Disclaimer: they still don't belong to me.

The following morning, Harm awoke pleased that Mac was still snug in his arms not having moved since they returned to bed in the early hours. As he became more alert, he realised she probably hadn't had much of a chance to escape as she was pulled flush to his body, one of his arms was around the back of her neck, as her head rested on his chest, and the other was linked over the top. In addition, one of his legs had threaded through hers whilst the other was hooked over the mass of limbs. All in all, Mac couldn't have moved if she had wanted too. Still, Harm was happy enough to know she was still in bed with him.

Gently, Harm reached down and kissed the top of her head before bringing his hand up to push back the strands of hair covering her face.
"Mmmmorning," she murmured, pulling herself even closer to him.
"Morning, gorgeous," he replied, kissing her once more before releasing his still tight grip on her.
"Don't..." she mumbled and Harm looked at her concerned.
"Don't what, Mac?" he asked, stroking her face.
"Don't let go of me," she whispered, pulling him back to her.

Instantly, Harm increased the pressure of his grasp, knowing that after holding her so tightly for the last five hours his muscles would complain when he got up, but it was a small price to pay for her comfort.
"You doing okay?" he whispered into her ear before kissing it. Mac nodded into his chest. "Really?" he probed; from where he lay this didn't look like okay to him.
"Yeah," she replied, finally looking up at him.
"Aren't you feeling squashed?" he asked, without releasing any pressure.
"No, I'm feeling ...safe," she answered shyly, before dropping her head back to the crook of his neck.
"Safe?" he queried and she nodded once more but it didn't clarify the meaning for him. "How?" he prompted.

Mac sighed deeply; she wasn't sure how to explain it even if she had wanted to. Being here with Harm, like this, brought her a sense of immense security the likes she had never known. It wasn't a physical safety, after all she was a marine and a highly trained one at that, she was full sure she could take on any one who dared cross her path. It was emotional safety he was giving her, not that she was sure if there was such a thing or, if there was, that was the name of it. Right here, right now, in his arms she felt safe... anything more than that she'd have to explain another time.
"Just...safe," she replied, rolling back and pulling him around with her.
"Okay," he conceded. While he wasn't really sure what she meant, he was happy to know she was more than comfortable with him and that was enough.

Several minutes passed before she spoke once more.
"AJ wants to come over tomorrow and spend the night," she said quietly. "You think that will be alright?"
"It's fine by me," Harm replied, kissing her head. "But how do you feel about it?" he questioned, after all, she was the one with a lot of unresolved baby issues.
"Good," she replied, trying to stretch without letting go of Harm. "He's been asking for the last three weeks and I think he'll drive Harriet crazy if we put it off any longer."
"That's true," he said, caressing her face. "Doesn't quite answer my question though. Are you alright about having a kid around given yesterday's appointment?"
"Yeah, I am," she said quietly. "Might have been a bit harder if he was much younger, but he's nine, so I'm good with that."

The blaring of the alarm disturbed their peacefulness and Mac rolled with Harm as he leant back to turn it off. She knew they should get up but something inside her was reluctant to let him go just yet. This surprised Harm as Mac was the one who always insisted on climbing out of bed and making sure they were at Headquarters on time. He, however, was known for his tardiness and a few more minutes in bed suited him just fine.

"We need to stay at my place with AJ," Mac said, breaking the silence. "He seems to think sleeping on my sofa will be a big adventure."
"We could just as easily stay here," Harm said, enjoying Mac being in his bed on more and more occasions.
"We could," she agreed, "But he also wants to look at my dinosaur things and the only dinosaur thing here is you," she added before kissing him. Harm could only laugh. "But if you..."
"No," he said quickly. "We can stay at your place...no dramas."

Drawing a deep breath, Harm knew this would be the perfect opportunity to bring up a topic which had occupied his mind of late. Given that they were engaged and that they would have a meeting with Cresswell in the near future to discuss their options, then perhaps moving in together would be logical step.
"Mac," he began slowly as he raked his fingers through her hair. "I've been thinking that this to-ing and fro-ing between our apartments is a bit unnecessary..."
"You don't want me to stay over as much?" she asked, trying to prop herself up but Harm wouldn't release his hold on her.
"No, I never said that," he said quickly. "Just thought that you might want to consider a more permanent arrangement."
"Like move in here?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Maybe more like me moving in with you," he explained, "At least til we know what our career options are and then maybe look for something together."

For several long minutes Mac contemplated Harm's comment, before placing her still bare left hand on his chest.
"Well, as we are intending to marry then I guess sharing a place now is a good way to start," she replied, her voice devoid of excitement.
"We don't have to, Mac," he said quickly. "If this is all going too fast then we can take our time."
"You don't want to?" she asked, looking up at him tearfully.
"Oh, I do, very much, honey," he whispered before stealing a kiss. "I just didn't think you sounded very excited by the prospect."
"I am excited," she answered, "I just thought ... that well..." Her voice trailed as she held up her bare hand. "We haven't even got a ring yet."
"Well, that's not entirely my fault," he responded with a chuckle.

They had made plans three times to visit the jewellers. The first time Mac had made him stop at the electronics store nearby so she could buy a new cable for her phone charger. Ninety three minutes later, Harm was loading a 46inch flat screen television into his SUV for his living room and a similar 21 inch for the bedroom. He had argued that he didn't need such devices, he wasn't into television and as such they were a waste of money. Mac had explained that as she would be spending time there when he wasn't, she could do with the company. Although Harm really hadn't wanted the purchases, he conceded, if only to himself, that if it meant coming home to a happy Mac at his place, then it would be worth every bit of the near $2000 he'd just spent.

Their second expedition had never eventuated past Mac's bedroom. Mac was dressing in her bedroom as Harm had emerged from the shower, a blue towel wrapped around his waist while water drops still adorned his upper body. Deciding she should really help him out, Mac used her tongue on a few drops along his collarbone and before he knew it they were naked once more.

On the third occasion, duty intervened and the trip was postponed so, here they were three weeks from the night Harm had proposed and no ring.
"I know it hasn't been all your fault," she said, sighing against him. "Just one of those things."
"Well," he drawled, rolling them back and stretching to retrieve something from his side drawer. "What if we use this for now?"
"You bought one?" she asked almost breathless.
"No, not exactly," he replied, carefully opening the box. "This was the one my grandfather gave my grandmother and my father gave my mother."
"Oh my!" Mac exclaimed. "It's gorgeous."
"Like you," he whispered, kissing her head.
"Didn't you want me to have it?" she asked, staring up at him.
"No," he said before realising how that sounded. "I mean I'd be honoured if you wore it, I just thought that maybe you'd want your own one. Something new. A symbol that's just us."
"This is a symbol of us; it has a history of such endless love and devotion, it's perfect," she whispered as her tears began to fall.
"In that case," Harm said, taking the ring from the box and slipping it onto her finger. "Sarah MacKenzie, would you please be my wife?"
"Yes," she replied before pulling him to her and kissing him thoroughly.

Standing side by side in the elevator, arms barely brushing, Mac shook her head.
"Thirty seven minutes late," she hissed, though there was no one else but Harm there.
"And your point?" he asked with a smirk.
"You are a bad influence on me," she replied, glaring at him.
"Me!" he exclaimed with mock offence. "As I recall, it was you who undressed me."
"Well, I needed you naked," she said, a slight blush coming to her cheeks.
"And you got what you needed," he whispered with a chuckle before brushing a kiss across her cheek.

As the doors opened, Harm and Mac straightened and took a step away from each other, their professional personas in place. Three steps from the elevator and Jennifer Coates stepped up to them.
"Morning, sir, ma'am," she said. "General Cresswell was expecting you in his office twenty five minutes ago," she informed them, holding out her arms to collect their covers and cases.
"Thanks, Petty Officer," Mac said, as she straighten her shirt.
Standing in front of the General's door, Harm brushed his knuckles against Mac's before raising them to rap on the door.
"Enter," General Cresswell growled and watched as his two senior officers came to stand in front of his desk.

While externally, he was keeping a gruff front, internally he was smiling to himself at the sight before him. He recalled them entering his office a little over two weeks ago to inform him that there had been a change in the status of their relationship. They had looked like scared little children who had been sent to the principal's office for the first time. Today, they looked slightly more apprehensive and he thought that may be due to the fact they had been tardy.
"At ease," he said, standing up from his desk. "I was expecting you earlier."
"Sorry, sir," they replied in unison.
"Any reason you want to give?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Can we just say we were otherwise 'engaged'?" Mac asked hesitantly before holding up her hand to show her commanding officer her newly acquired piece of jewellery.
"Well, I guess I can excuse you this time," he said, rounding his desk. "Congratulations," he said, shaking her hand before kissing her cheek. "And to you too, Commander," he added, turning to shake Harm's hand. "Although I'm still not sure about bringing a sailor into the Marine family."
"Thank you, General," Harm said, "I promise I'll be worthy."
"Okay, be seated," he said, pointing to the chairs. "Now, in our last conversation, you indicated the need to change the designate for one of you and obviously that is still the case?"
"Yes, sir," they replied.
"And as I promised, I have made enquiries on your behalf," he continued, dropping back into his seat and opening the file. "There are two viable options that have come up. The first one involves the Colonel remaining here with JAG, while Commander, you'd be heading to the Pentagon as a legal liaison officer for the Navy. The second option would be for the Commander to remain here whilst, Colonel, you'd take up a position in the judiciary."

Harm and Mac looked at each other, neither sure which one was for the best but happy they could work something out which would see them remaining in the same geographic location.
"Now," General Cresswell continued. "I'm not going to tell you which way to go, however, I will let you know that I have heard scuttlebutt that you, Colonel, are being looked at to head up the San Diego office ...while it would be an excellent career move, there seems to be no position on the horizon in the same location for you, Commander. If you took the first option, I think there would still be pressure for you to take up that position. If you moved to the judiciary, I think they'd leave you be."
"So, you're saying we should take the second option?" Harm asked, looking from his boss to his fiancée.
"No, I'm saying you should just discuss the information that I have given you and see what you come up with," General Cresswell said, standing up once more. "Now, I need a decision sooner rather than later. So, I am giving you permission to secure early, as in now, to consider your options. That and the weekend means you have until 0800 Monday before informing me of your decision. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," they both said, standing.
"And, try to be punctual and not 'otherwise engaged'," he added with a smirk.
"Aye, aye, sir."

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