say she had a few surprises in store, this must be what she meant." Ainsley continued to wail as the show went on.
"Let's take her inside" said Mac, "this is frightening her, poor baby."
"Here" said Trish, "let me take her, you two need to enjoy the show. Grams worked hard arranging it for you."
"OK" said Harm as he kissed Ainsley and handed her over. "She's right" he said to Mac, "we really should watch it, I mean, after all, it's our party."
"Agreed" said Mac. Harm stepped over a little to where Mac could lean back into his embrace. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight as they looked up at the sky, pitch black save for the eruptions of light every few moments.
"This is beautiful" said Mac.
"It sure is." replied Harm.
He wasn't talking about the fireworks.
A/N: To those who asked for a Harm/Mattie dance, I hope you liked it. :) We're getting close to the end, but I'll do my best to make it good, I promise!
Has anyone out there seen DJE in the 2003 movie "Dodson's Journey?" I just bought the DVD last week and I watched it over the weekend and REALLY liked it! I'll safely call it a must see, if not a must OWN, for any DJE fan. We see him laugh, we see him cry, and for a few moments we see him wearing nothing but his boxers, lol! ;) He and his real-life wife, Nanci Chambers, co-executive produced it, and she's even got a small part. I found my copy on ebay for a very good price, so if you're interested, that's a good place to look.