A/N: See previous chapter for warning and acknowledgements.

"Rise and shine," Mac said into Harm's room as he lay in bed at 0740. "Its time to get up."

"I'm not getting up," he mumbled, his face resting against his pillow.

"You have to get up," she insisted. "You have work. Let's go. Coffee's made."

"I don't feel like going to work," he said, pulling the covers up a little higher. "I'll get up later and pack, then I'll...I'll get up later."

"Why don't you fee like it?" she asked moving into the room. "Are you feeling sick?"

"If heartaches count as sick," he said. "Yes."

Mac reached his bedside and touched his forehead gently, "You don't have a fever. How's your chest?"

"Same as before," he said. "I'm not sick; I just don't feel like being around the office today."

"Call the General," Mac sighed. "I'll take DJ to Harriet's. Get some rest we have a long night ahead of us."

He reached for the phone on the nightstand, placed a call to his CO, then crawled back beneath the covers, hoping to fall asleep and wake up in far happier times.

Harm didn't crawl out of his bed until after one o'clock. By then his headache had dulled and he could tackle the task of packing his things and begging AJ for use of his guest room which he was given without argument. Once he was done with that, he called Harriet and told her he'd get Lucy at school that day and was waiting for his little girl when she was dismissed.

"Daddy!" exclaimed Lucy, surprised to see him there. "I didn't know you were coming to get me!"

"I didn't either Button, but Daddy had today off and I thought I'd surprise you," Harm smiled. "Want Daddy to carry your bag? Do you have homework?"

She handed her backpack to him. "No, but I have a new book to read to you. It's about the 'Poky Little Puppy'!"

"Well we can read it before dinner," Harm said. "Ready to go?"

Harm put Lucy in her seat and drove her to the park instead of home. It was late February and chilly, but this day had a little bit of spring like weather. He let her walk along with him, holding hands, just enjoying time together, so much so that he lost track of time and got Lucy home 45 min after Mac arrived.

When Harm and Lucy came home, Mac ran straight at them and scooped Lucy up in her arms. "Where have you been? She got out of school over two hours ago!"

"I took her to the park," he said. "Lost track of time."

"You took her to the park?" Mac snapped still cuddling her daughter. "In this weather. You want her sick again?"

"I'm not sick, Mommy," said Lucy. "Daddy pushed me on the swings, and we saw a squirrel!"

"Mommy didn't know where you were, Sweetie," Mac said. "She was very worried."

"You could have called me," said Harm. "I could've kept you from worrying."

"I did call, three times I called," Mac replied. "Who else was with you?"

"Nobody," he said, pulling his cell phone from his pocket and realizing, upon inspection, that the battery had died. "Dead battery, sorry."

"I bet you are," Mac said finally letting Lucy down. "Lucy don't ever do that again okay? You come right home from school, don't go out anywhere like that if Mommy doesn't know."

"She was with me, Mac!" said Harm. "She can go with me whenever she feels like it!"

"Not without my knowledge or my permission," Mac shouted at him. "Lucy go to your room and play, Sweetie."

"Stop yelling at Daddy!" said Lucy, clinging to Harm as she began to cry. "Stop yelling at him!"

"See what you've done?" Harm snapped picking up his baby girl. "Ssh, don't cry baby."

"What...If you though to call me at work and tell me you were getting her I wouldn't have worried," Mac sighed. She moved over to Lucy, "Mommy didn't mean to yell, Honey. I was just worried when I didn't know where you were. Can you forgive me? I'm very sorry."

Lucy looked her mother in the eye. "Tell Daddy you're sorry."

Mac took a deep breath, she knew she'd overreacted. "Harm, I'm sorry I yelled at you. I was worried that maybe something happened to her. Please forgive me."

He nodded, still holding his upset daughter close. "I should have called you. I'm sorry."

"Why don't you get ready for dinner?" Mac suggested. "Lucy, Mommy and Daddy have to talk to you after dinner, okay?"

"Okay," sniffled Lucy, sliding down from her fathers arms and padding down the hall.

"How's your head?" Mac asked. "I noticed you packed. Did you decide where to stay?"

"Moving in with AJ," he said sadly. "Just for now. Head still hurts."

"You want to lie down again or play with DJ?" Mac asked. "He gave Harriet a hard time today."

"Where is he?" asked Harm.

"In his room," Mac replied. "He was sitting with his boats."

"He's not really going to understand any of this," sighed Harm.

"We'll just tell him that you have to go away for awhile," Mac sighed. "Its her I'm worried about. What is she wants to go with you?"

"Not an option," sighed Harm, rubbing his weary face with his hands. "This isn't gonna be easy for any of is, you know that, don't you?"

"I do, but it has to be easier than the last six weeks," Mac sighed. "You hungry?"

"No, but I'll eat anyway," he said. "Did you cook?"

"Uh huh," Mac replied. "Ziti with garlic and oil and salad. Go see him, it'll be ready in a half hour."

Harm slipped his shoes off and went down the hall to peek in on his son. "Hey, big guy," he said. "Playing with your boats?"

DJ nodded but there was no joyous smile on the little face.

"You sad?" asked arm, pulling the little boy into his lap.

He nodded and snuggled against his Daddy.

"Yeah, I'm sad, too," said Harm. "It'll be okay, though. It'll all be...okay."

That answer appeased DJ and Lucy later joined her father and brother at play. When dinner was ready the family ate and chatted idly until finally the meal was cleaned up and the children bathed. It was now time to tell them what was happening to their family.

Mac and Harm sat with their children between them. Lucy sat near Harm, DJ near Mac. Mac took the lead, knowing once Lucy lost it, Harm would have to carry that load. "Lucy, DJ, Mommy and Daddy have something very important to tell you."

"Is it bad?" asked the 5-year old beauty.

"It's not too bad," Mac replied. "But it might make you a little sad and a little angry."

Lucy clung to her Daddy's arm. "What is it, Mommy?"

"Well, Honey, you know that Daddy had gone back to sleeping in the lighthouse room right?" Mac asked.

Lucy nodded. "I want him to sleep in the big bed again."

"I know, you do," Mac sighed. "But...Lucy, Daddy and Mommy we are having a hard time getting along right now and we've made a decision."

She began to cry. "Does Daddy have to stay in there forever?"

"Shh," soothed Harm gently rocking his little girl in his arms, his stomach in knots.

"Well, no, Daddy's not going to be staying in there anymore," Mac said. "He's going to..." She paused.

"Go ahead," said Harm to his wife.

"He's going to leave here and go to live at Uncle AJ's house," Mac finally got out and braced herself for Lucy's reaction.

Lucy began to bawl. "I don't want him to!" she cried.

"I know, Sweetie, but Mommy and Daddy think it might be better this way," Mac said, taking DJ who has begun to cry in sympathy with his sister.

"You'll still get to see me," said Harm, his heart breaking. "I just won't be living in this house for a little while, that's all."

"Can I go with you?" Lucy asked through tears.

"No, Button," said the distraught father. "I'll come see you almost every day, I promise."

"When are you going?" Lucy asked. "Why can't I go?"

"I'm going later tonight," he answered. "You have to stay here and help Mommy, and you have to go to school."

"I don't want to help Mommy," Lucy said. "She's making you go."

"Now, don't be that way, Lucy Bear," he gently urged. "Mommy is just very sad about some things Daddy did, and maybe if Daddy isn't here for a little while, she won't hurt so much."

Lucy looked over at her mother, who was crying silently as she rocked DJ. "Are you going to come to my play?" she asked him.

"Of course I am," he said. "You'll still see me a lot, I promise."

"Will you still tuck me in?" Lucy asked. She wanted everything the same.

"No, Baby," Mac replied for him. "Mommy will do that. But how about if Uncle AJ says its all right you can stay with him and Daddy on Friday nights?"

"Uh-huh," sniffled the little girl. "And I'll sleep in Daddy's room."

"Sure, if that's okay with Daddy," Mac sighed. "You want to sit here with Daddy for a little bit before he goes?"

Lucy nodded. Mac took DJ for a bath to give father and daughter a little time alone. He held onto her, rocking her, until she settled down. Then he listened to her read until it was time for him to go.

"Lucy, I have to leave now," he said, knowing she was likely to fall apart again.

Lucy didn't cry yet, she just held on tighter like she used to do when she was a baby and he had to go.

"How about," suggested Harm, "I tuck you in and sing you your sleepy song?"

"Don't go," she begged. "Please." The please dissolved into a wail as the tears started to fall.

"I...I have to, Luce," he said softly. "I'll come see you really soon, I promise."

"Tomorrow?" she asked sniffing.

"Maybe," he said. "But it won't be tomorrow until you go to sleep, okay?"

The tired child nodded and wrapped her arms around her father's neck, "Can you sing to me every night?"

"Not in person," he said as he held her close. "But I can sing your song on a tape, and Mommy can play it for you."

"On the telephone," Lucy submitted as a bargaining chip.

"I think we can do that," he said, placing a kiss atop her head. "I can sing for you tonight, but you've got to go get in bed right now, okay?"

Lucy nodded, "Can you carry me?"

With a sad smile, Harm rose from the couch and carried his daughter off to her room. Once she was settled, he sang to her the first 2 verses of "Sara Smile" and watched as she drifted off to sleep. It was now his time to go, and it was all he could do to get up off the edge of her bed.

He finally managed though and he went to the guest room to gather his things. Mac was in their room, but came out when she heard Harm getting his bags ready.

"Is she asleep?" Mac asked quietly.

"Yeah," he replied sadly.

"Are you okay?" Mac asked.

He looked down, focusing on the laces of his shoes as he willed himself not to cry. Looking up after a moment, he answered her. "No."

Mac closed the space between them and reached up to take him in her arms. She wasn't sure if he'd come though.

He stood where he was for a moment, too many emotions flowing through his head and his heart. Eventually, he failed to blink back all the tears as he stepped into her open arms. "What have we done to ourselves?" he asked, his voice cracking as he spoke.

Mac held onto him a moment the let him go, "This is going to work."

He wiped away a few of his tears. "It has to. If it doesn't...I'll die without you, Mac."

Mac set her jaw against his words and emotions, "Drive safely okay," she said dismissing him. "Call me when you get to AJ's."

With a silent nod, he stepped back, picked up his bags and walked out the door.