Title: That Night
Author: Anne Taul, anne_taul@gowebway.com

Summary: A drunken night has unexpected consequences.

Disclaimer: Jag, its characters and premise are the exclusive property of Bellasarius Productions, Paramount, and CBS. This is a recreational endeavor, no profit is being made ­ or sought. No copyright infringement is intended.


 

That Night


Lt. Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. sat at his desk, ignoring the files lay out before him. He was deep in thought. He was thinking about ­ her.. It had been happening a lot lately. As a matter of fact, he thought more about her than about anything else anymore. He knew he wasn't going to get any work done this way, but he really couldn't help it, not since that night that they had spent together.

It had been, what, six or seven weeks ago, now? A long time. He really didn't remember anything about the evening at all, he only knew what she had told him the next day -- and a dozen times since. He still found it difficult to imagine, though, that he had spent a whole night lying next to her, and nothing had happened. She had told him this over and over, and he believed her, of course, but still, it was hard to fathom completely. In these weeks, she brought it up often, teasing him privately. It was this teasing, and the thought of lying next to her, of holding her in his arms, that had led him to the realization of his feelings for her.. He was in love with her. He hadn't known it before at all. They had always been such good friends, but there hadn't really been anything else, until now. The discovery had almost frightened him. "That night" haunted him, especially since he had no memory of it. He thought about it a lot, and wished that he had the chance to live it over ­and to remember it! Maybe it was best that he couldn't remember, that nothing had happened, after all they did have to work together. And he wasn't the first sailor to have ever been too drunk to recall the details of a night with a beautiful woman. But still, it bothered him. And she knew it bothered him. Of course she didn't know how it had caused him to fall in love with her. She said that he was so bothered by it because of his silly male ego. Performance anxiety she had called it.

His thoughts were interrupted by ­her. She stuck her head in the office door and asked, "Are you ready to go over those depositions, yet?"

":Sure, give me just a minute to clear my mind. Why don't you get us a cup of coffee, Mac?"

She closed the door and moved away. He stood up and stretched, briefly. Then thought to himself, "Get hold of yourself, Rabb." But something in him was a little excited to know that he was going to be alone with her. All of this was really inappropriate. They had known each other, worked together, been close friends for years now. They had been through so much, they had actually been to hell, and back together, he reflected.. Why had this happened to him, now? She would never understand.



She sat across the desk from him. She was talking about what order they should call their witnesses in. He could hear her, but he was distracted. When she looked up at him with those big brown eyes that were deep as pools, he just couldn't concentrate.

Harm got up and began pacing around the office. She asked him ,"Are you listening to me?"

"Of course, I am. Petty Officer Daniels should testify before Ensign Franklin."

"Harm, what's wrong?" she pleaded.

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong, Mac. What makes you ask?"

"I know you, Commander. Something's bothering you. Is it me? 'Cause we could do this in the morning before the hearing."

"Why would you bother me?" he lied, "After all I know you by now. We've even slept together."

"Wait a minute. That's it isn't it? You can't stand to face me, because I'm a woman who you went to bed with, but couldn't be with. Harm, we really should talk about this."

"That's ridiculous, Mac."

She stood up.

He ran his fingers through his hair, and said, "Well, maybe I'm a little surprised that I spent the night with a beautiful woman, and......passed out."

"Well, thank for saying that you think I'm beautiful. I know it must be a stretch for you, but don't take it too personally. We have a good relationship, it's just not like that. That would only complicate our lives."

He nodded.

She headed out of his office. He stopped her, "Hey, just a minute, where are you going?"

"I'm not feeling too well. I think I'll leave early, so I can go home and get some rest."

"What's wrong? Mac, it's 10:00 in the morning. It's just not like you to be sick."

"I've had a little intestinal bug or something. You know, there's always something like that going around. I probably just need some rest. I'll take this folder home with me and finish this up before in the morning."

"No, leave it. I'll do it." He instructed. He hated the thought that she didn't feel well. "Do you want me to drive you home?"

"Thanks. No, I'll be fine."



During the afternoon, he still thought about her, but he got more work done without her around the office. He made a mental note to call her when he got ready to leave to see if she needed anything.

On the drive home from work, he remembered that he'd forgotten to call, so he decided to just stop by her apartment to check on her.

She met him at the door, dressed in a baggy T-shirt and running shorts. Her skin was aglow with sweat. Obviously, she had been exercising.

"You shouldn't be doing that if you're sick." He recommended.

"Oh, I'm feeling okay now." she replied.

He got serious, "Mac, you know, it's not like you to get sick. I was thinking that maybe you ought to see a doctor or something."

"Well, I've felt this same way several times in the last couple of weeks, so today I did go to the doctor."

"Oh, no. Is something wrong?"

"No, Harm, nothing's really wrong."

"Then what did he say?"

"Sit down," she ordered.

"This is bad, isn't it?" his voiced was shaking just a little.

"You're going to have to know sooner or later. "Harm, I'm pregnant."

He felt a sensation like a dagger twisting in his chest. It was a couple of minutes before he could speak. "Pregnant? Are you sure?"

"Yeah. The doctor says the test is almost 100% accurate at this stage."

"A baby? Well, that's great! Isn't it?"

"Well, it's something that I sure hadn't planned for. At least not right now. But still, it is a baby."

He took her by the arm and led her to sit on the couch. He sat down beside her. "Mac, I've got to ask, "Who's the father? Does he know? Of course, if it's none of my business, I'll understand"

"No," she began in a soft quivering voice, "I want you to know. You should know. You need to know."

She, abruptly turned away from him, leaving her back facing him.

"Mac," he began, "Are you alright?"

She didn't answer, so he let her sit there.

They didn't move for several minutes, then he placed his hand lightly on her shoulder. When she turned back round to face him, her face was red and tears flowed freely down her cheeks. For just an instant he hated whoever might have made her cry.

Instead of saying anything, he enfolded her in his arms and pulled her against his chest. She sobbed silently, then pushed him away.

Sitting up straight, she took one of his hands in hers, and looked into his eyes.

"Harm," she began, but he interrupted her.

"Mac, you don't have to....."

"Listen to me," she said, firmly.

He wiped a stray tear from her cheek and answered, "Okay."

"Harm, the baby's yours. You are the father."

He smiled at her. "I will be if you want me to."

"No, you are. You and I , we made this baby together."

"But Mac, we never...."

"Yes, that night. That night in the motel downtown, we made love, and we made this baby."

"You mean, you lied to me?"

"Yes"

"But why would you have lied to me?"

"It's hard to explain."

"Well, try me. I've got time."

"Harm, that night meant nothing to you. You don't even remember it. It did mean something to me, and I just couldn't admit that something like that might have mattered to me, when you couldn't even recall having been there."

"It meant something to you? Tell me about that."

"No. It's not important, not now."

He placed a tentative hand behind her head, pulling her toward him. He brought her head to rest on his shoulder. His arms held her tightly, without any instructions from him. His hand, then moved down to her belly. He touched it, hesitantly.

She lifted her head to look up at him, before she assured him, "It's your baby. And I know how important having a family is to you. Harm, I promise, I'll never keep the child from you. I'll always make sure you see the baby. And that you're a part of its life."

He supported her chin with his fingers, a he said, "And you? Will you make sure I see you and that you're a part of my life?"

"It won't be like that. You won't have to."

He lifted her chin just slightly, until her mouth met his, and he kissed her. He felt the excitement and energy race through him. She moved in his arms, and he asked if she was okay.

"Oh, yeah!" she responded breathlessly. Her mouth searched for his, again. This time the kiss was mutual, and filled with passion. It lingered.

When it finally did end, she snuggled deep into the nest of his arms, which encircled her. She held both his hands. "Will you stay with me tonight?" she asked.

"Do you want me to?"

"Yeah. Harm, I want to spend a night with you that we'll both remember."

Electric current couldn't have jolted him anymore. "Me too.." He agreed, "But is it okay. For the baby, I mean."

"Sure, the baby's tiny. We can't hurt it."

He kissed her neck, and pulled the T-shirt off her shoulder, his lips following the skin there.

She had unbuttoned the front of his khaki uniform, and slipped her hands beneath his T-shirt.

They moved toward the bedroom, fondling and caressing.



The sunlight had begun to streak through the windows as he woke to find her still sleeping in his arms. It occurred to him that they must have been asleep for a long time This was his fantasy, though, to know what it felt like to lie beside her and to hold her. This night had been more than he could ever have dreamed of. He kissed her cheek and she began to stir. When she opened her eyes, he said, "Good morning."

"It's 0730. Get up, we're going to be late."

He checked his watch, only to discover that she was, of course, right.

He hugged her to him. "I thought maybe I'd call in sick today. You left early yesterday, so nobody'd doubt that you were still under the weather. We could just stay here all day."

"Harm, we can't. we're due in court this morning."

"So, we get a continuance."

"No, we need to save all our leave for when the baby's born,"

"The baby," he repeated. His hand moved again to massage her belly as his lips engaged hers.

"Mac...Darling....Sarah, I think we should get married.'

"What? Are you nuts?"

"Well, with the baby coming, and all..."

"That's not a good reason to get married! If we're miserable, the child will be , too. "

"I can't imagine being miserable with you. Besides, we have the chance to give our baby a real family, something neither one of us ever had."

"We can take care of the baby, without getting married."

"You know what I mean."

She kissed him, draping her arms around his neck.

He returned the kiss, letting his hands wander over her body.



He was at the office later, before it finally hit him with full force, "I'm going to be a father." He had watched Bud become a father, and knew that his friend loved every minute of it. He would be a good father to his child, too. Like Bud was.

Soon, he fell back into the familiar pattern of thinking about....her. Only now it was different. She was his Sarah. He finally knew what it was like to hold her, to kiss her, to feel her, to taste her. Yes, she was his, and they were going to have a baby...together. He felt like his whole life was complete. He began looking for her, but he couldn't find her anywhere. After several inquiries, Harriet told him that Mac had laid claim to a corner of the law library, and was working there for the morning.

He entered the library silently, careful not to make any noise. She sat there, with her back facing toward him. She was taking notes from a very large book of criminal procedure codes. "Boring!" he thought to himself. He moved to stand behind her chair, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Oh, hi," she said.

"Hi, yourself," he answered, as he ran his hands down toward her lap. He stopped at her belly, placing both of his hands over it , lovingly. She touched his hands with both of hers, then gripped his arms that ran the length of her torso. He felt good, she was glad he had come in. Then, she raised her head, her forehead colliding with his chin. She moved her mouth close to his, lightly brushing her lips against his. He was not satisfied with this, so he initiated a deeper kiss. She responded fully. It was then that they became aware of someone else in the room. A throat was cleared. Harm pulled away and stood up to his full height, at attention. Mac sat up straight in her chair.

Admiral Cheggwidden's voice was stern: "Is there something that you two would like to tell me?"

"No, sir. Sorry, Sir," Harm offered automatically.

Mac broke in with, "Yes, Sir. We really should talk to you."

"My office." Chegwidden ordered

As they followed the admiral, Harm looked at her with a disbelieving stare. "Sarah, what are you doing?"

She whispered, " I, for one, am not going to be able to hide this for very long." She patted her flat abdomen.

"Yeah, Honey, but...."

Before they entered the office, she said, "If you don't want to be a part of this, you don't have to. I won't say that you're the father, if you don't want me to."

"Of course, I want to be the father." He squeezed her hand.

The admiral offered them seats, then inquired, "What's going on here? If you two have something you wanted me to know about, you could have just told me."

Harm began, "Sir, we weren't hiding anything, we just hadn't gotten around to... well, sir, you see, the Major..... or rather I...... Major MacKenzie and I..... well, we...."

Mac interrupted him, "Sir, if I may. I think I can tell the whole story."

"Go ahead, Major." AJ encouraged.

"Sir, it started about six or seven weeks ago. Do you remember when we were working on Corporal Mac Donald's court martial?"

"Yes, it was a long, tough case."

"Yes, Sir, it was. Harm and I both worked many long hours on that one."

"I remember." Added the admiral.

"The day that verdict came in seemed like a great relief. We were exhausted. And we felt like we should celebrate, at least a little bit."

"That sounds reasonable, Major. But what does it have to do with what was going on in the library?"

"I'm getting to that, Sir."

"That night, after work, we went out to a nice dinner to relax. We got dressed in nice ­looking civilian clothes, and had an expensive dinner. No shop talk at all.'

"I approve. Mac, is there a point here?"

"Yes, Sir. After dinner, Harm, Commander Rabb, thought we needed to do something to unwind a little more. He suggested that we go out to a club to for some dancing. So we did. It was a nice little night club, and the music was great. We danced, and had a pretty good time. When it got late, about time to head out, I realized that Harm had been drinking...a lot. He could barely stand. I took his keys to drive him home..."

"Good idea," the admiral interjected.

"The problem was, Sir, that he couldn't even really walk to the car. He was to the point that I knew he was about to pass out. Even if I got him to the car, I knew that I'd never be able to get him inside once I took him home. I really thought it would be better to let him just sleep it off. There was a shabby looking little motel across the street, so I got him a room and put him to bed, and...."

Harm jumped in here, "Mac, you don't have to..."

"Let me finish." She admonished him.

"Admiral, Sir, the only way I can describe what happened next is... well, Sir, I guess I took advantage of Commander Rabb in his weakened condition."

"Wait a minute, I wouldn't say..."Harm spoke up.

"What would you call it, then? Harm, you can't even remember any of it."

"You don't remember, Son?" the admiral sounded sympathetic.

"See, what happened, Sir, was that I..." Mac began.

The admiral cut her off. "Mac, this is not my first experience with a drunken sailor."

"Well, no Sir, but.."

"I think I can understand. So, you two have been, shall we say, involved, since that time?"

"No, Sir" she replied briskly.

Harm rose to his full height in his chair. "Admiral, I passed out. I couldn't remember what happened that night. Major MacKenzie told me that nothing had happened between us. I woke up to find her dressing, ready to leave."

Chegwidden had an amused look on his face, "So, you lied to him about what happened?"

"Yes, Sir" she said, sheepishly

"Why?"

"Well, Sir, it didn't mean anything to him. He passed out. He couldn't even remember it. I guess I just didn't want the complications involved with admitting that it did mean something to me."

"Oh, I see. So, the two of you have been carrying on a secret affair around here for two months?"

"No, sir." Harm stated.

"Then, what?"

"Sir, I wasn't feeling well yesterday. I left work early and went to see a doctor."

"Are you sick, Major?"

"No, Sir. I'm pregnant."

"You're, what?"

"We're going to have a baby, Sir." Harm said, proudly.

"This is all a result of that night, then?"

"Yes, Sir." She answered.

"Well, congratulations, I guess. You both understand, though, that I can't let you keep working together?"

"But Admiral.." Mac began, then she stopped, thinking better of it..

Chegwidden walked around to the front of the desk. He shook Harm's hand, and kissed Mac's cheek. "It'll be good having a new baby in the family." He announced.

Harm addressed him, directly. "Speaking of family, Sir... I wish you'd talk to the Major. She respects your opinion."

Mac rolled her eyes.

"Speak to the Major about what, Commander?" he asked.

"Well, Sir, I think we should get married right away, but she doesn't want to. Sir, I think our child deserves a complete family, all of the advantages."

AJ looked at Mac. She inserted, "I agree, sir, I want all the best for this baby. But I don't think that the baby, alone, is something to build a marriage on." With that, she left the room.

"Admiral, talk to her." Harm pleaded.

"Son, I have to agree with the Major."

"What?" Harm couldn't believe his ears.

"Admiral, sir, I thought you of all people would understand how important this is."

"Oh, I do. Harm, you grew up without your father. Of course you want the child to have parents who are there to count on. But that's between you and the baby. You can't marry someone for the sake of someone else. That's not fair to anybody. Don't you think that Mac deserves to find somebody that can love her, and make her happy?"

"Sir, nobody could ever love her more than I do."

"Have you told her that?"

"Well, no, but..."

"But what, Son?"

"If you want to marry her because you are in love with her, tell her that. Leave the baby out of it for now."

"I do love her, but she doesn't feel the same way."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Well she never said so."

"Neither did you."

"That's right. No wonder she doesn't want to marry me, she thinks it's just for the baby. She doesn't know how much I love her."

"Tell her."

"I will. Admiral, could I have a couple hours off this afternoon? I'd like to go to a jewelers and buy a ring, before I ask her again."

"Of course."

As he walked back toward his office, he stuck his head in her door. "Sarah, I'm sorry about all that. I didn't mean to force you into having to tell the admiral everything.""

"That's okay. Like I said he had to know sooner or later. This is something that I'm not going to be able to hide for too long."

"You are really terrific. Would you go out to dinner with me tonight? I'd like to take you someplace special, someplace nice. Maybe that same place we ate "that night."

"That sounds great. I'd love too. I'll go straight home and change. What time do you want to pick me up?"

"I'll make reservations. For, say, 1900. Pick you up about a half hour before?"

"Great."

It was the fourth jewelry store and the who ­knows-how-manyth ring, before he made his decision. He told the jeweler, "I think I don't need a ring after all. Can I look at that instead?""

Back at the office, the admiral called him in, shut the door, and asked to see it. "What do you mean you didn't get a ring? Of all the bone-headed moves. Rabb, when a girl gets engaged, it's customary for her to receive a ring."



Harm sat down in his office and dialed the phone to his mother's art gallery in La Jolla, California. Soon he was talking to her: "It's me, Mom.

Sure, everything's fine.

No, really, I'm all right.

I just need you to do me a favor..

Nothing like that.

Yeah.

Okay.

Of course, Mom.

You know that trunk you've got with all my stuff in it?

Yeah, that's it.

I think it's in the big closet..

Listen to me, Mom.

In the trunk, there's a red box.

Like a jewelry case.

Yeah.

If you say so.

I made the box myself. It's covered with red velvet.

Down inside the box, wrapped up in some gauze is the ring you gave me when I was 16.

Yeah, that's it.

Will you send it to me, Mom?

Overnight service. I need it as soon as possible.

Yeah, that's right. The ring you told me was for the woman I was going to marry, The one Dad gave you.

Don't cry, Mom

Yeah, I'm thinking about getting married.

I do think I've found the right woman.

Yes Ma'am, I'm sure.

Yes, Mom. I do love her.

I will.

Yes, Mom, you do know her.

No.

Mom, don't cry.

It's Mac.

How could you have known for a long time, Mom? I just figured it out, myself.

No,Mom, I'm not slow.

Yes, mom. I love her.

I'm not sure. I hope she loves me too.

Will you send the ring?

Thanks, Mom

Yes ma'am. I will

I love you too.

(pause)

Oh, Mom, there's one other thing you ought to know.

(another pause)

Mom, Mac's pregnant.

No. I don't think you look like a grandmother.

Why not? Because I thought that's what you wanted me to say.

I'll let you know

I love you. Bye."



When she opened the door, the sight of her literally took his breath away. Her dress was black and fitted in the bodice. It accentuated all the right places. The skirt came well below her knee and was full. The top was strapless, and cut to be very flattering. A string of pearls hung into the top of it and hinted at hidden treasures.

He kissed her cheek and said, "My god, you're beautiful."

"Thank you," she replied. "You don't look too shabby, yourself."

He automatically straightened his tie. As they walked to the car, his arm was around her waist.

At dinner they talked and laughed while they ate. She was acutely aware of how good it felt to laugh with him, to have fun.

When he walked her back in to her apartment, he told her, "I have something I want to give you."

"What?" she asked.

"Sit down." He pointed to the sofa.

She sat, and he sat beside her, with an arm around her shoulders.

He removed a long box from his pocket.

"Jewelry." She enthused.

She opened the box to reveal a golden charm bracelet.

He lifted it out, and showed her each charm, in turn.

"This one is your birthstone, this one is my birthstone. Here's an anchor representing the Navy and a Marine Corp sheild. This one is scales of justice ­ for the legal profession, and a Jag emblem." He held up a small, thin outline of a child's head. "When the baby's born, we'll engrave the birth date on this one. Then there's space for a new charm for every special event in the baby's life ­and in our lives."

"Oh, Harm, it's beautiful. I love it. How sweet. The baby's not even born, and you've already started a scrapbook."

She circled her arms around his neck and kissed him, passionately.

He pulled her closer, stroking her back.

After a few minutes, he let go, and moved his head down to her flat belly. With his lips very close, he talked to his child. "Little One, I don't know whether you can hear me, but I'm your Daddy. I love you. Your mommy and I both love you. We can't wait to meet you." He kissed the area where the growing child would eventually make itself known.

Then raising himself back up, he kissed her lips, again. His hands moved over her body, as he began to undress her.

"No." she said, pulling the dress back up.

"What's wrong?"

"Harm, I just can't do this right now. Could you, please, just hold me?"

He wrapped his arms tightly around her, guiding her head to lie on his chest.

After a few minutes, he looked down at her and observed, "You're tired." She nodded.

He picked her up and carried her in to the bed. He lay down beside her, enclosing her in his full embrace. They talked for a little while, but she was fighting sleep.

As she drifted into the realm of somnabulance, he heard her murmur under her breath, "I love you."

He wanted to tell her that he loved her too. He really wanted her to know how he felt, but as he turned his head to tell her, she was asleep. So he softly kissed her forehead instead.

When she woke the next morning, she found a note on the pillow beside her head. It read, "" had a good time. Sorry to be gone this way, but I have to be in court early. How about lunch? Love, Harm. She fingered the beautiful bracelet that she still wore. She wished she knew what to make of him, of this whole situation. A wave of nausea reminded her of the part of him that she would always have. It was too early to be able to feel the baby move, but she could swear that she could feel the child growing inside her.



When she got off the elevator at Jag Headquaters, Harriet met her. "Wait 'til you see your office, Ma'am"

"Why? What's wrong with my office?"

"You'll see."

At that very moment, a young man got off the elevator carrying a vase filled with a dozen red roses.

"Just put them in with the rest." Harriet instructed him.

"How pretty. "Mac commented.

"Do you like roses?" Harriet asked her.

"Yeah, of course I do."

"I'm glad, Ma'am. I'm really glad."

"What do you mean, Harriet."

But she didn't need an answer. When she entered her office, it was literally filled with roses. She counted 8 vases holding a dozen each.. The fragrance permeated the air. They were all red. It was overwhelming! She searched each bunch, but found no card. Anybody who would send a woman 96 roses, would surely send a card with them.

As she reflected on that, the delivery boy entered again, carrying two more vases. He set these in the middle of her desk, the only bare spot left.

"Hey," she challenged him, "isn't there a card or something?"

"I have a card, but I'm supposed to deliver it personally to Major Sarah MacKenzie.

"I'm Major MacKenzie."

"Good." He sounded relieved. Reaching into his pocket he handed her a sealed card.

She looked at it, before deciding to open it.

Sitting down in her desk chair, she carefully opened the envelope.. She removed the card and read: "We love you! Harm and the next generation.."

Her mind raced. She wished she could believe that he loved her. She loved him so much, but she couldn't tell him. He didn't love her. He was never interested in her in any kind of romantic way until he found out about the baby. Yes, he loved this child. He wanted to be with the child, make a home for the child, but she was just an incidental in that plan. She couldn't help but thinking about the way his arms felt around her, and the sweetness of his kiss. It had occurred to her that she was probably using her child, and his commitment to the baby to keep him close to her right now. She looked at the bracelet he had given her. It was beautiful. She loved it. But he hadn't really given it to her. It was a gift for their child. That's what Harm cared about.

She was still sitting there when he came into the office. He shut the door and pulled the window blinds.

"I thought you were in court." She said.

"I was. We're recessed until tomorrow at noon."

"Why? What happened?"

"The defense asked for more time. Said their client wasn't prepared. I didn't object, because our case is so solid. It won't matter. I see you got the flowers."

"Harm, ten dozen roses? That's pretty extravagant."

"Yeah, well, you're worth it."

She moved around the desk, and wrapped her arms around his waist.

He kissed her. She didn't release him, but pulled him in for another kiss.

"Thank you," she said, "roses are my favorite."

"I'm glad."



A couple of hours later over lunch, he told her that he had called his mom to tell her about the baby.

"What did she say?"

"Well, she wanted to know if I thought that she looked like a grandmother."

"And you told her ­ no"

"of course."

"Harm, do you think I'll be a good mother?"

"Yes. I think you'll be a great mother. Why?"

"I have so much to learn. I don't have any experience taking care of babies."

"We'll learn together."

"No. You'll be a natural."

"I don't think so. I don't have any experience either."



At mid-afternoon, she peered into his office, saying, "Bud and I are going out to do some investigation. We'll be back in a couple of hours."

"What are you working on?"

"The Hutchison case."

"Mac, there's nothing to investigate. Lt Hutchison willfully destroyed government property. Mattoni's got an open and shut case."

"Well, don't be too sure that Mattoni's got such an iron-clad case. Remember, Bud and I are the defense. There is some evidence that the machinery may have been damaged before Hutchison ever got to it. Anyway, we're going to follow up some leads. I know you're keeping tabs on me, so I thought I'd save you some trouble and tell you where I'm going to be."

"I'm not keeping tabs on you. Just be careful, okay?"

"Sure," she said, flashing him a smile that melted his heart.

On the way out of the building, after work, he fell into an easy gait beside her. "What would you say to getting some take-out, and going for a picnic supper in the park?"

She looked up at him with a coy smile, "I'd say, give me a half hour to get home and change."

"Okay. I'll pick you up."

"Harm, you don't have to spend every minute with me. I'm not fragile." "No, you're certainly not. I'm not spending time with you because I have to. I want to. You and the baby are everything to me."

She sighed. There is was again. He didn't say that she was important, he said that she and the baby were important. All she was was an incubator for his child. It almost made her mad that she loved him so much.



They lay on the picnic blanket, hours later, watching the sun set on the horizons of the park. She lay in his arms, warm and comfortable.

Suddenly, he looked into her eyes and announced, "We need to talk about our future."

"Well, okay. What's on your mind?"

"Family." He stated rather emphatically.

"We are getting ready to have one. What's to talk about?"

"Us"

"I bet you've got names picked out for the baby, right?"

"No, I don't. I want to talk about you and me."

"There is no you and me. We're a threesome, remember?"

"Not yet."

She wished this were true. She wished that she could believe that he wanted her, but even in sending her flowers, he had mentioned the baby. That's what he really cared about.

"Harm, I...."

He cut her off. "Sarah, I don't want to talk about other people. I don't want to talk about the baby. I only want to talk about us."

"What? Why?"

"Darling, I'm thrilled at the thought of being a parent. Really I am, especially because I'm going to do it with you. But this has nothing to do with that. I want you to know how I feel, in here (laying a hand over his chest)."

"What are you talking about, Harm?"

"Mac...Sarah, I love you."

"What?"

"Here, I have a present for you. (He hands her a small package)

She unwraps it to reveal a ring. It's a large marquis diamond in an antique gold setting, surrounded by six smaller stones.

"Harm, where did this come from?"

"I had my mom send it to me. It's the engagement ring my dad gave to her. She gave it to me when I was about sixteen."

Mac gasped.

Harm took her hand in his. The other hand, he placed along side her cheek. Then he asked, "Will you marry me?"

"We already talked about getting married. I told you I didn't think it would solve any of our problems."

"Wait a minute. I want to marry you ­not because of the baby, not because I feel obligated in any way. I want to be with you every day for the rest of my life. I want to marry you because I love you, so much.

Tears poured down her face. She kissed him, tenderly. "Harm, I love you."

He placed the ring on her finger and kissed her hand.

They walked hand in hand back to his apartment.

That night, when he laid her on the bed, he made love to her like only the man who would love her forever could.



She woke up happy, happier than she had ever been. She moved her hand up to lie under her head. Something hard, hard and sharp brushed against her face. The ring. It really was the most beautiful one she'd ever seen. Soon she would be getting married....to Harm. She was going to marry the man of her dreams, all her dreams! Her hand reached toward him on the other side of the bed. He wasn't there. She called his name.

He entered the room carrying a mug full of coffee. "Don't get up," he ordered. "Today, I'm bringing you breakfast in bed."

"How sweet!" she complimented. She took the coffee, as she kissed him passionately. "Honey, I don't have very long. I've got to meet Bud at Chief Floyd's attorney's office. We're going over some depositions with the civilian law firm."

She took a bite of a fresh, hot croissant, and put a bite in his mouth as she kissed him again.

"What time will you be back in the office? Can I take you to lunch?"

"Sure, I'd love to. We'll be back by about 1000."

She held her hand up, so that the ring caught the sunlight coming in through the window. He took the hand, kissed it, then wrestled her back to the bed. He only, just, caught the coffee before it spilled on to the bed. She let him kiss her, enjoying the sensation of his smooth tongue against her throat for several minutes. Then, she pushed him away and got out of the bed.

After dressing quickly, she kissed him goodbye and left with the promise, "See you at lunch."



At about noon, Harm saw Bud Roberts get off the elevator. He rushed up to the junior officer, demanding, "Where's Mac?"

Bud looked confused. "You mean she's not here, Sir."

"Of course she's not here, Bud. She met you this morning at the civilian law firm."

"She was supposed to. But she never showed."

"What do you mean, she never showed?"

"I waited for her, Sir. She didn't come. When she didn't answer her page, I figured something had come up that she couldn't make it, so we had to meet without her. And to tell you the truth, Sir, I really could have used her help."

"Bud, she left this morning, right after breakfast on her way to meet you. Where is she?" Harm felt a wave of panic grip him. If her plans had changed, she would have let him know, he knew she would have.

"You had breakfast with the major, Sir?"

"Yeah, Bud, there's a lot going on that you probably don't know about yet. I promise, I'll fill you in as soon as we find Mac."

At that precise moment, AJ Chegwidden came out of his office and demanded, ":Where's Major MacKenzie?"

Bud spoke up, "We're not sure, Sir. We're looking for her."

"Why?" Harm asked.

"I just got a call from the D.C. police. They've found her car abandoned in an alleyway near downtown. They traced it here, because they thought they saw evidence of a struggle."

Harm perked up. "Where, exactly, Sir?"

"Calm down, Son."

"Sir, you don't understand..."

"Harm, I do understand. The police are sending someone over here to talk to you."

"Bud broke back into the conversation. "Sirs, Webb is on his way up."

"Oh, great!" the admiral observed, sarcastically.

"We might need his help." Harm conceded.

Mr. Webb walked past them. "Harm, Admiral, in here." They entered Chegwidden's office, and he closed the door behind them.

"This is a bad time Webb. So, this had better be good."

"Watch the videotape." Clay said, pushing it into the machine.

A man wearing a foreign military uniform introduced himself as Momar Sidhulkala, Sudanese nationalist. He further indicated that he was a supporter of now-deposed Ambassador Moshiak, formerly the Sudanese ambassador to the United States. This man had been a staunch advocate of Moshiak's attempt to take power in Sudan, a plot that he reminded the viewers was thwarted by two American military lawyers. His organization had sworn to avenge this interference by the U.S. government. The message went on to say that he and his cohorts were now holding one of these American spies hostage. They planned to execute her within 24 hours, unless the U. S.. withdraws its military presence from Sudan.

Harm yelled at Webb, "What do you know about this, Clay?"

"Nothing, I swear." He answered.

The admiral was inches from his face when he directed the moment, "You better not. If I ever find out you had anything to do with this, I won't be responsible for..."

Clayton Webb shook his head, then addressed them, "Cut out the threats. Right now, we have to figure out what we're going to do."

"Where are they holding her, Clay? I'm going to get her."

"Back off, Rabb. I don't know where she is. We'll have to figure it out."

Harm got just a little indignant. "You make it sound like one of your spy games. This is not a game. They've got Mac."

"I know you're worried about your fiancee, but..."

"How do you know about that?"

"My people know about everything."

"I know you're a spy, but a voyeur?"

"Don't worry, Harm. We'll find her."

"Where did you get the tape?" This time it was the admiral.

"It was delivered, anonymously, to one of our field operatives."

"Then, they're probably still in town."

"Probably so. The Sudanese embassy is running again, with a new ambassador. Our people are checking that out, but it's unlikely that they would be holding her there."

Harm felt like his whole world was caving in around him. He said, "She better be alright."

Webb had compassion for him, saying, "I'm sure she is. Afterall, she's a marine. She's strong. She can take care of herself."

Harm shot him a sarcastic glance. "She's pregnant, Clay."

"What? Are you serious?"

"I thought you said you knew everything?"

"We do, but I didn't know that."



Harm had been sitting in his office for hours. The phone was off the hook and the blinds were closed. He needed to be alone. He sat, staring blankly into space. This morning his world was perfect, but now..?

The scene played over and over in his mind. He woke up first. She was sleeping in his arms. When he looked at her, he was warmed by the knowledge that soon she would be his wife. He would wake up beside her every morning. He knew that he would love her forever, and ever. As she lay there in his arms, he carefully got out of bed so that he wouldn't wake her. Heading into the kitchen, he decided to make her breakfast before she woke up.. They had eaten together, and... Well, life was wonderful. Now, some maniac had her, was doing who knows what to her. He felt sick.

Eventually, his ruminations were interrupted. Webb stuck his head in he door to announce, "We've got another video tape."

Harm was in the admiral's office even ahead of the CIA agent.

This time the tape showed the same terrorist, but now when he restated the demand that all U.S. military personnel and equipment be removed from his country, he gave a 48 hour deadline. He ended by saying, "You better hurry, Major MacKenzie is not enjoying her accommodations." The camera panned around, and they could see Mac. She was tied to the chair she sat in. Her face was bruised and swollen. Blood trickled from a cut on her forehead. Her left leg was bandaged, but looked as though it had sustained an injury which had made it bleed profusely.

These images were more than Harm could handle. He lunged at the television monitor, crying out her name.

The admiral stepped in front of him, putting an arm around his shoulders. "Hold on, Son."

"What's that?" Webb asked, a he ran the tape back to replay a segment. He pointed out something in the corner of the picture. "It looks like a bed. That's it! They're in a hotel room."

"Where?" Harm yelled, "I want to go get her, now!"

Before he could answer, Webb was on his cellular phone speaking to an unknown person. "Get every available man on this. I want to check out every hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, overnight club and whorehouse in the area. Find anyplace where this might have been filmed. Get back to me immediately with anything you turn up."

Now, there was nothing to do but wait. Harm didn't like to wait, though. Instead, he cleaned his weapon, sure that he'd need it, any minute. He thought about how good it felt to hold her, and how he never wanted to let her go, again. Then, for the first time, he thought of the baby. If they had been abusive to her, what effect might that have had on their unborn child. He loved the baby, and he knew that it would kill her, if anything happened to their child.

Finally, Webb, who had not left, announced that his field agents had found the place. Harm jumped to attention. Video equipment had been taken to the fourth floor of the Mount Vernon Inn in Arlington, all day. The whole floor was rented out yesterday for a whole week. That's got to be it."

"Got an address?" Harm inquired.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere, Rabb. My people will handle this.

" The admiral engaged Webb at close range. "Mr. Webb, if I were you, I wouldn't try to stop him...or me." The two naval officers were out the door quickly.

Bud got on to the elevator with Harm and asked where they were going.

Harm replied that he didn't think that Bud should come, to which the junior officer responded, "Sir, if it were Harriet out there, could I stop you from coming?"

Harm smiled and said, "Come on, Bud, let's go!"



The hotel was old, and a bit shabby. Clayton Webb was directing the rescue effort, apparently. However, the three naval officers weren't sure that they were taking orders from him.

When the first wave of agents stormed the building, Harm ran up the stairs to the fourth floor. He began kicking open doors on both sides of the hallway. He was like a crazed man, because he knew that he'd find her behind one of them. This continued for about half way down the hall until the admiral stopped him.

"Harm, they think they've pinpointed the location. Let's go back out and work with them. We're close to finding her now. We don't want to blow it."

Something about this made sense, so they went back outside to hear the plan.

Somebody was going to create a diversion, a fire or something like that. Then the agents were going to engage the terrorists in a crossfire, drawing them away from the room. They probably wouldn't leave any more than one guard on their prisoner. Then, Harm was going to sneak into the room and free her. He was to set her free, then get out.

Everything worked just like Webb said it would. When he entered the room, he called out her name. He ran to her, pulling the gag from her mouth and loosening the ropes that bound her. He got down on the floor in front of the chair and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her chest. She finished extracting herself from the ropes, then held his head tightly against her.

His hand reached up to touch her bruised face, and he kissed her. He ran the other hand across her blood-soaked thigh and asked, "What happened to your leg?"

Her response was almost a whisper, "I got shot. It seems I wasn't a very cooperative prisoner. I kept trying to get back to you."

He picked her up, and carried her to the elevator, where she wanted to get down. He told her that he wanted to hold her forever, so she didn't complain.

They rode in the ambulance to a hospital where her wounds were treated.

They held hands while the doctor told them that both mother and child were healthy and fine.

All night he held her, never intending to let her go, again. It was a magical time, as they celebrated their love. He was fully aware of how close he had come to losing her. She felt extremely lucky to be loved by this man who she cared more for than she had ever dreamed possible.

The next day at lunch, he told her that his mother had called. She wanted to come for a visit. She wanted to help Mac plan the wedding, and prepare for the baby.

She stared at him with surprise, "Yeah, sure. It would be great to have her. I had forgotten about planning a wedding."

"Do you still want one?"

"Are you trying to squirm out of marrying me, Sailor?"

"Not a chance. I want to marry you more than I've ever wanted anything in my life."

"Good. So, your mom's going to come stay with you?"

"Well, actually, I thought I'd get her a hotel. I was hoping maybe you would come stay with me."

"Okay. I'll stay with you, and your mom can stay at my place. It's more comfortable than a hotel."

"Okay. Mac, it's silly for us to keep two apartments. We're getting married, and having a baby, so I think we should buy a house."

"That's a good idea, We can start looking around to see what's available."

"I'll call a realtor this afternoon. Where do you want to live?"

She took his hand from across the table, and said, "Maryland or Virginia. Not in the city. Really anywhere you live will be alright."

"You can count on that, Mrs. Rabb."

As they walked out of the restaurant, he dropped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. He opened the door for her to get in the car, and she circled her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a sensuous kiss.

"We'll never get back to work at this rate." he said.

"Well, you better be ready to pick up right here after work."

"Yes, ma'am."



That night they sat on the floor of his apartment and ate Chinese takeout. They compared trite expressions from their fortune cookies, then she pushed him backward to lie flat. She lay on top of him, kissing him and running her fingers through his hair.

He reached up beneath the dress she was wearing and ran his eager hands over her soft flesh. They moved slowly over her body, caressing her skin. She held his face between her hands and initiated a deep, passionate kiss that seemed to come from the very core of her being. Electricity coursed up and down his spine. They both knew that their souls had become fused into one being. They were lost in each other, and in the love and passion they felt.

Later, he woke up lying on the floor holding her tightly. He thought she didn't really look comfortable, beautiful, but not necessarily comfortable. He picked her up and carried her to the bed. He covered her with a sheet, then kissed her forehead. He left her sleeping in the bedroom and went back to the living room.

Soon, she came into the living room and sat down beside him. She wrapped her arms around him and lay her head on his shoulder.

He took her in his arms and said, "I'm sorry, Sweetheart. I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't really. I just don't sleep well without you, anymore. Harm, what are you doing out here?"

"I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"About you, of course. That's all I ever think about."

"No. You're not thinking about me, or you'd be in bed with me. What is it?"

"Okay. I was thinking about the baby." As he said it, his hands wandered down to her belly, and he massaged the area. She giggled and he kissed her.

He spoke first. "I want to make sure that we have everything ready. That we do all the right things. I want her to have all the best of everything."

"You always say 'her'. What if it's a boy? Do you really want a girl?"

"It'll be okay if it's a boy. I just keep visualizing a little girl that looks just like her mother. Then she'll be beautiful."

"I thought all men wanted boys. You know, to carry on the family name and all."

"Well, all men aren't in love with women as beautiful and wonderful as...you. They don't have anything to model what a daughter might be like after."

"You're sweet, and I love you."

"I love you."

"Harm.."

"Hmm?"

"Can we go back to bed now?"

For the second time this evening, he carried her to the bedroom. This time, however, neither of them went to sleep.



In the morning, he didn't get up, but rather he lay in the bed watching her dress. He found this strangely seductive. It was almost as gratifying as the memories he had of undressing her. When she sat down on the side of the bed, he sat up enough to let his mouth wander over her bare shoulders. She turned her head and kissed him. Then pivoting her body, she ran her hands over his chest.

"Get up," she ordered.

"Come back to bed." He countered.

They were late to work.

At mid morning, near the office coffee machine, Mac got advice from Harriet about florists, caterers, music and other sundry wedding details.



On Saturday morning, the sun rose laconically into the sky behind the silhouette of the Washington monument, as they ran together around the track in the small park near Harm's apartment. He lay back, just a little allowing her to pull out in front.

She hollered over her shoulder, "Is this too fast for you? I could slow down and wait for you."

In a sudden burst, he pushed harder, making up ground, and shot out ahead of her. Then he turned, running backward to let her catch him. When she got close, he grabbed her around the waist. He pulled her off the paved track into the grass. Still holding on to her, he dropped onto the ground. She came falling after him, but he made sure that she fell squarely on top of him.

"Harm, what are you doing?"

He didn't answer, but instead, rolled her over onto her back. He hovered above her, panting. He kissed her forehead. As she made a move to sit up, he pinned her shoulders to the ground. Then he dropped himself to the ground beside her, propped on one elbow. A finger traced the line around her full, inviting lips. "I wanted to talk to you." He said, as he lowered his mouth to meet those lips that he couldn't resist. The kiss was deep and intense. Afterward, they were both breathless.

She looked into his eyes, "I can't talk that way."

"Well, talking is overrated, anyway."

Her hands held his face between them, and she pulled it down for another, equally passionate kiss.

This one led to another, and soon she was tightly embraced in his arms on the grass.

When they finally paused, he asked, "Will you marry me?"

"I sad I would. I'm wearing your ring. Your mom and I are planning the wedding."

"No. Mac, will you marry me soon. Today."

"Honey, we can't get all the arrangements made today."

"So, forget the arrangements. It doesn't have to be elaborate."

"Harm, this is the only time I'm ever going to get married. I want to do it right. Not fancy, but something with family and friends."

"Okay, but can it be soon?"

"Why are you so impatient?"

"I guess maybe I thought that if I waited too long, you might decide that you could do better."

"Never."

He brushed the stray hair from her face, tightened his arms around her and kissed her once again. Then he got to his feet and pulled her up to stand next to him. But he didn't let go of her hand. He squeezed it and asked, "I forgot to tell you, the realtor has some more houses for us to look at this afternoon. Are you up to it?"

"Of course."

He loved the thought of moving to a new house with her. A place that was theirs together, a part of the life they shared, sounded wonderful. They would have a home. They would be a family.

In the waning hours of late afternoon, Harm dropped down to sit beside her on the floor, helping her sort through the laundry she had deposited there. He pulled her close and kissed her forehead, saying, "What do you want to do tonight?"

"Well," she began, but stopped without completing the thought.

"What?"

"No. You'd think I was crazy."

"Tell me."

"Well, I think we should go back and spend the night at that motel where we stayed "that night."

"You mean like for a little nostalgia?"

"Exactly. We could even go to that same club. If they still have the same band, the music will be great."

"I really don't remember too much about it."

"I know. That's all the more reason to go."

"Okay, on one condition. If you'll let me take you to dinner at that same restaurant. It's really nice. I do remember that."

She kissed him tenderly. "Give me twenty minutes to be ready."



It was well after midnight when they opened the door to their motel room.

He rolled his eyes. "Honey, this is a dump. I can afford to take you someplace much nicer."

"Yeah. I know, but this is "our place."

He laughed. "Don't say it too loud. Somebody might hear you."

"I can make you like it." She predicted, loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. He fell backward onto the bed, pulling her along with him.

"I'll bet you say that to all the guys."

"How'd you know?"

He kissed her deeply and passionately. She responded with every ounce of her being. They became lost in each other. Desire overtook them, and it controlled all their thoughts and actions.

He stroked her hair as she lay in his arms, her head against his chest. He said, "I think we should make all our babies here."

"All of them?" She sat up. " Exactly how many are we talking about?"

"About a hundred."

"A hundred children is a whole lot, Darling."

"But imagine how cute they're going to be." With this he patted her belly where he would soon be able to see the child growing.

"Imagine how old we're going to be. Of course, one of us is already getting to be an old man." She teased.

"Darling, I would never have called you an old man."

With that, she raised a hand, mockingly, as if to slap him.

He caught her hand in mid air, using it to pull her closer to him.

"Sweetheart, he began, hesitantly, "what was it like when we were here before?"

"That's right. You don't remember."

"So, tell me."

She lay her head on his shoulder, and caressed the skin of his chest with her hand. "Well, ....it was wonderful! I knew that you weren't in very good shape, but you were there. You participated fully. I think you enjoyed yourself."

"Oh, I'm sure that I did!"

"We held each other, and we touched, and...well, Harm I felt a little guilty. Even then, I knew that I was probably taking advantage of you, but it seemed so right. You even told me that you loved me. I was aware that you might not know what you were saying, but it was what I wanted to hear. I shouldn't have let it go on, but....well...I just couldn't help myself, and..."

"Honey, I'm glad it happened. And I'm glad I told you that I love you. I just wish I could remember."

She turned over to face him, draping her arms around his shoulders.

"At least you can remember having been here tonight."

"Oh, yeah." He answered, tightening his embrace on her.



On Monday, they went to work late, so they could sign the closing documents on the house they had bought just outside of Arlington. It was a two-story brick on an acre and a half of land. It was actually in the country, but Harm told her that it would be good for all the children to grow up with plenty of space. The house was going to require some work before they could move in. They decided that this would make a good weekend project, over many weekends.

As they walked into the building, he asked, "Can we have lunch together today?"

"Well...What would you say if I told you that I already had a date with the man who asked me first?"

"I'd say....lucky guy!"

"Okay, Lucky Guy. For you I can make it."

"Great. I'll make the arrangements."

"Arrangements? You're taking me someplace where we have to have reservations?"

"I'll take care of it."

At noon they walked out to the car. He opened her door, then got in himself.

He pulled up and stopped next to a public park on the Potomac river. He unlocked the trunk, and handed her a basket. He carried one too.

"We're going for a picnic?"

"Not just any picnic, My Love. Just wait and see. You'll like it..

He spread a blanket carefully on the ground where they could overlook a little bluff to see the Georgetown University crue team practicing on the river. With the constant undertone of "Pull, Pull" in the background, they enjoyed a feast. The food was exceptionally good, and they sipped sparkling cider from large fluted wine glasses.

She was aware of how nice it was to talk with him and laugh, like this. It was easy and comfortable. There was no tension, they had no worries or concerns. They were together and happy. The discussion centered mostly on their life together, the future. It seemed that their children had now decreased from 100 to a slightly more manageable number, a couple of dozen, maybe. He stood firm, though, that he wanted all of them to look like her.

After a while, they sat shoulder to shoulder, facing each other, so that neither of them could move their right arms very much. He held her forearm in his powerful hand, massaging it.

She found this comforting, and, strangely....erotic.

They gazed deeply into each other's eyes, entranced. He knew that she mesmerized him to the point that he was bereft of his own free will. He would, literally, do anything for her. Harm broke the spell when he leaned back onto his elbow, allowing him a better view of all of her. She moved to lie beside him, but he stopped her. Instead, he lay his head in her lap. From this angle, he could look up at her, still enchanted.

For a long time, they didn't move. She ran her fingers through his dark hair, and he just ....looked at her.

Never before had anything been so right, so perfect, in his life. With her, everything was as it should be, and he was exactly who he was supposed to be. Life was complete.

He finally broke the momentary trance, "What time is it?"

"Oh, no," she responded, "it's three o'clock!"

They ran frantically off the elevator, back at Jag headquarters.

Bud approached them, "Sir, Ma'am, I have....."

"Not now, Bud." Mac instructed.

Harm looked the young lieutenant in the eye, "Has the admiral been looking for us, Bud?"

"Yes, Sir. Did you fall asleep or something?"

"Oh, great, then he knows we've been gone for hours." Mac followed up.

Harm jumped back into the conversation, "What did you tell him, Bud?"

"Nothing, Sir. He asked Harriet where you were."

Harriet came up at just that moment. "And Harriet told him," she began, "that you two were having lunch, then going by the brig to interview witnesses. He doesn't expect you back before the close of business."

Harm breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

Mac grasped Harriet by both shoulders, kissed her on the cheek and said, "Thanks! You're a lifesaver."

Mrs. Roberts squeezed her friend's hand and rationalized, "Anything for love."

AJ Chegwidden exited his office at that moment. "Oh, good, you're back early. Major, Commander, my office."

Mac shot her fiancée a bemused smile, then followed him into the admiral's inner sanctum.

Chegwidden closed the door behind himself, and sat on the corner of his desk. "I know it's almost quitting time, so I'll make this short, people. Why haven't I received my invitation to your wedding yet?

Harm rolled his eyes. "Because we haven't sent them yet, Sir."

Mac gripped Harm's hand in hers. "Admiral, we've not gotten all the details worked out for the wedding. We're not even totally sure about a date. We have to have that before we can order the invitations."

"I see." Responded AJ, folding his arms across his chest.

"You'll be the first to know, Admiral. "Harm assured him.

"I better be. I just wanted to let both of you know that even though you've still got about six months, I expect this wedding to have taken place before my godchild is born."

They looked at each other with a smile, and answered in unison, "Yes, Sir."



ABOUT THREE MONTHS LATER


Harm lay on his side, near sleep, holding his wife against him. He marveled now, as he often did, how good she felt. Her body seemed to mold together with his so perfectly, even now that her abdomen was swollen with pregnancy. She lay facing him, her belly butted up against his. She was sound asleep, so peaceful. His heart overflowed with love for her. He pulled her just a little closer, then he felt it.

"Ooww!" he exclaimed. "What's the big idea!"

This brought her out of her sleep. "Harm, what's wrong?"

"Like you don't know!"

"I don't. Honey, what is it? Are you okay?"

"I thought you were asleep, until you punched me in the stomach!"

"I...what? What are you talking about?"

He felt it again. "See there, you did it again. Mac, what's the idea, here?"

He felt it again. "There you go again. Stop that!"

She raised both her hands up in the air. "Stop what?"

He felt it again. "That. Ouch!"

"Oh, that. That's not me. That's the baby."

"Are you telling me that the baby punched me?"

"It was probably more like .... a kick, but....yeah. That was your son."

"Son? What makes you sure it's not a daughter?"

"Because a little girl would never sit on her mother's bladder this way!"

He laughed when she got up to run into the bathroom. "I'm glad you think this is funny."

"Mac, does it kick like that all the time?"

"More lately."

"Does it hurt you?"

"Not much."

She climbed back in to the bed next to him, turning her back toward him, trying to get comfortable.

He snuggled up close to her, wrapping his arms around her. He covered her belly with both hands, so that he could still feel the baby move.

His lips moved to her neck and he kissed it, lovingly, then whispered in her ear, "I love you."

Her head turned so that her lips met his, and they shared a tender kiss.

Harm thought about his son, a little boy who looked just like.... Mac. He would teach him to do all the normal father and son things. He loved this idea.

He fell asleep with these thoughts, and holding her very close.



THREE MONTHS LATER


Harmon Rabb, Jr. walked down the long hallway, deep in thought. He was thinking about ­ her. He couldn't think of anything else anymore. All he did was to think about ­ her. The past year had been a monumental one. So much had come from "that night. "The image of ­her- invaded every waking moment.

At the end of the hall he entered a room, and smiled ­at her. He sat down on the side of the hospital bed, dropping an arm around Mac. They snuggled close together and cuddled their newborn daughter.

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