It's a Wonderful Life' at JAG

by mkim57

This story is very AU, just my take of the JAG universe with a little Frank Capra in the the mix. smile Conclusion posted Feb 21st!

8. Chapter 8

'It's a Wonderful Life' at JAG

Chapter 8/9

Disclaimers: I don't own any of the JAG characters. I don't own any product or label mentioned for the purposes of telling this story. I don't own the rights to the movie or the story 'It's a Wonderful Life.' Any similarities to situations or persons living or dead are purely coincidental.

Spoilers: Anything from JAG, Seasons One through Ten is fair game. A character, which made only one appearance in 'To Russia With Love', will make an appearance toward the end of the chapter.

A/N: Just a reminder, once again that this is AU. Events from the movie and the episodes referred to on JAG will not occur exactly the same way, or have the same result.

A/N: Thank you to Karen for her excellent beta read.

Rating K+

2340

Christmas Eve

In Lieutenant Clarence's' Alternative Universe

Joanna's tavern

Harm sat down at the bar with Lieutenant Clarence. He was relieved to see Joanna still tending bar, maybe the world hadn't turned upside down completely. Harm hadn't noticed the difference in his surroundings, the bar was dark and smoky, and it also had a back wall covered with slot machines. Joanna stood before him and Harm ordered, "Double bourbon, Joanna."

Joanna blanched, surprised and slightly irritated that this man called her by her first name, she was the proprietor here, not just the bar tender. She looked at his companion. "I think I need to see some ID, you look a little young"

"Just give him a Coke, he's underage." Harm answered quickly, so that this kid didn't start on his story about angels, wings or what ever it was he thought he was supposed to be doing.

Harm figured, he'd have a drink, try to figure out what to do with this kid and then get back home, though he still dreaded the thought. After all that had happened, he didn't think he could face his family tonight.

Lieutenant Clarence grinned from ear to ear. "Coca-Cola?"

Joanna gave him a sarcastic smile. "Yeah…. the real thing."

"Wonderful, thank you ma'am" This was treat he didn't get often.

Joanna turned to get their drinks and frowned. "You're welcome." She shook her head slightly and wondered who these people were.

Joanna turned again and placed Harm's drink in front of him, then placed a glass with ice and a canned Coke in front of Lieutenant Clarence.

Lieutenant Clarence looked at it curiously; he picked it up and turned it in his hand. He had seen Coca-Cola in bottles, but never in a can. He wasn't sure how to open it.

Harm sensed his confusion and so before the young man drew any more attention; he took the can from him and opened it, pouring the Coke into the glass.

Lieutenant Clarence heard the sound from one of the slots on the back wall of the bar, a bell was sounding, announcing another 'winner'. "Someone just made it."

"What?"

"Haven't you ever heard? Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings."

Joanna stood watching and listening from the other end of the bar. There was something wrong with this kid, and who was this Navy guy he was hanging around with, anyway? She took in the young mans clothing and demeanor, thinking, that if this officer was worth anything he'd get this kid some help. He obviously wasn't 'right.'

Both men were finishing their drinks when Joanna walked up to them, turning her attention toward Harm. "I want to ask you a question, how do you know my name."

"Excuse me?"

Joanna looked angry, and what kind of question was that?

"You heard me, how do you know my name?"

"I've known you for years, Joanna; I've been coming here since Ed opened the bar, almost 5 years ago."

"Ed? You mean Ed Benziger?"

"Yeah, you know Senior Chief Benziger."

Lieutenant Clarence chimed in, "Ed doesn't own this bar, you weren't there to defend him and he lost his rank and his retirement."

Joanna looked at him sharply, this kid was getting on her nerves, how did he know this?

"Ed sweeps up here, he doesn't own anything in this place, and this bar belongs to me. He did three years in Leavenworth. He's lucky I let him near this place. He drinks up everything he makes."

Lieutenant Clarence piped in again. "I told you Commander, you were never born."

Joanna had had enough of this kid. "Who the hell are you, kid? You need to be at home with your mom and dad, how old are you, anyway?"

Harm decided it was time to get the hell out of there, this situation was deteriorating fast. They were both about to end up in the drunk tank, or worse yet, the mental ward; this kid didn't shut his mouth. "Come on, Clarence, its time to go."

Lieutenant Clarence stood and innocently answered Joanna, "I'm about a hundred and four, since my birthday, last September."

"Alright, that's it, both of you get out of here. Ed! Help me show these, 'gentlemen' to the door."

Ed Benziger came from the back of the bar. He was still a strong looking man, but his face was haggard. Harm barely recognized him.

"Ed?"

His head snapped up at the sound of his name. He took in the man in uniform and his countenance changed immediately. "Who the hell are you?"

"Don't you know me, Ed?"

"Hell no… I don't know you, I'm not personally acquainted with any 'officer and gentleman' presently serving in the Navy. One officer framed me for theft of government property, and another stupid sea lawyer, hammered the nails in the coffin on my career with his half ass defense. Twenty-five years of service, down the drain."

Harm and Lieutenant Clarence were walking backward, quickly toward the door. Harm was still stunned by what he was hearing. Benziger was closing the distance between them, and they turned and nearly ran out the door.

Ed leaned out of the doorway and threatened, "Don't ever come back here again, whoever the hell you are."

Harm and his companion were nearly a block down the sidewalk when Harm stopped and looked at him. "What is going on here?"

"I've been telling you Commander, you have never been born."

"Knock it off Clarence, I don't know who you are, or where you're from but you're not screwing around with my life anymore. I'm going home; I suggest you do the same."

"Home….what home?"

Harm turned and walked away from him, hailing a cab that was just turning the corner.

He got in and gave the cabbie his address in Arlington, in just few moments the taxi pulled in front of a house under construction, the plastic covering the rafters, blowing in the winter wind. Harm looked at the address painted on the curb, recognizing it has his house number but there was no house.

"Where is my house? This is where I live…but that's not my house." He asked the cabbie with panic rising in his voice. A voice he was beginning not to recognize as his own. His whole life was slipping away from him, and nothing made sense.

The cabbie looked at him, not sure whether to call the police, or the shore patrol. "Sir, these homes are under construction. No one lives here…"

"I live here, I work at JAG, My wife and I had this house built after our son was born, we've lived in it for a year." Harm got out of the cab and ran to the house, looking for something familiar, something that told him this was his home. Unreasonably… he began to call for his kids, his wife, someone, to help him wake up from this nightmare.

The cabbie turned his headlights onto Harm as he ran into the building, toward the back of the lot. The cabbie decided that he had better call JAG; he didn't want to see this guy hauled into jail on Christmas Eve. He was in the Navy once upon a time; it was a tough world out there, and Sailors had to stick together.

Harm had covered every inch of the lot and the house when he turned to look toward the cab, still waiting. Lieutenant Clarence seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Where is my family, where is my house?" Harm looked at him menacingly.

"You have no family Commander, you have no home." Lieutenant Clarence's demeanor was calm, this plan was working like a charm and they were far from finished. He watched as Harm reached into this the pocket of his jacket, searching for Zara's Christmas gift to him.

"It's not there."

Harm stopped and looked at him sharply. "What?"

"Zara's Christmas tree, the one she made you, its not there."

Harm took a step toward him, "Look, I don't know how you're doing this, but I'm leaving, I'm going home to my family."

"There is no wife, there are no children, I told you, sir. You were never born."

"Stop it; I told you, I've had enough of you. You're out of your mind and you're trying to mess with mine." Harm started to push past him when he heard the cabbie and another man running up the graveled drive of the unfinished home.

As the men came closer, he recognized one of them. "Gunny…., thank God," He pointed at Lieutenant Clarence. "You need to get this kid to a mental hospital or something, I pulled him out of the river He thinks he's some kind of angel…"

Gunny held up his hands. "It's okay, sir….we'll take you back to the hospital."

"Back to the hospital? Take me back to JAG, I'll call Mac from there, I shouldn't have had anything to drink tonight. I need to talk to her…" He sounded crazy, even to himself.

Gunny looked at him frowning. "JAG, sir?"

"Yes, Gunny….JAG. Get me back to JAG." He reached into his jacket to get his wallet. A look of panic was forming on his face when he saw that he couldn't find it, he checked the other pocket, franticly searching for evidence of his own existence.

Lieutenant Clarence spoke again. "You have no military ID, no driver's license. There is no Harmon Rabb Jr. at JAG Headquarters."

Gunny was still trying to calm him, as he reached to get hold of his arm. "Come with me, sir."

Now Harm understood, Gunny really didn't know him. "Keep your hands off me. I'm going back to JAG, I have to find Mac." Harm's eyes were wild, his breath coming in short gasps.

Gunny took hold of one of his arms and then the other. Harm pulled forcefully away from his grasp. "Let go of me!"

As Gunny tried to subdue Harm, Lieutenant Clarence put himself between them. "Run Commander!" Harm saw his opportunity and ran.

As he left the lot running as fast as his legs would carry him, he heard Lieutenant Clarence, yelling for help at the top of his lungs, pleading….with someone named…XO Gabriel?

What Harm didn't see was that XO Gabriel had delivered poor Lieutenant Clarence from the Gunny, much to his consternation and confusion. He had, right before Gunny's eyes, disappeared into thin air.

Harm had to get away from here, away from this kid, who seemed to double the chaos he already had in his life.

His mother lived just two blocks away; he would go and see her. She would help him make sense of all of this, she could call Mac and tell her to come and get him. Whatever was happening, they'd face it, together.

He walked up to the two story colonial that he and Mac had helped his mother and Frank pick out. He rang the door bell and a man he did not recognize answered the door.

The man looked at him curiously. "Yes."

"Is this Burnett's residence?" He already knew it was not, she wasn't here.

"This is Williams's residence." He could smell the bourbon on Harm's breath.
"You've got the wrong house…go home and sleep it off."

Harm turned without a word and made his way down the walk to the street. He looked up at the house, the house number plain to see on the columns of the porch. He shook his head, trying to clear it and trying to get a grasp on what was happening here. His world was turned completely upside down. There had to be some reasonable explanation.

"Your mother never came to Washington DC; she had no son or daughter in law to help with their children. In fact, your mother never remarried. She moved into her parent's home, where she now lives…alone. There was no reason to remarry, there was no son to raise and provide a stable home for." Lieutenant Clarence had materialized right in front of him. Harm thought he really must be losing his mind.

Harm began to walk…and Clarence followed him. There had to be a way to think his way out of this. "The last person I talked to before this whole thing began was Ed Benziger. I'll go back and try to talk to him again."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"He just lives a few blocks from here, not far from Arlington Cemetery."

Minutes later, Harm was walking through the cemetery. He had decided to walk through it instead of around it. As he walked along one of many winding paths through the grounds, he saw in his peripheral vision, a name on a tombstone that caught his eye. KEETER

Harm walked to it and kneeling before it, brushed the snow away from it. It read: Lt. Cmdr, John Henry Keeter, USN Born July 23, 1963 Died November 24 1998.

Harm turned to look at Lieutenant Clarence. "Jack Keeter isn't dead. He's flown more missions, covert and otherwise, and saved more lives than most aviators have ever dreamed of."

"He died in the Dasht E Kavir Desert in Iran in 1998. His career and his ability to save anyone was cut short because you weren't there to save him."

Harm stood there speechless, the gravity of what was happening, just beginning to register.

"One life touches so many others. Yours, in more way than you could ever imagine. You have been instrumental in saving the lives of people you've never met. You have been given a great gift Commander Rabb. A chance to see the world as it would be if you had never been born."

Lieutenant Clarence walked further into the cemetery.

Harm asked, "Where are you going? Benziger lives a few blocks on the other side of the cemetery."

"Come with me, there is something else you should see."

Harm looked at him warily, but followed.

In a few moments they were standing before a monument with the standard white stones lined up in neat columns behind it. He read the inscription on the brass plate. "In memory of the 4837, sailors and marines serving in the USS Seahawk Battle group, who perished in the Persian Gulf. 21, May, 2002"

Harm walked around the monument, and though his mind was still reeling, he was beginning to believe him now.

Lieutenant Clarence stepped further back into the cemetery. "There is another headstone, you have to see."

Harm didn't want to follow, but he did, understanding now this was something he had to see.

Lieutenant Clarence stopped before one of the white stones and as Harm neared it, he saw the name Lt. Harmon Rabb Sr. written, plainly. Below it, POW died, March 30, 1970.

'What is this?"

"Harmon Rabb Sr. died in a prison camp in North Vietnam as a result of wounds received when he went down, on Christmas Eve, 1969. The poor living conditions, near starvation and infection killed him, 3 months later."

"That's not true, my father survived, he was taken by a rogue KGB operation to Russia, he lived for at least another ten years, he was trying to come home…." No matter what Lindsey had printed in the Washington Globe, he knew his father, he knew how he had lived and died, just as he and Mac had discovered when Harm ended his search for him in Russia.

"Your father died in that prison camp in North Vietnam, because he didn't have you to come home to. He loved your mother, but they had no children. His will to live wasn't as strong, because you were never born. He had no son, waiting for him to come home, no one who needed him like you did."

Harm kept looking at the stone. "He still didn't come home, he was trying to get back to us…but they killed him."

"He left someone behind, someone you have never met."

"What are you talking about?" Harm already knew what he was going to say. It couldn't be true; his father couldn't have had a child in Russia.

"You have a brother, one you may someday meet. One who would never have been born, had your father not been taken to Russia."

"I don't believe this, this is insane." Harm turned away from him, his mind still unable to grasp it all. The anesthetic effect of any alcohol he had consumed was long gone, but in his shock and confusion, he nearly staggered away from his young companion.

He had to see Mac, if he saw her, he would be alright. "Lieutenant Clarence….where is she?" Mac loved him; she had for so long that Harm felt that she was an integral part of his own being. No matter what had taken place, she was his wife, she would know him.

Lieutenant Clarence was silent.

"You heard me Clarence, where is Mac?" Harm turned quickly around and stepped toward him.

"I'm not supposed to tell." Lieutenant Clarence was backing away.

Harm had lost all patience; he was tired of this stupid game. He grabbed him my both lapels. "Tell me were she is Clarence! Where is my wife?"

"You're not going to like it." The young angels apprentice cowered, truly afraid of the anger blazing in the Commanders eyes.

"Tell me, or I swear..." Harm was talking through gritted teeth.

"She's at McMurphy's…they're just getting ready to close up."

"McMurphy's?"

Harm felt true dread in the pit of his stomach. Mac couldn't be drinking, she would never…Harm couldn't even finish the thought.

He let go of Clarence and ran, he had to get to her. He hailed a cab and in just minutes, he was in front of McMurphy's, in Georgetown.

TBC