Thank you all!!!

Maggie: Aw, thank you! LOL, good, tension is fun to work with :D. Oy, I can barely type, my fingers are freezing, lol, anyway, it was interesting to try and write Harm attempting to act like his older self, we might have more of that in the future :D. Thanks a bunch and see ya next week!

Mimmi: Hiya! LOL, don't worry, there's more Eric! LoL, it looked kind of weird when I read that part over about her recognizing his scent, I meant to put, "she recognized his cologne" or something, lol. But when I finish this story, I can go back fix those little things. Ya, I think you guys would have boycotted against this story if I didn't have the Macs chat soon, lol. Oh, your compliments mean sooo much to me :), hehe, I try my best :). Thank you so much and see ya next week!

e-dog: LOL, yes rambling is always very nice :D. Hehe, yeah, meet Eric, then quickly proceeded to meeting the floor... :D....having ppl faint is just too much fun :D. Ah! Isabel is a lot like this girl I baby-sit for, so it was really funny incorporating her personality into this, lol, she would freak though if she knew I did this *snigger*. Ms. Paxton, yes, she will have another appearance, actually another reviewer gave me a splendid idea as to what might happen with Ms. Paxton and...someone else..muahahaha... ;). Oh boy, I sat and stared at the screen for ten minutes at that little blinking curser trying to figure out exactly what I would do with the Mac-to-Mac scene, lol, it was pathetic. But I'm glad I finally got it down and it came out decent! Oh, I know, I kept receiving CharmedMummy's review (4 kb) about 15-20 copies each day, lol. It finally stopped a few days ago, then my new reviews were incredibly delayed, but I think it's back to normal now, lol. Thanks a bunch and see ya next week!

NadaZimri: Yes! March 5th will be remembered as Happy Chicken Day!!!! Everybody eats chicken!!!! Even Harm!!! :D. LOL, I thought of you with the hill thing, JK, hehehehe, i'm so mean :D. Thank ya missy and see ya!

gHeTtOnErD: Thank you! I try :D. Thanks and see ya next week!

ArwenUndomiel: Thank you! LOL, yeah, it would be strange, hating your younger self, unless their was something about your younger self that you're really annoyed about or something like that, but yeah, things will kind of start to smooth over...LOL, Harm, yeah, I'll try to keep him out of trouble as much as I can ;). Eric, oh poor, unsuspecting Eric, alas, he does not know Grace :(. But Grace knows him ;). Hehe...oh boy, I must admit it's getting a tad more difficult to update with anything good lately. School has been bogging me down a little and this particular chapter was a very difficult birth, but I'm trying. I just have to try harder. Anywho, thanks and see ya next week!

Sunchaser: Thank you! Yeah, the two Macs are finally on good enough speaking terms :D. Thanks and see ya!

Lili: Yeah, it's really difficult to balance everything out, because there's really a lot of unanswered questions. In good time, though I'm having a little trouble at the moment, I should be able to move past it. Hey, yeah, you speak wonderful English! I've been trying my hand at foreign languages, and I have a lot of respect for anyone who can speak at least two languages :). Umm, I think you're my only French reviewer, yay it makes you special :D. LOL, oh good, I'm glad your reviewing other stories!!! :D Thanks a bunch and see ya!

Deb: LOL, I'm sorry it takes so long. As it is, I'm having trouble getting it out within a week *shudder*. But I'm trying :). Thanks and see ya next week!

Madelynne Rabb: Hey there! LOL, yes, I'm a Joan of Arcadia fan, but the funniest thing, I didn't even notice the names until after I posted and I'm like, "Oh, gosh, Adam and Joan, lol." Thanks and see ya next week!

CharmedMummy: 1)(Adam and Joan): LOL, the reviewer before you asked the same thing. After I wrote the name, I didn't even realize the similarity until after I posted. But yes, I'm a Adam/Joan shipper and I watch the show faithfully :D. 2)(Ms. Paxton): She was kind of a surprise and then a reviewer gave me an awesome idea. Get Ms. Paxton and Eric together. I have to use that, it would tie some loose ends. But what I will kind of show in the future, Papa Harm hasn't been flirting, but it's pretty much been Ms. Paxton who has been a little..ahem...pushy. You'll see (and surprisingly, I do know how to spell counselor, but for some reason, my spell check is set on British or something, I have to change it. When I was going through, I didn't really look to see the spelling was different...). 3) (Eric): Ya, I figured he was strong enough to make his own decision without Grace's intervention. Hmmm...having a Grace/Eric convo wouldn't be bad...thank ya :D. 4) (Macs convo): Heehee, thanks, was worried about how I would write it, but glad it came out well :D. Thank ya as always and see ya next week (have a great spring break ;)

Macicat: Aw, thank you! Yeah, Momma Mac is going through some tough times right now, as you'll see. Wow, you interpret this story so well! LOL, and you've given me some slam-dunk ideas that I will certainly use :D. Thanks, I owe ya :D. 200th episode tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!! *does happy dance* :D can't wait, can't wait, can't wait *hyper* :D. Thanks and see ya next week!

Pissed Off Poet: Thank you! Hmm, I'll probably be saving the showdown for future chapters. I'm having a tad bit of trouble right now, but hopefully I'll get through this *sigh*. Thanks and see ya next week!
LadyJadePerendhil: LOL thank you! Well, Eric did join the military, but he's working at Bethesda, which is the Naval hospital, so it's all good :D. LOL, well, one REAL faint for Grace, and one FAKE one. :D. Mmm, well, Clay and Grace have been best friends/life-long-annoyances. Their relationship is unique and perfected, and I think Grace is having a hard time thinking of it changing. She's bad with change :D. Ya, Mac is going through a tough time, but she'll deal. Thank ya and see ya next week!

SarahRabb705: LoL, when I first started writing that scene with Isabel, I thought I was gonna write about her with an injury, but I couldn't fit it too well, and I wanted to keep it light-hearted. Glad you liked it and see ya next week!

Jagchick105: Hiya! Aw, it's okay. Hey, don't hurt that computer too much, it has too many great stories on it!!! :D. Glad it's feeling better though. Ohhh, yeah, there is a lot of stuff going on and Grace is pretty much stuck in the middle...hehe...angst is so much fun...muahaha...:D...ooooh, tomorrow is the big 200th!!!!!!!!!! *hyper, hyper, hyper, hyper*...hahaha!!!! *bounces off walls* Okay, i'm good. I can't wait! See ya next week! LOL, hey, you never know, once spring comes around in this story, somebody's got to mow that lawn...teehee...we're bad, lol. Thanks and see ya!

Cmaf: Don't worry! You made it!!!!! *throws confetti* :D. LOL, omg, what a coincidence!!! I'm glad that line helped...oy, a cyclone...that doesn't sound like fun :o. Hope everything's okay down there!!! Uh-uh, sadly, Eric doesn't have a CLUE. But Grace knows alllll about him, which could make for some confusing moments ahead :D. Thanks and see ya next week!

Chapter 6: Long Way From Home

1614 ZULU

Bethesda Hospital

DC

 Grace slowly opened her eyes, squinting under the bright light. The next realization she had was her head throbbing. She felt a moan escape her lips. A second later, three heads came into her vision above her. Her father, Webb, and...him. She blinked a few times, staring up at him. His own eyes widened and he recoiled a little, probably expecting her to faint again or something. A little giggle came out of her, much to the surprise of the three of them. A young voice piped in from where Webb was standing.

"Is she in a coma?"

Adam.

"No." Webb answered distractedly, peering at her curiously.

Grace shook her head a little. "Could you guys back up a little?" She croaked out. They complied, but Adam looked over her from her left.

"Man, Grace, you completely hit the floor, I mean you just went wam." He emphasized this by slamming his hand on the bed.

Joan appeared next to her brother. "Clay says that Mom would faint before she realized she was pregnant with us. Are you pregnant?"

Webb made a nervous chuckle in the background and the two adolescents were suddenly pulled away from the bed. Her father came into view again, concern on his face.

"How do you feel?"

"Like I fainted," Grace said wryly, "seriously, I just need some room, okay?"

Her father backed up by a hair, but still stared at her, his eyes narrowed.

"How long have I been out?" Grace asked with a sigh.

"About a ten minutes—how's your head?"

"Throbbing."

He suddenly came into view, placing a hand on her head. Her skin tingled at the touch. Eric pulled his hand away, nodding to himself. "She'll be fine, when she feels ready, she can leave."

"Do I need to fill anything out?" Admiral Rabb asked.

"No, sir, all she needed was a bed and a cold cloth, hardly anything you couldn't have done at home."

Grace watched them both as they shook hands and suddenly Eric was gone from her vision.

"Wait—" She tried to shoot up in the bed, but her vision tossed and nausea crept into her throat. Her father caught her and carefully eased her back down to the scratchy hospital pillow. Eric was back a second later.

"Yes, ma'am?"

Grace suddenly wanted to ask a thousand questions. When did you become a doctor? Are you married? Do you have kids? Even though we met in an alternate universe, is there the slightest chance you're having deja vu?

He stared at her blankly, waiting for her question. Grace moistened her dry lips and gave a tight smile. "Thank you, Doctor."

Eric returned the smile, nodded at her father, and left. Grace listened to his footsteps dissipate, and finally the door close—it seemed like the loudest sound in the world, and so final.

"Well, I'm gonna get back to Clay, Catherine's probably fussing over him," Webb stated, then turned to her, "stay outta trouble." He added with a wink.

Adam and Joan waved goodbye before following their father towards the door. When they left, her father dragged a chair to the bed and sat down with a sigh.

"What happened out there?"

Grace slowly shook her head. "You don't wanna know." Grace wasn't exactly sure how much (or if at all) Harm and Mac told her parents about Eric. Probably not much, her father would have questioned it by now.

"It wouldn't happen to have anything to do with that boy you had," he made a theatrical sigh, " 'relations' with, is it?"

Damn it. Grace would have rolled her eyes, but sudden changes in her vision made her head hurt.

"That was him, wasn't it?"

Grace marvelled at her father's ability to be able to put all the complicated puzzle pieces together. He took her silence as a yes and nodded to himself. "No wonder you fainted."

Grace didn't want to talk about it anymore and she carefully raised herself into a sitting position. "Can we just go home? Mom might be killing Mac."

***

1640 ZULU

Rabb Home

 "He did what?" Mac slammed her hand on the table in disbelief as she watched her older self become completely enveloped in a laughing fit. When she could speak again, Sarah unfolded the rest of the story.

"Harm, heh, Harm stormed into the room, and I was right behind him, my God, I thought Grace was going to shoot right through the ceiling, and poor Greg shot up from the couch and bolted out of the house. Grace was just so mad, it was unbelievable." 

Mac shook her head as she took a sip of her soda. "My dad did that to me once. I had a boyfriend over and—" Mac stopped when she realized Sarah knew all those stories just as well as she did. She suddenly couldn't believe how much she had separated herself from this older version.

Sarah chuckled. "Yeah, I remember. Never forgave him for that...never forgave him for a lot of things." She added solemnly.

Mac looked down at the tiles of the kitchen floor. "After all these years?"

Sarah nodded, leaning back into the chair. "After all these years."

Mac shook the thought away and tried to change the subject back to a lighter one. "So, what's the Admiral up to these days? Oh, wait, lemme guess, four kids, twelve grandchildren, member of the veteran's club." Mac said with a laugh. Her smile diminished when Sarah's face paled, "...you okay?"

Mac suddenly feared the worse. Did he pass away? He would only be in his late sixties! Surely with modern medicine, most health problems could be avoided!

Her older self finally glanced back up with a sad smile. "He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's last year."

Mac's lips parted in shock. "Al—Alzheimer's? But—that doesn't even run in his family, it was no threat—"

"It doesn't have to run in the family, Colonel. Three years ago, the doctors predicted it might happen. They haven't found a cure, they can only prolong the serious effects."

Silence swelled in the kitchen and Mac found herself picturing AJ completely clueless about the world around them.

Sarah took in a breath and crossed her arms. "I've been meaning to ask you something, Colonel."

Mac looked up and pursed her lips. "What's that?"

"Just what were we thinking when we almost married Mic?"

***

1700 ZULU

Cab Car #328

Streets of Georgetown

 The three sat quietly in the back seat, Jake on Harm's right and Isabel on his left. Harm held an icepack to his forehead, and leaned his head back on headrest. Isabel bit her lip, looking up at him.

"You gonna be okay, Harm?" She squeaked.

He took the icepack off, one he'd gotten from the lodge at the golf course and glanced down at the girl. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just don't ask me to go sledding with you guys ever again."

Jake shrugged. "You have to admit, that fall was awesome."

Harm slowly turned his gaze to Jake, who had a wide grin.

"I mean, you completely hit that branch, even though I was yelling, 'duck.' Boy, that thing just whacked you off that sled."

A little giggle escaped Isabel as Harm put the icepack back to his forehead. "I'm glad you all find it real funny."

Isabel peered out the frosty window. "Think of it in a good way—at least I got over my fear. I went down that hill all by myself!"

"Half of the hill. Harm only stayed on the sled for half the ride!" Jake corrected her.

"Doesn't matter!" Isabel shot back.

Harm put a hand up. "Please, guys, my heads splitting apart."

Isabel made a face at her brother who stuck his tongue out at her.

"This your place?" The cab driver asked as they drove up to the Rabb home.

"Yeah, that's it."

The cab pulled into the driveway and came to the stop. Harm gave the driver money Admiral Rabb had given him and the three filed out of the cab. They drudged up the sidewalk and up to the patio. Jake took his and Isabel's sleds, propping them up against the siding, then the three of them sat on the porch swing to take off their boots. At that moment, the crunch of snow and the sound of a car engine were heard from the driveway. Admiral Rabb's SUV pulled in and came to a stop at the garage door. Rabb came out, then went around to open the door for Grace, helping her out of the car.

"What's wrong with her?" Jake asked, tossing his boot to the floor.

Harm only slightly shook his head and peered over at the girl as she and her father slowly made their way to the front door. Isabel hopped off the porch swing and bounded over to them when they stepped up the three stairs to reach the porch. She tugged on her sister's coat.

"What happened to you?"

Grace just patted the girl's head, then looked over at Harm. She mouthed, "We need to talk." Harm nodded and watched as Admiral Rabb led her into the house.

***

1803 ZULU

 Harm and Mac came up to Grace's closed bedroom door. Her mother had ordered her to have bed rest, and she seemed to gladly take it. This was a good time for Harm and Mac to talk to her, and figure out exactly what would happen next without Grace's parents interfering.

Mac knocked on the door, which was answered with a muffled, "come in." They entered the room, closing the door behind them. Grace was sitting up in her bed, and in her pyjamas, reading a magazine. She put it down when they came in, bringing a pillow to her lap.

Grace gestured to a rocking chair next to her and the end of her bed. "Sit."

Harm took the chair and Mac sat cross-legged at the end of her bed. Grace sighed, crossing her hands on the pillow.

"A few things. First, I ran into someone today, " Harm and Mac exchanged glances before Grace continued, "...Eric."

Mac swallowed and Harm shifted uncomfortably in the chair.

"He's a doctor." Grace said with a sigh.

Mac nodded. "I take it he's the reason for you fainting?"

The girl smirked. "I was a bit taken aback, as you might expect." She said with a chuckle.

"Did he—recognize you?" Harm asked.

"No, he wouldn't have. As far as this universe is concerned, everything that happened to us has no bearing here."

Mac propped her elbows on her knees, tucking her crossed hands under her chin. "That's probably a good thing."

Grace grunted. "Tell me about it. Anyway, what happened today made me realize a few things—we need to get you guys home."

Grace expected that to be replied with nods of agreement, but neither of them moved. Grace's eyes darted back and forth from Harm to Mac. "You—you guys want to go home, right?"

Harm and Mac exchanged glances and both nodded quickly. "Yeah."

"Sure."

"Why wouldn't we?"

Grace gave them both odd looks. It took them a little too long to figure that one out. Grace shook it away and continued. "Well—okay, we know how this thing works. It only happens on Halloween, but you guys can't possibly stay here for whole year."

Harm bit his lip. "Of course."

Mac leaned her chin on her crossed hands and stared down at the bed.

"All right, so we have to figure out a way to get you there earlier than that. So...any ideas?"

Mac twiddled her thumbs and Harm stared out the window as the slowly falling snow. Grace groaned, leaning her head back on the pillow propped up against her headboard. "This is terrible."

Grace's door suddenly swung open and Isabel came shrieking into the room, followed closely by Jake who was brandishing a toy gun and had a checkered shirt wrapped around his head like a bandanna. He chased her in a circle three times, then the two continued their rampage out in the hallway. Grace shook her head and pointed at the door.

"Do you guys really want to deal with that all year?!" 

Harm tried to hide an amused smile, but a snigger escaped and Grace turned to him angrily.

"You guys—look, I know those two are cute at first, but trust me, it only gets worse. Besides, you can't stay here! It's not your place!"

Mac nodded reluctantly. "I know, but I kind of feel like we're starting to be accepted around here."

Grace placed a hand over her forehead and sighed. "Look, guys, this whole thing is ridiculous—"

Isabel tore into the room again and jumped to the bed, grabbing Mac's arm. "Come on, Mac, I want to show you my hamster!" Isabel tugged the Marine to and out the door, leaving Grace speechless. The girl glanced over at Harm who avoided her and stared down at the floor.

"You guys seriously want to stay here, don't you?"

Harm jerked his head towards her and shrugged a shoulder. "Grace, it's just—we don't have to rush it."

"Harm, somebody is going to realize one way or another that there are not one, but two of you and Mac!"

Harm stood from the rocking chair and folded his arms. "Hey, you never said we couldn't enjoy this. But don't worry, we'll find a way to get back."

Grace slumped down in the bed and crossed her arms tightly. "For your sakes, I hope so."

***

0234 ZULU

Leavenworth Prison

Kansas

 The convict hummed to himself as he finished an equation on the notepad, and an eerie grin played across his lips. He sat up in the bed, swinging his legs to the floor and went over to the cement wall, drawing the equation and connecting it with another. He muttered to himself as he went to the beginning of the math equation and traced it to his new figure. A dry chuckle came out him and he stood back, admiring his work. Though everyone in the prison considered him insane, he had just figured out how rips in time happened, and how he could possibly control them. If it worked, his whole life could be changed around, and that of others. Unfinished business would be taken care of. Wrongs righted—at least from his perspective they had been wrongs.

"Eat your heart out H.G. Wells." He laughed to himself again, still marvelling at his ingenuity. He'd moved up a level in the science world, and being the master of disguise he was, no one would know but him. But that would involve him escaping this hellhole, which unfortunately wasn't an easy task.

 But then again, if he could figure out the formula for time travel, he could probably plot a way out of a prison. All of this would take time and more careful planning, but it wasn't an impossible task. He couldn't wait to meet his younger self, and take care of one annoyingly clever JAG officer.

***

A/N: Now, now, now, it's NOT a palmer-plots-revenge-and-drives-everyone-nuts-and-takes-hostages-and-steals-the-show-kind-of-fic I'm turning it into. I PROMISE you, Palmer will have a reason in this without stealing the story, and it's not a stereotype! Oy, okay, now that that's out of the way, I'm very open to ANY suggestions anyone might have. This was the last filler chapter and more stuff is happening, oh, I can't believe how pathetically short this chappy is, but things will become much more interesting. One last thing: I will be at a stupid retreat thing with my youth group over the weekend and i will surely go insane since i won't be anywhere near a computer. Please send inspiring comments to make me happy when I get home :). Thanks!