Debbie Brady
Subject: August HBX monthly challenge -----"A Bump In The Road Of Life"

Disclaimers: Do not own JAG or any of its characters. They all belong to DPB, Bellisario Productions, CBS, and Paramount.

A/N: I wanted to write something that I am familiar with. And this came up in my head 24 hours ago. Hope you enjoy.

A/N II: It has been beta'ed by my wonderful mother. She said it has emotions in it.

I hope you all like it.

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Harm and Mac were sitting in the living room of their cottage snuggling up to each other when Mattie burst through the door and slammed it. They both noticed that Mattie was upset and that they would probably have to pay for the broken hinges on the door after Mattie had slammed the door shut .

Harm and Mac both looked at each other. The silent communication between the two would been romantic if they did have the latest crisis to solve at this very moment. On silent agreement, Harm got up from where he was sitting and went up stairs while Mac got up to go to the kitchen that was set in the back of the house for some much needed tea.

When Harm knocked on the door he heard a muffled, “Go away dad” from Mattie's door. Harm was slightly shaking his head, after a few times of knocking on Mattie's door, she knew his distinctive knock.

“Can I at least come in?” Harm asked from outside of Mattie's bedroom door.

“No” was the muffled reply, “I need to talk to Mom about this and then I will talk to you, but until then I need some space.”

“Ok, kiddo. Just remember what ever it is that I will always love you no matter what.” Harm told Mattie.

Harm stood at her door to see if she would reply and then he heard a quiet muffled, “Thank You” coming from inside the bedroom.

Harm immediately went downstairs to the kitchen where Mac was. When he got to her, he bent down and gave her kiss and then said, “She wants to talk to you.”

Mac eyebrows went up at that statement. It was usually Harm that Mattie took all her problems to. Something must be pretty big for her to talk to Mattie. Mac lowered her eyebrow and went into thoughtful mode.

As if reading her mind, Harm said with a small sigh “ I know that you do not like walking into a situation blind, but with this circumstance your going to have to because I have no clue why she wants you.”

Mac smiled at him. Leave it to Harm to read her like a book. She got up from the table, walked toward the stairs and climbed them to get to Mattie's room. Once she was at Mattie's room she knocked on the door and then heard a muffled, “Come in Mom.”

Mac opened the door and what she saw floored her. Sitting with Mattie on the bed was a pregnancy test as well as a calendar. Forcing herself to move toward the bed, she sat at the edge and waited for Mattie to explain what was going on. Mac did not have long.

“You remember that young man that Dad liked so much?” Mattie asked Mac with tears still visible on her face.

“Yeah I remember” Mac said with a little bit a trepidation in her voice wondering where this was going.

“Well, we went to a party on the night Dad met him, and well when I was not looking someone had put something in my Coca-Cola that I was drinking. Then next thing I knew was that I was in a bed buck naked and that my boyfriend was laying next to me. I did not want to tell you guys what had happened that because you both were going through your own emotional experience with with your miscarriage and did not want to burden you guys.”

Mac was in shock what had happened and understood now why Mattie wanted her instead of Harm. He would've gone in protective mode and demanded to see him. Mac knew what he would do. Harm would sit down with him discussing what happened with him cleaning his 9 mil. right in front of the poor kid when he probably didn't know about it either.

“Mom” Mattie touched Mac's arm.

Coming out of her reflective mode smiled at Mattie and said, “Sorry Mattie, finish your story.”

Mattie took a deep breath and said, “I found out this morning that I was late for my period and I have had hit and misses with my dates but they have normally been on time so I went down to the drug store and bought a pregnancy test to make sure and it...came.... out......” Mattie could not finish anymore of her sentence so she just gave Mac the pregnancy stick, and what Mac saw raised mixed emotions with her.

Mattie saw the emotions and knew that Mac was reliving her past but at the same moment she also saw the hurt, pity and love all round up in one. Mattie became angry, “I do not need your pity!”

Mac came out of her thoughts “No Mattie. If anything it is pity to the poor person who became a father because he is going to have to deal with your dad.”

Mattie had to snicker at that. Harm was overly protective when it came to his girls. Mattie knew when he found about this he would probably go through the roof.

Mac watching Mattie's emotions said solemnly, “We have to tell him.”

With a shrug and a sad look to her, Mattie nodded and said, “I know I am just dreading it.”

Both girls knew that they had to charge the beach, sota speak, with Harm. He tended to bellow when things turned on it's ear. With a sigh Mattie asked, “Would you mind asking him to come up here?”

Mac looked at her kinda wearily with a look of 'are you sure?'. “Yeah Mac I am sure. I like it be on neutral ground instead of in the living room where all the other decisions have been made.” Mac nodded and understood.

Mac headed downstairs while Mattie got herself straightened up. Knowing full well that she would be bawling like a baby again pretty soon. Before she was ready, Mattie heard her father's knock. “Come in.”

Noticing that Mac came in behind Harm and nodding slightly that she appreciated the added strength from Mac, Mattie turned to Harm and told him what she had told Mac earlier. Mattie and Mac both could see that he was about to blow a gasket after Mattie had finished with her story.

It took Harm a little bit of time to come down from from his emotions that were running through him and asked with concern in his voice, “Have you got a doctor's appointment?”

“I stopped by Bethesda on the way here and got an appointment with Mac's doctor. The appointment is around the same time as Mac's.” Turning to Mac she said with a playful miff to her voice, “When were you going to tell me that I was going to be a sister again?”

Mac turned red and turned to Harm who said quietly, “We were going to tell you over dinner tonight but with your coming and slamming the door we thought that we would solve this first,” Holding up his hand so that Mattie would not intercept him, “We know now that you have been dealing with your decisions a long time now, this one only adds to it but know you do not have to do this alone.”

“Dad?” Mattie asked with trepidation in her voice.

Harm looked at her, “Yes” he said in a quiet loving voice.

“I want to keep the baby but I know that it will be hard to get into the Academy now that the baby is on the way.”

“Is this what you want?” Harm asked with some concern to his voice.

“Yes I am sure” Mattie answered him.

“Then we will support you in it” Harm answered her. He went over to her and gave her hug as well as a kiss on top of her head and then let go. Mattie then saw them to the door of her bedroom. “I am tired. Only thing I want to do right now is climb into my bed and get some sleep.”

Both Harm and Mac nodded their heads and headed out. Once Harm and Mac had made it downstairs to the kitchen he said, “How did we get to this?”

Mac knew what he was getting at, 'the world' she thought and then said quietly, “I am glad that you don't resent me for going to talk to Mattie first.”

With his back turned looking out through door to the back yard Harm said with a tired sigh, “No I do not resent you. I am just glad that she was able to talk to you about this. I am afraid I would be storming out of the house right about now if it was not for you and Mattie. Thank you comes to mind.”

“You are welcome. We did not want you running out the door either.” Mac said quietly looking at the back of Harm and watching him try to make sense of all that was told to them by Mattie.

“I am starting to get the feeling that this is more than just a bump in the road.” Harm started to chuckle “The next nine months are going to be interesting with both my girls getting cravings in the middle of the night.” Then Harm got quiet again, “I am glad that you don't resent me either.”

Mac nodded her head. Sometimes she thought that he had no faith in her but other times like now he showed that he indeed had a lot of faith in her. “Thank you for having faith in me to talk Mattie through this, so she could talk to you.”

Turning from the door to the backyard, Harm walked over where Mac was and said with all the love that was in him “You are welcome Mac. I love you for being here for both of us .”

“I love you both too. Hopefully you will get some sleep through our cravings” Mac said with a smirk.

“I will get sleep if kills me Marine” Harm he said with a smirk.

“Let's head to bed squid. You are going to need it.” Mac said with a laugh.

“Yes, Ma'am” Harm said as he laughed along with her and then they headed off to bed.