Life after "The Toss". Here we find Harm and Mac immediately following the final seconds of the series finale.

Here's a story I haven't seen yet on this site. This is what I think would happen; starting from the scene with the coin flip. I don't own any of the characters from JAG (those belong to Donald Bellisario and CBS/Paramount), just the ones I think of from here on out. Thanks and I hope you enjoy.

CHAPTER 1: THE TOSS

As Mac watches the JAG coin tossed up by Lt. Com. Bud J. Roberts, Jr, her only thought was, "No matter if it is heads or tails, WE still win; because we'll…finally…be together."

The coin is now on its downward journey. Harm's thought, at this second are only on the woman to his left. How on Earth did we let it get THIS far? He hadn't ever thought that this was how he and Sarah would decide the rest of their lives together. Sure, he was the one who suggested that "fate can keep us together". Now that this moment was here, he could only sit, watch, and wait for the inevitable to happen. Who was going to their next duty assignment and who would be resigning their commission or applying for early retirement?

Bud catches the coin and flips it over, onto his left hand.

Petty Officer First Class Jennifer Coates, Lt. Harriet Sims-Roberts, Commander Sturgis Turner, and the General all wait with bated breath. Harm and Mac can only watch and wait as Bud lifts his right hand off the coin to reveal…..

Six months later…

…."and then we'll need to make arrangements for Mattie to stay with her friend this weekend." Harm said before taking another sip of his coffee.

The last 6 months had been a whirlwind for the intrepid newlywed couple. With the coin toss far behind them and, in the ensuing weeks, Harm left for his new job as Force Judge Advocate in Europe. Mac, unfortunately, had to be left behind so that she could get herself on terminal leave as she waited to be processed out of the Marine Corps. She, also, had to coordinate with Harriet and Jennifer as to the details for the impending wedding. Harm, of course, had some input, but he had to leave it to the women to take care of the heavy lifting.

With everything they had been through in the 9 plus years they'd been acquainted, several thoughts never escaped Harm's mind (especially since that night in Sydney harbor): How many times did I come so close to losing her? How many times did she forgive me for being such a jackass? How long will she put up with "this dance," as she called it?

He had to collect himself as he felt a bit of moisture accumulate in the corner of his eye as he reflected on this. He couldn't quite bring himself to tell her sooner that he loved her for fear of losing whatever they had. He valued her as a trusted colleague, devoted partner, and called her his best friend on more than one occasion. His aviator training had taught him the danger of losing control. If you lose control of your aircraft, it's death for you and your RIO. At the time, he wasn't willing to risk losing her like that

When he finally came to the realization that in pushing for a relationship with her to the back burner, he had risked the one thing he couldn't afford to have happen.

General Creswell's announcement of their impending separation by an ocean and a continent had finally jarred his feelings loose. There's absolutely no way he was going to take this one and final chance for granted.

When he visited Mac's apartment in Georgetown, it certainly wasn't to talk about which subordinates they were going to select to go with them to their respective commands.

This continued reflection was halted by the buzzing of his cell phone. Checking the phone's outboard display, he sees that it's his betrothed calling and he answers, "Hey there Ninja Girl. How's my favorite Jarhead?"

"Missing you, Flyboy," she says in mild exasperation.

"Uh oh, I know that tone. What's going on? Is everything ok with Mattie?" Harm responds.

"Oh, Mattie's doing just fine. She's on schedule with her rehab. She misses you, though. I swear, Harm, she's even starting to sound like a certain squid I know. You might know him." Mac chuckles a second and continues before Harm has a chance to answer, "I'm just having a hard time with all this: exiting the Corps, prepping for the wedding, looking after Mattie, and on top of that, getting 2 households ready for the journey across the pond. I wish you could've convinced the General to give you a few weeks of leave time."

"I'll give Mattie a call here shortly. I miss both of you so much. I wish Creswell could have given me more time," Harm explained. "He told me he waited as long as he could to give us those assignments, there wasn't any way he could give me extended leave to take care of everything we needed."

Harm sounded as frustrated as Mac. She knew there was nothing he could do being 3,700 miles away. If it weren't for the fact that they had taken way too long to get to here, all this stress would have been a moot point. She also knew that the stress she's feeling would lead to something beyond their wildest dreams when they are finally married, together with Mattie, and beginning their new life.

Harm knew Bud and Harriet were trying to help shoulder as much of the load as possible. However, with 4 kids under the age of 10 with the twins having just turned 18 months, they could only monitor Mac and chip in where they could. Harriet had been very helpful with the wedding prep and Bud assisted with getting Harm's apartment packed and ready to be shipped out.

Jen Coates had been instrumental with Mattie and her rehab. Mac had watched Coates go from a delinquent who was on her way out of the Navy to a mature, responsible young woman who has picked herself up by the boot straps and endeared herself to her colleagues at JAG and to a further extent Bud when she saved his life in Afghanistan.

Even these last 2 months since 'The Toss', Jen had been a lifesaver with the wedding planning. She still had her notebook from when she helped coordinate Admiral A.J. Chegwidden's ill-fated impending nuptials, a couple years removed now. She just couldn't bring herself to throwing it out; probably feeling it was her fault for the un-amicable way the wedding was cancelled.

With that all behind her, now, she was able to help the departing Marine Lieutenant Colonel with her wedding. Harm had his doubts, at first given what had happened to the Admiral, but he trusted his chosen life-mate implicitly and was fine with her selection of coordinator.

"I just can't wait until Mattie and I are there with you, so we can truly be a family," Mac expresses with a hint of desperation. "I hate this long distance crap."

"I know, Sarah. We've got the wedding next month and then the rest of our lives," Harm responded. He couldn't wait for the latter to happen as much as his fiancée couldn't. He knew it was only a matter of 4 weeks until the wedding, but then they would have an abbreviated honeymoon of about 4 days before he had to report back to London. She would follow him the following week with Mattie after her final scheduled rehab appointment.

…HEADS!

Chapter 2

Author's note: I hope you liked the first installment. I'm not a typical writer. I don't break stuff down into an outline and I don't draft my chapters. Everything is shot straight from the hip. I'll do everything I can to ensure smooth flow with my descriptions and dialogue. Please let me know what or who you would like to see in the future. I'll try to get some of your suggestions in as long as they fit with how I see this going in my head. If I miss anything, please be kind enough to let me know. And now...on with the show!

10 NOV 2005
1745 Zulu
Rabb residence, officer's BOQ housing
London, England

With Mac and Mattie finally settled in and ready to take the dreaded unpacking of the 2 separate households, now into 1 after a long 10 years, Harm gives a not so small sigh of relief to have his new wife and their newly adopted daughter finally at home with him. He had picked the weary, road ragged pair up at Heathrow airport in his rented Land Rover SUV. He was happy, more than he could physically express, with just being in close proximity to 2 of the most important women in his life.

"Whew, I'm thinking that it's THE last time we ever attempt something like this," Mac expels as she flops down to the left of her husband and daughter. "Next time you suggest a coin flip, Flyboy, I'm using a double sided tails! I never seem to win those when I'm up against you."

Mattie shoots an exasperated look at her new mother and says, "'Tails never fails' never worked for anyone I ever knew, Sarah. I'm surprised you even said yes to 'The Flip,'" raising her hands with air quotes.

"Well, I thought it was a good idea at the time," Mac responds chuckling.

"Well, I didn't hear you give any other suggestions." Harm continued, "Besides, what better way to start our collective life the way it started Sarah...unorthodox! You know I must thank Clayton Webb for bringing us you together like that, even though he almost ruined it when he took you to Paraguay." Harm's voice now with a bit of incredulity, "I could have beat the tar out of him when I saw you on that table I found y..." Harm looked up and saw the look on Mac's face and knew he was in trouble. "Sorry Mats, I shouldn't have gone there," he said with his Flyboy grin, more in apology to Mac than Mattie.

"Nice save, Squid," Mac replied with a smirk.

"Yeah...gonna have to watch that," Harm muttered sheepishly. "Who's up for a bite to eat?"

"Hungry teenager here." Mattie bellowed her patented response to her favorite question.

"You know I could always go for a bite," followed Mac.

2130 Zulu

The rest of the evening passed without much fanfare with the unloading of boxes and the loading of various forms of clothing or books being put neatly into place. With all the bedroom furniture placed and put together, Harm, Mac and Mattie each clothed in their shorts, T-shirts, or pajamas, the time had finally come to say their good-nights.

Mattie, even though the youngest, was the most tired. This was the most she had physically done since before the crash and she had fallen asleep almost as soon as her head hit her pillow.

Mac and Harm were settling into their bed, equally as tired as their...daughter (for lack of a better description for their relation to Mattie). This would be the first night they would spend together in their new home and their new bed. Neither had the strength, or desire at the time, for anything extra-curricular. Harm let out a deep sigh and wrapped his arm around his soon-to-be wife.

Mac could only smile and let herself be swept away with his warmth and the thought that this was the beginning of the rest of their life together. Sure, they had spent plenty of nights together on their various investigations and trips abroad, but this was totally different. THIS was more than anything she could have ever thought or dreamed of. THIS was Heaven on Earth to her.

The next day was Veteran's Day in the states and as the Status of Forces Agreement between the United States and Great Britain allowed for the celebration by the visiting American forces; Harm, Mac, and Mattie could enjoy a 3 day weekend before Harm had to go back to work the following Monday. With this in mind, the three of them could easily knock out the remainder of the unpacking in about a day and a half.