A/N: The next chapter will be longer, I promise. Enjoy!

It seemed every day that passed, Mac got to spend a little more time holding her son. He'd taken well to skin to skin therapy and his agitation had lessened greatly. Tonight she found herself alone, having sent Harm away a while ago to straighten out some confusion at their hotel about the extension of their reservation. She looked down at the baby sleeping on her chest. The more time she spent with him, the more she realized how hard it would be to leave him when the Marines called her back to duty.

A decision she'd been grappling with pressed at the back of her mind. She could get out. She could turn in her papers and leave the Marines. The thought always stilled her. She'd been a Marine for so long. It was all she'd ever known and so much a part of her identity. She was afraid who she would be without the Corps, when she was no longer Lt. Col. Sarah MacKenzie.

However, as she looked down at Morgan the answer was clearer that it had ever been. She's be Morgan's mom and Harm's wife and a retired Marine. Fate had given her this wonderful opportunity and who was she not to take full advantage?

Harm blinked awake as he heard the hotel room door crack open, he must have fallen asleep on the couch waiting for Mac. He glanced at the clock.

"'s late..."he rasped.

"I know, sorry," she replied softly, reaching out a hand to ruffle his hair. There was something tight in her expression, like she had something to tell him.

Knowing she'd come from the hospital, his stomach dropped. "Is Morgan ok?"

She smiled reassuringly. "He's fine. I just had some phone calls to make." Harm nodded. "I talked to your mom."

"Oh yeah? She ask you when we're moving her grandson to California?" he shifted so he was upright on the couch, opening himself to her.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about that," Mac admitted, accepting his offer and tucking herself beside him.

"About what?" Harm murmured, kissing her hair.

"I don't want you to leave the Navy." Mac continued, her voice muffled as she pressed her face against his shoulder.

"You don't want what?" he asked. He wasn't sure he heard her correctly.

"I don't want you to resign." Mac clarified, tilting her head back.

"Mac, we agreed. In order to get married, one of us had to resign," Harm reminded. Mac sat up straight, wanting to see his face to make sure he fully comprehended what she said next.

"Yeah, me. I'm leaving the Marines." Harm's eyes went wide and serious in that way Mac had found achingly endearing since the moment they met.

"But you won the coin toss." he replied dumbly. Her lips twitched into a smile. She knew she shouldn't have sprung this conversation on him when he wasn't fully awake and able to process information.

"Which means I get to choose. And I want you to stay in the Navy," she insisted.

"Mac..." he started to object, but she cut him off.

"My leave is almost up. Morgan isn't even ready to be discharged from hospital none the less moved to the other side of the world. And I can't leave him, Harm. Not even to report for duty."

"Mac, you won't have to leave him. I will make sure of that." He only had a couple favors left to call in, but he would use every one of them if he needed to.

"I know you would, but you don't need to. If you take up your new commission we can both be here with him and he can get all of his follow up care from the care team we're already familiar with. It sounds like he will be needing regular visits for at least a year."

"Are you sure this is what you want? This is a huge decision," It didn't sound like an impulsive decision, she'd clearly thought about it. And it was an ideal solution. In fact, it was an idea that had crossed his mind once or twice as the weeks of their leave ticked away. However, they'd made the decision to let fate decide and he didn't want her thinking he had second thoughts.

"Harm, you were willing to give up the Navy for us. The toss of a coin and you were going to give it all up: A huge promotion, Captain rank, and your flight status, without a second thought, just to give us a chance. I was prepared to do the same, had the coin landed differently. We wanted fate to make our path and right now that path is leading me towards motherhood and away from the Marines. Morgan is in London for a reason. We can make a good life here."

"We can. You, me, and our son." He grinned. He was in awe of her. If he were honest, he had been for as long as he'd known her. Her strength and determination were unparalleled. Not for the first time, he was grateful he hadn't let her slip away.

"We can get a nice little home, you can go put those Captain bars to use and I'll be the stay at home mom. If down the road I decide I want to go back to work, we can figure that out then," she replied wistfully. He captured her lips in a sweet kiss.

"I love you, Mac. And not just because you're letting me stay in the Navy." He teased. She swatted at his chest. "Ow, hey!"

"You can be really sweet if you want to, but that mouth..." she quipped.

"I have it on good authority that you like my mouth, Sarah Mackenzie," he retorted.

"Really?" She challenged.

"Really." He quirked an eyebrow at her before drawing her in for another kiss.