"I don't know what I'm going to do without you," Mac said to Harm, her expression sad and a little frightened, Harm thought.
"So don't," Harm suggested, lifting his eyes from the table between them. The rest of their friends were elsewhere, finally giving them a few minutes alone to discuss the future and what it might hold with their being transferred to duty stations around the world from each other.
"Don't what?"
"Don't do without me." Now he lifted his head and looked at her, covering her hand on the table with his. "Come with me, Mac," he said. Almost immediately, he saw the confusion on her face.
"But - I have orders to -"
"You could resign your commission," he continued, and immediately saw the return of the fear - only this time, it was for a different reason.
"Re-resign?" Mac repeated slowly, blinking in surprise. "Leave the Corps?"
"So that we can be together," Harm said, releasing her hand when she spoke again.
"You're at your twenty," she reminded him, sounding desperate. "You can retire - move to San Diego -"
"I've already given up my career once, Mac," Harm reminded her, and was gratified to see her blanch from the realization of his words. "Didn't exactly turn out the way I hoped it would. I think it's time for you to make a sacrifice."
"What?"
"You asked me once what I would give up to have you, Mac. Well, you got your answer. I gave up everything. So what are *you* willing to give up to have me and a chance at the family you say you want? Or does your career mean so much to you that you'd prefer to remain alone?"
"Harm, you can't be serious about this -" Mac began, only to stop as she met his eyes again and saw the determination in them. Harm's gaze never wavered.
"Tell you what. Why don't we let fate decide?" he suggested.
"F-fate?"
Good, Harm thought. He had her seriously off-balance now. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a quarter. "We'll flip a coin. Heads, you stay in the Corps and go to San Diego and we go our separate ways. Tails, you resign your commission and come to London with me - as my wife."
"You're crazy," Mac accused. "That's just - silly."
Harm sat there for a moment before closing his fingers around the quarter and moving to stand up. "Then I guess this is good bye, Mac," he told her.
"Good bye?" she repeated, looking up at him. "Why does it have to be good bye?"
"Because I'm as tired of this dance as you once said you were," he told her. "I need to move on, Mac. I'm not getting any younger, and I *want* a family of my own. I hoped it would be with you, but -"
"Harm, you know the chances of my getting pregnant are -"
"I know. Less than four percent," he replied. "But there's still a *chance*, Mac. There are options we could pursue. Ones that I would have been more than willing to take - I'm willing to do whatever was necessary to complete that promise I made. But I guess it's not as important to you as your career is. Good luck in San Diego." As he turned to go, he felt Mac's fingers close around his wrist, and looked down at her.
"Flip the coin, Harm," she told him.
"And you'll abide by whatever the outcome might be?" he asked.
She only hesitated a moment. "Y-yes."
Harm sat down again and tossed the coin into the air, holding his breath until it landed on the table - and rolled over the edge onto the floor. With a sense of déjà vu, Harm bent to look at it at the same time that Mac did - and they hit their heads together. "Ow."
"Ouch," Mac said at the same time, rubbing her head, but her eyes were on the silver circle that would decide their future . . .
(This is where DPB would end it… But I'm not that cruel. **VBG**--ne)
A smile appeared on Harm's face and he picked up the coin, showing her the result. "Tails." Standing up again, he held out his hand. "I'm ready, Mac. Are you?"
She took his hand and moved closer to him, not caring that they were still in McMurphy's - or that their friends and co-workers were nearby as she slid her arms around his neck and pulled his head down for a long kiss.
Across the room, Gordon Cresswell sighed deeply as he watched the scene. "Looks like I'm going to need to find someone else to fill that San Diego billet." Narrowing his eyes in Sturgis' direction, he said, "How about you, Turner? Think you could handle a base full of Marines?"
When Mac and Harm pulled apart, she jostled the hand in which he was holding the quarter and he dropped it. Before Harm could move, she bent to retrieve it for him. "I think we need to keep this for -" she examined the coin and frowned, "luck -" her dark eyes fixed on Harm. "This quarter has two tails, Harm," she told him. "You cheated."
"No," he said, covering her hand and the coin with his larger ones. "Some things are just too important to leave to chance, Sarah," he told her. "Especially this. If you want to stay in the Corps, it's up to you. You know where to find me when you make up your mind."
He walked out of the bar after saying his goodbyes to Bud and Harriet, and moved toward the Vette. Putting her into storage wasn't something he was looking forward to, but the cost of transporting the vehicle across the Atlantic would be too much. Tonight was his last chance to drive the car that he and Sturgis had so painstakingly restored.
==================================
Next morning
National Airport Terminal
Harm sat down in the seat, already dreading the flight to London. Airline seats were uncomfortable - he never had enough legroom. "Excuse me, but I think you dropped this."
Hearing the familiar voice, Harm's eyes widened and he stood up - hitting his head on the bottom of the storage compartment. "Mac!"
"Is that offer still open?" she wanted to know, holding out his trick quarter. "If it is, I'm ready."
Ignoring the coin in her hand, Harm pulled Mac into his arms and gave her a kiss that left her breathless and shaking. It was only when the other passengers began to applaud that he remembered they weren't alone and hastily pulled Mac down to sit with him. Mac laughed softly. "What?" he asked.
"You're blushing," she told him, lifting a finger to touch his ear.
"No I'm not," he denied, finally taking the quarter from her before taking her hands in his. "I'm sorry about the quarter, Mac. But I didn't know what else to do. And I'm glad you're here."
"So am I. I love you, Harm. You know that, right?"
"I hoped you did," he told her. "Because I happen to love you, too."
=======================================
Six Months Later
NLSO
London, England
"Your wife is here, Captain," Harm's yeoman informed him via the intercom. "She says it's important."
"Send her in," Harm replied, thinking that Sarah wanted to drag him away for lunch. He was still focused on the report he'd been reading when he heard the door open. "Be right with you, Sarah," he promised.
"That's okay. We can wait," was her reply, and it took several moments for Harm to realize what she'd said and look up.
"We?" he questioned, noting that she was alone. "Is there someone with you?" he asked.
"In a way." She moved around his desk to lean back against the edge once she'd reached his chair. Placing her hand on her abdomen, she smiled. "If you include her."
"Her?"
"Or him. It's too early to tell yet which it is."
"You - You're -" Sarah nodded, smiling from ear to ear.
The End