24

"You going to be alright on your own today, kiddo?" Harm looked across the breakfast table at a still-sleep-crumpled Mattie.

"Uh… sure," the teenager replied, more interested in the contents of her coffee cup – the result of a recent victory over Harm – than in making conversation this early in the morning.

"It's not going to be like in Georgetown," Harm persisted, "there aren't any shops, or malls in walking distance, if you get bored with being alone."

Mattie roused herself enough to glower at him, "With all my unpacking and getting my bedroom just how I want it, I won't have time to be bored," she said flatly, "And of course, there's the list of chores Catherine has left me!" she added in an aggrieved voice.

Harm looked at Catherine and raised an interrogative eyebrow. "Just one or two jobs that I'd like done today," she said reasonably, "Like finishing putting the books back on the bookshelves… you know, jobs that we should have done yesterday if we hadn't been so late back from Bud and Harriett's."

Both Harm and Mattie after staring at each other resolutely refused to meet Catherine's eye, and wisely stayed silent. It had been Harm's quick acceptance of Harriett's offer to stay on for dinner, seconded by Mattie and supported by A J, that had resulted in the trio not returning to their new home until well after twenty one hundred hours, by which time, all were too tired to do anything other than shower and collapse into bed, knowing all too well that their alarms would be blasting them out of those self-same beds at oh five thirty hours.

Catherine sat back in her chair, stretching her back and exulting silently in her victory. She was by no means as annoyed as she pretended and was acutely concerned that without one or two tasks for Mattie to complete to a deadline, that the teenager would indeed become bored. Draining her mug, she placed it on her plate, turned to Harm and said, "A hand here, please?"

Harm immediately stood, his braced forearm giving Catherine a dependable support as she levered herself to her feet. "You about ready to go?" he asked concernedly, "You don't really need to go swimming anymore, do you?"

Catherine gave him a look of pure exasperation, "Harm, we've talked this subject out! Even if I don't 'need' to go swimming, I still 'want' to go! When I feel it's the right time, then I will decide to stop swimming! Got it?"

"Got it," Harm confirmed, and then as Catherine made to speak again he held up a hand to prevent her, "And I know you're not made of glass, and that you're pregnant not sick, but you have to let me worry from time to time."

Catherine fumed silently for a few moments, but her natural sense of justice overcame her flash of ill-temper, and she blew out her breath in a long sigh, "I know, I know… but sometimes… it all gets on top of me, and it feels like you're suffocating me!"

"I'll try to do better, OK?" Harm asked with a smile as he opened his arms to her.

Catherine stepped into his embrace and laid her head in the hollow of his shoulder, "OK, I'll accept that as an apology and a plea for forgiveness," she told him with the hint of a smile just tweaking the corners of her mouth.

"Did it work?" Harm asked, accompanying his words with a sad puppy expression, as he tilted Catherine's face upwards with a gentle finger.

"Oh, alright then, yes, it did! You're forgiven!"

Mattie who had been sitting white-faced in the expectation of an outburst of violent temper and a raging argument like those she had witnessed on all too many occasions between her mother and her father, exhaled quietly, and then as Harm and Catherine kissed, she found further relief from the tension that had gripped her, "Guys! How many times do I have to tell you to get a room, or at least stop doing that at breakfast time?"

Harm and Catherine turned to face the now blushing teen, kept their arms around each other's waist, "Like the man said," Catherine told her with a broad grin, "Get used to it, 'cos we ain't planning on stopping for a long time yet!"

Mattie's answering "Eeewww!" was greeted with further laughter, and the teenager made a pretence of ignoring Harm and Mattie as she started to gather the breakfast dishes together.

Catherine twinkled up at Harm, "We are being ostracised!"

"We are indeed," he smiled, "so if we aren't going to get any attention at home, what say we go wow them at the pool!"

Mattie continued to studiously ignore the two as they gathered briefcases and Harm's cover, but unbent enough to turn and grin as Harm opened the front door and called out, "OK, we're gone. Mats! See you this evening!"

Mattie turned and grinned, raising a suds-covered hand in a half-salute, "OK, you two, see you later," and then her grin broadened as she added "just so long as you don't get arrested for offending public decency!"

xxiv-xxiv-xxiv-xxiv-xxiv

Harm watched as Catherine's Malibu left the swim club parking lot, a vertical crease appearing between his eyebrows. True, she had swum with her usual vigour and display of expertise, but it had taken a major effort by both of them to get her up the pool ladder once she had finished her laps, and then it had seemed a long time before she had recovered her breath. However, she had emerged freshly showered and fragrant from the locker room with a half-smile on her face and not the slightest sign of stress on her face.

Only partly reassured it had taken Harm a major effort of will not to ask Catherine if she was feeling alright, but his silence was appreciated by her, and as they had walked out into the parking lot, Catherine hand taken his arm in her hand and rubbed her cheek against his upper arm, "Thanks for not bombarding with me questions, Harm. I know you're worried, and I love you for it, but I just need to decide things for myself."

As they reached their cars, parked next to each other, Harm turned to face her, taking both her hands in his own, "Hey, if you love me, then everything's OK. I trust you to make the right decisions, even when I don't particularly like what you decide." He paused for a heartbeat or two and then a grin on his lips he added, "Mind you, although I'm from California, not Missouri, just you saying that you love me isn't particularly proof…"

Catherine giggled, "Well, Mister, if you were from Missouri, then I could maybe show you…"

"Y'know, that might just work on California boys too…" Harm suggested hopefully.

"Yeah… I think it just might," Catherine replied, her hands reaching up to link at the nape of Harm's neck, and drawing his head down to a level where she could kiss him without having to stand on her toes.

"Wow," Harm breathed as they broke off the kiss, "Just wow!"

"'Wow'?" Catherine mocked him gently, "is that all you can say?"

"No… but I was just thinking it's a damn good job you didn't kiss me like that at home, or I'd have dragged you straight back upstairs, and we both would have been late for work!"

Catherine relaxed back against the support of his hands spread comfortingly across the small of her back, "H'mm… I like the sound of that… Home!" she added hurriedly as she saw the gleam that sprang to Harm's eyes.

But you don't like the other idea?" Harm teased her.

"Oh, I do, I do," Catherine assured him fervently, "But I liked the idea of not being late for work just slightly more. Why do you think I didn't kiss you like that at home?" she finished, her eye brimming with amusement.

"H'mm… just as well," Harm agreed mournfully, "I do have a lot of 'important' stuff to do today."

Catherine's amusement broke into a full laugh, attracting the attention of other early morning swimmers crossing the parking lot, "I suppose I asked for that!" she exclaimed.

"I reckon you did!" Harm agreed with a smile as he opened the Malibu's door for her, "But hold on to that thought until this evening!"

"Promises, promises!" Catherine mocked him as she blew him a last kiss before he closed the door and she started her car's engine.

xxiv-xxiv-xxiv-xxiv-xxiv

Harm cast a concerned glance at his watch as he signed in at the CP, the banter with Catherine had delayed him just long enough for him to get caught up in the grid-lock that was the Pentagon's southern parking lot at the start of duty hours, and although he had been teasing her, it was true that he had a full day ahead of him, and he could ill-afford to be late.

Consequently his walk along the hallways was just about on the hurried side of brisk, and he sailed into the outer office under a full spread of canvas, almost surprising Legalman Barker into dropping the carafe of freshly-brewed coffee as she emerged from the store closet that had been transformed into a mini kitchenette.

"Good morning, sir!" Barker almost yelped as she tried to come to a brace while desperately looking for somewhere to set down the coffee.

"'Morning, Barker!" Harm returned the greeting with a half-smile, "Never mind about that, but if that is freshly brewed coffee, then I'll gladly take a cup as soon as you can! Anyone else in yet?"

"Commander Coleman's in her office, sir."

"Yes, of course she is," Harm murmured to himself.

"Sir?" a puzzled Barker asked, she'd heard the sound, but not the words.

"Oh… nothing Barker, nothing… Now," he said as he opened his office door, "We're expecting two new members of staff this morning, firstly, your replacement, Legalman One Coates, and secondly Lieutenant Commander Bellingham – you said she called in on Friday?"

"Yes, sir."

Harm nodded, "Good, so you'll have to be ready to act as a runner this morning. Commander Bellingham knows how to find us, obviously, but Coates will need guiding. I take it that the necessary cra… uh… paperwork has been lodged at the CP, so they won't send her away?"

"Yes, sir!" It sounded very much as if Barker wanted to add an 'of course', but to do so would be risking a write up for insubordination.

Harm's smile widened, "Good, excellent! Now there's only one thing outstanding!"

"Sir?"

"My coffee, Barker, my coffee!"

"Sir! Yes, sir!" the young yeoman grinned back at him.

Safely installed behind his desk and with a mug of Barker's coffee steaming gently in front of him, Harm turned back to the UN's Convention on Piracy and started to re-read it, this time looking for certain passages that had caught his eye on his previous skim through, and making notes as he went through them more slowly and more carefully, in order to prepare a briefing for the SecNav looking at possible solutions to the problem that wouldn't run afoul of international law. At one end of the scale was the example of the Royal Dutch Navy frigate captain who had taken prisoner some dozen or so of the enterprising Somalis, sunk their boats and then using his ship's boats set them ashore a half-day's walk from the nearest town. At the other end of the scale was the Turkish captain, who again taking prisoners, had summarily had them hanged from his ship's mast. Neither option was, in Harm's opinion, particularly desirable, and although he had more or less decided to recommend that such pirates be treated as irregular enemy combatants, his sympathies tended towards the choice made by the Turk.

Almost half an hour into his reading the intercom's persistent buzz broke his concentration, "Yes, Barker?"

"CP just called, sir. Coates has arrived, so I'm off to get her!"

"OK, thanks, Barker." Harm sat back and closed the paperwork on his desk, a pleased smile of anticipation on his face. Although he would never have initiated replacing Barker with Jen Coates, Barker's request for a change of billet had opened the door for him, and the sudden rush of pleasant anticipation at the news that she had arrived took him somewhat by surprise. But he was looking forward to working with her again. He had missed not only her quiet efficiency but also her mischievous sense of humour and the hidden dimple in her right cheek that her unrestrained smile revealed.

It wasn't many minutes later that a sharp double rap on his office door elicited from him a crisp, "Enter!"

The door opened to reveal a grinning Barker, "Petty Officer Legalman Class One Coates, sir!"

"Send her in please, Barker!" Harm requested as he strove to keep a straight face.

Jennifer Coates marched into his office as Barker closed the door behind her. "Legalman One Coates reporting as ordered, sir!" she said crisply.

"You have our orders with you Legalman?"

"Yes, sir!" Jen brought a file folder from under her left arm and handed to Harm.

"Thank you!" Harm didn't bother to read the orders; he knew exactly what they contained. Instead he sat down and leaned against the back of his chair. "Take a seat, Coates. I'm very glad to have you on board!"

Jen sat, knees primly together and hands folded in her lap, "Thank you, sir! But you can't be any happier than I am to be here! Permission to speak freely, sir?"

Harm managed a rueful grin, Jen's speaking freely often amounted to a reproach, and for the life of him he couldn't think of anything he had done to deserve Jen's wrath, but… "Go ahead," he invited her.

Strangely Jen seemed to be overcome with embarrassment, "Sir, I am grateful for this new opportunity, and I'm really looking forward to working with you again… but I am slightly surprised you should want me…"

Harm straightened in surprise, "What on earth? Jen, why wouldn't I want the best Legalman I could possibly get, not to mention one to whom we all owe so much?"

Jen blushed furiously, "Sir, I didn't ever do anything that anyone else wouldn't have done! And… and… after my testimony at your court-martial… it felt like that I was stabbing you in the back, and after you'd done so much for me…"

"Nonsense, Jen!" Harm snapped, "You were manoeuvred into testifying the way you did by a very clever attorney, and you answered him truthfully – the only thing you could have done." Harm could see that the young woman was still not convinced and still worried at how near her testimony had come to convicting him of Loren Singer's murder. "In fact, as I recall it, you looked to me for guidance before answering, and I told you to tell the truth as you saw it. In fact," he continued kindly, "you may have done me a huge favour. I won't deny that I was furious with Lieutenant Singer that night, but your testimony made me sit down and consider whether I really could use violence towards a woman. I am relieved to say that I don't believe I could, but I saw in your eyes the memory of the fear of my anger that night, and that has made me resolve that I will never, ever cause any other woman to feel that fear, and I am so very sorry that I subjected you to it."

Jen's eyes opened wide in astonishment, "Sir, I… I… I was never really afraid of you, and it was just a fleeting second. I worked with Lieutenant Singer after Bud, I mean Lieutenant Roberts, was injured, and I know just how annoying she could be!"

"It's OK, Jen, really. And anyway, it's all in the past, so as far as I'm concerned, we're still friends, OK?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

"OK, now onto more current matters. You will act as yeoman for all three officers in these offices, that will be myself, Lieutenant Commander Bellingham – who is also due to arrive today and Major Sheddan, Marine Corps, both of whom are also JAGs. But you are my Legalman, this means you answer to me, but Jen, it doesn't give you liberty to be insubordinate to the other officers, understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. As you will find out from Barker the whole of the Navy JAG Corps is about to receive a huge shake up. Nothing of what you see or hear in this office is to be discussed outside it. It's not classified information, but it is sensitive information dealing with people's careers. This all to happen over the next three and a half months, so be prepared to have to work back some evenings on very short notice, and the same at weekends. So make sure your boyfriend knows this!"

"Not a problem, sir," Jen smiled with just a hint of wistfulness, "No boyfriend."

Harm shook his head in dismay, "Jen, don't go making the same mistakes I've made. Don't let your life slip by you while you concentrate on your career!"

"I'll try not to let that happen, sir!"

Harm nodded, "OK then. I suggest you get together with Barker; you've got until secure on Friday to complete your handover/takeover. Dismissed!"

Jen came to her feet and assumed the position of attention, "Aye, aye, sir!" she rapped out, paused for two seconds and then about-faced and marched to the door, closing it behind her with a soft click.

Barely, however, had she closed the door when again came Barker's peremptory knock. Harm closed the file he had only just opened and called out "Enter!"

"Lieutenant Commander Bellingham to see you, sir!" Barker announced.

"Thank you, Barker. Ask the Commander to step in please," Harm replied, rising from his chair to greet his new colleague, as she entered hot on the heels of his last words.

Lydia Bellingham was in her mid-thirties, of medium height and with a face and figure generally reckoned to be attractive. Her brunette hair was pulled back in a tight bun and she had an air of confidence about her that not only reassured Harm, but added to her attractiveness.

"Lieutenant Commander Bellingham, reporting as ordered, sir!"

"Good morning, Commander. I'm Harmon Rabb. Won't you please take a seat?"

Lydia paused, a brown envelope in her hand and her arm half-extended across the desk, "You don't want to see my orders, sir?" she asked, the surprise in her voice evident.

"No real need to," Harm said, indicating with a sweep of his hand that she should sit, "I drafted them!"

Lydia nodded as she obeyed his unspoken instructions, but if anything Harm's comment had further confused rather than enlightened her. "You drafted them, sir?"

"Yes. It came to the SecNav's notice that too many JAGs had been too long in their billets, and he tasked me with resolving certain issues. The officer you are taking over from in this office is one of the JAGs who has been too long in one billet, as you are. In her case she's too settled here and needs to move. In your case you have been too long at sea without a shore billet, and for an attorney with your credentials and stuck in the same billet I am surprised that you hadn't separated at least a couple of years ago. Running a shipboard LSO and dealing with article fifteens can't have been very fulfilling, although you seem to have had a deal of exposure to maritime and international law," Harm grinned, "And I could really do with some help on those fronts!"

Lydia nodded, feeling slightly relieved, "I won't argue about the lack of fulfilment as a ship's JAG, but as a Fleet JAG, the work was rewarding, and I enjoyed shipboard life!"

"Agreed, it's not without its attractions, but you are entering the zone for O-5 this year, and you need to get some variety on your record. Your fitreps as ship and fleet Jag are outstanding, but you need to get some staff experience under your belt, and you need to sharpen your skills as a litigator. I see you haven't set foot in a courtroom for quite some time."

Lydia nodded, "That's true, sir. But to be quite honest, I don't miss litigation at all."

"Well, I'm not going to throw you under a bus as far as that is concerned. I have in mind for you to work on maritime law and international law more or less full time, as well as take over, temporarily, Faith Coleman's work load. She's heavily involved in checking records of proceedings looking for procedural errors when a case comes up for appeal. In the future that aspect of her duties will be taken over by another attorney who is en route here, but until he arrives, you're it. Now, can I answer any questions that you might have?"

Lydia stood, "No sir, not at the moment, so by your leave, I'd like to get to grips with my new duties!"

"Of course; come with me and I'll introduce you to Faith Coleman."

Harm returned to his desk some ten minutes later feeling near frozen solid as the atmosphere in Faith Coleman's office had plummeted when he introduced Faith to the officer by whom she was being replaced. "Oh, that went well!" he told himself cynically as he settled down for the third time that morning to make notes on the impact of international law on Somali and Indonesian piracy.

xxiv-xxiv-xxiv-xxiv-xxiv

Catherine groaned silently, and surreptitiously eased a hand to the small of her back and gently rubbed at the ache. She had been feeling vaguely ill at ease ever since she had arrived at work this morning, and her mood had not been improved by being summoned away from her desk to attend a briefing on an upcoming covert operation in a yet to be named Latin American Country, where it seemed that due to the participation in money laundering by the cartels, the line between the war on drugs and the war on terrorism was becoming blurred.

Catherine's role was to take note of any elements of the plan that might contravene international law and to highlight them at the end of the briefing. Her physical discomfort was exacerbated by her distaste for the briefing officer, and presumably the author of the plan. She had never been a great fan of Clayton Webb in fact, and perversely, the only time she had felt any empathy towards him was when he torpedoed the Angelshark case by turning over, quite illegally, a classified video tape to Harmon Rabb. That had cost him a posting to Latin America, which had in turn led to the Sadik Fahd disaster in Paraguay, and to Harm's hiring by and eventual firing from the Company. So to add to her disdain for Webb's professional standards she had a personal reason for despising the dapper spy.

At last, she thought, as Webb's pompous voice ceased its monotone droning and he asked, "Are there any questions?"

Catherine looked up, "Yes, I have a question: Does the country in which you are planning to undertake this operation have any knowledge of it?"

"No. The country in question has too many corrupt politicians suspected of having friendly contacts with the cartels. It has been decided that in order to maintain mission security, the government of that country do not have a need to know," Webb replied smugly.

Catherine winced, but for once she was not sure if it was because of her back-ache or because of the glibness and transparent falsity of Webb's claims. "Let me get this straight, Webb," her omission of the honorific 'Mister' did not go unnoticed by either Webb or the DDCI, "You have not informed the foreign government of your plan, which involves not only company operatives, but insertion and exfiltration involving members of the armed forces?"

"As I said, Miss Gale," Webb's use of her title was laden with sarcasm, "They do not have a need to know!"

Catherine nodded, and immediately wished she hadn't as her abused back muscles set up a silent shriek of protest, "In that case Webb, from a legal standpoint you are in fact initiating an act of war against a country with which the USA is not presently at war. I hope that at least the country in question is disposed to be friendly to the United States?"

"Thank you for airing your concerns, Miss Gale, your comments have been noted," Webb said airily, but his tone of voice betrayed a growing irritation.

Catherine's face went white with anger at Webb's casual dismissal of her concerns. "If that is all that you think my input is worth, then I see no need to waste any more of my time!" she snapped, and thankful for the arms of the chair in which she sat she levered herself to her feet, but was forced to stop for a second or two as her back sent another pain signal shooting to her brain. Drawing a breath, she waved off any suggestion of help from two other agents in the room, and letting herself out of the door, she commenced the long distance waddle back to the legal section.

Twice during her trek she was forced to stop and rest one hand leaning against the wall as new painful spasms caused her to gasp for breath. Maybe Harm was right, she mused as she at last lowered herself gingerly into her own, well-cushioned chair. Maybe it was time to give up on the swimming, she had had to put a lot of effort into getting out the pool this morning, and it seemed like she had pulled a muscle or two in her back in doing so. Not that she would tell Harm that; although he would be too gentlemanly to say "I told you so" – or at least she thought he would be – it was a pretty safe bet that he'd be thinking it!

Barely had Catherine settled in her chair when a shift in her position as she tried to get comfortable not only caused another sharp pain in her back, but brought to her the awareness that she now needed to get to the bathroom – quickly. Groaning with frustration and gasping with pain as another spasm hit as she struggled out of her chair, Catherine slowly rose to her feet, and tentatively waddled across to the door to the outer office, "Mae, hold any calls for the next five minutes," she said, "Little madam here," she stroked her bump, "has decided to play football with my bladder again!"

Mae, Catherine's secretary, herself the mother of a very lively two-year-old winced in sympathy as she remembered the all too frequent bathroom breaks she had had to take during her last month of pregnancy. "Go ahead, Catherine, take your time. I'll hold all the calls in the world until you're ready to take them!"

Catherine managed a grateful smile, "Thanks, Mae! I don't what I'd do without you!"

Mae watched her leave the office, before she shook her head and smiled fondly, "You'd manage just fine without me, Catherine Gale, you're just too damn' stubborn not to!"

It was less than ten minutes later that Catherine returned to the office, "I'm getting tired of this!" she grumbled to Mae, "It seems that every five minutes or so, I'm rushing to the bathroom. Four times last night I had to go, and now I think I've pulled a muscle in my back climbing out of the pool this morning!"

"Catherine! Don't tell me you're still swimming every morning!" a shocked Mae answered.

Catherine bit her tongue in an effort not to scream at her secretary, "please, Mae, don't you start; it's bad enough having Harm on my case and – Ow!"

Catherine went white and her knees buckled as a stab of pain, far more severe than any that had gone before lanced its way from her lumbar region down to her lower abdomen, at the same time as a gush of fluid cascaded down her legs to puddle on the office floor.

Catherine straightened, and shakily said, "Mae… I think… I think…"

Mae was around her desk in a flash, "It's OK, Catherine, your water's just broken, take it easy, it's all perfectly natural…"

"I know that!" Catherine snapped, "but it's too soon! She's not due for another month!"

"OK, OK, calm down. We've got to get you to your OB. Shall I call your partner?"

"Yes. No! You can drive me! Use my car! Here give me the phone!" Punching in the number Catherine took the opportunity to regain control of her voice as she waited for the pick-up at the other end.

"Rabb residence, hi," the sound of Mattie's cheerful voice was like music in Catherine's ear and also helped to calm her down further.

"Hi Kiddo, it's me. Now listen carefully, please, and don't start screaming or panicking, OK?"

"Is something wrong, Catherine?" Mattie now sounded less cheerful and more worried.

"No, nothing's wrong Matts, it's just that things are moving along a little ahead of schedule. My water's just broke, and I'm going to go direct to Kresge from here. I want you to go up to our bedroom, and in my closet, on the floor, is a small blue suitcase. I want you to get hold of it and sit tight. I'm going to call Harm now, and get him to collect it on his way to Pimmett Hills. OK? Got it?"

Mattie gulped and when she spoke this time, Catherine could hear the nervous excitement in her voice, "OK Catherine, got it. And Catherine, good luck and remember that I love you!"

"Yeah, I love you too, Matts. See you soon!"

Catherine hung up and grabbed her purse, retrieved from her office by Mae while she was talking to Mattie, and rummaged for her cell 'phone. Hitting the first button on the speed dial menu she fretted while Harm's 'phone rang, at last, after what seemed an age his voice sounded in her ear, "Hey sweetheart, what did I forget?"

Catherine smiled mistily, it was so like him! "Nothing, Harm, you've forgotten nothing. But I do have a job for you. I need you to go home right now, and collect my hospital suitcase from Mattie…"

"Catherine, what's wrong?" A suddenly panicked Harm shouted.

"Nothing's wrong, Harm. It's just that our daughter has decided to make an early appearance. Mae is going to take me direct to Kresge from Langley, so I'll see you there, OK?"

"Are you sure? It's too early!"

"Yes, I'm sure. My water's broke, I'm not in any pain, and it seems that babies have their own schedule!"

"Dammit, Catherine, I should be there with you!"

"You will be, Harm, you will be. I'll see you at Kresge, but don't forget my suitcase!"

"I won't! I'm leaving now!"

xxiv-xxiv-xxiv-xxiv-xxiv

Coates and Barker had heard Harm's one shout and raised their heads from their work looking at each questioningly but saw no answer in the other's face. But before they could voice any of their surprise, Harm's office door flew open and a harassed-looking commander, cover and briefcase in one hand while he fumbled for his keys with the other rapped, "Water's broke! Tell Commander Bellingham, I'm gone!" and without a further word he hit the hallway at an almost run leaving two very much astonished young women staring after him, open-mouthed.

Barker blinked and looked at Jen, "Water's broke?" she echoed but making it a question.

"That's what I thought he said," a puzzled Jen confirmed, "But I didn't even know he was married… or had partner… or a girlfriend… or whatever."

"Well, there's been a Miss Grace called him a few times, and I heard him tell her that he loved her, but she seemed awful young…"

Jen shook her head, "No… that's not his style. The only woman I've seen him interested in was older than that; Colonel MacKenzie… and she blew him off for a dumb-ass sp… special assistant in the State department," Jen hurriedly amended her description of Clayton Webb. Even if he was the lowest known form of animal life in Jen's opinion, Barker didn't need to know that he was a CIA agent.

Something in Jen's voice and face caught Barker's notice, and she asked sympathetically, "You too, huh?"

Jen blushed fire appliance red and retorted, "No... of course not. And anyway… I… I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Oh, don't worry about it, Coates, you're in good company! I've had a bit of a crush on him ever since Commander Manetti introduced me to him!"

"Don't be dumb Barker! Of course I don't have a crush on him – he's an officer!"

Barker gave Jen a sideways glance and other than a lazily drawled, "Yeah, riiight!" decided to let the matter drop and turning back to the manpower spread-sheet, she continued to brief Jen on what was proposed, what had been completed, what was in progress, and what remained to be started.

xxiv-xxiv-xxiv-xxiv-xxiv

Harm, even years later, could never remember the drive from the Pentagon to the house on Woodford Road, but judging by the short amount of elapsed time between leaving his office and arriving home, he must have severely bent, if not outright broken, practically every traffic ordinance on the state books.

Even so, he was not quick enough for Mattie who had been almost dancing on the steps in an agony of impatience and almost before he had brought the Lexus to a full halt, she had wrenched open the passenger door, thrown Catherine's suitcase onto the middle seat and had climbed into the front passenger seat.

It hadn't occurred to Harm that Mattie would be going to the hospital too, and for a moment he sat slack-jawed trying to get his thoughts together and come up with a reason why she shouldn't be with him and Catherine at this moment.

The copper-haired teen stared at him in exasperation and said fiercely, "We can argue about this later, Harm, if we have to, but right now, can we just get going!"

"Whu…? Oh… yes! Of course!" Harm engaged drive and the Lexus peeled away from the kerb, leaving a twin set of long burnt rubber marks on the asphalt. Mattie gripped her seat belt with one hand and the door handle with the other, so tightly that her knuckles shone white. Drawing a deep breath, despite her alarm, she asked calmly, "Harm, did you drive all the way up from Arlington like this?"

Harm had to think, his brow furrowed as he tried and failed to remember, "Uh… I guess so," he admitted at length.

"Yeah, well, it might be a good idea if you slowed down, just a tad. After all, we're supposed to be visiting Catherine in the Maternity Ward, we haven't planned for her to come and visit us in ER! Besides, if you keep driving like this you're gonna get stopped by the cops, and then you'll get a ticket, and we'll lose time while you sort it out!"

Mattie's seemingly unconcerned tone of voice did as much to calm down Harm as her words. And it was with a sense of deep relief that she saw him relax his grip on the wheel and felt the Lexus decelerate as he eased his foot off the gas pedal.

After only a few minutes, however, Mattie again felt the car's speed increase and in a further effort to restore Harm to his normal competent manner of driving, she asked "Did Catherine tell you what happened?"

"Umm… yeah, her water broke, and her secretary's taking her to Kresge in Catherine's Malibu. But it's too early Mattie! She said only yesterday that she had another four weeks to go!"

"Harm, I'm no expert, but in health ed, they told us that anywhere between thirty eight and forty weeks is normal, but that perfectly healthy births can, and do happen, outside those time brackets." Without really giving him time to absorb what she had just told him, Mattie went on with her hastily formed plan to distract him from dwelling on any imagined dangers that Catherine and Elizabeth might possibly face.

"Have you told anyone else?" she asked.

"Uh… yeah, Coates and Barker," Harm answered, happy to give at least one positive answer.

"No," Mattie said patiently, "I mean people like your Mom and Dad, and maybe Harriett and or Bud?"

"Oh, hell! No, I haven't. Harm took a hand from the wheel for a moment, while Mattie closed her eyes, "Here, Mom and Frank's number is number three on the speed dial!" he told her as he waved his cell 'phone at her.

"Harm, I don't know your Mom, and I am not going to be the total stranger that calls her and tells her that her grandchild is in the process of being born. No way! That's your job, mister, and you can do it just as soon as we've seen Catherine. And," she raised her voice slightly to cut off the interruption she could see forming on his face, "That goes for anyone else you might think of!"

Despite his worry, Harm couldn't resist a smile at the way Mattie had just chewed his six, "Yes, ma'am!" he replied, turning his head just enough so that Mattie could see his smile.

So it was largely thanks to Mattie's efforts that a few minutes later Harm brought the Lexus safely to a gentle stop in a parking slot not far from the hospital's main doors. He and Mattie dismounted, and with Catherine's suitcase in his hand, he ushered the teenager into the building, indicating with a nod of his head Catherine's Malibu Max parked a few yards further along in front of the building.

The two of them hurried through the hallways, guided by Harm's memory of accompanying Catherine to her OB/Gyn appointments and eventually arrived at the Maternity Wing reception. A young auburn haired nurse in light blue scrubs smiled up at them as they approached, "Commander Rabb?" she asked having recognised his uniform.

"Yes, I'm here to see Catherine Gale, she's just been brought in…"

"Yes, she warned us that you'd be arriving, 'charging in like a bull in a china shop', were her actual words. She's being settled into her room at the moment, so if you'd like to take a seat, I'll let you know when you can go on up."

"But…"

Whatever protest Harm had been about to make was forestalled by Mattie's quiet suggestion, "Just about now would be a good time to call your Mom, and anyone else you want to…"

Harm flashed her a grateful smile, "Yeah, thanks for reminding me Squirt!" and he turned to leave the waiting area, only to be stopped by the nurse calling out, "Oh, Commander Rabb, there's an outside door to a balcony over there, you can make cell 'phone calls from there!"

Harm looked at the door the nurse had indicated, and with a grateful smile and a nod of his head he made his way across the waiting area and disappeared, Mattie assumed, onto the balcony. The teenager smiled at the nurse and in the age old way of women everywhere they exchanged looks, shook their heads and chorused, "Men!"

Mattie looked curiously at the Nurse who had added, "Oh, he's not the worst, I've seen them much, much worse than that!"

"I suppose you seen all sorts," Mattie guessed, "But you gotta cut him some slack, this is their first baby!"

"Oh, I've seen just about everything," the young nurse grinned, and I'll let you into a little secret, it isn't always the first time dads that are the worst!"

Mattie grinned delightedly, "Oh, wow! I can't wait to tease him about that!" and then sobered up as she asked "How long do you reckon before we can go and see Catherine?"

The nurse squinted up at the wall clock and seemed to be calculating the time since Catherine had been admitted, "About another ten, fifteen minutes. She came in about twenty minutes ago, so by the time…"

"Yeah," Mattie interrupted, casting her eyes around the reception area, "she didn't drive herself, did she? She said she was going to get…"

"Oh, no, of course not, she came in with… yes, there she is! The young woman in the charcoal suit, over by the water cooler."

"Thanks," Mattie smiled, "I guess one us ought to go over and make nice with her!"

Suiting her actions to her words, Mattie walked across to the water cooler, "Hi, are you Catherine's friend, the one who drove her here?" Mattie asked tentatively.

Mae looked at the teenager with a measure of surprise not unmixed with suspicion, "Yes, I am, who wants to know?"

Mattie grinned and stuck out her hand, "Hi, I'm Mattie Grace. I live with Catherine and Harm, and I know he'll want to say thank you…" and seeing Mae look around the room, Mattie continued, "Oh, he's just stepped out to make a couple of 'phone calls, his Mom and maybe a couple of friends."

Mae relaxed and ventured a smile as she took Mattie's hand, "Hi, I'm Mae Nicholson, Catherine's secretary."

Mattie nodded, "Yeah, I've heard your name."

Mae grinned back, "Yeah, and I've heard yours!"

Mattie continued to grin. Although a slight blush suffused her cheeks, "Catherine's been talking about me huh? Well, I don't care how many lies she's told you – but if she's let out one word of truth then she's a dead woman walking!"

Mae looked startled at the teenager's vehemence but then saw through the bluster to the real affection that Mattie was trying to hide. "Not even a syllable of truth concerning you has ever passed Catherine's lips," she chuckled.

"How do you know that?" Mattie challenged.

"Because Catherine told me," Mae protested in wide eyed innocence

"But if Catherine's such a liar, how can you believe a word of what she says?" Mattie giggled.

Mae shook her head, "That's pretty logical thinking," she laughed, "dark and twisted, but logical – I like it!"

Harm re-entered the waiting area to see Mattie giggling with another young woman, and his eyebrow quirked in a question, he made his way across to them. "That's Mom told, Squirt," he paused, "Who's your friend?"

"Harm, this is Mae, she drove Catherine here from Langley, she's Catherine's secretary… Mae this is..."

"Harmon Rabb!" Mae finished for her, "Catherine's told me lots about you, and some of it is probably even true!"

For some reason Mae's comment set Mattie off into another fit of the giggles, one that Mae very nearly succumbed to as well, but that left Harm staring in bewilderment from on to the other.

"Private joke, Harm," Mattie said as she mopped her eyes dry, "I'll explain it to you later!"

Harm nodded, turning his attention now fully on Mae, "You drove Catherine in her car, right?" Mae nodded. "Where do you live?" Harm now asked.

"Alexandria, near Saint Mary's," Mae answered him.

"Mae, I – we – can't thank you enough for taking care of Catherine, and you're a long way from home, so why don't you take her car home, and then into Langley tomorrow, and I'll come over and pick it up. It'll save you fighting the DC Public Transit system!"

"Oh, no, no need for that, I can call my husband and he'll come and pick me up!"

"Please, Mae, take the car, neither I nor Catherine would be very happy if it was left here overnight; I've got my own car here, and Mattie hasn't got a licence. So you'll be doing us a favour, and besides, I'm guessing your car is still at Langley?"

Mae sighed and smiled, "I was forgetting, Catherine told me that you were a Navy attorney. I should have known better than to try and argue with a lawyer! Thank you! Now I know this is going to seem rude, but I figure you've got a lot to take care of and I've got a toddler and a husband who'll be waiting for me at home, so if you promise to call me tomorrow and tell me the news, I'll say goodbye to you both right here and now!"

Farewells made, Mattie and Harm took refuge on the uncomfortably hard blue plastic chairs and after sitting in silence for a few minutes, Mattie ventured to ask, "So, how did your Mom take the news?"

Harm chuckled, "Well, after nearly rupturing my eardrums, and despite my telling her that I hadn't see Catherine yet, she kept on asking how she was, and I had to explain it all again, and the last I heard as we were hanging up was her telling Frank to get them on a flight today, or she was going to start driving!"

Mattie laughed briefly, but then sobered up, "But she lives in San Diego, right?"

"Well, La Jolla, but yes, that's near San Diego," Harm gently corrected her.

Mattie gave a teenage shrug, "Whatever, but it would take her days to drive clear across the country, right?"

"Yeah, right. But right now she's not thinking with her head, she's thinking with her heart. That's what makes her a Mom."

Mattie nodded, resolved to hoard that piece of wisdom away and they both relapsed into a silence, each of them growing slightly more uneasy as the minutes ticked past. Eventually they were approached by a maternal-looking woman in green scrubs, "Mister Rabb?" Harm nodded his acknowledgement, "I'm Doctor Winslow, Miss Gale's attending OB today. She's thrown us all a little bit off balance. She seems to have skipped, or managed to ignore the first stage of labour…"

Harm grinned, "She always was an over-achiever, just like Harriett!"

Both Doctor Winslow and Mattie looked blank at the second half of Harm's comment, but the Doctor continued as if he hadn't spoken, "So now she's in second stage, we're moving her up to L&D, where she'll stay until the baby arrives. I understand that you and she want you to be present at the birth, so if you'll follow me, I'll get you fitted up with a set of scrubs, and have the nurse take you through scrub up, and some general rules and guides on behaviour."

Harm stood and started to follow the Doctor, until he realised that Mattie, still with Catherine's suitcase in hand was also tagging along. "Where do you think you're going young lady?" he challenged.

"With you." Mattie said flatly.

"Mats, I hardly think that would be suitable…"

"Harm, Catherine and I have talked this through… she's happy for me to be there if I want to be, and as it could be me up there one day I want to see if it's something I ever want to do! Besides, Catherine said she wants me there so she's still got someone to yell at when you pass out!"

Winslow looked amused at Mattie's declaration and even more so at Harm's dumbfounded expression, "I'll check with Miss Gale, and if she's happy for you to be there young lady, then I don't have a problem."

So thirty minutes later Mattie with Harm still glowering uncertainly at her and both dressed in caps and scrubs were ushered into the delivery suite, where a panting Catherine lay, sweat beading her forehead an upper lip. "It took you damn well long enough!" she declared snappishly.

"That would be our fault, not Mister Rabb's," Doctor Winslow intervened, winking at Harm while she was out of Catherine's line of sight.

"Well at least he made it!" Catherine conceded grumpily, and then in some surprise as Mattie laid her hand on Catherine's shoulder, she craned her neck to see who had approached and seeing the teenager, a broad smile crossed her face, "Come to see how it's done, Mats?"

"No, I've come to make sure that you do it right and you do what the doctors tell you, and," Mattie bent to whisper in her ear, "so you still got someone with you when Harm crashes and burns!"

Catherine broke out into a gurgle of laughter which abruptly turned into a gasp of pain, which was nearly echoed by Mattie as Catherine gripped her hand ferociously. The contraction passed, and Catherine lay panting once again, "Water, please?" she asked.

Harm looked uncertainly at the nurse monitoring Catherine's vitals, who nodded encouragingly, and indicated a glass pitcher filled with water, the condensation on its side bearing witness to the temperature of its contents. Alongside the pitcher were a drinking glass and a packet of plastic drinking tubes. Catherine sipped gratefully at the chilled water and with a smiled "Thanks," indicated that Harm could now take it away.

The next six hours seemed to be an eternity for Catherine, Harm and Mattie. Catherine had done all the work, but the worry and the emotional strain on the other two could only partially be relieved by their dabbing the sweat from Catherine's face and offering her more glasses of water at frequent intervals.

At length the Doctor's instructions became more urgent as she instructed Catherine that now, at last, was the time to push. A screaming, sweating, swearing Catherine made one last effort and moments later the indignant wail of a new-born sounded though the delivery suite and a slimy, squalling, bloodied bundle was placed on Catherine's stomach while a nurse tied off the umbilical cord and Doctor Winslow, placing a pair of surgical scissors in his hands invited Harm to cut the cord, just where she indicated. Shaking his hand to restore feeling where Catherine's vice-like grip had crushed all sensation out of his hand, Harm made the cut.

The cord cut, the baby was whisked away to be cleaned, weighed and measured, and then after a few minutes was returned to the tired, sweaty but indescribably happy mother, who turned towards Harm and with a beatific smile said, "Harm, it's our daughter, isn't she beautiful!"

Harm, was too overcome for words, and the tears starting in his eyes could only nod his agreement. Catherine turned towards Mattie, "See, Mattie this is your baby sister!"

Mattie gulped, "Don't say that," she begged, "You might jinx us!" but nevertheless stretched a tremulous hand out towards the very small person in Catherine's arms and touched her cheek very lightly with one finger, "Hey, baby girl," she whispered softly, "Welcome to the world."

Doctor Winslow broke up the quiet little tableau at the head of the delivery table, "We need to get Catherine cleaned up now, and then taken back to her room. In the meantime, I believe there are some anxious folk waiting to see your new arrival outside in the waiting area.

Harm looked panicked, "Are you sure, won't it hurt the baby, I mean…?"

Winslow laughed, "Go on; a couple of minutes won't hurt, and as soon as Catherine is cleaned up you can bring the baby back to her and then you can all go down to her room."

Harm gingerly took the pink blanket wrapped baby in his arms, being scolded by Mattie to remember to support the baby's head and then with Mattie by his side he walked into the waiting room to be confronted by Bud and Harriett, together with a sleepy A J, Jennifer Coates and a well wrapped and wheelchair bound ecstatic Esther Gale under the escort of Doctor Alison Cameron and Nurse Brigid O'Keefe.

Harm stopped dead in his tracks, almost overcome by this display of friendship after the emotional roller coaster of the day. Making a valiant effort he cleared his throat, "Folks, I'd like you to meet Elizabeth Patricia Rabb, born at nineteen twenty two hours, seven pounds twelve ounces, twenty inches long, and complete with ten fingers and ten toes!"