Title: What They Say Isn't True
Author: rooster dawn
pairing: Harm and Mac
spoilers: Tangle Webb II and some other episodes of season nine.
Disclaimer: JAG is property of Belisarius productions, no copyright infringement intended.
Summary: Harm and Mac deal with the repercussions of Paraguay and a new woman in Harm's life.
Feed back is always appreciated, it's how we grow.
Author's note: When you can't decide between the Naval Academy Chapel and the Rose Garden, then bring the Rose Garden to the Chapel.
part 21
1230 hours
Bride's dressing room
It was getting closer to the appointed time, thirty minutes and counting. All the ladies were having a good time. They were all dress except Mac. Everything was done, her hair, her makeup, her bare necessaries. All she had left to do was put on her gown.
"Sarah, can you explain to me once again why we all have different color dresses?" asked Caitlin.
"Harm knows that you all are very vain. He didn't think any of you would like being caught wearing the same dress, so I had each of them made in different colors." grinned Mac.
Everyone laughed, they knew she was only kidding, but it was an interesting story.
"As I'm sure you all know the first time I saw Harm, he was in the White House Rose Garden. They have many different color roses in the garden.
Over the years Harm and my relationship has gone through many different stages.
Stages that can be represented by the different colors of roses. All of you have played an important part in our lives at one point or another.
The color of the dress you wear represents one of those stages. It's not quite perfect, but I think you and many of our friends do understand what we have been through together." explained Mac.
"It's time honey for you to put on your gown. The wedding is going to start soon. We want to make sure everything looks right before you march down the aisle." directed her mother.
"Harm has a surprise for you Sarah." added Trish.
"What is it Trish?" asked Mac.
"You'll know in another fifteen minutes. You need to get dress." replied Trish.
Jen and Chloe help Mac into her gown while Mattie laced up the back. Mac turned around a couple of times to check herself in the mirror.
"WOW!" exclaimed everyone in the room as they admired Mac. None of them had ever seen anyone look so beautiful as Mac did in her gown.
It was a bared shoulder, half sleeve, mid back, semi low front. There was finely woven European lace throughout the gown. It was the most beautiful wedding gown they had ever seen. They were all stunned.
"You look beautiful Sarah. Harm is going to die when he sees you." exclaimed Chloe.
"I hope not." smiled Mac. "We have plans for the wedding night. We need to make Trish and Deanne grandmothers."
"They all are going to be stunned Ma'am. I don't think it's possible to look any more beautiful than you do." added Jen. Everyone agreed with Jen, Mac did look beautiful.
"I'm proud of you baby." cried Deanne.
"You look amazing Sarah." added Caitlin.
"Harm is very lucky to be marrying you." wailed Meg before they heard a knock on the door.
Trish went over to answer the door. She knew Sarah's surprise must be on the other side of the door. She opened the door to let in an older man about her age. He was dressed in Marine dress blues.
He looked rather striking she thought. If she wasn't already happily married, just maybe. She stepped out of the way to let him in. Trish waved to the others to grab their bouquets of roses.
"Time to go ladies." he said.
When Mac heard the voice she turned around. It was Uncle Matt. How? How was it possible? Then she remembered, Harm said he had another surprise for her today. She wanted to cry.
"Uncle Matt!" she cried out as she rushed into his arms.
"Yes it's me Sarah. I wouldn't miss this day. There's a very nervous looking squid out there waiting for you. We shouldn't keep him waiting too long. You look absolutely beautiful Sarah." replied Matt with a tear in his eyes.
Mac held on for a few moments. "Thank you." she replied as she hugged him for a few moments longer.
All the ladies grab their bouquets as they left the room and walked over to the entrance to the chapel where they would be walking down the aisle.
Frank was there to walk Trish to her seat. AJ walked Deanne to her seat before joining the other groomsmen. Matt would be joining Deanne after he walked Sarah down the aisle.
Inside the Chapel the eight men were lined up with four on each side of the aisle waiting for one of the ladies to join them after their walk down the aisle. They were all nervous. For some quaint reason all but one of them were not married.
One from the brotherhood was leaving them today to be with the most beautiful woman in the world. It was inspirational to know one could find love later in life.
Harm was by the altar several feet above the rest of them. He was getting very nervous. His smile was larger than normal. His hands were fidgeting. He was shifting his weight between his two oversize feet.
He looked around and saw the three camera men who were filming the wedding. They had begun fifteen minutes ago when the guest had begun filtering into the chapel.
The chapel looked so beautiful. Frank had done an excellent job making it look like a rose garden. The mosaic of colors of the different roses was truly breathtaking. He knew it would take Mac's breath away. He hoped she loved his surprise.
Suddenly the music changed. He looked up to see his mother and Mac's mother being walked to their seats. It must be time he thought.
He whispered to Jack "You better have the rings with you buddy or Mac will keel haul you."
Jack feigned looking for the rings before reaching into his pocket and producing the rings. He smiled with satisfaction knowing he was once again the man that Harm could count on. It felt good to be the one to be there.
Cassandra and Valerie were the first one to appear at the end of the aisle. They were holding a cluster bouquet containing two dozen roses that matched their dresses.
Cassandra was wearing a deep purple dress matching the purple roses she carried. She was Mac's best friend in high school, it was appropriate for her to be carrying roses that signified love at first sight.
Valerie was wearing a deep blue dress matching the blue roses she was carrying. She was Mac's friend during her years at law school, something seemly impossible and pure fantasy a few years before for Mac who had overcome alcoholism, an abusive father, and a dead beat husband.
Wasn't it impossible, pure fantasy to believe that Harm would meet and fall in love with a woman that look so much like his first love? A woman he was contemplating marrying, a woman who died a tragic death?
Cassandra and Valerie stood there stunned for a moment taking in the view. They had never seen anything so beautiful. There were roses on trellises six feet high lining the aisle. It was breath taking.
The chapel by itself was something to behold. It truly was beautiful in it's own right, but seeing the mosaic of roses was out of this world. There were so many different colors and shades of roses.
They felt like they were in a dream or a fairy tale. And then there were nine gorgeous men waiting at the end of the aisle for them. They were wearing dress whites with a matching rose in their lapel.
The backdrop was beyond anything they had ever experience. All the roses were on trellises eight feet high wrapping around the wedding party and the Chaplin Robinson who was standing in front of the altar.
They walked slowly down the aisle together taking in the ambience. They breathe in deeply the aroma from all the roses. When they reached the end each one stood next to the man with the matching rose.
Beth, Meg, and Caitlin were next. Their reaction to what they saw was similar to Cassandra and Valerie. They stood there wondering how would they be able to walk down the aisle. The mosaic of roses was truly overpowering.
They could smell the different scents that gave a beautiful aromatic bouquet. They figured there must be at least eight colors since there were eight bridesmaids. But they noticed that there were many different shades with red seemly the most predominant color.
Beth finally was able to make her way down the aisle, but only after she made eye contact with Harm. She felt like she floating as she walked. She couldn't feel her legs moving, but she was getting closer to Harm.
She was wearing a peach colored dress to match the cascade bouquet of peach colored roses she was carrying. Peach signifying gratitude. In her case to be alive after the crash three years ago.
For Harm and Mac, it signified the gratitude of still being together after all they had been through in their life. They had survived relationships with other people, separation of body and spirit, and life threatening situation.
Through it all they would always find their way back to each other. As much as others had tried to come between them, they all realized that eventually Harm and Mac belong together.
Beth smiled when she saw Tuna and stood next to him.
"I guess it's our turn." smiled Caitlin to Meg as she reached over for Meg's hand. She felt it was the only way either one of them was going to make it down the aisle.
They breathe in deeply the aroma of the roses. They felt like they were dreaming. Were they in the fairy tale about Snow White or Cinderella. They couldn't feel anything. They were floating as well.
Meg was wearing a yellow dress matching her cascade bouquet of yellow roses. Yellow signifying joy, friendship, and promise of new beginning. Very appropriate considering of all Harm's partners she was truly someone Harm saw only as a friend and not a conquest.
Also if Meg hadn't left for another assignment, then Harm would have never met Mac. There wouldn't have been a new beginning for him after Diane had died. As the old saying said, when one relationship ends, another begins.
Caitlin was wearing an orange dress to match her cascade bouquet of orange roses. Orange representing desire and enthusiasm. An appropriate color for Caitlin. She had always brought a lot of energy to an investigation.
It was during Harm's time working with her that his desire to fly was rekindled and enthusiasm for life return. Caitlin was full of life and energy. Life was full of surprises with her around.
Meg and Caitlin didn't know how they got to the end of the aisle. It was AJ's voice that brought them out of their daze. Tom grinned over at Jack. He wanted to shake his head in disbelief, but he knew this wasn't the place.
If he lived to be a hundred he would never be able to understand the female mind. Yeah, the chapel looked nice, it was a special place, and it was an important event,
but why did it affect all these grown women the way it did. They were like children going to school for the very first time. They weren't the ones getting married. All he could do was sigh.
Next up was Chloe and Mattie. When they got in position they saw the mosaic of roses, but unlike the older ladies, they became very excited and talkative. They turned to where Jen was and motion her to come over.
"What?" Jen asked them a little annoyed.
"Look!" replied Mattie as she pointed down the aisle.
"It's so beautiful." exclaimed Chloe.
"Yes it is, but it's time for you to move it. We'll talk about it later." ordered Jen with a smiled.
The girls were right. It was beautiful. She was glad she was here to experience the wonderful event. What she saw indicated to her how much love there was between Harm and Sarah. It was truly overpowering, but very beautiful.
Chloe was wearing a white dress to match her round bouquet of white roses. White signifying innocence and purity along with reverence and humility. For Chloe it represented her innocence as a young child when she met Harm and Mac and the reverence she held them in.
For Harm and Mac white represent the secrecy of their love for each other for so many years while remaining silent, but always holding the other in reverence.
Mattie was wearing a pink dress to match her round bouquet of pink roses. Pink signifying appreciation, grace, perfect happiness. For Mattie pink was an appropriate color for her. She hadn't felt this happy for a long time.
If it hadn't been for Harm and Mac she would probably be homeless right now. As much as she enjoyed running her business, she really didn't know how to take care of everything.
She appreciated that Harm and Mac cared enough to want her to be with them, to love her as their own. She would never forget them and would love them forever.
As for Harm and Mac anytime they were together, they were happy. They appreciated what the other meant to them. They shared so many things; work, travel, adventure, investigating the truth.
But most of all they appreciated the fact that no matter what ever happen between the two of them, they always managed to come back to each other. They had survived so much.
At times they couldn't believe that they were finally together. As long as they live they knew they would always be happy if they were together.
Chloe and Mattie held hands as they made their way down the aisle. Their smiles were radiant. They were very happy to be here for Harm and Sarah. They loved them both so much. There was so much to see.
They were going to have the best story to tell their friends next week when they got back to school. This was the most perfect wedding in the world and they were a part of it. Jason was going to give them each a copy so they could remember this day forever.
The men smiled at the young ladies. They could see how enthusiastic they were. Somehow it gave them a lift, maybe the energy they were going to need to get through the wedding.
Before Jen made her way down the aisle she made her way over to Mac.
"Sarah, be prepare to see the most beautiful and breathtaking sight you have ever seen. The chapel is breathtakingly beautiful.
It has given all of us an idea how special the love between you and Harm is. Thank you for letting me be here for you today. I love you Sarah." wailed Jen before giving her a quick hug.
Before Mac could say anything in return Jen was gone. She strode down the aisle with pride and happiness to be a part of the most wonderful wedding the world had ever experience.
She looked absolutely stunning in her dress. If they didn't know better they would have thought Jen was the young woman getting married today. The men were stunned when they saw her.
She was wearing a burgundy red dress matching the deep red roses she was carrying in her cascade bouquet. Red signifying true romantic love. Love that lasts forever. For Harm and Mac it truly represented their love.
They had endure many good and bad times, but always maintain their love for each other. Everyone they had ever met recognized their love for each other, even those who thought they could come between them.