Author's Note: I'm having so much fun writing this fic! This has been a blast to create what I would like to have happened with these characters. Yes, I like the dramatic talks and the insecurities, but it's how I feel they are with each other. Hoping that you are still enjoying it. More randomness is coming soon! Review if you liked it, or would like to share an idea! Thanks for reading! P.s…. the cold has resurfaced, so you may get some more updates frequently this weekend.

As I slowly come awake, I have the horrible realization that it is Monday. I spent the last part of the week out of town, came home to Harm… felt like I planned out the rest of my life, and now I've got to go to work. It isn't really the way I wanted to spend my day. In fact, I could use another day where Harm and I lay in bed and talk and… well… we're really good at the other part of that scenario as well.

His kiss to my neck as I'm feigning sleep, however, tells me that we do have to get out of bed.

"For someone who suffered from insomnia for the majority of her life, you have been sleeping like a rock."

I turn around in bed to smile at him, "I think it's the company."

It really is, even though he snorts in my general direction at the comment. I've suffered for so long with not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep. When I'm with him, it all seems to settle. It's like my mind shuts off for me to go to sleep because it knows that he's there to take care of some of the burden on my soul.

"I'm glad that you're finally sleeping. Maybe the demons will go away."

"You're always going to try to fix me, aren't you?" I say, not meaning it in a way that suggests I hate his protectiveness, but in a way that means that I love how he cares about me.

"You aren't broken, Mac… you're just a little cracked in some places. If I can mend it a little and make you feel better and be the person you want to be, then so be it."

I kiss him then, knowing that he is never going to judge me based on my past the way most do.

"Marine, we aren't getting in to work very quickly if you keep that up."

"We've spent the past day and a half confining our relationship to this bed and this apartment, can you blame me for not wanting to face the day?"

"You and I are the same people we've always been, Mac. We've always been an unstoppable duo in the JAG office, and that isn't going to stop just because we've taken the next step between us."

"They say sex changes everything."

"I feel like the conversations the two of us had even before this was a hell of a lot more intimate than any physical encounter we could share." He starts and stops when he sees me raise my eyebrows in surprise. Then he continues, "Best of my life… it was the first time I felt like I was making love with a woman… so yes, that was amazing and beautiful and everything that I think I've fantasized about since we met. But you telling me you love me, sharing with me what you want out of the future, saying that you want me to be the father of your children. That means more."

"And that doesn't change us in the work place?"

"I've always had those feelings, Sarah. You know that. I feel like if anything, our work is going to be amazing because we aren't stepping on eggshells around each other trying to keep feelings in."

"I never thought of it that way."

"That's why you have me."

I smile at him as he grabs his boxers and gets out of bed to go make coffee, I assume.

I assume correctly, because by the time I'm dressed, coffee and a small breakfast are sitting on the counter for us to start our day. He kisses me before popping a grape in his mouth and moving into the bedroom to change as well.

When we walk through the Bullpen this Monday morning, I feel none of the same feelings I felt last week. I was worried about people watching me and thinking about Mic and I and all of the drama that happened before I left. This week, I'm just thinking that I'm happy and this will be a good week… busy, but good.

The Admiral calls us into his office almost immediately after I sit myself down at my desk, so I walk by Harm's office to "pick him up" and we get let in by Tiner who's looking a bit nervous.

"At ease" he says, motioning for us to sit down in front of him.

"I recently had some orders come across my desk for a few things I'm not too fond of, but nevertheless, they need to be done." He says, turning toward me with a stern look. "Colonel, you are going to be handing your cases over to Commander Rabb for the next two weeks."

"Sir?" I ask, worried that I'm being sent off somewhere after I just got back from a long bout away from everything.

"Apparently every judge we've got decided to either take leave or get sick this week. I've been asked to cover this with my senior staff. I chose you, Mac."

"Oh." I say, and then smile.

Apparently, Harm is smiling for the same reason as I am, because the next thing I hear is the Admiral clearing his throat.

"Is there something that both of you find amusing?"

"Actually sir,-" Harm starts, but is quickly cut off by my loud, "No!"

When he looks at me with his questioning glance, I realize how loud and how odd the whole exchange must have sounded to the Admiral.

"Colonel!"

"Sorry, sir. I just didn't want Commander Rabb to…"

"To what, Colonel?"

I don't know how to exactly answer that question when Harm steps in and covers for me, "She and I were talking the other day and she had mentioned that she wouldn't mind sitting on the bench a few times to get her feet wet with the idea."

"Are you thinking about putting in a transfer request, Colonel?"

"No, sir. I just wonder if it would make me a better lawyer to sit on the bench for some cases and really see some of my colleagues in action."

"Well then, I guess you get your wish. Why don't the two of you spend the morning catching up on Colonel MacKenzie's caseload and then you can check the schedule for what's coming up this week."

We both stand, knowing that we have essentially been dismissed and give off a sharp, "Aye, sir."

"Dismissed."

I don't know why the whole thing flustered me, but I walk right past our offices to the bathroom before Harm can talk to me about my small outburst. I don't know why, but the idea of the Admiral knowing that something was going one was not something that I was ready for yet. Harm must have thought I was crazy.

Obviously not too crazy because he was leaning against the wall outside the bathroom with coffee in hand when I got out, "You want to talk about that now, or when we get home."

"Home."

The rest of the day passed without incident as Harm and I worked through my cases that I would be handing off to him. I know that he knows what he's doing, but I always worry about turning a case over to someone else. I spend the time getting to know everyone involved or thinking out the scenarios in my head. I play through the trials in my mind until I come out with the one favoring my client. To turn it over means I lose control over something that I really worked hard on.

When we get to his apartment, all I want to do is put on pajamas and curl up on the couch with a book. Harm has other ideas up his sleeve.

"Go to your place, get on a dress and some heels and lets go out."

"Tonight?... Harm, it was a long day."

"I know. That's why I want us to go out. Last week wasn't a stressful week for either of us. This week, when the Admiral switched you around, it became a bit stressful. We need to try to leave all that at work. We can't bring that home with us and lug it around all night."

"Flats and a dress is all I'm going for."

"If you've got another sexy black dress in your closet, you might have a deal."

"I guess we'll just have to see."

As I'm driving back to my apartment, I'm realizing that I've always brought work home with me. It's a refreshing idea that he wants us to leave it all at the door considering we're both such workaholics. The thought puts a smile to my face and I muster up enough energy to doll myself up a little bit for him tonight.

"You look amazing."

"I don't, but thank you for thinking so."

"You can't accept a compliment, can you Mac?"

"Nope."

"I'm going to break you of that, you know."

"Oh really? How?"

"By telling you how beautiful you are every day of the rest of my life."

"I don't think that will always be the case…"

"I do." He says, ushering me out the door so we can go on our date for the evening.

"What are we doing tonight?"

"I thought we could do dinner again and then go for a walk."

"And you wanted heels?"

"After you changed your mind to flats, I changed my mind for our date."

"Fair enough" I say, sensing the smirk on my own lips as I say it.

We eat a lovely meal and are having a great time when he starts talking again about the future. We spend the majority of our partnership not even touching the idea of the future, but apparently now that it is out there, we are constantly talking about everything under the sun.

"So, I was thinking about something as I was driving to get you this evening."

"And what was that?" I say, not having any clue as to where this was going.

"What do you like in a house?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… in the future, when you envisioned your family and your big pile of shoes, what did you see in your home?"

"I don't know… I don't think that I've really taken the time to think about that. I've always lived by myself since I've gotten older and had different apartments. A house hasn't crossed my mind."

"Okay, stop." He says, placing his hands on my shoulders and looking me in the eye more intensely than I've seen before tonight. "Close your eyes."

"Harm…"

"No, I want you to think about it now. Think about a family and friends and a house that you call a home for the majority of the rest of your life, and describe it to me."

"I need more than that." I say, not necessarily thinking up a picture in my head.

"A big dog running through the yard with your little boy. Maybe a baby girl on your hip while you're sitting on the porch watching them play."

A smile comes to my face as I picture that scene, placing Harm with the little dark haired boy and the Golden Retriever I've picked as our future dog. I look down at a beautiful baby girl and turn to see a long porch that wraps around most of the house. The inside has hardwood on the ground floor with a huge family room , and a big kitchen off to the side. There's a dining room in there too, with a table made for big family dinners that I never had growing up. Upstairs there's a master suite with an attached bathroom. The tub is big enough for two, but perfect for a long soak on the weekends for one. Next to our room is a nursery with light pinks and greens for the baby girl I assume sleeps in here. Plush cream carpet tickles my feet as I continue down the hall to find a little boy's plane themed room, a guest room, an office, and a room left empty.

"What's the empty room for?" Harm asks.

I answer immediately with, "More babies." Before I realize that I had apparently thought the whole picture out loud.

"Sounds perfect."

"Yeah."

"At least now I know what I'm looking for."

"Harmon Rabb, you are not buying a house!" I say, smacking his shoulder as we start to walk again.

"Why not?"

"Because… because…" Crap. I can't think of a reason to give him right now.

"Mac, you can't tell me I can't unless you have a reason that goes beyond being scared to take the plunge."

"Fine… go buy a house." I say, making him kiss me on the cheek before taking my hand in his and walking the way back to his car.

"I'm just thinking about things more now."

"I know. Me too."

"You are?"

"Yeah."

"How am I coming out in those thoughts?" he asks a little more nervously than I would think given the past few days.

"You're the love of my life. I just don't know what I want to do with that yet."

"Fair statement."

He pauses for a moment and then asks, "Is that why you wigged out with Chegwidden today?"

"Yes… I thought you were going to out us."

"I wouldn't do that without talking to you, first of all. And second of all, I thought you said you wanted the Admiral to be the first to know."

"I did, but I wanted it to be on our terms. We set up that we need to discuss something with him, it doesn't just come out in the middle of some random staffing switch."

"Okay, that's fair enough."

"You keep putting it out there that it's fair for me to feel this way, but I don't think it is!" I finally scream at him using that same term yet again this evening.

"But it is, Sarah."

"Not if you have this whole elaborate future planned out."

"Just because I have it planned and I'm thinking about it doesn't mean that the whole idea of it doesn't scare the crap out of me."

"It does?"

"Yes."

"Good."