:: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas ::Part Two Said the night wind to the little lamb,
8 December 2002 Bud Roberts rose from the couch and held his hand out to his wife who was holding their sleeping son. "I think it’s time we got on the road," he told Mac. "AJ’s had a long day and my muscles could use a good soak." Commander Sturgis Turner rose from his chair, slightly unsteady on his feet. "I’m going to head out, too. You coming, Gunnery Sergeant?" "If I can get out of this chair, sir." Victor Galindez looked over at Mac. "You ever gonna tell us what your husband had in all those boxes we moved?" Mac’s smile was rueful. "Don’t know, don’t care," she said simply as she rose to escort her guests to the door. Her friends had been great through all this. She and Harriet had took turns watching over Haley Marie as they packed up Harm’s stuff. The guys had taken care of moving all the stuff Harm had put in storage back into his apartment in DC. They never once questioned her -- they just did as she asked. Amazingly enough, even Sturgis didn’t argue -- probably just as tired of her and Harm’s spats as everyone else. Ever since she’d made the decision to move her husband out she’d had an air of calmness that they hadn’t seen in her since before the wedding. Heck, she hadn’t felt this good in ages -- she still felt terrible, and like a heel for doing it this way, but she felt a hell of a lot better. And better was better for her daughter. God, why did she marry him? He was her best friend. She’d known for a long time that it would never work with them, but that niggling part of her that still believed in fairy tales just wouldn’t let up. If only she hadn’t.... No -- she wouldn’t go there. Haley Marie was the greatest thing that ever happened to her. The mistake was hers; she believed that she and Harm could make it work. She leaned over her former gunnery sergeant’s chair and grabbed his hand. "Come on, Victor. You’re young, strong. You can get up." He gave the exotic dark-haired woman a lazy smile. He only had to delay a little longer and everyone would be gone. "Well, ma’am, to be honest, I’d rather spend a day crawling through the jungle carrying a heavy pack than haul one more box." He chuckled at her playful pout. Images of the one night when he’d allowed himself to play with that mouth came unbidden. "However," he said quickly, "I’ll see if I can muster the energy to get up." Mac laughed, released his hand, and with great exaggeration, staggered to her front room as her friends donned their coats. "You do that, Gunny," she laughed over her shoulder. At her front door, her expression sobered. "I really can’t express how much I appreciate all your help today," she told her guests, her co-workers, her friends. "It’s been really rough these past few months and...." Harriet placed a comforting hand on Mac’s arm. "It’s okay," she soothed. "You’ll get through this. You both will." But will he ever forgive me? Mac wondered as they shuffled past her into the chilly December night. She leaned into the door as she shut it. How had her life become so fucked up? She didn’t need to turn around to know he was behind her. Could it be true? He believes it’s possible -- why else would he have stayed behind? "Mac," he softly ventured. No. I have to take control here, she told herself. Dammit, why did he have to be enlisted? "I never once thought," she began. "Never. Harm and I got together a week after you...left for Panama. I just assumed. I mean. Victor you have to believe me -- it never once crossed my mind." "Then it’s true." "It’s possible!" she snapped. She still couldn’t look at him. "I don’t know that it’s true. Harm’s name is on her birth certificate...." "And if mine should be there?" "What do you want from me!" She tried to push past him but just encountered the solid wall that was his chest. His hands lightly rested on her upper arms. He kept his voice soft. "I have to know if she’s mine, Mac." "Why? You don’t know how much this would hurt him, Victor." She leaned her head against his chest. Her nose instantly registered scents remembered from one impossible night. "I’m hurting him enough as it is," she sighed. His voice came out with more firmness than he felt. "I’m heading back to Peru tomorrow afternoon. If I don’t come back, my mother has a right to know that her only son left behind a daughter." He gently lifted her chin so her eyes gazed into his. "I’m sure of it, Mac. I knew the moment I laid eyes on her, and you knew it, too, when you saw me hold her." Her arms went around him as she leaned into his chest. He was right, dammit. South America was the latest terrorist hot zone, and he was going back into the worst of it. Hell, the only reason he was here was because he asked to escort the body of a comrade to Arlington Cemetery. She knew how easy it would be for Victor to die there; some said that the battles in the tri-border area made the taking of Kandahar look like a walk in the park. "You know what this could do to my career, not to mention yours. The admiral will have a fit; this will be the second article 32 hearing for me." "If it goes that far. We’ll go to a civilian facility for the tests. We’ll keep it as quiet as we can for as long as we can. But I gotta know." She nodded as she stepped back from him so he could pull on his jacket. "Call me around 0845. I should have the name and address of a place where we can get the tests done by then." His hand lightly cupped her cheek. "It’s the right thing to do, Mac." She gave him a quick nod and opened the door, then watched his back as he disappeared into the darkness. :: :: ::
8 December 2002 He never thought he’d regret getting rescued. At least, not so soon. Once again, Clayton Webb felt for the small card containing Kate’s phone number and email address as a smile touched his otherwise stoic features. She’d quietly placed it in his hand before they’d rushed him off to the military transport that would return him to DC; two words were written on the back -- Call me. He should have disposed of it long ago; the information was already committed to memory, but he couldn’t bring himself to throw it away. How the hell did this happen? Who was Commander Katherine Pike and how had she crawled into his soul to cause these feelings? He didn’t obsess over women. His affairs were casual, kept that way because of his line of work. A vision of Kate silhouetted in the moonlight came unbidden. God, she was beautiful. What would have happened if she’d taken him up on his offer of a swim? He found himself mentally undressing her in their little temporary oasis. First, she’d remove her uniform slacks to reveal long slender legs. The legs of a dancer, he decided; the ankles he’d first observed could not belong to anyone else. Then she'd remove her shirt so he could gaze at those lovely shoulders of hers. Her smile would be sultry, he knew. Her undershirt would be next, revealing a utilitarian bra covering small but pert breasts. Her panties, however, would be sexy -- hi-cut -- no, bikini. Oh yes. Both of which she’d remove slowly, drawing out the display for him. Last, she would release her hair, and it would tumble down her back in a delicious riot before she would dive into the pool to join him. Her tan lines would be from a one-piece, cut high in front, but low in the back. Webb prided himself on how well he knew a woman’s clothing preferences, as well as her various measurements, within a short time after their first meeting. But he rarely undressed them this way. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d done it. Maybe college. He’d been tempted with Mac, though -- shit, that woman hadn’t a clue just how hot she was -- but he knew how pointless that would have been from the beginning. She had it bad for Rabb from the start; how that idiot had resisted her for so long he didn’t know. Thank God they were together now, even though as far as he was concerned Harm didn’t deserve her. He wondered about Kate’s relationship with Rabb. She and Mac were so similar but so very different. Where Mac didn’t know she was sexy and never played it up, Kate knew she was sexy but played it down in her professional life. Kate would be a wildcat in bed, though -- he knew that from the first kiss. But not rough like Li. No, the only thing rough about Kate in bed would be her language, and he figured her for one who loved raunchy talk in bed. Shit! He had to get himself under control. His plane would land in less than an hour at Andrews Air Force Base; there, a car would whisk him to Langley for debriefing. If he didn’t get this smile wiped off his face anytime Kate’s name was mentioned, his professional credibility would be shot. Who was going to debrief him anyway? The director was already pissed at him -- please God, not him. Webb mentally kicked himself for the umpteenth time for sleeping with Li. He just hoped there was a logical explanation. He still didn’t know if he’d been drugged at the time. Yeah, he knew he’d been drugged that morning -- how else would they get his prints on the gun. He hoped like hell that the semen found in Li’s mouth would prove not to be his. They would have detected spermicide on first examination, and he knew he used a condom each time. He didn’t like what that meant if it was his. Sometimes he really hated this business. He leaned back and closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind for the task ahead. No matter who did the debriefing it was going to be long, and would definitely suck. :: :: ::
9 December 2002 "What are you doing up so early? It’s only 0435 hours there." Harm stared at his darkened hospital room ceiling and tried to fight the rising panic. The anxiety attacks he’d had regularly since Mac had told him two days ago were making him crazy. He hadn’t even called her yesterday, although his nurse told him she did. "We have to talk, Mac. You can’t end it this way. We can work it out. We haven’t even gone the counseling route yet. Oh baby, please don’t shut me out like this." Mac felt the tears begin again. Why am I so fucking hormonal? she wondered. She decided to placate him, but kept her voice firm. "Fine, Harm. We’ll go into counseling when you return. But you can’t come back here. Not yet. I’m tired of being angry with you -- I miss my best friend, damn it, and for some stupid reason we just can’t be friends and still live together as husband and wife." Harm felt a spark of hope -- the first he’d had since she’d smacked him between the eyes with her announcement she was moving him out while he lay in a hospital bed half a world away. "It’ll be okay, Mac. We’ll work it out. Just don’t do anything until I get back. Okay?" He heard a muttered "fine" on the other end and pressed forward. "How’s Haley Marie?" he asked, trying to lighten the conversation a bit. "She doing anything interesting I need to know about?" Besides looking too much like Victor Galindez? Mac suppressed a heavy sigh. "She’s beautiful, Harm. Just like she always is," she said softly. "Just like her mother. How’s she eating? She still getting you up every three hours eighteen minutes?" "She’s eating a little more every time. The last time she waited for 3 hours 37 minutes before she started howling for another meal." Mac found herself chuckling. "I still think you should have to feed her. I had to carry her for nine months, you should have to deal with the swollen breasts and sore nipples for the next nine." "I’d do it if I could, baby," he sighed. "You know I wish I was there." "Yeah, Harm, I know. But what you’re doing is important. How’s the case coming? How soon will you get our errant boy home? Please tell me, by Christmas." Harm couldn’t say much, and Mac knew that as well. "Something happened, but he’s fine. In fact, you should see him in a few days. The admiral and I still have a few things to go over. Once I’m back on my feet he’ll be returning home. With any luck, I’ll be on a plane shortly thereafter." "Don’t push yourself too hard, fly-boy. Let the admiral do what needs to be done. Besides, you know how much he’s enjoying the fact that the CIA owes him big-time for this." "You take care of yourself, jar-head, and that beautiful little girl of ours." His voice caught in his throat for a moment. "I love you, Mac. We’ll get through this." "I love you too, Harm. Be careful." She hung up the phone and leaned against the wall. She desperately wanted to punch it. Damn it, why does my life always have to be so fucked up! She fumed. She took a deep breath and headed to the living room where Victor had retreated when the phone rang. Haley Marie was in her carrier on the couch next to him when she entered. "Is everything okay?" he ventured. "Should it be?" she shrugged. "How’s she doing?" "She’s asleep. She woke up for about a minute and fussed, but went back to sleep. I have a feeling she needs changing before we leave." Mac couldn’t help her smile. "A feeling, or an odor?" "Just a feeling. My youngest sister used to get that look at her age right before she...um...needed changing." Mac picked up the carrier with her sleeping daughter. "Well, I just fed her before you got here, so I suppose she’s due. Give me a bit while I check on her." Victor could hear the underlying message -- let me do this, by myself -- so he just nodded and stayed on the couch. His head fell back onto the couch with a thud as she walked away with her daughter. His daughter. And he thought life sucked after his unit was ambushed 10 days ago. Five injured, one dead, two begging to be sent home. Goddamn green recruits. Who the hell cleared those two for combat anyway? What kind of Marines were they letting through boot camp these days? Mike was the youngest, but he’d had deep woods experience, which is why Gunny put him on point. They’d been on their way back from a routine recon and those bastards had laid in wait for them. They’d shot Mike clean in the heart, then proceeded to pick off the rest of the unit. By sheer luck, they’d managed to take out the three FARC guerrillas in the trees, but not before Jimmy, Lance, and Terry -- his three best men -- had sustained major injuries. After he surveyed the damage he found out that Maddie and Paul also were wounded, but they were at least mobile. The worst was when he’d found Martin and Pinker hiding behind some rocks -- their weapons were more than 10 feet away; the pricks had dropped them and ran when the shooting started. It was all he could do to keep from kicking the shit out of them. Instead, he promised himself he’d see them in front of a firing squad for what they’d done. It took him threatening them, but he managed to get them moving enough to bandage up the five wounded. It took almost a day for them to get back to base camp; their zone suddenly turned hot and base couldn’t get any men to their location. They literally limped back. Gunny had carried Mike himself. He turned Pinker and Martin over to his CO after he’d seen the five wounded to the infirmary, and then asked permission to escort Mike’s body home while the rest of his men recuperated. He hadn’t planned on seeing Mac. Harriet had told him months ago she’d married Rabb and he wished her well. He’d stopped by the Roberts’ home after the early morning funeral and found out Mac needed help moving stuff that afternoon. Hell, Harriet had never mentioned a baby! One night. One night that shouldn’t have happened. He knew it. She knew it. He didn’t even know why he’d come to see her that night. Yes he did -- they’d been in a war zone together once before. He’d never quite made it to Afghanistan after he left JAG; instead, the Corps had him training men for special operations and jungle warfare. But they were finally sending him out for some action. He was heading for Panama for orientation and briefings, then he was off to Peru. He knew he shouldn’t have gone to see her, but he just needed to talk to someone from his life at JAG -- someone who understood where he was going, and why. Who else but a fellow Marine, and one he’d seen combat with? Afterward, he tried to tell himself that he’d completely forgotten about their time on the Guadalcanal -- that those months of close quarters and even closer calls had never entered his mind. But he knew better. She’d just looked so fucking incredible that night. Hell, she looked incredible every time he’d ever seen her. Her surprise at seeing him didn’t stop her from inviting him in. They talked about JAG, their time in Indonesia, where he was going. He would have left without anything happening, that is if she hadn’t hugged him goodbye just a bit too long. Then when she released him she kissed him on his cheek -- just a quick goodbye peck -- but when she pulled away from him she had a look on her face that said kiss me, now. And he did. Victor shuddered at the remembered passion he’d felt that night, and she’d been a more than willing participant. They’d been careful to use a condom each time. It shouldn’t have happened, but he knew as well as anyone that those things don’t have a 100-percent guarantee. One of them must have been defective. Mac gazed at the brooding man on her couch. He’d been right -- Haley Marie had definitely loaded her diaper. She was amazed that her daughter slept through the entire changing process. She hadn’t wanted to worry Harm, but Haley Marie had been a touch colicky last night. Mac smiled at the thought that, after that dump, her daughter was definitely cleaned out. "Victor?" His head snapped up. "Huh?" She smiled warmly. "We’re ready. Let’s get on the road." "Yeah," he muttered as he quickly donned his uniform coat and grabbed his duffel. Mac would drop him at Andrews afterward. He took the baby bag from Mac at the door; his eyebrows rose in question. "We’re going to Harm’s apartment after I drop you off." She opened the door and gestured for him to precede her. "Go on," she prompted. "I want to get some stuff unpacked for him, plus I’m going to leave a few of Haley Marie’s things there since I’ll probably go back every day for a while." He stopped at the foot of her stoop. "Are you going to be okay?" "We’ll be fine. According to the woman I spoke with this morning, the test results won’t be back for a few weeks. It’s not like I could put a rush on this. I’m just glad they can guarantee confidentiality. I’ll worry about what to do then," she said, locking the door after she closed it. That wasn’t what he wanted to know. "I meant at his place." Victor couldn’t bring himself to say her husband’s name. "Harm" just didn’t roll of his tongue. "I wasn’t all that thrilled with the neighborhood, but it seemed okay for a guy. You’ll leave well before dark, right?" Mac popped open the trunk of the Volvo -- one of the very few things she and Harm had actually agreed on since their wedding. "Not to worry, Victor. We’ll just be there for two hours. Then we’re off to JAG. I haven’t brought Haley Marie in and everyone wants to see her." After tossing his duffel and the baby bag in, he helped her secure Haley Marie in the back seat, then paused at the passenger side door. "Mac? Why Victor? You rarely call me Gunny anymore." She turned to face him over the car’s roof. "I...um...don’t feel right calling you Gunny. I mean...well...after everything we...you know. Gunny just seems inappropriate." He placed his forearms on the roof and clasped his hands, fixing her with an intent look. "Does it bother you when I call you ma’am?" "Not the way you say it." She blushed. "Oh Victor. You know." She opened the car door but didn’t get in. "You said it that night...a couple of times. It was a term of endearment. And now I can’t hear it as anything else but the way you say it." A ghost of a smile touched his lips before he opened his door to get in. "Good." :: :: ::
9 December 2002 AJ couldn’t wipe the grin from his face as he gazed out the hospital window. "Poor bastard didn’t have a chance, did he?" "No sir, he didn’t," Rabb agreed with a shake of his head. "I would have told you sooner, but I wanted to make sure the bottle’s contents matched its label. It’s called Natural Attraction[tm]; it’s available on the Internet, and probably quite a few sex shops. The lab verified that the bottle’s contents did contain human female pheromones." AJ had been pretty shaken to find out that Webb had confessed to having sex with Li -- it just seemed so out of character. Now that he knew why, it made more sense, and was downright humorous. "So, half a bottle?" "That’s what I’m figuring; the bottle was only half full when I found it, and I’m thinking it took that much to break down Webb’s barriers." "It took a beautiful woman literally oozing pheromones to get Webb into bed?" "Ah, actually sir, the way he put it was ‘I don’t fuck suspects’, sir." AJ had the decency to look chagrined. "Ah. Well. That makes sense." He decided to change the subject. "I got the word from the Agency on the vial you found in Webb’s quarters. It’s definitely theirs; what’s more, they managed to find a partial thumb print on it and it matched one they had on file for Norton." Harm smiled. Things were definitely looking up for his friend. "What about the semen found in Li’s mouth? Was that Norton’s, or do you think someone else killed her?" "The blood type matched Webb, but it wasn’t his. It’s also a different type than Norton’s, so quite likely it was Xinyu. Since we can’t find him, and with Norton dead -- they matched his dental records to one of the bodies recovered from the wreckage of the helicopter -- we may never know. However, we have reason to believe that Li was dirty after all, so she probably was part of the setup as well." "You think the whole thing was just an elaborate charade to lure Webb out here?" "No. I think he just was a target of opportunity. Norton found out ONI and the Agency were getting too close and they were just about to cut their losses when Webb decided to come out. He was a prize Xinyu just couldn’t resist." "So, with everything pretty much wrapped up, when will you be heading back?" "It’s not wrapped up by a long shot, Commander, but our part in this fiasco is pretty much done. ONI still has to complete its damage assessments on what Li might have given them, and CIA has the same problem with Norton -- neither problem we need to worry about. However, WE will be heading back as soon as I can get you checked out of here." Harm threw off the sheet and swung his legs off the bed. "Outstanding sir!" "So get your butt moving and get dressed. The hospital’s already processing the paperwork and the doctor should be by any time now with your discharge instructions." The words were hardly out of his mouth before Rabb was donning his uniform slacks. "That’s great. So, when do we land." Harm threw the hospital gown on the bed and struggled with his shirt. "I mean leave?" AJ knew what Rabb was getting at. "Our flight takes off at 1530 hours, but because the transport we’re on will be making a few stops along the way we won’t get there until 1030 hours tomorrow morning. And before you ask, yes I’ve already talked to Mac, and yes she’ll be meeting us at Andrews with Haley Marie." Harm sat on the bed as he tied the laces of one shoe. "Did she tell you we talked this morning and she’s agreed that we should get back together?" "Rabb...Harm...will you please just give that woman some space?" AJ watched his top investigator search for his other shoe. "She mentioned you talked, but she also said she’s taking you back to your place in DC." The younger man looked at the errant shoe he’d just found. Suddenly he hurled it across the room. "Damn it!" Rabb had been put through the ringer in the past week. He had to leave his wife and infant daughter to travel half way around the world to help a friend. After sustaining several injuries in the course of his investigation, he landed in the hospital with a concussion. To add insult to injury, his wife informed him she was tossing him out on his ear. AJ almost felt sorry for him. Almost, but not quite. If the former fighter pilot had taken note of his wife’s unhappiness, he would have known this was coming. And keeping his old apartment? AJ couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of his voice. "Why the hell did you keep that place anyway? It would have sold eventually -- whatever possessed you to lease it out?" "Shit!" Harm swore into his hands. He took a breath before looking up at his CO. "It was just another one of our damn arguments. You’re right -- I should have let it go. But I’d been there for so long Admiral, and I’d done so much work on it -- it was a part of me. And when that guy wanted it for six months it just seemed like an opportunity." He stared down at the hands in his lap. "And now she’s banishing me there." He looked up when the admiral handed him his shoe. "How the hell did I screw up so badly?" "You and Mac have to work these things out on your own. I’m not someone who can give decent advice. Hell, Roberts could probably give you better insight than I ever could." Although he’d been joking, AJ heard Harm mumble something. "Huh?" "I said he said I wasn’t listening." "Well you sure as hell better start." AJ found himself breathing a deep sigh. "Just finish getting dressed, Commander -- you can think about this on the flight home. We need to get going. Commander Pike will be meeting us at the airport with our bags from the hotel." "Kate? Oh yeah. I suppose I should thank her for everything she’s done. Sir? Do you really think she’ll be okay here now? I hadn’t realized, but what if Xinyu decides to take out some kind of revenge on her?" "Already thought of that, Commander. She and I discussed it and she’s agreed to accept that job offer I made two years ago." His smile said he was inordinately pleased with himself. "I managed to talk Admiral Barrett into a trade -- Pike for Lieutenant Singer." :: :: ::
9 December 2002 "Commander Katherine Pike, please." "I’m sorry sir, she’s left. Would you like to speak to Lieutenant Saunders?" "When will Commander Pike return?" "She’s left sir. Lieutenant Saunders has taken over all her cases until her replacement arrives. Would you like to speak to him?" "Excuse me? Where did she go?" "I’m sorry sir, that’s all I’m at liberty to say. Would you like to speak to Lieutenant Saunders?" Webb turned his phone off and threw it on his bed. "No, I do not want to speak to Lieutenant Saunders! Damn it!" he swore, running a hand through his hair. "I’m out of touch for less than two days and she’s gone?" Realizing his error, he snatched up his phone and made another call to Hawaii. "Clayton Webb here. What’s up with Commander Pike?" "Pike?" "Yeah, the Navy commander who was prosecuting Lieutenant Commander Robert Adams. Where’d we take her?" "Oh, her. We didn’t take her anywhere." "Well where the hell is she then?" "She got on a plane this afternoon with Admiral Chegwidden and that other lawyer." "Thank you!" He hung up the phone and checked the clock -- 10:45. Shit, she’s probably gonna want to kill me anyway so what the hell, he thought as he speed dialed the Rabb’s number. He took a deep breath as the phone rang, hoping like hell he wasn’t waking her. "Mac? Hey, it’s Clay." "Clay?" she muttered. "Are you home?" Oh hell, she was asleep. "Yeah, I just got in. Sorry I woke you, but I heard Harm’s on his way home." "Uh-huh. I’m picking him up tomorrow." "That’s great. Hey, why don’t I save you the trip? I need to talk to him anyway -- I can pick him up and take him home." "No...no," she mumbled. "I gotta do it. But you can call him at his place tomorrow afternoon?" "His place? Mac?" Her voice began to choke with tears. "I had to do it, Clay. Couldn’t take it anymore." Suddenly her tone became more alert. "Whoa--hang on." Mac set the phone down to find her robe. "Gotta go," she said when she returned. "Haley Marie has decided it’s time again." What the hell is going on? he wondered. "Wait a minute, Mac. Are you okay? Maybe I should come over." "Oh Clay," Mac sighed as she looked down at her bathrobe. What the heck, he’s seen me worse, she thought. "Well, we’ll be up for a while now. If you want to drive over, it’s up to you." Webb let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. "I want to. Besides, I haven’t met your little girl yet. I’ll be there in twenty." That son-of-a-bitch -- what the hell did he do to her now? :: :: ::
9 December 2002 Mac carried her now happily nursing daughter into the living room to wait for Webb. She contemplated putting on a pot of coffee but decided against it since that task required more than one hand. Clayton could make his own coffee. She turned the radio on to WMZQ and then sat in her favorite rocker; Shania Twain sang "Honey, I’m Home." Why her daughter liked Country music she could not understand, but Haley Marie contentedly batted at Mac’s breast with her fist as she suckled. Not quite in time to the music, though, Mac thought with a smile for her little girl. "Men don’t know what they’re missing," she told her as she brushed a brown lock from her forehead. Haley Marie studied her mother with one eye. "This is the best part of motherhood. Okay, minus the painful boobs." Her daughter smacked her breast twice as though in emphasis. "But this is the special time, isn’t it sweetie? This is when it’s just you and me." At least that’s what she kept telling herself, as well as her daughter. She’d promised herself long ago, and managed to get Harm to agree, that no unpleasantness as far as their relationship was concerned was going to touch Haley Marie. No arguments in front of her, no disagreements, nothing. They didn’t always succeed, but they both tried. "You’re about to finally meet your Uncle Clay, Haley Marie. Take a good look at him while you can, because you never know if you’re ever going to see him again." Her daughter again batted her breast, this time almost in time with George Strait’s "Write This Down," causing her mother to chuckle. "But I should warn you--just when you decide that you never want to see him again, you’ll never be able to get rid of him. Yes, he’ll just keep popping up everywhere." She leaned back with a sigh. "But you know what the worst part is? He’ll creep into your heart and become a part of you; you’ll find yourself caring about him because you know deep down he’s a decent man who truly cares." She suddenly realized that Haley Marie was done with the left side so she lifted her daughter up to switch her to the right. She brushed her nose against her daughter’s and said, "But you wanna know a secret?" Haley Marie let out a cheerful gurgle as Mac laid her down so she could start on the right breast. Mac let out a sigh as her daughter none-too-gently latched on, then continued. "He doesn’t want anyone to know he’s a nice guy. He wants everyone to think he’s a mean rotten person who’s quite content to do the dirty jobs that need to be done." Mac contented herself with stroking her daughter’s soft curls. "But don’t you worry about that. We know he wears a white hat, even though he does his darndest to try to keep it so dusty that it doesn’t look that way." Haley Marie kept an eye on her smiling mother as she continued to suckle. Terri Clark struck up the opening cords of "Easy on the Eyes" and she once again happily batted her mother’s breast. "You’re certainly a hungry little girl tonight, aren’t you? I’ll have you know I’m going to have to report you to your doctor. You’re becoming a little piglet. I’d be willing to bet you’ve put on ten pounds since he saw you last." Haley Marie simply blinked, as though she knew just how ridiculous her mother’s statement was. Mac offered her finger to her daughter to play with. Mac wasn’t looking forward to her conversation with Clay. She had no illusions -- he was Harm’s friend. Sure, he tried to be fair regarding any disagreements he happened to witness, but he was always asking her to be patient with Harm, always asking her to cut him more slack. This new turn in their relationship was going to go over like a lead balloon with him. She was really going to miss him if this ended their friendship. But men just tended to stick together. But Clayton Webb had never been married. Heck, as far as she knew the man had never had a long-term relationship. What did he understand about what it took to make a marriage work? The compromises and sacrifices that were an everyday occurrence, especially in the Rabb home. He was going to try to talk her into letting him come home. She just knew it. She heard the quiet knock at the front door and called out, "You got your key, Clay?" She’d given him one about two months ago when the Admiral sent Harm and Bud down to Florida for two weeks; Harm wanted him to check on her and she didn’t want to have to get up off the couch if she didn’t feel like it. She immediately heard the key slide home and the latch clicked as he opened the door. "In here," she said quietly. Clayton poked his head around the corner and suddenly found himself dumbstruck by what he saw. Mac was sitting in the rocker he’d picked up for her at an antique show a few months ago -- "Every new mother needs a quality rocker," he’d told her at the time -- her white bathrobe was loose around her shoulders, and there was this tiny little form suckling her breast. "Wow." Mac looked up and smiled. "Harm says that a lot," she said with a chuckle. "There are sodas in the fridge. If you want coffee all I have is decaf." He couldn’t move. "No. Thank you. I’m fine." "Well, are you going to come in and meet Haley Marie?" Mac asked after a moment. "What? Oh yeah." He gave his head a quick shake to clear it. "Yes. Of course." Obviously he hasn’t been around babies much, she thought humorously as she watched his slow approach. "Clayton, this is Haley Marie. Haley Marie, this is your Uncle Clayton -- the man I was just telling you about." He didn’t remember getting on his knees. Clay extended his hand to touch the soft brown curls. "Whatever she told you, honey, it was all lies." Haley Marie wiggled her mother’s finger in answer. Clay felt a goofy grin form on his face. "She’s beautiful, Mac." "Yeah, she’s pretty special," she agreed. "We got pretty lucky with her. Definitely the pick of the litter." He looked up, his concern evident. "Are you okay, Mac?" Mac found herself taking a deep breath. He doesn’t waste any time. "Yeah," she said with more conviction than she felt. "I’m getting there." "I’m sorry, Mac. Really I am." "Why? You didn’t do anything." "It’s my fault he had to leave." "Oh Clay. You didn’t do anything wrong. If anything, his leaving helped." At his confused look, she explained. "We couldn’t talk to each other anymore without starting an argument. You of all people saw more of our spats. But you never saw the worst of them." She leaned back with a sigh. "I was just so tired of being angry, and after he left I had time to think." "You had time to think when he was in Florida. What was different this time?" "Then I was just too wrapped up in myself and wanting our marriage to be perfect. Oh god, I didn’t realize the ramifications of what we were becoming. Like a fool, I believed that once the baby was born, everything would be fine. We’d be happy." She let out a heavy sigh. "But we weren’t, and things just seemed to get worse. And then when he left for Hawaii, it was just me and Haley Marie. All she needed was me to love her, to feed her, to take care of her. Life was good. Do you know what that’s like, Clay? Nothing else was important -- none of my arguments with Harm had any meaning. For the first time in a long time I stopped being angry. I don’t want to be angry anymore. It’s not good for me, it’s not good for Harm, and especially not for Haley Marie." She let go of her daughter’s finger and lightly touched a chubby cheek. "I was raised in an angry home -- I don’t want that for her." "Whatever you need, Mac, I’m there for you." He stood up slowly and touched her shoulder. "I mean that. This isn’t going to be easy for Harm, but whatever you need, whatever he needs, if I can help, I will." Her smile of gratitude turned slightly mischievous. "A cup of tea would be nice for now." They found themselves laughing as the tension drained from the room. "I’d kill for a serious cup of coffee, but I’ll take a cup of ginger-peach tea." "You got it," he said, and with a quick squeeze of her shoulder he headed for the kitchen. "Well, what do you know?" Mac whispered to her little girl. "We just might get through this okay after all." Haley Marie’s eyes closed and Mac knew she was trying to fall asleep. She jostled her lightly to keep her awake. "Oh no you don’t. You’re going to finish. You emptied the left, you’re emptying the right." This was a typical occurrence for the nighttime feedings; she was almost done and simply needed a little coaxing to finish. "And once you’re done, we’ll just wait until you need changing, then both of us can get back to bed." She jostled her daughter a bit more and Haley Marie grudgingly went back to work on getting more nourishment out of her mother’s breast. "You think you’ll sleep for four hours this time? Maybe I can convince Uncle Clayton to keep you awake for a little while. After all, you should probably get used to seeing him just at night. Despite his lifestyle, he’s going to be one heck of a godfather, you know." Another one of the few things she and Harm actually agreed on was that Clayton Webb should be entrusted with Haley Marie’s welfare if anything happened to them. They’d initially planned on having the Christening on December 21st, but she’d canceled that when she found out about his trouble in Hawaii. She hoped that now that Clay was back they could get the ceremony rescheduled, preferably before Christmas. Her priest said he could fit them in as long as they weren’t picky about the hour; as much as she’d like to have everyone there, she knew that only she, Harm, and Clay really needed to be there with Haley Marie. "Did you see the way he looked at you? He loves you already. Just as much as Nana Webb did when she first met you." Therein lay just another argument with Harm -- he’d neglected to tell her that Porter Webb had taken an interest in her son’s goddaughter, as well as forgot to tell her that he’d invited her over. Thank God Mac had been dressed and the house was clean that day. Mrs. Webb had been exceedingly gracious and fortunately Haley Marie had been on her best behavior, which is to say she slept through most of the visit and graced the stately woman with quite a few smiles when she was awake. Mac had been so taken with Clay’s mother that afterward she began referring to her as "Nana Webb" around Haley Marie. Mrs. Webb had called almost daily since then to check on them, especially after Harm left town, to see if she needed anything. In fact, it was Porter Webb who Mac turned to when she tried to find a clinic for the paternity tests. Mac shook her head in wonder that she’d actually done that, but Mrs. Webb just had a way of disarming a person and getting one to confide. She’d called that morning before Mac had made her first phone call, and before Mac knew it she had told her everything; Mrs. Webb assured her she would take care of everything and called back twenty minutes later with the name of a clinic. "You’re to use my solicitor’s name, Robert Ingham, and you’ll each be assigned a number; use no names while you’re there. Robert will call you with the results." Mac would take care of payment through the lawyer. When she tried to thank Mrs. Webb, the woman had dismissed her with, "Nonsense, dear. You’re Clayton’s friend, you need help, and I can help. You simply worry about that little girl. Don’t forget to give her a kiss from her ‘Nana Webb,’ I’ll call you tomorrow, dear." The older woman had been tickled that Mac had given her the nickname and never failed to insert it into their conversations at least once. "She’s quite a lady, isn’t she," Mac sighed. Haley Marie batted Mac’s breast in a quick staccato, this time in time with the music. "Well, what do you know? Maybe you’ll make a good musician." "What, no military career for this one?" Clay appeared with a steaming mug. The scent of peach and ginger reached Mac’s nose and she sighed with contentment. He carefully placed the mug on the table next to her. The strains of Clint Black’s "Nothing but the Taillights" could be heard from the radio. "When did you start listening to country music anyway?" "I grew up on this stuff," she said softly as she once again jostled her daughter to encourage her. "Although I didn’t exactly plan on having her grow up on it as well. We were searching through the stations one night and she decided she really liked Garth Brooks. We’ve been listening to it ever since." "Mother said I had a thing for Patsy Cline for a while," he said leaning over her. The movement caught Haley Marie’s eye and she fixated on him as she waved her arm excitedly. "I think she likes you," Mac said with a chuckle. She finally let her daughter release her nipple and covered herself. "Would you like to hold her while I drink this lovely tea you made for me?" His eyebrows rose in panic. "Me? Oh Mac, I don’t...." "Oh relax, Clay. You need to get used to it. Let me get up and you sit here." She smiled warmly. "She really likes this rocker." It had an excellent history, he remembered. The woman who sold it to him had eight children -- she guaranteed him that all babies loved it. "I’m...ah...not good...." "You’ll be fine," she said, motioning him to sit. When he had, she said, "Now hold your arms out. That’s good." She settled her daughter in her reluctant soon-to-be-godfather’s arms. "There. Now just rest her against your stomach. Just like that. See? It’s easy." Clay felt that goofy grin return. "She’s smiling." "I think you need to get one of your own," Mac teased as she picked up her tea and moved to the couch. "Yeah, right. With my life?" "You have a new position, Clay," she said as she tiredly lowered herself to the couch, "and it’s supposed to be a office job. This is the perfect time to find a nice girl and settle down." The flush that suddenly appeared on his face made her ask. "Clayton Webb! Did you meet someone?" He couldn’t believe he just lost it in front of Mac. He’d held it together so well throughout the debriefing -- not once did he even crack a smile. Of course, he’d been painfully clenching his toes at the time. Yet this woman makes one off-the-wall comment and he loses it. "She’s not exactly the mother type, Mac," he lied. Hell, he didn’t know. "Oh really? And she told you this?" "The topic of motherhood hasn’t exactly come up in any conversation I’ve had with her." She took a cautious sip, noting that this time he used enough honey. "So, are you going to tell me about her?" "No." Mac had to smile at his discomfiture. "Now Clayton, how am I supposed to get you happily married off if you don’t cooperate?" He smiled at her teasing. "You don’t. I stay a happy bachelor." He turned to study the features of the beautiful bundle in his arms. "You can make all the beautiful babies." Haley Marie swung one arm and gurgled happily now that he was paying attention to her. "Well, hello there." As Mac had done earlier, he gave her a finger to play with. Haley Marie tried to grab it, but it was too big, so she settled for batting it. "I suppose your Momma told you all about me, huh?" Mac leaned back and sipped her tea, content to watch her daughter charm the charmer. Oh to have a video camera; babies tended to reduce most tough guys into babbling fools, and Clayton Webb was hardly immune. She listened with half an ear as he listed her features, comparing her to her parents. She was almost halfway finished with her tea when he said something that had her choking on it. "I wonder if your Momma ever hears from Victor Galindez," he cooed softly. Mac would probably never want to speak to him again, but he had to know -- Harm was his friend. When he heard Mac’s cough, he said, "Oops. I’d say I have a hit, don’t you think, sweetie?" Webb prided himself on his ability to distinguish physical characteristics, and he didn’t see any of Harm’s in this little girl. However, he recalled a certain Gunnery Sergeant of Hispanic heritage whose nose and ears were suspiciously too similar to Haley Marie’s. In fact, if Mac’s eyebrows weren’t so dark, he’d add those to the list as well. "You think Uncle Clay can get her to tell him about it?" Haley Marie continued to smile and wriggle in his arms. "You’re quite the little squiggler. Your Momma’s doing a little squirming on the couch over there too. Bet she doesn’t believe that I need to know what happened between her and the Gunnery Sergeant," he continued in his soft playful tone. Her voice held a note of warning. "Webb." Clay ignored her. "I’d be willing to bet they weren’t having an affair. But I just need to hear that from her." Haley Marie just gurgled at the handsome man paying so much attention to her. Mac, however, wanted desperately to toss this man out on his ear. "We weren’t." "Did you hear that?" Clayton tickled the little girl on her tummy. "Think I can get her to tell me that she didn’t know you weren’t Harm’s before they were married?" "I still don’t know that," Mac said through gritted teeth. "Not for sure." If Haley Marie wasn’t so happy in his lap she would seriously...well, she wasn’t sure what she’d do, but she was getting angrier by the minute. "Well, your Uncle Clay is sure. Your Momma forgets that one of the things I do for a living is study physical characteristics, especially facial features." Mac wasn’t sure if she wanted to yell or cry, and she certainly didn’t want to yell in front of Haley Marie. The tears won out as she said, "What do you want from me, Clay?" He couldn’t help thinking that if he wasn’t in the middle of a damn interrogation he’d be having the time of his life with this little girl. If Mac never let him see her again, he knew already that he was going to miss her. He kept his tone pleasing, as though he was still just talking to Haley Marie. "Well, first I want your momma to tell me where he is." Oh shit. This is how it’s going to be, Clay? "On his way to Peru." "And she knows this because?" "I dropped him off at Andrews this afternoon where he caught a transport there." Clay fought to keep his anger at bay and his tone pleasing for gurgling child. "And just how long has your momma been seeing Victor?" Mac’s voice dripped sarcasm. "Since yesterday. He flew up a few days ago to take a buddy to Arlington Cemetery. He showed up with Bud and Sturgis to help move Harm's stuff from storage. Before that, I hadn’t seen him since that night." Her voice almost choked, so she took a quick sip of her tea before continuing. "And before you ask, no one knew I’d told Harm the day before that I intended to move him out at the same time until I told Harriet after she came to pick me up." Clayton froze when it hit him -- she told Harm when he was in the hospital. Harm was lying on a hospital bed suffering from a concussion. Son of a bitch! It took him a moment to recover before he could continue. "Did your mommy know what her husband was going through?" Mac fought for control. She knew she’d been a heel, but how dare he! "I knew exactly what he was going through. I talked to him everyday, sometimes several times a day." She took another deep breath before going on. "Don’t you dare presume to know what it’s like to be married to Harmon Rabb Junior. You don’t know what our lives have been like, you only know a small part of our history, and you, Clayton Webb, know damn little about what it takes to make a relationship work. I know I’m no walk in the park either, but I have tried. And I know Harm’s not ready to give it up, but believe me, mister, I’m not only ready to throw in the towel, I’ve tossed it. And I’d like to think I’ve done it for the right reasons -- the biggest one is my daughter’s welfare." "I think she’s upset." "You bet I’m upset!" "No, Mac, Haley Marie. Her face is all screwed up." "What?" The panic could barely be heard, but it was there in his voice. "I think she’s going to start crying. You better come get her." Mac could see from where she sat what was happening. It took her less than two seconds to formulate a plan and she was just pissed off enough to act on it. She casually got up from the couch and moved to stand over the pair. When Clay lifted Haley Marie for her to take, Mac deliberately put her hands behind her back. "Its okay, sweetie. Momma knows what’s got you all upset. And Uncle Clay will take care of you." She fixed him with a hard look. "Won’t you Uncle Clay." "Mac?" His tone was so helpless, Mac almost laughed. Revenge is so sweet, and she was so pissed. She turned and left the room, calling back, "Come along, Clayton. It’s time you learned how to change a diaper." :: :: ::
10 December 2002 Ellen May Fredricks, Dr. Fredricks to her staff at the Smithsonian, Ellie to close friends and Ellie Mae to the few people who really wanted to piss her off, stared out of her third-floor office overlooking the Mall. She compulsively tapped the stiff white folder against the lightly fogged window. The entire length and breath of the nation’s capital was lit with thousands of tiny white lights that at night were breathtakingly beautiful. However, the unseasonable morning fog and overcast sky gave the lights an eerie glow. The new President wanted everything to be festive even if more and more troops were being deployed all over the world. In keeping with this dictate, the wives of the Secretary of the Navy and Secretary of State had decided to throw a huge benefit party in the Rotunda of the State Department. It was to benefit the USO and the college fund set up for the Pentagon victim’s families. Clayton Webb had to be behind the invitation. It would be just like him. She had never met late husband’s boss before Ed’s death. But she knew immediately who he was the moment she opened the door that day. Eddie had described him to her shortly after they’d moved to DC. "He’s so young and so Ivy League, Ellie, he would fit in with your crowd easily. No one would ever suspect he’s my boss." They had never been introduced. There was little reason for it. She and Edward James Fredricks had only moved to DC because of her job. Eddie had been stationed out of the Paris office when they met twenty years ago. She had been serving as assistant acquisitions curator at the Louvre; he had just joined the CIA. He hadn’t even told her what he did until the night before they married. "¼so if you want to call the wedding off, I’ll understand." She hadn’t let him off the hook that easily and they had been happy for 15 years. They moved each time she took another, and better job at some of the world’s most renowned museums. They had just returned to the States after she had been an expatriate for nearly 20 years because this new job with the Smithsonian was too good to pass up. He was killed on a mission three months later. She had always known it could happen, but his death was devastating. She didn’t know what she would have done without her work or without Clayton Webb. He had come personally to break the news to her. He had stayed with her the entire night listening to her tears, her screams, and her whispered pain-filled memories. He had ended up on the couch, holding her; both of them so exhausted that sleep came quickly. He had made all the funeral arrangements -- or had someone do it. He had stayed by her side at the funeral and then made sure she wasn’t alone afterward. He was a good friend. Cars drove carefully down Constitution Avenue, their headlights illuminating the fog. Three weeks until Christmas. For having no family she would be surprisingly busy. She had spent every Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve for the past five years working at the Northeast MBE Church’s dinners for the needy. Porter Webb always sent her car for her and the driver always took her back to Mrs. Webb’s home for dinner. Last year it had been Ellie’s opportunity to return Clayton Webb’s favor. They had thought for sure that the Assistant Director of Counterintelligence had died in the bombing of the US Embassy in Pakistan. For the first time since moving to DC, she had called Pastor Willis and told him she couldn’t make it. Instead, she had gone to Porter’s house Christmas Eve and stayed the night. Neither woman got any sleep. At least not until AJ had come at 8:00 am with the news that Webb had been among the twenty people who had huddled in a small space in the basement until rescue workers had reached them. A perplexed expression stared back at her in the glass. AJ Chegwidden. Oh how they had laughed together at Webb when he "introduced" them. Of course, she had to admit he had re-introduced them. She had no idea that AJ was in DC. Truth was, she hadn’t given him much thought in the past 20 years or so. She had been the quintessential little sister of his best friend. God, she had been an obnoxious beast back in Texas. He and Joey had been kings of the baseball team; she had worshipped them both. Joey had more talent, but AJ had more determination. Together they had a choice. Texas A&M or the Naval Academy. Joey wanted to play pro ball. AJ was determined to get as far from Texas as he could. AJ had become a SeAL. Joey had thrown out his shoulder, enlisted and died as grunt in the rice paddies of Viet Nam. He was 19. She had been 13 when he died. Her mom had gone a little nuts and Anna Chegwidden had taken her under her wing. When she got into trouble in college, a minor marijuana bust that had landed her in Dallas lockup, Anna had sent AJ to bale her out. He had shown up in full dress uniform, dragged her down the street to his car and proceeded to read her the riot act in no uncertain terms. Then he had taken her for coffee and listened to her for nearly 10 hours. They had kept in touch for a while. He had even invited her to his wedding, paying her airfare to Italy. That’s where she had fallen in love with art. That’s when her life took on a whole new outlook. When Clay had told her, "Look it’s time for you to get out and meet people," she had known he wanted her to start dating again. He was like the kid brother she never had to pester her. He had been miserable at matchmaking. Each successive blind date was more hideous than the last. She had threatened him with bodily harm if he did one more time. She also had threatened to go to Porter. "Just one more," he had pleaded that summer nearly 18 months ago. They were to meet at a picnic at the Webb’s Hyannis Port cottage, and that’s where she met his friends from JAG. She and Sarah MacKenzie had been helping Porter bring out plates and napkins when she heard Clay say, "I’ll be damned, he did come." She looked around and saw a tall, bald hunk get out of a Caddy SUV. Something stirred in her memory. "Hey, AJ, I’d like you to meet Dr. Ellen Fredricks, Ellie, this is...." "Oh my God, Ellie Mae!" "Watch it, Jethro." She had retorted with the name he despised. At Webb’s, not to mention most of the rest of the group’s shocked silence, they had burst into laughter and hugged each other. Two and a half decades just evaporated. They caught up on each other’s history throughout the night. Since then, they had palled around and it had been fabulous. They would dine together at least once a week if they were in town at the same time. In the summer they went to baseball games together, in the winter they watched nearly every Redskins game together on television. Sometimes Clay would drag them to the opera or symphony and that was fun too. She knew that Clay still held out hope for the two of them. But then Clay was an incurable romantic -- about everyone but himself. She sighed and stared at the invitation. Well thank God AJ was going to be there. She finally let the absurdity of the situation sink in. Grace O’Malley and Sir Francis Drake. AJ probably had a fit! She couldn’t imagine him dressed as a dandy. And what the hell was a 5’5" blond descendent of good Swedish stock doing dressing up as a 16th Century Irish pirate queen? She was sure Clay -- or Porter at Clay’s insistence -- would pick something terribly inappropriate. She wasn’t even sure if any drawing of the lady existed. Oh lord, she bet he had been watching old Errol Flynn movies. Well, if AJ could dress up like Drake she could dress up like¼? Her mind shied away from New Years Eve and the Ball. Frankly she prayed that AJ would figure out a way to get them both out of it. An idea began to germinate -- or maybe she could.... The phone jangled her out of her musings. "Dr. Fredricks.... AJ! Where are you! Where? Jesus, you’re calling from the plane! Talk quick! Dulles? An hour! Yeah...but you’ll probably have to wait. Of course with the fog I may end up having to wait. What? Sure, I guess, I can. I’ve got that spare room." :: :: ::
What the hell is he doing here? she wondered as she, Harm, and the admiral got off the plane. Kate expected Mac to be there. Does that woman ever look bad? She just had a baby for chrissakes. But there he was -- Clayton Webb stood next to Mac, looking incredible in black jeans and a black bomber jacket. Definitely good enough to eat. She felt a smile coming on as their eyes connected. "Shall we get your bags?" he asked when she finally reached him. Harm and the admiral were quickly forgotten as they headed toward baggage claim. "I thought I was going to surprise you." She leaned into him as they rounded a corner. His hand slid around her waist to pull her close. "But here you are surprising me." He quickly pulled her into an alcove and pinned her to the wall. "I’m full of surprises." His mouth devoured hers and Kate felt her knees begin to give. Has it only been two days? she wondered. Damn, he kisses so good! When he finally released her mouth, he buried his head in her neck. "God, I need you, Kate." He pressed his erection into her hip for emphasis. "Right here, right now." "Is there a quiet room nearby?" What am I saying, she wondered? "Don’t know. It’s quiet here." He began unbuttoning her uniform blouse, pushing her farther into the darkened alcove. "Clay, you can’t do that here." But she couldn’t help herself. It had been so long. As his fingers fondled one of her nipples, her traitorous hand moved to his hardness. He growled his appreciation as he lifted her skirt and moved them farther into the darkness. Within moments he had her pinned in the corner and he was buried deep within her. She was so wet he slid easily in and out. She buried her nose into the collar of his jacket and bit into the leather, but even that couldn’t muffle the whimpers that escaped. Clayton Webb had no such compunction, though. Even with his mouth pressed against her neck, his grunts of pleasure seemed to resonate throughout their little alcove. Her feet were off the floor and her legs were wrapped around his waist. The sensations his cock made as he pounded into her were indescribable. What’s more, the danger of discovery was intoxicating and she felt herself so close to the edge. She clutched at Clay, urging him on, wanting him deeper, praying all the while that no one would try to investigate. "Commander Pike?" The voice came as though from a distance. Shit! That’s the admiral! :: :: ::
10 December 2002 A hand touched her shoulder and Kate bolted upright. "We’re about to land, Commander," the admiral said quietly from his seat next to her. "Oh yes. Of course, sir. Thank you, sir." Kate quickly took stock of where she was and what she needed to gather before and after they landed. She desperately wanted to hit the head to calm herself -- it had been a while since she’d had a dream like that. She could still feel her vaginal muscles clench and unclench in frustration. Jeez, she thought, I need to get laid bad. :: :: ::
10 December 2002 The baggage claim area was crowded. Since no one but ticketed passengers were allowed near the gates, more and more people crowded in the various waiting areas. She and Clay weren’t the only ones who chose the baggage claim area to wait in. Haley Marie fussed next to her. "It's okay, sweetie. It’s just a lot of noise and people. We’re just fine here." Clay came back from the monitors. "What’s the word this time?" Gee, was that a normal tone of voice I hear? Clay wondered sarcastically. "They still haven’t landed. From what I gather, their plane isn’t the only one that’s circling, thanks to this stupid fog." "Well, sit down then." He wasn’t really in the mood to sit next to a highly irate Mac. He’d been surprised that she’d still been angry when he showed up at her place earlier. You’d think she would have calmed down by now, he told himself. "I’ll stand." Oh god, why must this sparring continue? she wondered. "Just sit, Clay. Please." He reluctantly sat next to her. As he glanced at her he suddenly realized that if Mac turned to talk to him, her daughter would be behind her. "You really should put Haley Marie between us." "Fine." She rose and switched her daughter’s carrier to the seat next to Clay. Haley Marie continued to fuss as the noise level rose and fell around them. Mac leaned over her to try to give her a little comfort. "I didn’t realize it would be so bad, sweetie. It won’t be too much longer. I promise." "Do you have a Walkman[tm] by any chance?" At Mac’s confused look, he continued. "A portable cd player?" Her answer was clipped. "No. Why would I have one?" "I’ll be right back." What the hell is his problem? she wondered as she watched him walk to the escalator. "You think he’s still ticked off about last night, Haley Marie?" Her daughter spit out her pacifier again and Mac patiently tried to put it back into her mouth, cooing soothingly. She didn’t think that what she’d done was all that bad. And he deserved it anyway. Yes, her threat of never allowing him anywhere near Haley Marie again was probably a bit over the top, but she was pretty ticked herself at the time. "You’re diaper was pretty bad, though," she said with a chuckle. "But he did it, and a pretty darn good job of it at that." Poor Clay had nearly gagged on several occasions. The best part was that she got him to admit he wanted to be here because he wanted to see Kate. "How bad do you think he’s got it for Commander Pike, sweetie? I couldn’t tell at the time, but he seemed pretty glad he planned on following us rather than just meeting us here." It’s a good thing too. She’d gotten a call from the admiral that morning and he’d told her they’d had a change in flight plans and to meet them at Dulles instead of Andrews. She leaned forward conspiratorially, "I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to seeing those two together. Your Uncle Clay has always gone for blondes, and unless she’s changed her hair, Kate Pike’s a brunette." And a damn good looking one at that, she thought with frustration. Mac’s figure was far from returning, and the Commander Pike she remembered was leggy and skinny. "I wonder what she’d look like after a baby -- she’d probably have no problem losing her baby fat," she said with a frown. "Who’s that?" Clay asked absently as he rejoined them. He began rummaging in the plastic bag he’d returned with. "Nuts," he muttered as he fished into his pants pocket. "I hate these plastic covers." Mac watched as he opened a small pocketknife, then returned to rummaging in the bag. "What are you doing?" "Hopefully, nothing that’s going to tick you off further," he clipped. "There!" He pulled a cd player with headphones out of the bag and handed it to her. "Hang onto this a minute." He put the knife back in his pocket and returned to his rummaging. "You going to tell me what you’re doing?" His tone was still irritated. "Hopefully I’ll manage to calm your daughter a bit. Why do they put so much plastic on this stuff?" He finally pulled out a Garth Brooks’ cd and handed it to her. Mac felt a smile coming on as she figured out what he’d done. "You remember to get batteries?" He gave her a quick glare. "Yes! They’re coming next." Mac popped the cd out of its case and inserted it into the player, then hooked up the headphones. By the time Clay had two batteries ready to hand to her she was ready to insert them in the back. She quickly put them in, turned on the player and adjusted the volume appropriately for her daughter to hear. She set the cd player underneath Haley Marie’s carrier and put the headphones on her daughter’s stomach. Immediately her daughter gurgled happily. "That was sweet of you. Thank you, Clay." "Well, I saw no reason for her to suffer," he said gruffly as he got up to take the remnants of his purchase to a nearby trash can. "See," she told her daughter, "I told you he’d make a great godfather." Haley Marie waved her arms happily as she listened to her favorite Country singer. When Clay returned, she asked, "Are we going to get through this okay?" "I don’t know, Mac. I hope so." He looked down at the now sleepy child in the carrier. "It’s not going to be easy, you know." When he looked up at Mac, his anger was evident, although he kept his voice hushed. "What ever possessed you to sleep with Galindez, anyway?" "I screwed up, okay? It was just one night of monumental stupidity." "Are you in love with him?" "What?" His look was penetrating. "I know you, Mac. You’re not the type for one-night-stands. What went on with you two?" "Excuse me?" "Look. I don’t want a blow-by-blow account of that night. What I want to know is what ever possessed you to go against your basic instincts, as well as your code of ethics. For starters, he’s enlisted! What the heck happened between you two for you to even consider him!" Mac leaned back and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to think about this. She hadn’t wanted to think about it since that night. Clay was right, though. It was totally against everything she believed. "It started on the Guadalcanal," she finally admitted. Webb knew she’d spent a few months on that ship with Galindez. "Okay, what happened?" "I was so mad at Harm. And Victor was there for me." The use of Galindez’s first name made him lean closer to her. "You didn’t...." "No!" she snapped. She looked around to see if anyone was paying attention, then returned her gaze to him. She tried to keep her voice hushed as well, but she really didn’t care for his questions. "He understood what I was going through, though. He didn’t even try to get me to talk about it. Well, once or twice, but he gave me my space when I told him he was out of line. He was a friend, Clay. And I needed a friend right then." Clay nodded. "Okay. What else?" He was going to keep after her, she knew, if she didn’t give him at least something. "When we were in Indonesia. Well, it was pretty hot. He stayed next to me, made sure I was okay, but he didn’t try to protect me -- he treated me like a comrade!" She looked down at her hands. "I didn’t realize until later how much that meant to me," she admitted. She lifted her head to give him a hard look. "I’m a trained Marine, Clay. I hate being treated like a helpless female. He trusted me to do my job, and because of the way he treated me everyone around followed suit." He’d heard about how she’d led the entire consulate staff through an underground tunnel to safety. "They gave you a medal for that operation." "I was doing my job. I didn’t do anything special -- just my duty." He knew better but let it drop. "Anything else?" What the heck does he want from me? she lamented to herself. She leaned back in her chair with a sigh. "He left JAG less than two months after the September Eleventh incidents. I envied him, you know. But he had combat expertise -- he didn’t belong at JAG, and we all knew it." She turned and began talking more to her daughter than to Clay as her voice softened. "I missed him, too. He was the only other Marine at JAG I could really identify with. And then one night back in February he just showed up at my place. It was quite a shock considering I thought I’d never see him again." Mac lightly stroked her daughter’s curls as she spoke. She couldn’t look at Clay right now, only at the little girl she couldn’t look at without seeing Victor’s face. "We talked for several hours -- he was heading south to the latest terrorism hotbed. As you know, the mission down there was twofold. There was the terrorism mission, but there also was the War on Drugs that had lapsed thanks to our concentrating all our resources in the Middle East." She sat up and again leaned her head against the wall, closing her eyes as though in pain. "I don’t know what possessed me, Clay. As he was getting ready to leave I just found myself coming on to him. I can’t really blame him, though. He was going into combat and knew he probably wasn’t going to come out alive." "Does Harm know you two were involved?" "No!" she snapped, again, a bit too loudly. She quieted her tone, but still didn’t look at Clay, instead looking at the milling crowd. "And don’t you tell him. That’s between him and me!" Clay had the grace to look embarrassed. "God, how could I be so stupid? I took advantage of Victor. And now I’ve probably ruined both our careers!" Mac turned tearful eyes to her friend -- yes, despite everything that was going on between them right now, she knew that Clayton Webb was her friend, too. "What am I going to do about Harm, though? This is going to kill him. And what about his mother? She thinks she has a grandchild. All this time we believed...she’s been so thrilled. Oh Clay, how can I screw things up so royally? I love Harm, but I miss my best friend. I thought that by divorcing him I could somehow get that back. And then Victor showed up and my whole life has been turned on end. Harm will never forgive this. I’ll never have my friend back now." He reached out to touch her shoulder. "Hey, give Harm more credit. You don’t know how he’s going to react. Besides, after that broken condom you were both just expecting a baby to result. Yeah, he told me about that. Don’t dismiss him so quickly, Mac. Give him a chance. Okay?" She nodded. "Well, I still won’t know for sure anyway until the test results come back." "Test results?" "Yes. Victor wanted confirmation, although he’s as convinced as you are. That’s why I saw him yesterday. We went out and got all three of us checked to find out whether or not Victor could be Haley Marie’s father." "What? Where the hell did you go?" "Excuse me? What the hell do you need to know for?" "Because, damn it, as you pointed out, this could ruin both your careers, and hurt Harm terribly if it isn’t handled right." "Oh, and I’m not thinking about this as well? Give me some credit! I’ll have you know we...." Dr. Ellen Fredricks’ voice interrupted their conversation. "Clayton! Mac! What are you doing here?" she called as she walked from the baggage carousel area. Both looked up but Clay spoke first. "Ellie," he said, rising to hug her. "What are you doing here?" "I asked first," she said, laughing and stepping back. "Mac. You look beautiful. Is this your baby? What the heck are headphones doing on her stomach?" "Hello, Ellen," Mac said smiling. "It’s good to see you, too. Clay bought them for her. The noise of this place was getting to be too much for her, so now she’s listening to Garth Brooks instead." "Smart man, Clay. So, what are you two doing here? Are you here to pick up Harm? Oh, of course you are. Silly me. Have you seen them yet? I just checked the monitor and their flight landed a few minutes ago." "You’re picking up AJ?" Maybe things are finally heating up between those two, Clay hoped. "Yes. And a young woman he’s bringing with him. AJ asked if she use my spare room until she could find a place." Clay’s heart sank, but he kept his tone light. "That sounds like a fine idea, Ellie. I’m sure you’ll enjoy having the company." Ellie turned back to Mac. "So, this is Haley Marie. She’s adorable, Mac. You and Harm must be so proud." Mac smiled weakly but was saved from response by the arrival of the trio from Hawaii. "Mac!" Harm called out, moving swiftly toward her. Since she didn’t rise, he leaned down to give her a hug and was downright thrilled when she presented her lips for him to kiss. "I missed you, baby. Oh wow -- look at how much she’s grown in just a week!" Harm lowered himself to look at Haley Marie. "She’s looking more like you all the time, Mac." Ellie turned away to watch AJ approach with a female naval officer. A lovely dark-haired woman, she decided, who for some reason was blushing slightly and looking at Clayton. Ellie turned to Clay and noticed a similar flush. She was spared further musings when AJ spoke. "Ellie! Glad you could make it. Commander Katherine Pike, this is Dr. Ellen Fredricks. She’s kindly offered her spare room until your stuff arrives and you can find a place of your own." "A pleasure to meet you, Dr. Fredricks. I appreciate the place to stay. The admiral tells me all the BOQs around here are pretty much full." "You’re quite welcome, my dear. I’ll enjoy the company. Shall we get your bags? The fog is terrible, but it’s not too cold. Oh, but since you’ve just come from the tropics it’s probably going to be terribly cold. Did you bring a coat, Katherine?" "Kate, please. I do have a light coat in one bag." Mac left Haley Marie with Harm. "Excuse me, admiral, but can I talk to you a moment?" "Certainly, Mac. Will you two excuse me?" Mac led him toward a nearby bank of telephones. "What can I do for you, Mac?" "Two things actually, sir." "Shoot." "First, don’t make a fuss, don’t act surprised, just let Clay drive Commander Pike to Ellen’s." AJ’s eyebrows rose. "Is that why Webb’s here?" "Please, sir. As a favor to me--just do it?" He was stunned. Well, Webb’s just full of surprises this week! "Commander Pike and Webb?" He glanced over to the group they’d just left and saw Ellie and Harm huddled over Haley Marie, but Webb and Pike were in their own little huddle and their conversation looked quite intimate. Mac’s smile and wink told him she agreed as she turned him away. "Yes sir. Now, for that other thing. I need to talk to you, privately." "Well, go ahead." Mac nervously thrust her hands in her coat pockets. "Not here. Can we meet for lunch later this week?" The movement, as well as her uneasy tone, wasn’t lost on him. "What’s up? Are you okay? Is Haley Marie okay? Is Rabb giving you a hard time? You know I can keep him up to his ears in court briefs if you want me to." "Thank you, sir. I’ll keep that in mind. But, no, that’s not it. I’d really rather wait to discuss this with you later. Would Thursday be okay?" "Certainly, Mac. How’s McMurphy’s at 1300 hours sound?" Too close. There might be a few JAG people around. "I was thinking Four Provinces. It’s a little quieter," she finished lamely. "All right. Are you sure you’re okay?" No, I’m not okay. My life is falling apart and my career may soon be over. Mac tried to push these thoughts aside. "I’ll be fine. I’ll tell you all about it then. I promise." He nodded, but his expression told her she’d better. She smiled and turned back toward the group to indicate she was finished. "Now you just remember to be nice to Clay," she said conspiratorially. He put a companionable hand on her back as they returned to the group. "I don’t know, Colonel. That’s something I have very little experience with." Ellie looked up at the sound of AJ’s voice. "What’s that, AJ?" "Patience. Has no one gotten our luggage yet? Rabb -- you and Webb go get our bags. Commander Pike -- you supervise. Heaven only knows what they might pull off the carousel." Clay turned to his friend who was still on the floor next to Haley Marie. "Come on, Rabb. You heard your orders." As Mac began packing up the infant's stuff in preparation to leave, Clayton leaned into Kate. "Do I get any orders?" he asked flirtatiously. "Move it, mister," Kate commanded, adding a playful push. AJ shook his head as the three walked away. "I wouldn’t have imagined it." "What’s that, AJ?" He turned to his old friend. "How would you like to do something for Webb?" "You mean suddenly remember my trunk’s full?" At his questioning look, she continued. "I saw the way he looked at her, AJ. I would have said something but I wasn’t one-hundred-percent sure those were his intentions when he showed up." She turned to Mac who was once again seated next to Haley Marie. "I take it that’s why he’s here?" At Mac’s nod, she said to both, "Oh well, it makes me look like a ditz, but what the heck?" "Thanks, Ellen." Mac rose when she saw the three approaching. Clay was pushing a cart with Kate and AJ’s bags and Harm carried his garment bag and duffel. "Think you can manage one more bag, fly-boy?" she asked her husband as she held out the baby bag for him to take. "I think I can manage." Harm turned toward his CO. "I’ll see you tomorrow, sir?" "Take your time, Commander. We’re both jet-lagged." "Aye-aye, sir." As the three left AJ turned to Webb. "How’s Mac holding up?" "She seems pretty determined, AJ." "Any chance this is just post-partum depression and she’ll get over it?" Ellie was suddenly concerned. "Is she okay, Clay?" "Long story, Ellie," AJ interjected. "I’ll tell you about it when we’re on the road." He turned to Webb. "I take it we can discuss your debriefing later?" Clayton Webb didn’t miss a beat. "Certainly, AJ." "Good. In the meantime, care to help us with all these bags?" "Oops." All eyes turned to Ellie. "Um. Clay? Can you do me a favor?" As the four walked down the ramp toward the parking lot, none noticed the two Orientals who rose to follow them. Home :: JAG Index :: e-mail Paula :: e-mail TheLadyT |