Chapter 20:

They returned to work that Monday morning, and it didn't take long for the news of their engagement to spread through the bullpen. They'd thought about waiting awhile to make the announcement, since they'd decided the wedding wouldn't be until after the baby was born, but when it came down to it, they were just too excited.

"Oh, Colonel, it's just gorgeous!!!" squealed Coates as Mac showed off the ring.

"Thanks, Jen" replied Mac.

"Did the Commander pick it out by himself?" asked Harriet.

"Actually" said Mac, "his dad picked it out 40-something years ago."

"That was his mother's ring?!" asked Coates.

"Yes, it was." answered Mac. "It'd be special anyway, but that makes it mean even more to me."

"How did he propose??" "Was it romantic??" "Tell me everything!!" The questions came from everywhere, but Mac was thrilled to answer them all. She'd waited a lifetime to tell the story of how her Prince Charming - her only true love - had asked her to be his bride. By the time she finished telling the story, everyone was in tears and she felt as though she'd fallen even deeper in love with Harm.

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"Hey, why don't you come over tonight?" asked Harm as he leaned on the edge of Mac's desk that afternoon. "I've got a something to talk with you about."

"Ok, sure" said Mac. "What?"

"Don't worry, nothing bad" he replied, "just something we haven't talked about yet that I think we need to."

"OK, when should I be there?" asked Mac.

"7:00 or so?" replied Harm.

"I'll be there" she said, wondering what mysterious thing he had in mind to discuss.

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"Would you rub my feet, please, babe?" she asked him as they sat on his couch that night.

"Of course I will" he replied, leaning down to reach her legs and bringing them up into his lap.

"Mmmmmm, that's nice" cooed Mac as he massaged her aching feet.

"I've been told I have magic fingers" he slyly replied.

"Yeah, well, don't let it go to your head, flyboy" Mac retorted.

"I won't" said Harm in a tone of voice which let Mac know he'd already let it go to his head, but she didn't care.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" asked Mac.

"Well" he began, "I know we talked in California about how we need to move in together soon, but we didn't decide where we'd be moving to."

"No, we sure didn't, did we?" replied Mac, thinking back to the discussion they'd had as they laid on the beach the last night of their trip, looking up at the stars. "I'd be happy to move in here, I'm not especially attached to my apartment."

"That's a possibility" said Harm, "but I was thinking maybe we could look for a new place, something a little bigger than yours or mine." Mac's eyes lit up at this prospect.

"I think that'd be really cool" she said. "There have to be some nice 3 bedroom apartments not too terribly far from JAG, I'm sure we can find something we like."

"I wasn't exactly thinking of another apartment, Mac" said Harm with a gleam in his eye.

"A house?!" she replied, the surprise evident in her voice.

Harm nodded. "It just makes sense to get a house, what with the baby coming soon and us getting married, I just think it's a smart thing to do."

"Yeah, I think you're right" said Mac. "Where do you plan to look?"

"Not totally sure yet" replied Harm, "but now that we've decided that's what we want to do, I'll gather some information, OK?"

"Ok" said Mac. "This is exciting! So many changes are coming so fast, but I wouldn't trade any of them."

"Me either" said Harm. "Do your feet feel better?"

"Oh yeah, much" she replied, want me to come sit with you?"

"Do you really have to ask?" replied Harm, flashing her a heart-stopping smile.

Mac maneuvered herself around on the couch so she was sitting between Harm's legs with her back to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and kissed the top of her head.

"Have I told you how much I love you tonight?" he asked.

"Come to think of it" answered Mac, "no."

"Well, allow me to remedy that situation" he said, and he leaned his head down and began kissing her ear.

"You know what that does to me, flyboy" whispered Mac, leaning into his chest.

"Precisely why I'm doing it" replied Harm as he moved down her neck. He reached her shoulder, and as he moved her shirt out of the way just a bit, Mac let out a gasp that stopped him dead in his tracks.

"What?! What is it, babe?!" he asked. "Are you OK?!?"

"Oh my gosh!" exclaimed Mac. "The baby just kicked me!!" She'd been feeling tiny flutters off and on for a few weeks, but nothing compared to this.

"Really?!" said Harm, his excitement evident. "Can I feel it?!"

"I hope so" replied Mac, "gimme your hand." She took his right hand and placed it on her tummy in the spot where she'd felt the kick. They sat still and quiet, and waited……

"There! Did you feel that?!" she asked him after the baby gave her another good kick.

"Oh, yeah!" answered Harm. "That's amazing!"

"I know" replied Mac as she began to tear up.

"Pretty soon it'll be moving around all the time, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah, I can't wait" answered Mac with a little sniffle.

As they'd talked before about someday doing, they spent the next few hours on the couch, feeling their little ones every move.