Thanks for all the lovely reviews, guys. It's good to be back. Hope you enjoy this new chapter. Happy reading!


March 31, 1998

She straightened her uniform jacket and stepped up to the Petty Officer's desk. "Good morning, Petty Officer. Major Mackenzie to see Admiral DuBois?"

"Good morning, ma'am. The Admiral said to go right in."

"Thank you."

Hearing the familiar "Enter!" after her knock, she stepped through the door, coming to attention. "Major Mackenzie reporting as ordered, sir."

"As you were, Major. Welcome. Please, take a seat."

Glancing to the woman sitting to her left, Mac did a quiet double take. What was Claire doing here?

"You've met Mrs. Griffin?" Admiral DuBois asked.

"At the New Year's Eve Ball, yes, sir."

They'd spoken on the phone a few times since, as Claire set up a new project and Mac tried to determine how much time and effort she could volunteer to help. They'd managed to set up a brainstorming session with the three of them -including Teagan- for next week. Why in the world were they both here?

"I realize this comes as a surprise," Admiral DuBois continued. "But since neither of your husbands can do their job without your support, I thought it only fitting you'd be the first to know they've been promoted."

The women glanced at each other, perplexed. Of all the reasons Mac had tried to come up with why she'd been summoned to the Pentagon, this wasn't one of them. "Promoted, sir?"

She knew Harm and Jonah worked their sixes off, putting in occasional long hours and trying to come up with revisions and shortcuts to make things easier for everyone. She couldn't be prouder of him if she tried. She'd even take the fact she'd have to salute him until her own promotion came through, in stride. He'd worked so hard for this.

"Full Commander, Major." The Admiral paused. "I hope it won't be super awkward to call him 'sir' for a while."

She shook her head. "No, sir. I know how hard he and Commander Griffin have been working. I could not be more proud of him."

Claire's smile matched hers. "I couldn't agree with the Major more, Admiral."

DuBois nodded. "I thought so. I can't do anything but sing their praises, because they've been going above and beyond the call of duty and they haven't complained once yet. I'm not keeping them from responsibilities at home, am I?"

Mac shifted in her seat, baffled the question had even been asked. She knew there were CO's who took the care for the officers in their command seriously -Admiral Chegwidden was a fine example of it, too- but this was another level. Her eyes locked with Claire's.

Her neighbor was the first to answer. "We both knew what we signed up for when Commander Griffin joined the Navy, sir. I realize that long hours are part of military life, I don't expect it to be a 9 to 5 job."

"As much as I appreciate that, Mrs. Griffin, it's not an answer to my question." He turned to Mac. "Major?"

Mac decided to be honest. "I agree with Mrs. Griffin, sir. Commander Rabb is happy with his job, he's usually home on time for dinner and bedtimes stories. We'll always be searching for a balance, sir, but at the moment, I have no reason to complain."

"I'm glad to hear it. Please don't hesitate to reach out if that changes." He rose. "Shall we go surprise them?"

They followed Admiral DuBois to a conference room. Claire elbowed her as they found a spot on the side. "This is unexpected."

"I know. I wasn't counting on it until later this year, either. Well deserved, though."

"Very true. Should we do a wet down?"

"We should do something. I'm afraid a bar is out of the question if we want to include the kids."

Claire had a different solution. "We can have it at the house. Don't think we have to make a massive celebration out of it, but a little something would be nice."

"Are you sure? I'd offer to do it, but the apartment is a little small for all these people."

"Of course," Claire nodded. "We have more than enough space, and to be honest, it'll be nice to be able to get the kids in bed at a halfway decent hour without having to worry about finding a baby sitter. Friday all right with you?"

"Friday should be fine." Mac let her eyes travel around the room as it filled with more people. "Do you think they're all coworkers? Harm doesn't tell me all that much about their sparring group."

"Neither does Jonah." Claire opened her mouth again, but at that moment Harm and Jonah entered the room, trailing behind a Marine Captain.

She saw his eyes light up, then the surprised frown as he spotted her across the room and smiled.

"Lt. Commander Rabb, Lt. Commander Griffin, front and center, please." The Admiral surveyed them. "You're out of uniform, gentlemen."

Harm's surprise turned to confusion. "Sir?"

"The O-5 board reported out. Congratulations to you both." He gave them half a minute for the news to sink in. "Let's get this over with so you can boss my other staff around, shall we? Please raise your right hand and repeat after me…"

After swearing them in, the Admiral turned to Mac and Claire. "Mrs. Griffin, Major Mackenzie, do you want to do the honors?"

"Absolutely, sir."

With a smile that couldn't possibly be bigger, she took the shoulder boards from the Admiral and stepped up to Harm.

"Did you know about this?"

"About ten minutes longer than you did." She switched one shoulder board for a new one. Three full stripes. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered.

"Even though you have to salute me?"

She tipped her chin up. "Thankfully for me, there will always be a part of you that salutes me."

The tips of his ears turned red and he stared at her. "Sarah…"

"You don't think that's true?"

He swallowed, but no words followed.

Smoothing down his lapels, she smirked. "Cat got your tongue. Fine. I'll put it to the test tonight." She paused, picking some imaginary lint off his jacket. "I really am so proud of you, azizam." Pushing herself up on tiptoes, she kissed his cheek.

Harm finally found his voice. "Thank you."

She stepped back. "All done, sir."

Next to them, Claire turned to the Admiral. "Admiral, we'd like to have a small wet down at our house next Friday night. Major Mackenzie and I would love it if you'd all attend. And please bring your families."

"That is very kind of you, Mrs. Griffin. I'm sure we'll all make an effort to be there."


April 3, 1998

Harm wove his way through the people in the living room, finally spotting Sarah in a corner, talking to Claire, baby Ellis fast asleep on her chest. She looked up at him, a hand on the baby's back, and smiled. "Hi."

"Hi."

"Where's Talls?"

"In the play room. Milo wanted to show her his train."

Claire rolled her eyes. "He would. It was an early Christmas present from my parents; he's been hooked on it since." She rose. "You okay with Ellis there?"

"Absolutely."

"I'll be right back."

Harm sank down in the chair left unoccupied by Claire and glanced at Sarah's face. "You want another baby."

Her eyes flicked up to his. "What makes you say that?"

"You have the same expression on your face now as you did holding Lila Kingsley's baby, about two days before you told me you wanted Tally."

The expression in her eyes changed, but Harm couldn't pinpoint it.

"Do I?"

"You do. You remember him? He was this…" He stopped in the middle of his sentence, realization dawning. "That…"

"It's been ages since you've done that," she whispered.

"God, Sarah. I'm sorry." He opened his mouth only to close it again, not knowing what else to say.

She squeezed his hand, her eyes fixed on something in the distance. She bit her lip. "It's okay. I know you don't do it on purpose."

"That doesn't make it okay." Taking a deep breath, Harm turned to her. "Look at me. Please, Sarah, look at me."

Hesitantly, her eyes glanced back in his direction. Harm felt his stomach drop. If he never had to see this expression on her face again, it would be too soon. "I need you to know. To understand."

"Understand what?"

"I'm not comparing you with her. There's nothing to compare. You're so different."

"So you keep telling me."

"Hear me out, please?" He needed her to get it. Silently praying for the right words, he took a deep breath. "If somebody would ask me to define my family, it's the three of us. You, me, Tally. You're the only mother any of my children will ever know, you'll be the only wife ever worth mentioning. I think my brain has been unconsciously replacing Diane with you in most of my memories, because it makes more sense for it to be you than her."

"Why?"

"Because you're the only one I've ever had a working family with. The only person I raise Tally with. I've never loved anyone the way I love you. You have to believe that."

Her expression softened somewhat and she nodded.

Harm continued: "If I could do it all again, I never would have married her, knowing I was waiting for you. She never would've stood a chance if I had known there was you."

"Tally wouldn't be here if you hadn't," she pointed out.

"Yeah, Tally's something else." The smile died quickly on his lips. "Tally is the single greatest thing that came out of my marriage to Di. Compromising on something, or giving up my wings didn't cross my mind until I was forced to do it; and by then we'd been living separate lives for almost as long as we were married… It pains me to admit it, but you are the love of my life. And as unconscious as replacing her with you happens, in a way I'm glad for it, because it makes my memories happier, somehow." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm just so sorry it nearly kills you."

Sarah studied him for a while. "You weren't happy."

"I wasn't. There was none of this… overwhelming happiness I feel now."

"But you'd made a vow, and you weren't going to give up." She brushed a tear away from his cheek. "Do you think you would have? Pulled the plug?"

He stared at the glass in his hands. "Eventually." His smile was rueful. "We would've made each other miserable. Especially if you'd shown up the way you did and made me realize the difference."

She fixed him with a stare. "I would've fought you tooth and nail."

"More than you did now?" He shook his head. "I know. Pretty sure I would have, too." He shrugged. "But yeah, I think it would've ended, anyway. It just happened a little sooner than expected, I guess."

They were quiet as Harm swallowed the last of his drink.

"It doesn't kill me when you mention her," Sarah said. "We can't pretend you didn't have a life with her, because proof of it is running around here somewhere. When you remember something that I wasn't part of, it makes me sad more than anything else, because I have to remember there was a time I wasn't part of this family. And usually I don't."

"Which is good, right?"

"It is." She nodded. "It would be awesome if we could've shared all of it."

"We'll share everything else."

She leaned into him. "So, I'm the love of your life, huh?"

Harm pulled her closer. "You are."

"Good. You're mine." She looked down at a sleeping Ellis. "And yes, I'd love to have another baby. One thing, though."

"What, sweetheart?"

"Let's get married first."