Disclaimer: The characters and the premise are not mine and no profit is being realized from their use. Also, I did
not write the wedding vows - I’m not a romantic by nature. I went to a neat site called "Wedding Vows Online" and cut
and pasted.
Author Notes: Follows "The Promise", "Homecomings" and "Difficult Adjustments" and picks up shortly after "Difficult
Adjustments" ends. It will make absolutely no sense if you haven’t read the others.
"Let’s look at what he left in his locker," Mac suggested to Harm. They were in the enlisted personnel barracks at
Norfolk, attempting to track down a missing witness in a murder investigation.
Harm crossed to the locker marked "Polk" and opened it. He reached in and began to inventory the contents. "One can of
shaving cream," he said, handing it to Mac.
Mac took it, examined it briefly, and set it on a nearby desk.
"One comb," Harm said. "One pair of socks. Worn."
Mac took this latter item gingerly, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "Well, he didn’t pack his stuff. Seems to indicate
he didn’t plan on leaving."
"Pen," Harm continued. "Pencil. One dime, two nickels and six pennies." He handed these things to her, and she added
them to the growing pile.
"One diamond ring," Harm said, placing said item in her hand.
Finally, something interesting. Mac studied it closely. Nice ring. The stone had to be at least a carat, she guessed.
The setting looked antique. It was a beautiful piece of jewelry. She looked up to see Harm watching her closely. "It’s
gorgeous," she told him.
"You think so?"
"Oh, yes. There’s a very lucky woman out there somewhere."
"I’m glad you like it," Harm said. "‘Cause it wasn’t in the locker. It was in my pocket."
Mac looked down at the ring again, this time with the realization that it was meant for her. She looked up at Harm,
her eyes shining. "It’s beautiful," she breathed. "Where did you get it?"
"It was Grandma Sarah’s. I found it in her jewelry box. I know I’ve already asked you to marry me, but now it’s
official. I want you to be my wife."
"Morning sickness and all?" she asked, putting a hand on her stomach.
Harm took the ring from her and slid it onto her finger. "Morning sickness and all. I want us to get married right
away."
"Before I have to wear a circus tent for a wedding dress?" Mac joked.
"You look more beautiful every day," Harm said sincerely. "So what do you say? Will you marry me?"
Mac stepped into his arms. "What are you doing tomorrow?" she asked.
They held each other tightly for a moment, then heard voices approaching and pulled away guiltily. They returned to
the job at hand, acutely aware of the need to keep a respectful distance in spite of their mutual desire to do the
exact opposite.
Two months later . . .
"I love this place," Harm said as he and Mac walked along a path through the woods.
"It’s so peaceful," Mac agreed, hugging his arm tighter.
They were in Pennsylvania, at Grandmas Sarah’s farm. Tomorrow, they would finally become husband and wife, but today,
they were enjoying a quiet moment together away from everything. Sabbrina was with Frank and Trish back at the house.
Harriet and Bud and the kids had arrived this morning. The Admiral and Sidney were expected later today. Everyone was
staying at the farm, and though it was a large house, when you added in one not-quite-fully-grown dog, it seemed to
be bursting at the rafters. Clayton Webb and Chloe were scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning, thus rounding out the
wedding guests. They’d both agreed - small and simple was the only way to go.
"Maybe we could sneak out here with the preacher and get married quietly," Harm suggested.
"And deprive your mother of her only child’s wedding?! She’d never forgive me!"
"Are you sorry you never heard from your mother?" Harm asked quietly.
Mac didn’t answer for a moment. At Harm’s urging, she had sent a letter to the last address she’d had for her mother.
The letter hadn’t come back, but she’d had no word from her mother, either. Mac shrugged. "Yes and no," she said, not
willing to go into it any further. For many reasons, she was grateful her mother had apparently chosen to continue
having no contact with her only daughter. She couldn’t help but feel all those old abandonment issues coming to the
surface, though, and she forcibly pushed them back down. "Let’s not talk about her."
"Okay," Harm agreed. "Let’s talk about tomorrow. Is everything all set?"
"I think so. I can’t believe this is finally happening!"
"Let’s stop for a minute," Harm suggested. He knew Mac tired easily, and he didn’t want to push her too far. They sat
on a large fallen log and listened to the silence for a moment. "How are you feeling today?"
"All right," Mac said. Morning sickness had been her constant companion for so long, she’d forgotten what it was like
not to feel queasy. During her first pregnancy, morning sickness had been just that: sickness she felt in the morning.
This time, it was present constantly and was much more severe than it had been the first time around. She also noticed
that she tired much more quickly than she ever had. She worried that her relationship with Harm was suffering because
of her condition. "I’m sorry I haven’t been very good company lately."
Harm put his arm around her. "Don’t worry about it," he assured her with a smile. "I understand."
"I know you do," Mac said, "but that doesn’t mean you have to like it. I miss you."
He knew what she meant. They hadn’t made love for two weeks. "I miss you, too. But I know you haven’t exactly been in
the mood lately."
"I am now," she told him.
He looked at her in surprise. "What? Here? Now?"
She laughed at his reaction. "No time like the present. What’s the matter? Are you worried someone might see us?"
"Not much chance of that happening, is there?" he conceded.
"Then make love to me, Harm." When she leaned into his arms and kissed him, there was no way he could refuse.
As Harm and Mac approached the house, they saw Admiral Chegwidden’s SUV in the driveway. The Admiral himself appeared
from behind the vehicle, carrying two suitcases.
"Admiral, do you need any help, sir?" Harm offered.
"No, thanks. This is the last of it." He studied them closely. "You two look happy."
Harm and Mac exchanged a guilty, but pleased, look, which their CO didn’t fail to notice. "Just enjoying the day,
Admiral," Mac said. "Are you ready to give me away tomorrow?"
"Ready," AJ confirmed. "Assuming you’re still sure you want him."
"Oh, I think it’s a little late now to change my mind, sir," Mac mused with a smile.
"There is something else I’d like to give you," the Admiral said. "Sort of a wedding present. I’ve been talking to
the SecNav. Your marriage changes things, as I’m sure you were both aware." They nodded their confirmation, both
holding their breath and hoping their CO had worked something out so they could both stay at JAG.
"I don’t want to lose either of you," AJ continued. "The SecNav has agreed to let us try an arrangement that lets me
keep you both. If it works. It will obviously be impossible for you to oppose each other in court. I’m sure you’d
understand how an accused might feel if his attorney’s spouse was prosecuting him. That leaves me with assigning you
to work together or on cases where your paths are not likely to cross. As my two most senior attorneys, it would have
to be an extremely high profile case for you to work together. We’re a small staff, and I’m not sure how long I can
make this work. I won’t assign a junior attorney to a case if I don’t feel he or she is ready for it. But we’ll give
it a try. It’s the best I could do."
Both Harm and Mac realized what it had cost for the Admiral to ask the SecNav for this much, and they were grateful.
"Thank you, sir. We understand. And we’ll do what we have to make this work," Harm said.
"Well, don’t thank me yet. It may not work."
"We appreciate the effort anyway, sir," Mac assured him. "Shall we go inside?"
"After you," AJ suggested.
Mac turned and began to walk toward the house. Harm took a suitcase from the Admiral, and both men followed her.
"Uh, Mac," AJ said, stopping her.
"Yes, sir?" she asked, turning around.
"May I?" he asked, reaching a hand toward her.
She had no idea what he intended to do, and the puzzlement showed on her face. Nevertheless, he was her CO, and she
trusted him implicitly, so she nodded.
The Admiral reached into her hair and pulled out a dried leaf. "The day you were enjoying seems to have gotten
stuck in your hair."
Mac looked at Harm, horribly embarrassed to have been caught by the Admiral. Harm looked as though he wished he
could crawl away. The Admiral chuckled at the looks on both their faces and led the way up the stairs.
The next day . . .
Their wedding day had dawned bright and beautiful. Mac awoke alone in their bed. Harm had left her just before
midnight to sleep on the living room couch. He wanted to observe the tradition of not seeing the bride on the
wedding day prior to the ceremony. Mac had smiled at his traditionalism, especially considering her condition and
the child they already had. Shortly after waking, Sabbrina had joined her in bed, and they snuggled happily under
the covers for a while.
Mac stayed in her room all morning in order to avoid Harm. Trish brought her up some breakfast, and later all of the
women gathered in her room to begin dressing. Mac first braided Sabbrina’s hair with daisies and then pulled a white
lace gown over her daughter’s head. Mac zipped her up, then turned Sabbrina around. With tears in her eyes, Mac said,
"You look beautiful, honey." Sabbrina ran off to show her legions of male admirers how much like a princess she
looked.
When Mac had finished dressing, she hugged all of her female friends and thanked them for coming. Chloe was sent
down to tell the men they were set to begin.
The men stood outside on the porch, awaiting the arrival of the women. Little AJ, looking exceedingly handsome in a
blue three-piece suit, fidgeted uncomfortably with his tie.
Harm was doing his best to appear cool, but on the inside, he was quaking. He’d been waiting for this day it seemed
like all his life. Now that it was here, he wanted to hurry up and get it over with so that Mac would finally be his
wife. He heard noises on the stairs, took a deep breath, and turned to see Chloe coming out of the house carrying
Baby Sarah. Chloe handed the baby to Bud, then stood between Bud and Clay waiting for the others.
Harriet appeared next, followed closely by Trish. They joined their respective husbands and all turned to see an
adorable Sabbrina prance out onto the porch. She skipped over to stand beside her grandparents as she’d been
instructed to do, but not before patting Lucy on the head.
Everyone turned in expectant anticipation. Seconds later, the Admiral led Mac out onto the porch.
Harm’s breath caught in his throat when he saw how beautiful she looked. She’d been hesitant to wear white, but
he’d convinced her she should, and now he was glad he had. The white dress set off by her dark skin seemed to
shimmer in the morning sunlight. The rest of the world seemed to fade away as AJ led Mac to him and placed her
hand into his own. He looked deep into her eyes and saw his own happiness mirrored there. He reached up to stroke
her face, then gently kissed her lips.
"Hey, that comes after the ceremony," Clay joked.
Harm and Mac smiled at each other, then turned to face their assembled friends: Harriet and Bud and their children,
their closest friends; Chloe, the closest thing Mac had ever had to a sister; Clayton Webb, who had been so
instrumental in bringing them together a long time ago and who had nearly provided the means to separate them
forever; AJ and Sidney, trusted CO and his wife, and so much more; Frank and Trish, the best parents either of
them could have; and Sabbrina, their pride and joy and the reason for their existence. Neither had ever been as
happy as they were today.
Reverend Lionel Chapman, who officiated at the church Grandma Sarah had attended and who had agreed to perform the
ceremony, gathered them all in a circle. He began. "You have been asked to gather here to witness and share in the
joy of this union. Welcome to the marriage of Harmon and Sarah, whose hearts and spirts are entwined as one. They
now desire to profess before all the world their intention henceforth to walk the road of life together.
"We, who have gathered in this circle, are now privileged to witness and participate in a ceremony celebrating the
public acknowledgment of a love which Harmon and Sarah have for each other, knowing that by our presence here with
them, we are saying that they, together, are loved by many others."
He turned to face them. "Harmon and Sarah, in presenting yourselves here today to be joined in marriage, you perform
an act of faith. This faith can grow and develop and last, but only if you both decide to make it so. A lasting and
growing love is not guaranteed by any ritual. Dedication, love and joy can grow only when you nourish them together.
Stand fast in that hope and confidence, having faith in yourselves and in one another today. Only with this spirit
can you forge a union that will strengthen and endure all the days of your lives."
Reverend Chapman turned back towards the guests. "Marriage is too for children. For them, it is or can be more than
just a witnessing. There is an opportunity for them to bring themselves into a new family and in a symbolic sense to
give themselves to this new venture as they bring a gift of love, which Sabbrina will present now to her parents."
Sabbrina proudly carried two red roses forward. She gave one to her mother, who hugged her tightly. She gave the other
to her father, who encircled her in a big bear hug. Glowing with pleasure, Sabbrina returned to her place beside
Trish.
Having rehearsed this before, Harm knew that was his cue. He took the ring from his pocket and turned to Mac. He took
her left hand into his own and spoke only to her. "I, Harmon, take you, Sarah, as my friend and love, beside me and
apart from me, in laughter and in tears, in conflict and tranquility, asking that you be no other than yourself,
loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not yet know, in all the ways that life may find us." He slid the ring
onto her finger. "Sarah, I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I
honor you, in the name of God."
Mac removed the ring she’d been wearing on her little finger and spoke to Harm. "I, Sarah, take you, Harmon, as my
friend and love, beside me and apart from me, in laughter and in tears, in conflict and tranquility, asking that you
be no other than yourself, loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not yet know, in all the ways that life may
find us." Sliding the ring onto his finger, she said, "Harmon, I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with
all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the name of God."
Harm reached up once again and stroked her cheek. She placed her hand on his and smiled broadly at him.
Reverend Chapman continued. "When you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from
moment to moment. That is impossible. It is even a disservice to pretend it is possible. Yet that is what most of us
demand. We have such little faith in the ebb and flow of life and of love and of relationships." Harm and Mac held
hands while they listened. "We leap forward at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb, for we are afraid
it will never return. We insist on permanence, on duration, on continuity. But the only continuity possible in life,
as in love, is in growth, in fluidity, and in freedom, as dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners
in creating the same pattern.
"I speak now to Harmon and Sarah of love, in which the trust and freedom of the other person becomes as significant
as the truth and freedom of one’s self. I speak to them of generosity which gathers the beauty of earth for riches
and the kindness which turns away the wrath of foolish men and women. I speak of all our hopes for their continued
growth through patience, one for the other. May Harmon and Sarah keep the vows made on this day, in freedom, teaching
each other who they are, what they yet shall be, enabling them to know that, in the fullness of being, they are more
than themselves and more than each other, that they are all of us and that together we share joyously the fruits of
life on this Earth, our home.
"In the words of the poet Kahlil Gibran: ‘Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself; to wake at dawn with a
winged heart and give thanks to another day of loving; to rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy; to
return home eventide with gratitude, and then sleep with a prayer; for the beloved in your heart and a song of
praise upon your lips.’"
Reverend Chapman turned to Mac. "Do you, Sarah, knowing this man’s love for you and returning it, realizing his
strengths and learning from them, recognizing his weaknesses and helping him to overcome them, take Harmon to be
your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do," Mac said emphatically.
"Do you, Harmon, knowing this woman’s love for you and returning it, realizing her strengths and learning from them,
recognizing her weaknesses and helping her to overcome them, take Sarah to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
Harm said softly and sincerely, "I do."
"With this statement of love and trust which we have just heard, I now pronounce you bound by the bonds of matrimony.
Please be the first to greet Harmon and Sarah as husband and wife."
While their friends and family applauded, Mac and Harm kissed deeply for a long, long time.