Thank you all for your reviews and alerts. I really appreciate them all. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Thank you to GibbsFan for allowing me to pick her brain again :)

Chapter 8

"Hey.." Chloe said to Mattie who greeted her back.

"Hey."

Chloe was staying with Mac for the long weekend and the two adults thought it might be nice if they did something together. For the kids. For the kids to have each others company.

"So you up for this weekend at the beach?" Chloe asked.

"I guess." Mattie said. Truth was that she had been looking forward to the weekend away with Harm and the others, it might just be a lot of fun. She just hadn't wanted to seem too eager.

"Well don't knock yourself out with enthusiasm..." Chloe said as she plopped down into the chair beside Mattie. There was only a bit less than a year between them...nothing really except that Chloe was young enough to show her excitement eagerly.

"Sorry." Mattie said with a grin. "No it should be great."

"Feet off the coffee table Chloe." Mac said.

"Yeah. Sorry." Chloe said as she slowly did as she was told while still babbling. The two adults were in the kitchen getting the food ready for the drive.

"So...those two haven't gotten their act together yet?" Chloe asked.

"Harm and Mac?" Mattie asked with a grin. "They're just friends."

"So they say...still they do make a cute couple." Chloe enthused. She's always thought they should be together. Mattie smiled.

"I guess...when they're not bickering." The idea had some merit though, she thought. It might be kind of nice to have Mac around on a more permanent basis.

"That's just cos they're 'in love'." Chloe sang.

"I don't think it's gonna happen."

"Well maybe not without a little help." Chloe said with a roll of her eyes. Mattie shrugged. What the hell, it could be fun to play with Harm and Mac a little.

"What did you have in mind?" Chloe leaned in and whispered a couple of her ideas.

JAGJAGJAGJAGJAG

Mattie found herself enjoying Chloe's efforts despite herself. She wasn't too sure how they were going to get away with half the stuff but hey, it'd be fun trying.

They were on their way when Chloe announced that she needed the bathroom. Urgently. Like really urgently. Harm happily found a gas station and Mac went to get out.

"I need to go to." Mattie said hoping that Mac would would stay put. She did,.

"You girls be careful." she said. Mattie rolled her eyes. What were they five?"

"You sure this is the place?" Chloe asked.

"Positive." Chloe got out her phone and dialled the number making sure to lower her voice an sound older.

"Yes...we have a booking at your hotel..." she gave the name and the details. "You see I would like to upgrade to one of your suites with a spa... you can? That's great...thing is...it's kind of a surprise...so I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything about it on our arrival. Like just give us the keys..."Mattie was wildly giving her the cut sign. The more she talked, the younger Chloe was sounded. Luckily for them the hotel desk clerk was happy to just take the credit card details and do as she had requested.

"Yay! It worked." Chloe bubbled.

"Yay! Wait til they find the charges on Mac's credit card." Mattie said with a little less enthusiasm.

"Oh it'll be fine. We'll use Harm's next...you have to get it this time...By the time they're madly in love and together...they'll be so grateful to us for doing this for them..."

"I hope you're right." Mattie said, knowing that she wasn't, but hoping the end result would be worth it.

JAGJAGJAGJAGJAG

The car trip continued with Chloe managing to write down all the details of Mac's credit card, and slip it back into her wallet. Mattie waited for her opportunity but it wasn't as easy. Harm didn't carry a purse and she couldn't exactly slip her hand into his pocket and pull out his wallet. But...time and patience helped and finally he threw his jacket onto the seat and the wallet could be seen in plain view poking out from the pocket. Chloe gave Mattie a 'go ahead' urgent look. Mattie took a deep breath and while the two adults were busy talking she whipped out the wallet and slipped the card into her own pocket before returning the wallet to it's spot.

Mattie's face was bright red and her breathing shallow. She'd never felt more guilty in her life. She really hoped that Harm was gonna appreciate why they were doing all this.

At the next stop the girls went to the bathroom again and after checking all the cubicles were empty, they made their call. This time to a florist local to the area they were staying.

"Hi, I would like to have some roses delivered please..." It was a miracle that the florist hadn't caught on to the underlying arguments that had gone on during the conversation. Chloe had ordered two dozen red roses, but had eventually changed it to a dozen when Mattie had thumped her in the arm.

"TOOO MUCH!" she'd whispered at her loudly.

"HUH?" Chloe had whispered back.

"TOOOOOO MUCH MONEY!"

"Oh...one dozen should do it thank you." Chloe had said. She really thought the two dozen would have been better but she conceded the point. After all they didn't want to go overboard."And on the card...could you write...'To my one and only true love...' Mattie rolled her eyes. This better work...

"We have to create the right atmosphere.."

"Uhhuh...it'd be nice though if we didn't send them completely broke."

"It's credit...you don't have to pay it back all at once...and if need be you take another card and pay for this one with that one..."

"And how do you pay for that one?"

"With ANOTHER one..." Chloe said sarcastically. Wow Mattie really didn't get the whole credit card experience.

For all her bravado, Chloe was as nervous as Mattie when they finally got to the Virginia beach hotel. Harm and Mac had obviously already shelled out a bit for this place...it was a really nice hotel.

"Hi, I have a family room booked in the name of Rabb..."

"Yes Sir Mr Rabb, it seems that we've upgraded your room." The girl behind the desk explained as she passed him the key. Chloe and Mattie both held their breath...

"Oh? What a promotion or something?" Harm asked. Mattie quickly grabbed his arm while the key was still dangling form his fingers.

""Come on Harm...don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Let's just go before they change their mind." she whispered. Chloe grinned at Mac innocently and the small family headed towards the elevator.

JAGJAGJAGJAGJAG

"Whoa...this is really nice." Mac said happily inspecting the suite. "There may be a problem with the sleeping arrangements though.

"Why?" Harm asked.

"Well one of the bedrooms has a king and the other has two beds."

"Oh."

"Oh well...Chloe and I will share the king and you and Mattie can have the room with the two..." she said. Ok, Mattie thought. That wasn't part of the plan...she had to think quick..

"I'm NOT sharing a bedroom with a man!" she shouted dramatically. Harm held his hands up.

"Ok ok. I'll just sleep on the couch."

"Oh no Harm." Chloe said dramatically. "Those are fancy sitting on couches not sleepin on couches...your poor old back will never recover."

"Hey kid enough of the old...and I've slept on worse."

"Look...you girls can take the king and Harm and I will take one of the other beds each."

"Oooohh." Chloe said. "Why didn't I think of that." Well it wasn't ideal but it was better than Harm sleeping on the couch. It was a start anyway.

"And none of the oooohhhh miss, we're just friends."

"Ok." Chloe said happily...not for long...

JAGJAGJAGJAGJAG

They were nearly done with the unpacking when there was a knock on the door.

"You call room service?" Harm asked.

"No...maybe the girls." Mac said. "I'll go and see." When she opened the door the person standing there was masked by a giant bouquet of roses.

"Delivery for Sarah Mac.." he said. Mac was so shocked that it didn't even register that the name on the card was Sarah Mac instead of her full name. She took the flowers and wandered into the room while searching for the card. As she read it she smiled.

"That is sooo sweet...and so...odd." she said. Harm came out of the room and frowned. Who'd sent those. He kind of liked that it was just the four of them and it seemed to be a kind of intrusion to have some guy sending Mac flowers. He kind of wished he'd thought of it himself...nah...they were just friends. He plastered a smile on his face for effect.

"Aren't you popular?" he said as he tried to get a look at the card. Mac clutched it to her chest.

"No you don't...it's just between my secret admirer and me." she said with a giggle. Mattie watched the exchange with interest. Sooo she thought. He's jealous. Well maybe that was worth it after all.

Chloe was wearing a grin of her own and her mind was already on what they should do next...

TBC