1008 est

February 15

Denny's, Washington, DC

(Mac's POV)

Now I think I know why AJ is always hungry.  He never eats anything.  It all ends up everywhere else but in his mouth.  I also understand now why Harriet packed two packages of baby wipes.  I think we may need more before this weekend is up.

"So, Harm...I was thinking that maybe we could go to the Maryland Science Center today.  They're playing The Lion King in the IMAX there, and the exhibits they have in the rest of the center are great for kids."

"Ooh, I love The Lion King!  Please can we go, Unca Harm?  Pleeeeeeeaaaase?  I'll be extra good, I promise!"  His little pout is adorable.  I think I'll join in.

"Yeah, Harm...pleeeeeeeaaaase?  I'll love you forever!"  Well, that's a given either way.

"Forever sounds good."  "Well..." he looks back and forth between AJ and me, then says, "alright, I suppose we'll go."

"YAY!  We're going to The Lion King!" AJ squeals.

"And...," I add, "to the museum after the movie."

"YAY!  We're going to the museum and The Lion King!"

Our waiter comes to the table at this moment, and looks at AJ and says, "You're going to see The Lion King?  Can I come with?"

AJ looks at him and says, "Uhm...you have to ask your mommy and daddy."

"Oh, I guess that means I can't come, then.  I have to work until five o'clock.  My mom told me so," replies the waiter.  His name is Jim, and he looks to be in his early to mid-thirties.  I only hope he's not still living with his mother.

"Oh," AJ answers.  "Well, maybe you can go some other time."

"I think I will.  Thanks, little man."  He smiles and puts a replacement chocolate milk on the table in front of AJ, taking the empty glass.  "Can I get you folks anything else this morning?"

"Uh, no, just the check, please," is Harm's reply.

"Sure thing.  I'll be back in a jiffy."

Jim leaves and Harm asks AJ, "Are you about ready to go get cleaned up so we can leave for the museum and the movie?"

"Yeah.  I want to see The Lion King!"

"We know," is the reply from both Harm and me.

We both shake our heads, and Harm lifts AJ from the booster seat and sets him down.  He grabs his hand, and I can tell that he instantly regrets it, as he notes the sticky syrup.

"Ick."  I have to fight to stifle my laugh, but in the end, I manage to get away with a small chuckle.  Harm shoots me a sarcastic look accompanied by, "I don't know why you're laughing...you'll be the next one cleaning him up if I have anything to say about it."

Unfortunately for Harm, he doesn't have any say in who cleans AJ up.  It's always Harm, because AJ, in true "big boy" fashion, refuses to enter the ladies' room.  I learned that the last time I offered.  He just simply pointed out to me that he's a boy, and boys don't go in the girls' bathroom.  I'm glad we got that cleared up.  I'm sure the information will come in handy if we have a boy.  Or two.  Hmmm...

While Harm is in the bathroom getting our godson cleaned up, Jim the waiter comes back with the check and says, "Here you are...and may I just say that you have a beautiful family.  Your son is so cute."

"Oh, well, thank you, but he's not my son.  Not our son.  We're not married.  Uh...he's our godson, and we're just watching him this weekend while his mom and dad take a much-needed vacation."  I need a vacation.

"Oh, you're...not married, but you're both his godparents?"

"Well...yeah.  It's not uncommon."

"No, I don't suppose it is.  I just...couldn't help but notice the ring on your finger..."

Oh, he's got me trapped on that one, leaving the unasked question.  "Yes, we're engaged."

He smiles knowingly, nodding his head.  "Well, I wish you both the best of luck and my congratulations."

I smile warmly at him...he really is a nice guy.  Apparently, though, Harm doesn't think so. 

"Back off, mama's boy..."  Oh, well that's totally uncalled for.

"Well, I suppose I should be getting back to the other tables now.  You can just take your check up to the front to pay.  Have a great day, and congratulations, again."

"Thank you, Jim," I reply.  Harm just scowls.

"So...his name's Jim..." Harm starts.

I think I'll play with him a little bit.  "Yes, Harm...that's what it says on his nametag."

"What was he congratulating you for?"

"He was congratulating us."  Harm looks at me, confused.

"Us?"  I flash him the ring, and then he says,  "Oh, us!  Oh..."

"Okay, so I could have been a little nicer.  I mean, c'mon, Hammer...Mac would never go for someone like that anyway...not without knowing him for a little longer than the forty minutes we've been here."  Hmm, close...

Forty-three minutes.  But I guess that's not really important.

Harm leaves a nice tip on the table, and then we make our way to the front counter.  He pays the cashier, and then we head out to the Lexus.  

"Alright, Mac, lead the way...you, uh...do know where we're going, right?"

"Of course.  Just follow my lead."

1146 est

Maryland Science Center

Baltimore, MD

We buy the tickets for the 1215 show, then make our way to the concession stand.  Harm and I grab each grab one of AJ's hands, and swing him forward between us after making sure we weren't going to hit anyone.  We get up to the stand and wait in line.  The guy in front of us has a kid with him, who looks to be about four.  It looks like it's dad's weekend with the kid.  Pays child support every month, spends time with him every other weekend.  Doesn't really know what to do with a four year old, so he probably spoils him rotten.

Anyway, said child is running around like a madman, pulling on the tensabarriers and running to the video games, hitting a few buttons, then running back to the tensabarriers.  The man is half-heartedly yelling out to him to come back over here, which indicates to me that this guy doesn't believe for a second that his son will actually listen to him.

The boy all of a sudden notices AJ, and comes running over.  "Hey, AJ, did you come to see The Lion King, too?" the boy asks.

"Yeah," AJ replies, uninterested.  Obviously, AJ knows him.  Apparently, he's a real pain. 

"Cool.  My dad already took me to see it.  I wanted to see it again, though, so we're here today."

"Bradley, don't bother those people...come up here and tell me what you want," the man says.

"Wow...dad of the year."  Yeah...hardly.

Bradley runs to the candy display (pushing a girl of about twelve out of the way in the process) and presses his face into the glass to look at the available selection.  While he's perusing the candy, the man turns to us and says, "Your son is rather well-behaved.  How do you manage to keep him in line?"

"Our son, our son...I think I'll let Mac answer this one."  Gee, thanks.

Actually...

I make sure AJ isn't paying attention, then I say, "We just make sure AJ knows the difference between right and wrong, and how he should behave in certain places.  He gets rewarded for being good, and he gets nothing for being bad."

"He gets nothing?" the man asks.

"Nothing," I repeat.  He looks at me skeptically.  "It's actually quite effective.  He gets rewarded every time he does something right.  He likes to be rewarded, so he keeps doing well.  He knows that if he's been misbehaving, we won't reward him.  It's really a simple system."

"Not bad, Marine."  Why, thank you, Navy.  "Now it's my turn."

Harm adds, "Well, that, and we're both in the military.  I guess we tend to bring military discipline with us whenever we teach him how to act."

"Ahh...military.  Navy?"

"And Marines," I add proudly.

He looks at me incredulously over his glasses.  "You're in the Marines?"

"Oh, buddy, you've done it this time."  If I weren't in such a good mood today, he'd probably be feeling Marine verbal whiplash.  As it is...

"Yep, I'm a bona-fide, Semper Fi, mean, green, fightin' Marine."

Harm just laughs beside me.  "Oh, man...that was beautiful.  The Corps must be proud to claim you as one of their own."  Damn straight.

"Well," the man starts, "it's, um...I mean...that is...I've never met a female Marine before.  And, I would've expected someone a little more..." he just looks me up and down and makes vague gestures with his hands, "um...imposing."

"Whoops...definitely wrong answer."  Oh, give me a little more credit.

"You don't think I'm...imposing?" I ask, quirking an eyebrow challengingly.

"Hope this guy has a will already drawn out."

"Well, that's not what I meant.  I just meant that...I thought you'd be, you know...bigger, or something."

"Three strikes, you're out."

"Are you implying, sir, that you believe all Marines to be gargantuan mounds good for nothing apart from intimidation?"

"I think if we call 911 now, he might still have a chance."

This poor guy is literally flinching.  This is so cool.

"No, ma'am, I just thought..."

"You thought...what?"

"Damn, now she's scaring me."

He looks over to Harm, silently pleading with his eyes for some kind of help.  Harm just looks back at the man, his own body language letting the guy know that he's merely a bystander.  "Hey, don't look at me...I don't particularly like the taste of my own shoe in my mouth.  Nor would I quite enjoy the sensation of her foot up my six."  A wise decision on Harm's part.

"I...didn't think.  I didn't know what to think."

I try not to smile, really, I do.  But it's just something about this guy.  Maybe it's the look on his face, like he knows he's about to be taken to the guillotines for his execution.  I love being a Marine.

I guess now would be a nice time to calm him down.  I tell him as an off-handed remark, "That's okay, it's a common misconception."

He looks at me stunned, then adopts a kind of lopsided grin, "Well, I know never to mess with a Marine again.  Especially with a female Marine."

Harm says to him, "Definitely a smart choice.  It took me almost seven years to figure that out."

The guy just laughs and turns to the counter, where the concessionist is waiting to take his order.

Harm orders our snacks after him, then we make our way to the theater.  Now we're waiting in line to be let in.  AJ insists on the top row, because he wants to see everything.  So, here we are, waiting at the very top to be let inside.

"Now, are you sure you want to be on the top row?  It might be pretty high..." Harm is trying to convince AJ to want to move lower.  I've been in this one with Chloe, and it is pretty high at the top, higher than a regular movie theater, anyway.

"No, I want to be at the top.  Don't worry, Unca Harm...I won't let you fall; you don't have to be scared."

The world according to AJ Roberts.  Ah, to be young again.  Nah...I kind of like the way my life is finally starting to work out. 

It seems that while I was musing, our godson won the case.  We will remain at the top, and we can't go back once we're seated.  They open the doors, and we file in.  We actually have pretty good seats...I can easily see the whole screen from where I'm sitting.  And I'm sure that if AJ weren't clinging so tightly onto Harm, he'd be enjoying the view as well.  As it is, though...

"Ouch, ouch, ow, ow, ow...okay, definitely needs his fingernails trimmed.  Ow!"  I've got to hand it to Harm...he's taking it very well on the outside. 

He sits down with AJ still hanging onto his shirt for dear life.

"AJ, sweetie, I promise you that you will not fall," I try to appease him.  That would be a vain attempt, you should know.

"I'm not scared, Aunt Mac.  I'm holdin' onto Unca Harm so that he doesn't fall."

The wonders never cease.  Persistent "tough guy" routine.  Harm pulls it, too.  I had no idea it started so young.  Well, he does spend quite a bit of time around Harm, so I guess it's not too far off for AJ to act like him. 

Anyway, with AJ firmly attached to Harm to the point where surgical removal seems the only option, I'm left with all the snacks.  I can't function with my hands this full.  I can't even sit, because these seats are...abnormal.  They're tilted back more than normal movie theater seats, which means you pretty much need a free hand to brace yourself.  A free hand which I do not have at the moment.

"AJ, buddy...I think I'll be okay.  I won't fall.  Just let me help Mac with the food..."  He pulls one of his hands away from AJ's back, still firmly supporting him with the other.

"NOOOOOOO!"

Everyone around us is looking at us as though we're beating the kid senseless.  Though, the way he's screaming, we may as well be.  I decide to try my own hand at coercing him into abandoning his antics.

"AJ, honey, your friend Bradley is down there looking at you.  Do you want him to see you carrying on like that?" 

It was as if I had just unplugged him.  He immediately stops screaming.  I look around, and notice a few smiles and hear a few chuckles.  Harm uses his now free hand and grabs my arm to gently guide me down into the seat.  Then he sits down with AJ in his lap, leaving one chair in between us in case Mr. Roberts gets over the height and decides that he wants his own seat.

I use the empty space to set down the bucket of popcorn, and hand Harm AJ's soda.  Harm and I decided to just share a large soda (somehow, sharing germs with him doesn't seem to matter), so I put it in the cup holder on my chair's armrest.  AJ settles himself comfortably into Harm's lap, sipping happily at his fruit punch. 

Once the lights are dimmed, I take the popcorn from the seat between us to allow Harm to move over so that he's sitting next to me.  AJ still isn't comfortable enough to sit in his own seat.  The movie begins and AJ is engrossed from the start.  Sometime during the song "I Just Can't Wait to be King" (which AJ sings along loudly to), I take a sip from the drink, and Harm decides to get cute.  And risky.

He leans over and puts his mouth right by where mine is on the straw, then kisses the side of my lips.  I pull my mouth off the straw, and he goes in for the kill. 

"Unca Harm, what are you doing?" AJ calls in his own attempt at a stage whisper.

Harm pulls away and says, without breaking my gaze, "Mac is holding my drink...I was just taking a sip."

"Oh, okay," is the reply.

Harm licks his lips, then whispers, "Mm...that was good.  Where can I get some more?"

I grin fiendishly and breathe back, "I'll show you later."

"Awww...how much later?"  He turns his attention back to the movie, but moves his right hand to grasp my left, and starts playing with the ring.  I smile to myself and give his hand a quick squeeze before relaxing it and letting him continue what he's doing.

Thirteen minutes and twenty-eight seconds later, all present in the theater sit engrossed as Simba practices his "roar" in the gorge, and all of a sudden, there is a flood of wildebeast that flows over into the rift towards Simba.  Right at the part where they emerge larger than life on the screen, AJ gets scared and tosses up his box of NerdsĀ® into the air. 

I really hate those movie-size boxes.  They don't have the tiny opening like the regular packages you find next to the check-out counter at the grocery store.  Oh, no.  There's an entire side flap that opens up, so if you drop it, or throw it up into the air, they all end up all over the floor.  Or in your lap. 

Or down your shirt.

Yep.  Guess where most of them ended up.

And I just had to wear that shirt that's open just enough at the top to catch the bulk of them.  Since the box pretty much flew into my shirt, after dumping a good bit in my hair, of course.  Harm got maybe a handful in his lap. 

Ironically enough, AJ pulled out of this one clean as a whistle.

It's alright, though.  I still have my sense of humor.  Somewhat.  It's a good thing I have short hair.  I just shake my head a little, and the candies fall out onto the floor.   I hate that we're in the dead center, because otherwise, I'd be running to the restroom to empty my clothes of the tiny pieces. 

As I'm contemplating how I'm ever going to get all this candy out of my bra, Harm is moving one seat over and setting AJ in the seat between us.  He seems quite secure in his safety, now that he's caught up in the movie.

Harm settles, and puts his right arm across the back of AJ's seat.  After awhile, he starts to trail his fingers along my left shoulder and up and down my neck.  When "Hakuna Matata" comes on, every kid in the theater starts singing.  AJ joins in ardently, and I smile in spite of myself at his antics. 

I close my eyes at Harm's ministrations along my neck and across my throat, under my chin.  He accidentally nudges AJ's head with his elbow.

"Unca Harm, you hit my head."

"Sorry," Harm whispers back.

"Shh!" comes a sound from the row in front of us.

Harm switches seats with AJ.  Once he's sitting next to me, I know I'm done for.  He flashes me his oh-so-charming smile.  I shake my head, but smile back, nonetheless.

A few minutes later, I can feel his hand come around behind my shoulders.  He starts to trail his fingers along my collarbone and neck again.  Suddenly, I feel him trying to pick something from underneath the material on my shoulder.  He gets what he's looking for, and waves it in front of my face.  It's a piece of NerdsĀ® candy.  He brings it to his mouth and eats it, then goes searching for another piece.  He finds a couple in my lap, and a few more under the shoulder material. 

I lean over to him and whisper in his ear, "If you want to know, the bulk of the candies went down the front of my shirt."

"Ooh, that's a whole different kind of sweet."  I feel his hand start to move a little lower along my collarbone.

"But I think you should also know that trying to find them right now would result in a serious ass-kicking."

"Damn!"  He stops his hand's journey into forbidden territory.  "She just said 'right now'...does that mean I can look for them later on?"

"Maybe if you're good, you can try to find them later..." I answer his silent question, only half-joking.

He waggles his eyebrows suggestively at me, then licks his lips for effect.  He turns back to the movie, his arm still slung around my shoulders as if it's the most natural thing in the world.

And it is.