It was the day before the bachelor party. Sturgis, Keeter and Jim were buzzing around JAG HQ like men with a purpose. It was rare to get a moment with one of them when they didn't have a phone next to their ear or on their way to meet with someone about the next day. There were people being flown in just for the bachelor party and the reception. Even Clayton Webb was skulking around in the dark corners and shadowy hallways of JAG HQ.
Harm had this sense of impending doom. Like he had somehow wronged his friends and now they were reaping their vengeance. He already had a short list of who was going to be at the bachelor party tonight. There was Bud, Sturgis, Keeter, Jim, the Admiral, Mattoni, Clayton Webb, Tiner and Frank who had flown in with Trish earlier in the week. Harm had the feeling that there were definitely going to be more people showing up for the bachelor party then were going to be at the damn wedding!
Eventually the day spent walking around on eggshells and his mere presence creating laughs from his friends was over. In the last few days, work had become sheer hell. Mac had been given the last few days off to clear up the finer points for the reception, something which Trish and Grams revelled in helping her with, so Harm was feeling a little extra lonely at work. It didn't help that at every lunch hour, every single one of his friends retreated into the Admiral's office to plot his demise.
Every single man in the office would toss Harm a look that said 'you are so dead' when they were talking with him. He was getting more than a little nervous at what evil thoughts had to be rolling around in his friends' minds. He knew how Keeter's mind worked and that was of surprisingly little comfort when it came to trying to figure out what was in store for him. At least he knew what he was going home to when he got in the elevator this week. Around his table in his apartment would sit his future wife, his mother, grandmother and stepfather and they would go into detail about things over which he had no intellectual grasp. But it was hilarious to watch Mac's take charge Marine Corps attitude at work with his family. Grandma Sarah even said she found it 'a most charming trait and very becoming of the young lady.'
It had been a little under a month since AJ Roberts and Samuel Houston Grant had been welcomed into this world, choosing to make their entrances within minutes of each other and both of them in AJ Chegwidden's office. Ever since then, Angie and Harriet had been walking around like they were happy rays of sunshine. Harm was convinced that the only things worse than having one incessantly perky new mother around the office was having two incessantly perky new mothers around the office. Normally, he wouldn't mind, but spending an entire week waiting for a shoe to drop tends to grate on one's nerves.
When Harm walked up to the door of his apartment that night, he heard two more masculine voices coming from inside than he'd heard the rest of the week. Harm opened the door to find two familiar figures standing over the table with the rest of his family. "I decided to give Mac her wedding present a little early, don't sue me, Rabb." Clayton Webb jibed as he indicated the man next to him.
"Commander, I hear you want to marry my niece." Matt O'Hara stated in a very protective tone.
"Yes, sir, I do. Mac's the love of my life and I'll do anything I can to make her happy." Harm went to extend his hand to his future in-law.
"Put that thing away, son. We're family!" Matt smiled widely as he pulled an unsuspecting Harm into a big bear hug.
"He's been doing that all day, he even hugged Webb." Mac stated from the table.
"And that was the guy who put me in prison." Matt quipped.
"Hey! I turned over enough evidence to get you early parole, didn't I?" Clayton protested, trying to look as if he'd been wounded by Matt's comment.
"Does this mean he's out for good?" Harm looked over at the Company man for an explanation.
"Unless he does something that gets him thrown back in prison, yeah. Which, sorry for you, Colonel, means that you won't be able to come to the bachelor party tomorrow night." Clayton had the widest maniacal grin on his face that Harm had ever seen.
"I'm starting to worry, this is the third time someone's said something like that. Are you guys aiming to wind up in the brig tomorrow night?" Mac asked and watched as Clay's grin got even wider. Everyone in the apartment could hear a flood of raucous voices in the hallway outside. A loud pounding came to the door and Harm opened it wide to see Keeter, Jim, Angie and the two Grant boys standing outside waiting for them.
"Angie wanted to commiserate with Mac over the wedding plans and Jim and I just want to hang out!" Keeter stated enthusiastically as he worked his way into the apartment, David Grant in tow. Jim was next into the apartment when his eyes locked on Matt O'Hara.
"Jesus, Matt!" Jim walked over to his mentor and gave him a big hug. "Since when do you only get three years for stealing the Declaration of Independence?"
"Since a CIA Agent needed a last minute wedding gift." Matt joked and pointed to Clayton Webb.
"So, what's next? We gonna steal the Constitution after the wedding?" Jim joked.
"Don't even joke about that, please." Webb added.
"Hey, I spent three years in jail because of you." Matt playfully slugged Jim in the shoulder.
"Me? What did I do?" Jim questioned with mock offence.
"Nothing, that was the problem, if you'd been with me, there's no way I would have been caught." Matt joked and he saw as Jim feigned understanding.
"Unca Matt!" David rushed over and latched himself around Matt.
"That can't be David, no way; you're too big to be the David Grant that I remember." Matt mussed the young man's hair. "How'd you get so big?"
"Dad says it's cause I eat my carrots and get lots of sleep. Do you want to meet Sam Houston, Unca Matt?" David asked innocently.
"Sam Houston?" Matt asked wide-eyed.
"My little brother Sam Houston Grant, dad says that makes me Davey Crockett." David was smiling widely as he took Matt by the hand and led him over to meet Angie and Sam. Angie was more than nervous about this meeting; she'd always figured that she's had a few years to prepare for it, what with Matt being in prison and all. She knew that Matt was Jim's best and oldest friend and that his opinion meant the world to Jim.
"Matt, this is my son Sam and my fiancée Captain Angela Harris, USMC." Jim made the introductions and took Sam from Angie's arms so that Matt could give her a hug.
"Jeez, Matt, you never used to hug people this much before you went to prison." Jim joked.
"You realize what's important when you go through an experience like that." Matt stated. "Now, let me see that newborn son of yours." Matt reached out and Jim handed him the newborn. It was a rather heart-warming sight to watch a grizzled combat veteran make baby sounds and rock a child in his arms.
"I wonder what he's going to be like with our kids." Harm whispered as he wrapped his arms around Mac.
"He'll probably try to turn them into Marines." Mac replied with a coy smile.
"No more than Frank will try to turn them into car salesmen." Harm replied lightly kissing Mac's neck.
"I heard that!" Frank protested with a look of mock offence.
"So, General what's all the ruckus downstairs that we've been hearing for the last few hours?" Matt beamed with prides when he used his protégé's rank.
"Your buddy here, has turned my living room into a BOQ for tomorrow night. We are currently housing five Naval aviators that are eating us out of house and home, General." Angie supplied with a somewhat annoyed look.
"You're engaged to my best friend, Captain. I'd say that calling me 'Matt' is probably okay. Have you got room for one more?" Matt questioned with a humorous smile.
"Please dad, can Unca Matt stay with us?" David pleaded with his father.
"That okay with you, Mac?" Jim called and Mac gave him a dismissive wave as she and Trish were once again engrossed in the last minute details of the reception.
"Hey, Jim, Angie said that you had five Naval aviators occupying your living room, but I only see Keeter, where are the other four?" Harm asked and watched as Jim walked over to the centre of Harm's living room and stomped heavily on the floor three times. Scurrying could be heard below and that was accompanied by the sound of a door slamming. A minute passed in silence and then Harm heard the elevator open outside in the hallway. That was followed by a loud knock at the door. Keeter raced over and threw the door open wide to welcome the four guests.
Harm watched as four Panthers from the TR poured into his apartment. "Now, this is a surprise, I thought you guys were back out at sea?" Harm smiled. Mitch Thomas, Trapper his RIO, Temptress and Archangel were in his apartment.
"We got the invitations to the reception so we came a runnin'! There was no way in hell that Captain Wellington was going to keep us from going to Hammer's wedding. Especially not after he saw the tape from your stateroom of your guys' first visit on the TR." Captain Thomas said wiggling a videotape in the air.
"That can't be right. There was no camera in that room. Wait, the camera was in one of pens you put on my desk wasn't it?" Harm asked with a sudden revelation.
"Not even close, we're not going to tell you where the camera was but let's just say that we now have the ultimate blackmail for tomorrow's party." Lieutenant Mark 'Archangel' Angel stated with a laugh. "Maybe we should make copies for the Major's new in-laws as well.
"No!" Harm protested reaching for the tape. Mitch threw it to Jim so it was out of Harm's grasp.
"Wait, their first trip out to the TR? Wasn't that while I pulled that stint as the JAG last year?" Jim questioned examining the tape. "Gee, Mr. Rabb, I hope you and the soon-to-be Missus didn't do anything I might have to court-martial you for. Maybe, I should examine this tape."
"No!" Harm lunged for the tape again but Jim tossed it to Lieutenant Jennifer 'Temptress' Kraft.
"Guess you didn't need my advice after all, Major. After seeing this tape, you seemed to have things firmly 'in hand'." Temptress saw the blush rise in Mac's cheeks and the questioning looks on both Trish and Matt O'Hara's faces.
"Hey Frank, Matt, we're going to show the tape and some other entertainment for the first few stages of the bachelor party downstairs tomorrow night, you guys should join us for that, there won't be anything we can get arrested for happening quite yet." Jim stated as he watched Harm look very embarrassed.
"I think we can squeeze that into our schedule." Matt affirmed and Frank nodded.
"Lieutenant Kraft, dear. Why don't you join us girls for Mac's little send-off?" Trish invited her with a kind tone. "I'm sure that you don't want to spend all night with the boys."
"That sounds great, besides I already know what the guys have in store for Harm." Temptress laughed and that anticipatory knot in Harm's throat tightened. Tomorrow night was going to be absolute torture and not just any torture, torture at the hands of his closest friends and comrades in arms.
0100 ZULU
THE NEXT NIGHT
NORTH OF UNION STATION
"We got everything ready?" Jim turned to Matt and the two of laughed and smiled maniacally.
"You Recon Marines sure have some weird traditions. I mean, do you have any idea the look I got from the girl behind the counter at the hardware store when I walked up to the counter with a wooden chair, a bandana, rope and this much duct tape?" Clayton Webb asked with a less than amused tone.
"You drew the short straw, Webb, deal with it." AJ Chegwidden huffed. Keeter was standing near the door and he counted off the last few seconds before they all barged through the door. The door was flung wide open and a bunch of loud voices and party streamers and confetti decorated the scene as all the guys came piling into the apartment. Noisemakers went off and then they guys went to work.
Harm was held in place by Sturgis and Keeter, while Jim and Matt O'Hara turned him into 'the duct tape mummy'. Harm was covered in multiple rolls of duct tape from his ankles to his neck and couldn't move in any way. As he went to protest, Bud slipped the bandana into his mouth effectively gagging him.
Harriet, Francesca, Jackie Mattoni, Trish, Grams, Angie, Carolyn, Temptress and Mac were looking on in great amusement. They howled with laughter at Harm's panicked expression as his friends covered him in duct tape. They laughed even louder at the annoyed glare that Harm tossed his friends after his protestations were muted by the gag. The guys then proceeded to hoist Harm on to their shoulders and carry him like pallbearers out of the apartment; all the while shouting "Ouga Chaka! Ouga Chaka! Ouga, Ouga, Ouga Chaka!"
"I don't know what has me more worried. That they're in control tonight or that they're all top of the line military officers." Mac quipped and all the ladies laughed.
Downstairs, Admiral Boone and Captain Thomas were setting up the apartment for the night's entertainment. Admiral Boone had the projection screen set up for the movie and the slideshow portion of the evening. Both of these events were scheduled to embarrass the hell out of Harm. They also had the liquor set up in the corner and the Thermadors in the kitchen were filled with Cuban cigars.
They watched as the guys, still with Harm hoisted high on their shoulders, came charging into the apartment. "Alright, is the first round ready for consumption, Admiral?" Jim asked as they dumped Harm's form into the wooden chair. Clayton Webb proceeded to tie Harm to the chair before every one abandoned Harm and went into the kitchen where shot-glasses were lined up for them.
"Gentlemen, tonight we bid farewell to one of the greats." Keeter started as all the guys raised their glasses to him. "To Harmon Rabb, friend, pilot, lawyer and babehound to beat the band. Anchors Aweigh!"
"Anchors Aweigh!" The Navy men shouted.
"Semper Fi!" Jim and Matt shouted.
"Fuckin' Marines." Admiral Boone commented. Everyone turned toward Harm, whose muffled protests were getting louder and louder.
"What is it you want, Squid?" Matt asked as he pulled the bandana out of Harm's mouth.
"It's my bachelor party and I don't get to drink?" Harm asked.
"Of course you do! Mark! Bring it on out!" Jim shouted and watched as Archangel appeared from the kitchen with a forty of tequila in his hands. "To mark the beginning of your official send-off, you will have to drink the whole bottle – worm included – by the time we leave the apartment!"
There was a round of cheers as Captain Thomas took the tequila bottle from Archangel and started to pour it down Harm's throat to cheers of "Chug! Chug! Chug!" Harm finished about a third of the bottle before it was lowered from his lips and placed on the floor under his chair. "Alright, now gentlemen, to the cigars." Sturgis stated as the group moved toward the kitchen
"Cuban cigars are illegal." Clayton Webb stated before being smacked upside the head.
"Congratulations, Lieutenant McIntyre, you're the first officer for SW duty." Admiral Chegwidden piped up.
"SW duty?" Alan Mattoni questioned.
"Smack Webb duty, every time we make a questionable decision tonight and Webb says something that makes him sound like Jiminy Cricket; the nearest person has an obligation to smack him." Admiral Boone explained and Mattoni nodded his head in agreement. The thick texture of cigar smoke blanketed the room for a few minutes before Jim and Keeter took over as Emcees for the night.
"Alright, we have a few treats for you tonight before we leave the apartment. First off, we have a slideshow that was composed of pictures submitted by Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie soon-to-be Rabb and Petty Officer Tiner who has insisted that we add that he was acting under the orders of Admiral Chegwidden or myself when he took the pictures." Jim started and then Keeter took over.
"After that, we have a rather entertaining video, featuring the bride and groom to be, while they were still protesting to the rest of the world that they were only friends. Just for National Security purposes, the original print of this tape is locked in a vault in the Captain's stateroom aboard the TR and the girls have the other copy for tonight." Keeter supplied. "General Grant and I will provide the commentaries for both showcases."
The lights were cut and the projection screen showed a picture of Harm climbing out of the cockpit of an F-14. "This is the Harm that complete strangers know." The screen changed to a picture of Harm using Mac's bra on his head like Alien antennas. "This is the Harm that the rest of us know." The screen changed again to reveal Harm standing in court. "This is Harm at the top of his game." The next picture was one of Harm's mug-shot after getting arrested at Bud's bachelor party. "This is Harm when he's not at the top of the game." A picture came on the screen of Harm holding Baby AJ. "Harm can be affectionate." The next picture was one of Harm and Mac kissing quickly after winning the baseball championship. "He can be amorous." The next picture was one of Harm and Mac sprawled out on his desk at work with her hands on his chest and the top half of his uniform off. "He can be down right horny."
There was a round of laughs in the room and Harm was making mental notes of people to kill when he was untied. At the top of the list were Jim, Keeter and Tiner. Harm looked up at the screen he saw a picture of himself sitting at the bar at McMurphy's. "There are a lot of reasons for why so many of us became friends with Harm over the years." Jim shuffled through pictures of JAG, and F-14, Annapolis and an aircraft carrier. "But now that he's getting married, we all know why we'll be dropping by his place more often." The last picture was one of Mac in a bikini that she no doubt had submitted herself. There were more laughs in the room as the lights went up again.
"General, Commander, I think the two of you have earned commendations for that one." Admiral Boone joked as he wiped tears of laughter from his eyes.
"I whole-heartedly agree." Admiral Chegwidden affirmed. "Alright, now let's move on to the video that we've heard so much about." Harm was once again protesting through the bandana in his mouth and shaking his head fervently.
"I think Harm wants to say something." Trapper stated as he pulled the bandana down.
"First off, if I ever get untied, Jim, you better take Keeter and Tiner and run for Tierra Del Fuego because that's the only way I won't kill all three of you." Harm went to say something further but Archangel walked over and picked up the tequila bottle.
"Alright, that's enough out of you." Archangel raised the bottle to Harm's lips and Harm shut his mouth. Trapper than proceeded to pinch Harm's nose closed which forced Harm's lips open and the tequila war promptly poured into his mouth. After finishing off another third of the bottle. The bandana was promptly re-inserted into his mouth and everyone's attentions were turned back to the movie.
"Alright, before we start the movie, I want an assurance from Colonel O'Hara that he will not leap across the room and strangle his soon-to-be nephew-in-law. Can we do that, Colonel?" Keeter asks and Matt nodded somewhat hesitantly. "Alright, let's get to the film."
Cut to movie –
"Hello, I'm Lieutenant Jeff McIntyre; Harm was my nose-gunner while he was stationed on board the TR. We were all clambering for a chance to get to narrate this story and I won the straw pull. You're lucky Harm, the Skipper almost made it an order that he got to narrate. In any case, the incident I'm doing the narration for didn't happen while Harm was stationed on the TR, it happened a few months earlier while he, Major MacKenzie and Lieutenant Roberts were investigating here.
That night we slid a camera into the stateroom because the CAG, Temptress, Nighthawk, Archangel and I, had the feeling that something was going to happen between Harm and Mac, boy we sure weren't disappointed."
-Archived footage starts-
"Mac, I was just talking to the CAG out on Vulture's Row. He offered me a spot on the cruise for the next little while, said he'd work with my night-blindness only give me day patrols." Harm was standing just inside the hatch of the stateroom.
"For how long?" Mac was standing against the bunks.
"A few weeks at the most, listen Mac; I figured you should be the first to know that I…" Harm started talking but Mac cut him off.
"Why are you telling me this Harm? I mean who am I to you? Just another friend, why not tell Bud or the Admiral or Jim? Or what is it you figured I'd give you a 'uniquely female' send-off, is that it?" She walked toward him in a sort of mock seduction marked by the over-exaggerated swaying of her hips.
"Is that what you figured Flyboy? That I'd be so overcome by your leaving and so turned on by the fact that we wouldn't share a command that I'd just give into you?" She pushed her hips up against his mid-section like she was trying to prove her point. "That I'd just throw you up against a bulkhead and plunge my tongue down your throat?"
Trapper's voice overlapped the footage. "Alright, my voice is going to take over because the audio is kind of unimportant. Just picture the two of them moaning. Anyway, here we see the two of them engaging in one very passionate kiss. It almost looks like there's going to be some angry sex happening soon. Mac's hands are running through his hair and……there, her hands are now grabbing his six! Alright, Harm, being ever the caveman, decided to turn and pin her up against the wall and we can see Harm's hands rove down Mac's back to her six."
The people watching the tape were open-mouthed in shock at what they were seeing. "Alright now, here's where the dialogue gets interesting again." Trapper's voice cut off and the archived dialogue kicked in.
"Ha…Harm." Mac moaned against his lips.
"Sarah, beautiful Sarah." Harm moaned just as powerfully than his ministrations stopped. "Mac, wait." Keeter paused the tape there.
"Can anybody here tell me where Harm went wrong?" Keeter asked the room and Clayton Webb practically bounded out of his chair with his hand in the air.
"Yes, Mr. Webb." Keeter pointed to him.
"He told her to stop." Webb announced properly. Note to self: Add Webb's name to list of people to kill for tonight! Harm thought as he sat there hopeless, praying that Matt O'Hara had a serious aversion for going back to Leavenworth because Harm knew what was coming next.
"So I'm back to Mac now? What happened to 'beautiful Sarah'? Or am I only beautiful Sarah when I'm pinned between your hard-on and a bulkhead?" The Mac on the video said and Harm winced at the memory. The group in the apartment watched as the Harm on the tape stood silent for a few seconds.
"That was not the time to go silent, Rabb." Alan Mattoni chuckled from his place on the couch.
"Mac, you can't honestly think that." The Harm on the video said and everyone's attentions turned back on the screen.
"I can't honestly think what? Use your head counsellor and I mean the one above your belt. You come down here to tell me that you're going to be on this ship for the next while, which means you won't be coming back to the States tomorrow and if Captain Thomas and his Travelling Aviation Show decide you should become a permanent part of their team, it means that you had every intention of starting something tonight that you couldn't follow through on, tomorrow or any time after." Looking back, Harm realized that that was probably the time to tell her that he loved her, but instead it went down as another missed chance.
"What happened when I wanted more that morning in your apartment when I came over for the Russian translation, Mac? You seemed to be just fine with a quickie that morning and than you'd go back to your big civilian firm and I'd feel like someone who was used and tossed. Did you even realize that I felt like hell when I said those words before I left your apartment and you just sat there and did nothing." The Harm on the video protested and the Harm in the chair really hoped that Matt O'Hara wasn't about to kick the crap out of him. "God Mac, I was going to say that I wanted you to be the first one to know that I was going to turn the offer down because I belong at JAG now, but if you honestly think that I'm some kind of chauvinistic prick who was just going to use you for tonight then I might as well stay here and clear my head before heading back."
"Harm, I didn't mean…I meant what I said at the time because I was angry and afraid at the time. When you were up in the air today, I just felt so much like I was going to lose you and there was nothing I could do to save you. I know that you used to fly and I know that the DFC on your chest isn't for an uncanny ability to upgrade to first class but when I'm not there to save you I feel helpless." Harm now realized how much she must have trusted him to open up to him like that about what she felt.
"If that's true, than what was with the kiss?" The Harm on the video, the Harm that he was sixteen months ago was a complete idiot and everyone in the room seemed to murmur something to that effect.
"Well originally it was just to show you how much of a prick I thought you were being. Then it was to tease you with a reason to come back to JAG after you got done being another Flyboy playing Cowboy, that's all it was though, just a tease, granted it did get a little out of control." Harm watched the Mac on the video profess and then Sturgis voiced his opinion.
"Bullshit! She wanted you right then and there." Sturgis had obviously been dipping heavy into the bourbon pretty heavy.
"Hey, that's my niece you're talking about, Squid!" Matt O'Hara was slurring slightly as he challenged Sturgis.
"Guys, calm the fuck down, it has a happy ending." Jim protested as he hit 'play' and the video continued.
"So what, you were trying to tell me that you wanted to ensure that you were the only girl I thought about while I was here? The one I thought about on my lonely nights at sea. The one I fantasized to if I ever decided to 'take matters into my own hands'." Harm shook his head, he knew he was about to hear it.
"Rabb, let me get this straight, you can admit to her that you fantasize about her while you masturbate, but you can't bring yourself to tell her that you're in love with her? You draw some weird lines, boy!" Admiral Chegwidden asked.
"I gotta say, Hammer, that pushes the boundaries even for you." Trapper joked as the movie resumed.
"Harmon Rabb! What are you twelve? Now I think I want you to stay on the cruise, just so I can tell all the girls back at the office that I'm the one you're thinking and fantasizing about." The Mac on the video stated and a round of cat calls pulsated through the room.
"Alright, pause the tape for a second. Harm, you've got to be kidding me! You tell the woman that she pops your cork; she tells you that that fact turns her on and you still waited? What the hell for? Did you need runway lights?" Jim inquired and Harm rolled his eyes. He could admit that he was an idiot; couldn't they just get passed it?
"Alright, so as you can tell, Hammer's ability to deal with Mac was like one colossal brain fart that made him look like an inexperienced teenage boy. Aren't we glad that we have this tape so that future generations of Rabbs will get to see that fact?" With that, Trapper's voice ended the tape and the lights came back on.
"Alright, take the gag out, let's hear his rebuttal." Admiral Boone pulled the gag out of Harm's mouth. Harm wet his lips before talking. "I don't want to hear any complaining, Commander. Your dad had his bachelor party aboard ship and we were ten times rougher on him then we'd been on you tonight."
"I would like to say that having three two-stars teamed up against me is unfair. But if anyone ever lets me out of this chair, I promise that I will take my frustrations out on Agent Webb and Lieutenant McIntyre." Harm shook his head from side to side. As Harm struggled with the ropes in jest, a knock came at the door.
"Oh goody, the strippers are here." Keeter shouted.
Harm's POV
That's about as far as any of us remember of last night. The remnants of last night were evident this morning though. One stripper woke up in Tiner's lap, the other in Keeter's. I wasn't thrilled that Keeter had taken that little step but a bachelor party is the way your friends say goodbye to their single buddy anyway. Frank, Major General Grant, Colonel O'Hara, Admiral Boone and Admiral Chegwidden all left once the party took that particular turn. The Marines came into get us bright and early this morning. You can't swear off a two-star Marine Major General, who's the Chief of Marine Special Forces so, we all got up and put on our dress uniforms and headed for the meadow outside of Annapolis that Mac had chosen for her dream wedding.
I was pleased to see that my newly flagged Marine General friend had tasked the now disbanded and returned Marines of the 22nd MEU to set up the field for the ceremony. By the time that we had all arrived there at 0930 hours, the Marines had lined up for presentation to the bridal party and flag officers for having set up everything. I had to commend Jim; they were still the best damn team of Marines
I stood at the end of the white carpeted aisle of grass with Sturgis standing as my best man along with Bud and Jim standing as my groomsmen. Mac was walked down the aisle by Colonel O'Hara. He threatened me quickly under his breath about what kind of injury would be inflicted upon me if I ever hurt Mac (I had gotten similar speeches from Admiral Chegwidden and General Grant earlier in the day). Chaplain Turner presided over the ceremony, I just said 'I do' where I was supposed to and I was lucky to remember to get that out, being as all I did was stare at Mac the whole time. She looked gorgeous in her dress, I don't think I will ever forget how she looked that day and in fact, I think that may be my dying thought some sixty or seventy odd years from now.
I slipped the ring on her finger and felt my heart swell in my chest. I loved this woman like no other, and I knew that from this point on, I would face my life with and equal partner and just as I looked on the inside of my wedding band, I found the words that Mac had inscribed: 'Sometimes you can't make it on your own'.
THE END
A/N: Okay, we resolved after 'Reunions' that we couldn't write a real good wedding again because the wedding we wrote in that story was so comedic and perfect that we didn't think we could ever do justice by writing another wedding scene so we gave you this silhouette of one as Harm narrates it.