From: lurker@iglobal.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Subject: Third Time's A Charm (Part 8) Date: Sat, 31 Aug 1996 22:51:48 -0500 Message-ID: <19960901034940441.AAG129@denp1-26.iglobal.net> THIRD TIME'S A CHARM by Deb Parizek and Rhonda Hallstrom ***** After a brief reconnaissance, Peter joined the others just outside the warehouse gates. "How about Sam and I take the back way and you two take the front." "They know we are here," Caine told his son. "They do? Right now?" Caine shrugged. "Once we enter their domain." "Okay - then, humor me, will you Pop?" Peter asked. "C'mon, Sam." Sam shrugged apologetically and followed the impulsive detective. Caine watched them go. "He will never change," he said to himself fondly. "Would you want him to?" asked the Ancient. Caine looked at his mentor and laughed as they prepared to go in. Surprisingly enough, Caine and Lo Si did not have to worry about fighting the populace. As they entered through the front door, two women stepped cautiously out of the shadows, arms at their sides. They bowed. Caine and Lo Si bowed in return. "Please come with us," one said. "She who is chosen is anxious to meet you." Caine and Lo Si exchanged telling looks at each other, both obviously tempted after all they had been through to simply fight their way inside. Their Shaolin nature won out and they went calmly with the two women. ***** Peter saw the Wing Tsun virtually surround Sam and himself almost the very second they walked through the door. "We're in trouble," Peter murmured. "Give me Kermit's gun." "What??" "Give me Kermit's gun - quick!" "Sam...you're not a cop, you're a doctor....You shouldn't handle a gun unless you're prepared to fire it-" Peter's argument broke off as Sam reached over under Peter's coat and took Kermit's gun. "I hope you know what you're doing." Sam studied the unfamiliar weapon as the Wing Tsun closed in. Glancing up, he saw a quick movement out of the corner of his eye. "Peter - WATCH OUT!!" Sam could not believe what occurred next. With one quick, smooth motion, he pushed Peter to the ground with one hand and drew Kermit's gun with the other and fired. The bullet sped directly to its' target - the lamp overhead, which broke and shattered as it crashed to the floor, plunging them all in darkness. As they crawled out of the room, Peter whispered, "KERMIT???? Are you back????" "No, I'm still Sam." "There's no way you could've made that shot!" "In stressful situations," Sam explained, "I react with the instincts of the host. I think I'd call this stressful." "Just a little bit," Peter agreed as he crawled on. ***** The delaying tactic did little good. All Peter and Sam managed was to find a space much larger to give them more room to fight in. Alia stood in the shadows, the fighting all around her. She saw Sam and Peter separated as they fought hand-to-hand with several women each. "Pay attention, Darling. The time for you to act will come soon," Zoey reminded her. "Do NOT fail...the punishment this time will make the last look like a picnic..." Alia tried to swallow the lump in her throat as tears stung her eyes. *Caine, help me. I can't do this alone.* *...the final battle is for you to fight alone....* ***** *Under other circumstances, this might be a turn-on!* Peter thought, wiping at the blood which trickled out of the corner of his mouth. Three black-clad women, death in their eyes, approached him. As they drew closer, they separated and tried to encircle him, reminiscent of sharks trapping their prey. Fatigued from rigorous hand-to-hand combat, Peter watched them warily and gave ground in an effort to get his back protected by the crates he knew were a few feet behind him. He neared the crates and suddenly sensed an unfriendly presence behind him. He whirled. TOO LATE. A foot connected with the lowest ribs on his right side. He doubled over in pain, gasping for air. A blow landed at the base of his neck.... An older woman stepped out of the shadows and stood over Peter, now prone on the floor. "Leave him. Another will be death's messenger...." She turned and strode confidently away. The four women followed her obediently. ***** Sam backed away from the opponent he'd just kicked. He hated fighting women but this little scenario left him with no options. "Sam, you gotta hurry or the kid's dogmeat...!" Sam jumped and whirled, ready to fight. Instead of an enemy, he saw Al, looking more pale than he'd ever seen him. He hadn't heard the imaging chamber door open. "AL!!!! What...? Why aren't you in bed!??!" "I'm not about to desert my buddy when the kaka hits the fan," Al said, sitting heavily on nothing. "Peter's in danger again - hurry!" "Lock onto him and guide me, Al....Good to have you back!" Sam instructed, picking up Kermit's elephant gun from the floor where it landed after the last opponent kicked it from his hand. "Geez louise!" exclaimed Al, as he saw Sam's weapon. "Have you actually been USING that thing???" He shook his head - carefully - as he depressed the ever-present handlink buttons. ***** "The time has come...DO YOUR JOB!!" Zoey ordered. Alia crept out from her hiding place and, reaching Peter's side, knelt next to him. She pushed his sleeve up, revealing the veins in the bend of his outstretched arm. *Just stick the needle in and press the plunger,* she told herself, *the air bubble will do the rest...* She pierced his soft skin with the needle. His blood escaped. She hesitated, thumb poised over the plunger. *I can't do this...* ***** "Over here, Sam...!" Sam swung around the tower of crates. Before him, a small Chinese woman knelt next to Peter's unconscious form, a needle stuck into his arm. "FREEZE...POLICE!!!" he shouted. The woman looked up at him, a mixture of relief, fear and sadness on her face. "BACK AWAY FROM HIM...NOW!" The woman didn't move. She looked up, over her shoulder. Sam lowered his gun and sighted in on her. "He won't shoot!" Zoey hissed. "DO IT!!!" Alia looked up at her observer and said forcefully, "NO, I WON'T DO IT!!" A second later, the red glow began to surround her. "You'll regret this!!!" Zoey screeched. "No, I won't," Alia said with a smile as her essence was carried away. ***** Caine and Lo Si stood, waiting, in the center of the warehouse. They knew this was the place where Caine would confront the leader of the Wing Tsun. They did not have to wait long. A middle-aged woman - tall, slender and beautiful - strode confidently out of the shadows. Her followers flocked in behind her. She stopped exactly ten feet from Caine and bowed. Caine bowed in return. "So, we finally meet, priest," she spat with contempt. "It was inevitable...." Caine responded, calm as always. "You have already lost this battle," she told him. "By now, your son is dead and, with him, the Caine line." Caine reached out to touch his son's essence, even though he was certain he would feel it if Peter was killed. He smiled - Peter's essence was very much alive at the moment. Once again, he gave thanks to the presence of Sam Beckett. "My son is safe," he told her. ***** Sam shook his head. The woman in his sights just toppled over without a sound. She appeared to be talking to herself; she MUST have been Alia. But if it was Alia, why didn't she say something to him? Dismissing it, he holstered the gun, rushed over and knelt down next to Peter. With trained eyes and hands, he began to evaluate his partner's condition. He removed the needle and found that the plunger had not been pushed so no toxin or air bubble had been delivered into the bloodstream. A couple of ribs on the right side moved suspiciously under his fingers. Rolling Peter over, he found blood trailing down the side of Peter's jaw. A closer inspection revealed a cut on the inside of Peter's lower lip. Nothing TOO serious....Sam exhaled in relief. He hadn't realized until then that he'd been holding his breath. Sam shrugged out of his jacket and laid it over Peter's torso. Peter stirred and his eyes fluttered open. Sam bent over him. "Take it easy, kid...." "Sam...???" Peter whispered. "It's almost over, Peter. We'll just stay here and wait for your Pop and Lo Si to find us." "They will...." Peter whispered with confidence. "I know." "I can't breathe...." "You're breathing just fine, Peter. You might have a couple of broken ribs," Sam told him. "Just rest. I'll watch your back." Peter smiled at the in-joke and closed his eyes, relieved. His photographic memory finally kicking in, Sam reached inside Peter's left jacket pocket to take out his cellular, flipped it open and called the station. After a few seconds, Sam carried on a brief but intense conversation with Strenlich, Jody, and Captain Simms, in that order, regarding sending an ambulance for Peter. Finally, feeling like he'd just returned from the wars, he flipped the cellular closed and looked down at the peacefully sleeping Peter. "STILL think you're unloved, kid?" he asked wryly. With Peter safe, Sam checked out the Chinese woman who had tried to kill Peter. She was dead. ***** Caine blocked another kick, then dropped, extended his leg and swept his opponent's feet out from under her. She fell onto her back, but rolled out of the way and gained her feet before he could strike. She lunged at him. Timing it perfectly, Caine struck her in the solar plexus with the full force of his chi, lifting her off the floor and propelling her backwards. She slammed into a large crate, toppling it over. The female followers turned and scattered. Caine and Lo Si walked over to where the woman lay. The crate had cracked on impact with the floor but the metal hinges did not. One pierced her chest. ***** Sam saw a shadow that had not been there previously and drew Kermit's gun. "FREEZE! Police!" The shadows seemed to recede on their own volition to reveal Caine and Lo Si. Relieved, Sam raised his gun as the two entered. Caine, whose attentions were solely on Peter, approached his son and felt for a pulse. "He'll be okay," Sam said. "I think a couple of ribs are broken. The ambulance should be here any time. I guess I didn't do very well at watching his back, did I?" Caine rested his finger on his son's throbbing pulse. "You did...just fine," he told the scientist. ***** In the end, Caine insisted upon tending to his son himself. Sam was both amused and admiring; Caine, in tending to Peter, was reassuring himself that Peter was all right. Peter, for his part, accepted his father's ministrations with the air of "it could have been worse." He didn't even argue when Caine called in sick for him, although he didn't want to think what this would do to his caseload, and cooperated when Caine suggested he might use the time to improve his meditation techniques. On the second day of Peter's recovery, Peter was surprised when Sam walked in. Peter's mouth dropped open. "SAM?? Kermit's not back YET?! No offense!" he said hastily. Sam smiled at the unintentional jibe. "I know, I know," he said. "Ziggy can't figure it out, either. If that isn't bad enough, Kermit's throwing a FIT in the waiting room!" Peter laughed and then grimaced, holding his ribs. "Don't make me laugh," he begged. "Sorry." "So, what have you been doing for two days, Sam?" Peter asked curiously. "Helping Jody with the Middleton case, mostly," Sam said. "How'd it go?" "That was an interesting situation," Sam mused. "The father had 'kidnapped' the boy, making it look like a random death. He thought the mother was unfit to raise him. He had his boy at a cabin belonging to one of his ex-military buddies. So, at least, the boy's okay." He grinned suddenly. "I don't know why Kermit's so upset. At least, I can hold down his job until he comes back; I don't have to call in sick or anything and waste his sick leave or vacation time!" "Perhaps," Caine interjected, "now that I know where Kermit is, I could reach his mind and offer him some comfort-" "Caine?" Everyone looked toward the door to see Mary Margaret Skalany. The beautiful detective looked hesitant and embarrassed. Caine looked at her, puzzled. He had never known her to be reticent. "Come in. Is something wrong?" She glanced at the others. "I feel so foolish-" Caine cut her sentence off with a wave of his hand. "If something is troubling you, it is NOT foolish. Tell me." Peter, Sam, and Lo Si discretely left as Skalany hemmed and hawed. Finally, she said, "I don't know what I expect YOU to do about this-" Caine merely looked expectant. "I've been having nightmares," she blurted, "and you're in them." Caine raised an eyebrow at that. "See, I knew it was foolish-" "It is not. Go on." "I can't remember any more," Skalany said, frustrated. "The feelings that I get, though....They're not very nice dreams. Can you help?" "I can try." Caine led her to his pallet and sat her down on it. He then turned to his medicine storage cabinet and began making tea. Minutes later, he was urging her to drink the potion. She put the decorative cup to her lips and drank - and immediately made a face. He shrugged an apology. She smiled and gulped the rest down quickly. "What does this do?" she asked. "Maybe I should have asked BEFORE I drank it!" Caine took the cup from her. "It will make you sleepy. You should lie down." "So you can have your wicked way with me?" she grinned, as she promptly complied with his suggestion. He sat beside her, ignoring the teasing innuendo. "Close your eyes. Relax." Skalany complied. She already felt better just being in Caine's comforting presence. The potion was warming and WAS making her drowsy. She let herself float peacefully into sleep. Caine drifted with her, unseen. He was determined to find out what was wrong and suspected that it had something to do with why Sam was still here. ***** Fifteen minutes later, Caine stepped out into the training room where the others were. He looked very grim. "Pop? What's wrong?" Peter asked. "She is having nightmares," Caine said in a monotone, "and Lothos is responsible. I must find him." Lo Si and Peter both knew that tone of voice. Caine was furious! "Umm...I can check with Ziggy to see if Alia is still here," Sam volunteered. "Even if she was, it would not matter," Caine said. "I must speak with HIM. Peter...." Caine wondered if his son knew how much it hurt to say these words, "Peter...if I have to destroy him...." "I know, I know, I KNOW!" Sam glanced sharply at Peter in admonishment. Peter looked to the floor but didn't say a word. Caine was expressionless. "I must go now. Excuse me." He was almost through the door when Peter stopped him. "Pop." Caine turned, still expressionless. "I understand." Caine looked at his son, shocked. He was attuned with Peter's thoughts and feelings - he truly DID understand!! Peter couldn't help grinning at his father's shocked expression. "Go kick his butt for me," he said. Caine quickly crossed to his son and hugged him fiercely. Peter returned the hug, despite the pain in his side. "I love you, my son." Caine was overwhelmed and it was all he could think of to say - it was all he WANTED to say. "I love you." "I love you, too, Pop," Peter said. Lo Si nudged Sam and the two grinned at each other in mixed amusement and happiness. A sudden thought occurred to Sam and he had to ask. Not wanting to disturb the happy family tableau, he leaned over and whispered to Li Si, "Just how is it that he's going to FIND Lothos?" "Watch and see," was Lo Si's only response. ***** Caine, once again on his meditation pad, prepared for his journey. His spirit had never before felt so full of life, so fulfilled. NOW was the best time to confront the evil. He only hoped that he was up to it. He threw the herbs into the incense candle and was on his way. ***** The others had watched Caine perform his ritual in one corner of the room, safely out of the way. Sam watched, baffled, as Caine just sat there in a trance once the smoke cleared. "Isn't he leaving?" Lo Si smiled. "He has already left. Would anyone like some tea? This could take a while." Sam pointed at Caine, still sitting on his meditation pad. "But...but...?" "Don't ask," Peter advised. "You'll be better off." ***** Caine opened his eyes to see...nothing. It reminded him of when he fought Tan's daughter. Only this Lothos was much better. It appeared that he was suspended in space and smoke. Anyone else would have been overwhelmed or, at the very least, disoriented. Caine's purpose kept him oriented. "Show yourself!" Caine demanded. "Face me!" A voice boomed, "YOU ARE UNIMPORTANT, PRIEST." "I am here to destroy your evil influence," Caine pressed on. "It is my path, my duty." "YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN DESTROY ME?" "I WILL destroy you," Caine said. "Even now, you are still afraid to face me." "TRITE, PRIEST." "Truth," Caine corrected. "Show your TRUE form!" "TRUTH IS AN ILLUSION." "Then you ARE afraid of truth." "ALL RIGHT, PRIEST. BEHOLD!" Caine turned and laughed out loud. For THIS, he had worried that he would never see Peter again! "HOW DARE YOU!!!" The clouds darkened in response. Caine shook his head. This should teach him to curb his expectations. "YOUR CONFIDENCE, PRIEST, WILL BE YOUR UNDOING!" "You are nothing, 'Lothos'," Caine told him. "YOUR undoing will be yourself. There is nothing that I need to do to you." "YOU ARE AFRAID TO FIGHT ME!" Caine looked at him. "I understand now. There WAS evil present but it was not you that I sensed. It was the ultimate evil - guilt, shame, and unreasonable fears - that was our enemy, never you. YOU are inconsequential. You only have power that others surrender to you, as Alia did." "TAKE CARE, PRIEST, I STILL HAVE ONE OF YOURS." An image of Mary Margaret Skalany appeared before him. "Yes," Caine said. "You have forced your impression upon her mind. I will release her from you." "WHAT DO YOU CARE ABOUT THIS ONE? WHAT ABOUT HER?" Caine turned to see an image of Laura Katherine Caine - standing there as if she were alive. Caine closed his eyes in pain. *It wasn't your fault.* Caine frowned - where had he heard that thought? Certainly not from himself. He remembered - it was Sam Beckett. A good soul. *It wasn't your fault.* *It wasn't my fault,* he thought to himself, admitting the possibility for the first time, testing the sound of it. *It wasn't my fault.* Caine drew a sharp intake of breath and opened his eyes. The image of Laura was gone. He felt...cleansed. Sad, yes, but Laura's death was not his fault. It felt that the weight of the world was off his shoulders at long last. He turned to Lothos triumphantly. "You cannot harm me. You cannot harm my family." "DON'T BE TOO SURE, PRIEST." The image of Mary Margaret Skalany was still there. Caine summoned his chi and waved his hand.... ***** "Peter, I wouldn't...!" Peter was holding the translated printout of the message that had given him so much grief. "I just thought-" "Bad idea!" Sam said. "Give it to me right now!" "Yes, sir!" Peter joked. As he extended it for Sam, it suddenly burst into flame. "GEEZ!" Peter exclaimed, as he dropped the flaming piece of paper. Lo Si quickly put the fire out. "Look!" Sam said, pointing to the sleeping Skalany. Skalany's features, once pinched and drawn, smoothed as she turned over on her side in her sleep. "MMMmmm...." she murmured, smiling. Sam and Peter grinned. "Wonder what she's dreaming about," Peter said. Lo Si whistled a tune off-key as he tried to look innocent and poured more tea. ***** Caine looked at Lothos with pity. "Our battle is over," he said. "There is nothing more I need to do here." "...i will be back...i promise you...." Caine looked back. "Only if we let you. We will not. You will be destroyed by your own arrogance. You are nothing." Caine turned and began the journey home. ***** Peter, Sam, and Lo Si were conversing softly on the porch when Caine entered. "Lothos is no longer a threat to us," he said. Sam gaped in amazement. "And Alia-?" Caine shook his head. "I did not say that Lothos will never return," he said. "I was able to free Mary Margaret but as long as he still controls Alia, he has power and cannot be destroyed. Only Alia can free herself from his bonds. "If you could free Mary Margaret," Sam asked, "why couldn't you free Alia?" "Alia gave part of her soul to him willingly," Caine explained. "It was a long time ago, but the terms are still valid. Alia must take back her soul by embracing the light in order to be free." Sam looked at Peter. "Do you understand ANY of this?" he asked. "I don't even try anymore," Peter said. "But Skalany's okay now, right? No more nightmares?" "No more nightmares," Caine affirmed. "So now all we have to do," Peter said, "is to figure out...umm...." Peter paused, trying to figure out a way to be tactful. "-why I'm not leaping," Sam finished for him. "Believe me, I'm just as antsy as you are." "Why are you 'antsy'?" Caine asked. "I'm antsy because Kermit is probably destroying Project Quantum Leap and I may never leave!" Sam joked. Peter looked alarmed. "Do you think-" "I was kidding, Peter." "I'm not so sure about that...." "Come with me," Caine said, beckoning to Sam. Sam threw a look of wariness at Peter, who smiled reassuringly and nodded. Caine led him back to the meditation room. "Sit down," Caine said as he lit some candles. Sam sat down cross-legged as he saw Caine do. Caine sat in front of him. They heard the by-now-familiar sound of the imaging chamber door. Al stepped through. Sam mentally winced, anticipating his friend's opinion to the mystical scene. He was not disappointed. "Sam? What are you doing???" Al whispered. "Don't tell me you're actually going along with this mumbo-jumbo fakesy-" "AL!" Sam hissed, not wanting Caine offended. Caine shrugged. "Those who do not understand often choose to ridicule." Al opened his mouth to issue a sharp retort but Sam put a hand up. "Al," he said diplomatically, "wait for me outside, please!" Al looked disgusted but stabbed at the handlink controls and disappeared. "Sorry," Sam said. Caine shook his head in response. "There is no need to apologize," he said. Caine closed his eyes. Sam did likewise. After a minute or two, Sam opened his eyes again slightly. Nothing was happening, or at least that's what it felt like to him. But Caine seemed to hold his trance-like state so he closed his eyes again, feeling foolish. He had no idea what he was supposed to do. Caine opened his eyes to stare at the man in front of him. *Incredible!* thought Caine. *He has no concept of his power...and it is not my place to teach him.* He felt a wave of sympathy for the scientist as he reached and touched the other man on the forearm. "You may open your eyes," he said. Sam complied as the older man got up from the floor. He watched Caine for a few moments. "Uh...sir? What was that all about?" Caine said, "I was attempting to divine your purpose or your true path." Sam got up, frowning. "Did you find out?" Caine shrugged. Sam sighed, exasperated. Caine, realizing he could not leave Sam in such a limbo, turned to face him. "I found...several possibilities," he told Sam. "However, you must become the master of your fate and accept your true path." Sam wished Peter was here to translate. "I'm sorry, sir, but I don't understand." Caine sighed. *How can I comfort this man and advise him without obstructing him from his self-discovery?* Sam thought of something else. "Caine...you seem to...have gifts that are beyond science. Can you tell me...will I ever get home?" Caine looked at him. *Peter and Sam...unanswerable questions. They are two of a kind...no wonder they get along so well!* "You know something, I know you do," Sam said. "You said you owed me for saving Peter...I'm not typically one to call in debts but this time...." Caine closed his eyes briefly - he was hoping that Sam would not think of that. "Please tell me! I want to go home. Please!!!" Caine bowed his head slightly. Sam had left him no choice. He was honor-bound to respond as best as he could. "You will go home when you wish to," Caine said. Sam's jaw dropped. "WHAT?? That can't be true!! Ever since I started this, all I have wanted is to go home!" "I thought you wanted to...fix things for the better," Caine said, alluding to their other conversation. "Well...yes, of course I want to help people," Sam said. "But it's always little things...one person at a time. If I got home, maybe I could fix the Accelerator Chamber to work the way it's supposed to; to be a doorway to history. Perhaps that might benefit hundreds, even thousands...." "Perhaps...if that is what you wish to do." Sam stared at Caine with a glimmer of understanding burning in his brain. He thought about the people that he had met over the years he would never have met any other way. He never would have known Abigail's love, he never would have saved his brother's life....Caine nodded approvingly as Sam pictured as many of the people that he had saved as his swiss-cheesed memory would allow. "Is that what you wish to do?" Caine asked softly. Tears began to burn in Sam's eyes. "I want to go home," he whispered but he could not help but feel a sense of love and fulfillment of purpose when he thought about leaping to the next person who needed help. Caine shrugged. "One's 'home' is in the heart," he told Sam. "You must be true to your heart. Only then, you will be fulfilled." Sam smiled. "I think I understand." Caine returned the smile. "Not yet," he said, "but you will." ***** Caine and Sam walked into the room where the others were. Al was agitated and pushing buttons on the handlink. "SAM!! I was just about to come in to get you!! he said. "You'll never believe this-" "-I'm ready to leap," Sam finished. Al stared. "Yeah. How'd you-" He looked at Sam, who was grinning at Caine. "Never mind." Peter came forward. "You're ready?? I mean, you can tell?" Sometimes. But yeah, I think I've done everything I came here to do." Sam looked at Peter, who was mentally fumbling for a way to say good-bye. "I don't have much time," Sam said gently. "Yeah. Uh...Sam...." Sam grinned and gave the young man a bear-hug and then ruffled his hair affectionately. "Stay out of trouble!" "You, too. Hey, come back and see us-!" Peter's sentence was cut off as Kermit's body jerked slightly and nearly fell. Caine, who was standing behind him, caught him. Peter looked around - Al was gone as well. *Efficient,* he thought. Kermit groaned slightly and was looking dazed. "What-? Where...? What's going on???" Caine, now acquainted with the state of a leapee, frowned; Mary Margaret was not this disoriented upon returning. It made no sense that Kermit would be so weakened- Just then, Kermit's elbow sailed backwards with the force of an explosion, all signs of weakness obliterated. Caine neatly caught it as Kermit turned, attacking blindly to kick his way to freedom. Peter grinned; Kermit was back, all right! Caine restrained Kermit. "It is all right," Caine assured him, holding his forearms firmly and looking at him straight in the eyes. Kermit stopped struggling and stared back. Caine nodded. "It is all right." Kermit, reassured, shrugged out of Caine's grasp and looked around. "What-? Did I miss something? What's going on?" Peter looked at Caine. *What in the world do we tell him???* Peter thought. Caine shrugged and went back inside. ***** TO BE CONTINUED!