A.N – Been a while since I wrote this and this just popped into my head so thought I'd give it a go, please let me know if it works or not. Set at AJ's fifth birthday, that magically year for Harm and Mac. Would this be their year?
Harriet finished clearing away the last of the paper plates from her son's fifth birthday party. The kids had a blast, the bounce house was a hit, the adults seemed to enjoy themselves, Bud didn't burn anything on the BBQ, her own children had behaved themselves, especially the twins. They were only little and weren't quite used to all the people and noise at their house but they were great, especially when Aunt Sarah and Uncle Harm took them on the bounce house.
She put the last bag in the garbage and scanned the yard. Bud was ushering Jimmy into the house under the surmise of a bath. Jimmy was objecting, loudly. Harriet could only laugh. She wondered where her eldest son, the birthday boy, had gotten to. She glanced around again and saw the hammock sway slightly in the breeze. She walked over and stopped at the sight in front of her. Harm and Mac lay entwined in each other's arms, her son snuggled in between his beloved godparents, all sound asleep. They looked like the perfect little family. She had an inkling that Harm and Mac had been together for a while but they had never come out and said anything. Now seeing them like this was her answer. She grabbed the camera quickly taking a few snaps of the slumbering trio before trying to extract her son to get him into bed. "Mommy." His sweet sleepy voice spoke.
"It's okay baby, time for bed." Harriet scooped him up as her friends snuggled even further into their embrace. 'Hopefully they'll work things out and have their own little family one day.' She thought to herself as she carried her son into the house.
An hour later Harm began to stir, he couldn't remember falling asleep, or for a moment where he was. Glancing around he recognised Harriet and Bud's yard and the smell of Sarah's perfume made him realise that she was in his arms. It took his foggy mind a few minutes to remember what had happened.
FLASHBACK
"Uncle Harm, have you seen Aunt Sarah?" Aj bounded up to his beloved uncle, who was standing talking with his daddy.
"Not recently AJ, lets go and find her shall we?" AJ grabbed Harm's hand as they set off across the yard looking for their favourite female.
They found sitting on the edge of the hammock rubbing her eyes. "Aunt Sarah, there you are, I've been looking EVERYWHERE for you." AJ told her in the way only a five year old could.
"I've been here for a few minutes AJ. Needed a little sit down after all the fun we've had." Sarah told him as she grabbed him pulled him onto the hammock with her. Harm climbed on to the hammock as well. They all lay together just listening to the summer evening sounds. "Well AJ, have you had a good birthday?" Sarah asked as the boy snuggled into her.
"Yeah I had a great party with all my friends from Kindergarten, but the best bit was having you and Uncle Harm here." He told her as he played with the buttons of her polo shirt.
Harm rested his arm over his godson and girlfriend. "Oh really, well maybe we'll need to make more time to spend with you, how does that sound buddy?"
"Great Uncle Harm." The blonde haired little boy gave his uncle a hug before turning back to the beautiful lady in front of him. "Aunt Sarah are you and Uncle Harm going to get married?" He asked innocently.
Mac smiled over at Harm. "AJ can you keep a secret?" The little boy nodded. "Uncle Harm asked me last night and I said yes, but we want to keep it a secret for just a bit longer. But now that you are five I think you are grown up enough to know a secret."
"Thank you Auntie Sarah, I'll keep it I promise. Can we stay here just a bit longer?"
"Sure baby, we can." She answered snuggling down with the two main men in her life. The glitter of the engagement ring hanging round her neck shone in the setting sun. They lay snuggled together before eyes slowly began closing, the excitement of the day taking it toll.
END FLASHBACK
Harm softly stroked Mac's cheek waking her from her slumber. "Time to wake up gorgeous."
"Why?" She asked sleepily.
"I need to get you home and into bed. Think the Roberts are all in bed by now." He softly laughed. The house before them was in darkness, though a small candle fluttered on the table near them. Harm extracted himself from the hammock and read it. "Harriet thanks us for all our help today and hopes that when we make it home we have a restful night's sleep. Guess lying here has let the cat out of the bag about our relationship."
"I'm guessing that by morning the bigger secret about it will be out. Not sure AJ will keep it much longer than that." She smiled as she stood beside him. Leaning into his chest she took in his scent before deciding they had better move.
"Lying with AJ was so nice tonight, I was thinking when we're married and have a home we need a hammock too." Mac looked at him. "I know it may not happen naturally for us but I'd love somewhere to snuggle with our child the same way we snuggled with AJ tonight."
Mac smiled softly up to him. "It's already happened naturally for us." She whispered. Harm looked down at her, mouth agape. "Not quite how I wanted to tell you but Harm, we're pregnant."
Harm's face lit up, he was going to be a daddy, he couldn't believe it. With Mac's medical condition they never thought it possible for it to happen naturally. He wrapped his fiancé into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "Is it bad that I want to shout it from the rooftops and wake the world." He whispered to her, hearing her giggle in response.
One Year Later
Harriet scanned the yard but knew exactly where to look for her eldest son. His sixth birthday had been a quiet family affair with his beloved JAG family. Walking towards the hammock she could hear her son's melodic voice. "Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are, Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky, Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are."
Harriet glanced over and saw a similar sight to the year before but instead of three people there were four, Harm and Mac lay with AJ and their baby daughter Imogen in between them. AJ was taken by his new little cousin and loved spending time with her. Even though she was too little to do anything.
"AJ, I think it's time to get ready for bed." Harriet told her son, receiving a pout as an answer. "It's been a long day big boy and you need all your energy if Daddy is going to take you to the skate park tomorrow."
"Okay mommy. Night Aunt Sarah." He leaned up giving Mac a kiss. "Night Uncle Harm." He leaned into his uncle for a hug. "Night Night Imogen." He leaned down to the little girl, who stared up at him with her big blue eyes. He whispered something in her ear before kissing her and gently getting off the hammock.
As they walked off Harriet asked her son what he told Imogen. "If I told you that mommy, it wouldn't be a secret. Imogen gets to keep my secrets now, since I got to keep Aunt Sarah's and Uncle Harms." Harriet could only laugh at her son. HE was certainly growing up to fast.
Harm and Mac stayed in the hammock for a little while longer until their daughter's eyes slowly closed. "Told you we needed on of these at home Mac." He whispered as Imogen burrowed further into her mothers embrace.
"Maybe we'll get one then." She said as she leaned up for kiss. What a difference a year makes, she thought. Married and with a gorgeous baby girl and friends who loved them like family. A girl couldn't ask for much more.