Disclaimer: The JAG folks aren't mine, because we all know if they were, this fic would be FACT! ;)

A/N: Here's another prelude to the wedding chapter - hope you're getting as excited as I am!

Chapter 49:

"That's perfect…hold it right there…"

Click

"That was adorable, Sarah" said Andrew after he snapped the shot of her sitting on the altar steps looking down at Ainsley, cradled in her arms.

"I hope so" said Mac, once again blinking away a few tears. "It's hard to look at her like this and not lose it."

"Why's that?" asked Chloe.

"I guess all the emotions of the day" said Mac, "combined with the fact that looking at her for very long under normal circumstances still makes me cry."

"Oh" said Harriet as she began to choke up, "now you're getting me started, stop that!"

"Sorry" laughed Mac, wiping away her own last stray tear. "Did my mascara run?"

"Nope" said Jen, "it's waterproof, remember?"

"Oh yeah" replied Mac. "Well, is it messed up at all?"

"It looks fine, Mac" said Mattie.

"OK" said Helen, "we need the bride in the middle holding her bouquet, and 2 of the bridesmaids on either side of her."

"Here" said big AJ, who'd been standing off to the side with the rest of the guys (minus Harm, of course) waiting for their turn in the pictures with Mac, "lemme have my granddaughter." He wasn't really her grandfather, but to see the two of them together, you'd never know it. He'd long ago accepted Harm and Mac as his kids, and that made Ainsley his granddaughter, plain and simple, and anyone who had issue with that had better keep it to themselves.

"Thanks" said Mac, handing him the baby and stepping back into place. "Hey, how's Harm holding up?"

"Quite well" said the former JAG, "a little nervous, but a whole lot more excited."

"Nerves and excitement" said Mac, "two things I can totally relate to right now!"

…back in the guys dressing room…

Harm sat in a chair in the far corner of the room, holding Mac's wedding ring between his fingers and thinking about a number of things. He was deep in thought when Frank entered the room.

"Oh, hey" said Harm, a bit startled.

"Sorry, son" said Frank, "didn't mean to make you jump."

" It's OK" said Harm, "I'm just sitting here thinking."

"About?" asked his step-father.

"You name it" said Harm with a little laugh.

"Getting nervous?" asked Frank.

"Nah" answered Harm, "well, I mean, yeah, I'm a little nervous, of course, but it's more than that."

"Let me take a stab at it here" said Frank. "You're thinking back on your relationship with Mac over the last 9 years, all the good and the bad, and you're wondering how you ever made it to today?"

"How'd you know that?" asked Harm in amazement.

"It's called being a groom, Harm" answered Frank. "There's never been one in the history of the world who didn't think about those kinds of things in the hours before his wedding. We all wonder how we ever managed to survive everything the relationship put us through and vice versa, but we did and you're certainly no exception to that."

Harm smiled and nodded. "Yeah, mine and Mac's relationship had way more than it's fair share of 'everything'."

"That it did" agreed Frank, "but it's made you both stronger and drawn you to one another when it could have, for all intents and purposes, pulled you apart."

"Indeed" said Harm softly.

"Knock, knock" said Sergei as he popped his head in the door.

"Hey, little brother" said Harm, "are they done with all the pictures?"

"Almost" answered Sergei. "We need Frank for the last couple, then it'll be just about time to start the ceremony."

"Wow" said Harm, looking down at his watch. "Where did the last 2 hours go?"

"There's no sense of time when you're in love, son" said Frank. He patted Harm on the shoulder before standing up to follow Sergei back to the sanctuary.

A/N: OK everyone, iron those fancy duds and polish your best dress shoes! Next chapter, the WEDDING!

Also, don't forget, tomorrow's episode on CBS is a new one, though I'm not sure why we get excited anymore, we all know the finale is gonna bite the big one. :( I've heard a rumor of a possible spin-off with Mac, presumably if there's not an 11th JAG season - anyone else heard that?