Date: Thu, 10 Jul 1997 19:15:48 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" X-Sender: krfreymu@brain.uccs.edu Subject: Choices - Chapter 6 Message-ID: Choices by Katherine Freymuth Copyright 1997 Chapter 6 Sam was witting on a couch staring at some pictures on a mantle in the Calavicci home. It was the same house, the same couch, the same mantle, and the same stare as would be in the Calavicci home four months from then. However, the situation was entirely different. For one, although the person sitting on the couch had the same kind of stare Al would have when staring at those same pictures, he wasn't Al. For another, he had no concerns about tabloid reporters. His concerns revolved around what his best friend and partner had told him - that he was there to cause another friend's death. "Hey, stranger," a voice broke into his thoughts. Sam frowned slightly with confusion and looked at the source of the voice. "What?" he questioned. Beth sat beside him gently, taking his hand in hers. "Something's wrong," she told him. "What is it?" Sam grineed nervously. "What makes you think that?" "The look in your eyes. You look like Sam when he can't quite find the solution to something. I guess that comes from the years you've spent together on the project. And you've been staring at those pictures for almost a half of an hour now." Beth paused. "Please, Al. Don't tell me that nothing's wrong. You know I know better. What's wrong?" Sam smiled slightly, hoping that not enough of his own personality was showing throught Al's aura to give him away. Also, he was truly amazed with how observant Beth was. He could see how Al had fallen in love with her and why he guarded her with his very essence. "I really wish I could tell you, Beth," Sam told her. "But I can't. It's something I have to solve alone." Beth frowned. "Sounds serious." Sam nodded slightly. "It is." He exhaled. "And I don't have any idea on how to resolve it." Beth exhaled, pulling herslef closer to him and wrapping her arm behind his back. She leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips. Sam gently pushed her away. "Beth, no. Not now," Sam protested gently. Beth frowned strongly. "You're doing it again," she told him. Sam hesitated. "Doing what?" "Oh, gawd! She knows," a gravelly voice said from Sam's left. "Acting unusual," Beth told him. "Acting like Sam." She paused. "Al, what's going on with you?" Sam could hear Al exhale loudly by his side. "I was afraid of this, Sam. She knows us too well. I would have given into her advances. But since you're here, you're not acting the way I would." Sam took a breath. "I just have a lot on my mind," he told Beth. "That's all." Beth shook her head. "No, that's not all. You've always confided in me, even when I didn't know about the project. You're as nervous as hell and you haven't even _tried_ to light a cigar much less have one in your mouth." She looked at him firmly. "I want to know what's going on and I want to know now." Both Sam and Al were quiet for a moment. "Beth," Sam said softly. "I know this is confusing but let me explain. I have this feeling that something is going to happen soon and I'm not sure how to handle it." Al frowned. "You're going to let Alex into his lab." "What's going to happen?" Beth questioned. "What do you fear?" Sam shook his head. "I don't know." Beth shook her head again, frowning. "I don't believe you." She looked at Sam carefully. "Why are you lying to me?" Sam raised his eyes in surprise whereas Al nodded his head with understanding. "I'm not lying to you, Beth," Sam replied. "She knows you're not me, Sam," Al told the physicist. Beth stood up, frustration in her eyes. "And that's a lie!" she said angrily. "Don't do this to me! Tell me the truth!" Sam hesitated. "You have to tell her the truth, Sam," Al said quietly. "She's going to find out sooner or later on this leap." He paused. "It's better if it's sooner so neither of us will incur her wrath later." Sam smiled slightly at Al's words. Beth frowned. "You find this amusing?" Sam's smile faded. "No," he told her. "Not at all. It's not the situation. It's something someone told me." He paused, looking at Beth firmly. "You're right. Some of the things I told you were lies." "Such as?" she questioned, her arms crossed in front of her. Sam took a breath. "I'm not Al Calavicci. I'm not your husband." Beth's arms lowered. She smiled slightly. "I know, Sam." Sam smiled. "When did you first suspect?" Beth laughed. "When you burned the lasagna. Al hasn't burned anything in years. Then there was the concert. When you returned, you seemed so moody. This entire day, you just didn't act like Al." She paused. "You're not a very good actor, Sam." Sam laughed slightly. "Well, al's a tough role to play." "I'll take that as a compliment," Al commented. Sam stood up. "It's late. I'll sleep on the couch." Beth shook her head. "And make Christy wonder about you? No, it's better if you at least try to act like Al, especially if you're going to convince anyone." She smiled. "Don't worry. You've shared a bed with a strange woman before." Sam hesitated. "But you're a little more than a strange woman. You're my best friend's wife." She looked at him. "Exactly. No need to worry around me." She walked towards the bedroom. "I'm going to get ready for bed." Al started to follow her into the bedroom. "Al!" Sam called for his attention. Beth laughed. "Al," she said to the figure she couldn't see. "I think Sam wants to talk to you. Try to convince him that it's okay." With that, she went into the bedroom and closed the door. Al glared at Sam in a friendly manner. "You would blow the one time I can watch my wife without her knowing it." "She probably would have known," Sam commented. Al shrugged. "Probably." Sam paused. "I hope you're here to give me some good news." Al looked at Sam with curiosity. "What do you mean?" Sam hesitated. Al nodded with understanding. "I understand, Sam. I really do. But the odds haven't changed. You're still here to make sure Alex is in his lab when that explosion occurs." Sam looked at Al firmly. "You can't say it, can you? Because you know it's wrong - all of it. You can't say that I'm here to kill Alex." Al hesitated. "This isn't murder, Sam. It's granting a dying man's last wish." Sam huffed. "You keep saying that but I don't believe you. In all the leaps we've been through, I've never been asked to cause a person's death until now - not in order to leap." He looked at Al firmly. "Not as my primary mission. It's wrong, Al." Al didn't say anything for a moment. "I'm sure it feels that way to you now." Sam stared at him in astonishment. "Gawd, Al! You just don't seem to get it! It's almost as if it couldn't be too soon for you to see Alex die!" Al looked into Sam's eyes. There was pain in his gaze. It was a gaze that reflected a pain deep in his soul. "In this case, it can't be too soon," he said quietly. Sam took a step away from Al, frightened by his words. "I can't believe what you just said," he whispered. Al was quiet for a moment. "When you go to the complex tomorrow, look at Alex very carefully. You'll see exactly what I mean." He took a deep sorrowful breath. "Gawd, Sam. I don't want Alex to die. But he's going to, one way or the other." There were tears in his eyes. "This is the better of the two ways for Alex. Some people can handle dying the way Alex did. But Alex couldn't." He paused, taking another breath. "At least, look at him before you dismiss what Ziggy says you're here to do. If you still disagree then, I'll accept that. I'll even come back with other possibilities so you can pick and choose the one you think you should do. Agreed?" Sam hesitated. In a way, he was afraid. His consciousness was telling him that killing anyone for any reason was wrong. What if he found that, after he saw Alex, he agreed with Al and Ziggy? He took a deep breath and exhaled. No. Murder was murder, no matter the reason. So, what would it hurt to just look at Alex before giving his decision? "Okay," he finally agreed. Al nodded. Without looking at the handlink, he inputed the exiting sequence. "Go get some sleep," he tolf his friend and partner. "You have a long day ahead of you." He took a couple of steps back through the Imaging Chamber door and let it close in front of him. Sam stood unmoving in the living room, unsure what to do. The leap felt so backwards, going against everything he believed in. "Are you coming to bed?" Beth's voice asked him. Sam turned and looked at his best friend's wife hesitantly. He exhaled and shook his head. "I can't sleep in the same bed with you, Beth. I just can't." Beth smiled gently. "I understand. It's a little strange for me too." She came out of the room, carrying a blanket. "The bedroom's yours." Sam began to protest but Beth put up her hand to quiet him. "I've fallen asleep on the couch before," Beth told him. She smiled. "Al never does." She shooed him towards the bedroom. "Go on. Get some sleep. You probably have a long day ahead." Sam smiled in amusement. "Al had just said that." Beth giggled slightly. "I guess great minds think alike." Sam's smile faded. "I'm not so sure about that," he said quietly. Beth looked at Sam with curiosity but did not ask what he meant. Instead, she laid her cover on the couch and walked to the light switch. She looked at Sam with a friendly smile. "Good night, Sam," she said just before she shut off the living room's lights. "Good night, Beth," Sam replied. He slowly walked into the bedroom and closed the door. Chapter 7 coming soon.