The Unit Fic: Furlough
Posted to unit_command
Title: Furlough
Pairing/Characters: Mack/Kim, Lissy, Jen, Serena, Teddy
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Seasons 1-2
Summary: After Bob dies and Mack gets divorced Kim and Mack combine their households (AU)
Notes/Warnings: Read the disclaimer on my LJ
"Time for bed!"
Mack tapped on Lissy's bedroom door and stuck his head inside.
"I'm in bed, Dad. I'm always in bed. I can't do anything but lie in bed," Lissy grumbled.
"Okay then, warden says lights out."
Lissy rolled her eyes. "Can I at least keep texting? I'm not sleepy."
"Honey, you're sick. No staying up late."
"But it's only the stupid chicken pox!" she protested. "It's not like I'm dying or anything."
"Well, it's nice to know that even as a teenager you're smart enough to diagnose yourself as well as Dr. Hawkins did," Mack teased. "Now, lights out."
Lissy let out an exasperated sigh and sank under the covers. "Night, Dad."
"Night, sweetie."
Mack flicked off the lights and headed to the next bedroom.
"Time for bed, girls."
"I'm thirsty. Can I have some juice first, Mack?" Serena asked, sliding off Jen's bed and returning to her own.
"Not if you've already brushed your teeth. How about some water?"
"Okay."
"You want some too, Jen?"
Jen nodded. "Yeah, but no ice."
"Two waters, no ice, coming right up."
Mack closed the door and headed down the hall towards the kitchen.
"Is it safe yet?" Kim asked from the living room.
"Not yet," Mack replied from the kitchen. "Your daughter bought a few extra minutes with the 'I'm thirsty' line."
"She's a pro."
"You and Teddy will be clear in a few. Just give me a minute."
Mack brought the water back and put it on the dresser just inside the door.
"I'll be back in 2 minutes to turn out the light so drink up."
He headed back to the living room and scooped up Teddy as he ran towards him.
"Where are you headed, mister?"
Teddy giggled as Mack lifted him over his head.
"Don't be getting him all riled up now," Kim scolded. "Else I'll never get him to go down."
Reluctantly Mack swung him back down to the floor. "I have to go turn out the lights or Serena will be back on Jen's bed again."
He headed down the hallway and Teddy bolted after him.
"Teddy!"
Mack turned around at the sound of Kim's voice and caught Teddy before he got too far down the hall.
"Oh no!" He scooped up Teddy and brought him back to where Kim stood hesitantly at the end of the hall. "We talked about this remember? No going near the girls while they're sick." He delivered Teddy into his mother's hands and headed back to the girls' room.
"5, 4, 3..." He started counting and heard Serena scurry back to her own bed again. "2, 1, lights out." He glanced in the room to make sure they were in bed then flicked off the light. "Night girls."
Two voices chimed out in response. "Night!"
Mack closed the door and checked Lissy's as well.
"Both doors are closed tight. You can walk down the hall now."
He opened the door to Teddy's room and Kim made a beeline for it, carrying the little boy on her hip. "Be out as soon as I can," she told him as he shut the door behind them.
Mack went through the house, shutting it down, checking the locks. By the time he made it back to the master bedroom Kim was just coming out of Teddy's room.
"Poor thing," she said. "He misses the girls something awful."
"How about I get them set up with walkie-talkies?" Mack offered. "At least that way he can talk to them."
"Or we could get webcams for our laptops," Kim mused.
"You sure you want the girls to have your laptop while they're still contagious?" Mack said, eyeing her.
"Walkie-talkies it is," Kim said, smirking. She flopped down on the bed and Mack sat beside her, rubbing her stomach in small circles. "I'm so sorry. You were supposed to spend your furlough on vacation, not taking care of a household of sick kids."
"Taking care of family's my most important job," Mack said kindly. "Besides, I don't want you going near the girls while they're contagious."
"I've had the chicken pox already," Kim said softly. "You don't have to worry."
"Doctor said there's a slight chance that exposing you to the virus might harm the baby." His hand came to rest on the gentle roundness of her belly. "Tiny as a risk as it is, it's not one I'm willing to take with our little one."
Kim let out a long sigh. "I know. But Teddy hasn't gotten it yet, so I should be fine. We've been doing a good job of keeping us all separated so far." Her voice was pragmatic, but the wistfulness also came through in her tone.
Mack pulled her into his arms, letting her pillow her head on his chest. "It's not just Teddy who misses the girls," Mack said wisely. "Maybe we should let you test out those walkie-talkies before we let Teddy loose on them."
Kim tipped her head up and planted a soft kiss on Mack's lips.
"I owe you one hell of a vacation, Mr. Gerhardt," she teased.
"Well, we might not be able to take it until our little Mack Junior's in kindergarten at this rate," Mack said with an amused little chortle. "But I will certainly hold you to that promise, Mrs. Gerhardt..."
- - -
Title: Furlough
Pairing/Characters: Mack/Kim, Lissy, Jen, Serena, Teddy
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Seasons 1-2
Summary: After Bob dies and Mack gets divorced Kim and Mack combine their households (AU)
Notes/Warnings: Read the disclaimer on my LJ
"Time for bed!"
Mack tapped on Lissy's bedroom door and stuck his head inside.
"I'm in bed, Dad. I'm always in bed. I can't do anything but lie in bed," Lissy grumbled.
"Okay then, warden says lights out."
Lissy rolled her eyes. "Can I at least keep texting? I'm not sleepy."
"Honey, you're sick. No staying up late."
"But it's only the stupid chicken pox!" she protested. "It's not like I'm dying or anything."
"Well, it's nice to know that even as a teenager you're smart enough to diagnose yourself as well as Dr. Hawkins did," Mack teased. "Now, lights out."
Lissy let out an exasperated sigh and sank under the covers. "Night, Dad."
"Night, sweetie."
Mack flicked off the lights and headed to the next bedroom.
"Time for bed, girls."
"I'm thirsty. Can I have some juice first, Mack?" Serena asked, sliding off Jen's bed and returning to her own.
"Not if you've already brushed your teeth. How about some water?"
"Okay."
"You want some too, Jen?"
Jen nodded. "Yeah, but no ice."
"Two waters, no ice, coming right up."
Mack closed the door and headed down the hall towards the kitchen.
"Is it safe yet?" Kim asked from the living room.
"Not yet," Mack replied from the kitchen. "Your daughter bought a few extra minutes with the 'I'm thirsty' line."
"She's a pro."
"You and Teddy will be clear in a few. Just give me a minute."
Mack brought the water back and put it on the dresser just inside the door.
"I'll be back in 2 minutes to turn out the light so drink up."
He headed back to the living room and scooped up Teddy as he ran towards him.
"Where are you headed, mister?"
Teddy giggled as Mack lifted him over his head.
"Don't be getting him all riled up now," Kim scolded. "Else I'll never get him to go down."
Reluctantly Mack swung him back down to the floor. "I have to go turn out the lights or Serena will be back on Jen's bed again."
He headed down the hallway and Teddy bolted after him.
"Teddy!"
Mack turned around at the sound of Kim's voice and caught Teddy before he got too far down the hall.
"Oh no!" He scooped up Teddy and brought him back to where Kim stood hesitantly at the end of the hall. "We talked about this remember? No going near the girls while they're sick." He delivered Teddy into his mother's hands and headed back to the girls' room.
"5, 4, 3..." He started counting and heard Serena scurry back to her own bed again. "2, 1, lights out." He glanced in the room to make sure they were in bed then flicked off the light. "Night girls."
Two voices chimed out in response. "Night!"
Mack closed the door and checked Lissy's as well.
"Both doors are closed tight. You can walk down the hall now."
He opened the door to Teddy's room and Kim made a beeline for it, carrying the little boy on her hip. "Be out as soon as I can," she told him as he shut the door behind them.
Mack went through the house, shutting it down, checking the locks. By the time he made it back to the master bedroom Kim was just coming out of Teddy's room.
"Poor thing," she said. "He misses the girls something awful."
"How about I get them set up with walkie-talkies?" Mack offered. "At least that way he can talk to them."
"Or we could get webcams for our laptops," Kim mused.
"You sure you want the girls to have your laptop while they're still contagious?" Mack said, eyeing her.
"Walkie-talkies it is," Kim said, smirking. She flopped down on the bed and Mack sat beside her, rubbing her stomach in small circles. "I'm so sorry. You were supposed to spend your furlough on vacation, not taking care of a household of sick kids."
"Taking care of family's my most important job," Mack said kindly. "Besides, I don't want you going near the girls while they're contagious."
"I've had the chicken pox already," Kim said softly. "You don't have to worry."
"Doctor said there's a slight chance that exposing you to the virus might harm the baby." His hand came to rest on the gentle roundness of her belly. "Tiny as a risk as it is, it's not one I'm willing to take with our little one."
Kim let out a long sigh. "I know. But Teddy hasn't gotten it yet, so I should be fine. We've been doing a good job of keeping us all separated so far." Her voice was pragmatic, but the wistfulness also came through in her tone.
Mack pulled her into his arms, letting her pillow her head on his chest. "It's not just Teddy who misses the girls," Mack said wisely. "Maybe we should let you test out those walkie-talkies before we let Teddy loose on them."
Kim tipped her head up and planted a soft kiss on Mack's lips.
"I owe you one hell of a vacation, Mr. Gerhardt," she teased.
"Well, we might not be able to take it until our little Mack Junior's in kindergarten at this rate," Mack said with an amused little chortle. "But I will certainly hold you to that promise, Mrs. Gerhardt..."
- - -