Sarah's Surprise
By: AmyToo
Rating: G
Spoilers: Up to Season 9's "Hail and Farewell, Part 1"
Summary: Mac gets the surprise of her life...
Mac stepped out of the cab awkwardly since she was blindfolded. "How much do I owe you?" she asked in general direction of the cabbie.
"Nada, it's already been taken care of," the driver replied with a smile and a nod to the man on the curb.
"Oh yeah, by whom?" Mac asked.
The man nodded to the cabbie before saying, "By me." Surprise lit up Mac's face and she started to removed her blindfold when she felt two hands stop her. "Oh no, don't do that. It'll ruin his surprise."
"How much more of a surprise can I get, admiral?" Mac asked. "Sir?"
"First of all, Mac, I'm not your commanding officer any more," was the reply, "And second, my name's not 'sir' or 'admiral' but 'A.J. since I'm retired from the Navy."
Mac nodded, then asked, "So, ad- um, A.J., when do I get to find out what this is all about?"
"Right now," her former C.O. replied, "I'm here to escort you inside."
"Inside where?" Mac asked.
A.J. wrapped her arm through his, "You'll see."
A.J. led Mac inside a building she still hadn't a clue as to where she was. Once inside he knocked on the door, and a very familiar voice answered. It was Harriet, who took over leading Mac. Thanking her former C.O. she closed the door just as Mac again tried to remove the blindfold. This time no one stopped her, and she found herself in a beautiful room that looked to be a hotel room with Harriet and Jennifer Coates, who disappeared into an adjoining small room.
"Harriet, what IS going on?" she asked. When she received a mysterious note this morning she had agreed to go along with this because she had sensed Harm was up to something. But what she didn't have a clue.
"You'll see," Harriet replied with before Coates reappeared carrying a beautiful white wedding gown.
Mac was astonished as she looked at the beautiful dress that had been selected, "Is this Harm's way of asking me to marrying him?" Harriet shrugged but Coates struggled not to laugh, "Jennifer?"
"Please, colonel, don't make me answer that question," Jennifer replied.
Thankfully there was a knock at the door that spared the petty officer, and Harriet quickly ushered in a grinning Chloe into the room. Her little sister ran to her, and hugged her spouting out a million questions. "Why didn't you tell me you were getting married today?"
Mac smiled, flustered, "Because someone forgot to tell me, that's why!"
"Someone forgot to tell you?" Chloe said, surprised. "It must be Harm then!"
"I hope so," Mac said aloud, causing the others present in the room to squeal.
"Come on, Sarah, we need to get you ready," Harriet said, taking over the situation.
Moment later, after she had on the dress, and they were helping her with her hair, Mac asked, "Chloe, do you know where we are?"
Chloe shrugged, "I haven't a clue. They blindfolded me when they brought me in."
Before Mac could comment on the oddity of it, Harriet finished her hair just as there was a knock on the door, and another voice inquired from the other side, "Is my favorite niece ready yet?"
Without another second's hesistation, Mac jumped up and opened the door herself, flying into the arms of the Marine colonel who waited on the other side, "Uncle Matt!" Mac felt herself crying as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Come on, you didn't think I'd miss your wedding, did you now, Sarah?" Matt asked as they pulled away from each other.
"But how did you get out of Leavenworth?" Mac asked.
Matt shrugged, "Someone pulled some strings and got them to grant me a 3-day furlough. Must be that soon-to-be husband of yours." He wiped her tears away. "Stop crying, kiddo, before you ruin your makeup."
"Or her former C.O.," A.J. said joining them. He looked Mac over and said, "You look beautiful."
"You got Uncle Matt out, sir?" Mac asked and at his look, "I'm sorry. A.J.?"
"Yes, I did," he replied, "I figure you'd much rather have your uncle walk you down the aisle than the old bear your old former C.O. is."
"Oh, thank you, sir," she said, tearing up again. She actually hugged him to the surprise of all, and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."
A.J. cleared his throat, "Well the wedding is about to start."
Harriet reappeared with the blindfold and Mac groaned, "It's only until we get outside. Believe me you'll want to be surprised for this."
Mac nodded, and let them tie the blindfold on before leading her through a series of corridors. Finally they reached a door where Mac could hear the strains of music and where Harriet removed the blindfold for the last time.
Mac gasped, "The White House Rose Garden!"
A.J. grinned, "Fools in love do stupid and impossible things, and by my reckoning Rabb is the one of the biggest fools I have ever met." He grinned one last time at the stunned look on Mac's face before taking his leave to take his place among the seated guests, which appeared to include President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush.
The wedding music started and Mac was left alone with her uncle as Harriet and Jennifer were a part of the wedding procession. Mac's eyes went to the front of the gathering as there she saw Harm standing, waiting for her in his dress whites, the same wide grin that always made her go weak in the knees present on his face. She loved the Flyboy but she was going to kill him for surprising her with the most wonderful wedding she could have ever imagined.
The Wedding March cued up and she heard Matt's voice say, "Are you ready, Sarah?"
Mac nodded, "Yes, we've wasted too much time already."
And with that, Colonel Matthew O'Hara took one step forward with his niece towards the man she loved with all her heart...
FIN