For Challenge #2
Using the lines:
- I'm just trying to make some sense out of these girls
- I'm just waiting on a friend
- Remember what I said
- I'm not waiting on a lady
A/N - I started it when the challenge was first posted but it took me forever to work in the last line. I know that not everyone liked the Mattie story line, but once you got over the impossibility of it I thought it had many possibilities. Here’s one that I would like to have seen.
Setting - Spring, season 9 - Mattie is getting settled in at Harm's.
Teenagers
by usmgrad
It was early evening and Harm was busy in the kitchen fixing dinner, something he hadn't been able to do for the past few days due to long court sessions and Mattie's practice schedule. As he chopped the vegetables for stir fry he was amazed at how much he missed cooking and how much he was enjoying ‘fatherhood.’
Unannounced, as all teenagers, Harm was learning, entered a room, his ‘daughter’ swooped in and immediately stuck her head in the refrigerator. Harm was about to say something about spoiling her dinner but stopped when she surfaced from the icebox with a bottle of water. She dramatically plopped down on a bar stool, opened the water, and drank as if she had been in the desert without water for the last two days. Harm stared. There were some things he still couldn't figure out about teenagers.
Finally coming up for air, Mattie asked, "Harm you like me, right?"
She looked so innocent; Harm knew something was up. "Yes, Mattie, what do you want?"
"Who says I want anything?" There was that innocent look again.
Harm stopped what he was doing. "I didn’t fall off the turnip truck yesterday, Matilda. In my limited experience as a parent, when a teenager starts asking if they are liked, it's because they want something. When the unsuspecting parent agrees that the teenager is well liked the next thing out of said teenager’s mouth is 'if you liked me, you would let me' . . . So what do you want?"
Mattie smiled, "Have a few friends spend the night Friday."
Harm returned to cooking dinner, "Female friends?"
"Can I have male friends spend the night?" Mattie smiled got bigger; she loved to yank his chain.
"No!" Why did he open that door?
Mattie pretended to be disappointed. "Yes, female friends."
"How many?" Harm wasn’t really sure he was up to watching too many teenagers; there was only so much giggling a Naval Commander could take.
"How many can I have?" She really had the sweet and innocent thing down pat.
"Three."
"How about five?"
"How about three?" His stare could only be interpreted as ‘quit while you’re behind.’
So much for step one, on to step two. "Okay, three. Can we go out for pizza and pick up some movies?"
"Who's paying?" Harm was getting all the cards on the table since this was apparently going to happen.
"You, because you're so sweet and you really, really like me and want me to have a good time with my new friends."
Harm repeated back to her what she had said, this time in plain English, "Me, because you’ve spent all your allowance.”
“Well . . .”
“On one condition." Time to gain a foot hold in these negotiations.
"What?"
"Next week you work off the ADVANCE on your allowance by cooking dinner, and Sunday you wash my car."
"I get to pick the menus and take the car to the car wash."
"I get to check the menus and the car gets washed where it's parked, the keys stay in my pocket."
"But Harm . . ."
"You could always spend Friday evening reviewing Geometry and working on your term paper."
Mattie, seeing the negotiations were over, gave in … almost. "Okay, you win, but I get to pick the movies and the pizza."
"I have veto power over the movies, and no pizza that will make anyone sick later. Go wash your hands, dinner's ready."
Harm shook his head as Mattie headed to the sink to wash up. She was getting better at negotiating; he had better watch his step or she'll out-bargain him next time.
As they sat down to eat, Harm wondered if he should see about reinforcements for Friday night; four against one didn’t sound like very good odds.
The next day, Harm tried all day to catch a certain Marine Lieutenant Colonel. First she was in court; then she was out of the office. It wasn’t until after-hours when he finally caught up with her. He knew her regular schedule was to work out on Wednesday evenings at a local gym, so he waited for her outside by her car. He figured she had to come out and go home eventually. Lucky for him, Mattie was having dinner at a friend’s and working on a science project.
“Nice evening.” Harm apparently wasn’t the only one waiting on someone.
“Yes.” He tried to be polite but really didn’t want to enter a conversation with a stranger; he just wanted to talk to Mac, maybe take her to dinner.
Pointing to the poster on the gym, ‘Ladies night,’ the stranger continued. “You waiting on your old lady?”
Harm was annoyed, but smiled as he saw Mac leave the building. “No, I’m not waiting on a lady; I’m waiting on that,” he pointed to Mac, “Marine Lieutenant Colonel.”
“Marine, huh? They didn’t look like that when I was in the service.”
Harm didn’t hear the last comment, his attention focused entirely on Mac.
She was surprised to see him. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Well marine, have I got a deal for you . . .”
Friday evening
Harm was standing in the hall outside his apartment ready to take the girls to the video store and pick up the pizza, but they were still no shows. However, giggling could be heard coming from Mattie’s and Jen’s apartment. Mac exited Harm’s apartment just in time to see him check his watch and then look down the hall toward said apartment.
"Harm, what are you doing?"
"I'm just trying to make some sense out of these girls,” he said, pointing down the hall. “All they're doing is giggling. I thought we were going to get the pizza and movies."
Mac listened for a moment, stood back, and replied, "We are; you'd better look out, because in about 3 seconds they are going to open that door and come charging down the hall."
The door opened, and three teenagers hurried by with Mattie bringing up the rear. Harm froze, wishing he hadn’t agreed so quickly to the evening’s activities. As she passed him Mattie said, "Hey Harm, get the lead out were hungry.”
He still hadn’t moved as they got to the elevator, so she enlisted Mac’s help. “Hey Mac, can you get him to move any faster?"
Mac smiled and took Harm by the arm, pulling him into the elevator, "See I told you."
Harm just shook his head; it was going to be a long night.
First stop, the video store.
"Can I help you, sir?" The store clerk was friendly enough, but all Harm wanted to do was keep the group moving. They had already been there twenty minutes and hadn’t picked anything out. At least now Mac was helping; she was getting hungry and they still had to pick up the pizza.
Harm shook his head and pointed. "No, I'm just waiting on a friend and that pack of teenagers."
The clerk smiled, "You're outnumbered."
"Yes, I am." Harm agreed.
The girls finally made their choices, which Harm very discreetly approved. As they headed toward the door the clerk wished Harm good luck.
Harm turned, smiled, and said, "Thanks. I'm going to need it before the night is over."
Second stop, the pizza parlor.
Who knew four girls couldn’t agree on what type of pizza to get? Of course, the fact that the person taking the order was a very cute male (in Mattie’s words) had nothing to do with it. Harm had placed his and Mac’s order (half and half) before the girls even looked at the menu. Now he was sitting at a table enjoying his coke while Mac hurried the girls.
Finally sitting down, Mac sighed, “I forgot what it was like to be fifteen on a Friday night.”
“What is it they think they are doing?” Harm apparently had much to learn about teenagers.
“Being girls; it’s all harmless.”
“But how do you know when it’s no longer harmless and something to worry about?” He was serious.
Mac eased his mind, “Harm, Mattie has a good head on her shoulders. Just do what you have been doing, talk to her, keep the lines of communication open.”
“When did you learn so much about teenagers?”
“It’s things you learn when you mentor a child. I think our pizzas are finally ready. You go get the pizzas; I’ll get the girls and meet you at the door.”
Finally back at the apartment.
“Thanks Harm, Mac, we'll see you later.” Mattie brought up the rear as the girls headed to Mattie’s and Jen’s apartment.
“Yah, thanks Commander Rabb, Colonel McKenzie. We'll see you in the morning.”
“Mattie, remember what I said.”
“I remember.”
“I'm serious, Mattie.”
“I know. See you in the morning.”
The girls disappeared down the hall into the apartment and closed the door. Harm and Mac finally entered Harm's apartment.
“What did you tell her?” Mac’s curiosity has gotten the better of her.
“What?” Harm was busy putting the left over pizza away, knowing full well there would be a midnight raid of the refrigerator.
Pointing toward Mattie’s apartment, Mac stated, “You just told Mattie, ‘remember what I said.’ What did you say?”
“I just reminded her that the curfew was midnight.”
“Curfew?” That was interesting; they were already in for the night, why did they need a curfew?
“Lights out and no noise that I can hear.”
Mac smiled, “And if they break curfew?”
“They all get to discover the world of the 5:00 am morning run.”
Mac laughed, maybe he was getting the hang of being a dad after all. “You're a cruel man, Harmon Rabb.”
“Don’t I know it. You want to stick around and see if they break curfew?”
“Why, Harmon Rabb, are you asking me to spend the night?” She was flirting.
“No, I'm asking you to help chaperone four teenage girls.” He was not flirting.
“Chicken?”
“You bet, but don’t tell her. Besides, I figure it wouldn’t hurt to have a Marine as back up for the five am wake up call.”
“Back up huh, and who is going to get you up, Navy?”
“You not up for the job Marine?” Now he was flirting.
“Oh, I can get you up. It's always been - did you want me to?” Mac knew she was playing with fire.
“Go get your bag; I'll get you some blankets.” Harm tried to dowse the flames a little; after all they were supposed to be chaperoning teenagers.
Mac pouted, “You invite a girl to spend the night - then make her get her own bag and sleep on the couch. I want the bed.”
Harm smiled; maybe it would be alright to flirt a little. “Okay, you can sleep in the bed. I think I can handle the company.”
“You think you can handle me?”
Harm took a step closer to Mac. “I know I can handle you, the question has always been do you want to be handled?” Two could play at this game.
“I don’t think I want my things from the car, I’ll just make do with what I have here.”
“It’s always been your choice, Mac.”
She pondered that for a moment and then surprised Harm by reaching up and kissing him. He didn’t fight it.
Pleased with his willing participation, Mac congratulated him, “You did that very well.”
“That's not all I can do.”
“What else can you do, Harm?”
“After a couple of dates, I just might show you.”
THE END
