AN: This is it. The last piece of the story. Don't worry though. I have another story, fluffy and sweet, ready to be posted, so I will do that soon. Hope you can appreciate the way I wrapped things up and I thank all of you for reading and reviewing.
Disclaimer: I must have mentioned this before, but just in case...don't own them. Too bad.
Onwith it.
Harm's POV
So here we are. In our new home, decorated with love, care and a warmth only a female touch can provide. And with the tremendous pile of junk only a female teenager can provide. We gave Mattie the largest bedroom, acknowledging her need for privacy while she adjusts to her new surroundings. And her new parents. Adoption papers were finalized only weeks ago and while we're all glad she's here for the duration, we still have to settle in to family routine. I know we'll make it though.
I yawn and stretch in my study overlooking the skyline of our new home town, including the Tower Bridge. Yes, the coin landed heads up, which meant we all packed for London. All of us being me, Mac, Mattie and Jen (glad she came along).
I don't miss the America any more…and neither does Mac. We've established our own way of celebrating the typical American holidays and we're always welcome at the embassy. Or at London's Unicef headquarters where Colonel Sarah MacKenzie-Rabb usually resides.
Truly, I can't tell which one of us was more happy with this new challenge for my Marine. Like I said before, I would have done anything to find some way to make sure her life wouldn't be just about our marriage. And yes, if it hadn't been for this unique chance, that would have been a very hard task.
Civilian life would have been very difficult to handle, especially when your uniform has become second skin to you over the years. And then I'm not even considering the fact that she's way too damn smart and to let that go to waste would be a mortal sin.
She wouldn't have been able to land a civilian lawyer job though, since none of her diploma's or degrees have any value here in Europe.
No, this way we are both satisfied. And thankfully she doesn't let me gloat over my seniority too much. There's no doubt in my mind who's the outranking officer in the MacKenzie-Rabb household. I tend to consider myself lucky if I come second to the dog we got Mattie as a gift. No kidding, that little mutt is putting up one hell of a fight when it comes down to which one of us gets to sleep next to my wife. As long as I win nine out of ten times, I'm okay. I know which buttons to push (or pull open) to get to the soft side of the tough Colonel. The ones on both our uniforms usually work.
I distinctly recall the time she showed me her newly tailored uniform, fitting her rank. Just as proudly as I stood in front of her showing her mine. Ha, I always suspected she was a sucker for me in my dress whites and let me tell you, after minutes of just staring (or ogling), we didn't push or pull any buttons, we simply ripped them off. And consequently had to make another trip to the tailor shop the next day. Wonder what the girl behind the counter was thinking…she did give us a rather amused look…
Come to think of it; her uniform will need even more tailoring in the near future. She already has to leave the lower buttons of the blouse open and in a few more weeks she won't fit into the skirt any longer either. She doesn't care, she's way too happy. And so am I. To me, she has never looked more beautiful, especially knowing how very extraordinary this naturally conceived pregnancy is.
And I'll have you know that I'm watching her like a hawk, making sure she eats healthy, rubbing her feet, prying her hands away from the coffee-pot (she'll probably just have another extra strong cup at the office) and gently tucking her next to me when we go to sleep. I mean, she can act lean, mean tough Marine any time at work or at home (remind me not to pull rank if I want to pull any uniform buttons later at night), as long as she knows she's first and foremost my gorgeous pregnant wife and I therefore have every right to become an overprotective, possessive daddy-to-be. Sometimes it makes her skittish, but mostly she seems touched by my actions, enough so to indulge me.
So here we are. Married, employed, upgraded, parents and parents-to-be. And more happy than I ever thought I could be or even deserved to be. Thanks to the coin that would have landed the right side up no matter what.
THE END
