Message-Id: <m0siHgr-0001zpC@kickme.cts.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 95 01:49 PDT
From: jekel@cts.com (Julie Jekel)
Subject: "Ships in the Night"

                        "Ships in the Night"    
                                a sequel to "Donna's Song"
                                        by Julie L. Jekel
        
                        Chapter 2: Sam 

        "How can we thank you enough?" Jenny smiled and kissed Sam on the
cheek.  "You've been like a guardian angel too us. I don't know how we would
have made it without you."
        Warren squeezed her hand and reached his other hand out to Sam.  "I
tell you I'd get more in the habit of pickin' up hitchikers if they were all
like you, Sam.  Sure you don't want anything?"
        Sam smiled and shook Warren's offered hand. "I'm sure.  It was my
pleasure."
        "Well, you be careful out there.  The road can be a dangerous place,
you know."
        "I know."
        Jenny leaned her head on Warren's shoulder.  Her face was more
content than it had ever been in the brief time he had known them.  Her hand
that was not in Warren's rested on the shoulder of their young son, Barry.
Sam realized with a pang that he missed being part of that picture.  Even
though Leaping as himself had many advantages, he was always alone. Even Al
had not been able to find him, apparently.  He was always a stranger,
wandering into the lives of other people, hoping to help them set right a
few of the things that had gone wrong in their lives.  He missed becoming
instantly part of a family, not having to earn trust because it was given to
him, many times, along with the face he wore.  He could feel the Leap coming
on, and briefly he wished that maybe at least once more he could have that
experience, confusing as it was, of being in the middle of something.
        "Well, I've got to get going."
        Warren nodded.  "Thanks for everything, man."
        Sam smiled and turned to walk away.  Before he was out of their
sight he felt the Leap overtake him, but he didn't mind. It had happened
before, and he figured the people just assumed that he was their guardian
angel.  Maybe he was.
        Blue electricity and time finally overcame him and he Leaped...    
        Into the middle of a melee of sound and microphones.
        "How does it feel to have saved the life of someone as famous as
Ferne Marshall?" a voice called above the din.
        "Do you know if you will be allowed to see Miss Marshall when she
recovers?"
        "Mr. Kemp, are you a fan of Ferne Marshall's films?"
        "Uh...no comment," he stammered.  Someone took him by the arm and
began to part the sea of people before him.  Bewildered, Sam trustingly
followed the unknown Moses.  Behind him, the torrent of voices and
flashbulbs persisted.
        "Mr Kemp..!"
        "Mr Kemp..!"
        "Mr Kemp..!"
        "Oh, boy!" he whispered.     

        
                                 JJ

        "Our imaginations leap ahead to places we have yet to see."
                                     --a poster in my room