Between Johnny's upcoming wedding and her own, the next several months went by in a whirlwind of preparations. Molly wanted a wedding at her Methodist church with a reception at the Callahan estate afterwards. Since it was before Jessie's wedding, she was to be the maid of honor, while Andrea was to be the matron of honor.

Mattie almost pitched a fit when Jessie declared she wanted to be married in Boston. But, she pursued her lips and kept her comments to herself. Jessie knew the older woman was just disappointed that she couldn't be the center of attention when it came to planning the wedding, just like she was with Andrea and Johnny.

Jessie did most of the planning over the phone. Her father paled each time he opened the phone bill, but quietly paid it, praying all the wedding nonsense would be over soon. He was up to his armpits in chiffon and satin, so he spent most of his time in the barn with the horses, claiming the skittish thoroughbreds were easier to manage than the ladies in his house.

Charles could not manage much time off from the hospital, so visits were few and far between. They contributed to the ever increasing long distance bill. Not only did Jessie need to plan their wedding, she also needed to furnish their new home. She relegated many of the wedding plans to her future mother-and sister-in-law, but she was determined to decorate herself. Charles allowed her to do whatever she pleased.

Not that he had much of a choice.

Before Jessie realized it, it was the day before Molly and Johnny's wedding, three weeks before her own. She and a very-pregnant Andrea were running around behind Andrea's two boys, trying to get them ready for the rehearsal and dinner at the church.

Jessie caught David and stuffed his little arms into his jacket. "Honestly, Andrea, if you don't have a girl this time, I'm going to go beserk." David shrieked a bit over wearing the dreaded dinner jacket, but was shushed by his mother.

"If I do have a girl, she'll probably end up like you." She stood up, her hands on her back. "Serve me right, I suppose."

Jessie wiped David's nose with a napkin as he squirmed. "Oh, come on, Andrea. I didn't turn out so badly. I'm actually going to live in Boston, remember?"

Andrea took both of children's hands. "It just seems like yesterday you were running around this house ready to go to boot camp, of all places."

Jessie had to smile. "Yeah. And you were primly waiting for suitable gentlemen callers."

Andrea hugged Jessie. "I'm going to miss you. The boys will, too."

Jessie returned to embrace, feeling her eyes well . "But, you can visit. Just think of all the culture the boys will get!"

Andrea rolled her eyes and tugged the children along. "I don't think culture is ready for these two. Hey, I'll meet you downstairs in a minute. Don't be too late, or Mattie will have our hides. Not to mention Molly!"

Jessie watched her sister maneuver down the stairs with two little boys in tow, her large belly leading the way. Chuckling, she sprinted to her room to change clothes. Mattie bellowed up the stairway at her before she could button her slacks.

"Miss Jessie, you have a visitor!"

Jessie huffed a strand of hair out of her face as she applied lip stick. Probably another wedding gift. They had starting arriving as soon as the invitations were mailed. She had no clue how she was going to ship all the gifts to Boston, and where she would put them all, especially since Honoria said they had just as many at their house.

"Miss Jessamyn!"

"Coming, Mattie, coming!"

She tripped into her sandals and grabbed her purse before flying out the door. Mattie was at the bottom of the stairs, hands on hips, dressed in her Sunday best for the rehearsal, declaring if she was going to be in a church - even for a rehearsal - she would not be caught underdressed. "You didn't tell me about any overnight guests!"

Jessie galloped down the stairs. "Overnight guests? What are you talking about? I'm not expecting . . . holy shit." She finished in a whisper.

"Jessamyn Rose, don't you use that sort of language in your Daddy's house! Your Mama, bless her soul, would snatch you bald-headed!"

Jessie ignored her. She eased down another step. "Radar?"

He stood in the foyer, a shy little girl holding onto one hand. A pretty brunette stood behind him, holding a baby.

When he caught sight of Jessie running down the stairs, he felt his heart skip a beat. Remembering where he was and who was with him, he cleared his throat. "It's just Walter now. But, yeah, it's me."

Jessie stared at him wide-eyed. "What in the world . . . "

Mattie thumped her on the back. "Miss Jessie, that's no way to great a guest. Here, let me let Arthur get your things."

"Oh, no, we were just driving through on our way to Florida and thought we'd stop by. Mary Anne and I had something for you. For your wedding. It's not much, but . . ." He glanced around at the wedding trappings scattered about the house. "Looks like it's a bad time, though."

Mattie thumped Jessie on the back again, making her jump. Her mind was running a million miles a minute. "No, no, that's . . .it's alright."

A horn honked impatiently outside. Mattie ambled towards the door. "OK, Miss Jessie, we better get goin' or Johnny'll have our hides."

"I'll be right behind you." Jessie resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at Mattie's back. "Look, you remember Johnny, don't you? He's getting married tomorrow. Come to the rehearsal with us and eat. Then, you're welcome to stay the night."

Charles is going to kill me.

Mary Anne spoke up softly, jiggling the waking baby. "Oh, we wouldn't want to get in the way."

"Nonsense. There's enough room for everyone." She took a deep breath, willing her heart to slow down. "Sorry to rush you out the door, but we better get a move on."

Jessie made introductions in the limo, her mind reeling. David insisted on riding in her lap, so she fiddled with his jacket, hoping no one noticed how nervous she was.

But, with one look at Radar, she knew he did. She closed her eyes and breathed in the boyish scent of David's hair, praying for guidance.

The rehearsal went as well as expected. Mary Anne was even chosen to play the bride, Mattie declaring it was bad luck for the bride to rehearse. Radar's wife went along with it in good humor.

Throughout the rehearsal and dinner, Jessie tried to keep from nervously biting her nails. She was surprised at the emotions that surfaced by just seeing him again. As she was raised, however, she was the gracious hostess, even holding the baby while Radar and Mary Anne danced. The little girl, Elizabeth, was racing along with her nephews and Meggy. She's the one that's really his niece, the one that. . ."

Guiltily, Jessie looked down at the baby. Henry couldn't be more than 5 months old, but he was watching her intently.

"Hey."

Jessie jumped when Radar sat down beside her. "Hey, yourself."

"You looked deep in thought."

She handed the baby back to his father. "Just thinking that Henry looks like he can read my mind. Just like his dad. Although I distinctly remember his dad telling me he couldn't."

Radar smiled. He remembered. "Seems like a long time ago, doesn't it?"

"It was a long time ago."

Johnny, a little tipsy, gallantly walked up to Jessie and offered to dance. Thankful, Jessie excused herself.

They whirled around the room to the small band rented for the dinner. "I hope you know what you're doing, sis."

"What do you mean?"

He motioned towards Radar and his family. "I have a feeling Dr. Winchester won't take too kindly to this new wrinkle."

Jessie hoped her palms weren't sweating too much. "They were just driving through and wanted to drop our wedding gift off. There's nothing to it."

"Oh yeah? Then, why do you look a little green around the gills? You don't have to move your wedding date up, do you? Break out the shot gun?"

Jessie punched her brother on the shoulder as they danced. "No, it just . . . surprised me. That's all. We haven't even spoken since . . . since . . . well, you know!"

"When's Charles arriving?"

"He's meeting us at the church tomorrow morning. He could only get a couple days off from the hospital. And Johnny?"

"Yes?"

"Mind your own damn business."

He only grinned in response.

********************************

Jessie flopped onto the sofa, rubbing her sore feet, staring into the empty fireplace, exhausted. She had talked to Charles earlier, but had chickened out and not told him about Radar. She had hoped they would be long gone by the time Charles arrived, but Molly insisted they stay for the wedding. She had a soft spot for anyone who served in Korea, Jessie knew, because her first husband was killed there.

Look, I don't have anything to be ashamed of. I haven't said or done anything to make him angry. She studied her nails, knowing she'd have to do something with them before she had to put on the lilac-colored bridesmaid dress for tomorrow. Frankly, I think I've held up pretty well, considering.

"I think so, too."

Jessie jumped. "I thought you were asleep."

He shrugged. "Couldn't sleep." He flopped down on the far end of the couch from her.

"Hey, thanks for the quilt. It's really lovely."

"My mom made it. She says that every home should have at least one."

"Tell her I said thanks. It's freezing up there, so I know I'll use it."

They sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment. "Mary Anne knows. About you. And us."

Jessie's head jerked up. She wondered how long it would take to come around to this topic. "And she still wanted to stop by ?"

"I told her a long time ago, right after we were married. She ran across some letters in the attic and asked. She wasn't mad. Maybe a little sad, if anything. She recognized your name when we got the invitation."

"Wait a minute? Who sent you an invitation?" She blushed when she realized how that sounded. "Not that I didn't want to send you one, but . . ."

He laughed, remembering how easily she blushed. "Charles sent it."

"Charles? Are you serious?"

"He wrote a note in there, too." Radar reached in his back pocket and handed Jessie the invitation that she had become so familiar with.

Slowly, she took it and stared at Charles's familiar scrawl. I hope I can make her as happy as she would have been with you. – Charles

Quietly, she handed it back to Radar, floored. "I . . I had no idea."

"I thought it was strange, but Hawkeye said he always seemed a little insecure when it came to you."

Jessie ran her hands through her hair. "Hawkeye? What in the world does he have to do with anything?" This strange turn of events had her all muddled.

"Well, Trapper's at Boston Mercy and . . ."

"Oh yeah, oh yeah, I know. He told Hawkeye."

"I guess. But, you know something?"

Jessie tried not to pace the floor. "What's that?" she said, a little distracted.

"I always felt bad about the way we . . .I ended what . . . what we had."

Jessie looked at him closely. "You did what you had to do. What you thought was right. I couldn't fault you for that. Although . . . I wanted to."

He looked at his hands. "It didn't make it any easier. I missed you."

Jessie swallowed. "I missed you, too."

"But, I knew Charles would take care of you."

"Huh? We never did . . . had anything like that." She blushed. "Well, at least not while you were there."

He looked at her, searching her eyes. "I figured it out before I left. It was after . . . after you were shot. He spent more time with you than I did, I think." Radar nudged the rug with the toe of his shoe. "But, I think I really started to figure it out even before that, but I just didn't want to see it. You know, after he injected that kid with what he thought was morphine and almost killed him?"

Jessie looked at him quizzically, trying to remember.

"Well, I saw the two of you. Talking outside. The way he looked after you when you turned away. And, the way you touched him. I think . . . I think you felt something then, but didn't know what it was."

Still struggling to remember, she shrugged. "Compassion, I suppose. He always seemed to be fighting a war within his own mind, let alone what we had to fight physically."

"Yeah, I heard about what happened when you two were MIA."

"How?"

"Klinger."

"Oh."

"I also heard 'bout the fights."

Jessie rolled her eyes. "He can be so damn stubborn sometimes."

Radar grinned. "You aren't exactly easy to deal with, either, you know."

Jessie grinned back. "True."

He stifled a yawn.

"Look, you better get to bed. Mary Anne will wonder where you went."

He took her hand, studying her ring. It was much, much grander than the one in the truck in his attic. He still couldn't manage to part with it. "She can trust me. Just like Charles can trust you. G'night, Jess."

She smiled at him fondly. "I know. G'night."