Title: Times Destiny
Author: Anaika Skywalker
Author's Email: lindsay30@austarnet.com.au
Rating: PG 13
Disclaimer: I don't own JAG; I just like to spread my wings occasionally.
Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur (Oh there were some mistakes, but thanks anyway), Cira (thanks for the heads up, I wasn't sure if it was Mattie or Maddie. Here is Australia we still haven't got JAG back, we were cut off half way through season eight. We're watching old episodes on pay TV.) Bekki (No groaning, I value your ideas, please feel free to throw more my way, I don't mind. Honest.), DD2 (They could be there for a while, I haven't figured out how to get them home yet.)
Times DestinyChapter Five: Coming to an end: Part One
USS Patrick Henry
Indian Ocean
"Where is she Archie?" Tuna asked.
"I don't know," he looked around and then to the radar. "I can't find her."
"Damn it!"
Before they could react a Tomcat slipped in behind them and fired.
"Bang, bang," a soft sexy voice whispered. "You're dead."
"Son, of a …" Lt. Commander Medwick's voice faded. "Nice shot Hammer."
"Thank you sir."
"All right boy's and girl's, butt's on the deck," the Cag ordered from the carrier.
Both acknowledged him and turned for home.
"May next time, Tuna." David consoled him.
"Perhaps Blades," he retorted.
They landed and headed for the Ready Room, removing their safety gear, putting it away with their helmets. It had been four months since Lieutenant's Harmony Rabb and David Hawks had joined them; their unique style had brought new vigor to the squad.
The Cag entered. "Rabb!"
Harmony went over to him. "Sir."
"Nice work out there."
"Thank you sir."
"All right settle down," he called out and they took their seats. "I think today was a good example of what happens when we get caught with out pants down. Was it not Commander Medwick?"
"It was Cag," the embarrassed pilot agreed.
"Something that will not happen again, these training exercises are to keep you ready people, they're not games. Hammer!"
"Sir,"
"Tomorrow you'll be the target, Ghost, you'll fly her wing."
"Aye sir," both women responded.
"That's all, dismissed."
They stood and snapped too, then left, chatting causally.
Beth patted Harmony on the back. "Nice flying Hammer."
"Thanks Skates."
David waited until they were alone before talking to his driver. "Romy had new sensor readings."
"Let's go check them out," she insisted.
He hurried to keep up. "We're getting away from our initial arrival point, the signal is getting distorted."
"I know."
Coming into the hanger they headed to for the fighter, the Marines let them pass with a nod. Both ducked under the tarp and climbed up to the cockpit, manually opening it. "Computer, unlock code, Hotel, Alpha, Romeo, Mike." Harmony stated quietly
"Unlock complete, good afternoon Harmony."
"Good afternoon, Romy, display sensor readings," she ordered, and then both looked. "You're right."
"We're missing something Harm," David decided. "I just don't know what it is."
"Neither do I," she sighed. "Romy, transfer all data to your portable CPU, then yourself, put your sensors on automatic."
"Acknowledged Harmony," the AI computer said. "Transfer complete."
Harmony lent in and removed the unit. "Lets check this all out in my stateroom."
"Sounds good to me," he agreed.
Once the jet was locked down once more, they climbed down and out from the tarp.
"I'll be able to integrate Romy's CPU into my laptop," Harmony was telling her driver as they acknowledged the Marines. "
"At least we'll have better access."
Harmony nodded, and then suddenly stopped, coursing David too. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, she frowned and turned.
"Harm, what is it?" He just got the question out when the F-32 exploded in a spectacular ball of flame. Throwing him and everyone else in the hanger across the deck.
David looked up from where he'd landed, seeing Harmony. He scrambled over to her. "Harm?" He lifted her head and shoulders into his lap. "Harm, honey, open your eyes."
They flickered and opened. "David," she said shakily. "The Nighthawk?"
"It's gone, Harm."
She groaned, still clutching the CPU, she let the darkness that was hovering at the edge of her subconscious take over, slipping into nothingness.
Commander Harmon Rabb and Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie followed the Ensign to sickbay, thanking him when he showed them to the room they needed. As soon as they'd headed about the explosion they were on they're way, no questions asked.
David got to his feet when he saw them enter; he had a small cut above his right eye. "Ma'am, sir."
"Sit down Lieutenant," Harm insisted. "How are you?"
He sank back into his seat. "Fine sir, just a few cuts and bruises. Harm was facing the explosion when it happened."
Mac grabbed her fiancé's hand; the sight of the young woman unconscious in the bed before them was a shock to her too. "What did the doctor say, David?"
"She has bruised ribs, a concussion. They'll know more when she wakes up."
Harm couldn't help squeezing Mac's hand, anger boiled inside him along with worry. "We'll go check out the damage to the hanger then come back."
"Yes sir, if she wakes up before then, I'll have you paged."
"Thank you Lieutenant."
Reluctantly they both left, taking a moment outside the room.
"She's going to be all right, Harm," Mac said calmly, putting aside her own feelings.
"I know," he lent against the bulkhead. "She's not my daughter Mac and yet I feel like a part of me as been ripped out and squashed."
"I know, so do I," she said, her voice breaking.
He drew her into his arms. "I'm sorry Sarah, god I'm sorry."
She held onto him for his support and strength. "We're going to find who did this, Harm. Who hurt our little…"
He smiled knowing what she was going to say. "Our little girl?"
"Yes," she blushed.
He tiled her chin up. "I think of her that way too," he placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "I love you Sarah."
"I love you too, Harm. Now lets get to work."
"Yes Ma'am." He gave her one of his flyboy smiles and they left sickbay.
The hanger still showed signs of the explosion, wreckage had been gathered together, and who ever had done this made sure the F-32 would be totally destroyed. They interviewed the surviving Marines; neither saw or heard anything before the explosion and the visit by Rabb and Hawks.
"Something is wrong here, Harm." Mac decided.
He'd been thinking the same thing. "The Nighthawk exploded from the inside."
"How do you figure that?" She asked him.
"The damage, the size of the wreckage and the fact there is nothing left of it," he theorized. "So someone got past Marines and planted explosives inside a locked down fighter. "The lockdown code was Hotel, Alpha, Romeo, Mike," he stated aimless, looking over the wreckage.
"HARM, she used her fathers name for the lockdown code. That's pretty obvious."
"What isn't is the fact it doesn't work unless she says it, the computer will only respond to her voice or David's." Harm filled in.
"Oh?" She frowned. "How do you know that?"
"The month I was with them, she gave me access to the Nighthawk," he told her, and then turned to the Corporal who stood not far from them. "Jennings, did either of the Lieutenant's removed anything before they left?"
"Yes sir, a small object about the size of a floppy disk."
"Thank you Corporal."
"What are you thinking?" Mac asked as they left the hanger.
"I want to know what they removed."
David was coming out of his divers room when they arrived. "Sir, Ma'am. Hammer is awake, the doctor's in with her, I was just going to page you."
Both signed in relief, at least they had some good news.
"David, what did you and Harmony remove from the Nighthawk?" Harm asked him, staying to business.
"Romy's CPU, Harmony was going to intergraded it into her laptop so she could analyze the data we'd been receiving. Romy had also downloaded herself as well, she'd set her sensors to automatic," David explained. "Why sir?"
"Because the Nighthawk exploded from the inside, could removing the CPU course the explosion?"
"No sir, CPU's are removed on a regular bases for upgrades and maintenance."
"What about a self destruct?" Mac asked.
"No Ma'am, SD's need authorization of both driver and RIO and our is programmed to be said in Russian."
Harm shook his head. "We're missing something, I know it."
David chuckled, coursing Mac to smile. "What is it, Lieutenant?"
He smiled sheepishly. "It's just the way the Commander said what he did, it reminded me of Harmony."
The doctor came out. "Commander, Colonel," he acknowledged. "The Lieutenant is fine, I'm releasing her as long as she takes it easy for the next few days."
"Is she cleared to fly, sir?" David asked.
"Yes Lieutenant, I've cleared her. Just make sure she gets a good nights sleep."
"Yes sir."
The door opened and Harmony came out, David had thought a head and had her roommate bring her some clothes. She smiled seeing who was there. "Commander, Colonel."
"Lieutenant," both acknowledged happily.
When they doctor walked away, Harm gestured her closer. "Come here."
She went into his arms, hugging him. "I'm glad you're here."
"So am I sweetheart," he said holding her gently. "You gave us quite a scare."
"I'm sorry," she released him and hugged Mac, then stepped back. "Do you know what happened?"
"The Nighthawk exploded from the inside," Mac answered, and then explained to her, her fiancé's theory.
Harmony pulled the CPU from the pocket of her flight suite. "This is all I removed."
Harm looked at it. "And Romy is here too?"
She nodded. "I could have her do a sweep of the wreckage of any signs of tempering," she told her. "It'll only take me a few minutes to integrate her into my laptop."
"Lets do it then."
They all went to her stateroom, as promised it took Harmony a few minutes to integrate the CPU into the laptop. Through after all the tinkering she'd been doing, the laptop was five times as fast and five times as better and it had been brought bran new.
"Romy's on line," she announced and they all took notice. "Romy perform a sensor sweep of the hanger, look for signs of explosive residue."
"Affirmative, sweep initiated," the computer responded. "Sweep complete. No residue."
"Romy, what would course a Nighthawk to explode from the inside?"
"SD activation, full systems malfunction."
"A virus," Harm formulated.
Harmony followed this through. "Romy, do a virus scan of the wreckage in the hanger."
There was a pause. "Scan is clear."
She wasn't going to give up. "Now scan for virus dating from 2004."
There was another pause. "Affirmative, virus found."
"Double check your systems and remove any found virus'."
"Doing so. Scan complete, virus removed."
"Would a virus be able to destroy the Nighthawk?" Mac asked.
David nodded. "Because Romy wasn't looking for it, it ate away at the system until the SD safe guards fell down and then boom."
"But where would it get the virus from?"
Harmony stood, hugging herself as she turned. "That was my fault," she said softly.
"Harm? How?" David inquired shocked.
"When Romy downloaded out service records from our dogtags, she initiated a link with the Colonel's laptop."
"Then it's my fault, Harmony, not yours," Mac corrected her. "After we got back my laptop started playing up, I had Bud check it out. He found a virus and got rid of it."
Harm knew this was getting them nowhere, blaming each other. He drew Harmony into his arms. "It was no ones fault sweetheart, it was just an accident."
"I'll go talk to the Captain," Mac suggested, seeing they needed time alone. "You'd better come with me, Lieutenant Hawks."
"Yes Ma'am," he agreed and followed her out.
Harmony didn't leave Harm's embrace, she felt safe there. "They did that on purpose."
"I know," he rubbed her back in slow circles. "Mac was worried enough to call you 'our little girl'."
"I don't mind. I miss having mum and dad to talk too," she admitted. "Especially dad."
"I bet he misses you too kiddo."
"I want to go home, Commander."
"I know sweetheart and if there was any way I could get you home I'd do it," he said gently. "But I can't."
"I know."
"How about you get some rest."
"No, I'm fine," she stepped back, the stubborn Rabb expression on her face. "I'd like to take a walk, would you care to join me, sir?"
"Sure," he smiled broadly. "Lieutenant."
Chuckling she grabbed her flight jacket and they left her stateroom, walking through the ship to the fantail.
"I heard you gave Tuna a run for his money today."
"I give him a run for his money every time we go up," she smirked. "It's just I got tired of holding back."
"So you let him have it?"
"Yeah."
He laughed. "I don't know whether to be sorry for Tuna or not."
"I wouldn't," she said grinning. "He deserved it."
"At least you're keeping him on his toes."
"Yeah I can do that," she remarked and sighed. "The funny thing is, the tactic's I'm flying most were written by him. The exercises we're doing now I leant at the Academy."
"Well the Academy sure has changed then since my day."
"A little," she said solemnly. "I'm sorry sir, I'm being melancholy."
"Harmony, stop it," he ordered.
"What sir?"
"That, you don't have to call me sir when we're alone."
She smiled. "I guess its force of habit."
He laughed. "I guess it is."
Looking out of the ocean, Harmony recalled doing this with her father.
"What are you thinking, Harm?"
"About dad?" She turned and leant against the rail. "I use to love coming onto the carriers when I was a kid to visit him," she chuckled at a memory. "I remember I use to trip over the knee knockers, and dad would pick me up, rub my knees and hands and kiss my cheek. He'd laugh and tell me he use to fall over them too as a kid."
"I did, I remember falling over them on the Hornet when dad served aboard her." Harm recalled.
"Every Christmas Eve when I'm in port, I go with dad and Mattie to the wall and visit Grandpa Harm. Dad starting doing it with me from the moment I was born, Mattie and I both," she edged closer to him. "I know it's not Christmas Eve, but when we get back to port, can we visit the Wall?"
"Sure sweetheart," he drew her into his arms. "Any time you want to go, we will."
"Thanks Harm."
He hugged her, as she hugged him. "We should find Mac and David."
Harmony pulled away. "They're in the Ward Room."
"How do you know that?" He asked as they left.
"I always know where David is."
"Really?"
"Aha, AJ is the same with me," she answered. "And we've only been gone twenty minutes, David is wondering where we are."
Harm laughed. "You're your mothers daughter all right."
She grinned. "My great sense of timing is like your ability to always know where Mac is. I just inherited both."
"You must of gave your mother a hard time as a kid, sweetheart?"
"Only when you weren't home," she smirked. "Mum always said I was a miniature dad."
"And Mattie?"
"Mattie is just as bad."
"It must be hard on your mum at time, three aviators in the family."
She nodded. "She worried when I first got my wings, and the first time I had to eject. The worse was when Blades and I were missing. That eats at her everyday, her and Dad."
"You came back through and you'll get back, I promise."
"I know," she said with self-assurance.
"Come on, I'll buy you a cup of coffee," he jeered.
"Nar, I'll buy you one," she mused. "You can buy me a beer when we get into port."
"It's a deal," he smirked. "So are you coming to my bachelor party?"
"Of course, what would I do at a bachelorett party?" She quizzed him.
"I have no idea, but I have a feeling you wouldn't get much out of one."
"Not a lot," she agreed. "So where are we going for this bachelor party?"
"Benzinger's."
"What happened to McMurphy's?"
"Nothing, we just thought we'd have a change," he answered, and then asked. "How do you know about McMurphy's?"
"We always head to McMurphy's when we get into port."
"Oh?"
Harmony stopped. "Harm, I'm twenty-five, I'm not a child."
"I know that."
She rolled her eyes at him and they walked into the Ward Room. "I'll always be a child to you."
"True."
"You're not giving Hammer a hard time are you Pappy?" Beth asked him.
"No," he grinned cheekily. "Not much anyway."
"Typical."
"Thanks Skates."
"You're welcome."
He laughed and they went over to Mac and David. "Please tell me you two are not going to pick on me?"
"Us, why would we do that?" Mac asked him innocently.
Harmony chuckled and sat next to David. "He's feeling old."
"He is old, Harm."
"Oh yeah."
Harm groaned. "Now that's enough," he ordered and they all laughed.
One month later:
Benzinger's Bar
Harm's Bachelor Party
"Keeter!" Harm gave his old friend a slap on the back. "About time you got here."
"Hey, the party never starts without me," he mused. "So where is she?"
"Who?"
"Harmony, the cousin you've never told me about."
"I've never told you because I don't trust you."
"Oh buddy that hurts."
Harm laughed and looked around, seeing the young woman. "Hammer." She glanced over, and then came over on his insistence. "Harmony Rabb, my best friend since the Academy, and my best man. Jack Keeter."
"Nice to meet you Jack," she shook his hand.
"It's very nice to meet you, Harmony. Now I can see why Harm wouldn't tell me about you," he teased.
"Why are you a threat?"
"Only in your cousin's eyes."
She laughed. "Harm still thinks of me as a little girl."
"Honey, you're no little girl," Jack remarked.
Harm frowned at him. "Don't even think about it."
Harmony smiled, that flyboy grin of her fathers. "I'd take his advice if I were you, after all best man or not. You can be replaced."
Jack couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks kid."
"You're welcome, excuse me," she said, and then returned to David's side.
"Have a nice conversation with Uncle Jack?" He asked her.
"Yes," she smiled and grabbed his hand. "Come dance with me."
He let her drag him onto the dance floor, taking her in his arms. The music was slow and her body molded against his so perfectly, her arms circled his neck as his hands rested on her lower back. "Are you happy?"
"Yes," she answered and saw what he was feeling in his eyes, felt what he was feeling. "Where do we go from here, David?"
"I don't know," he said softly. "I love you Harm, I have from the moment I saw you," their foreheads were touching. "I can't hid that forever."
"I know," she wanted to kiss him, to touch him. Guilt flooded her though, AJ was the man she said she wanted to grow old with and here she was aching for another.
"Harm," David's voice broke through. "They've probably given up looking for us, if anything they've listed us MIA. I always told Sara if anything happened to me that she had to go on. I'd want her too."
"I told AJ the same thing, but what if we get home and time as pasted for us but not for them?" She asked.
"I don't know, I just know what I'm feeling," he whispered and maneuvered her towards a quiet corner, away from the rest of the party. Out of sight he pushed her against it, his mouth sort hers in a hungered kiss, one she returned.
Harmony ran her hands down his back and pulled his shirt from his jeans, touching the warm skin she found beneath it. She moaned as he kissed her neck, feeling his hands had made their way under her own shirt. "David," she managed to say his name, another moan slipped past her lips. "We can't, not here."
He pulled back, breathing hard, his heart pounding. "Damn that was stupid on my part."
"No, it wasn't," she insisted smiling. "But we can't do this here. Later after the party," she promised, then slipped out of his arms and mingled into the crowd.
David lent against the wall and closed his eyes. Damn!
Harm had seen the whole thing; he went over to his 'cousin'. "We have to talk," he said quietly, but louder he said. "Come dance with me."
She went willingly, dancing close, but not like she had with her RIO.
"I saw the whole thing, Harmony, be careful," he said softly. "He's still your cousin."
"Half cousin," she corrected. "And I will be."
"All right," he backed off. "I trust you."
"No you don't," she smirked grinning. "But that's okay."
"Just be careful, you're under the same chain of command," he reminded.
"I know and we will be," she said, then changed the subject. "So are you nervous?"
"No," Harm said calmly. "I want this. We should have done it a long time ago."
"You weren't ready a long time ago," Harmony told him. "You are now."
"How did you become so smart?"
"Practice," she giggled.
"I bet."
"Oh it was, lots and lots of practice."
"Smart ass."
"Thank you."
He shook his head. "Pain."
"So where are Mac and the girls going?" She inquired.
"I have no idea, I thought she would have told you?"
"No, don't worry, I'm sure they want get arrested or anything."
Harm thought back to Bud's bachelor party and winced. "I hope not."
"Have faith, Harm, they'll be fine." Harmony said grinning. "After all how much trouble can five grown women get into at a bachelorett party?"
"Knowing Mac, plenty."
"Don't worry, they'll be fine."
Ten hours later:
Washington Police Station
Harmony Rabb followed the police office through to the holding cells, hiding a smirk when she saw them. All looking worse for wear – Sarah Mackenzie, Harriet Roberts, Bobby Latham, Teresa Coulter, and Trish Burnett, sat in one cell. Harm was going to love this; she was not only bailing out his fiancée but his mother too. Damn this was good. She cleared her throat. "Good morning."
Mac got quickly to her feet and hurried over to her, the bars standing between them. "I'm so glad you're here."
"Everything is fine," the young aviator reassured. "The Admiral is taking care of the legal details," she informed as the police office unlocked the cell. "You're free to go."
"You won't tell Harm about this, will you?" Trish asked her. "Or Frank?"
"I won't say a word, Mrs. Burnett," Harmony smiled, when she'd first meet Harm's mother, the urge to wrap her arms around her had been very strong. She'd lost her grandmother when she'd been a teenager and yet in this time she was face to face with her again. "I think we should get out of here, you all need some sleep before this afternoon."
"Thanks Harmony," Bobbie said, rubbing her bruised hand.
"You're welcome Ma'am," she said forcing herself not to snap to when she saw the senator, which was hard. This was the President of the United States in her time.
The Admiral didn't say anything as they walked out, not to them anyway, he addressed the young aviator. "Take everyone home, Harmony and make sure Harm doesn't get word of this."
"Yes sir," she smiled. "They'll be fine."
He sighed. "Ladies, I'll see you all this afternoon."
They all mumbled their thanks, leaving the Police station. Harmony had borrowed Harm's SUV, which was a good thing, she could take them all at once. She dropped Bobbie off, then Harriet and Teresa, taking Mac and Trish to the house the Colonel and Commander had brought while she'd been at sea. Harm was sleeping off last night at his apartment, which David was taking over, she had moved in with Jennifer Coates, since Mattie had moved into the house with Harm and Mac.
Mattie ran out to the car. "Are you all right?" She asked worriedly.
"We're fine," Mac said, shooting Harmony a warning look as she got out.
"Everything is fine, Mattie," Harmony said lightly. "Just car problem."
"Okay."
Mac sighed in relief. "Thank you," she said quietly.
"Come on Sarah, honey, we need some sleep," Trish insisted.
She nodded. "We'll see you later, Harmony."
"Yes Ma'am," she agreed and then backed out and drove away, chuckling as she did. This was going to be one hell'va story to tell her kids one day.
Lovers Peck, Virginia
1430 hours
Lieutenant David Hawks stood next to his driver, they stood close enough that it wasn't noticeable they were holding hands. They'd stepped over the line last night and now there was no way back, which was why it had to look like nothing had changed.
Standing with the other guests, they watched as Commander Harmon Rabb and Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie took their vows, becoming man and wife.
Harmony Rabb had tears in her eyes, tears of happiness. She smiled and squeezed his hand, seeing him smile back. They'd come back in time to a parallel timeline, got Harm and Mac together, were a part of one of the last Tomcat squadrons. They'd done what no pilot and RIO had done in their time.
They all clapped and cheered as Harm kissed his wife, he hadn't cared where they got married, as long as they did. So on a mountaintop named Lovers Peak wasn't a problem.
A small honor guard formed up before the bride and groomed, the best man announced in a clear voice. "Ladies and gentleman, presenting for the first time. Commander and Mrs. Harmon Rabb." Keeter announced.
They moved through the arch of swords, as they past under the last, Commander Sturgis Turner swatted Mac on the backside lightly with his saber saying: "Go Navy"
She laughed and the honor guard was dismissed.
Harmony congratulated Harm and Mac, hugging them both. David shook Harm's hand and kissed the bride. Then they stood back as the rest of their friends and family congratulated them.
"It looks like we're going to be here for a while, Hammer." David noted.
"Looks like it Blades," she agreed. "Still, I got to see Harm and Mac married. Maybe I'll even get to see their first born come into the world."
"You never know, sweetheart, you just never know," he stated.
To be continued…
