1600 EST
House Hunting

Harm watched Mac’s eyes grow large as they pulled up to the house.  Harm had hoped after two long months of house searching that this house would finally be the one that Mac had settled on. 

“I love it!” Mac whispered to him as he got out of the SUV.

“You haven’t seen the inside of the house yet.”

“I just feel it, I know this is the one.”  She stated.  She turned around to wake Mattie up.  She was just as exhausted as them.  This was the third house that they saw today.

“Mac, are we there yet?”

“Yeah sweetie.  I am so sorry for having to drag you into this house hunting spree.”

“Mac, don’t worry about it.  I didn’t have anything better planned.  Besides I am living here too at least for three more years.”

“You could live here longer if you wanted too.” Harm told his adopted daughter.

“Dad, jeez, cut the umbilical cord.”

“Hey, we just finalized the adoption papers, pardon me for wanting you a little longer than normal Matts.”

“I understand Dad.  Besides, it is not like the Annapolis is far away.  I will be back whenever I am allowed to be back to visit my siblings.”

“Good to know honey.”  He told her as they walked up to see the house.  The realtor handed them the keys and sat on the porch waiting for the family to look around.

The house was a seven years old with five rooms that could be used as bedrooms.  There was also a FROG which had a separate entrance, which would work great for Mattie being so much older than her siblings.

There was a tree that Harm could see building a tree house in for the kids and a pool that would be great for the summer.  The kitchen would be outfitted with all new appliances and had a hardwood floor that he loved. 

Walking up the stairs to the master bedroom he looked around the big room.  There was a sitting area that would be perfect for them when the babies came.  There was a huge walk-in closet that would keep their uniforms from constantly being smushed together.

Harm walked into the bathroom and found Mac sitting at the edge of the garden tub. 

“Honey, is there anything wrong?”

“No, I was walking when the pain in my back got to the point where I could barely stand it any more.”

“Pain in your back?  Why didn’t you say something before?”

“It was just a twinge of pain, and now it is a shooting pain.”  She tried to stand up, but the pain was just too unbearable.

He began to massage her back for her, which helped.  “HARM!”

“Are you okay?”

“I think my water just broke!”

“Okay, stay calm.”

“You stay calm, Harm it is too early.  The babies are going to come almost 5 weeks early!”

Harm saw the look of panic in her eyes.  “Mac, stop panicking.  We have to get you to a hospital now.”

Harm helped her up.  “Oh, when you see the realtor, make an offer on the house, I would really like to have this house considering this is the house I went into labor in.”

He smiled at her, “Of course honey.”  They found Mattie in the hallway. 

“Dad, what’s wrong with Mac?”

“She went into labor.”

“Cool.  Did you call Bethesda to let you know you are on the way?  Is her bag in the car?  Do you have the car seats ready to go?  Nevermind, I know how you two are.  I’ll go run and start the car, and tell the realtor that you want to talk about the house, but Mac is in labor.”

Mattie took the keys from Harm and dashed down the stairs.  “I’m glad at least she is thinking.” 

Harm scooped Mac up not letting her take the stairs down by herself.  The realtor was talking to Mattie and she handed Mattie her card. 

“Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Rabb.”

“Thank you.” Harm said as the realtor helped her into the back seat.

Mattie jumped in the front seat and called Bethesda to let them know that they were on the way.

1700 EST

Bethesda, MD

Harm pulled up to the emergency entrance and Mattie jumped out of the car.

“I need some help!” Mattie exclaimed.

“What do you need?” A nurse said coming up to her.

“My mom, Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie is in labor, out front.  My dad is helping her get out of the car.  She is pregnant with twins.  I already called ahead.”  Mattie told her.

The nurse grabbed a wheelchair and rushed outside.  Mattie waited while they brought her in and she saw the worried look on her father’s face.

“Dad, Mac is a Marine.  I am sure she can deal with this.  Women have been doing this since the beginning of homo sapiens.”  Mattie held Mac’s hand as they wheeled her into the maternity suite.  “Mom, don’t worry.  I’m sure in a couple of hours Dad will be running out here to tell me the names of my new siblings.”

“Why don’t you come in the room?” Mac asked her smiling.

“Are you and Dad sure?”

“Oh, I’m sure.”

“Cool.”  The nurse handed both Mattie and Harm a pair of scrubs and helped Mac get into a gown.  Mattie walked out into the hall waiting for her Dad.

“Are you okay Dad?”

“Yeah, nervous though.”

“Who wouldn’t be, you are getting ready to be a father for the first time?”

“No Mattie, not for the first time.  You are always going to be my little girl no matter what.  I made all my first mistakes with you.”

“I don’t think you made all that many mistakes.”  She answered him as she heard Mac scream.  Harm looked at Mattie.  “Dad go, I will call Gram and Gramps, Jen, Uncle Bud and Aunt Harriet can stop by the house and pick up Mom’s bag.”

“Calling her Mom now?”

“Yeah, that is what she is.  She’ll never replace my mom, but I don’t think Mom will mind if I call Mac mom.”

Harm left when he heard Mac scream again leaving Mattie to place the necessary calls.

2100 EST

“Why aren’t they here already?”

“Babies come on their own time Honey.”  Harm explained to her through clenched teeth.  “They just don’t want to leave the nice room you have for them.”

“Oh God Harm.  Our babies don’t even have a room of their own!”

“They will soon.”  Harm stroked Mac’s hair out of her face. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Mac said.  Her labor was progressing slowly.  She had moved over enough to let Harm sit on her bed.  He caressed her stomach.

“Did you ever think about what you wanted?”  She asked him.

“Two little girls that look like you.” He told her.  “What do you want?”

“I think we are having too little boys that are exactly like their Daddy.” Mac said.  “Mattie and I are going to be on our toes with them too.  I can already see soccer and karate practices in the future.  One in a Naval uniform, one in the marines.”

She kissed her husband on the lips.  The doctor walked into the room.  “Didn’t I tell you guys that is how you got into this situation in the first place?” He said chuckling.

“My parents never give it a rest.” Mattie said walking into the room, she had left an hour before to meet everyone in the waiting room.  “Dad, I’m hungry, I need money to eat.”

“Food sounds really good right now.”

“I’m sorry Colonel, you can’t have any food right now!”  He started to tell her as another contraction hit.  They were getting closer and closer now.  “You can have some ice chips though,” he said handing them to her.

“I DON’T WANT ICE CHIPS!” She said screaming through another painful contraction.  “WHAT I WANT IS SOME ICE TEA!”

Mac sat back and panted after the last contraction.  The doctor lifted up her gown.  “We are almost there Mac, you are at 9 centimeters.  After the babies are born you can have some ice tea.”

Mattie smiled at her mom, she knew better than to say no to food.  She forgot about her hunger as another contraction hit, this one more painful than the others.  The nurse looked at a read out.

Doctor Collins looked pleased.  “On the next one push!”  Mac didn’t have to be told twice.

Suddenly the fetal heart rate monitor went crazy as her contraction hit, the nurse whispered something to the doctor and placed an oxygen mask on Mac.  “What’s happening?!” Mac said.

“Mac, push!” Mac pushed with everything, and the doctor looked up. 

“Mac, don’t panic, but baby one’s umbilical cord is being cut off somehow.”  Warning bells went off in her head, baby Sarah.  The doctor didn’t seem to worry.  Another contraction hit.  “Push Mac.”   

Harm was holding her hand trying to mask his worry.  The baby came out.  “There we go.  You have a little boy!” The baby began to cry.

“Doctor what was happening with his cord?”

“The little tyke was holding on to it.  I have never seen anything quite like it.  Mac, are you ready to do it again.”

“I don’t think I can.”

Harm wiped the sweat from Mac’s face.  “Honey, you are the strongest person I know.  You have to do this!”

“I can’t.”

“Yes you can!  Now push Marine.” He told her as another contraction hit. 

Mattie walked over to where the nurse was working on her little brother. “He is so tiny!”

“You can tell your Mom that Baby A is doing fine.”

“Great.”

Mattie walked back.  “I just checked on the first rugrat and he is doing fine.  The nurse thought you would want to know.”

“You are being a great older sister Matts.” Harm said, helping Mac get up to push one last time.  Mac was getting exhausted but the last baby was delivered 5 minutes after its older brother. 

“You have another boy!” The doctor exclaimed. 

Harm gave Mac an ice chip and kissed her.  “You did it Sweetheart.  I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

“Well, what are these little guy’s names?”

Harm walked over and looked at his sons.  “The first one is Gabriel Dustin Rabb and the second one is Jakob Justin Rabb.”

The nurse brought the babies over and Mattie took a picture of her parents with the babies.  The nurse then took a picture of the family together, and then much to Harm’s distaste the babies were taken up to the NICU for monitoring.

“Harm, you have to go tell the everyone.  Then I want you to meet me in my room.”  Mac said looking completely exhausted.

He kissed the top of her head.  “I will come see you after I see the boys.”

Harm walked to the waiting room where he found everyone he knew and he was surprised when he found General Creswell and Admiral Chegwidden with Bud and Sturgis playing poker.

“Well since everyone is having such a jolly good time, I guess you don’t want to know about Mac or the twins.” He said getting ready to walk away.

“Oh, don’t you dare Commander.” The general said.  “How is the Colonel?”

“Great after giving birth.  Gabe and Jake are doing fine.  They were both 13 inches and around 4 lbs each.  Gabe gave us a scare holding on to his umbilical cord.  They are in the NICU right now if you want to go down and look at them.”  Harm and his parents walked up to the NICU together and he pointed them out while Mattie showed everyone the pictures she took with her digital camera.

He walked into Mac’s room a couple of minutes later walking up to the side of her bed.

She stirred when she heard him.

“Hiya Beautiful.”

“Hey there Handsome.  Did you bring me the ice tea I wanted?”

“You want that now?” Harm said in a soothing tone trying to pacify her.

“Commander I just gave birth to your children, but if you don’t want to bring me ice tea. . .” she started.

He looked at his watch praying that there would be a convenience store open that late for his fiancée’s beloved ice tea she was deprived of during her pregnancy.  “Oh no baby, if you want ice tea then you will get ice tea.”  He kissed her again and left the hospital on the quest for her beloved ice tea.