chapters 1-5         chapters 6  -10 Title: Implications and Possibilities Background: Mid Season Nine. Events in the second half of the season never happened. Rating: PG13 Summary: A single event brings unexpected changes to Harm and Mac’s life. A/N: I am not a doctor, lawyer, in the military, or police enforcement. Please forgive any blatant errors. Thank you. Chapter 1 Flashing lights grew brighter and brighter as each emergency vehicle arrived on the scene. One squad car, then another, two fire engines, the sirens of the ambulances could be heard in the distance. At the height of rush hour, the traffic was backing up for miles at the chaos created by the mangled vehicles. By far the worst of all was the black Lexus sedan. The passenger side completely crumpled from the impact of the small SUV. After spinning around, an oncoming small pick up had plowed into the rear end of the Lexus sending it straight into the telephone pole. The pole now laid horizontally across the roofs of the two vehicles and most of the street. Telephone and electric wires were dangling loosely across both sides of the pavement. A few other fender benders were scattered around the scene as they had attempted to avoid the main collision. Officer James Billings walked up to his longtime partner. "What have you got so far?" "The driver of the SUV is on his way to the drunk tank." Both officers shook their heads, when were people going to get it through their thick skulls – driving and drinking don’t mix. "The couple in the pick up should be on their way to GW any minute. They appear in serious but stable condition, the Lexus took the brunt of the impacts." Looking over at the black clump of metal, Officer Gary Buckner let out a small sigh. "It’s gonna take a while before they can get those two out of there. The passenger is DOA but we can’t get close enough to the driver to determine status." Neighbors had gathered a safe distance away to watch the crews hoist the pole off the top of the car then continue expeditiously using the jaws of life to peel the car open as they would a tin can. The paramedics were poised ready to spring into action once access was available. Another flurry of activity began when one of the paramedics, finally reaching the vehicle, called out. "She’s alive, barely." The two officers, standing at a distance could visibly see his face blanch as he called to his friends, "Jim, Gary, we’ve got a baby in here!" JAG Headquarters 1800 Harmon Rabb Jr. was an accomplished pilot and lawyer. At the moment, he felt like the world’s best paper pusher. He could not remember the last time his desk was so overcrowded with case files that it looked more like his partner Sarah MacKenzie’s desk than his. The plain manila folders seemed to be multiplying with the breeding ease of rabbits. No matter how many files he managed to work through and set aside, the ‘to do’ side of the desk remained equally high. Harm looked up when he heard a knock on his door. "New decorating theme?" Mac held back a grin. "Thought I’d try your style, early Oscar Madison." Harm sat back in his chair, tossing his pencil on one of the stacks of files. "What’s keeping you here?" "Nothing, I’m just getting ready to head home and thought I’d see how long you’re going to be staying." "Too long I’m afraid. Two weeks on a carrier reeks havoc on my reports." He let out another sigh. "You wouldn’t trade those two weeks on a carrier for all the clean desk tops in DC and you know it." Mac leaned back against the door crossing her arms. Laughing under his breath, "I don’t know Mac, I think I’m getting too old to be inhaling jet fuel." "Mmn, and I’m too old for filet mignon. Try that line on someone else, flyboy." Straightening up, she tugged lightly on the bottom of her uniform shirt. "I’ve got a date with my new bath soaps, if you need anything Coates is still here working on something for the admiral." Mac tapped the door and walked away. For just a brief moment Harm pushed aside any thoughts of where Webb fit in her plans and allowed himself to indulge in visions of Mac, him and bubbles. All too quickly, his pleasant thoughts were interrupted with the ringing of his phone. "Rabb." "Harmon Rabb?" a faint voice asked. "Yes." "This is George Washington Hospital calling." Calls like these were never a good thing. The only thing preventing a sense of panic from rushing through him was the knowledge that Mac couldn’t be any further than the JAG parking lot. "We’re sorry to bother you, but there’s been a car accident." Though slightly more apprehensive wondering who they could be calling about, Harm easily remained calm sure it wasn’t Mac. "We’ve been calling the emergency contact for over twenty minutes with no luck. Your name was written in pencil underneath it. If we don’t find someone soon we’re going to have to turn the baby over to social services." Harm was dumbfounded this person could have given him so much information without mentioning the name of the victim. The exasperation in his voice was clear, "Exactly WHO has been in an accident?" "Oh, I’m sorry sir, Catherine Gayle." ‘Catherine.’ He was stunned. "How is she?" He straightened in his chair, unconsciously tightening his grip on the phone. "She’s in surgery sir, but someone needs to come for the baby." ‘Baby, right.’ "Then the baby is okay?" Harm stood up and began packing his briefcase with his free hand. "Yes, sir, the picture of health. Has one powerful guardian angel if you ask me." "I’m on my way." Hanging up, he grabbed his cover closing the door behind him. Chapter 2 George Washington Hospital Short while later. Even in a busy hospital such as George Washington, a six foot four inch tall Navy Commander storming through the front doors is bound to draw some attention. The cute young blond sitting at the reception desk was no exception. "I’m looking for a new patient, Catherine Gayle. She was in a car accident." Typing into her computer, "Oh yeah, she’s upstairs, 5th floor. You’ll need to sign here, only two visitors at a time." Smiling, the pretty blonde handed him a green card with the letters OR1 printed on it. "Please return that card when you leave the hospital." After what seemed like an interminably long elevator ride, Harm found himself waiting impatiently for someone to return to the nurse’s station to tell him what was happening with Catherine. Finally a tall brunette sauntered around the corner. "Excuse me, could you give me some information on Ca…." "Hold your horses, it’s one hell of a night and we’re short…" Looking up into the most gorgeous pair of green eyes she’d ever seen, the overworked, over tired, not too happy to be working the night shift nurse was instantly transformed into the most polite of southern belles. "Why yes sir, what can I do for you?" She was dripping with sweetness. If Harm weren’t so anxious to find out about Catherine he might actually be amused. "I’m looking for information on Catherine Gayle." Walking around the U shaped counter, the nurse shuffled through some papers, then turned to her computer. "Here she is. Automobile accident." Pausing a moment to look over the information, the nurse looked up at Harm again. "She’s still in surgery, it’ll be a while. You need to go upstairs, the baby’s with the nurse’s in OB, 7th floor." Immediately he headed for the elevators. After only a few strides, he stopped and turned back to the nurse, looking at her nametag, "Thank you, Carol." There seemed to be more activity on the 7th floor. A crowd was gathered around the nurse’s station. Quietly standing behind the group, he realized they were all cooing over a small infant carrier. Clearing his throat, "Excuse me." A multitude of heads turned. "I’m Harmon Rabb, I’m looking for the Gayle baby." The sea of uniforms parted. On the desk in a carrier was a watchful infant gurgling, obviously happy with all the attention it had been getting. One nurse stood up from behind the desk and walked over to Harm. Extending her hand to him, "I’m Susan Gleason, you wouldn’t mind showing me some identification please?" Reaching into his pocket, Harm pulled out his wallet showing both his drivers license and Naval ID. "Thank you. You can’t be too careful," she smiled. "Here’s the baby bag that was in the car, he’s been changed and fed so he shouldn’t give you any trouble for a while. He seems like a very happy baby. We’ve all been enjoying his company." Harm realized up until a few moments ago, he didn’t even know if Catherine had a girl or a boy, he didn’t dare ask the nurses what his name was. Taking the bag and carrier, Harm headed back to the fifth floor. The nurses were right, David was a very good baby. Fortunately for Harm, his name was written on, or taped to, just about everything in his diaper bag. He had fallen asleep shortly after they returned to the fifth floor and hadn’t made a sound since. Harm hadn’t heard any news. Every so often Carol would look up at him to let him know she was still in surgery. He had been calling Catherine’s brother every fifteen minutes for the last two hours. Harm jumped at the sound of his cell phone ringing, thankful it hadn’t woken the baby. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do when the baby woke up. He didn’t have a lot of practice with babies this small and he wasn’t looking forward to on the job training. "Rabb." "Harm it’s Andy. I just got you’re message. I was on a flight from Chicago. I should be at the hospital in about 15 minutes." "We’re on the fifth floor." "We?" "David and I." Harm wondered who else might be there with him. Although if he were honest with himself he’d admit right now he’d give anything to have Mac here. As promised, 16 minutes later, Andrew Gayle hurried down the hallway. "How is she?" Andy asked. "I don’t know, they won’t say anything except she’s still in surgery." "How long has she been there?" "From what I can tell, about three hours." Harm let out a soft sigh. "I hate to bring this up, but I don’t think anyone has contacted your mother." "It’s probably best, she’s not doing well. I’ll wait until I have some solid information either way." Andy sat down next to Harm and the baby. "He looks pretty peaceful." "So far. He’s all yours now." Harm smiled. "Me, what am I going to do with him?" Andy looked almost startled at Harm’s eagerness to relinquish custody of the small baby. Harm’s eyes grew large in disbelief. "You’re his uncle." "I don’t know anything about taking care of babies!" Panic was starting to settle on both men. "Okay, what about his father- he’s the obvious one to take care of him. As a matter of fact, he might want to be here for Catherine too." Harm suggested. "Well, that would make sense if I had any idea who the father is. Catherine tells us very little about her personal life. Except for you, we don’t meet any of her friends and have no idea who the father is." Andy was just now beginning to realize how big a problem this might be. "Surely she must have a will, guardianship papers, something in the event that anything happens to her?" The lawyer in Harm had surfaced. "That’s right. She has mentioned a few times since the baby was born that if anything should happen to her, everything we’d need was in the top right hand drawer of her desk at the apartment." He took a deep breath feeling a bit more relieved. "There you have it, in the meantime, who do you know who can baby-sit?" Harm wasn’t too thrilled with the blank expression staring back at him. "Harm, I’m divorced, my ex wife wouldn’t talk to me now if I had won the lottery. I travel 10 months out of every year. I don’t know anyone who has any more idea of what to do with a baby than I do." Andy leaned his head down covering his face with his hands as if wishing some answer into fruition. Raising his head again. "Do you know anyone?" Pausing to think, Harm ran through a list of possibilities. "Well, Harriet loves kids, but they’re all in Florida visiting her parents. I have a ward who’s probably old enough, but she’s spending the night at a friend’s since it’s Easter break. I know, Jennifer!" Hanging up his cell phone. "Well, that won’t work, she’s still at the office finishing up some reports the admiral needs by 0700." Letting out another deep sigh. "I guess I don’t have much choice." Flipping his cell phone open again, Harm pushed in the familiar numbers. The phone rang once, twice, three times, "Come on." "MacKenzie" "Thank God you’re home, Mac, I need a favor. A big favor." Harm took a deep breath. Chapter 3 Flipping his phone shut, Harm stopped pacing in front of Andy. "She’s on her way." "Someone special?" Andy wasn’t quite sure what to make of the little he had heard of the conversation. "A friend." Was all Harm said. "Must be some friend." Andy knew Harm was holding something back, he just wasn’t sure if Harm was maybe holding out on himself as well. "The best." A smile made its first appearance of the evening. Just then David decided he’d had enough of napping. The two men looked at each other totally panic stricken. Carol sat at her desk amused by the exchange taking place before her. Shaking her head, she walked past the two men and leaned down to unstrap the baby. "Men." She walked back to her desk carrying the bundle in her arms. The two men watched her walk away in dazed gratefulness. "What cat has your tongue?" A voice echoed behind them. Turning to see Mac, Harm reached out and pulled her in for a good old-fashioned bear hug. "Thanks, Mac. Thanks so much." Any irritation she may have had at being dragged away from her comfortable home, to baby-sit a complete stranger at this late hour, melted away at his heartfelt reception. Letting go of his hold on her, Harm made his introductions. "Mac, this is Catherine’s brother Andy. This is Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie." Extending her hand, "It’s Mac. I’m sorry to hear about your sister." Mac didn’t understand what role Harm had in all this, but if he needed her, she wasn’t going to say no. Besides, she couldn’t in good conscience leave a baby alone in the care of two bachelors. By now Carol had spotted Mac’s arrival and brought the baby over. Immediately he curled up in the crook of Mac’s shoulder. She didn’t even realize she let out a small sigh of contentment at the feeling. Rubbing small circles on his back, Mac began slowly swaying side to side whispering little sounds and softly kissing the top of his head. "What’s his name?" "David." Harm answered. She turned to look at Harm for a long moment and then Andy. She wasn’t sure what to make of Harm answering the question instead of the baby’s uncle. Whatever was going on, she made up her mind not to worry about it for now. She set her chin down on the top of the baby’s head. "Alright gentlemen, what’s the plan?" "If you’ll take the baby home with you, I’ll wait here and keep Andy company until Catherine gets out of surgery." "Any idea how long that will be?" She asked. "No, but it can’t be too much longer, she’s been in there for hours. Once we know what’s going on with Catherine, I’ll accompany Andy to find Catherine’s guardianship papers so we know who’s supposed to care for him." Harm reached out and began stroking the baby’s back. "I guess you get him tonight and we can deliver him to whomever, tomorrow at a decent hour." "You mean- WE get him tonight. Hand me that bag, let’s see what he’s got in there." Looking through the bag, "Okay, on you’re way back to my place, you’re going to have to pick up more diapers and some formula. It looks like he’s only got one more bottle in here. That should last me until you’re done with Andy." Snuggling the baby a little closer before setting him down. Mac closed her eyes and whispered to herself, "I want one of these." Not realizing Harm had moved beside her, she was startled when he leaned in and softly spoke in her ear, "That could still be arranged." Flustered, Mac turned around and strapped the baby into the carrier. "Alright gentlemen," Placing her hand on Andy’s arm, "my prayers are with you." Turning to Harm, "you get the three a.m. feeding." Mac maneuvered all of the infant paraphernalia down the hall with unexpected skill. Harm’s eyes stayed on Mac as she made her way to the elevator. That woman was indeed the best thing that ever happened to him. It wasn’t long after, a tall man in green scrubs approached the two men. "Is one of you Mr. Gayle?" "I am." Andy stood up to shake his hand. "Harmon Rabb." Harm offered his hand as well. "I’m Dr. Graham." "How is she?" Andy asked. "She’s in critical condition. Frankly, I’m amazed she survived the surgery at all." Gesturing to the chairs for the two men to sit down. The doctor informed them of the extent of Catherine’s injuries. "We’ve had to remove her spleen. She has several broken ribs and a punctured lung. Her right arm is broken in three places. We’ve had to put pins in her right ankle. She also has a fractured pelvis. We drained some blood from the sac around her heart; we’ll be monitoring it carefully to see if it continues. Unfortunately we also had to remove one kidney. She suffered a severe blow to the head, which is causing extensive swelling of the brain. We’ve relieved some of the pressure, but the next 24 hours are critical. If she can survive that long, she may have a chance." Having given them only the facts, and none of his additional concerns, the doctor paused to consider the expressions on the two men. He decided this was enough information for one night. "You must be tired. There’s nothing you can do here. Go home, get some rest and you can see her in the morning." He turned and walked away. Overwhelmed, Andy fell back in the chair. "Why don’t we head over to Catherine’s. You can get something to eat and get a little rest," Harm suggested. "Huh?" Andy looked up. Patting Andy’s shoulder, "Let’s go." Harm nudged Andy toward the elevators. The two men rode in silence to Catherine’s. "I know it’s here somewhere." Andy fumbled around lifting different flowerpots looking for a key. "Here it is." Holding up the single key, he struggled to get it in the lock. "I guess, I’m more shaken up than I realized." Unlocking the door, the two men proceeded into the house. It had been some time since Harm had been in her apt. He’d only been there that one night. It felt strange knowing she was in the hospital hanging onto life by a thread. Andy flipped on a few more lights and walked over to the desk. "Why don’t I make some coffee?" Harm suggested walking towards the kitchen. He didn’t notice the curious look on Andy’s face. "What do you take in your coffee?" Harm called from the kitchen. "Black is fine." Andy began perusing through his sister’s papers. Harm set the two cups of coffee down on the desk then pulled a spare chair over to sit beside him. "Find anything yet?" "Just his birth certificate." He handed it to Harm. "I didn’t realize you could leave the father’s name blank on a birth certificate." "Apparently." Harm replied. "He’s only two months old. February 12th. He was almost a Valentine’s Day baby," Harm smiled. "Here’s her will. It must be old there’s no mention of the baby." Again, he handed the papers to Harm. "She’s a lawyer. She should know better. Keep looking, maybe there’s a newer version." "Here’s something." Andy paused as he read carefully through another one of his sister’s many papers. Stretching his arm out to Harm, Andy waved the papers in front of him. "You’d better read this." Harm read the papers once, then twice. He looked up at Andy. "Why would she make me his guardian?" Chapter 4 Front door Sarah MacKenzie’s apartment Georgetown The possibility of facing an angry Marine flashed through Harm’s mind. Taking a deep, calming breath, Harm knocked on Mac’s door. He didn’t want to ring the bell in case the baby was sleeping, but he didn’t feel right using the spare key. After all, she was home and perfectly capable of answering her own door, and despite how scared he was, this didn’t exactly constitute an emergency. Mac opened the door with one sleeping baby perched on her shoulder. Putting her finger to her lips in a silent request for him not to make any noise, she waved Harm into the apartment. Patting and rocking the baby a little longer, Mac waited to make sure he was soundly asleep. Confident he wouldn’t wake up if she laid him down, she went into her room and deposited the baby in the middle of her bed before returning to the living room. Harm had already unpacked his purchases but was still standing in the kitchen. "It’s a good thing you gave me a diaper sample. It also didn’t hurt any that the lady at the 7-11 likes stupid sailors." He turned to smile at Mac trying not to reveal how unsettled he was. "At first, she seemed rather annoyed that I didn’t know how to buy diapers for my child. When she finally gave me the opportunity to explain I was only babysitting, she became very helpful." "How’s Catherine?" Mac leaned against the counter watching Harm put away the varied supplies. "Not good. The doctor ran off a list of things they had to do for her as long as my arm. They even had to take a kidney." He paused to read the label on the baby formula before continuing. "The doctor says if she survives the next 24 hours, he might be willing to give her odds." He sighed setting the can back down on the counter. "That doesn’t sound good." Mac frowned. "Go take a seat, I’ll finish putting all this away and make us some tea." She waved Harm out of the kitchen. Making himself comfortable on the sofa, Harm contemplated what he was going to tell Mac. Little things kept gnawing at him as he drove. Why hadn’t Catherine put anyone’s name on the birth certificate? Why would she name him, a bachelor, as guardian? He wished he hadn’t needed to return to Mac’s so quickly. He would have preferred more time to think. More time to understand. As it was, one thing stood out in his mind. Catherine had told Harm the baby happened before they met. Even Harm could do simple math. David was born almost nine months after the performance they’d put on for Catherine’s mother. It couldn’t be, could it? Mac watched him running his fingers through his hair. She hadn’t expected him to be this upset. Maybe there was more to him and Catherine than she realized. Tightening the grip on the teacups, Mac had to force herself to swallow the jealousy. After all, there was no commitment between she and Harm. He was a red blooded American male, she couldn’t possibly expect him to remain alone. Logically she knew it was unlikely that he had been celibate since Renee, but deep down it just plain hurt to think of him with another woman. "Here you go." Mac set the cup down before him and took the spot on the couch next to him. "You okay?" "Yeah, how about you? You’re pretty good with him." "Don’t look so surprised." She swatted him gently. "I am a Godmother twice over you know. I’d have better learned something!" "Motherhood looks good on you Mac." He hadn’t meant to let that slip out, but he was glad he did. He meant it. Looking down at her cup, "Thank you." Harm wondered why, even now, it was so hard for her to accept a compliment, but this wasn’t the time to get into that. He had something more serious he needed to discuss. "I know we need to get some sleep before the baby wakes up again hungry, but there’s something important I need to talk to you about." Not liking the look on Harm’s face, Mac sat back and braced herself for the worst. "We found some papers. Catherine’s will isn’t current, we’re hoping there’s another one somewhere. We also found David’s birth certificate. She never named the father." Mac noticed an uneasiness in Harm’s voice. He kept looking down at his hands. This couldn’t be good. She put her teacup down on the table and found herself crushing a small cushion to her chest. "We did find the guardianship papers." He turned to look Mac in the eye. "She named me David’s guardian." Relief flooded through Mac’s body. ‘That’s why he was so nervous. If he’s the guardian, there’s no one to turn David over to tomorrow.’ A small smile crept across Mac’s face as she thought about getting to take care of a baby for a while longer. The smile didn’t last long once she considered Catherine might not make it and Harm could have permanent guardianship. Where would this leave her? Would he need her more or would he turn to someone else? Harm studied Mac’s face intently. The range of emotions that had scurried across her face in the last few silent minutes had completely baffled him. He thought he knew her well, but he honestly had no idea what she might be thinking. He had no idea how to tell her what else he thought, or if he even should. Taking a deep breath for courage. "There may be more." Mac’s hold on the cushion tightened. She nodded her head in silent assent for him to continue. "I’m not sure why she chose me to be his guardian. It doesn’t make sense. Unless..." Unable to stand the pressure, Harm stood up and walked across the room. "Mac, the birth certificate says he was born February 12th. That’s just about nine months from when you left for Paraguay." Rubbing his hand across the back of his head and neck, Harm paused to gather his thoughts. He turned to look in Mac’s direction. Her face was unreadable. If she was upset, she didn’t show it. If she knew what was coming, he couldn’t tell. "Do you remember me telling you, I had gotten married to find you?" "You said it wasn’t for real." She fought to show no emotion one way or another. "It wasn’t. Catherine’s mom was dying and somehow mistook me for her boyfriend. To make a long story short, I played along to make a dying woman happy. No harm no foul, in return Catherine put in a call to Kershaw which got me into the loop that eventually led me to you." "Thank you." Of all the things she could have said, that wasn’t what Harm was expecting. "For what?" "Caring enough to jump through hoops to find me." Mac’s heart was slowly but surely breaking into little pieces. She couldn’t let him see. "I’d have done anything to find you." He meant it, and at that moment, she believed it. "Anyhow, Catherine had been so upset when she got the original call from the hospital that we left her car at the restaurant and I drove her to the hospital. That’s how the whole mess started. By the time she was ready to go home it was really late. She didn’t have a car, it seemed to make sense to take her home and get her car another time in daylight." He didn’t dare look at her. He needed to finish this. Still pacing, "She invited me in. She’d been crying off and on much of the evening. It was no surprise when she broke down again at her apartment. She was under a lot of stress. We both were. I was terribly worried about you." He braved a quick glance at Mac. Nothing. "One thing led to another and we spent the night together. There were no feelings, hell we barely knew each other. We both knew it was just something we needed that one night. There was no awkwardness, no ties. It was like medicine for two terrified souls." "Did you know she was pregnant?" Mac was amazed she could speak without her voice cracking. "She came to see me before I went back to JAG. The thought crossed my mind, when I first saw her, that I might be to blame. Before I could ask, she volunteered it happened before we met." Uncomfortable with Mac’s regained silence, Harm felt the need to explain. "I had no reason to doubt her. You know me Mac, I always use protection, I would never put a woman in that predicament, no matter how unexpected the situation." "Actually Harm, NO, I wouldn’t know," This time Mac practically hissed at him, as she carefully enunciated each word. "Of course not, I’m sorry." He was sorry for a lot of things, but right now he was especially sorry that in eight years Mac really didn’t have any reason to know Harm would always use a condom. Harm didn’t know what else to say. He carefully walked back towards Mac. He stood between the sofa and the chair. Silently, he glanced at her asking permission to sit beside her. Mac’s heart broke at the thought of another woman giving Harm the child he’d always wanted. Her heart broke further at the desperate look in his eyes. He looked more frightened than a lost child. Softly, she patted the sofa next her. Harm eased into the seat beside her. He was completely surprised when she scooted closer to him and placed her head on his shoulder. Grateful she wasn’t rejecting him, Harm draped his arm around her shoulder, calming himself by gently caressing her arm. "Now what?" Mac asked without lifting her head. Wrapping his other arm around Mac, "I guess we find out the truth." Chapter 5 Harm and Mac had fallen asleep in each other’s arms on the small sofa. As with most new parents, they were rudely awoken after only a few hours sleep by a very loud, very hungry baby. Mac brought David into the living room. "Here, you change his diaper while I get the bottle ready." "What!" Harm hadn’t really considered what might be involved in a three a.m. feeding, but for some ludicrous reason it never occurred to him that actually holding the baby, never mind changing a diaper, might be included. "Oh for heaven’s sake, he won’t break. Here, hold him like this." She passed him gingerly into Harm’s arms. "See, now make sure you support his head, and everything else will be fine. The diapers are disposable so you don’t have to worry about pins. I’ll be back in a flash." Mac turned to the kitchen leaving a stunned Harmon Rabb cradling a very small baby. Mac had barely gotten started in the kitchen. "MAC!" She dropped the bottle she was filling and literally ran to the bedroom. Expecting to find some horrible scene, she was puzzled to find the baby safely on the bed, his bottom exposed. On closer inspection she was almost willing to say David appeared to be smiling. Turning to look at Harm, Mac burst into laughter as she realized what had made him scream. Harm’s pristine white t-shirt had one respectable sized wet spot dead center on the front of his shirt. "It’s not funny," Harm huffed. "That’s what you think. He thinks so too." Mac tilted her head towards the baby. "You are laughing, you little stinker." Harm smiled at the baby and leaned over to kiss his tummy. "I hate to break up this moment of bonding, but at this hour the idea isn’t to get him riled up but to put him back to sleep. Secondly, didn’t you ever change AJ or Jimmy’s diaper? You never leave them uncovered unless you want an extra shower." Shaking her head, she turned back to the kitchen not waiting for his response. 0800 Harm’s SUV Mac latched the carrier into the carseat base, while Harm placed the blanket and diaper bag in the seat next to David. Harm, always the gentleman, held the door for Mac as she climbed into the front seat. They road for a few miles in comfortable silence. "You never cease to amaze me." Harm was shaking his head with just a hint of a smile. "What?" "No matter what, you’re always ready, willing and able to step in and save my six. You got all of us up and ready and out, with the precision of the most experienced mother." "Thank you. But you did help." "I followed orders, any sailor can do that," he scoffed. Harm pondered how to say what was on his mind. "Mac, about today." "Hmm," she nodded. "I appreciate your support. I don’t know what’s going to come of all this. I can’t imagine doing this without you." He reached over and took her hand in his. "After Russia and Paraguay, this assignment will be a piece of cake." Mac squeezed his hand. She was scared what all of this would mean for Harm, for them, but she was holding onto the thought that it was her he was turning to. Neither one of them let go until the hospital loomed before them. They had agreed getting a blood test to immediately determine if Harm was in a pool of potential fathers should be the first step. If he had the right blood type, another sample would be sent off for DNA analysis. Those results would take a bit longer to receive. First stop, before getting the blood tests, would be to check on Catherine’s status and see how Andy was holding up. Next they would go to Catherine’s to pick up some more things for the baby. All this would be done before facing the admiral with their new dilemma. They’d phoned Coates early that morning and informed her they would both be in after lunch. Fortunately neither of them were scheduled for court that day. When they reached the intensive care unit they were startled to find two police officers speaking with Andy. Hesitating to intrude, they lingered by the nurse’s station until Andy waved them on. The two officers seemed genuinely pleased to see David. "Hi there, big fellow." Officer Jim Billings took hold of David’s hand in a playful attempt to shake. "This is one miracle baby," Officer Gary Buckner sighed. "There was only one small cavity of that car that wasn’t completely crushed or mangled and it was the two square feet where his car seat was. If his mom had strapped him in on either side of the backseat instead of the middle, he wouldn’t be with us today." Harm hadn’t really thought about the actual scene of the accident, or how bad it must have been for Catherine to receive such severe injuries. Instinctively, he reached over and took hold of David’s hand. "The officers were just asking me if I had any idea who was in the car with Catherine. Apparently he has no identification on him and they can’t find a match for his fingerprints," Andy commented. Startled, Harm and Mac both turned to face the officers. "I didn’t realize there was another passenger in the car," Harm mentioned. "DOA. Caucasian Male, about 5’11, dark hair, late thirties." One of the officers answered. Harm and Mac looked at each other. "The officers had hoped one of us would be able to identify the body," Andy added. "I don’t see how, neither of us are familiar with any of Catherine’s friends," Harm explained. "That’s pretty much what I said too. You don’t suppose it was someone she worked with?" Answering his own question, Andy continued. "Nah, never mind, she wouldn’t be working with the baby in the car." "If we don’t turn up anything more definitive, when we get some photos back from the ME we’ll be back to see if maybe he rings any bells." The officers thanked the group and quietly left the floor. "You go back in with Catherine, we’ll follow in just a second," Harm said to Andy, handing him the carrier. In silent agreement, the two partners stepped closer for a little side bar. "Are you thinking what I’m thinking?" Harm whispered to Mac. "That maybe this guy could be the father? It’s crossed my mind," She nodded. "Mine too, we’re going to have to tell Andy. We’ll need to get blood samples on everyone now." Harm said pointing to no place in particular. "Agreed." Mac dropped her hand near Harm, he gladly wrapped his hand around hers, following her into Catherine’s room. Later that day JAG Headquarters Andy was to be in charge of contacting the proper authorities to arrange for typing the deceased’s blood. Harm and Mac had blood samples drawn for Harm and the baby, retrieved any necessary baby items from Catherine’s apartment, and delivered them to Harm’s before stopping for lunch. By 1300 Harm and Mac had left David with Jennifer while they explained their predicament to the Admiral. "Let’s see if I understand this correctly: a woman the Commander here barely knows, has named him guardian to an infant he’s never seen, and by association, the Colonel is now responsible as well." The Admiral’s cynical tone was not lost on either of his subordinates. "Yes, sir," Harm replied. "I see. How long will it take you to arrange for proper day care?" "Hopefully by Monday," Mac replied this time. "The only thing on either the Colonel or my plate at the moment is mostly paperwork, sir. This shouldn’t interfere with our caseload or court appearances," Harm interjected. "See that it doesn’t. If I hear one peep out of, or about that baby, you’ll have to make other arrangements immediately. Am I making myself clear?" "Aye, sir," the two officers chorused. "I will not tolerate anything affecting the good order and discipline of this office. Dismissed." The pair snapped to attention and swiftly left the office. AJ immediately pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘I really need to retire.’                                                                                       NEXT                                                                     HOME