Fic: We Rely On Each Other
Author: rivlee
Title: We Rely On Each Other
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairing: Kitty, Harry, Eddie Jones. Kitty/Harry
Summary: Sometimes you just need a Man of Honor.
Disclaimer: This is all fiction based off the characters as portrayed in the HBO mini-series. No disrespect or harm is meant or intended.
A/N: Unbeated. Every last mistake is mine. Ficlet that got out of hand. From a request by skew_whiff
Kitty Grogan and Eddie Jones went back to the time they were in diapers. Not that they had much of a choice; Kitty’s mom and Eddie’s dad were twins, after all. They were both the eldest of ten kids, loved folk music, excelled in academics, and had a weakness for men with great senses of humor.
They were pretty much best friends, with family connections and history that few could compete with. Harry stopped trying to understand why they constantly left voice mails to each other singing parts of Islands in the Stream whenever Eddie was in the States. It was hard to explain to people their winning act as pre-teen Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers impersonators and why they were so proud of it. Being awarded first place in two different State Fairs for five years running was something they still bragged over. Not to mention that the song wasn’t exactly one cousins should sing to each other.
There were few people in the world who meant more to Kitty than Eddie. Which was why he begged, borrowed, and probably did a few illegal things to get an iron-clad approved leave for the time of her wedding. It was also why she was about to make this one final demand to the fascists running her wedding planning.
Kitty walked into her mother’s living room, where swatches of fabrics and bridal magazines had taken over. There were already stations sets up for the wedding invitations, the place cards, and the thank-you notes. Her dad put up a cork board which listed all the caterers and wedding cake bakers in the area. A terrifying guest list that ran in a spreadsheet and took up a large portion of the wall was tacked up next to a seating chart that would’ve made the White House Staff proud.
Her mom, Harry, and Harry’s mother were all pouring over the notebooks, datebooks, and online websites they had collected.
“Okay, listen,” Kitty said. She tried not to flinch under her mother’s look and instead chose to focus on Harry’s gap-toothed smile. “You three know that if I had my way, we’d either elope or have a simple courthouse ceremony. Instead I’ve caved into a church wedding and a backyard ceremony so large we had to rent out a park.”
“Catherine,” Shelia Grogan said, “you know our family reunions alone require the park rental.”
“Not the point, Mom.” Kitty pinched the bridge of her nose. “I wanted an off-the-rack ankle-length tea dress and I’m getting a tailored ball gown. I wanted simple, down home food, and we’re getting caterers. I wanted small and quiet and we’re heading towards our own TV series for TLC or Lifetime. So, when I ask you for the request I am about to make, please keep in mind that the only part of this wedding so far that is going my way, besides, clearly, Harry, is my honeymoon in Ireland.”
“Sweetheart,” Mary Welsh said, “if you’re not happy we can change things.”
“Mary, it’s not that. I get that this wedding isn’t so much for me. I’m the eldest daughter, Harry’s the eldest son, it’s a family event. I get that. I just,” Kitty paused. “I want Eddie to be my Male of Honor or my Dude of Distinction, or whatever. I’d rather not have to pick one sister over another and, honestly, I need Eddie in that room with me.”
Kitty studied the three people before her. The moms looked unsure but Harry winked at her.
“I think it’s an awesome idea,” Harry said. “We won’t have to fight World War III among the sisters and Eddie is the best suited for the role. Out of all the siblings, cousins, and friends, he’s known our Kitty the longest.”
Mary smiled. “If Harry’s okay with it, and if it’s what you want, Kitty, than I don’t see a reason why not.”
“You always have to be different,” Shelia said. “But you and Eddie have always been a team. Is he still going to sing at the reception?” she asked.
“Mom, it’s Eddie. Of course he’s going to sing,” Kitty said.
Shelia nodded. She gave Kitty that measured look all her children learned to fear over the years.
“Very well,” Shelia said. She pulled out her pen and made a note in the wedding book. “We shall have Eddie as the Man of Honor.”
“I prefer Dude of Distinction,” Harry said.
“We will use the traditional title,” Shelia decreed. “Do we need to set aside a fitting or will Edward be wearing his dress uniform?”
“His dress uniform,” Kitty said. “It will work best for all of us.”
“Great, I’m going to be outshone by the Dude of Distinction,” Harry muttered. “No way I can compete with a Marine in Dress Blues.”
“Since you’ll be marrying me, you don’t have to worry about anyone else’s fashion choices,” Kitty said.
Harry laughed and nodded.
“Anyway, thank you,” Kitty said. “Go back to your planning things. I promised Ron I’d finish doing that research for him. I’ll be in the office in anyone needs me.”
“Okay, honey,” Shelia said. She’d already pulled out one of the folders and Kitty could tell, just by her face, that she was editing the seating chart. Again.
******
Kitty sat at her desk, playing an album of her favorite Hank Williams songs, and clicking through five different databases. She always needed Hank to get through the twists and turns required for tracking government funding of military coups. She was just on Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain when her cell phone rang.
“No, Ron, I’m not done yet,” she answered.
“And the next time I talk to Speirs I’ll be sure to tell him that,” Eddie replied.
Kitty pushed back from her desk. “How the hell are you talking to me now?” she asked.
“God gave human beings these things known as vocal chords. You can make noise which bounces off of them and it comes out as sound,” he answered.
“Don’t be a jackass. You are supposed to be somewhere without means of communication.”
“Libo. We’ve been rotated to the rear for a bit and I’m taking advantage of my connections with the NCIS field agents to call you.”
“I’m honored,” Kitty scoffed.
“You should be.”
“Mama said yes. You’re to be the official Man of Honor.”
Eddie laughed softly. “Like I could ever be anything else. We all know Dick Winters will be Harry’s best man and that the rest of the wedding party is your brothers and sisters. Hell, combine our families together and I think we can start our own small town.”
“Grogans, Welshes, Jonses, Liptons, and various members of the Winters family? I don’t know if the park will be big enough.”
“They are going for buffet style food, right?”
“Eddie, at this point I don’t even know. I don’t want to know. Knowing implies responsibility and I would much rather stay in my office and unravel government conspiracies. It’s less dangerous.”
“Princess, you are so damn crazy sometimes.”
“It’s why Harry loves me,” Kitty said.
“You two are evenly matched that way,” Eddie admitted. “How is the leprechaun doing?”
“For someone who can resemble either a scarecrow or a turkey, you might want to watch the name-calling,” she said. “And he’s doing fine. Just signed another government contract, he likes working with Dick’s people in the Pentagon.”
“Rumor has it they’re moving Poster Boy Basilone to that department.”
“Hey, someone has to slay the dragons,” Kitty said. “Speaking of, how’s that new officer working for you? Haldane?”
Eddie paused for a moment before answering. “My instincts were right,” he finally answered. “He’s a decent man and a good officer. That might screw him over one day, that he cares more about his men than his career, but as of now there’s little I have to worry about. He’s more relaxed here than at Pendleton. He’s finally grown used to Shelton.”
“The one you call Snafu, right? You said he grows on you like toe fungus?”
“That would be the one. All my mortar boys are so amusing.” Eddie sighed. “Time is running out Kit-Kat, but I just wanted to check on you. Need to make sure you haven’t drowned under all that tulle and paper stock.”
“It’s a close thing,” Kitty said. “You stay safe, Eddie. Don’t make me weep over your corpse.”
“I would never imagine being the cause of making your eyeliner run.” A whistle sounded in the background. “I’ve got to go, Princess. Love ya.”
“Love you too, Eddie.”
Kitty stayed on the line long after the dial-tone stopped. Eddie could never tell her exactly where he was, but she’d hacked enough databases to know. She couldn’t make it through the nightly news without itching to find out the truth.
“You okay, Kits?” Harry asked.
She jumped upon hearing his voice. “God, I didn’t even see you there.”
“Or hear me,” Harry said. “Bad news?” he asked, gesturing to the phone.
“No, no,” she said. “Eddie called. Wanted to make sure I’m still sane.”
Harry leaned over her and rested his chin on top of her head. “I know all this wedding business is not your thing, but thank you for giving me the privilege of marrying you. Even if you would be just as beautiful in jeans and a t-shirt down in city hall,” he said.
Kitty laughed. “Smooth, Welshie. I knew there was a reason I decided to marry you.”
“I thought that’s because I do the dishes and agree to every one of your sexual whims.”
“Those are just the fringe benefits.”
Harry tilted her head back and kissed her, distracting her long enough to pry the phone out of her hands.
“Come down to dinner,” he said. “You can let everyone know Eddie’s still alive.”
“Ron really wants this done today,” Kitty said.
“Ron is busy in Georgetown right now, trying to figure out how to crack Carwood. He’s busy, and he’s going to stay busy. Carwood knows how to keep his mouth shut and he’s just the kind of stubborn that will intrigue Speirs. Ron can wait, come and eat.”
Kitty nodded and stood up, letting Harry lead her down to the kitchen.
A mixture of the Grogans and Welshes were squished around the table. Kitty and Harry wiggled in between Bobby Jones and Claudia Welsh. Kitty looked around the room, unable to help herself in noting the faces that were missing. It wasn’t just Eddie. Every branch of the Armed Forces had a member of the Grogan-Welsh-Jones-Lipton clans. For all the bullshit that was going into this wedding, she couldn’t help but be desperately grateful that it would bring them all together again. Make the family complete, if only for a short time. Harry was calling in every favor he had and friend he knew to make it so. It was one of the reasons why she loved and adored him so much.
She grabbed Harry’s hand under the table and gave it a squeeze.
Title: We Rely On Each Other
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairing: Kitty, Harry, Eddie Jones. Kitty/Harry
Summary: Sometimes you just need a Man of Honor.
Disclaimer: This is all fiction based off the characters as portrayed in the HBO mini-series. No disrespect or harm is meant or intended.
A/N: Unbeated. Every last mistake is mine. Ficlet that got out of hand. From a request by skew_whiff
Kitty Grogan and Eddie Jones went back to the time they were in diapers. Not that they had much of a choice; Kitty’s mom and Eddie’s dad were twins, after all. They were both the eldest of ten kids, loved folk music, excelled in academics, and had a weakness for men with great senses of humor.
They were pretty much best friends, with family connections and history that few could compete with. Harry stopped trying to understand why they constantly left voice mails to each other singing parts of Islands in the Stream whenever Eddie was in the States. It was hard to explain to people their winning act as pre-teen Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers impersonators and why they were so proud of it. Being awarded first place in two different State Fairs for five years running was something they still bragged over. Not to mention that the song wasn’t exactly one cousins should sing to each other.
There were few people in the world who meant more to Kitty than Eddie. Which was why he begged, borrowed, and probably did a few illegal things to get an iron-clad approved leave for the time of her wedding. It was also why she was about to make this one final demand to the fascists running her wedding planning.
Kitty walked into her mother’s living room, where swatches of fabrics and bridal magazines had taken over. There were already stations sets up for the wedding invitations, the place cards, and the thank-you notes. Her dad put up a cork board which listed all the caterers and wedding cake bakers in the area. A terrifying guest list that ran in a spreadsheet and took up a large portion of the wall was tacked up next to a seating chart that would’ve made the White House Staff proud.
Her mom, Harry, and Harry’s mother were all pouring over the notebooks, datebooks, and online websites they had collected.
“Okay, listen,” Kitty said. She tried not to flinch under her mother’s look and instead chose to focus on Harry’s gap-toothed smile. “You three know that if I had my way, we’d either elope or have a simple courthouse ceremony. Instead I’ve caved into a church wedding and a backyard ceremony so large we had to rent out a park.”
“Catherine,” Shelia Grogan said, “you know our family reunions alone require the park rental.”
“Not the point, Mom.” Kitty pinched the bridge of her nose. “I wanted an off-the-rack ankle-length tea dress and I’m getting a tailored ball gown. I wanted simple, down home food, and we’re getting caterers. I wanted small and quiet and we’re heading towards our own TV series for TLC or Lifetime. So, when I ask you for the request I am about to make, please keep in mind that the only part of this wedding so far that is going my way, besides, clearly, Harry, is my honeymoon in Ireland.”
“Sweetheart,” Mary Welsh said, “if you’re not happy we can change things.”
“Mary, it’s not that. I get that this wedding isn’t so much for me. I’m the eldest daughter, Harry’s the eldest son, it’s a family event. I get that. I just,” Kitty paused. “I want Eddie to be my Male of Honor or my Dude of Distinction, or whatever. I’d rather not have to pick one sister over another and, honestly, I need Eddie in that room with me.”
Kitty studied the three people before her. The moms looked unsure but Harry winked at her.
“I think it’s an awesome idea,” Harry said. “We won’t have to fight World War III among the sisters and Eddie is the best suited for the role. Out of all the siblings, cousins, and friends, he’s known our Kitty the longest.”
Mary smiled. “If Harry’s okay with it, and if it’s what you want, Kitty, than I don’t see a reason why not.”
“You always have to be different,” Shelia said. “But you and Eddie have always been a team. Is he still going to sing at the reception?” she asked.
“Mom, it’s Eddie. Of course he’s going to sing,” Kitty said.
Shelia nodded. She gave Kitty that measured look all her children learned to fear over the years.
“Very well,” Shelia said. She pulled out her pen and made a note in the wedding book. “We shall have Eddie as the Man of Honor.”
“I prefer Dude of Distinction,” Harry said.
“We will use the traditional title,” Shelia decreed. “Do we need to set aside a fitting or will Edward be wearing his dress uniform?”
“His dress uniform,” Kitty said. “It will work best for all of us.”
“Great, I’m going to be outshone by the Dude of Distinction,” Harry muttered. “No way I can compete with a Marine in Dress Blues.”
“Since you’ll be marrying me, you don’t have to worry about anyone else’s fashion choices,” Kitty said.
Harry laughed and nodded.
“Anyway, thank you,” Kitty said. “Go back to your planning things. I promised Ron I’d finish doing that research for him. I’ll be in the office in anyone needs me.”
“Okay, honey,” Shelia said. She’d already pulled out one of the folders and Kitty could tell, just by her face, that she was editing the seating chart. Again.
******
Kitty sat at her desk, playing an album of her favorite Hank Williams songs, and clicking through five different databases. She always needed Hank to get through the twists and turns required for tracking government funding of military coups. She was just on Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain when her cell phone rang.
“No, Ron, I’m not done yet,” she answered.
“And the next time I talk to Speirs I’ll be sure to tell him that,” Eddie replied.
Kitty pushed back from her desk. “How the hell are you talking to me now?” she asked.
“God gave human beings these things known as vocal chords. You can make noise which bounces off of them and it comes out as sound,” he answered.
“Don’t be a jackass. You are supposed to be somewhere without means of communication.”
“Libo. We’ve been rotated to the rear for a bit and I’m taking advantage of my connections with the NCIS field agents to call you.”
“I’m honored,” Kitty scoffed.
“You should be.”
“Mama said yes. You’re to be the official Man of Honor.”
Eddie laughed softly. “Like I could ever be anything else. We all know Dick Winters will be Harry’s best man and that the rest of the wedding party is your brothers and sisters. Hell, combine our families together and I think we can start our own small town.”
“Grogans, Welshes, Jonses, Liptons, and various members of the Winters family? I don’t know if the park will be big enough.”
“They are going for buffet style food, right?”
“Eddie, at this point I don’t even know. I don’t want to know. Knowing implies responsibility and I would much rather stay in my office and unravel government conspiracies. It’s less dangerous.”
“Princess, you are so damn crazy sometimes.”
“It’s why Harry loves me,” Kitty said.
“You two are evenly matched that way,” Eddie admitted. “How is the leprechaun doing?”
“For someone who can resemble either a scarecrow or a turkey, you might want to watch the name-calling,” she said. “And he’s doing fine. Just signed another government contract, he likes working with Dick’s people in the Pentagon.”
“Rumor has it they’re moving Poster Boy Basilone to that department.”
“Hey, someone has to slay the dragons,” Kitty said. “Speaking of, how’s that new officer working for you? Haldane?”
Eddie paused for a moment before answering. “My instincts were right,” he finally answered. “He’s a decent man and a good officer. That might screw him over one day, that he cares more about his men than his career, but as of now there’s little I have to worry about. He’s more relaxed here than at Pendleton. He’s finally grown used to Shelton.”
“The one you call Snafu, right? You said he grows on you like toe fungus?”
“That would be the one. All my mortar boys are so amusing.” Eddie sighed. “Time is running out Kit-Kat, but I just wanted to check on you. Need to make sure you haven’t drowned under all that tulle and paper stock.”
“It’s a close thing,” Kitty said. “You stay safe, Eddie. Don’t make me weep over your corpse.”
“I would never imagine being the cause of making your eyeliner run.” A whistle sounded in the background. “I’ve got to go, Princess. Love ya.”
“Love you too, Eddie.”
Kitty stayed on the line long after the dial-tone stopped. Eddie could never tell her exactly where he was, but she’d hacked enough databases to know. She couldn’t make it through the nightly news without itching to find out the truth.
“You okay, Kits?” Harry asked.
She jumped upon hearing his voice. “God, I didn’t even see you there.”
“Or hear me,” Harry said. “Bad news?” he asked, gesturing to the phone.
“No, no,” she said. “Eddie called. Wanted to make sure I’m still sane.”
Harry leaned over her and rested his chin on top of her head. “I know all this wedding business is not your thing, but thank you for giving me the privilege of marrying you. Even if you would be just as beautiful in jeans and a t-shirt down in city hall,” he said.
Kitty laughed. “Smooth, Welshie. I knew there was a reason I decided to marry you.”
“I thought that’s because I do the dishes and agree to every one of your sexual whims.”
“Those are just the fringe benefits.”
Harry tilted her head back and kissed her, distracting her long enough to pry the phone out of her hands.
“Come down to dinner,” he said. “You can let everyone know Eddie’s still alive.”
“Ron really wants this done today,” Kitty said.
“Ron is busy in Georgetown right now, trying to figure out how to crack Carwood. He’s busy, and he’s going to stay busy. Carwood knows how to keep his mouth shut and he’s just the kind of stubborn that will intrigue Speirs. Ron can wait, come and eat.”
Kitty nodded and stood up, letting Harry lead her down to the kitchen.
A mixture of the Grogans and Welshes were squished around the table. Kitty and Harry wiggled in between Bobby Jones and Claudia Welsh. Kitty looked around the room, unable to help herself in noting the faces that were missing. It wasn’t just Eddie. Every branch of the Armed Forces had a member of the Grogan-Welsh-Jones-Lipton clans. For all the bullshit that was going into this wedding, she couldn’t help but be desperately grateful that it would bring them all together again. Make the family complete, if only for a short time. Harry was calling in every favor he had and friend he knew to make it so. It was one of the reasons why she loved and adored him so much.
She grabbed Harry’s hand under the table and gave it a squeeze.