Author: mkim
Subject: What Babies Know - - - HBX May Challenge 06'

What Babies Know

Chapter 1/1

Disclaimers: I don’t own any of the JAG characters. I don’t own any product or label mentioned for the purposes of telling this story. Any similarities to situations or persons, living or dead are purely coincidental.

Spoilers: Any thing up to the episode, ‘Straits of Malacca’ in Season 10. This story is my way of making up for the measly 2 and a half minutes Harm got in this episode.

A/N: Assume, if you will, that they are all still acting like the JAG family they were, with that aggravating Vukovic thrown in.

A/N: This story is inspired by a thread by Theresa on the Harmy Board a couple of weeks ago; about what kind of father Harm might be with a new baby. I just thought he might get a little introduction from Nikki Roberts.



Rating K

1440

Saturday

February 26, 2005

Roberts Residence

Alexandria, Virginia


The Roberts home was full of guests, their closest friends, colleagues and family, all there to celebrate the arrival of their twins, Nicole and Nicholas. Bud heard the doorbell, yet again and made his way to the foyer to answer the door. It was the Commander, still in uniform, having just arrived home from completing his F/A18 quals aboard the Kennedy.

It was an odd contrast, seeing him standing at the door, in uniform holding a plush teddy bear in each arm. “Sorry I’m late Bud, I just got in from the Kennedy an hour ago.”

“Not a problem, sir. Its great to see you, come in.” Bud stepped back to allow Harm walk through the door.


At that same moment….

One of Bud and Harriet’s guests and relatively new arrival at JAG; Lieutenant Gregory Vukovic, decided to try to charm one of the guests of honor, as she peeked at him from over her mother’s shoulder.

“Hey, there’s a little heartbreaker.” Vukovic drawled at the baby, and then looked up at her mother; sure he could charm her as well. “She’s going to be a heartbreaker Mrs. Roberts; she’s a beauty, just like you.”

Harriet looked at him, a bit uncomfortable with his familiarity, since she had just met him, not 10 minutes ago. “Umm, thank you…Lieutenant?” She couldn’t remember his name.

“Gregory Vukovic.” He finished for her, answering her implied question.

Little Nikki, focusing her attention on him for the first time, drew back from him, looking at her mother in confusion. She gave Vukovic a wary look and suddenly the baby began to cry.

Vukovic, continuing to try to win the baby over, he tried to talk to her. “Hey… baby…its okay.” He patted her hand and she withdrew it. Then Nikki began doing what babies do, when they are in a situation they don’t especially like, she began to wail, loudly.

Harriet knew that the very forward young man was making things worse, not better. “I’d better take her in the other room, before she gets Nicholas started, excuse me.”

She took the baby into her sunny kitchen, pacing back and forth, trying to distract and comfort her. She had a houseful of guests and another baby that needed her attention. What would she do now? Bud would just have to take over, she had been hoping they could both enjoy this party, together.

Just then Bud walked into the kitchen, followed closely by the Commander. “Oh, hello sir, I’m so glad you made it.” She spoke over the din of the baby still crying over her shoulder. Bud was walking quickly toward her, reaching out for the baby, to relieve his wife.

Bud bounced the baby on his shoulder as she continued to cry. “Thanks, honey.” Harriet slipped out of the room to check on Nicholas.

Harm walked over to Bud, leaning in slightly and directing his gaze on the baby, “Hello Ms. Roberts.”

The baby abruptly stopped crying, looking up at Harm, completely fascinated. Harm began to talk to Bud. “She looks a lot like Harriet, Bud.”

“She really does.” He grinned at the Commander mischievously. “Seems to have her temperament too.”

Harm looked back at the baby and smiled. “Hey.”

The baby gave him her best smile, blinking at him, still completely captivated by the tall figure, standing near her father.


“I’d better get back out there Bud.” Harm was hoping he could catch Mac today, it seemed so long since the last time he’d seen her.

“I’ll be in; as soon as I’m sure she’s settled down. You haven’t met Nicholas yet, I’m sure Harriet has him in the living room.”

“I’ll find them.”

As Harm walked away, the baby started to pout and then she began to cry again. He started to open the kitchen door when Nikki began to wail, in earnest.

She was looking directly at Harm and her bereft expression drew him right back to her.
“What seems to be the problem Ms. Roberts?”

The baby was close enough to Harm to reach his sleeve. She closed her chubby little fingers on the material and pulled.

“I think she wants you, sir.” Bud looked up at Harm hopefully; the Commander seemed to be the only one that would calm her down. Bud didn’t know what had upset her so, but whatever it was had nearly made her inconsolable. He started to hand the baby to Harm.

“Me?” Harm looked unsure and very uncomfortable; he could count on one hand the number of babies he’d held, when they were this small.

‘Yes, sir. She won’t break sir.” Bud couldn’t help chuckling at Harm’s awkwardness with the baby, he continued, “and if she’s uncomfortable, as you can tell, she’ll let you know.”

Bud carefully placed Nikki on Harm’s shoulder. “There, you’re doing great.”

Harm patted her back and the baby heaved a heavy sigh and settled onto his shoulder.

“Sir, I have to get back out there, do you mind?” He was anxious to get out there and help Harriet, so stepping back he said. “You’re always telling me you owe me.” He raised his eyebrows, teasing his mentor. “So are we even now, sir?”

Harm looked at him through narrowed eyes, “Not even close Roberts, not even close.”

Bud opened the swinging door that led to their hallway as Mac caught a glimpse of Harm standing there holding Nikki. The picture of him like this, drew her in from where she had been standing, talking to General Creswell. She couldn’t keep from smiling. Harm’s imposing figure in uniform, completely focused on a little baby in pink. She had dreamt of him this way, so many times, it was a dream she’d never let go of, since their promise all those years ago.

She walked up to him, “Hey stranger, looks as though you’ve stolen another heart.” She looked at the baby’s downy blond curls and thought, ‘and she’s blond too.’

Harm grinned at her curiously. “Another heart?’

She ignored his question and directed her attention on the baby. “Hello, sweetie.” The baby smiled still holding onto Harm’s sleeve as she rested her head down on his shoulder, shyly. “What a little sweetheart.” The baby seemed crazy about Harm, she didn’t want to let him go.

Mac patted her back, and couldn’t resist brushing the tip of her finger over the baby’s round little cheek. Nikki let go of Harm’s sleeve and grasped her finger, before she had taken her hand away. Mac rested her hand on Harm’s shoulder as the baby continued to hold on, charming Mac, with her sweet smile.

Mac looked up at Harm, it felt so good to be this close to him, but this suddenly seemed so intimate, it made her uncomfortable. She wasn’t afraid he would see what she wasn’t sure she was ready to share.

She’d missed him over the past months; it seemed they were never in the same place at the same time. He’d called just before he left for the Kennedy but she’d missed his call by just minutes. When he looked into her eyes, she looked away from him and started to pull her fingers out of the baby’s grasp. The baby raised her head and looked at Harm and then back at Mac, she began to whimper.

Mac tried to comfort her, “Oh honey, its okay.”

Harm began to try to bounce her on his shoulder, “its okay little lady.” He patted her back and the baby still held onto his lapel on his uniform. She reached out to Mac beginning to cry a little more.

Harm frowned at Mac. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything.” She couldn’t keep the irritation out of her voice.

Nikki stopped whimpering and then looking at them both again she drew in a few choking sobs and then began crying again.

Harm and Mac were so touched by her sad little face, they directed their full attention on Nikki. Harm patted her back and Mac brushed her downy hair back. “I’m sorry little one.” Mac tried to soothe her and Nikki reached for her fingers again, grasping them in her little fist.

The baby drew a deep breath and then began to settle down.

Harm looked at Mac over the baby’s head. “I think she wants both of us.”

The baby’s eyes were becoming drowsy. Harm and Mac walked over to the window seat together and sat carefully down.

Just as they both got comfortable and Nikki began to relax onto Harm’s shoulder, Vukovic came into the room. “Hey, do you two need any help with my little heartbreaker?”

The baby raised her head, startled and with a panicked look on her face, she let out a piercing wail. Harm placed his hand protectively on the baby’s back, without a word, his expression told the lieutenant to get the hell out of there.

Vukovic started to back out of the room. Mac had gotten up to follow him back out the door, just to make sure he didn’t come back in. ‘Just trying to help, Mac.”

“Never mind, Vukovic, thanks for trying.” She barely looked at him and had closed the door in his face, returning to the still crying baby and Harm. She sat down beside him, turning toward him slightly, so that she could give the baby her hand. And when she did, as the baby had done before, she stopped crying almost immediately.

“That’s a good girl.” Harm patted her back, seemingly more confident in his ability to comfort her. The baby turned her head and nestled under Harm’s chin, while still grasping Mac’s fingers.

“You okay over there Mackenzie?” He knew sitting so that Nikki could hold onto her fingers couldn’t be very comfortable, though he had to admit, he liked having her hand on his shoulder.

“I’m fine.” Mac continued to look at him, seeming to study him, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

“What?” Harm whispered so that he wouldn’t wake Nikki.

“You’re going to make a wonderful Dad, Harm.”

“What makes you think so?” He grinned her, loving having her close to him. He had missed her.

“Because,” Nikki let out a contented little sigh and Mac’s smile grew wider.

“Because….babies know.”

FIN

A/N This story’s title came from a discussion I had with my sisters the other day. It seems to us that you can’t fool babies, or even dogs for that matter. They are guileless, for the most part, and seem to have a sixth sense about people. Nikki sure had Vukovic pegged in this story and she, like so many of us, had fallen love with Harm…at first sight.