AN: You know that you are stressed when you barely have time to post a part of an already finished story... Thanks to everyone who sent feedback. It was very much appreciated.

DC resident, I've never been to Washington and know very little about what kind of neighborhood where is, but I'd like to change it from SE if you'd give me a suggestion on a more suitable one.

Part 20

"Colonel, I'm glad you found the time to drop by," Admiral Chegwidden said when Mac entered "Coates, close the hatch. At ease," he said turning back to Mac.

"I'm sorry sir. I was in court when you asked for me."

"It's alright. Please sit down," he said a bit more friendly.

Mac sat down and waited for him to tell her what this was all about. She was very rarely called into his office in the middle of the day without a clue of what it was about.

"Do you like it here at JAG?" he asked her.

"Of course."

"You've been here for quite a while now."

"I guess you could say that, but I still think it's very challenging."

"I'm sure you do and I would have liked to keep you here, but I've gotten a request to have you transferred to another command."

"Oh... where?" Mac asked carefully not quite sure that this was going to be any happy news.

"It's the position as carrier-JAG on the Patrick Henry, but also with responsibility of over seeing the other JAGs in the battle group," the admiral made a pause and watched Mac's reaction "You don't seem happy, it's a great position and a step in the right direction for your long term career."

Mac nodded "Yes, sir."

"Admiral Border have requested you specifically, but my word has some weight too. So if you tell me not to recommend you... However you should know if I don't recommend you, it will have to be Commander Rabb."

"No, I want it," Mac was quick to say. She really wanted to stay with Harm and Mattie, but she wanted them to be together more. At this point no matter how things seemed in their hearts Harm was Mattie's only legal guardian.

"OK. Then I'll send the papers off today and I'll tell you as soon as the final decision is in. It won't be long, possibly even today."

"Yes, sir."

"You're dismissed," the admiral told her and she walked out of the office.

"Mac, what's wrong? You've been so quiet ever since we left the office," Harm asked her as they were driving home from work the same day. They had missed each other the whole day so this was the first Harm saw of Mac since her meeting with the admiral.

"We need to talk, but at home, OK?" Mac said. She didn't want to tell him while they were in the car and couldn't really look at each other.

"OK, but I do want to know what's bothering you when we're home."

"I'll tell you."

They had hardly walked inside the door, before Harm asked her again what was wrong.

"I'm getting a transfer," she paused and Harm put his arms up and his hands were touching her neck as his thumbs were stroking across her face. "To the Patrick Henry," she continued.

"Oh, I'm..." Harm was feeling all these emotions going trough his head and then he gathered his thoughts and started "I heard about that position, but I didn't think anyone from our office was going to get it. It will be great for you though."

"I'm not so sure it will be all that great. For my career sure, but not for all that which really counts, my life with you and Mattie."

"I'm glad you think that we matter so much, but we'll be fine and we'll still be here when you get back. We'll both miss you like crazy, but we'll get by."

"So you're not upset with me over this."

"No, why would I be that? Orders are orders and... and I'm really proud of you for getting the position. Is it 100 % sure that you're going."

"Yes, the admiral told me right before I left. We sail on the 3rd of August."

Harm pulled her in for a proper hug. They were still standing right inside of the hallway and in the living room. There were boxes and things everywhere. Neither one had lived in a more chaotic place of their own before. It had gotten to the point where they were almost uncomfortable around their own house. The only room they really liked at the moment was the bedroom, and they didn't use it just for sleep.

"Mattie isn't going to take this as well as you did," Mac was thinking back on how Mattie had felt about the previous shorter trips they had been forced to do for investigations and court martials. This would seem even worse to her."

"I'm afraid you're right, but we'll make her understand some way. You're not alone in this."

"No, we're together. I'm so glad that I have you, Harm. I don't want to leave, but..."

"I know, I know. Do you think we should call her now?"

"There is no point in waiting. I just want to get it over with."

They went out to the kitchen where the telephone was and Mac dialed the number and Harm held her hand as she waited for someone to pick up on the other line.

"Hello Mr. Burnett," she said "This is Sarah Mackenzie. Do you have Mattie there?" It was rare that Harm's stepfather Frank answered the phone, but she had talked once or twice before. This time though there was no small talk, she wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

Frank went to get Mattie who had the afternoon off and was lying outside sunbathing.

"Hey Mattie. How are things?" Mac asked.

(("Good. We've been really busy at the café this week so it's been nice to have some free time. Oh and yesterday one of the artists showed me around the gallery and talked about his paintings. It was really interesting."))

"I bet," Mac breathed in deeply "Mattie, there's something I need to tell you."

(("Yeah, what?" Mattie asked not being able to guess what this was.))

"Mattie, right after you come back to DC I have to go away for at least six months. To a carrier. They need a JAG there to..." Mac stopped when she heard the click of Mattie hanging up. "She hung up," she told Harm.

"I'll talk to Mom or Frank and have them talk to her," Harm tried to comfort her. He saw a little tear making it's way down her cheek.

"I just feel like I'm the last in a row of adults that have walked out of her life and I really don't want to be that."

"Mac, you're not walking out of her life. I don't believe that just because you're on the other side of the world you won't be interested in and care about Mattie. She was just shocked. We'll talk to her and give her some time to really understand what this means and what it doesn't mean."

The same evening Harm called back to his parents, but Trish had already been able to get the news out of Mattie. The next they Mattie called Mac back and apologized for hanging up on her like that. She still wasn't happy about it, but she was also able to see that any anger that she was feeling towards Mac because of it came mostly out of fear both of what could happen to Mac going so close to a war zone and of what would become of their family if they were split up like that. Though Mac and Harm tried to assure her that they were going to be together again once Mac was home again, she still didn't feel quite certain.

For the following two weeks things at JAG HQ stayed busy and it didn't get any better because Mac had to start preparing for her deployment and try to find out more about the people she was going to supervise. Harm and Mac didn't really get any further on the whole making-house-into-home-project and Mac was getting more and more stressed about the possibility of having to leave the house like that for Mattie to come home to and for her to then leave it like that. Mattie was going to come home just two days before she was reporting to the Patrick Henry and they were sailing off from Norfolk. That day was getting closer and closer.

TBC