Disclaimer: The characters of JAG don't belong to me. I just borrowed them from Bellisarius Productions, Paramount and CBS for this story. No infringement intended.

My Darling Valentine

2345 ZULU
Tuesday, February 12th
Mac's apartment
Georgetown, DC

Mac closed the box sitting on the floor in front of her and picked it up, carrying it over to the other boxes sitting in the corner of the room. Just when she was about to put it down, Harm burst through the front door, carrying a bag with Chinese food for dinner.

"Whoa, Mac, I thought I told you not to move any heavy boxes!" he exclaimed, placed the bag down on the coffee table and took the box out of her hands.

"Harm, I am not an invalid." Mac retorted. "I am only pregnant."

"Yeah, but you're not supposed to carry that."

Mac groaned audibly and crossed her arms in front her chest, giving Harm a look that he knew oh so well.

"No, no, no, don't look at me like that." he chuckled, and raised his hands in defense after he had put down the box.

Mac tried to poke him in his shoulder, but Harm was faster and caught her hands. He quickly whirled her around, having her in a tight grip, her back pressed against his front.

When Mac started to wriggle in his arms, he just started to laugh, "You should know by now that that doesn't work with me."

"Yeah? How about that?"

Mac sent her elbow crashing down into his lower abdomen, and immediately, his arms around her were gone. Wincing in pain, Harm dropped to his knees.

"Gosh, Mac, I think junior is going to be our only child." he muttered. "Ow! That was hard."

"Sorry." she murmured and knelt down next to him. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Gotcha!" Harm suddenly yelled and pinned Mac under him on the floor, tickling her at her sides.

"Oh you! Stop!" she screamed while laughing. "Harm, please!"

As sudden as he had started his assault on her, he stopped. Reaching down one hand towards her, he helped her back up on her feet.

"So, you don't mess with me, I don't mess with you." he grinned.

"No, you stop being so overprotective, and I won't kill you until July."

"Ah, we'll see what we can do. For now, let's go eat. And then, we'll discuss what we'll do for the rest of this week."

"What do mean with what we'll do for the rest of the week?" Mac asked and sat down on the couch. "I have a huge pile of casefiles that I have to go through till the end of the week."

"No, Shepard has a huge pile of casefiles to go through." Harm corrected her and opened the bag with dinner.

"Okay, what did you do?"

Harm smiled innocently as he handed her a small box with bami goreng, "Nothing. I just asked the Admiral for a couple of days off for both us."

"You did what? And he said yes?"

"I told him I wanted to introduce you to my grandma. Said since it was Valentine's Day, and our first together as well, I wanted to take you somewhere special."

Mac just gaped at him silently. Crocking her head to her side, she studied him carefully, trying to decide whether he was serious, or just kidding her again. She remembered well the mood Chegwidden had been in when she'd left the office earlier that day to go home and pack up some stuff for moving.

"Serious." Harm reassured her. "Off till Monday. So, we can drive up to Beallsville tomorrow and have all the time till Sunday."

"That sounds terrific. To be honest, I am ready for a couple of vacation days anyway. I know I need to be out of here by the end of the month, but we haven't even found a new place yet, and then work is bugging me..."

"I think I have rather bad news for you then... or good news, depending how you see it." Harm interrupted her.

"Oh no. I am sure that whatever it is, I won't like hearing it."

"About 5 minutes after you left the office, the realtor called."

Mac groaned audible, "So the deal is off, am I right? This was too good to be true anyway. There we go house hunting again."

"No, the deal is not off. We just can't move in in March like we were supposed to. April would be more like it. That's the bad news about it. The good news is, that you will move in with me until we can call the new house our own."

"Hmmmm, it's not like moving into our own place, but I kinda like the idea. By mid of April, we will be living in our own new home anyways, so I think I can deal with living a month in what you call your apartment." she smirked, giving him a wink with her eyes.

"I am shocked, Mac." Harm playfully exclaimed, putting his hand on his chest.

"You know I could live anywhere in this world as long as you are with me." she smiled and placed a tender kiss on his lips. "Because I love you."

"I love you, too. And I know my grandma will as well. She's expecting us for lunch tomorrow, so if we leave here around 8, we'll be there just in time. Or if we take the Vette, we can leave about an hour later."

"Ah, so you can get to drive the Vette again, hum?"

"No, so you can sleep an hour longer."

Mac just grimaced and rolled her eyes, "Let's eat dinner, and then you can help me packing. And after that, I think I deserve a foot rub."

"If I can get a back rub in return, I'll see what I can do about those feet of yours."

"You're driving a hard bargain, Commander."

"I know that, Colonel."

"Well, I hope that you also know that my current condition is all your fault." Mac teased him while munching on the bami goreng.

"Objection, counselor." Harm replied in his best lawyer voice and pointed his chop sticks at her. "According to my knowledge, it still takes two to get pregnant. Even my grandma would tell you that - if she knew that there's a little Rabb on the way."

"Harmon Rabb JR, you honestly can't tell me that you didn't tell her yet! I mean, look at me! She will notice it right away!"

"That's the reason why we are driving up there tomorrow. Oh, I will tell you one thing, she will be worse than my mother about this baby. Of course, she will be mad at me - us - for not telling her sooner, but I guess that will be gone in a second and she'll be so thrilled for us."

"If we want to get this done here by tonight and pack for tomorrow, you better hurry with that..." Mac leaned over, took a quick peak into the box Harm was eating out of and started to laugh. "What the heck is that?"

"Green Mi Hoen. Sounded interesting. And tastes good. Wanna try?"

Harm digged his chop sticks into the box and pulled out some of the Mi Hoen for Mac.

"Uagh, no, please, put that away or I am gonna get sick."

Harm shortly grinned at her before he slurped the noodles into his mouth. Mac first looked at him disgusted, then turned away.

"I think I am gonna get us something to drink." Harm said and placed his food down on the small table before he got up. "What do you want?"

"There's a bottle of grape juice in the fridge." Mac called after him. "And be cautious, don't trip over the..."

She was cut off by a loud crashing sound, and Harm cursing heaven and hell.

"... box behind the door." she finished her sentence, chuckling loudly.

"Now you tell me!" he exclaimed from the kitchen.

Mac couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Well, last time I checked you had two eyes, my friend."

"Last time I checked, there was no box behind this door." he retorted when he emerged from the kitchen carrying a bottle of grape juice for Mac and a bottle of water for him.

Handing her the juice, he sat back down next to her on the couch and started rubbing his left knee and shin.

"What the heck was in that box?" he muttered, the pain real obvious in his voice.

"Jingo's toys and his dog bowls." Mac replied shortly. "I never could force myself to take them out after I had to put him to rest, but I guess now that I am moving out, it's time."

"I am sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's okay. I mean, he was just a dog, wasn't he?"

Suddenly, tears started to well in Mac's eyes, and she couldn't fight them back. Harm immediately gathered her into his arms.

"I should have remembered, Sarah. It happened exactly a year ago. Damn, how could I forget that? He saved the most precious thing I have in my life."

He pulled back just a little and brushed a strand of her hair of her face. Then his hands cupped her face, and he gently wipped the tears away with his thumbs. Sniffing, Mac forced a smile on her face.

"I seem to have a habit of running in front of cars when jogging." she tried to lighten the mood.

"Oh yeah, that you do. Better now?"

"A lot. Next time I have a hormone breakout, shoot me, okay?"

"Nah, I think I will just hold you. I like that a lot better."

With that, he pulled her back into his arms, holding her close to him.

1658 ZULU
Wednesday, February 13th
Beallsville, PA

"Harm!" Mac screeched when Harm turned the Vette into the driveway of Sarah Rabb's house a little faster than he should have.

He slammed on the breaks, and the car came to an immediate stop in front of the old house.

"Okay, this was the last the time you drove my Vette. Gimme the keys."

She reached over towards the steering wheel to grab the keys and therefore didn't see how Harm's face lit up when he saw his grandmother steeping out onto the porch. She thought it was a bit odd for him to not respond to her saying that the Vette was off limit now, so she finally looked up to see him smiling like a honeybee.

"My grandma." was all he said as he pointed out the window.

"Up to know, I thought only I had that speechless effect on you." she teased him.

"Not exactly. I said it was a woman called Sarah that made me speechless... now that could be you or my grandma. C'mon, let's get out and let me introduce you to her."

Harm quickly exited the car and immediately found himself in his grandmother's arms.

"Hi Grandma, it's good to see you. It's been a while."

"A very long while, my dear." she smiled and released him from his arms, then looked over at Mac who stood on the other side of the car. "Don't you want to introduce me, Harmon?"

"Of course. Sarah, this is my grandma. Grandma, this is my Sarah."

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Rabb." Mac said and walked around the car to shake hands with Harm's grandma.

"Nobody is calling me Mrs. Rabb around here. Call me Grandma, like Harm does. Now let's get you two inside, lunch is almost ready."

Harm reached for Mac's hand as he lead her towards the house. His grandma walked behind them, looking suspiciously at Mac's slowly growing womb. Though she had decided to wear something loose, it was still more than obvious that she was carrying a little secret under her heart. But, she wasn't going to ask - at least not right now.

The wonderful smell of roasted chicken and steamed vegetables filled the air when they entered the house. Harm couldn't resist showing Mac the way into the kitchen, and the first thing he did was taking a look into the oven.

"Grandma, this smells great!" he uttered and looked up at his grandma.

"Now this really surprises me, Harm." she chuckled. "I thought your first look would be for the vegetables, not the chicken. Sarah my dear, I hope you feed my grandson better than his usual vegetarian meals."

"Don't worry, she's a meat eater. She's feeding me well." Harm answered quickly. "Making sure I get lots and lots of fat on my body."

Mac grimaced and lightly bumped her elbow in his side.

"All right, the table is already set and the chicken is only taking another 5 to 10 minutes. Why don't you two go ahead into the living room? Or show Sarah around the house, Harmon."

"We can help with lunch." Mac but in, feeling a little uncomfortable with helping."

"Nonsense, dear." Sarah Rabb replied. "You go and I will take care of lunch."

She ushered the two out of the kitchen and firmly closed the door behind them.

"I guess that's our cue to stay out of there." Harm laughed. "Okay, let's see what I can show you first. How about we start upstairs?"

Harm lead Mac upstairs and into the first room on the hallway.

"This used to be my dad's room when he was a kid, then it was mine later when I spent the summer here with my grandma. A lot of stuff has come and gone, but she still keeps one thing for me when I come visiting her."

He crouched down onto the floor and reached under the bed, pulling out a wooden set of small rollercoaster cars.

"The last summer my dad and I spent together, we made those." he started and held up the cars for Mac to see. "We were sitting in the barn in the back for hours, and he had me in his lap while carefully guiding my hand with the knife. See this little red spot here? He cut his hand."

"They look beautiful."

"They are. My dad promised me to paint them when he got back here the next summer, but he never came back from Vietnam. So they just sat there under the bed like this. I was thinking about taking them back with us so we could put them up in the nursery."

"Harm, that's a wonderful idea."

Suddenly, a wide smile spread across Harm's face. He turned one of the cars over and handed it to Mac. Then he pointed at something small that was cut into the bottom of the train.

"Harm loves Sarah." Mac read out loud.

"I cut that in there when I was 10 or 11, I don't really remember. And today, it's still the truth. Harm loves Sarah."

Gently, he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her tenderly.

"I know I am supposed to sleep in here. Never brought any of my girlfriends here before, so I am not quite sure yet whether my grandma will allow you to sleep in here with me or if she's gonna ban you to the guestroom across the hallway."

"You never brought any of your girlfriends up here before to meet your grandma?"

"Nope. You're the first - cuz with you, it's really serious."

"Ah, I am flattered." Mac smiled and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "And if she's gonna put me into the guestroom, I think I will just sneak across the hallway tonight."

Harm grinned at her, "Yeah, that's a thought I like. Let me show you the rest of the house. Not that there is much to see anyway, but there are a lot of memories."

They exited the room and found themselves again on the hallway. Through the small window at the back, the barn Harm had been talking about earlier could be seen. One open door at the end of the hallway showed them the bathroom, the other gave them a quick peak into Harm's grandmother's own little kingdom. The door opposite Harm's room was closed, so he reached for the knob and pushed it open.

"I think that's gonna be your little kingdom for the next few days. Not big but comfy."

"Harmon Rabb JR!" they suddenly heard Sarah Rabb's voice. "Not the guestroom, I haven't cleaned in there in a while. Your room is all set up for you two. Unless you want to tell me you rather want to have seperate rooms."

"No, no, it's fine, Grandma. I just thought..."

"You think too much, Harmon my dear. Now go, lunch is ready."

After lunch, they were sitting in the living room. Harm's grandmother was doing most of the talking, the stories of Harm's childhood not even started yet.

"So, your mother called me for Christmas telling me you had gotten engaged?"

"She did WHAT?" Harm exclaimed. "No, we are not engaged. At least not yet. Mom is impossible sometimes."

"But you think about getting married."

"Grandma, no more talking about getting married or being engaged, okay? We have other great news to share though."

A wide grin spread over his grandmother's face, "Oh yeah, I know. Your mom hinted something to me."

"I told her not to!" Harm exclaimed. "I - we wanted to tell you in person. That we're going to have a baby in July."

"Harm, Sarah, I am so thrilled for you!" she smiled and first went to hug Harm, than Mac. "I thought I wouldn't live to the day that you would come to me, telling me you'd make me a greatgrandmother, Harm."

"Yeah, you sound like mom, she told me the exact same thing."

"Well, look how old you are, Harmon. Remember Tom Masters, that boy from down the road you played with when you were a kid? His oldest daughter had had a baby girl last November."

"Mac, can you see that, me a grandpa?"

"First I have to picture you being a dad." Mac teased him and earned a hurt look. "No, I think you'll be a great dad."

They were interrupted by a loud knocking at the front door, and someone calling for Harm's grandmother.

"Gladys, we're in the living room." Sarah Rabb called out. "She's my neighbour for over 40 years, Sarah. I told her you'd be coming over today."

"Ah, there you are!" an elderly woman exclaimed happily upon entering the living room. "Harmon Rabb, it's been a long time since I last saw you."

"Likewise, Gladys." Harm replied as he went to hug her. "May I introduce you? Sarah Mackenzie, my..."

"Fiancee, I know. Your grandma told me all about you two. It's nice to meet you, Sarah. Oh, I hope me calling you Sarah is all right. You can call me Gladys like everyone else around here does."

"Yes, it is, Gladys." Mac said and stood to shake hands with her.

"Oh my, Sarah, you didn't tell me they are going to have a baby!" Gladys screetched when she saw Mac.

"I didn't know it for sure until they arrived, but I was having my suspicions."

"Oh, now I know why you were sneaking around in the baby store the other day." Gladys snickered.

"Oh, hush! Now Gladys, if we don't get moving, we'll be late!"

"Wait, wait, you are leaving?" Harm inquired surprised. "Where are you going?"

"There's a fund raising at the church for the school this afternoon. Gladys and I volunteered to help. I didn't mention it earlier because I thought this was nothing for two love birds like you. Show Sarah around town, or stay back here, whatever you feel like. I should be back around dinner time."

"How about we meet in town for dinner?" Mac suggested.

"That's a good idea!" Harm agreed. "Sharky's around 1830 - I mean 6:30pm, is that okay, grandma?"

"That sounds lovely, Harm. Now we really need to get going. Have a nice afternoon you two!"

Sarah Rabb first hugged her grandson and placed a light kiss on his cheeck before she did the same with him. Then she ushered Gladys out of the living room, and Harm and Mac were alone. Gathering her into his arms, he lead her back to the couch and pulled her into into his lap.

"So, what would you like to do? Want me to show you around town or just stay back here?"

"Why don't we just stay back here for a while and hit town later? I haven't had a few quiet hours with you in a long time." she crooned and trailed her index finger down his chest.

"Hmmm, I like that. If it was at least spring, I'd suggest we move this to the backyard porch, but seeing that it's still freezing out there, how about we stay right where we are? Snuggling on this old couch here?"

"Sounds perfect."

Harm moved to lay on the couch, pulling Mac on top of him. She lay flat on his stomach, her head resting right where his heart was. Harm's hand tenderly stroked her hair while Mac traced her fingers across his chest.

"This is what I've been missing." she sighed. "Just being with you with nothing to worry about. I think I could get used to that."

"For the next few days, you should. It's all been taken care off, and all you have to worry about is making me happy. I guess that's not gonna be very hard for you."

"That depends on what you want me to do to make you happy." she replied coily.

"For now, just stay where you are. Tonight, you might ask me again what you can do for me to make me happy."

Mac murmured something into Harm's chest that he couldn't understand, but he didn't really care. His life was great at the moment, he had everything he wanted. The woman he loved, a baby on the way, and his grandmother's approval that he had finally found the right woman. Within minutes, he found that Mac had stopped caressing his chest and had fallen asleep.

Gently, he placed a kiss on top of her head, then reached for the comforter at the back of the couch and draped it over them, wrapping her into it and into a tight embrace. Then he closed his eyes and granted himself a little nap as well.

He didn't know what time it was when he was woken by Mac moving in his arms. She'd been lying on her stomach for far too long, so she'd rolled towards the back of the couch and onto her side. She slowly crooked her eyes open when she noticed that Harm moved to give her more space.

"Hey sleepyhead." he smiled at her broadly.

"Hey yourself."

"Hope you had a nice nap. What time is it?"

"1602 and 41 seconds." Mac replied and pushed her head up on her elbow to look at him. "We've slept for almost 2 hours."

"What would you like to do until we're meeting with my grandma in town? I am pretty sure she will drag out the photoalbums later tonight or tomorrow, so I will spare you that now. How about we hit town and I should you around a little?"

"Sounds like a plan. Not that I am not interested in learning every embarrassing detail about you as a kid, but I am sure your grandma won't spare me the real good parts like you usually do." Mac chuckled and shrugged her eyebrows.

Harm grimaced slightly before he pulled her head down towards his for a gentle kiss.

0205 ZULU
Wednesday, February 13th
Rabb Residence
Beallsville, PA

Harm couldn't believe his grandmother had brought up almost every embarrassing story he could think about about his childhood, and he was sure she wasn't gonna spare Mac with the last remaining few. He had just opened the front door when he saw Gladys pulling into the driveway to drop off his grandmother.

"It was a nice and interesting evening, don't you think?" Mac teased him and placed a quick peck on his cheek before she entered the house.

"Interesting indeed." he scruffed. "And really embarrassing. I can't believe she told you all those things."

"Well, she was just preparing me for a Harmon Rabb III."

"Oh no, no Harmon Rabb III, you hear me?" he called after her.

Mac stopped on one of the steps upstairs, turned, and grinned at him, "We'll see, Mr. Rabb."

"Over my dead body, Marine!"

Sarah Rabb heard the laughter when she entered the house. She had to smile about the thought that she actually had never seen her grandson that happy. Meeing with him in the hallway, she placed his hand on her shoulder to get his attention.

"Harmon, care to join me in the kitchen for a cup of tea?"

"Sure. Mac went upstairs to change into something more comfortable. She should be back down soon."

Soon after, the water was boiling on the stove, and Harm and his grandma sat at the small table. First, there was silence, and Harm fidgeted with the teaspoon in his hands, knowing exactly what had to come next.

"Sarah is a really nice girl, Harm." Sarah Rabb broke the silence. "I haven't seen you that happy in years."

"She makes me happy."

"I won't start telling you that I always knew that you two were meant to be for each other because I think your mother already told you that. But your eyes, they tell me so much, Harmon."

Harm chuckled nervously, "What do they tell you?"

"That you really love her. And I can see that she loves you dearly as well. She's the right woman for you, and I am not only saying this because she is carrying my greatgrandchild, but also because I see that she is doing you good, darling. She brings out the best in you."

"I know, that's why I love her. She's very special. There's no one like her in this world. I am not talking about the way she looks, I am sure you noticed that by now, but about who she is. I love her beacuse she is who she is, my Sarah."

"The next Sarah Rabb I assume?"

Harm nodded, "Yes, she will be - when we are both ready for that step. We don't..."

"Stop right there, I don't need any explanations. You have found each other, now don't let go. That is the most important. It doesn't matter whether her last name is Rabb or not. What matters is that you love each other."

"Grandma, would you please call mom and tell her that?" he laughed out loud.

"I told her already, darling. But you have to understand that getting married and starting a family is what every mother wants for her child."

"Isn't it also what every grandmother wants for her grandchild?"

"I only want you to be happy, and I see you are. So why change things and force you into something you don't want to?"

"Have I told you lately how much I love you, grandma?" Harm bent over and placed a tender kiss on his grandma's cheek. "You're the best."

The kettle on the stove began to whistle, so Harm's grandma moved to get it and make their tea.

"Ah, I meant to tell you, I called Suzy earlier and asked about for a bouquet of roses for Mac. She'll stop by tomorrow morning around 8 to drop them off. I just wanted you to know."

"Red roses for Valentine's Day? Isn't that what husbands get their wives because they couldn't think of anything better?"

"They have a special meaning for us. Remember, we met in a rose garden."

"Yeah, I heard that story almost as many times as you heard that story about your father trying to..."

"Stop!" Harm uttered, half laughing. "I got the hint."

"What are you laughing about?" Mac asked as she walked into the kitchen.

She stopped behind Harm and wrapped her arms around his neck, placing a tender kiss on his cheek.

"Nothing special." Harm replied and pulled her down in his lap.

Mac blushed at this intimacy in front of his grandmother, but when she saw the elderly woman smile at her, she knew it was okay.

"Do you two have anything special planned for tomorrow?" Sarah Rabb asked and poured Mac a cup of tea as well.

Harm shook his head, "Nope. I thought we could spend it here and I will cook dinner for all of us?"

"That's a very nice thought, my dear, but I won't be home tomorrow night. Thursday is Canasta downtown, don't you remember?"

"Yes, how could I forget?" Harm grinned mischiviously.

No, that he hadn't forgotten about, his grandma had reminded him about that from the moment he had called to tell her that he was going to bring Mac up to meet her. Just by the way his grandmother looked at him, he knew the candles for a candlelit dinner were already stored safely somewhere in the living room. At times, she could read his mind like no one else, not even Mac.

"I think I will go to bed now. Harmon, if you two need anything, help yourself. You know where to find everything. Sleep tight you two."

Sarah Rabb rose from her chair to first embrace her grandson and place a kiss on her forehead, then she did the same with Mac. With a smile on her face, she stole a last glance at them and left the kitchen.

"I assume Mr. Rabb has tomorrow all planned." Mac said and reached for her cup of tea.

"What makes you think something like that?"

"It's that selfconscious grin on your face."

"I am not gonna tell you anything."

"How about I bribe you?"

"Bribe me with what?" Harm chuckled. "I don't think there is anything..."

He was cut off midsentence when Mac's mouth descended on his in a tender kiss.

"Not enough to bribe me." Harm choked out after they'd broken the kiss.

"So, not enough?" Mac asked huskily and trailed her finger along his chawline. "What would be enough?"

"Nothing." he replied and grinned. "I am not gonna tell. You just have to wait to find out."

1405 ZULU
Thursday, February 14th
Rabb Residence
Beallsville, PA

Sarah Rabb heard loud giggling and laughter coming from upstairs when she returned home from grocery shopping. A smile appeared on her face as she shook her head about her grandson and his girlfriend. They sounded more like teenagers in love, not like two adults in their early/mid 30s.

"Harm, Sarah?" she called upstairs, but given the fact the laughter didn't subside, she had to consider that they probably hadn't heard her.

She dropped the grocery bags off in the kitchen, removed her coat and then went upstairs. She heard Mac screaming with laughter, telling Harm to stop something. She knocked at the closed door, but only heard Harm calling something about revenge. She knocked more insistent - this time, the laughter and giggles stopped.

Dressed in boxers and a shirt, Harm opened her the door.

"I just wanted to tell you that I am back from grocery shopping. I met Dorothy and Arthur McDougal at the store, and they asked if we wanted to come over for lunch. You remember Dorothy and Arthur, don't you?"

Harm ruffled his hair with one hand, tugging his shirt in place with the other, "Yeah, yeah, I do."

"Well, I didn't tell her yes, but said that I'd call her as soon as I had asked you and Sarah." his grandma uttered. "Said that you two probably had planned Valentine's Day differently. Guess I was right." she snickered and winked at him.

Harm just grinned mischiviously at his grandma, and heaven, he was at a loss of words. Awkwardness blushed his cheeks, and he deliberately cleared his throat.

"Harmon darling, I once was young as well. Now I will call Dorothy and tell her you two already have plans for lunch and this afternoon, but that I would be more than happy to join them."

"No, no, no, you don't need to leave for lunch just because of us. I am going to take Sarah out for lunch - that is if you got everything I wrote you down on the list."

"Everything you wanted, darling. Though I kind of got the impression you want to take her out for a picknick, but in this weather? It's snowing outside if you haven't noticed it yet."

Harm stepped out of the room, and closed the door behind him.

"I know." he started, lowering his voice as he didn't want Mac to hear what he had in mind. "We're going to have this picknick inside. Old place with memories I want to take her to."

"You are not talking about that old, dirty barn behind the house your dad used to take you to, are you?"

Harm nodded, "I am. Why?"

"It's all dirty in there. No place to take your Sarah for a picknick. Besides, you never really liked it in there after your dad was shot down."

"That has changed, and I think we'll find a clean spot somewhere."

"All right. I'll call Dorothy and tell her that I will join them for lunch, and you take Sarah to that picknick, sharing memories."

"Thanks, grandma. We'll be gone for a while, but we should be back in time for dinner. I know I said last night that I wanted to cook, but I thought it maybe would be better to take Mac out. I thought that little restaurant over in Washington that you showed me last time I was here would be perfect."

"Darling, that's a wonderful idea."

"And I want you to join us."

"Harmon, it is Valentine's Day. My place tonight sure wouldn't be with you two. Besides, it is Canasta downtown, and I promised to be there."

"You'd do me a favor if you'd come with us, grandma."

"Another time, but not tonight. You'll be staying till Sunday, there still is some time left. Now go enough this day with the one you love."

Sarah Rabb placed a quick kiss on her grandson's cheeks before she walked back downstairs. Harm shortly watched after his grandmother before he returned into his room and closed the door after him. A smile appeared on his face when he noticed that Mac still lay in bed, safely tugged into the comforter.

"So, you are taking me out for lunch?" Mac asked and propped her head up on her elbow.

"Yep." he replied shortly.

"And where are we going?"

"That I am not going to tell. You just have to wait and find out."

Mac groaned in disapprovement, but knew that she didn't have a choice. If he didn't want to tell her, he wouldn't. Though she liked surprises, once a certain point was reached, she couldn't stand the not-knowing anymore. But she knew that Harm meant well, and she was a Marine, so she was just going to accept it - even if she didn't like it. At least, there weren't any unpleasant surprises yet, and she was sure Harm would't start with them on Valentine's Day.

"Let me tell you, anymore surprises today and I am gonna kick your ass."

"This is the last one, I promise."

"Okay," Mac grinned mischiviously, "then what are we going to do tonight?"

"Got me." Harm chuckled and sat down on the bed. "We're going to have dinner in a small cozy restaurant in Washington."

"What happened to 'I wanted to cook'?"

"That thought got discarded when I came up with a new idea for lunch. Now," he scooted closer to her and cupped her face with his hands, "revenge, Marine!"

"Over my dead body!" she laughed out loud and reached for his wrists to pry his hands off.

"Really?"

His hands left her face, reached under the comforter and immediately found its destination. Mac cried out with laughter when he started to tickle her at her sides. Mac squirmed under him, trying to stop him by pushing against his upper arms, but didn't have much luck. Tears of laughter soon filled her eyes.

"Stop, stop, stop right now!" she suddenly cried. "Harm, please stop."

With all her power, she pushed against his shoulders and rolled him off of her. Then she sprung out of bed, reached for her shirt on the floor in front of the bed and quickly put it on.

"What happened? Where are you going?" Harm asked dumbfounded as Mac reached for the doorknob.

"To the bathroom. Junior is sitting on my bladder, and your tickling didn't help much to ignore it. I'll be right back."

Harm just laughed as Mac rushed out of the room and across the hallway towards the bathroom.

1304 ZULU
Friday, February 15th
Rabb Residence
Beallsville, PA

Sunlight tickled Mac's nose and she awoke with a loud sneeze. Next to her, Harm rolled over, burrying his face in the pillow and mumbling some unidetifiable words. Blinking her eyes in the sun, Mac quickly decided that there was no need to get up and hurry. She turned over, wrapped her arm around Harm's waist and rested her head against his shoulder.

"What time is it?" he mumbled in his sleep while his hand searched for Mac's.

"Still too soon to get up." she replied and snuggled closer.

"Uh huh." she heard coming from Harm, soon followed by a soft snorring.

For awhile, they lay snuggled together, Mac half awake, Harm again deep in sleep when Mac's stomach began to rumble and she fel a light movement in her belly. Sighing, she turned away from Harm and climbed out of bed knowing that she better fed her hungry stomach soon.

On her way to the door, she picked up a sweater and a pair of clean boxers from Harm's bag and got dressed. She heard Sarah Rabb rustling in the kitchen from the stairs already and wasn't surprised to see that breakfast was almost ready when she entered.

"Sarah darling, good morning." the elderly woman smiled at her. "I hope I didn't wake you with all my rustling around here in the kitchen."

"No, no. This little rascal here took care of that." Mac replied and placed her hand on her belly. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Breakfast is almost ready. I am just waiting for the tea water to boil. I figured you'd be sleeping in today so I made Belgian waffles for you. I have whipped cream in the refridgerator, as well as some strawberries and cherries in the freezer."

"That sounds wonderful. I could really get used to that."

"Now tell me my grandson is not taking good care of you and my great-grandchild."

"He is. For my likes, he's overdoing it sometimes."

"Rabb men you know." Sarah Rabb chuckled and picked up the kettle from the stove.

Mac grabbed two cups from the shelve and placed them on the table. Soon, the two woman were sitting at the table, each holding a cup of steaming tea in their hands.

"Now tell me, Sarah. What is so special about my grandson? Why do you love him?"

"Hmmm, that is a hard question. I'd say because he loves me for who I am. He never questioned any decision I made, neither any mistakes I made. Whatever I decided I wanted to do, he was there for me. He never cared about anything I did years ago. I don't know if he ever told you, but I am an alcoholic."

"I know, Harm told me. But he also told me that you have been sober for the last 15 years." The elderly woman reached out for Mac's hand to squeeze it gently. "Everybody makes mistakes when they are young. Some learn from them, some don't. You are a strong person, Sarah Mackenzie. Like Harm, I won't question anything you did 15 years ago because it doesn't matter to me. You are a different person now. My grandson loves you so much, no matter what will happen. Never forget that."

"I never will. We've been through a lot together. It just made us stronger."

"Sarah, I want you to promise me one thing." Sarah Rabb took a deep breath before she continued. "Harm, one day he will find out that his father will never come back, that he is burried far far away from here. Then I want you to be there for him, to stop him from doing anything stupid. I want you to tell him that there was nothing he could have done, that he was just a kid. I want you to promise me that you will make sure that this won't break him."

"I promise." Mac replied.

"Thank you. I know my son is dead, Sarah, I have known for the last 20 years. Even after he was shot down, I could feel he was still alive. And then one day, this feeling was gone. Ever since Harm was just a kid, the hope that his father will come back had kept him going. He has become the man he is just because of this hope."

"Why did you never tell him?"

"Oh my dear Sarah, you've known Harm long enough to answer that question yourself. His hopes, his dreams, I couldn't destroy those."

Mac just listened, but didn't answer, wondering about how much Harm and his grandmother were alike. For years, they both knew the truth, but still, they hadn't told each other. It was finally time to face the truth, to sit down and talk. They both owed this to each other.

"Hey Mac, didn't you say something about sleeping in late?" Harm asked as he shuffled into the kitchen.

Mac whirled around to look at him. Smiling, he bent over and placed a gently kiss on her lips before he moved over to his grandma to kiss her good morning as well.

"What's wrong?" he inquired, finally noticing the solemn mood in the kitchen.

He quickly reached for a chair at the table and sat down between Mac and his grandmother. Being not quite able to tell the looks on their face, he know that something was wrong.

"I, uhm, I think you need to talk, Harm." Mac finally started. "You and your grandma. About your father."

"There's nothing to talk about, Mac, you know that."

"Trust me, there is. Tell your grandmother about our trips to Russia. Tell her what you found."

"No, Mac!" Harm exclaimed harshly. "I told you not to ever mention that. Why did you?"

"You two have been hiding enough from each other for the last few years." Mac screamed at him, being very near to losing her temper with Harm. "I only want your best, Harm, don't you understand that? I don't want you living with lies. Your grandma deserves the truth! And if you don't tell her, I will."

"What are you two talking about?" Sarah Rabb interrupted the two younger people.

"About a trip to the USS Hornet, a photo from Russia, and a trip to Siberia that almost cost us our lives." Mac replied, giving Harm a look that could have killed at that very same moment.

"Russia? I don't quite understand."

Harm took a deep breath before he finally started to tell his grandmother the truth, "A couple of years ago, Mac and I were sent to California. During the deployment of the USS Hornet, a corpse was found and we had to investigate. I - I found a book. A book with names. Names of US war prisoners in Vietnam that had been deported to Russia. Dad's name was among them."

"You mean he was in Russia?"

"Yes." Harm replied. "A couple of months later, I was sent a picture. Dated 1980. And there was dad on the picture. The Russians kept him a prisoner, trying to get any kind of information out of him."

Mac saw the elderly woman's hand starting to shake, so she reached over and squeezed it gently.

"I went to see mom, telling her that I wanted to fly to Russia. I wanted to know what happened to dad. All this years, I was searching in the wrong place, and then suddenly, I had a chance to find him!"

"And you flew to Russia."

"Yes, I did. But not alone. Mac came along." Harm glanced over at Mac, and put a smile on his face. "I told her not to, but she just showed up in the plane."

"You would have been lost without me. Njet vy govorite po russky, Harm."

"Whatever you just said, it's not true."

"I just said that you don't speak one word Russian. Guess I was right."

Harm grimaced before he went on telling his grandmother what they found in Russia, "Anyway, in Moscow we found out that that picture I was sent was taken shortly before dad could escape while being transported to another KGB prison. The last we knew was that he was somewhere in Siberia."

"Don't forget to tell your grandma that you hijacked a MIG and that we were shot down somewhere over Siberia by the Russians." Mac added with a smile.

"Harmon, you two could have gotten killed." his grandma scolded at him.

"Yes, but we didn't. We traveled through the country with 2 gypsies, trying to hide from the Russian Army. We didn't make it very far though until we were picked up the a KGB agent."

Almost not daring to ask the question, Sarah Rabb asked the most dreaded question, "Did you find out what happened to your father?"

"Yes, we did. We were brought to Siberia to meet with a woman who had met him." Harm croaked out, tears starting to well in his eyes. "But we were too late, grandma. He was killed. Killed by Russian soldiers while trying to protect a woman from being raped. He is burried somewhere in the Siberian Tiga, and the only person who knew where died years ago."

"Somehow I knew it. All these years, I felt that my son was dead." Sarah Rabb replied, tears now welling in her eyes as well.

"Why did you never say anything to me?"

"Harmon, your search for your father guided you, made you the man who you are now. How was I to destroy all your dreams and hopes. I was asking myself so many times if I could tell you that I had given up hope, that I knew he was dead, but then I had to look at you, and I knew it was wrong. It would have destroyed you."

Silence reigned in the kitchen for a while while his mother and his son wept for the man they lost so many years ago. Mac couldn't help but cry with them over a man she never even got to know, but yet felt like she knew forever; her boyfriend's father, her baby's grandfather. A man with honor and pride, a man that was taken so abruptly from his family. But finally, the truth being told, it gave them peace they needed to go on with their lives as one loving family.

2135 ZULU
Sunday, February 17th
Rabb Residence
Beallsville, PA

Harm was packing the last bag into the trunk of the car before he shut it with a loud bong. Then he ran back into the house, shivering from the cold air outside. Passing the door to the kitchen, he found his grandma putting away the remains from the coffee, but no sign of Mac. Finally, he found her in the living room. She was standing at the window, watching over the huge field covered with snow that began right next to the Rabb house and seemed to stop somewhere at the horizon.

"Something interesting out there?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his chin on her shoulder.

"Nothing. It's just the peace that goes with the place I guess." she replied, leaning back in his embrace.

"So I can talk you into coming back here some time?"

"Oh yes, definitely. I'd really miss meeting with your grandmother."

"I'd suggest coming up for the 4th of July because it is really great up here with all the festivals, but I guess you'd disagree with me there."

"Oh yeah. With junior being due on July 6th, I don't want to be anywhere else than home. Maybe next year?"

"Definitely. I took my first steps on that porch out there and hit my forehead on the backdoor. Mom was scared to death cause I was bleeding so bad I needed two stitches. Dad was just amused about it."

"Why's that?"

"I had vehemently refused to walk up to that point. Guess it was a lot nicer to be carried around. Well, grandma, she stood me on my feet and said that if I wanted to be a big boy, I had to walk."

"And that worked?" Mac chuckled amused.

"No, bribing him with a chocolate chip cookie, that worked." Sarah Rabb answered from the back of the living room. "He was running like a whirlwind and crashed into the backdoor."

"You can share all your awkward stories about me with Mac when we get back here, grandma." Harm grimaced. "For now, I think we have to hit the road. The weather report says it will start snowing again tonight and I want to be in DC before that happens."

"Oh yes, you should be going. I will call you about that trip Gladys is planning to DC. We don't have to talk about that now."

"Gladys is planning a trip to DC?" Harm asked astonished as they made their way towards the front door. "Since when?"

"Since yesterday." Sarah Rabb replied. "She suddenly has this crazy idea to take a photo of the White House. And she wants to do that as soon as possible"

"Why don't you come down with Gladys and visit us?" Mac suggested.

"No, I couldn't do that. With you two moving into a new house, the last you need is me."

"Nonsense. You're always welcome, grandma, you know that. Why don't you and Gladys talk about this and give us a call when you decided on a date. We'd be happy to show you two around DC. And I could take you to the Wall. You've never been there in all these years."

"Now hush. I first have to ask Gladys if she will take me with her. Then we will have this talk again."

"Just know you're always welcome, grandma." Harm said and kissed his grandmother on her cheek. "We're expecting you for the week of July 4th, don't forget that."

"How could I? After all, this is my first great-grandchild. You take could very good care of you and the little one, darling."

Sarah Rabb reached over and hugged Mac.

"I promise I will."

"Good. Now go you two. I don't want you to be stuck in a snowstorm in that convertible. The last thing Mac needs is a very bad cold."

"Geez, we're going, grandma." Harm chuckled and opened the front door.

"Sarah," Sarah Rabb held Mac back when Harm was already down the porch and on his way to the car. "Thanks for making my grandson so happy."

"I am thankful for having him. I am also thankful that my baby is going to have such a loving family."

"This is the Rabb family, don't forget that, Sarah. We'll always be there for you, no matter what happens."

"Thank you."

Mac placed a gentle kiss on the elder woman's cheek before she walked down the porch and towards the car where Harm was already waiting for her. She waved back with a smile before she climbed into the car and closed the door.

"What did she say?" Harm asked as he started the car and drove out of the driveway.

"Do you have to know everything?"

"Yes."

"Do you know your grandma is a very special lady?"

"You're changing topics here, Mac."

"Okay, I told her that I am very thankful to have you."

Harm quickly turned to his side and smiled at Mac, "I can say the same about you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Uhm, Mac, there is something I need to tell you. I know I should have done it before, but I somehow didn't know how to approach the subject."

"What is it, Harm?"

"My grandma - she knows everything about you and your past. Not only what you told her during our stay. I - I know you once told me that this was none of my business - before we became intimate that is. Whenever I had a problem, I would come to you talking about it, but when you were involved in my problem, who else could I turn to than my grandma?"

"So you told her about me falling off the wagon, about me having had a husband I never told anyone about, about me having an abusive father and a mother I saw once in the last 17 years..."

"Sarah, I am sorry. I knew I should have told you before we came up here, but I somehow didn't know how you'd react. I didn't want to mess up these few calm days off work."

"And now your bad consciense is haunting you."

"Oh yeah." Harm replied, his grip tight on the steering wheel, and never daring to look over at Mac. "Sarah?"

"You want me to be mad at you, so I am." she replied shortly, adding a 'humpf' at the end of her sentence.

"Are you really mad at me?"

"I would be if you had talked about those things to anyone else than your grandmother."

"Does this mean I am forgiven?"

"Yes, you are. How could I be mad at you for caring about me?"

"Just checking as you always keep telling me I better don't mess with a Marine."

"Yeah," she chuckled, "that you better don't do my friend."

Leaning over, she kissed him gently on his cheek, then returned to her seat and buckled up.

"I love you, Harmon Rabb, and I don't think there's anything in this world that can change that."

"I love you, too, Sarah Mackenzie."