Office of Executive ADA Kate O'Hara

December 28, 2005

9:45 AM

Kate walked into her office and sat behind her desk. As she slipped on her glasses and logged into her email, Casey Novak walked into her office.

"There you are," Casey began with a smile. "I came by half an hour ago and you weren't here."

"I was down at HR," she dismissed. "How was your Christmas?"

"Nice, the whole family got together. It was crowded, noisy…everything it should have been. How was Vegas?"

"Crowded, noisy, everything it should have been," Kate returned with a wry smile.

"And?" Casey prompted, sitting down in the chair in front of Kate's desk. "What did Mike give you for Christmas?"

Kate laughed, "Well…it's not so much what he gave me, as what we gave each other."

"Is this story X rated?" Casey laughed with her.

"Well, there were X rated parts, but I won't get into that. The G rated stuff will curl your hair enough…"

"What did you give each other?"

Kate picked up the silver picture frame on her desk and handed it to Casey.

"Cute, looks like a prom picture," Casey said, studying the shot. Logan was dressed in dark gray suit and Kate was wearing a beautiful deep red silk dress. "I love the dress."

"Thanks," she said, waiting for Casey to realize what she was truly looking at. "He hit at the baccarat table and I hit at the slots. We got some new clothes, did some touristy stuff…"

"Wait. Where was this taken and why are you holding a bouquet? Looks like some kind of wedding. Chapel or something," Casey looked up to find Kate holding her left hand up. Spotting the sparkling rings, her eyes grew wide. "You did not!"

Kate laughed again, "We did."

"Get the hell out of here! You actually got married? How? Where?"

"Christmas Eve at 11:30 pm, at the Little White Wedding Chapel." Kate reported. "He won his money right after we hit town on Friday. I won on Saturday afternoon. After we collected my winnings and had them moved to our hotel account, we started drinking and shopping."

"And thus the clothes," she prompted.

"Yeah, thus the clothes. We ate this amazing dinner that cost more than my car payment, and kept right on drinking. Finally, after our third or fourth shot after dinner, I looked at him and asked him what one thing he would want to do to make an amazing memory of Vegas. We'd stopped by the Little White Wedding Chapel the night before just to see what it looked like and he said that he wanted to go back and get married."

"He suggested it?"

"I nearly choked on my beer. I thought he was bluffing to see how far I would go, so I called his bluff." Kate shook her head. "Honestly, Casey, I kept waiting for him to back out. But he never did!"

"No offense, Kate, but I've heard stories about him," Casey began, "And none of them would ever make me believe that he would want to be married."

"Who are you telling?"

"And he was okay the next morning?"

"He was better with it than I was," she admitted.

"And how about now?"

"He's still fine with it."

"And you?"

"I'm good. I just went down to HR and put in my name change."

"You're so old fashioned," Casey teased.

"Yeah, well…" Kate blushed.

"Well, I'm happy for you guys. You're good together."

"Yeah, I think we are," she agreed.

"Does Jack know?"

"I haven't seen him yet. He wasn't in when I got here."

"He's in his office." Casey stood. "I'm going to get out of here and let you go tell him."

"Yeah, I guess I should, huh?" Kate stood.

"Congratulations, Kate," Casey smiled, "We're going to have to do a happy hour to celebrate."

"Definitely."

"I'll set it up. Are we still on for lunch?"

"I'll meet you in the lobby at one," Kate said, watching as Casey walked off. She took a deep breath, wondering why she was so nervous about telling Jack. She reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a small bag, then made her way down the hall to his office.

She stopped in the doorway. "Hey McCoy," she began, causing him to look up from the paperwork he'd been reading.

"Ms. O'Hara," Jack smiled, "Come on in. How was Vegas?"

"We had a blast," she explained, walking over and sitting on the chair in front of his desk. "Oh, here. Lest I forget, your requisite tacky gift." She handed him the bag.

It had become their tradition over the years to bring each other back one cheap, tacky souvenir when they went away. They tried to out do each other on the tacky scale with each new item.

Jack opened the bag and peered in. "You've outdone yourself this time," he laughed, pulling out a bottle opener. It was shaped like a beer bottle and filled wife various small coins and poker chips. Printed on the bottle were the words "Las Vegas, Nevada."

"You like?"

"It's got a magnet on it! It's going on the refrigerator," he decided.

"It'll fit right in next to the sea shell magnet I brought you from Ocean City, Maryland."

"I think this surpasses the seashell," he decided, slipping it back in the bag and placing the bag in his desk drawer. "Maybe I should lock it in the safe?"

"You may want to, that's a high quality bottle opener." She watched as he shut the drawer. Still nervous, she spoke, "How was your Christmas?"

"Nice, I went to Deanna's family's house," he offered. "How was yours?"

"Good," she nodded.

McCoy knew her well enough to tell that she was holding something back. "What happened?"

"Well, Mike won about thirty grand on Friday."

"Get out! How the hell did he do that?"

"Baccarat."

"I'd have figured him as more of a twenty one player."

"Nope, he was pretty damn good at it," she allowed. "The next day, I won a little over 8 grand on a progressive slot machine."

"Shit, you two fell into the luck, didn't you? I hope you stopped gambling after that."

"You know we did."

"So you spent the next three days spending your money?"

"Sort of," she grew nervous again. "We got some new clothes, had an amazing dinner."

"Drank your asses off," he laughed.

"That too," she allowed.

"You're holding back on something," he knowingly said, then, with a smart ass laugh, he said, "What'd you do? Get married or something?"

"Yeah," she said, her expression serious. "We did."

"Very funny," he laughed. "You honestly expected me to believe Logan would get married."

"He did, Jack," she went on. "After dinner, we were smashed and I asked him to pick one thing we could do to make an amazing memory of our trip to Vegas."

"And he said he wanted to get married?" McCoy didn't even try to hide his disbelief.

"Friday night, we ended up checking out the Little White Wedding Chapel," she explained. "I'd always wanted to see a Vegas wedding chapel, so we went."

"Wasn't that where Frank Sinatra married Mia Farrow?"

"Yeah, how'd you know that?"

"I've been to Vegas before," he simply said. "So, let me get this straight. You asked Mike Logan what one thing he'd like to do in Vegas and he said he wanted to get married?"

"Keep in mind, we were plastered," she explained. "He said, he wanted go back to the chapel and get married. I called his bluff, but he wasn't bluffing."

"No shit," he shook his head, "I can't believe it."

"Yeah, I'm still getting used to it myself," she laughed.

"I hope he at least got you a decent ring," he sniffed, trying to process this news, but finding his mind having difficulty accepting it.

Kate stood and walked over to him, then held out her hand.

"Nice," he nodded, surveying the rings. He looked up at her, then, fired a challenge. "Did he go down on one knee?"

Kate smiled. "He did. In the lobby of the Bellagio."

"Come on, you had to have slipped him some GSB or something."

Kate laughed. "Honest to God, Jack. I didn't! This was all him. I kept thinking he'd back out."

"And the next morning?" he asked, waiting to hear that Logan had panicked.

"When I woke up, I was in shock. Never in a million years did I think we'd get married, let alone getting married in Vegas on Christmas Eve."

"And Logan? Did you have to pull him in from the ledge?"

She shook her head. "No, he was actually happy about it." Kate sat on the edge of McCoy's desk. "We called my dad from Vegas…"

"And what did Pat have to say?"

"He told Mike that if he even so much thought of backing out of it, he'd drive up here and kick his ass."

"Well, no offense, Kate, but Pat would have to stand in line."

"Jack," she smiled at him. "You're serious."

McCoy thought for a moment before speaking. "You know that Logan and I have a history…"

"Yes, Jack, I know."

"And he seems to have mellowed a bit. Well, outside of work, at least," he allowed. "But, once a hound always a hound. I should know, I've been running with the Big Dogs since before he knew what to do with a girl."

Kate laughed.

"Just answer me one question," he said, "Is this really what you want?"

"You know me, Jack; I'm not one of those hearts and flowers romantics. All of that mush and fluff makes me gag."

"Yeah, I know," he laughed.

"Anyway, when we started seeing each other again, I was on guard, waiting for something to go wrong. He kept trying and trying." She looked at McCoy. "I would never have even imagined being married to him. Hell, I'd already screwed up one marriage and he would start to sweat if you even mentioned the word. But once we moved in together, things started to change. We had joint credit; we named each other as beneficiary on our life policies…"

"Let's go back to that comment about being romantic," he teased, causing her to flash him a glare. "I'm sorry, go on."

"What I was trying to explain was that except for the vows and the rings, we already had what married couples have," she went on. "We've been monogamous since the night of Lennie's funeral. Hell, he broke off his steady hook up relationship the day after Lennie Briscoe's funeral."

"Shit, he broke it off with the fall back girl for you right away?" McCoy was impressed. "I didn't realize he was that serious."

"He was."

"But, you still haven't answered my question," McCoy said, as if addressing a witness. "Is this what you really want for the rest of your life?"

"It is," she seriously said, then, with an impish smile, "I'm even changing my name."

"Get out!" he laughed. "You're brave."

"Yeah, well…"

"Of course, it will probably help him out to have a DA in the family."

"What? Next time he decides to deck a politician?" Kate replied with a laugh.

He studied her for a moment, then, "You look like you're happy."

"I am."

"Well then," he stood up, "I'm happy for you." He hugged her.

Once they separated she smiled at him. "Casey's planning a happy hour already."

"Of course, we need to drink to this…"

"You'll be there?"

"I wouldn't miss it." He winked at her. "Tell your husband to be there, too. I'd like to buy him a drink."

"And issue a death threat?"

"Kate, what you must think of me."

Apartment of Mike and Kate Logan

December 28, 2005

7:30 pm

Logan let himself into the apartment and shut and locked the door. He took off his leather coat and hung it in the closet, then paused. Hearing the radio playing in the kitchen, he walked that way.

As he entered the kitchen, he found Kate standing at the stove. She'd changed from her suit to a pair of jeans and one of his old button front shirts. Her hair was pulled up into a loose ponytail. She looked comfortable and relaxed as she puttered about the kitchen.

"Hey," he said, causing her to turn to face him.

"I was wondering if you'd be home in time to eat," she began, stepping to him.

"What's for dinner?" he asked, pulling her into his arms.

"I stopped and picked up take out from Tonelli's," she sheepishly said. "We need to get groceries."

"Tonelli's is fine," he replied.

"This is our first official meal at home since we got married," she mused. "I probably should have cooked it."

He held her at arms length and looked at her.

"What?"

"You're concerned about our first official dinner at home since we got married?" He gave her a wry smile. "Who are you and what did you do with Kate?"

"Very funny, Wise Ass," she laughed, squirming out of his arms. "See if I ever try to do anything fuzzy and romantic again." She bent and took containers out of the oven. "I got pasta primavera."

"Works for me," he nodded. "Do I have time to get changed?"

"Make it fast."

Kate set the table and then transferred the food from the take out containers to serving bowls. As she brought it all out to the table, Logan walked into the room. He noticed what she'd done.

"You didn't have to put in bowls," he smiled, appreciating the effort.

"I did," she blushed. "I'm being a sap, huh?"

"Nah, you're being a good little wife," he teased, drawing a punch in the arm. "Ouch."

"Be a good little husband and sit down and eat, would ya?" she deadpanned, sitting at the table. She watched as he sat and picked up the bowl of pasta. "How was work?"

He shrugged, "Barek and Eames said to tell you Congratulations…or was it Best Wishes, I can't remember which one they said was the proper thing to say to the bride. They debated it for a good half an hour before Goren set them straight."

"Why don't I doubt that Goren would know that," Kate laughed.

"Goren's a freaking genius," Logan dismissed. "How'd things go for you?"

"I put in my name change," she began, twirling some fettuccini around her fork. "In 72 hours, the State of New York will be making my pay check out to Katrina O'Hara Logan." She looked at him, "That's one hell of a mouthful, you know that?"

"You really gonna use that?"

She shrugged, "It'll be on my business cards and all, but since most people know me as Kate, I'll probably just end up as Kate Logan."

He nodded, chewing a mouthful of bread. Once he swallowed, he asked, "So, how'd McCoy take the news?"

"He thought I was bullshitting him. Once he realized that I was serious, he asked me if this was what I really wanted for the rest of my life. Once I told him that it was, he gave me a hug and said he was happy for me." She smiled at him, "Casey set up a happy hour for the 6th at Patrick Henry's. Can you come down or are you working late shift?"

"I'm on days," he replied, then, with a sarcastic smile, "You mean the DA's office is inviting a lowly detective to happy hour?"

"Wise ass," she returned with a faux glare. "Yes, you're invited."

"Guess I'll be there, then."

10:00 pm

"Look at us, Mikey," Kate yawned, as she turned off the bedside lamp. "In bed at 10 o'clock. God, we really are an old married couple."

"Hell, my body's still recovering from last weekend. It's been a long time since I've run at that pace," he dismissed, pulling her into his arms and kissing her softly. "Love you."

"Love you, too," she smiled. "Tell me something."

"What?"

"Still think we did the right thing?"

"Absolutely," he firmly said.

She shook her head, "I'm still amazed by all of this. You're just so...at peace with all of this."

He shrugged. "What can I say? It feels right."

She kissed him softly.

"What about you?" he quietly said. "Is this really what you want for the rest of your life?"

"Yeah, it is," she replied. "You do realize we're gonna be stuck with each other for a damn long time, don't you?"

Kissing her, he replied. "I wouldn't want it any other way."