(written a couple of years ago)
feedback?: colonelphoebe@yahoo.com
December 24th 2006
“Thank you Captain. Dismissed.”
“Thank you sir”
Once Harm closed the door behind him he let out a sigh of relief. For a moment he thought Admiral West would find something faulty with his investigation report again.
“Did you arrange transportation for me, Petty Officer?”
“Yes sir!” She smiled brightly at him as she handed him a set of keys.
“Driving home for Christmas, sir?”
Harm smiled at her. “Yeah” He replied softly. “Finally.”
She followed him to the elevator.
“You really missed DC didn’t you, sir?”
“Not the city, PO. Not the city.”
“If there is ever an opening at JAG , sir….” She grinned at him as the doors opened.
Harm turned after stepping on the elevator. “Merry Christmas, PO”
“Same to you sir!” As the doors were closing.. ”Sir!”
Harm held the door. “What is it, PO?” He was losing his patience. He liked PO Hamilton, but right now all he wanted was to get home, and with it being Christmas eve and all. Traffic would be hell.
“Basement garage, 24G, sir.” She explained pointing to the keys in his hand.
“It’s a good car, sir, for driving in this weather I mean. Heard it was snowing pretty bad in DC, sir.”
“Thanks. If an opening comes up, I’ll put in a good word for ya with Admiral Chegwidden."
“Thanks! Eh..You better go, Captain, or you’ll get stuck here for another three months”
“Oh God” Harm groaned as he quickly pushed the ‘close’ button.
**
After driving for about an hour Harm turned on the radio hoping the Christmas songs would keep his mood Christmassy while he was stuck in traffic.
He kept checking his watch. How long would it take? Impatiently he tapped his hands on the wheel. Every other minute there would be some movement and Harm was praying he didn’t get snowed in right there and then. Besides the fact that he wasn’t getting anywhere he was also getting bored.. He kept seeing the same cars and the same people. The man in the car next to him(for the last 45 minutes) was staring at him. As their gazes met they both nodded their understanding. He was trying to get home just as Harm was. His lane started moving slowly. Finally. All he could think of was to get home. He closed his eyes briefly to envision the sight that would await him at home. As another driver honked his horn Harm opened his eyes just in time to slam on the brakes. Red lights everywhere.. They were still again.
He had been gone for three months. He missed everyone back home. More then he expected. Every time he had plans to make a trip to DC, Admiral West had come up with last minute orders and every time he’d have to call and cancel his plans. At thanksgiving he had simply called Tiner and told him to pass on the message that he wouldn’t make the JAG and family get together. He just couldn’t face telling Mac in person. He expected she’d bite his head off. As if he didn’t feel bad enough as it was. Of course she had called him later to tell him they missed him but that she understood it wasn’t his fault. He could hear the sadness in her voice and he had wished she had been unreasonable and yelled at him or something…..anything but her reminding him of how much he was hurting her by staying away.
Harm sighed and checked his watch again.
That’s why it was so important that he get back in time for Christmas. She had been absolutely great these last months, even though he could tell she was hurting. He was hurting too but she had a nag of calling him when he was down. Telling him to hang in there and cheering him up with the latest home front news.
Ah…moving again…. If he could only get on the interstate ..
She once asked him if he wanted her to stop calling, that maybe it made it harder on him. True, sometimes it just made him long for home even more, but he wanted to know what was going on.. he was missing enough as it was.
Half an hour later Harm was finally making some headway on the interstate, although the snow kept them at a slow pace.
His mom and Frank were coming up for Christmas this year. He needed to be there.
Hadn’t seen them in over a year. He had already missed the office Christmas party. Bud told him how Harriet and Mac had tried to persuade the Admiral to dress up as Santa. In the end. LT. Aldrich agreed to put on the red suit. Apparently Mac and Harriet had done wonders with make up and Singer was said to have been brown nosing Santa all evening in the understanding that it was the Admiral. What he wouldn’t give to have been there once she figured it out.
Ah..Last major trial of the evening….the Beltway…..
It took another hour to get home. The Christmas songs had helped and by the time harm pulled up to the house he was whistling a Chris Rea song.
He parked the car in the driveway. He stared at the house for a second.
When he left the yard was covered in brown, red and yellow leaves. Now,… Christmas lights around the windows. A snowman on the white lawn. He smiled when he noticed the snowman was wearing one of his covers and had what looked like a set of gold wings on its chest.
The soft light coming from behind the windows was like a welcome home beacon. He got out of the car. Before he could get his luggage out of the trunk he heard the door open and little voices scream in delight.
“Daddy!” His four and three year old screamed as they flung themselves at him.
He raised and hugged his four year old son, while the three year old Nathalie was jumping up and down beside him, her arms stretched out so he’d pick her up. As he bend down to get her Matthew jumped from his arms and ran back towards the house. Harm followed him with his eyes while he held his little girl close.
“Mommy, mommy, daddy’s home!”
His eyes filled with tears at the anticipation of seeing her again and the sheer joy of simply being home.
“Oh no.. Matt!!” Her voice sounded. “ There’s snow everywhere! I’ll have to start clean…..YOU HAVENT GOT YOUR SHOES ON !! Matt!” She called as she stepped out after him. Immediately locking eyes with her husband she fell silent. She let out a sigh of relief, dropped the towel she had in her hands and quickly walked towards him.
He could see the tears in her eyes as she got closer. He set Nathalie down and pulled her into a warm embrace. “You made it” she sniffed.
“Of course, I promised, didn’t I ?” He stated with much more certainty then he had felt four hours ago.
“Yeah , you did…” She looked up at him and he just had to kiss her. When they broke apart she remembered why she had come out.
“You two.. back inside the house and take those socks of! I don’t want you two sick for the holidays.”
Harm looked down to see that neither kids had shoes on. He hadn’t even noticed. He looked at Mac as she shoo’ed them inside. When she turned her attention back to him he kissed her again. This time even more passionate.
“I missed you” he whispered against her mouth.
She smiled and pressed her lips against his . As he tried to deepen the kiss she pulled away. “You know,” she breathed. “we can’t put them to bed right away.”
He smiled but turned serious. “I know, and I don’t want us to. I haven’t seen them for three months.”
“But you will have some time for me later, won’t you?” she raised her eyebrows suggestively.
Harm’s body temperature raised at least five degrees © He pulled her against him, immediately raising his eyebrows. But all thought dissolved once she kissed him. He let his lips wonder over her cheek and towards her neck. “All night, only for you.”
She let out a moan when he kissed the sensitive spot at the base of her neck. As she pressed against him he remembered his initial surprise. “You’ve either been very lonely and diving into the chocolate cabinet again or ..you haven’t been….all…that lonely…”
She glared at him, trying to suppress a smile. “Just what are you suggesting Harm?”
He hesitated. Last thing he wanted was to start a fight with her his first night back.
She took pity on him. Standing on her toes she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned against his forehead. “Very lonely,” She whispered “and lots of chocolate.” She lied.
Letting out a sigh of relief. Even though he’d never think she would turn to another man. Finding your wife at least 10 pounds heavier after three months of absence, turned out to be somewhat unnerving since the only other times that had happened…
“So.. I guess you’ve figured out your Christmas present.” She stepped back so he could get a good look at her.
He grinned. Oh yeah, he was right. “Why. Did you forget to wrap it again?”
“I didn’t wrap it, but I am taking very good care of this one.”
He pulled her in for another long kiss. They only parted because two pairs of little hands were tugging on his pants.
“Daddy, come on… you haven’t seen the tree yet!”
A very content Harmon Rabb entered his house. His arm securely wrapped around his wife, his kids bouncing ahead of them. Oh, yeah, he was home.