Authors Note: I started writing this a couple of years ago and posted it at SD-1. Never got to finish it but recently found it again. Thought I'd try to finish it and post it here.
Authors Note 2: This takes place after Season 3 on Alias - so Lauren is dead. Syd and Vaughn are together. Season 4 hasn't happened so no Nadia, APO, or working for Sloane. In the JAG timeline this takes place post Season 8. After Paraguay Harm and Mac end up together and she was never with Webb and her health problems never happened. Vukovic doesn't exist.
Disclaimer: Alias and JAG do not belong to me - they belong to JJ Abrams and Donald P. Bellisario respectively.
Chapter One
Michael Vaughn entered the apartment he shared with his girlfriend Sydney Bristow, sorting through the mail. It appeared to be the usual assortment of junk mail and bills until he got to the bottom of the pile where he found an extremely elegant looking envelope. Wondering what it was, he noticed that it was addressed to Michael Vaughn and guest, which really made him curious. Dumping the rest of the pile on the coffee table he sat down on the couch while opening the envelope, wondering who would sent him something like this. The return address was somewhere in the D.C. area but that still didn't help him figure out who this was from. He was surprised to find a wedding invitation inside.
Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie, USMC and Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr., USN Request the honor of your presence as they join their lives together In Holy Matrimony Saturday the 29th of October, 2005 Ceremony to take place at the Annapolis Naval Academy Chapel at 4 pm Reception at half past five at the Annapolis Officer's Club Dress uniforms invited
Vaughn was shocked. It had been years since he had heard from Harmon Rabb. They had become friends during their first year at Georgetown Law School. The last time he had seen him had been the day of their graduation. He knew Harm had been assigned to JAG Headquarters in Virginia but he had never had the opportunity to go by and see him. Two weeks after graduation Vaughn had left for the Farm and then been sent to the Agency's LA office. He had heard through the rumor mill that Harm had been involved with some Agency operations but as he was assigned to the Alliance case and then to Rambaldi research he had never had anything to do with those operations.
He was still sitting on the couch reminiscing on the past when Sydney walked into the apartment. She came over and sat down on his lap, worried about the far off look in Vaughn's eyes.
"Vaughn? Everything ok?"
"Yeah, Syd, I'm fine. Just thinking about some things from my past."
"And what prompted this reflection into the past? Did something happen?"
"Nothing bad, Syd, I promise. I got a wedding invitation from a law school classmate and it just made me think back to that time in my life. I haven't heard from him in a long time so I was a bit surprised when I opened the envelope."
"You never talk about your time in law school. I don't think I've ever heard you mention any of your friends from that time. Tell me about him."
"Let's see. Harm's in the Navy. When I me him he had just recovered from an accident. He was a pilot but there was some sort of problem with eyes so he couldn't fly anymore. But he still had a commitment to the Navy because he was an Annapolis graduate. Somehow, he was convinced to go to law school and become a lawyer for the Navy JAG force. I remember him being so angry because his dream of being a pilot like his father had been taken away. Actually, we're a lot alike in that respect - both of us choosing our careers to honor our fathers. His father was shot down over Vietnam in 1969. Anyway, he was very closed off in the beginning, not letting people get close to him. He and I were assigned as partners for a project a month into out first semester so we spent a lot of time together and eventually he became less standoffish and we got to know each other. We chose to be roommates our second and third year as we seemed to both have similar goals and priorities and our personalities meshed well. The last time I saw him in person was on the day of our graduation. That day, he received his assignment to JAG Headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia. I had always figured I would have the chance to stop by and visit him there, but two weeks later I left for the Farm. Since then we have exchanged the occasional letter or email but neither of us have had the chance to keep in constant contact with the demands of out jobs. I've actually heard that he and another JAG lawyer have helped the Agency out a couple of times on some operations but I don't really know much about that."
"He sounds interesting. And I can see how you'd be friends with him. So you going to go to his wedding?"
"Only if you come with me. The invitation was addressed to Michael Vaughn and guest. Of course that would require us being given time off to go to the D.C. area since the wedding is going to be at Annapolis in October."
"I'm sure we can figure out a way to get off then - we'll just have to convince Dixon that we should be allowed to go see your old friend get married."
"Yeah, I guess. Anyway, enough of this reminiscing about my past. Go get changed into something more comfortable and we'll go somewhere for dinner."
"Whatever you say Agent Vaughn," Sydney answered, getting off his lap and walking towards the bedroom.