For Challenge #9

Using at least 4 of the following lines (Lace managed to use all 8!):

Line 1:  Quit holding out                           Line 5: I don't wanna shout

Line 2:  A nuclear error -                          Line 6:  An' you know what they said?

Line 3:  Forget it, brother                          Line 7:  London calling -

Line 4:  Well, some of it was true!             Line 8: Except for that one with the yellowy eyes

 Choosing Orders

by Lace 

Mac studied her son's concentrated expression.  He was on the floor playing with his toys.  She hated to break up the fun, but they were expecting guests for dinner in fifteen minutes and the living room floor was covered in toys.

“Matt, it's time to pick up your toys and put them away.”  She put her youngest son, Ben, down beside Matt.  “Ben will help.”

Matt looked up from his toys and studied his mother.  “Is that an order?”

Mac looked at her son with confusion.  “Excuse me?”

“What are you sorry about?  Did you do something wrong?” Matt asked his mom.

Mac shook her head in amusement.  “No, it was an ‘excuse me, I don't understand what you mean.’”

“Okay, what didn't you understand then?” Matt continued what he'd been doing, still not making a move to do what his mother had told him to.

“You asked me if I was giving you an order,” Mac reminded her son.

“Yeah, Dad says that when he gives an order, I have to obey, so I figured if it wasn't an order I could keep playing,” Matt said in a smart tone.

Mac smiled.  “When your dad gives an order, you have to obey, but when Mommy asks you to do something, you have to do it without asking questions.”

Matt wrinkled his forehead.  “Why?”

“Because Mommy's the boss.”  Mac bent down and kissed her son's forehead.  “Now, get this mess off the floor little man or ...”  She let the threat hang.

“Or what?” Matt stood and searched his mother's amused face.

“Or you'll get to experience Mommy's wrath.”  She ruffled her son's head.  “And you don't want that; just ask your dad.”

Matt hesitated, a thoughtful expression on his face.  “Okay, I'll put my stuff away.”

“Good boy.”  Mac smiled.

She heard steps behind her and turned.  She saw her husband coming down the stairs from the second floor.

“Did you check on dinner?” he asked with worry.

She rolled her eyes.  “Yes, I did.  I may not be as good a cook as you, but I can make sure that nothing is burning.”

“I just remember that time ...”

“Don't even go there, Harm,” she warned teasingly.  “That was two years ago.”

“It was Thanksgiving dinner.”  Harm walked to the kitchen, laughing softly as he remembered.

“It was a burned sauce, not a nuclear error.”  Mac followed him.  “So, who was on the phone?”

Harm hesitated.  “It was London calling.”

Mac pinched his arm.  “Quit holding out on me; I want to know what's going on.”

“Ouch, Mac.”  He rubbed his sore arm.  “It was nothing big, just Captain Carter telling me that he was getting the promotion and he'd be taking over a position at the Pentagon.”

“And?” Mac wanted to pinch her husband once more for being such a slow teller.

“He'd heard that I was on the list for promotion, and someone had mentioned that I would probably be taking over his command.”  He shrugged.  “But nothing is official, so don't worry about it yet.”

“Worry?  Why would I worry?  I could like London.”  Mac studied her husband’s concerned facial expression.  “What's up?”

“We have a life here.”  He walked over to the oven and opened it.  “Looks good.”

“We can have a life there,” Mac reminded him.

He closed the oven and focused on her.  “The kids have their friends here.  We have our friends here.  And what about your career?”

“I'm sure they'll give me something to do there,” she pointed out.

“Yeah, but I'm just not sure it's the right thing for us.”  He leaned towards the counter and crossed his arms over his chest.  “I've had a long, fulfilling career, Mac.  Maybe it's time I searched for something with a little more stability.  For the kids.  If you haven't noticed, they're not getting any smaller.”

“You want to give up the Navy?”  Mac wasn't sure she had understood him right.

“Yes, I'm seriously considering it.  Last month I was home for ten days, and on those ten days I worked between 0700 and 1900 almost every day.  I missed Matt's birthday this year.  And how many soccer matches have I missed, huh?  And what about Ben?  He started walking while I was away.”  He let his hands drop by his sides and let out a frustrated sound.  “And I haven't been around much for you either.”

“Harm, you're a great dad. And a great husband.”  She stepped closer to him and took his hand. “And if you had your own command, you'd be in the same place more.”

“But the hours will be longer.”  He smiled and pulled her close.  “Wouldn't it be great if I was home more?”

“Yeah, it would,” she admitted.

“And I think it's time I'm the one who gives up something for this family.”  He put his hand on her cheek and ran his thumb over her mouth.  “You gave up JAG for us, and you've given up a lot by taking on a desk job instead of being out in the field to work on cases.”

She let her cheek rest in his hand.  “It hasn't been a sacrifice, Harm.  I love my life.”

He kissed her sweetly.  “I love you.”

“I love you more.”  She deepened the kiss.

“Mommy?”

“Forget it, brother, they're not listening.” Matt said to his younger sibling.

“Mommy!” Ben yelled.

Mac broke away from her husband and focused on her youngest son's sad little face. “What's up, baby?”

“He fell down, and, as always, he has to be a baby and cry about it.”  Matt patted Ben's head.  “So, when's dinner?”

Mac bent down to pick up her youngest son.  “Hey, little man, let's get you changed before our guests arrive.”

“Dinner's ready now, but we can't eat until everyone's here,” Harm answered Matt's question.

Matt nodded.  “Okay.”  Then he studied his father thoughtfully.  “So, Dad, have you experienced Mommy's wrath?”

Harm studied his son with confusion.  “Her wrath?”

“Yeah.”  Matt shrugged.  “She said that I'd get to experience it if I didn't put away my stuff.”

Harm laughed softly.  “It's best to do what Mommy says.”

“I guess,” Matt agreed.

Later

The master bedroom

Mac finished up in the bathroom and walked into the bedroom.  Harm was already in bed, looking like he was asleep.

She dropped down on the bed.  “Are you asleep?”

“Nah, just resting my eyes.”  He opened his eyes and looked at her.  “But now, I want to rest them on you.”  He smiled flirtingly.

“Smooth, Rabb.”  She smiled and moved closer to him.  “So, what is this about Matt having to obey orders?”

“Ah, so he told you about that?  I don't wanna shout, so we sat down and talked about how important it is to follow orders.  He's starting to push the rules a bit, and I'd like him to set a good example for Ben.”  He wrapped his arms around his wife in a tight embrace.  “I heard you threatened to show your wrath today?”

Mac laughed softly.  “As you said, he's testing the rules lately.”

“But he's a good kid,” Harm said proudly.  “And he's the best player on his soccer team. Except for that one with the yellowy eyes; he's pretty good too.”

Mac poked her husband's stomach.  “Typical men.  They are five; it's not about being best, but about learning team spirit and having fun.”

“Yeah, yeah, that's what they tell the worst players so they don't feel bad,” he teased.

“You are terrible.”  Mac ran a finger down his chest.  “But I asked your mom and grandma about you as a child, an' you know what they said?”

He looked worried, before he shrugged it off.  “You shouldn't listen to them; they're just making stuff up.”

Mac chuckled. “Oh, I don't know about that.”

“So, what did they say?” he asked curiously.

“That you never listened, you ignored the rules, and you always got into trouble.”  She laughed softly as she noticed how his facial expression went from curious to shock.

“What?  That's not true,” he argued.  “My grandma always told me that I was good boy.”

“Well, maybe, but some of it was true!” Mac continued.  “Like that time your mom told you to clean your room and you shuffled all your toys under the bed.  Or that time you hid your mother's dress, so that she wouldn't go out on a date.”

“I didn't want her to date Frank; I was still waiting for my dad to come home.”  Harm gave her a pout.  “Some would say it was a cute thing to do.”

Mac ruffled his hair.  “Okay, so maybe it was a little cute.”

He leaned in and kissed her.  “I've decided to retire,” he said as they ended the kiss.

“Harm ...”

“Before you say anything, you should know that this is what I really want.”  He smiled and kissed her softly.  “Trust me.”

“I do trust you.”  She looked into his eyes.  “And I support you.”

“Thank you.”  He kissed her again.  “Now that we have decided that, let's do something fun.”  He started kissing down her neck.

She laughed softly and closed her eyes.  “That's good, Harm.”

The End