OOOO

14 years later…

"Come here, son," Bud bid his oldest son, pulling him closer to adjust his tie.

Contrary to all predictions, AJ had not followed Bud into the military. AJ now worked as an intern in one of the busiest ERs in DC.

"Dad," AJ complained at the increased restriction around his throat. He was finding it hard enough to breathe as it was.

"There," Bud chuckled, remembering how nervous he'd been when he'd married Harriet.

"Where is she?" AJ asked.

"With your Mom and your Aunt Mac, in the guest bedroom, getting ready," Bud didn't even need to ask who AJ was referring to. There had only been one person for AJ, since the day she had entered his life.

The vicar approached them, requesting that they take their places.

Bud gave his boy a last encouraging pat on the shoulder, before he took his seat and was joined soon after by his wife. Across the aisle, Mac also took her seat and blotted away a stray tear with her Kleenex. On this day, she was not a marine.

Once the rest of the guests had taken their seats, set up in the back yard the day before, the music began. First of all, the bridesmaids made their way down the aisle, each with a groomsman. The best man, AJ's friend Eddie from medical-school, stood beside him, ready with the rings.

Finally, when his bride appeared at the end of the carpet, AJ felt the breath leave his body. His eyes were wide and his breathing shallow, as she made her way to him, on his Uncle Harm's arm.

When Harm delivered her to him, he fully expected to wake up from whatever wondrous dream he was having. To his surprise, she reached out and grasped his hand tight enough to show him she was just as nervous as he! After that, although her grip eased, it remained firm enough to tell him of her love for him. They may be nervous, but that had nothing to do with how strongly they felt for each other. They were 100 percent certain of this.

Harriet, like Mac, blotted her eyes more than once during the ceremony. Mac had not been on her own, even before Harm had joined her, because Trish and Frank were also in attendance today. Mattie was standing in a lilac bridesmaid's dress, a little to the side of her sister and Nikki Roberts a little behind her. None of the Rabb clan could be more happy for their daughter, or for AJ, who was as close to family as one could get, although not as officially as he was about to become!

Through the exchange of vows and rings, they managed to keep it mostly together. However, once AJ lifted his bride's veil and again when the couple kissed for the first time as husband and wife, Harriet was unable to keep silent. Once everyone began to cheer, she was one of a few who were unable to contain the loud, vocal sobs.

"Hey!" Bud chuckled, pulling his wife into him with one arm, "what's that for? Our son has just become a married man. This is a happy occasion!"

"I know," Harriet choked out, a fresh barrage of tears starting, "And I'm so, so happy…"

Bud just chuckled, bemused.

Over where Harm and Mac had gone to congratulate their daughter and son-in-law, Mac was in a similar state.

"Mom," Sarah smiled, amused, "don't cry…"

"I'm sorry, Sweetie," Mac attempted to get herself together, dabbing away the tears, frantically, "I know I shouldn't. I'm going to ruin your dress by dripping on it."

Mattie just laughed and steered their mother away.

Harm pulled his daughter into his arms.

"I'm so proud of you," he whispered, "I already love AJ like a son, but if he ever forgets to treat you like the princess you are, you just call me and I'll come round and knock some sense into him…"

Sarah laughed and nodded, as AJ returned after briefly thanking the vicar.

He slipped his arm around his new wife's waist and whispered in her ear.

"Are you sure that you still want to do the whole champagne reception thing? Because, I was thinking…we could just skip to the honeymoon and leave everybody here to it…"

Sarah laughed as she gently cupped her husband's cheek with her hand.

"AJ Roberts," she scolded him, much like she had done all through their teenage and courtship years, "You've waited 14 years to make me your wife and now you can't share me with our friends and family for another three hours?"

AJ just pulled her in closer, moaning in her ear, "But I just want to make love to my beautiful wife…is that really so bad?"

"No, but we've made love countless times before," Sarah chided him, "What's going to be so different about this time?"

"This time you'll be my wife," AJ told her, "and I know that it doesn't seem to be all that different...I thought so too, until today. I don't think I have ever loved you quite as much as I do right now. The depth of it is amazing me more by the minute and I just know that this time, it is going to be amazing beyond all imagining, for both of us."

Sarah stroked AJ's cheek with her soft, gentle hand, conveying how she understood.

"I know…I'm excited myself, Baby, but we can't just leave all of these people, who've come all this way and given us so much…a couple of hours, then we'll make a fast get-away, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," AJ nodded, "Two hours sounds good."

They proceeded out to the front of the house, where the limo was waiting for them to take them to the hotel, where the reception would take place.

OOOO

Two hours and forty minutes later, they were still there and Sarah was looking for the right opportunity to make their excuses. But her new brother-in-law Mark Roberts had just requested a dance and Sarah couldn't bring herself to turn her kind-hearted brother-in-law down. He'd traveled all the way from Okinawa to attend the wedding and he'd always treated her as much of a sister as his twin, Nikki.

After that she saw her husband excuse himself from his Mother, who he'd danced with for that song, and make his way towards her. Before he got much further, though, she saw her Dad intercept him and make some kind of request.

AJ smiled, patted Harm on the arm and pushed him towards her.

"Couldn't let my little princess go without one last dance, could I?" Harm asked, sweeping her into his arms.

"Oh, Dad," Sarah smiled, "AJ and I are going to be gone for two weeks, that's all! You act like we're catching the next space shuttle leaving the galaxy!"

"Hey," Harm reminded her, "my littlest angel is about to start off a whole new life of her own. She'll have a new husband and a new home and all sorts of new responsibilities…"

"One of which will still be her old Mom and Dad," Sarah finished, kissing him gently on the cheek, "You and Mom came into my life at a time when I needed you most. No matter how tough things got, you were always there for me and nothing would ever change that. It's going to be just the same way, now. No matter what time it is, if you need me, you give me and AJ a call. We'll be there in a split second, you hear?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Harm marveled at the strong force within her, the one he had spotted just a couple of hours after meeting her for the first time. Both his daughters never ceased to amaze him; they had been doing so for many years, now. In a way, Harm thought them to be so much like their mother, despite the fact that neither of them were biologically related to either child. Maybe it was explained by all that they had survived, in their turbulent young lives.

With a last kiss to her forehead and a gentle swat to the backside, Harm passed Sarah back to her husband, who had come up beside them.

Sarah gladly moved into her new husband's arms, hooking hers around the back of his neck and stroking the short hair, there.

"You want to get out of here, now?" she asked, after a second.

"Let's just stay here for a few minutes, for just one last dance," AJ shook his head.

"I thought you wanted to get me on my own and all to yourself," Sarah teased, smiling softly.

"Mmm, I do," AJ nodded and sure enough, Sarah could feel that against her hip!

"I just want to stay like this for a few minutes longer," AJ continued, "Just to remember all of this, exactly as it is."

They took a long, slow look around at all of their guests, some of whom were oblivious to them, some of whom had their gaze fixed on the beautiful new couple, Mac and Harriet included. With a last visual memory of how many people were here to support them on this most important of days, Sarah and AJ Roberts turned their attention to each other and sealed their vows with another slow, heart-felt kiss. When the song ended, they both said their goodbyes to all of their family and friends then headed to the honeymoon suite, which they had booked for the night…Well, it was a distinct possibility that they would remain there until they had to leave to catch their flight, the next evening!

Before they could step out of the elevator, AJ swept Sarah off her feet and into his arms.

"AJ Roberts! She admonished him, gently, "With that bad back you've been nursing for weeks now, you don't need to be carrying me around!"

"Shh!" AJ told her, capturing her lips with his, "There's not a thing you can say to dissuade me, Sarah Roberts…There's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

FIN

AN: Just a quick request; If you liked it, I'd love to hear about it!