Author: usmgrad
Subject: Separations, Spies and a Dog - HBX Challenge December 2008

Title - Separations, Spies and a Dog - HBX Challenge December 2008

Author - usmgrad

Challenge Lines:

You look tired.
So do you.

Body Talk

A/N - you have to imagine it's early December


In the eight months after being reassigned so they could date officially, Harm and Mac were lucky to not be separated for more than a few nights due to TAD assignments. However the judge advocate gods didn't look as happily on their union as they did their dating. In the three months since their wedding, not counting their honeymoon, Harm and Mac had been in the same city at the same time a total of 65 days. Unfortunately it was Harm doing most of the traveling. After the last TAD, they decided it was time to challenge the powers that be. Emails and phone calls weren't cutting it. So they took matters into their own hands and added web cams to their 'must pack' list. If they couldn’t be in the same time zone at least they could still see each other occasionally.

Currently Harm was on assignment. He'd been gone for a week and Christmas was just around the corner. Even though they had spent Christmases apart and together in their ten year history this one was suppose to one of those together holidays. Unfortunately it was looking more and more like it was going to be another one in the apart column.

It was early Saturday afternoon (Mac's time), late evening (Harm's time), the agreed upon time for their daily web cam call.


"Well hello sweet thing ... hey you looked tired, are you okay?"

"Gee you really know how sweet talk a girl and so do you by the way."

"I'm working 28 hours a day, eight days a week in a battle zone what's your excuse?"

"Not sleeping very well, my bed is lonely."

"Don't take this the wrong way but I'm glad it's lonely."

"It wouldn't be if you were home."

"I'll mention that to the General in my next update - need to return home to keep my wife company."

"Never mind, maybe I'll get a dog."

"Seriously Mac you need to take care of yourself."

Mac wasn't about to listen, again, to the "take care of yourself" speech. She had already heard it enough from her co-workers, whom she was sure, had emailed Harm. So she quickly changed the subject. "I don't suppose you'll be coming home any time soon - like for Christmas?"

"Not looking too good right now, but you never know it's still a week away. If I don't get there . . ."

"Let's just wait and see."

"Mac, if I don't make it in time will you go . . ."

"I'll wait for you and we can . . ."

"Mac . . . "

"Don’t Mac me, you know I will without you asking. Can we please talk about something else?" She really didn’t want to think about Christmas without Harm.

Harm was about to tell her about running into Gunny when something off screen distracted him.

"Sorry about that."

"You're working too hard."

"I'm only doing my job, just like everyone else here. It got cold here last night, was looking for something warm to wear, thought I remembered putting my Navy sweatshirt in my bag when I was packing." Two could play the game of let's change the subject.

"You couldn’t find it?"

"Wasn't in my bag. You don't know anything about it do you?"

"I can't imagine where it might be."

"You might want to rethink that last statement counselor."

"Why?"

"Maybe because you're wearing my missing sweatshirt."

Looking at what she had on, "oh well what do you know look at that."

A hand mysteriously entered the picture, handing Harm a piece of paper, which Harm quickly read and nodded to whoever handed it to him.

"I'm sorry Mac I have to go, seems they can't run this place without me."

"I'm having the same problem. Will you try and call back later?"

"Doesn't look too promising, I'll try again tomorrow, same time okay?"

"I guess it's the best I'm going to get, see you tomorrow."

"Bye."

And just like that he was gone.



A week later, Christmas Eve, Mac having been to the wall, by herself, was now home snuggled in bed. She's not alone for long.

"You can't stay; my husband will be home soon."

"I thought he was overseas."

"He's going to surprise me by coming home tonight."

"If it's a surprise, how do you know?"

"Spies. I know his every move." She shifted in the bed, "Hey your feet are cold!"

He welcomed her advances, "Cold feet, warm heart."

"That's cold hands, warm heart." She moved again, "Hey watch that."

"Sorry my hands are cold too."

"How did you get here, Santa's sleigh?"

"I thought you knew my every move?"

"My spies must be slipping. Anyhow, they're not allowed in here, I am on my own."

"Not anymore sweet thing, I don’t plan on moving from this spot for the next 48 hours."

Mac rolled away, "Is that all? It's almost not worth it."

Her bed partner rolled her back and kissed her, "We'll see."

After a few moments of 'lets get reacquainted' Harm abruptly stopped, "Uh Mac, there's someone on the bed."

Mac reluctantly paused for a moment, "I realize it's been a long time but yes, that would be you and me." She then returned to that spot on Harm's neck she missed so much.

He stopped her again, "Beside us, something is on my feet."

Mac paused, thought for a moment then - "Oh, that's Charlie," - she pickup where she left off.

Harm was now totally distracted, "Charlie, who's Charlie?"

(in between kisses) "Our dog."

Lifting up slightly to look at the foot of the bed, "You got a dog?"

"I told you I was going to get a dog to keep me company."

"You got a dog?"

"You're on his side of the bed." Mac tried to resume where she left off, but she was having a difficult time, her husband was not cooperating. Mac knew Harm might suffer from jet lag but really thought she could 'talk him' out of it. So far it wasn't working, she'd have to try something else.

"You got a dog?"

"He's a smart dog." (kiss) "He's house broken" (kiss) "Doesn't like to chew on shoes" (kiss), "at least not my shoes" (kiss) "and is a very good guard dog."

Mac laughed as she remembered, "the other day he wouldn't let Bud in until I said it was alright."

Hoping to encourage her husband to return his attention to her, Mac let her hands do some wandering in addition to her lips. That did the trick; Harm was beginning to get ideas of his own - when -

"Besides he'll be a good companion when the baby arrives."

Harm froze, "Baby?"

Mac continued with the explanation and the kisses. "That's what the doctor said."

"You're pregnant?"

Mac finally came up for air and faced a shocked husband.

"It's all your fault - you said I looked tired and needed to take care of myself so I went in for a check up. Turns out being alone wasn't my problem, it was your child causing me to have indigestion which was keeping me awake."

"You're pregnant?"

"Yes Harm, we are pregnant."

"You got a dog and you're pregnant?"

"We've already covered that Harm, you really need to keep up, or maybe you need to not be gone so much."

"Well I was here at some point in time in the last month."

"Yes you were and if you would cooperate I was hoping to recreate that moment."

In all seriousness, Harm placed his hands on either side of Mac's face so she wouldn't move and he could talk to her without interruption. "Are you alright?"

Mac patted his hands, "I'm fine, the baby's fine, just a little morning sickness that should disappear in a few weeks."

Harm relaxed, trying to take it all in. Mac tried again to get her husband in the mood, without much success.

"Harm, you're not helping."

"There's a dog on the bed."

"Charlie, down."

Charlie jumped off the bed and left the room.

"Where'd he go?"

"Does it really matter? He's gone, you're here, I'm here and we have nothing to do for the next 48 hours."

"You're right, but I'm talking to the general I need to be home more."