He looks in the back seat a couple of hours later, and finds two boys with their heads leaning against the car window as they drive down the highway in silence. Sarah sits in the driver's seat. Tony sits in the passenger's seat.
"You should call Gibbs and tell him that we're coming."
"Okay," he agrees, reaching for the phone.
"Once we're a little closer to home."
He nods in agreement. She turns on her blinker. He shoots her a questioning look.
"Where are we going?"
"We're making a pit stop," she informs him.
"You have to pee?"
"My bladder can wait," she tells him.
"So why are we stopping? We left the house less than an hour ago."
She pulls into a church parking lot, and shifts the car into park. She kills the engine.
"You want to pray?" He quizzes.
"No," she shakes her head.
"So why are we in a church parking lot?"
"I'm Methodist," she informs him.
"Then we're in the right place," he jokes.
"We have an appointment to keep."
"Am I getting baptized?"
"No. I happen to know the minister here."
"Is that of importance?"
"I called him for a favor earlier."
"Mac, why are we here? Are we getting married?"
"Would you be against that?"
"No, but I didn't think that you would ever consider remarrying."
"I never said that," she points out.
"Are we here to get married?"
"Yes," she confirms.
"We would have to go to a courthouse to get a marriage license first."
"The judge is waiting in Jake's office."
"Jake?"
"The minister."
"A minister named Jake?"
"He is an old friend."
"His mother named him Jake?"
"Jacob," she answers.
"Are you trying to get rid of me?"
"What would make you think that?" She arches an eyebrow.
"I feel as if you're testing me."
"Maybe, I am."
Without another word he exits the vehicle. He proceeds to wake the boys. He leads them into the church. Jake meets them in the entry way, and leads them to his office. The boys take a seat on a window sill. The county judge sits behind Jake's desk. He hands the document to Tony. Tony reads the document, and signs it without hesitation. He passes the paper to Sarah, who sits to his right. She smiles at him, and signs on the dotted line.
Half an hour later they exit the church. Once Sarah is certain that they are all buckled in she starts the engine. She looks over at Tony. He breaks the silence.
"I certainly hope you weren't expecting me to back out."
"You were the one who defined yourself as someone who is afraid of commitment."
"Obviously I have faced that fear."
"You are aware that those weren't actors, right?"
"I got that when they notarized the marriage license."
She backs out of her parking spot. Within ten minutes they are back on the highway.
"Are you going to change your last name now?" Tony questions.
"Not a chance."
"That was rude by the way," he adds.
"What was rude?"
"You didn't even propose to me."
"You wanted a proposal?"
"Maybe."
"I suppose that I can propose to you when we get home."
"When we get home? It's a little late, don't you think?"
"It seems as if we have done absolutely everything else backwards."
"Do I get to be a house husband?"
She reveals her dimples, "What would make you think that?"
"You're a General. I shouldn't have to work."
"You would be happy staying at home?"
"No."
"So then why did you bring it up?"
"I like to keep my options open."
"From now on all of your options have to go through me."
"Is that a challenge?"
"Those are just the rules of engagement," she explains.
"Thank you for briefing me, general."
"I am not briefing you as a general," she explains.
He smiles widely, and squeezes her hand, "So you're briefing me as my wife?"
She grins, revealing her pearly whites, "Yeah."
"You're wiser than I am."
"What is your point?"
"What made you come to this decision? I mean do you know what you're getting yourself into?"
"Life is too short not to be happy."
"I make you happy?"
"Yeah," she nods.
"I do?"
Sarah glances in the rearview mirror at the two boys in the backseat, and then returns her focus to the road. Her hand slips from Tony's grip, and lands on her stomach. She briefly turns her head in his direction.
"All of this makes me happy."
"General Sarah MacKenzie, you are not what I expected," he admits.
"Neither are you," she responds.
"What's our game plan for when we get home?"
"I am not going to live my life in fear. The terrorists win if we do."
"How are we going to protect this?"
"With our lives if necessary," she answers.
"I agree, but what is your plan?"
"Bait, and switch," she explains.
"Do you think that it will work?"
"It is our only chance," she points out.