One month later

School had started up again, and life seemed back to normal after a summer where Mattie had spent weeks with her father. Mattie went to Blacksburg every other weekend, and her father would come to town once a week to spend time with her. Harm and Mac both knew that it was a matter of time before Mattie would want to move back with her father permanently.

"Did you pack your bag?" Mac wondered.

Mattie nodded and dropped her bag on the floor. "Dad will be here any minute."

"Do you have plans for the weekend?" Mac questioned curiously. She knew that Mattie had plans to spend time with her boyfriend.

"Just spend time with Dad and Kevin," Mattie admitted the last part shyly.

"You two are getting serious?" Mac assumed.

"You sound like Harm," Mattie said cleverly.

"He's just worried that you're rushing into something that you're not ready for," Mac defended her husband. "I'm glad you're happy, Mattie. And Kevin seems like a nice boy."

"He is," Mattie smiled sweetly. "But I'm not going there just to see him. I'm spending time with Dad too. We're making plans for Grace aviation. It's just like old times."

"Well, have fun, and we'll see you on Sunday night," Mac moved in to hug Mattie just as there was a knock on the door.

Mattie hugged Mac just as Harm joined them. Mac released Mattie to open the door. Harm got a hug, too, just as Tom joined them. "You guys have a nice weekend," Harm said.

"I'll have her back on Sunday night," Tom said and grabbed Mattie's bag.

Harm and Mac watched them leave. Harm put his arm around Mac's shoulder as the door closed. "It's just the two of us then."

"Yup," Mac said and moved her hands to her rounded belly. "And "Little peanut."

Harm chuckled. "We can talk about baby names."

"I think "Little peanut" is cute," Mac said with a teasing smile as she turned toward the kitchen. "I need a snack."

"We're not naming the baby. "Little peanut," he reasoned as he followed her. "And I was just getting started on dinner."

"I'll snack while you do that," Mac said as she opened the fridge.

"I like Walter," Harm said, knowing that Mac would disagree.

"Veto," she said without thinking about it. She closed the fridge without finding anything to eat. "I want something, but I can't figure out what."

Harm chuckled. "Not this again."

Mac watched him walk past her and open the fridge. "Can I help?"

"Of course, but you've had a long day. You should sit down and relax," he suggested as he found what he needed. He pealed the potatoes, put them in a casserole, filled water, and put the casserole on the stove.

"I am kinda looking forward to the weekend," she admitted. "This week was the longest."

"Because you missed me?" he wondered with a sweet smile.

"Yes," she admitted. "But also because we're short-staffed and we have a new boss that I need to impress."

"As long as you're not overdoing it," Harm warned.

"I'm not," she said with a sigh. "I'm six months along, and I feel very good. You have to let me do my job and not hover over me. I'll go crazy."

Harm let out a sigh as he cut the fish into suitable pieces. He washed his hands and found the ingredients for the sauce. Mac sat down on a barstool and waited until he finished smashing it in the food processor.

"You're annoyed," she suggested.

Harm washed his hands again, then sat down beside her. He had to wait for the potatoes to boil before he could do anything else. "I just don't know what you want from me?" he admitted.

"What?" she was surprised by what he'd said.

"I know I can't do much. I mean, you have to carry the baby and give birth to the baby, but I can worry. And I do worry, Mac," he reasoned. "This week, I had to be away, and I missed you. And yeah, I worried. It turns out that I worry a lot."

Mac smiled. "What are you so worried about?"

"Complications," he said after thinking about it. "I've been thinking about what happened to Sarah. Baby Sarah," he clarified. "Everything was fine until it wasn't. And I don't think I could bear it if anything happened to the baby. Or to you. So I worry."

Mac took his hand. "More often than not, things go just fine. There are no guarantees in life, but I can't walk around worried all the time. It'll just ruin the experience. And I want you to enjoy the journey with me, Harm."

He smiled sheepishly. "I am. I just worry too." He turned fully to her. "Ever since they told us that we were having a boy, I guess it just made it much more real. It's not just an idea of a baby anymore. It's a perfectly healthy boy in there. And Sarah was perfectly healthy too. It's just been on my mind."

Mac put his hand on her belly. "I get that. I do. And I'm glad we can talk about this."

"Yeah?" he put his other hand on her rounded belly too.

She nodded. "Thanks for telling me."

He leaned in and kissed her softly. "I missed you this week. All three of you. It's a little disappointing to come home only to have to say goodbye to Mattie. I should get used to not having her around, though."

"It'll be a change," Mac said with a sigh. "I'm dreading it."

Harm nodded. "Me too."

Mac smiled lovingly. "I love you."

"I love you too," he whispered as he leaned in and kissed her again. "I missed this."

She kissed him again. "This?"

Harm moved his hands from her belly and moved his arms around her, pulling her closer. "All of this."

"All of me? Because I'm so huge?" she said with a chuckle.

"I can still reach around you," he teased as he kissed her again. "You're beautiful," he added between nibbles to her lip.

Monday, JAG Headquarters

Harm let Mac walk into General Cresswell's office before him. The General motioned for his visitor's chairs before they could stand at attention.

"Sit down."

Harm and Mac did. Cresswell was their new commanding officer, and he was doing a good job. He was different than Chegwidden, but so far, the office was running smoothly.

"I have a problem that I need you to help me with," Cresswell said and leaned back in his chair.

"A problem, sir?" Harm questioned curiously.

"I have no idea what to do with the two of you," Cresswell explained. "I thought I'd know after a month, but since the both of you are competent and resourceful, and you both get the job done, I have a hard time deciding who to reassign."

"The Colonel is senior and your Chief of staff; she should stay," Harm reasoned.

"Are you expressing a wish to change duty station, Commander?" Cresswell wondered.

"No, sir, just making a suggestion," Harm explained.

"The Commander has been here the longest; he's also fit to travel and investigate out of town, so he's your obvious choice," Mac butted in.

"Well, Colonel, your condition will pass," Cresswell reasoned. "Are you expressing a wish to be transferred to a different command where you won't have to travel as much?"

Mac hesitated. "I don't know, sir," she said honestly. "I realize that my life will change drastically in three months."

Cresswell nodded with understanding. "I'll give you out this week to present to me your wishes for other duty stations. Here are your options," he handed them each a file. "I will make my decision and recommendations based on those wishes."

"Understood, sir," Mac said.

"Yes, sir," Harm agreed.

"That was all," Cresswell said.

Mac and Harn snapped to attention.

Later

Harm noticed that both Mac and Mattie seemed preoccupied during dinner that night. He had to admit that he, too, had some things on his mind. He had looked through the file he had been handed earlier in the day, and there were a few options he found interesting.

"I better get started on my homework," Mattie said as she stood. She took her plate to the sink. "Dinner was great."

"I'm glad you liked it," Harm said and stood. He took Mac's plate as well. "Do you need any help with your homework?"

"Nope, I think I can handle it," Mattie reassured as she headed out of the kitchen.

Harm studied his wife. She looked thoughtful. "Have you given your options any thought?" he questioned.

Mac nodded. "Some." She stood and headed his way. "You?"

"Some," he said with a shrug. "That Pentagon assignment seems interesting."

"Yeah," she agreed.

"What about you?" Harm wondered.

She shrugged. "I guess the judiciary seems tempting. There's a lot of travel through, and my career would be more locked, I guess."

"Who knows, maybe you'll be the new Ruth Bader Ginsburgh one day?" he said with a cute smile.

"I did always see the judiciary as a career option," she admitted. "But I like what I do too. And maybe one day I'd be in charge of my own command…."

"You definitely will," he agreed.

"But my life will change drastically, Harm. Little Peanut will have to be a priority. I guess I always pictured myself as a stay-at-home mom if I ever had children," she admitted. "At least for the first year or so…."

"That's always an option," Harm agreed. "Of course, we'd only have one income."

"Yeah, maybe private law would be better for me," she said with hesitation. "Fewer hours, more money, and I wouldn't have to travel."

"With all our trial experience, we could make a fortune in private law," Harm agreed.

"Money isn't everything," Mac reminded him.

"Yeah, but it helps," he said with a chuckle. "It's expensive to have kids. College is a fortune."

"I know," she said and moved into his embrace.

He wrapped his arms around her. "We'll figure it out."

"Yeah," she agreed.