Disclaimer: As in part 1
A/N: Sorryyyy for taking forever to update the chapter! I am sort of running out idea of where to move with the story line. If any of you have any suggestion, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy the story! Amy, thanks for your help. And thank you to everyone for the feedbacks. It means a lot for me~
PART 9
Christmas Day 2027
Rabb Residence
There was no Christmas spirit at the Rabb's after the yellow envelope arrived with Trey's news. Harm locked himself in the study room all day. His spirit broke the moment news got to him. He tried to be strong for Sarah but it was more than he could endure as a human. Nothing had ever prepared him for this moment. It took most of his adult life to search for his father. He was only a six year old boy when he had waited for his father on Christmas. But instead of his father, it was a Navy Chaplain who'd come to the door all those years ago. His father was never home. Harm had never expected to lose his son the same way he lost his father.
Sarah Rabb's mood was no better than Harm's. The couple had spent the last two days comforting each other but she understood Harm's need of his own space to digest the news. The phone calls she made to her other children almost broke her heart. ***Her daughters counted on her for support, especially her youngest twin, Jessica. She was closer to Trey than to her two other brothers. Jessica would need an anchor to get through this moment, and Sarah Rabb was determined to be that anchor.
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November 2029
POW Camp
Hangzhou, China
"Lieutenant, I heard they would have the new warden arriving today," Trey's cellmate, a lieutenant j.g, Joe, told him.
"So, I have heard," Trey sighed. It had been two years since his plane was shot down over the Pacific. His captor hadn't been nice at all. His injured leg had been left untreated until it was too late, and he was now favoring his right leg. He might as well have said farewell to his flying career. He glanced at the young lieutenant out of the corner of his eyes. He was a scared kid when he came in barely two weeks ago, but to his credit, he never let the Chinese intimidate him. He held his head high as the Chinese played with his mind. Joe would make one hell of an officer, Trey thought.
"Joe, who…" Trey hadn't even finished his sentence when the door opened suddenly. A short mid-aged Chinese man came inside the cell with his bodyguards trailing behind. He eyed Joe briefly and focused on Trey. The old man smiled an 'I've-got-my-prey' smile.
"Well…well, isn't this the son of the famous Chief of Naval Operations of the United States, Admiral Harmon Rabb, Jr.? You certainly look like your father. I am the new warden, Captain Chen. Your father and I had our time together long ago. I am here to make sure that his son gets special 'treatment'!" Captain Chen roared into laughter and walked out the door. His tone and laughter made Trey cringe. His father really was on the top of the Chinese's hate list.
Trey's mind was so focused on Captain Chen that he didn't even notice Joe looking at him in a mix of surprise and disbelief.
"You are the son of Admiral Rabb, sir?"
Trey sighed but couldn't help a hint of pride in his tone. "Indeed, I am, lieutenant."
"WOW! I heard a lot about the admiral during flight school. He even guest lectured a seminar once." The young lieutenant continued to mumble, obviously an admirer of Harm, but Trey wasn't listening. His mind was too occupied with the captain's word, his parents, his home and Grace Webb.
(A/N: Following will be 7 years from 2029. I realized it was a big gap but the story line was basically covered in the previous story, "History Repeated itself". If you haven't read it, you might want to.
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05 November 2034
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, VA
"Present Arms!" The honor guard yelled. The first seven shots of the twenty one-gun salute were fired toward the blue sky. Harmon Rabb, Jr, who stood rigid in his best uniform, only flinched a bit. Sergei Zhukov and Sturgis Turner stood close next to him, ready to catch him in case he collapsed. Harm had insisted on attending the funeral after his bypass surgery, much to his doctors displeasure. The retired admiral further stubbornly declined to use a wheelchair; instead he stood tall and proud in his uniform for his son's funeral.
The folded flag was presented to Mac, who in turn gave it to Grace Webb.
"He would have liked you to have it." Mac's statement was simple, but to Grace, it meant everything.
The sound of fighter jets grew louder. Harm let silent tears fall from his eyes as the four Tomcats dipped their wings in honor of one of their own. Soon, the sound of a lone bugle mournfully played taps, echoing over the hills of Arlington Cemetery. Then it was done.
When the casket was lowered into the ground, Harm sank to his knees with Sergei and Sturgis by his side, holding his arms. Mac's anguished cries, however, brought Harm quickly to his wife's side. He held her in his arms as they both wept for their lost son. Family and friends didn't know how to comfort the parents; instead they shed their own silent tears.
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11 February 2035
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, VA
Grace walked slowly across the cemetery. It was her first time there since they buried Trey, barely five months before.
Finally, she reached the headstone. Her companion understood her need for privacy and quickly retreated.
"I'll leave you alone with him."
"Thanks, Alex." Grace shot him a smile of gratitude before turning her attention back to the headstone.
"Hey, Squid. I miss you." She tried to sound cheerful but failed miserably.
"I am marrying Alex tomorrow and will move to London after that. I'm sorry, Trey, but I just can't stay here any longer. Washington is filled with too many of our memories. It has our happy memories but also reminds me of our missed chance. Forgive me for doing so, Trey, but I have to leave. I will always love you, Harmon Rabb III." Grace brushed away her tears and traced the name on the headstone.
"Goodbye, Trey." Grace walked away from the tomb and she never looked back.
That's it for today~ Don't forget to send me a word or two. Next chapter coming soon!
