Halo there everybody. First off, I'd like to say that I apologize for the carnage that has enveloped the northern portion of the city I love and live in. The racial tension and hatred going on right now does not accurately indicate how The Gateway to the West operates on a normal basis. I understand that I have had nothing to do with what's happened, however, I cannot stand what's going on now. I hate what is happening, especially since last Thursday was our Thanksgiving. This was supposed to be a time to reflect on everything we've been blessed with (for me it's my awesome wife of nearly 18 years) and this…group of people (all colors, by the way) has turned it into something despicable.
Oh well, I digress. As promised here we are: the rest of the reception and at least the first half of the honeymoon. Due to some, from my point of view, content not suited for younger audiences, I've upgraded the rating for this chapter to MA. Reader discretion is advised. :-)
And now…ON WITH THE SHOW!
17 DEC 2005
6:30 p.m. EST / 2330 Zulu
Westin Annapolis Hall
Annapolis, Maryland
The cheers and clapping were almost deafening as the pair took to the parquet surface. Sarah was surprised when Harm, unexpectedly, spun her under his arm.
Harm nodded to the DJ signaling their readiness. After about 4 seconds, the familiar tune that practically was written for their….relationship began.
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I set out on a narrow way, many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
"Don't get too familiar. You've got to work together."
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow, kept pushing through
"You're being driven by your emotions; and those emotions are going to get us killed!"
I couldn't see how every sign was pointing straight to you
"Mac, you have someone who will always love you."
"And you have somebody that loves you."
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
"It's not a big deal, Mac."
"Harm, this job is your life. It's all you've got…"
"You did it for me?"
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars
"You're just this way with me, aren't you?"
"Yeah…Only with you."
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
"There is no problem!"
"Then why don't you just get over it and move on?"
"It wouldn't work."
"Why?"
"Because I'm in love with him."
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
"Mac, we have 12 hours."
"We've had nine years."
"I guess maybe I just needed a deadline."
"Well, you got one, sailor. What are you proposing? And that's not a Freudian slip."
"I'm proposing. Let's get married."
"…I love you, Mac."
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As the rest of the song played, Harm and Sarah continued to recollect several other moments together. Their reverie was only interrupted when the song faded and the gallery erupted in applause and catcalls.
Tony Bennett's "It Had to be You" was next as the mother/son and father/daughter dance. The couple decided to combine the two since Sarah's father passed away over six years earlier and her mother couldn't be found. Obviously, Harm would dance with his mother and Mattie and Sarah would dance with AJ.
Next, it was time for the cake to be rolled out. It was a four tier white/chocolate marble cake with white cream cheese frosting. There were roses of white, yellow, and red to signify their first encounter in the White House rose garden. There were subtle accents of Navy blue and Marine green so as not to make the cake look gaudy. The figures at the top were, as expected, a male Naval officer and a female Marine officer facing each other while saluting.
The very attractive pair cut their piece out and were prepared to feed each other. As Harm's blue eyes gazed into Sarah's chocolate colored orbs, he could see the mischief implanted therein and the wicked smile that accompanied them. Just as the chunk of cake was about to touch Sarah's lips, Harm changed course and treated Sarah's nose to a cream cheese icing bath. It wasn't too much that she would have to spend ten minutes cleaning herself off, but just enough for it to be a warning shot across the bow.
Sarah, for her part, gasped in surprise and decided to respond in kind. With her piece in hand and the same mischievous gleam in her eyes, she smirked in such a way that Harm knew he was in trouble. Taking her aim, much the same way a Marine Corps sniper would, she set her sights on the space between Harm's nose and mouth. With great gusto she smashed her piece squarely on target hard enough for Harm to almost inhale the moist cake.
This was marked with an abundance of laughter and cheers of approval.
Harm looked askance as he whined, "What the hell was that for?"
Sarah just looked at her now flabbergasted husband and remarked, "Hey, I'm a Marine. We don't retreat when the bullets start to fly!"
This was again met with another round of applause and raucous laughter. While the newlyweds were cleaning themselves off, the DJ started the dance music again with the upbeat remix of "The Electric Slide".
Once Harm and Sarah returned to the dance floor, they were each accosted by their closest friends. Harm danced with Harriet, Dr. Walden, Verese Chestnut, Skates, Coates and Chloe. Sarah cut the rug with Frank, Bud, Sturgis, Keeter, General Cresswell and Jason Tiner.
There were several more line, two-step, and slow dances over the next hour before the celebration began to wind down.
Finally it was time for the bouquet and garter tosses. The unwed ladies in attendance all gathered about fifteen feet behind Sarah and waited. Sarah looked behind her to see if she could find her intended target with the cover of asking if all were ready. As she was about to toss, she looked over at Harm and gave him a wink that spoke of her intentions and received a wink in response and understanding.
Sarah launched the bouquet over left shoulder towards the throng where it landed right in the hands of Elizabeth "Skates" Hawkes before cheers rang out once more from the onlookers. Skates, to her dismay, blushed enough for it to show through her American Indian/Turkish heritage.
Next it was the men's turn. Harm had grabbed a chair from one of the tables for Sarah to sit in while he took her garter off. It was a typical lace garter with strips of green and blue interwoven. Several catcalls rang out from the single…and married…men in attendance as Harm returned Sarah's offering at Harm's bachelor party as he let his left index finger drag slowly down the sensitive part of Sarah's inner thigh. This was rewarded with an almost convulsive shiver and a gentle shove from his beloved.
Harm flashed his Flyboy Grin and stood to his fill height offering his hand to help Sarah up at the same time. As he stepped in front of the gathered single males, he too marked his prey. Unfortunately, Harm was off his mark and the projectile glanced off Keeter's right shoulder and right into AJ Chegwidden's hands. Much to AJ's chagrin, this received the largest round of laughter and cheers of the night. All of a sudden AJ realized that he would have to slip this on a woman young enough to be his daughter and began to turn even more crimson, if that were possible. Harm could only look at his former CO and shrug with his arms out in his defense.
The old tradition of the higher the garter, the longer the marriage flew out the window with the airing out of the garter to its unintended target. AJ, almost in a rush, set the garter in place just above Skates' left knee. This was met with boo-birds and grumbles of foul play; which was responded to with a glower from the former SeAL and a barked, "As you were people!" However, his usual bravado wasn't there and there was laughter in his eyes as he said it. This, again, brought the chuckles that seemed to be in plenty on this joyous night.
After another ten minutes of mingling it was time to say their good-byes, leaving Mattie for last. Harm was the last to say his farewell to his daughter; telling her he loved her and they would see each other in a week for Christmas. As they stepped towards the limo that would take them to the airport, they turned to see their friends and family waving and returned their well wishes.
18 DEC 2005
08:30 a.m. CST / 1430 Zulu
Adam's Mark Hotel
Kansas City, Missouri
Harm and Sarah arrived at their hotel at around three in the morning and headed straight to bed, leaving strict instructions they were not to be disturbed until 09:00 that morning at THE very earliest.
Harm, to his surprise, was the first to wake up at around 08:30. He looked down at his bride and couldn't help but smile at the turn of events over the last year. A quick glance at his watch gave him the incentive to get up, clothe himself in jeans and his academy hoodie, grab his phone and stroll down to the lobby for a little privacy so he could call his contact and confirm his plans.
It was twenty minutes later that Harm returned to the honeymoon suite to find his wife still there sleeping. He took this opportunity to strip down and crawl back in bed, getting in behind and spooning Sarah. With one hand he pulled her hair up off the back of her neck and started to nuzzle where her neck, back and shoulders met. With his other hand, he gently and slowly rubbed his hands from the side of her knee, caressing her soft, toned skin. Then he moved up her outer thigh, still slowly.
This was sufficient in getting the response he was looking for. Sarah moaned slightly, slowly getting excited as the man she fell for was making it impossible for her to not fall further in love with him. She kept her eyes closed and murmured, "Good morning, Mr. Rabb." Then she turned to face him.
Harm gazed lovingly into her eyes and answered with, "Good morning yourself, Mrs. Rabb. And how are you this fine morning? I hope you slept well."
"Mmm, how could I not when I wake up next to you," she murmured. "So, what's on the agenda for today?"
Harm looked at her with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes and responded, "Oh, I thought we'd go take a quick tour of Leavenworth."
Sarah darted straight up and looked back at her husband and demanded, "You have got to be kidding. You are joking…right? Please tell me you are NOT working on OUR HONEYMOON!"
Harm tried to softly rub his wife's bare shoulder, which she quickly rebuffed with a snort of disgust and just glared at him.
"Damn, I was hoping this would go down differently. Sarah, I'm taking you to see Uncle Matt."
Sarah was standing now pacing back and forth near the foot of the bed when the sound of her uncle's name stopped her in her tracks. She looked at Harm quizzically now with her eye brows near her hairline. Her jaw drops and she, with all her legal training, opens and closes her mouth like a goldfish.
Harm smiled at her; not his full blown Flyboy grin, but a reassuring one that conveyed the affirmative. "That's right, sweetheart. We're going to see Uncle Matt. However, we won't make our appointment if we don't get ready and feed ourselves. I've arranged for breakfast to be brought up by 09:30. Don't worry; there'll be plenty of dead cow for your delicate palate."
Sarah was still imitating a goldfish when coherent speech returned to her lips and uttered, "Harm, what rabbits are you trying to pull out of your hat?"
"No rabbits. I've been planning this since I first proposed to you in the loft. Due to attorney / client privilege, I can't say anymore until he authorizes me to. That's the reason I planned, with Bud's help, to meet him today at 11:00."
"Harm, what aren't you telling me?"
"You'll have to wait, Marine. Just suck it up an…"
Harm was stopped mid-sentence by a knock on the door. He got up, pulled on the robe next to the bed, and went to answer the door. Peeking through the Judas hole, Harm confirmed his suspicions as he saw the room service cart and server on the other side. While this was going on, Sarah made her naked self scarce by stepping into the bathroom and closing the door.
Harm let the server in, thanked and tipped the man and escorted him out.
18 DEC 2005
10:30 a.m. CST / 1630 Zulu
Interstate 29 West
Kansas City, Missouri
Breakfast was better than could have been expected as Harm's farmer's omelet; no meat obviously, was quite possibly the best he'd ever had. Sarah's hearty ham and cheese omelet was exactly what she needed considering their extra-curricular activities earlier this morning.
Harm looked over at her, smiled, and placed his right hand over Sarah's left hand as he eased their rented Chevy Equinox onto the interstate for the 25 minute drive to the front gate of Fort Leavenworth and the military prison therein.
Showing their military IDs to the gate guard and stating their purpose, Harm and Sarah were allowed access to the base and directed to where they would need to go.
Once they gained access inside the disciplinary barracks, they were ushered to a private room so that they could meet with Harm's client in an official capacity. Harm had to wear his uniform on account of this.
They were kept waiting only seven minutes, by Sarah's count, when her uncle was escorted in. Harm ordered the guard to unshackle his prisoner and to please step outside so that they could speak privately. The guard did as directed, saluted Harm, and exited.
Once alone, Sarah and Matt embraced for a long moment as this was the first time she'd seen her uncle in about six years. The last time was when she was on her way out to see her dying father.
Harm stepped forward to shake his client's hand as the uncle and niece separated and said, "Well, sir, let's get down to business shall we?"
Matt looked at the pair of rings on his nieces hand and smiled. "Well, Sarah, it's good to see you two finally got your heads out of your collective rear end. I'm so happy for you and you, too, Harm. Commander Roberts told me that you had something for me."
Harm smiled back at his wife's surrogate father; his, now, surrogate father-in-law. "Yes sir. First off, I would like your permission to continue this conversation with Sarah in the room." Having received an answer in the affirmative Harm continued, "As you know, sir, I've been working on your appeal ever since your original conviction nine years ago. I've been working with the FBI and the State Department. With Special Agent Webb's, shall we say, less than stellar performance with entrapping you into stealing the Declaration, State has, finally, acknowledged the mistake he made in his sting operation. They collaborated with the FBI and have agreed to recommend the government suspend your sentence and overturn your conviction. Your retired status has been restored and as of noon today, you are a free man."
Harm sat back and just looked at the only two other people in the room and smiled. Sarah just played a tennis match with her eyes and head; going back and forth between the two most important men in her life.
Colonel Matt O'Hara couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was free? Harm got him freed? "What? I'm free? Harm? I don't know what to say. How can I ever thank you?"
"Colonel, you do not have to thank me, sir. You've done enough. Now it's time for you to join the free world once more. Sir, it has been my great privilege to serve as your attorney. Now that I'm part of your family…with all due respect, sir…I quit as your attorney."
Matt now had tears starting to stream down his face as the revelation finally reached his mind. He stood and thrust his hand out to his niece's husband, which Harm grabbed. Matt, then, pulled the younger man out of his chair and pulled him close to give him a hug. They were joined five seconds later by Sarah and they stood there for about thirty seconds before there was a knock on the door.
Harm bid the person to come in. It was the warden of the facility holding a Marine Service Alpha uniform complete with all pertinent insignia, ribbons, and silver eagles. Sarah choked back a sob as she saw the Marine green both she and her uncle loved so much.
The warden also carried a small folder with him. "Colonel, here are your release papers and your personal affects. We've arranged for you to leave with your lawyer and niece, if that's convenient for you, sir."
"It's more than I could have hoped for, warden," Matt said with the first genuine smile Sarah had seen in over nine years.
"In that case Colonel, please step this way and we will let you get changed. Congratulations Colonel. Good luck and Semper Fi."
"Oorah!" was the response from the blood relatives.
With that, inmate O'hara was once again Colonel Matthew James O'Hara, USMC (ret.)
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A/N: I've decided that this honeymoon week is going to be broken up into 2 maybe 3 parts. With the Christmas season approaching, I'll try to get the entire 7-8 days in before the end of the year. I ask your patience and hope that you've enjoyed part 1. Again, thank you all for your comments, follows, and favorites. They all are most encouraging and enticing as I continue this story. I hope that you all keep your families close and cherish every moment with them. God bless and Merry Christmas. :-)