Mac finished loading the dishwasher as Harm wiped off the table and carried the dishcloth to the laundry room. "Do you want some coffee?" Mac asked.

"Sounds great," Harm replied. "I'll pour it."

Mac smiled as she pulled two mugs out of the cabinet. "I've got the coffee," she replied. "Why don't you go turn on some music and meet me in the living room?"

Harm gave a slight pout as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather meet in the bedroom?"

Mac leaned her head to the side to allow his lips access to her neck even as she said, "Later. First, there's something I want to talk to you about. And I'd rather do that before Mattie and Jen get back with Ben."

Harm moved his lips to behind her ear and gently nibbled on the sensitive flesh there as his hands flattened on her stomach and drew her back against his chest. "I can think of other things I'd rather do before they get back," he replied huskily.

Mac turned in his embrace and met his lips, her arms going around his neck as she pressed her body fully against his. When they broke apart several moments later, Mac tried to calm the desire racing through her body. "Harm, this is really important."

Harm rested his forehead against hers as his hands drew idle patterns on the small of her back. Drawing a deep breath, he released her and took a step away from her. "Okay. I'll meet you in the living room. But we will get back to this?"

"Promise," Mac assured him as she turned back to pour the coffee, taking a moment to force her body to relax. There would be plenty of time for making love once they had discussed what General Thomas had told her that afternoon.

Hearing the soft strains of a saxophone filling the air, Mac picked up their coffee and carried it to the living room. Harm had settled into the overstuffed chair and Mac sat her own coffee on the end table before carrying his to him. He took it from her and sat it down before pulling her down with him in the chair.

"Harm," she squealed with laughter in her voice. "I thought we agreed to talk."

"We did," he agreed as he helped her settle across his lap. "But I never agreed to not being able to touch you while we did it. Besides, I have something I want to discuss with you as well."

"Maybe you should go first," she suggested.

"Oh no, you don't," he replied. "You wanted this talk session before you would let me take you to bed and love you properly, so you have to go first."

Mac smiled as she made herself more comfortable and then reached back to pull the envelope from General Cresswell out of her pocket. "This came in the mail today."

"What is it?" he asked as she pulled the invitation out and handed it to him.

She waited until he'd read it and looked up to meet her eyes before she spoke. "An invitation to General Cresswell's retirement party, Harm." She watched him closely for a long minute before she continued, "Why don't you seem to be in the least bit surprised by this?"

"I am surprised," Harm replied. "Just not about the fact that he's retiring."

"You knew?" she asked.

"I heard rumors earlier this week," he admitted. "But I got the official word right before I left the office."

"You got official notice?" Mac asked.

This wasn't how he had planned on telling Mac about being on the short list for the position, but since she'd given him the opening, there was no time like the present. Taking a deep breath, he plunged ahead. "I got a phone call from Secretary Horn this afternoon, Mac. He wanted to confirm the rumors for me."

"The SecNav called you personally to tell you about it?" she asked. When Harm nodded, she added, "So did he also tell you that you're on a very short list to be the new JAG?"

Harm's eyes widened as he looked at her. "How did you know?"

Mac couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her. She'd spent the better part of the afternoon worrying about how to tell him, and he'd already known. "Please tell me that you weren't worried about telling me about this."

"A little bit," Harm replied. "But only because it means relocating again, and not just us this time, but Ben. Is this what was so important that you talk to me about?"

Mac nodded and answered his question from earlier. "General Thomas came by to see me this afternoon, Harm. He told me that some friends of his in Washington wanted to offer me a teaching position at the Naval Academy."

Harm's eyebrow shot up in admiration. "Mac, that's great."

Mac shook her head slightly. "I told him it would never work," she replied. "I told him that I wouldn't raise Ben with us on different continents, and I would never ask you to give up your command position so we could return to the States. That's when he told me that you were on the list to become the next JAG. Then I got home and found the invitation."

"You'd be great as a teacher, Mac," he said. "You do a great job now consulting on the cases at the embassy and helping the younger lawyers keep their footing on some of the trickier cases. And it would be great for you, especially once Ben starts school. You'd still be able to be home during the summers and on vacations when he's home."

Mac couldn't help but smile as she looked at him. "You sound like you think I should take it."

"I do," he replied with a nod. "But only if it's something you want to do." Mac turned her gaze away from his, but his finger under her chin forced her eyes back to meet his. "Okay, give. What is it that you aren't telling me?"

Mac shook her head slightly. "Nothing. Honestly. It's a wonderful opportunity, and it sounds like something I would really enjoy. I've never thought of myself as a teacher before, but since the General brought it up this afternoon, I have to admit that the idea has rather grown on me."

"But?" he prompted.

"But I won't take it, Harm. Not if it splits us up."

Harm nodded as he finally understood her hesitation. "Mac, I'm pretty sure General Thomas would never ask you to take the position if I get passed over for the JAG position."

"I don't want you to get passed over, Harm," she replied. "And not because I want to take this position. I think you're an incredible officer, and you've been an excellent C.O., and you're one of the best lawyers I've ever known. I want this for you."

Harm merely looked at her for several moments, his breath caught in his throat at the passion behind her words. Finally able to form words, he leaned in and kissed her. "Thank you, Mac. That means a lot to me."

She shifted her position to rest her head on his shoulder and kissed his neck before she replied, "Do you suppose we're ready to move back to the States, Harm?"

"I think I am," Harm replied. "Are you?"

He felt her shrug and kept silent, allowing her time to collect her thoughts. His right hand moved idly up and down the back of her leg where it rested across the arm of the chair. They sat in comfortable silence for several minutes before she spoke again. "It's kind of weird to think about going back.

We've spent our entire married life here in London, away from all of our friends and family. It's been just us for so long that I'm not sure if I'm ready to give that up or not. I kind of like not having to share your attention."

Harm laughed softly as he turned his head so he could see her face. "Mac, honey, you already share my attention with Mattie, Ben, Jen and Tom, and the rest of my staff. It's not like it's going to be any different in Washington."

"Maybe," she agreed.

"Is there more to this?" he asked softly.

"Fear of the unknown, I guess," she replied. "Going back to a place where we spent nine years dancing around each other and dealing with all of the people who knew us before we were a couple."

"We're not the same people we were then, Mac," he assured her. "We're a family now. Nothing is going to change that."

Mac watched as her fingers trailed across the front of his shirt, stopping at the top button before slipping it free. She lifted her gaze to find him watching her intently and couldn't help but smile. "You're right. I guess I just needed to hear you say it."

"So we're okay with this then?" Harm asked as he watched her free yet another button on his shirt. "If I get the promotion, we'll be heading back to Washington and come fall, you'll be teaching at Annapolis while I'm slaving away in Falls Church?"

"We'll have to find a house somewhere in D.C.," Mac commented as she slipped her hand inside his shirt and caressed his chest.

"Preferably something with a big yard for Ben to play in," Harm added as his own fingers slid up the back of Mac's leg.

"And at least four bedrooms," Mac said. "So the grandkids have a place to sleep when they come to visit."

Harm went perfectly still, his eyes darting to Mac's. "Grandkids?"

Mac couldn't help but laugh at the look of shock on his face. Getting to her feet, she reached out her hands to pull Harm up as well. "Yes, Harm. Eventually. You don't think Mattie is going to stay single forever, do you?"

"I was kind of hoping," he commented as he allowed Mac to lead him to the bedroom.

"Then I suppose you were also turning a blind eye to the way Rob looked at her once you two returned to the ground the other day?"

"It wasn't a blind eye," Harm replied. "It was the best Captain glare I could give a civilian."

At Harm's insistent tug on her hand, Mac stopped walking towards the bedroom and turned to look at him. "Do you know something I don't know?" he asked.

Mac only shrugged. "Mattie insists that they're just friends," she replied, not feeling the need to elaborate on the conversation with Mattie earlier that day. "Until she says otherwise, I guess there's nothing to be concerned about. I'm just trying to get you warmed up to the idea so you don't totally freak out when it happens, Harm. Our little girl is growing up into quite an intelligent and beautiful young woman. It won't be long before she turns some young man's head, and then you're going to have to deal with it. It would probably be better for all concerned if you got used to the idea before it actually happens."

Harm nodded slowly as he once again allowed Mac to lead him to their bedroom. Once there, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. "I think I've decided that Rob really isn't such a bad guy," Harm commented as he ran his hands under the edge of her t-shirt, feeling the silky skin of her back as Mac pressed a kiss to the exposed flesh of his chest.

"What made you decide that?" she asked as she leaned back to meet his gaze again.

"While we were in the air, Mattie told me how much Rob had helped her get over her panic attacks when it came to flying," he replied. "He's been a great friend to her this past year."

"And if he decides he wants to be more than friends?" Mac asked as she finished unbuttoning his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders.

"Well, I know he's still got a year left in school in Scotland before he moves to the States," Harm replied. "Maybe by then I'll be ready to cross that bridge if they decide that's what they want."

Mac smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a long kiss. "You are definitely learning, Sailor," she stated when they finally broke apart. "Now about that loving me properly part of the evening?"

Before she could say anything else, Harm bent down, scooped her into his arms and carried her the short distance to the bed. As he stretched out beside her, he trailed a finger down her face and met her gaze. "I love you, Mac."

"I love you, too," she replied. With that, he leaned down and kissed her and once again, nothing else seemed to matter except the two of them and their expression of love for each other.

1545 Local
Tuesday, July 5, 2010
Force Judge Advocate's Office
London

Harm sat behind his desk as he listened to Lieutenant Miller explain his defense strategy for the conduct unbecoming case he was working. Miller was still a little green around the edges, but he was starting to find his groove and Harm was glad to see him taking pride in the first case he'd worked solo. One of the witnesses had thrown the young man for a loop during the interview process and Lieutenant Miller had asked Harm if he would mind going over the case with him this afternoon. Since Harm had taken Mac, Ben and Mattie to the airport early this morning, he knew he could stay late if he needed to finish up any paperwork, so he'd cleared a block of time in his schedule to listen to the case.

"So then when I asked him what he thought the defendant had meant by the comment, 'Bavaria must be your Arkansas,' the guy just looked at me and smirked. And he would say nothing else on the subject."

Harm suppressed a chuckle when a knock sounded on his door. "Enter," he called.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Sir," Jen said as she opened the door. "There's a call for you from Washington. Line one."

"Thanks, Coates," Harm replied. Turning his attention back to Miller, he added, "Lieutenant, I think you should discuss this with Commander Ritchie. I think the two of you might be able to plea this one out. Especially if this witness is the strongest part of her case. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to take this call."

"Aye, Sir," the man replied as he got to his feet and left the office.

Harm took a deep breath and picked up the phone. "Rabb."

["Good afternoon, Captain. This is Admiral Nichols with the JAG selection committee."]

"Good afternoon, Admiral. How can I be of assistance this afternoon?"

["We were hoping you would be available this week to fly to Washington to meet with the committee, Captain. We understand that leaving for an entire week is out of the question right now, but perhaps you could clear your schedule to be here by Friday?"]

Harm quickly did a mental review of the cases pending for the week before he replied, "I don't think that will be a problem, Sir."

["Very well, Captain. We'll expect to see you on Friday then. I will be in contact tomorrow with the time and location for the interview."]

"Yes, Sir," Harm replied.

["Have a nice afternoon, Captain. Goodbye."]

"Goodbye, Sir," Harm replied before returning the phone to its cradle. He checked his watch and realized that he still had over four hours before Mac's flight would land in San Diego so he couldn't even call her and tell her the news yet. She had promised to call as soon as they reached his parents' though, so he would wait until then.

Pressing the intercom button, he called Jen into his office. Once she was there, he handed her a file. "Jen, I need you to take this to Commander Ritchie and then I need you to clear my schedule for Thursday afternoon and all day Friday. I'm going to be out of town for the weekend."

"Should I make the flight arrangements to Washington, Sir?" she asked.

"Not yet," he replied. "Admiral Nichols is going to call tomorrow to let me know what time I need to report on Friday, and then we can make the flight arrangements."

"Might I suggest the red-eye out of Washington to San Diego Friday night, Sir? I should be able to get you on the same flight as the Colonel for the return trip."

Harm smiled at Jen's suggestion. "That sounds like a great idea, Jen. I'll make sure to bring my personal credit card to cover that flight though."

"Yes, Sir," she agreed. "Is there anything else, Sir?"

Harm leaned back slightly in his chair as he looked at her. "Tell me, Coates, how do you feel about transferring back to the States if this promotion happens?"

"I go where the Navy tells me to, Sir," she replied.

"That's the politically correct answer," Harm commented. "And now I'd like the truth."

"Permission to speak freely, Sir?" she asked. At his nod of agreement, she continued, "I hope you get the promotion, Sir. I truly do. And while part of me is thrilled at the idea of returning to Washington, the other part of me is terrified that getting the transfer orders now will ruin everything I have with Tom."

"So why hasn't he proposed to you yet?" Harm asked. "I got the impression at Christmas that it wouldn't be long before you showed up with a ring on your finger gushing about wedding details and asking for time off for your honeymoon."

"I think he's waiting to get final word on the sale of his cafe here, Sir. He wants to be able to promise me security in America before he asks me to marry him."

"And are you prepared to say yes?"

"I don't know, Sir. It seems that I'm asking a lot of him to have him sell a very successful business here in London to start all over again in Washington with no guarantee of how long I'll be stationed there."

"Have you asked him to do that?" Harm asked.

"Well, no, Sir."

"Then why are you feeling guilty about it?" Harm probed. "The man is obviously in love with you, Jen. If he's willing to follow you to the States to be with you, maybe you should stop trying to be noble and pushing him away. As long as you make the decision together, you can deal with the obstacles when you get to them. And I can assure you that you can conjure up a lot more of them than you will ever have to actually face."

"Speaking from experience, Sir?"

Harm smiled as he replied, "Absolutely. Think about it, Jen. And for all of our sakes, talk to Tom about it."

"Aye, Sir."

"Dismissed."

"Yes, Sir," she replied before leaving his office.

Harm sighed as he reached for another case file. It was going to be a long afternoon waiting on Mac's call.

2017 Local Time
Rabb House
Kensington
London, England

Harm had just finished loading his dinner dishes into the dishwasher when the phone rang. Checking the clock on the wall, he smiled and reached for the phone. "Hello, beautiful."

["Hello, yourself. How did you know it was me?"] Mac's voice rang with laughter.

"I've been waiting all day to hear from you," Harm admitted. "So I calculated how long it would take to get from the airport to the house, added a few minutes for picking up baggage and knew you should be calling any minute now."

["I miss you, too."]

"How did Ben enjoy his first international flight?" Harm asked.

["Considering that he was in a confined area for almost 15 hours straight, it wasn't too bad. There were a couple of rough patches, but the portable DVD player came in handy for getting us through those. I'm a little concerned about how he's going to react to the jet lag, though. It's the middle of the day here and he's suddenly wired and begging to go outside.]

"I'm sure my mother would be willing to take him off of your hands for a while if you need a nap," Harm stated.

["She's actually already done that. I told her that I was going to call you and then get settled in our room and she took Ben and Mattie to the kitchen to feed them and hear about the flight and Mattie's last few weeks at school. So how was your day?"]

Harm carried the phone to the bedroom with him and stretched out on the bed to relax while they talked. "I got a call from Admiral Nichols this afternoon," he replied. "The selection committee wants to meet with me on Friday."

["In London?"]

Harm chuckled at the surprise in her voice. "Actually, no. I'll be flying to D.C. late Thursday night."

["What time is the interview?"]

"I don't know yet, the Admiral is going to call back tomorrow with the meeting time and location. I'll let you know once I hear details."

["Nervous?"]

"Terrified would be closer to accurate," he admitted.

["I wish I wasn't a continent away this week."]

Harm tucked his arm behind his head and looked up at the ceiling. "You deserved the vacation, Mac. Besides, my mother would have had both of our heads on a platter if we'd cancelled this trip at such a late date."

["Not if we'd let Ben come with Mattie. Then she would've just offered the token protest.]

"Maybe," he agreed. "So how would you feel about a guest for your return flight to London?"

["Seriously?"]

"If I catch a flight out of D.C. Friday night, I should be able to spend at least a few hours with my parents before we leave to head home."

["That's a lot of hours in a plane."] Mac's voice was cautiously optimistic. ["Are you sure you want to put yourself through that? I know how much you enjoy commercial flights anyway."]

"For the opportunity to walk along the beach with my wife and children, I'll make the sacrifice."

["Do you want me to tell your mother?"]

Harm thought it over for a minute before he replied, "No, let's keep it a secret for now. Maybe when I get there, I'll actually know something about the position and we can tell her and Frank about it in person."

Harm heard voices in the background before Mac returned to the phone. ["Mattie sends her love. And she says that lunch is ready."]

"Enjoy yourself," Harm replied. "Give Ben a kiss for me. I love you."

["I love you, too."]

Harm disconnected the phone and placed it on the bed beside him. He really hated sleeping alone these days. The house was just too incredibly quiet without Mac and Ben there. With a sigh, he got up and carried the phone back to its cradle before heading to the den to do a little work.

1500 Local Time
Friday, July 9, 2010
Pentagon
Washington, D.C.

Harm was escorted into the room by a young petty officer who quickly announced his presence and left the room. Harm automatically came to attention as the five-member committee acknowledged him.

"At ease, Captain Rabb," Admiral Nichols stated. "Please have a seat."

Harm moved to the indicated chair and lowered himself into it as he glanced around at the faces of the committee. There were three Naval Admirals and two Marine Generals who made up this particular committee, and Harm didn't know any of them personally. He wondered for a brief moment if that was a good thing for him, seeing as how he had been known to ruffle a few feathers in his younger days.

"Captain, we appreciate your being able to meet with us this afternoon. We understand the difficulty for a man in your position to clear your schedule on such short notice," Admiral Nichols said.

"It's my pleasure to be here, Sir," Harm replied. "I truly consider it an honor to be considered for this position."

"Captain Rabb, we have a few questions for you regarding your service record," General Boswell began. "First off, can you explain the six-month gap starting in May of 2003?"

"I believe that my service record reflects that I was on TAD to a different branch of the government, Sir." Harm replied.

"I can see that much," the General replied. "What we would like to know is who you were working for and what you were doing during that time frame."

"I do apologize, Sir," Harm replied, keeping his voice neutral. "I am not at liberty to discuss that time period. The entire project was deemed classified."

Before the general could go any further, Admiral Nichols spoke up. "Captain Rabb, there is also a note in your service record about firing an automatic weapon off in a courtroom."

Harm forced himself not to fidget as that incident was brought up. "Yes, Sir," he replied. "A rather dramatic and foolish attempt at proving a witness was lying. The reprimand went in my file, and I was forced to make repairs to the courtroom ceiling on my own time that weekend."

"Do you still keep your flight status current?" Admiral Shayne asked. "I notice that you still wear your wings."

"Yes, Sir," Harm replied. "I'm due for carrier quals at the end of September, Sir."

"You also have two DFC's on your record, Captain. It's not often one finds both a decorated pilot and lawyer in the same man."

"When an eye infection forced me to give up my wings, I was very fortunate to find that practicing law was almost as good a fit for me as flying Tomcats, Sir," Harm replied. "In fact, at this point in my life, I would have to say that practicing law is a better fit, Sir."

"You were stationed at JAG headquarters for the nearly ten years, Captain," General Jackson stated. "How do you think you would handle stepping into the position following General Cresswell?"

"General Cresswell is an outstanding commanding officer, Sir," Harm replied. "As was Admiral Chegwidden before him. I feel extremely lucky to have served under both of these men. They both had very distinct, yet different styles of leadership, and having served under them both, I feel that I was able to take the best parts of both of them when I was given my own command. I think that following in General Cresswell's footsteps will be a challenge for whoever takes over as JAG, but if you're asking if I feel that I'm up to the task, then my answer is a resounding yes."

Part 3