TITLE-I’ll Lead The Way AUTHOR-CD vze2rt5s@verizon.net RATING-G SPOILERS-none that I can recall DISCLAIMER-I do not own the characters, I am just borrowing them, they belong to Mr. Bellisario. I will return them to where I found them when I am done with them. SUMMARY- Due to a tragedy Harm must learn to deal with life without the person who gave him strength. FEEDBACK-feedback is welcomed, good or bad, your opinions matter. Written January 13, 2003 ===================================================================================== ST. DAMONS CHURCH MCLEAN, VIRGINIA The church was filling with people. Some were close friends, and some were there out of duty. All the same to Harm, he just didn’t want to be there, he couldn’t do what was expected of him, but more importantly he didn’t want to say goodbye. Say goodbye. How am I suppose to say goodbye to the one person that completed me. The one person who knew what I was thinking before I said it, or knew what I was thinking even before I did. She was the one true love of my life, and the mother of our children. Our children, Harm thought. David James was 6, and Catherine Sarah was 3, how can I raise these two beautiful children without their mother. Sarah was a wonderful mother. It came very easy to her, it was like she was born to be a mother. Although David had his dad’s smile and eyes, he had his mother’s olive skin tone and her hair, and from the day he was born he had his mom wrapped around his little finger just like his dad did when he flashed that flyboy grin of his. Catherine, on the other hand, looked exactly like her mother, and Harm knew he was putty in her tiny hands as soon as he saw her, and now he had two beautiful Sarah’s’ to spoil, and he would do all in his power to do just that. The two young Rabb children sat in the front pew with their Dad and their Grandmas’ Rabb and Burnett. Young Catherine climbed onto her daddy’s lap and put her tiny arms around his neck and told him not to cry because mommy always said it was nice in heaven with all the angels, and in heaven no one ever hurt anymore. Harm looked at his little girl, smiled, and kissed her cheek. He recalled the day that their long time family pet dog Jingo died, and he could recall listening to his wife explain to the two young children about death and heaven. “Yes, my baby girl, Daddy remembers, and I know mommy is happy.” “Daddy, is Mommy happy that she’s not with us anymore?” asked Catherine. “Oh Honey don’t ever think that. Mommy loved us all very much. But God needed another angel, so he asked Mommy to come and be his new angel.” Finally the service began and Harm listened as his friends and co-workers got up and spoke about his wife. It was all getting to be to much for him as he felt the church closing in on him and the voices seemed to be muffled and far away. AN UNKNOWN HEAVENLY PLACE A HEAVENLY LOCATION “Harm . . Harm. Wake up”, he heard the familiar voice say. “Sarah?” Harm whispered. “Yes sweetheart is me, wake up” “Sarah? Oh my god Sarah you’re here and I’m here. We’re together again.” “Harm, you don’t understand.” “What’s to understand Sarah? We’re together again, and I won’t let you go again. I won’t let anyone take you away from me.” “Harm, don’t you understand? You can’t come with me now. We have two beautiful children that need their father to finish raising them, to teach David about girls and how to drive. And little Catherine needs you to guide her through life since I can’t be there. Teach them to have respect for others, and how be there for their friends, and, . . well . . I guess how to be a Rabb like their father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. They need you Harm, finish raising them, and I’ll be here when your time comes to come with me. Till then, I will lead the way, and go first. I’ll make ready our home in heaven, and when your ready, I’ll be here waiting. Now go back, and love the children for both of us.” ST. DAMONS CHURCH MCLEAN, VIRGINIA “Harm . . Harm?” he heard his mother’s voice. Harm opened his eyes to find that he had passed out during the service, and that he was surrounded by his family and friends. “I’m alright. Don’t worry about me“. He shouted “Daddy. Why were you sleeping?” asked young David. “Daddy wasn’t sleeping son, Daddy was visiting mommy for a minute, that’s all.” was Harms reply. The rest of the service was a blur to Harm, and finally it was finished. Everyone left the church, and finally were followed by the six pallbearers caring the casket of Sarah Catherine MacKenzie-Rabb. Admiral Cheggwidden and Bud insisted on caring her, along with Keeter, Tiner, Gunny, and Webb. Harm knew that Mac would be happy in knowing that she was being carried by her closet friends. ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETARY ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA Sarah was buried at Arlington with full military honors. Harm was handed the folded flag that had draped over the casket and there was the customary blowing of taps, and the firing of the guns. Finally, the service was over and slowly everyone had started to leave. Harriet and Bud took David and Catherine with them, so that Harm could say his final farewell to her alone. “Oh my Sarah, my Sarah. Baby how will I go on without you beside me? I never thought you’d go before me. We were Butch and Sundance, remember. We were suppose to go together. I want you to know there will never be anyone else in my heart but you. I know that no other love can compare to the love we share. You made me happy Sarah, very happy, and I thank you. That love will last me till we can be together again. Till then, I love you Marine.” That was the last he said to her. He just remained there till he was told he had to leave because they had to close. He said his final goodbye and left. TEN YEARS LATER RABB RESIDENCE MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Everyone was surprised that Harm had done so well after Sarah’s death. She had been such a big part of his life that everyone had thought that Harm would have problems adjusting to life without her. But Harm knew that there was a secret only he knew, and when things started to get tough, he would just stop what he was doing, and look up and say “You’ll lead the way”. No one knew what was meant by this, but whatever it was, it always made him smile and go on. David was now sixteen, and was starting to learn to drive, and was thinking about a career in the military like his parents did. David was more inclined to serve the Navy as did the last three generations of Rabb men. And as they did, so was he, he was going to be a Naval Aviator. David could feel the love and affection his father had for him, and he never felt that he lacked the love of his mother, because Harm kept her alive in their hearts with pictures and stories of her, and always made sure they knew how much she loved and adored them, and how proud she would be of them. Harm knew that Mac would have tried to talk him out of flying if she was still alive, but he also knew that David was a Rabb and therefore had the Rabb stubborn streak. So Harm knew all he could do was wish his son the best of luck, and be there to support him when he needed it, and encourage him to succeed. Catherine was now thirteen, and was starting to become quite the young lady and more and more she began to look like her mother. Catherine was already talking about following in her mothers footsteps and joining the Corps and become a JAG like her parents. Although Harm would tell Catherine she had plenty of time to decide about a career, she knew already which direction she wanted her life to take. Harm saw his wife more and more in his little girl. She would always be his three year old, with her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. Harm started to see some of her mothers traits starting to come to the surface the last few years. Her refusal to back down from a fight, and her ability to tell time without a watch had begun to surface. Also the way she tilted her head to flip her hair back, her smile, and those eyes, those deep dark hypnotizing eyes, all the little things that reminded them so much of his Sarah. On the tenth anniversary of Sarah’s passing, Harm went to visit his wife as he had done every year, and just as he had done every time he brought three dozen roses. One red dozen for their love, one white dozen for their undying loyalty to each other, and a yellow dozen because she liked yellow, and David and Catherine wanted her to know they remembered that she liked yellow. As always Harm would arrive early and spend the morning talking with her. He would tell her about their children and how proud he was of them, and that he knew she would be proud of them also. He would always tell her how much he missed her. and how much he still loved her and always would, and then asked her how their home in the heavens were coming. Harm would then drive to Leesburg to fly in his Bi-plane and he would always fly till circumstances would force him to come down. When anyone asked why he always seemed to fly so long and always alone he would always say, “I am not flying alone. I have an angel in the front seat and she likes to fly.” Harm could remember the first time they flew together, and what a disaster that turned into, but Sarah like to fly in “Sarah” his bi-plane, and Harm was even trying to teach her to fly. But now, she didn’t need to worry about crashing or landing, she was his angel now and she could always fly whenever she wanted. TEN YEARS LATER RABB RESIDENCE MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Another ten years had passed and both David and Catherine were gone with a life and career of their own. Harm had retired from the Navy as a one star three years ago, and enjoyed staying at home watching his grandchildren. David had married and had twins, a daughter named Sarah Patricia after his mom and grandma Burnett, and a. boy he named Harmon David the third. Harm tried to talk David out of it, but David said he wanted to name him after someone he was proud of, someone who made such a big influence on him, and someone who had his love and respect. “You Dad are the only one I can think of when I try to think of any one with all these qualities. Please Dad, let me name my children after the strongest people I know. You. And Mom.” Harm would come to refer to his grandson as Little Harm, the same nickname his dad had given him. Catherine, had also married and had an infant son she named MacKenzie Rabb Larkin after both her parents. She told her dad she wanted her son to have the names of the only two people who had the strongest love than any two people she ever met. It was on a Sunday, and both David and Catherine were at the Rabb house for a cookout, The radio was playing low in the background and they were playing with their respective children. Harm was on the porch watching the next generation of Rabbs playing and he looked up and said “What do you think of our little family now Marine?” “I think we have a beautiful family, and the Rabbs will grow stronger and stronger for generations to come, Sailor.” “Sarah, you’re here?” “Yes. I’m here to take you back to our home in the heavens, and we can be together for eternity now”. “Oh Sarah, I have waited so long for you to come so I could join you.” “”Follow me darling, I’ll lead the way.” THE END