Date: Tue, 22 Oct 1996 13:22:52 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: The Impossible Dream - Chapter 18 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Well, this is it! The final chapter to "The Impossible Dream." Please, let me know what you think of it. CAPS are now Al's thoughts. See I just jump you from one brain to another. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 18 "Gushie!" Al yelled. "This isn't working! I'm getting dizzy." "We've only just begun, Admiral," Gushie told him through the speakers as the images of the past continued to swirl around Al. "We need to narrow the search." "How?" Al exclaimed. "Anything would be helpful," Tina told him. "Even a day of the week." Al closed his eyes and gulped. "All I know is if I don't get out of here soon, I'm going to ralph!" "Ralph?" Gushie questioned. Tina laughed slightly. "Up-chuck! Spew! Make like Mount St. Helen's!" Al yelled. A dizzying wave of nausea fit him. "I'm gonna blow chunks!" he warned. "Regurgitate?" Gushie questioned. "You've got it," Al told him, leaving the Imaging Chamber. "I'm out of here." As he left, the images swirled upwards and disappeared as the search was temporarily halted. Al went over to the control console and leaned forward on it, waiting for the nausea to pass. "I was going to suggest a break, anyway," Gushie said, seeing how pale Al was. "Al, are you all right?" Tina asked with concern. Al nodded. "Just need to regain myself. That's all." She put her hand on Al's shoulder. "At this rate, Sam might leap before we're even close to finding him." He looked at her carefully. "So, what do you suggest?" "We need to narrow the search, Al," Tina told him. "Otherwise, the next time, you just might throw up. You're almost as green as your shirt now." Al couldn't help but smile. "So, how do we narrow the search? We have nothing to go on." Gushie and Tina sighed in unison. Al looked at Verbina, who was standing by the Waiting Room door. "Well, any ideas?" Al asked. Verbina took a breath. "I keep getting the feeling that Sam's leap as himself has to do with his last leap. Has he leaped anywhere near Mike Selantono or Susie Paprocki?" she asked Ziggy. Al shook his head. "He hasn't," he answered before Ziggy. "How do you know?" Verbina asked. "I just do," Al replied. "We're neurologically linked, Verbina. Somewhere in this brain of mine is the answer." He started to do an eight step pace. "By the way, 'Bina, I agree. It has to do with the last leap, but not directly." "I OWE YOU, AL." "WHAT DID I DO? I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING." "I STILL OWE YOU. MORE THAN YOU KNOW." *Sam looked at my armband*, Al remembered. He looked at his armband and realized. "Oh, my gawd," he whispered. "Al?" Verbina asked gently. Al turned his head quickly towards her, causing her to jump slightly. Without a word to her, he headed towards the Imaging Chamber. "Search April 2, 1969. San Diego, California," he ordered. "Why?" Tina asked. Al looked at her. "Because that's where he is." "How do you know?" Gushie asked. "His last leap," Al told them all. "When he woke up, he told me that he owed me more than I knew and he could hardly keep his eyes off of my armband." He took a breath. "He also said he couldn't come home yet. Now, what's the only way he could repay me without actually coming home?" Verbina's eyes widened. "Change your history," she realized. Al nodded. "But why April 2, 1969?" Gushie questioned. "Remember when Sam leaped into Jake Rawlings?" Al asked. "He was there to save his partner but I told him he was there to prevent Beth from remarrying." "Oh, Al," Tina moaned. "Beth?" Gushie questioned. "Al's first wife," Tina answered him. Verbina looked at Al. "Al, you know the rules." "It didn't work," Al told them. "Sam caught onto it." He took a breath. "But getting Beth to wait for me instead of remarrying is the only way I can think of that Sam would do to repay a debt he doesn't even owe." He looked at Gushie. "April 2, 1969," he told him firmly. He turned and continued towards the Imaging Chamber. ************************ "And so now you've...leaped...into my life," Beth concluded after Sam h ad finished explaining Quantum Leap. "Not exactly," Sam told her. "Before, I could only take the place of a person. I'd look like him and sound like him but it was really me there." "Like leaping into Jake," Beth concluded. "Exactly." "So, you're knowing my name, know I like callalilies, Mexican food, Ray Charles - all of that was because Al told you." Sam nodded. "So, why'd you quit?" Sam sighed. "I saw Al's picture and realized what was going on. See, Al hadn't told me that you were his wife and I had made a rule saying that no one could change their own history." "So, why are you here now?"' Sam smiled. "Sometimes, you have to break the rules." He looked at her gently. "Al loves you dearly, Beth. So much that he was willing to let you go." Beth looked somber. "That's why he was with me. To say good-bye." "There is a good part to all of this, Beth. All of what I've just told you hasn't happened yet. And it doesn't have to happen. All you have to do is keep your hope in him alive and he'll come back to you. I promise you he will." Beth looked at Sam carefully. "And then what will happen?" Sam shrugged. "I don't know. It hasn't happened yet. But I do know one thing. You'll be happy. Both of you." Beth smiled at him. "I believe you. So help me, I believe you." Sam smiled with delight. "I have to go now. I have a lot to do." Beth nodded. She paused a moment. Was it her imagination or did she just hear Al's voice saying Sam's name? Despite the weird feeling, Beth was filled with joy. "Thank you, Sam. Thank you from both of us." "You're welcome," Sam replied. However, it was obvious that he was looking past her. "Merry Christmas." Beth turned around and looked in the direction that Sam was looking but nothing was there. When she looked back towards Sam, he was gone. She looked around the room quickly. *There's no way he could have left without me seeing him leave*, she thought. She paused. *Seeing who leave?* She couldn't remember much of what had happened in the last hour. Something about Al. She saw a frame on her mantle, a picture she knew she had but, for some reason, it seemed more important to her than before. She stood up and walked to the mantle. She picked up the picture and touched it lovingly. "Thank you for the callalilies." ************************ "We've got a lock!" Gushie exclaimed. For some reason, Al was not surprised. The swirling images around him became a definite single scene of which Al was very familiar. He looked around. Yes, this was the place - a place he had called home for many years. He looked towards the couch. There she was, as beautiful as ever with her beautiful black hair - a woman who could make Father Flannagan forget about Boys Town. She was looking at another person intently - one Dr. Samuel Beckett. "I have to go now. I have a lot to do," Sam was saying. Al sighed. Now he was positive about what Sam had done. "Aww, Sam," he said softly. "Thank you, Sam," Beth was saying. "Thank you from both of us." Sam saw the hidden gratitude in Al's eyes. "You're welcome. Merry Christmas." Beth turned around and looked towards Al. Al's eyes widened. For some reason, he could have sworn that Beth could see him. A moment later, the scene disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Al alone in the Imaging Chamber. "Admiral! Dr. Beckett has leaped!" Gushie spoke over the speakers. Al was staring at the blue walls around him. He was so much with his own thought that he didn't hear Gushie's words. "What was that?" he asked. "Dr. Beckett has leaped," Gushie repeated. "Yes, I know," Al said calmly. A moment later, the door to the Imaging Chamber opened. Verbina came in cautiously. "Al, are you okay?" Verbina asked. "You seem disoriented." Al looked carefully at her. *Wasn't she wearing a blue dress, not a red dress?* He shook the eerie feeling out of his head. "I'm not sure," he told her honestly. "I feel kind of fuzzy - like my memory is playing tricks on me." "Did you see Sam before he leaped?" "Yes," Al answered. "I think. I can't seem to remember." Verbina took a breath. "Why don't you go home and get some rest?" she suggested. "You look like you could use some." She smiled. "Besides, don't you have four young beautiful women waiting for you?" Al glared at her. "That's five, not four." He exhaled. "I think you're right," Al replied, heading for the door slowly. "These last few days have been hell. Besides, like you said, I have another party to get to. Beth and the girls are waiting for me." He took his Fedora from Ziggy's control console surface. He turned to Verbina again. "What I do know is Sam's fine." "Then the emergency's over?" Tina put in. Al smiled at her. "Yes, Dr. Conelf, the emergency's over." He gave everyone a quick wave as he left. "Merry Christmas." The others returned the greeting. "Well, we'd better go too," Tina said. She smiled at Gushie. "I've got something very special under our tree for you." Gushie smiled and led Tina out of the complex while Verbina returned to the party raging in the cafeteria. ***************************** BETH NEVER REMARRIED. SHE AND AL HAVE FOUR DAUGHTERS AND WILL CELEBRATE THEIR THIRTY-NINTH ANNIVERSARY IN JUNE. AL NEVER TOLD BETH THE DETAILS OF PROJECT QUANTUM LEAP, THOUGH SHE DOES KNOW THAT AL WORKS ON A SECRET PROJECT. BETH RECEIVED A DOCTORATE IN SURGICAL MEDICINE. SHE IS CURRENTLY WORKING AS A STAFF SURGEON AT HOLLOMAN'S AIR FORCE BASE IN NEW MEXICO. SAM CONTINUES TO LEAP WITH ASSISTANCE FROM AL. AS YET THERE HAVE BEEN NO BREAKTHROUGHS IN ATTEMPTS TO BRING HIM HOME. -------------------------- Keep searching the Archives. I'll be posting yet another story, "Coup d'etat", soon.