The morning routine was becoming clockwork around JAG headquarters. After the staff meeting; Harm, Mac, Bud and Jim would sit in an office and chat about their cases. With Bud able to sit second council the Admiral was including him more and more on investigations as well. Bud had been made Jim's de facto partner for any investigations and his second chair for any trials. This means the Admiral could keep Harm and Mac on the same team and try to keep them happy inside the office at least.
Today, Bud was going to try his first case on his own. It was a simple UA, but Bud was trying to push the desertion charge. "Bud, UA is practically the same charge just the punishment is less. Imes isn't that tough an opponent, I don't know why you're trying to raise the bar on this one." Jim said as he leaned back in the chair.
"It just makes more sense to charge him with desertion based on the amount of time he spent out of the service." Bud replied as Mac and Harm sat back and watched the two of them volley for position.
"Bud, this isn't a toughie, but the burden of proof is higher. Desertion requires that you prove that the accused was absent from an important duty. As I recall Seaman Caruthers missed out on the garbage detail." Jim shot back.
"It's my intention to prove that any service, no matter how trivial, is important service sir." Bud's argument was a persuasive one and it caused the Colonel to think for a second.
"I think he's got you there, Jim." Mac quipped.
"Glad you think so, Major, the Admiral gave me the task of assigning a second chair and I just gave it to you." Jim laughed slightly as Mac accepted the challenge.
"Alright, would you two sailors excuse us for a second while the Colonel and I discuss something?" Mac looked up at Harm and Bud who excused themselves from the office and stood outside in the bullpen watching the two Marines talk.
"Sir, how do you deal with having a Marine for a partner?" Bud sounded timid about approaching the subject.
"Bud, treat Marines like women. They're stubborn and they're convinced they're always right. As long as you remember that and never question that, you'll do just fine." Harm sounded smug he gave Bud a pat on the back.
"Sir, the Colonel's actually really good with me though. When he gets stuck on something he lets me take the lead and then we end up finding what we need." Bud protested.
"A Marine, let you, a sailor, take the lead in something?" Harm was notably not comprehending the situation.
"Yes, sir, he told me that with my mind I'll probably end up as the JAG, after you serve your term in that post." Bud smiled at the thought.
"And this is from a Marine?" Harm was in disbelief.
"Yes, sir." Bud nodded, confused himself at the Commander's behaviour.
"Well, I suppose anything's possible." Harm admonished as he saw the two Marines come out of Mac's office.
"We've reached an agreement." Mac stated with an innocent look.
"She'll take on the extra duty, in exchange, Commander you have to take her to a four-star restaurant tonight." Jim smiled defiantly at Harm
"Let me get this straight; you give her extra duty and in return I take her out to dinner at an expensive restaurant?" Harm laughed sarcastically under his breath.
"Wonderful how chain of command works isn't it?" Jim gave Harm a friendly slug to the shoulder. "Listen, just call up Di Manici's and tell them that you're the military legal liaison to the President, you'll have a table for two at eight o'clock, no problem, as long as you show up in your blues." Jim cracked them a wise grin.
"You've done this before?" Harm asked.
"Yeah, but not at Di Manici's." Jim shot back earning a round of laughs. The four lawyers were remarkably light-hearted considering that the JAG wedding of the year was staged to go off in T-minus seventy-five hours. Harriet was on the phone at her desk trying desperately to make sure that everything was scheduled to go off without a hitch. As the four of them stood over in the corner they could hear Harriet's voice reach what they had to assume was its maximum volume.
Bud led the way as they all crossed the bullpen to Harriet's desk. "Harriet, what's going on?" Bud asked with evident concern as he knelt next to his wife's side.
"This wedding is in three days and I just found out that my mother had the ice-sculpture changed." Harriet protested as she rose out of her seat. "Bud, I have to go down there and fix this up." Harriet made a bee-line for the big glass JAG doors
"That has to be the first time I've ever seen a junior officer leave her post without asking anyone of four present senior officers for permission." Jim stated in a rather random, humorous way. His remark earned him a rather nasty look from Mac. "What? I would have given her my permission." Jim protested but Mac still scowled at him. "Fine, if any one asks, she has my permission to go."
"Jack ass." Mac mumbled as she marched off toward her office.
"That time of the month?" Jim looked at Harm.
"I think it's just women and weddings." Harm smiled self-assuredly. Two men baring some resemblance to Bud got off the elevators and headed into the JAG bullpen. Bud went over to greet them as Harm and Jim just stood off to the side like spectators.
"Commander Rabb! Colonel Grant! I'd like to introduce you to some people." Bud called over and the two senior officers exchanged looks before heading over. "Sirs, this is my little brother Mikey."
"Nice to meet you, sirs." Mikey extended his hand to shake both Harm's and Jim's
"And this is…"Bud started, but the man Harm assumed was Bud's father cut him off.
"They call me Big Bud." The man was abrasive and cocky as he reached out and shook Harm's hand.
"They call me Big Jim." Jim extended his hand and shook Big Bud's with perhaps a slightly firmer grasp than he'd intended causing the man to wince.
"I keep forgetting you strong you Marines can be." Big Bud said as he shook his hand to get the circulation going.
"You should try their coffee." Harm jostled causing laughter from those who had tried Mac's coffee that morning. "So Mikey, Bud tells me that you want to go to Art School."
"That's right, sir. I'm a pretty good cartoonist." Mikey smiled. Was I ever that young? Was the thought that passed through both Harm and Jim's heads at that moment. That thought was immediately followed with God, I'm old.
"Mikey, it's Jim and Harm alright you're not in the service so we're not your superiors." Jim looked at him with a friendly smile.
"Don't get too used to that kid, once you're in the Navy, they won't be so free and loose with rank and regulation." Big Bud jostled his son.
"Dad, if Mikey wants to be a cartoonist there's nothing wrong with that." Bud protested.
"Nonsense, the Navy was good enough for me and it's good enough for my boys." Big Bud reached out and grabbed Bud's cheek and shook his head. "I was a Master Chief you know."
"You know Chief, if Art School is his dream why not let him pursue it, I mean Bud's in the Navy and he's doing the Roberts name more than proud." This time it was Harm's turn to step up.
"Yeah, but Art School won't make a man out of you, the Navy will; Navy made a man out of me." Big Bud fired back completely oblivious to how he was embarrassing both of his sons. What Big Bug hadn't anticipated was the third person to step up for Mikey.
"You know, Mikey, if you do enlist, I could talk to a friend of mine on the editorial staff at the Navy Times, they're always looking for a good visual satirist and if you ever decide you want to do something else in the Navy you just call me up and I'm sure that I can get you a letter of recommendation from both myself and Admiral Chegwidden to get you into Annapolis." Jim smiled smugly, knowing he delivered a deciding blow to Big Bud. "But, you should always pursue your dreams Mikey; your brother did and he's one of the best damn officers in this office. God knows, he causes fewer headaches for me than Rabb does."
"Really, sir, you'd be willing to do all that for me?" Mikey looked hopeful up at Jim who was smiling broadly.
"If it means having another man as good as Bud in this man's Navy or even in the professional cartoon world, I'll do anything I can to help you, kiddo." Jim gave Mikey a pat on the shoulder.
"Uh Colonel, do you think I could talk to you for a second?" Big Bud felt placated by the Marine and in front of his son's he certainly didn't like feeling placated.
"Sure Master Chief, my office is right over there." Jim guided Big Bud over to his office and the two men stepped inside and closed the hatch.
"What do you think is going to happen, sir?" Bud asked Harm with a worried look on his face.
"Nothing, Bud, I'm sure that the Master Chief just wanted to thank Jim in private for the Annapolis offer." Harm lied.
"Dad looked pretty angry, I hope he doesn't hit the Colonel." Mikey said as he looked up to Harm for guidance.
"Don't worry Mikey, the Colonel's a pretty big guy, he can handle it." Harm smiled as he looked down at the younger man.
"That's what I meant sir. The Colonel's a Marine and much bigger than my dad, I don't want dad to hit him cause I know the Colonel's trained to hit back." Mikey looked worried up at Harm who just smiled.
"Oh yeah, you're a Roberts." Harm laughed as he took in a confused looked from Bud and Mikey.
In Jim Grant's office, the storm that had been brewing in Big Bud's ego was about to unleash. The Colonel straightened the front of his jacket as he stood up in front of his desk. "What can I do for you, Master Chief?"
"Well you can start by explaining what the hell that was." Big Bud's ire was rising.
"I'm afraid I don't understand, Master Chief." Jim shook his head with an amused expression.
"That whole Mr. Fabulous rescues the world routine. I try and straighten my son out and you put stars in his eyes!" Big Bud was getting confrontational and his volume was rising.
"I was just trying to support him, he seems like a damn nice and respectful kid. Would I like to see a man like him in uniform? Sure, but I don't want to see anyone in uniform who doesn't want to be there. If he loves drawing and he's good at it; he should do it." Jim's tone was calming but his argumentative skills were doing double time.
"From your idealism, I can obviously tell you're not a father." Big Bud huffs with arrogance.
"Hold up there, sailor. You and I aren't as different as you might like to believe. You've got two kids and so do I. My daughter's at Annapolis and my son's seven. You lost your wife before her time and so did I." Jim's relatively calming tone caused Big Bud to turn around and look him in the eyes with a different perspective. Jim lifted the frame on his desk that contained the last picture taken before Nikki died with the entire family. Jim handed the frame to Big Bud.
"You do know what it's like?" Big Bud's tone softened.
"That's right I do. But see I let my children choose their paths. Gabbs is at Annapolis because that's where she wants to be, despite my warnings against the Marines, she's determined to become one and not just a Marine but an aviator to boot." Jim smiled in a fond recollection of the day Gabbs got her acceptance from the Academy. "Bud is something to be proud of Master Chief; he entered the service willingly and I think you should be the first to know that I've already signed my name to a request for his accelerated promotion."
Big Bud looked up with confusion. "Why do you do this? What's in it for you?"
"Not a damn thing. See when I lost my wife I started to look at what the Good Lord had given me; he gave me twenty-three years with a wonderful woman, two children and a life in the Corps. So I started to ask the Lord what I could give back and my priest told me that the greatest gift was to give of yourself." Jim put his hand on Big Bud's shoulder.
"You sound like some Sunday morning TV preacher." Big Bud looked as if he were about to actually smile genuinely.
"Master Chief, you've got two kids out there whose lives God has entrusted to you with the hope that you will act in their best interest. Be the father that they need you to be rather than trying to make them the sons you want them to be." Jim nodded as Big Bud shook his hand.
"You really meant what you said? About getting Mikey into the Academy?" The sincerity in Big Bud's eyes warmed Jim's heart.
"With every fibre of my being." Jim tossed him a sly smile.
"Hey, if I ever need someone, you know just to talk to, when things get tough, would you mind if I…if I gave you a call?" Big Bud looked up at from the doorway that he was halfway through at the Colonel who was still perched on the edge of his desk.
"Two ears, no waiting, Master Chief." Jim said with a chuckle.
"We're throwing a send off for Buddy the night before his wedding, you think that maybe you could talk the Commander and the Admiral into going?" Big Bud smiled hopefully.
"I don't think it'll take much." Jim said with a sarcastic tone as he followed Big Bud out the door. The two men crossed the bullpen back to where Harm and the Roberts boys were standing.
"Come on Mikey, we've got to go." Big Bud said as he crossed the bullpen, he guided his son toward the elevator and both Bud and Harm watched as a wise grin crept across Jim Grant's face.
"What did you say to him, sir?" Bud was stunned by what had gone on.
"We talked about how much we had in common and I told him to talk to God." Jim said as he turned and headed off toward the Admiral's office.
"Sir, what could Colonel Grant and my dad possibly have in common?" Bud looked into his mentor's eyes with the hope of finding answers.
"You mean aside from a life spent in the service, children following their career footsteps and losing their respective wives." Harm informed his young apprentice who seemed to fill with even more questions.
"Sir, if there are so many similarities; why are they complete opposites?" Bud's question hit right to the core.
"Because sometimes Bud it's the choices you make in circumstances that end up turning you into who you are. Your dad didn't learn that but somewhere along the line, Colonel Grant did." Harm gave Bud a pat on the shoulder and headed over to his office. The bullpen was bustling today; everyone was trying to get ready for the weekend, after talking to the Admiral about Bud's bachelor party and convincing him to go Jim Grant was hurrying through the bullpen to his office when he was intercepted by his partner.
"Sir, I just wanted to ask if you were serious about that Annapolis offer for Mikey." Bud's face was alight in anticipation.
"Yeah Bud, of course, Mikey seems like a good kid and the Navy could use another good Roberts officer." Jim dropped off a file on his desk and kept walking alongside Bud over toward Harm's office.
"Thank you, sir. Sir, I do have one question though." Bud's statement had forced Jim to stop dead in his tracks.
"What is it, Bud?" Jim turned back toward his partner.
"Well sir, if I'm such a good officer, why didn't you take me with you when you and Commander Rabb went to rescue Major MacKenzie a few weeks ago?" Bud was really stewing over this, he was sure that the Colonel's decision that day meant that he thought less of him.
"Bud, you know the movie Apocalypse Now right?" Jim studied Bud's expression.
"Alright, now imagine that, but worse. That's effectively what Marine combat is. It's bloody, brutal, violent and even in the best of circumstances your chances of coming home are only 50/50. I wasn't willing to risk your life, Bud because I'm your friend. The likelihood of me bringing everyone back from that mission was one in ten; the chances of me bringing everyone back unscathed the way we did were one in fifty, I didn't want to see you get hurt, Bud." Jim gave his friend a friendly punch to the shoulder.
"I guess I understand, sir and thanks for helping Mikey today that was really nice of you." Bud smiled wide and Jim laughed.
"Not a problem, Bud, consider it a very small part of your wedding present." Jim opened the door to Harm's office.
"Any chance I can get a hint as to what the rest of the present is sir?" Bud asked hopefully.
"I think you're going to have to wait three days, Lieutenant." Jim closed the door behind him as he slipped into Harm's office.
"He's still trying to find out what you got him, is he?" Harm said from his desk.
"Yeah, but I think he's going to be pleasantly surprised with what we got him." Jim threw himself down in a chair.
"I still can't believe your grandfather held on to a '56 Ford Thunderbird for all these years, especially not with the condition it's in." Harm looked up from his paperwork with a smile.
"Hey, I'm just glad your car guy was able to get us such good prices when we were restoring it." Jim threw the folder on Harm's desk and raised two fingers to massage his temples.
1957 ZULU
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
1 DAY UNTIL THE BIG WEDDING
"I still can't believe I let this idiot talk me into attending a bachelor party." Admiral Chegwidden strode out into the parking lot with Jim and Harm.
"Listen, if anyone here is an idiot, it's Harm. I have spent the last two days chasing his dress whites around DC and in the process I had to confront a male stripper and a launderer who was insistent that I date his daughter. Which reminds me, you owe me big; I had to give up a date with one very gorgeous waitress to take your launderer's daughter to his wedding." Jim stood next to his jeep and the Admiral next to his car.
"I agree, Colonel that was pretty idiotic. On three?" The Admiral tossed Jim a knowing look which was caught with a receiving nod. "One, two, three." Both officers turned toward Harm. "Idiot!" The two of them slipped into their cars and backed out of their parking spaces. Jim pulled the jeep up to Harm's feet and rolled down the window to reveal the fact that he'd put his sunglasses on.
"What did I do to deserve being called an idiot?" Harm said as he looked into the car.
"If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you." Jim shot him a sly smile.
"You know, you're starting to sound like Mac." Harm chuckled.
"Who's starting to sound like me?" Mac came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Uh…no one, absolutely no one, baby." Harm recovered. Jim laughed and made the sound of a whip cracking before driving the jeep out of the parking lot.
"You know, I think he's enjoying being single a little too much." Mac laughed as she and Harm walked over to his car.
"Yeah, about that. Bud's bachelor party tonight and I kind of said I would go but…" Mac pressed a finger to his lips.
"Harm, I'm not your mommy. You're a responsible adult. You can go out with your friends tonight and have fun but let me clarify one thing. You get drunk, you sleep at Jim's, you understand? Besides, Harriet's mom is throwing us a little girl's night tonight." Mac said with a coy smile.
"Oh really, and just when did you plan on telling me this?" Harm tossed back with a smile.
"I mentioned it this morning." She protested.
"Really? When?" Harm couldn't contain the smile on his face as Mac pled her case.
"At 0535." Mac said with her usual knack for time.
"Mac, I didn't wake up until 0555." Harm informed her.
"So, it's not my fault if I tell you something and you're too out of it to hear me." She smiled Harm's favourite smile and he ended his questioning.
"Fine, I'll accept your case counsellor but only because you look so damn cute when you protest." He smiled and gave her a peck on the cheek.
"Well, what's my reward for winning the case? Is your honour going to take me to Beltway Burger?" She leaned into him placing her head lovingly on his shoulder.
"Depends, what's the shower situation when we're getting ready for our respective nights out on the town tonight?" Harm gave a quick waggle of his eyebrows.
"Objection." Mac stated playfully.
"On what grounds?" Harm fired back as they pulled up to the nearest Beltway Burger.
"Council is arousing the witness." Mac whispered seductively into his ear as she watched his tighten his grip on the steering wheel.
"Not playing fair Mac, you know that works." He said under his breath as he reached through the window to pick up her drive-thru order.
"I thought this was your weak spot." She slowly ran her open palm up the inseam of his leg causing him to try and focus on the road and not what she was doing.
"This is so below the belt, Mac." He said as he pulled up to a red-light.
"And that little shower comment wasn't?" She looked at him suspiciously.
"Well that was just flirting, you've crossed into teasing." He said with a smile.
"And you don't tease me? What about all those massages?" She caught him with that playful look in her eyes.
"It's not teasing if it leads somewhere." Harm informed her as they pulled on to the street where his apartment building was.
"Who says this won't lead anywhere?" Mac tossed back as Harm put the car in park. "Meet me upstairs?" She whispered huskily into his ear.
"Shower?" He came back and watched as she bit her bottom lip with a cute expression on her face and nodded.
At 1900, a friendly knock came upon Harm's front door and Harm opened it wide to find his friend standing there, still wearing his sunglasses along with an orange Hawaiian shirt and khakis. "Come on, buddy, we have to get Bud liquored up before he walks the last mile tomorrow." Jim said with a smile.
"You just want an excuse to finally get on that Gold Wing motorcycle we fixed up." Harm said with a joking tone.
"Of course, I didn't buy these sunglasses for nothing." Jim replied as he stepped into the apartment. Harm grabbed his jacket and the two of them headed for the door. "There's two of us, we can't take the motorcycle." Jim sounded annoyed.
"We're going to have to find another one to restore." Harm smiled and gave his friend a pat on the back. "Hey Mac, we're heading out now!" Harm called toward the bedroom. Mac came walking out of the bedroom in a green USMC t-shirt and a pair of capris.
"You two behave." Mac pointed a scolding finger at the two of them.
"We will, love you, baby." Harm said as he wrapped her in a hug.
"Love you too, sailor." She said as she gave him a squeeze.
"Alright, already, let's go do some debauching." Jim said as he and Harm walked out of the apartment and toward the elevator. They took Harm's car to the club that Big Bud had given them directions to and they saw the Admiral in the parking lot. "You made it, sir."
"Yeah, I'm here, we've got to the give the Lieutenant a proper send-off, of course." The Admiral smiled as the three of them walked into the bar to find many of the festivities had already begun. Big Bug was raiding the bar and he was a mess.
"Hey, look, the cavalry's here!" Big Bud slurred as he stumbled his way over from the bar. "Leave it to officers to show up in the middle of a party, huh."
"Master Chief, you're drunk off your ass. I'll have the bartender put on a pot of coffee and we'll sober you up alright?" Jim said trying to sound convincing.
"To hell with you, Colonel! I thought about what you said today, no one is that nice, not if they can help it! Why I ought to." Bud reeled back a planted a right cross right on Jim's jaw sending the Marine back a few steps. "What are you going to do about that, Mr. Marine?" Jim ran a hand across the part of his jaw that had been struck and he looked Big Bud in the eye.
"Absolutely nothing." Jim said and moved passed Big Bud into the crowd; walking toward Bud. "Hey Bud! How're you enjoying your last night with any freedom?" Jim called over to Bud who was walking around the club.
"Honestly, sir, it's all kind of weird." Bud replied as he saw his friends walk over to him.
"It's supposed to be, Lieutenant. It's an odd tradition that the last night before a man gets married, his closest friends take him out and tempt him to do everything to prevent him from getting married." The Admiral smiled wisely as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"What was you bachelor party like, sir?" Bud shouted over the music.
"Don't remember it, Lieutenant." The Admiral supplied.
"What about you, Colonel?" Bud looked over at Jim whose face bore a bemused smile.
"I was pretty drunk, but I remember something about a watermelon and a pick-axe." Jim smiled and chuckled as he tried to recover memories of that night. "And I remember Colonel O'Hara suspending me from a Huey above Red Rock Mesa. That's about it."
The Admiral and Harm looked at one another and mouthed the word 'Marines'. Before having a little chuckle at the story. "Alright, let's fan out and try and make Bud's bachelor party a night he'll never forget." Harm clapped his hands together and walked with Bud over to the stage where the 'performance' was going on. As the night progressed, it was a calmer bachelor party than many had anticipated. That was at least until Bud wondered off and ran into a stripper that he went to school with.
Harm had walked over when he saw Bud helping the younger woman come out of some back room. "Is she okay, Bud?" Harm said with some urgency in his voice.
"Yes sir, she's just…"
"Pregnant." The stripper cut Bud off and gave him a hug. Big Bud saw the display and came stumbling over.
"Hey, why don't you get up there and dance for a real man." Big Bud slurred and grabbed the girl by the arm. The girl took a swing at him but she was accidentally thrown of balance striking Bud instead. The punch seemed to have started a bar brawl. Some big guy at a nearby table stood up a delivered a punch to Harm's cheek sending him flying back into a table.
At the sight of their friends being assaulted, Jim and AJ got up from their seats and hurried into the fray. The two of them grabbed the guy that had hit Harm and tossed him over the bar. Only to be met with three of them man's very angry drinking buddies. The SEAL and the Recon Marine went to work dispatching their latest assailants acquiring only minimal bruises to their knuckles and ribs.
Harm shook himself to square up his consciousness as he saw the Admiral's arm come down to help him up. "What happened, sir?" Harm got to his feet.
"The Marines have landed." The Admiral pointed over to where their friend was helping Bud get away from some rather imposing shady characters.
"Bud, get out of here!" Jim shouted as he gave a head-but to a biker who was getting a little too close.
"No, sir. I'd rather stay here and help." Bud shouted back over the music as he tried to hold his own in a fight.
"That's admirable, Lieutenant; have you given any thought as to what you're going to tell your future wife when she finds out you were arrested in a bar fight that started with you getting punched by a pregnant stripper?" Jim shouted as he delivered a deciding blow to one man's chin.
"Maybe I should go, sir." Bud had thought it over and the Colonel was right, this would be one explanation it would be really hard to make.
"Wise decision, Lieutenant." Jim's shout was cut off by a hard blow to the ribs. Bud ran for the door just as the police were coming in and like it or not, soon, all of the JAG officers were on their way down to the police station. Harm, Jim, Bud and the Admiral were all crowded into the back of one paddy-wagon.
"So, who are we going to call to bail us out?" Harm offered.
"We can't call Harriet." Bud said as he buried his face in his hands.
"We could call the SECNAV?" Jim offered only to receive stern condescending looks from the Admiral. "Just a suggestion."
"Harm, I think we're going to have to call Mac." The Admiral said with a defeated sigh.
"No way! If she has to bail me out, I'll never hear the end of it." Harm protested.
"Harm, as it is, the second she finds out about this, you'll never hear the end of it." The Admiral's rebuttal came from years of experience.
"Fine, but Bud's making the call." Harm said with a smile.
"Me? Why me, sir?" Bud protested.
"Your bachelor party, by tradition you have to make the bail call if we get arrested." Harm was trying to contain some serious laughter as AJ and Jim caught on to what he was doing.
"Is that true, sir?" Bud looked over at Jim who decided to go along with Harm's plan.
"Afraid so, Lieutenant." Jim said as he nursed his ribs.
"Sorry Bud, looks like you've got to make the call." Harm said with a smile and watched as both the Admiral and Jim strained to contain their laughter. The four men were hauled out of the paddy-wagon when they got to the station. Bud was allowed to make the phone call and ice-packs were administered to those who requested them. Bud came walking back into the cell with a drained expression on his face. "I'm guessing you made the call Bud. What did Mac have to say?"
"Before, during or after the shouting sir?" Bud replied as he lifted his head from his hands.
"Alright, Bud, let's take a look at that nose, you got a pretty wicked cut across the bridge." Harm was handed a tissue to clean away some of the blood.
"Hey Bud, that was pretty cool the way you decked that one guy; you'd make a hell of a Marine, if I took you through boot." Jim held an ice-pack to his ribs.
"After tonight, no thanks, sir." Bud replied and Harm smiled as he cleaned away most of the blood from Bud's nose.
"It was pretty funny watching Rabb get tossed like rag doll by that first guy." The Admiral said with a chuckle. Their reverie cause conversation about the fight to break out among the other prisoners in the cell.
"Yeah, well, at least Jim learned that Marines aren't invincible. How you doing over there Marine?" Harm called to his very sore friend.
"My ribs feel like Mike Tyson's xylophone." Jim replied with a smile. The Admiral had walked into the shadows at the back of the cell when Mac was allowed in to see them.
"You had better have a good reason for this, Lieutenant!" Mac demanded as she stood there fuming looking at Bud. Harm and Jim stepped up next to Bud to try and draw some of the heat off of their friend. "Is it too much to ask that I not have to bail out my boyfriend the night before his friend's wedding? Colonel Stacy was right, the two of you really are the Duke boys. Nothing but cars, fighting and getting yourselves into trouble!"
"Calm down, Mac, we're not drunk, we didn't even start the fight. We just stood up for ourselves. In fact your boyfriend's really a hero. He stuck up for the Lieutenant and he bailed me out of a couple of tight jams." Jim offered as he leaned against the bars of the holding cell. Mac's gaze softened and her tone turned from anger to concern.
"What is the Admiral going to think when he hears about this!" Mac demanded still looking disappointed.
"Oh, I don't think he'll mind." The Admiral stepped out of the shadows at the back of the cell.
"Sir, I…uh I didn't see you there." Mac recovered.
"That was the point, Major and go easy on these boys. The Colonel was right, Commander Rabb here was a real hero." The Admiral gave Harm a hard pat on the back. Mac tossed Harm a weak smile before leaving to finish the paperwork.
"What was with the Harm the Hero routine guys?" Harm asked in his best litigator voice.
"Well, Bud's going to be in trouble for getting arrested the morning before his wedding anyway. No need for you to go down with him; so if you look noble in Mac's eyes, you won't be in the doghouse. The Admiral and I have nothing to lose, there's no doghouse to be in for us." Jim said as understanding dawned on Harm's expression.
"Let me guess, I owe you big for this?" Harm asked with chuckle under his breath.
"So big." The Admiral replied with a smile.
1400 ZULU
THE CHURCH
97 MINUTES BEFORE THE WEDDING
Harriet sat in the bridal suite at the back of the church pouting to her mother and Mac. She was rather upset about what had transpired the night before at Bud's bachelor party. Harriet's mother had adopted a rather condescending attitude to the whole event while Mac had taken the approach of trying to talk reason with Harriet who was fuming with anger at Bud.
In the rectory, Bud was getting prepared with his groomsmen. "Oh man she's never going to want to marry me, not after what happened last night." Bud was pacing the floor.
"Here, I've got an idea," Jim picked up a pen and paper from the desk and handed it to Harm. "You write, Bud you tell me what you want to say and I'll edit." Jim looked around got approval for his crazy idea. Harm leaned over the desk and pressed the pen to the paper. "Every good letter has to start with 'Dear'…" Jim thought for a moment. "Bud this has to sound like it's coming from you so is there anything you call Harriet in private?"
"Sir, I don't think…" Bud started but Jim cut him off.
"Lieutenant, do you want to get married or not?" Jim was dead serious.
"You'd ask that question to a man who has cold feet?" Harm questioned.
"Good point, sorry, Bud." Jim tried to look apologetic.
"Gee, I wonder what you're going to say when I get married." Harm asked before realizing his comment would start questioning.
"When's that going to be by the way?" Jim inquired as a smile returned to his face.
"After I buy Mac a ring." Harm replied focusing on the paper.
"Knowing you, we're looking at five or ten years. Anyway, Bud you're going to have to help us help you on this one." Jim looked at his partner.
"Fine, it's Snuggles are you happy?" Bud seemed slightly annoyed.
"Good, so the note should start 'Dear Snuggles'; Snuggles, really?" Jim smiled and looked over at Bud whose expression turned to one of embarrassment. "Not important, now what do you want to say to her, Bud?"
"I want to tell her that I love her, I think that's the most important thing sir." Bud said as his spirit started to recover.
"Okay let's try 'Never did I know true love until you entered my life.'" Jim said as he instructed Harm to write.
"Hey, I like that!" Bud got out of his chair and walked over to where the note was being written.
"Alright, what else do you want to say Bud?" Harm asked as he finished writing the first line.
"That, I don't know I'd do without her, I guess." Bud answered.
"That line's fine as it is." Jim said and Harm scribbled it on to the page.
"Last thing Bud, really sell it." Jim was trying to rile up something spectacular in his friend.
"Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" Bud looked at his friends for approval and found them smiling. Harm scribbled the last line and Bud signed it before Jim dashed out of the room and across the church to the Bridal Suite. Panting, he knocked on the door and stood ramrod straight.
"Who is it." A voice with a heavy southern drawl called through the door.
"Marine Courier." Jim said with his best official voice.
"What do you want?" Mac protested as she opened the door.
"Message for the bride, compliments of the groom." Jim smiled and tipped his cover. "Good day, ma'am" He sprinted back to the room where Bud and Harm were still waiting on word. Back in the Bridal Suite, Mac had walked the message over to Harriet who read it and struggled to fight back little sobs of joy.
As the wedding started Harm, Jim and Bud found themselves standing at the front of the church waiting for Harriet to walk down the aisle.
"Hey, if you're the best man what does that make me?" Jim asked, standing next to Harm.
"Second Best?" Harm offered.
"Men, have died for calling Marines that." Jim said, the entire conversation was being carried on in whispers.
"Ten bucks says Bud forgets a word during the vows." Harm offered.
"Deal." Jim replied and the two of them shared chuckles beneath their breath.
The ceremony was conducted in the typical tradition of a military wedding. This meant that at the end there had to be the arc of swords. Harm lead the procession of officers out of the church and gave the orders for the halt and drawing of weapons. "Presenting for the first time Lieutenant and Mrs. Bud J. Roberts Jr.!" Harm called after the swords of the officers had been turned into the wind. Bud and Harriet proceeded through the arch smiling and then when they reached the exit to the arch, Harm brought his sword down and tapped Harriet on the rear-end with the words "Go Navy!"
Later at the reception after the greetings and the kissing of the bride Harm stood to deliver his speech as best man. "I've known Bud for a while now and he's one of my closest friends. In the time I've known him, I've seen him transform from a timid Public Affairs Officer to a savvy and intelligent investigator. I've seen him grow into a man that anyone can be proud to know and call a friend. When Bud met Harriet, I knew his life changed forever because she gave him that special spring in his step that only comes when you're in love. I think I can safely say that Harriet prevented Bud from turning into that wild child we all know is under that surface he's presenting to us." This comment garnered laughs from the crowd. "And as long as Bud is kept away from the corruptive influence of his senior officers, he should be fine. Now, there is one last thing. I know Harriet's been a real stickler with getting this wedding just right and I know Bud's been angling to find out both what Colonel Grant got him and what I got him so I figured now was the time for a surprise."
Harm let out a wolf whistle and a white '56 Ford Thunderbird came rolling up the long drive to the outdoor reception. The license plate read 'JAG MAN' which made all of Bud's co-workers laugh. "Colonel Grant and I spent the better part of the last little while restoring this thing for Bud and along with Mac who brought out sandwiches whenever we got hungry…" this comment earned Harm a playful smack to the arm, "We figured this should be our gift to you."
Bud's eyes were wide and Harriet's mouth agape. "Sir, we couldn't possibly…" Harriet started.
"Not without these, you couldn't." Harm tossed Bud the keys. "Have a happy and healthy life together, you two. To Bud and Harriet!" Harm called and everyone stood and raised their glasses to toast.