Theorizing that one could time-travel within his own lifetime, Dr. Sam Beckett led an elite group of scientists into the desert to develop a top-secret project known as Quantum Leap.  Pressured to prove his theories or lose funding, Dr. Beckett prematurely stepped into the Project Accelerator…and vanished.

He awoke to find himself in the past, suffering from partial amnesia and facing a mirror image that was not his own.  Fortunately, contact with his own time was maintained through brainwave transmissions with Al, the Project Observer, who appeared in the form of a hologram that only Dr. Beckett can see and hear.

As evil ones do their best to stop Dr. Beckett’s journey, his children, Dr. Samantha Josephine Fulton and Stephen Beckett, continuously strive to retrieve their time-lost father and bring him home permanently.  Despite returning home several times over the last decade, Dr. Beckett has remained lost in the time stream…his final fate no longer certain.

Trapped in the past and driven by an unknown force, Dr. Beckett struggles to accept his destiny as he continues to find himself leaping from life to life, putting things right that once went wrong with the hopes that his next leap…will be the final leap home.

Last week on ‘Quantum Leap the Virtual Seasons:

Sam has leaped into Giovanni Pio D’Abrosca, an Italian tour guide. His mission is to make sure that Angela Barrington returns to her home rather than disappear from the face of the earth after a visit to Santa Maria sopra Minerva Church in Assisi , Italy .

 

Meanwhile, while shopping at an Albuquerque mall for Christmas gifts, Christa Sharpe suddenly feels intense abdominal pain. Her twin sisters waste no time and have an ambulance rush her to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque . Receiving a frantic call from Vickie, Ed Sharpe and Al quickly hurry to the hospital. Upon arriving they all hear the horrible news: Christa would most likely lose the baby and possibly her own life. Ed then goes into Christa’s room where he promptly produces a vial filled with the familiar greenish fluid. As Christa panics Ed tells her that it’s nothing more than insulin, which he quickly injects into her. Christa, having realized just what Ed had done, screams at him, accusing him of murdering her child. As the hospital staff tries to calm Christa, Ed is having a mental breakdown of his own.

 

At Project Quantum Leap, Ziggy informs Chief Daniel Fulton and Captain Julianna Blaize of a development: Dr. Aurora Lofton has found a toxic foreign substance stored with the infirmary’s insulin stock, prompting an immediate investigation. Julianna later arrives at the hospital, declaring that she is going to arrest Ed for the attempted murder of Christa and her unborn child. Chaos ensues as Ed quickly draws his weapon out and aims it at Julianna. “I was hoping that someday we could’ve rectified our differences” were the last words Edward Sharpe IV spoke before turning the gun on himself, taking his own life in front of a devastated Al and Julianna.

 

And now... 

PROLOGUE

Al’s Place

Timeless

“I can’t believe this,” he muttered as he looked through the window, watching the tragic events unfold at University of New Mexico Hospital. On the one hand, he wanted so badly to believe that what he saw was just nothing more than a mere nightmare but he knew that what he saw had been reality. It was a reality that he couldn’t allow to further unfold; it was a reality that never should have been.

“Damn it!” he exclaimed as he pounded his fist on the table; the strike was hard enough to flip the opposite side of the tabletop a bit. He didn’t even bother to regard several of the patrons who gave him annoyed glances as the tabletop rattled back into place. Leaning back in his chair he took several deep breaths as he calmed himself. He then began to think of a way on how he could spare them all from such pain and misery. It was a fate that none of them had deserved, especially not Eddie and Christa. His heart had cried out for them when he heard the news about their baby. He watched in horror as Christa viciously turned on Eddie, lunging at him in a fit of blind fury. In the blink of an eye, the strong bond of love that bound Eddie and Christa together was shattered and the life of their unborn daughter taken away long before her time. As he watched it all play out his body trembled, the sadness was all too much to bear.

Along with the sadness came an intense rage, a rage that he could never recall experiencing before. He had taken it upon himself the responsibility to look out for them and seeing as how Christa had nearly lost her mind and how Ed took his own life, he had to act fast. There was only so much that he could do himself. Then again, while he couldn’t do anything directly to help the situation, there was somebody that could. It was his job after all; it was something that he’d been doing for quite a while now.

Leaning forward in his seat he then stared at the window intently, his eyes quickly moving back and forth as if he were searching for something as the scenery the window clearly displayed shimmered and rippled. Several moments later, he leaned back in his seat as he said with a smirk, “A slight change in plans, Sam Beckett. I got a job for you to do.”

PART ONE

Assisi , Italy

Saturday, August 17, 1985

4:49 pm CET

“Any change on Angela?” Sam asked as he followed Al through the hilly streets of Assisi . Since he had leaped in earlier that morning, he’d been concerned about the teenage girl who was destined to disappear sometime before the end of the day.

Al shook his head. “No change. If you think about it, that’s good news. At least we know for certain that Angela will be at Santa Maria when we get there. Hopefully, we can then try to figure out exactly what happened to Angela so we can prevent her from vanishing.” Even as he spoke, the handlink chirped insistently in his hand, catching his attention.

“What’s wrong?” Sam asked with concern. “We’re not too late, are we?” If he had wasted the last ten hours with the tour that Al had insisted on taking him through, he would never forgive himself.

Al stared at the handlink for a long moment before starting the exiting sequence.

“Wait!” Sam exclaimed, noting his actions. “Where are you going?”

“Family emergency, Sam,” Al told him quickly. “Ziggy just monitored a 9-1-1 call concerning Christa.”

“Christa!” Sam exclaimed, stunned by his friend’s words.

“I’ve got to go,” Al continued, ignoring Sam’s exclamation.

“Go,” Sam insisted. “I’ll take care of Angela. You take care of your daughter.”

Al didn’t acknowledge Sam’s words as he hurried out of the Imaging Chamber. 

Watching the Imaging Chamber door close, Sam prayed that things would turn out for the best for Al’s youngest daughter, whatever the emergency. As before when Al said the young woman’s name, the image of the beautiful young woman with brown eyes flitted over his memories. He knew she was very important to him but he couldn’t remember why. He cursed his Swiss cheese memory and pushed the memory away as he looked around at his surroundings. Immediately, he wished that he had first gotten directions from Al. He had no idea where to go to find this Santa Maria sopra Minerva Church . He wondered if anyone was going to come into the Imaging Chamber to take Al’s place as Observer. ‘Probably,’ he told himself. ‘But until they show, I have to help Angela.’

“Ancient Roman basilica,” he murmured to himself, remembering what Al had told him earlier about the church. Seeing a structure that looked oddly out of place amongst the Italian medieval architecture, he took the chance and made his way over to it. The tall columns in the front of the building certainly resembled a Roman basilica, though there wasn’t the traditional openness that most Roman basilicas had.

Thanks to a little tutoring from Al earlier that day, Sam had gotten fairly well-educated in reading and translating Italian into English, though he wouldn’t want to be forced to read more than a few words. The sign near the entrance confirmed that the building was indeed Santa Maria sopra Minerva, causing Sam to sigh in relief.

Walking into the building, he was instantly stunned by small church’s bright blue walls and ceiling, which completely contradicted the gray exterior. Every inch of the church was covered with art. He could definitely see why this church was Al’s favorite in this small Italian city.

Looking around the church, he noticed that there were about ten or eleven tourists who were admiring the church as well as saying a brief prayer at the grandiose altar, which was accented by a beautiful statue of Mary, the Mother of God. Of all the tourists in the church, only one was a teenage girl who matched the brief description Al had given of Angela Barrington.

Making his way carefully towards the teenager, he suddenly stopped, feeling odd. His head grew light and then the familiar sensation of a leap came over him.

“No!” he growled under his breath. ‘I didn’t even get a chance!’ he thought angrily as he felt himself being roughly pulled out of time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Instead of the usual, if somewhat graceful, sensation that was often associated with a Quantum Leap, it felt almost as if he were being forcibly and hastily shoved back into reality. Nearly as quickly as Time had claimed him, the aura of blue light vanished. Out of the corner of his eye, Sam could see a young brown haired man running beside him to his left. Behind him a soft ping sound was heard. A quick glance over the shoulder showed that he and this other person had gotten off an elevator, the thin, gray double doors just barely closing. He continued to follow the younger man, who looked down right panicked, running down a hallway that led to a waiting area of sorts in a hospital.

“Dad!” shouted a young brunette as she bolted from her seat and ran over to him. Following suit was another young brunette, strikingly identical to the other one.

‘Twins,’ Sam told himself as the two seemingly frightened women hugged him. From their words, he had quickly learned that whomever he had Leapt into was their father. Upon knowing that aspect, he was suddenly struck another. These two young, grief stricken women seemed awfully familiar to him. Despite his magnafluxed memory he knew that he had encountered them before. More importantly, he knew in his heart that whoever they were, they were very close to him. “I’m here,” Sam told them reassuringly as he returned the hug. “Everything’s going to be all right.”

“She’s hurt, Dad,” the other twin said. “She’s in so much pain I-” The rest of what she was going to tell Sam was abruptly interrupted as her eyes watered and tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Where is she?” asked the young man as he stood next to Sam, looking to either direction. The look on his face was nearly a mirror image of the twins’. “I need to see her.”

“Can’t right now, Eddie,” the brunette who had first hugged Sam replied as she pulled away from the embrace. “The doctor won’t let anybody in at this point.”

“Tell me,” Sam asked gently, “what happened?”

“We were at the Coronado Center , doing some Christmas shopping, when Christa suddenly got ill. I don’t understand; I mean, one minute, she’s standing there, perfectly fine and the next she’s... she’s lying on the floor in intense pain.”

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Ed said as he ran a hand through his hair. “This isn’t supposed to happen; Christa was getting her insulin every day. How can something like this even happen, Vickie?”

Turning to the distraught young man dressed in Naval khakis, Sam said, “Don’t panic. I’m sure the doctors will tell us what’s happened.”

Looking over at Sam and Ed, Vickie said, “They're saying they don't know what's wrong with her. Something about the baby.”

“That’s a load of bullcrap,” Ed nearly shouted. Jabbing an index finger towards a small group of doctors standing near the reception desk, he said, “They’re doctors, damn it! They’re supposed to know!”

“Calm down, Eddie,” Sam said firmly. “Let’s all just stay calm; no use in getting ourselves even more worked up than we already are.”

As Ed huffed and looked away from the doctors, Vickie shook her head as she valiantly fought to keep from crying. “I know, Daddy. I’m trying. It’s... just that when Liz and I saw our little sister lying there on that floor, grabbing her stomach, we... we didn’t know what was happening.”

“This is a nightmare,” Liz said as she brought a hand to her face. “Things like this don’t happen to us, especially not to our baby sister. She’s already been through so much in her life.” Unlike her twin, Liz’s face was quickly soaked with tears of sorrow as she fell back into the small plastic chair that she’d been sitting in just a couple minutes before.

“So what do we do now?” Ed asked.

“The only thing we can do,” Sam replied as he met Ed’s gaze. “Wait.”

Ed nodded and then told Sam and the twins, “I swear to God I’m going to catch the rat bastard that did this to Christa and I’m going to kill him.”

Sam sighed as he closed his eyes. In his bones he felt that something terrible, far worse than Ed, Vickie, and Liz could possibly fathom, was about to happen. And hopefully, he’d arrived in plenty of time.

PART TWO

Residence of Albert Calavicci

Stallions Springs , New Mexico

December 24, 2007

The house was eerily quiet as Al entered with a bag of gifts, pocketing his keys as he did so. Ever since Christa was released from the hospital on the 17^th, she stayed with her parents and remained under the maternal and loving care of Beth. But the young vivacious woman she had been vanished on that awful day, December 14, 2007 . The rage that Christa had felt towards Ed for the death of their daughter had turned into inconsolable grief when she learned that he had taken his own life. Since that day, she barely spoke, keeping herself in her bedroom at the house, looking blankly out the window.

Al, for his part, could hardly focus on anything other than his daughter’s well-being. Sam hadn’t leaped into anyone since leaping out shortly after Al had last seen him so there was no reason for him to go to the Project. He seriously doubted that he would ever return to the Project now. He needed to take care of his youngest daughter, which he was discovering was a full-time job in itself. Undoubtedly, Dr. Sammie Jo Fulton, Sam’s daughter, would take over as Observer as well as continue working in conjunction with Donna Elesee, who was doing some research and development in Albuquerque, to create a viable Retrieval Program to bring Sam home. Or perhaps Julianna or Dominic would take over as Observer if Sammie Jo couldn’t take on the responsibility.

“Hello?” Al called out as he moved further into the house, still encountering silence. He looked at the Christmas tree in the corner, beautifully decorated just as if the 14^th of December had never happened. The gifts under the tree still waited to be opened, though several had to be removed as they would never reach their recipient. He sighed slowly, rubbing his face before going to the tree and emptying the bag of gifts he had brought in. Assured that the room was as it should be, he went in search of the two women he was certain were still in the house, despite its quietness.

He found his wife laying on their bed, dressed in a simple but flattering dress. Going over to her, he gently kissed her cheek, gaining a slight moan before she opened her eyes and looked at the person who had interrupted her nap.

“Did you get those gifts?” she asked with a yawn while she slowly sat up.

“They’re already under the tree. It’s a madhouse out there,” Al commented, giving her another kiss. “Hear from the girls?”

Beth nodded as she stood up, returning Al’s kiss. “Jackie should be here around six o’clock . Liz and Vickie are supposed to be here in…” she looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand, “…an hour to help me with getting dinner started. You know it takes several hours. Jules said she would pick up Trudy and come over after she finished with something at the complex. Lisa arrived while you were out. She ran to the grocers to pick up some milk and butter.” She didn’t have to tell Al that all the grandchildren and boyfriends/husbands would be present as well.

Al nodded at her words before hesitating. “And Christa?”

Beth gave him a sad gaze before looking away. “No change. I tried to talk her into helping me make the fudge but she just shook her head.”

“She loves helping you with the fudge,” Al commented. He took a deep breath as he took Beth’s hands gently. “I’ll see if I can’t coax her out of her room.”

“And if you can’t?” Beth questioned softly.

Al didn’t answer the question. He didn’t like the option that was becoming more and more of a necessity with every passing day. Christa was already seeing a professional therapist for her deep depression – it was the only time she could be seen outside of her bedroom. But, based on what the doctors at UNMH said, her depression might warrant admission into a mental health clinic. That option wasn’t one Al even wanted to think about.

Kissing Beth again, he left their bedroom and walked over to Christa’s door. Knocking first, he opened the door slowly.

"Merry Christmas, Babydoll," he greeted gently.

"Daddy." Her voice was almost inaudible and devoid of emotion, just as it had been since that awful day.

Al stood there for a moment, watching as Christa stared blankly out the window. She hardly moved a muscle; she was sitting up in her bed, her hands placed lightly on her stomach. "Your sisters and Aunt Trudy should be here within the next couple of hours. Your mom sure could use an extra pair of hands in the kitchen.”

Al's youngest swallowed tightly but didn't turn her head towards her father. "I want to die," she said matter-of-factly. "I deserve to die."

Al quickly went to her side. He sat on the side of the bed and took her hand. "Don't say that," he told her firmly as he caught the look in her eye. He was about to say something else when she looked down at her now flat stomach.

"Her name was going to be Michelle," she told her father. "Michelle Jayne, after the twins. Eddie and I picked that name together."

Al didn't know what to say or even how to react as he heard his daughter talk about her stillborn baby. He’d heard the words before, each time breaking his heart that little bit more.

"I killed him," she said after a moment. "I blamed him and he killed himself because of me.”

"Oh, sweetheart," Al murmured softly. His heart told him that Eddie couldn't have possibly committed such an act, but the facts and evidence spoke differently. He couldn’t deny what he himself had witnessed. He was torn between what he knew in his head and what he knew in his heart. "I-I don't-"

She closed her eyes. "I did kill him. I want to die. I want... to be with my husband and my daughter."

"You," Al told her firmly, "didn't kill anybody. What hap-" Al stopped himself as he took a breath. "What happened to Eddie was a terrible, terrible tragedy but it wasn't your fault. All we can do is try to move forward. And," he said as he patted her hand, "you will always be with Eddie and your baby... in your heart and in your memories."

A knock on the door interrupted the morbid conversation.

“Al,” Beth said gently as she peeked in through the door. “Trudy and Jules are here.”

“I’ll be right out,” Al murmured to her, his eyes still on his daughter. When he was certain that they were alone once again, he gently turned her head so that she was looking at him.

“Christa, I want you to listen to me. Ed wouldn’t want you to blame yourself over what happened. He’d want you to continue without him. He’d want you to be happy. Now, I know it seems like things will never get better but they will over time. I’m not saying that you’ll forget; I know you never will. But it will become more bearable and you’ll find yourself focusing on all the good times that you had with Ed.” He took a breath and coaxed her to her feet. “Now, I want you to go take a shower and get dressed. It’s Christmas Eve and everyone is going to be here.”

Christa pulled her hands from her father’s and shook her head. “I’m not going.”

“Christa...”

“Please,” she said, tears forming in her eyes. “Leave me alone.”

As much as it hurt to see the tears in his youngest daughter’s eyes, Al felt a small but painful glimmer of hope for her. She hadn’t let herself really grieve for her husband and child other than to close in on herself. Perhaps this release of emotions would be the catharsis she needed to continue her life. She just needed a little push to help the full release of those emotions.

“We love you, Christa. So did Ed,” Al told her lovingly. “Don’t let him be remembered for his death. Let him be remembered for his life by continuing with your own, like he would want you to do.” Watching her gently as he left the bedroom, he wasn’t surprised to hear Christa sobbing on the other side of the closed door.

Taking a deep breath to regain his own composure, he walked into the living room and genuinely smiled at the sight of his sister, dressed in her favorite purple jacket. He went over to her and hugged her tightly.

“Sweetie, what are you still wearing your coat for?” he questioned. “Do you want me to hang it up for you?”

“I should take it off. I’m indoors,” Trudy agreed, carefully unzipping the jacket and taking it off. She handed it to Al. “The Christmas tree is really pretty.”

Al laughed gently at her words as he hung up her coat. “You should know, Trudy. You helped Beth decorate it.”

Trudy nodded in agreement with the statement. “We had chocolate chip cookies and eggnog. I like eggnog.” She grimaced at a thought. “Don’t like it with brandy.”

“Me neither,” Julianna commented as she walked up to Al and hugged him. “Merry Christmas, Dad.” She waited until Al had greeted both Tuyen and Jude before sending Jude to play with his Great Aunt Trudy. She pulled Al to the side while Tuyen went to see how he could help Beth in the kitchen.

"Ziggy's found something disturbing," Julianna told Al plainly, instantly gaining his attention. "As I’m sure you remember, starting approximately seven months ago there were several power fluctuations in the security system, which were part of the reason why Ed was able to use my access codes to get into the Waiting Room when Dr. Beckett leaped into Joe Wright.”

Al nodded at her words but didn’t speak, knowing that Julianna would reveal all that was on her mind in her own way.

“At first,” Julianna continued, “Daniel and I thought that the fluctuations revealed a programming error in the security system. But as we looked at them more closely, we began to realize that they were actually incidences of electromagnetic interference. What is more, those fluctuations began on the same day that Christa had started taking insulin for her gestational diabetes. Ziggy analyzed those electromagnetic interferences and found that they cover up a quantum signature. The last time those electromagnetic interferences showed up was just before Christa’s last check-up with Aurora before she went to the mall on the 14^th.” She looked pointedly into her father’s eyes before she continued. “Dad... Ziggy thinks we had a leaper in the complex and didn’t know it until it was too late."

PART THREE

Project Quantum Leap

Stallion’s Gate, New Mexico

December 14, 2007

5:12 pm MST

When Ziggy had informed Daniel and Julianna that Dr. Lofton had found a strange substance in the infirmary’s insulin stock, they took immediate action. It took a good ten minutes for all the parties concerned to gather in the security office around the small meeting table there. Dr. Roy Bremmer sat in place of Aurora, who was still occupied with the mysterious toxic substance she had found. Julianna sat quietly, listening to the discussion, taking in all the information. Two security officers were also present to give the discussion a non-bias perspective.

“Okay, Doctor,” Daniel addressed Bremmer as he leaned back in his seat. What have you got about this substance Dr. Lofton found?”

Bremmer steeped his fingers as if he pondered the question. “Very little, at the moment. Dr. Lofton is still running tests on the substance.” He leaned forward slightly. “What we do know is this: the substance is thick liquid with a greenish hue to it, making it impossible for anyone to mistaken it for insulin and it is very likely toxic. Lofton has run some preliminary tests on previously taken samples of Christa Sharpe’s blood. She found this foreign liquid in those samples. We think that this liquid was given to Mrs. Sharpe in place of her insulin injections, which explains her unusually low blood sugar levels.” He took a breath, leaning back again. “We were able to lift fingerprints off of the vial as well. We’re having Ziggy run a check on those fingerprints.”

“This is a nightmare,” Daniel uttered in utter disbelief. To think that somebody, especially somebody who was on board with Project Quantum Leap, could commit such a horrible act shocked him to his very core.

Even as all in the room pondered on the enormity of the turn of events, Ziggy’s voice pressed into the silence. “I have concluded the analysis on the fingerprints that were found on the vials. I am quite saddened by these turn of events.” She paused a moment. “I am shocked.”

“Who is it, Ziggy?” asked Daniel, hoping for an answer to the growing riddle. He got anything but.

“The fingerprints that were on the vials were those of Ensign Edward Sharpe the Fourth, Chief Fulton.”

Fulton ’s blood ran cold. “Eddie? No way in hell could that be possible. Ziggy, are you sure about this?”

“Chief Fulton,” Ziggy said, a bit irritated that her logic would even be called into question, “based on the known evidence that has been brought forth, I calculate an ninety-eight percent probability that Ensign Edward Sharpe the Fourth was the person who had poisoned Christa Sharpe.”

Murmurs of disbelief floated about the room as Fulton and Julianna were already standing to their feet. “I can’t believe that a kid like Eddie would be capable of committing murder,” Fulton said, frustration and confusion heavily laden in his tone. “What motive would Eddie have for wanting to kill his wife?” He exhaled, unable to deny the evidence that had been presented to him. He’d just have to bring Ed in. The idea of arresting the young man he had come to appreciate for his dedication saddened him.

Turning to the officers in the office with him, both Marine corporals, he ordered, “Come with me to University Hospital .”

“Wait,” Julianna said as she held up a hand, stopping Daniel and the Marine guards. “Let me go. You stay here, just in case Ziggy comes up with anything else.”

Daniel raised an eyebrow, clearly not amused by the firmness of Julianna’s words. “And who is Chief of Security?” he pointed out to her. Seeing her slightly embarrassed look, he continued, in a much quieter tone. “Jules, I know that your sister’s involved and all…”

“Please,” Jules interrupted, looking into Daniel’s eyes. “Let me bring him in. Besides, you’ve already got your hands full here with gathering all the evidence.” She paused and gave him a half a grin. “I promise I won’t rip his head off without your permission.”

Daniel couldn’t help but huff a slight laugh. “Alright. Go get him. I’ll have a helicopter waiting for you out on the airstrip.” When Julianna smiled with appreciation, Fulton added, “Be careful, Jules.”

“I will,” Julianna replied and then waved for the two Marine guards to follow her.

Fulton held his gaze on Julianna as she and the two Marine corporals left. As the door closed, he turned around and sighed. When he was finished talking to the pilot, he hung up the phone. “God help us all,” he said to himself, although Dr. Bremmer clearly heard him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Project Quantum Leap

Waiting Room

December 24, 2007

In one terrifying, dizzying moment, he’d gone from rushing over to the University of New Mexico Hospital with Ed, to finding himself back at the Project, in the Waiting Room of all places. Strangely, he did not recall having to go back to the Project. In fact, his last clear memory was getting in the elevator with Ed, having stood right next to him. Then, after what had seemed like a lifetime, the doors had opened. After that… nothing. Slowly he’d looked down at his chest and found himself to be wearing a Fermi suit. With a furrowed brow, he then went over to the reflective examination table that was situated in the center of the room. It came as little surprise to the Admiral that the face that stared back at him was no other than that of Samuel Beckett.

“Sam?” Al asked. He then leaned back from the table as he looked around the nearly featureless room. “What in the hell is happening here? Ziggy?” When he had received no immediate response, he bellowed, “Ziggy!”

“Please calm down, Admiral Calavicci,” Ziggy responded a moment later, her silky smooth voice floating about the room.

“What’s going on here?” he asked the hybrid computer. “Why did Sam Leap into me?”

With a sigh of sadness, Ziggy responded, “You are just as aware of the rules as I am; you know that I cannot answer that question.”

“Cut the crap, Ziggy. Just tell me what is going on here? One minute, I’m with Ed at the hospital to see Christa and the next thing I know, I’m lying face first on the Waiting Room floor.”

“Please remain calm, Admiral. Doctor Beckett currently has the situation under control.”

“Ziggy!”

No answer.

“Ziggy! Answer me, you pile of scrap metal!”

Still no answer.

With a sigh of defeat, he went back over to the examination table. Leaning against its cool surface, Al racked his brain. The last thing he knew was that something terrible had happened to Christa. That must by why Sam had Leapt into him. Something terrible must have happened to Christa the first time around. “Ziggy,” he said somewhat softly, “please tell me that my baby girl is all right.”

No answer.

“Okay. Fine.” Angrily, he looked up at the ceiling. “You want me to play by the rules, fine by me. Just tell me that my baby girl isn’t dead.”

“I can assure you, Admiral, that Christa is still alive.”

That didn’t make much sense. On the one hand, he was ever so relieved to hear that Christa was safe. On the other, if Christa was safe then why was Sam back there? Asking Ziggy wouldn’t get him anything but a headache. There was no telling just how long he’d be in the Waiting Room so, hopping up onto the table, Admiral Albert Calavicci sat. With his index and middle fingers together, Al made the Sign of the Cross and began to pray for the safety of not just his youngest daughter, but for his entire family.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

University of New Mexico Hospital

Albuquerque , New Mexico

December 14, 2007

7:08 pm MST

About ten minutes had passed before the doctors had gotten in touch with them. In that time, Sam learned that he had traded places in Time with none other than Al Calavicci. While he didn’t know just exactly how close he was to his own Time, he did figure out pretty quickly that, wherever he was, he was awfully close. He also learned that the distraught young man was Christa’s husband, Edward Sharpe the Fourth. Foggy, residual memories had also told him that he was on the seventh floor of the University of New Mexico Hospital.

“Mister Sharpe?” the doctor had asked, his gaze shifting between Sam and Ed.

“I’m Edward Sharpe,” the young Ensign replied as he took a step forward. “What’s wrong, doctor?”

The older doctor studied Ed for a moment and then said with a slight tip of the head, “You’re wife’s doing well, considering...”

“Considering what?” Sam asked with much concern.

The doctor hesitated. “She's... she's losing the baby. We don't know why and we're trying our best to save the baby, but it doesn't look good.”

With a blank expression, Ed asked, “Can I see her?”

The doctor eyed Ed for a moment and then slowly nodded. “Normally I wouldn't allow visitors at this point but under the circumstances...” The doctor took a breath and slowly exhaled as he held up a hand. “A couple minutes, okay? I won't lie to you; her situation isn't good at all. I must ask that only two people go in there for right now. The rest of you will have to wait here.”

Sam nodded and turned to Ed. “You go ahead. I’ll follow in a minute.” Ed wasted no time as he moved past Sam over to the small room where Christa was being held.

“What do you think is going to happen to her?” Liz asked the doctor as Ed stepped into the room, the door softly but quickly closing behind him.

“I’m truly sorry to say this,” the doctor said hesitantly, “but the chances of her keeping the baby are pretty slim.”

Liz nodded and looked away, the tears still flowing down her cheeks as she fell into her sister’s arms.

The doctor then turned to Sam. “Admiral Calavicci?” the doctor asked. Getting a nod to confirm his supposition, he then asked, “May I have a word with you in private?”

“Sure.” Sam followed the doctor over to where the reception desk was, as to make sure that they were out of earshot.

“Admiral, I understand that you are Mrs. Sharpe’s father?” Getting another nod, he continued. “To be quite frank with you, this is the strangest thing I’ve seen in quite some time. We can’t find anything thus far that would account for this. Gestational diabetes is a serious matter, grant you, but it wouldn’t account for what she’s going through. Besides, according to her records, she’s been taking insulin shots on a regular basis. As it is, we’re running some blood tests, hoping that there’s something in there that could point us in the right direction.”

“Keep me posted on her condition,” Sam told the doctor. The doctor nodded and then took his leave, joining three other doctors. For a moment, Sam stood there and watched as the doctors conversed amongst themselves.

“Doctor Beckett.”

Having been addressed by his actual name, Sam spun around and saw a woman that he didn’t recognize standing just a few feet behind him, smiling warmly at him. With narrowed eyes, he asked, “A-are you speaking to me?”

The woman smiled and chuckled. “Of course, to whom else would I be speaking?”

“You’re... an Observer,” Sam stated as he tried to figure out the identity of the woman.

“If I were you, Doctor, I would not be talking like this in such a public setting. People here might think of you as ‘crazy’, for lack of a better and more tasteful term.”

Just then it clicked. “Ziggy?” Sam asked as he ducked his head as he brought a hand over his mouth.

“I am glad that you remember me,” Ziggy’s holographic image said with a beautiful smile.

“Tell me what’s going on here? Where’s Al?” Sam harshly whispered. A couple nurses, who had walked past him, gave him curious looks. He smiled and quickly looked in the opposite direction.

“The Admiral is unavailable, Doctor Beckett.” Ziggy appeared as if she were thinking, her brow slightly furrowed as her head was tilted to the side. “As for your other inquiry, in the original history, Christa Sharpe’s daughter was stillborn and Ensign Edward Sharpe the Fourth committed suicide shortly after Captain Julianna Blaize tried placing him under arrest for attempted murder. I calculate a ninety eight percent probability that you are here to prevent Ensign Sharpe from committing suicide.”

Sam’s eyes widened in shock as his heart sunk. “Wh-what?” he breathed.

“Ensign Sharpe had believed himself to be responsible for the death of his daughter, as did Christa. Seven months ago, I detected some power fluctuations in the complex’s security system. Naturally, I informed the Admiral and Chief Fulton of the fluctuations. However, the fluctuations did not remain long enough for me to make a valid analysis until last week. At that time, the fluctuations remained within the complex for several hours, allowing me to complete my ongoing analysis. I discovered that the fluctuations were the direct result of electromagnetic interference, which was covering a signal. In other words,” Ziggy said with a slight shrug of the shoulders, “I detected another quantum signature.”

It didn’t take but a fraction of a moment for Sam to figure out what Ziggy was telling him. “Another Leaper?”

“Yes,” Ziggy said.

“What are the odds that this other Leaper has something to do with Christa’s condition?”

“Ninety nine point nine percent. The power fluctuations began around the same time Christa had been diagnosed with gestational diabetes.”

Sam looked about the hospital. “Where is this other Leaper now?”

“That I do not know,” Ziggy replied with a sigh. “I tried tracing the quantum signature but found nothing. I would speculate that the signature is being changed with every leap so as to prevent my locating the Leaper.”

“He’s here somewhere,” Sam told Ziggy. “I just have to figure out who and-”

“I HATE YOU!”

Sam, Ziggy, the twins, and not to mention a few nurses, all looked over just as a door quickly opened. Ed Sharpe backpedaled through the doorway.

“YOU BASTARD! YOU KILLED MY BABY!”

PART FOUR

Sam motioned for the twins to stay where they were as he ran over to Ed. “What’s happening here?” Sam stopped when he heard the sound of a shrill alarm sounding all throughout the hospital. A few of the IVs were ripped from Christa’s arm, dangling to the side. Small speckles of blood dotted the floor.

The doctors pushed past Sam and Ed as they entered the room. Sam watched the doctors tend to the hysterical Christa before looking back over at Ed. Although it was rather brief, he caught it; the look in Ed’s eye could’ve been likened to that of pure delight. “Ed?” Sam questioned.

Ed looked over at Sam but said nothing.

“A-are you all right?” Sam asked, even more hesitant than before. Ed looked over and for one incredibly long moment, they locked gazes. The corner of Ed’s mouth twitched, and the longer Sam looked into the young man’s eyes, the more his uneasiness grew. Ed must have noticed something different with Sam as well, if the half back step was any indication. Upon instinct, Sam reached out and grabbed hold of Ed’s shoulder. Respectively, the images of Al Calavicci and Edward Sharpe the Fourth shimmered and warped. Within a moment Sam Beckett found himself standing face to face with a menacing young man, who only smirked at him in response.

“A bit removed from the desert, don’t you think?” he asked.

“It was you,” Sam said. “You were the one who killed Joseph Wright. Why?”

“I was aiming for you,” the Leaper replied plainly. “You really are a thorn in Lothos’ side, you know that?”

Sam and the other Leaper eyed each other intensely. “Why are you doing this? Why are you hurting these people? They’ve done nothing to you.”

The younger Leaper shrugged and said, “It’s not about me; I couldn’t care less about any of them. It’s you and Calavicci that we want.”

“I’m here now, and I won’t let you get away with this.”

Beside the other Leaper, a chaotic oval shaped light emanated and an older gentleman stepped through it, holding a triangular shaped handlink. “Vaughn,” he said as he was reading data off the handlink, “Lothos says that Beckett is nearby and he-” The rest of what Vaughn’s Observer, Gillis Woods, was going to say was cut off when he looked up and saw Sam standing in front of them, his eyebrows raising slightly.

“This time, nobody’s walking away,” Vaughn told Sam. “It’s just you and me.”

“Doctor Beckett,” Ziggy said as she stood next to Sam, “I’m detecting an alteration in the timeline. I’ve just come across a disturbing newspaper article stating that Ensign Edward Sharpe the Fourth shot and killed Admiral Albert Calavicci and then took his own life.”

“Vaughn,” Gillis said to the Leaper, “Lothos is saying that now both Ensign Sharpe and Admiral Calavicci are killed. As soon as you pull that trigger, you’ll Leap right out. Ensign Sharpe will return and, seeing the lifeless body of his beloved father-in-law, will take his own life. This couldn’t get any better.”

“So, what now?” Sam asked. “Are you going to shoot me, right here in front of all these people?”

Unbeknownst to both the Leapers, they had gained the attention of the majority of the persons on the seventh floor, including the twins.

“Not just yet,” Vaughn replied. “I’m in no hurry.”

“Don’t be stupid, Vaughn,” Gillis said firmly. “Lothos doesn’t want you wasting any time. Just kill Beckett and get it over with.”

“Why Christa?” Sam asked. “Why her? She’s... she’s just a girl.”

“Not after I got through with her,” Vaughn retorted with a vicious smirk.

Vaughn’s words infuriated Sam beyond control; he wanted so desperately to reach out and choke the very life out of him. Rarely did he feel such hatred towards someone, but when that someone worked for Lothos, willingly worked for that demented quasi-living computer, it repulsed Sam to the point that it physically made him sick. “I swear if anything happens to her because of you, I’ll make damn sure that you pay for it for the rest of your life.”

Gillis seemed absolutely enthralled by Sam’s unbridled fury. “As much as I’d love to stand here and watch Beckett suffer, we really don’t have much time left. Vaughn, I highly suggest you get it over with before-” Gillis stopped talking as another voice suddenly filled the otherwise silent waiting area.

“Ensign Sharpe, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of Christa Sharpe and her unborn child.” Captain Julianna Blaize firmly held her gaze on Vaughn. “Surrender your weapon.”

As Julianna stood by, tense and as ready as can be for the unexpected, Vaughn looked Sam square in the eye. Then, in a single fluid motion, he shoved Sam away as he took a step back, withdrew his sidearm, and aimed it straight at Julianna’s chest. “Back off, bitch,” he spat. When Julianna’s hand moved slightly, his index finger tensed on the trigger. “Drop your weapon,” he said.

Save for the doctors who had rushed to Christa’s aid, the activity on the seventh floor nearly stopped as all eyes were on Sam and Vaughn. Moments later, the piercing, shrill alarm had stopped sounding.

The handlink in Gillis’s hand beeped several times in quick succession. “The percentage is changing,” Gillis told Vaughn. “Now because of GI Jane here,” he said as he tipped his head towards Julianna, “Lothos is unable to project any odds. Not only that, but it’s now two on one. Don’t leave yourself too open; Beckett can easily gain the upper hand.”

“Doctor Beckett,” Ziggy said a bit reluctantly, “the timeline is in a state of flux; I cannot accurately project any possible outcomes.”

“Eddie,” Julianna said rather uneasily, “why are you doing this? Why did you try to kill your own wife and unborn child?”

Vaughn sneered, “The bitch was getting on my nerves.”

Julianna couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Shifting her gaze to Sam, she asked in a voice that was hardly above a whisper, “Dad?”

“I think you should let Captain Blaize know who you are,” Ziggy suggested. “It might actually help the situation.”

Sam held his breath for a moment and then, exhaling slowly, he said, “Julianna, I need you to listen to me. This isn’t what it appears to be, despite appearances.” He momentarily paused as he licked his lips. “I’m not Al, and this,” he said as he pointed at Vaughn, “isn’t Eddie Sharpe. He’s a Leaper, working with Lothos. He was sent back here to harm Christa.”

Holding her gaze on the man that she saw as her father, she asked, “Sam?”

Sam nodded. “Yeah, it’s me.”

Gillis was frantically pushing buttons on his triangular handlink. “Do something, Vaughn! Lothos is still unable to get a clear projection on how things turn out!”

“Ed Sharpe is innocent of all this. He never poisoned Christa; it was him,” Sam said as he regarded Vaughn with a cold, hard glare. “This time around, I’ll make damn sure that neither Christa nor Ed suffer.”

“Oh, really?” Vaughn asked. “And just how in the hell are you going to do that when you’re the one on the business end of a nine millimeter?”

Bravely, well, perhaps a bit too bravely for that matter, Sam stepped forward, hands raised. “Go ahead,” he told Vaughn. “It’s easy to kill; all you have to do is pull that trigger.”

“Doctor Beckett,” Ziggy offered nervously, “I do believe that you are not thinking real clearly here. I project a ninety eight percent chance that this other Leaper will shoot you if further prompted.”

“You heard the man,” Gillis told Vaughn, “just pull the damn trigger and be done with it.”

“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Vaughn asked, confusion etched into his features.

Sam took another half step forward, hands still raised. “I’m just giving you what you want.”

Meanwhile, Julianna had watched the interplay, knowing fully well what Sam was trying to do. Ever so slowly, ever so gently, she reached for her sidearm. Her hand hovered just above the handle of her Glock, her eyes glued to Sam and Vaughn.

“After all,” Sam said to Vaughn, “if I give you what Lothos wants, then he has no reason to torment my loved ones anymore.”

“A sacrifice?” Vaughn said with a chuckle. “Are you serious with this crap? What makes you think Lothos will stop with just your death?”

“It’s what he wants; it’s what he’s wanted for an awful long time now.” Sam’s heart was pounding in his chest. A part of him was expecting the Leaper to simply pull the trigger, to end it all here and now, while at the same time, he was doing all he could to buy Julianna some time. Through his peripheral vision he saw Julianna slowly and gingerly withdrawing her sidearm. He had to keep this guy talking. “Is this what you want?”

“Me?” Vaughn asked incredulously. “I personally don’t give a shit about either you or that decrepit Admiral of yours. The only thing that matters is what Lothos wants.”

“So you like living your life as one of his puppets?”

Gillis eyed Sam as he spoke to Vaughn. “Beckett’s stalling. Just shoot him already; you can do it. You have the instinct, Vaughn. It is your destiny.”

Ziggy looked over at Julianna as the Captain inched her way towards Vaughn, who now had his back to her. “Clever girl,” Ziggy commented.

With her sidearm drawn, Julianna continued to make her way towards Vaughn. ‘Rotten son of a bitch’ were the words that she mouthed as each step brought her closer to the Leaper.

“I’m puppet to nobody,” Vaughn said thickly. “You truly have no idea just who the hell you’re screwing with.”

A quick glance let Sam know that Julianna would be on him within a matter of moments. “Your arm must be getting tired by now,” Sam said calmly. “Either you do what you say you’re going to do, or stand down. But quite frankly, I’m getting tired of this.”

Vaughn’s eyes flared with rage as he took a step forward, his finger curled around the trigger.

“It’s now or never,” Gillis said. “Don’t screw this one up, Vaughn.”

“Oh, my,” Ziggy said as she watched the chaotic scene unfold. The power supply that kept her in contact was already draining, and soon there wouldn’t be enough to keep her connected. No matter, she refused to leave her ‘father’ in such dire straights.

“Damn you, Samuel Beckett.” Vaughn’s eyes narrowed into two tiny slits as he took careful aim. “And this time, I won’t miss.”

Gillis looked over his shoulder when he caught a slight movement out of the corner of his eye. “Vaughn! Behind you!”

All it took was a moment, one single moment for Vaughn to glance over his shoulder and stop Julianna’s attack. “Stupid bitch,” Vaughn spat as he struck her with the Barretta in his hand, sending her head ricocheting to the side. “You don’t learn, do you?” He then shoved her away as he took aim at her head.

Sam quickly closed the space between himself and Vaughn; he shifted his weight to his left leg as he spun around, his right leg whipping out in an articulate arc. His foot connected solidly with the side of Vaughn’s head. The gun fell from his hand as Vaughn crumpled to the ground. One of the security guards, whom neither Sam nor Julianna really noticed, ran over and quickly retrieved the weapon. Sam motioned for him to go get help. The security guard nodded and quickly took off.

“You stupid fool!” Gillis spat as he stood over Vaughn’s fallen form. “You had the perfect opportunity and you blew it!” Pushing buttons on the handlink, Gillis said as he looked upward, “Leap him out!”

Together, Sam and Julianna went over to Vaughn as his entire person was covered in an aura of red light. Sam was the only one to actually see Vaughn vanish in a brilliant burst of red light. As quickly as it had manifested, the red light dissipated, leaving behind an unconscious Edward Sharpe. Sam knelt down as he carefully examined the young man.

“Is he gone?” Julianna asked as Sam checked Ed.

With a nod, Sam replied, “Yeah, he’s gone.” After several moments, a small group of doctors rushed onto the scene, along with several other security guards and orderlies. They swiftly and carefully lifted Ed onto a gurney and rushed him down the hall.

“Is Eddie going to be all right?” Julianna then asked, her eyes watching with growing concern.

Sam glanced over at Ziggy. “I...”

“The crisis has been averted,” Ziggy told Sam. “Both Ensign Sharpe and Christa are doing well.”

Sam said to Julianna, “They’re all going to be just fine, but just to make sure, I need you to help your father look after them. Something tells me that we haven’t seen the last of them. Wherever they are, they’ll be back and, as much as it pains me to say this, I may not be around the next time they try.” He paused as another thought came to him, though he was pretty sure that it was a residual from Al. “Oh, and you might want to consider giving Ed a second chance. He made a mistake; I think he’s more than paid for it.”

Julianna slowly grinned and nodded before hugging Sam. “Thank you so much, Sam.” This time, she felt her eyes water as she tightly embraced the man that had saved her entire family. As she embraced him, the twins quickly made their way over, joining in on the hug.

“I love you all so much,” Sam whispered as the familiar tingle rushed over his body as the blue light engulfed him.

When all three had pulled away from the embrace, at nearly the same time, Julianna took a moment and looked into his eyes. The look there, and the unique connection she shared with him, assured her that her father had returned.

“Jules?” Al asked confusedly. “What’s going on here? What’s happened to Christa? And Ed?”

Julianna laughed as she wiped at her watery eyes. “It’s a long story, Dad. I’ll fill you in on the details later. For now, go speak with the doctors. Hopefully Christa’s condition has improved. I have to go check on Ed.”

Although his memory was rather hazy, Al knew what must have happened. With memories that didn’t actually belong to him, Al faintly recalled the encounter with the other Leaper. “Thanks, kid,” Al said to himself as he followed twins over to the reception desk while Jules found out exactly where Ed was taken in the hospital.

She found him in an isolated room, restrained to the bed. He had regained consciousness and his head turned away from the door.

“Guess they’re worried that you’ll do something rash,” she commented as she went up to the bed. “And no doubt they’ve called the local police so this is going to be a mess to clean up.”

Ed quickly turned his head towards Jules, fear in his eyes. “Is Christa okay? I… I remember… trying to hurt her.” He swallowed tightly. “God, how could I do that to her? I love her!”

Jules put her hand on his shoulder. “You didn’t hurt her, Ed. She’s fine and it wasn’t your fault, not any of it.”

“But I remember…” Ed protested, tears in his eyes. “The baby. I killed our baby.” He began to sob piteously.

Julianna stood up straight. “Now, you listen to me, Ensign Sharpe. You may be a putz, but you’re not a murderer.” She reached over and undid the restraints that were holding him down. “There’s a lot that you don’t understand about what just happened. With the Admiral’s permission… I might just tell you. But,” she said, helping him stand up, “for the time being, you still are a suspect and I do have to take you back to the complex.” 

“You’re not going to cuff me?” Ed asked as he walked beside Julianna.

“I only do that to criminals,” she told him with a smile.

Ed smiled back at her, a genuine heartfelt smile that clearly showed that he was pleased to be back on good terms with his sister-in-law and commanding officer. “And Christa... will she be all right?”

“I’m no doctor,” Jules told him, “but I think she’ll pull through.” Glancing over at Ed, she added with a grin, “I got a gut feeling about it. Besides, my little sister’s strong. Things will be just fine, Ed. I’m sure of it.”

This only made Ed’s smile grow wider as they went to the reception desk, though the pain from the loss of his child reflected in his eyes. Only after much discussion, argument and the assurance from Al that he would take care of the local police, Julianna, Ed, and one of the Marine corporals that had arrived with Julianna got into the elevator and up to the rooftop, where the helicopter was waiting.

As the helicopter rose into the air, Julianna considered her brother-in-law and saw the confusion and pain there. She just hoped that this incident didn’t mean the end to their happiness together.

A few days later, after Christa was finally released from the hospital, she and Ed had their first counseling session with Verbena. The tension between them could be cut with a knife. Even so, Verbena knew, from their willingness to listen to each other and to her, that, though the road would be rocky, they would find a way back to the love that they had shared before the loss of their child.

EPILOGUE

When the blue light had faded and the last of the temporal energy had coursed through him, he could smell the unmistakable odor of tobacco smoke as it wafted up into his nostrils in thick, pungent wisps. Also, too, he could taste its strong bitterness in his mouth. Grimacing, he spat as he tried to rid his mouth of the taste as the lit cigarette had landed near his feet. With a crescent wrench in hand, Sam stared at the engine that was only a few inches from his face. To his left, positioned on a small cart, were a couple of small red toolboxes. He lifted his head as he started to stand, however in doing so he smacked the back of his head against the hood of the car. Sam clenched his teeth as he breathed through his nose, the pain beginning to turn into a dull throb. Sam stepped away from the car with a hand firmly placed on the back of his head. Setting the wrench down on the cart he surveyed his surroundings.

The garage that he was in housed three cars, the one that Sam had been standing in front of included, all the same make and model. The design of the cars suggested that he had Leaped in sometime during either the mid or late sixties, possibly early seventies. A few other mechanics were present but none of them paid Sam much heed, for they were rather involved with their work. The garage was filled with the sounds of metal clanging against metal, along with the occasional loud pitch of a torque wrench. Upon a closer look, Sam noticed that the others were wearing similar uniforms, white body suit with red and blue stripes gracing the sleeves. The pungent aromas of gasoline, oil, and exhaust fumes intermingled and hung thickly in the air. The entrance to the garage looked out onto an empty, wide race track. Inside the garage, however, was rather warm. He could feel a trickle of sweat run down his back.

“Mister Cole?”

Sam heard the name being called but didn’t acknowledge it at first as he still looked about the garage. The name was called out two more times before Sam finally looked over and saw a group of four men, all clad in business suits, coming straight for him. Their demeanor implied that they were strictly here for nothing, but business.

“Mister Cole,” one of them said as he approached Sam, hand extended. After he shook hands with the confused Leaper, he glanced about the garage and then at Sam’s car, which so happened to had sustained severe damage. Several scuffs that went deep into the sheet metal graced the side fenders of the car, the hood as well, while the rear end was impacted at such an angle. “Better luck next time, huh?”

“Next time,” Sam repeated as he wrinkled his forehead in confusion.

“That is,” the gentleman added thoughtfully after a moment, “if there is a next time.” When Sam tilted his head slightly the man then asked, “You seem surprised. You were expecting us weren’t you, Jack?”

Sam quickly recovered from his momentary state of confusion. “Ah, yes, of course. Forgive me, gentlemen, it’s just been one of those days.”

The man simply offered a thin lipped smile. “Of course. Look, Jack, is there somewhere a bit more private where we could talk?”

Sam quickly glanced around the garage and had noticed that he was now the focal point of attention of every mechanic present. They all stood near their respective cars, looking on. Sam lowered his eyes as he placed a hand over his mouth, muttering his usual mantra. “Oh boy.”