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Title: Tapes From Beyond: Bud and Harriet Author: Ali Cherry Summary: Spoilers: Up to and specifically, Contemptuous Words. Disclaimer: Don't own, never will. Tapes From Beyond: Bud and HarrietHarm looked all around for Bud and Harriet's tape. There was an interview he wanted to tape on the local talk station. A reaction to that editorial the world had been ready to believe he had written. Harm looked again. Mac had taken her tape with her, the Gunny's and Tiner's sat in his desk at work, for use on client interviews. Clayton Webb's had disappeared somewhere. I'll probably find it when I move the bureau by the door. The Admiral's was a jazz concert now and Baby AJ's was put away for when he was older, or in the event of Harm's death. So where is Bud and Harriet's tape? Harm wondered. He picked up a new tape and popped it in. "Mac better not have taken it." Harm grumbled to himself and he checked the tape to make sure it was rewound. Sometime later Bud looked at the small box that had fallen from the mailbox. It looked like a check box except it had nothing on it but his and Harriet's name. Bud smiled in anticipation. "Very cool." Opening the door he cooed at a fussy AJ and set his briefcase on his computer desk. "Harriet. I'm home. We got a mysterious package from no one again." Bud chuckled. Last time he had found a package with no address on it, Harriet had hidden a new negligee in it. Bud was looking forward to a frisky night. They seemed to come too far in between AJ's crying spells. Harriet emerged from the kitchen with a TV dinner in each hand. "Hi Bud. Sorry about dinner but AJ was crying and I burnt the roast." Harriet looked exhausted; her eyes, red rimmed, were droopy. "Its alright honey. If you were tired, why did you put this in the mailbox." "Mailbox? I haven't had time to get the mail, let alone put something in it!" Harriet's voice rose fractionally. Her lip did that turn down thing that happened whenever her mother was around. Bud took the dinners from her hands, and set them quickly on the coffee table. He blew on his fingers to stop the burning sensation. He gently kissed Harriet and walked to get napkins and forks. When he came back into the room. AJ was laughing at Harriet, who was asleep on the couch, her mouth wide open, her nostril's flaring in snores. Bud smiled to himself and sat on the floor in front of her. AJ plopped back down in his playpen and started mangling a teddy bear. Bud laughed, happy with his imperfect life. He was overloaded with work; his wife was worn out with a baby who wasn't even walking yet. The Admiral was glaring only marginally less then usual. And for some odd reason the Gunny and Tiner had started to work together. The office was a weird place to be. Another oddity, he never talked with Commander Rabb anymore. When Bud had first started at Jag, Commander Rabb had been a permanent feature in his life. Now that the Commander had returned it just seemed as if the man had shut himself off from everyone. Or we all shut him out. It was hard to trust a friend who had left, no matter what the circumstances. Finishing his dinner he got up to do what dishes there were. He sighed when he saw the roast pan still sitting in the sink. Sometimes being a nice husband didn't pay. Harriet awoke to the sound of muffled cussing coming from kitchen. AJ was asleep on his bobo bear. Harriet sighed. The little nap had been just what she needed. Getting up, she wandered into the kitchen to watch Bud wrestling the roast pan. He gave it one final rinse and set it on the stove to dry. Usually Harriet disliked that style of drying, but since he was nice enough to wash it, she wasn't going to complain. "Thank you, honey." Harriet smiled as she snuggled into Bud's back. "It's no problem, Harriet. But Honey, if you're so tired, why did you leave that package in the mailbox?" "I have no idea what you're talking about, Bud." Bud wandered into the living room where he had laid the mail. He picked up the package. "This was in the mail box." "Well open it, silly." Harriet tapped him lightly. Bud ripped open the package and opened the box. Inside laid two tickets to a famous Broadway play and a tape, with Lt Bud and Harriet Roberts written on it in Commander Rabb's familiar scrawl. Bud's face creased in a frown. "Why would Commander Rabb send us tickets and a tape? I just saw him today at work." Harriet looked at the tape oddly. Colonel Mackenzie had said something about the Commander and tapes. What was it? "Why don't you play the tape and see what it says?" Bud moved to the small stereo system, while Harriet moved AJ to his crib. Hitting rewind Bud picked up the remote and wandered to the couch to sort the mail. Five minutes later, Harriet joined him, and Bud hit play. The Commander's voice drifted like a slow jazz piece over the room. Harriet laid her head on Bud's shoulder. "Hi, Bud and Harriet. If you got this tape, I guess I'm dead." Harm chuckled. "Sorry, that probably sounds morbid. After you say it enough though, it just sounds funny. Like hi honey I'm home. Anyway, I made these letters so that you could hear me one last time. Yours and Mac's are the only ones that I seem to have time to keep up to date. Or maybe, there's so much I need.want to say to you, that it comes out in this tape instead." "Bud, I don't know how to say this. All the other tapes seemed easy compared to this one. I envy you. Even if you don't know it, you have the world in your hand. Your future is yours, and it's a bright one with all the trimmings. I'm happy for you, Bud. You've always been like a little brother to me. I know. You have all the siblings you need. But I had never had any, until I met you." Bud ran his hand along Harriet's arm. "I have watched you become a wonderful lawyer. I just wish I could take some of the credit for it. But I can't. You did it all on your own, despite my bad influence and my less then sparkling attempts at helping you." Another chuckle sounded on the tape. "Harriet, you better know how to lock him out of the computer and you better have a good place to stash his gameboy, if you ever want any work out of him." The couple laughed. "You're a good man Bud. I knew it from the moment you tried to explain what a vaulter was to Lt Pike and I. Don't ever doubt yourself. You are a gifted, gentle man whose intelligence is only outweighed by his heart. Never forget that. I never will." Harm took a deep breath. "Now Harriet. Beautiful intelligent, patient and outgoing Harriet. Why didn't I marry you? Oh yeah. You took one look at Bud and went goggly eyed. And Mac complains that I'm the ladies man." "You grow more beautiful with everyday, Harriet. But your beauty would mean nothing if you didn't possess the same fire and patience that I've come to expect from you. Don't ever be fearful of who you are. For being human, it 's a quality I admire in you. I also admire that you can put up with Bud snoring." Harriet snickered at Bud's exclamation. "You two belong together. When the going gets tough, remember that you have each other. That the other would die for you, and that your son is more amazing then any UFOs or wedding dresses." "Thank you so much for letting me be part of your lives, for accepting me into the outskirts of your love. I appreciate it. I am grateful to you for allowing me to be a part of your son's life. And may god watch over you, when I cannot. I'll miss you, Harm." The tape clicked off. Harriet wiped her nose with her arm, and held tighter to Bud's. "He made letter tapes, like his dads." Bud's voice sounded so soft and amazed. "He never ceases to amaze me, you know. I mean, here the whole office has shunned him, except the new gunny and Tiner, and he makes these tapes telling us how much we mean to him." Harriet sat quietly next to him. "He had to beg me to help him with Lt. Hawks' case." "Bud." "What Harriet?" Bud looked softly at his wife. "I love you." A tear broke down Bud's face. "I love you, too." Harriet reached up to caress Bud's cheek. Kissing him firmly, she nibbled on his lips. Pulling away slightly, she mumbled five words. "Don't ever leave me, Bud." "I never will Harriet. You are forever in my heart." Bud leaned down to kiss her again. |