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Date Posted: 14:44:03 01/04/17 Wed
Author: Lace
Subject: Part 3/3
In reply to: Lace 's message, "Fair winds and following seas 1/3 (The nine years after series, the early years)" on 09:22:02 12/29/16 Thu

Mattie’s first week in London had gone by very fast. She had been overwhelmed by the way her room had been prepared for her. When she noticed the welcome home gift on her desk, a brand-new laptop, she didn’t know what to say. She had mentioned to Mac that her computer didn’t work properly anymore and she needed someone to look at it whenever she got out of the hospital. Her computer was old and had probably done what it could.
Her room was perfectly furnished, her clothes hung up and folded, her books on shelves, her pictures hung perfectly on the wall. It was like she had lived there all along, like she belonged.
During the first week Harm and Mac had taken her to meet her new Doctors and therapists, and they had together made plans for her continuing recovery. Mattie was pleased, they all seemed nice and seemed truly concerned with her recovery. She specially liked her physiotherapist, a young woman who always talked to her, not about her.
Harm and Mac had found a balance between their newlywed’s moments and spending time with Mattie, which seemed to work out for all of them. Harm noticed that Mattie had taken a liking to Mac, not surprising he thought.
Harm was slowly finding his place in his new command, although he truly missed both Coates and Bud. His XO was good at his job, but he didn’t seem to like the way his new commanding officer ran things, and made small comments about how they used to do it under Captain Garrison, the former Force Judge Advocate, Europe. Harm had it in the back of his mind that maybe a replacement would be a smart idea.
During their fourth week as a married couple, Harm noticed some changes in Mac. She had turned a little quieter, and pale, and she didn’t seem so interested in engaging in anything physical with him. He noticed tampons in their bathroom and he knew she had had her period. He hadn’t really thought about that part, of course he knew that women had their periods, but he had never thought of Mac having them before. It had never been part of their relationship before they married, since they had never been living together or even been a couple.
“Hey Mac, are you okay? Any pain?” he asked when he joined her on the couch after a lazy Saturday breakfast.
“Just uncomfortable,” she said with a shrug without taking her eyes off the book she was reading. “It’ll get better in a day or two.”
“Let me know if there’s anything I can do,” he said and remembered that Renee had to take painkillers when she had her period. “Don’t you take painkillers if your period is painful?”
“No, I never use painkillers,” she said and patted his knee. “Don’t worry, I’m a marine, I can take a little pain. I’ve lived with this since I was fourteen, so…”
He nodded and leaned back on the couch. “I never thought about this part with you. What do you do when you’re in the middle of the Afghan desert and you get your period?”
“I’m always prepared,” she said and looked at him funny. “Seriously, did it just occur to you that I’m a girl?”
He laughed. “Oh, I’ve noticed, believe me. Just learning that there’s more sides to you than my partner and best friend, that’s all. For example, I never knew that you baked.”
“I’ve offered you cookies when you’ve been over,” she pointed out.
“I never knew you baked them,” he reasoned. “And last week you baked bread. I never knew that you could bake bread. That’s something my grandma does.”
Mac laughed softly. “It’s healthier than what you buy. I know I’m into junk food, but I eat a lot of healthy stuff most of the time. I can cook, you know.”
“I know. Well, I know now. I always figured you were one of those modern women, not the housewife type,” he said and caressed her cheek.
“Will you get bored when you’ve figured out all my secrets?” she wondered.
“Bored? No way. I’m kind of relieved. I mean, marrying you could easily have ended with me tagging along on dangerous missions on the weekends,” he teased.
“Look who’s talking,” she said and rolled her eyes.
He laughed and leaned in and kissed her. “What do you want to do today?”
“Just read,” she said and offered an amused look. “I’m actually very boring, Harm. When I’m not off battling the many law books, or going with you on dangerous missions,” she added with a small laughter. “I actually read a lot, or work out. I clean dinosaur bones, go to museums, or watch documentaries.”
“I knew that about you. You love World War Two documentaries, and of course dinosaur documentaries. You’ve made me watch some with you over the years,” he reminded her.
“We have the World War Two documentaries in common,” she said and reached for his hand. “I prefer quiet nights at home over fancy dinners out. Although, I do love to dress up every now and then. My previous men have been disappointed when they found out that I walk around in old sweats and PJ’s when I’m home, and that I don’t sleep in sexy nightgowns.”
“Come on, who doesn’t love you in your PJ’s?” Harm wondered. “That’s my favorite look on you.”
“You’re kidding?” she nudged his shoulder.
“I’m not. You’re beautiful when you relax at home in your PJ’s, no make-up on, shoulders down and always eager to watch some silly movie that no one cares to watch and fall asleep right in the middle. I love our movie nights.”
She leaned in and kissed him. “That’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I love it when you wear sexy underwear too,” he said teasingly.
Mac nodded. “I’ll make sure I wear something sexy every now and then too,” she promised.
“You could wear nothing,” he suggested.
She laughed and kissed him again. “I love you.”
He sobered up and looked into her eyes. “I love you too.”

Monday morning after kissing Harm goodbye, Mac found Mattie still in her room trying to figure out what to wear for her therapy session. Mac saw that Mattie was struggling with something, but it wasn’t the clothes that really was bothering her.
“Is everything okay Mattie?”
Mattie hesitated as she reached for sweatpants and a t-shirt. “It’s been so nice being out of the hospital and in a real home again.”
“Are you dreading going back?” Mac wondered and stepped fully into the room.
Mattie nodded. “I guess I am. I know I have to, but I’m just so sick of Doctor’s.”
“I can understand that, but this time it’s just for an hour and we’ll go straight home again. No Doctor’s, just you and your physiotherapist. I promise you, you’ll feel like a normal teenager again pretty soon,” Mac promised.
Mattie smiled. “You’re right,” then she looked thoughtful again. “Mac, did Harm seem worried this morning?”
“He’s feeling a little bad about going to work instead of being with you for your appointment. It’s a little hard for him to let me take the responsibility of going with you. He’s a pilot, he likes to be in control,” Mac said and smiled.
“Doesn’t this feel like a setback for you? I mean, you’re a respected lawyer and Marine, and now you’re stuck with taking me back and forth between the rehab center and home. Won’t you be bored?” Mattie wondered.
“I feel like this is important. It’s not like I’m walking around feeling like I should be somewhere else, I’m very happy being right here with you and Harm. It was my decision to leave my career and follow Harm here, no one forced me,” Mac said and hesitated. “I grew up with an alcoholic and abusive father, my Mom ran off and left me with him after she’d had enough of his abuse. He never hit me, but he was verbally abusive. I started drinking too, and I turned into an alcoholic myself. I married too young with a pretty bad guy, thinking he was my ticket out of there. Then he went to prison, and I almost died in the same car accident that killed my friend. My Uncle cleaned me up, I went to boot camp, and the Marines became my home. I worked hard, I earned my way, made mistakes, worked harder the next time, and I’ve been proud to get to where I am. But through all my accomplishments, I missed one thing. I missed having a family, someone to love and who loved me back. The closest thing to a stable family I’ve had is Harm, and Bud and Harriet, the Admiral, Jennifer and Sturgis of course, but Harm has been my only constant and most trusted friend. I fell in love with him, and I want to be with him for the rest of my life. You have become a part of his family, and now we are a family. It’s all I’ve ever truly wanted.”
Mattie had listened with a serious expression on her face. “Wow, I didn’t know all that about your past. Now I understand how you could talk to my Dad and make him step aside so that I could be with Harm.”
Mac smiled. “I did that for Harm too, Mattie. He needed you just as much as you needed him.”
Mattie returned the smile. “I’m lucky to have him. And you.”
“And we are lucky to have you. You better hurry up. We have sixteen minutes and ten seconds before we need to be out the door,” Mac said.
Mattie looked confused. “How do you do that?”
“I have great timing,” Mac said cleverly and left the girl to change out of her PJs.

Later that night Harm found Mac in the kitchen preparing that night’s dinner.
“Hi beautiful,” he said and walked over and kissed her. “That was the best part of my day. Well, that and the kiss we shared this morning.”
She smiled. “That bad a day huh?”
“Just long, and I’m having trouble with Commander Blix. It’s going to be hard for me keeping him on my staff. I want to give him a chance, but the chemistry is just wrong,” Harm said thoughtfully.
“You need to talk Bud into joining you here, Harm,” Mac said as she had so many times before.
Harm let out a sigh. “He’s got Harriet holding the rains.”
“She’s protecting her husband, thinking that it’s safer to stay where he is. She’s holding him back, but she does it out of love.”
“I know, and I respect their decision. This could be his chance to reach full commander, but….” Harm let out another sigh. “It’s no point asking him again. Harriet made up his mind for him.”
Mac shook her head with amusement. “Is that how you see marriage?”
Harm laughed softly. “Well, their marriage anyway. How did it go today with Mattie?”
“It went great. She’s making progress, but Lisa is really good for her, making her understand how important it is to hurry slowly. They are a great team, and we should be happy that Lisa is Mattie’s physiotherapist.” Mac smiled and hugged Harm close. “And you need to trust that I can handle this.”
“I trust you completely, but it’s not fair that you carry the full burden. You’ve arranged everything by yourself, from the house, to Mattie’s move, and now you take care of the house and me, and Mattie. I just worry that you don’t focus enough on you. That you’ll be bored and regret everything.”
Mac pulled him in for a long, heated kiss, leaving Harm breathless and very aroused when it ended. “Wow, what was that for?”
“For being you. For worrying about how I feel. But please, don’t think that I’m not in this for selfish reasons too, because what I gain by being here is so much more than wat I give. I have you, I have a family, and that is all I’ve ever wanted.”
He smiled and kissed her softly. “You are amazing.”
“I’m happy, is what I am,” she said and wiggled her eyes “And later, tonight, I’ll show you how much I love being here with you.”
He forgot how to speak, for a second. “I can’t wait.”

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Replies:

[> [> Thank you for offering a fresh look at our favorite couple...and Mattie. -- Loti, 02:00:36 01/06/17 Fri [1]

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[> [> Always a good read. Thanks. -- FJN, 15:55:06 01/10/17 Tue [1]

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[> [> Great! -- Cd, 23:33:48 09/21/17 Thu [1]

Great story! Thanks for posting.

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