HBX Challenge August 2006
Title: Flying
Disclaimer: JAG and its characters are the property of Donald P. Bellisario and Paramount Studios.
Author: usmgrad
Time Frame: one year after the coin toss
Location: San Diego

A/N – thoughts are in ‘ ‘


WAA, WAA, WAA

Harm was it his wits ends, Mac had gone to the grocery store. He told her everything would be fine. She was going to be right back, however it seemed as soon as she walked out the door Tommy started to cry. Harm tried everything, walking with him, rocking him, putting him in his bouncy seat and his swing. Nothing worked.
‘Mac will never let me alone with him again. I can’t believe this, my own son and he doesn’t like me. What am I going to do?’

WAA, WAA, WAA

Holding Tommy up to his shoulder Harm gently rubs his back. “Tommy, come on you were happy when mommy was here, what is so different now. I’m not a bad guy, I’m holding you just like mommy does.” Nothing was working, Tommy would not stop crying. “Tommy, how did we get to this place? Mommy isn’t going to be here all the time. She has to go out every now and then without us and do girl things. It’s nothing to cry about.”

WAA, WAA, WAA

Changing positions so that Tommy could see his face, Harm tries another approach. “Tommy, let’s be a big boy now and stop crying. Let’s show mommy we can get along while she’s gone to the store.”

WAA, WAA, WAA

Putting Tommy back on his shoulder and rubbing his back Harm mentally goes through the check list. ‘Ok, he’s not wet I just changed him, no diaper pins they’re disposable diapers. He just ate, and burped all over my shirt. He’s not too hot or too cold.’ Completing the list Harm comes to the only conclusion he can think of, ‘it’s simple he just doesn’t like me. Maybe if I try singing to him…’

WAA, WAA, WAA.

‘Well that didn’t work. What am I going to do? If he doesn’t stop soon …’ Just as Harm really begins to worry, Mac opens the door. What she sees is Tommy on his daddy’s shoulder crying and a very frustrated Harm trying his best to calm him down. Quickly coming into the room Mac sets her purse down, hugs Harm, and places her hand on her son’s back, “Harm, what’s going on, what’s wrong with Tommy? How long has he been crying like this?” Taking the baby from Harm, Mac gives her son a kiss and holds him close. Tommy immediately gets quiet.

Harm’s expression goes from frustrated to utter disbelief in the time it takes Mac to cradle their son. “Ever since you left” Harm turns and goes to shut the door left open by Mac.

“Harm, he was asleep when I left” Mac kisses Tommy on the top of his head and continues to gently rock him to sleep. Watching Harm close the door Mac asks” What’s that on your shirt?”

Answering as he closes the door, “OK, 10 or 15 minutes but it seemed like forever, I couldn’t get him to stop” Turning around Harm answers the second question. “It turns out Tommy liked his lunch better on my shirt instead of in his stomach. How do you do that?” Harm cannot believe what has just happened.

“What?”

“I tried that” pointing to Mac holding and gently rocking back and forth with Tommy. “He screamed his head off. Mac our son hates me.” Harm sits on the sofa with his head back looking up at the ceiling. Putting the now sleeping baby in his bassinet, Mac joins Harm on the sofa.

“Harm he doesn’t hate you.” Taking Harm’s hand in hers Mac begins to caress it in hopes of calming her husband down some. "You two just need get to know each other. Find some place where you both are relaxed. Tommy senses tension and it upsets him so he cries. When he cries you get tense which makes him cry more and which causes you to tense up more. You two just need to learn to relax when you’re together, it’s just a little bump in the road.”

“Mac, you know, I'm starting to get the feeling this is more than just a bump in the road, I think I’ve hit a road block. What am I going to do?”

“You are going to get up, change your shirt, and bring the groceries in from the car and then go for a run.” Harm looks at Mac like she’s crazy. “Mac this doesn’t solve my problem.”

“Yes it does, it gets you thinking about something else, and gives you something to do. Running will calm you down and relax you. Now go.”

Harm changes his shirt and gets the groceries and goes for a run. When he finishes his run he does feel a little better but is still worried about his relationship with his son.

Later Mac finds Harm in the office pouring over a child rearing book. Mac can’t believe Harm is trying to find answers in a book. It’s time for Marine mom to take over. Standing at the door Mac tries to get Harm’s attention “Harm, put the book down.”

Looking up from his research briefly to see Mac, Harm then puts his nose back in the book. Harm has ignored what Mac has said. “Mac it says here that constant crying could be the result of colic. Do you think Tommy has colic?”

She loves him but sometime he can really try her patience. Mac tries one more time to get Harm’s attention. “Harm put the book down.’

“But Mac it says here that if the crying is always after feeding maybe his stomach is up set and…”

“And you have no faith in me.” That got his attention. Harm looks up at Mac “What, of course I have faith in you, why did you say that?”

Coming further into the room toward Harm making sure to keep eye contact Mac continues. “Because you have not listened to anything I have said about you and Tommy. You are not going to find the magic cure in that book” waving her hand at the book on the desk. Harm closes the book and sets it on the desk giving Mac his full attention as she continues “Our son is 8 weeks old. He only knows eat, sleep, and if his diaper is wet. He doesn’t know or care what is in that book.”

“Mac, he’s fine with you, he never cries. But every time he’s with me he screams his head off.” Harm gets up from his chair and begins to pace the office. ‘This is not going as well as I had hoped’ Mac thinks.

“You honestly resent me because Tommy doesn’t cry when I’m around.”

Harm stops pacing and turns toward Mac, “I do not.” Harm pauses and looks down at the floor for a moment before looking up at Mac. “I’m scared. Two days after we adopted him I had to leave. I was stuck on a cruiser for 10 days in the middle of the Pacific. The only thing I had to keep me occupied beside the investigation was the book I picked up on child care. I wanted to be ready when I did come home. The book says the first few months are crucial to his development and look, he hates me. He and I can’t be in the same room without him getting upset. I know you want me to leave the book alone but this is new territory for me and so far the visiting team here isn’t doing to well.”

“Harm, you’re exaggerating. Tommy loves you. You two just need to learn to relaxed around each other.” Seeing that she finally has Harm’s attention Mac continues. “Harm come sit down with me.” Harm stops his pacing and sits with Mac on the love seat. Mac takes his hands in hers, and continues” We didn’t have 9 months to prepare for his arrival like most parents, we had 2 days. All of this, you, me this house was unfamiliar to him. After you left he cried all the time. Just ask Harriett, it got to be I didn’t think she would ever speak to me again because I called her so much. It has taken time but Tommy and I have finally bonded. He has learned my touch, smell and voice. Since you’ve been home, you have only been able to spend time with him at night and that’s been mostly while he’s asleep. You’re still new to him and he’s unsure of you. Like you said the visiting team isn’t doing so well, so maybe you need to change and join the home team.”

“And how do I do that”

“Take the family leave you’re entitled to and spend some time home with us. Get to know your son and let him get to know you.” Seeing that Harm might actually be listening to her Mac takes the next step in her Harm Parenting 101 class. “Now I’m going to soak in a nice hot tub. Please listen out for Tommy; he should be waking up for a bottle in about 30 minutes.”

“Mac,” Harm went from normal to shear panic in 10 seconds.

“Harm, if he gets up before I get finished, change his diaper, warm up the bottle in the refrigerator, sit down in the rocking chair, and feed him. He’ll be hungry and will want to eat. He shouldn’t cry. Do you think you can do that?”

“I’ll try” Mac turns and leaves the office and as she passes through the door she looks up and says a little prayer ‘please let them bond real soon.’

Harm paces the office giving himself a pep talk, ‘Ok I can do this, I’m a captain in the US Navy, I am not going to let an 8 week old get the best of me. Calm and relaxed. I can do this. Besides if he cries, Mac is just in the next room taking a bath.’

An hour late, Mac emerges from the bathroom totally relaxed. She goes to check on Tommy but he’s not in his bed. Things are quiet, he’s not crying. Maybe that little talk with Harm worked. She looks in the living room thinking she’ll find Harm rocking Tommy like she suggested. They’re not there. They’re not in the kitchen, or on the screen porch, or in the bedroom. She then notices the light on in the office. She opens the door and sees her husband, her cocky, Navy fighter jock, explaining to a very alert 8 week old the physics of aerial dynamics while showing him how to fly with the model airplane of SARAH.

Harm looks up and sees Mac standing in the door way, his expression goes from serious adult to smile of a child that just got everything he wanted for Christmas “Mac look, he likes flying. When do you think I can take him up in SARAH?”