Under the mistletoe…

Mac nodded as Sturgis commented on one of the speakers she'd picked for the upcoming JAG conference. Commander John Hutchinson was a casing star in the JAG ranks because of his no nonsense way of summing up the facts in a case a focusing on the important aspects. He was to speak on investigative procedures. She shifted the child on her lap as he sleepily fingered the broach on her collar. Sturgis stood and asked if she'd like a drink while he was up. She shook her head and he smiled before heading towards the beverage table set up in a corner of the large living room. She put her chin on Jimmy's downy hair, wrapping her arms around him as she felt his breathing even out and his arms go slack in sleep. Poor guy must have been exhausted from all the activity this evening and she'd picked him up after observing the looks between him and his older brother earlier. She knew Harriet was busy enough playing hostess and didn't need to deal with the two boys fighting so Mac decided to keep Jimmy busy for a while.

She cuddled him for a moment, her eyes glancing over others in the room. It was the first time she and Harm had been back from London since they'd moved there a few months ago. Harm had flown out the next day following the night they'd announced their engagement at McMurphys and sad as they had been to leave each other, they'd known that in a few weeks they'd be together. She and Mattie had flown to San Diego the next day, after Mac had received a custody order from the judge that declared Tom Johnson an unfit parent and gave Harm and Mac full guardianship of Mattie Grace Johnson. Mattie was currently staying with Trish and Frank while she attended physical therapy at a nearby rehabilitation centre. They had even hired a private nurse and tutor to visit Mattie every day so that all of her needs were taken care of and she wouldn't fall behind on her studies and hopefully could still graduate at the end of the year. Trish and Frank had welcomed both Mac and Mattie without a question, overjoyed to hear that Mac and Harm were engaged and Trish was brought to tears when it was revealed that Mattie was her now officially her granddaughter, even though she had been in her heart for some time already.

Harm had phoned their first night there and they'd put him on speakerphone. Mac had been able to hear the happiness in his voice at having them all together, even though he wasn't there. She'd spoken to him privately later and at least once every day for the remaining time they were apart. It was one of the tings that she'd always dreamed of doing, sharing their days with each other, the highs and the lows. She smiled as she though about the bittersweet nights when she'd curled up alone in bed with Harm's voice in her ear as they whispered good nights to each other. She'd been working so hard to make sure everything was ready for her replacement that she'd pulled late nights and early mornings that whole time she'd been in San Diego, even going in for a few hours on Saturday afternoons. But even during those hectic weeks she'd made sure to spend special time with Mattie to make sure the girl knew that Mac loved her and wanted to adopt her because she wanted her, not because she came with Harm. And Mac wanted to make sure that Mattie's rehabilitation got off to a good start and that she wouldn't start pushing herself too hard just to be able to join herself and Harm in London sooner. Their goodbye had been sad, but Mattie had promised to keep working hard and giving them updates, and Mac had promised to arrange for her to fly over as soon as the doctors gave their okay as well as promising to email Mattie about wedding plans so they could get things rolling right away.

Mac looked over at her future husband as she swayed lightly on her chair. He seemed to be in the middle of an intense conversation with their other godson, the two of them looking intensely at each other in the doorway that led to the Roberts' kitchen. He was so good with him, with all children it seemed. She remembered Darlyn Lewis and Josh Pendry and how Harm had been a savior for both of them at some point in their lives, as well as other children. She let the scene go hazy in front of her for a moment, imagining a little boy with her looks and his brains in his father's arms, listening intently as Harm told him about his own childhood. And the baby girl in her own arms would have his looks and her brains, slinking sleepily up at her as she rocked her to sleep with a lullaby she remembered her Grandmother singing her. She knew she'd be helpless to resist any child that she made with Harm, but her heart hoped for at least 2 children even though even one seemed like impossibility right now. She brought her head up as a hand touched her shoulder and looked into Harriet's bright eyes.

"Do you want me to take him Ma'am? I know he gets heavy after a while and I was going to put him to bed anyway." Mac was about to object and offer to put him to bed herself, but she glanced at Harm and saw him gesturing to her again, his arms empty now. Harriet must have seen her look and added "Bud's already taken AJ upstairs to get him ready so it's just this little guy left."

Mac reluctantly handed him over and stood, watching Harriet walk up the stairs with her child in her arms. She finally turned and headed over towards Harm, nodding at friends along the way. She was drawn by the twinkle in his clear blue eyes as he reached out for her hands. He rubbed circles on the backs of them with his thumbs, warming her fingers that were slightly chilled after the loss of the warm body in her lap.

"I was wondering if you were going to leave me here alone all night," he teased, "I didn't think I'd have to share you with so many people tonight."

"Well, trust Harriet to invite everyone that we could possibly know in Washington to a 'small' holiday party" she replied as he tucked her into the curve of his right arm. They surveyed the room, eyes traveling over friends from all eras of their lives at JAG, friends like Jennifer Coates, the Gunny, Tom Boone, Bobbie Latham, Sturgis Turner and Varise Chestnut. Harriet and Bud had even managed to get ahold of Meg and Kate who had both made an appearance tonight.

"Feels like home doesn't it?" she asked him, looking up at him and tracing his cheek with a finger.

He took ahold of her hand and kissed the palm before placing it against his heart and holding it there. "I'd rather be at home in our bed, just you and me with a fire burning in the fireplace and soft blues on the stereo…" He ducked to place a short kiss on her neck just about the collarbone which was left bare by the cowl-neckline of her gold sweater. Warmth fizzled under the spot and shot straight to her heart, not to mention other parts of her anatomy.

She moved suggestively closer, and he was suddenly drowning in her big brown eyes. "Just wait until we get back to the hotel flyboy, Harriet gave me an early Christmas gift and I bet it's something you'll like." She grinned up at him and he slid a hand down her back, curving her even closer as he rested his back against the doorframe.

"Babe, I can't wait to get you alone, but for right now, I think this will do." She was puzzled at first until he lifted her chin with a gentle finger and she followed his gaze to the mistletoe hung above them. She shared a smile with him as they remembered the last time they'd kissed under the mistletoe, and how far they'd come from then. She reached up to meet him and he lowered his head until their lips met, brushing lightly at first and then pressed harder together before her mouth opened under his tongue's gentle teasing and the kiss became a lover's caress. They embraced each other as the kiss went on and the rest of the world faded away until they didn't even hear the cheering whistles and catcalls coming from the rest of the room's occupants.