"The Eighth Side of the Triangle"(25/?) by Susan Jameson (DrBarnBarn@aol.com) See part 1 for headers, archive info, etc.
~~~~~ Two weeks later As Jim Saw It ~~~~~ "There it is!" someone yelled. I turned to look at the television monitor. The video feed from the periscope wasn't the clearest I'd ever seen -- there was an unseasonable fog and the sun hadn't risen all the way yet, but I'd have known the landmarks if they'd been twice as foggy and half as bright. After more than six months deployed, USS Annapolis was back at Submarine Base New London, better known as SUBASE. Some of the crew was manning the rails -- you know, standing at parade rest topside -- as we sailed on the surface toward the pier, but I wasn't one of the lucky ones. That was all right with me, though. I'd just as soon leave that to the guys whose families are there to greet them. I guess I could have gone topside, but I didn't feel like getting dressed up and standing there like a damn statue, so I stayed below in the crew's mess, watching the scene unfold on television, as did most of the crew who could get away from their duties. I hadn't seen the sun for a hell of a long time, but I knew I'd get to it eventually. There was no hurry. Shit, even if there'd been someone waiting for me, I might have tried to beg off, because I was tired. I was worse than tired, I was dead-dog tired, because I'd spent the past four months pulling double duty. The promised replacement for Mr. Donaldson had never arrived, to no one's great surprise. Qualified engineering officers aren't exactly a dime a dozen. My team had done their damnedest to keep things going for me, and I appreciated it -- hell, I didn't just appreciate it, I'd put them up for a unit citation -- but in the end, the duty falls where the accountability lies, and that was at my feet. Or on my head. Sometimes it felt that way. All those months of irregular hours, scant sleep, heavy workloads and almost no recreation had taken their toll on me. Tired as I was, though, I still wasn't all that excited about getting home. I was OOD tomorrow starting at the afternoon watch, so I couldn't go very far away. At best, I could go to my apartment in Groton, air the place out, crash for a few hours and then come back here, and it didn't seem worth the trouble, so I was pretty much just planning to stay on the boat until my leave started in two weeks. "There's Ann!" one of the sailors said. "God, she looks so pretty." "A drunk toad would look pretty to you right now, Flint," another one said. "Hey, if you'll hold its head, I'd take a blow job," Flint said. "Shit, after six months at sea, I'd take a blow job from the XO," a third guy said, and then an uneasy silence fell as they looked over at me. "Just make sure it's his head you're holding, Solomon," I said, and the laughter burst out again. "You'd better be glad that was Mr. Reilly standing there, asshole," I heard someone say, sotto voce. "There's plenty of officers wouldn't let you get away with that shit." "Neither does Mr. Reilly if you go too far," Flint said. "I mean, he jokes around, but he runs a pretty fucking tight ship." "Yeah, he's all right ... or he used to be," Solomon said, casting an uneasy glance over his shoulder at me. "He's gotten kinda bitchy lately." I turned away, hoping they wouldn't realize I'd heard. Yeah, I knew I was getting to be a real SOB sometimes, and I'm sure I wasn't nearly as popular with the crew as I had been. So what? We were home. I had no idea whether I'd ever see either of those guys again, and at the moment I didn't particularly care, either. "Holy fucking cow, would you look at that one!" Solomon called out. "Sweet Jesus, take me now!" Okay, that got my attention. I turned around and looked at the screen ... And damn near fainted away. It was Dana. "Shee-it," Flint said, giving a long, low whistle. "You think maybe she's here shopping for a sailor?" "I'm available," Solomon said. "I am ready, willing and able to lay the famous Solomonic love attack on that target." "Shit, she ain't available," said a voice I couldn't identify. "Not a babe like that. I wish to Christ I knew who the hell she is waiting for." "Me," I said, faintly, but I'm not sure I really believed it. I knew there wasn't anyone else on this boat she might be waiting for, but I still couldn't quite believe ... "I'm sorry, sir?" Flint said, breaking into my thoughts. "Did you say something, Mr. Reilly?" I cleared my throat. "Yeah," I said, more clearly. "Me. She's waiting for me." "Oh, shit," Solomon said, looking a little scared. "Mr. Reilly, I didn't mean nothing by that, what I said ..." "I know you didn't," I said, impatiently, craning my neck as the scope swept past Dana and on down the pier, as though by looking harder I might get another glimpse of her. "God DAMN," Solomon said. "You are one lucky SOB, Mr. Reilly -- no offense, sir." "Who is she, Mr. Reilly?" Flint said. "You never said anything about her." For a moment, I just stood there looking at the screen as the scope panned on down, capturing the happy, excited faces, the hand-painted signs and balloons designed to attract a sailor's attention and guide him to the arms of the people who loved him. Dana hadn't been holding a sign, or any balloons, or flowers, or anything like that. It just wasn't her style, you know? It didn't matter. I'd find her. "Her name's Dana Scully," I said, finally. "She's ... I think she's my girlfriend." ~~~~~ I don't guess I need to tell you that my ideas about what to do when we docked changed pretty damn quick, do I? Oh, man. I couldn't get off that boat fast enough, much to the amusement of those who'd witnessed the scene in the mess. I practically ran to my stateroom to put on my summer whites, slowed down a bit by my inability to remember where I'd stowed my ribbons -- I hadn't worn them in months -- until I finally found them tucked inside my white wheel hat, which I also hadn't worn in months. I gave my white shoes a quick buffing with a towel and I was topside and walking down the gangway just as fast as I could possibly get there, all the time scanning the crowd for that flash of red hair, hoping and praying I hadn't just imagined it or mistaken someone else for Dana ... But I knew I hadn't. There's no one else like her, no one. And then I heard it ... that soft voice, raised just enough to be heard over the chattering, laughing crowd ... "Jim," she called out. "Over here." I looked to my left, following the sound, and there she was, looking even more beautiful than I'd remembered, wearing a soft pink sweater and white slacks that fit like crazy, and smiling at me ... shit, she wasn't just smiling, she was absolutely radiant. I pushed my way through the crowd, hardly daring to hope ... and then I was there, standing in front of her, looking down at her, unable to think of a single damn word to say. Pretty damn unusual for me, right? But God, Dana could take anyone's breath away ... she sure as shit took mine. "Aren't you even going to say hello?" she said, arching one eyebrow. "Yeah," I said, nodding stupidly, then I caught myself. "I mean ... hello." "Hello, yourself," she said, and she reached out and gently took my hand. "Jim," she said, quietly, "aren't you glad to see me?" "Oh, yeah," I said. "Oh, God, yes," and without giving it another thought, I swept her into my arms and kissed her like it was the only thing keeping me alive. PDAs be damned, decorum be damned, anything and everything be damned, Dana Scully was alive and beautiful and soft and loving and in my arms and oh, Jesus ... kissing me back, God, she was kissing me back ... "Woo-hoo!" a voice called from behind me. "Way to go, Mr. Reilly!" "You da MAN, lieutenant!" another yelled. "Da MAN!" "Give her one for me, sir!" a third sailor called. And Dana started to giggle. So help me God, she started to giggle while I was still kissing her. That did it. I got control of myself and let her go. I took a step back and looked at her, and God, her eyes were shining, she was still smiling at me and she was breathing so fast ... it couldn't be, could it? "Jim," she said, with some amusement, "I've never known you to be so silent before." "I've never known you to kiss me like that before," I said. "Not that I'm complaining ..." "I should hope not," Dana said, quietly, laying her hand gently on my arm. "Because if you're willing ... if you still want it ... there are a lot more kisses where that one came from." "There are?" I said. (Oh, brilliant repartee there, James. She won't be able to resist that kind of witty exchange for long ... you asshole.) "There are," she said, nodding. "If it's what you want, that is." "Jesus Christ, yes," I said, fervently. "I want ... I mean, anything ... whatever you want ... Dana, I'm ..." "Shh," she said, touching my lips with a cool finger to quiet me. "We'll talk when we're alone. Can you leave now, or are you on duty?" "Not until tomorrow afternoon," I said. "Where are you parked?" "About a mile down Shark Boulevard," she said, laughing. "There's nowhere to park on this base." "Don't I know it," I said. "Um ... have you eaten? You want to get something on the base?" (Smooth. You are so smooth. You mother-fucking moron. What the fuck is she sticking around for -- to hear more of this?) "Actually," Dana said, very slowly, "I was thinking more along the lines of your apartment ..." "There's nothing there to eat," I said. "I mean, you know, I haven't bought groceries in six months." (Oh, Jesus, Reilly, that was SO fucking lame. She's asking you to take her to your apartment and you're telling her why that's a bad idea. The only really bad idea around here was for you to open your mouth in the first place.) Dana didn't seem put off by my babbling, though. She just nodded. "I know," she said. "But you do have groceries because I shopped just before I came here. So we've got everything we need." "We do, huh?" I said, and I felt a smile growing on my face; okay, make that a shit-eating grin. "What if I told you that you're all I need?" (Oh, you stupid FUCK. What the hell are you doing, trying out every idiotic line in "101 Ways to Pick Up Girls"? If I said you had a beautiful body, baby, would you hold it against me? What's your sign, anyway? I must be in heaven, 'cause you sure look like an angel. JEEsus.) Somehow, though, she still wasn't put off. "Then I'd say you're a lucky man," she said, softly, "because you've got me." Sir, that blip on the radar screen ... I think it's ... it's ... actual contact. No fucking shit. She just said ... oh, fuck. "Do I have you, Dana?" I asked, feeling the first faint stirrings of real hope. "Do I really?" (Brilliance again, Reilly. Why the fuck don't you just shut up before she decides to drop you off at the Eastern Connecticut Home for the Terminally Stupid?) "Yes, Jim, you do," she said, taking my hand briefly. "Really. Now come on, let's get you home. There's so much I want you to know ... so many things I want to tell you." "Oh, God," I said, closing my eyes just for a second. "And I want to hear them, too -- every last one of them. But Dana ... Jesus, Dana, I can't believe ... I mean ... Dana, what brought this on?" Dana smiled at me then, a soft, enigmatic, mysterious smile. "It's very simple," she said. "I learned how to trust again; I learned not to be afraid of being loved, or afraid of you ... of loving you, of being with you." "Never," I said, fervently. "Never, ever be afraid of me, Dana. I would die before I would hurt you." "I know," she said, softly, and kissed me again, "and the feeling is mutual, Jim. I would do anything to keep you from being hurt. Now, let's go. I need some time alone with you." ~~~~~ 278 Meridian St. Groton, Conn. As Scully Saw It ~~~~~ The drive from SUBASE to Jim's apartment across the river in Groton is a short one as the crow flies. But for me and for him, on that day, it seemed to take forever. Jim, usually so boisterous and irrepressible, was quiet a good part of the way. I didn't press him to talk; Daniel had told me about the death of Jim's superior, and what that had meant to Jim emotionally and in terms of his greatly increased workload. I could see how tired he was, too. There were lines in his face that hadn't been there when he left, and one or two gray hairs at his temples that I didn't recall having seen before. Small wonder. The human body wasn't made to withstand long work periods with short sleeps at irregular intervals, or meals grabbed on the fly, and Jim had been enduring that for months. His silence wasn't entirely due to fatigue and strain, though. I think I can say, without undue modesty, that he was simply overwhelmed at what was happening between us. I didn't blame him. I wanted to be with him more than I could ever describe, and I think I'd succeeded in letting him know it, too. We were both a bit impatient. If I wasn't quite as overwhelmed as he was, it was only because I'd had more time to think about it and to make up my mind. And my mind was made up. I knew that when I awoke on a beautiful, clear, cool morning in the Catoctin Mountains, snuggled warm and safe between Mulder and Daniel, feeling pleasantly sated, wonderfully loved ... and miraculously free of the ghosts that had haunted me for so long. For a long time, I just lay there, watching them sleep, remembering the unbearable sweetness and generosity with which they'd loved me the night before. And yet, what I felt most strongly of all, as if for the first time, was the true depth and power of my love for Jim Reilly ... It sounds strange, I know, but it is true: and I knew that now, at last, I would be able to let my feelings for him show. Mulder, Daniel and I never spoke of that night. We had no need to. We were all happy and peaceful and carefree, and when we returned from the mountains and Mulder dropped me off at my apartment, leaving to go spend the rest of the week with Daniel, I felt no jealousy or sorrow, only happiness that they would have this time together. We were one. We always had been. Mulder knew it. So did Daniel. I was the only one who couldn't see it. And so they showed me, in the only way I could really understand. I did understand, at long last; and I knew I would not need to be shown again. I am not a fool. I knew Mulder and I would have our disagreements again, would face separations and hardships again, would misunderstand and hurt each other again ... but I no longer feared that our partnership, our friendship, wouldn't survive. That, I knew, was simply impossible. When at last we arrived at Jim's apartment complex, I waited in the car while he retrieved his keys from the manager's office. When he returned, he unlocked the door and we walked in. "It's pretty musty," Jim said, apologetically, as he closed and locked the door behind him. "Why don't I open the windows and air things out while you go get a nice, long shower?" I said. "I know you haven't had that luxury in months." "No, I haven't," Jim said, softly, taking me in his arms, "and I would, Dana, but there's something else I've been wanting even longer." "Is there, now?" I said, and I raised myself up on tiptoe and kissed him. Jim's arms tightened around me, almost lifting me off my feet, as he kissed me harder, more deeply, more firmly than I think I'd ever been kissed before. Mulder's kisses are sweet and Daniel's are lovely, but Jim's was hungry, consuming, powerful, the kiss of a man whose body was famished for this act of love, the kiss of a man who wanted me more than anything on this earth ... His tongue was warm in my mouth and tasted of him, flavored with a heady taste of strong black coffee, and I opened my mouth wider, inviting him in, drawing him in, letting him take control and feed his desire for me on anything he wanted. I had no need to direct matters now, or to restrain him from anything he might want. I was safe with him. For the first time in my life, love and desire had come together in an overpowering wave of longing and need, and I had nothing at all to fear. I reached for the buttons on his uniform blouse and begin to unfasten them, one by one, sliding my hands over his finely muscled chest, feeling the heat of his body and the sudden, sharp intake of his breath as I caressed him through the immaculate white T-shirt . I felt his lips against my temple, pressed against my pulse in a trembling kiss; he whispered my name as he helped me pull the white shirt over his head. His skin was pale from so many months below the surface, but he felt so good, so strong and male, so warm ... his arms felt so right around me, his height towering over me, his erection hot and firm against my stomach ... I had never really known this with any man before, this heart- tugging knowledge of being wanted to absolute distraction, of a desire so honest, so fundamental, so powerful that it left me nearly dizzy. Josh had wanted me, yes, but not for myself; he wanted ownership and control, and he wanted sexual release. He gave me only what he had to in order to get those things. Not Jim. Jim wanted me physically, but he also wanted me, myself, my soul and my heart, with the intensity of a man struggling to survive ... and perhaps he was. Jim's heart had been tossed by storms for a long time now. I knew so little of his marriage, of what it had been to him or what had brought it to an end. I knew only that he had loved Elise with all the passion and loyalty of a Reilly and that she had repaid his love by rejecting him when he was far away and alone. That would not happen to him again. Not with me. I could never give him all of my heart, but he had never asked that of me. What he wanted, I could and would give ... now. "Jim," I whispered in his ear, "take me to bed. Please." "Dana, are you sure?" he asked, moving back a little and taking both my hands. "I want you, God knows I want you, but I want you to be sure." "I've never been more sure of anything in my life," I said, and I kissed him again. "Now ... please." Without another word, he scooped me up in his arms and carried me to the bedroom. ~~~~~ Even now, a certain slant of morning light, a light whisper of a cool breeze, a whiff of sun-dried linen, can bring that time back to me with perfect clarity. For just a moment, I allowed myself to contrast Jim's grateful eagerness with his brother's gentle compassion, but only for a moment. Physically, they were very much alike; in the way they made love to me, though, they could scarcely have been more different. Daniel's affection for me was far stronger than his desire for me or for any other woman; Jim's love, while soul-deep and strong, was running neck-and-neck with his longing for me. Jim was a careful, considerate lover, but all his tenderness was suffused with white-hot desire ... And Jim, unlike Daniel, had a great deal of experience with women. That much was clear right from the beginning. Jim approached me and touched me with confidence and sureness that Daniel could never have with a woman, but without one hint of Josh's arrogance and possessiveness. I allowed those thoughts to occupy me only briefly, though, and then I pushed them from my mind and allowed myself simply to drift along, savoring each touch, each kiss, each new sensation of contact as, little by little, we undressed each other and loved each other. Jim loved me with his words and with his body, he loved me with touches and kisses and firm, rhythmic thrusts, he awakened those parts of my heart that still slumbered ... with all that he was and all that he had, he made me his. To this day, I remember the warm, happy laughter we shared as I looked down on him, his flesh thrust firmly into mine, as I slowly rocked above him ... I remember his smiles and his awed joy as I reached my climax ... I remember the rock-hard muscles in his arms as he rolled me onto my back and sought his own pleasure. And I remember most of all the gentle drop of his tears on my breast as I cradled him afterward. We said nothing to each other then. There was no need. I just held him, held his still-shaking body in my tenderest embrace and let those tears drop silently wherever they would, until at last his months-long exhaustion overcame him, and he slept, watched over, protected, guarded and loved, at long last, as he was always meant to be. ~~~~~ TO: reillyda@bethesda.med.navy.mil FROM: jmreilly@scrippsmercy.org Dear Daniel, Of course I'll be there. I am very, very happy for you, my very dearest love. In fact, I have an idea for something ... but I'll ask you about that when I see you. In answer to your last question, yes, I have seen Rick a few times. He has asked me about taking my old job back at Johns Hopkins, but for now, I think I am going to do better staying where I am. Maybe in time I'll come back to Maryland, but the time isn't yet. It has nothing to do with not wanting to see you, because I do ... it also has nothing to do with whether I care for Rick, because I do. I just don't think I'm ready yet to plunge myself back into a relationship, and you will need time for your new relationship to grow without the difficulties of having me around. But yes, I will come to the Vineyard for Christmas if you are sure you want me there. I would love to spend some time with you and Fox, and Dana and Jim (and hearing that they've finally gotten together must rank as some of the happiest news I've ever had). I know it must be terrifying to you, giving up your apartment and moving in with Fox. Don't worry too much, though; lots of people have roommates in the DC area. Rents being what they are, I doubt anyone will think a thing of it. Anyway, you know you hate the place you're in now. From what I've heard, at least Fox's place has some character. I know you will be happy there. I got the pictures, and I think the rings are lovely. A Harvard Medical College ring is perfect for you, and the other ring is simply beautiful. An onyx triangle is the perfect symbol, and I only wish I'd thought of it. And yes, my dear Danny, I am more than pleased to hear that you're wearing my ring on your right hand. I want you always to know how I love you and how important you are to me, and knowing that you feel comfortable with that ring on your hand means the world to me. I have so much more to say, but it doesn't belong in an e-mail. Give my love to Fox and Dana and especially to Jimmy, and know that I love you more than my own life. To see you happy at last is one of the greatest blessings I could ever imagine. Always, Your Jill ~~~~~ Sept. 18, 1997 St. Ignatius Catholic Church The Order for Solemnization of Holy Union of Fox William Mulder and Daniel Anthony Reilly ~~~~~ The couple and their families gather under the chuppah. Father Henderson: In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,Amen. Rabbi Katzenberg: Baruch ata Adonai Eloheynu melach ha-olam, she- hech-eyanu, v'kiy'manu, v'higi-anu, la-z'man ha-zeh. (Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this joyous occasion.) GREETING Rabbi Katzenberg: Berukot habaot b'Shehinah. Father Henderson: Welcome in the name of God. Rabbi Katzenberg: Berukot mi'beyt ha'Shehinah. Father Henderson: Welcome in this house of God. Father Henderson: My sisters and brothers, we are gathered to witness, celebrate and affirm the joining together of Daniel Anthony Reilly and Fox William Mulder in a holy union as partners in life. We come together in confidence and prayer to ask God's blessing on the joined and personal lives of Daniel and Fox as they freely enter a bond of a loving, living relationship of shared commitment. Rabbi Katzenberg: Recognizing their spiritual, social and physical relationship as wholesome and good, they wish to acknowledge God's enriching presence in their lives by proclaiming and solemnizing their union as life partners. This holy union is a joyful celebration and thanksgiving for the gifts God has given them. Father Henderson: Fox and Daniel are here to bear witness to their love for each other and to their intention to embody God's redeeming love in their relationship. Each has found the other to be a gift of God in the midst of a broken world. We are now called to share in their happiness and to witness this exchange of vows, because we believe God, who is love and trust, sees into their hearts and accepts the offering they are making. Rabbi Katzenberg: The joining of Fox and Daniel in heart, body and mind is intended by God for their mutual joy, for the health and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity and for the greater manifestation of love in the lives of all whom they encounter. Therefore this commitment is to be undertaken and affirmed seriously, reverently, deliberately and in accordance with God's intention for us. RABBI'S INVOCATION AND BETROTHAL BLESSINGS Mi Adir el hakol Mi Baruch el hakol Mi Gadol el hakol Hey'vareshet h'chatan v'chatan. Splendor is upon everything Blessing is upon everything You who are full of this abundance Bless these grooms. Blessed are you, O Lord God, King of the Universe, who teaches us to rejoice in love. You command us to celebrate the consecration of lovers, and to witness vows here beneath the chuppah. Blessed are you, O Lord God, King of the Universe, who sanctifies the union of your children beneath the chuppah. Father Henderson: Who brings Fox to this union? Dana Scully: I do. Rabbi Katzenberg: Who brings Daniel to this union? Jill Reilly: I do. SCRIPTURE READING Margaret Scully: A reading from the First Book of Samuel. After David had finished talking to Saul, Jonathan's soul became closely bound to David's and Jonathan came to him as his own soul. Saul kept him from that day forward and would not let him go back to his father's house. Jonathan made a pact with David to love him as his own soul; he took off the cloak he was wearing and give it to David, and his armor too, even his sword, his bow and belt. Whenever David went out, on whatever mission Saul sent him, he was successful, and Saul put him in command of the fighting men; he stood well in his people's eyes and in the eyes of Saul's officers. The next morning Jonathan went out into the fields for the agreed meeting with David, taking a young servant with him. Jonathan then gave his weapons to his servant and said, "Go and carry them to the town." When the servant went off, David rose from beside the hillock and fell with his face to the ground and bowed three times. Then they kissed each other and shed many tears. Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace. And as regards the oath that both of us have sworn, in the name of the Lord be witness between you and me, between your descendants and mine forever." This is the Word of the Lord. Response: Thanks be to God. Jim Reilly: A reading from the First Book of Timothy The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with godless myths and false tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. This is the Word of the Lord. Response: Thanks be to God. EXCHANGE OF VOWS Father Henderson: Fox, will you take Daniel to be your partner in life? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only for him so long as you both shall live? Fox: I will. Rabbi Katzenberg: Daniel, will you take Fox to be your partner in life? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only for him so long as you both shall live? Daniel: I will. Father Henderson: Repeat after me. Daniel: In the name of God, I, Daniel Anthony, take you, Fox William, to be my companion and partner, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish, until death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance. This is my solemn vow to you. Rabbi Katzenberg: Repeat after me. Fox: I, Fox William, take you, Daniel Anthony, to be my companion and partner, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish, until death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance. This is my solemn vow to you. BLESSING OF THE RINGS Father Henderson: Bless, O Lord, these rings, that he who gives it and he who wears it may abide in your peace and continue in your favor unto their life's end. EXCHANGE OF RINGS Fox: Haray ata mekudash lee beh-taba'at zo keh-dat Moshe v'Israel. (Behold, you are consecrated to me with this ring according to the laws of Moses and Israel.) Daniel: Haray ata mekudash lee beh-taba'at zo keh-dat Moshe v'Israel. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. RABBI'S READING OF KETUBAH On the sixth day of the week, the 18th day of September, 1997 of the Common Era, as the days are commonly reckoned in the United States of America, in Israel the 16th in Elul, 5757, we, Daniel Anthony Reilly, son of Anthony and Georgiana, and Fox William Mulder, son of William and Teena, have come to stand under the chuppah before family and friends to make a mutual covenant as partners in love and life. We symbolize this pledge of love for each other with the exchange of rings, to remind us daily of this pledge and our love for each other. Each has said to the other "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this ring according to the laws of Moses and Israel." We ask that all present support us as we pledge our lives to each other in this sacred covenant. These are the promises we make to each other: You are my best friend and companion forever. When you need strength, lean on me. When you need encouragement, come to me. When you need comfort and love, speak to me. When I fail you, don't give up on me. You are in my heart today, before all others, and I bring a stronger heart to this choice than I have brought to any other. Stay with me. Learn with me. Live by my side. Love is the reason we are here before God. And I believe that today, God opens his hand to us. I believe that I was chosen to live my life with you from this day forward. May my heart be your shelter, my arms be your refuge, for when your strength alone will not carry you through, my strength will always be there for you. I take you to be no other than who you are, loving what I know of you and trusting what I don't yet know, with respect for your integrity and faith in your abiding love for me. In all that life may bring us, in love and friendship, in joy and sorrow, I pledge my love, now and forever. (signed) Daniel Anthony Reilly and Fox William Mulder The Rev. Francis X. Henderson, S.J. and Rabbi Devorah Katzenberg Witnesses, Jill Marie McDonnell Reilly and Dana Katherine Scully SERMON: Rabbi Katzenberg Welcome to you all. In the past few months, as Father Henderson and I have worked with Fox and Daniel to prepare them to be joined in this covenant, we have come to know them as individuals and as a couple in ways that have enriched and blessed us both. With their permission, I would like to share with you some of what we have learned. Fox, during our talks together, you told me that you have no belief and no interest whatsoever in religion or even in thinking about God. Unlike you, Daniel does believe, but he felt lost, alienated from the Church in which he was raised, and unable to find his way back on his own. You said to him, "Daniel, if you believe, then go, find a place where you can belong and be a part of that, and I will support you and be glad for you, even though I don't believe in God or feel any need to seek him." And Daniel, that is how you came to be a part of Dignity USA and of St. Ignatius Catholic Church. Fox challenged you to clarify your views, to take that step back to God and to acknowledge to yourself where you did and did not fall short of what God expects of you in this life. Furthermore, as uncomfortable as it was for him at times, he showed his love for you and his care and compassion for you by supporting you firmly and wholeheartedly in a choice that he does not want to make himself. For your part, Daniel, you have reaffirmed your religious commitment and found your way back to God, to a home in a faith that your partner does not share -- and you freely acknowledge that you would never have done this on your own, that you could never have done this without his support and encouragement. And yet, Fox, while we were working together in preparation for this day, there was one thing that spoke to me more loudly that anything of your capacity to love, to commit, and of your neverending hope for the future. It came when we began to talk of the ceremony itself, how it would be worded and who would take what part. That was when you, who proclaimed yourself agnostic, unbelieving, completely assimilated as a Jew, quietly spoke up and asked that the ceremony include certain aspects of the traditional Jewish marriage ceremony, to which Daniel readily agreed. At another time in the preparations, just as quietly, just as beautifully, just as miraculously, came the woman who stood beside Daniel to "give the groom away." Her name, as you notice on the program, is Jill Reilly, which may have lead those of you who don't know her to assume that she is Daniel's sister. She is not. She is his former wife, and she and Daniel have struggled through a great deal of pain and anger and hurt to reach this moment, when they stand together in a love tested by time, deepened by understanding and sanctified by forgiveness. It was Jill's idea to take this role in the ceremony today; when I asked her about it, asked her if she was sure she wanted to do this, she said she was. "After all, rabbi," she said to me, "who has a better right?" No one, Jill. No one at all. The woman who stands next to Fox is his partner in work and his closest friend, Dana Scully. He and Dana, like Daniel and Jill, have struggled through a great deal of pain and sorrow together, through life and near-death, to come to this moment. And yet they are here, and the love they share is strong; it has endured, and it will endure. It reaches out to Daniel and takes him in, as the love of Daniel and Fox reaches out and takes Dana in. Love -- true love -- knows no boundaries. This year has been a difficult year for Fox and Daniel, a year of separation and struggle, of sorrow and pain, and yet a year that has only strengthened their love and their commitment to each other. Let us all join together in hope and in prayer that their next year will be a quieter time during which sorrow will be forgotten and they can simply grow together in love. In a few moments, we will complete this ceremony with what is, perhaps, the best-known part of a traditional Jewish marriage ceremony -- the breaking of the glass. Since we have two grooms today -- two chatanim -- we have two glasses, because we don't want anyone stomping on anyone else's foot! The breaking of the glass reminds us as Jews of the destruction of the Temple, but it has other meanings as well. It reminds us that love is fragile, that life is fragile, and that -- like glass -- they must be protected. The pieces of the shattered glass serve also as a wish that the love these men bear for each other will remain until the pieces of the glass come together again. It is also a reminder that in the midst of rejoicing we should be mindful of all the suffering in the world. Today, however, the breaking of the glass may have more meaning than ever. This holy union that we celebrate today is not a marriage in the legal sense, as much as it hurts to acknowledge that. Legal marriage is still denied to Fox and Daniel, as it is to many of us, because those we love are the same sex as we are. For Daniel especially, entering into this union is an act of tremendous courage, because of all he stands to lose should it ever become known. The same people who proclaimed him a hero for his courage a few short months ago would declare him unfit because of his love tomorrow. Let us, then, with this symbol, be mindful of the barriers that still exist for all the people of God's earth, and as the glass is broken, let those barriers be broken, and let us all live together one day in peace, unity and concord, and say, Amen. INTERCESSORY PRAYER Father Henderson: That they will have a steadily deepening love, which grows in understanding and unselfishness; we pray to the Lord. Response: Lord, hear our prayer. That they will have a measure of patience, especially in the early years when life must fall in step with life; we pray to the Lord. Response: Lord, hear our prayer. Grant them the ability to communicate that they may be saved from hurtful words spoken in anger or grudges nurtured in silence; for this we pray. Response: Lord, hear our prayer. Bless them with a sense of humor, that they may laugh at themselves and with others; we pray to the Lord. Response: Lord, hear our prayer. That theirs be a happy home, where they may find and give serenity and strength; we pray to the Lord. Response: Lord, hear our prayer. Give them a sense of values, that they may care for people more than possessions, for giving rather than receiving, for loving rather than being loved, for understanding rather than being understood, for honor more than honors, for the dimensions of a home more than the details of a house, for your approval more than the world's approval; we pray to the Lord. Response: Lord, hear our prayer. Plant within them a growing faith, that finds your sufficient love and grace in every joy and sorrow and responds in lives of steadiness and service; we pray to the Lord. Response: Lord, hear our prayer. Make them instruments of your peace; we pray to the Lord. Response: Lord, hear our prayer. We ask your blessing upon them. In health and in sickness, in abundance and in want, in life and in death, Amen. Response: Amen. SHEVA B'RACHOT Margaret Scully: Blessed are you, O Lord, Giver of Life, King of the universe, creator of the fruit of the vine. Dana Scully: Blessed are you, O Lord, Giver of Life, King of the universe, whose glory is evident in all of creation. Jim Reilly: Blessed are you, O Lord, Giver of Life, King of the universe, creator of all humankind. Walter Skinner: Blessed are you, O Lord, Giver of Life, King of the universe, who created us all in the divine image, that together we might create and sustain life. Blessed are you, O Lord, creator of humanity. Amy Malone: May Zion rejoice as her children return to her in joy. Praised are You, Lord, who causes Zion to rejoice in her children. Kimberly Knox: Grant perfect joy to these loving companions, as You did for the first man and woman in the Garden of Eden. Praised are You, Lord, who create the joy of lovers. Jill Reilly: Blessed are you, O Lord, Giver of Life, King of the universe, who created joy and gladness, lovers, pleasure, song, delight, laughter, love and harmony, peace and companionship. Lord, Giver of Life, may there always be heard in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem voices of joy and gladness, of happiness, voices of lovers, the jubilant voices of those joined in marriage under the huppah, the voices of young people feasting and singing. Praised are You, Lord, who causes lovers to rejoice together. Jim Reilly: This glass of wine is symbolic of the cup of life. As you share this cup of wine, you share all that the future may bring. Baruch ata Adonai Eloheynu, melech ha olam, boray piree h'gafen. We give thanks to the giver of Life, creator of the fruit of the vine, symbol of life. Daniel drinks. Dana Scully: As you share from this cup, so may you draw contentment, comfort and happiness from your own cup of life. May you find life's joys heightened, its bitterness sweetened, and all things hallowed by true companionship and love. Fox drinks. COMMUNITY BLESSING Response: We gather today to witness and celebrate your love and commitment to each other. As your family and friends, we bless you with our love for you and pray that you may always have the strength of community to support you. May you endure the challenge of committed life and always find joy in the celebration of it. We pray that you may continue to grow together in God's light. Amen. CLOSING PRAYER Father Henderson: O Lord our God, you bestow all things on us for salvation and command us to love one another and to bear with one another's weaknesses. You yourself were a friend to all. Therefore, grant unashamed devotion and unfeigned love for all their days on these your servants, Fox William Mulder and Daniel Anthony Reilly, who love each other in a holy and blessed love. Rabbi Katzenberg: They have come into your holy temple to be blessed by you. The sweet smell of love is lovely to us and much desired. It was the foundation of our ancestors, that guided prophetic voices, sanctified through the teachings of the rabbis. And because love is superior to all beautiful things of the earth, where there is love enmity cannot harm, demons have no power, sin has no reality. Father Henderson: In the name of God the Creator, God the Redeemer and God the Comforter and Sustainer we pray. Response: Amen. BENEDICTIONS Rabbi Katzenberg: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you; the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you and be gracious unto you, now and forevermore, Amen. Father Henderson: The Peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. And the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen. BREAKING OF THE GLASSES Response: Mazel tov! Rabbi Katzenberg: The new couple and those gathered here with them may now share with each other a kiss or other sign of love. I, for one, intend to kiss both grooms at least twice! Father Henderson: Me, too! ~~~~~ THE END ~~~~~
"The Eighth Side of the Triangle" (25/25) by Susan Jameson (Jean Helms) Feedback, etc., to DrBarnBarn@aol.com ~~~~~ NOTE: The marriage ceremony above is adapted from a number of sources, including DignityUSA. Other sources include traditional Catholic, Jewish and Anglican weddings and some other wedding ceremonies, both gay and straight, that have been posted in various places around the Internet. Some of it, however, is my own invention, and any errors or poor theology contained therein should be assumed to be mine and not those of the original sources. Mazel tov, and God bless. ~~~~~ STAY TUNED FOR THE NINTH SIDE OF THE TRIANGLE: HOPE REILLY HULL