C2 Joys of Christmas -- The HarmyBoard Extras Fanfic

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Date Posted: 12:54:12 06/30/09 Tue
Author: fananicfan
Subject: C2 Joys of Christmas

CHAPTER TWO

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2007

RABB HOME
MASTER BEDROOM
0400

'What now?" This is what I wonder when I feel Mac shifting around, changing positions.

Emotionally weary from the events of the past two weeks and sated from our lovemaking, I fell asleep around midnight with her in my arms, her head resting on my chest.

A couple of hours later, I was awakened by Mac pulling from my embrace. Apparently, she'd been startled awake by the memory that we'd left dinner out and had felt compelled to get up and put everything away before she could go back to sleep.

I understood her point, but under the circumstances, I was willing to toss out this one dinner to stay in bed. However, I gave in and got up to help her clean up, thinking that, if we did it together, it would take half as long and we could get back to bed that much sooner.

I'm glad that I didn't put up much of a fight before getting up to help because, when we got back into bed, she rewarded my helpfulness by initiating another session of lovemaking.

Now, she's moving around, but her weight hasn't left the bed. Instead, she's changed positions. I feel her pressing against my side with her hands resting on my chest. She must be sitting up.

The eerie and unmistakable sensation that someone's watching me seeps into my state of semi-sleep, and I open my eyes to find that her hands that are resting on top of each other on my chest are serving as a resting place for her chin, and she's staring at me.

"Do you ever sleep?" I ask teasingly while staring into her eyes.

"I sleep so well when I sleep next to you that I don't need much of it to feel refreshed..." she purrs, pausing very briefly before adding excitedly, "...and with Mattie coming home today, who can sleep?"

Her enthusiasm for Mattie's homecoming for the holidays is rewarded with a smile from me.

"What time is it, anyway?" I ask.

A mischievous smile appears on her face before she asks, "Zulu, Eastern or Pacific?"

Giving her an eye roll, I reply, "This time zone will be fine ... show off."

"0402."

"Then I should get up and shower. I'm sure that Frank's back could use a break by now."

She lifts her chin slightly so that she can move her hands over my skin as she places one kiss and then another on my chest before purring, "Are you sure that you want to get out of bed this minute, sailor?"

I raise an eyebrow. "What did you have in mind, Marine?"

"Let's just say that I hope you bought the economy size box of condoms because I think we're going to need another one," she says with a girlish giggle between kisses that she's applying up my chest in a trail to my lips.

"So, are you saying that I'm good for more than just being your pillow?" I say jokingly.

The light banter that we're exchanging ends when she drops her body onto mine and hugs me tightly. Her words come in heartfelt emotional bursts of soft whispers. "You're more than my pillow, more than my friend or lover. In your arms is the only place where I've really ever felt safe ... safe to be just Sarah ... where I can talk or cry without fear. In your arms, I regain my strength. You ...." I hear her voice crack with emotion.

"It's strange to hear you say that I give you strength, because I get my strength from you." I stop to take in a breath of courage before making a confession as to why I believe the opposite to be true. "In the beginning of Ty's illness, when things were at their worst, I was thinking about being with you like this to the point that I was feeling guilty. I spent days sitting next to him, wondering what kind of father thinks about that kind of thing when his son is so sick, until one day I realized that it wasn't so much about making love to you as it was about the sense of peace and security that I feel when I'm with you - 'that everything will be okay ' feeling - even if the circumstances at hand seem to indicate otherwise. So, you see, I get my strength from having you with me."

She looks up into my eyes, and I can see the glistening of tears threatening to spill over.

"So the more pain, hurt or fear that we're feeling, the closer we want to be ... we need to hold onto our lifeline ... each other," she says with understanding.

I place my palm on her cheek and rub the pad of my thumb along her cheekbone.

"We strengthen each other," she adds softly, leaning into my touch.

"I love you," I say before gently easing her head to mine so that our lips touch for a tender kiss.

Our lips part, and she whispers, "And I love you." Then she places her mouth on mine in a much more passionate kiss.

When our lips part this time, I pull her to me, tucking my face into the crook of her neck. After placing a kiss on her neck, I whisper in her ear, "I think Frank can wait a little while longer." Then I nibble on her ear lobe, eliciting a low moan from her.

BALBOA NAVAL HOSPITAL
PEDIATRIC WARD
1536

Tyler has been improving every day and, even though he tires easily and needs to nap occasionally, he spends much of his day moving around the ward.

Frank was apologetic when I arrived this morning to take over for him because he hadn't called with the news, but he said that Tyler had made him promise that he wouldn't tell me so that Ty could surprise me with it when I got here.

The news is that Tyler's latest blood test results came in, and the numbers were good enough to move him one big step closer to getting out of the hospital.

After I heard that, I was going to call Mac, but Ty asked me to let him surprise his mom with the news when she comes later today with Mattie. I believe that Mac will understand the way I did how much telling her means to him, so I agreed not to call her.

Ty's excitement about sharing his news and Mattie coming today didn't fade, but in his weakened condition, he couldn't stay awake without a nap. He drifted off about thirty minutes after lunch, and I've been sitting at his bedside, watching him sleep peacefully since then.

I decide against going for a cup of coffee to stretch my legs. I don't like to leave his side while he's sleeping. Besides, I rationalize, Mac will be here soon with Mattie, and I don't want to miss her arrival.

I lean back and close my eyes. Maybe I'll try to take a nap while I wait for Tyler to either wake up and keep me company or for Mac to arrive with Mattie.

It took me a few minutes to relax and, when I was close to being asleep, I heard Ty whisper, "Dad, are you asleep?"

He was rested and wanted to play a card game.

1700

Having yawned frequently since Ty woke up about an hour ago, I decide that I'm in need of some coffee.

With Ty settled in the recreation area, watching a movie with two of the other children, I check with him to see if he's okay with me stepping out of the ward, perhaps even the building to stretch my legs, get some coffee and call Mac to see if Mattie's arrived safely.

After making me promise not to tell Mac his news when I call her, Ty says that he'll be fine, and I leave the ward.

I was disappointed that the Starbucks kiosk had closed at 1630, so I missed getting a great cup of coffee, but walking in the fresh air helped to clear my head, and I feel less groggy.

Since Mac didn't answer her cell phone either time that I called her in the last ten minutes and she left no message in my voice mail to explain her delay, I'm feeling some anxiety. The anxiousness giving me a rush of adrenaline, making coffee no longer necessary, I set out to return to the ward to sit with Ty, wondering where Mac is.

PEDIATRIC WARD
1715

I enter the ward and make my way over to the area where I left Ty, but he isn't there.

Knowing that he probably just got tired, I automatically head for his room.

When I arrive at the door to his room, I see that Mac and Mattie have arrived.

"If you were close enough to the hospital to have your phone off, I don't know how I could have missed seeing the two of you," I say as I enter the room.

"Harm!" Mattie says, making her way over to meet me.

"How have you been, kid?" I ask her as we embrace.

"I'm better now that I'm here," she replies as she breaks our brief hug.

"She told me that I'm not allowed to scare my big sister like this ever again," Ty pipes up, getting into the conversation.

"I'll second that! We don't want you to scare us like this ever again, either," Mac adds.

"Hey, Ty, did Momma notice anything different about you this evening?" I ask.

"Yes, I noticed that his IV is out. He told me that they took it out yesterday after I left and that he gets to take his antibiotic in pill form now," Mac replies.

"Did you tell her the best part?" I ask.

Ty shakes his head. "No, I was waiting for you."

"What's the best part?" Mac asks with excited curiosity.

"I'm definitely going to be home for Christmas," Ty says, matching her level of excitement.

"The doctor said that his release could happen as early as tomorrow, maybe Sunday, but he'll definitely be home for Christmas," I tell Mac and Mattie.

"I told the doctor that I wanted to get out tomorrow because that way I'd be home for Momma's French toast on Sunday morning..." Ty says happily. "...and Gee Gee said that she'd make cinnamon rolls when I got home," he adds.

"His appetite's back," I say with a chuckle.

"Always a good sign," Mac comments as she gives Ty a big hug.

Mac releases her hold on Ty before saying, "Whether it's tomorrow or Sunday, if you want French toast, we'll have French toast when you get home."

Her voice is cracking with emotion, and though I'm sure that she's happy about the news, I slip an arm around her for support.

She responds to my arm around her by placing her hand over mine that I have resting on her hip.

"My brother and I have a lot to talk about. Why don't you two go for a walk?" Mattie suggests.

Mac looks up at me. "I think we're being dismissed so that they can talk about us."

"I believe you're correct," I respond with a laugh.

We get an odd look from Mattie, but Ty looks excited at the prospect of having some time with his big sister, so, after Mac and I have each given Ty a hug and affirm that we'll be back in a little while, we leave the two of them to have their brother/sister talk.

BUILDING TWO
INSIDE ELEVATOR

Mac and I step onto the elevator, hand in hand, but it isn't until the doors close with only the two of us on board that I feel that we have the privacy to talk freely.

"I expected you here earlier. Was their flight delayed?"

"There wasn't a delay at the airport. I just found it hard to leave your grandmother with the responsibility of our children and Tom. You told me that Mattie said that he was doing okay, but he looks worse...a lot worse to me."

"Then how long should we give Mattie and Ty before we go back up?"

"Thirty minutes, tops," Mac replies.

"You're the timekeeper. You let me know when time's up, and we'll head back up there."

RABB HOME
MASTER BEDROOM
2300

As a couple, Mac and I needed last night, but the memory of our reunion is bittersweet tonight since she isn't here with me, making it very difficult to fall asleep. Consequently, that has allowed my mind to drift to a few of the events of this evening.

I left Mac at the hospital for the night shift and brought Mattie home with me.

Mattie and I talked in the car about school, Ty and Christmas, but I avoided mentioning Tom's health and the observation that Mac had made, and Mattie didn't bring up the topic either.

When we got home, the news that Ty might be home as early as tomorrow had everyone excited, and Abigail had wanted to know if he'd be able to come to her piano recital tomorrow night. Unfortunately, I couldn't give her a definite answer, but I told her that I'd ask his doctor if it would be all right if, in fact, Ty is released tomorrow and if he feels up to going.

After greeting me and getting the good news about their brother, the girls' attention turned to their big sister.

Mattie took on her position as big sister with vigor, not only entertaining the girls for most of the evening, but even going so far as to help with their bath and bedtime routine, which gave Tom and me some time to talk.

During my conversation with Tom, he broached the subject of his health. He said that he wasn't well, but doing better than the doctors had thought he'd be doing. However, he also confided that he hadn't told Mattie, but that the doctors had told him that, even though he was doing better than they'd expected, they didn't think that he had more than six months left to live.

After telling me about his health, much of the rest of our discussion revolved around him telling Mattie...or not. We did agree that, whether he told her, which I suggested, or didn't, his opinion, he shouldn't tell her during the holidays, allowing her to share in the joys of Christmas with all of her family together without the stark realization that this will probably be the last Christmas that he'll be with her.

My eyelids are finally heavy enough that I think that sleep is close, so I pull Mac's pillow to me, hugging it closely and allowing her scent to fill my nostrils, trying to fool my tired senses into believing that she's here, so that I can enter a state of deep, peaceful sleep.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2007

GRANT EVENT HALL
1512

It seems like a very long walk from the parking lot to the small building.

I wonder if my perception of the distance is warped because I'm carrying Tyler. Surely I'm not that out of shape after only a couple of weeks of putting my exercise routine on the back burner to take care of my family - maybe it's that I'm rushing because I know that I'm late.

I don't know if its vanity or the beginnings of a macho side of him, but Ty has a request as we approach the entrance to the hall.

"Dad, can you put me down so I can walk in? Please," he adds to his request.

Yes, he's eight - 'almost nine,' he'd say - and capable of walking, but he just got out of the hospital - literally. The doctor had waited on blood test results before issuing a discharge order for Ty. When his discharge became official, it was 1447. With Abigail's recital scheduled to start at 1500, we immediately left the hospital for the recital hall.

I fight my initial reaction to say no. "Sure, but only in and out of the building. I'm going to carry you back to the car, too, because I don't want you to get too tired," I reply to his request, and I'm rewarded with a pleased smile.

Ty's hand in mine, we walk into the hall, trying to be as quiet as possible and hoping that, with several young pianists scheduled to perform, we haven't missed Abigail's performance.

Though I'm sure that there are others, I see a few heads turn to observe the parent or guest who's arrived late.

Mac is among those I see turning to look at me, but instead of the glare that I'm sure that I'm getting from the parents of the boy who's at the piano at the moment, Mac has a smile for us before turning around and sliding over a seat to give me the seat on the aisle.

We make our way to the correct row, and Mac takes Ty's hand and guides him around her to take the seat on the other side of her as I slip down into the vacated chair as quickly as I can, trying to keep our interruption to a minimum.

A FEW MOMENTS LATER

The young man concludes his performance, and the audience applauds until Abigail's piano teacher steps up to introduce the next performer.

"Please welcome our next pianist, Abigail Rabb."

Abigail then comes out from behind the curtain.

I'm filled with pride as I see my picture-perfect little girl. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail tied with a red ribbon, and her dress is white on top with a red ruffled skirt. As she walks across the stage to stand by her teacher, her shiny black patent leather shoes gleam in the stage lights.

Abigail's teacher motions for Abigail to take a seat at the piano, but she doesn't move from her spot. She just stands there and stares out into the audience.

"Abigail is a new student of mine. She's never played in front of an audience before, so let's give her a minute," the teacher says before bending over and speaking quietly to Abigail.

Concern that Abigail won't be able to overcome her shyness to perform starts to take hold of me. I start to get up to tell her that she doesn't have to play, but when Abigail sees me, she smiles and waves at me before she moves to sit down on the piano bench.

I wave back to let her know that I see her, too, as I ease back down into my chair to listen to my daughter play the two songs that she's been practicing at home.

I've just settled into the chair when Mac leans over and whispers into my ear, "She didn't want to play until her daddy was here to hear it."

I glance at Mac and give her a half-grin before turning back to focus on my little girl just a moment before the music begins to fill the room.

A few bars into the song, I'm thinking, 'I may be just a proud dad, but she plays beautifully.'

As I listen to every note as she plays through both songs without even one mistake, I wonder how I came to be so lucky to have a daughter who's so talented.

When she completes her second song, I applaud enthusiastically until she’s left the stage. Then I lean over and whisper to Mac, “I wish I would’ve thought to bring her flowers to give her at the end of her performance.” Mac gives me an odd look, which I take to mean that she doesn’t relate the flowers to the occasion. “In a ‘Live from Lincoln Center’ special on PBS once, I saw them give Beverly Sills flowers at the end of her performance,” I explain.

The smile across her face tells me that I misread her earlier expression. She wasn’t confused. She was amused by my prideful reaction to my daughter’s performance.

Counting the boy who was at the piano when I arrived, I’ve watched five children play before the teacher appears, not to announce the next performer, but to ask all of the children who performed today to join her on the stage.

The children come from behind the curtain and line up on either side of her.

“That concludes our program. I think the children all did a wonderful job.” Her comment results in the audience giving the children another round of applause while the children take what I suspect is a rehearsed bow on stage.

“Thank you all for coming and have a safe and Merry Christmas,” she says after the applause dies down.

It takes only a few moments for Abigail to make her way off stage to us.

“Harm, you weren’t here when I had to go backstage. I didn’t think you were coming,” Abigail says.

I bend down to her level. “I’m sorry that I was late, but I was with your brother. I wanted to be here earlier to wish you luck…but you didn’t need it. You did a wonderful job. I’m very proud of you,” I say with a big smile.

“You liked the recital?” Abigail asks me.

“I sure did.” I lean in closer to her. “I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but I enjoyed your performance the most. I thought you played beautifully.”

She smiles at my compliment, and not just any old smile, but a happy, ‘feel good’ smile that lights up the room.

Overtaken by the moment, I don’t wait for her to make a move before I wrap my arms around her, giving her a loving hug.

She doesn’t pull away. Instead, she reacts by wrapping her arms around my neck and reciprocating my show of affection. I think Mac could be right. I might be winning her over.

“I thought you played pretty, too,” Ty says from bedside me.

“We all do,” Mac says as Abigail pulls from my embrace to greet her brother before all the other family members get their turn to praise Abigail’s performance.

MASTER BEDROOM
2205

"I fed Matthew and stayed with him until he was asleep," Mac says, entering the bedroom. "I checked on the other children, too. Everyone is asleep."

"Everyone but us ... however, we could change that," I say, closing the book that I was reading.

"We could?" She responds in question form while I'm putting my book on my bedside table.

"Yes, you could slip into this bed..." I say while lifting up and turning back the comforter on her side. "...and we could snuggle up and fall asleep together."

"Together," she says, raising an eyebrow as she unties her robe.

"Yes, just you and me, what do you say?"

"I'd love to," she says as she sheds her robe.

Then she slips into bed while I move to turn off my bedside lamp.

Once I've settled back against the mattress and my pillow, she snuggles against me, her head resting on my chest.

"This is nice," she says softly.

"Yes, it is. You know, I was starting to wonder if things would ever get back to normal around here."

"But now our son is home, he's doing well -"

I cut her off and finish her thought by saying, "- and we're in our bed...together."

"Yes, together," she says, her words muffled by a yawn.

"Thursday night was wonderful, but I've missed just being with you like this, too," I admit.

"Me, too," she says in a sleepy voice.

"Good night, Mac."

"Good night, Harm."

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Replies:

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What a great installment. Inside so not to spoil -- Christa, 15:11:07 06/30/09 Tue [1]

Glad to see Ty home and that he was able to go to the recital. How cute that Abigail didn't want to play til Harm got there. Wonder if she'll finally call him daddy for Christmas. What a great present that would be! Thanks for continuing Harm and Mac's reunion...how special their love is and how well you continue to write us such a wonderful Rabb family.

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[> I agree with all of Christa's comments! Big ditto! Looking forward to the next part of their Christmas celebration! -- judy52sa, 16:22:22 06/30/09 Tue [1]

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Perfect and I love Christmas in July!! -- Can sheshe, 19:29:00 06/30/09 Tue [1]

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[> [> Whoops, that should be "Christmas in June not July" although it is July in some parts of the world! -- Can sheshe, 20:22:50 06/30/09 Tue [1]

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[> Great as always! Thanks for sharing. -- cd, 19:39:50 06/30/09 Tue [1]

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[> This was such a great chapter! I loved every bit of it. Can't wait for more! -- Ella, 22:50:07 06/30/09 Tue [1]

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