Epilogue

AN: The oath Mac is taking is the real one, but other than that I have no clue how a ceremony like that takes place. If anybody has a clue, I'm truly interested, so drop me a note any time! Oh…I have no idea if Harm's new command even exists. But now it does…

Disclaimer: For the last time...Don't own.

On a sunny, late August afternoon, the Jag staff found themselves gathered outside for a small and simple, yet so significant ceremony.

Everybody was dressed in finest class A uniforms, all brass polished, shining in the rays of sunlight on the square outside JAG Headquarters.

At the center, three people were huddled together, one of them standing at close attention, right hand raised as she repeated the words that bound her once again to the rules and regulations of the United States Marine Corps.

"I, Sarah Catherine McKenzie, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."

When the oath was taken, a small speech was given by one of the two males standing at ease in front of her, one directly facing her, the other one standing a little to the side, pride and joy dancing in his eyes, for her to see only. At the end, the speaker motioned for the younger man to approach.

"Ladies and gentleman, Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. requested to do the honors. Commander, proceed."

He handed Harm a well-known velvet box. Tentatively he took out the silver Oak Leafs and one by one, he pinned them on the collar of Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie, United States Marine Corps, thereby completing her reinstatement ceremony.

Sarah, fervently blinking away her tears, slowly brought her right hand to her head in a crisp salute, waiting for Harm to answer (with a smile of a proud papa) before turning to salute the admiral, who returned it, emotions in check except for the slight twitch around the corner of his mouth.

Turning around again, she kept her hand where it was, saluting the flag and, though not necessary since she outranked them, her friends. Moving as one, they jumped to attention and returned her salute.

Finally, she lowered her hand, effectively ending the official part of the ceremony. Now, for the moment forgetting protocol, she hugged AJ, Harriet, Bud and, on a whim, even Singer. Startled, the other woman returned the hug.

At long last, she approached her best friend, her lover, her love. He'd had his own little ceremony a week before, when he was appointed lead investigator and prosecutor for the Pentagon. It provided him with the best of both worlds: since he was no longer in Chegwidden's chain of command the fraternization problem between him and Mac was tackled, but he would still work mostly from his JAG HQ office, only summoned to the Pentagon for meetings and evaluations.

So he didn't have to hold back when he wrapped his new jarhead girlfriend in his arms, spinning her around once, twice, setting her down on her feet again and proceeded kissing the living daylights out of her.

Hats were thrown in the air, cheers were heard, glasses were filled. The sun set upon the now fully staffed JAG headquarters, leaving it to the stars to silently salute the tight circle of coworkers and friends.

AN: That's it. The end. Basta! Finito! Finished! Thanks to all my faitfull readers and reviewers. You keep inspiring me. Hope to get you hooked on my upcoming stories too.