Time's Up!

Sunday, 16 May 2004
1430 EDT
Roberts Residence
Falls Church, Virginia

"Harm, why do I have to go to this party?" whined Mattie sitting next to him in the front seat of the Lexus.  "I hardly even know the Roberts, let alone the little kid."

Harm glanced at Mattie as he pulled into the Roberts' driveway.  "I told you, Mattie.  There are some things we need to do as a 'family', and this is one of them.  Little AJ Roberts is my godson.  That makes him a very special child to me.  And Bud and Harriett Roberts are two of the nicest people you'll ever meet in your life."  He turned off the ignition and removed his key.

"I know, I know... you've said that a million times," Mattie exaggerated, opening the car door and climbing down.

Harm opened his door and stepped onto the driveway.  "Well, it's true.  Now just relax and have a good time.  Hey!  Grab the present in the backseat, would you?  I have to get the chairs out of the back."

They made their way to the front entrance and before either had a chance to ring the bell, the door swung open wide.  "Uncle Harm!  You came!" squealed the little boy as he lunged at Harm's legs.

Harm laughed, "Of course, I came, AJ!  There's not much that would have kept me away from your fifth birthday party!"  He winked at Harriett as she came up behind her exuberant son and pried him away from Harm.  Harm left the chairs on the front stoop and they walked inside.

"Good afternoon, Commander.  Hello, Mattie.  I'm so glad you could come today," Harriett welcomed them.  "AJ, you remember Mattie, don't you?"

The little boy looked up at the teenager and smiled.  "You brought me a present?  Wooow!  Thank you!" he smiled.

Mattie started to hand the large package to the small boy.  But when he tried to take it, she found that it weighed more than she realized, so she continued holding it... but AJ kept one hand on the box, too.  He didn't want it to get out of his sight!  "Actually, it's from Harm," Mattie told the boy.

Harm corrected her immediately, "No, actually, it's from Uncle Harm and Mattie."  Mattie turned surprised eyes to Harm.  But his attention was on the small child.  "And you know who picked it out?"  AJ shook his head.  "Mattie.  And you know who wrapped it?"  Again, AJ shook his head.  "Mattie!  And you know who paid for it?" Harm asked, trying hard not to laugh.  He knew he'd get him on this one.

Little AJ grinned, "Mattie!"

Mattie laughed as Harm shook his head and said, "Nope!  Uncle Harm!"

They all had a good laugh as they moved into the family room and Harriett returned to the kitchen.  As Harm looked around the family room, he saw that there were others from JAG already there.  "Hello, everyone!" he said as they walked in.

"Harm!  About time you got here, ol' buddy!" welcomed Sturgis.

"Glad you could make it, Rabb.  Hello, young lady," greeted Admiral Chegwidden.

Harm shook hands with both men and then moved on to say hello to Bud's father and brother.  Mattie heard a female voice in the next room and thinking it might be Jennifer, she followed the sound and found herself in the kitchen.  "Oh, I'm sorry," she said when she realized that Jennifer wasn't there, but Mac and Harriett were.

"Hi, Mattie!" said Mac.

"Hello, Mac.  I didn't mean to intrude.  I just..."

"Honey, you're not intruding," insisted Harriett.  "We're just getting the stuff ready to take out to the family room so the men can stuff their faces."  Mac and Mattie laughed.  "You think I'm kidding?  You just watch!"

"Where's Jennifer?  Isn't she coming?" asked Mattie.

"I had to call her and ask her to stop at the grocery to pick up some ice cream.  I forgot to put it on the shopping list, so Bud didn't know to buy any," Harriett explained.  "She'll be here soon, I'm sure."  They finished fixing the trays of sandwiches and carried them out into the family room.  "Dig in!"

The men all reached forward as one entity, each one taking a handful of food:  Sturgis and Mike had potato chips, Harm had celery sticks, AJ dipped tortilla chips in the bowl of salsa, and both Bud and his father grabbed some pretzels.  Mattie watched as the men sat back into their seats and munched on their snacks.  When little AJ copied the movements of his father, Mattie started to giggle.  Mac was next.  And then Harriett.  "What's so funny?" asked Bud with a mouth full of food.

The doorbell rang and the women all ran to answer it... rather than answering Bud's query.  Harriett opened the door to find Jennifer on the front steps.  "The ice cream has arrived!" Jen smiled.

"Thank you so much, Jennifer.  I can't believe I forgot to tell Bud to buy ice cream.  I really appreciate your stopping to pick it up for me."

"No problem at all, Ma'am.  I was glad to do it," Jen replied.  Then seeing her roommate, she said, "Hey, Mattie.  I didn't think you were coming."

Mattie snuck a glance at Harriett out of the corner of her eye and found that she and Mac were already heading for the kitchen with the ice cream.  She answered quietly, "Harm said I had to."

Jen put her arm around Mattie and conspired with her, "I'm sure you'll have a good time.  And if not, give me a sign and I'll make an excuse to leave and take you with me, okay?"

"You're so great, Jen.  Thank you!"

They entered the family room and found the men still eating snacks and little AJ sitting on the floor playing with his baby brother.  When Harriett and Mac joined them, little AJ stood up and announced it was time for games.  "Pin the tail on the donkey!!" he announced, pointing to the picture of the donkey Bud had hung on the wall earlier that morning.  

Just as they finished pinning tails on the donkey (and the wall and the TV and the DVD player), the pizza arrived.  Mattie was surprised that Harriett had ordered eight pizzas for only 11 people.  Mac laughed, "Just you wait.  There won't be a slice left!  You'll see!"  And she was right!  There wasn't even a crumble of sausage left in one of the boxes.

The group gathered around little AJ as he excitedly opened his presents.  "What's this?" he asked as he ripped the paper off the first gift.  

"Well, open it and see," said his Uncle Mike.

Mac stood at the end of the sofa, an enormous smile lighting her face as she watched the happy child.  She felt someone watching her, and as she turned to look at the others, she noticed Harm's head jerk as he looked back to little AJ.  It didn't take long before he turned his head again and found Mac still watching him.  He smiled at her and she smiled back.  He slid over on the loveseat and patted the cushion next to him, looking at her.  

Mac quietly moved across the room and sat next to him.  By now, AJ was opening the present Mac brought for him.  She watched the boy's eyes light up as he found a new computer game.  Bud groaned.  "I'm going to have to get him his own computer.  He spends more time on that thing now than I do!  I can't even get on it until after he goes to bed!"

The adults in the room laughed, but the child wasn't paying attention.  He was already working on his next present.  "Wooow!"  He thrilled as he saw the famous Spiderman character come into view.  "Mommy, look!  It's the Spiderman Web Blaster!!"

Harriett cringed.  "Oh, how wonderful, Honey.  Who gave you that?" she looked around the room at each of the men... daggers in her eyes.

"I cannot tell a lie, Lieutenant.  That one's from me," the Admiral admitted.

"Good thing it is, Sir."  At his questioning look, she continued, "Anyone else, I'd have insisted that they had to come and clean up after AJ shoots those webs all over the house!"  Everyone laughed, and the elder AJ winked at Bud... which Harriett saw.  "Bud Roberts!  You put him up to that!!" she accused, which had everyone laughing even harder.

The little tyke, though, wasn't paying them any mind.  He was exclaiming over his new Lego set.  "It's Harry Potter!" he said in awe. 

Mattie agreed, "Yep.  Harry Potter's Chamber of Secrets."

"Cool!"  He looked up at Mattie.  "You want to help me put it together?"

Mattie nodded, "Sure, I'll help you."

Harm smiled at his ward.  He knew she'd enjoy herself today if she'd just loosen up a little.  He put his arm around the back of the loveseat and draped it lightly around Mac's shoulders.  He leaned over slightly and whispered, "Now that is an accomplishment."  Mac turned questioning eyes to him.  "She didn't want to come today," he told her.  "She didn't think a little kid's birthday party would be much fun."

Mac grinned, "She was probably expecting a lot of little kids, not a bunch of adults."

Harm thought for a moment.  "You might be right.  I don't think I told her there wouldn't be other kids.  That surprises me, too.  Isn't he about the right age to want to have a party with his friends?"

Mac nodded, "That party is tomorrow afternoon."

Harm was surprised when the youngster jumped into his lap.  "Thank you for the Lego, Uncle Harm!"

Harm hugged the boy.  "You're very welcome, AJ.  They're from Mattie, too, you know."

"I know.  I already thanked her.  And she's gonna help me put 'em together.  Is that okay?"

"Of course it is, Birthday Boy."

The child wiggled out of Harm's lap and into Mac's.  He hugged her tightly.  "Thank you for the computer game, Auntie Mac."

"You're welcome, Sweetheart.  I figured a 4-year old needed a game like that to help him..."

"I'm FIVE!" AJ corrected her loudly, a hurt expression on his face.  All other commotion in the room stopped and everyone looked at Mac and the boy.

"Five?  You are?" Mac feigned ignorance.  The child nodded.  "No.  You couldn't be.  You're only four years old."

"No, Auntie Mac!  I'm FIVE!"

Mac turned to Harm.  "Is that true?  Is he really five now?"

Harm nodded, "I'm afraid so, Mac.  He's five."

Mac squeezed AJ and tickled him until he wiggled out of her lap and was rolling on the floor laughing.  Mac was on her knees, still tickling him.  "Did you really think I didn't know you were five?  Hmm?  Of course I know you're five years old, little man!  You're my godson; I'd better know how old you are!"

She finally let the boy up, before his giggles turned to tears.  "You knew all along?" he asked her.

"Yes, Sweetheart.  I knew all along."

The boy hugged her neck tightly.  "I love you, Auntie Mac."

"Who wants cake and ice cream?!?" called Bud from the kitchen doorway.  Harriett walked out from behind him carrying a birthday cake shaped like Spiderman.  They began singing "Happy Birthday" and the others joined in.   As Bud cut the cake, Harriett returned to the kitchen for the ice cream.  

Once everyone was served, little AJ urged, "Tell me, again, Mommy!  Tell me how Daddy was stuck in the elevator."

"Elevator?" grinned Harm.  "Bud, have you been getting stuck in elevators again?"

Everyone's attention turned to Bud, but Harriett answered.  "No; AJ means the story of when he was born."

The Admiral laughed, "Now that was quite a day!"

Sturgis looked around as his co-workers laughed.  "I don't believe I've ever heard the whole story.  What happened?"

The Admiral continued, "Harriett went into labor at the office."

"At the same time as a woman in the courtroom," added Bud.  "She ended up in Harriett's ambulance."

Harm chimed in, "So we put Harriett on the floor of the Admiral's office."

Mac added, "Mic Brumby figured his experience delivering sheep in Australia was all he needed to deliver Harriett's baby."

Harm laughed, "He was going to pull the boy out by his arms and legs!"

Then Harriett remembered, "So Tiner offered to help... and then he fainted!"  

Little AJ piped up, giggling, "And all the time, Daddy was stuck in the elevator that wouldn't move!"

Bud nodded, "Yep, I sure was."

Sturgis cast a sympathetic look Bud's way, "You did get out in time, I trust?"

"That depends on your definition of 'in time'," Mac laughed.

"I got to Harriett just in the knick of time," Bud nodded.

"But what happened?  I mean, who delivered the baby?" asked Sturgis.  All eyes turned to the Admiral.  "Admiral?" 

He nodded.  "That's right, Commander.  I had the joy of bringing my namesake into the world."

Mike laughed.  "You know, they told us what happened, but I'd never heard it from all of you before.  It sounds like it was..."

"A 3-ring circus!" finished Bud's father.  

The Admiral nodded, "I think that about sums it up."

"Who wants more cake?" asked Harriett.

Harm turned to Mac and spoke quietly.  "So, where's Webb?"

She didn't look at him.  She just answered, "We decided to quit dating.  Too many complications."

"When did this happen?"

"A couple of months ago."

"And you didn't tell me?" Harm asked in a hurt tone.

"What, like you tell me when you split up with your blonde bimbos?" Mac snapped.

"Point taken," Harm replied.  "I'm sorry it didn't work out for you."

"So am I.  Clay's a great guy.  We just had too many..."

"Differences?" Harm suggested.

She shook her head.  "No, not really.  The differences were good things.  We had too many similarities to make it work."

"That's a new one on me."

"Yeah, well... that's what we decided."  Mac started to get up, but Harm put his arm across her so she couldn't.  "What?" she asked.

"Do you remember the rest of that story?"

"What story?" Mac pretended not to know what Harm meant.

"Of little AJ's birth.  Do you remember what happened when they left in the ambulance and the Admiral went back inside the building?"

Mac nodded slowly, "Of course I remember."

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"When's a good time for you?" he grinned.

Mac's jaw fell open and she turned shocked eyes to Harm.  "Are you out of your mind?"

"No.  Just ready, willing, and able to fulfill my end of the deal."

Mac wasn't sure what she saw in Harm's eyes.  It wasn't lust, she knew that.  But neither did she believe it was love.  'Desire,' she decided.  'That's all it is.  Desire.'  

"Mac, don't you still want a baby?"

"Of course I do."

"Well?"

Mac's thoughts were whirling.  She blurted out the first thing that came to mind.  "Well, for starters, the boy is still four.  His actual birthday isn't until Tuesday."

"Hey, Mac!  Could you come here and help me with this?" called Harriett from the kitchen.

"Coming!" Mac returned, standing up and heading for the kitchen without a backward glance. 

Tuesday, 18 May 2004
1915 EDT
Sarah MacKenzie's Apartment
Georgetown, Washington, DC

"Harm, what are you doing here?" Mac asked as she opened the front door.

"I brought dinner."  He held up his hands laden with take-out boxes.  "I know you worked late, so I thought you might like not to have to fuss about dinner."

Mac shook her head in confusion.  "Did we make plans for tonight?"

Harm looked hurt.  "You don't remember?"

She looked totally bewildered.  "No, I don't.  I'm sorry, Harm, but I really don't remember making plans with you for tonight."

"Well, that's okay.  I'm here now and I brought dinner."  He walked through the door and set the boxes on the dining table.

=====================================================
Author's Note: Okay, here's where you, the reader, get to choose! 
   If you're a Harm/Mac shipper, you'll prefer Ending #1. 
   If you're a Webb/Mac lover, you'll prefer Ending #2. 
   If you're an AJ/Mac person, you'll probably like Ending #3. 
   And if you don't like any of those pairings, well... try Ending #4! 
=====================================================

Ending #1

Mac shook her head in confusion.  "Did we make plans for tonight?"

Harm looked hurt.  "You don't remember?"

She looked totally bewildered.  "No, I don't.  I'm sorry, Harm, but I really don't remember making plans with you for tonight."

"Well, that's okay.  I'm here now and I brought dinner."  He walked through the door and set the boxes on the dining table.

"But Harm..."  She looked down at her clothes.  She was wearing a shorts set that she used for working out.  Not exactly what she'd wear for company or a date!

"It's okay, Mac.  Really.  We did make the plans quite a while ago," he said cryptically as he turned to face her.

The proverbial light bulb came on in Mac's head.  "How long ago?" she asked.

"Oooh, I'd say...  something like..." he hesitated.

"Five years ago?" she suggested.

"You do remember!" Harm exclaimed.  "You see?  I knew you would!"  He gently put his hands on her upper arms.

"Harm, this is ridiculous!" she objected.

"How can you say that, Mac?" Harm argued.  "We made a deal.  You even told me not to make a deal I couldn't keep."  He reached up and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.  "You didn't say anything about your not keeping it."

"Harm, I just ended a relationship two months ago.  I'm not ready for another one now."

Harm pulled her gently into his arms.  "Okay.  We don't have to start a relationship now.  We can wait a while for that if you want."  He kissed her temples.  "But we shouldn't wait too long, of course."  

He kissed her cheeks.  "Why not?" she asked, enjoying his attentions.

"Because if it 'takes' tonight..."  He kissed her nose and slid his arms around her waist.  "...I want us to be together when we find out."  He moved his mouth down to her neck and trailed his tongue lightly across her sensitive skin.

"If what takes tonight?" Mac asked stupidly.  Her mind wasn't exactly functioning right now.  Her long-forgotten dreams were finally coming true.

He pressed his hard body against hers and whispered in her ear, "Making a baby, of course."  Then he nipped her ear lightly before he lathed it with his tongue.  Hearing her moan in pleasure, he moved his lips to hers and covered her mouth.  

Their kiss soon deepened and Harm moved his hands under her shirt.  "Harm..." she said softly, but not objecting.

"Hmmm?" he whispered as he unhooked her bra.

"Ohhh, Harm..." she was panting with expectation now.  "Harm..."  She felt his hands sliding underneath the elastic of her shorts.  "Mmm..."   

When she responded favorably to that move, Harm quickly lifted Mac into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.  He'd know soon enough if she was going to object.  

She didn't.  

When Mac awoke at 0225 and found herself cradled next to Harm's warm naked body, she smiled.  ''Hmm, I wonder if she'll have his looks and my brains or my looks and his brains?'

The end... of Ending #1.

Ending #2

Mac shook her head in confusion.  "Did we make plans for tonight?"

Harm looked hurt.  "You don't remember?"

She looked totally bewildered.  "No, I don't.  I'm sorry, Harm, but I really don't remember making plans with you for tonight."

"Well, that's okay.  I'm here now and I brought dinner."  He walked through the door and set the boxes on the dining table.

"But Harm..."

"Sarah!  Where's my shampoo?  Did you use it all?" 

Harm heard Webb's voice coming from her bedroom.  He turned accusing eyes to her.  Mac took a defensive stance, "Now, Harm, I'm sure we didn't make plans for tonight.  I know it, because I made plans with Clay on Saturday night after little AJ's birthday party."

Harm cocked his head.  "I thought you two had called it quits?"

"We thought we had, too," Mac explained.  "But when he finished his last assignment on Friday, he said he decided we should try again.  So he came over on Saturday night and we discussed it... and agreed."

"And?"

"And it's better than ever," she smiled happily.  "In fact, we're even talking about children... after we get married, of course."

"Oh, of course," Harm said caustically. 

"He's taking me out to the estate to meet his mother this weekend."

"You've already met his mother."

"Not as his girlfriend, I haven't," Mac giggled.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone then."  He headed for the door.

"Harm?" she stopped him.  "Did we really make plans for tonight?" Mac asked.

He shook his head.  "Obviously not.  You're involved with someone.  So I guess the deal is off."  He walked out the door and closed it firmly behind him.

The end... of Ending #2.

Ending #3

Mac shook her head in confusion.  "Did we make plans for tonight?"

Harm looked hurt.  "You don't remember?"

She looked totally bewildered.  "No, I don't.  I'm sorry, Harm, but I really don't remember making plans with you for tonight."

"Well, that's okay.  I'm here now and I brought dinner."  He walked through the door and set the boxes on the dining table.

"But Harm..."  Mac closed the door and followed him to the table.  "Harm, really... I can't do this tonight.  I have to work."

"Work?  On what, Mac?"

"The Admiral gave me a new case late this afternoon, Harm.  And he's..." she stopped, hearing the doorbell ring.

Harm was already at the door before Mac could stop him.  He swung it open saying, "Sorry, but Mac's busy tonight.  We're going to make..."  Then he saw who was standing on the other side of the threshold.  "Admiral!"

"Commander Rabb.  What brings you out here tonight?" the Admiral asked.  He walked inside the apartment and Harm closed the door behind him.

"Mac and I were going to have dinner, Sir."

"Oh?"  He turned and looked at Mac, who shrugged her shoulders as though to say, 'This is the first I've heard of it.'  "Well, Commander, the Colonel and I will be spending the next several hours working on a case together.  So unless you planned a very late dinner, I'd say you'll need to reschedule."

Harm looked at Mac pleadingly.  "Excuse me a moment, Admiral," Mac smiled.  She walked over to Harm, put her hand on his arm, and steered him toward the far side of the room.  "What are you really doing here, Harm?  You know as well as I do that we didn't make plans for tonight."

"Yes, we did, Mac."  She was about to argue the point when he added, "Five years ago."

"Five years..."  Then it dawned on her.  "The baby deal," she breathed.  He nodded.  "Harm, that wasn't real.  I mean, we didn't really mean it when we made that deal."

"I did."

"Harm..."

"Colonel, is there a problem?" the Admiral barked at them.

She turned to face him, "No, Sir.  No problem.  Harm was just leaving."  She pushed Harm toward the door and whispered, "We had to both be free, too, remember?"

"We are, Mac.  You said you broke up with Webb two months ago."

"I did.  But I'm not free."

"Who is it now?" he groaned.

"No one."

"What do you mean by that?" Harm asked.  "How can you tell me that you're not free but you're not involved with anyone?"

"Because it's true.  I'm not involved with anyone... yet."

"But you plan to be?"

"I hope to be," she countered.

Harm shook his head and closed the door as he left.

Mac felt the Admiral's arms slip around her waist from behind.  "I can guarantee you will be... in less than two months' time," he cooed in her ear.

The end... of Ending #3.

Ending #4

Mac shook her head in confusion.  "Did we make plans for tonight?"

Harm looked hurt.  "You don't remember?"

She looked totally bewildered.  "No, I don't.  I'm sorry, Harm, but I really don't remember making plans with you for tonight."

"Well, that's okay.  I'm here now and I brought dinner."  He walked through the door and set the boxes on the dining table.

"But Harm..."

"It's okay, Mac.  Really.  We did make the plans quite a while ago," he said cryptically as he turned to face her.

The proverbial light bulb came on in Mac's head.  "How long ago?" she asked.

"Oooh, I'd say...  something like..." he hesitated.

"Five years ago?" she suggested.

"You do remember!" Harm exclaimed.  "You see?  I knew you would!"  He gently put his hands on her upper arms.

"Harm, this is ridiculous!" she objected.

"How can you say that, Mac?" Harm argued.  "We made a deal.  You even told me not to make a deal I couldn't keep."  He reached up and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.  "You didn't say anything about your not keeping it."

"Harm, I just ended a relationship two months ago.  I'm not ready for another one now."

"I can wait."

"But then when I'm ready, you won't be."

"Of course I will be."

Mac shook her head.  "No, Harm.  You won't be.  You never are.  The only reason you're here tonight saying these things is because you knew that with my having just broken up with Clay, I wouldn't want to start anything so soon."

"Mac, that's not true."

"Of course it's true, Harm.  You only want me when you know I'm involved with someone else... or when you know I'm not ready."

"You didn't love Webb, Mac.  How can you say you're not ready just because of him?"

"Harm, did you not love Annie?"  His face took on a wounded look.  "Exactly!  You did love her.  And I loved Clay.  I still do.  I'm working my way through that.  And until I am, I'm not interested in another relationship.  Not even for a stupid deal we made five years ago that neither of us believed we'd ever fulfill."

"But Mac..."

"I'm sorry, Harm.  The answer is no."

Harm didn't reply.  He just turned and walked out the door.  He didn't close it, though.  If he had, he'd have closed the door on any hope of a relationship with Mac in the future.  And Harm, fool that he was, still had hope.

The end... really!!