Chapter Fifty-Seven:
Just The Three of Us

FEBRUARY 18TH, 2002

2315 EST
BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL
BETHESDA, MARYLAND

When Harm and Mac got checked in and settled into their hospital room, they both felt an odd sense of impatience wash over them. There was so much happening, yet so little happening at the same time. Mac was definitely in labor-there was no denying that-but it seemed as though their child was in no hurry to arrive.

Since their arrival over an hour ago, Mac's contractions had gotten closer, but not close enough to deliver a baby. Mac was teasing Harm for being impatient, but he could tell she was getting restless. Between contractions, she was tossing and turning in her bed, oftentimes getting up to pace, then a contraction would come and she would pause, sucking in her breath and screwing her eyes shut. Harm felt awful just sitting there and watching, but Mac was insistent that she didn't need any support, and the last thing Harm wanted to do was not listen to his laboring fiancé

"Are you doing okay?" he asked. Mac nodded, waiting until the contraction was finished to answer.

"Yep," she said, sounding a little breathless. "I'm fine. Just another contraction."

"Another contraction, huh?"

"Uh-huh," Mac turned on her heel, heading back towards the foot of the bed. She sat down on the edge of the bed, with a heavy sigh. Harm noticed she was twisting the bed covers in her fist.

"You know…" he stood up and slowly made his way over to her. "It's okay to admit that you're in pain."

Mac gave him a dry look, but she still reached out and grabbed his hand. "Alright," she said. "Just don't complain if I squeeze too hard."

Harm smiled. "I won't, I promise," he bent down and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "You could never hurt me, Marine."

THAT SAME TIME
CHEGWIDDEN RESIDENCE
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA

AJ was still awake, awaiting any news about Mac and the baby. He was expecting to get a phone call. Instead of that though, he got Bud and Harriet knocking on his door a little before midnight.

He shuffled to the door, his slippers half on his feet, and yanked it open. He forgot it was mid-February and the harsh sting of the cold air made him curse under this breath. Bud and Harriet were standing on the stoop, bundled up in winter coats and practically buzzing with excitement.

"What is it, you two?" AJ asked, his eyes still bleary with sleep, even though he could definitely guess why they were there.

The baby didn't come that quickly, didi t? AJ wondered, looking down to check the time on the watch he wasn't wearing.

"We're heading to the hospital, sir," Harriet said.

"We were wondering if you wanted to come along," Bud added.

AJ looked at them incredulously. "Now?" he asked. "Has Mac even had the baby?"

"Now, sir," Bud said.

"But we're going to the hospital to wait," Harriet gestured back to their car. "For moral support."

"At this hour…" AJ's voice trailed off. He looked back in his house at the clock sitting on the mantel. It was after midnight now, and he had to be back at the JAG office in….oh, what the hell.

He turned back to Bud and Harriet. "I'll be right back."

It took a few moments for his computer to warm up, and even more for him to be able to get into his emails. Half of the time he had to get Tiner to help him with that, but Tiner was currently dead asleep in his own home, so AJ was on his own. After enlisting Bud as a substitute to help him get into his email, AJ immediately started typing.

Dear JAG Staff and Whoever Else It May Concern,

As some of you may know, Colonel Mackenzie has been expecting a baby for some time now. This baby is expected to arrive sometime within the next few hours, in the very wee hours of the morning, so therefore I've decided to give everyone in the office the day off tomorrow. Many of us, myself included, will be too sleep deprived to perform to the highest of Naval standards.

Singer, I'm sorry in advance if this makes you upset, but not everything can be about you all of the time - respectfully.

Signing off.

AJ - Admiral Chegwidden

Grabbing his coat and a proper pair of shoes, AJ met Bud and Harriet on the stoop. He was surprised that they were still waiting for him, as eager as they were, and hadn't driven off and left him in the dust.

AJ paused to look at them. "Well, what are we waiting for?" he asked. "Let's get a move on, people."

0115 EST
BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL
BETHESDA, MARYLAND

Harm moved his chair as close to Mac's bed as it could get, so he could be as close to her as possible without climbing into the hospital bed. Mac was curled up in the bed, facing him, but her face was tucked down so Harm couldn't see her expression. They had been sitting like this for close to an hour, unspeaking. Every time they did speak though, it was Mac initiating the conversation - Harm didn't want to bother her.

Earlier Harm had been asking her if she was okay after every single contraction, asking her if she needed anything or if there was anything he could do to help her. Mac hadn't exactly ended up taking his head off, but Harm could tell she was getting close to that point, so he decided to do something he wasn't good at - sitting down and shutting up.

How bad it was didn't bother him as much as the fact that it was going to get worse. The nurse that had come in ten minutes prior had checked Mac's cervix and said she had just hit five centimeters, something that Harm thought was a good thing, because any progress was progress. Mac however, hadn't had the same optimism.

Her reaction to the nurse's chipper announcement had been a moan of despair. "Only five?" she exclaimed into her pillow. "Only five!"

The nurse gave Harm an understanding smile and left before Mac could throw something at her.

Just as Harm was recalling this encounter, there was a soft knock at the door. Hoping it wasn't the nurse, Harm opened his mouth to speak but Mac beat him to it.

"Come in," she said, lifting her head up for the first time in a while. Harm wasn't surprised but nevertheless alarmed that her eyes were puffy and there were tear tracks down both of her cheeks.

It suddenly occurred to Harm that he was scared shitless. He had never seen Mac in pain like this, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. He couldn't tend to her wounds like he had when she had gotten shot by those rednecks or like any other time she'd gotten battered. He was utterly powerless, and that terrified him.

So when Melinda poked her in the doorway and quietly entered, Harm felt as though it was the second coming of Jesus Christ himself. Herself, rather, in the case of Melinda Gardner.

"How are we doing?" she asked, taking a moment to glance over Mac's chart.

Harm gave a polite, deer-in-the-headlights smile. "I think we're…okay?" he said, glancing at Mac, who merely nodded in what Harm hoped was agreement.

"You're at five centimeters, that's good," Melinda said, her eyes still on the chart.

"That's good?" Mac asked incredulously. She sniffled.

Melinda looked up from the chart and down at Mac "It's better than where you were," she said. "Believe it or not."

Mac said nothing. Harm looked at Melinda.

"Can you do something?" he asked before he could stop himself.

Melinda pursed her lips. "Not really, unless she wants an epidural-"

"I don't want an epidural!" Mac hissed, cutting her off.

"Are you sure?" Melinda asked. "It'll really help with the pain, make things a lot more manageable-"

"Uh-uh," Mac shook her head vehemently. "I'm fine. I can do it without one."

For one of the only times in his life, Harm had knots in his stomach. "Mac, hon, maybe just consider it-"

"No!"

"If you're up for walking, you can take a stroll around the maternity ward," Melinda suggested. "Or even just stand up. Sometimes being vertical rather than horizontal helps. But only if you're up for it, though."

Mac turned to look at Harm. The irritation from moments before was gone, and she just looked exhausted. "I want to walk," was all she said.

Harm nodded, giving Mac's hand a comforting squeeze. "Then we'll walk," he promised.

Melinda looked at the two of them and smiled. "I hate to go, but your baby isn't the only one I have on the roster tonight. I'll be back when you're ready to start pushing."

"When will that be?" Mac asked, desperate for a time that she could countdown to. The pain was starting to affect her internal clock - thankfully it was at least still semi - functioning.

"Whenever you get to ten centimeters, Colonel," Melinda replied jokingly. "But in all seriousness, it won't be that long, probably just a few more hours."

Mac groaned.

"Considering the fact that it's your first baby and you're going unmedicated, that's not that bad."

Mac groaned again.

"Plus, you get a baby at the end - that's a pretty good door prize if you ask me."

As Melinda started to leave, Harm started to panic. He'd heard her say she'd be back when Mac was ready to start pushing - whenever that would be - but he hadn't really registered that she would be leaving.

"You're going?" Harm asked, finding himself following her to the door.

Melinda turned around with raised eyebrows. She nodded. "Yeah. I'll be back, though -"

"But what if something goes wrong?" Harm's mind suddenly traveled to Harriet and Baby Sarah, the absolute last place his mind should've traveled.

"A nurse will come and then the nurse will page me if it's serious."

"But-"

"Commander," Melinda placed a placating hand on his shoulder. "You need to calm down. If not for her -" she nodded over his shoulder at Mac, who was now curled up in an even tighter ball. "Then do it for yourself. You don't want to be the father that faints in the delivery room, trust me."

Harm still didn't look convinced, so Melinda continued.

"I know you're scared, but your girlfriend and your baby need to not be…or at least try not to be," Melinda smiled. "Out of the three of you in this equation, you're the one that needs to be the tough guy right now."

"Right," Harm nodded, feeling more and more mortified by the second. His fiance was pushing out their baby, with absolutely zero medication, and here he was running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

"It'll be fine," Melinda said as she closed the door behind her, "I promise."

As Harm and Mac strolled around the maternity ward, Harm couldn't help but be reminded of his recovery from the plane crash. About nine months ago he'd been at this very same hospital, on a different floor though, hobbling around on a cane while his entire body ached, doing laps similar to the ones he was doing now.

"Is this helping?" Harm asked as he helped Mac make the slow trip down to the other end of the hall.

"Yeah," Mac nodded. "A little. As much as it could help, I guess."

Mac had her arm looped through Harm's and was leaning almost her entire weight against him as they walked. Part of what was making their trip so slow was that Mac, rightfully, had to stop for every contraction. Harm was just hoping that the walking was actually helping, and she wasn't just saying that.

"Just think," Harm said. "In a few hours it's not just going to be the two of us anymore."

He was no actor, but playing the role of the upbeat, optimistic husband came easier to him than he thought it would. In all reality though, he was still very much the panicked husband.

Mac smiled softly. The thought of the end result of all of this was enough to briefly pull her out of her pain-riddled haze. "Yeah," she looked up at him, and Harm was relieved to see that she was at least exhausted and excited, no longer just exhausted.

Just as they passed by one of the other rooms, they heard a woman's yell that stopped them both in their tracks. It was alarming until they both remembered that they weren't the only expectant couple in the hospital.

Both of their eyes widened in unison. Mac looked up at Harm again. "That's going to be me in a couple of hours," she told him. "I hope you know that."

Harm bit his lip. "Maybe we should go back to the room," he said, looking down at Mac for permission.

"That works for me."

"Okay, good."

Once back in the room, Mac liked the idea of being upright too much to give it up this soon, so she and Harm ended up standing together in the middle of the hospital room, in a position that would resemble a prolonged hug. Harm was standing upright and Mac was facing him, leaning so that her entire body weight was pressed up against him. Her arms were wrapped around Harm's shoulders, and her head was buried against his chest.

Harm didn't mind, though. Of course he didn't mind. He wasn't sure about a lot of things happening or a lot of things that would be happening, but he was sure he was strong enough to prop Mac up when she needed it. He always had been and he always would be.

"This is helping," Mac murmured, her voice muffled by Harm's t-shirt.

Him holding her wasn't just out of moral support, though Harm would've gladly just done it out of moral support. Mac's contractions were reaching the point of intensity where she couldn't, as much as she wanted to, stay upright through them on her own.

"That's good," Harm said, pressing a gentle kiss on the top of Mac's head. "I'm glad, honey."

"Why are you calling me honey?" Mac asked, looking at Harm. "That's my nickname for you."

"Because," Harm bent down to kiss Mac on the lips. "You're my honey too, Marine."

Their sweet moment was cut off by another contraction, and Harm felt Mac's entire body stiffen against him, her weight bracing against him. He didn't move though, not one inch. He didn't waver. Mac sucked in a breath against Harm's shirt, and he kissed the top of her head again.

"It hurts," she said once that contraction was done, and Harm's heart wanted to break. He was once again struck by how powerless he was. He would've done anything to make Mac's pain stop, and he meant anything. He would've run another marathon, gone through basic training - hell, he would've even laid down in the middle of the carrier landing strip on the Henry if it meant her pain would be taken away.

He would do all of that, and yet he couldn't actually do anything besides what he was doing right then.

This is enough, he had to remind himself, Being here for her is enough.

"I know, honey," Harm said. "I know."

They stood in silence for a few moments, listening to nothing but the sound of each other's breathing and the muffled sounds of the hospital outside their door and the muffled sound of the street outside their window.

Harm was drawn out of his thoughts by the sound of Mac laughing. At first he panicked, thinking that she was crying, but as he listened closer it was definitely that Marine giggle that he loved to hear.

"What's so funny?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"Nothing - I mean, it's really not that funny," she looked up at him again. "It's just that, doesn't it seem like we're kind of dancing? Like we're doing some weird kind of waltz or something?"

Harm thought about it for a moment, and then grinned. "Yeah, it is."

He began to sway them back and forth, so slow it barely seemed like they were moving at all. Mac laughed. "Now we just need some music," she said, and Harm chuckled.

"Do you want me to sing?"

"No, it's okay. I like the quiet."

Harm rolled his eyes. "Gee thanks."

Mac playfully swatted his arm. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know."

"I love your voice, you know that."

"And I love you."

They swayed for a little while, and Mac closed her eyes, her cheek to Harm's chest. She allowed herself to relax as much as she could, given the circumstances. She would need her strength, she knew, and should've probably been laying down, but Mac had a feeling she would be the most comfortable in Harm's arms.

"Maybe we should savor this," Harm said, speaking softly into Mac's hair. It was the closest he could get to her face.

"Oh yeah?" Mac asked ruefully.

"Yeah, I'm being serious," he replied. "This is going to be our last time alone together before it's not just the two of us."

Mac nodded. "Right…"

Harm was able to enjoy the peace and quiet of him and Mac being alone, of him holding her, but every new contraction ignited a familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was the same feeling he got when he was on the carrier, preparing to get in the cockpit and take off. Things were quiet and calm, but they were about to be the exact opposite.

0530 EST
BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL
BETHESDA, MARYLAND

When Melinda had told Harm that it would just be 'a few more hours' he'd foolishly expected it to be another two hours, maybe three tops. But 0300 came and went, 0400 came and went…then 0500. Still Mac was in pain, and there was still no baby.

"I can't do this."

"Sarah it'll just be a little longer, I promise."

"No, I can't. I really can't Harm."

Mac had gotten back in the hospital bed and Harm was standing beside her, both of her hands clutching one of his. Harm's other hand was brushing Mac's bangs away from her face and he was using this thumb to brush away stray tears that were falling more and more frequently.

"Hey," Harm crouched down so he could look Mac in the eye, "The nurse said it's almost time to start pushing, okay? We're in the home stretch."

Mac looked at him with wide eyes. She shook her head again. "I don't think I can. Harm I'm so tired-" her sentence was cut off by another contraction. She grit her teeth, locking Harm's hand in death grip, her entire body tensing.

"It might actually help if you yell," Harm suggested, partly out of concern that she would chip a tooth.

So Mac yelled, and would continue to yell for all of the contractions after that. She yelled so much that Harm had to remind her that breathing was important, too.

"Mac, Sarah-"

"What!" she demanded and Harm couldn't help but jump. Her yelling became a lot more threatening now that it was solely directed at him.

"You need to breathe, Sarah," he told her. "You gotta breathe."

Harm watched with visible concern as Mac took a few deep breaths, her eyes screwed shut. When she opened them, they were once again teeming with tears.

"Oh, Mac.."

She let go of Harm, burying her face in her hands. She shook her head. "I'm so tired," she sobbed. "I can't do this. I can't have this baby, I can't do this anymore -"

"Hey, hey, hey," Harm said, gently taking Mac's hands away from her face. "Look at me. I know this is hard-"

"Harm you have no idea-"

"Okay, I get that. I have no idea what giving birth is like," he quickly amended. "But I know that you've got this, honey. I know you do. You didn't do all this work to quit now."

Mac sniffled. "I know…"

After having his hand squeezed through another contraction, Harm continued.

"C'mon," he said, giving Mac a warm smile. "I know you can do this. You're the strongest person I know, Sarah."

Mac shook her head again. "That's not true."

"Of course it is."

The next time the nurse came and checked Mac's cervix, she confirmed that Mac had finally, at long last, reached ten centimeters and was ready to start pushing.

"Alright," Melinda said as she entered the room. "Are we ready to have this baby?"

"For the love of God, yes!" Mac exclaimed as Harm pressed a kiss against her sweaty temple.

"Okay then, let's have this baby."

A little under an hour later, right before sunrise, after Harm and Mac had both been up for over twenty-four hours, their daughter was born.

"Congratulations," Melinda said after Harm clipped the umbilical cord and their screaming baby girl was placed on Mac's chest. "It's a girl."

Harm was grinning from ear-to-ear, whereas Mac looked bewildered. She looked down at her daughter in her arms, then up to Harm, and then to Melinda and the nurse.

"Huh?" she asked, looking back down at the baby.

The nurse looked at Harm. "Were you two expecting a boy?" she asked, her brow knit in confusion.

"No, no," Harm quickly shook his head. "It's just, she thought it was going to be a boy and she likes being right after her gut feelings-"

He paused when he noticed Mac's face crumple. Before he knew it, Mac was sobbing, harder than she had been dxuring the labor.

"What's wrong?" Harm asked in mild alarm, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "I know you had those dreams that told you the baby was going to be boy, but maybe those dreams aren't always accurate-"

"No, no it's not that," Mac said. She wiped some tears from her eyes and looked down at her daughter with watery, adoring eyes. "Look at her Harm, she's so beautiful!"

Harm ducked his head down beside Mac's to get a good look at his daughter for the very first time. Her face was completely scrunched up and she was still wailing, but she was the single most perfect thing he had ever seen in his life.

"I know," Harm agreed, finding himself getting misty-eyed without even realizing it and without even caring. "She's perfect."

Mac looked up at him. "Harm, you're crying."

"I'm crying because I'm happy, Sarah," he replied, clearing his throat. He looked down at her and smirked. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm crying because I'm happy."

Neither of them could think of a time when they had ever been happier.

Ahhhhh! It finally happened! Harm and Mac had their baby! After sitting on this chapter for so long, I can't believe I'm about to publish it. This has been a long time coming, but we made it. Everyone, it has been done. Harm and Mac are officially parents - mission accomplished.

Even though I made Harm and Mac debate whether or not the baby was going to be a girl or boy, I knew before I even started that it was going to be a girl. The name, which will be revealed soon enough, was something that I spent more time agonizing over. I went through several before I found one that I thought was perfect.

I think the name gets revealed next chapter? I don't know, I'll have to double-check, but I just have this one thing to leave you guys with that may-or-may-not be a spoiler...it might just turn out that you know Harm and Mac's daughter already...maybe, maybe not. And yes, I'm going to make you wait until next week to see if I'm lying or not. Aren't I so evil? :)

Thanks for reading!

-Harper