Mac swung the door to the flat open and then assisted Harriet in hauling in four large shopping bags.
"Productive day?" Asked Harm, eyeing the overflowing bags in amusement. He was sitting on the couch, his feet resting on the ottoman, a large book open in his lap.
"Extremely," said Mac as she removed her scarf and pushed the door closed.
"Mac, did you know that a woman's blood volume increases by 50% when she's pregnant?" Harm's eyes were glued to the book in front of him.
"So I've been told," said Mac, glancing over at Harriet quizzically.
"Harm, what are you reading?"
Harm lifted the open book, his eyes still scanning the page, and Mac read the front cover.
"What to Expect When You're Expecting," she read aloud.
Mac smiled at Harriet in amusement.
"Bud and I did a little book shopping today," he said, closing the book and reaching for a stack of books on the table next to him.
"I thought we could use some reading material," he said, walking over to her and handing her a book titled Your Pregnancy Week by Week.
"Wow," said Mac slightly stunned. "Thank you."
She smoothed her hand over the book's cover.
"That was really sweet of you," she said, leaning forward to give him a kiss.
"I've got to admit, Rabb. You're really on your game," she added teasingly.
Harm grinned boyishly at her.
"I told you I've still got it," he boasted, his hands tugging playfully at the waistband of her jeans.
Mac hated to admit it, but she found Harm's lighthearted swagger incredibly sexy. She of course wasn't in any kind of hurry to admit that to him. His ego didn't need that much of a boost. But in all honesty, if Bud and Harriet hadn't been there, she would have chucked that book over her shoulder and tackled him on the living room floor.
The sharp ringing of the telephone interrupted Mac's thoughts. Harm planted a kiss on her forehead before running to the kitchen to answer it.
"Hello," he said brightly.
Mac ran her hand over the stack of books that Harm had left on the side table. Choosing one randomly, she took a seat on the couch.
"Yes," said Harm, his voice turning serious.
Mac, Bud and Harriet all turned their attention to him.
"That's incredible news," he said, his eyes widening.
Mac and the others stared at him curiously.
"Of course," he said quickly. "I'll make arrangements right away."
Harm's attentive audience looked at each other questioningly.
"Yes," he said again. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
Harm deposited the phone back in its cradle, his mouth agape. He blinked almost disbelievingly and then met the three pairs of eyes that were staring at him.
"That was the judge from the juvenile court," he uttered in a stunned voice. "They've granted me full custody of Mattie."
"Oh, Harm!" Mac exclaimed, jumping to her feet and sprinting over to throw her arms around him. "Thank God."
"That's fantastic," cried Harriet.
Harm squeezed Mac tight against his chest.
"Finally," he sighed.
"That's wonderful news," said Bud smiling at Harriet.
"Wow," said Harm squeezing Mac's arm. "I can barely believe it. I've got to call Mattie and start making arrangements to get her here."
"Whatever we can do to help, just let us know," offered Bud.
"Absolutely," agreed Harriet.
"Well," Harm began pensively, "maybe the two of you could stay here with Mac while I fly back to DC to get Mattie."
"What?" Demanded Mac incredulously. "Absolutely not. There's no way I'm staying here. I'm going with you."
"But Mac," Harm appealed. "Flying? Now? Is that really a good idea?"
"Sweetheart, it's fine. It's totally safe," Mac assured him. "There's no more risk to me than there is to you. If you want, I'll even call Doctor Bennett first thing tomorrow and clear it with her."
Harm eyed her with concern. Then after a thoughtful pause, he conceded.
"I suppose if your doctor thinks there's no danger . . ." He trailed off.
"I just want to be sure you're not needlessly putting yourself or the baby at risk."
"Of course," said Mac sympathetically.
She grabbed his arm and squeezed it reassuringly.
"I wouldn't do anything I didn't think was safe. And I promise, if the doctor has any concerns, any at all, I'll stay here."
Harm rubbed his temples and starred at Mac thoughtfully for a moment before finally agreeing.
"Okay," he conceded. "But we're talking to your doctor before we make any kind of arrangements."
"Deal," said Mac with a smile and she wrapped her arms around him lovingly.
"Now stop worrying about me and go call Mattie."
…
The engines roared as the plane touched down on the runway at Dulles. Harm could feel his excitement growing as the plane rumbled to a stop. They were home.
After getting the all clear from Mac's doctor, Harm had booked the first two tickets he could find to DC. And now they were here.
Once outside, Harm flagged a cab and hurriedly loaded their bags. A short while later they arrived in front of the rehabilitation facility. Taking Mac by the hand, Harm walked determinedly toward the entrance. The director of the facility greeted them in the lobby. He led them up to the second floor, down a corridor with brightly colored wallpaper and into a common area filled with couches and tables. Harm looked around expectantly, but there was no one else there. He looked at the director questioningly, but before he could even ask, the man smiled at him and gestured toward the opposite end of the room. Harm and Mac spun around quickly. What they saw left them speechless. Walking toward them with the help of a walker and a nurse close at her side was Mattie. Her face was painted with intense concentration as she methodically placed one foot in front of the other. She labored forward a few more steps and then looked up with a gleaming smile.
"Surprise!" She exclaimed, beaming at the two of them.
Without a word, Harm rushed over and enveloped her in a hug. The nurse cringed and reached out a supportive hand as though he might knock Mattie over. But Harm's strong arms held her tight.
"Harm, Mac," Mattie laughed. "It's good to see you."
"Mattie!" Harm exclaimed. "You can walk! Why didn't you tell me?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise," she grinned. "I've been working really hard these last few months and I'm really making progress."
"This is incredible, Mattie," said Mac. "You're amazing."
"It hasn't been easy, I'll tell you that," she said shaking her head. "You know, after you and Harm moved to London, I had a lot of time alone, a lot of time to think."
"Oh, Mattie," said Harm, clutching her hand, his voice pained.
"Don't get me wrong. I don't mean that in a negative way," she assured him. "Having that time alone really allowed me to examine my situation. I had this vision of myself spending the rest of my life in that hospital bed and it scared me. It was a wake up call for sure. So right then, I made up my mind that no matter what I had to do, I was going to walk again. From that point on, I was one hundred percent determined to recover. Then when Harm called to tell me about the court ruling, it just motivated me even more. I didn't want to go to London if I was only going to be a burden to the two of you."
"Mattie," said Harm in a serious tone. "You could never be a burden to us. You're part of our family."
Mattie smiled at him. "Thanks, Harm."
"But I am ecstatic that you've made such amazing progress," he added. "It's wonderful. I knew you could do it."
"I still have a long road ahead of me," she admitted. "But I've taken a big first step . . . literally."
Harm released her from his grip and helped her into a wheel chair that the nurse was holding.
"Well, don't worry about this move setting you back at all," assured Harm. "Your doctor and I have made arrangements for your continuing physical therapy at a wonderful facility in London."
"Really?" Mattie looked pleasantly surprised.
"Absolutely," confirmed Harm. "I'm not going to drag you half way across the globe without being able to provide you with the care you need."
"You don't have to worry about a thing, Mattie," added Mac. "We're going to make sure you have everything you need."
Mattie smiled at Harm and Mac. "Well, then what are we waiting for? Let's go home."
After signing all of the appropriate paperwork, Harm loaded all of their bags into a rental car that he had ordered. He then helped Mattie settle herself into the back seat.
"So, are my girls ready to go?" He asked joyfully.
"Let's hit the road," said Mattie.
They drove in contented silence for a while, but then Mac noticed the odd route Harm was taking and spoke up.
"Harm," she said. "Aren't you getting off here? This is our exit."
"You know," he said slyly. "I was thinking we'd take a different route home."
"Different route?" Questioned Mac. "There really aren't that many ways to get to the airport."
"I thought maybe we'd take the scenic route," he said smiling.
"Scenic route?" Mac eyed him suspiciously. "And where might that lead us?"
"Well," Harm said casually. "If my sense of direction is still as sharp as it once was, it should lead us to the front door of my grandmother's farm house."
Both Mattie and Mac turned to stare at Harm who had a sly little smile on his face.
"Your grandmother," repeated Mac. "Is she expecting us?" She asked crinkling her eyebrow.
"She might be," said Harm innocently.
"Harm, are we really going to your grandmother's farm?" Asked Mattie disbelievingly.
"Yes we are," he smiled. "She's so excited to meet you two."
"When did you arrange all of this?" Questioned Mac.
"Just a couple of days ago," he said. "I thought a relaxing weekend in the country would be good for all of us before we head back to city life. Besides, we can't miss Virginia in the fall. And you haven't seen fall until you've seen it on the farm. It's incredible."
"And your grandmother is okay with us descending on her practically unannounced?" Confirmed Mac.
"She couldn't be more in favor of it," laughed Harm.
"Well, I must say, it'll be a pleasure to finally meet the legendary Sarah," said Mac grinning.
"So what do you think, Mattie? Are you up for a few days of country living?" Asked Harm.
"Bring it on," said Mattie. "After hearing you talk about what a good cook your grandmother is, I can't wait. It's been far too long since I had a home cooked meal."
"Maybe she'll even give you a few lessons," teased Harm as he steered the car toward the Charlottesville exit.