Title: Drifting Across Time

Author: TC Amlin

Disclaimers: JAG is owned by DB and CBS, Star Trek - The Next Generation is owned by Paramount and was created by Gene Roddenberry.

Classification: Pure Fluff and fun some angst, Harm/Mac, Bev/Jean-Luc

Spoilers: All previews for the final episode, all Star Trek lore.

I wrote this from remembering a Star Trek the Original Series episode where pilot gets beamed aboard the Enterprise when the star ship near hits and destroys his plane and right before he goes home with Kirk and crew it is discovered that his unborn son plays a major factor in Kirk's history. So I decided what a neat idea with Harm lost at sea, I decided to write this to add a twist to why Harm went down in the first place. Please take it as it is meant to be, pure fun. I used ST-TNG as a base since there are a lot of Jean-Luc and Beverly shippers out there too.

Thanks to My beta for helping me and loving the twist on JAG and ST

Feedback is always welcome

May 25^th

Over the Atlantic Ocean

An aircraft bore a hole in the sky as it flew on its mission. A mission that meant everything to the driver, either stop his true love from marrying or die trying. She was everything to him, no one else would ever hold a place in his heart and life wasn't worth living if he couldn't have her.

His mind was overloaded with the thought of her, when out of the rain filled sky came an unknown craft bearing right for him. Within seconds the starboard engine was gone, flames flicking all around him. "Eject Skates, eject." That was the last thing he said as the canopy was jettisoned and they were launched as small fireballs into the ocean.

Same time

"What the hell did we hit, Data?"

"A small aircraft, late 20^th century fighter. I am trying to scan for life signs now, Sir."

"I have one of them, Captain. Permission to beam him aboard?"

"The other one is dead, Sir and the one that Data has has failing life signs." Beverly Crusher said as she came up beside Jean-Luc.

"Make it so." Jean-Luc said as he turned to Bev. "Let me know how he is and keep him sedated."

"Yes, Jean-Luc. I will," she said as she headed to the small med bay on the shuttle.

"How bad off are we, Data? And just where in Earth's history are we?"

"By the aircraft I have scanned and the radio transmissions I have copied, it seems that we are in the 21^st century, early. I think the jump damage to the shuttle can be fixed quickly and we should be able to jump back to our time with little trouble once I calculate when we can find the next Zeta wave."

"Let's divide the details of getting this ship back in order and let me know as soon as you can when we need to jump. How is the cloaking device holding up? The last thing we need is to be discovered."

"Right now it is holding up fine and I have moved us out from the storm we flew into."

"Good."

Sickbay

Beverly looked over the good-looking man lying in front of her. His burns were bad for the time he lived in, but would only require just a few hours of treatment with her skin regenerators. The painkillers she gave him when they beamed him on board were holding as she tried to get his name from what was left of his flight suit.

"How is he?" Picard asked as he entered the small room.

"Not good but give me a few hours and he will be like new."

"Keep me informed. I need to get the warp drive back on line."

"Want some company, Jean-Luc?"

His smile told her yes and the couple left the young man in the stasis chamber for healing the outside of his body as his heart was breaking knowing that his true love was marrying another.

Part 2

Washington DC

May 26^th

1645 EST

The church

Mac stood there in the reception line taking congratulations and well wishes while inside she hurt like never before. Even after telling her that he would try and make it he blatantly missed her wedding. Maybe it is for the best since she knew that if he were there that she wouldn't have married Mic.

She was hurt that he didn't even call her last night, call her one last time to try and fight for her. She hoped that after the talk at her engagement party that Harm would have fought a little more but instead he walked out on her. Walked out of my life for his precious tomcats, well he can have them.

She also knew that Mic knew that she was upset over Harm but all she could feel from him was a sense that he felt like he won.

Mic did his best to show the elation of Harm absence by putting on the front of an over excited groom.

Just outside her door AJ and Bud wrestled with the news of Harm, "Sir, she deserves to know that he is missing."

"Lt., I know she deserves to but she also deserves this day too. She deserves to be happy. I think that we can all deal with her being upset later."

"Admiral, The CAG just called, they found Lt. Hawks body. It seems that she died from burns and the elements. They say that if the commander is as bad as she was, then in all likelihood he is dead too. There is no evidence anywhere in the search area of his chute." Gunny said as he joined Bud and AJ.

"So they suspect that his chute could have been on fire and never opened?"

Grimly, "Yes, Sir. They plan on looking a little longer, but there is little chance that he lived through it."

"Damn."

"Sir, the Colonel needs to know."

AJ stared at the younger men; he knew that Bud was right. "I'll tell her." He said as he turned to look at the woman doing her best to remain outwardly happy, it killed him to know that he was about to give her the worst news of her life.

May 27^th

Harm awoke feeling like he'd been run over by a train. A quick look around the room he was in told him that Bud was going to be all over him when he got home. He looked at his watch, the only thing of his that was still on him and saw the date and time, 1 am Washington time, Sunday. He was too late, Mac belonged to Mic now and going home now from wherever he was seemed like the last thing he wanted to do.

"Ah, you're awake?"

Harm turned to face the pretty redheaded woman who entered the room, "Where am I?" he croaked trying his voice for the first time since he woke up.

"You are on board the shuttle craft Apollo. How are you feeling?"

Harm huffed as he thought over what he was feeling.

"I know that isn't from physical pain, so why the sad face?" Beverly asked as she watched him check his watch again. As he did she saw the same eyes that Jean-Luc used to have before they finally let go and let their relationship progress to the happy couple they were today. "Never mind, must be a woman."

Harm looked at her, "Can you read minds, too?"

"Nope, but my Fiancé used to look like you before we let go of reg's and said the hell with it. We have been a couple for about a year now."

Without hesitation since it didn't matter, Harm replied, "She married another man today, or yesterday that is. I was flying home to stop her when my plane hit something. You wouldn't happen to know about that would you?"

Beverly looked at the younger man and felt his pain, "Yes, our craft hit yours. I am sorry to tell you this but the young woman that was flying with you didn't make it."

There were no words for the agony that Harm felt just then, another RIO dead because of him. He rolled over to face away from the strange woman taking care of him and let the tears of sadness fall.

"I'll be right outside if you need anything, Commander," Bev said as she caught Jean-Luc standing outside of the doorway. Walking over to join him so they could talk ,"You heard?"

"Yes, and Data got his name Harmon Rabb, Jr. Commander in the US Navy. He is a fighter pilot and from what I have gathered from his files Data gave me, he lost another RIO as they called them in a crash a few years ago."

"He also has a broken heart, the love of his life married another man yesterday." Jean-Luc pulled her close as they shared his suffering, "I just wish there was some way we could help him."

"I know Bev but it will most likely take everything we've got to get us back home."

"Then take me with you, where ever home is. My future here is gone." Harm asked in a begging voice.

Jean-Luc let Bev go so she could face Harm. "You don't even know where we are from?" They both saw the sadness that was overwhelming the young man.

"You're human, obviously advanced. You looked me up in your computer so I take it you are from the future." Harm chuckled to himself sounding hollow as the theme song from the Twilight Zone buzzed through his head. "Boy Bud would be eating this up."

"Commander, you must understand that if you go with us that you will be leaving everything and everyone you know behind."

"What's left for me? The woman I love just married another man, thanks to you the whole world assumes I'm dead. I can't go back and sit across from her at the office and watch her with her new name and new life. It would be better if I was dead."

Data came into join them at that time, "If I may ask so sir, why didn't you fight for her before hand instead of waiting to the last minute?"

"Data!"

Harm stared for a second at the android, "It's okay. I didn't realize just how much she meant to me till the last few weeks." Sheepishly, "I have been doing a lot of thinking since I heard about an old girl friend's murder. Then when you hit my tomcat, in the blink of an eye I realized that I had wasted time and wasted my chance for love with a woman I care for more than myself."

"It just took us crashing into you for you to realize that you messed up." Bev stated as she placed an arm around Jean-Luc.

"Yes, they say you see your life in the blink of an eye when you're about to die, I saw what I had screwed up and missed out on.

"I can understand that. I did the same thing when I was assimilated by the Borg." Picard turned to Data, "Is there any reason you can find why we have to return the Commander back over to his time?"

"I was researching but with the main computer resources concentrating on getting us back to fully operational…"

"Well then the Commander can just rest till we know something for sure."

"Aye, Aye, Captain. If you will excuse me then, sir, I will get back to the bridge and finish the navigation computers."

"Fine."

"Captain?" Harm asked as he still tried to comprehend what was going on.

"Oh, sorry, I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Captain of the star ship Enterprise, this is my chief medical officer Beverly Crusher. The android you saw is Commander Data. We are members of Star Fleet, similar to your navy but we just sail the universe. We were on a mission when our shuttle got tossed back in time, which is how we bumped into you."

"Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. Navy pilot and lawyer."

"You are a JAG? Data didn't mention that." Bev said as she pulled out a device that started humming as she whirled it around Harm's head."

"Yes, I was just out re-qualifying my flight status. I am just a pilot part time now." Harm said as he realized that if he went back that flying would be gone too. Too many mishaps and with his designator being JAG they would pull his flight status from him. One more reason to go with his new friends then to return to a life he would hate.

Bev and Jean-Luc watched as Harm's emotions rocked all over the place, with a nod from him, Bev took out a hypo spray and sent Harm off to a nice deep slumber.

"I feel for him. So much pain Jean-Luc. He reminds me so much of us that I wish we could fix time for him and reunite him with this woman who is breaking his heart."

"I know Bev, I know. I just hope that he will be able to adapt when we get back."

"He's a pilot and a lawyer, a peculiar combination I must say. He will make it physically and mentally but his heart is beyond hope in any century."

Part 3

Washington DC

Same time

Mac got up from the bed. Mic slept soundly and didn't move a bit as she left and wandered out into her living room. She came to stand in front of the window and watched the downpour outside and thought about how much she missed, and loved Commander Harmon Rabb Jr

Her thoughts never strayed from the man, this man she loved so deeply. He had been coming back to stop her, at least that was what Tuna had told her over the phone when he'd called personally to let her know why Harm was in the air.

The CAG reported that Skates was nearly burned beyond recognition and that a similar fate was what Harm must have met since his seat ejected after her's. The chances of him being alive now where nil, and she would just have to accept that. Her mind understood what her heart didn't. Harm loved her and he died trying to stop her from making a mistake, a mistake she made anyway.

The point seemed moot now that Harm was gone; Mic loved her and would take care of her. As a gesture of good will her new husband explained to her he wouldn't mind if their first-born son was named after her close friend. And as much as she appreciated that it was something she could never do, one Harmon Rabb in a lifetime was all she could handle and the one she wanted most was out of her reach for good

May 27^th

Harm awoke to find himself still aboard the Apollo, not in the dream world he had hoped to find. Easily stretching the new and rebuilt muscles he got up and began to wander around his new home.

He quickly found his way to the bridge where he found Data underneath a console working with another type of whirling device. "Excuse me, commander Data?"

Data popped up and looked at Harm, "What can I do for you Commander Rabb?"

"First , just call me Harm and then where can a guy get something to eat?"

Data showed confusion with the humor Harm was expressing and frowned. Even though he was at a loss for emotion, he was never at a loss for hospitality, and graciously offered to help the unfortunate guest. "What would you like? I'll see to it the food replicators are up and running first."

"Anything?" Harm asked surprised.

"Anything."

"How about a grilled chicken salad and water." Harm asked, almost challenging. Is this a sandwich, or a salad? Will the computer differentiate?

"Coming right up." Harm watched as the android got up went over to an outlet in the back wall, "Computer, one grilled chicken salad and water." Then just like that, there was his meal, made to perfection

"Whoa." Harm said as he sat down as Data handed him the food. "Better than Beltway Burgers drive through."

"Ah, Harm. Good to see you up and awake. I was going to wake you myself and offer you a bite to eat, I see that I am already late."

"Thank you Captain. I woke up and ended up here. I hope you don't mind?"

"No. Might as well get used to the ship."

From the console that he as working Data turned to ask a question, "Harm, may I ask something else?"

"Sure." Replied back as he munched hungrily into the salad.

"What is the woman's name? The woman who you were flying back for."

"Sarah, Sarah Mackenzie. Why?"

A grim expression came across Data's face.

"What did you find Data?" Jean-Luc asked as he knew what the scowl meant as the doctor joined him.

"I was performing a past history scan into the life of one Harmon Rabb Jr. However, in my earlier scan, I used only the Commander's name. After further expanding my search it revealed a number of offspring, four – to be exact. Each having a significant place in history," he reported, as his eyes locked with Harm's. "I found a Jessica Rabb, Captain in the Navy, and a Zachary Rabb who was a Marine Major. Both were in NASA as a pilot and specialist, respectively. The eldest son, a Harmon Rabb III, was a Captain and the Commander of the Air Group, CAG aboard the aircraft carrier Enterprise. And the last daughter, Marie Rabb Marshall will become a senator that leads the way for space exploration."

"So we have to send him back then?"

"Yes sir but,"

"What Data?" The Captain asked impatiently

"Their mother is listed as Sarah Mackenzie Rabb, a Marine Colonel. She retired after the third child to raise the family while Harm attained the rank of Admiral and after 45 years of service, retired his last post as Commander of the Judge Advocate General's office."

Bev knew instantly, "The woman he was trying to stop from marrying the other guy was Sarah. That can only mean that we are changing history."

"Yes, Doctor." Data confirmed, "It seems that Marie Rabb and her siblings were very big advocates of the space program. Zachary Rabb was on the first mission to Mars and Jessica served as the commander of the first moon space station."

"Wow!" Harm interjected, proudly as he imagined his future family. As soon as his pride had entered, the reality of his current situation stifled the joy he was experiencing. "How can these things happen when the mother of my future children is married to another man? Just how do you plan to change what has already happened?"

Jean-Luc looks over at the still recovering Harm, "We will just have to travel back in time again to put you back in place."

Data immediately set to work programming his course of action. "I will calculate the exact moment of our impact and right before the fire so they will eject safely and be recovered without the burn injuries." Data had not revealed that the husband of Marie Rabb Marshall would be none other than Captain Alexander Marshall, USN, the oldest son of Blake and Elizabeth 'Skates' Hawks Marshall.

"Make it so, Data.

Harm looked at the trio like they had lost their minds, "What do you mean put me back just as I eject. I will still miss the wedding."

"Not if Sarah is notified about the mishap and they find you." The doctor added, getting into the matchmaking mode.

"And just how do you plan on doing that?" A still uncertain Harm asked.

"By using recordings of your voices, we can make the crash sound like a mechanical failure, that would allow the Navy to know instantly that you need assistance," Data answered, wryly.

"You make it sound so easy, like there is nothing to it."

"Well Harm, I am just reading history." Data said as he handed Harm a pad with everything about his life after the 25^th of May The record of his rescue told of an F-14 pilot that was fished out of the sea near death and saying over and over 'I love you Sarah and I am so sorry.'

Harm read for a few minutes more and then handed the pad back to Data. A tear fell from his eye, in an emotional whisper, "Make it so, Data."

Part 4

Several hours later

Harm stood on the bridge and watched as Data calculated the energy they would need to jump back three days, save Skates and place Harm and then jump back to their own time. The Zeta wave that they needed for all of this work was due in an hour.

"All set down below, Data." Picard asked as he returned to the bridge from the engine room.

"Yes Captain, I have everything entered into the main computer with a back up in my head. If all goes well, in 56 minutes and 34 seconds, we all will be back where we should be."

"Good," Beverly smiled, "I have a wedding to finish planning ." She said as she wrapped her arms around Jean-Luc. Knowing that he would frown on the public display of affection but wanting Harm to see that he could have both.

The Captain extended his hand once again, "It was nice meeting you Harm, You probably won't remember any of this but all the same."

"Thank you, too, Captain. Because of you I get a second chance at life."

"You're welcome. Now if you will just go with Beverly here, she will erase the past few days from your mind."

Harm turned to leave and asked, "What if she goes to far back?"

"I won't and besides you were in a place crash, Harm, some memory loss is expected."

Harm looked around the bridge one last time, shook Data's hand and then followed Beverly to sickbay.

After getting comfortable in the flight suit they replicated for him, Harm laid quietly pondering the future with Mac. Four kids, wow. The Navy! Two with NASA, and a Senator! He couldn't keep the grin off his face.

"It's nice to see a happier look on you."

"It feels great. And thanks again for everything Doctor."

"You're welcome Harm," was the last thing he heard till ….

Part 5

…..he hit the water. Harm came up sputtering and gasping for air. His foggy mind struggled to understand how he ended up in the water and then the systems crash and ejection came back to him. Skates? He knew that she had ejected but where was she and was she okay?

Then his thoughts turned to Mac, I love you Sarah and I'm sorry.

It became his mantra as the numbness of cold invaded his senses and sent him to a dreamland with androids, bald captains and hot looking doctors.

An hour later

The restaurant for Mic and Mac's dinner

She looked out the window, staring at the downpour. She missed him and she loved him.

She knew. Harm was coming back for her. She thought about his way, and that he would do anything for her unconditionally, but when he had asked her for time, she refused him. Knowing time was running out for them, she had to make a decision. Would she marry the man that was committed to her whom she felt gratitude, or wait for the one true love that her heart cried out for? The one who could very well be dead right now?

She tried to feel comforted by the words that Mic had spoken a few minutes ago in trying to cheer her up but all they did was drive home that Harm wasn't there.

The Admiral approached her "Mac, I'm driving up to Andrews to wait for news. I have room for you if you would like to come along. We can stop by your place so you can change."

A weak smile at AJ's attempt to comfort her made it to her face. She wondered how much her CO really knew about her and Harm. "I think I will take you up on that. Let me tell Mic."

"Mac, he left to take Renee home and then he was heading over to the Roberts to cancel the wedding for tomorrow."

Her whole body relaxed with the last statement. "Well, then let's get going, Sir."

AJ followed her out the door and wondered if he should call Mic to tell him to cancel it for good because he knew that as soon as one head strong Navy pilot met back up with one head strong Marine there would be no separating them again.

2042

Harm stood outside with the telescope pointed at the moon. He was searching for his daughter's shuttle, the Apollo. This was her first command, and in outer space, no less.

Mac never understood his sudden interest in space after he was rescued back in 2001. Unable to relate his dream that had haunted him from the icy ocean, Harm kept it to himself as he tried to make sense of it.

Of course most of what he remembered was like trying to match holes in chunks of Swiss cheese all he had were sporadic memories. He wondered if Beverly Crusher Picard knew that his attempt to use a movie trick from Flash Gordon helped him remember a lot of his short stay. He chuckled at himself. Hell, no, Dr Beverly Crusher wouldn't know and even if she did what could she do.

"What are you laughing at, Flyboy?" His wife asked, curiously

"Nothing, honey, nothing. How is our grandson, Mr. Johnny Howard doing?" Harm asked, as he knew what was coming. The boy preferred his Grandpas tales before bed than Grandma's

"Your grandson is sound asleep." She said as she messed with his graying hair. " Even though my stories don't rank up there with Grandpa's. He also can't wait to hear from mommy tomorrow when she reaches the moon."

"Neither can his grandfather." Harm grinned as he adjusted the scope some more. "And you just need to be more flamboyant in your bedtime tales."

Shrugging off the comment, "Mark called and said that as soon as he could he would call back with the time for Jessie's phone call."

"Good, I wanted to ask Dr. Howard how he is handling his wife being a few million miles from home," he joked, as he looked up briefly.

"The same way I always felt when you were in the air. Proud, scared and jealous." Mac said as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Well, I only soar when I am with you anymore," He said placing a kiss on her forehead. "Especially, since you made Trey take my plane with him last time he was home on leave."

Mac turned her eyes to the sky, another almost hallmark moment. "I love you too Harm," She said as they stood there arm in arm staring at the moon.

2376

Beallsville Pa.

Beverly Picard sat back on the porch of her family's estate. The old farm was all that was left to the Howard side of her family and now it was hers as she came home to her great-great uncle Zachary's funeral.

"Hey, Bev, have you ever been through the old library in here?" Her husband of a few months asked

"I used to look at some of the books but I never really read any of them. Why?"

He handed her the book, it was hand written and was labeled, Space Tales told by Grandpa Rabb, by John Howard. She quickly scanned the first pages of the old book and then began to laugh. Inside was dedicated to Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Doctor Beverly Crusher with thanks from Admiral Harmon Rabb Jr.

The End

Okay fellow Trekkies, I am guessing at the end date because of how many seasons there were of DS9 after ST-TNG and what dates are in my Star Trek Chronology Text. Yes, I am the serious Trekker. J