Date: Fri, 11 Jun 93 18:59:44 EDT
From: Jason_Dzembo@MTS.RPI.EDU
To: alt-ql-creative@cisco.com
Message-Id: <3648149@MTS.RPI.EDU>
Subject: Love, Honor & Obey (Part 3 of 4)

       The meal was a simple one, designed more for the purpose of
eliciting information about the wedding - or the lack thereof -
than for eating.  Sam explained the situation to Lisa's family -
Ralph, her father Rex, and a younger sister named Cissy.  According
to Al, Lisa's mother had died in December of 1962.  Sam wondered if
that had been a factor in the collapse of Lisa and Wes's
relationship;  he knew all too well how a person's life could be
affected by the loss of a parent. 
       There was a knock at the door as they finished clearing the
table, and a moment later, Lisa entered the room, almost
hesitantly.  She gave a start of surprise when she saw Sam.  "What
are you doing here, Wes?"
       "We invited him to dinner." Rex said defensively. 
       The implication must have sunk in for Lisa because she
smiled and said, "Checking up on me, Dad?  Despite all your
huffiness, you wanted to find out how the wedding went, didn't
you?"
       "Well, it did come up in the discussion." Rex said, avoiding
her eyes.
       "Good.  Then I don't have to give you the whole story.  But
I thought you'd like to know that Jon and I have decided to try
again.  We've rescheduled the wedding for the eighth."  She paused
and said, "I was hoping you'd be there."
       "Lisa, you know how I feel about the whole situation.  I
don't see what makes you think my decision would be any different
this time." Rex replied.  His voice held a note of sad resignation.
He went back into the kitchen without another word.
       "What about you two?" Lisa asked her siblings, "Would you
like to go?"
       "I would," Ralph replied, "but if Dad found out, there'd be
Hell to pay.  You know how he gets."  Cissy nodded her agreement.
       "Well," Sam said, "You can count on me being there." 
       Lisa glanced at Sam and smiled nervously.  "About that." 
She turned to Ralph and Cissy, who were trying not to be obvious in
their eavesdropping.  "I think we'd better talk upstairs."  She
led the way to an upstairs bedroom and closed the door carefully
behind them.
       "What's wrong?" Sam asked, though he knew the answer.
       Rather than answer, Lisa walked around the room, touching
various items and avoiding his gaze, as well as his question. 
"We've been through a lot in this room." she said softly.  "All the
arguments, all the making up."  She glanced at the bed and said,
"We first made love in that bed, and that's there where I was
sitting when you told me about my mother."
       Though she wasn't looking at him, Sam could see her profile,
and could see the tear rolling down her cheek, despite her efforts
to suppress it.  He crossed to her, stood behind her and held
her to his chest.  She leaned against him, secure in his embrace,
and let the tears flow, squeezing his hands in hers, pressing her
eyes against his arm where it came over her shoulder.  Sam kissed
the top of her head gently.  "Why does it have to hurt so much
whenever we're together?" Lisa asked in a muffled voice.
       "I don't know." Sam replied, his voice hoarse.
       She turned in his arms until she was facing him.  She was at
least six inches shorter than him and when she looked up at him,
Sam could see in her eyes, glistening with tears, the woman's
desperation, her desire to do what was right, if only she could
figure out what that was.  She was a beautiful, caring woman, who
could never hurt anyone.  And yet, she knew that, through her own
indecision, she was prolonging the agony for everyone involved,
including herself.  Sam wished there was something he could do for
her, that there was a way she could love both men, without the
pain, without old emotions getting in the way.
       Lisa stretched her face towards his and Sam bent forward to
meet her halfway.  Their lips met in warm, wet, salty kiss that
lasted a minute and an eternity.  When it was over, Lisa pressed
a finger to Sam's lips and, forcing her tears to stop she said in
a scratchy voice, "I'll always care about you.  Don't ever forget
that."
       "I won't." Sam assured her, "But-"
       "I don't think we should see each other anymore." Lisa said
as firmly as her emotions would allow.  "It's too painful for both
of us, and you deserve better than that."
       Sam knew she was trying to do the right thing and hated to
discourage her.  But he also knew what the future held if he went
along with it.  "Lisa, there's got to be a way."  For a split
second, he thought he saw a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
       In reality, the glimmer he saw was the reflection of the
light from the hall, as it came through the recently opened
doorway, silhouetting Jonathan Dwyer, as he stood, glaring with
disbelief at his fiance? and her ex-lover, locked in a close
embrace.
       Lisa and Sam turned to the door as one.
       "This is what you mean when you say things are over between
the two of you?" Jon demanded.
       "Jon, it's not what you think!" Lisa said, pulling away from
Sam and reaching for Jon's hand.
       Jonathan pulled away and said, "Oh, spare me the clich?s,
Lisa.  I'm not as stupid as you think I am."  He glared at Sam and
growled, "You want her, you can have her.  I hope you get what's
coming to you."  He turned and lumbered out the doorway.
       Lisa stood for a moment in indecision.  She glanced at Sam
helplessly.  "What the Hell's going on here?" Rex demanded, running
up the stairs.  In the distance, the front door slammed shut.
       "Jon got the wrong impression when he saw Wes and I
hugging." Lisa said, tears of frustration playing at the corners of
her eyes.  "I was trying to say good-bye to Wes and Jon showed up
and...."  She fell into her father's arms crying. 
       Rex and Sam exchanged glances as the woman's father patted
his daughter's shoulder consolingly.  "It's alright, sweetheart. 
I told you he wasn't the man for you.  Maybe this is for the
better."
       "Guess again." Al said, as the imaging chamber door ground
shut behind him.  He turned to Sam and demanded, "I don't know what
you've done, but history's changed, Sam.  Now, Lisa and Jon never
get married, Chelsea is never born, and that baby chokes to death. 
As if that weren't enough, Wes feels so guilty about breaking them
up that he and Lisa never see each other again."?