Disclaimer: They aren't mine ... wish they were.

Happy New Year to all. May 2009 be safe and filled with love and peace.

hmhmhmhmhmanotherchristmaswishhmhmhmhm

It was midday before Harm was finished with his appointment at the hospital. He'd been to the see the orthopaedist, who had assessed the damage and referred him downstairs to the physiotherapy department. He'd gone down there and seen a young man by the name of Ashley who had manipulated his knee and it seemed to loosen up somewhat, for which Harm was grateful, despite the pain it caused him. He'd been given a set of exercises, anti-inflammatorys, and a follow up appointment by the time he left.

Sitting in the hospital's cafeteria, Harm sipped his tea and watched a young mother at a nearby table trying to settle her fussing newborn. The conversation of the night before came back to him and it took all his control not to let his emotions overwhelm him. Never being someone who just sat back and allowed life to happen, Harm decided to be proactive. He tossed away his near full cup and headed back to the elevator. This time he went to the eighth floor, where Dr Elisabeth Johnson's office was. Maybe he couldn't give Mac a baby for this Christmas but he was damned sure he'd do everything he could to give her one for the next one.

Purposefully, he walked towards the receptionist and waited patiently while she concluded a call.
"Yes, sir, can I help you?" she asked as she replaced the receiver.
"I hope so," he replied. "My wife is a patient of Dr Johnson and she had an appointment recently…"
"Your wife's name, sir?" she asked.
"Colonel Sarah MacKenzie…" he said as she entered the information into the computer.
"Yes, sir, she is a patient of Dr Johnson, but you are aware that the doctor can't discuss…" she began.
"I know all about doctor/patient confidentiality, Andrea," he said, reading her name tag. "I just need …"

At that moment the doctor opened her door and smiled at Harm. "Hello Harm, Sarah's appointment was…" Dr Johnson began.
"I know, I came to see you," he interrupted.
"Well," she said, glancing at her watch. "I have about five minutes, come on in."
Harm smiled in relief and followed her in.
"Now, Harm, what can I do for you?" she asked, sitting back in her chair.
"Well, I came to get some information, you know pamphets, books…" he began, looking to her bookcase full of resources.
"Okay," she replied. "Getting organised quickly, are you?"
"Well, I wouldn't call it quickly," he explained and watched as she moved to her resource bookcase.
"I would," she grinned. "Sarah only had her appointment very recently." She scanned through the pamphlets in front of her before selecting four different ones. "These should be enough for now," she said, handing them to Harm,

Harm studied the paper in his hands; the titles jumping out at him. 'Stress-free Pregnancy', 'Nutrition and Pregnancy', 'Getting Ready for Baby' 'Resource List for Expectant Mothers'. Dr Johnson studied his face and saw the pain and confusion.
"Harm," she started, coming to sit beside him. "What is it?"
"Well, I don't really think these are appropriate … given the circumstances…" he choked out.
"I think they're perfect," she said. "I know Sarah was very concerned about doing all the right things duringpregnancy." She stopped when she saw him staring oddly at her. "By the calculations we did at her appointment, she should be nearly eleven weeks along." He shook his head again in disbelief. "And the blood test confirmed it," she continued. "By Christmas next year there's going to be a little MacKenzie-Rabb."

His tears started before he'd even realised and the doctor gently patted his arm. "Harm, you do know that Sarah's pregnant, don't you?" she asked. He shook his head. "She didn't tell you?" she asked surprised.
"She doesn't know," Harm said, coughing to dislodge the lump in his throat.
"What do you mean?" Dr Johnson asked.
"After her appointment … she got a call from someone else here … said it was a negative result," he said, running his hand across his face.
"What?" The doctor was back on her feet. "How on earth did that happen?"
"I don't know, Mac just said a Dr Bowden called and …" he began. Dr Johnson grabbed the phone and hit the call button. "Andrea, find Bill Bowden for me and tell him to get in here now."
"Harm, I am so sorry," she apologised. "I'll call Sarah right now…"
"No," he said, standing up. "Let me tell her…"
"Well, okay, but if there's anything I can do, anything you need…"

When Harm left the hospital thirty minutes later he had everything he needed … everything except Mac.

When Mac arrived home from work just after six, it was with dinner in hand. Harm had called her when leaving the hospital and reported what the doctor and physiotherapist had said and told her it had tired him more than expected and that he would most likely sleep the afternoon. Whilst Mac couldn't figure why a knee injury would tire him so much, she didn't question it. It seemed like forever since he'd had a decent night's sleep, at least in their bed, so if he was tired, she was glad he was choosing to sleep. And sleep he did, for all of the forty five minutes before Mac got home. It was all part of his plan; he knew she wouldn't call him or question him about his afternoon if she thought he had slept through it.

Depositing the take-out on the coffee table, she made her way to the bedroom and sat beside him on the bed. Slowly she ran her fingers through his hair before leaning down to kiss his forehead.
"Hey, sweetheart," she soothed. "You ready to wake up?"
"Mmhpno," came the reply.
"Do I take that as a no?" she asked, continuing to caress his face.
"Fmmormnts," he mumbled, rolling towards her.
"A few more minutes, hey?" she smiled. Speaking 'Harm', especially 'sleepy Harm' was another language she could add to her repertoire.

Mac conceded and stood up. She moved towards her closet and stripped out of her uniform before depositing it on the nearby chair. Standing in front of the mirror in her camisole and panties, Mac studied her body. Pregnancy would have accounted for the thickening waist she could see, although she also knew she had been slack with her fitness regime of late, and was eating more chocolate than fruit. She shook her head, disappointed with herself, and vowed she'd get back into shape, starting tomorrow with a long run.

She grabbed her sweats from the shelf and threw them on the bed, surprised to see Harm laying there watching her.
"You're beautiful," he offered, an appreciative smile in place.
"I am not," she retorted, pulling on the pants. "I'm fat and out of shape."
"You are not," he replied, reaching for her hand.
"I am too. Look!" she exclaimed, grabbing the flesh at her stomach. "Actually, don't look," she amended, quickly pulling on the top. "I don't want you to see me like this."

Harm couldn't help but smile. She was beautiful, always had been. It was an inner beauty that she could never see. However, now pregnant with his child, she was more beautiful than ever, not that he could tell her just yet.
"You'll always be beautiful to me," he announced, climbing out of bed and embracing her. "No matter what you cover your body in."

For only a few moments she allowed herself to melt into his arms, before she remembered the food.
"I picked up dinner from that Japanese place around the corner you like," she sighed as she linked her arms around his neck.
"Well, at least we know it won't go cold," he smiled as he leant down to kiss her.
"Mmha," she replied as her lips found his. She'd missed this in his absence, just the two of them and tender kisses.

Not in the least bit hungry, Harm was prepared to just stand and kiss her all night but when he heard her stomach rumble for the second time he pulled back.
"I think we need to feed you," he said, brushing his lips across hers. "You need your strength."
"What for?" she asked, pulling back.
"So you can nurse me back to health," he quipped before kissing her again.
She grinned and led him to the sofa. "You need your strength too."
"And what do I need my strength for?" he asked, opening up the plastic bag.
"Oh, you'll see later tonight," she grinned. She couldn't believe it was nearly eight weeks since they'd made love.

-0-0-0-0-
"Oh, so she is pregnant," Charlie beamed. "That's just perfect!"
"It is, isn't it?" Barney said proudly. "And it was all me."
"Really?" Charlie said, quirking an eyebrow. "I would have thought it was all Harm."
"Well, he helped… but I made sure everything was just right … and hey presto, a baby," he grinned. This was by far his greatest achievement. "You know there was only a four percent chance, so believe me when I say I had to get this just right…"
"Four percent, wow! You did do well," he replied, mightily impressed by his junior colleague. "So, when does she find out?"
"That, my friend, you'll have to wait for."
-0-0-0-0-

During the week leading up to Christmas Day, Mac worked and Harm rested, or at least told her that's what he was doing. When she was around he limped a bit more to support his story, when she was at work his limp was nearly imperceptible. Grateful that Mac had a case in court; Harm knew she'd be working up until Christmas Eve, which gave him plenty of time for his plan. He did feel bad for not informing her of the pregnancy straight away, but conceded the way he planned on doing it would more than make up for it.

As Mac toiled away in the office and in court, Harm trolled the internet and numerous shops, he consulted Harriet, the only person with which he had entrusted news of the impending arrival, he planned, prepared and purchased until he had everything just perfect and then collapsed in a heap on the sofa an hour before Mac arrived home on Christmas Eve, more than ready for her ten days leave.

"Mac," he yawned as she opened the door. "How was your day?"
"Good," she said, as he helped her take off her coat. It was then she realised the place was adorned with more Christmas decorations than she had ever seen. "My god, Harm, it's beautiful," she gasped. "When? How? Why?"
"Well, today, obviously," he grinned, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "How, with a lot of help from Harriet and why, because it's Christmas." He kissed her head.
She moved to the Christmas tree and tears filled her eyes as she caught sight of the green bauble with 'Our first Christmas' emblazoned on it. She couldn't help but smile when she saw his addition underneath of 'Take two'.
"You like?" he asked, fully wrapping her in his arms as she stood in awe of the tree.
"Very much so," she replied, leaning back into him, watching the twinkling lights play across the branches.

"Well," he drawled, as he turned her in his arms. "If you like the tree, I'm sure you'll like the rest of it too."
He turned her to face the large parcel in the corner. "Merry Christmas, Mac," he said, pushing her towards it.
Mac stood and stared at the bright red and white stripped package with the biggest red ribbon and bow she'd ever seen. "But it's only Christmas Eve," she whispered. "Shouldn't I leave it until tomorrow?"
"Well, you can," he began. "But there's more tomorrow so it's probably best to open this one now."
"Okay," she nodded. Upon turning back to the present she caught sight of the two stockings hanging on the mantle, one read 'Mac', the other 'Harm'. Harriet had made them for them the previous Christmas but they had never been hung. Her breath caught in her throat. Desperate for a Christmas where there were three stockings, she was saddened by the sight, but for Harm's sake she would ignore it and just move on.

"Do you want a hand?" he asked, bringing her back to the present.
"No, no," she smiled. "I can handle it." She pulled the parcel from the corner and into the middle of the floor. It was much too big for her to try and lift it. Slowly, she undid the bow before pulling off the ribbon. She slid her fingernails under the tape to open up the paper. A quick glance at Harm told her he was eager for her to just rip it open.
"Want me to go faster?" she asked, smiling at him.
"Yes, please," he grinned, moving closer to her.

With a few quick pulls a white box was revealed.
"Just lift up the box," Harm instructed, reaching out to take it from her. Mac followed the direction and gasped when she saw what was underneath. "Well?" he asked when she failed to speak. "Mac?" He dropped the box and wrapped an arm around her. "Sweetheart?"
Mac looked from the present to Harm and he saw the tears pooling in her deep brown eyes. He couldn't tell whether this was good or bad.
"Talk," he prompted gently.

Mac turned her attention back to the gift. There standing in front of her was a blue, three storey, wooden doll's house, with white trims. It was the one she'd seen in a catalogue when she was very young and had been desperate for ever since. She didn't know how it was possible but he had read her mind. Every feature, even down to the door knob, was as she'd dreamed.
"If you don't like …" he began but was cut off as she threw herself into his arms.
"It's perfect!" she exclaimed. "Just perfect! It's the one I've been dreaming of forever. How did you know?"

Harm grinned. "I know you, Mac. I know what you want." It was a lie. He wasn't sure how he'd picked this one specifically. Only that he'd visited about a thirty websites and every time he did the screen froze with this very model. He'd called at least a dozen places only to find this model was long retired and they had no idea why it was on the site. It was his thirteenth call which came through and he'd picked up the house not an hour later.

-0-0-0-0-
"That was you too, wasn't it?" Charlie asked, leaning back in his chair.
"Of course," Barney beamed. "Every little girl wants a doll's house…"
"Does this mean they're having a girl? Someone Sarah can hand this down to?" he asked.
Barney shook his head. "I'm not telling."
-0-0-0-0-

Early on Christmas morning, Mac extracted herself from her husband's limbs and slid out of their bed. She threw a robe on over her naked form and headed out to the living room. She didn't believe in Santa but something compelled her to go and see if he'd been. The first thing she saw was the three stockings hanging from the mantle. They read 'Mommy', 'Daddy' and 'Junior'. She shook her head, it wasn't possible.
She ran her hand over the silky fabric and was surprised to feel something in 'Junior's' stocking.

Reaching in, she pulled out a plain white envelope. She turned it over to see 'Mommy' scrawled on it in child-like writing. Quickly she tore it opened and pulled out the paper it contained. The message was simple:
Dear Mommy,
I think you need to wake daddy up. He has something to tell you.
Love
Junior
Xoxo

Before Mac reached the bedroom door, Harm appeared and smiled at her. She waved the paper in front of him, not yet able to form any words.
"Merry Christmas, Mac," he said, taking her in a warm embrace and kissing her head.
"Explain… please…" she choked out, praying this was not a game.
"Come and sit with me," he said, leading her to the armchair. He sat and pulled her into his lap.

"Harm?" she questioned, as she gave way to her tears. "Tell me."
There were so many ways he had thought of to break the news to her, he'd rehearsed it ad nauseum all week but now, with her desperate face in front of him, he went with the plain fact.
"Mac, you're pregnant," he said tenderly, he waited for her joyous response, he didn't get what he'd expected.
"Don't say that!" she yelled, clambering to get off him. "You know I'm not!"
"Mac, Mac," he called, holding onto her and trying to settle her. "You are. It was a mistake… what Dr Bowden said, it was a mistake."
"No," she yelled again. It had devastated her when she found out she wasn't pregnant, she wasn't going to let herself believe it again so soon. She broke free and ran into the bedroom.

Harm followed quickly.
"Get out!" she yelled, throwing a pillow at him.
"Mac, honey, sssh!" he soothed moving to her. "Listen to me, please," he begged, this was definitely not what he'd anticipated.
"No," she answered, rolling over and burying her face in his pillow. "Leave me alone." Gently he touched her arm but she shrugged violently so he didn't continue.

He grabbed his cell and moved into the living room, and dialled the number he hoped would help him make her see the truth. Concluding his call he went back into the bedroom hoping she'd calmed down enough.
"Mac?" he ventured opening the door.
"Go away!" she said. He was pleased the anger had gone from her voice.
"Can I explain?" he asked quietly, as he sat on the bed.
"No!" she replied. "Don't make this worse than it is."
"I won't, honey," he soothed. "But you have to know, I'm not making this up. Honestly."

There was something in his tone which made her roll over to face him. She had known Harm forever and not once had she known him to say anything to deliberately cause her pain.
"You're not?" she asked, sitting up.
"No, I'm not," he said gently, taking her hands. "I went to see Dr Johnson last week after my appointment because I wanted some information about our options for conception and she handed me pregnancy pamphlets. I must have looked surprised because she asked whether I knew you were pregnant and I said no, but neither did you," he paused and Mac nodded.

"I told her of Dr Bowden's call and she was very upset, apparently he made a mistake and mixed the test results, told both you and one other woman the wrong thing. But Dr Johnson double checked the results and you, my darling wife, are pregnant. She was going to call you then and there but I wanted to do it as a Christmas surprise. Though it didn't actually turn out the way I'd anticipated," he said, a sad smile on his lips.

Mac stared at him for a long while trying to digest it all.
"I'm pregnant?" she eventually said, searching his face.
"Yes, you are. About twelve weeks now," he confirmed.
"I'm pregnant," she repeated with greater confidence.
"Yes, you are," he repeated, and watched her face transform. The pain and shock of his unexpected declaration faded and an amazing smile lit up her face as she accepted his words as the truth.
"Oh my god, we're pregnant!" she finally exclaimed, throwing herself into his arms and kissing him passionately. "Thank you, thank you so much!"

They were still entangled on the bed celebrating their news when there was a knock on the door. Mac glanced at the clock as Harm climbed off the bed.
"Who could be here at this hour?" she asked, noting it was not yet eight on Christmas Day.
"A special visitor," Harm winked as he went to open the door.

-0-0-0-0-
"Who is it? Who is it?" Charlie pestered, trying to move closer to the monitor.
"Gee, you're impatient," Barney scolded. "If you wait a minute you'll find out."
-0-0-0-0-

"Dr Johnson, come on in," Harm said, ushering the doctor into the apartment. "Thank you so much for coming."
"It's the least I could do," she replied, placing her medical bag and another large case by her feet. "How's Sarah doing?"
"She's much better than earlier. At least she believes me now and doesn't want to kill me," he admitted.
"Well, not until labour," the doctor laughed.
"Dr Johnson?" Mac questioned, coming into the living room.
"Merry Christmas, Sarah," she beamed. "I'm so sorry about the mix up, but believe me, you are definitely pregnant."
Mac nodded, she could accept the words but wasn't quite ready to let her heart believe, just in case.

"You don't quite believe it yet, do you?" Dr Johnson asked.
"Um, no, not really," Mac admitted.
"Well, I think I have a way to convince you," she smiled, picking up her large case. "Lay down on the sofa for me, Sarah," she instructed as she rounded the sofa. Mac did as she was told and made herself comfortable. Harm sat on the coffee table nearby.
"Now, this is a portable ultrasound," the doctor informed them. "It doesn't give the same quality pictures we could get at the hospital, but I think it will be enough to prove my point."

Mac pulled her robe open as the doctor retrieved the gel. Harm took Mac's hand as the device was switched on. A few beeps and pings later they were in business.
"If you come around to Sarah's head, Harm, you'll be able to see too," she smiled. When Harm was in position, Dr Johnson continued. "Sarah, Harm, this is your baby," she said, pointing to a small blob on the monitor. "This is a leg, and another one and this is the head."
"It's so small," Harm choked, emotion threatening to take his voice completely.
"Well, he or she still has about six months of growing time in there," the doctor reported.
"He or she?" Mac managed. "Can you tell yet?"
"Do you want to know?" Dr Johnson asked.

Harm and Mac exchanged glances before Mac spoke. "Ah, no, we want to wait, isn't that right, Harm?" He nodded in agreement.
"Okay then, I won't tell you," she smiled.
"Is everything alright in there?" Mac asked as her fingers traced the image on the monitor.
"Looks good to me. Why don't you come in after Christmas and we'll do this again in the clinic. The images are so much better, it will look more like a baby and less of a blob," the doctor suggested.
"We will," Harm accepted. "Thank you."
"Now, I can print you off this image before I go, if you like," she offered.
"Yes, please," they replied in unison.

Soon the doctor departed and Harm, having walking her out to her car to carry the ultrasound, returned to their apartment to find Mac was sitting on the sofa cross legged staring intently at the paper in front of her. One hand clasped the image, the other lay splayed on her abdomen.
"I can't believe you're actually in there," she whispered. Harm paused by the door. "You're truly there … I thought you were … I wanted to believe you were … I honestly did … but it was so painful to be told you weren't there I didn't want to put myself through it again. I hope you understand that." She rubbed her belly gently. "I'm going to be a mommy … your mommy … god, I hope you like me. I mean I already love you, I'm not sure how that happens so quickly but I do … I love you very much and I love your daddy too."

"And daddy loves you very much too," he said, breaking his silence and closing the door behind him.
"Oh, Harm," she sighed, grabbing hold of him as he neared her. "I love you so much."
"So, you don't hate me for not telling you or for telling you?" he asked, sliding behind her on the sofa.
"No, not at all. I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier … it's just…" she began.
'You don't need to explain," he interrupted. "So long as we're good now, that's all that matters."
"Oh, we're more than good," she replied, climbing into his lap and wrapping her arms around him.
"So, can I say you are now a believer in Christmas?" he asked, kissing her nose.
"Definitely," she grinned. "A true believer in Christmas … and in you." She kissed his nose. "Thank you so much."

-0-0-0-0-
"And that, Charlie, is another true believer for me," Barney said proudly, sitting back in his chair. "Sarah MacKenzie's name can be entered in the ledger now."
"Wow," Charlie said, wiping at his eyes. "That was just beautiful."
"It was, wasn't it? They are so perfect together, aren't they?" he said, more than pleased with himself.
"They are, and they're going to have the best Christmas ever," Charlie said, taking a deep breath.

Barney moved over to the shelf and opened the ledger. With care and attention he added Mac's name to the ledger, ending it in a flourish. Pleased with himself he returned to his monitor, ready to check on some other jobs he had on the go.

"Um, Barney," Charlie interrupted him once more.
"What now?" he replied.
"What is Sarah going to have? A girl or a boy? Do we get to see it? What do they call it?" he asked rapidly.
"Charlie, Charlie, you really need to work on the concept of patience."
"Oh, Bar-ney!"
-0-0-0-0-

Later that evening, after returning from the Roberts', Harm found Mac standing in the doorway of the spare room, a contented smile on her face.
"What colour am I painting?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her.
"Green," she replied, scanning the room.
"Not marine green?" he asked, his eyes widening.
"Anything wrong with marine green?" she questioned, tilting her head to look at him.
"Um, no, I was just …" he began.
"Relax, I was kidding, honey, I'm thinking mint green. It's suitable for boys or girls," she smiled.
"Do you have a preference?" he asked.
"Nope, so long as she is happy and healthy …" Mac began.
"She?" Harm questioned.
"Well, maybe I have a little bias," she smiled. "After all I'd like to have someone to play with me and the doll's house."
"Well, maybe it will be a girl then," Harm said, kissing her head.
"But I'd like to have a little boy who looks just like you and …" she continued.
"Well, maybe it will be a boy then," he smiled, kissing her again.

They discussed the room a bit longer before Mac yawned.
"How about I take you to bed?" Harm suggested as she turned into his body.
"Sounds good to me," she yawned again. "How about a name?" she asked as they made their way to the bedroom.
"Not Harmon," he replied, never having been a fan of his name, even if it was his father's. "What name do you like?"
"I was thinking Charlie," she answered, stripping off her shirt.
"Charlie for a boy, that's nice," Harm replied, watching her closely.
"Or a girl, it works for a girl too," Mac offered.
"Well, we can call him / her Charlie for now and decide when he /she's born," he suggested, watching as her jeans hit the floor.
"Yeah, it's much better than calling it, it," she agreed, unhooking her bra.
"Aha!" he replied.

Mac turned around to look at him. "Like something you see?"
"Oh, yeah," he all but drooled.
"Well," she started, slipping under the covers. "I'm ready whenever you are."

-0-0-0-0-
"Charlie! They're calling the baby Charlie!" Charlie exclaimed. "That's so totally cool!"
"Yes, it is," agreed Barney. "And that was me too."
"Really? Why?" he asked amazed.
"Well, you've always been pretty good to me so I decided it was the least I could do. Besides it's a good name," he said.
"But you put in so much effort, wouldn't you rather he or she was …" he began but Barney held up his hand.
"No, I wouldn't," he interrupted. "Once upon a time my name was pretty special but a few years ago they used it to name a purple dinosaur, effectively ensuring no child would be called it again. No, I think Charlie's much better for this youngster."
"Charlie MacKenzie – Rabb, sounds rather impressive, doesn't it?" Charlie beamed.
"Yes, it does," Barney nodded.
"I know you're going to hate me asking …" he began hesitantly.
"But you want to know when Charlie becomes a true believer…" Barney said.
"Well, yes," Charlie answered.
Barney moved to the century calendar which took up most of the wall. "Well," he began placing his finger on the current year. "By my calculations, it will be … No, I won't tell you. I think I've shared enough."
-0-0-0-0-

hmhmhmhmhmanotherchristmaswishhmhmhmhm
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