To Hell and Back

Chapter 8

Carolyn didn't hear what Beth murmured to Harm, but the soft smile that suddenly graced his lips and the growing warmth in his eye didn't need the reinforcement of the fleeting basilisk-quality glare that the petite brunette sent across the table at her. The blonde JAG got the message and felt a pang of guilt. She wasn't at all interested in Harmon Rabb, but at times she flirted without even really being aware of the fact, and this time it seemed she had unintentionally stepped on some very sensitive toes.

So with a guilty grin she turned her attention to the teenager who was still engrossed in a conversation about football with Pete.

"So… who do you fancy in the Superbowl this year?"

Mattie shook her head in disgust, "The Ravens for sure! And either the Rams or Eagles – based on the regular season results."

Pete nodded judiciously, "Safe bets, but there's still the play-offs to go, and over the years there's been plenty of upsets, even at this stage! So I wouldn't write off the Patriots or the Panthers."

"Not the Saints, then?" Carolyn asked tongue in cheek, and broke into a gurgle of laughter at the mixed indignant and pitying looks she received from Mattie and Pete respectively. Then, to Mattie's great amusement, Pete and rolled his eyes and said to Mattie, in a stage whisper, "I think that's her way of telling us that we spent long enough talking about football!" Then, with a broad wink in Mattie's direction, he sat upright, with his hands folded demurely in his lap and turning to Carolyn asked in his best polite-little-boy voice, "Yes, ma'am, and about which subject would you now like to converse?"

Carolyn's gurgle of laughter brought Beth's attention back to her, when she saw, a little to her surprise, that all of Carolyn's attention was now focused on Pete, and again there was something in the blonde's eyes as she looked at her date that struck a chord with Beth, and the almost instant hostility she had felt towards Carolyn dissolved as quickly as it had arisen.

"Well… there must be something other than football… Mattie, how did you come to get tangled up with Harm?"

"Carolyn!" Harm interrupted, a slight edge to his voice "Didn't you get Bud to tell you the story?"

Carolyn gave a most unladylike snort, "Huh! Fat chance! You've got him trained too well, Harm!"

"I always liked Bud," Beth agreed with grin at Mattie.

"I don't mind telling…" Mattie turned towards Harm and Beth, her eyebrow raised in a question.

Harm looked doubtful, "I thought you wanted to tell Jennifer Coates?"

Mattie looked stricken for an instant, "Oh… yeah, I do… but…"

But nothing," Harm interrupted her, ignoring an elbow jab from Beth, "So power down for a minute or two, while I ask the Legalman if she wants to hear your story!"

"Oh!" Mattie gasped squirming around in her chair and checking out the people in the room, "Is Jennifer here?"

"Of course she is!" Harm grinned, "So relax a minute or so…" he disengaged his arm from around Beth's shoulder and stood, while Carolyn gave a speculative look at Mattie.

"So you've met Legalman One Coates?"

Mattie swallowed her mouth full of Pepsi, and nodded, "Yeah, she kinda introduced herself at Lieutenant Roberts' Christmas Eve party, just before we all went to church."

"Ah…Yes… I thought I recognised you, I must have seen you there!" Carolyn exclaimed.

"Oh… I didn't see you there!" Mattie denied.

Carolyn chuckled, "Well, no, I don't suppose you did… it was a bit of a crush, and Pete and I pretty well kept to a corner of the room. But we were there… and we were behind Harm and Beth later at the church…"

Mattie nodded understandingly, "Yeah, which would explain it…"

"Explain what?" Harm asked as he returned to the table, Jennifer Coates at his shoulder.

Mattie's face lit up with a huge grin of pure pleasure, "Jen! Hi!" she exclaimed.

"Hi Mattie," Jennifer replied, and then acknowledged the other officers at the table, "Ladies, sir."

"Sit down, Legalman One," Beth urged her with a smile and then noticing Jen's lack of a drink turned to Harm, "Why don't you try to get hold of Mandy, and order us in another round of drinks?"

"Good thinking!" Harm agreed, not really wanting to be sat at the table while Mattie, he suspected, rang his praises to the heavens, and probably let slip one or two embarrassing details he's rather not hear. "Coates?"

"A light beer, please, sir…"

Harm took Carolyn and Pete's requests and went off to find the bartender, mumbling the list of drinks like some personal mantra while the rest of the table settled back with keen interest to hear Mattie's story, although Skates did feel compelled to issue a last second caution, "Go on then, but remember I am here, so no gilding the lily! And no embarrassing me either!" she warned with an admonitory finger shake.

"Me?" Mattie asked in a far too innocent tone for Beth's liking, and then turning to Carolyn said, "It all started when Harm came down to Charlottesville to fly – he keeps his Stearman at what used to be my hangar – and I offered him a job…"

Of course, such an opening statement raised questions and Mattie had to explain why she was on her own, and – illegally – running an aviation business which slowed down the pace of her narration so that when Harm returned to the table with a drink-laden tray he was greeted with a shouted chorus of laughter.

"What's so funny?" he inquired with a grin.

Carolyn mopped her streaming eyes, "Oh, Mattie was just telling us how she challenged the Admiral about firing you, and asked if he was the 'mean, old, bald jerk' that had done so!"

Harm shot a worried glance over his shoulder to where A J Chegwidden was sat with the guest of honour, her husband and the Roberts, "Um… Mattie, I don't think… Well, maybe you ought not…"

Carolyn grinned, "Relax Harm, it's all sub-rosa here tonight, and to be honest I've felt thataways about the admiral, a time or two myself! In fact I'll bet we all have! Right, Pete?" she finished challengingly.

Pete took a mouthful of his beer and swallowed, "Well, I wouldn't go that far... but, yeah… kinda… and then again that sort of thing kinda goes with territory, doesn't it?"

"So… moving swiftly on," Jen stepped into the breach, giving Mattie the opportunity to continue her story which she did, and to Harm's surprise she proved to be a gifted story teller, who kept her audience amused and entertained and only occasionally turning to him for corroboration, and almost instinctively glossing over the episodes that she figured would cause him embarrassment.

At length Mattie finished her story with "But even then he made me stay dressed up and dragged me off to Lieutenant Roberts and Sims' party… and I'm glad he did, 'cause I got to meet most of the folks that are here tonight!"

Carolyn shook her head on bemusement, "Only in Harmon Rabb's life!" she commented with a chuckle, but then as her laughter died away, she turned to Beth, "The judge's ruling must have been one hell of a shock for you!"

Beth grinned and holding out a hand to Mattie, replied, "You have no idea! Turned my whole life upside down, totally ixnayed all my Christmas plans, and all anybody could offer was a cup of coffee!"

Mattie took the offered hand and grinned at the brunette, "But it did help, didn't it?"

Beth laughed, "Well, it didn't hurt!"

Harm had decided, that he would keep a low profile while Mattie was telling the tale, but now felt impelled to ask, slightly anxiously, "But you wouldn't change anything?"

Beth shot him a slightly startled glance, and then read the doubt in his eyes. Tugging Mattie nearer, she looped one arm around the girl's shoulder while at the same time leaning in to Harm and with her other hand lifting and slipping his arm around her own shoulder.

With a warm glow in her eyes she looked first at Mattie and then at Harm, "I wouldn't change a single second of it!" she firmly declared, and threw mischievous glance at Harm.

Carolyn caught the look and the expression before it and for an instant was taken aback and then smiled in sympathy as she thought that, despite the ambient light level, she saw the tips of Harm's ear turn pink. 'Well, well, well….' and then cast an anxious look over her shoulder before remembering that amongst all the JAG personnel, Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie was conspicuous by her absence.

Not surprisingly Mattie's recounting of the circumstances of the meeting up with Harm triggered more questions than she had provided answers, and after a few seconds thought Jennifer Coates wrinkled her brow is and turned to face Mattie, "Um… Weren't you… I mean, I know the commander…" Then the young woman realised what she had intended to say would be totally misinterpreted and blushed fire truck red.

Harm had more or less guessed what Jen was about to ask, and despite his quirked eyebrow, he sent her a crooked grin, "Go on, Legalman One," he invited her.

"Oh God, please, somebody shoot me, now!" she begged to general laughter, and fortunately for her rescue came, not in the form of a gunshot, but by the bell-like chiming of a knife blade being tapped against a glass.

A silence fell on the room and heads turned to see the admiral rising to his feet as Harriet Sims carried a large cake stand to the top table. "Your attention for a moment, please," the admiral began, "We have gathered here this evening, as is our invariable practice, and as you all aware, to congratulate Loren Singer, or Loren Medwick whichever she prefers, on her promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. This is, perhaps, an event that none of us would have thought likely a mere eighteen months ago, but in that time, although no less ambitious – and that is no bad thing in a Navy Officer – Loren has successfully tempered that ambition and risen to the challenge of marrying and raising a family. This tempering has rounded out an outlook on the world that threatened what was even then a promising career. Loren has always been a damned good attorney, but her target fixation, was getting in the way of her career. She has now overcome that hurdle, and is now, I firmly believe set on the path to becoming a female JAG – maybe not the first female JAG ever – there are some damned good officers who are senior to her, but I am confident that if she continues on her recently adopted path then Loren Singer will one day occupy the chair that I am keeping warm for my successors. So, I would like you all raise your glasses and wet-down Loren's new half-ring, congratulate her on her achievement and wish her every success in her new rank. Ladies and gentlemen – Loren Singer!"

Loren, pink-cheeked and suspiciously bright-eyed rose to her feet as the admiral re-rook his seat, and then she drew a deep breath, "First off, I'd like to thank everyone for coming this evening. I know I haven't always been the easiest person to work with, and that a lot of you disliked me. Well, that was my fault, for not allowing people to get close to me. But meeting my husband, and having a child… well… that sort of gave a giant kick to my world and knocked it back on to its proper axis! So, I shall try to continue to do better in the future. Once again, thank you all for coming along this evening. Now, I see that Lieutenant Sims has organised a cake for us, and I'm pretty sure you'd all rather see me with my mouth full of food than full of words and boring you to death… So… Could you please give me a three count?"

With most faces wreathed in grins, not least at both the admiral's and Loren's carefully edited account of her previous attitude the group chanted "One… two… three!"

On the end of the count, Loren picked up the knife from the cake stand and with an almost ceremonial flourish cut into the cake to the accompaniment of another chorus, this time of cheers, resounding throughout the room.

Mattie watched the proceedings with bemused interest, she had only spoken a few words to Loren at the Roberts' party and realised that there were undercurrents to this evening of which she wasn't aware, but she wasn't left to muse on them for long as she became aware of a presence at the end of the table.

Harriet Sims smiled brightly at the gathering around the table and turning to Jen Coates said, "Legalman One, would you like to help distribute the cake?"

Jen rose quickly to her feet, "Of course, ma'am…" and then a thought struck her, "Mattie, would you like to help? I could introduce you to some of the others at the same time… that is if it's okay by the Commander?"

Harm looked across at his ward, "Mattie?"

"Yeah, I'd like to… it'd make me feel I was doing something useful…" Mattie replied, knowing that somehow the words weren't quite right, but unable to find a better way to express herself.

Harm, though, seemed to understand and nodded his approval, "Off you go then, and make sure that Coates keeps out of mischief!" he said with a broad grin.

"C'mon, then," Jen grinned at Mattie, and the two trailed off after Harriet Sims towards the top table, where Loren Singer was busily slicing the cake.

It was nearly twenty minutes later when Jen and Mattie returned to the table, both wearing a damply glowing look and Mattie sighed as she sank back into her seat and took a healthy slurp of her soda.

"What was that for?" Harm asked in a voice that was entirely too innocent for Mattie's taste and she scowled, but then allowed her sunny smile to break through.

"That little trip just convinced me that whatever Saturday job I might get in the future, or if I have to take a job to help me though college, then waiting tables isn't going to be one of them!"

"College?" Beth asked in a surprised voice, "What happened to your academy plan?"

"Oh… I'm still planning for that, college is plan B. Y'know, like prepare for the worst and cut down on unpleasant surprises?"

Beth shot the teenager horrified look and then turned a reproachful gaze on Harm, "Harm, I don't believe it! You've already corrupted her! She's beginning to sound like a driver already!"

Harm looked into Beth's eyes and saw the underlying amusement in them, "Yep. Catch 'em young and train 'em right, right from the start!" he replied with a smug grin.

"Hah! Aviators!" Beth exclaimed indignantly and then turned to Carolyn, "They're all alike!"

"But you love 'em, anyway!" the blonde teased her.

"Nooo…" Beth replied slowly, "It's more like we have to put up with 'em so we can get airborne!"

Harm allowed himself a secret smile. He hadn't been oblivious to the earlier tension between the two women, and was relieved to see that they had now relaxed sufficiently in each other's company to indulge in some mild joking, and he wondered exactly when the watershed had been reached. Then he caught the satisfied grin on Mattie's face, and realised that the thaw had set in while she was explaining how he had become her guardian, and what was more, from the smug expression on her face, this was one of the results for which she had been aiming. A slight frown wrinkled his forehead as he suddenly realised that Mattie was quite capable of manipulating people and situations to achieve the result she desired. He could foresee an awkward conversation on that subject looming over the not too distant horizon!

"H'mm?" he suddenly realised that Beth was nudging him with her elbow, "Something wrong?"

"Yeah, planet earth to Harmon Rabb!" Beth said in a fondly exasperated voice, "Someone's cranked up the juke box, and I feel like dancing…"

To his surprise Harm, now that his attention had been brought to bear, became aware that there was indeed music now playing, and while he had been lost in thought, a number of couples had taken to the floor and were dancing to what he had no difficulty in identifying as 'easy listening' music, "You want to dance?" he asked with a smile.

"Yep!" Beth answered firmly.

"In that case…" Harm stood, and held out a hand to her.

"Why, Commander, I thought you'd never ask!" she twinkled up at him as she rose from her seat, the pair of them chuckling as they headed for the dance floor.

Mattie followed Harm and Beth's progress to and on the dance floor, cocked her head to listen to the music and then made a disparaging face as she turned to Jen, "I dunno… how can they dance to this sort or cra… uh… rubbish? Uh… that is if what they're doing can be called dancing!"

"What do you mean?" Jen grinned, not totally out of sympathy with Mattie's view on the type of music being played.

"Well look at them!" Mattie expostulated. "Yeah, he's holding her, but they're about a foot apart! If they're going to dance like that, at least they could hold each other as if they mean it!"

"Ah…" Jen nodded wisely, "Considering this is a semi-official sort of thing, and that the Commander's CO is here, they probably wouldn't want to give off any hint of a PDA…"

"Uh… that another one of those stupid Navy rules?" Mattie demanded.

Jen gave the teenager a sympathetic smile, "Just about," she admitted, and then paused before she said carefully, "Um… earlier… didn't Lieutenant Hawkes say something to you about you wanting to go to the academy?"

"Yeah, so?" Mattie demanded somewhat ungraciously and with a pugnacious jut of her chin.

"Hey power down a little!" Jen laughed, "Believe it or not I'm on your side…" she allowed her chuckle to die away and took a sip of her beer before she continued, "The thing is, if you are wanting to go to the academy and then on into the Navy then you're going to have to accept the Navy's rules, no matter how dumb or stupid they might seem, or might even really be. The Navy is a very traditional outfit with a strong sense of history and its manners and way of thinking are a little old fashioned. It's just that a lot of the rules and regulations were designed a couple of hundred years ago and have become set in stone. They are changing, but not as fast as the world, and people who love the Navy – I know the Commander does, and I bet Lieutenant Hawkes does too – put up with those rules as part of the price they pay to be allowed to serve in the Navy."

Mattie felt the urge to argue that outdated rules needed to be gotten rid of, but the earnestness in Jen's voice made her hesitate for a few seconds, and then when she did speak she just said, "You're one of them too, aren't you?"

"One of what?" Jen blinked.

"One of the people who love the Navy!" Mattie declared.

Jen considered the teenager for the moment and then slowly shook her head, "No… I don't think so. I like my job, where I am now, at JAG, and it will take me up to the end of my hitch, but whether I re-up depends a lot on where my next billet is. I'm not a lifer, Mattie, and if I hadn't met the Commander when I did, I'd probably be out of the Navy by now."

"So… if you don't want to spend your life in the Navy, what do you want?" Mattie asked.

Jen grinned, "I've been asked that before, and I'll give you the same answer I gave then – a good career, a good man and maybe a couple of kids…"

Mattie nodded, "Uh-huh, anyone in mind for parts two and three?" she grinned impudently.

Jen smiled back, although Mattie thought she saw a hint of sadness in the brunette's eyes, "Nope, no-one."

Mattie drained her soda and shook her head, "What's the matter with the guys around here? Are they all blind as well as dumb?"

"How do you mean?" Jen asked as her smile broadened.

"Well, look at you… you're smart, you're really pretty, and you're single… A real cheerleader!"

Jen broke into delighted laughter, "Oh, Mattie, spare my blushes, please! I wasn't always like this, I used to be a real dork!"

"No way!"

"Yes way! I went through hell in high school. My dad was a minister and he made dress like a geek!"

"Ah… and that would go some way to explain your rebellion!" Harm said as he and Beth sat down at the table.

"I reckon so, sir," Jen admitted with a grin.

"Including Tiny and your brother?" Harm grinned.

Jen grimaced, but the laughter was still in her eyes as she exclaimed, "Ouch!"

Beth suddenly realised that Harm and Jen were sharing a private joke and that Harm was probably far more familiar with the young Legalman's history than he had so far disclosed. But she also knew instinctively that there was nothing suspicious in his not saying anything, realising that if he had kept quiet about what he knew, it was because he was being protective of the younger woman.

"So… who is Tiny?" Mattie asked. A question to which Beth, if she was honest with herself, would also like to hear the answer.

Harm and Jen exchanged a glance before Jen grinned, "Tiny is a guy I knew before I joined the Navy. He's okay, but he's not the sharpest knife in anyone's drawer. I haven't seen him for two years…"

"Why not?" A frankly curious Mattie asked.

Jen chuckled as she intercepted a warning glance from Harm, "Well, let's put it this way, Tiny and his friends were a biker gang. Oh, they weren't the real hard-core Hell's Angels types, but they rode Harleys, had the whole grunge Levi's thing going, had long scraggy hair, beards and beer bellies and quite honestly they weren't the brightest stars in the skies."

Jen shook her head gently, and continued, "Every now and then I see one of their names, in the local papers, or on the local news, and it is generally the same kind of thing, they've either been sent to prison, or they've been killed in a bike wreck, or shot by the police. I was lucky, just about the time I was trying to work my discharge from the Navy I met the commander, and he had enough faith in me to make me believe that I was better than that."

"Cool!" Mattie enthused, and then thought for a few seconds before she added, "So, he saved you, just like he's saving me!"

"Mattie! That's enough!" Harm interjected sternly, "I didn't save Jen; she saved herself. The situation was totally different!"

Beth chuckled, "Cool your jets, Harm; Mattie is trying to play nice. And Mattie, stop making him blush, you have no idea how bent out of shape he gets when people start praising him!"

"What? With his jet-jockey ego?" Carolyn demanded incredulously, but with a smile on her face.

Beth's own face fell, "Darn! I was forgetting about that!" she said ruefully as the rest of the table exploded with laughter at her expression and droll tone.

"Never mind… Beth…" Pete Murray sympathised and ventured to use her name, "But… to spare your blushes… would you consider a turn on the dance floor with me?"

"Oohh… a rescue! My hero!" Beth gushed in a patently false voice, "I'd love to take a turn!"

Harm grinned and shrugged, "Carolyn?" he asked.

"I thought you'd never ask!" she smiled as she stood and waited for Harm to edge around the table and lead her to the dance floor.

Mattie looked at Jen, "Huh?"

"What?"

"I don't get it… Beth came with Harm and Carolyn came with Pete…"

Jen took a mouthful of beer before she replied, "And that's who they'll be leaving with… Almost everybody will dance with everyone else this evening… The Commander will definitely dance with Lieutenant Sims, and will certainly dance with Lieutenant Commander Singer, and their husbands will very probably dance with Lieutenant Hawkes…" she fell silent as she squinted across the dimly lit room at the guest of honour's table where a tall, slim man in casual jacket and slacks was talking with Lieutenant Roberts. He seemed to be vaguely familiar, but as he turned he she saw the distinctive Marine haircut and decided that he was probably one of the Marine Security Detachment, and was about to dismiss him from her thoughts, when she saw Lieutenant Roberts nod in her direction and the Marine turn and walk towards her.

"Petty Officer, would you care to dance?" he asked, a smile just beginning to curve his lips.

Jen frowned, "Uh… I'm sorry… you obviously know me… but I'm afraid…"

"That I didn't make as big an impression on you as you did me!" he finished her sentence for her with a grin, and then as he saw that her forehead was still knitted in a frown, and with his grin now firmly in place, he gestured in a deprecating manner at his smart jacket and slacks and added, "Forget about these rags, and try to picture me in a dirty flight suit on the edge of a minefield in Afghanistan?"

Jen went pale and then blushed, "Oh… of course… I'm sorry, I just didn't…"

"Pay me much attention at the time?" the Marine smiled, and then shook his head, "You had much more important things to think about!"

"Yeah… I guess…" Jen admitted uncomfortably, and then her own sense of humour came to her rescue, "Are you sure you want to risk dancing with me? I mean, if you step on my toes, I might yell at you again!"

"Well, if you're prepared to risk me stomping on your feet, I'll take my chances with you yelling at me – again!"

Jen shook her head helplessly as a gurgle of laughter broke from her, "Okay, I'll dance with you, even though I don't know your name!"

"Daniel Scott, Danny; and when you're not being Petty Officer Coates, you are?"

"Jennifer…"

"In that case, Jennifer Coates, would you care to dance?"

"I do believe I would, Daniel Scott!" Jen replied, getting to her feet, "See you in a few, Mattie!" she flung over her shoulder.

Mattie leaned back against the padding of the blanket seat, and took a sip from her Pepsi, her eyes alight with curiosity. There was obviously some sort of history between Jen and the guy she was dancing with, and it obviously had something to do with being in Afghanistan, so being in ignorance of the story she was, for the moment, none the wiser. But that was a circumstance that she was determined would change in the very near future. Starting right now, she decided as she saw a smiling Pete Murray walking a chuckling Beth back towards the table.

Mattie waited until the slightly breathless and slightly flushed – the music beat had gone a bit up-tempo – Beth had taken a refreshing mouthful of her wine before she asked, "What's story on the guy dancing with Jennifer?"

Beth turned her head and made a visual sweep of the dance floor, locking in on Jen and her partner, but after giving the couple thorough inspection, she shook her head. "You're asking the wrong person kiddo, don't forget with the exception of Hammer, I don't really know anybody here, and especially not any of the enlisted."

Mattie pouted in discontent, "Darn it! It sounded like there's a bit of a story. He knew Jen on sight, but had to remind her whom he was, and he said something about Afghanistan."

"Ah… I might be able to fill in a couple of the blanks," Pete interjected, placing his now empty glass back on the table. "Coates, Jen as you call her, was in country in Afghanistan with Lieutenant Roberts when he had his mishap."

Both Beth and Mattie looked at him, their faces alive with curiosity, "What happened?" Beth demanded.

"Yeah, give!" Mattie requested.

"I don't have all the details, but Roberts stepped on a landmine, and lost half his leg. Coates was with him and from what I've heard was instrumental in getting him straight on to a helo and straight back to the Guadalcanal. Scuttlebutt has it that she bullied their pilot into making the run instead of waiting for a casevac bird, and it was only because they didn't wait that they got the Lieutenant into the OR in time to save his life."

"Wow! Way to go, Jen!" a visibly awe-struck Mattie breathed.

"Power down a little," Pete advised the teenager, "don't forget I said that was what the scuttlebutt was."

Mattie still shook her head, "How come Harm never said anything?"

Pete shook his head, "You'd have to ask him, but from what I've heard – scuttlebutt again – while Lieutenant Roberts was playing hopscotch in a minefield, Commander Rabb was playing tag with a dirty nuke missile, so maybe he doesn't know the full story either." Pete had a feeling that there was much more to Rabb's reticence about the whole affair, but he had no intention of trying to delve into the other man's psyche.

Beth nodded, "That's why I don't know anything about it. I mean I know about the dirty nuke, hell, the whole of naval aviation knows about that particular missile-ex! But that whole snafu was centred on the Seahawk, and I was deployed on the PH at the time, and of course an officer who we didn't know getting himself injured wasn't likely to make the headlines." Beth gave a somewhat shamefaced grin and an apologetic shrug.

Mattie shook her head again, this time in wonder, and then something on the dance floor caught her eye. "You might be right, Pete. That guy could easily have been involved, Lieutenant Roberts' wife is just about squeezing him to death out there!"

The two officers turned in their seats, to see that Harriet Sims had poached Jen's dance partner away from her and was indeed subjecting him to a fierce hug. Finally, a beaming Bud Roberts peeled his wife from the visibly flustered Marine, circling her waist with one comforting arm, while he enthusiastically pumped the younger man's hand.

Eventually Jen managed to rescue her dance partner and led him back to table, arriving at just about the same moment as Harm escorted Carolyn back to her seat, where Harm's raised eyebrow invited Jen to introduce the younger man.

"Ladies, gentlemen, I would like you all to meet Sergeant – it is still Sergeant?" she inquired, pausing long enough for him to reply.

"Staff Sergeant, now."

"Staff Sergeant Danny Scott. Danny was our helo pilot the day Lieutenant Roberts was hurt. Danny, this is Commander Rabb, Commander Imes, Captain Murray and Lieutenant Hawkes – oh and Mattie!" she smiled as she indicated each of the party in turn."

Danny looked a bit taken aback at the company Jen was keeping and instinctively froze into a brace, "Sir!" he acknowledged Harm as the senior figure present.

Harm grinned easily, "Relax and sit down, Staff Sergeant… can I get you a beer?"

"Just a club soda, if I may, sir? I'm driving," he added in explanation.

"A club soda for you then, and the same again all around?"

A general agreement being reached, Harm left the table again in search of Mandy, and by the time he returned, Carolyn seemed to be in the middle of interrogating Danny.

"And then she bullied you, even though you were the PIC, into flying out to the LHD instead of waiting for a casevac?"

Danny grinned, and in his slight South-West drawl disagreed, "Not bullied, ma'am, can't be having it said that a sailor bullied a Marine, but intimidated, now… Yeah, we could go with intimidated…" The grin he shot in Jen's direction was full of good humour not untinged by admiration for the young woman's behaviour on that occasion.

"Intimidated?" Carolyn smiled.

"Yes, ma'am. She'd already yelled at me and read me the riot act, and she seemed to be pretty het-up, and I reckoned that iffen I didn't snap to, why, she was just as likely to pull her side arm on me!"

"Oh!" A blushing Jen interjected as the rest of the table dissolved once more into laughter.

"So, what brings you to town, Staff Sergeant?" Harm inquired innocently enough, but with a sidelong look at Jen, who, much to Harm's amusement, returned his glance with an indignant glare of her own.

"I've just completed conversion training at LeJeune on the MV-22 Osprey, sir, and I have a week's leave, before I report to my new assignment at Norfolk with the VMM-774. It didn't seem worth the trek down to New Mexico just for the week, so I begged a bunk from an old buddy of mine, who's on the Pentagon Security Group, and figured I'd take advantage of being in DC to take in some of the sites and maybe look up old acquaintances."

"Ah… I see," Harm answered non-committally, but with another speculative glance at Jen. This time however, he was not alone and the blushing brunette realised that she was the focus of attention of the three Navy and one Marine Corps officers at the table, as well as being the object of interest of a pair of bright blue teenaged eyes. As a result, she nearly fell in love with Pete Murray, when he was moved to sympathy and rescued her with a simple, "Care to dance, Petty Officer?"

It was slightly later in the evening when, by mutual, if unspoken, agreement all members of the table took a rest from dancing and Pete Murray, insisting that it was his turn, took the group's drinks' order and went in search of Mandy, the assistant bartender.

When he returned he wore a helpless expression on his face and had Admiral Chegwidden at his shoulder. Harm and Danny made to stand, but were waved back down into their seats.

Chegwidden smiled at Harm's invitation to join the group, but shook his head, "No, I won't, thank you Commander. I just stopped by to make sure that everything is alright, and to pay my respects to the ladies." He nodded to Carolyn, Beth and Jen and then turned his dark eyes on Mattie, "And it's Miss Grace, isn't it? Are you enjoying yourself?"

Mattie glowered suspiciously at the older man, his condescending manner towards her during his brief visit to the Grace Aviation hangar hasn't exactly endeared him to her, especially as it had resulted in Harm leaving her employ to rejoin the Navy. But on the other hand, if he hadn't re-joined it was doubtful whether the judge would have granted him guardianship, so it was with somewhat mixed feelings that she replied, "Yes, thank you, Admiral." And then feeling that her response left something to be desired added, "it's pretty cool here."

Chegwidden nodded, and having a pretty shrewd idea of the thoughts running through the teenager's head, smiled, "as long as you're enjoying yourself, Miss Grace…" And then his eye fell on Danny, taking in his buzz cut and swiftly identifying him as a Marine "I don't believe I know you?"

Danny stood, "Staff Sergeant Scott, Sir!"

The name meant nothing to the Admiral, and it was left to Jen's to speak up, "Staff Sergeant Scott is on leave from his Squadron, Sir, and called in to visit with me. He's the helo pilot who flew Lieutenant Roberts to the Guadalcanal when he had his mishap."

Chegwidden nodded and his demeanour altered subtly, becoming less tense, less formal, "That was extremely well done Staff Sergeant. Just about the whole of JAG owes you for that!"

Danny looked a little uncomfortable, "I don't deserve much praise for that, Sir. If it hadn't been for the petty officer taking charge then I probably would have waited for the casevac helo."

Chegwidden nodded again, "But you didn't wait, and from what I gather it was the speed with which you got Lieutenant Roberts to medical help that was the key factor in his survival."

Danny cast a supplicating glance at Jen, who gamely stepped into the breach, "Admiral, Sir… I think you're making the Staff Sergeant embarrassed."

Chegwidden's mouth curved in what was almost a smile as he directed his attention to his Yeoman, "Taking charge, again, Legalman One? Very well, carry on! Ladies," he nodded his head in farewell and strode off towards the next table, leaving most of the group to subside in attitudes of exaggerated relief, while Carolyn turned to Danny.

"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!" she quoted, enabling everyone else to relieve the tension in laughter.

xxxxx xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

The rest of the evening passed innocuously enough, Danny, now set back at ease by Carolyn's light-hearted, gentle banter, allowed himself to be persuaded to dance with her and Beth, as well as taking a slightly suspicious Mattie around the floor a couple of times, but it was pretty apparent that he'd rather be dancing with Jen, and in fact he almost managed to monopolise the brunette for the remainder of the evening, but any hopes he might have entertained of escorting Jen home at the end of the night were dashed when Harm asked her, "Coates, your apartment is right at the end of Fourth North East, right?"

Jen hastily swallowed a mouthful of beer, and nodded, "Yes, Sir"

"How did you get here this evening?"

"Walk, Metro, walk," Jen answered.

"Well, there's a spare seat in the Lexus when we leave, if you'd like it?"

Jen hesitated for a moment, her eyes flitting momentarily to Danny Scott, before she answered, "Thank you, Sir – that would be great."

The disappointment Danny felt was almost palpable, but he managed a smile and after another minute or so of inconsequential light conversation invited Jen onto the dance floor again.

Towards the end of the evening, Beth found herself in David Medwick's embrace while Harm piloted Loren around the floor. The two former Raptors easily fell back into their old bantering habits, and the pair spent both their dances with sparkling eyes and grins on their faces as they renewed their friendship.

Loren too was enjoying herself. She had worked hard and together with David's support had overcome most of the issues that had formed the Ice Queen persona she had previously worn, and was gratified by the turn-out for this evening, and although she enjoyed dancing, especially when her partner was as skilled as Harm, it seemed she had barely had a moment's rest since she had cut the cake. The admiral, as was only right and proper, had led her out for the first dance, but since then and between dancing with her husband, she had been partnered with Bud Roberts, Alan Mattoni, Pete Murray and even, much to her surprise, Sturgis Turner. She was now pleasantly tired, and quite frankly looking forward to getting home and putting her feet up – preferably in a tub full of hot water – before heading to bed.

Something of her thoughts must have been reflected in her face, as Harm smiled down the blonde and asked, "Tired, Loren?"

"A little, Sir," she admitted ruefully.

Harm nodded understandingly, but added in a teasing voice, "That's what happens when you're the belle of the ball!"

Loren threw her head back and laughed, "Yeah, right Sir!"

Harm chuckled in response, "Absolutely right, Loren… And while we're on the subject, now that there's only one step in rank between us, I figure that needs of military propriety would be equally well served by a single 'Sir' in the morning, and 'Harm' will do the rest of the day."

Loren's mouth dropped open stunned but pleased surprise as she looked up at Harm, "Really?"

Harm chuckled again, "Really. Is it that much of a surprise?"

Loren thought for a moment and then shook her head, "No… Not when I stop to think about it. After all, you've never really been hostile towards me as some of the others at JAG."

Harm's face lost its smile, "I remember, back during that case about the parachuting mishap you told me that you were neither a thief nor a liar. I took you at your word and believed you, but since then I've also become aware that in a lot of cases you been given a bad rep, and then convicted of all sorts of wrong-doing purely on the strength of that rep. But you must admit Loren, that when insinuations were made you didn't exactly go out of your way to refute them."

Loren shrugged, and for a moment the old, bleak expression was back in her eyes, "There didn't seem to be much profit in denying the accusations; people had already made up their minds and it didn't seem to me that any defence, no matter how honest and sincere, was going to make them change their opinions so much as a whisper!" She shrugged, "So why bother?"

Harm nodded, "There's a whole load of truth in that!" he agreed, "but you seem to have won most people over to your side?"

Loren chuckled and glanced to where her husband was still dancing with Beth, "If you were to say that to David, he would have no hesitation in claiming it was his benign influence that mellowed me… And I'm not so sure, that he isn't right, except for the influence that Daniel has on me. It's hard to stay angry at the world when you have a little person who is so totally dependent on you."

"Yeah, I guess," Harm replied somewhat wistfully as his eyes searched out the slim figure of Mattie who was gingerly dancing with one of the young Yeoman from JAG Ops.

Loren caught Harm's tone of voice and followed his line of sight, "A teenager is still pretty dependent, Harm, although you are excused the 3 AM feeds."

Harm broke into open laughter, "I might just need a pint of brain-bleach to get rid of the mental image you just conjured up!"

Jen was not the only one who caught Harm's laughter, and leaning back against the support of Danny's hands on her waist she shook her head in mild surprise, "Who would have thought that the wicked witch of Washington could change so much?"

"The who?" Danny asked.

"Commander Singer, the blonde dancing with Commander Rabb. She used to have a bit of an attitude problem, but since she got married and had her baby she's turned into a human being, or a reasonable facsimile thereof! Although," Jen added, "in fairness, when she came out to the Seahawk to take over from Lieutenant Roberts she wasn't that bad to work with. I mean, she was still an officer, still pretty demanding at times, but I've known officers – and I bet you have too – you were real pigs to work for!"

"Yeah, that's true." Danny admitted, "But I'm guessing your Commander Rabb isn't one of them?"

Jen giggled, "Not even on his worst day," she affirmed.

Danny nodded, "I kinda figured that out, when he offered you a ride home, and you accepted without a second thought."

Jen thought she caught a trace of something, she wasn't quite sure what it was, in Danny's voice, "Well, it's just typical of the sort of thing he does for all sorts of people, and he does actually live on the same street. A good way down the length of it, but still the same street."

Danny nodded and if his smile was a little forced then Jen didn't notice that. "I was kinda hoping to give you a ride home myself," he admitted wryly.

Jen leaned back against the support of his hands again and looked up into his face, her deep brown eyes now serious, "I would have thanked you for the thought, but I have to tell you that I would have said no. You see, I don't know you well enough to let you know where I live."

Danny looked disappointed, but managed to summon up another smile, "I guess I can understand that… But I would like the chance to get to know you well enough to let you allow me to know where you live."

Jen considered him for what seemed to be about the longest twenty seconds of his life and then her face too relaxed into a smile, "I think I would like that, too," she agreed.

"So… How about we do something tomorrow?" Danny suggested.

Jen's face fell, "I would have liked that, too, but I already have plans for tomorrow, but I am free on Sunday?" she suggested.

"Way to go!" Danny enthused as he recovered from what seemed to have started out as an outright rejection.

Jen chuckled again and stepping out from the circle of his arms she said, "I'll need to get one of my cards from my purse, so you'll have my number!"

"In that case, lead on!"

xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

"Goodnight Coates," Harm said as Jen climbed out of the Lexus.

"Goodnight, sir, ma'am, see you at twelve-thirty, Mattie!" Jen paused before she closed the car door and then turned towards the door to her apartment building.

Harm waited until the building door had closed behind the young Legalman before he knocked the Lexus into gear and palled away from the kerbside.

"Home!" he said firmly.

"M'mm-m'mm!" Mattie agreed emphatically through a sudden yawn.

"Tired, squirt?" he asked her gently.

"M'mm… no… not really… but it looks like tomorrow might be a long day, so a good night's sleep would be dandy-handy."

"Amen to that!" Beth agreed as she stretched her toes in the darkness of the passenger' foot well.

Harm was aware that Jen and Mattie had spent most of the journey from McMurphy's to Jen's apartment planning an expedition for Saturday afternoon and evening, and while he had no qualms about Mattie being with Jen he did want to have some idea of what the two would be doing, so he asked, "Did the two of you decide on some sort of programme for tomorrow?"

Unseen in the darkness, Mattie nodded her head. "Yeah, Jen will call for me at twelve thirty tomorrow, and then will walk up to H Street, do some window shopping and maybe a little light retail therapy, stop for coffee somewhere along the way and then back to Jen's for a girlie evening… You know, catch a chick flick, paint our toenails and giggle at silly jokes."

"And what about getting home?"

"Home by ten o'clock, and Jen says she'll give me a ride."

Harm nodded, but for a moment he considered what Jen had told him about her attitude to driving in DC, and nearly offered to come and collect Mattie from Jen's once she was ready to come home. A moment's reflection, however, told him that such an offer could be seen by the still sometimes prickly teenager as expressing a lack of trust, so he merely nodded again, and agreed, "Seems like a sound enough plan to me."

Beth agreed, "Seems good to me, too; we can sort out the details in the morning, but right now all I want to do is rest my aching feet, relax, think of nothing and maybe persuade someone I know into making three mugs of chocolate?" she finished hopefully.

Harm grinned, "While the two of you hog the bathrooms, no doubt?"

"Damn straight!" The two female members of the odd little family chorused.

xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

Much to Beth and Mattie's chagrin and displeasure, Harm choused them out of bed at what they both considered to be an unreasonably early hour for a Saturday, only grudgingly accepting his reason that they needed to be up, showered, dressed and breakfasted, with the kitchen squared away before the work party from the Navy yard arrived.

Faced with a battery of four accusing eyes and two faces set in discontented pouts, Harm pulled out all the stops for breakfast, turning out a large Farmer's Omelette and a heaped platter of sausage patties and crispy-fried bacon, together with a large jug of freshly-squeezed orange juice and a seemingly bottomless pot of Marine-grade coffee.

Beth eyed the laden breakfast bar with both approbation and a fair degree of suspicion, "This is bribery. Plain and simple bribery," she grumbled, although Harm noted that bribery or not, she still made sizeable inroads into the offered food.

Mattie on the other hand, in the manner of a hungry teenager, made no comment and concentrated on clearing her plate in what seemed to Harm to be record time, before graciously accepting his offer of a second helping. It wasn't until she had cleared her second plate and washed it down with, by Harm's reckoning, a good half-pint of orange juice and two mugs of coffee, that she sat back and with her sunny smile completely displacing her earlier morose appearance beamed, "Thanks, Harm. That really did hit the spot!"

Beth too had now cheered up and nodded her agreement, "That really was good, but it was still bribery!" Although this time around her comment was more appreciative than condemnatory.

Harm drained the last of his coffee and nodded, "Thank you, ladies, now by my reckoning we've got about twenty-five minutes before the Chief's gang arrives, so can you two turn-to, and get the kitchen secured, while I rearrange the furniture to clear a path between the archway and the fire escape?"

"No rest for the wicked!" Beth said in mock dismay as she started to gather the dirty plates and mugs.

"Dibs I wash up and you dry!" Mattie interjected.

"Fine," agreed Beth, "but that means you get to stow everything away as well!"

"Darn it, there's always a catch!" Mattie mourned but nevertheless turned on the faucet over the kitchen sink and added a generous dollop of washing-up soap to the hot water, ignoring Beth's chuckle as she did so.

Even with all three working as a team they had only just finished before the anticipated knock came at the apartment door. Harm answered the door to find himself face-to-face with two young men, whose reefer jackets did a little to hide their muscular build.

"Commander Rabb?" one asked.

"That's me," Harm admitted.

The two young men stiffened into a brace, "BM's Two Munro and Preece, sir. Chief Hanratty sent us… he said you had a job for us?" Monroe produced his Military ID as he spoke.

Harm gave it a cursory glance, "Just the two of you?" he asked in dismayed surprise.

"Oh, no sir. The rest of the detail is waiting outside with the rest of our gear…" he indicated a coil of one and one half inch line by his feet and which Harm had not noticed.

Harm nodded, well you'd best come in, and I'll show you what's needing to be done. Beth…" he called over his shoulder, "I have a feeling that we're going to need a fair amount of coffee!"

"On it, Hammer! How many of you are there, BM Two?" she directed her question to the two visitors.

"Uh, six of us in total, ma'am," the hitherto silent Preece answered.

"Got it!" Beth flashed a smile at the two young men, while out of the corner of her eye it seemed that Mattie's face had settled into a scowl.

"I guess, I'll go and make a start on my homework," the copper-haired youngster announced, and with a nod at the two visitors, disappeared through the arch and into her bedroom.

In addition to Beth catching a glimpse of Mattie's expression, both she and Harm had caught a curiously flat note in the youngster's voice, and exchanged a meaningful glance. Beth waited, however until Munro and Preece set to work out on the fire escape and had started hauling, by sheer muscle power, the necessary lifting tackle from the back of a Ford pickup truck parked at the foot of the fire escape next to the builders' dumpster.

"I'll go see if Mattie's okay," Beth stated as she bustled past Harm.

Harm just nodded, "I'll just keep an eye on things out here, shall I?" then discovered that he was already talking to the back of Beth's head as the brunette crossed to Mattie's bedroom door.

"Hi, Mattie, it's me, can I come in for a minute?"

The door opened, to frame an unhappy-looking teenager.

"What's wrong, Mattie?" Beth asked in a worried voice. "You seemed fine five, ten minutes ago."

Mattie stepped back and wordlessly invited Beth into the room, and closing the door she leaned back against it and with an annoyed expression on her face said, "It's those guys… I know we were expecting them… I know they've come here to do a job, and I know it's dumb, but I feel like our home has been invaded."

Beth indicated the bed, "May I?"

Mattie picked up on her meaning immediately and reddened, "Oh, of course. My apologies, you shouldn't have had to ask, I should have offered."

To Mattie's surprise Beth smiled reassuringly, "You know, you have just paid Harm, and to a lesser extent, me, one hell of a compliment."

Mattie frowned and defensively crossed her arms in front of her chest, "How do you mean?"

Beth continued to smile, "You have only been here since Christmas Eve, but you've obviously become so comfortable here, and so safe and secure here, that you've already become territorial, that you already resent intruders no matter how necessary they might be. And in this case, the sailors are necessary. Clearing all the rubble is too big a job for any one man – even if his name is Harmon Rabb, and the sooner the rubble is cleared, the sooner the reconstruction can begin, the sooner I can move in properly, and we can become a family…"

"But we won't be a real family, will we?" Mattie observed.

"How not?" Beth asked.

Mattie reddened slightly and wriggled uncomfortably, "You know, mom, dad, kid…" she mumbled.

Beth shook her head and managed a rueful smile, "C'mere," and patted the bed beside her. "C'mon…" She insisted as Mattie hesitated.

Mattie heaved a sigh and with the air of someone making a major effort pushed herself upright and took the two steps from the doorway to the bed where she obediently sat down next to Beth, who looped a consoling arm around the teenager's shoulders.

"Well, what you say is true… Kinda… No, we are not really a traditional family, but we do have the right ingredients; one male, one female one kinda cute kid…" Beth paused deliberately to allow for Mattie's self-conscious chuckle before she continued. "Okay we don't have all the bits of paper that makes us a legal family, but I reckon we've got more loving kindness here, than a lot of so-called traditional families. Remember, Harm didn't get care of you through some biological accident, he got care of you through choice, because no matter how he dresses it up as a duty, he applied to be your guardian purely and simply because he loves you."

Beth leaned away slightly from the teenager so she could see her reactions, "I know that having me foisted on you as co-guardian was completely unexpected, by me as much as you, but believe it or not, now that I know you, I wouldn't have it any other way!"

Mattie turned her tear-damp eyes on Beth, "Do you love Harm?"

Beth smiled, "Yes, I do, and to answer your next question, yes, I think he loves me, but as we have said before, we have a lot of history, shared history, behind us, and that allowed us to build a very strong friendship, and although we would both like to change the nature of that friendship, we're finding it harder and slower going than we would like."

"Does that mean that sometime in the future…?" Mattie began.

Beth smilingly shook her head, "It means that sometime in the future things may well change, unless of course, they stay the same as they are now!"

Mattie giggled, she couldn't help herself, "That's weird! But that's okay, because Harm says some pretty weird stuff at times, too… So maybe you two are meant to be together!"

"Well, I am working on that, so who knows? Maybe one day we will have all the necessary bits of paper." Beth said smugly, and both she and Mattie broke out into a fresh fit of giggling.

xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

The first items Monroe and Preece hauled up to the fire escape were the eight by eight beam and the line and blocks for securing it and converting it to a hoisting jib. Once secured the rest of their gear, hand trucks, extra line, rubble sacks, a half-size cargo net and other – as far as Harm was concerned – unidentifiable miscellaneous pieces of equipment, and then leaving two of their number to handle the lowered rubble into the builders' dumpster two more sailors, Haan and Montoya, the first of obviously Korean descent and the other Hispanic, and after Harm's precious hardwood floor had been protected even from the wheels of the hand truck by lengths of burlap laid in a pathway, the four burly sailors made short work of removing the rubble and discarded lengths of plumbing and electric cable. The first item to go, however was the sink from the old kitchen, quickly followed by the no-longer required oven, and with a little finessing the refrigerator from the former kitchen was juggled into place alongside the existing fridge in the original apartment's kitchen area, and once that was done it seemed that the hardest part of the job was over and all that needed to be done now was for the unwanted bricks to be loaded into the heavy duty builders' bags and lowered straight into the dumpster, so Harm called for a break and summoning the remaining two sailors, Woods and Turner, from the ground floor handed out mugs of Marine-grade coffee while Beth broke out the cookies she had bought specifically for the crew.

Another hour's work, after the coffee break, saw the last of the rubble lowered away, and with four sailors to dismantle the jury-rigged hoist, it was still a few minutes short of midday when Monroe, wiping the gritty perspiration from his forehead, reported to Harm that task was complete, "And contrary to Cheops' Law, on schedule, Sir!"

Harm had never heard of Cheops' Law but he was quick enough to pick up the reference, and as he produced the promised half-case of Bourbon, he quipped, "And within budget! You and your buddies enjoy!"

Monroe stiffened into a momentary brace before taking the case from Harm, "Thank you, Sir! And we most certainly will!"

xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

It didn't seem that more than a few minutes had elapsed between Monroe and his buddies departing, and a knock on the apartment door announcing the arrival of Jennifer Coates.

Harm, who had only just collapsed onto the couch which had now been moved to its new home in what was to be the new living room, rose to his feet with a groan, but Mattie flashed past him zipping up her padded plaid shirt-cum-jacket, a she did so.

"I got it!" she called over her shoulder, as she opened the door, "Hi, Jen, come on in!"

Jen somewhat reluctantly stepped into the apartment and offered a shy "Good morning, sir, ma'am," to Harm and Beth.

"Good morning, Coates," Harm replied for them both as Beth came out from behind the kitchen breakfast bar to stand beside him, and Jen's eyes widened at the sight as Harm, unconsciously it seemed, slipped his arm around Beth's waist.

Harm switched his gaze between Jen and Mattie and with a half-smile said, "Let's just go over the ground rules again, so that there's no misunderstanding. No alcohol, no smoking, not too much junk food, and Jennifer, if there's the slightest hint of car trouble this evening, have Mattie call me, and I'll come and collect her. And Mattie… A hug for me and Beth before you go, okay?"

"Okay…" Mattie sighed, and with the air of being martyred, she hugged Beth and then Harm, her expression changing, as she felt Harm tuck a bill into her hand.

"Don't spend it all at once," he cautioned her.

"I won't – thanks, Harm! I wasn't expecting…"

"I know you weren't. Now go, have fun!"

Harm and Beth watched, smiling as Mattie almost pushed Jen out of the apartment and as the door closed behind them Beth smiled up at Harm, "How much did you give her?"

"Uh… just a fifty," Harm confessed with a shy grin.

"Uh-huh," Beth replied, deciding instantly that she wouldn't burden Harm with the knowledge that she too had given Mattie the same amount. "So… Now what?" she asked instead.

"Well, I figured on lunch and then ripping out the other door and then some bricklaying to fill in the gap. Won't be able to plaster over that until maybe Tuesday, so I'll do that and tidy the arch up then. But tomorrow and Monday evening, I reckon to sand and stain the floor in your new bedroom and measure up for the closets!"

"Sounds like a plan!" Beth agreed, "So… what would you like for lunch?"