Author: keru
Subject: Pencils and Pudding - April 2008 HBX Challenge

Disclaimer: Don’t own’em.

A/N: I know, I know. It has most definitely not been a month. What can I say: I was incredibly efficient in real life, so now I have time to write. I’m actually also almost done writing a much longer fic set in early season 9, but if even one of you comments with an ‘I told you so’ about my being unable to stop writing for a month, I won’t post it. Ha.

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Pencils and Pudding

Mac watched Harm pace the living room, muttering under his breath all the while.

“Mac! My son, my very own flesh and blood, pushed a girl, a girl, Mac, during recess. How do you account for that?” He turned to face her, as though she might have all the answers.

“Harm, he’s just six.” She reasoned. “Let him finish putting away his school things and then we’ll sit him down for a talk.”

“My son, Mac. My son—” Harm continued obliviously, jabbing his finger into his chest.

She put a hand on his arm to still him in mid-rant. “Harmon Rabb, you need to calm down. He’s just six. We’ll explain to him, calmly, that violence isn’t a solution. It’ll be fine.” She tried to placate her husband. He was overreacting rather dramatically, she thought.

She looked Harm in the eye. “Be gentle with him, Harm. In fact, maybe let me start the talking, okay?”

He eyed her dubiously, but before he could reply they heard Matt’s hesitant footsteps trudge reluctantly down the stairs and into the living room. He looked up at his parents, his expression almost comically sad. Mac waved him over to the couch, and then pulled Harm along with her. They took a seat on either side of their kid.

Mac eyed Harm over Matt’s head and hoped he would remain level-headed while they tried to get Matt to explain why he, their normally well-behaved, responsible son, had exhibited a sudden spurt of aggression earlier in the day at school, and pushed a girl during recess. They’d never needed to have this kind of talk with Matt before. She knew Harm placed a lot of faith in his steadfast older son and was at a complete loss over today’s event.

“Matt,” she turned her attention back to their son, deciding to jump right in, “Why did you push Sophie at school today?”

Matt stared at his lap, his face wearing an expression of such deep contrition and remorse, Mac had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. She loved that he looked so much like Harm. Matt had an innate honesty and was so expressive that she got to see all kinds of expressions she could rarely get out of Harm – like this one. It gave her such a kick, not to mention endless hours of entertainment. It was absolutely adorable.

Mac glanced up at Harm, who was watching Matt with an intent expression of concern. He was taking this so seriously; he probably hadn’t realized what Matt had been thinking, although she had a pretty good idea.

“Matt,” she prodded gently, returning her attention to their son. “You know it’s wrong to hit or push anyone, right?”

Matt nodded solemnly.

“And we’ve taught you that you should always respect girls, son. And never hit or push them. Ever.” Harm added in a gentle tone. Mac gave him an encouraging look over Matt’s head.

Matt nodded again, and sniffed lightly before two large tears trailed down his cheeks. He didn’t bother wiping them away.

“I’m sorry.” He sniffed again, then looked at Mac. “I told Sophie I was sorry, before Ms. Jamie came, when she started to cry.” More tears trailed down his cheeks as he looked to Mac for approval. She felt her heart constrict at her son’s teary face. She glanced at Harm, and saw that his expression mirrored hers, although he was still worried about Matt’s out-of-character behaviour. He was the gentler of their two older kids. He had in fact only ever pushed Katie once, and felt so terrible about it afterwards that she and Harm had found it a bit redundant when they told him off and gave a time-out.

“I didn’t want her to cry.” Matt continued, still sniffling.

“Why did you push her, son?” Harm asked.

Matt looked dejectedly at his father. “Billy pushed Annie yesterday but Annie didn’t cry. She shared her lunch with him and her mommy gives her cookies everyday and Sophie always has pudding for lunch and she has nice colouring pencils and we always play together after story time.”

He stopped for a breath, wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, and sniffed noisily, waiting for a response from Harm. Mac bit the inside of her cheek harder to keep the laughter at bay. Harm’s expression was priceless. She thought Matt may have actually succeeded in short-circuiting his father’s brain. That was usually Katie’s job.

She decided to intervene. She pulled Matt onto her lap.

“Matt, honey, do you think pushing Sophie was the right thing to do?”

Matt looked at his mom and shook his head.

“Why?”

“Because it made her cry and it made me sad.”

“That’s right, you hurt her feelings, which is wrong, and you really could have given her a booboo by pushing her. Do you understand, sweetie?”

“Yes.” Matt nodded forlornly.

“And next time you want to share Sophie’s colouring pencils, what should you do?”

“Say please.” He sniffed.

“Good boy.” She hugged Matt. He was so cute.

“Mommy,” Matt mumbled against Mac’s shoulder. “Why did Billy push Annie?”

“Well,” she paused, and looked to Harm for some help. He was still wearing the same expression of shock, his eyes wide. He looked at her and shook his head, looking quite lost. She sighed: he could be no help sometimes. “Well, sometimes when a boy likes a girl, wants to be friends with a girl, a boy will do silly things.”

Matt sat up straight on Mac’s lap and mulled it over.

“Like when David pulled on Mary’s ponytail and had to go time-out all by himself?” He asked.

Mac had to again keep from laughing. Who knew there was so much drama in kindergarten. Lord help her and Harm when Matt reached high school.

“Like that.” She confirmed.

Matt frowned.

“Mommy?”

“Yes, Mattster?”

“Did Daddy do silly things to you?”

Mac grinned.

“Sometimes.” She said, glancing at Harm. Her answer seemed to shake him from his stupor, and he gave her a wry look in response.

“He pulled your pony tail?” Mac glanced from Harm to Mac.

She laughed. “Something like that.”

Matt looked at his dad in awe. He then frowned slightly and asked him, “Did mommy share her pudding with you?”

Harm picked Matt up and put him on his lap. He tapped his son’s nose. “Only after I said sorry.”

“Oh.” Matt said, his expression serious as he considered his father’s words.

“But when I stopped pulling her ponytail, she shared her colouring pencils with me.” Harm said solemnly. He snuck Mac a brief glance full of amusement, his eyes twinkling with a warm affection.

“Really?” Matt’s eyes went wide with admiration. “Wow.”

Mac thought the boy had a whole new level of respect for his dad. It was the cutest Hallmark moment she’d ever been privy to.

“That’s right.” Harm continued in a serious tone. “I learned that it’s better to be nice to girls and respect them, than to pull their ponytails. Girls don’t like having their ponytails pulled. Okay?”

Matt nodded solemnly. “Okay, daddy.”

Mac watched him as he mulled over Harm’s words. He had that same look of concentration she’d seen on Harm’s face countless times.

Finally, Matt looked from Harm to Mac. “I’ll share my cheese and crackers with Sophie tomorrow.” He proclaimed grandly.

Harm grinned widely and ruffled Matt’s hair. “That’s my boy.”

Mac could actually see his chest swell with pride. She shook her head wryly – that’s exactly what the world needed: another charming Rabb with Harm’s looks. At least Matt didn’t have his father’s arrogance.

Matt wiggled off of Harm’s lap and scampered out of the room, no doubt to see if Katie and Leila wanted to play dinosaurs versus Tomcats.

Mac and Harm look at each other, and then broke into soft laughter. Harm slid along the couch until he was next to Mac, still facing her. He draped one arm along the back of the couch.

“He pushed a girl because he wants to share her pudding and pencils?” He shook his head, but she could hear the smile in his voice. “That’s something, isn’t it?”

She shot him an incredulous look. “You’re proud.”

“Damn right.” He replied, his cocky grin firmly in place. “He’s six, Mac, and he’s already making moves on the girls.”

She smacked his arm. “Harm!” She chided, laughing. “Have you noticed you’re starting to think a lot alike? He’s just as smooth as you used to be. Harassing girls instead of just telling him he’d like to share colouring pencils.”

“So, I’m a bit slow on the uptake.” Harm reached forward and gently tugged on a lock of her hair.

She watched the mischief and warmth dance in his eyes as he looked at her.

“Doing silly things, Harm?” She arched her eyebrow, eyeing him playfully.

“Because I like you,” he teased. He traced her collarbone with his finger.

“Is that so?” She bit her lip as she saw a familiar expression of desire in his eyes.

He nodded. “Can I share your pudding with you?” He grinned devilishly and ran his hand up her thigh, “Please.”

She laughed heartily, stopping his hand’s movement. “Smooth, Rabb”

His grin widened as he leaned towards her. “I’ve been getting tips from a six year-old.”

“More like a rip in the space-time continuum, I think,” She leaned forward to meet him halfway.

His only reply was a kiss.

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The next day.

Mac parked her car in the driveway in time to see Harm pull his SUV in beside her. It was his turn to pick Matt and Katie up from school. He stepped out of the car, and flashed her a brilliant smile. She grinned in return, and wondered at what had put him in such a great mood. Before she could ask, the back door to the SUV swung open and Matt hopped out, directing an exact replica of his father’s smile at her. Her grin widened in response.

She was about to ask the what had them in such high spirits on a Wednesday afternoon, when she noticed the large band-aid on Matt’s left knee. The skin around the band-aid was an angry red and she could see scrape marks.

“Matt! Honey, what happened to your knee?” She crouched down beside him.

She looked up at Harm who was standing beside her, and noted that the pride in his bearing swelled. She frowned at him before turning her attention back to their son.

Matt was standing just like his father, two proud peacocks adorning the driveway.

“Sophie pushed me!” He replied happily.

Mac’s jaw dropped. She looked from Harm to Matt and couldn’t help but laugh, even as she shook her head at Harm’s posturing and Matt’s glee. And they thought Matt’s personality had taken after her. So much for that. She and Harm were definitely going to have their work cut out for them when Matt reached high school.

She glanced down at Matt’s knee and brightened at the thought that Sophie had all the makings of a marine. At least their son had good taste.

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End.