December 24, 2003
Willard Hotel – Washington, DC
1642 Eastern
Harm stood at the front of the room, a smile stretching from ear to ear, waiting for the big moment. Chaplain Turner was standing a couple of paces to the right of Harm, while Bud stood immediately to the left of Harm. The room was more packed than Harm had planned and he was glad that Frank and his mother had rented this. It seemed that word had gotten around that he and Beth were getting married, which had served to bring a couple of dozen old friends out for the ceremony. Beth O'Neil and her girlfriend were there, as were Jack Keeter, Jennifer Coates, Sturgis Turner, Admiral Boone and several of Beth's colleagues from both the Academy and from her time with the Raptors. But most surprising for Harm was the presence of Colonel Creswell and his family.
A change in the music brought Harm back to the moment, as the doors are the back of the room opened, the assembled guests stood and Mattie walked in. She had a warm smile on her face as she came down the aisle. When she was halfway to the altar, Beth and her father entered the room. Harm felt like he was floating, as he took in the vision approaching. He'd often found Beth to be beautiful, but seeing her in that gown with the vail, he knew she'd never be more beautiful to him than at this moment.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God, and in the presence of these witnesses, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony; which is an honorable estate, instituted of God. It is therefore, not to be entered into unadvisedly, but reverently, discreetly, and in the fear of God. Into this holy estate these two persons come now to be joined. If there is any person who knows of any reason for these two to not so be joined, let them speak now or forever hold their peace," Chaplain Turner said, then waited a long moment before continuing.
"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"
"I do," Mr. Hawkes said.
"Harmon and Elizabeth, the covenant which you are about to make with each other is meant to be a beautiful and sacred expression of your love for each other. As you pledge your vows to each other, and as you commit your lives to each other, we ask that you do so in all seriousness, and yet with a deep sense of joy; with the deep conviction that you are committing yourselves to a dynamic growing relationship of trust, mutual support, and caring love."
"Harmon, repeat after me," Chaplain Turner said before beginning the vows.
"I, Harmon, take you Elizabeth, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do us part," Harm said, looking lovingly into Beth's eyes.
"Elizabeth, repeat after me."
"I, Elizabeth, take you Harmon, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do us part," Beth said in her turn, beaming with happiness.
Chaplain Turner turned to Bud and reached out his hand for the wedding rings, which he had seen Harm give the younger man just before they have all entered the room.
"The wedding ring is a symbol of eternity. It is an outward sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two hearts in endless love. And now as a token of your love and of your deep desire to be forever united in heart and soul, Harmon, you may place a ring on the finger of your bride."
"Elizabeth, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you."
"By the same token Elizabeth, you may place a ring on the finger of your groom."
"Harmon, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you."
"Now that Harmon and Elizabeth have given themselves to each other by the promises they have exchanged, I pronounce them to be husband and wife, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen," Chaplain Turner said.
"Harmon, you may kiss your bride."
Harm, for his part, didn't need to be told twice. He tenderly reached for Beth and pulled her in for a sweet, loving kiss. They held the kiss for several seconds, but broke apart before Mattie could say anything or Chaplain Turner needed to cough to get their attention. Once they were standing next to each other came the final part of the ceremony.
"It is now my privilege to introduce to you for the first time, Captain Harmon Rabb Jr and Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Rabb," Chaplain Turner said as everyone stood and applauded.
With that, the happy couple walked down the aisle followed by Bud and Mattie. Upon reaching the back of the room, the stood by the door waiting as their guests began to make their way from the room. The first to reach them were Beth's parents.
"You take good care of our daughter, Harm," Kate said as she hugged him.
"I promise I will and Beth knows how I am about promises," Harm replied.
"You've never made one to me you haven't kept," Beth said. "That's why I love him, Mom."
Jack Hawkes couldn't say anything, as he just shook Harm's hand and kissed his daughter on the cheek. Words failed him at the moment, as he saw the love the newlyweds shared. They seemed the perfect match for each other, both more than willing to accept the other for who they were rather than who they wished them to be.
The next to reach the happy couple were Frank and Trish, who each happily hugged Harm before turning their affections onto Beth.
"Welcome to the family, Beth," Frank said as he gave her a hug and a soft kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you, Frank," Beth said.
"You take good care of him, Beth," Trish put in.
"Always, Trish."
Once Grandma Sarah had made it through the receiving line, the rest of the guests came up to offer their best wishes. Jack Keeter ran true to form, planting a deep kiss on Beth that had Harm not so gently smacking his arm. Beth, who had heard all about Jack and his womanizing ways, had wanted to laugh at the look on Harm's face. She was a naval flight officer, she could handle an aviator with an ego problem. Heck, she'd served with plenty of them over the years.
When the last of the guests had exited, it was time for Harm and Beth to leave the room. A small reception was planned for immediately afterwards in a room down the hall. It was as they exited that the couple got their surprise, for an arch of swords had been set up. Bud and Creswell were at the head of the arch, joined by Keeter, Sturgis and a pair of pilots from the Raptors.
"Presenting, for the first time in public, Captain Harmon Rabb Junior and Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Rabb," Bud said in a deeper than normal voice.
Upon reaching the end of the arch, they were stopped by Bud and Creswell lowering their swords. Beth and Harm smiled at each other, knowing what was to come.
"The price to exit the arch is a kiss," Creswell told them.
Harm and Beth gave the required kiss, whereupon the swords were raised for them to pass. When they were through, Bud lowered his and gently swatted the flat of the sword against Beth's bottom.
"Go Navy," Bud said with a smile.
"I already have," Beth replied, drawing a short laugh from both Jack and Sturgis along with a smile from Creswell.
With that all done, it was time for the wedding photographs to be taken. Because of the small size of the wedding party, these were relatively easy to accomplish. The best one as far as Harm was concerned was the one with just him, Beth and Mattie. These were the two most important people in his life and this was a picture he planned to place prominently in his office. As for Beth, she liked that picture as well, but she also loved the one of her, her mother, Mattie, Trish and Grandma Sarah that the photographer had taken while the ladies had been waiting to enter. She knew that in those times ahead, when things were difficult, she'd have some amazing women to help guide her.
Going down the hall to the reception, Harm and Beth were seated at a table with both sets of parents. Mattie and Grandma Sarah were at the next table over, along with the Roberts family. The two boys were on their very best behavior, since Harriet had reminded them that tomorrow was Christmas and told them that Santa would really be watching them today. Mattie helped, by sitting next to little AJ and talking to him.
The meal was served buffet style, so that people could choose what they wanted. There was vegetarian lasagna along with ham and chicken for the non-vegetarians, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, wild rice and salads. Dessert would be the wedding cake, once Harm and Beth had cut it.
Once the meal was done, it was time for some dancing before people started drifting away. Harm and Beth danced to a nice slow song, just enjoying being in each other's arms. Then it was time for them to dance with the parents, followed by the rest of the guests being invited to take to the dance floor. Harm's first dance was with his grandmother, followed by Mattie and then Kate, while Beth danced with Frank, followed by Sturgis and Keeter. Harm laughed as he saw how much room there was between Jack and Beth, making the dance somewhat comical.
The next person to join Harm was Beth O'Neil, drawing a warm smile from him.
"Well, Captain, you seem to have made great strides since the last time I saw you," she said with a matching smile. She had come to view Harm as one of her few friends, someone who knew the real her rather than the front she'd been forced to maintain while still in the Navy.
"Thanks, Beth. I see you've brought a guest," Harm replied, looking over at the lovely younger woman seated at a table watching them.
"That's Debbie, my partner."
"It's nice to put a face to that. How's everything going, professionally?"
"I'm leaving, Harm. After she found out it was us in that C-130, Debbie got scared. She hid it for a few months before she finally broke down crying, telling me she was afraid of losing me," Beth said.
"Is it the flying that makes her afraid or was it the kind of flying?" Harm asked, worried for his friend if the answer was one he feared.
"No, she understands the flying. We've been together for a few years and she never had this amount of concern when I was flying P-3s in the Navy It's the level of danger involved with the flying I'm doing now."
Harm went silent for a moment, as an idea came to him. Looking around, he found who he was looking for and lead her across the dance floor over to where Admiral Boone sat with the Creswells and Chaplain Turner.
"Excuse me, please. I need to borrow the Admiral for a couple of minutes," Harm said.
The trio walked to the back of the room, where Harm made quick introductions between the two.
"I may have found you a pilot, Admiral," Harm said.
"Harm, if it's the Navy, I…."
"Relax, Beth. Admiral Boone is retired and is now running a small aviation company that I have an interest in. What are you currently rated in?"
"P-3s, C-130s and C-20s," Beth said.
"So, you could fly a Gulfstream 450?" Admiral Boone asked, seeing where Harm was headed. "Do you have a commercial pilot's license?"
"Yes, Sir. My current employer got it for me, based on my military experience."
"Well, how would you like to fly one? The pay definitely won't be what you're currently making, there's no health plan currently, but you'd probably be home most nights," Boone said.
Beth looked between the two men, wondering what this was all about. Harm, for his part, smiled encouragingly at his friend. He thought this could be a win-win situation. She would have a fairly safe flying job, one that would give her more time with her partner as well. Grace Aviation would win by getting an experienced pilot who could help jumpstart the charter flights for them.
"I'll have to talk it over with Debbie," Beth said.
"That's fine, Beth," Harm told her, letting her walk over to the table where her girlfriend sat.
"She's a lesbian, Harm?" Boone asked softly.
"Yes, she is."
Tom Boone wisely kept silent. He knew that many of his opinions about women were not politically correct, but he didn't care. He'd judge this one like he did all the rest. Either she could fly or she couldn't. If she could, he'd deal with the rest. If she couldn't, then he wouldn't have to deal with anything because she'd be gone.
For his part, Harm could guess at some of what Boone was thinking. He also knew that Beth O'Neil would pass any tests set out for her by the old man. Turning his attention to the table where she now sat with Debbie, he could see the moment that she'd told the woman about the offer. Debbie wrapped her arms around Beth and hugged her tightly. Then, they got up and made their way over to where Harm and the Admiral still stood.
"I'm in," Beth said, one hand linked with Debbie's, looking directly at Admiral Boone.
"Alright. Here's my numbers. Give me a call next week and I'll have you come down and look around. We're in Blacksburg, so that's where you'll be flying out of," Boone told her, meeting her eyes and locking on with a steady gaze as he handed over a business card before excusing himself.
"Beth, if he gives you any grief, give me a call," Harm told her.
"I'm not worried about him. Just as long as he judges me on my performance and not my personal life, we'll get along."
"Still, if you need to, don't hesitate to call. I can always sic the owner on him, if I have to?"
"Oh, and just how do you know the owner?" Beth asked with a smile.
"She's my daughter," Harm said, enjoying watching Beth and Debbie's reactions before launching into an abbreviated telling of how he'd met and adopted Mattie.
The party had started winding down, as people got ready to head out for their own Christmas Eve plans. The throwing of the bouquet was problematical, given the almost total lack of single women. They managed to muster up four, including Mattie, who had tried hiding until Grandma Sarah had seen her and escorted her to the group. Beth had her back to the group and tossed them over her shoulder, which was quickly followed by a loud shout from the women. Turning around, Beth saw that her toss had landed directly in the arms of Jennifer Coates, who had a stunned expression on her face.
For the garter toss, the crowd was somewhat larger. Harm, for his part, had taken careful note of where everyone was before turning around. When he tossed the garter, it was aimed away from where Jack Keeter had stationed himself, since Harm knew that part of the tradition was for the man who caught the garter to put it up the leg of the woman who'd caught the bouquet, with the higher it went reflecting on how long the marriage would last. He had no intention of inflicting Jack on someone like Jen Coates. So it was that his toss managed to sail right into the hands of Sturgis Turner, who almost immediately was thankful for his dark complexion as he felt himself flush.
Fortunately, Jen realized the situation and took matters into her own hands once she was seated. Sturgis knelt somewhat nervously before her, as she lifted her leg so he could pass the garter over her foot and proceed. Seeing that he wasn't moving, she whispered softly towards him.
"Commander, get with the program, Sir. Think of this as an assignment to be completed and forget everything else," Jen told him before offering her leg once more.
This time, Sturgis completed the task and began moving the garter up the leg. He kept looking at Coates, waiting for a signal that he had gone far enough, but she just held his gaze. Finally, when the garter was almost halfway up her thigh, he stopped to cheers from the men. Jen, for her part, took a rose from the bouquet and gave it to him, along with a kiss on the cheek before walking back to her table. Privately, she looked on catching the bouquet as something of a joke, considering her social life was so lacking at the moment. If she was supposed to be the next one married, there was going to be a fairly long wait.
Harm and Beth made a final walk around the room, thanking everyone for having come to the wedding. With that, it was time for them to leave. Their plans were to spend Christmas morning with their families out at their house, before leaving for a short honeymoon that evening. They would be back in Falls Church on the twenty-eight, before flying to London on the twenty-ninth. That way, they could be moved into their rental home before the New Year and be ready to report for duty on the second of January.
As for their house here, Harm had found the perfect solution. Sturgis would house sit for them, living on the first floor of the house. All of their personal belongings would be moved to the second floor. Harm knew Sturgis well and knew that the house would be in good hands. Sturgis would even drive the Corvette and other cars occasionally, which would save Harm and Beth the trouble of getting them running again whenever they moved back. They planned to rent a car during their time in London, since their home would be so close to work that they'd be able to walk back and forth on most days. A car would only be needed for trips outside of London and either buying one or having one shipped over seemed like a waste of money to them, at the moment.
With that, the happy couple departed. Harm had one stop he wanted to make on the way back to the house and Beth readily agreed. She knew that this yearly vigil was important to her new husband and she also wanted to pay her respects as well. The pair got some curious looks as they walked down the path to the Wall, finally stopping at the correct panel.
"Merry Christmas, Dad," Harm said. "I got married today, to a very special woman. Someone who loves all of me, someone who strengthens me and makes me want to be a better man. Dad, I want you to meet my wife, Elizabeth. Beth, this is my father, Lieutenant Harmon Rabb Senior."
Beth walked up to the panel and after kissing her fingertips, lightly traced the name.
"Merry Christmas, Dad," Beth said, tears sparkling in her eyes. "I just want to thank you for the wonderful man I was lucky enough to marry. He's my heart and soul, my everything and I have him because of you. I hope that next Christmas when we visit, we'll be able to tell you you're going to have a grandson, one who'll carry on the family name."
Harm wrapped his arm around Beth, kissing her cheek as they spent several silent moments with their hands joined on top of the engraved name. Finally, they stepped back and said a silent farewell before walking back to the car and their future.