Chapter 57

Meanwhile the Rabb's decided to go to an out-of-the-way restaurant for dinner. Esther was to continue the next day to Paris where she was meeting a college friend. Harm and Mac were surprised to see a familiar face while waiting for their reservations. Esther had already asked if it were okay for her to eat alone, with the teen. The older woman had recommended the place, it was run by relatives of friends of hers back in Philadelphia, she'd been there often over the years.

When they arrived, the owners recognized Esther. "Madame Sullivan, it's nice to see you again. I understand you have special guests."

"Yes, Phillipe, this is my family, a little unconventional we are, but it's the only family I have left. Oh, hello Henri" She then introduced the owner, who'd seen the familiar face as she entered and exited the kitchen. "Henri LaRue, I'd like for you to meet Harm and Sarah Rabb and their daughter Mattie, who I've talked about many times. She is my brother Gordon's granddaughter."

"I saw your name on the reservations, I couldn't believe you were in town and didn't call ahead." Henri complained.

"I just got in this afternoon; we called at the last minute." Esther admitted.

"You two are defending the American minister?" Henri asked the tall couple who admitted they were and that this wasn't the place to get into the politics of the situation.

"We are." Harm quickly changed the conversation away from the trial. "Esther has had only good things to say about this place. We've been too busy to come here before tonight."

"She said you and your lovely wife are to eat alone tonight. Do I understand this correct?" Henri asked, curious why the group didn't want to eat together as a family.

"Yes, but will that cause a problem, if it is, can eat together." Harm said, he didn't want to put the manager in a bind.

"We have a table available for two, but the second table will have to wait. I apologize for this"

"Esther and Mattie, you two go ahead, we ought to talk with Mic and this is as good a place as any." Henri regretted that he couldn't give them the service he would have preferred. Esther and Mattie went to their table. Henri said he'd get Harm and Sarah, personally, when their table was ready.

Mic Brumby and Sean Barton were waiting in the bar, they'd come with several people from the Australian embassy and were waiting for a table for their group. "Mic, we didn't have a chance to talk earlier. I understand congratulations are in order." Harm said as they approached them.

The look on Mic's face was one of confusion, so Harm clarified "Mac got a letter from you about a year ago, saying that you'd married and were expecting a child."

"Yes, I'll be eternally grateful Harm for your dunking that plane into the Atlantic, I would've never met Bridget or had Connor." Mic had not told anyone other than his CO, that she was starting divorce proceeding against him, citing mental cruelty. "You two just got married, in May? I'm surprised it took you that long. And you're both still at JAG I take it."

Sean had figured out that Sarah had been Mic's American fiancée. The animosity between the two men was still obvious, if you knew the history between them.

"The admiral had me transferred to the judiciary, this is the first time I've worked with Harm since months before the wedding."

"I know you don't want to talk shop, but what will happen if you lose this case?" Barton, ever the diplomat, realized things could go downhill very quickly if they kept the topics personal.

"He'd end up spending time behind bars, and coming from personal experience, I don't intend to let that happen." Harm stated emphatically. "We can kiss our careers good-bye. I think if we lose this case, Mac and I might as well resign our commissions and work for Mattie at the hanger." He knew privately, he could handle that, but he wasn't too sure that Mac could.

"Mattie, the one who interviewed us for a school paper, why would you go to work for her" Sean asked.

"Well, for one thing, I'm the trustee for her company until she becomes of age. But I don't intend on losing the case so I'm not going to worry about that until the time comes." He turned to Mac and changed the subject "Mac, did Mattie say how many countries she and her aunt got to on their trip."

"Didn't you take a look at the itinerary that Esther left?"

"I did, but knowing my daughter she likely persuaded Esther to change their plans."

"Mattie is your daughter?!"

"I thought her last name was Johnson" Sean and Mic said overlapping each other as they stood there in shock.

"In late May I found out I have a daughter, her mother's last name was Johnson. She just legally changed it to Rabb."

Something Rabb had said worked its way through Barton's brain. "You said 'from personal experience' were you a P.O.W.?"

"To make a long story short, I was accused of killing a co-worker; until I was cleared I spent time behind bars. It wasn't fun."

"Do I know the person you were accused of killing?" Mic asked, he hoped that he didn't.

"Yes, Lauren Singer." Mac said, she wanted to change the subject to a happier subject and she was willing the owner to come and rescue them from talking with Brumby.

Mic was surprised, he'd not liked Lauren, but no one did. "When did this happen?"

"She was killed in January, but she wasn't found until April. Because of my actions, because I thought Sergei was the father of her unborn baby, I did a pretty good job of making myself look like the prime suspect. I was arrested, tried and convicted."

"Clayton Webb...you remember him?" Mic nodded "He 'decided' I'd be the perfect 'wife' for him on an undercover mission. We were caught he was tortured, and eventually died from his injuries after our rescue. Harm had been cleared of the charges; he came to the country we were in and was able to rescue us, with some help."

"Wasn't that considered an invasion force?" Barton asked?"

"No, as a civilian, I was the perfect one to go. I had backup, they were also civilian," Harm stated.

"We were married while in-country; we renewed our vows about six weeks ago, so everyone could attend." Mac told them.

"I found a loophole that would keep us both at JAG, it worked out there was an opening in the judiciary for Mac. You're wondering how Mattie fits into the picture. I wasn't back at JAG yet, and working on my plane, the new owner of the hanger where I keep her turned out to be an old girlfriend."

"The mother of your daughter" Brumby figured it out much later than Barton, who'd figured it out back at the cafeteria.

"Yes, she confirmed I was the father, and now I have my daughter in my life."

Mic wanted to hear more about this, but Henri LaRue chose that moment to come and get the Rabbs. Mic decided he'd talk to Bud when he had the chance; the younger man was always good for information. However, the next day when Mic asked Bud for information regarding his former fiancé Bud was surprisingly reticent in talking.

At breakfast the next morning, Bud and Harriet told Harm and Mac what young AJ had said, and Mac informed them that to her knowledge, Mattie wasn't quite ready to become an older sister, but they hoped she'd be one very soon. Harm then told Bud what had transpired the night before therefore Bud was on guard to a sneak attack from Brumby.

Within a week, they were back in the States; the case came to a quick conclusion when it was found that the case had been severely flawed from the beginning, that the situation he was being tried for had been staged for such a result.

Chapter 58

The last weekend October went quietly, Mac had decided to 'ignore' her husband's fortieth birthday. They would celebrate it later. That way he wouldn't know what hit him when they did have a party. Mattie had, with her Aunt Esther's help, gathered various pictures and footage of her from her childhood and made an album for her father. On his birthday, Harm had quiet dinner with just family, and Sergei and Galina took the occasion to inform him he'd be an uncle by Memorial Day.

Work schedules finally cooperated so Mac had Harm's belated birthday party in early December. She lured him over to Commander Langston's home; on the pretense that the couple was having an early Christmas party. Harm didn't expect a thing and vowed to get even with Mac when she turned forty in a few years.

It was about this time that Mac had to deal with a personal crisis of sorts, as her yeoman, Jen Coates, had to deal with a thieving roommate. The petty officer was nearly at her wits end until help came from an unexpected source. A recently married Francesca Peretti had moved to the DC area, because of a once-in-a-lifetime offer the younger couple needed a caretaker for their house for two years. Francesca and her husband would be traveling a great deal. The two met at a coffeehouse near JAG and a friendship had quickly developed before Francesca's identity was discovered.

They worked it out so that Jennifer would reside in the garage apartment when they were actually home otherwise she would be the resident. With her there, the house would be occupied; Jennifer would keep them current with bills and other mail and phone calls. Francesca asked her if she wanted to do this, and Jennifer had agreed to it just before finding out her new landlord was her commanding officer's daughter. Francesca and Jennifer asked to clear everything legally and as Francesca was an adult, and Chegwidden had not been involved in any way, it was cleared.

As Christmas drew near Harm knew it would be different from any other he'd experienced. The emptiness he usually felt at this time of year was gone. The Burnett's had decided to forego their usual plans to spend time with Harm's family. It was the first time since after Harm's ramp strike that he'd spent the actual day with his mother. Harm made the pilgrimage to the Wall, as he did every year, but this time he wasn't alone. They all let Harm spend time alone, but paid homage to the man who would have been the patriarch if he'd returned to the States after Vietnam.

When Harm and Mac returned to the house and said good night to a visiting Grandma Sarah, they sat downstairs by the tree, with a fire going in the fireplace. "I know we decided to open presents in the morning, but when I was growing up, Mom and Dad let me open one present on Christmas Eve, and I kinda want to continue that tradition, especially since it's about the only positive tradition we MacKenzie's had." Mac leaned over and took out a small gift from the drawer in the coffee table. "I want you to open this tonight."

Harm was curious and carefully opened the gift, taking time not to rip any of the paper. He could see the suspense was driving Mac crazy, and truthfully, he wanted to hurry. This was his first Christmas gift from his wife he wanted to savor it. He slowly took the lid off the small box surprised by the contents "Mac, how long...when?" His brain went on leave.

Chapter 59

She took the box from him, and placed it on the table. She put the home pregnancy stick, which showed a positive result in the box. Underneath was a piece of paper. "You might want to read the paper that came with this."

He picked up the box and after picking up the stick, holding it like it was a live explosive. He put it down on the table and unfolded the piece of paper. It was from the clinic at Bethesda, confirming that she was indeed pregnant and according to the paper, it showed she was six weeks along. "So far everything is fine, but the doctor said that since I'm over thirty five, and it's my first child, I'm supposed to be considered high risk. I don't want to jinx this. Can we keep this to ourselves until the first trimester is up?"

"If that's what you want. I think that Mom will understand why we waited to tell her. I've wondered why you've only had one cup of coffee a day. This explains it. However, I think that for the next few weeks, people might figure it out when they don't see you drinking Marine-grade coffee." He gave her a kiss.

"One advantage to being a judge, you have less people to share a break-room with. Besides, I've been bringing a pot of decaf to work with me so no one's the wiser, except for maybe Coates, I should let her know, but no one else. And the admiral, I can't go to any combat areas, Doctor's orders."

For several weeks, they were able to keep the news to themselves, even though it was hard not to tell. However, in late January when they told Trish and Frank the good news Trish informed them "I figured it out at Christmas-time, because of the switch to decaffeinated coffee.

Mattie tried to be blasé about it, but she wasn't happy with the news, she'd wanted her father to herself a little longer. Harm and Mac didn't realize this as Galina was the one to get through to the teen. "Do you love this little one I'm carrying any less because Sergei isn't your dad's full brother?"

This stunned Mattie, "of course not. Why would you say that?"

"Because the way you've been acting, it seems like you don't want your dad and Mac to have a child. Is that true?"

"No, it's just that I haven't known Dad very long, I'm afraid he'll not love me any more after the baby comes." Mattie admitted through her tears.

"Mattie, there's something I've told Sergei, when my momma had my brothers I felt the same way you did. She married Igor when I was ten, my brother Boris was born two years later. I thought she didn't love me any more, but I soon found out there was plenty of love to go around, I just had to share my mom with another person."

It took awhile for that to sink in, but as the pregnancy progressed Mattie realized what Galina had said was true.

Mac and Mattie had the chance to bond when Harm was sent to Iraq to cover for a JAG who'd suffered a ruptured appendix. It was the first extended period the two were together without Harm. They did not sleep well the entire time he was gone, partly because Harm had been out of communications range for several days. It was during the midnight talks Mattie and Mac became close. They didn't realize how much their relationship had changed until Harm's return and his comment that things seemed calmer than before he left.

Mattie was alone at the hanger with Galina when the flight attendant went into labor in late May. Sergei had arranged for flying lessons in a fixed wing aircraft in exchange for Russian lessons from one of the tenants and he was in the air when the lesson was interrupted by a frantic Mattie.

Sergei's instructor completely understood the interruption, as he was the father of three; instructor and student quickly returned to Leesburg to a relived Mattie. When they reached the hospital several minutes later the contractions slowed and it was nearly sunrise before the birth took place.

Harm and Mac had decided to get away for the weekend to celebrate their first anniversary a few days early, so they went to the Lodge at the Shenandoah National Forest so they missed all the excitement. When Harm and Mac returned Sunday afternoon, Mattie's first highly indignant words as they walked in the door were "I've been trying to reach you since yesterday afternoon, Galina had the baby."

Harm pulled out his cellphone from his pants pocket and groaned at what he saw--his cell battery was dead and Mac confessed then that she'd left hers at work. "Of all the...let's go to Kresge, and see them, they both won't be released til tomorrow." Harm muttered as he quickly put the suitcases into the bedroom. Mattie had sputtered when she realized the reason they couldn't be reached was forgetfulness, especially when she'd been grounded three days before for forgetting to check in with them after school. When they arrived at the hospital, they found a tired but elated Sergei in the lobby, he'd gone home for a few hours of sleep and had just returned with flowers for his wife. As instructed Mattie had called him telling him that Harm and Mac had arrived home. Andrew Harmon Rabb Zhukov slept for nearly all of his aunt and uncle's first visit. As far as Uncle Harm could tell, Andy would be tall when he grew up, if his length at birth was any indication, and he had red hair like his cousin Mattie.

Galina had been heartbroken that her mother had been unable to arrange for a visa to visit, Sarah Rabb came was able to come down from Pennsylvania and help her for a few weeks. After meeting her first grandson, she told Galina "if you have any questions or just needed a friendly ear, call me, any time day or night."

Chapter 60

Mac's pregnancy went according to plan until the Fourth of July weekend, about six weeks before her due date, so instead of enjoying fireworks, they spent that evening at the hospital trying to prevent a premature delivery. The medical team was successful in preventing the birth, but it meant Mac was immediately placed on complete bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy.

When Trish heard this, she placed her assistant in charge of the gallery and she flew to DC to help. Trish divided the cooking and household duties with Harm and Mattie. She told Harm 'I'm going to stay at her friend Monica's house, she's going on vacation and I'll house sit." It worked out for everyone, this gave Harm and his family some privacy, but Trish was only several minutes away if the need arose.

At JAG Mac's confinement caused a few headaches, they needed to bring in a judge for the rest of her pregnancy and her maternity leave. Fortunately, Admiral Morris, who'd recently retired, was on a list for emergencies, so he was able to be in court the next day. Harm wasn't able to be home that much in those weeks because he was dealing with Sturgis as his temporary commanding officer.

Admiral Chegwidden had suffered a slight heart attack in late June, and it seemed to the staff he'd abruptly retired. His doctor had strongly advised AJ to limit the stress in his life if he didn't want a massive coronary or a medical discharge from the Navy. He'd already started the paperwork for his retirement, and when his doctor had strongly recommended he retire the process sped up for on medical grounds. Chegwidden was officially retired by the middle of July.

When Chegwidden had left for the hospital he'd put Sturgis in temporary command, thinking he'd be back the next day or so. SecNav Sheffield saw no need to play 'musical chairs' while Congress confirmed the new judge advocate general, and he decided Sturgis would remain interim JAG.

To everyone outside of JAG it seemed to be a win-win situation, but the commander let the power go to his head. Mac heard this, not only from her husband, but also from all the other officers, and enlisted, who came to visit her. It turned out Sturgis wasn't so power-hungry; he'd abruptly ended his relationship with Verese after he caught her in a compromising situation with one of her female back-up singers, he took his frustration and anger out on his fellow staff. He'd only been dating the singer for a few months, thought things were serious between them, and had considered asking her to marry him. Losing two girlfriends in less than a year, as Bobbi and he had split up over differences of opinions on the invasion of Iraq, was apparently too much for him. A year later, when it was time for the promotions board to meet Sturgis was promoted to captain and immediately transferred. He'd been selected to be an exchange officer with the RAN and he was sent to Sydney.

Two week before her due date, early on a Sunday morning Valerie Francine Rabb decided to make her appearance. Mattie had calmly driven them to Bethesda, while Harm helped Mac through her breathing exercises; actually, Mac helped Harm through them. The same man who was a top gun in the air was a basket case. Mac needed to do the breathing but she could see that her husband needed them to focus and not to pass out before they reached the hospital.

Less than ten minutes after arriving at the hospital the little one made her way into the world. As it was the middle of the night, Harm made phone calls to his grandmother, mother, and brother and told them not to come until visiting hours in the morning. He called everyone at JAG when it was a more polite hour. When AJ Chegwidden heard how soon after getting there Valerie arrived, he chuckled and told Harm "at least she waited til the hospital". He also kidded Harm, "your daughter has a better sense of time than you". Harm knew he wasn't late that often, but he tended to cut it closer than most.

Even though he wanted to take more time, Harm only took three days paternity leave, but he knew just how swamped things were at work. Sturgis compensated for this by allowing Harm to leave work early every night.

Harriet asked Mac why they'd chose the name Valerie Francine. "We didn't want to name her Sarah, since there are already two Sarah's in the family so we named her after my Grandmother O'Neill. Francine is my mom's middle name; and we're also honoring Frank. If we'd had a boy, I think we'd still be deciding on a name. Harm didn't want the third, and I wanted Harmon somewhere in the name, even though Harm keeps reminding me that Andrei's middle name is Rabb."