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Date Posted: 12:48:33 10/12/16 Wed
Author: Lace
Subject: Chapter 20 Nine years after: Rebellion

The characters aren't mine, mistakes are...

Chapter 20 Nine years after series

Rebellion

August had gone by in a hurry. Work had been busy for Mac. The Judiciary had been understaffed for months now and she’d been away on cases most of June, July and august, managing to have some vacation in-between, and just when she thought it would calm down a little she had been sent away again. They were now in the middle of September and she’d spent most of the month communicating with her family on phone and skype.
There were times lately when she was strongly considering retirement as an option. She loved her work, but she was missing out on so much at home. Claire was growing up so fast, having changed from one boyfriend to another while Mac had been away. Suddenly her no nonsense girl cared about clothes and make-up, spending most of her time in her room according to her husband. Harm had been strict when it came to her relationship with her previous boyfriend Jackson, and that hadn’t changed much with the new one. In the week leading up to Mac’s return home there had been a cold front between father and daughter.
Mac sipped her coffee thoughtfully when her youngest son entered the kitchen. “Morning,” he said as he joined her by the table.
Morning. What plans do you have today?” Mac wondered.
“I have hockey practice,” Matthew said as he reached for a pancake. “I’m getting a ride from Mrs. Hummel. Dad drove the last time. Unless maybe you want to come watch?”
Mac smiled. “I would love to see you play. I’ll let Jane know I’ll be taking you myself today.”
“Cool. I’m getting really good on the skates,” Matthew said just as Harm entered the kitchen.
“Hey,” he said softly and kissed his wife sweetly. “Did I tell you how great it is to have you home?”
“You’ve mentioned it,” Mac said teasingly, remembering their reunion last night. Sex with Harm would never become boring.
“Mom’s taking me to practice today,” Matthew said happily.
“That’s right,” Mac said just as happily. She hated missing out on Matthew’s activities. He was growing up so fast.
“Didn’t Claire want breakfast?” Harm wondered as he sat down with them.
“I haven’t seen her this morning. She got home pretty late last night,” Mac commented.
“Yes, because she was with Mattie I said it was okay,” Harm said and sipped his coffee.
“How is Mattie? I haven’t been able to reach her this week,” Mac said.
“She’s fine, but she’s working too much as usual,” Harm said and reached for a pancake. “I’ll save oatmeal for tomorrow.”
Mac laughed softly. “Health freak.”
“My Doctor don’t seem to mind,” Harm said.
“Yeah, you had your checkup this week. Everything okay?” Mac wondered.
“I’m super healthy,” he confirmed proudly.
Just then Claire walked into the kitchen. “Welcome home.”
“Morning,” Mac said surprised that her daughter was wearing make-up, and clothes she had never seen before. The skirt too short in her opinion.
“I’m going out for breakfast,” Claire said.
“Not like that you’re not,” Harm said.
“This is how everyone is dressed,” Claire said angrily.
“Not you. Go and change or you can stay home,” Harm said stubbornly.
“I can’t wait to be old enough to move out,” Claire said and turned on her heels and walked briskly out of the kitchen.
“Who was that?” Mac wondered as she rose.
“See what I’ve had to deal with? It’s like an entirely different person moved into this house,” Harm said with worry.
“I’ll talk to her,” Mac said and followed her daughter.
She knocked on Claire’s door. “Honey?” she said and opened it.
“What?” Claire said and turned from her closet.
“What’s going on? You never speak to your father that way,” Mac said and studied her daughter. “Or at least you didn’t use to.”
“He’s being so unreasonable,” Claire complained. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”
“Well for one thing, the skirt is too short,” Mac said.
“But it’s what everyone else at school wear,” Claire reasoned. “At least the cool one’s.”
“I don’t care what they wear, I care what you wear. I get that you are changing, honey, but don’t change into everyone else, create your own identity. You never cared about what other people said or did before,” Mac said with worry. “And I understand that you’ve been a handful while I’ve been away. Your father is very upset, and he’s worried about you. So am I.”
“Why?
Mac studied her daughter’s angry face. “Because you’ve never disrespected us before. This isn’t you. Tell me what’s going on,” Mac said softly.
Claire met her mother’s eyes, then her face softened, her arms uncrossed and fell to her sides. “I just want to be cool.”
“Honey, I understand, but you never cared about being cool before. What happened?” Mac wondered.
“I don’t know,” Claire hesitated. “Brian has different friends than I do.”
“So you’re changing for him? Or his friends? Is that it? What about Kim?”
“I haven’t spent as much time with her as I usually do,” Claire admitted.
“She’s your best friend,” Mac said and stepped closer to her daughter and hugged her. “Don’t lose sight of what’s important, honey.”
Claire relaxed into her mother’s arms. “I won’t,” she promised.
Mac released her daughter and smiled. “That’s better. Change your clothes, then you can ask Brian to join us for breakfast. I’d like to get to know him better.”
Claire nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

They had a nice breakfast. Brian was obviously not the shy type, Mac decided as he spoke. She could see that her husband wasn’t too pleased with his daughter’s new boyfriend, but he kept it very well hidden. Mac didn’t want to make the boy feel like he was being questioned, but she did ask him about his family and hobbies. She was glad to hear that he had big plans for his future, that school was the most important thing at the moment, and he had plans on getting into Harvard.
While Claire found her jacket and purse Mac followed Brian to the hallway.
“Listen up. You seem like a nice guy, and I better not find out differently. You’ll treat my daughter with respect, if she says no it means no, when you have her in the car you drive carefully and no speeding. Dating her is a privileged, not a right. If you treat her bad or disrespect her I’ll find out, and you’ll regret it. I’ve battled with a national terrorist and won. Think about that. And by the way, you can call me Colonel or ma’am. Do we understand each other?”
Brian’s eyes had widened by the time Mac finished her speech. “Yes, ma’am. Colonel.”
“Ready to go?” Claire asked as she joined them in the hallway.
“Have fun, honey,” Mac said and put her arm around her daughter’s shoulder and pulled her close. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Mom,” Claire said.
Mac watched them go with a smile on her face. She felt her husband behind her.
“So, what do you think?” he wondered.
Mac turned to him. “He seems fine.”
“Our daughter apologized to me,” he said and smiled. “Your talk must have helped.”
Mac smiled. “I’m glad she did. I just asked her a few simple questions. She’s very smart, and she won’t do anything stupid. We just have to trust her.”
Harm followed her to the living room. “What’s with the clever look on your face?”
“Oh nothing,” Mac shrugged. “I had a Marine to boyfriend talk with Brian.”
Harm laughed softly. “Really?”
“I figured it didn’t hurt that he knew that I was watching him,” Mac said and put her arms around her husband. “Marines can be scary.”
“So I’ve noticed,” he said and laughed.
Mac hugged him close. “I miss having Nathan here. He was always watching out for her.”
Harm held her close and kissed her head softly. “You’re worried about our girl?”
“There’s a lot to worry about,” Mac said and felt really vulnerable. She wondered if locking Claire in until she was past her worst teenage rebellious stage would be a good idea.
“Is everything okay?” Harm wondered.
Mac shook her head and pulled him closer. “I don’t want to travel anymore.”
Harm pulled away and looked at her. “Mac, are you considering retirement?”
Mac hesitated. “I don’t know. Maybe. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. I trust you and your ability to take care of things when I’m gone, but I just feel like I’m missing out on so much. Too much.”
Harm nodded. “It’s been a crazy summer. It’ll calm down won’t it?”
“Probably, but it doesn’t change the fact that being on the judiciary means a lot of travel. I love my work, but I hate being away from you guys,” Mac said and pulled him close again.
“I’m behind you whatever you decide, you know that,” Harm said and held her close. “And there’s always a place waiting for you at my firm. It could be our firm.”
Mac smiled as she leaned back and looked at him. “Are you making me an offer, Rabb?”
“Yes, whenever you’re ready the office next to me is ready for you,” he said with a warm smile. “That’s unless you want to continue being a judge in civilian life too.”
Mac hesitated. “I’m not sure what I want actually.”

The next Friday
Mac walked up the stairs to the main doors of her daughter’s High School. She had left work early to surprise her daughter with shopping and dinner, just the two of them. The week had been quiet with regards to any more teenage drama, so Mac wanted to treat her daughter to some new clothes as the girl had made more than one hint about not having any clothes to wear.
Mac spotted her daughter by her locker putting away some books and making sure the right one’s was in her backpack.
“Hi, honey,” Mac said and smiled.
“Mom?” Claire looked surprised. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to do some shopping and thought you’d like to come?” Mac said and smiled. “Unless you have other plans?”
“Brian was going to drive me home, but I’ll let him know that I have other plans,” Claire said with a smile as she reached for her phone. “Do you have time for this?” she wondered.
“I’m making the time,” Mac said as Claire finished typing on her phone.
Claire put the phone away. “Now I’m all yours.”
“Great,” Mac smiled just as Principal Needham approached them.
“Colonel Rabb, what a nice surprise,” he said with a smile. “I was going to call you about the excursion to the Smithsonian next week actually. I need a few more chaperons.”
“That’s on Thursday, right? I can do that, unless the Military changes its plans that is, but if it does my husband will be there,” Mac promised.
“Excellent,” the Principal said and smiled warmly. He turned to Claire. “I hear good things about you Miss Rabb. Keep up the good work.”
“Yes, sir,” Claire said and smiled politely.
“Well, have a nice weekend. Both of you,” the Principal said as he turned to leave.
Mac smiled. “What did you do?”
“My English teacher used my essay as an example for the rest of the class on how a good essay should be written,” Claire said and shrugged.
“Well, I can see why. It was very good,” Mac said proudly as she followed her daughter outside. “I’m proud of you for doing so well.”
“Thanks. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t such a geek. Kids my age doesn’t really care about the American revolution, or what we do in the Middle East. Last week I sat with Brian’s friends at lunch and had to listen to Mindy talk about her nails the whole time. Ladies and gentlemen, the future of our country,” Claire said with irony.
“It’s okay to both care about politics and your nails,” Mac said with a smile. “You don’t have to choose one or the other, honey.”
“I know. Sometimes I don’t understand how you do it,” Claire said as they reached Mac’s car.
“Do what?” Mac wondered.
“How you keep your femininity at the same time as you get everyone’s respect. You make it seem very easy,” Claire said as she got into the car.
Mac got into the car and turned to her daughter. “Years of practice,” she said teasingly.
“Well, that’s what I want too,” Claire said with a smile.

Later that night
Harm followed the smell and voices as he entered the house that night. He found everyone in the kitchen, Mac and Matthew sitting by the counter while Claire was busy with dinner.
“Something smells amazing,” he said.
“It’s just chicken and noodles,” Claire said and smiled. “I used a lot of curry.”
“Sounds good,” Harm said and noticed the cupcakes on the counter and tried to reach for one. He laughed when Mac slapped his hand away.
“Everyone has to wait until after dinner,” Claire said.
Harm leaned in and kissed his wife. “Did you girls have fun shopping?”
“A lot of fun,” Mac said.
“Yeah, I love my new clothes,” Claire declared.
“Me too,” Mac said and offered a teasing look in her husband’s direction.
He looked shocked. “You don’t need more clothes. My clothes take up less than one fourth of our closet.”
“So?” Mac asked and laughed softly.
They heard the front door open and shut. “Anyone home?”
“In here,” Harm said and soon Mattie appeared.
“It smells great. I’m starving,” she said.
“It’s plenty,” Claire said.
“No Brian tonight?” Mac wondered.
“Work,” Mattie said and ruffled Matthew’s hair. “So, what’s new?”
“Nothing,” Matthew said just as the front door opened and shut again.
Soon Nathan appeared in the kitchen. “Hi guys,” he said with a wide smile.
Mac hurried to hug him. “What are you doing here?”
“Weekends liberty, and I figured I’d check out what’s up at the Rabb household,” he said as Matthew jumped into his arms.
“We have to play Nintendo,” Matthew said.
Harm walked over and hugged his son. “How long can you stay?”
“I have to be back by midnight tomorrow,” Nathan said.
Claire hurried to hug him too. “It’s great to see you.”
“You too,” Nathan said. “So, is there food?”
“And cupcakes,” Claire said.

Later that night Harm found his wife in the kitchen. She was standing by the open dishwasher, her back to him, staring thoughtfully out the window.
“That washer won’t fill itself,” he teased as he stepped up behind her.
“You can help,” she said as she turned.
“Anything for you sweet thing?” he said and kissed her.
“Sweet thing? Wasn’t that what you called me once in the admiral’s office?” she teased.
He started filling the dishwasher, a clever smile on his face. “It’s fun having all the kids here.”
“Yeah,” she said and smiled warmly. “We did good with them.”
“Who would have thought,” he said teasingly.
Mac laughed softly and took his hand. “Except from taming the untamable Harmon Rabb, they are my greatest accomplishment.”
Harm laughed. “Only for you, Sweet thing.”
Mac kissed him deeply. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” he said and pulled her close. “

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[> I really enjoy these stories. Please keep them coming! -- FJN, 19:19:38 10/12/16 Wed [1]

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