Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 22:28:14 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Mirror - part 16 Message-ID: Quantum Leap Mirror of Deception by Katherine Freymuth and Gary Marsh Part 16 Sammy Jo stepped out of the Imaging Chamber with a curious frown. There was something that plagued her about her encounter with Sam Beckett but she couldn't put her finger on it. It was almost as if there was a connection between them. Yet, she knew she had never felt like this before, even when Sam hired her onto the project. The strangest part was his mistaking her for her mother. She was certain that he had never met her mother and yet he had said Abagail's name almost expectantly. It spooked Sammy Jo more than any of Grandma Laura Fuller's statements of the future, some of which had come true - or so Laura claimed. "Sammy Jo, are you all right?" "Huh?" Sammy Jo questioned, diverting her attention away from her thoughts and towards the voice. "Are you all right?" Gushie repeated the question, concern in his eyes. Sammy Jo nodded slightly. "Gushie, why don't you take care of the rest of the leap. I think I need some time alone." Gushie nodded in acceptance as he watched Sammy Jo slowly leave the Control Room, his wondering what bothered the young scientist. Al was lying comfortably in the passenger's seat as Cathy drove around winding roads in green hills. She let the newly retired Admiral sleep. It suited her purposes fine for Al to sleep through this part of the journey. He barely slept on the plane until towards the end when they were close to London at Heathrow Airport. A quick charter to a small airport led them to where they were now, the hills of Scotland. Now Al slept less from the exhausting trip and more from the effects of a heavily-laced alcoholic beverage. He rolled slightly as Cathy took another curve and pulled into a rounded driveway. She parked the car, shut off the engine, and turned to her lover. She watched him sleep for a moment, knowing she would have to wake him soon. Finally, she touched his shoulder gently. "Al," she said softly. "Al, darling, wake up. We're here." Al opened his eyes slowly. "Already?" he questioned. Cathy nodded. Al straightened up in his seat and looked around. "It got dark fast, didn't it?" he commented. Cathy smiled at him. "Come on. Let's get inside and get something to eat before we unpack." Al nodded in consent, stepping out of the car and getting their bags as Cathy unlocked the front door of the small one- level cottage to which she had taken herself and Al. The two had a small dinner before taking the bags into a large plush bedroom. Al looked around at the room. It certainly was very nice. A queen size bed with a white quilt comforter sat against one wall. Two oak night tables were on each side of the bed. An oak dresser, which complimented the night tables, was on the left wall and a walk-in wardrobe lined the right side of the room. The room was attractive in its simplicity. Yet, there was something wrong with this room, with the whole cottage, in fact. Al couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was almost as if it were a hotel rather than a home. "You live here?" Al questioned as he undid the latches of his suitcase. Cathy had already opened hers and was going into the wardrobe with a handful of dressed. "You're wondering about the lack of decoration, aren't you?" she said from behind the wardrobe's wall. "I haven't spent a lot of time here. Actually, the place is pretty new to me. I bought it just a couple of months ago but haven't stayed here much because of work." She stepped out of the wardrobe for a moment. "Could you help me for a moment? I need to get something from the top shelf but I can't seem to reach it." "Sure," Al answered, opening his suitcase before going to her. He didn't glance in the suitcase. "It's that box up there," she told Al, pointing to the object. "Can you get it?" He nodded. "Sure." He stepped gently passed her and into the wardrobe. Cathy too stepped into the wardrobe, closing the door behind her. As Al reached up to get the box in question, she quickly grabbed his shoulder and turned him around before giving him a hard kiss. "Have you ever made love in a wardrobe?" she questioned. Al raised his eyebrows in surprise and intrigue as Cathy gently forced him back until there was nowhere to run. He was in the midst of his actions with her when he heard a female loudly clearing her throat. "Going... down?" Al froze in mid-action at the voice. He wasn't sure what it was but the sound of it sent chills down his spine. Cathy pulled away from Al, a malicious smile on her face. As she pulled away, Al could see the source of the voice over her shoulder. His eyes widened in disbelieving shock as he tried to take a step back to get away from the Evil but found he couldn't. His back was against the wall. There was only one way out. Al rushed for the exit, for the silvery hallway he could see behind the Evil, but he found himself being forced back against the wall by firm feminine hands - Cathy's hands. Al's gaze shifted from Cathy to Zoe in disbelief. The latter took a few steps closer to him. "Hello, Admiral. It's so good to finally meet you face to face, though I never imagined you would be in such an... intriguing position. Are you feeling all right, Admiral? You don't look well." Al opened his mouth, trying to form words in his confusion. "Cathy, you... How... You and... What's going on here?" Cathy looked at Al firmly. "Everything's going to be okay, Al." Al looked at her in total shock. *Cathy and Zoe? It can't be! I have to get out of here!* He quickly pushed passed Cathy, breaking free of his imprisonment temporarily. Suddenly, there was the touch of metal against his neck and a pain so harsh that he couldn't scream. The last thing he remembered was the sight of the floor next to his face.