Little peacemaker

It was not a good morning. They had had their usual morning run but it had been chilly and damp. The ground had been slippery, and that didn't go without consequences.
Back in the car tension had already begun to rise and as soon as they were home they were in an argument. An argument getting more and more heated by the second.
"I'll try to be more sensitive, and you try to be less," Harm finally snorted.
"Good. You try to be more sensitive, and I won't have to be less!" Mac shot back.
Suddenly Mackenzie landed on the coffee table in between them. "Mreaw, mreoww," she screamed, clearly not happy with the way her owners behaved.
For a moment it looked like Harm was about to give Mac another earful but then he turned on his heels and with long strides he was out of the door, slamming it close behind him. She could hear his angry footsteps die away and then there was silence. A silence only to be broken by a soft thumb when Mackenzie jumped off the table and went in search for her food bowl.
For a few moments Mac glared angrily at the closed door. How did he dare to walk out on her? Then she slowly walked to the bedroom, to go and change, still muttering under her breath.
Inside the bedroom the silence hit her once more. The comforters were still rumpled, witnesses of their night together. His clothes were in a heap on the floor and his scent was still lingering in the air.
Suddenly she couldn't remember what the fight had been about in the first place. Had it really been something worth fighting over? And now he had run off. Who knew how he would react when he came back. She knew he would come back; after all, this was his home. She felt her eyes sting and before she knew it she was face down on the bed, crying her heart out.
She was still sobbing when she felt something next to her. A rough moist body part touched her cheek to try and wipe away the tears. Had Harm come back without her noticing? She turned her head. No, it was little Mackenzie licking her 'mum's' face and trying to console her. "Meow," the little cat said, muzzling Mac's cheek.
Mac bit her lip and held the little animal close. Mackenzie purred and licked her face again.
"I was such a bitch," Mac whispered. "I can't even remember what we were fighting over. Surely it must have been something trivial."
She curled up, still clutching her feline friend against her chest. Slowly her eyes fell close. A few moments later she was fast asleep.

In the meantime Harm had jumped into his car and spurted off. "What the h*ck," he grumbled. It hadn't been his fault the ground was wet and slippery and she had lost her balance. He was sure that if the situation had been reversed and he had landed on his bum, she would have laughed too. And he had helped her up and asked her if she was hurt, hadn't he? Where was her sense of humour? And how could a discussion about slipping spiral so far out of control, involving everything from doing dishes to leaving papers on the table and a towel hanging in the bathroom. After all, it was his house, wasn't it? He had a right to leave papers on the table and a towel in the bathroom.
He slowed down a bit. No use in getting a ticket for speeding. She had been showing odd behaviour for some days, he realized. Irritated quickly as well as emotional. It wasn't like his Marine to cry over a movie. Especially not if they had seen it before. He frowned. Maybe there was more to it. Maybe he should go back and had them sit and talk it over. He pulled a face. If she was willing to do that, that is.
He was slowing down even more, looking for an opportunity to turn the car when he spotted a florist. A bouquet of flowers wouldn't hurt, he pondered. Not as a means to make up but to show her he loved her and was not going away.
Ten minutes later he stepped back into his car and placed the 20 long stem roses on the passenger's seat. Slowly he joined the traffic again, his thoughts already running ahead. How would she react? What had she done after he had stormed out? Had she gone home to her own apartment?
Suddenly it was very important Mac was still at his place.

Inside the loft seemed to be deserted. Harm felt his chest tighten.
Then he heard a slight noise coming form the bedroom. Looking in he saw his Marine lying on the bed, fast asleep. Next to her, curled up in the curve of her neck, was Mackenzie. The little cat looked up when he approached. "Mroaw."
Harm swallowed. She looked so vulnerable, his Sarah. Nothing like the tough Marine she normally showed. He reached out to wake her up, then changed his mind and carefully draped the bedspread over her. Then he went to the kitchen and put the flowers into a vase. Quietly he placed it on the bed stand, so she would see them when she woke up. Walking back into the living he grabbed his briefcase and sat himself to work, his ears perked for any sound from the bedroom.
It was almost an hour later when Mac started to stir, waking up Mackenzie in the process. Slowly she sat up, making the kitten roll over. She blinked a few times to focus. There was something different, something that hadn't been there before. She reached out to confirm, it was indeed a huge bouquet of red roses. In the meantime Harm had noticed Mac had woken up and he was standing on the steps. A bit shy she looked his way but he was only smiling at her.
Now she was off the bed and into his arms in a blink of an eye.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered.
"It's okay. I love you."
He lifted her up and walked towards the couch where he sat the two of them down, Mac on his lap.
"I don't know what happened. You surely didn't do anything to deserve it," Mac apologized further. "I don't know what's wrong with me; all the time I feel like I have a bad case of PMS. I'm so sorry."
For a moment Harm didn't know what to say. The he took her left hand and kissed the knuckles. "There is a reason I gave you this," he said softly, kissing her ring finger once more. "Or better, two."
Mac looked at him.
"First, I love you. Second, I want to spend my life with you. And a bickering will not change that."
Mac had to fight her tears again. She knew nothing better to do that wrap her arms around his neck and hold him tightly. Mackenzie scrambled onto the couch as well, wanting her part of the attention. For a while they were content to hold en be held.
Suddenly Mac stomach made a rumbling noise. They both had to laugh.
"Why don't we make lunch and after that we talk," Harm suggested. Mac nodded and realizing she still wore her running cloths said "I'll go freshen up." She hopped off his lap and disappeared into the bathroom. Harm went to heat up some soup and make a couple of sandwiches.

They ate their lunch, chatting about all kinds of small subjects. But after lunch Harm made them a drink and they sat down to talk. Mac didn't know where to begin but Harm came to her help.
"What is PMS?"
"PMS stands for premenstrual syndrome and it's a collection of symptoms, both emotional and physical, that a woman can suffer from just before her period," Mac started to explain. "Almost all women experience some symptoms, like retaining fluid, feeling bloated, tender breasts. Women having epilepsy can experiences more fits, women vulnerable for migraine are more likely to have an attack. But you can also be emotionally out of balance. Like very irritable or crying about everything."
"Like you feel now?" Harm asked.
"Yes." Again Mac had to control herself. "In general I hardly have any symptoms but this time … I feel puffy and my breasts hurt and …" she blinked furiously. Harm didn't know better that to carefully pull her into his arms.
"Are you?" he asked after a while. "Just before your period, I mean."
Mac nodded. "In fact my cycle can be anything between 28 and 35 days. But I'm late now. I guess that's why it's hitting harder this time."
"I guess," Harm agreed although he had the nagging feeling there was more to it. "Is there anything I can do?"
"I don't think so," Mac sighed, resting her head against his chest. "But I like you holding me."
After a while they decided it was time to do their afternoon chores. First they cleared away the dishes. Then Harm grabbed some bags to go grocery shopping.
"You're not coming?" he asked a bit disappointed when Mac didn't follow him.
Mac walked over to him and folded her hands loosely behind his neck. Immediately his arms went equally loosely around her waist. It was already their favourite position when they had to discuss a minor subject.
"I was thinking, I still have to read a few files. What if you go grocery shopping and I read and then we will have the rest of the weekend just for us?"
Slowly Harm nodded. He would have preferred she was coming with him but she was right.
"Okay," he said. "Anything special I have to buy?"
"I made shopping list," his beloved told him. "It's on the fridge."
Dutifully Harm plucked it away from under the magnet and went to the supermarket, while Mac curled up on the couch, surrounded with files.

At the supermarket Harm wheeled his trolley through the aisles. In went several kinds of cereals, veggies, bread, milk and a few one-person's rations of meat. At the pharmacy department he bought two boxes of condoms. Surely a child was planned but not yet. He checked his list. Canned fruit, snacks, butter, eggs and a bag of flour. It wasn't difficult but Harm had trouble concentrating. Like earlier that day something was nagging him, a thought just out of reach. He was on his way to the register when it hit him. He fell dead in his steps causing a well-built lady to almost bump into him. She first gave him an angry glare and then a more appreciating look but it went unnoticed by Harm. He turned his trolley again and returned to the pharmacy department.

When he came home, the house was deserted but on the table was a note from Mac 'Doing laundry.' Harm started to stash away the groceries and indeed, after a few minutes Mac appeared with a full basket. Together they folded the towels and Harm took them to the bathroom. There he placed them in the cabinet and proceeded with rummaging through the contents of the little wastebasket sitting on the washstand.
In the meantime Mac had produced two cups of tea and when he came back she invited him to sit and discuss the rest of their weekend. Harm had something else on his mind though.
"When was your last period?" he wanted to know.
Mac started to count. "Almost six weeks," she said, a bit surprised it was that long.
Harm's hand disappeared into his pocket and came out with a little item again.
"Do you remember a few weeks ago I found a box of condoms scattered over the floor and we laughed about it, saying it must have been a wild night?"
A bit bewildered Mac nodded; she didn't see where he was heading.
"I picked them up and didn't think much of it but yesterday my cufflink slipped out of my hands and when I found it back under my bed just behind the leg I found this, too." He placed the little item in front of her. Mac picked it up. It was a completely trashed foil package. Clearly it had suffered from cat teeth and claws.
He could pinpoint the exact moment the coin dropped. Mac jumped to her feet and started to pace.
"I can't be pregnant! That's not possible!"
Little Mackenzie, feeling her mistress' distress let out a wail an started to walk with her, only to be almost kicked out of the way for at that moment Mac had little eye for her surroundings.
Finally Mac dropped down on the chair again and picked her up, absently petting the little head.
"It was just before Mac the Knife left," Harm softly said. "What if he had his claws in not only this one? The best condom isn't much use when it's punctured." He put his hand in his pocket once more and retrieved a small box. He pushed it over the table to Mac.
"I bought this, to be sure," he explained a bit embarrassed.
Mac stared at the box. She still didn't believe, no, she didn't want to believe. Finally she took it and disappeared into the bathroom. A bit later she rejoined Harm and together they watched the little stick.
First one little pink line appeared; the test line to see whether the pregnancy test was working. Then, ever so slowly, a second line appeared in the other little window, indicating it was true. Mac was pregnant.
Mac looked for a few seconds at both the pink lines. Then she rushed to the bathroom. Harm heard her fall on her knees and throw up. He waited a few moments; then he went in, filled a glass with water and moistened a washcloth. When Mac started to sit straight he tenderly wiped her face and gave her the water to rinse her mouth. Then he helped her up and walked her back to the living. Arms around each other they sat on the couch and let the news sink in.
"What's next?" Mac finally asked.
Harm had thought about that and had his answer ready. "You are going to make an appointment with your OBGYN first thing Monday morning. If he confirms you're pregnant you are going to talk to the Admiral."
Mac pulled a face. "That means nine, no eight, months of deskwork," she pouted. She placed her hand on her still flat tummy. "And I want this to be a secret for a while longer, just for the two of us." She looked at Harm pleadingly.
He hesitated. "Okay, if your OBGYN says it's okay to wait a little longer. If not … if necessary I'll talk to Chegwidden. I don't want to take any risk! Next to that, we are going to make arrangements for the wedding. This one…" He placed his hand over hers, still on her
tummy. "This little one is going to be born a Rabb."
Mac just smiled. She knew he never would accept his child to be born out of wedlock.
"You don't think it's too early?" Harm asked
Mac shook her head and snuggled in a bit more. Now that the initial shock had vanished she started to look forward to her new life. A life with a husband she loved and a child.
Maybe Mac the Knife wasn't such a little demon after all. Maybe he just had been a blessing in disguise.