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Summer 1965.

A light breeze fluttered the cream-coloured curtains of their bedroom, providing much needed relief from the almost oppressive Californian summer heat.

Harmon "Hammer" Rabb lay on his back with his arms crossed under his head, watching the stars through the partly open window and listening to his wife's gentle breaths as she lay sleeping next to him.

Harm had been in port for almost a week now but although he missed his wife and baby son dearly while he was deployed on the aircraft carrier USS Hornet, it always took him some time to wind down and settle back into domestic life when in port. He usually spent the first few nights awake, keenly aware of the absence of the noise that life on a carrier brought with it, and trying to relax and get used to the feeling of being 'safe' again, here in their little house in La Jolla that the Department of the Navy rented for them.

He carefully lifted the sheet so as to not disturb his wife and climbed out of bed, stretching his long muscled limbs as he did so, grabbed his shorts of the floor where they had been discarded hastily earlier that night when they had tumbled into bed together and made love after baby Harm and been bathed and fed, pulled them on and padded quietly across the room to the window.

He took a few deep breaths, enjoying the clean heady scent of the night air which was so different to the smell of kerosene, motor oil and sweat that he'd become accustomed to over the past few months.

After a short while he turned away from the window and walked to the door where his blue bathrobe hung from a hook.

With an affectionate smile at his sleeping wife he put on the bathrobe and quietly left the room, walking along the short corridor that led to his son's bedroom.

Little Harm was just shy of two years old now and a real boy that knew how to drive his mom crazy, constantly demanding attention and affection and always wanting to know when his "Dada" would be coming home from the big ship.

Well, here he was now and he would be spending another two glorious months with his little family before he shipped out to sea again.

He grinned when he recalled little Harm's enthusiastic shrieks as the toddler saw him stepping off the gangway last week and after kissing and hugging his beloved Trish for what seemed an eternity he'd grabbed the little boy and showered his tiny face with kisses, not caring what the other people present on the docks thought about this or if a father should show affection like this in public. Little Harm had laughed and giggled and rubbed his face with his chubby fists where his Dad's thick moustache had tickled his cheeks.

Harm gently lowered himself down on his knees next to his son's bed and watched his boy sleep. He felt like his heart was bursting with love for his little family and the thought that he was looking down at life that he had created was still as incredible to him as it was exhilarating. His boy had just outgrown the little crib he'd built for him just before he was born and was sleeping now in his first 'real' bed that Trish had bought for him a few weeks ago. The small wooden crib still stood in a corner of the room and Harm hoped that by the grace of God they would be filling it with another child sometime in the future, maybe when little Harm was a bit older. Heck, he wouldn't be surprised if his wife had conceived again already, the way they'd been making love every day since his return.

As he caught his reflection in the mirror he smiled to himself. There he was, on his knees in front of his son's bed, with tousled hair and a blue bathrobe and looking quite unlike the tough Phantom fighter pilot that he was. If his best friend, cabin mate and wing man Boone could see him like this he'd tease him mercilessly for the entire duration of the next tour, especially since he was known to take great pride in his appearance even when he was wearing a flight suit for most of the time. And Tom "Three Continents" Boone who boasted about having a girl in every port would never admit that he was quietly jealous of Harm's happy family life.

Harm sighed quietly. Knowing that his wife and son could sleep peacefully at night made everything worth it – the long absences, and even the anguish and the fear he sometimes felt on his missions although he never talked about it but like all other pilots cracked jokes about the danger they often found themselves in – yes, in moments like these he knew why he endangered his own life willingly for the safety of his beloved family.

He tenderly rubbed little Harm's back. "I love you, son, never forget that" he whispered, almost inaudible even to himself, not wanting to wake the child up, just being content to watch over him and pray for his and his mother's safety while he was away at sea.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he jolted when soft hands were placed gently on his shoulders and Trish sat down on the edge of the bed and began to massage his neck and shoulders.  
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you" Harm whispered.

"You didn't" replied Trish equally as quietly. "I woke up and when you weren't there I knew I'd find you here. Isn't he beautiful, our baby?"

"Yes, and he grows so fast. You know, I had a thought. I'm up for promotion soon and with the additional money I can maybe buy one of these modern tape recorders and send you and Harm letter tapes from the Hornet so he won't forget my voice. Would you like that?"

"I'd love it. And I don't want to forget your voice either." She leaned forward and wrapped her slender arms around his muscular chest, gently nuzzling his neck and ears.

Harm chuckled softly. "I know something better than letter tapes to help you remember me by. Come with me beautiful lady and I might just show you what I mean."

Together they rose up and quietly left the room. They returned hand-in-hand to their bedroom and were not seen to leave it again until little Harm energetically demanded his breakfast the next morning.

~Fin

This story is based on the 1995 - 2005 television series JAG. I do not benefit financially or otherwise from this site or my works. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.


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JAG, Family, Romance