CFTF V: Throw Away The Oars Forever

by TracyJean

Harm and Mac prepare to become man and wife

13. Chapter 13

FRIDAY, 29 SEPTEMBER
1305 ZULU
HARM AND MAC'S HOUSE
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA

"Harm, did Keeter give you his dress whites?" Mac called up the stairs. She was pulling the garment bags with everyone's dress uniforms and the bridal dresses out of the foyer closet, only to discover that she was missing one set of Navy dress whites.

"No, why?" Harm called back.

"Because they're not here is why," Mac called.

Harm came down the stairs and stood behind her. "He probably has them with him," he said, his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure he will carry them to Annapolis."

"All dress uniforms were supposed to be given to me," Mac said, frustrated, "so that we don't have any missing uniforms like the last time." Pulling away from him, she turned and strode into the living room carrying the garment bags.

Sighing, Harm closed the closet door. "I would think if anything was going to happen, it would have happened by now," he muttered under his breath.

"Did you say something?" Frank asked as he, Trish and Matt came down the stairs with their luggage for their stay in Annapolis.

"Mac's a little ... concerned that she doesn't have Keeter's dress whites," he explained. "When Bud and Harriet got married, my dress whites kind of disappeared a few days before the wedding and I didn't find them until the night before."

"So she wanted everyone's dress uniforms so that no one's got lost," Trish concluded, remembering the story Mac had told her a few weeks earlier about some of the events leading up to Bud and Harriet's wedding.

"Something like that," Harm agreed with a shrug. "She's just getting a little more upset about it than is really necessary."

As Trish opened her mouth to suggest that probably wasn't the best thing to say, a throw pillow came flying out of the living room, hitting Harm squarely in the chest. "Uh, you might want to rethink what you just said," Trish said weakly as Frank and Matt struggled to keep straight faces.

Harm was about to reply when the doorbell rang. Still holding the pillow, he walked over and yanked open the door to find Carolyn and Jack standing on the porch, Jack holding a garment bag in his hand.

"Carolyn said that you guys were transporting all the uniforms and dresses for the wedding party," Jack explained, handing Harm the bag with a smirk, "something about a certain someone's dress whites ending up in the hands of a male stripper last time. Anyway, we thought we'd drop these off on our way to Bud and Harriet's."

"You couldn't have brought these by about five minutes ago?" Harm complained softly as he draped the bag over his arm. He opened his mouth to call to Mac, but Trish shook her head.

"You've probably said enough for right now," she suggested softly. Louder, she called out, "Mac, darling, Jack just brought his dress whites by if you want to put them with the rest of the uniforms."

Mac came out of the living room, a smile on her face, as she greeted Jack and Carolyn sweetly, "Good morning. That you for bringing your uniform by, Keeter. I was just going through the uniforms and realized that I didn't have yours." Shooting Harm a dirty look, she took the garment bag from him and carried it into the living room.

"Why don't I walk you to your car?" Harm suggested, tossing the pillow he was still holding in the general direction of the living room before leaving the house, closing the door behind him.

"Mac's a little stressed out this morning, I take it," Jack said with a laugh as they walked to the driveway at the side of the house.

"Of course she's stressed," Carolyn retorted. "Harm probably is too if he'd only admit it. They're getting married in less than twenty-five hours. I think they're supposed to be stressed. So, Harm, what did you say to get Mac to throw that pillow at you?" She smiled impishly at him.

"What makes you think a) that I said anything and b) that Mac threw a pillow at me?" he asked.

"Well, people don't normally walk around the house carrying a throw pillow from the living room," Carolyn pointed out, "and your mom did say that you'd said enough already."

Harm looked at Jack as he replied, expecting that another man would understand. "I just suggested that she was getting a little more upset than necessary," he said. Jack just shrugged. How was he supposed to understand the inner workings of the mind of a pregnant bride-to-be.

"No wonder she hit you," Carolyn said dryly as she unlocked the passenger door of her car for Jack. "Anyway, will you relax? In about twenty-six hours it will be all over and you'll be a married man."

"It'll be over alright," Jack joked as he rolled down his window and pulled the door closed.

As she got in on the driver's side, Carolyn reached over and smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "Harm, do you still have the phone number for the hotel we're all staying at tonight? I think we need to book another room," she said, shooting Jack a mock threatening glance.

Jack turned and mouthed, "Women" at Harm. Harm simply smiled and shrugged. "We'll see you guys later," he said as Carolyn started the car and pulled out of the driveway.

Harm was about to turn and walk back to the front door when he heard the garage door open behind him. He turned around to see Mac opening the rear door of their SUV and Matt and Frank coming out of the house carrying the garment bags.

The rear seats having already been removed from the car, Mac laid the garment bags flat, carefully stacking them to one side. "Will that be enough room for our luggage?" she asked Harm as he walked up behind her.

"You don't know how much luggage you're taking on your honeymoon?" Matt asked, confused.

"Harm is doing the packing for our honeymoon," she explained. "If he told me what kind of clothes to pack, then I might get an idea where we are going and it's supposed to be a surprise."

"Yes, it's enough," Harm replied. "And you'll like this surprise. Trust me."

"Pretty confident there," she teased, all traces of her earlier annoyance gone.

"You liked my surprise a few weeks ago," he reminded her, pulling her into his arms, "when we went to the Eastern Shore." Forgetting that they weren't alone, he brushed his lips against hers as his hands roamed over her back.

"I think that's our cue to leave," Frank whispered to Matt. The two men turned and walked back into the house.

"I'm so glad that Sarah is so happy and settled," Matt said. "I – and my wife when she was still alive – tried to do as much as we could for Sarah, to set a good example for her, but I think it always worried me that she wouldn't let herself find the kind of happiness and contentment that we tried to show her. She certainly didn't with her first marriage. Then when I saw her and Harm together in Arizona, I knew that she could have all that if she would only let herself."

"Harm has had much the same problem, but for different reasons," Frank said. "He practically grew up overnight when his father was shot down and that one event has pretty much defined his life. That's why I was so supportive when he and Mac went to Russia a few years ago to find out what had happened to his father. Not because of what it would mean to Trish – or to me – but because I wanted him to find some peace and to be able to move on with his life.

"On top of that, I think Harm has always been afraid deep down that if he loves someone too much, they will leave him," Frank continued. "His father left and was shot down. He and Diane never could seem to connect with each other after Annapolis, but when they were ready to, she was murdered. And it's possible that he thinks that Trish left him, in a way, when she had his father declared dead and married me."

"And it took nearly losing Sarah before he was able to make himself take a chance and open up to her," Matt concluded, remembering Harm's confession at Leavenworth.

"Good morning, Frank, Uncle Matt," Chloe called out, bounding down the stairs. Matt had taken to Mac's little sister on sight and had insisted that she address him as 'Uncle Matt' also.

"Good morning, Chloe," Matt replied. "Where are your grandparents?"

"Packing," she replied merrily. "We're going to stay in Annapolis tomorrow night also then fly from there back to Vermont Sunday morning. Harm's grandmother is with them. She and Grandma have become very friendly."

"You have to get back to school," Matt stated.

"Yeah," Chloe replied glumly. The doorbell rang and Chloe was her usual perky self again. "I'll get it," she said, skipping to the door.

"She's quite the little bundle of energy," Frank commented.

"She is," Matt said, smiling. "She's been so good for Sarah and ..." he trailed off, the smile dropping from his face, when Chloe threw open the door and he saw the familiar face on the other side.

"Good morning," Chloe greeted the newcomer brightly. "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Sarah Mackenzie or Matt O'Hara," the woman standing on the porch said nervously.

"Uncle Matt's right here," Chloe replied, turning towards him as Matt walked up to the open door.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, a slight edge to his voice.

Deanne was silent for a moment as her mind processed the fact that she was seeing her brother for the first time in seventeen years. Finally, she managed, "Well, Sarah told me when Joe died that you were in Leavenworth, so I finally got the courage to go out there and pay you a visit. Only, they told me that you'd been furloughed for a few days so you could attend your niece's wedding. I got one of the people there to give me the address where you'd be staying and I spent the rest of the money I had on me to buy a plane ticket out here."

"I'm not sure this is a very good idea, Deanne," Matt said.

"Look, I know that things were strained when Sarah and I parted the last time," Deanne said, "and if she doesn't want me around, I'll understand. But I would like to see her if she's here."

"What is everyone doing just standing around?" Mac asked as she and Harm came back into the house. "We're supposed to be leaving for Annapolis in twenty-four minutes and thirty-five seconds. Why are you just standing there with the door open?" She stopped suddenly when she saw the woman standing on the other side of the door.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice shaking. Harm put his hands on her shoulders, trying to offer comfort as he recognized the woman from a picture Mac had once shown him even as he wondered how she had gotten there. Since Mac had not mentioned her mother since their disagreement earlier in the week, Harm had given up hope that she would decide to contact her and Mac was obviously very surprised to see her mother.

"Well, honestly, I wanted to see you," Deanne answered nervously. "I went to Leavenworth to see Matt, because I was hoping that he could help, I don't know, maybe bridge the gap between us."

"This is only the second time I've seen you since my fifteenth birthday," Mac pointed out, her voice suddenly cold. She had to keep her voice cold, keep her emotions under control. She couldn't risk letting herself open up with her mother. She didn't want to deal with the pain. "Why now? Why not sixteen months ago when we were in California?"

"I thought you needed time," Deanne said lamely.

"Time?" Mac echoed with disbelief. "Just how much time did you think I needed? I'd already had sixteen years between the time you left me with an abusive, alcoholic father and the last time I saw you. How much more time did you think I needed?"

"Sarah, I know this probably isn't the best timing ..." Deanne began.

"The best timing?" Mac retorted angrily. "What makes you think ..."

"Harm," Trish broke in, "why don't you and Mac go upstairs and finish getting everything together? You did want to get on the road in about twenty minutes, right?"

"Mom, I don't think ..." he began.

"Harmon David Rabb," Trish said firmly, "Mac needs some time to collect herself. She's already stressed out and I don't want her to say something she might regret later." Mac opened her mouth, about to speak, but Trish shook her head. "Darling, stress isn't good for the babies and you need to think about all this before you react to it. Just go upstairs, take some deep breaths and calm down. Maybe lie down for a few minutes."

Reluctantly, Mac nodded, knowing Trish was right. She allowed Harm to lead her upstairs. Trish turned her attention to Chloe next. "Chloe, why don't you go help your grandparents finish packing?" she suggested. After seeing the way Trish had firmly sent Harm and Mac upstairs, Chloe wasn't about to argue with her and she also went back upstairs.

Trish turned to Deanne. "Would you like something to drink, Mrs. Mackenzie?" she asked.

"No, maybe I should go," Deanne replied, looking like she was ready to bolt. "Sarah's probably right; this isn't a good time."

"Nonsense," Trish insisted, closing the front door and leading Deanne into the living room, Frank and Matt trailing behind. She sat down on the couch and patted the cushion next to her. Deanne sat down nervously. "Just before you arrived, Mac was stressed out over dress uniforms. If you'd shown up any other day but today, I can't guarantee she wouldn't have had the same reaction, but today I don't want her to say or do something she may regret later when all the excitement's over and she has a chance to think about it."

"I don't know," Deanne said hesitantly. She felt out of place. She thought it was obvious that her daughter didn't want her around and Matt may be her brother, but she was under no illusions about where his loyalties lay and they weren't with her. As for the couple whom were obviously the parents of her daughter's fiancé – the husband had been quiet so far, seemingly content to let his wife take the lead. As for her, although she struck Deanne as a nice enough woman, what would a woman whose clothes looked like they cost more than Deanne made in a month understand about her problems?

"Deanne, Trish is probably right," Matt told his sister. He knew his sister well enough to know that she was probably feeling overwhelmed and felt the need to try and smooth the waters. After all, she had gone through the trouble, despite the time that had passed, to seek her daughter out. "Sarah's not herself today. Stay. Let's give her a chance to get settled a little bit and see if she feels any differently."

"I suppose," Deanne reluctantly agreed, taking a deep breath. She did want to try to make a new start with her daughter. That had been the main reason behind her trip to Leavenworth in the first place.

"Good," Trish declared. "You can ride to Annapolis with us. Mac and Harm are riding in their own car, so it will give both of you a chance to think about things."

"Annapolis?" Deanne asked, not remembering in all the excitement Mac's earlier statement about leaving for Annapolis. "Why there?"

"Harm's an Academy graduate," Trish explained. She paused, suddenly realizing. "I'm sorry, it just occurred to me that I've been going on and haven't even introduced myself. I'm Trish Burnett and this is my husband Frank. We're Harm's parents, your daughter's future in-laws."

"Deanne Mackenzie," Deanne replied automatically, if a bit hesitantly. She still wasn't quite sure what to make of the take charge Trish Burnett. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Trish assured her. She continued the introductions. "The young girl you saw earlier is Chloe Madison. Mac met her through a mentoring program and Chloe's like a sister to her. She's going to be the flower girl tomorrow. Her father's on a destroyer deployed out in the Pacific, so she lives most of the time with her grandparents, Martha and David Anderson, in Vermont. I'll introduce you to them when they come back downstairs."

"If they come back downstairs," Frank said dryly. "You know you put the fear of God into Harm and Chloe. They'll probably call down to ask permission before showing their faces again."

"I am just trying to make sure everything runs smoothly," Trish reminded him. "Someone has to be the voice of reason. God knows, things are going to be crazy enough today as it is."

"You would have made a good Marine, Trish," Matt complimented her.

"Comes from being a military wife," she replied. She explained to Deanne, "My first husband, Harm's father, was a Navy pilot. He was away more than he was home, so I was the one who held everything together back home, even before he went MIA and I was left alone to raise a six-year-old."

"I remember what it was like being a military wife," Deanne commented quietly. Suddenly, she had a new appreciation for Trish. It took a strong person to be a single parent, even when she knew that her husband would eventually be coming through the front door. But it took an exceptional person to take on the role of single parent permanently. It was a role Deanne knew she was not cut out for.

"Of course you do," Trish said, smiling in an attempt to put Deanne at ease. The woman struck her as scared as a rabbit. Then again, Trish reflected, if she'd been in the same position of wanting to make peace with a child she'd barely spoke to in seventeen years, she'd probably be jittery, too. "I seem to recall it being mentioned that Mac's father was in the Marine Corps also."

Deanne didn't really want to think about Joseph Mackenzie, so she decided to change the subject. "So, Mrs. Burnett ..." she began, until stopped by a wave of Trish's hand.

"Please, call me Trish," she insisted. "We are practically going to be family."

"Okay ... Trish," she started again. Despite her first impression, she found herself liking Trish more and more every minute. "Why don't you tell me about your son? What kind of man is my daughter marrying tomorrow?"

Trish smiled brightly. Like any proud mother, her son was perhaps her favorite topic of conversation. "Hmmm," she began, "Harm was a normal enough child – at least for one whose father was gone for months at a time. Despite that, his father was his hero. He wanted to be just like him when he grew up. That feeling only intensified when we found out that Harmon had been shot down over Vietnam Christmas Eve 1969. He was just two months past his sixth birthday and it was as if he'd aged decades overnight."

She paused in her recollections, remembering the little boy who'd tried so hard to be strong for her. She smiled sadly as she continued, "Because Harmon was MIA, my son became obsessed with the idea that his father might still be alive somewhere. As a result, he took it very hard when his father was declared dead after seven years and I married Frank. For years, Harm was – now, I don't mean to sound harsh – resentful of Frank."

"Which was perfectly understandable given the circumstances," Frank interrupted. "He needed closure, just as much as you did. That's why I financed their trip to Russia a few years ago. Anyway, Deanne, Harm and I are long past that. I've always loved him like a son and although I'll never replace his father in his eyes, I'm not the wicked stepfather anymore. We've really come a long way, especially in the last few months."

Deanne had to admit to herself that she was impressed with Frank Burnett and his defense of his stepson. Not many men would have stayed in a situation with a resentful stepson, let alone think of him as his own son. Unlike her daughter, who had been betrayed by both her parents, Harm appeared to her to have been lucky in having not just two, but three parents who had loved him dearly.

"Anyway," Trish continued, "when he was sixteen, Harm ran away to Vietnam, trying to find information about his father. I'll admit, Frank took it a lot better than I did when he was brought home. The following year, Harm graduated high school and followed his father to the Naval Academy then to flight school. I thought that, having achieved his dream of following in his father's footsteps, he would finally be able to put his obsession with his father behind him. For a while, it seemed that he had. He loved the Navy and loved to fly. It scared me a little, I'll admit, every time I heard that there was some action somewhere. But then I'd hear from him and he'd be safe and sound."

She paused again, remembering the terror she'd felt when she'd received the call about her son's accident. Until she'd reached Landstuhl and had been able to see for herself that he was going to survive, she'd been terrified that he'd be just like his father in every way. "Then, just before the Gulf War started, Frank and I received word that Harm had been medevac'd to Landstuhl Hospital in Germany. He'd been coming in for a landing on a carrier at night in bad weather and had crashed into the deck. His RIO had been killed and Harm barely survived himself. It was determined that Harm suffered from night blindness and that had caused him to misjudge the landing. As a result, he was told he could never fly as part of an active squadron again."

Sensing how upset she was as she recalled Harm's accident, Frank patted his wife's knee and picked up the narration. "When Harm was finally released from the hospital, he went to his grandmother's farm in Pennsylvania to decide what he was going to do. For a while, we all thought he would decide to leave the Navy, but eventually he announced that he had applied and been accepted into the Navy's Law School Program, where they would pay for him to attend law school. After that, he was stationed at JAG headquarters where he's been ever since, except for a brief return to flying, which is another story in itself."

"I take it that's where he met Sarah?" Deanne inquired.

Trish nodded, taking up the story again, calmer now. "Little more than a year after he joined JAG, he received a medal in a ceremony at the White House. Afterwards, in the Rose Garden, he met his new partner just before they were sent to Arizona to investigate the theft of the Declaration of Independence."

"And I assume the new partner was Sarah," Deanne said. Deanne didn't really consider herself a romantic, but a couple meeting in a rose garden screamed 'Fate'. An expression of shock crossed her face as she remembered something Mac had told her in California. "Matt, didn't Sarah tell me you were in Leavenworth for stealing the Declaration of Independence?"

"Yes," he replied. "That was the case. Long story, but the short version is that Harm and Sarah convinced me to turn myself in and thanks to Harm, who served as my lawyer, I got a lighter sentence than I should have expected under the circumstances. In fact, I'm actually eligible for parole after the first of the year and Harm's pretty confident that I'll get it."

"As for the last four years," Trish said with a smile, "the best way for you to understand that is to show you the videotape that was shown last night at the engagement party. Basically, the people closest to Harm and Mac were filmed discussing their relationship. It's actually quite ... humorous." Trish broke at laughing on the last word.

"Yes, you should see the tape," Matt agreed, winking, "but I think maybe we should give you a little preview."

"The baby story!" Trish, Frank and Matt all exclaimed at once, laughing.

Trish turned her head to take a quick peek in the hallway as if checking for eavesdroppers, then began, "One of the things you have to understand about Harm and Mac is that for the longest time they refused to admit their feelings. They are the best of friends, they flirted with each other and have been to hell and back both with and for each other, but they never would admit that they were in love with each other. Which was the point behind the making of this videotape, since just about everyone who'd ever seen them together knew that they were made for each other.

"Anyway, two friends of theirs had a baby sixteen months ago. Harm and Mac had been best man and maid of honor at their wedding and are godparents to their son. Apparently, Harriet, the mother, went into labor at work and she delivered at JAG in the Admiral's office with no doctor, just her husband, Harm, Mac and the Admiral present. After it was all over, Harm and Mac made a little deal. In five years, if neither was in a relationship, they were going to have a baby together."

Deanne started laughing, "You can't be ..." She trailed off when she saw them nod. "You're serious," she exclaimed.

"Oh, yes," Trish insisted.

"So how did things progress from there to where they are now?" Deanne asked.

"Eventually they did admit their feelings and became involved," Trish replied. "Harm had invited Mac up to his grandmother's for the Fourth of July and they took Chloe, who was visiting at the time, with them. When my mother-in-law was first informed by Harm that he would be bringing Mac with him, she was ecstatic. By that time, I think just about everyone had given up hope on them getting together. She suggested that Frank and I come out to Pennsylvania to surprise Harm and Mac, whom we hadn't had a chance to meet yet although she was just about all our son ever talked about."

Frank continued, "The surprise, however, was on us. Mac had been tired more than usual recently, so we found out later, and Harm suggested that she might be pregnant. They'd apparently been talking about having a baby since they'd been together; I just think they didn't expect it to happen quite that soon. And we arrived just as they were finding out the results of a home pregnancy test."

"Now I haven't heard this story," Matt interjected. "When Harm came to see me in Leavenworth when he was about to propose, he just said she was pregnant. He didn't tell me the rest."

"Needless to say, we were shocked," Trish said. "We've waited for them to get together for four years and we find out that not only are they together, we're going to be grandparents. But we are thrilled – especially since we're getting two grandchildren."

"Two? I don't ... wait, earlier you told Sarah that stress wasn't good for the babies," Deanne said. "She's going to have twins?"

"Yes, a boy and a girl," Trish confirmed. She laughed for a moment, then explained, "There's a story there also, which you'll find out is usually the case with Harm and Mac. There's always a story and it's usually a good one. They've already picked out names. The boy is going to be named after Harm's father and Matt and the girl is going to be named after Harm's grandmother and me."

Deanne thought for moment. "You called your husband Harmon earlier," she realized. "So the boy will be Harmon Matthew."

"But he won't be named after Harm," Trish said, drawing a puzzled glance from Deanne. "He was quite insistent on that point. In fact, he had suggested going with Matthew Harmon, but Mac insisted, arguing that was the only way he was going to get his choice of name for their daughter."

"What my wife has forgotten to tell you," Frank explained, "is that Harm's grandmother's name is Sarah, so the girl will be Sarah Patricia."

"Let me guess," Deanne concluded, "she's not being named after her mother and Sarah was insistent on that point."

"Exactly," Trish proclaimed, "although I think they are going to call the boy Matt to avoid confusion. The girl, from what I understand, will remain Sarah since most everyone calls your daughter 'Mac' anyway."

"Mom?" Harm called out. Everyone turned to see him standing at the bottom of the stairs in the hallway, while Frank shot his wife a humorous 'I told you so' glance. "I've just been informed that we are now four minutes and thirty-seven seconds late in leaving and that it's time quote – to get our sixes in gear – unquote." He stepped out of the way as Chloe came racing down the stairs, followed by her grandparents and Harm's grandmother.

"Everyone, come here," Trish insisted. "There's someone I want you to meet. Everyone, this is Deanne Mackenzie, Mac's mother. Deanne, this is Chloe Madison, her grandparents Martha and David Anderson, my mother-in-law Sarah Rabb and my son Harm."

Everyone shook hands with Deanne, ending with Harm, who said, "It's nice to finally meet you, Ma'am."

Deanne was struck by how polite he was, considering what her daughter must have told him about her. Her daughter had obviously avoided her mother's mistakes and found herself a really good man. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too," she replied sincerely. "Your parents have just been telling me about you, Harm."

Harm turned suspicious eyes on his parents. "And what exactly have you told her?" he asked.

"Oh, we left out most of the good stories about you and Mac," Trish answered with a wide smile. "We did promise to show her the tape, but we did tell her one story about you two."

Harm would have bet a month's pay on which story that was. He made a mental note to help Mac kill Sydney and Carolyn. They were never going to hear the end of this one. "Mom," he complained.

"What's wrong?" Mac asked, walking up behind him. Any traces of her earlier anger appeared to be gone. In face, her expression appeared to be completely devoid of emotion.

"My parents have just been telling your mother stories," he explained, chagrined. "One story in particular, as a matter of fact."

"That's it," Mac declared, only half kidding. "After I kill Sydney and Carolyn and have to replace half my bridal party, I say we stage a covert op to steal the original of that tape from Clay."

Trish explained to Deanne, "The tape's that good. Sensing that they might be a bit embarrassed by some of the stories on the tape, Sydney – whose idea it was – gave the original to a friend of Harm and Mac's who works for the CIA. He's keeping the tape safe and secure."

"As fascinating as this is," Mac said, rolling her eyes, "we need to get the cars packed and get going. From upstairs, I saw the Admiral pull out. We don't need him getting to Annapolis and having to send out search parties."

"Then I guess I should get going," Deanne said, starting to stand.

Mac only hesitated a moment. "Stay," she said quietly.

Deanne looked at Mac, shocked, not quite sure she had heard her correctly. Mac repeated herself, "Stay – or rather, come with us to Annapolis. You should be at the wedding tomorrow."

Deanne nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, even if she wasn't entirely sure that Mac's motive didn't more to do with not creating a scene in front of everyone by ordering her mother to leave rather than actually wanting her at the wedding.

-----

1510 ZULU
CATHEDRAL OF THE NAVY
UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND

They arrived at the chapel only a few minutes late, but the rest of the JAG staff was already there. Everyone was split into two groups, with some of them carrying things into the chapel while the other group was busy going in and out of the O Club.

Mac climbed out of the SUV and immediately began stretching, glad to be out of the car while Harm began unloading the uniforms and bridal gowns from the back. AJ walked up to him.

"I was beginning to think we were going to have to send a team after you," he commented, only half joking. He'd actually had visions of Harm and Mac getting tired of all the hoopla and deciding to run off and elope. "It's good that you're here now. The chapel wedding coordinator has been looking for you and Mac."

"Problems?" Harm asked, beginning to get a sinking feeling. Of course, with them, not everything could go off as planned.

"I'm sure it's nothing," AJ tried to reassure him as Mac joined them.

"What's nothing?" she asked.

"Mary, the wedding coordinator, just need to talk to you two," AJ informed her. "She just probably wants to go over some last-minute details."

Mac took off in the direction of the chapel doors, all kinds of scenarios running through her mind on what might be going wrong. She ran into Mary just short of the steps leading to the front door. "What exactly is the problem?" Mac demanded in her best no-nonsense Marine tone.

"It's nothing earth-shattering," Mary quickly tried to reassure her. She'd had years of experience dealing with last minute nerves from brides and grooms. "It's just that the chapel pianist had a family emergency and our back-up musician isn't available either."

"Are you trying to tell me that we aren't going to have any music during the ceremony tomorrow?" Mac asked, frustrated. Of course, things were going wrong. Sometimes she thought they lived their lives by Murphy's law.

"No, she's not saying that," Harm said soothingly, rubbing Mac shoulders. He had immediately taken off after her, hoping to prevent her from snapping someone's head off. "Mary, what can we do?"

"Well, I had thought that maybe we could ask one of the midshipmen to play," Mary replied, "but with the football game tomorrow, most of the students will be at the game and we can't exactly order one of them to play."

Harm considered the situation for a moment, trying to think of a solution. Surely, they had to know someone who played ... suddenly an idea struck. Looking around, he spotted Bud not far away and waved him over. "Bud, have you seen Webb this morning?" he asked.

"No, Sir," Bud replied, shifting baby AJ on his hip. "But I assume he will be here soon since he is doing one of the readings during the ceremony. Do you need him for something?"

"The chapel pianist had an emergency," Harm explained. Bud nodded in response, understanding what Harm was getting at.

"I don't understand," Mac said, still a little frustrated. What could Clay do in this situation?

"Clay is going to be our new pianist," Harm explained.

Mac vaguely recalled Harm telling her once that Clay played the piano. Satisfied that problem was solved, her mind latched onto a new one. "So where is he?" she asked, her arms folded across her chest. "He's supposed to be here for the rehearsal."

Harm wasn't about to argue that he was probably on his way or that the rehearsal wasn't scheduled to start for nearly two hours. "Bud, why don't you give Webb's cell phone a call and find out where he is?" he suggested. "Let him know that we have need of his skills as a musician."

"Yes, Sir," Bud said, rushing off to comply. Remembering how much Mac and Harm had helped ease frazzled nerves before his own wedding, he was more than willing to do everything he could to make sure everything ran smoothly over the next twenty-four hours.

"Is there anything else that requires our attention right now?" Harm asked Mary.

"Not at the moment," she replied, looking down at her checklist. "Everything else seems to be running pretty smoothly. Your friends all seem to have everything well in hand."

"They have been a Godsend getting everything put together this quickly," Harm pointed out.

"Then, I'll be around," Mary said. "Just give me a shout if you need anything."

"Thank you," Harm replied.

"Yes, thank you," Mac said. Mary smiled and, patting Mac's arm, headed into the chapel.

"Okay, why don't we check on everything, make sure it's running smoothly?" Harm suggested. "Would that make you feel better?"

"Until the next crisis arises," Mac muttered.

-----

"Good morning, everyone," Sydney greeted Harm and Mac's families as she joined them and AJ. "We were beginning to get a little worried. We'd expected you guys to be the first ones here."

"We had a little excitement this morning," Trish explained. She motioned Deanne over. "AJ, Sydney, this is Deanne Mackenzie, Mac's mother. Deanne, this is Admiral AJ Chegwidden and his fiancée Dr. Sydney Walden."

"It's nice to meet you," AJ said, holding out his hand, which Deanne shook hesitantly. He sensed that she was a bit uncomfortable and tried to make her feel welcome. "Your daughter is one of my finest officers. I'm glad that you could make it for the wedding."

"Thank you," Deanne replied. Sydney held out her hand next.

"Yes, it's good to meet you," Sydney said as they shook hands. She probably knew a little more than AJ about the history between Mac and her mother, but if Deanne was here, there had to be some easing of tensions there.

"I just had an idea," Trish said. "Deanne, do you have a dress to wear tomorrow?"

"No, I hadn't expected to be coming out here to attend a wedding," she explained.

"We can take care of that," Trish insisted. "The rehearsal doesn't start until one, so why don't Sydney and I take you shopping and the three of us can grab some lunch."

"I don't know," Deanne said, "I don't have any money."

"Not a problem," Matt insisted. "Trish, just let me know how much the dress costs and I'll pay you back."

"Don't worry about it, Matt," she replied, waving him off. "I'm happy to do this. Frank, do you need the van for anything?"

"No," he replied, handing her the keys to their rental. "I'll just hang around here and help out where I can while you're gone."

-----

1550 ZULU
ANNAPOLIS FORMAL
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND

"Is everything alright?" Sydney asked Trish while they were waiting for Deanne to emerge from the dressing room. Trish and Sydney had quickly helped her pick out several dresses to try on, brushing off her protests when she had worried about the prices. "Mac's mother doesn't seem like she's entirely sure she wants to be here."

"I don't think it's that so much as she's worried that Mac doesn't want her here," Trish replied. "When she first showed up this morning, Mac wasn't exactly in the best frame of mind."

"But she came with you to Annapolis, which I assume was okay with Mac," Sydney pointed out.

"Mac did agree," Trish confided softly, not wanting to risk hurting Deanne's feelings by her overhearing their conversation, "but I'm a little concerned that her agreement may have had more to do with not making a scene in front of everyone by kicking her mother out. Then again, she's been a little on edge today, so I don't think even Mac is sure what she is feeling."

"Is that why you're going out of your way to make Deanne feel welcome?" Sydney asked, picking up a fashion magazine and idly flipping through it.

"Deanne told us that she had gone to Leavenworth to see Matt," Trish explained, "hoping that he could help her reestablish a relationship with Mac. She found out there that he was here and spent the last of the money she had on her to buy a plane ticket out here."

"I guess that has to count for something," Sydney said.

"She does seem to be trying," Trish pointed out, "so I'd hate to see Mac push her mother away in the heat of the moment without taking the time to think about what she's doing. When we talked about it a few days ago, Mac did seem at least willing to consider the possibility of contacting her mother."

"So this topic has come up."

Trish took a deep breath and continued, "Harm asked Victor Galindez to track Deanne down a few weeks ago. He wanted Mac to have the option of contacting her and inviting her to the wedding. Initially, it didn't go over too well when Mac found out, but when I talked to her afterwards, she seemed to feel a little better about the idea."

"I hope it works out," Sydney said, not sounding too confident. "It would be great if it did, but I'd hate to see Mac get hurt again."

"You really care about her a lot," Trish commented.

Sydney shrugged. "She's always struck me as someone who could use someone to talk to," she explained. "When I first met her, she was going through a rough patch and she seemed a little ... lost, for lack of a better word. From what I later heard from AJ and from Mac herself, Harm and Mac were rather strained at the time and he was usually the one she turned to when she needed someone to talk to."

"Harm told me a little about that time. That's when she was considering marrying that Australian officer, wasn't it?" Trish asked.

Sydney nodded her confirmation. She was about to add something when Deanne came out of the dressing room. Trish and Sydney both smiled. "Deanne, that dress looks wonderful on you," Sydney enthused.

Trish agreed, "Yes, it does. Did you want to try on any of the other dresses?"

"Well, I picked this one to try on first because I thought I would look best in it," Deanne admitted, pleased with their positive reaction. "It's been a long time since I've had anything really nice like this."

"Then I'd say you have good taste," Trish said encouragingly, "and I'd say that you deserve to have nice clothes and pamper yourself."

Deanne got very quiet and sat down in an empty chair. "I don't understand why you're doing this for me," she said quietly. "You barely know me and I can't imagine that what you have been told about me is very flattering."

Trish and Sydney were silent for a moment, both pondering how best to phrase their responses. Finally, Trish spoke in a gentle tone, "True, but I don't consider myself a judgmental person. I've been very lucky to have two of the best husbands that a woman could ask for, but as I told Mac the other day, I can't say with absolute certainty that I wouldn't have done the same thing if I'd been in your situation."

"Agreed," Sydney added. "It's like that old saying about not really understanding someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes. We can't possibly understand what you've been through, so how can we possibly judge you?" She paused for a moment, pondering how to put what she wanted to say next. She decided just to say it outright, considering herself a pretty straight forward person. "Tell me something, Deanne. Do you love your daughter?"

"Yes, of course I do," she replied without hesitation, despite being startled by the question. "I know I have a strange way of showing it, but ..."

"Don't worry about that," Sydney insisted, waving her off. "The point I'm trying to make is we all love Mac and want to see her happy. And if you're as serious as you seem to be about making a new start with her, then how can we not encourage that? None of us can say with certainty that it will work out, but if it does, then both you and Mac will have gained something beyond measure."

"Not only will you regain a daughter," Trish pointed out, "you'll get two grandchildren out of the bargain and Mac will have gotten her mother back and a grandmother for her children."

-----

1650 ZULU
CATHEDRAL OF THE NAVY
UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND

"Everything seems to be going relatively well," Frank commented to Matt and AJ while they were standing in the aisle waiting for the rehearsal to start. Harm and Mac were going over some last-minute details on the format of the ceremony with Captain Duncan, the chaplain. The rest of the JAG staff was sitting in the front pews, going over Harriet's own checklist of things to do. Clay, having been cornered by Harm upon his arrival, was in the choir alcove, going over the sheet music he had been handed for the ceremony. Although Clay wasn't about to admit it, it hadn't taken too much arm twisting by Harm to get him to agree to play piano during the ceremony. Trish, Sydney and Deanne had just arrived back from their shopping expedition, Deanne looking more relaxed than she had since she had first shown up on Harm and Mac's doorstep.

"Agreed," AJ concurred. "Harm seems to have been able to keep Mac calm for the most part, the problem with the pianist was solved with little fuss, Mac's mother seems more at ease, nobody's uniforms are missing and no other problems seem to have developed."

"Here's hoping all continues to go well," Matt declared, watching his sister out of the corner of his eye. She seemed genuinely determined to try with Mac and while Matt did not condone what Deanne had done in the past, if she really could make it work, then he was determined to be happy for her and Mac. "By the way, Deanne and I spoke for a moment when they got back and she said Trish and Sydney have both made her feel very welcome here."

"I don't know if you're aware of this," Frank told Matt, "but the subject of whether or not to contact Deanne and invite her to the wedding came up a few days ago. Mac was initially resistant to the idea – in fact, she and Harm fought about it, but Trish was a big help in smoothing things over from Mac's end. I will admit that I thought Trish was being a bit optimistic in thinking there could be a new start with them, but Deanne showing up on her own the way she did this morning has made me rethink that."

"All Sarah has ever really wanted is to be loved," Matt revealed, knowing that probably wasn't news to the other men. "I think that Deanne making the choice to come here will go a ways in convincing Sarah to give her a chance." He noticed activity out of the corner of his eye and turned to see Deanne and Mac having an intense discussion with Harm, Trish and Sydney all hovering nearby. He was concerned that something was wrong when he noticed that Deanne appeared to be crying, but then he was shocked when Mac suddenly hugged her mother. Leaving AJ and Frank where they were, Matt headed for the front of the sanctuary to see what was going on.

"Looks like things are going to work out on that front after all," AJ commented, noting the relaxed expressions on Mac and Deanne's faces. But Frank wasn't paying attention. AJ turned to see what had caught his eye. Frank was looking at the eternal flame burning in the middle of the tenth pew with a thoughtful expression.

"The flame is to honor POWs and MIAs," AJ explained.

"I wonder ..." Frank began, pensive. He saw Captain Duncan heading in their direction and motioned the chaplain over. "Captain, I have a request," he said, briefly explaining the story of Harm's father and about his idea. The chaplain nodded in agreement when Frank was finished.

"I don't see why not, Mr. Burnett," he said. "I'll admit it's an unusual request, but I don't have a problem with it, especially under the circumstances. I'm sure your son will be pleased with the idea."

"Actually, I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything," Frank said, "about it being my idea anyway."

"If that's how you want it," Duncan agreed as Matt rejoined them. "The candles that the mothers carry are lit before the ceremony actually begins, so that part won't be covered during the rehearsal and I can leave out the explanation when we get to the lighting of the unity candle until the actual ceremony tomorrow. I'll just have to remember to make a note to myself so I don't forget to mention it tomorrow."

"Thanks, Captain, I appreciate this," Frank said, shaking the chaplain's hand. Seeing the curiosity on Matt's face, he held up his hand, indicating for him to wait a moment. Frank then called Trish over.

Once she arrived, he explained his idea, bringing tears to his wife's eyes. "Oh, Frank," she said, blinking back the tears, "that's a beautiful gesture. Thank you, from both of us."

"Speaking of the candle lighting," Matt said, "that's what was going on over there. The original plan was that I would carry the candle to represent Sarah's family during the ceremony, but she just asked Deanne to do it."

"That's definitely a good sign," Frank commented, his hand on his wife's shoulder, offering comfort. "I wonder what brought that on."

"I spoke to Harm privately," Trish explained, "and he was as surprised as the rest of us. He said Mac hadn't said anything about it before she brought to subject up with Deanne."

"I'm feeling very good about this," Trish said. "Very good."

-----

2250 ZULU
PUSSER'S LANDING RESTAURANT
MARRIOTT WATERFRONT HOTEL
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND

"Can I have everyone's attention please?" AJ announced, taping his fork against his water glass. All conversation around the table stopped and everyone looked at him expectantly.

"A few general announcements first," he continued. "For those of you who are not supposed to see each other after 2359 hours, there will be bed check at precisely midnight to ensure that everyone is where they are supposed to be." He paused, letting the laughter around the table run its course.

"Second, the limo to take the bridal party to the Yard will be out front at 0800 in the morning," he said. "The bride would appreciate everyone concerned being on time. Everyone else will be leaving from the hotel no later than 0845. Is there anything else?" He looked around the table before continuing, "Since no one has anything else, Lieutenant Sims would like to say something."

As AJ sat back down, Harriet stood, picking up a shopping bag off the floor and setting it on her chair. "First, I just wanted to say, on behalf of the staff at JAG ops, how happy we are that this day has finally arrived. Most of us, especially those who have been around since the beginning, wondered at times if this day would ever come. We just want to say how happy we all are that the Colonel and Commander have finally found each other and have created a family together."

"Harriet," Mac said, drawing out her name.

Harriet laughed. "I believe that is my cue to call them Harm and Mac," she joked. "Anyway, we all got together and got the two of you some gifts. A few of them are, well, not really gag gifts, but humorous. But we also did get you one gift which is your wedding gift from the entire JAG staff. Gunny, Tiner."

The two enlisted men got up and brought a large, flat wrapped package around the table to Harm and Mac. Tearing off the brown paper, they revealed a framed oil painting of the White House Rose Garden. "It's beautiful," Mac proclaimed. "Thank you, everyone."

"Yes, thank you," Harm echoed, kissing Mac's temple. "This is a very nice gift."

"Actually, Sir, you can thank your mother also," Harriet told him. "We all wanted to get you something, but we were having a hard time coming up with what we thought would be an appropriate gift. Dr. Walden mentioned it to your mother in passing once and she found this in a gallery and helped us get it for you."

"Thank you, Mom," Harm said, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

"I was happy to help out," she replied. "If Frank and I hadn't already gotten your gift, we might have picked the painting up ourselves."

"Now, the rest of the gifts are humorous," Harriet said, pulling two wrapped shirt boxes out of the shopping bag. She checked the tags on the boxes before handing them to Harm and Mac. "There's one for each of you – actually, two for you, Ma'am. One that you can wear during your pregnancy and one for when you're not."

Harm got his box opened first and laughed when he saw what was inside. He leaned over to watch while Mac got her gift opened. "Now you can stop stealing clothes from my drawers," he teased.

"As if any self respecting Marine would be caught dead wearing anything that says 'US Navy' across the front," Mac retorted, lifting a t-shirt out of her box. It was navy blue with 'Property of the United States Navy' emblazoned across the front in white lettering.

"Oh, then you won't mind returning my Navy sweatshirt that you've had ever since that incident with Webb at the Baltimore shipyards," he commented with a grin.

"Not on your life," she retorted as she leaned over to inspect his gift. "Oh, now this I like." She lifted a t-shirt similar to hers out of the box, his maroon with white letters. "'Property of the United States Marine Corps,' how cute," she teased him. "I've been thinking about getting you some stuff that says 'Marine Corps' on it."

"You would think so," he commented dryly. "So who do we have to thank for these?"

"That would be Gunny and Tiner, Sir," Harriet revealed while Mac sighed dramatically.

"Lieutenant, repeat after me," Mac ordered. "Harm, Mac. It's not that hard to remember."

"Sorry, Ma'am – I mean Mac," Harriet said, laughing. "And for those of you who haven't been around as long, my husband and I have been hearing that on and off for as long as we've known Harm and Mac. See, I can say it. Harm and Mac. Anyway, moving on, we have one more gift for each of you and since this was her idea, I'll let Jackie explain."

"This is based on a gift that was given to me by some of the other officers' wives when Alan and I got married," Jackie explained as Harriet handed the gifts across the table to Harm and Mac. "It was originally written with the Army wife in mind, so it's been modified slightly for the Navy. And since Harm is going to be a military spouse also, Harriet and I had a lot of fun modifying it for him."

"I'm afraid to ask," Mac said, shaking her head as she opened her gift, pulling out a framed document and studying it. "Military wedding vows," she read, skimming over the rest. Laughing, she leaned over to read Harm's. "Oh, this is cute, especially since someone, as his first duty as military liaison, somehow got roped into going to Russia as soon as we get back from our honeymoon and I get to experience married life without my husband after being married only two weeks."

"Oh, how did that happen?" Sydney asked. Being probably the least experienced person present as far as knowledge about how the military works, Sydney couldn't conceive that Harm would be sent away on assignment that soon.

"The International Institute for Military Jurisprudence was asked by someone in the Kremlin to send a liaison to Russia for a few weeks to study their military codes and offer suggestions for improvement in their laws and procedures," Harm explained. "Some of my new colleagues on the Hill thought that since their new military liaison is a lawyer that I would be the perfect person for this assignment. So I won't even be home long enough to get over my jet lag before I'm off to Moscow. Of course, the joke is that my wife is the one who is fluent in Russian."

"Oh, so we're going somewhere for our honeymoon that can cause jet lag?" Mac questioned, curious as she immediately picked up on his offhanded comment about their honeymoon. "Just how many time zones will we be crossing?"

Harm shook his head, grinning as he told everyone, "She's been trying to get the location out of me for weeks now. So far, I've been resisting all her efforts."

"Oh, you are bad," she teased, smacking his arm lightly. "Better watch it or the Admiral won't need to conduct bed check tonight."

"Ouch," Harm said, shooting her a dirty look as he pulled away from her.

"So what exactly are the 'Military Wedding Vows'?" Sydney asked. "I mean, from a practical standpoint, since I will be a military spouse soon, what is expected of me?"

"Does everyone want me to read it?" Mac asked. Seeing everyone's nods, she began, "Dear family and friends, we are gathered here today in the sight of God and the Department of the Navy, to witness this exchange of vows, and see the love that these two dedicated, loving people have for one another.

"Wilt thou, Harmon, take Sarah (who was once referred to as the 'dependent'), as your family member, to dwell together in so far as the Department of the Navy will permit? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, via the postal service or over the phone, make sure she knows where the commissary, exchange, and church are, and what time she is scheduled to use the laundry room the day she arrives, wherever you are stationed?"

"Of course, that last part assumes you live on base," Jackie pointed out. "Especially overseas. Stairwell living, ugh." She shuddered at the thought.

Mac continued, "Wilt thou attempt to tell her more than 24 hours in advance that you will be leaving for two weeks, beginning the next morning? This especially applies to the years you will live in a foreign country!

"Wilt thou Sarah, take this sailor as thy wedded husband, knowing that he is depending upon you to be the perfect (well almost) Navy wife, running the household as you see fit, and being nice to the commander's wife? Furthermore, you understand that your life with your husband (little that you may have together) will not be normal, that you may have to explain to your children, not once, but twice, and more often in the same day, that mothers do have husbands, and that children do have daddies, and that the picture of the man on the refrigerator is not the milkman, but the same individual who tucks them in at 2200 hours, long after they are asleep. This sailor is their daddy, who loves them very, very much.

"Wilt thou love, respect and wait for him, preparing his favorite cookies and pictures of yourself and the kids, so he can remember what you look like? And last but not least, put on the outside of your door his 'Welcome home' sign when he's due to arrive?

"I, Harmon, take thee Sarah, as my independent wife, from 1900 to 2200 hours or as long as allowed by my Commanding Officer (subject to change without notice), for better or worse, earlier or later, near or far, and I promise to look at the pictures you send me, maybe not when they get to me in the field, but before I turn the lights out. I will also send a letter, if time permits, and if not, to somehow, some way, make the time.

"I, Sarah, take thee, Harmon as my live-in/live-out husband, realizing that your comings and goings and 0330 staff meetings are normal (although absurd to me) and part of your life as a sailor. I promise not to be shocked or taken by surprise when you inform me that, although we've just arrived at our new duty station, we will be leaving within the month. Yes, I'll have you as my husband as long as you are away, my allotment comes through regularly, and that you leave me a current power of attorney and the checkbook at all times. I am a family member and proud of it, dependent upon myself and my resources. Although I miss you when you are away, I know I can handle whatever comes across my path.

"Now then, let no man or woman put asunder what God and the Department of the Navy have brought together. The Navy hereby issues you this lovely, dedicated, independent woman, knowing that she'll be an asset not only to your marriage, but also to the mission of the United States Navy, which is, as you all know, to remain in a state of 'Readiness.' By the authority vested in the Bible, elaborated in the regulation and subject to current directives concerning the aspects of marriage in the Navy, you are now a Sailor with a Family Member. Best Wishes and Good Luck," she concluded.

As everyone laughed, Sydney managed to say, "I'm almost afraid to ask how much of that is an accurate depiction of life as a military spouse."

Trish grinned as she replied, "Deanne and Jackie I'm sure will agree with this sentiment, but all we can say, Sydney, is 'Welcome to life with the military.' Of course, back in mine and Deanne's day, things were a bit different, especially if your husband was in a war zone half a world away. But as long as you could get to the exchange and commissary and the money was in the bank on the first and fifteenth of the month, life was considered to be pretty good. Of course, I imagine being an Admiral's wife will be quite different from what being the wife of an Ensign was like for me forty years ago."

"There's an old joke," Deanne added, "that I think also originated with the Army that quote – if the Army had wanted you to have a wife, they would have issued you one with your dog tags – unquote. That tells you how much empathy the military used to have for your situation when things started going wrong, especially if your spouse was half a world away and unreachable."

"Seriously, Dr. Walden," Jackie said, "it's not as bad as it used to be. Now, let's say something goes wrong with your spouse's pay and he's away. You go down to finance, wave a power of attorney in their face and hope that they have some time to even talk to you sometime before the next payday."

"Alright, let's stop scaring Sydney," Trish insisted. "She'll probably have it easy since her husband will be an Admiral. People will be bending over backwards to help her out. After all, RHIP – Rank Hath Its Privileges."

"Everyone, these are hilarious," Mac said, bringing the conversation back to the original topic of the gifts. "Thanks a lot. And I would also like to say something on behalf of Harm and myself to all of you. The last two months have been really crazy with the shooting, the court-martials, trying to put this wedding together in just six weeks, and everything else that's been going on. I doubt that we could have managed to pull off this wedding this quickly without all of your help and both of us are grateful for everything you've done, so thank you."

-----

SATURDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER
1457 ZULU
CATHEDRAL OF THE NAVY
UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND

"Is everyone ready to go?" AJ asked, looking over the bridal party assembled in the vestibule of the church. "It's about time to seat the mothers."

Deanne and Trish both looked at Mac, who was standing off to the side of the vestibule, taking some deep breaths. "Mac, darling," Trish said, walking over and placing her hand on Mac's arm, "it's almost time."

"Is it?" Mac asked distracted. "I lost track of the time."

"Sarah losing track of time?" Deanne said lightly in a teasing tone. "You can probably count on one hand the number of times that has happened. It will be fine, honey. In a few minutes you'll walk down that aisle and forget everything except for that man waiting for you at the other end." She walked over to a side table and carefully picked up the bridal bouquet, carrying it over to her daughter.

Mac took the offered flowers, lifting the bouquet to inhale the fragrant scent of the flowers. After a long moment, she lowered the arrangement, settling it in front of her and squaring her shoulders. "I'm ready," she said firmly.

"I love you, darling," Trish whispered, hugging Mac briefly. Releasing Mac, she picked up one of the two candles sitting on the side table and hooked her arm around AJ's.

Slowly, AJ escorted Trish up the aisle, stopping at the tenth pew from the front on the left side. Releasing Trish's arm, AJ waited patiently while Trish slid into the pew and made her way to the eternal flame burning brightly at the center of the pew.

Looking down at the flame, she closed her eyes and said a brief prayer. Opening her eyes again, she tipped the candle she held, touching the wick to the flame. Tears forming in her eyes, she whispered, "I know you're here watching over our son, Harmon." Holding the lit candle carefully in front of her, she made her way back to the aisle, linking her arm with AJ's once again.

Slowly, they completed the journey up the aisle, AJ releasing Trish's arm so she could sit in the front pew next to her husband. As AJ turned and walked back up the aisle for Deanne, Frank took his wife's hand and squeezed it comfortingly. "He's here," he whispered softly.

Trish turned and smiled at her husband through her tears. "I know," she whispered back. "I can feel him."

-----

"Thank you, Sarah," Deanne said softly while she waited for AJ to return to escort her to her seat.

"Mom ..." Mac said hesitantly.

"I know I don't deserve to be here," she said. "But thank you for letting me stay. I do want to try and do better by you."

"I know, Mom," Mac said, her eyes tearing. "I want to try, too."

Deanne pulled her daughter into her arms, careful not to crush the bouquet. "I love you, honey," she whispered. She pulled away and looked at her daughter. "I don't expect you to say it. I know I have to earn that."

Mac nodded. "Thank you, Mom," she replied. She saw AJ standing by the door, allowing mother and daughter their moment. "It's time."

Deanne kissed Mac's forehead, then joined AJ at the door after picking up her own candle from the table. As they linked arms, she turned her head and look at her daughter. Mouthing "I love you," she allowed AJ to lead her into the sanctuary.

"Okay, it's almost time for the processional," Matt said, watching everyone line up for their walk down the aisle. Jackie would start down the aisle first, followed by Carolyn and then Sydney. Then would come Harriet as the matron of honor, followed by Josh as ring bearer. Chloe would then walk down the aisle, scattering rose pedals before Mac headed for the altar on her uncle's arm. Matt opened the door a crack to check on what was happening in the church. Deanne had just sat down and AJ was making his way to the side door where Captain Duncan would come out, followed by Harm and the groomsmen. Once they were in their places in front of the altar, the door would open again for the ladies' walk down the aisle.

"Uncle Matt?" Mac asked.

"Your mother just took her seat and the pastor is getting ready to come out, followed by the rest of the wedding party," he told her. After a few moments, he turned away from the door.

"It's time everyone," he said. "Josh, Chloe, do you have the ring pillow and flower basket?"

"Yes, Sir," Josh replied, holding up the pillow.

"Of course, Uncle Matt," Chloe said, letting a handful of rose pedals fall from her hand back into the basket.

"Good," Matt said, taking a deep breath. He couldn't imagine being more nervous if Sarah had been his own child. His eyes swept over the assembled party, making sure nothing was out of place.

"Uncle Matt, it's going to be fine," Mac insisted.

Everyone laughed a little. "This coming from the woman who lost track of time a few minutes ago," he pointed out. As the door opened and Jackie began her walk down the aisle, he joined Mac at the rear of the line, pulling her veil down over her face.

"Hold this for a second, will you?" she asked, handing Matt her bouquet. After he took it, she straightened the Medal of Honor that hung around his neck. "Your medal is a little crooked," she explained.

Finished, she took the bouquet back and stepped back to study him. "Perfect," she declared.

"So are you, Sarah," he said. As he heard the music change through the closed door, he held out his left arm to Mac. "Are you ready to go marry your Sailor?"

Mac nodded, smiling brightly at him through the veil as the door opened. Her breath caught in her throat as she caught sight of Harm, resplendent in his dress whites, waiting for her at the end of the aisle. Taking a deep breath, she began the long walk on her uncle's arm to the man she loved.

-----

From his place at the altar, Harm watched with increasing nervousness as the women walked slowly down the aisle. He barely noticed how beautiful all the bridesmaids looked in their rose-colored dresses. The bodices were of velvet with form-fitting short sleeves. The satin skirts fell from a high waist to the floor. Harriet's dress was identical save the darker rose color and a fuller skirt to accommodate her pregnancy. All the women except Harriet wore satin gloves identical in color to their dresses.

He barely noticed Josh's grin as the young boy took his place next to the groomsmen or Chloe's satisfied smile as she took her place at the altar with the women, her dress nearly identical in design to the bridesmaids' dresses except that it was ivory in color.

The music changed and the doors at the back of the church opened to reveal Matt in his Marine dress blues, Mac on his arm. As they slowly walked down the aisle to the strains of the wedding march from The Sound Of Music, Harm and Mac only had eyes for each other.

Even though he barely noticed her dress and had a hard time making out her face underneath the veil as she walked down the aisle, Harm didn't think he'd ever seen a more beautiful sight than that of his Marine as she came to join him at the altar.

Her gaze locked on Harm, Mac was only vaguely aware when Matt lifted her veil once they reached the altar to kiss her cheek or when he turned to Harm and whispered, "Take care of Sarah," or when he left them to take his seat beside his sister in the front row.

They were both still lost in each other, barely aware of the words when Captain Duncan began the ceremony. "Dearly beloved, we are assembled here, in the presence of God and these witnesses, to join together this man, Harmon David Rabb, Jr., and this woman, Sarah Catherine 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 intimate of human relationships. It 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 which 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.

"We who love can look at each other's life and say, 'I touched his life,' or, 'I touched her life,' just as an artist might say, 'I touched this canvas. Those brushstrokes in the comer of this magnificent mural, those are mine. I was a part of this life, and it is a part of me.' 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. From his place with the groomsmen, AJ looked out over the congregation, prepared to bring the full wrath of a SEAL and two-star Admiral down on anyone who dared speak.

After what seemed like an eternity, Captain Duncan continued with the invocation, "Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, in whom we live and move and have our being - grant unto us purity of heart and strength of purpose, so that no selfish passion may hinder us from knowing your will, and no weakness from doing it; that in your light we may see light, and in your service find perfect freedom through Jesus Christ our Lord. Be present at this hour and grant that what is said and done in this place may be blessed, both now and forevermore. Amen."

"Amen," the congregation echoed. Almost as an afterthought, Harm and Mac softly echoed, "Amen," a heartbeat after everyone else.

"Now, some of Harmon and Sarah's friends and family will offer their thoughts and prayers as they embark on their new life together," Duncan continued. "First, Mr. Clayton Webb will read from I Corinthians 13."

Clay came out from behind the piano and walked up to one of the podiums set up on either side of the altar. Opening the Bible sitting there to the book marked page, he looked at Harm and Mac as he read the verses, barely glancing at the page in front of him. "If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love." Clay looked over at Harm and Mac and nodded at them, offering a smile as he closed the Bible.

As Clay stepped back to the piano and sat down on the bench, Captain Duncan said, "And now reading 'Marriage Is A Promise Of Love' by Edmund O'Neill is Lieutenant j.g. Harriet Sims."

Harriet left her place beside Mac and walked around to the side of the altar to the other podium. As she read the short essay, her eyes found her husband's and Bud smiled at her warmly. "Marriage is a commitment to life," she read, her mind traveling back over two years to the day when she and Bud had been standing in front of the altar with Harm and Mac standing up for them, "to the best that two people can find and bring out in each other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growth no other human relationship can equal, a physical and emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime. Within the circle of its love, marriage encompasses all of life's most important relationships. A wife and a husband are each other's best friend, confidant, lover, teacher, listener, and critic. There may come times when one partner is heartbroken or ailing, and the love of the other may resemble the tender caring of a parent for a child. Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life. Happiness is fuller; memories are fresher; commitment is stronger; even anger is felt more strongly, and passes away more quickly. Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life is unable to avoid. It encourages and nurtures new life, new experiences, and new ways of expressing love through the seasons of life. When two people pledge to love and care for each other in marriage, they create a spirit unique to themselves, which binds them closer than any spoken or written words. Marriage is a promise, a potential, made in the hearts of two people who love, which takes a lifetime to fulfill."

As Harriet returned to her place in front of the altar, Captain Duncan once again spoke, "From John 15: The greatest gift of God we give and receive in marriage is love. Jesus spoke about love and about the obedience to God that reserves love, with these words - As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and hat your joy may be complete. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

Looking out over the sea of Navy dress whites and Marine dress blues, he continued, "Let us pray for Harmon and Sarah as they make their marriage vows - Almighty God who, from the beginning, hast made man and woman for each other, let your spirit rest upon these your servants, as in your name they pledge themselves to one another in vows of love and faithfulness. Let your love be upon them and theirs be in thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen"

"Amen," the congregation echoed.

"Now, let Harmon and Sarah declare their intent before God and this company," Duncan said. "Harmon, will you have Sarah to be your wedded wife, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor her and keep her, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others remain loyal to her as long as you both shall live?"

"Yes, I will," Harm promised.

As he offered her one of his grins, Mac's thoughts drifted back over the many times he had already stood by her over the years, smiling at the memories of everything they had shared together.

"I'll get you through this. I promise."

"I understand. I may not like it, but I'm happy for you."

"Mac, look ... you fell off the wagon. You get back on."

"You are a lean, mean fighting Marine and you have me backing you up. What could be better?"

"Sarah, will you have Harmon to be your wedded husband, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honor him and keep him, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others remain loyal to him as long as you both shall live?"

She gazed at Harm through her veil, her eyes shining bright with unshed tears as she echoed his response, "Yes, I will."

Harm couldn't help thinking back over all the times she had already been there for him over the last four years. Even when everyone else had thought he was crazy or obsessed, her support for him had never wavered.

"If you let me in, you'll be harboring a fugitive."

"I speak the language, I can handle myself if things get rough and you need someone to watch your six."

"You've come with me farther than anyone I know, I'll never forget that."

"Will the families of Harmon and Sarah please stand?" Duncan asked. In the front row, Trish, Frank, Deanne and Matt all stood. "As Harmon and Sarah join their lives in marriage, they also bring you together in a new relationship, creating new bonds of trust and ties of affection. Will you give them your love, your blessing, and your support?"

"We will," they answered.

"Will the congregation please stand?" he continued. The rest of the congregation stood up. "Friends, Harmon and Sarah have invited you here because you are important people in their lives. Your love and support will be important always. Will all of you, by God's Grace, do everything in your power to preserve this marriage? Will you give them your love, your blessing, and your support?"

"We will," everyone answered before taking their seats again.

"Now, Harmon and Sarah will join hands and offer their vows to each other," Duncan announced.

Mac turned and handed Harriet her bouquet, the first time her eyes had left Harm's since she had entered the sanctuary. She turned back to him and held her hands out to him. As he took her hands in his, she was surprised to discover that his fingers were trembling as much as hers.

His fingers tightening around hers, he offered her an encouraging smile as he began, a slight catch in his voice, "I, Harmon, take you, Sarah, to be my wife, knowing in my heart that you will always be my friend, my partner in life and my one true love. I promise to love you without reservation, to honor and respect you, to provide for your needs the best that I can, to protect you from harm, to comfort you in times of distress, to laugh with you and cry with you, to grow with you in mind and spirit, to always be open and honest with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live."

He paused as he finished the prepared vows, trying to gather his thoughts. He had never been very good at speaking from his heart, he knew, and now he had to try to express everything that she was to him in front of all their family and friends in a few brief sentences. He could see her offer her own encouraging smile beneath the veil and he continued, "When I first heard I was getting a new partner, I never imagined that it would lead to this. I can't find the words ... to express everything that I'm feeling at this moment." He paused for a moment, looking down at their joined hands. "Ever since the day I met you, whenever I would think about the future, you were always by my side. Even with everything that has happened – your leaving, my leaving, Australia, all the others in our lives along the way – the image of you by my side for the rest of my life was one I couldn't let go of. I just wish that I could have found the courage sooner ... to tell you how much I love you ... for eternity, Sarah Mackenzie."

"Oh, Harm," Mac whispered, her tears freely falling. She fought to keep her voice steady and strong as she told him, " I, Sarah, take you, Harmon, to be my husband, knowing in my heart that you will always be my friend, my partner in life and my one true love. I promise to love you without reservation, to honor and respect you, to provide for your needs the best that I can, to protect you from harm, to comfort you in times of distress, to laugh with you and cry with you, to grow with you in mind and spirit, to always be open and honest with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live."

"When I first heard that I was being partnered with a former pilot," she continued with a grin, "well ... I don't think you want to know what I was thinking." The entire congregation laughed a little at that. "And on the surface, you appeared to be everything that I'd imagined. But when I got a chance to see beneath the brash, arrogant exterior, I found the kindest, most compassionate man I'd ever met. It was so easy to imagine spending the rest of my life with you, even when I tried to convince myself that I didn't deserve you. I've made so many mistakes, but that never mattered to you. You've always stood by me - supported me - no matter what and I'll always love you ... for eternity, Harmon Rabb."

"May I have the rings, please?" Captain Duncan requested. Harriet and Bud placed the wedding rings on the Captain's open Bible.

"The perfect circle of a ring symbolizes eternity, while gold is a symbol of all that is pure and holy. As you give these rings to each other, our prayer is that your love will be the same, pure and eternal. May the Lord God bless these rings, symbols of your marriage," he continued. Holding the Bible out, he turned to Harm. "Harmon, take this ring and place it on Sarah's finger."

Harm picked up the circle of white gold and slowly slid it onto the third finger of Mac's left hand. She laughed a little when he had trouble getting it past her knuckle. "Sorry, I guess my fingers are a little swollen," she whispered.

As he managed the slide the ring the rest of the way onto her finger, he said, "Sarah, I bring this ring, shaped in the symbol of completeness and eternity, and I give it to you to wear so that we will always remember our marriage vows." He squeezed her hand as she reached with her right hand for his ring.

Her hand shaking as she slid the ring easily onto his finger, she repeated his words, "Harmon, I bring this ring, shaped in the symbol of completeness and eternity, and I give it to you to wear so that we will always remember our marriage vows."

As they joined hands once again, Captain Duncan continued with the marriage blessing, "May God bless you with hope enough to keep the dawn in your love, and fear enough to keep you holding hands in the dark. Unity enough to keep your roots entwined, and separation enough to keep you reaching out for each other. Harmony enough to keep romance in your song, and discord enough to keep you tuning your love. Amen."

"Amen," Harm and Mac echoed, followed by the congregation.

"Now, let us participate in another symbolic act. Life is full of many such actions that speak to us of a deeper meaning that we cannot always put into words. You have used ancient symbols in this wedding service - the exchange of rings, the clasping of hands, the bearing of flowers. By such things you act instead of speak in regard to your promises. Now each of you will take a candle. And together you will light one larger candle. This is a vivid reminder that in true Christian marriage our lives are merged, even as we remain individuals. This is a symbolic prayer that God will enhance your own personhood and bless your uniqueness as individuals, but that God will also make of your hands one hand ... of your hearts one heart ... and of your lives one life."

Softly, Clay began playing "One Hand, One Heart" from West Side Story as Trish and Deanne rose from their seats and carried their candles forward and Duncan continued, "As Harmon and Sarah's mothers join us with the candles they lit before the start of the ceremony, I have been asked to mention someone who unfortunately could not be here with us today. Lieutenant Harmon Rabb, Sr. was shot down over Vietnam on Christmas Eve, 1969 and was MIA. In honor of his memory, the candle which Trish Burnett carries was lit from the eternal flame which burns in this chapel to honor those who went off in service to our country and never returned."

There were tears in his eyes as Harm took the candle that Trish held out to him. "Mom?" he asked softly, surprise in his voice.

"It was Frank's idea," she whispered as she squeezed her son's arm and stepped back. Harm looked up and met Frank's eyes, offering him a grateful smile.

As Deanne and Trish returned to their pews, Harm and Mac took the candles they had been given and stepped up to the altar. As they carefully lit the large unity candle sitting center front on the altar, Mac whispered, "Are you okay?"

Harm nodded, not trusting himself to speak. After lighting the unity candle and setting the other candles to the side, together they picked up the smaller pink candle sitting to one side of the unity candle and waited for Captain Duncan to continued.

"In Genesis chapter one, verse twenty-eight," he intoned, "it is said 'And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. Now, from the unity candle they just lit, Harmon and Sarah will light two smaller candles, representative of the two new lives they will be bringing into this world, products of the love they share."

Together, Harm and Mac lit the pink candle and set it back down. They then picked up a similar candle, this one blue in color, sitting on the other side of the unity candle and repeated the lighting. After setting the candle back down, they stepped back from the altar, taking their places again with the rest of the wedding party.

"Sometimes," Captain Duncan said, "a couple will chose to exchange a small gift during their wedding ceremony, a symbol of the love that they share and that will sustain them for the rest of their lives. Harmon and Sarah have chosen to honor this tradition, for the gift exchanged is not only a representation of their love, but also a reminder of their first meeting, which I am told took place in the White House Rose Garden."

Harm and Mac turned to Bud and Harriet, each being handed a small red rose. They turned back to each other as Captain Duncan continued, "Your gift to each other for your wedding today has been your wedding rings - which shall always be an outward demonstration of your vows of love and respect; and a public showing of your commitment to each other. You now have what remains the most honorable title which may exist between a man and a woman - the title of 'husband' and 'wife.' For your first gift as husband and wife, that gift will be a single rose. In the past, the rose was considered a symbol of love and a single rose always meant only one thing - it meant the words 'I love you.' So it is appropriate that for your first gift - as husband and wife - that gift would be a single rose."

As Harm and Mac exchanged their roses, their fingers brushing, Duncan said, "In some ways it seems like you have not done anything at all. Just a moment ago you were holding one small rose - and now you are holding one small rose. In some ways, a marriage ceremony is like this. In some ways, tomorrow is going to seem no different than yesterday. But in fact today, just now, you both have given and received one of the most valuable and precious gifts of life - the gift of true and abiding love within the devotion of marriage. Harmon and Sarah, I would ask that where ever you make your home in the future - that you both pick one very special location for roses; so that on each anniversary of this truly wonderful occasion you both may take a rose to that spot both as a recommitment to your marriage and a recommitment that this will be a marriage based upon love.

"In every marriage there are times where it is difficult to find the right words. It is easiest to hurt who we most love. It is easiest to be most hurt by who we most love. It might be difficult some time to words to say 'I am sorry' or 'I forgive you'; 'I need you' or 'I am hurting'. If this should happen, if you simply can not find these words, leave a rose at that spot which both of you have selected - for that rose then says what matters most of all and should overpower all other things and all other words. That rose says the words 'I still love you.' The other should accept this rose for the words which can not be found, and remember the love and hope that you both share today. Harmon and Sarah, if there is anything you remember of this marriage ceremony, it is that it was love that brought you here today, it is only love which can make it a glorious union, and it is by love which your marriage shall endure."

"I love you," Mac mouthed the words as her fingers brushed over the soft, silky pedals of the rose in her hands.

Even through the veil, Harm had no trouble making out her words. Smiling, he mouthed "I love you" in return as Captain Duncan offered the prayer of intercession.

"Let us pray - O God, Lord of life and love eternal, author of all good and giver of all joy, we thank you for the gift of marriage. We bless thee for the joy that Harmon and Sarah have found in each other and for the covenant that they have made before thee. Grant, O Lord, that Harmon and Sarah may dwell together in unity and love all the days of their life. Give them health, prosperity and peace. Strengthen them to obey and serve thee, that they may walk in the steps of Jesus Christ and when the joys and sorrows and all the good and evil of this passing world are ended, inherit thy promises and share in thy eternal Glory. O God, look too in favor upon us and all our homes. Defend us from evil from within and without, and supply our needs according to the riches of thy grace - that directed by thy spirit, we may look to the good of others in word and deed and grow in grace as we advance in years. We ask it through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, saying together as one, the prayer he taught us – "

Everyone joined in reciting, "Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen."

Captain Duncan offered the final prayer, "And now unto you - and all who present, may this blessing come upon you - that you be in love, grow in love, stand in love, and act by love - through the God of love - both now and forevermore. Amen."

"Amen," the congregation echoed.

"In Matthew 19, Jesus also said, 'Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh"? So they are no longer two, but one flesh.'

"I now pronounce that Harmon and Sarah are husband and wife. What God has joined together, let no person put asunder. Harmon, you may now kiss your bride."

Before the chaplain finished speaking, Harm lifted Mac's veil and pushed it back over her head. His hands on either side of her face, his thumbs rushed the tears from her cheeks as he lowed his head, brushing his lips against hers. Mac leaned forward slightly, deepening the kiss as she pressed one hand against his chest for balance, the fingers of her other hand tightening around the stem of the rose she held.

As the first notes of the wedding march from A Midsummer Night's Dream echoed through the chapel, Harm and Mac finally broke apart. "Think Clay is trying to tell us something?" Mac suggested softly.

Harm held his right arm out to her and grinned. "Shall we, Colonel Rabb?"

Linking her arm with his as Harriet handed her back her bouquet, she replied with a smile, "There's nothing I'd like more."

Arm in arm, Harm and Mac slowly made their way up the aisle to the back of the church, not even noticing the smiles and approving glances from their friends and family, each of them only having eyes for the other. As soon as they were through the door at the rear of the chapel, Harm pulled her into his arms again, his lips moving possessively over hers.

Mac leaned against him, her free hand clutching one of his shoulder boards as their tongues dueled frantically. As she lost herself to the powerful wave of emotions washing over her, she wondered at the newness of the feelings. They'd shared kisses before, kisses slow and gentle and tender mixed in with ones that were desperate and frantic and electric. So why did this one single kiss feel so different? They were the same people they had been yesterday, last week, last month. Nothing had changed at all, save the matching bands of white gold they both now wore on the third finger of their left hands.

Finally, a need for oxygen forced them apart and they leaned against each other, their foreheads touching, both breathing heavily. "Wow," Harm said unsteadily, fighting to control his breathing.

"I know," Mac said, her voice equally shaky. "That was ... something."

Before Harm could reply, Mac was tapped on the shoulder and they both turned their heads to find Harriet and Bud looking at them with something akin to amusement in their eyes.

"As a married woman," Harriet said, her eyes twinkling merrily, "I can certainly understand, but unless you'd like a rather large audience, I'd save it for later, Sir, Ma'am."

Harm and Mac both laughed as the rest of the wedding party filed into the vestibule in pairs. "Harriet, what would it cost us to get you and Bud to call us Harm and Mac for at least a few hours?" Mac teased.

"With all these uniforms around?" Carolyn jumped in, her arm wrapped around Jack's waist. "Not a chance that would happen."

"Fascinating as this all is," AJ said, "why don't we move this to a side room so that the guests can get out of the church? The men need to put on their swords for the arch."

"And I would love to sit down and get off my feet," Harriet admitted, "and I'm sure the Colonel would, too."

"I suppose," Mac replied as they all moved off into a side room. "I hadn't really thought about."

Everyone laughed as Carolyn pointed out, "Probably mesmerized by the dress whites and gold wings."

Mac treated her friend to a knowing smile. "And what's been your excuse all week?" she wondered. "Who is it that has nearly been late to work every day this week?"

"Well, at least I haven't been sneaking around pretending that everything is the same as usual between me and the man I love while all my friends are trying to play matchmaker," Carolyn retorted.

"But it was kind of fun watching Harriet try not to be obvious about playing matchmaker," Mac pointed out as Harm led her to a chair. She sat down with a sigh, carefully draping the train of her dress over her arm, and slipped her shoes off, wiggling her feet beneath the hem of her skirt. "Oh, it feels good to get out of these shoes," she sighed.

"Agreed," Harriet sighed as she sat down also, slipping her own shoes off. "You don't suppose anyone would notice if we went barefoot during the reception?"

"How long do we have to stay at the reception?" Mac whispered to Harm.

"We said about three hours, remember?" he replied softly. With a gleam in his eye, he leaned closer to whisper in her ear, "But if you play your cards right, maybe your husband will give you a foot rub on your way to your honeymoon."

"Hmmm, I'll be counting the minutes," she promised as he brushed his lips against her ear.

"Mac, why don't you let me put those flowers away?" Sydney suggested, interrupting the private moment. Mac blinked and stared at Sydney for a moment, as if just realizing that they were not alone in the room. Silently, she handed her bouquet and the single rose she still held over to Sydney. After getting Harm's rose from him, Sydney carefully laid the bouquet in the box they had come out of, also placing the roses in the box before replacing the lid.

"So, has anyone had to turn the hose on the newlyweds yet?" Chloe asked as she skipped into the room just ahead of Josh, who rolled his eyes at her question.

"Chloe," Mac said, drawing out her sister's name. "Behave."

"I am behaving," Chloe insisted, throwing her arms around Mac's neck. "So how's it feel to be married?"

Mac laughed. "Ask me again when I've been married for longer than nine minutes and twenty-seven seconds," she joked.

Chloe paused a beat, then asked again, "So how's it feel to be married?"

All the adults laughed at Chloe's exuberance as Matt entered the room, followed by three other Marine officers who would make up the Corps' half of the Arch of Swords. "What does the crowd look like out there?" AJ inquired.

"I'd say about half the congregation has left the church," Matt informed him. "We've probably got another five minutes at least before it's time to form the arch." He looked at his niece, who was resting her head against the wall behind her. "How are you feeling, Sarah?"

"Ask me later when I've come down from the adrenaline high," she joked as Harm pulled up a chair beside her and sat down. "I don't remember it taking this long for the arch at Bud and Harriet's wedding."

"That's because you weren't the one waiting to walk under the arch," Harriet pointed out. "Trust me, it seems like an eternity – especially when you're, ah, anxious to get on to some of the more enjoyable aspects of married life."

"Harriet!" Mac exclaimed, having a hard time remembering when she'd ever heard her friend sound so forward.

"As far as those 'more enjoyable aspects' are concerned," Carolyn teased, "I think it's obvious that they didn't wait for the wedding for that."

"Ugh, gross," Josh complained. He was still just young enough to think the idea of boys and girls together was yucky.

"Everyone, please remember there are children present," Mac suggested. "I don't think Annie would appreciate hearing how you guys are corrupting her son, although as far as my sister is concerned, I think she's already a lost cause." She looked at her uncle standing by the door. "What's it like out there?"

Matt cracked the door and looked out. "Looks like just about everyone's out," he replied, "so we should probably start putting our swords on and everyone else not in the arch should probably join the others outside." The bridal party filed out of the room along with Chloe and Josh while Bud started passing out swords and scabbards to the assembled officers.

Harm bent over and picked up Mac's shoes, slipping them back on her feet before straightening. "Ready to meet the public, Mrs. Rabb?"

"Hmmm, I like hearing you call me that," Mac murmured happily as Harm stood and helped her up. He helped her straighten her train as the honor guard filed out of the room, lining up in pairs in the vestibule as they donned their covers. A moment later, Harm and Mac joined them, taking up their place at the end of the line.

Bud, as best man, called the company to attention and gave the order to file out of the church, Bud leading the Navy officers on Harm and Mac's left and Matt leading the Marine contingent on the right. Giving Mac a quick kiss, Harm took her arm and they followed the guard out.

Harm and Mac stopped just outside the door as the guard came to a halt at the bottom of the steps in front of the church, turning with a snap to face center. Firmly, Bud called out, "Officers, draw swords." As one, the officers drew their swords from the scabbards, raising them up before bringing them back down to their sides.

Harm and Mac offered each other smiles as Bud continued, "Arch swords." Again as one, the swords were lifted to form the arch. "Blades to the wind." With a snap of their wrists, the blades were turned.

As Harm and Mac stepped forward, Bud continued in the same firm voice, "Presenting ... for the first time in public ... Commander and Mrs. Harmon David Rabb, Jr."

Slowly, Harm and Mac made their way down the church steps and under the arch, Mac's hand tightening on his arm as they neared the end of the arch. Although she understood the tradition, the idea of being swatted with a sword didn't really hold any appeal for her. As they fell even with Bud and Matt, Bud brought down his sword and gently swatted Mac's rear. "Go Navy," he called out.

Before they could step away, Matt surprised them by bringing down his sword and swatting Harm in similar fashion. "Welcome to the Corps," he called out with a grin.

As Mac struggled to contain her laughter at the chagrined look on her husband's face, Bud called for the officers to return the swords. After a moment, he called out, "Officers, dismissed."

With a grin, Harm pulled Mac into his arms, pressing his lips against hers in an ardent kiss as the assembled crowd cheered.

-----

To be continued…