Author: usmgrad
Subject: Promises HBX Challenge, Sept. 2008

Title - Promises HBX challenge, September 2008
Author - usmgrad



A/N - at lunch today I was listening to the radio and heard a commercial for Monte Cristo cigars. I immediately thought of Harm. The image of Harm smoking a cigar reminded me of a scene - Harm and Mac are sitting at a bar, Harm asks Mac if his drink bothered her and she replied no but his cigar did. Thinking of Harm and Mac lead me to wonder . . .? And I thought of this.

(A/N - I know smoking is not allowed in most buildings, but for the sake of this snippet pretend it's allowed)


"Harmon Rabb!" It was her drill sergeant 'don’t mess with me' voice.

"Yes ma'am." He couldn’t help it; his reaction was automatic.

"You promised."

Harm immediately knew he was in dangerous territory and needed to be very careful how he responded. He had learned very early in his marriage not to discuss anything without clarification as to what the specific topic was.

"Promised what?"

"No more cigars." She sounded very disappointed.

"Mac, I haven’t smoked a cigar in years."

Turning around Mac was holding a cigar in one hand and his uniform jacket in the other. "Then what is this?"

"That is an unsmoked cigar." Harm tried not to be smug, but she did ask.

Mac was not amused. "And how many were smoked before this unsmoked one ended up in your pocket? Your uniform reeks of cigar smoke."

Taking the cigar from Mac's hand and show her the cigar wrapper, Harm confidently explained. “You will notice counselor this is a 'Congratulation it’s a Boy' cigar. It was given to me by Lt. Commander Jenkins upon the birth of his son; born this morning at 9:05 am, weighing six pounds three ounces and measuring twenty inches long. Said cigar is one of many handed out this morning at an informal gathering in the break room. Many of the recipients took the opportunity to smoke their cigar thereby causing a residual cigar smoke odor to penetrate anything in the room, which included me. I, on the other hand, placed my cigar in my coat pocket as a reminder to tell you Lt. Commander Jenkins and wife had a boy."

Turing back around to the pile of dirty uniforms, Mac mumbled, “Oh, well I'm happy for them, but you Captain need to use this as a reminder to make sure you don’t make a promise you can’t keep.”

Over the baby monitor, the sounds of an infant waking from his nap could be heard.

"I never have yet."