THE REAL EPILOGUE (AN: Because I just couldn't leave you without giving you the proper wedding! Also, I don't know much about traditional weddings and the processes and the vows and such, so I had to read a lot of wedding stories and I used some of their ideas for the wording of what Chaplain Turner says, I apologize.)
HARM & MAC'S HOTEL ROOM (they refused to be separated)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23
0527 LOCAL
Mac lay awake in the large bed, Harm fast asleep next to her. Honestly, she couldn't sleep; she hadn't been able to nearly all night. No, she was not having second thoughts; how could she? They were already married. She was excited. She rolled over to look at her husband and found him wide-awake, watching her.
"Morning, my soon-to-be wife," he greeted, reaching out to tuck some stray hair behind her ear.
"Good morning to you too," she returned.
"Let's skip the wedding and stay here all day," proposed Harm.
"I'd love to do that," Mac said, snuggling closer to him. "But do you know how many people would come hunt us down and hurt us if we did that? Harriet would have a heart attack if we cheated them all out of this wedding. But since we don't have to get up for another hour..."
"An hour? Hmm...what to do for an hour?" he asked innocently.
She laughed. "I'll show you what to do with an hour," she threatened, her lips crashing down on his in a searing kiss.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23
0947
CATHEDRAL OF THE NAVY
UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
It was beautiful. And that was putting it mildly. It was one of the biggest, most attended weddings of all time. Well, not of all time, but the chapel was filled beyond capacity. To schedule a wedding at the Naval Academy Chapel, it had to be reserved at least a year in advance. So, Chegwidden had pulled some strings, Tom Boone had pulled some more strings, and if that wasn't enough, the SECNAV had stepped in to pull a few more strings. They found an available date three months from the end of Harm's trial, it was deemed perfect.
The chapel was filled to maximum capacity. The guest list was long, to say the least. Vast amounts of people came from far and wide to attend the long-awaited wedding of Captain Harmon David Rabb Jr. and Colonel Sarah MacKenzie, Ret. All people could say when they received their wedding invitation was, "It's about time."
Everything was going off perfectly. At the engagement party, which, ironically, was held at AJ Chegwidden's home, the only couples sneaking off to be alone on the porch were Harm and Mac (of course) and Mike Roberts and Jen. Mike and Jen only talked, Harm and Mac made out like crazy for nearly half an hour before Jack Keeter popped his head out, threw a bucket of water at them, and popped right back inside again. Luckily, in his haste, he nearly missed them, and they were only a little damp.
Two minutes later, Harm and Mac came back inside, sheepish looks on their faces. Somehow, no one was surprised. After nine years of pent-up tension, it was good to see them finally getting some of it out. It was a fun evening, enjoyed by all.
Many stories were told about Harm and Mac's antics through the years; their first meeting in the Rose Garden, Harm jumping on the helicopter, Mac's innate sense of timing, their adventure with 'Sarah' in the mountains, Mac's tattoo (she still refused to tell about it while Harm just sat there grinning), Harm shooting up the courtroom, Mac following Harm to Russia, Harm's meatless meatloaf, Harm's missing dress whites, the infamous Baby Deal, Mac leaving JAG, Harm leaving JAG (for flying), Harm fighting over Sarah with Mic in Australia and breaking Bud's jaw, Harm and Mac's goodbye kiss on the admiral's porch the last engagement party, Mac blurting out that she loves Harm to Sturgis, Harm and the great Super Bowl tickets, Mac helping Harm with becoming guardian for Mattie.
The list was long and the evening seemed to last until the wee hours of the morning as no one seemed to run out of stories to tell. Harm and Mac were thoroughly embarrassed, but secretly loved all their friends and family being together and having a great time.
Things only got even better at the rehearsal dinner the night before. When Chaplain Turner asked if there were any objects, Keeter and Sturgis both yelled, "Yeah, we've got a list!" At this, they were then chased around the chapel by Mattie and Chloe. Mattie and Chloe were becoming fast friends, both beyond thrilled that Harm and Mac were getting married, again, and that they got to be in the grand wedding.
One would have thought that the rest of the dinner went off perfectly, but who was defining "perfect?" They were all having a blast joking around. Even Chaplain Turner, who was officiating the ceremony, was chuckling at many of the antics of those there.
When it came time for them to say the traditional vows, Mac just looked at Harm. He could see the slight smirk on her face and watched her, slightly confused. She stood there, repeating after the Chaplain, but changed the vows slightly.
"I, Sarah, take Jack Keeter, to be my lawfully wedded husband." She could go on no further as Jack cheered loudly for joy and rushed to take Mac in his arms. He dipped her back and gave her a passionate, dramatic kiss.
Harm just stood there, groaning loudly, shaking his head. "I knew this was going to happen," he said regretfully, loud enough for all to hear.
Everyone couldn't help but burst into laughter. It took them quite a while to go through the ceremony. Little AJ would have fallen asleep but he was having too much fun exploring the large chapel. Finally, they finished up and left the chapel to go have dinner at a small family restaurant nearby.
There, the night became slightly sweeter as Harm and Mac were given some of their wedding gifts. They had only received a few gifts from various friends, which was weird compared to the amount of people on their guest list. What they didn't know was that their new house was full of wedding gifts from the rest of their friends.
Harm and Mac were each given t-shirts; hers said, 'Property of US Navy' while his read, 'Property of US Marine Corp'. The surprise of the evening came when they opened a small box from Frank and Trish. Mac opened the small box to reveal a set of keys. Harm and Mac looked at each other, confused, and then up at his parents for an explanation.
"They're keys to your new house," Frank said. "Congratulations."
The couple was stunned speechless and Mac had tears in her eyes. The rest of the crew smiled; they already knew about the house, having helped to decorate it over the past few weeks.
They all would have spent the rest of the night talking, but at 2230, Harriet announced that it was time for everyone to head back to the hotel. They all returned, albeit reluctantly, to their separate rooms at the hotel. The Roberts' family had a room; Jen, Mattie, and Chloe were sharing one; Sturgis and Varise another room; Keeter and Sergei had one; Frank and Trish had their own room; and Chegwidden, Chaplain Turner, and Sarah Rabb each had their own separate rooms. Between the wedding party, the family members, and various other friends, they occupied nearly three floors of the hotel.
Now, they had an hour left until the wedding and everyone was hurriedly getting ready. Harm and Mac had enjoyed a nice breakfast in bed before they had to separate to get ready. Mac had put Sturgis in charge of keeping track of all the dress whites, so none of them just happened to end up in the hands of a male stripper.
Mac was in Harriet's hotel room, wedding dress already on. Her makeup still needed to be touched up, but she had kicked everyone out of the bedroom and into the front waiting room, needing a moment to herself. She looked at herself in the mirror, twirling slightly around to see all sides of the dress. It was gorgeously perfect; Trish had had a special designer come in to do it. Mac had tried to tell her that she could just go look for one to buy, but Trish had been insistent that it be designed specifically for her.
The designer had done a beautiful job. The neckline, although a little low, was boat-neck. The sleeves were short and slightly puffy. The white dress was long and flowing, with a five-foot train. The small waistline drew attention to Mac's slender waist, accenting her upper chest. Embroidered around the edges of the skirt were tiny beaded roses. These same beaded roses also covered the top of her dress. Had one examined the dress closely enough, they would have found a pair of wings, also embroidered, at the center of her neckline. The roses had been Trish's idea, once she found out where they first met. The wings, however, had been Mac's idea.
A soft knock came at the door and a voice called out. "Mac? Are you ready?" It was Mattie.
"Come in, Mattie," invited Mac.
Mattie pushed open the door and upon seeing Mac, she came to a standstill.
"Harm's going to stop breathing when he sees you."
Mac laughed. "You think so?"
"Oh, yeah," Mattie said, studying the dress for a few minutes before looking up to meet Mac's eyes. "It's so pretty."
"Thank you, Mattie."
"Um...Mac?"
"Yes?"
"I was just wondering...I mean, I know that you and Harm have adopted me and everything...but I was just wondering..." Mattie trailed off.
"What is it, honey?" Mac asked.
"Can I call you 'Mom'?" she asked hopefully.
Tears came to Mac's eyes and threatened to spill over. "I've love that, Mattie," she answered softly.
Mattie smiled and trying to overcome her nervousness, moved forward to hug Mac. "I love you, Mom," she whispered.
"I love you, too, daughter."
Minutes later, the whole bridal party was ready and heading down to the foyer to wait. The guests were all seated in the chapel and according to AJ, Harm was nervously standing at the altar.
"Sarah? It's almost time," AJ told her gently.
"Is it?" Mac asked, absentmindedly fingering the petals of the rose bouquet she held tightly in her hands. "I lost track of the time."
"That's never happened before."
"No, it never has," she returned. Taking a deep breath and straightening her dress a little, she moved to stand in front of the closed doors. "Okay, I'm ready."
"Finally," muttered AJ. "We've all been waiting years to hear you two say that."
"Sir, might I remind you that we're already married?"
"Shall we go then, Mrs. Rabb?" AJ asked, holding out his arm gallantly for her to take.
She smiled at him, going up on tiptoes to place a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Thanks, AJ. For everything, Harm and I owe you a lot of our thanks."
He tried to frown at her display of gratitude. "Let's go get you married," he said gruffly.
They both waited as first Mattie walked down, followed by Jen, then Varise. Chloe followed them, as the Flower Girl. She was a little old for the part, but they couldn't find anyone younger to do it and they also couldn't find another groomsman. Chloe didn't mind, the dress that she was now wearing more than made up for it. Finally, as Maid of Honor, Harriet walked down to take her place in the front.
Harm stood there, waiting patiently. To his left stood Bud Roberts, followed by Sturgis Turner, Jack Keeter, and Mike Roberts. All the groomsmen were wearing their dress whites, Mac refused to have it any other way. Truth be told, Harm had been waiting for this moment his whole life. A few minutes ago, Harm had been pacing nervously back and forth across the room. His nerves were calmed somewhat by the fact that he and Sarah were already legally married, this wedding was for their family and friends.
Little AJ marched down the aisle, the pillow with the rings tied on it, held tightly in his hands. Somehow, big AJ had found a small pair of dress whites for his namesake to wear so that he would match the rest of the men. Little AJ grinned at his uncle proudly as he took his place in the front, but Harm's eyes were focused on the door. He hardly noticed the bridesmaid's walk down, so caught up in waiting for Sarah to appear.
Had he been paying more attention, he would have noticed how beautiful the women all looked in their burgundy-colored gowns. Like Mac's wedding dress, their dresses had the short sleeves with the boat neck. The gowns were also long, but only to the ground. All the women were grinning as they took their place in the front.
The scent of roses filled the air of the chapel. Harm and Mac had been adamant about having roses as their flowers. Everyone had searched far and wide to find as many red roses as they could and their efforts were successful. Red roses scattered the chapel, many from all different places. Specifically, the ones placed near the altar and the ones used in Sarah's bouquet were from the White House Rose Garden. No one would take credit for getting those, though AJ Chegwidden was secretly pleased that he had been allowed to have so many of them.
The music changed as Harriet came to stand at her place and the large doors were thrown open to reveal AJ and Mac standing there, he in his dress whites and she in her wedding dress.
Mac's breath caught in her throat as she saw Harm waiting for her at the end of the aisle. What they all said about gold wings and dress whites was true, there was no doubt about it. Of course, it helped that this Naval pilot turned lawyer was head over heels in love with her.
As AJ walked Mac down the aisle, she and Harm only had eyes for each other. It seemed as if everyone else had disappeared from the world Harm and Mac now found themselves in. Their gazes locked on each other, they were only vaguely aware of when AJ lifted Mac's veil to kiss her cheek. Harm was only barely aware of when AJ turned to Harm and softly threatened, in a tone that only NAVY SEAL's could have, to take care of Mac or else.
They finally became aware of where they were when Chaplain Turner began to speak.
"Dearly beloved, we are assembled her, in the presence of God and these witnesses, to join together this man, Harmon David Rabb, Jr., and this woman, Sarah MacKenzie, in holy matrimony, which is blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ, governed by God's commandments, and is to be held in high honor among all people. Therefore it is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly; but reverently, discreetly, and in awe of God. Marriage is a supreme sharing of experience, and an adventure in the most human relationship. All those who know Harm and Sarah know that their relationship has indeed been an adventure.
Marriage is the joyous union of two people whose comradeship and mutual understanding have flowered in romance. Today Harmon and Sarah proclaim their love and commitment to the world, and we gather here to rejoice, with and for them, in the new life they now undertake together," he continued.
"The joy we feel now is a solemn joy, because the act of marriage has many consequences, both social and personal. Marriage requires 'love,' a word we often use with vagueness and sentimentality. We may assume that love is some rare and mystical event, when in fact it is our natural state of being. So what do we mean by love? When we love, we see things other people do not see. We see beneath the surface, to the qualities that make our beloved special and unique. To see with loving eyes, is to know inner beauty. And to be loved is to be seen, and known, as we are known to no other. One who loves us, gives us a unique gift: a piece of ourselves, but a piece that only they could give us.
Marriage is to belong to each other through a unique and diverse collaboration, like two threads crossing in different directions, yet weaving one tapestry together. The secret of love and marriage is similar to that of religion itself. It is the emergence of the larger self. It is the finding of one's life by losing it. Such is the privilege of husband and wife - to be each himself, herself and yet another; to face the world strong, with the courage of two.
To make this relationship work, therefore, takes more than love. It takes trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. It takes dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And it takes faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both. While love is our natural state of being, these other qualities are not as easy to come by. They are not a destination, but a journey. The true art of married life is in this an inner spiritual journey. It is a mutual enrichment, a give and take between two personalities, a mingling of two endowments, which diminishes neither, but enhances both.
Harmon and Sarah, you have signified your desire to enter into the holy state of matrimony. If any here know of any lawful impediment why these two may not be joined in matrimony, I charge you now, before God, the Searcher of all hearts, to declare it or forever hold you peace." The church was silent. The entire wedding party looked out over the congregation, all preparing to bring down their wrath of anyone who dared speak.
After what seemed like forever, but was in fact barely a minute, Chaplain Turner continued on, "Now, let Harmon and Sarah declare their intent before God and this company. They have chosen to offer their own vows before us today."
Mac had already handed Harriet her rose bouquet and now turned to more fully face Harm, placing her hands in his. She was surprised, yet somewhat glad, to find that his fingers were trembling just as much as hers were. She watched his storm-colored eyes soften and fill with love as he prepared to speak. She offered him an encouraging smile as his fingers nervously tightened around hers, drawing strength from her.
"I, Harmon, take you, Sarah MacKenzie, to be my wife, knowing in my heart that you will always be my friend, my partner, my one true love. I promise to love you, to comfort you, to honor you, and to respect you, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live." He paused, taking another breath. Never before had he been so nervous in speaking in front of so many. What he was about to say was not scripted and was coming from the heart; speaking publicly from the heart was never something he was good with.
"Sarah, I never thought that it would take us so long to get here. But through all that has happened over these past several years, you have always been by my side and I could never imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone but you. You've had my heart since we first met and you will forever hold my heart. I love you, I want to grow old with you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
Tears were now freely falling from Mac's chocolate brown eyes. She found herself fighting to keep her voice strong and steady as she spoke. "I, Sarah, take you, Harmon David Rabb, Jr., to be my husband, knowing in my heart that you will always be my friend, my partner, my one true love. I promise to love you, to comfort you, to honor you, and to respect you, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live.
I have to admit that when I first met you, all I saw was a cocky, arrogant pilot turned lawyer. Then I allowed myself to see beyond that and I found the most caring, kindhearted, and gentle man that I have ever met. I've made so many mistakes and you've always forgiven me without reservation. You've always been there by my side and I too, could never imagine spending my life with anyone else. I love you, I want to grow old with you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I couldn't imagine it any other way," she finished.
"The rings, please?" Chaplain Turner requested.
Harm turned to little AJ. He knelt down before his godson and took the rings from the small silk pillow. "Thanks, AJ," he quietly whispered.
"You're welcome, Uncle Harm," said AJ, proud that he had not made a mistake.
Mac watched the small scene, dreaming of how Harm would be such a good father. She continued to watch as Harm straightened back up and handed the rings to the chaplain.
"The circle of these rings symbolizes eternity; gold is a symbol of all that is pure and holy. As you give these rings to each other, may your love be pure and eternal."
The congregation watched as Harm picked up one of the rings and slid it on the third finger of Mac's left hand, then as he said the prepared vows. "Sarah, with this ring, I thee wed."
All continued to watch as Mac repeated the gesture, placing the second ring on the third finger of Harm's left hand and saying the prepared vows.
As Harm and Mac joined hands once again, Chaplain Turner continued with the marriage ceremony. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. What God has joined together, let no person put asunder. Harmon, you may now kiss your bride."
He had barely finished speaking before Harm was lifting Mac's veil and placing it back over her head. His hands on either side of her face, he leaned in to meet her awaiting lips. He had meant it to be a gentle kiss, but like so many other times, it became carried away. Mac leaned in to meet him and their lips moved across the others effortlessly, sparking the passion and fire within. He deepened the kiss as she leaned in to him to keep her balance. They finally broke apart as the sounds of their family and friends breaking into loud cheers filled the large chapel.
Both were blushing as they walked back down the aisle, hand in hand, their friends clapping joyfully.
"Ready, Mrs. Rabb?" Harm asked, gallantly holding out his arm for her to take.
"Always, Mr. Rabb," she answered, taking his arm and letting him escort her down the steps underneath the sword archway, the NAVY contingent on one side, officers from the Marine Corp on the other. Mac had jokingly stated that they should have the arch made up of half-NAVY and half-Marine Corp. Harm had taken her seriously and the next thing she knew, it was already done.
"By the way, Harm, there's something you should know," she whispered to him, smiling at the waiting crowd.
"What?" he asked quietly, being careful not to step on the edges of her flowing dress.
Mac winced as Bud gently swatted her butt with his sword, calling out, "Go NAVY!", then grinned as Gunny swatted Harm in similar fashion, calling out, "Semper Fi!" instead.
They stepped down the last step to stand on the courtyard in front of the chapel. Before their family and friends could swarm around them, Mac pulled him close to whisper in his ear, "You're gonna be a daddy in about 7 months."
She pulled back slightly to see his reaction. He gaped at her, his mouth wide open.
"Really?" he mouthed.
She nodded, grinning.
"Yes!" he cheered, picking her up to spin her around.
They both laughed with joy as rose petals sprinkled down around them, being tossed and thrown by the guests.
Life was not full of regrets, but full of miracles.
"Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Harm and Mac would like to send out a special thanks to all those who were able to attend their wedding; the thanks and gratitude of the wedding planner, Jagfan724, are also included:
PARTIAL GUEST LIST:
Frank & Trish Burnett
Sarah Rabb
Sergei Zhukov
Deanne MacKenzie
Meg Austin
Jason Tiner
Victor Galindez
Bobbi Latham
Teresa Coultier
Commander Alan & Jackie Mattoni
Admiral Tom Boone
Francesca Chegwidden Paretti
Captain Ingles
Kate Pike
Beth Hawkes
Tracy Manetti
Lt. Aldridge
Beth O'Neil
Porter Webb
Deputy CIA Director Kershaw
Catherine Gale
Judge Owen Sebring
Judge Rear Admiral Morris
Judge Commander Amy Helfman
Judge Colonel Blakely
Former SECNAV Sheffield
SECNAV Nielsen
Stuart Dunston
Janet Vitaglianso
Curtis Rivers (Lt.)
SPECIAL GUEST LIST
Representative from Ohio
Cathy F.
abc
serendipity112233
Laveda 27
JAGnut101
Lauren
Zeilfanaat
Hemi racing
Abigaile
Jackia
KJFlygirl87
Beach chickJASSNL
Lynn
Princess-RainbowRose
Comm. Butler
Copea
lily
isabelle
jtbwriter
starryeyes10
Lisa Brown
donna
jnp
joanoa
FoxyWombat
iammusic
DD2
Queenofdiamonds1
cgreer
Ruli
z
mayaresi
froggy0319
Anita
harmsgirl-03
maidenpride21
jaggurl
harmfan
cool cat
do
MacHarm4ever
JBird7986
phoebe
catasa
sillkysam36
cudsgirl
Jenny R.
McG
Ams9799
SpaceMan546
hdrexel
LimeJuiceTub
Arian04
hellen
Birthday Girl
everlover
blue angel
Christina
Fa-sai
deb
ady
deedee
jagfanwi
Daisy
AnchorsAweighNavy
Kristie
ColeMax
aboxforpandora
JAG4me
smithknk
EternalSleep
skyefire
xobabygurlxo
Marianne Valentine
Dana
yamaniprincessubu
CrazyShady51
germanharmmac (Anne)
Amanda Allen
Punk-Rose
Thank you to all who attended and all who were there throughout the story, I've thoroughly enjoyed writing this story and although it got away from me a bit at times, I'm glad that so many of you have enjoyed reading it. It was only supposed to be a one chapter story...something sweet and simple, but instead it became something much greater. Thank you for your support and inspiration!