Title: Morning Moments
Author: Ali Cherry
Summary: Even though I'm a shipper at heart, this isn't really that shippery. In fact it is M/B and H/Ms. Peterson. Just warning you.
Disclaimer:


Morning Moments


I know he's there, hovering just outside my dream to wake me up. He'll have what I need, too. I feel the hand on my shoulder. Soft, gentle. I open my eyes to see Harm's concerned eyes close.

"Hey, Mac. Here." He positions the saltine crackers in front of my face. I take the first one, not wanting to move from this position. I munch on it, swallowing it dry. Harm looks up at a beep in the other room. He walks out, his boxers bunching slightly.

I've gotten used to this wonderful treatment. Every time we go out of town, since I announced my pregnancy. Concerned, caring. It's something I don't really get at home, although I'm sure if I asked, Mic would provide.

Harm's back, a mug of herbal tea in his hand. I sit up, the crackers helping only marginally. He hands me the cup and I see him smile at me, softly. He heads back towards his room, to allow me some privacy. I can hear him on the phone to Bud back in DC, asking general questions about AJ and Harriet, background on this case. It lulls me into thinking maybe this is all a dream. It's one of those dreams where you know you're somewhere, but you're never quite sure how you got there.

And here I am, happily married, blissfully pregnant and three thousand miles away from my husband in DC. I know it's time to get up, to get the inevitable over with, but I can't. He's not here yet. There he is, his running shorts and shirt on this time. Harm helps me to the bathroom, cradling my body to his, supporting me. I lean over to retch in the already prepared toilet. Something he does before he wakes me.

I heave into the white bowel, and feel his arm across my front like a soft warm seatbelt. He's strong and he uses that strength in a way only to care for me. He hands me water, a washcloth, and smoothes the hair from my face. The little things, the only time when I wish that I wasn't pregnant, he makes bearable. And in my own way, I love him for it.

I stopped saying thank you a long time ago, these early morning moments are quiet, soft, like the dream I was talking about earlier. No matter where we are, if the door to our adjoining rooms is open, he cares for me, quietly, without questions.

He helps me back to the side of the bed, and leaves me for his run. By the time he's back, I'm almost ready to start the day. By the time he's had his shower, it's as if our morning moments were never there, except for the mug with the 'Do no Harm' on the nightstand.


He's watching me as he tries to get his tie right in my mirror. He's having problems because he's watching me, worried about leaving me alone, here. As usual, he looks amazing. Black suit and shirt, silver tie. It makes him look the debonair flyboy he is. Ms. Peterson will drop her jaw, when she sees him.

It's funny. It's been 6 months or so since Harm started dating this woman and I still don't know her first name. Everyone just calls her bitch director or Ms. Peterson. Sometime I wonder what Harm calls her when they're alone in bed.

There is a knock at my door, and he goes to answer it, leaving me sitting on the bed, case files spread around me like a puzzle. She's there talking a mile a minute.

"I had such a hard time finding this place, what did you two do, pick the sleaziest motel in Californa."

I look up to see Harm touching her arm gently. She sighs softly, and I can almost see her appeal.

"I'm sorry." She's looking at me, as if my opinion matters to her. It's odd, that with one touch, Harm could make this woman human. "I always seem to put my foot in my mouth around you military types. Here let me get that." I watch as she gently smoothes Harm's tie into perfection. He hasn't said a word, to her or me. But we both see the problem. He's worried about me, but he loves her. Duty or love. Harm has always chosen duty before.

There is another knock on the door, and Harm reaches around Ms. Peterson, I really have to find out her name, to open it.

"Hello mate, ma'am." Mic is filling the doorway and I'm ecstatic that he's here. Now Harm won't have to choose, her or me. "Sarah." Mic walks towards the bed cautiously, leaning to give me a large sloppy kiss. The kind that tells me he's in love with me. "I couldn't wait for you to get home next week, so I thought we'd cuddle up for a few hours this weekend."

"We need to get going. It was nice to see you again, Mac. Mac's husband." Harm smiles at her joke and I repress the smile at Brumby's flabbergasted face. What does he expect? All she knows of us comes from Harm, and I can just see him never referring to Brumby's name.

"Honey, this is Commander Mic Brumby, he's with the Royal Australian Navy."

"That's your name, I'm sorry, I was wigged when I did the Jag shoot. I'm surprised I remembered General Cheggwidden's name." She closes her eyes in frustration. "No wait. Admiral Cheggwidden." Harm leans down to kiss her, a small peck on the cheek in acknowledgment of her achievement.

Harm turns to me. "Remember that those case files are not sheets." Then she and he are gone. I turn to my husband.

"Let me clean up this mess and we can go to dinner." I lean over to kiss him. I have never once regretted marrying him, except. Never mind.


Harm sighs, stroking Renee's hair. Her hair is surprisingly soft, delicate. She rolls over to snuggle into his chest. He sighs happily and looks at the alarm clock. 'I need to leave soon, to be back for Mac,' he thinks to himself. Renee's fingers grasps at his chest hair slightly. Harm smiles down at her, a lazy smile flitting across her face.

"I didn't want to wake you, but I need to get back to the hotel."

The smile leaves her face. "Mac's a grown woman, she's not going to care that you stayed here the entire night."

"I'm not ashamed of making love to you, all night." Harm leans down to kiss her, gently nudging her with the tip of his nose, in Eskimo kisses. "Mac has morning sickness, and I don't want her to go through it alone. It's never fun to be sick by yourself. And I can't imaging it would be nice to be sick everyday by yourself, no matter what the reward."

"I know." She sighs. She climbs out of bed; Harm catches her by the waist.

"I love you." Harm kisses her along her back, his fingers caressing away the last of her taunt muscles.

"I love you too, Harm." She leans back into his embrace.


I know he's there again. Hovering on the outskirts of my dream, waiting to wake me up. He'll have what I need, too. I feel him gently remove Mic's arm, trying not to wake my husband. I feel the hand on my shoulder. Soft gentle. I open my eyes to see Harm's concerned eyes close. He's in a rumpled version of the suit he left in yesterday. He hands me the crackers without a word.

There is a beep in his room. The hotel room with the microwave. And in a minute the 'Do no Harm' mug is in my hands as I struggle to keep down the bile in my throat.

Today he sits in the chair across the bed from me, his tie laying untied against his chest, his shirt buttons undone to the third button. He looks sexy and rumpled and.

Harm helps me to the bathroom, cradling my body to his, supporting me. I lean over to retch in the already prepared toilet. Something he does before he wakes me.

I heave into the white bowel, and feel his arm across my front like a soft warm seatbelt, covered with the silk of his dress shirt. He's strong and he uses that strength in a way only to care for me. He hands me water, a washcloth, and smoothes the hair from my face. I notice something different this morning. He smells like.

"You smell like her." It's the first words out of my mouth this morning, and I'm happy my crackers do not accompany them.

"That's what happens when you sleep with someone." His voice is gentle and soft, a bit of laughter ringing in the tone.

"It's just, I've never smelled a woman on you before. It's different." He nods in understanding.

"You'll get used to it." He hands me the towel and helps me up. My stomach has settle a bit. I guess this means this time it's serious. Never with Jordan or Annie, had Harm come to work with a hint of their perfume on his coat. I have to ask though.

"What's her first name?"

His mouth twitches and breaks out into a smile. "Renee."

"You call her that?"

"I call her Renee, or bitch director, depending on whether or not I'm talking to Bud and Harriet."

I start to laugh, trying to keep quiet. Soon though Mic is standing in the bathroom doorway looking at the two of us, as if we've lost our heads. Harm smiles and leaves us alone, this morning a little different then the others. And in my own way, I love him for it.

Mic helps me back to the side of the bed.

"Love, what was Rabb doing with you in the bathroom?" Mic's voice is soft as he leans down in front of me.

For some reason though, I can't tell Mic about our morning moments. "He just came to check on me. Wanted to make sure I was up for another hot day on the base."

Mic seems satisfied with that answer for now.

"Why don't you go back to sleep?" I coerce him into lying down while I take a shower.

By the time Harm's back, I'm almost ready to start the day. When we leave, Mic is asleep again, it's as if our morning moments were never there, except for the mug with the 'Do no Harm' on the nightstand.


The End