“Second Chances”

A JAG Fan-Fic

By Sheri Mitchell

sheri@mountainport.ca

http://mountainport.ca/JAG/

Part 3

Friday morning, Harm received a phone call from a somewhat bewildered sounding Marsha. “My supervisor has agreed to let you take Aaron flying.”

Harm had to clamp down hard on the rush that went through him. “That’s great!”

“It will have to be Sunday, though. Stan and Tracy have plans for the boys on Saturday.”

“Sunday’s fine,” he replied quickly.

“I still need to be there, so how about if I pick Aaron up and meet you at the airfield. Give me directions how to get there.”

He did, and the moment he hung up the phone, he headed straight for Mac’s office.

Mac heard the knock on her door and looked up to find Harm standing in the open doorway, grinning like the proverbial Cheshire cat. “Something’s going right in your world.”

“It sure is,” he replied, his tone laced with excitement. “Marsha got permission for me to take Aaron flying.”

Mac felt her brow rise. “Really? That’s great. When?”

“Sunday. She’s going to pick Aaron up, so that means she’ll probably take him home as well. Why don’t you come out with me? If it’s not too late, we can go up together after they leave, or we can just have a quiet dinner somewhere on the way home.”

She grinned at him. “We can’t do both?”

His smile couldn’t possibly get any wider, but the quality of it changed, becoming warmer and more intimate. “I’ll see what I can arrange.”

Before she could say anymore, he gave her a wave and disappeared. Mac sat back in her chair and gazed at the space he’d vacated. The change in him was unbelievable. She knew he was still impatient and worried about the results of the DNA test, but he’d somehow managed to keep his concern buried and concentrate on building a relationship with Aaron.

She only hoped it wouldn’t backfire on him.

~~~~~

Sunday morning, Harm picked her up bright and early. He was wearing a lightweight windbreaker over a dark blue tee shirt, jeans and that beat-up ball cap he always wore when he went flying. He was also wearing a grin that seemed permanently attached.

Aaron and Marsha were waiting for them when they arrived at the airfield. They were standing beside her car and Aaron started literally bouncing up and down when he saw them pull into the parking lot. He leapt into Harm’s waiting embrace the moment they were out of the car.

“This is gonna be so cool! I can’t wait to tell Marty that I got to go flying in a real plane!” Aaron spun around in Harm’s arms. “Hi, Mac. Are you going flying too?”

“Not at the same time as you,” she replied, responding to his infectious excitement. “There’s only two seats.”

For some reason, that put a bit of a damper on his enthusiasm. “Oh. Too bad.” He spun back toward Harm. “Can’t you get a plane with three seats?”

Harm laughed. “’Fraid not, champ, but Mac can have a turn after you.”

He set the boy on his feet and led the way through the hangar to the tarmac. “Sarah”, his bright yellow Steerman biplane was ready and waiting. Aaron’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw it. “Oh wow! There’s no roof! You said you fly upside down sometimes. How come you don’t fall out?”

Mac saw Marsha’s smile begin to fade. She was probably wondering the same thing. Harm got down on one knee in front of Aaron. “We wear special harnesses that keep us strapped in. I made a few changes to the one in the front seat so it will fit you, but you’ll probably still need your booster seat from the car.”

“I’ll get it!” Aaron tried to bolt away, but Harm caught his arm. “In a minute. First, I want you to settle down and listen. There are a few rules you need to follow. If you don’t, you won’t be able to go flying, okay?”

Aaron stilled instantly, turning his full attention to Harm. The transformation was amazing. Mac exchanged a shocked glance with Marsha, realizing Harm was just as good for Aaron as the boy was for him.

Aaron listened closely while Harm explained about not touching any of the controls and went over all the safety rules. He didn’t just rattle off a list of “don’ts”, either. For each rule, he explained why it was important to follow it. Aaron nodded each time and Mac could see the intense concentration on his face. He soaked up every word like a sponge.

When he finished at last, Harm rose to his feet. He and Aaron were so focused on each other, it was almost as if they were only peripherally aware of her and Marsha. Mac felt the oddest twinge of jealousy but shoved it aside quickly. Harm had looked at her with the same intensity just last night. There was a different quality to his gaze when he looked at her, though, and she couldn’t help the little rush that ran through her when she saw that intimate quality slide into his gaze the moment it turned to her.

“Can you two keep Aaron occupied for a few minutes while I do my preflight check?”

“Sure,” she replied.

“But I want to help,” Aaron protested simultaneously.

Harm ruffled his hair. “Sorry, this has to be done by an adult.”

Aaron groaned, but obediently stayed behind when Harm headed for the plane.

~~~~~

Every time Harm took the Steerman up, he went through a detailed preflight check, but today, he took extra time. He went over everything with an attention to detail that bordered on obsessive, but he didn’t care how it looked to anyone else. There was no way he wanted even the slightest bit of trouble cropping up to scare Aaron.

When he was finally satisfied that all was in order, he waved Aaron over. Mac and Marsha followed. Marsha had retrieved the booster seat from her car and handed it to him. He positioned it in the front cockpit then lifted the squirming little boy in. Literally vibrating with excitement, Aaron watched him adjust and fasten the modified harness.

As he turned to climb into the rear cockpit, Mac laid a hand on his back. “Don’t make him sick,” she teased.

“Hey, if you can handle this slow old gal,” he patted the side of the Steerman, “so can he.”

He leaned forward, kissing her quickly but soundly. “See you soon.”

Aaron started giggling the moment the engine fired up and he didn’t stop until they were back on the ground.

Harm took it very easy at first, flying smooth and level, but Aaron was soon yelling for him to make the plane go up and down. He tried a few gentle climbs and descents, delighting in Aaron’s constant giggles and excited chatter. The kid was loving every minute of it. Harm could almost feel the Rabb love of flying come alive inside Aaron as he called for bolder and bolder moves.

“Make it go upside down!”

“Are you sure?” Harm hollered back, knowing where things would land if Aaron threw up when they were in the middle of a roll.

“Yeah!” he shouted. “I’m sure!”

On the ground, Mac watched the Steerman’s nimble aerobatics. She’d flown with Harm enough times to know he was taking it easy. Normally he was as daring in the little biplane as he was in the cockpit of a Tomcat. He finally started making some more acrobatic moves and when he took the plane into a gentle loop, she heard Marsha’s sharp intake of breath.

“Don’t worry, he won’t do anything he thinks will scare Aaron,” she assured the woman. “Besides, if Aaron really is his son, the kid was born to be up there.”

She saw Marsha’s look of confusion and realized she may have said too much. “Harm’s father was also a pilot,” she added, keeping the explanation as vague as possible.

Marsha nodded. “I heard him telling Aaron about his father. It looks like those two have a lot in common.”

“That they do,” Mac answered, returning her gaze to the dancing yellow plane. “That they do.”

~~~~~

By the time they touched down, Harm and Aaron were both hoarse from shouting and laughing. The moment the Steerman stopped rolling, Aaron was squirming to get out of his seat. Harm climbed out and reached into the front cockpit to help Aaron down but the instant he released the harness, Aaron leapt to his feet and sprang out of the cockpit. Scrambling down off the wing, he roared over to Mac and Marsha at top speed.

“Did you see that?” he cried. “We went upside down! That was so awesome!”

Harm came up behind him a dropped both hands on Aaron’s shoulders to keep him from bouncing up and down. Both women were grinning at the boy’s antics, but Mac’s smile called to Harm on a soul-deep level. Their eyes met and locked on, sharing a private moment before Aaron spun around.

“Can we do that again? Please? It was incredible!”

Dragging his gaze from Mac, he looked down at the bundle of energy disguised as a boy. “Well, not today, but I don’t think there’s any reason we can’t take her up another day.” He glanced toward Marsha for confirmation.

She nodded. “I think that can be arranged.”

“Yippee!” Aaron started bouncing all over again, slipping out from under Harm’s hand to jump around the tarmac.

All three adults laughed and shook their heads. Mac watched him with a look of wonder. “Where does he get all that energy?”

“I don’t know,” Harm replied, “but if we could bottle it, we’d have enough power to fuel the fleet for a decade.”

Marsha glanced at her watch, then did a double-take. “I didn’t realize it was so late. I have an appointment soon and I’ll have to scramble to make it. Would you mind taking Aaron home? I think I’ve seen you with him often enough to know you don’t need constant supervision.”

Suddenly on the hot-seat, Harm shot a look at Mac as he answered Marsha. “Uh...we sort of had plans—”

“And we’d love to have him along,” Mac threw in quickly.

He gave her an “are-you-sure” look, but got only that beaming smile of hers in return. Still feeling guilty about the sudden addition of a wired little boy into their plans for the afternoon, he looked back and forth between Mac and Aaron until she slipped her hand into his and spoke softly. “I mean it. I’d love to have him along for the day.”

Harm turned to Marsha. “Then I guess he’s changing call-signs.”

Marsha’s expression melted into one of total confusion. Mac laughed and translated. “He means Aaron is coming with us.”

She flashed them both a smile. “Thanks! The Allans are expecting him by five.”

With a wave in Aaron’s direction, Marsha hurried off toward her car. Aaron was busy trying to use the Steerman as a jungle-gym so Harm didn’t have to worry about him hearing. He turned to Mac.

“I’m sorry about this, Mac. I really thought she was going to take him home today.”

“It’s all right,” she insisted. “I don’t mind having him along, honest. It will be fun. I’ve heard so much about him from you, but I don’t know him all that well myself. This will be our chance to get to know each other.”

He was finally beginning to believe she was serious and a whole host of possibilities opened up. “Well, what do you want to do today, then? I guess some of our plans will have to wait till later, after we drop him off.”

Her smile turned wholly provocative. “Oh, and what plans would those be?”

Impulsively, he grabbed her waist and pulled her close, nibbling on her neck and whispering in her ear, “The ones that shouldn’t be seen by little boys.”

She laughed and squirmed out of his embrace. “Okay, I get the message. Aaron, come and rescue me from this brute.”

~~~~~

Considering how they’d spent the morning, a trip to the National Air and Space Museum seemed like the most logical activity for the afternoon. Mac was all for it, even though Harm knew she’d seen it dozens of times.

Harm had also been to the museum more times than he could count, but it had been a very long time since he’d seen it through the eyes of a young boy. Aaron’s excitement was infectious and before long, all three of them were having the time of their life. Aaron loved all the exhibits, but spent most of his time looking at the World War II planes because they were closest to the one he’d actually flown in that morning.

Harm and Mac followed along as he raced from one display to the next, trying to find the balance between giving him enough freedom to enjoy himself and reining him in enough to keep him safe. As they walked, Mac slipped her hand into Harm’s. He laced his fingers through hers, enjoying the casual contact more than he’d ever thought possible.

As they made their way through a large open concourse between exhibits, Aaron slipped between them, breaking their hands apart and latching on so that Harm held his left hand and Mac, his right. Harm was immediately struck by the symbolism of the boy forming a bridge between himself and Mac. As unconsciously as he was doing now, Aaron had been bringing them closer together from the moment he came into their lives.

Giggling, Aaron held back a few steps, then ran forward, letting Harm and Mac swing him off his feet. Mac had to lift her hand above her shoulder to make it work, but she was smiling widely when she fired him a look over Aaron’s head.

Returning her smile with one of his own, Harm let Aaron use them as a human swing set a few more times, then gave a little tug and swung him into his arms to give Mac a break. Parking Aaron on his hip, he pulled Mac close with the other arm, tucking her against his side.

Abruptly, he was struck by how incredibly, undeniably right this felt. He belonged nowhere else in the world but right here, sharing this day with these two people.

As they approached a new display, Aaron squirmed to get down. Harm set him on his feet and he instantly darted ahead. His dark mop of hair disappeared for a moment when the crowd thickened slightly.

“Where’d he go?” Mac asked, straining to see around the throng of people in front of them.

Harm took a quick step to the side, and realized his height could come in handy as a parent. “I’ve got him. He’s inbound at two o’clock.”

She laughed at the inside joke, turning as Aaron popped suddenly out of the crowd slightly to their right. For a change, his gaze was focused on her instead of Harm. He darted toward them. “Hey, Mom, you gotta see—”

All three of them froze as Aaron’s eyes got huge and round. He stared at Mac, she stared at him, Harm stared at them both. Very slowly, Mac released his hand and went to Aaron, going down on one knee in front of him. Harm couldn’t move, couldn’t even breathe. Aaron looked so devastated, so fragile, he was afraid the boy would shatter if Mac touched him.

But he didn’t. She gently brushed the hair from his forehead. “It’s okay, Aaron, it was a natural mistake. You were excited.”

Aaron stared at his shoes. “I was having so much fun, I…forgot about my mom.”

“That’s okay too,” she told him. “You don’t have to have her on your mind all the time to keep her in your heart.”

Harm finally managed to give himself a good swift mental kick in the six and knelt down beside her. “That’s right, champ. You didn’t forget her, you just weren’t thinking about her being gone, and that’s good.”

Aaron looked back and forth between them and Harm could almost hear the wheels turning in his head. Mac broke the tension by ruffling his hair. “What was it you wanted to tell us about?”

Aaron pointed over his shoulder. “There’s a display over there that tells all about a lady pilot. You want to see it?”

“Sure I do!” She got to her feet and took his hand. “Show me where it is.”

Harm rose a little more slowly, heaving a sigh as he followed behind them. Mac’s quick thinking had averted what could have been a major disaster. It wasn’t lost on him that Aaron’s young mind saw this trio they’d become as right and natural too, but in Aaron’s case, that very fact was a potential source of guilt. All Harm could do was hope Mac’s quick intervention and easy-going reaction to Aaron’s slip had reassured the kid.

It took all of ten minutes for Aaron’s natural resilience to reassert itself. For the moment at least, he seemed to have forgotten about his faux pas. He was back to flitting from display to display, determined to see everything there was to see and do everything there was to do, all at the same time.

Eventually, even Aaron’s boundless energy began to flag. He dropped onto a bench and shoved an unruly lock of hair off his forehead with the heel of his hand. “I’m hungry.”

Harm glanced at his watch, then looked again, not quite sure he believed what it was telling him. “No wonder! It’s almost dinner time. We need to get you home.”

“Aw, I don’t want to go yet,” he protested.

“Sorry, but we have to. I promised Marsha I’d have you home by five o’clock. We can come back another day.” Without even thinking about it, he held out his and Aaron took it just as naturally.

On the drive back to the Allans’, Harm half expected Aaron to crash and burn after the busy day they’d had, but he kept up a constant stream of chatter, asking both him and Mac all kinds of questions. When they arrived, Aaron insisted on giving Mac a hug. She smiled and picked him up, giving him a growling bear hug. After saying goodbye, she waited at the car while Harm walked him to the door. Tracy opened the door as they approached.

“Have a good day?”

“Boy, did I ever!” Aaron announced. He started to launch into a detailed description, but Tracy held up her hand.

“Why don’t you tell us all about it over dinner, now go get washed up.”

“All right.” Aaron turned to Harm and held out his arms for a hug.

Harm was only too happy to oblige.

Returning to the car, he slid behind the wheel and let his head drop back against the seat. “Whew! That kid could wear out an entire SEAL team!”

“And then some,” she agreed with a smile.

“Do you still feel like going out tonight?”

“Do you want an honest answer?”

“Yes,” he replied with a laugh.

“Then I think I’d rather spend a quiet evening with my feet up.”

He hesitated. Did that mean at her place? Alone?

As if sensing his sudden dilemma, she put a hand on his knee. “Feel like ordering in some Chinese food?”

Amazed at how she could so easily smooth out the confusion, he gave her a grin and started the car. “Sounds good to me.”

On the way home, Mac had the bright idea to call ahead and order dinner for pick-up, so an hour after they got home, she got her wish. Delightfully full after a big meal, she leaned back against the couch and lifted her feet, intending to prop them up on the coffee table. Before she could, he caught her ankles and swiveled her around. She didn’t have time to do much more than giggle before he slid in behind her, guiding her back to rest against his chest.

Nestled into the corner of the couch, he wrapped his arms around her and stretched his legs out on either side of her, resting his chin on her shoulder. She snuggled down, folding her arms over his.

“This is nice,” she sighed.

“Mmm.” He nuzzled her neck, kissing the soft, sensitive spot beneath her ear. Very slowly, his hands drifted from her ribcage to her breasts, closing over them gently and making the breath seize in her throat.

She arched her back, pressing herself into his hands and letting her head drop back over his shoulder. The move also pressed her backside into his groin, making him groan and thrust against her. Using the momentum he created, she flipped over in his arms, stretching out across his chest and reaching up to find his already questing mouth with her own.

Smiling against his mouth, she started working the buttons of his shirt. “You said you owe me one. I’m here to collect.”

He returned the smile, his hands sliding down to cup her bottom. “This is one debt I’m going to enjoy paying.”

Wrapping her in his arms, he rolled suddenly. She was so well tuned to him, she knew instantly what he was planning and rolled with him. They both came up on their feet without interrupting the embrace.

It took them nearly five minutes to get across the small apartment and up to the bedroom. They left a trail of discarded clothing behind and when he pushed her gently down onto the bed, she was wearing nothing but her bra and panties. Clad only in his shorts, he stretched out with her. Slowly and thoroughly, he explored every inch of her body and drove her quietly mad in the process. The exquisite sensations he wrung from her left her writhing beneath a triple assault from his hands and mouth as he gradually divested her of the last of her clothing.

She returned the favor, tugging at the waistband of his shorts until she managed to get them off his hips. In one quick move, he shed them and tossed them aside. Covering her body with his own, he loved her slowly and completely, quickly carrying her away to a place where nothing existed but the two of them.

When they came back down what felt like an eternity later, they simply lay together, listening to the thrum of their hearts and the zing of the aftershocks rippling through them both. He finally managed to lift his head enough to kiss her forehead. “If that’s how you collect your debts, I think I still owe you one.”

She laughed and rolled over enough to stretch up and kiss him properly. “It’s still early. By the time we get to sleep tonight, I think we’ll be even.” She kissed him again, deeper this time. “Who knows, I might end up owing you.”

~~~~~

Stooping to pick up a toy truck, Tracy Allan gave her husband a weary smile and crossed the living room, dropping onto the couch beside him. He took the toy from her and set it aside. “Are they finally settled down?”

“Marty was asleep twenty minutes ago, but Aaron is still almost as wired as he was when he got home.”

Stan chuckled. “You’d think Rabb took him on a flight to the moon. The kid idolized him before, but it’s going to be even worse now.”

“Worse…or better?” she countered. “After what he’s been through, he needs a hero. Who better than the man who may be his father.”

“You could be right. Do you think Aaron’s grandparents will still fight for custody if it turns out Harm is his father?”

“They might. Apparently, they think Aaron’s father abandoned their daughter, so if it turns out to be Harm, they aren’t going to welcome him with hugs and kisses.”

Stan’s brow wrinkled in a confused frown. “I can’t see it, myself. He’s as nuts about the kid as Aaron is about him. I just don’t see him as the type to walk out on a woman carrying his child.”

“I don’t either,” Tracy admitted, pushing off the couch to go look for a snack. “Personally, I hope Harm is Aaron’s father. Lord knows—”

The words died in her throat. There in the doorway, blinking in the bright light, stood Aaron. Swallowing hard, Tracy advanced slowly toward him. “Aaron, how long have you been standing there?”

“I…I just came to ask for a drink of water,” he answered hesitantly.

Tracy couldn’t tell if the hesitation came from confusion or from sleepiness, but she prayed it was the latter. If he’d heard their conversation…. Taking his hand, she led him into the kitchen to get a glass of water from the bottle in the fridge.

Conflicting emotions banged around inside Aaron as he accepted the glass of water. He didn’t know what to think or feel. Part of him wanted Harm to be his father. He was everything he’d ever dreamed a father should be, and more, but another part of him didn’t want to believe it could be true. His dad ran away when he found out there was going to be a baby. Even his grandparents thought that, and they were alive then. They should know.

His thoughts racing, Aaron let Tracy lead him back to the bedroom and tuck him in. “Go to sleep now,” she said softly.

He nodded, confusion still flying around inside him. Harm wouldn’t have left him and his mom alone, would he? Harm liked to do stuff with him. He even played video games and he didn’t care if Aaron got dirty in the sandbox. Tossing onto his back, he stared at the bottom of Marty’s bed, just barely visible in the pale glow of the nightlight across the room. If Harm was his daddy, why wasn’t he living with him? Either he wasn’t his dad, or…or he really didn’t want him around, except for a few hours here and there.

Frustration welled up inside him, making his thoughts spin faster and faster. He had to find out the truth. He had to know for sure if Harm was really his friend, or if he was something more than that.

~~~~~

The shrill cry of the phone split through the first peaceful sleep Harm had managed to find in a very long time. Rolling over, he grabbed it quickly, hoping to silence the damn thing before it disturbed Mac, but it was too late. Her soft warm hand slid over his back as he put the receiver to his ear.

A few seconds after Harm answered the phone, Mac felt his entire body go rigid, the muscles under her hand contracting hard. “What? When? Are you sure?”

He paused, listening and, impossibly, his tension increased. “I’ll be right there.”

Hanging up the phone, he threw off the covers and started to rise. Mac slid her hand to his shoulder, forcibly holding him back. “What’s wrong?”

He turned to her, a haunted look in his eyes that seemed to bleed from his very soul. “Aaron is missing.”

~~~~~

Tension radiating off him in huge, rolling waves, Harm strode up the Allans’ front walk a short time later. Beside him, Mac literally had to jog to keep up with his long-legged stride. The front door stood wide open and he cruised through without even stopping. Marsha Townsend met them just inside the door, flanked by a very worried looking Stan and Tracy Allan.

“How long has he been gone?” Harm asked without preamble.

Stan checked his watch. “About two hours ago he got up to ask for a glass of water. We checked on the boys when we were ready to turn in about an hour later and found him gone.”

Harm whirled on Marsha. “You said on the phone that he ran away. I can’t believe that. What reason could he have? We had a fantastic day.”

Both Stan and Tracy suddenly looked contrite. “I think I can answer that,” Tracy replied. “He was so excited when he got home, all he could talk about was you and your plane and all the stuff you did today. After he went to bed, Stan and I were talking about how great it would be if it turned out you are his father. I looked up and he was standing in the doorway waiting to ask for a drink. I wasn’t sure how much he heard, but…I guess it was enough.”

“Or too much,” Harm shot back sarcastically.

“Have you called the police?” Mac asked, hoping to deflect Harm from useless recriminations.

“Yes,” Marsha said quickly. “They’ve all ready got patrols all over the neighborhood.”

“Are you certain he ran away?” Harm asked again. “If someone took him….” His voice was laced with raw fear, something Mac had never heard before.

“I’m almost certain,” Stan replied. “The clothes he wore today are missing, so are his jacket and shoes. He took time to get dressed. His skateboard is also missing. It’s his prize possession and if he was going to run away, it would be the one thing he would take with him.”

Almost vibrating with pent up emotion, Harm spun away from everyone for a moment, then abruptly turned back, zeroing in on Mac. “Let’s start looking.”

She nodded, wanting just as badly as he did to be doing something constructive.

He called back over his shoulder as they headed for the door. “You’ve got my cell number. Keep us posted.”

~~~~~

They spent the next hour driving in a radiating pattern out from the Allans’ home. Harm drove slowly, scanning the left side of the street while Mac watched the right. She also watched Harm. He was very slowly coming apart at the seams, but only someone who knew him as well as she did would be able to tell. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, nervously chewing on the inside of his bottom lip. His eyes never stopped moving, scanning as far ahead as the car’s lights would allow, then sweeping back to check the mirrors.

“Damn it,” he said suddenly. “This is all my fault. If I hadn’t forced the paternity issue, he’d be living with his grandparents in Greensboro by now. He might not be happy there, but at least he’d be safe.”

“Don’t blame yourself,” she said gently.

“Why the hell not?” he fired back. “He took off the minute he heard I might be his father. He probably hates my guts!”

“You don’t know that!” she insisted. “He took off when he heard the news, but Harm, we don’t know if he’s trying to get away from you…or to you.”

He pulled the car to the curb and slammed it into Park, staring at her. “You think he’s trying to find me?”

“He could be,” she pointed out.

“But where would he go? He doesn’t know where I live. The only personal place I’ve ever taken him is the hangar in Leesburg.” His eyes got even wider. “My God, you don’t think he’d try to get all the way out there, do you?” She could see him dismiss the thought before she even had a chance to answer. “Naw, he doesn’t have a clue how to get there. Besides, there’s no guarantee he’s trying to get to me. For all I know, he’s trying to get as far away from me as he can. Damn it, Mac, if anything happens to him….”

His voice cracked and he swallowed hard, his gaze darting back to the dark, lonely streets.

“We’ll find him,” she said urgently. She wrapped both hands around his arm. “Just hang in there. We will find him.”

Blowing out a breath, he put the car in gear and pulled out into the empty street.

~~~~~

Dawn crept slowly over the city, as relentless as the utter despair growing in Harm’s gut. Aaron was out there somewhere, alone, wandering the streets of a strange city. He was undoubtedly confused by the thought that Harm might be his father, and probably hurt and angry as well. He could only imagine the kid’s sense of betrayal.

Sitting behind the wheel, Harm waited while Mac got a pair of coffees from an early morning vendor. They were both bleary-eyed from lack of sleep, but as soon as she got the coffee, they would head back to the Allans to regroup. Marsha had called about an hour ago to tell him the police were widening their search and bringing in authorities from nearby jurisdictions.

Driving the streets all night long, Harm had come to a decision. If – when – they found Aaron, he was going to drop the paternity suit and tell Aaron he was wrong, that there was no chance he was his father. He wasn’t going to put the kid through any more hell.

Mac returned with two very large coffees and handed him one. He popped the lid off and took a large slug of the scalding liquid. He barely felt it. Resecuring the lid, he handed the cup to Mac and started the engine. Last night had been the longest night of his life and unless there was some news back at the Allans’, the day was going to be even worse.

JAG HQ – 07:20 EDT

AJ rested his forearms on the desk, turning over the envelope he held in his hands. In it was news that would seal the fates of two human beings, maybe more. Hell, depending on what it said, his own life was probably going to go through a minor upheaval, but he couldn’t conjure up any resentment over it. The two principal actors in this little drama deserved a second chance to make things turn out the way they were supposed to.

The phone gave two short rings, indicating an internal call and yanking him out of his thoughts. He grabbed it. “Admiral Chegwidden.”

“Sir, I’m sorry to disturb you. This is the guard shack. I’ve got a bit of a situation here.”

AJ listened with growing incredulity. “He what? Are you sure?”

“Yes, sir.”

AJ was already on his feet, circling the desk while still tethered to the phone. “I’ll be right there.”

Slamming the phone down, he charged out into the bullpen, snagging the first person he came across. “Get a hold of Cdr. Rabb and tell him to report to me, asap!”

THE ALLAN RESIDENCE – 07:32 EDT

The place looked like Grand Central Station. Uniformed and plainclothes police officers came and went from the makeshift command center they’d established in the living room. In the kitchen, Tracy and several helpful neighbors kept hot coffee and snacks ready for anyone who wanted them.

Harm stood watching it all from a corner of the room. He’d never felt more powerless in his life. As soon as Mac finished the muffin she was working on, they would head back out to join the searchers, but even that left him feeling helpless. There should be something more he could do, some way to—

The insistent chirp of his cell phone cut through his thoughts. Yanking it out of his pocket, he stabbed the answer key. “Rabb.”

He listened to the short, curt summons then disconnected the call and threaded his way over to Mac. “The admiral wants to see me.”

She rose immediately. “Want me to come with you?”

“No, stay here and keep me posted on what’s going on. I haven’t had a chance to call the admiral about all of this, but he probably found out somehow. I’ll be back as quick as I can.”

~~~~~

It was a short drive to JAG HQ and Harm headed straight for the admiral’s office. Tiner wasn’t at his desk yet, so he knocked and let himself into the office. “Admiral, I apologize for being out of uniform, but—”

He let the sentence trail off when he realized he was speaking to the back of the admiral’s chair.

“Come in, Commander,” came the admiral’s disembodied voice. “I found something out in the parking lot and I think it belongs to you.”

The chair turned slowly, revealing the admiral and, there on his lap, a small familiar form.

“Aaron!”

For the first time in his life, Harm forgot himself completely in the presence of a superior officer. Launching himself around the desk, he scooped Aaron out of Chegwidden’s lap, crushing the boy against his chest. With a small whimper, Aaron threw his arms around Harm’s neck, nearly choking him, but Harm didn’t care. He couldn’t breathe anyway.

Knowing he was barely a fraction away from embarrassing himself completely in front of the admiral, he blinked frantically against the sting of the tears welling up in his eyes, but he was losing the battle.

“Everyone’s been worried sick about you,” he whispered hoarsely. “How did you get here? Why did you run away?”

Aaron leaned back slightly, meeting his eyes for a moment, then his gaze dropped. “I…Tracy said you might be my dad. I got all confused, so I thought if I could find you, you would… It took longer to get here than I thought. It didn’t look that far away when we drove by here. Then the man at the gate said I couldn’t come in. He made a phone call and he came out and got me.” He gestured to the admiral.

Blinking away the last of the tears he’d finally gotten under control, Harm turned to Chegwidden. “Thank you, Admiral.”

He nodded briefly. “No problem, Commander. Oh, and I took the liberty of calling in a few favors on your behalf. I got this forwarded directly to me.”

He extended an envelope in Harm’s direction. Aaron was clinging to him so tightly, he was able to let go and take the envelope. The preprinted return address listed the lab doing the paternity test.

A soul-deep chill spun through him. His hand trembling, he shifted Aaron a little higher and opened the envelope, extracting the single sheet of paper.

He had to read the text three times before it finally began to sink in. Tears flooded his eyes all over again and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. Wrapping his arms around Aaron, he clung to the small form pressed so tightly against his chest.

“You’re right, Admiral. He does belong to me.”

~~~~~

Aaron was still stuck to Harm like a second skin when he carried him out of the admiral’s office a few minutes later. He went straight to his own office and sat Aaron down on the desk then grabbed the phone. Marsha was ecstatic to hear Aaron was safe and promised to let everyone else know.

“I’ll bring him home in a few minutes,” he told her.

“See you soon.”

Harm hung up the phone. He knew he should have told her about the test results as well, but something held him back, but it didn’t take him long to figure out what it was. He wanted to share the news with Mac first, in private. He didn’t want her hearing it from someone else.

When he turned around, Aaron was gazing at him intently, his bright, clear eyes locked on with the precision of a computer aided missile guidance system. Nervousness skittered up Harm’s spine. “I guess we need to talk, huh champ.”

Aaron just gazed at him.

Pulling up a chair, Harm sat down and rested both hands on Aaron’s knees. “You heard Stan and Tracy talking last night, didn’t you.”

Aaron nodded. “Tracy said you might be my dad, but…I don’t get it. How come you don’t know for sure?”

Several answers came to mind, but he kept running up against a problem he hadn’t anticipated. “Aaron, did your mom ever tell you where babies come from?”

“Yeah, they grow in their mommy’s tummy till they’re ready to be born.”

Harm nodded. Okay, he could work with that. “Well, your mom didn’t tell anyone who your dad was until…right before she died.”

“So…are you my dad?”

Harm took a huge breath. “Yeah, champ, I am.”

Aaron blinked, hard, then continued to stare at Harm. The silence stretched and expanded to fill the tiny office. It went on so long, his nervousness blossomed into true fear. When Aaron’s expression twisted in to a slightly angry frown, Harm’s fear spiked.

“I don’t think I want you to be my daddy.”

Harm’s whole world folded in on itself and crumbled to dust. Stung, he pulled away sharply, sitting back in his chair. “Why not?”

“’Cuz my dad must be a real mean guy. Dad’s are supposed to do things with their kids, even if they don’t live with them. My friend Jimmy’s dad doesn’t live with him but he still comes to take him to baseball games and stuff.”

“But…we’re doing stuff now,” Harm replied quietly.

“That’s why I don’t want you to be my dad. I…I don’t think I like my dad, but…I like you.”

The kid’s quiet admission turned Harm inside out. Catching him under the arms, he lifted Aaron into his lap. “I want you to listen very closely. The only reason I wasn’t there for you is because I didn’t even know you were alive. Do you understand? Your mom never told me she was pregnant, that you were growing in her tummy. If she had, I would have been there for you every day from the day you were born.”

Aaron sat silently and Harm could almost heard the wheels turning in his head. It took everything he had in him to keep quiet and let his words sink in. The frown settled back onto Aaron’s face.

“Then…it’s my mom’s fault I never had a dad?”

“No!” Harm lifted him a little higher on his lap. “Your mom thought she had a very good reason for not telling me. She didn’t do it to be mean or to keep you from having a dad.”

“So just because you’re my dad doesn’t mean you have to go away again? We can still do stuff together?”

Harm pulled him into a tight hug. “I’m not going anywhere, son, and we’re going to do lots of stuff together. We’ve got a lot of time to make up for.”

“Am I going to live with you?” Aaron asked, his voice muffled against Harm’s chest.

Harm was afraid that subject would come up. He was already treading on dangerous ground here. Marsha would probably be livid that he’d told Aaron anything, but he didn’t care. How he explained the next part would be critical, however. He weighed his answer carefully.

“I hope so, but your grandparents want you to live with them, so the adults will have to sit down and talk about it. We all want what’s best for you.”

Aaron pulled back and looked up at him. “Do I get a say?”

“Well,” Harm said carefully, “it’s important that we know how you feel.”

Aaron flung his arms around Harm’s neck. “Then I want to live with you!”

~~~~~

Chaos descended the moment Harm and Aaron arrived at the Allans’. Tracy lifted Aaron out of Harm’s arms and gave him a big hug. “You had us all scared, Aaron.”

“I know. I’m sorry,” he replied in a small voice.

Marsha came over and put a hand on Aaron’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s go sit down and talk for a minute.”

Aaron glanced at Harm, seeking approval. He nodded and watched as Tracy carried Aaron over to the sofa and sat down with Marsha. A familiar hand slid across his back and he slid an arm over Mac’s shoulders. “Come outside. I want to show you something.”

She followed him out to the privacy of the front yard. He pulled the folded paper from his pocket and handed it to her. Curiosity written all over her face, she took it and scanned it quickly.

He knew the instant the words registered with her. Her head sprang up, her eyes going wide, and then she threw her arms around his neck. “I’m so happy for you!”

He hugged her back, holding her tight and letting himself relive the overwhelming joy of learning he was a father, but deep inside, a nagging voice whispered. Pulling back slightly, he gazed down at her. “This is going to change things, you know…between us, I mean.”

Her smile changed, but it didn’t fade. “I know that.”

“When we…started dating, you…well, you didn’t know you were taking on a guy with a ready-made family. We’ve already both got enough baggage to fill a supply convoy and…”

She put a finger to his lips. “And now you’ve got a little more. Don’t blow this out of proportion, Harm. I haven’t really thought through all the ramifications of you having responsibility for a child and I know you haven’t either. Confirming your relationship with him is just the first step and you know it. We may still have a battle on our hands. Let’s get through that first, okay?”

He knew she was right, but he knew she was wrong, too. No matter what happened, Aaron would always be a part of his life now. That little boy would forever occupy a big part of his heart – a heart she’d stolen long ago. Now, he would have to figure out how to fit them both into it.

~~~~~

Once things settled down a bit, Harm took Marsha aside and told her about the test results. A little more reluctantly, he also told her about his talk with Aaron. Her expression clouded but she nodded. “Well, assuming both you and the Lorings want to pursue custody, the next step should probably be a meeting between you. My supervisor, Linda Ainsworth, will act as mediator.”

“Your supervisor?” she repeated. “Why won’t you be doing it?”

“She thinks I’m biased.” A slightly coy smile touched her lips. “And she’s right. She knows I’ve got some pretty strong opinions on where I think Aaron should live.”

Harm heard what she wasn’t saying. Marsha had been on his side almost from the beginning. “When do we do this meeting?”

“As soon as it’s convenient for everyone. I’ll get in touch with the Lorings.”

“Where are they, anyway?” he asked.

“They went home after the funeral. I left several messages for them but they haven’t returned my calls.”

“They went home?” Harm was incredulous. “They can’t be bothered staying close to Aaron, but they still expect to convince a judge they should have custody?”

Marsha held both hands up in front of her. “I don’t think I’m going to touch that one.”

~~~~~

The following Tuesday afternoon, Harm arrived at the Department of Social Services, primed for anything from a calm, civilized discussion to an all out battle. As he took a seat to wait, he glanced at his watch, surprised to see there were ten minutes before they were scheduled to meet with Marsha’s supervisor. He was also glad. He’d come straight here from an interview with a new client. Mac had a meeting with Sturgis and had agreed to meet here instead of riding over together.

She had insisted on being here for this meeting. He didn’t complain too loudly, but there was one thing he hadn’t figured out yet. Was she going to be here as his attorney, as his friend, or as his… His what?

He didn’t know how to define the most intimate and personal role she filled in his life. He’d hedged when Aaron asked if she was his girlfriend because that sounded too casual. She was definitely his lover, but that was too narrow a definition. In a professional sense, she’d been his partner for years, but perhaps that was the best word to describe what they had now.

A sudden movement beside him yanked him out of his thoughts as Mac slid into the chair beside him. He was shocked that she’d managed to approach so close without him knowing about it, but he supposed he shouldn’t be. Nothing could distract him quicker than thinking about his relationship with Mac.

She slid her hand into his. “Hi. Sorry I didn’t get here sooner.”

Attorneys didn’t usually hold their clients’ hands. A friend might, but friends didn’t usually look at friends the way she was looking at him. That’s when it struck him. She was here in all those capacities – and more. Just as she always had, Mac didn’t just play one role at a time in his life. She completed it.

“Hey, you okay?” Her worried tone pulled him back from his contemplation.

“Yeah.” He shrugged off the staggering effects of his latest revelation. “Sorry, just thinking.”

“I can guess what about,” she said gently.

I doubt it, he replied silently.

Before he could come up with an answer he wanted to verbalize, the office door opened and a tall, dark haired woman came out. “Cdr. Rabb, I’m Linda Ainsworth. I’m glad you’re early. Come in, please.”

She stepped aside, gesturing into the office. Harm and Mac rose and stepped inside. To his surprise, Albert and Jean Loring were waiting in two chairs in front of the desk. Marsha was there too and that surprised him almost as much. She had implied she wouldn’t be a part of this process.

Harm’s sixth sense kicked in instantly, setting off more alarms than a missile locking onto his Tomcat. Something wasn’t right here. A quick glance at Mac confirmed that she felt it too. Hoping to get some idea of what was going on, he turned to Marsha. She said nothing, but the expression on her face left him even more confused. She seemed sad and subdued, a combination he’d never seen in her.

Linda Ainsworth stepped forward. “Commander, Mr. and Mrs. Loring have asked to speak to you in private. I think it would be a good idea for you to hear what they have to say.”

“Of course I’ll listen,” he said immediately.

Linda nodded to Marsha, who rose to her feet. Mr. Loring cast a glance in Mac’s direction, but his words were for Harm. “This really is private. You won’t need your attorney present.”

Harm slid his hand into hers. “She’s more than just my attorney. She stays.”

With a significant glance at their clasped hands, Loring nodded. Linda and Marsha slipped out quietly as Harm pulled up chairs for himself and Mac. A long moment of silence followed until Loring shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

“Commander, I owe you an apology.”

That was positively the last thing Harm was expecting. Stunned, he waited for Loring to go on.

“Jean and I didn’t get Marsha’s call about Aaron being missing because we were in Baltimore dealing with Jennifer’s estate. Among her personal papers, we found two letters, one addressed to us and one to you.”

“Jean left me a letter?” he asked, even more stunned.

“Yes. I brought it with me. I haven’t read it, but I have a pretty good idea what’s in it. Her letter to us explained why she never told us who Aaron’s father was. It also confirms that she never told you either. She wouldn’t talk about it at the time, so we just assumed that she’d informed the father and he’d chosen not to remain.”

“Believe me, if I’d known—”

Loring held up his hand, interrupting. “We know that now. Jennifer’s letter was also very clear about something else. She wanted you to raise Aaron if anything ever happened to her, assuming you were willing and able.”

Harm’s heart gave a hard kick. “You know I am.”

Mr. Loring nodded, drawing an envelope from the inside pocket of his jacket. “Take this and read it. After you have, if you still want custody, we won’t object.”

Mrs. Loring spoke for the first time. “But…if you can forgive our earlier behavior, we’d like a chance to get to know Aaron. He’s…he’s all we have left of her.”

The emotion clogging the woman’s voice had Harm’s own throat closing. He swallowed past the dryness. “Of course. You’re all he has left of her, too.”

~~~~~

With Jen’s letter burning a hole in his pocket, Harm drove home in silence. Mac was right behind him and followed him inside. Pulling off her cover, she dropped it on the counter. “Want me to make some coffee?”

Pulling the letter from his pocket, he turned it over in his hands. “No, I should get this over with.”

“Do you want some privacy?” She picked up her cover. “I can go if you want.”

He shook his head. “No, stay.”

He dropped onto the couch, still toying with the envelope. She slid in beside him, offering silent strength and support. He gestured with the letter. “Jen was pretty out of it in the hospital. I know she wanted to tell me more, but she just couldn’t manage it. I’m hoping this will answer some questions she couldn’t.”

Taking a deep breath, he tore open the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of paper. It was filled with a strong, flowing script he hadn’t seen in years but recognized immediately.

“My Dearest Harm,

“If you are reading this, it means something has happened to me. It also means you are in for a major shock. There’s no easy way to put this in writing, so I’ll just say it. My son, Aaron, is your child. He was conceived on our last night together.

“I know you’re going to be upset and probably even angry with me, but please try to understand. By the time I found out I was pregnant, we had said our goodbyes. We both knew at the time that it was for the best and having a child didn’t change that. I know if I had come to you, that damnable honor of yours would have compelled you to ‘do the right thing’ but it wouldn’t be the right thing for you. You had just spent years rebuilding your life and you were finally on track.

“I hope that you stayed on that track. It’s the right one for you. The crash changed you, Harm, but the same changes that made us realize we weren’t right for each other will make you the very best attorney you know how to be.

“Now, because fate has seen fit to take me out of Aaron’s life, your life is going to change again. I hope you can understand why I didn’t tell you about him and I hope you can forgive me because I’m going to ask you to raise Aaron for me. He needs a parent, someone to love, someone to belong to.

“He’s a very special little boy, Harm. As I write this, he is four years old, but already, I see so much of you in him. He’s headstrong, even willful at times, but he’s also smart and full of life. He has your energy, your spirit, and he needs someone to guide him as he grows to be every bit as good a man as his father is.

“Tell him I love him, and hopefully, in time, you will come to love him just as much.”

Choking on a wad of tears that threatened to strangle him, Harm slumped back against the couch. Jen knew him far too well, but even she couldn’t have realized just how quickly he would come to love that little boy, or how much.

Almost as much as he loved the woman sitting beside him. He turned to face her at the same instant that she reached to brush a tear from his cheek. Her expression was filled with sadness and shared pain. “Did you find your answers?”

“Yeah, I did,” he sighed. “Just as she tried to tell me in the hospital, she didn’t want to get in the way of a new career that was becoming as consuming to me as flying was.”

“It sounds like she cared a lot about you, maybe even loved you.”

“Does that bother you?” he asked quickly.

“No,” she replied just as quickly. “Why should it?”

“I don’t know. I thought maybe…hell, I don’t know what I thought,” he admitted.

She smiled gently, brushing at the hair on his forehead with her fingertips. “That’s your problem, you think too much.”

Or not enough, he countered silently. He really hadn’t thought beyond this moment. Until now, his entire focus had been on proving paternity and winning custody of Aaron. Suddenly, he’d done both and now, he had to deal with the reality of that. He was about to take on sole responsibility for a seven-year-old boy. From this moment forward, every decision he made in his personal life would be impacted by the presence of that little boy.

How was Mac going to feel about that? By unspoken consensus, they’d kept their relationship relaxed and unpressured. There had been no talk of the future. They’d both been content to simply enjoy the growing closeness and see where it took them, but the crisis with Aaron had made him realize just how close they had become, how much he depended on her. It had made him realize that he was hoping, maybe even assuming, Mac would eventually become a permanent part of his life.

But how would she feel about taking on a readymade family? He knew she wanted children, but a traumatized seven-year-old? Aaron’s sudden arrival in his life was going to mean big changes that would ultimately affect his career. He accepted that, but did he have the right to expect Mac to face the same changes?

“You’re drifting off my radar scope,” she said softly.

He snapped back from his thoughts. “Sorry.”

“It’s starting to hit you, isn’t it? You’re a father, Harm. That little guy is soon going to be yours in every way there is.”

He turned to face her more fully. “How…how do you feel about that?”

She frowned. “It doesn’t matter how I feel.”

“Yes it does,” he insisted. “Mac, you’re a big part of my life and I…I was hoping you’d be an even bigger part…in the future. We never talked about the future, but I guess I just assumed we would have one together. Maybe I didn’t have the right to assume that, but…I did, but I sure as hell don’t have the right to assume you’d want to take on a seven-year-old, let alone one with all the baggage Aaron’s got.”

Mac shook her head sadly. “Like I said, you think too much. You’re getting way too far ahead of yourself, Harm. Don’t worry about what I think, or what anyone else thinks for that matter. Worry about yourself, and about your son. He’s a great kid. He’s not going to drive me out of your life.”

“But what about…”

“The future?” she finished. “Harm, I can’t answer that. This is all just as new to me as it is to you. Let’s just take it one day at a time, okay? That’s worked pretty well for us so far.”

He sighed and pulled her into his arms. She was right, as usual. He was going to drive himself crazy trying to work out every single detail of three separate lives in one night. In a way, though, he felt a little like he had after his crash. He’d always had such a clear picture of where his career – his life – was headed and now, that picture had been distorted by events beyond his control.

As a fighter pilot, and a lawyer, he was used to adapting instantly to changing circumstances, but those were momentary course corrections, not an all-out alteration in the course he’d charted for his life. Those left him off balance and feeling out of control – something that was deadly, for a pilot or a lawyer.

He let out another sigh and tried hard to push the thoughts aside as her warm, soft lips traveled provocatively up his neck. He really needed to take his mind off things for awhile and, as she always did, Mac was doing his best to help him with that.

With conscious effort, he surrendered to the ache she was calling forth within him. Giving up control wasn’t something he did easily, but he was learning.

JAG HQ – 14:10 EDT

Harm knocked on the admiral’s door and let himself into the office. “Excuse me, sir. Do you have a moment?”

“Come in, Commander. What can I do for you?” He gestured to a seat.

Harm slid into the chair. “I met with the Lorings yesterday. They’ve agreed to let me have custody of Aaron.”

The admiral expelled a breath, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Well then, I guess congratulations are in order.”

Harm smiled back. “Yes sir, thank you. Admiral, I want you to know that my new responsibilities in my personal life will not impact on my duties here at JAG.”

“Of course they will.” The blunt response came as complete shock, as did the quick addendum that followed. “If you’re any kind of decent parent, anyway.”

“Sir?”

The admiral gave a short laugh. “Commander, when that kid walks through your door to stay, you’ll be lucky to find a single scrap of your life that isn’t affected.”

Harm frowned. “Are you saying you don’t think I should do this?”

“No, I’m saying you’re going to do it the same way you do everything – all out without ever looking back. Having a child changes your entire perspective on life but you’re ready for the challenge.”

Harm sincerely wished he was a confident in his ability as the admiral was. “Well, I guess we’re about to find out. With your permission, sir, I’m supposed to meet the social worker over at the foster home shortly. She’s agreed to let me tell Aaron today.”

~~~~~

When Mac saw Harm come out of the admiral’s office and head toward her door, she set her work aside and waved him inside. “How did it go?”

“Fine. He had a few words of wisdom for me of course, but right now, I can use all of those I can get. I’m on my way over to the Allans’ in a few minutes to have a talk with Aaron and tell him he’s going to be living with me. Want to come along?”

She shook her head. “No, this should be a private time between you and your son, but I’ll go with you when you pick him up tonight.”

He hesitated a moment as though ready to argue, then nodded, flashing her one of those dynamite smiles of his. “All right, it’s a deal. See you later.”

Mac couldn’t help smiling as she watched him head for the elevator. He was almost as excited as Aaron was going to be. She would have loved to be there when he told Aaron, but she meant what she said. They deserved to share that moment in private, but she was looking forward to watching the two of them when Harm brought him home for the first time.

She had planned to get a bunch of work done so she would be ready to leave for the day when Harm was, but her mind refused to stay on task. It kept returning to their conversation the night before. His question kept echoing in her thoughts and it was a question she had asked herself a dozen times. How did she feel about the impending changes in the life of the man who was so rapidly becoming the most important person in her life?

She hadn’t admitted it to him yet, but she had been doing some thinking about the future too. It had taken her a while to realize it, but she had made some assumptions, just as Harm had, about how the future was going to unfold. Now, with Aaron suddenly added to the mix, she had a nagging, ominous feeling that her version of the future was in serious jeopardy.

~~~~~

Tracy Allan opened the door a moment after Harm knocked. Offering him a huge smile, she swung the door wide. “Come on in. Marsha called and asked me to tell you she was going to be a little late, but she said to go ahead and talk to Aaron.” Her smile widened. “I don’t think she wanted to make either of you wait any longer.”

He returned the smile. “It is that obvious?”

She laughed. “Yeah, but in a good way. Come on through. Aaron’s playing in the back yard.

Eager anticipation flooding through him, Harm followed her out through the patio doors. Aaron was playing with a taller, blond haired boy that must have been Marty. Aaron looked up from the swing set and came charging across the yard. “Hi, Harm! I didn’t know you were coming today!”

“I know it’s not my usual day to visit, but I’ve got something I want to talk to you about.” He gestured toward the thickly padded patio furniture. “Come and sit down for a minute.”

Aaron suddenly looked very wary. “Am I in trouble?”

Harm chuckled. “No, you’re not in trouble. Come on, let’s talk.”

Aaron followed him to the thickly padded patio chairs and let Harm lift him into one. As he pulled up a second chair for himself, Harm saw Tracy quietly herding Marty inside the house.

Turning back to Aaron, Harm dropped a hand on the boy’s knee. “Do you remember me saying the adults needed to sit down and talk about where you were going to live?”

Aaron nodded. “Uh-huh.”

“Well we did.” Harm took a deep breath. “How would you like to come live with me?”

To Harm’s surprise, a whole new wariness slid onto Aaron’s face. “For how long?”

“Forever,” he replied with a nervous laugh, “or until you go to college, whichever comes first.”

Harm watched the emotions chase each other across Aaron’s face. The boy wasn’t reacting at all the way Harm had expected. His nervousness edged toward fear. “What’s the matter? Don’t you want to live with me?”

“Yeah, I do but…” The tiny voice trailed off.

“But what?” Harm prompted gently. Aaron stared at his shoes, his feet bobbing rhythmically. Harm tightened his grip on the thin knee. “It’s okay, Aaron. You can tell me what’s bothering you.”

The dark head popped up and Harm was surprised to see a sheen of moisture in the pale blue eyes. “What if I do something bad? I told Marty I might go live with you and he told me about all the foster homes he’s been in. He can’t even remember all of them. Every time he did something bad, he got sent to a new home.”

His heart aching, Harm dragged Aaron onto his lap, holding him close. “Aw, Aaron, this isn’t going to be another foster home and I’m not a foster parent. I’m your dad and I’ll love you no matter what you do.”

Tilting his head back, Aaron looked up at him. “If you’re my dad, how come I have to call you Harm?”

“You don’t have to.” Harm blinked away the sudden blur of moisture in his eyes. “You can call me anything you want.”

“You sure?” Aaron’s voice was filled with a mixture of anxiety and hope.

“I’m very sure,” Harm replied emphatically.

“Then…I can call you Dad?”

The fist that was closed over Harm’s heart squeezed a little harder. “You bet you can.”

Flipping over in his lap, Aaron came up on his knees and wrapped his arms around Harm’s neck. “I love you…Dad.”

That did it. Fresh tears welled up in Harm’s eyes and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to stop them. He put his arms around Aaron and held him tight. “I love you too, son.”

~~~~~

Harm was strangely quiet when he returned from seeing Aaron. Mac expected him to come to her office but instead, she saw him breeze by the door, on the way to his own. She waited over fifteen minutes, still expecting him to come and tell her about the visit with Aaron. When he didn’t, she let her curiosity get the better of her and went to his door.

He looked up the moment she knocked and waved her in. “Hi.”

“Hi. How did it go with Aaron?” she asked, sensing the strange mood he was in.

“It went great,” he replied, his voice low and a little husky. “He’s…quite the kid.”

She slid into a chair in front of the desk. “You okay? You sound a little…down.”

“I’m fine. It was just a little more…emotional than I expected.”

Mac searched his face, seeing the truth in his eyes. Unless they were in the courtroom, he never could get away with lying to her. Accepting his answer, she changed the subject slightly. “So, you’re going to pick him up after work? What are you doing to do tomorrow? He’s not in school right now, so where’s he going to go while you’re at work?”

“Tracy Allan has agreed to do daycare for me till I can make other arrangements. I can drop him off there on my way in and pick him up after work.”

“Sounds like you’ve got everything figured out,” she said with a smile.

He smiled back but shook his head. “Not by a long shot, but I’m working on it.”

~~~~~

Mac followed Harm over to the Allans’ after work, parking behind him at the curb in front of the house. As they started up the walk, the front door flew open and Aaron burst out, flying down the stairs at mach two. “Daddy!”

Harm’s steps faltered. He shot her a glance that lasted less than a second, but she caught the glisten of moisture in his eyes and the small but poignant smile that tugged at his mouth. The reaction came and went in a heartbeat, but it left no doubt how he felt about being called Daddy.

Aaron launched himself in to Harm’s embrace but soon squirmed around to face her, sitting comfortably against Harm’s hip and hanging on with one arm across his shoulders. “Hi, Mac. I’m going to Harm’s – I mean my dad’s – house tonight. I’m going to live with him, but I gotta come back here when he’s at work.”

She grinned at the boy. “I know. Your dad told me.”

“Oh.” He squirmed until Harm set him back on his feet. By now, Tracy had come to the door and welcomed them in. Just inside the door sat a large suitcase. Beside it was Aaron’s beloved skateboard and all his safety equipment.

“See, I’m all ready,” he announced proudly. “Tracy helped me pack my clothes, though. She said they’d get wrinkled the way I did it.”

Mac couldn’t help it. She grinned at Harm, but her words were for Aaron. “Well, that’s okay. Your dad is one man who knows how to use an iron.”

“Only if it’s a five iron,” he muttered. “That’s what drycleaners are for.”

Laughing, Mac helped him gather Aaron’s things and stow them in the car. She waited until he had Aaron strapped in on the back seat, then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as he straightened. “See you at your place.”

He nodded, flashing that signature grin of his. “Will do.”

~~~~~

Mac was a little worried that the rumbling old cargo elevator in Harm’s building would frighten Aaron, but he clearly thought it was the coolest thing he’d ever seen. The moment they got into the apartment, Aaron did a low level reconnaissance, cruising through the place on a nonstop flight until he finally circled back to the kitchen area. “This is great! It’s all one big room!”

“It’s called a loft,” she told him as he scrambled up on the stool beside her.

From the other side of the counter, Harm caught Aaron’s attention. “What do you want for dinner?”

“How about Kraft Dinner and wieners?” Aaron announced.

Harm shot Mac a look. “Not in this lifetime, buddy. I sure hope you aren’t one of those kids who doesn’t like vegetables, or we’re going to have a problem.”

“Naw, I like ‘em, but I like Kraft Dinner too.”

“You can have Kraft Dinner at Mac’s house,” Harm teased.

She laughed. “Hey, I may not be a health nut like you are, but I don’t stoop that low.”

Still chuckling, Harm set about making dinner. The three of them chatted while he made a mountain of stir-fried vegetables, rice and a small salad. Mac and Aaron got stuck with the job of setting the table and clearing it when they were done.

After dinner, Harm convinced Aaron to settle down on the couch with his handheld video game and took the opportunity to change out of his uniform. It had been a long and exciting day for a seven-year-old and before long, Aaron’s eyes were beginning to droop. Harm rose from his seat beside Mac and gestured toward the bedroom. “Come on, champ. Let’s get you into bed. You’ll have to sleep in my bed for now, but we’ll fix that as soon as we can.”

To her surprise, Aaron didn’t argue. He turned the game off and rose from the chair, blinking up at Harm. “Where you gonna sleep?”

“On the couch for tonight. Don’t worry about it.” He glanced over his shoulder at her. “Want to help tuck in a little sailor?”

She rose to her feet. “Sure, as long as I can help tuck in a big one later.”

She heard his low chuckle as she breezed by him.

It didn’t take long to get Aaron settled down in the big bed. He asked for a story, and Harm was tempted to talk him out of it, but he chose a short book from the stack in his suitcase. He was already starting to drift by the time Harm finished the story. Filled with a kind of warmth he’d never felt before, Harm leaned down and kissed Aaron’s forehead. The warmth doubled when Mac did the same thing.

A few moments later, they were back in the living room, sitting on the couch. Leaning back with Mac curled against his chest, Harm basked in a peacefulness so long denied it felt almost foreign. At last, he could allow himself to believe everything was going to turn out the way it was supposed to. He let out a sigh, feeling a slight twinge of melancholy woven into the contentment. “I’m going to miss this place.”

Mac stiffened slightly in his arms and craned her neck to glance up at him. “What do you mean?”

“Well, unless I want to spend the next ten or fifteen years hot bunking it, I’ll have to find a two bedroom apartment.”

She settled down against him again and a long moment of silence stretched out. “My place has two bedrooms.”

Harm went completely still. Very slowly, she pushed to a sitting position, gazing at him expectantly. He took a deep breath, buying time until enough of the shock wore off that he could talk without squeaking. “Are you…are you saying we should live together?”

“No,” she said slowly, “I’m saying we should get married.”

This time, Harm quit breathing all together. He knew he probably looked like a landed trout, but he couldn’t help it.

A smile slowly spread across her face, but he could see the nervousness in it. “So, what do you say, sailor? Your life is already going through a major upheaval. Wanna take it all the way?”

“You’re serious, aren’t you.” It was a stupid thing to say, but it just popped out.

Her smile started to slip. “Yes, I’m serious.”

“You…you aren’t just saying this because Aaron and I need a bigger place, or because you think he needs…”

The smile fled. “A mother? No, Harm, I’m not saying this for Aaron’s sake, I’m saying it because it’s what I want, and I...I thought it was you wanted too.”

She tried to shove to her feet, but he caught her arm and pulled her back. “I’m sorry, Mac. That didn’t come out the way I meant it at all. This is just so sudden. We never really talked about the future and then, when I asked you how you felt about Aaron coming into my life, you didn’t answer my question.”

“Because I didn’t have an answer then,” she replied heatedly. “This whole thing caught me off guard just as much as it did you, but I’ve done a lot of thinking since that little guy showed up.”

She pulled away again and this time succeeded in getting to her feet. She paced a few steps away then whirled on him. “But if you don’t want to, just say so. Don’t make this about Aaron, because it isn’t. It’s about you and me and what we have and what we want to have.”

He rose as well. “That’s not fair, Mac. You know I can’t make a decision like that without thinking about Aaron. For crying out loud, he’s been in my care for all of four hours! I haven’t even figured out where he’s going to go to school and suddenly you want me to think about marriage?”

“That’s why it’s the perfect time,” she shot back. “If we think we have any hope of getting together permanently, let’s do it now, before you get him settled into one lifestyle, only to uproot him from it later.”

“Damn it! This is just too much, too soon! How can I—”

“Keep your voice down,” she snapped. “You’ll wake him up!”

Her words slammed into Harm with the force of a runaway tank. He stared at her, unable to move or even breathe. They were having their first real argument as a couple and even that was affected by Aaron’s presence. Despite the subject of the argument, they sounded like an old married couple, trying to hash something out without waking the kid.

“My God, Mac. Listen to us,” he said hoarsely. “We sound like we’re already married.”

“We do, don’t we,” she admitted, her eyes wide with the realization.

He continued to stare at her and, for an instant, the universe seemed to contract so that nothing existed but the two of them. When it expanded again, everything was different. “I…” He swallowed hard and tried again. “Believe it or not, I think that’s a good thing…isn’t it?”

She was still staring at him too. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Think about it,” he said quickly, trying to get the words out at the same speed the thoughts were falling into place in his mind. “We’ve been trying so hard to figure out how to be a couple, but we’ve been a team for years. We know how to work together. We know how to compromise, how to hold out when we think we’re right. Hell, we’ve even got arguing down to a science!”

A tiny smile started to tug at her mouth. “We have had lots of practice there, I’ll grant you that.”

“We’ve had lots of practice with all of it.” He took a step toward her. “It’s like we’ve been training for this for nearly eight years.”

“It really isn’t that different, is it?” she said softly.

“I think the point is,” he took another step toward her, “it doesn’t have to be.”

She took a step this time, closing the final gap between them, and rested her hands on his chest. “You’re right. We’ve both been trying too hard.”

“Then maybe,” he said, his tone low and deep, “we should quit trying and start doing.”

She gazed up at him, her dark eyes shining. “That offer for a two bedroom apartment is still open.”

“Only if it comes with a ring, and I don’t mean on the bathtub.”

She laughed. “Oh, it does, but I expect one in return.”

He lifted her left hand and gently kissed her ring finger. “You’ll get one.”

Releasing her hand, he pulled her into his arms and found her lips instead. Even as the kiss lengthened and deepened, Harm wondered how they were going to put out the fire they were kindling with a kid sleeping just a few feet away. He smiled against her lips, knowing it was the first of many challenges they would face – and solve – together.

The End.

This is part 3 of a 3 part story

Part 1

Part 2

The Series continues with “Bound By Love”