QL FANFIC

ABOUT TIME?

'Have you noticed how the mirror tells the time?' Adrian Snell, singer/songwriter: 'In your Eyes'.

The first thing that Sam felt when he finished leaping was the sunshine. It wasn't overly hot, but pleasantly warm. He took a couple of breaths.
"I can smell the sea..." He opened his eyes and looked around him. Tall pines just in front of him, emitting their own faint odour, then, through them down the hill, the unmistakable twinkle of blue sea. Sam smiled as he felt the gentle breeze and the warm tree trunk under his hands, "This is extremely nice. I wonder where Al is."
"Right here, Sam. This is some spot, eh? Ziggy has no idea why you're here...she keeps muttering the word 'peregrination' and won't elucidate." Sam looked at Al, who for once nearly blended into the background in a green suit with a brown shirt. The tie, however was gold and sparkled fiercely in the sunlight.
"I think that word means 'pilgrimage'. Does that help at all?" Al consulted his Handlink.
"Well, let's see where and when you are...... This is the south coast of England; the holiday resort of Weymouth is several miles to the left. You're in the grounds of a retreat house, but not monks or nuns - this place is run by a community. They are open to people of any faith or none....that's quite a development since I last went to one of these places," Al looked into the middle distance and Sam could guess what he was remembering, "Anyway, this is Summer, to be precise June 95. That's incredibly close..... You're a new worker who's just been taken on and you answer to the name of Christopher Walker, age 41. He's been a drifter, a kind of hobo. No wife, no kids, not even a girlfriend. You've got the rest of the afternoon until about 5.30 free. Ziggy says....ah, here it is; Christopher died while swimming. You have to go and take a dip and make sure he doesn't die." Sam wriggled uncomfortably.
"Al, I've got no swimsuit...." Al looked at Sam, then punched the Handlink again.
"No sweat. These guys have their own private beach, clothes optional. There's no-one down there now, so the only things that are going to see you are the fish and they won't tell."

'You must take off your clothes for the doctor....' Charles Causley

Sam stood up slowly and somewhat reluctantly. He spotted a narrow path going down through the trees and followed it. The wood was cool and green, the splashes of sunlight revealing sprinklings of woodland flowers and brambles. Al guided Sam to the gate at the bottom of the wood which led out into a sunlit field.
"Ah, a kissing gate. A wonderful invention. You let the lady half-way through, then steal a kiss or two in payment before letting her out. I must try that with Tina some time...."
"Al, please..." Sam turned to his right, climbed over a five barred gate, then continued down the next green field towards the stile at the bottom. Beyond the stile was a swathe of tall reed-like grasses which swished in the gentle breeze. A narrow wooden causeway between the rushes led down to a tiny pebble beach with soft yellow sand near the water's edge. Sam looked around, smiling with delight.
"This is really beautiful. I wish I could come here for a holiday sometime."
"Yes, I know what you mean. It's so unspoilt and secluded. I wish I could smell the sea. It's been years since I was last aboard ship," Al looked at Sam with a mixture of humour and encouragement, "Well, are you going skinny dipping or not? If I was here, I'd join you." Sam decided to give in. He took off the green jumper, jeans and T-shirt readily enough, then his socks and shoes. After a moment's hesitation, he peeled off the underpants and walked towards the water. Al smiled as Sam tested the water before diving in. Sam found that he enjoyed the liberating feeling of swimming nude so much that he stayed in for longer than he had first anticipated.
"This is actually very enjoyable, Al." Al looked surprised as he hovered over the water near Sam.
"C'mon. You must have tried it before, Sam." Sam trod water as he replied.
"Not since I was a teenager....and then it was in the local lake at night." Al's eyebrows quirked upwards.
"Yeah, I remember that period in my life. Were girls involved, too?" Sam blushed.
"Well, once, yes. My first....well, the woman I first...you know. We were 19 and I was her first, too. We'd been to this rock concert the previous week and one thing had led to another. It had been really special, but the skinny dipping the following week was a disaster. I guess that put me off the idea till now. The next woman I fell for was Donna and we both know how that ended up. Sometimes I wish I'd had the courage to make love with her, but perhaps that would have made it worse for both of us, especially if she'd got pregnant by accident." Al looked quietly out into the distance as he kept the knowledge of Donna a secret, yet again.
'Oh, Sam. If only you knew. I saw the glow in both your eyes when you came back from honeymoon. You may not have had much experience - either of you - but I've been frankly envious of the way you and Donna became so completely united. You said once that she's the other half of your soul and I know she feels the same about you.' Al pulled out a cigar to hide his thoughts and sent smoke rings over the water, "Hey, there's a ship out there! Will you be okay for a second or two if I go and take a closer look?" Sam turned in the water as fast as he could, blushing furiously.
"A ship?! Where? Can they see me?" Al chuckled.
"It's barely a dot on the horizon, Sam. Not even the highest powered binoculars could spot you. A satellite, maybe. Perhaps there's a gorgeous woman in NASA who is even now drooling over pics she's down- loaded... I wish those spy satellites had been around when I was in space. I could have had Ziggy reproduce them all in 3-D. Maybe even a cute hologram babe or two." Sam continued to blush as he made for the shore.
"I hope you're wrong about the satellite, Al." Al shrugged eloquently.
"Hey, this is the end of the twentieth century, Sam. I sure wouldn't mind some beautiful woman checking me over. I don't know what you're problem is; you're a good-looking guy. I bet you'd have brightened up her day." Sam scooted into his underpants.
"That's the problem, Al. Women recently seem to have got a whole lot more demanding and I just can't handle it." Al's eyes narrowed speculatively.
"So that's the problem. You got burned." Sam pulled on his T-shirt. For once, the circumstances had enabled him to uncover an old memory.

"Skinny dipping just now brought it all back, Al. I won't tell you her name, but as I said before, the first time was very special. I was young and more than ready to try again. You know what teenage hormones are like. A whole crowd of us went out to the lake, but we were really discreet. I started off feeling as eager as the next guy, I suppose; but when it came down to it, I just couldn't." Al nodded sympathetically.
"Yes, I know. Over-eagerness can do that to you." Sam closed his eyes.
"It gets worse. She laughed at me." Al's eyes filled with compassion.
"Ouch. That's terrible, Sam."
"The final pay-off came later. I found out that she'd spread the word. It ate away inside me for years. I kept worrying that next time would be the same, but longed to find a woman who would really love me and not laugh." Al crouched down close to Sam.
"She wasn't worthy of you, kid. Nice women are sympathetic and you know as well as I do that there's more than one way of giving a woman pleasure. On the...rare occasions I've been in the same situation, the old libido has kicked in eventually and the love-making has been if anything, even better." Sam gave Al a very straight look.
"Thanks, Al. But perhaps you understand now why I get nervous around women and why I long for something that goes beyond the merely physical."
"Yes. Actually, we all do. I just find the physical stuff rather addictive."
"I'd noticed." Al chuckled, then the Handlink beeped.

"Hey, we saved Christopher's life! You can sit back and relax and wait for the leap." Sam seemed doubtful.
"I don't think it's over yet. I'm going to get dressed, so why don't you go and visit your friends in the Navy?" Sam pointed at the distant grey blob on the horizon.
"Okay, Sam. I'll be back with you in a minute." By the time Sam had put on all his clothes again, Al returned. His eyes were gleaming.
"That's a fine Destroyer they've got in the British navy. They've even got a few WRENS on board. I'm glad I'm not still serving. The temptation of women on board for weeks on end would be torture. It's a good crew, though, I'll give them that." Sam stood up and brushed sand from the seat of his jeans.
"Back up the hill?" Al nodded in answer and they went back through the wood towards the complex. Sam got his first really good look at the place. Although it was made of grey stone, the house seemed warm and welcoming.

"Victorian?" Al answered Sam's query.
"Yes, some of it. Part of the building is all that's left of an earlier farmhouse, then there's a modern wing that you can't see behind to the right and a chapel over there on the left. Your mission, Sam should you decide to accept it, is potato peeling duty in the kitchen, thataway."
"You've been watching old re-runs of 'Mission Impossible' again, haven't you?"
"Yes. It's Barbara Bain. I have this weakness for ice-cool blondes with guns inside their stockings and nifty spy gadgets." Sam grinned.
"I'm with you on the gadgets. I always fancied doing that espionage stuff, all plot and counter-plot and not knowing for sure till the end who is really on your side. They ought to make a movie of it." Al grinned back.
"Last I heard, they were going to shoot it. I'll keep a copy of the video for you when it comes out."

Sam dutifully made his way to the kitchen and started on the potatoes. After five minutes or so, a petite dark haired woman entered.
"Evening, Christopher. I'll get on with the cheese." Al gave the lady the once-over.
"Hmmmm, not bad. This is Karen, she's joint leader of this place with her husband, James. Apparently they're trying for a baby, but no luck yet. Ziggy doesn't tell me whether they were successful or not. Speaking of James....." A tall man with dark brown hair and eyes entered the kitchen and kissed Karen's hair.
"Okay, love?" The beautiful smile that came over her face said the rest. 'That's the look,' Sam thought, 'the look I got from Donna, before she stood me up.' He turned his attention back to the potatoes, fighting a mixture of loss and jealousy. Once the potatoes were done, Sam laid the table in the dining room next door whilst the other members of the Community came in and helped with the evening meal. At last they all sat down and Al went round the table, 'introducing' them to Sam.
"Okay, you know James and Karen. This is Tom, the groundsman - actually they all pitch in on most jobs here - this is their craft expert, Sonja. She's Swedish. Boy, she could paint me in the nude any day.....sorry, Sam. I do mean her, not me; although if we were both naked..... Okay, then," Al pulled his attention away from Sonja's considerable charms with some reluctance, "Then these are the current guests; the Reverend Tony Draper and his wife Stella, another Reverend - ah, this one's a Catholic priest - Father Riley, then the old dear at the end is a widow, Alison Mitchell. That's your lot. I'll go and check on Ziggy and Christopher and get back to you."

Sam turned his attention to the cheese and potato concoction with fresh peas on the plate in front of him. Despite his initial misgivings, it was delicious. The cheese part had a real 'bite' to it. When seconds were offered, he readily accepted. James looked at him with a strange expression on his face.
"It's good to see you getting you appetite back, Chris." Sam fudged an acceptable answer.
"Yes, well, I went for a swim this afternoon down at the beach. The sea air must have given me an appetite." Sonja turned to Sam and smiled.
"Yes, the beach is lovely, isn't it? I must have painted it a hundred times since I arrived here three years ago." Sam felt his cheeks beginning to burn. 'Oh, boy! I'm glad Al isn't here.' Karen laid a gentle hand over his.
"We know how hard it's been since you lost your friend. Travelling can be such a hard way of life." Sam looked at her with surprise. This was going to require delicate handling.
"Er...yes, it is." Sam managed to turn his attention back to the food, then the pudding course which was trifle and fresh fruit. He helped wash the dishes afterwards, trying to pick up anything that would enlighten him.

James pulled him on one side after the meal was cleared away.
"Do you need to talk, Chris?" Al appeared right on cue.
"Make that a 'yes', Sam." Sam nodded carefully and he followed James out into the warm evening air. There was a large stone veranda-cum-patio with several benches. The two men sat down while Al hovered nearby.
"Tell me about Bob. What he was like, how you met." Al carefully fed the information to Sam, who relayed it to James.
"We met at school. We were both sweet on the same girl; her name was Pamela Mclean. I got to kiss her first, then Bob. I fell in love with her - if you can love someone at 16. It broke my heart when Bob boasted to me that they'd become lovers. I finished school, went to University, but I couldn't forget Pamela. I compared every woman to her and they all came short. I wasn't a saint, James - I made love with some of them, but the simple kisses I'd shared with Pamela had meant far much more to me than sex with another woman. So I became celibate, then I had a spiritual experience which made almost everything else pale into insignificance. I haven't been intimate with anyone in the last nearly twenty years. I'm beginning to wonder if God is calling me to be a monk or a priest. As far as Bob is concerned, we met up again on the road and renewed our friendship. He'd been through some hard times; failed marriage, booze, drugs. He revealed that his boast about Pamela had been a lie. He'd been jealous of the closeness between Pamela and myself. We travelled together. I actually found that I still liked him and he aroused my pity." James stared out into the darkness, then turned to Sam very hesitantly.

"You'll have to forgive the next question, Chris, but I need to know. Was there anything more between you and Bob?" Al's eyes narrowed as he consulted the Handlink.
"Er....what a question! Hang on, Sam. Uh-oh. They....they kissed once and Bob attempted more, but Chris definitely prefers ladies. He gave Bob a sympathetic brush-off. It seems that Bob had been crazy about him since way back. He seemed to take the rejection, but the next day he took an overdose and by the time Chris found him, it was too late. No wonder the poor guy's been off his food." Sam gulped slightly as he carefully reworded Al's information for James.
"Thank-you for sharing that, Chris. Being able to talk about it is the first step in the healing process. You told me about your spiritual experience when you first came, and now I hear this inner questioning about the rest of your life. I can understand that you might feel that you want to give something back to God, but we need to explore this calling more carefully. Being a monk or a priest, especially in this modern age, takes a great deal of commitment and hard work. Have you ever felt guided in your life?" Sam's lips quirked as he looked away.
"Um...you could say that, yes." Al coughed slightly over his cigar.
"Do you believe in...angels?" Sam fought to keep his expression neutral.
"I'm not entirely sure that my....um....guide could be considered an angel."
"Well, I know you well enough to be certain it's not a devil. Are you one of those who has an animal guide? I won't be shocked - God can appear in any form He or She chooses to get the message through." By this stage Al was fighting his laughter as hard as he could. Sam took a deep breath. This was a safe place and a trustworthy man. Although James wasn't a Catholic priest, Sam knew on a deep level that anything he said would be as private as the Confessional.

"I...can only share this with you now. I have a feeling that I may forget all about my guide in a few days time....don't ask me why." James' eyes were sympathetic.
"That can happen. God doesn't always leave footprints behind once He's gone. I don't fully understand why myself. Some things we have to leave to providence; I do feel certain that one day we will see everything and understand why our lives had to be as they are." Sam nodded slowly. 'I certainly hope so. Living with a Swiss cheesed memory for the last however long it's been has been trying, to say the least.'
"Well, James....this is a little difficult. My guide, for want of a better description, is a man called Al. I can see him and hear him whenever he's around, but no-one else can," James nodded, accepting Sam's words without surprise or judgement, "He tells me the best course of action to take and he's almost never wrong." Al darted a deep glance at Sam.
"Aww, Sam. That's not always me, you know. Sometimes it's Ziggy." Sam gave him a look that said, 'I know; and how do you expect me to explain her to James?' Al nodded in understanding and smiled. James was clearly thinking.
"Well, that sounds like an angel. They have been known to take human form, right from Abraham's three visitors onwards. They appear at moments of crisis or opportunity and point the way ahead. They have been known to save people's lives. Sometimes the most mundane encounter could be an angel in disguise - even humans can act as angels to one another - the right action, word or look at the right time could save a life. I know God has helped members of our Community to aid others along their path. He works through our hands, eyes, feet and voices," James smiled, "It's in the song we sang this morning, remember?" Sam looked at James with surprise. James continued, singing in a clear tenor.

"'Brother, sister, let me serve you.
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace to let you be my servant, too.
We are travellers on a journey
and companions on the road.
We are here to help each other
walk the mile and share the load.
I will hold the Christ- light for you
in the darkness of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you,
Speak the words you long to hear.....'"

James stopped and looked at Sam, who had been forced to turn his head away because of the tears that were threatening. As he slowly turned his head back to look at James, several of the tears fell. James put his arm around Sam. Al crouched down on the other side.
"It got to me, too." Sam saw the tears on Al's face and nearly choked,
"I....I'm going to get Ziggy to download that song....all the verses." Al couldn't go on. Sam nodded slightly.
"It's alright to cry, Chris. Tears are part of the healing, too. You take all the time you need." Sam wiped his tears away roughly.
"I can't understand what brought me here. I feel like I'm wasting time." James gently shook his head.
"Time is never wasted. Who said.....'Half our time is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through trying to save.'?" Al punched the Handlink.
"Yeah, I get days like that, too. It was Will Rogers who said that, Sam. Ziggy doesn't know why you're still here. Maybe HE does." Al gestured upwards.
"Well, if God brought me here, what do I do now?" James smiled warmly.
"Maybe you're not meant to do anything, Chris - apart from heal your wounds a little. Sometimes God gives us a rest. A holiday in the old sense of the word. We all need a breathing space from time to time. Even I have to take a break from the Community at least twice a year." Al nodded thoughtfully.
"Maybe that's it Sam. Maybe this is a refuelling stop. You've had easy leaps in with the difficult ones. Take time to smell the roses....although I can't see any round here."
"To be honest, I'm not always sure that God is there."
"That's not uncommon. Even the greatest saints have had their times of blackness. But when God - whatever you like to call him - withdraws, or seems to, then it's often then that you grow. Talking from the Christian perspective, even Christ himself had his times when God seemed absent. But God was there, even in the darkness. Perhaps especially in the darkness. We all just do the best we can to be good and true."

"But I....I don't feel wholly myself. It is painful to be no longer oneself, even more painful if possible than when one is." Al punched the Handlink, then his eyes went wide.
"Sam, this is weird. You'll never guess who you just quoted. The other Samuel Becket. The one who wrote that strange play about two guys stranded in the middle of nowhere..... I don't like this, Sam. There is definitely something very odd happening around here." Sam looked at Al.
"Don't leave, Al."
"Are you talking to your friend, your guide?" To Sam's surprise, James sounded calm and untroubled.
"Um, er....yes. He's right there. He's saying that our conversation is rather weird." James laughed softly.
"Trying to say anything meaningful about the divine usually is weird, Chris. All we've got to go on is our own personal experiences. Even those who were chosen to be God's messengers or avatars. You could say that in a sense we are all God's messengers - even the natural world is a wonder. I've met people of all religions and none in my time here. All of those who opened up spoke of the majesty of their deity, the wonder of creation and how the deity filled everything. If this is true, and I personally believe that it is, then we encounter God everywhere we look - in each other and in the world around us. I respect the tradition of the Celtic faith; they tried to surround every activity in an atmosphere of prayer." Al's eyebrows went up.

"Every activity? If I thought about God when I....well, let's say it would get in the way! This guy is cuckoo!" Sam's lips twitched again. James eyesight was keen enough to notice.
"I know what you're thinking....at least I can guess. Praying while making love seems a bit of a turn-off."
"You're not kidding, mister!" Sam tried to ignore Al, but it was difficult. James continued.
"The Song of Solomon is one of the most erotic pieces of literature ever written. It's meant to be a celebration of the intensity of the physical and spiritual union of a man and woman. It may use out-dated notions of physical beauty, but it's all there. If you go East, the literature gets even more explicit." Al's eyes gleamed as he listened.
"I take it all back! This guy's a genius! I'm going to have some interesting bed-time reading when I get back." Sam tried to admonish Al with a glance, but James was still talking.
"That's why I understand about your feelings for Pamela. You may not have ever made love with her, but a bond was formed, at least on your part. That's the first step. In most circumstances, this would lead to courtship and marriage. It did with me and Karen. We knew it was something special from the first time we kissed. Maybe you have the call to the single celibate life, but I don't see it at the moment. If you seek the priesthood in another denomination, you would still retain the option of marrying later - apart from the Orthodox, they have special rules - but in the little time I've known you, I don't think you would fit easily into their spirituality. I've met some lovely Orthodox people here, but their outlook was different from yours. On the other hand, if you get given the grace to follow that path, I won't stand in your way." Sam was silent for a while as he tried to assimilate everything James had said.

"So, you're saying that God is in everyone and everything....even fundamental particles."
"That's one point of view. When you get to the sub-atomic level, I understand that the tiniest pieces of matter are really difficult to pin down. Perhaps they're what the Bible calls mights, dominions and powers. Who knows? The mystical traditions can sound pretty strange when they try to express the inexpressible. All I know is that the One I call God is real to me. Maybe it's the same God as yours - it feels like it. Maybe you've encountered the Feminine aspect of God. All we can do is trust and seek wisdom to tell the good people from the ones who are definitely working for the dark side." Sam smiled slowly.
"So if fundamental particles are part of God...." He turned and looked at Al.
"Uh-uh! No, no; no way! I accept all the erotic stuff, even that God may be in everything; but the thought of him peeking over my shoulder the whole time.... I could never see Tina in her black underwear again and that would be a damn shame. She fills it sooo beautifully," then Al grinned almost shyly, "Actually, James is right about it in a way. When we're actually....um... Well, then....then I do feel like a god. I do hope that's not blasphemous; I wouldn't want to think that He could be shocked." Al looked up hurriedly, almost as if he was anticipating the thunderbolts. Sam turned back to James and put the question that Al couldn't ask.

"So, if God is in everything and what you said about love is true, then we might be justified in feeling.... almost like a god when it happens." James nodded and smiled.
"Yes, absolutely. The act of love was designed to make children as well as give pleasure, after all. It's incredible that something a man and woman share together can actually be responsible for bringing a new soul into being......Karen and I may not have succeeded with that part yet, but our love is strong." A wistful look passed over James' face.
"Oh, Sam; I hope he and Karen strike gold one of these days.....Ziggy's shut up tighter than a clam, she won't tell me anything about that." Sam re-phrased the hope to James with his own words.
"Thanks, Chris. We'll adopt if we really can't have our own. This place needs some children. Remember what I said about everyone being a messenger of God. You have it in your own name. Christopher means
'Christ bearer', after the saint who carried the Christ-child over the waters. A good name for a Traveller. Speaking of Travellers, you are still coming up to the Glastonbury festival for the weekend?" Al nodded as he consulted the Handlink.
"Yes, James."
"Good. We're right next to the coracle on the Healing field. You must have been umpteen times before, but this is the first time that the Christians will be alongside all the other Healers. It will be an exciting experience for all of us." Sam turned to Al as James made his excuses and left.
"Okay, Al. What have you got me into this time?"

'We haven't the time to take our time...' E. Ionesco.

Al coughed slightly.
"Well, you see, I kinda missed out on Woodstock the first time and this pop festival is supposed to be pretty groovy." Sam tried to stop himself smiling.
"It's no good, Al. That word doesn't sound right coming from you. Anyway it's the Nineties now, not the Sixties. The 'buzz' words have changed since then. Tell me exactly what to expect." Al duly consulted his oracle.
"Well, it all takes place in several fields on both sides of a valley. The farmer who owns the land organises a lot of things himself. Lots of tents, marquees and several stages. You can expect to see a crowd of around 80,000 or so, more on the Sunday when they let anyone in for free. The....Healing field is up on one hillside, within hearing distance of the music from the nearest sound stage. It can be something of a maze once you're inside, so brush up on your sense of direction. Lots of pop music, virtually any cuisine that takes your fancy if you're prepared to pay for it, plus all the spiritual paths you can think of to choose from and probably quite a few that you can't. If you are meant to be here to discuss whether it is God, Fate, Time or yourself leaping you around, you couldn't have picked a better spot short of the gurus in L.A. - and they'd charge, big time. Up on the Healing field most things are free unless you want to go for one of the therapies on offer. I'm getting massage, reflexology, reiki, shiatsu, acupressure and several others listed here," Al grinned, "What a way to go, being massaged to death by a beautiful blonde, brunette or red-head. It could take days." Sam gave Al an old-fashioned look.
"Yes, well I'm sure you can get Tina to oblige. It might slow you down a bit. In the meantime, what next?" Al continued to grin at the mental picture he'd painted as he answered.
"Okay, it's nearly 8 p.m. There'll be Compline soon in the chapel. I think you'd be expected to attend; it goes on for 20 minutes, maybe half an hour, tops. Some people swear by it at the end of the day to wind them down. Try it, see what you think and I'll meet you in your room afterwards. It's that window, there - up the stairs and turn right. No number....just a blue door." Al vanished hastily before Sam could object.

When Sam settled in the chair in the chapel with the slim booklet and the words began, he was surprised to find that the rhythm and cadences were relaxing. Karen stood up and led the service and they sang the one hymn unaccompanied, in plainsong. By the time the service was over, Sam found that he was almost fully relaxed and even a bit tired. James approached him.
"You'll be off tomorrow morning with the two priests in their camper van just after breakfast, okay?" Sam nodded and found his way to Christopher's bedroom. Al stood by the window, smoking a cigar. Sam took in the single bed, the packed rucksack and kit-bag and the clothes laid out on the one chair.
"It seems as if Chris is all ready for tomorrow." Sam went over to the mirror and looked at his host. Long, dark, almost black hair and beard, a slightly uneven nose, sunburn and intense blue eyes.
"Quite a good-looking guy. Certainly doesn't look 41," Al commented, "He's doing alright back at the project. He thinks that Beena is an angel." Sam smiled.
"That wouldn't be the first time, I bet. What does he think of you?" Al shrugged.
"He's got this really weird title for me. He called me the Guardian of the Threshold. It's probably one of those characters from 'Dungeon and Dragon' games. I'm pretty sure that Ziggy knows, but she's still sulking from the last time I called her a talking Spectrum with a bad attitude. Short of threatening her with a wrench, I'm stuck." Sam laughed.
"You won't get around Ziggy with that sort of attitude. You'll just have to pretend that's she's a real woman and use your Italian charm on her." Al grinned.
"If she was a real woman, there'd be no problem. One kiss from me and she'd melt. You can't kiss a computer." Sam grinned back.
"Have you tried? You never know, she might like it." For once in his life, Al was rendered speechless. Sam continued to grin at his discomfort as he checked Christopher's luggage. When that was finished, he went to the bathroom and got ready for bed, once he saw that breakfast in the morning started at 7.30. By the time he climbed between the sheets, it was only 9 o'clock, but Sam felt ready for bed.
"Well, unless Christopher's due to get mugged in the middle of the night, I'll see you in the morning." Al was still slightly distracted.
"Yes, well...I'll get back to you, Sam." Sam's grin returned.
"Night night, Casanova." He made loud kissing noises as Al began to disappear. Al simply glared back and vanished. Sam was still chuckling as he pulled the covers up to his chin.

'It is dangerous to meddle with Admirals when they say they can't do things.' Winston Churchill.

'Time is the longest distance between two places.' Raymond Williams.

Al shrugged to himself as he left the Imaging Chamber. The door to the past swung shut behind him. The console room was empty for once.
"Oh, well. Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
"I DON'T WISH TO SPEAK TO YOU." Al smiled disarmingly.
"Not even if I say sorry and we kiss and make up?" Al moved over to Ziggy's multi-coloured glowing console before his nerve went, "Now, where might a hybrid computer like to be kissed? Which coloured block is best?......Here? Or maybe here?" Al kissed Ziggy twice.
"Al! You'll make me jealous!" Al shot upright guiltily as Tina spoke. He smiled with the full force of Calavicci charm.
"No problemo, gorgeous. You kiss back." Tina sashayed up to Al in one of her - and his - favourite skin tight mini dresses. This one was black, barely covering her bottom and plunged dramatically at the front and back. She put her arms around Al's neck and pouted.
"I've been so lonely without you, darling." Al realised that he was going to be lucky if they managed to reach the bed in the back of his office. He kissed Tina hungrily.
"Tina, bellisima, you know you drive me crazy when you come in here acting like a naughty schoolgirl." Tina grinned conspiratorially.
"And naughty schoolgirls need to be kept behind after class and taught how to be very, very good." Al steered Tina toward his office.
"I believe you're going to have to stay in my office for an all night lesson, Ms O'Farrell," Al pulled the door closed and locked it securely, "Ziggy, please don't disturb me until at least 10 o'clock tomorrow unless Sam's in danger."
"VERY WELL. I FORGIVE YOU. SHALL I DOWNLOAD THE EROTICA THAT JAMES MENTIONED TO YOUR CURRENT LOCATION?" Al grinned.
"Yes, okay. But I have a feeling that I won't need to access it tonight."

'So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.' Albert H. Fitz

Sam woke up early the next morning feeling refreshed. He got out of bed, took a long shower, then finished Christopher's packing. He pulled on Christopher's underpants, pants and laced up the stout boots, then pulled on the T-shirt and sweat shirt before carrying everything down to the entrance lobby. Breakfast was cornflakes, juice, bacon and eggs with toast and marmalade to follow. Sam was used to large breakfasts from his childhood on the farm and tucked in gratefully. Karen pressed a string bag of oranges on him as he joined the other occupants of the camper van. The journey north across rural Somerset was punctuated by small talk from Stella and Father Riley. Tony was concentrating on driving, especially as they neared the village of Pilton. Crowds of Travellers, on foot and in vehicles were all making for the same location. The camper van slowed to a crawl as all the paperwork was checked and re-checked, then they moved up through several gates and into the festival compound. A marshall guided them to their correct location and Sam helped erect what James had described as the Coracle.

It consisted of several long curved poles, lashed together, which were interlaced with other poles before two great waterproof tarpaulins were fastened over the top. Inside, the structure was reasonably high at the centre, then curved down to the ground on three sides. The fourth side was opened up in a semi-circular arch towards the healing field. 'It's a bit like a rough upside-down boat,' Sam thought, 'I must ask Al to explain.' Al didn't show up until Sam had finished helping to unpack and set up. Sam's eyebrow's raised at the sight of Al wearing the suit he had on before, instead today it was looking rather crumpled and Al looked tired.
"What's wrong, Al?" Al managed to keep his voice level as he explained.
"Oh...I...I just didn't get much sleep last night. I was...in my office."
"More paperwork?" Al's lips twitched into a smile as he looked away. The smile broadened, once Sam couldn't see, into one of lazy satisfaction.
"Paperwork isn't quite how I'd describe it. Anyway, I'm here now. I see you've put up the Coracle." Al visibly waited for Sam to ask the question.
"Okay, Al. What is a Coracle?"
"According to Ziggy, it's a small boat used by early peoples to get from place to place. The early Celtic missionaries used to set out in them and see where God took them, then preach the good news. The real ones are coated with pitch on the outside, like Moses in the bulrushes. They still make them and use them in parts of Wales. When it's upside down like this, it's usually called a Bender. Quite a lot of the people here this coming weekend live in them, some all year round."
"Like the Native Americans and their wigwams?"
"Those that live that way, yes. Very similar. Next door you've got some Buddhist nuns arriving soon, there's a Hindu shrine and you can probably find most of the major religions around this open space."

Sam looked around and pointed to the tree in the centre of the large circle.
"Those are dream catchers, aren't they?" Al looked surprised.
"Yeah. They apparently act as a filter and let only good dreams through. You'll probably see some folk sleeping next to the tree in an effort to catch a really good dream. If it really works and you were under that tree when you leaped...." Sam looked at Al intently.
"Are you trying to tell me that it might be the way home?" Al shrugged.
"We've tried wackier things before now to attempt a retrieval. Can't hurt to try...but not until tonight. Ziggy says that now Christopher has to meet someone, after lunch. I should go for a stroll and do some talking with people. The Reverends are having a rest, so you're free." Sam nodded and spotted a small group in the middle of an earnest discussion near the tree. He went over and they let him join them.
".....and if you haven't tried Astral travelling, you simply haven't lived." This from a very earnest man with a brown goatee beard and wide hazel eyes. Sam decided to use his ears until he could get a handle on what they were saying. He looked at the other two, a younger man with fair curls and blue eyes and woman who was sitting with her arm linked through his in easy companionship who had dark plaits and grey eyes.
"But, as I was saying before, if this whole universe is illusion or a giant holographic projection, then Astral Travelling is only one of many equally interesting but unreal states." "Maybe the Astral plane is the true reality, but we just don't know it yet."
"Maybe it's Heaven or Nirvana." This came from the young woman, who had a rather dreamlike expression on her face.
"Uh-oh, Sam. Some of your new friends have been smoking pot. Watch yourself and take everything they say with a pinch of salt." The goatee beard turned to Sam.
"Have you ever tried Astral projection?" Sam foundered for a moment, then realised that this was close to something he knew only too well.

"I don't think so. But I have travelled in time." That should start an interesting debate.
"Careful, Sam. Not too many secrets, now. On the other hand, these guys are half stoned. Maybe they'll regard you as just another harmless lunatic like them." Sam glared at Al. Three pairs of eyes followed his gaze. The goatee beard smiled.
"Hey, grandpa, you can join us too. We don't mind. I bet you remember the Sixties, too!" Sam had to cough violently to stop himself laughing.
"What did I tell you? Children, animals and...." He tapped the side of his head significantly and looked at the man next to him, "I wish, just for once, that I could be seen by a voluptuous sexy woman."
"No problem, friend. Hey, Rita, come over here." Al nearly boggled when he saw her and Sam had been forced to hold his hand over his mouth because he was laughing so hard.

Rita was maybe two inches shorter than Al, about thirty-five or so. Al took in the long, black curls, the dusky skin and the blouse she was half-wearing over her stunning cleavage and swallowed hard. Her hips swung provocatively as she sat down next to Al. He looked into her midnight blue eyes and smiled seductively. Rita smiled back and tried to put her hand on his thigh.
"You're a golem, aren't you? I am true Romany, I know these things. You don't really belong here, nor does your friend. I saw you in my cup this morning; a handsome man with dark brown hair and eyes and a great fire in his soul."
"I...I'm not sure what a golem is, Rita. I'm a hologram of a real man from the future." The other members of the circle made appreciative noises. Sam grinned as he watched Al clearly wanting to touch Rita, but not being able to do so.
"Anyway, Al, this is Astra and her partner Rama. This other man is called Sky. Your friend was talking about travelling in time," she looked at Sam, "There are two of you - one that I have seen on the road -
and another. Which name shall we call you?" Sam swallowed slowly and decided on the truth.

"My name is Sam, but I'm ....borrowing the aura of Christopher Walker for a while."
"Let me see your hand, Sam." Sam hesitantly extended his hand. Rita looked it closely for several minutes.
"Yes. I see Christopher's future; he will not be alone for much longer. You, Sam, have a great mind and a long life ahead of you. One day soon you will stop being on the drom. Like Al, you are one of the world's great lovers." Sam started to blush and Al just stared. A slow smile spread across his face.
"Who's been talking?!" Rita shook her head slowly.
"No-one, Al. It is just there in your eyes....and I would expect to see the same in your hand," Al presented his palm eagerly, "Yes. No doubt about it. You have Italian and gypsy blood running in your veins. But we must get back to the subject of time travel. That is why you are both here."

Everyone turned their attention back to Sam, who was still trying to get over his embarrassment. He cleared his throat.
"I...What do you think of travelling in time?" He looked at Sky first, because he seemed to be the most articulate. Sky stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"I have heard of adepts who were able to use Astral travel to go back and view the past, even re-visit their past lives. I never thought much of the time machine idea - I much prefer your way of borrowing auras. It makes you anonymous to everyone without spiritual sight like Rita here. That's neat." Rama asked the next question.
"But what do you and Al do in the past? Just hang out and talk?" Sam shook his head.
"It seems that I've been sent back to put right things that went wrong in my own timeline. Usually they're small things on a world-wide scale - saving one life, or a marriage, or someone's job. I seem to be here to talk with you guys at the moment." Aster smiled.
"That's awesome. Pilton's a good space to be in. Have you been to Glastonbury yet?"

Sam frowned. An image that was strange to him surfaced. A hill-top covered in grass, Al and a tall striking woman with blue eyes and shoulder-length brown hair looking at him with warmth and affection. A second older woman, with fiery red hair and generous curves in Al's arms, kissing him with passion and love. Remembrances of long, incredibly sweet kisses that he'd shared with the first woman.....but none of it was real; it was like a dream of might-have-been.
"I...er...I don't think so." Rita smiled.
"In one timeline, you did. The images you saw were as real for that Sam as this place is for you, now. He found the love of his life with someone else. Somewhere there is at least one Sam who is home and happy. Equally, there are other Sams who are still lost."
"Pardon me?" Sam tried to follow Rita's train of thought.
"Every significant decision you make leads to all possible outcomes. The parallel universe theory. There are several Sam Becketts and Al Calaviccis, maybe even hundreds. In some you never leaped, in others, there is no-one waiting for you, in others you have a wife or a partner. You may have several children or none. Al realises this more than most. Don't you know that his relationship with Tina shifts when you change something significant? Sometimes he finds that it's not even Tina waiting in his bed." Al actually blushed.
"Good grief, more women? Don't tell me that you took advantage of this arrangement..... Oh, boy, I can see that you did." Al grinned at Sam's discomfort.
"Hey, it wasn't that bad. Most times it was one of my ex-wives or an old girl-friend. Though on the occasions that it's been someone new...... Well, thank-you, Sam. You've always provided me with gorgeous passionate women. Once it was even 'Beena. When I got over the shock and surprise, we were incredible together. I've never quite had the courage to pursue it since. I was married to her at the time, for all of three days. And if you can fix it for me to kiss beautiful Rita here one day, I shall be eternally grateful. Anyway, where does all this multi-verse stuff leave us now?" Al's mind skipped to a scenario he dreaded. 'I just hope that I never have to deal with having Donna as my wife. That would be tough.' Rama smiled at Al's reminiscences. The sunlight caught in his blond hair and blue eyes as he turned back to Sam.

"I like this idea. Maybe somewhere there's another me who settled down to a steady job just like his parents wished and is married with a family. Aster and I are married as far as we're concerned, but my parents probably wouldn't accept the ceremony we used. As for children: we'd rather do our bit to help those children in the world who are starving. We can help several children for the price of one of our own." Aster nodded and gazed lovingly at Rama.
"It must be hard though, giving up a family for the sake of your beliefs." Sky turned to Sam.
"If you're travelling in time, then you must have left wherever you call home for the sake of your beliefs. You might have a wife or lover and children back at home waiting for you." Sam shook his head.
"Not when I left, no. Al was the nearest to family I had. Since then, I tried to alter the past of the one woman that I really loved so that she would marry me, but I can't remember if it worked. Al can't or won't tell me, so I go on, still hoping that I'll get a happy ending one day." Al looked at Sam sympathetically.
"You made the rules, Sam. No information on your personal history incase you did something that might change it for the worse. Anyone waiting at home would want their identity preserved too. You couldn't act as a free agent if you knew for certain that you had responsibilities." Sam shook his head.
"It's the thought of being unintentionally unfaithful that worries me. I'd always hoped that there'd be one woman, for life. I believe in the spiritual and physical bond between two people completely committed to one another and in fidelity. I know I haven't lived up to that. My Swiss Cheesed brain may forget a lot of things, but right now it remembers three other women that I made love with since I've been leaping." Al shrugged.
"Don't be so hard on yourself. I'd had that many by the end of my sixteenth birthday party!" Rita gently leaned over and touched Sam's hand.
"Did you intend love with those women, Sam?" Sam nodded.

"Yes, absolutely. When I was with them, there was no-one else I would rather have been with. As far as I can say such a thing, I was in love with them. If I could have stayed, it would have been for a lifetime." Rita smiled softly.
"Then your conscience should be clear, Sam. Your intentions were honourable. Do you know the story of Krishna? He had many lovers, but only one true love of his life. The stories are intended to reflect the intimacy of contact between the Divine and humankind." Al's eyebrows rose.
"This is getting weird. I just can't get this stuff. God and sex in the same breath again!" Sky stroked his beard for the umpteenth time.
"Krishna is an avatar, a redemptive figure. He came into the world at the right time to advance religious thought - you could say give it a leap forward. After him there have been others, of course. Rama, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, the Ba'ab. An equal number have been female, it's not a masculine-only club. That which I call divine is beyond male and female in any case. I believe we all have a spark of the divine inside us, it's just that not everyone has realised it yet. We are all potential avatars. Sam, perhaps you are more than most, but you just haven't realised it yet." Sam boggled.

"I'm not worthy....I can't be God! I've made so many mistakes and I couldn't save my own family, my father...." Rita smiled with warmth and deep sympathy.
"It's often those who are closest to us that are the most difficult to communicate with. Perhaps another Leaper will accomplish what you could not do one day. Your family could not listen to you simply because they are your family. Even Jesus had problems with his mother and siblings until they understood who he was. Also, everyone has free will. If somebody is set resolutely on a course of action, then they find change difficult."
"I just wanted the best for them, to give them a better life..."
"I know. So does God, but he uses the pain, transforming and transfiguring it. Look at all those who have a physical or mental handicap. You can't change their lives much. But some of the most radiant people I know shine through a damaged body or mind." Sam smiled warmly, remembering.
"Yes. I can agree with that. I learnt so much when I was in their shoes." Aster smiled at Rama.
"I think I can handle being part of the divine being - it's as if the Universe is working itself out through even me. That's very humbling and challenging." Rama nodded.
"Yes, you are my Gaia," he said, looking at Aster. Sam nodded, slowly.
"So maybe what I'm doing is part of the plan. I like the idea that there are other Sams out there who got it right and made it home. I hope that we can all get home one day."
"You will, Sam, even if it's the final Home; the consummation of all things."
"I hope it doesn't take that long. I owe Al a monumental hug and my gratitude for being there and helping me all this time."
"Aww, Sam. It goes with the job description." At that moment Father Riley came over and interrupted Sam for lunch. As Sam made his excuses and left, he saw Al following Rita back to her gypsy caravan. Al turned, grinned eagerly, then waved before trailing in the wake of her undulating hips. Sam shook his head and went back to the Coracle.

Tony Draper leaned over towards Sam during lunch, his broad clean-shaven face kind and amused.
"So what were you and your new friends discussing, Chris?" Sam blinked. He had got used to having his own name for a while.
"Oh.....God, Time, love, avatars....stuff like that." Tony smiled.
"That's a lot for one morning! I know Sky, he came down to the Community once. He's got some interesting theories based on the idea that this reality around us is merely a hologram of the True Reality. I think the idea is similar to the one put forward by C.S. Lewis, when he described the difference between Narnia and the Real Narnia, where everything looked as if it meant more. It doesn't bother me really if it's true; maybe heaven or paradise will start out to our limited sight as an idealised version of this Earth. Those who have come back from near death experiences talk of a garden of light and angels and, sometimes, Jesus or other significant figures. Maybe God communicates himself in terms we understand at first. It's going to be quite exciting finding out." Sam said nothing as his mind explored the new ideas.

'But the canons of time have never been in love...' Heinrich Heine

Sam sat under the dream tree after lunch in the warm June sunshine, almost half dozing. His stomach was comfortably full and the afternoon heat was making him sleepy. Stella sat at the entrance of the Coracle with Tony, while Father Riley went for a stroll to the Churches' large tent on the other side of the valley to greet other Christians and anyone else who he happened to meet on the way. Sam heard a soft jingling of bells and someone sat down near him in the shade of the Coracle.
"Chris? Chris Walker?" Sam opened his eyes and found himself gazing into a pair of almost midnight blue eyes fringed with long brown lashes. He blinked, then took in an attractive pale brown face, sun-bleached light brown hair and a soft, warm smile. A pair of tiny bells attached to her purple dress provided the soft jingling that he had heard.
'Thank-you. You always seem to give me nice women to look at.' Sam smiled back.
"Er...." The lady blushed slightly and fine wrinkles appeared around her eyes as her smile widened.
"Well, it has been over twenty years and you didn't have that beard in school, but I recognised you." Sam suddenly knew who she was. This was why he'd had to save Chris' life.
"Pamela!" She smiled delightedly and Sam knew he'd hit gold. His hands met her outstretched ones. A tingle ran up his arms. 'Chris never stopped loving her. Now I've got to see if she feels the same.'

"I remember being with you in school. You were the first woman I ever kissed." Pamela nodded slowly.
"Yes, I know. You were my first, too. We were terribly young, weren't we? What happened to you afterwards?" Sam dredged up what Al had told him.
"Oh....University, several jobs, then I became a Traveller. I'm at Tony Draper's community at the moment." Pamela nodded, then hesitated.
"I heard about Bob. It was such a tragedy. I'm sorry, Chris." Sam nodded.
"It's okay now. I think I'm getting over it."
"He was confused, even at school. He kissed me too, but even then there was something adrift in him. I wasn't surprised when I heard that his marriage had broken up. I don't think he could handle relationships with women. It took me some time before I tried again, but I never really found what I'd hoped for. That's why I never married either. I couldn't find that mixture of friendship and romance....." Sam could see the ending even as he spoke. It was so plain.
"Neither could I, Pamela. I kept measuring every woman against you and they fell short. I've been on my own for twenty years." Dark blue eyes looked into his with a mixture of fear and wild hope.
"Is it that simple? Was it you all the time?" Sam gently ran his fingers through a lock of Pamela's hair. A glorious smile transfigured her face as she moved closer, "I've missed you, Chris." Sam pulled her into his arms for a hug, then began tracing tiny kisses towards her mouth.
"Pamela...." he whispered, hoping to leap out for Chris' sake. But Pamela stayed warm and real in his arms. 'Maybe Chris wouldn't have had the nerve to follow through. Well, it won't be the first time I've kissed someone else's love - I just wish I could have one of my own.'

Sam's lips brushed Pamela's and she gasped softly. He took his time, planting tiny kisses across her top and lower lip. When her lips returned the favour, he sighed with pleasure. Finally he couldn't wait any longer and covered her mouth with his own. Pamela moaned softly with a mixture of pleasure and fulfilment as their mouths moved together with slow sensual caresses. After what seemed like half an hour, Sam pulled away softly.
'I do hope Chris remembers that when he leaps back in. That was one of the sweetest kisses I've had in a long time.' Pamela smiled at him, her eyes wide and dark with joy and wonder.
"It is that simple. I've never forgotten how wonderful your kisses were. Where do we go from here?" Sam smiled contentedly.
"Well, I don't think I'm going to be a monk after all!" He held Pamela's face in his hands. Pamela chuckled softly and warmly.
"I should hope not! We've got over twenty years catching up to do." Sam couldn't resist. The memory of the single exquisite kiss was too strong.
"Mmmm, that includes twenty years' worth of kisses." He captured her lips again, starting gently like before, but soon deepening the kiss into a promise of a lifetime that he knew Chris would keep. Finally, as the kiss became more passionate, the leap took Sam away.

Somewhere there was singing. A woman's voice, sweet and unaccompanied.

"Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shone,
will you let my name be known?
Will you let my love be grown in you
and you in me?"

Sam smiled and stretched, feeling a bed underneath him. He raised his head from the pillow as the female singer came in through the door. She walked over and felt his pulse. Sam looked up into dark chocolate eyes set in a beautiful pale face, surrounded by a cloud of fragrant dark brown hair.
'Wow!' his mind trembled incoherently, 'Absolute perfection.....and that mouth is so soft and tempting. God, why do you keep doing this? Just once in a while, I'd like to be able to give in and know it's going to last for more than just a couple of nights...'
"How are you feeling?" Her voice was low and musical.
"I...er...okay, I guess." She smiled reassuringly and the sun came out.
"You'll be just fine. You're safe, nothing's going to hurt you. Do you remember your name?" Sam smiled. It wouldn't hurt, at least until Al showed up. He could always plead amnesia; this place felt like a hospital.

"Sam....Sam Beckett. And you are incredibly beautiful." Sam reached up and kissed her before he lost his nerve. For a moment she pulled away, then she murmured his name next to his lips and began kissing him back with such eagerness that he almost swooned with delight. Suddenly she pulled away and began smoothing down her white doctor's coat.
"I'm sorry. That shouldn't have happened. I shouldn't really be here...everyone's gone to see in the New Year. I hadn't really got anyone to go with."
"I'd go with you. I can't understand why a woman as beautiful as you should be alone tonight." She looked away with pain on her face.
"It's a long story.....but nothing that should concern you." Sam laid his hand over hers on the covers. She looked back with puzzlement and something else that was so subtle, Sam barely caught it.
"I know you. And you know me...." Then the revelation hit like a thunderbolt, "We were lovers; I've kissed you before. You are the love of my life." Tears filled her dark expressive eyes.
"Don't, please...." The holes in Sam's memory filled suddenly with blinding revelation, joy and deep, loving desire.
"My darling, my only true love....Donna. It's really me. I'm home." Her eyes widened, then she gasped and flung her arms around him. Sam kissed her hair, the tears rolling down both their faces. He kissed her throat and finally back to her mouth again. He kissed her over and over, surrendering with joy to the aching sweetness of her lips until his long pent-up desire took over. He tried to go slowly, but she let him know fairly early on that her need was as great as his. They made love with almost frenzied passion, then a second time, taking it slowly, re-learning each other's bodies tenderly.
"So what year is it, anyway, darling?" Sam asked as they lay closely wrapped together in the after-glow. Donna smiled and stroked his face.

"It's still 2000 at the moment. You made it back in time to see in the new century and the Millennium."
"I'm glad. I can't think of a sweeter, more glorious home-coming. The next time we make love, it'll be next year," Sam smiled softly against Donna's hair, "Although, if you keep stroking my leg like that..." A chime rang out from somewhere overhead.
"HAPPY NEW YEAR, FATHER. I AM GLAD YOU MADE IT HOME AT LAST." Donna smiled joyfully.
"Happy new year, darling. Now what was that about celebrating the New Year?" Sam held her close.
"I'm not going away again. This is where I stay. Always, Donna. I need to see Al, too...and everyone else. And, Ziggy....destroy all records of the last hour and keep your visual and auditory monitors off in this room. This is intensely private."
"I think they can wait until after the holiday, don't you? Al's rather busy.....I think he was hoping to celebrate the New Year just like this, too." Sam chuckled.
"Tina, I suppose? Or is it Beth? I don't remember how the timelines worked out." Donna shook her head gently.
"He was married to Beth until last year, then, when she died, Tina consoled him. They were pretty hot for a while until she ran off and married Davidson, the security guard. Al's been alone until recently. On his last visit to Taos, he met this incredibly wise and attractive gypsy." Sam smiled.
"Rita?" Donna laughed.
"Yes, of course. She was there on your last leap. She's been keeping him at arms' length for a while, but she told me in confidence that he was going to be her dream lover - and she his. Last night she finally kissed him and they went off together. You're going to have to wait a while to see him!" Sam pulled Donna as close as he could.
"I owe him so much, and you too, darling. You're my home, Donna."
"I know, Sam. And you're mine, my love."
"I love you. Now where had we got to in celebrating the New Year....?"

OR; In another timeline: Sam carried on leaping from life to life. There were no commitments calling him home, so he enjoyed his task of helping put things right, snatching moments of happiness where he could. Sometimes he wished that he could touch Al, then his wish came true. Al leaped after Sam to save his life and the two men carried on leaping together for a while. Sam helped Al, too, especially when the latter had to cope with being a woman for the first time......

'Our gift is Time.
Time to pray, time to worship daily;
Time to study; Time to listen;time to help.
Time for other people.
It is time we put at God's disposal, time he has given us..... to share our thoughts, our inspirations with those who seek;
To help in time of need;
To listen to all who need to talk
in excitement, in despair - and to bring their needs to God....
Single and married;
In homes, travellers and homeless; resident and visitor;
Man, woman and child
Time to be available to serve.
Our time is not our own, it is a gift from God.'
(abridged) Valerie Flint-Johnson, Quest Community, Glastonbury, Somerset.

The dust will not settle in our time. And when it does some great roaring machine will come and whirl it all sky high again.' S.Beckett (the other one, wrote a few plays...)

'Brother, sister, let me serve you' - words and music by Richard Gillard, arr Betty Pulkingham.

'Will you come and follow me?' - words and music Wild Goose Publications (Iona Community).

BATLEAP

Author's notes: This one's for Sharrah, in Toledo, Ohio. You sparked me off and I just filled in the details..... Forget Val Kilmer, Michael Keaton and George Clooney. They should have let Scott do it right from the start!

'Batman' characters were created by Bob Kane and published by DC Comics.

"My friends, I hope you've enjoyed our little comedy tonight. It's called 'The Bat's Revenge'." :- Prince Orlovsky, Pink Champagne (Die Fledermaus for am/drams). It has an Alfred in it too, all you 'Romance, Romance' fans.

NOW (ish), PARALLEL UNIVERSE. (Unless you can prove to me that Gotham exists in our world).

The falling sensation of the leap was different this time. Sam felt pulled, stretched. It was as if a giant hand had snatched him from the path he should have taken and was yanking him off-course somewhere else. He landed on a highly polished stone floor, stumbled and fell to his hands and knees. The surface of the floor had been buffed so well that he could make out the suggestion of brown hair and a blue suit. Sam looked down at himself. Yes, masculine blue wool suit of a very high quality, maybe even Savile Row. He whistled softly and looked around him. He was in a long corridor or passage, punctuated on the left-hand side with windows. It was late evening or night outside. On the right wall, spaced evenly down the length of the corridor, stood several half circular tables, each reeking of polish and at least a hundred years' age. Above the nearest table was a beautiful oval mirror with an ornate frame that Sam knew instinctively was covered in real gold leaf. He stood up, noting the chandeliers with real candles that hung near the ceiling and the decorative plaster-work near the tops of the walls.

"Wow! If it wasn't for the suit, I'd have sworn that I'd gone back to the Eighteenth or Nineteenth century. Mirror first, questions later." Sam approached the mirror gingerly and his eyes widened when he saw a face not so dissimilar to his own....at least as far as he remembered it. He narrowed his eyes reflexively and compared the details. The brown hair was perhaps several shades darker, the white streak had gone and the cut was extremely good. 'Well, that fits with the suit. A guy who can afford suits like this would have a good barber....maybe even a personal valet or something'. The nose showed signs of having been broken and reset at some stage, the eyes were completely clear green without the merest trace of hazel flecks, but the mouth and the chin were so like his own that it was uncanny.

"I'm not surprised that you're spooked, Sam. Even I had to look at the Leapee twice to be sure it wasn't you." Sam turned to greet Al, since Al wouldn't show up in this mirror. Al was sporting a particularly vibrant lime green suit, with a bright yellow tie and green fedora.
"But he's not me....is he? And....they haven't been wearing those psychedelic colors since the Sixties." Al grinned and shrugged his shoulders.
"No, he's not you. He fainted after he leaped in and we compared D.N.A. Ziggy's still trying to figure out why you look so alike, though. And for your information, there's a Sixties revival going on, and you're currently missing out on the five sexiest little female singers from Britain. They call themselves the Spice Girls and boy, I wish I could show them what I really, really want....though not in front of Tina. When she wears that red low-cut sequinned number and starts singing along to their records....well, let's say it does a guy's heart good!" Al's eyes gleamed and Sam coughed.

"I get the picture. Put your libido on 'hold' a minute and tell me who I am and why I'm here." Al obediently punched his Handlink.
"Name....... Uh-oh. Nothing...Ziggy's going bananas on this one. Says you're not in any town she recognises. I think I'm going to have to have quiet words with our Leapee, if he'll co-operate. Just lay low and try not to get into any trouble. This place probably belongs to your host, his family or friends. It looks pretty deserted. I'd have a quiet snoop if I were you and hope you find something to your advantage." Sam sighed deeply.
"Okay. Don't leave me in the lurch too long, though." Al nodded.
"I'll do my best. In the mean time, keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut." Sam tried to look angry.
"Very funny." He watched as Al punched his Handlink and vanished.

Sam carefully dusted off the knees of his pants - not that they were dirty as such - but he felt he owed it to the expensive material and tailoring. He carried on walking along the corridor, his shoes squeaking slightly against the polished floor. A large set of double wooden doors in the right-hand wall stood slightly ajar. The room inside was pitch black. Sam tentatively pushed the doors open, balancing on the balls of his feet just incase there was danger within. He gasped when he saw what was inside. A library...of sorts, with books around the walls, but down the middle, in double serried ranks, was the most comprehensive collection of different styles of body armor he had ever seen. Everything from reconstructed Greek and Roman, through Viking, Medieval, Renaissance, Samurai and up to bullet-proof. Sam examined each piece in turn, feeling instinctively that they were probably the best examples of each genre. On the end wall were swords of every continent and age. Sam gently took down a fencing rapier, remembering when he'd had to use one briefly in a past leap. After he replaced it, a Japanese Katana took his eye. He passed it in front of his body to the left. then up, over and into the right hand, circling it once. A strange feeling of power shivered through him and all the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He examined the pommel, which had a scrap of faded Scottish tartan attached. Sam's eyebrows met in a brief frown of puzzlement. 'I don't understand why or how tartan got associated with a Japanese sword, but somehow it feels right'.

Sam slowly and carefully put the sword back on the wall. He turned away and left the room, closing the doors behind him. He proceeded down the corridor towards a pair of even larger heavy wooden double doors facing him at the end. He turned the brass handle on the right-hand one and entered the room.

Leather, polish, firelight. Sam's head turned automatically towards the blazing log fire in the large stone chimney on the right. Facing the fire was a huge leather couch, behind which a mahogany table held a large silver tantalus containing six large bottles of assorted spirits. Sam stepped closer and found Laphroaig whisky, Armagnac, real Russian vodka, rum, gin and vintage French brandy. All in a matched set of crystal decanters with silver and gold chasing. Sam whistled again appreciatively.

"Sir, I do wish you would get out of the habit of whistling indoors." The voice was older, masculine and unmistakably English. Sam turned towards the speaker. He was dressed in a sober black suit, grey-haired with a kindly face.
'This has got to be the....no, my butler. He called me 'sir' and seems to have a certain familiarity with my host. ' The butler continued speaking.
"I do hope that you haven't forgotten the guest we invited here this evening. Ms Gunn is an expert on armour, and given your....occupation, you expressed interest in picking her brains....discreetly, of course." Sam was inwardly perplexed, but tried to nod knowingly.
"Uh...yes. What time will she be here?"
"In about 15 minutes, sir. Long enough to refresh our minds about our latest designs for the new suit."

The butler carefully spread out a roll of paper on another table in the middle of the room. Sam's eyebrows raised involuntarily almost to his hair-line at the intricate drawings and illustrations of a very futuristic and frankly figure-hugging example of body armor, all in black. The currently unnamed butler began to refer to the pictures as if he'd done this a hundred times before, which Sam had to assume he had.

"Now, we took into account the chafing you got around the neck with the current model, so we redesigned the neck-line here and here. I've received the new supply of bullet-proof lycra and the re-vamped light weight alloy for the body will be easier to wear. The cape is still waterproofed, of course." Sam was frozen in horror at the first sentence.
'I have got to wear that?!? No way.... I'd get arrested!! ' At that moment Al returned.
"Hey, you'll never guess what this guy wears.....Oh, I see you've found out! I talked with our guest; at last. You're crusty English butler is Alfred." Sam managed a grateful look at the tail-end of his scowl.
"So....Alfred. How soon will this.....suit be ready?"
"By the end of the week, sir." Al helpfully held up three fingers and Sam nodded.
"Anyway, Sam....you're name is Bruce Wayne and this intriguing outfit is worn by you....I mean him, when he goes out and about as...." The final piece of the puzzle fell into place in Sam's mind.
"BATMAN!! Ohhh, BOY!"

"Yes, sir. That reporter dreamed up the name and you decided to adopt it. It has a certain.....poetry to it. It has redolences of Johann Strauss and Dr Falke, the original man in the bat costume himself about it. In any case, Ms Gunn will be here directly. I'll put these plans safely back in the cave for now, then prepare to let the lady into the house." Sam nodded and Alfred left.
"Johann Strauss I know, but who on Earth is Dr Falke?" Al shook his head slowly.
"I don't remember you being interested in light opera, so I'm not surprised." He fetched up the information for Sam's benefit, "The basic plot is kicked off by Dr Falke being dunked in a fountain and then indulging in a large slice of devious revenge, where the people he's set up are all incognito and get perilously close to illicit sexual liaisons. Falke's master-stroke is getting the hero this close to seducing his own wife without knowing it!" Sam snorted incredulously.

"I don't believe it, Al! If I'd slept with a woman....hell, if I'd kissed her, I'd know her again anywhere!" Al's eyes twinkled.
"In the first case it's just a story and in the second....well, you've obviously never role-played in your sex-life. I can't tell you how exciting and......stimulating it can be to pretend with your lady that you're two different people. Anything from good old doctors and nurses through to fantasy figures and pretending that you're complete strangers indulging in a single night of passion. I was playing that one with Tina the night you leaped." Sam rolled his eyes and looked at the ceiling.
"Why am I not surprised?!" Al ignored Sam's remark.
Sam's keen ears picked up a distant noise.
"That sounded like a bell of some sort." Al nodded.
"Yes, that's the lady armor expert. Just moved to Gotham from Witrin in Albion. Her full name's Jeanette Gunn. Age...35, single, dedicated." At that moment, Alfred brought the lady into the room, "Add frumpish and plain. All the stereotypes." Sam privately thought that Al was a little harsh on the lady.
'Yes, her mousy brown hair is scraped back rather severely, that wool dog-tooth pants suit is unflattering and she has spectacles, but I wouldn't have said 'plain'.'

Ms Gunn kept her eyes down, seemingly unwilling or unable to look directly at Sam.
"Thank-you for granting me this interview, Mr Wayne. I've brought the photographs and catalogue showing the pieces we hope to obtain from Europe. I hope that you will consider aiding the museum." Sam gave both Al and Alfred an enquiring look over Jeannette's shoulder as she opened her portfolio on the table. He felt a spectacle case in his breast pocket and engaged himself in putting them on. Al dutifully consulted his Handlink.
"Ah....yes, Sam. There's a good chance that millionaire and entrepreneur Bruce Wayne would help here. He gives regularly, and anonymously, to the orphanage, the soup kitchen and several other charitable causes." Sam nodded imperceptibly and bent over the pictures on the table. The art-work on the drawings was very good.
"Who did these artist's impressions? They are very lifelike." Alfred leaned in from the other side.
"Indeed, sir. I detect an artist's hand." Sam caught the merest hint of a blush on Ms Gunn's face.
"I...er....I made them before I left Europe. Thank-you." Sam smiled warmly.
"Would you like to see my own collection?" Her face turned towards his, her pale lips curving into an awe-struck smile.
"I would consider it an honour, Mr Wayne." Alfred coughed significantly.
"Perhaps some refreshment, sir?" Sam realised that he had forgotten his manners.
"Of course, Alfred. What would you like...coffee, tea, wine....maybe some spirits or fruit juice?" Sam reckoned that all of those would be in stock.
"Coffee, please...with a small Armagnac, if that's possible. I haven't tasted it since the last time I was in la belle France. The beautiful Chateaux along the Loire....Chenanceau, Villandry and the son et lumiere in Blois, then Paris herself. I spent days in the Louvre alone. Have you ever seen the Mona Lisa, Mr Wayne?" Sam glanced at Al, who shrugged.
"Don't ask me! You might have gone there as a student, I guess. Bruce...probably. He's got plenty of spare cash." Sam took a chance.
"Ye...es, but it was quite a few years ago now." Sam and Ms Gunn left the room and arrived at the armory.

When Sam opened the door, Ms Gunn gasped.
"You should be the museum's expert in armoury, not me!" She entered the room in a daze, exclaiming over every piece. Sam followed, picking up terms that he hoped he'd never have to repeat knowledgeably without Al's help.
'Well, 'breastplate' and 'helmet' I'm pretty safe with, but on 'cuirass' and 'halberd' I'm gonna have to pass.' They came to the end wall and looked at the swords, just as Alfred came in with the drinks.
"I took the liberty of bringing your usual, sir. I trust that was correct?" Sam reckoned he'd better accept the proffered drink. The tumbler suggested that it was spirits, but there was no ice. Sam sniffed surreptitiously. Definitely spirits, neat, with a strong peaty smell. His eyebrow quirked slightly in an unspoken query as he took a sip. Rich, strong, liquid fire. After the initial surprise, Sam decided he liked the experience and went back for more.
"It's the Laphroaig, Sam." Al said, helpfully, but unnecessarily. Sam was already warming to the taste of real single malt whisky, without ice. Alfred put down the silver salver he was carrying.

"You are enjoying Mr Wayne's collection of armour, Ms Gunn?" She sipped her Armagnac.
"Yes, very much." Sam decided to open up the conversation a little bit more.
"So.....is there any armor that I don't have that you would like to examine from a professional perspective?" Suddenly, she looked up and her face became eager and animated.
"Oh, yes!! If only because it's such an enigma. I would love to know exactly how Batman's armour is made. Of course, I have theories.....it must be lightweight and bullet-proof as well as water-repellent. That basically rules out metal. Maybe a special fibre-glass is involved..." Sam looked up, startled, towards Alfred. Although the expression on Alfred's face was guarded, Sam could tell that Jeanette Gunn was hitting very close to the truth. Al nodded.
"Yes, this lady knows her stuff. She is smart, I'll give her that." Sam turned back to Jeanette. His eyes were drawn to her mobile, animated mouth. Suddenly he was seized with the almost irresistible urge to find out how nicely those lips would respond to being kissed. He pulled himself up severely.
'What's happening to me? I've enjoyed kissing often enough, but I don't recall feeling this burning need....almost as if I'd kissed her before and knew how good it would be even before we started. Must be Bruce Wayne's mind and hormones coming through.'

Sam realised belatedly that Jeanette had finished speaking.
"Yes....that's a fascinating insight you have there, Jeanette. If I ever....bump into Batman one of these nights, I'll pass on your interest." Al coughed to hide his laughter and Alfred merely raised an eyebrow.
'I wish I could get those two to meet! They'd make a great double act!' Alfred collected their glasses in smooth, studied silence and left the room, after passing Sam the briefest of significant glances. Al checked his Handlink.
"I can't see anything significant for you to do for now, apart from offer Ms Gunn here some of Bruce's substantial fortune, so I'll get back to you in the morning unless anything vital occurs." Sam turned to Jeanette.
"Well......Jeanette. I would very much like to help Gotham city museum. I'm sure I can support the bids you make for the pieces you require." Jeanette looked up at Sam.
"Thank-you very much, Mr Wayne."
"Bruce, please. We are going to be communicating closely together." Sam favoured her with his best smile. Jeannette's mouth curved slowly into an answering smile. Sam received another strong impulse to kiss Jeanette and this time it was irresistible. He reached out, cupping her face with his left hand and brushed her lips very gently with his thumb. If she was not aware of him in the same way, she would be able to convince herself that it hadn't happened. But her eyes closed, her lips softly parted and she even made an incoherent murmur of pleasure in her throat. Sam moved in right on cue, sliding his hand around her head and covering her lips with his. For maybe ten seconds he found himself drowning in the sweetest first kiss he had ever known. Her lips were soft, responsive and extremely seductive. Sam felt himself beginning to get aroused.

"Sam! Sam!! What the hell are you doing? No, I know what you're doing, but what ever possessed you to kiss her?" Sam pulled away guiltily and Jeannette ducked her head, leaving the room almost at a run.
"Dammit, Al! Who I kiss is no business of yours.......it was one of the nicest kisses I'd had in a long time, too." Sam's face went into his 'puppy dog' expression and he turned away, trying to gain control over the nerve endings in his body that were still tingling with awareness from holding Jeannette close and kissing her.
"Sorry, Sam. I keep forgetting you have different tastes in women to me. Anyway, I came back because things have changed slightly.....a police patrol have got out of their depth with a gang of hoodlums...."
Sam left the armory and looked into the night sky. There, emblazoned on the clouds, was the one thing he had dreaded seeing. In brilliant yellow, the sign of the bat that called for Batman.
"Oh, no.... Now I've got to do it for real. Ohhh, Boyy!"

"This way, Sam. Downstairs." Sam followed Al down the wooden staircase, through a hidden door, then down a stone staircase to....
"The Batcave!" Alfred appeared from the shadows.
"I saw Ms Gunn out, sir. She seemed anxious to return to the museum. I saw the sign and got out the Batmobile ready for your immanent arrival."
"Thank-you, Alfred. I'll go and change now." Sam turned away and grimaced uncomfortably as he followed Al towards the room where Bruce Wayne kept the Bat-suit. He sighed deeply and quickly stripped down to his underpants.
"Ooh, Sam....real silk...and black, too. I approve of Bruce's taste." Sam merely glowered and began pulling on the lycra-like leggings and leather boots before standing up and donning the black silk singlet and the close-fitting sculptured body armour with the yellow bat symbol clearly emblazoned on the front.
"Well, it feels okay, but I'm glad I only go out at night. This suit leaves almost nothing to the imagination!" Al shrugged.
"Remember it's not you they're seeing. You can hide behind Bruce's aura." Al decided to withhold from Sam the fact that Bruce Wayne could body double for Sam without any trouble at all.
"I still feel.....exposed."
"Yeah, well those villains won't be worrying what you look like." Sam nodded and ran to the car, eager to get the whole experience over with as soon as possible. The great door to the Batcave swung open and Sam roared out. Al sat in the back, shouting directions until they reached the alley-way where the gun and fist fight was in progress.

Sam turned the headlights on full and launched a couple of guided knock-out pellets under Al's instruction before getting out of the car. He flattened a third hoodlum with a solid right punch, then everything became a little frenzied. Sam found himself throwing more punches, kicks and dives than he had in a long time as he helped subdue the gang, Bullets whizzed past his ears and rebounded from his body armor with a loud 'clang'. Through it all, Sam received the subliminal impression that this was easier than it should be. At times it seemed almost as if he had someone helping him, but he was too occupied to take a good look around. As the last hoodlum was cuffed and led away to the waiting patrol car, Sam saw a slight movement in the shadows,
"What's that, Al?" The hologram duly went to investigate.
"Can't see anything, Sam." The physicist drew in some steadying breaths as he went to investigate. He scanned the side alley, catching sight at last of two things on the ground. A piece of paper and a lady's handkerchief. Sam unfolded the paper.

"My first is in reap but not sow,
My second's in ice but not floe,
For thirds chose dreams over sleep,
For fourth, dungeon not keep,
The fifth brings love over hate ,
The sixth is fire and grate,
The seventh and last, you won't repeat, for you'll rue the day when we meet."

Al began consulting the Handlink immediately. Sam brought the handkerchief to his nose. He recognised the perfume, knew it, welcomed it. Roses, with the subtle undercurrent of pure feminine musk that hit his memory and the pleasure centres of his body with equal force. He reeled inwardly.
'I would swear that the owner of this handkerchief and I know each other.....more than that, we've been very intimate. This is crazy! I'm in a timeline or universe where Batman is real. What connection could I possibly have with any woman here?!?' Al finished consulting Ziggy. A slow smile crossed his face.
"Of course! I should have remembered the character who enjoyed leaving clues like this!" Sam looked up rather dazed and stunned from the handkerchief.
"Huh?" Al waved his hand in front of Sam's face.
"Hey, Earth calling Beckett! What a time to get an attack of the hormones!" Sam visibly pulled himself back to Al's words and blushed.
"Sorry Al....the fragrance on this handkerchief is unbelievably familiar."
"Yes, well; I can't really help you there. But I can help with the note."
"Ah...okay, Al. Is it a case of cherchez la femme?"
"I don't think so.....not if this guy's who Ziggy says he is. This note was 85% guaranteed written by Batman's old enemy, the Riddler." Sam held up the handkerchief.
"Then who dropped this? Even if the Riddler uses feminine perfume for some reason, there's no way he could smell so....so...erot... so unmistakably like a woman. She may just have been helping me a few minutes ago." Al grinned.
"Well, I thought I caught a glimpse of somebody, but whoever-it-was stayed at the periphery of my vision. I was concentrating on watching your back."
"Yes....me too, but thinking back, it was definitely a woman." Sam closed his eyes and recalled flash impressions of long legs and a very feminine version of armor like his. Al correctly interpreted the look on Sam's face.
"Only one piece of hot stuff it could have been, Sam. There's really only one woman who was destined to be Bruce Wayne's lady...." Sam opened his eyes.
"Of course! Batwoman...... OHH, BOYYY."

'My poor old Bat! That picture of you in the newspaper...!!!' Prince Orlovsky, Pink Champagne.

After Sam and Al had double-checked that the police had rounded up all the hoodlums, they went back together to Wayne manor. Sam drove the car more steadily this time, letting the adrenaline rush of the fight drain completely from his system. Al 'sat' in the passenger seat, quietly smoking his cigar.
"Well...." he began, eventually, "The Riddler is a bit of a tricky customer."
"Uh-huh. Yes....at least we've got Ziggy to help us decipher his riddles. What I want to know is the reason behind his note being mixed up with Batwoman's handkerchief."
"Well, she's probably fighting him too, and if were being precise, her name should be 'Batgirl" Sam's mouth opened and he spoke on 'auto-pilot'.
"That was no girl, Al." Al chuckled softly.
"Must be the lycra, fibre glass and rubber combination.....heck, a cute babe squeezed into that would certainly raise my temperature all the way." Sam covered his blushes by favouring Al with his best angry and scandalised look, but Al just smirked. 'If only you knew, kid. leaping in here certainly shifted things around back home. I just hope you get to experience the benefits.'

--------------------------------

Stallion's Gate

He woke up confused and disorientated. This white, sterile room was nothing like his home and was alien to almost everything he knew. The beautiful psychiatrist was warm and comforting. He felt grateful for his physical and mental training, which aided his mind in being able to cope. He had some of his questions answered, but knew that far more information was being with-held. He ate the food that was provided and spent a good proportion of the time either exercising or meditating. Twenty-four hours crawled past. Then she entered the room and the sun came out.

The hair, the stunning eyes, the slim figure with the suggestion of sweet curves under the white lab-coat. Bruce said a silent prayer of thanks to whichever deity had provided a woman who matched up to over 85 percent of his sweetest fantasies. She looked at him and gasped with a mixture of shock and what he could only interpret as pleasure. Her face quickly took on a polite mask.
"Mr......Wayne?" She sounded as if she expected him to be someone else. He held out a hand and smiled reassuringly.
"Bruce....please call me Bruce." She moved and sat carefully on the edge of the bed. Bruce took in her long, slender legs and amended upwards to 90 percent. He carefully covered her hand with his own. She bit her lip.
"Please....don't. I can't." She snatched her hand away.
"It's okay. I don't bite." Sudden, hot visions of delivering gentle bites and kisses to that slender neck and elsewhere on her body flashed through his mind. Her eyes widened and darkened as if she had just read his thoughts.
"What are you doing to me? He's the only man, the only person with whom I've ever bonded, ever shared mind, soul and body. I saw that image in your mind," she blushed deeply, "It was so close to what I've experienced before. I thought that it was unique between him and me....." Bruce put two and two together.

"I look like him, don't I? And I feel a connection, too. You are so close to perfection....." Her eyes closed briefly.
"It's been such a long time....." To his surprise, she bent down and kissed him. Bruce responded eagerly, feeling their minds brush even as their lips united. Again it was uncannily close to the kiss he'd always dreamed about. Suddenly she pulled away and he knew why.
"It's not quite the same, is it?" Her eyes were haunted and apologetic.
"I'm sorry.....Bruce. I'm not quite the woman you're looking for. Sam's my husband.....but you are very close, both in looks and manner. If your circumstances and mine are so similar, perhaps you will meet my counterpoint one day." Bruce gazed into her eyes.
"God, I hope so. Your Sam is a very lucky man."
"We've heard about you. I mean, we know about Batman, but your secret is safe with us . My guess is that you're just waiting for Batwoman to turn up."
"Batwoman, eh? Well, I haven't met her yet. I know I can trust you. This is clearly a secret establishment and you all knew exactly what to say to make me feel comfortable and safe. All of you are used to keeping secrets, I bet. Your sweet presence was just the icing on the cake." The woman who was Mrs Beckett blushed.

"I'd better go now." Bruce Wayne grinned disarmingly.
"I don't suppose I could have another of those kisses to be going on with?" She laughed softly.
"I don't think that would be wise." Bruce closed his eyes.
"Mmm. If Batwoman kisses better than you, I'll be in heaven."
"I think she just might, Bruce. Be patient a little longer." Then the delightful vision was gone.
"I think I'm going to like it here."
"NOT AS MUCH AS WHEN YOU GET HOME, MR WAYNE. MY CALCULATIONS SHOW A STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT BATWOMAN IS IN GOTHAM ALREADY." Bruce had adapted to Ziggy's disembodied presence remarkably well.
"Then I hope Sam is as noble as his gorgeous wife."
"HE IS MORE NOBLE." Bruce smiled.
"Then she's as good as mine, Ziggy. The love of my life....at long last...."

--------------------------------

Sam parked the Batmobile in the underground cave, stripped off the rather sweaty suit and had Al guide him to a good hot shower before trudging to the master bedroom. Al whistled.
"Whew, four poster bed and what looks like real silk sheets. Ni...iice." Sam climbed into dark blue cotton pyjamas and felt the material between finger and thumb.
"That's real silk all right." Al's eyes glinted.
"That reminds me of the last time I took Tina to Vegas.....we spent the entire five days doing nothing but eating, sleeping and.....getting the sheets severely mussed up." Sam just sighed heavily and climbed into bed.
"I suppose everything's gonna be quiet tonight?" Al checked his Handlink.
"Yes....quiet as a mouse. I'll get back to you in the morning. Nighty-night, Sam." Sam's mouth struggled, then gave into the smile that was threatening. He picked up the pillow and mimed throwing it at Al, who was already leaving.

Sam spent the next couple of days exploring Wayne manor and adapting to having a personal valet, cook and butler rolled into one in the person of Alfred. He spent some time each day in Bruce Wayne's personal gym which had its own sauna and steam room attached. He also familiarised himself with the alter-ego Batman's incredible arsenal of weapons and all the controls in the Batmobile, just in case. Sam also aired at least some of his worries about The Riddler with Al and Alfred.
"Well, Mr Wayne, we've heard rumours about his activities, of course. He enjoys ruining as many people's fun as possible. There's the civic grand masked ball tomorrow night. I would think it prudent to have the Batsuit handy, just in case."
"I suppose I have to go?"
"It would cause something of a scandal if one of the guests of honour didn't go, sir." Sam sighed resignedly.
"He's right, Sam," Al added, "In any case I bet Jean and Batwoman will be there....masked, of course."

It was with mixed feelings that Sam donned yet another disguise on the following evening.
"I don't know what you've got to complain about, Sam. Those black pants, red cummerbund and the white frilly shirt look good on you, and with the red satin lining in that black cape, the hat and the pencil moustache, you cut quite a dashing figure. Just watch what you're doing with that blade.....Hey!" Al dodged automatically even though the rapier would have passed through him without hurting him, "Anyway, you're another nobleman in disguise.....you should be accustomed to it by now." Sam adjusted the black mask.
"Well at least I can speak Spanish...." A slow smile spread across his face. He drew the rapier out of the scabbard and made three slashes in the air. The smile turned into an eager grin, "You know, Al, I think I'm going to enjoy being Zorro tonight!"

Sam got into the carefully disguised lines of the Batmobile.
"Your suit is in the back, Mr Wayne."
"Oh...thank-you, Alfred." Sam removed the rapier with it's scabbard and belt and stowed it behind the passenger seat. Al floated down to ride shot-gun.
"The party's in the banqueting room which is the penthouse of Gotham's equivalent of City Hall. Current mayor one Mister Gordon. Quite a decent sort, which is out of the ordinary. His family has old money, which is respected here. This place is full of guys like Al Capone, many behind a mask of respectability. You remember your brush-in with the.....erm....family?" Sam remembered, though it had been some time ago.
"Yeah, you helped me to sing and speak Italian. You never....?" Al flinched.
"Hey, I'm Italian, but I'm not crazy. Knew a few who were, kept my nose clean. Our family were too poor, then there was Trudy....and Mom." Al's mouth closed up tight.
"Sorry....I guess I'd get prickly if you suggested my family were Shriners or Masons.....again a lot of farmers locally were in something like that, but my Dad held with plain talking and didn't like anything associated with secrecy."
"Yeah, me too....apart from military stuff, but that goes with the job." Sam drove on in silence. It had been late at night and very dark the last time he had been in Gotham and he had been in something of a hurry. Now Sam had time to take in the architecture.

Huge bulky skyscrapers with monolithic statues outside nearly every one dominated Gotham city. Sam tried to divide his attention between the arresting buildings and the road. Eventually he pulled to a halt outside the City Hall where two ten foot figures were locked in perpetual struggle.
"Well, I don't think Frank Lloyd Wright had a hand in this place. It's like a mixture of......someone's idea of Russia with input from Gaudi....maybe Epstein and a huge slice of Henry Moore." Al's eyes opened wide in surprise at Sam's knowledge, but he said nothing. Leaving the Batmobile parked in accommodating shadow, Sam re-adjusted his fancy dress, buckled the rapier in place and went inside the building.

A man dressed in burgundy and gold-trimmed livery relieved Sam of his embossed invitation. After a ride of umpteen floors in an ornate gilt elevator, Sam finally entered the civic party. The vast ballroom was a symphony of gold, cream and champagne colours. Every pillar was festooned in fake gold vine leaves which twirled upwards and ended in huge bunches of streamers and balloons matching the decor. A flunky wearing a suit similar to the doorman, but with a pill-box hat, approached Sam and proffered a glass of pink champagne.
"Wow...!" Al commented, "Look at the women.....embarrassment de richesse...all those plunging necklines. I feel like a kid in a candy store." Sam favoured him with a brief glare, then took one of the glasses. He sipped briefly, appreciating the flavour and the bubbles which teased his nose. He looked over the rim of the narrow glass at Al.
"You and Ziggy still haven't told me what I've got to put right yet." Al shrugged apologetically.
"You've effectively leaped into an alternative reality, Sam. We're flying a little blind on this one. Ziggy's best odds...." He paused to consult his Handlink, "Are that it has to do with our friend The Riddler and Batwoman. Yes....that's it. In the original history Batwoman went missing and was never found; well, bits of her were found, but you probably don't want to hear about that." Al shivered with disgust. Sam winced.
"So....what do I do?" Al began to smile slowly.
"Find Batwoman..." he dropped into his sleaziest voice, "And stick to her like glue. I bet she's a babe...." Sam knew that part of Al's performance was a reaction to the grizzly details he'd just been reading, but he still bristled slightly.
"That's going to be a tadge difficult with everyone here in masks and fancy dress..." Al looked up at Sam with sincerity.
"Follow your heart, Sam. It's seldom failed you before." Sam heard Al's compliment and his unspoken apology. He nodded gently. As he lifted his head, Al was waving and disappearing back through his 'door'.

Sam finished his champagne slowly, then made for the buffet through a nearby archway. He tucked in gratefully. Alfred cooked good meals, but the lure of a whole side of smoked salmon was irresistible. He added the lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper. After he'd had enough, he found the gent's cloakroom, then headed back to the main room, which was by now full of people in riotous costumes and masks. He spotted Harlequins, Jesters, Kings, Queens, animals and even several giant fruit. Sam kept to the perimeter of the room, scanning for anything that jarred or looked especially out of place. Then he saw someone standing, almost hiding behind a floral decoration. He checked his watch, surprised to find that time had flown and it was gone quarter to midnight. He moved a little closer, ready to pounce. He caught a flash of royal blue as the person began to move. Sam zeroed in swiftly, catching a slender arm with his hand. Then he stopped dead, almost unable to breathe.

Blue silk draped around sweet curves. Sam took in the one bare shoulder and the way the material both revealed and concealed her figure. Sam tried to look into her eyes, to see if the whole traffic-stopping outfit was merely a clever ploy, but her face was almost covered by the blue and silver mask she was wearing. Sam's eyes narrowed speculatively. Pink lips curved upwards in amusement at him.
"Well, Zorro! I'm not your Spanish Dona..." Sam went with his gut instinct, whilst staying alert. He smiled warmly.
"No, señorita.....but I would like this dance. Por favor?" She chuckled, a deep musical sound that went straight from Sam's ears to his heart. He took her hand, kissed it gallantly and led her onto the dance floor. She fit into his arms as if she had been made for him. Sam closed his eyes, struggling to stay objective. A cloud of perfumed brown curls and a soft cheek close to his didn't help. He drifted through several numbers with her almost on auto- pilot. He suddenly became aware of balloons and streamers falling all around them. 'Of course! Midnight...'

Sam looked down at his partner. He knew that couples all around him were kissing. He mentally shrugged.
'Oh, what the heck....you know jolly well you want to kiss her....' A tiny part of his brain protested, 'but you don't even know her name.....' even as his eager lips met hers. His rational brain retreated into ecstatic, stunned silence. He was far too busy holding her, sharing the sweet sensations of two mouths in perfect harmony. He lingered deliberately, slowly deepening the kiss until the rest of the world disappeared. After about half a lifetime, he slowly and regretfully pulled away. She raised her hand to his cheek.
"Time to remove your mask, Señor Zorro." Sam put his hand over hers and searched for the bow at the back of her mask.
"We'll unveil together....okay?"
Suddenly Al was there, giving him an amused leer.
"Now there's unveiling, and there's unveiling. Just how much were you planning on removing? Not that I blame you. I'd certainly like to see everything under that sexy number she's got on.... Uh-oh!" Sam was, by this time, rather distracted from finding out who the owner of the heavenly body and the world class kissing lips might be. A loud noise broke in from somewhere overhead. It was a loud klaxon, followed by the biggest Bronx cheer Sam had ever heard. A volume-distorted voice broke in on the assembled gathering.

"Just a greeting from me to you, To let you know there's payment due. This party is now at and end But millions of bucks you'll have to spend." The voice trailed off into long, hysterical laughter, then thick green and yellow gas began spilling from vents in the ceiling. Sam flattened himself on the floor instinctively. He turned to check on his female companion, but she was nowhere in sight. Al fiddled with his Handlink until he floating at Sam's eye level.
"Where is she?" Al shrugged.
"The lady vanished, Sam. Anyway, you need to get into the rubber and lycra gear. Ziggy gives you a better than 85% probability of finding either The Riddler or some clues up on the roof. You'd better move it before that stuff kicks in....." Sam was already on his way. "Over here, Sam. Glass elevator...." Sam plunged in and was on his way down before monumental vertigo set in. He took one look at the unobstructed view, groaned, then sank against the rear wall, his face white with fear. Al looked at night-time Gotham unperturbed.
"It's okay for you; you don't have to worry about the drop...." Al chuckled.
"I remember this time in Chicago. There was this luscious blonde I'd been pursuing for a month. We got into an elevator like this one evening and rode in it all night long. Boy, was she worth waiting for......" Sam snorted and looked upwards.
"It always has to be sex, doesn't it?" he said, resignedly. Al glinted.
"Maybe....but giving your mind a pretty picture to think about has distracted you enough for us to reach the ground. One quick change and off you go."

Sam managed the change, then got back in the elevator with a sigh. Al smirked, then grinned suggestively.
"Going up?"
"I'm not going to rise to the bait. What about the people in the ballroom, Al?" Al obligingly checked, while Sam kept his back to the glass.
"No problem; that was simply colored laughing gas. They'll be fine in an hour or two. You have to go after The Riddler." Sam duly got out onto the large, flat roof. Two figures were struggling at the far corner. Sam crept over as fast as he could. A man dressed in lycra covered in question marks ran off, taking an almost suicidal leap on to the next building.
"Thanks, Batman." A low, musical, slightly husky female voice. Sam turned around and came within an ace of gawping. She was wearing an outfit similar to his and her figure was exquisitely curved under the figure-hugging black rubber, fibre-glass and lycra. Al's eyes nearly came out on stoppers.
"Grrrrr! Oh, baby. Take me, I'm yours. You lucky, lucky dog, Sam. This is Batwoman!" Sam had figured that out by himself. He took a deep breath.
"Oh, boyyy!"

'O Fledermaus, old Flittermouse, the score is paid, you've squared the debt. Revive your victim, Fledermaus, forgive him and forget.' Die Fledermaus; English score, grand finale.

Sam managed a polite smile for the stunningly female figure in front of him.
"Batwoman....?" he managed.
"Um...er....yes. Thank-you for helping me out." She seemed to be as flustered as Sam.
"It was the least I could do. Are you okay?" She nodded.
"Yes, I'm fine." Al was making a slow tour of her charms.
"Fine? Look at those legs, those curves. Boy, would I like to get inside all that rubber and lycra. Slowly." Sam managed to ignore Al and kept his own eyes firmly on the lady's mask.
"Do you have any leads on how we might stop The Riddler?" Her eyes darted sideways, then downwards.
"Well....um, yes, actually. He left this with me. It seems to be a personal challenge."
"Let me see." Sam moved in and trained his eyes on the card she held up for him under a tiny but powerful flashlight. Al peeked over Batwoman's other shoulder, but his eyes kept drifting down to admire her breast-plate rather than the card. Sam read the words out loud.

"'The man in black I want to see
If he can once discover me.
For fun and frolics, that's my plan
If Gotham city you would save
And keep Batwoman from the grave.
Your first I know is in the ball
The next on Aphrodite I will call.
Burnished is the shield of gold
Which Perseus wields with eyes so cold. The next is easy to explain;
Solve the riddle and find the name.
Find the lady next I play
Bring her fast and don't delay.
If one should break in on their own,
Death will bury them alone.
Secret lady, I see you
The cases watch you every day
He died when you were only two
But now it's time for you to pay'".

Batwoman gasped and swayed. Sam held her elbow to steady her. Her words came out breathlessly.
"He knows about me. He might even know my true name." Sam and Al knew from personal experience how dangerous the right information could be in the wrong hands.
"If The Riddler has found out about you, then he might have discovered my other identity, too. We need to decipher this riddle." Sam looked pointedly at Al.
"Ziggy's on the case, Sam. It may take a while, though. Ask Batwoman about the personal stuff in the last four lines." Batwoman had already taken the card back from Sam's fingers.
"He knows - or seems to know - that my father died when I was two. There's something else here which is equally personal about me," she looked up at Sam, "I know that I should be able to trust you, but this has shaken me more than you know. I don't know how he found out," she set her jaw and her voice became resolute, "But I'm going to find out! Once I figure out where his headquarters are, I'm going to confront him personally."

She made to move away, but Sam put his hand on her arm.
"You can't go in alone. The card says that you will die."
"You don't believe that hokey stuff?" Her eyes flashed fire at Sam.
"Given that over a hundred people have just been gassed by him, yes, I would!"
"That was clearly just a prank to get our attention. The Riddler wouldn't kill me - or you. He wants us to give up so that he can hold the city to ransom." Sam grabbed both her arms.
"We have got to go in there together. I insist." Al grinned eagerly.
"Atta-boy, Sam. Now's the bit where you pull her close and kiss her hard and passionately until she submits. I always enjoyed that part. Such eager, hot submissions they were, too...." Sam didn't follow instructions. He let go.
"You don't trust me." Al slapped his forehead.

"No, no....not that way! Don't give in!" Batwoman gently touched Sam's breast-plate.
"I wish I could trust you....Batman. I know how good you are. But this note is personal, can't you see?" Sam spoke gently.
"It's personal to me, too. There's no other good man in black that I know about." Batwoman glanced down at the card. She looked back up at Sam.
"I'm used to working alone; relying on my own resources and skills."
"So am I. We'd both have to adapt in order to survive." There was a long pause. Batwoman began to walk back to the elevator and Sam followed her. They got in. Batwoman tapped the card against her long, slender fingers speculatively.
"Okay. If you can decipher the other riddles by tomorrow night, we'll work together." Sam grinned widely.
"You've got a deal." He held out his hand and Batwoman took it. She smiled warmly and shook her head.
"Your natural charm must be getting to me." The elevator touched the ground. Batwoman suddenly leaned closer and brushed Sam's lips with hers, leaving him too stunned to respond. He followed her swiftly vanishing outline into the night.
"When? Where?"
"At the Fountain near the Cathedral. Eight o' clock. I just can't resist a sexy voice...." Her laughter echoed back to him as he stood, trying to recover from the delicious tingling on his lips. Al shook his head.
"If I hadn't seen you with my own eyes, I'd never have believed it! You made her come to you! I gotta try that move sometime!!"

"It wasn't a move Al. She was spooked, worried and justifiably angry. Pushing anybody under those circumstances would probably have backfired. And yes, kissing her as you suggested just then constitutes 'pushing'." Al bristled slightly.
"You've used hard, passionate kisses before."
"Only now and then; when I felt a definite strong undercurrent of mutual spoken or unspoken attraction." Al's eyebrows raised incredulously.
"You can't tell me you don't find her attractive?!"

Sam took a deep breath and walked over to the Batmobile. He opened the door, then turned back to Al.
"She's attractive......heck, she's stunningly attractive. I'm not blind or made of stone. But this is a situation where her life and maybe mine could be on the line. If I coerce her now, she will be led to believe that I might do it again and that would make her potentially vulnerable and she might make the wrong choice when it really mattered."
"Well, I know what I'd be doing with her now."
"I know. And if she proved to be a phenomenal lover, you'd have that on your mind, plus probably wanting a second helping right when you most needed to keep your mind clear of distractions." Al regarded Sam and shrugged apologetically.
"Leaping is tougher than it looks. Sorry, Sam. I think I'd have probably figured that out if it was my skin on the line." Sam climbed into the Batmobile.
"You'd better get Ziggy onto figuring out those riddles." Al nodded.
"Yeah. I hope just under 24 hours will be enough."

Sam ran the verses over and over in his mind as he lay in Bruce's four-poster bed. He fell asleep, only to dream of being Perseus, flying to defeat the green, scaled Gorgon. Medusa was spitting fire and venom up at him as he used his shield like a mirror. His blade swirled, cut, hacked. Thick, copious streams of her yellow blood covered the rocks beneath before he managed to sever the spinal column. As he pulled up the gory head, the face turned into Batwoman in her mask. Sam woke up screaming, sitting upright in bed, breathing heavily and drenched with sweat. The rest of his night's sleep went out of the window.

Sam gave up around dawn and had a long, hot shower. Alfred had either heard his scream or become a mind-reader, because when he came out of the bathroom, there was a fresh pot of hot coffee waiting on the chest of drawers. Sam wasted no time in getting himself on the outside of the entire contents. He finished towelling himself dry, hung up the damp towel and rummaged around in Bruce's wardrobe for a clean pair of pants. He had both a blue pair and some briefs on underneath by the time Alfred knocked discreetly on the door.
"Come in, Alfred." The man's face was a picture of polite, caring, concern.
"Another bad dream, sir?" 'So Bruce has them too. That helps'.
"Er, yes. I'm okay now."
"Would more coffee and some breakfast be in order?" Sam smiled ruefully.
"Maybe hold the coffee, but orange juice would be nice. I've got some information that could use some extra help. It's about The Riddler." Over breakfast, Sam recited the verses and Alfred put Bruce's own database to work.
'I hope Ziggy won't be offended, but she may not have access to all Bruce's local knowledge'.

Sam spent a good hour in the gym and wandered through the manor grounds, mulling over the riddles himself while waiting for both computers to come up with the goods. Alfred sat down opposite him at his bidding over lunch.
"Well, Mr Wayne, some good news and some bad news." Al had returned and nodded at Sam as well.
"Same here, Sam." Sam nodded towards Alfred.
"Well, sir. You said that verse four seems to refer personally to Batwoman. I'm not sure about verse three. The bad news is that the 'My first' stuff reveals your first name. He knows who you are, sir." Sam blanched and looked at Al.
"He's right, Sam. Ask him if he knows anyone called 'Barbara'." Sam asked, on auto-pilot, his mind reeling from shock and concern. Alfred consulted Bruce's computer. The three men waited while the program worked. Eventually a list of names came up on the screen.

"There are quite a few 'Barbaras' in Gotham, sir." Al punched his Handlink.
"Ones that have come to Gotham in the last.....say, two months." Sam passed on the information.
"Just two. One is working in....oh dear. She is a lady of the night, sir." Al grinned suggestively.
"Well, you did meet her at night and she's certainly got the body for it...." Sam ignored him.
"The other is Mayor Gordon's daughter. She's been working in Europe until recently. Why do you ask?" Al's grin became wider.
"One of them is Batwoman!"

Sam gasped with shock. He opened his mouth to speak.
"Um...it appears... No, that's not right. Er....I have this hunch that one of them is Batwoman." Alfred's eyebrows went up.
"Why?"
"Erm, yes. Why?" Al paused deliberately, making Sam sweat it out a bit.
"The name 'Barbara' is concealed in the 'find the lady' bit, Sam." Alfred nodded thoughtfully when Sam told him this.
"Barbara Gordon. I remember her as a child. Very attractive.....light brown hair, pigtails and a stunning pair of navy blue eyes."
"That's not all she's got a stunning pair of now. She's all grown up and, oh boy, is she built...." Alfred continued, unaware of the daggers Sam was sending Al.

"She lost her mother at a young age, just like you, Mr Wayne. Well educated, good family. Her father and yours were at school together. Barbara had what is known as the 'touch'. She could handle something purporting to be an antique and know instinctively if it was old and valuable."
"Ooooh, she could handle me. I'm well preserved and positively unique.... Okay, Sam. I'm sorry. I'll button my lip."
"I know she went abroad to study, otherwise you might have met during your school-days. It doesn't say here what she is doing for a living; but then, like you, she hardly needs to work. Old money in the family. It makes sense to me if she has decided to follow your....Batman's example. Good breeding will out sooner or later." Sam had to ask the question.
"What if it's the other Barbara?" Alfred punched up the details while Al checked out the older man's computer and keyboard skills.
"Late twenties, five foot four, redhead....and a lot of cosmetic surgery. She's had implants and tucks almost everywhere it's possible to have them done. She is currently the kept lady of the University Chancellor. I wouldn't be surprised if they get married. He's been lonely since his wife died." Sam let out the breath he'd been unconsciously holding.
"That's not the right Barbara. The lady I met was nearly as tall as me." Alfred nodded.
"Yes. The late Mrs Gordon was tall and slender."

It was with a lighter heart that Sam got ready for his rendezvous with Batwoman that evening. He parked the Batmobile in the shadows and waited. Suddenly, she emerged from the shadows. Al whistled.
"Wow..... Boy, what fantasy material..."
"Okay, Batman. What have you got?"
"He seems to know my first name; or is making an educated guess."
"Yes, Bruce.....but I don't know your surname."
"Maybe it's better if you don't - not just yet. It might be safer not to know....Barbara." She nodded slowly. At that moment, half a dozen masked men appeared in the square. Barbara gasped.
"It's a set-up!!" Sam had to concur, but he was too busy fighting to answer. He kicked, rolled and punched in one of the hardest fights of his life. Al jumped up and down, shouting warnings and encouragements.

"Watch your left! That one's got a knife, Sam - oh, you've seen it. This is like Bruce Lee and that Monkey guy rolled into one....oh, good move Sam. Hey, that's a gun! Ouch! Are you okay?" Sam nodded imperceptibly. Batwoman was coping just as well, her back instinctively towards Sam's as she tackled her three opponents. After minutes of intense and gruelling activity, the six masked men lay unconscious on the ground. Sam hunched slightly, sucking in deep breaths. He turned towards Batwoman.
"Are you all right?" She nodded, still winded.
"They were.....good." While they were still breathing heavily, a clear gas came out of the statue. Within moments, Batwoman and Sam sank to the ground. Al shouted impotently at the unconscious figures.
"Oh, no!! Sam!! Hey, you can't pass out on me now! Ziggy! Oh, boy!"

It was dark. Sam came around lying down with his head pounding. He blinked, disorientated, but the darkness was pitch black. He lifted his hands carefully, feeling upwards, but he felt only air up to the greatest reach of his fingertips. He heard a soft groan on his left. Sam reached out gently and contacted a warm body.
"Batwoman?" A hand touched and clasped his.
"Yes, it's me. Where are we?" Sam chuckled softly.
"Beats me. We're lying on a flat....wooden surface. It's comfortably warm and very dark."
"I can feel a draught around my feet. It's only very slight." Sam closed his eyes even though it didn't make any difference.
"Yes, I feel it too." He wriggled cautiously towards the draught, feeling Batwoman moving beside him. They inched across the wooden surface. Suddenly, the floor creaked and tilted. Sam and Batwoman gasped as they slid downwards, faster and faster. It was like a playground slide, but wider and steeper.
"Brace yourself!" Batwoman cried out.
"I am.....OUCH!" They landed in a heap on soft, stuffed material.
"What is this place?"

A new, strange voice intruded in the darkness.
"Welcome, both of you. I am glad you have both accepted my invitation. This is my domain. If you can pass through this puzzle successfully, I might spare Gotham. Good luck......you're going to need it if you want to come out alive." Frenzied laughter surrounded them, louder and louder until they covered their ears. The soft surface underneath them began to sink slowly. They grabbed at the material, clinging to stability. The laughter cut off and the floor gave way at the same instant. Batwoman and Sam fell, helpless, vertically downwards. Sam suddenly felt a rope across his face. He grabbed it and managed to grasp Batwoman's arm. She latched on to the lifeline.

"Up or down?" 'Al? Where are you?' Sam considered the two equally uncertain options.
"What do you think?"
"Well....The Riddler has tried to make us fall. I don't want to conform. I say we climb." Sam smiled in the darkness.
"Okay. Back up, then." It took them several minutes. Sam found the side of the shaft with his feet and progress became easier as Batwoman followed his lead. They reached the top and pulled themselves over the lip. Sam crawled along the floor on the far side of the drop, fingers outstretched. Batwoman had enough space to crawl beside him.
"Oooh, sardines in the dark!" Sam jerked in surprise and used an un-Samlike swear word.
"Are you alright, Batman?"
"Yes. I just thought I heard something," Sam said, pointedly.

"Sorry, Sam. I couldn't exactly tell you I was coming. Can you see my Handlink?" Sam looked. It glowed like a neon sign in the darkness. By it's light, Sam could make out Al's familiar profile. He nodded.
"Good. I can only supply this light in short bursts. This is a maze, set up by The Riddler. I don't have a plan; no-one does except the man himself. Ziggy's best guess is that he's sensing you by some means and will probably throw pitfalls and traps in your way as you go. He brought you here after gassing you by the fountain. Somehow he's been one step ahead of you all the way, so be careful." Sam relayed the information to Batwoman in his own words.

"Ziggy's adamant it's not Alfred or Batwoman herself. Is there someone else close to her who might be a mole?" Sam asked the question very delicately.
"Don't you trust me?"
"It could be done by wire tapping or hacking into either of our computers."
"You have a point. I'll be on my guard." She sounded defensive. Sam started to wonder whether Batwoman was quite as good as she looked. 'And she looks damn close to perfect as far as I can tell. Could I have been misled by gorgeous curves and a sexy voice? It wouldn't be the first time. Oh, boy, have I got problems....'

'Doing the batty bat...' The Count, Sesame Street.

"Well," Al continued, "It's damned dark in here. You could use a flashlight."
"I wish we did have a flashlight." Sam felt Batwoman shrug.
"Sorry, mine's gone. Somebody searched me and took it away."
"Ooooh, I wonder where she kept.... Sorry, Sam. Anyway, my Handlink isn't strong enough for me to see what's up ahead, and those laser light lines that Ziggy's produced in the past wouldn't cut any ice at all. I'll see what I can do and get back to you as soon as I can. Just hold on in there and don't do anything I wouldn't do...." He grinned broadly and vanished.
"We'll just have to do our best without light, then." Sam and Batwoman recommenced inching slowly forward. They came to a steep upwards slope. Sam began to crawl up it, but the incline was too sheer and he kept slipping backwards. Batwoman tapped his shoulder.
"Will this help?" Sam felt a thin cable with several curved metal things at one end.
"What is this? Oh; it's got a sort of grappling hook arrangement. The trick's going to be getting it to fasten on anything useful in this darkness. How did you manage to secrete that?" Batwoman chuckled.

"You don't want to know. Haven't you got any of your secret weapons stashed away from prying eyes?" Sam was glad that Al had missed that particular question. He hung on to the line while he checked all the secret compartments and pockets one-handed. He found the dart-gun, his handkerchief, one kung-fu star and a packet of mints. Sam smiled ruefully and offered one to Batwoman. His hand brushed her cheek below the mask, then her lips closed around his finger and thumb. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the jolt of awareness and pleasure that shot up his arm. He managed to feed a mint to himself with the same fingers.
'I can taste her. Heavens, this is getting tough.... but I can't give in; not yet, anyway.'
Sam concentrated stoically on getting the line up the slope. The line kept hitting a wooden surface then skittering back down. Batwoman had a few turns herself, but with similar luck. They co-ordinated their efforts and on the third try, the line caught and held. Sam let Batwoman go first this time and waited until she called down from the top. It didn't sound that far, maybe thirty feet, but not pleasant to fall down. Sam braced against the floor, finding the ceiling brushing his back.
'Four feet high.....at least here. Room to crawl upright, hopefully.' After several minutes, Sam reached the top. He located the hooks, unfastened them from the slanting joist where it had landed, then handed the whole lot back to Batwoman.

After a brief rest, they pressed on, crawling slowly but easily. Up ahead, Sam heard an odd metallic whirring noise. Batwoman had heard it too.
"What's that?"
"I don't know, but it doesn't sound good."
"I'll go and see..." She crawled away. Suddenly Sam remembered his father's barn and knew exactly what that noise was.
"Hey! No! STOP!" He launched himself forwards and took her down in a tackle.
"Ow.....!!"
"Sorry. It's a buzz-saw..." Batwoman froze, then began to tremble.
"Oh, God! I nearly touched it..." Sam folded her in his arms instinctively.
"It's okay. I know." After a few moments, she was composed and broke away gently. They sat together silently.

"I can feel the draught coming off it."
"It'll be moving fast, then."
"Mmmm, backwards and forwards across the passage."
"And razor sharp....we must assume that it is deadly."
"You probably saved my life. Thank-you, Batman."
"That's okay. The question is now either how to disable it or to turn back."
"We might try the grappling irons. They could snarl up the works."
"No. We might be glad of that wire in the future. I've got a kung-fu star that's specially reinforced."
"So have I! The two together might just do it.." Sam's mouth went into a thin line.
"I don't fancy the prospect of getting close enough to use the things in the saw's track."

Eventually they both knew that they had to give it a try. Sam wet his fingers and counted.
"It takes fifteen seconds to roll completely from one side to the other. On the left of the tunnel, there's a good five seconds of draught. Timing this is everything."
"I know." Sam placed his left hand over Batwoman's and they placed the two stars in her palm.
"Ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be. One, two three.....Now!" They planted the stars and whisked their hands away. Sam felt something just beyond his fingers, then there was a loud crunching and grinding noise, followed by silence. Sam reached out very gingerly.

"We stopped it! It's stuck fast on the left hand side." Sam travelled over to the right. He reached through the gap and found a button. Realising that this could maim him if he got it wrong, he pressed it anyway, bracing himself for the worst consequences. To his eternal relief, the saw dropped through the floor. Sam and Batwoman fairly scooted over the narrow trench. Sam's hand encountered a switch. Light flooded the wooden corridor from a series of bulbs, making him blink. He turned towards Batwoman, whose face was pale and streaked with dirt, but she was otherwise unharmed. She saw what Sam had done.
"You could have had your arm chopped off!!"
"My reasoning was that someone must have set that saw going. It made sense for the on/off switch to be this side. It also explains the light switch. You couldn't set that thing up in pitch darkness."
"Okay, but next time, warn me please. I'm the one who'd have to pick up the pieces."

Batwoman and Sam carried on much faster under the lights until they came to a 'T' junction. Sam peered to the left and Batwoman the right. Both options looked the same, apparently going maybe thirty feet before they both bent round in the direction of the main corridor.
"Some choice, huh?" Sam wished that Al was there.
"Okay... You check your way, I'll check mine, then we'll make our choice." He watched Batwoman crawl away. As he glanced around the far corner, two metallic grabs shot out of the wall and caught his arms. As he cried out, a noose came from the ceiling and snared his neck. Sam began to choke. He tried to relax and not struggle, but the noose got tighter and tighter. The lack of air started to make spots appear before his eyes.

Suddenly Batwoman was there. She carefully attacked the rope with one of the metal claws of the grappling hook. Sam felt the metal at his throat and tried not to flinch. Batwoman worked as quickly and efficiently as she could, all the while saying soothing things to Sam. He felt so dizzy that he was sure that he must pass out soon. There was a sharp pain in his neck under the claw, the rope broke and breath was sucked in past his bruised throat into his grateful lungs. As he continued to breathe deeply, temporarily unable to speak, Batwoman examined the metal rings and chains fastening onto his arms.

"This looks tricky. These appear to be self-locking. I'll do my best." Sam found his voice, which came out huskily.
"You've already saved my life...." Batwoman smiled.
"Then we're even, Batman." Sam smiled back and their eyes locked for several seconds. Batwoman came close to help him and Sam tried to ignore his increased masculine interest and the desire to kiss her. After ten minutes of examining, fiddling and manipulating, the cuffs were prised away from the metal chains that held them. Sam rubbed his arms and looked more closely at the metal still encircling his wrists.
"I'm sorry, Batman. If I had all my tools, I could probably deal with those metal hinges." Sam nodded.
"Yes, me too. They're not too tight or heavy. I can put up with the temporary discomfort. Thanks."
"Any time." Their eyes locked again and Sam felt a fresh surge of mutual attraction. He started to reach out towards her, but her face suddenly became shuttered. He took a steadying breath and they moved on.

After another half hour of crawling, sliding or climbing, with occasional visits from Al, they finished the packet of mints as they took a rest.
"How big is this maze?" Sam considered.
"Well, I have a photographic memory. We haven't covered the same part more than once. It's on several layers; the whole thing could be constructed in several large warehouses or an aircraft hanger or something like that. We haven't encountered anything quite as dangerous as those blades again. My hunch is that if we keep going, we will reach The Riddler."
"We should keep on the alert, though."
"Yes. I hope it doesn't go on for many hours longer, otherwise we'll face certain undeniable physical needs and those would be.....embarrassing to deal with in this environment."

After a while, the floor began to slope gently upwards. It was so subtle an incline that neither Sam nor Batwoman noticed it for some time. The climb became steeper, but not enough to need Batwoman's wire and grapples. They reached the top, panting. Suddenly the floor gave way beneath them and they plunged together down a smooth plastic tube. They landed in a heap at the bottom on thick cushioning. The walls of the small rectangular chamber moved, pushing them closer together, then the roof descended.
"Is he planning to crush us to death?" Sam covered Batwoman's body protectively with his own. He looked into her eyes as they were manipulated closer.
"If I have to die, I can't think of nicer company...." His lips met hers eloquently in the semi-darkness; passionate, asking, needy. Her arms and mouth responded fully and encouraged him closer. They both moaned, caught between the pleasure of such close contact and the danger of their situation. Sam folded her closer in his arms and her legs wound tightly around him until they were as closely entwined as they could be in their body armor. His hands cupped her face, then travelled slowly down her body to the sweet curve of her rear, pulling her right against him. Barbara moaned again, welcoming the first gentle strokes of his tongue, moulding his backside in return and moving erotically in his arms. They kissed on, completely oblivious now to anything but each other.

"Sam! Oooh, Sam! Hey....not that I blame you, but now's not the time nor the place... Ahem; forgive me for mentioning the blindingly obvious, but you'll find you need to take some clothes off if you're about to....erm....indulge. Or perhaps this is just a really intense necking session.... Sam, kid; you're really going to get your glasses steamed up in a minute... HEY! Where did they go? That was a rotten trick, pulling the floor out on them at a time like that! He could use a break; it's been ages and he's been a good boy." This last sentence was delivered to the ceiling. Al sighed and relocated himself to Sam's vicinity with his Handlink.

He was standing upright and there was something cold against his back. Sam took a breath and began to try to move, then he felt the ropes holding him in place.
'I was kissing her; no, we were kissing each other. Passionately. Heck, if it hadn't been for the constrained circumstances and our armor, we would have been making love by now. We were getting so close to the edge. Damn. But, boy did it feel good while it lasted. I haven't been that aroused since.... Almost as good as..... Who? I don't remember. I just knew all of a sudden.' Sam opened his eyes. Firelight and dark shadows. He blinked, trying to clear his vision. 'I've been gassed again. This is getting tedious.'
"Sam? Are you okay?" Sam opened his eyes and saw Al, dressed in a green suit and gold waistcoat. His tie was gold with lime green random patterning.
"Yes; as fine as one can be trussed up like this. Where's Batwoman?" Al gestured over to his right and Sam's left. She was fastened similarly to Sam and not moving.
"Is she okay?" Al checked.
"Still unconscious, but breathing." Sam nodded slowly. He took in his surroundings.

A mantelpiece faced him, with a real fire, but the resonances of the space he was in were too big for such domesticity. Apart from that, the room - or whatever it was - was dark, with a concrete floor. Batwoman moaned. Al turned his face away, grinning, reluctant to let Sam see that he'd witnessed their earlier sensual entangling.
'At least someone understands why you're finding resistance difficult. I'm on your side, Sam. So is she.' A voice cut through Al's musings.
"Ahh, the two lovebirds are awake. Time to play....." The voice was sing-song and menacing. Al bristled defensively.

A rope descended from somewhere above and The Riddler came sliding down. He was still wearing the leotard covered in question marks and a clown mask.
"Welcome, both of you. Now, Batman, you've got very close to Batwoman. I wonder if you'd be so keen if you knew her true identity."
"I do know it." The Riddler came closer and flourished a Punch's head under Sam's nose. A knife blade flicked out and Sam flinched. The Riddler moved over to Batwoman.
"Daddy's little girl has really grown up. You were beautiful then, but you're stunning now." Batwoman held herself tall.
"How do you know what I was like?"
"Ah, precious. Many's the time I bounced you on my knee." The Riddler came nose to nose with Batwoman and she grabbed his mask with her teeth.
"Attagirl! This babe's got guts, Sam." Sam was quietly working on the knots in the rope around his wrists. As The Riddler pulled back, the string on the mask broke and Sam got his wrists free. Batwoman gasped.
"Uncle Cedric! Dear God, how could you?"
Sam boggled.
'The Riddler's her uncle?!? And to think that I wanted to....that I trusted her!'
"You never laughed at my jokes; not one of you!" Batwoman's cheeks were streaked with tears.
"You had a career as professor in Camford University. If it hadn't been for your love of practical jokes, you might have made Chancellor. You could have been great. It was you who awakened my love of antiquities, you who recognised that I had the 'touch'." The Riddler sneered.
"Your boyfriend doesn't seem that keen any more - unlike earlier." Sam got angry.
"You were watching?" Sam and Batwoman spoke together.
"He wasn't the only one." Al muttered, sotto voce.
"He's only ever seen you behind that mask, hasn't he?" Batwoman flinched.
"Ahhh, found your weak spot, haven't I? Why don't I cut off that mask so that he can see you as you really are?"

The Riddler brought his knife close to Batwoman's face. Sam continued to work on his knots as fast and as surreptitiously as he could. The Riddler put the knife slowly under Batwoman's mask and began to slice at the leather. Sam re-doubled his efforts. Batwoman tried to pull away, but there was nowhere to go. The knife cut her cheek and blood dripped slowly down onto her armor. Sam roared with anger and broke free. He jumped The Riddler and the two men rolled on the floor. Sam knocked the smaller man out, then freed Batwoman.
"It's not deep. Here...." Sam ripped off a piece of The Riddler's costume and gave it to her, then he slung the unconscious man over his shoulder and they left the building.

They left The Riddler and his headquarters' address in the capable hands of the police and made their way back to the square and the Batmobile. Al checked his Handlink.
"You've done it for The Riddler. He gets the psychiatric care he needs and his henchmen get five years. You just need to smooth things over with Barbara." Sam had already thought about that. He turned towards Batwoman.
"That cut needs attention. Come with me?"
"Where?" Sam smiled warmly.
"You'll see......Barbara." Sam drove back towards Wayne mansion, stopping before his destination became clear.
"I've found out some of who you are and I still like what I know. We got too close in the maze for anything to rock the trust and affection between us. I think it's time you knew the man behind the mask - and I found out about you. I have the feeling we'll be working together more often." Al spluttered from behind the passenger seat.
"Nice guess, Sam! These two are going to work together; once they've both come out from behind their masks. Oh, very funny, Ziggy!"

The car approached their ultimate destination.
"Wayne Manor! You're Bruce Wayne! So much for the indolent, playboy image!" Sam chuckled.
"Well, now you know what I really do in the evenings!" Al cleared his throat.
"Not always.....there have been some women, too. He's just picky - like you." Sam parked the Batmobile. Alfred was there, only his eyes betraying his concern.
"Glad to have you home, sir. Batwoman; pleased to make your acquaintance, Ma'am."
"I think we both need a good hot shower, then Batwoman's face..."
"Yes, of course. This way, Ma'am." Al chuckled.
"He's crusty as hell, but I kinda like the guy." Sam's mouth quirked in amusement.
"Sounds like somebody I know!"

Sam got through his shower, put on a casual jog suit which had a designer label and went in search of Alfred and Barbara. Al guided him to the guest suite. Alfred was standing in the small en-suite bathroom, his back to the door, ministering to Barbara's face. Sam took a deep breath.
"Here, let me finish that," he offered. Alfred turned around and got out of the way. Barbara turned to face Sam. He gasped. So did Al.
"You!" Sam managed, "It was you all along!" Her mouth dimpled into an apologetic smile. Navy blue eyes locked with his.
"I needed to get my job at the museum on merit, not just because I was the mayor's daughter..."

Sam tried to find the words to express his delight that she was actually incredibly close to perfection, then realised it might come out like a put-down and stopped. As she stood up, brushing her towelling robe nervously, Sam realised something else.
"The delicious brunette at the masked ball!" Al boggled.
"What on Earth have you been up to, Sam?!" Barbara blushed.
"Señor Zorro? That was you?" Sam's delighted smile grew wider.
"So, are you Jean or Barbara?"
"Actually, it's Barbara Jean Gordon."

Sam moved in closer and gently finished Alfred's task, aware as never before of the incredible undercurrent of attraction between them. Adrenaline buzzed inside him as he accepted the fact that he had kissed Barbara under the illusion that she was three different women. He realised that the knowledge that he had failed his own earlier rash declaration didn't bother him one bit. In fact, he was pleased.
"I would like to know all there is to know about the lady in the mask." She gazed into his eyes.
"I already like what I know about you..." Sam cut her short with the deep kiss he'd been planning for the last few minutes.
"That's it, Sam! You don't need me to tell you that everything works out just fine..... Ah, there you go....." Sam leaped.

Sam opened his eyes. His surroundings were white and he felt safe. Al grinned down at him.
"You did it again, kid! Bruce got all your memories more or less intact, and he and Barbara......cemented their alliance about an hour after you leapt out." Sam grimaced in spite of himself.
"I wanted to....very much." Al grinned.
"So did she, Sam. It worked both ways." Then Al clasped Sam's arm and he shouted in surprise. He sat up and pulled Al into a bear-hug. He looked around him properly.
"I'm home?" Al gave him a strange look.
"Where else would you be, now that the leap's over?" Sam felt new memories flooding his mind.
"Sorry.....the holes in my mind are obviously bigger than usual......"
"That's okay. I'll leave you now - when you're finished ..... ahem ....readjusting, I'll see you again. The monitors are off."

Sam sat in his fermi suit, trying to fight through the fog in his mind. Images came to him....the business-like female architect and computer engineer that Al had produced to help build the complex....the way she'd never imposed, reading his broken heart after Donna......their marriage....then the mutual surprise when their minds as well as their bodies had become one....the deep spiritual and psychic link between them....the way they knew what the other one was thinking. Sam boggled.
'This is a new timeline! Part of me remembers accidentally leaping from here and the way that separation tore both of us apart. We simply couldn't cope without each other. So...every time, the deep psychic bond between us brought me back here at the end of the leap.' The wife that part of Sam had never known came into the room. Sam grinned.
"Bonnie Jean...." Now he knew why Barbara had been so tempting. She had been almost the double of his wife. But Jean was subtly more stunning, more beautiful to Sam's eyes.
'For the first time, I was nearly unfaithful. Now I understand what Al meant...' She was wearing an anonymous lab coat and her hair was pinned up. She smiled, almost shyly, then ran into his arms. Sam kissed her deeply.
'Oh, heavens! This is miles better...'
He heard her soft laugh in his mind.
'It always was, sweetheart.'

Sam removed his eager lips from hers and gently unpinned her hair. He realised that Al had been wrong. There was one woman at least with whom he felt secure enough to indulge in teasing role-play from time to time. He tugged playfully at her lab-coat.
"So what sort of welcome home have you got for me this time?" Her eyes twinkled.
"The tried and trusted formula, Sam, darling." She unbuttoned the coat and Sam's blood pressure rose dramatically.
'Black underwear.... If this kills me, I'm going to die with a smile on my face.' He pulled her onto the bed with him and began to kiss her passionately, his hands full of warm, willing and perfectly curved woman.
'Let me show you how much I've missed you, Sam.' Her hands were pretty busy, caressing him expertly. Sam growled with pleasure and returned the favour, finding her exquisitely responsive. Sam arched in bliss as his arousal grew. Her lips and mind met his again.
'I'm going to take you to paradise now.'
'Mmmmm.... You do that. Please.'
'I love you so much, Sam. I'm going to love you forever.'
'Oh, yesssss!.... Don't stop..... Oh, Jean.... Oh, Boy...' Then he leaped. 'Oh, Shit.....'

BEWARE OF GREEKS BEARING GIFTS....

This one is the fault of my husband, David!!
"Philippa?"
"Hmmmm?"
"Have you ever thought of leaping Sam into......."After I'd stopped laughing, this was the outcome.

'Xena, Warrior Princess' was created by Mssrs Schulian and Taupert, developed by R.J. Stewart and is filmed by Pacific Renaissance pictures for MCA Television Ltd.

The familiar blue haze of Sam's latest leap faded and the brilliant lightning stopped coursing through his body. He was wet. Sam slipped right down into and under water. He thrashed instinctively, then his feet found solid ground and smooth rocks and he stood up. The water was about chest height. Sam scowled at himself for having been caught out by such relatively shallow water. He shook the water out of his hair. His nose caught a mixture of scents; olive trees, pines, dust and heat. He closed his eyes briefly, drinking in the scents, raising his face to the clear blue sky. He smiled.

"Mmmmm, this is nice." Sam broke out of his reverie and looked around cautiously. He was standing in a clear mountain lake, alone. A low rise sheltered the lake, making a natural hollow for the water. Sam looked down at himself, but all he could see was his own familiar chest with water droplets caught in the brown hair. He peered into the water, but there was a subtle current just here that stopped him getting a clear reflection of his host's face. He decided to get out of the water. It was only as he did so that he finally discovered that he was naked. Sam scrambled for the nearest bush.On one of the branches he found a pair of light brown underpants and a rather rustic looking matching singlet. He quickly put them on.

"Sam!! Sam - thank God we found you! Ziggy's been going nuts." Sam saw the shoes first. Bright red. He looked up, taking in Al's matching suit, black shirt and gold tie.

"Okay, Al. What's the deal this time?" Al obligingly tapped his Handlink to Ziggy.

"You're in Greece, Sam." Sam's brow furrowed.
"I can't speak Greek - can I?" Al shook his head.
"No, but it's extremely rural around here. I'll get Ziggy on the case, anyway. It's Summer.....Ziggy can't fix a date or a year just yet. Leaping out of America always causes her problems."

Sam began to hunt around the bush.
"Does my host have any more clothes?" Al walked through the bush.
"I'll have a look. Hey, there's a real sword here...." Sam scooted around the bush. He picked up the blade.
"Wow....this is a good weapon, but what's it doing belonging to a village Greek?" Al shrugged. Sam spotted something black on the next bush.
"What the hell?" Al zeroed in beside Sam.
"Ooooh, leather.....and all that metal," Al's eyes glowed, "I know...you're on location and starring in a bondage and fetish porno movie...." Sam went beetroot and his mouth narrowed.
"I hope to God you're wrong." Al pointed at the leather bathing suit creation.
"And those were made for covering only one...erm....two things." The hologram was close to laughter. Sam pulled on the outfit and went back to the lake, his shoulders tense.

Sam found a still part of the water and bent over. Long black hair surrounding a stunningly attractive pale face and vivid blue eyes. And all woman; the suit fitted her curves like a second skin. Part of Sam's buried libido flamed in masculine appreciation.
"Ohhh, boyyy," he whispered.
Al bent over his shoulder.
"Grrrrr...... What a babe. Boy, am I going to enjoy seeing her in the flesh." Sam stood and stomped back up the hill. He sheathed the sword and found a pair of boots that completed the ensemble.
"Does this lady have a name?"
"Yeah, I got something coming through now. Ziggy, that's got to be her stage name..... Oh, well. For what it's worth, you're Xena, warrior princess."

Sam climbed resignedly to the top of the rise. He marvelled at the surprisingly lush green rolling countryside.
"Are you sure this is Greece? I thought it got dry and dusty around the Mediterranean in Summer." Al shrugged.
"That's what Ziggy says. I agree about the climate, but maybe this place is close to the mountains and there is that lake back there. I'd stick with Greece until we know better."
"Xena! Xena.....are you ready yet?" Two heads turned towards the youthful feminine voice. Al's eyes flashed.
"Ooooh! A pocket blonde Venus too! Hey, do you think it's one of those girlie flicks......" Sam glowered.
"I haven't seen any cameras yet." The new arrival bounced up like an eager puppy. Her clothing was pink, clinging cotton and rather on the brief side. She carried a long wooden staff and a leather purse hung at her side.
"I bought all the food you asked for, met a young poet called Euripedes and Argo's browsing next to those trees back there."
"Argo?" The young woman smiled brightly.
"I think he's finally accepted me. He was fine; all the way there and all the way back." Al was boggling at the blonde's sweet curves and tapping furiously at the Handlink at the same time.
"This lovely specimen is Gabrielle - hey, that's not a Greek name. Argo....is Xena's horse." Sam strode purposefully towards the trees.
"A horse," he muttered, "Damn." He knew he had an uphill task winning over an animal which could see past Xena's aura.
"Hey, Xena; is Euripedes an old enemy of yours? It's just that you look like you're going to fight someone." Sam snorted and walked on determinedly. Argo lifted his head and his nostrils flared.

Sam stopped. He relaxed his posture and held out a hand.
"Here, boy." He whistled softly. Argo's ears twitched. Gabrielle put two fingers in her mouth and let out a piercing whistle.
"I finally got it!" Her smile was wide and eager. Sam was concentrating on the horse. Argo started stepping cautiously towards him, then the beast's eyes saw Al and its ears went back.
"Al! Vamoose!" Al nodded, understanding.
"Okay, Sam. I can see you're kinda busy here, I'll go and check this Xena out in person." He was grinning as the Imaging Chamber door closed behind him. Sam approached Argo. The horse's nose wrinkled and the nostrils flared. Sam stopped and the horse bridged the gap between them. Sam remembered an image from his childhood on the farm and breathed into Argo's nostrils. The horse nudged him. Sam relaxed. He was temporarily accepted. He mounted cautiously. Gabrielle caught up and fell into step beside him.

"So, where are we headed?" Sam improvised.
"Where would you like to go?"
"Wow.... See my family, maybe your relatives. Your brother was kinda nice. I liked him." Sam made a guess.
"I think he's too old for you, Gabrielle."
"Yeah, probably," she didn't sound too crushed, "So where are we going?" Sam grinned.
"Second star to the right and on till morning?"
"You got that from Homer, didn't you?" Sam's brain struggled between the Greek poet and a popular cartoon series.
"Erm....kinda." 'And we're speaking modern, mostly American, English. This must be a movie. Where's the set, the director?'

On the far side of the trees were two rough paths leading in different directions. Gabrielle paused briefly in the constant stream of chatter that she'd been keeping up until then.
"That way leads to the village. Nice people, quiet, peaceful." Sam nodded. 'Well, she knows her Greek legends, in full and glorious detail.'
"And the other way?"
"You wanna go back the way we came?"
"I guess....not," Sam smiled, "Let's visit this peaceful village of yours." He turned Argo to the left path. Sam saw the smoke rising at first.
"Are they having a barbecue?"
"Pardon me?" Sam's smile widened.
"You know, a barbecue, a cook-out. Uh-oh. That doesn't look good. Oh, hell." Sam added a few stronger swear words under his breath. The village, to put it mildly, was a mess. Dead bodies, burning houses and the sick smell of burning flesh. Gabrielle gasped, then brought her stick up in an attack attitude in front of her face.
"The bastards." Sam's mouth narrowed.
"This is really happening. This is real death. Who did this?" He swore again. He was answered by a group of ugly, heavily muscled men who suddenly appeared at the far end of the village with blood splattered armour.

The tallest and ugliest stepped forward.
"Xena!" Gabrielle began to move towards the men. Sam, chivalrous to his bones, urged Argo into a trot. He unsheathed his sword and tried not to think too hard about what he was about to attempt. The next five minutes became a blur of sword-play as he engaged the men. At some point, somebody un-horsed him and his martial arts training came into play. He kicked, blocked and jumped, using his sword as much as he could. Eventually he stood, with Gabrielle, surrounded by the dead. Sam sobbed convulsively, then staggered behind one of the ruined houses and was briefly and violently sick.
"Xena?" Gabrielle's voice was concerned. Sam wiped the tears from his face and took the water bottle Gabrielle proffered. He drank, rinsed his mouth and took another couple of cautious mouthfuls. He managed a watery smile.
"Sorry." Gabrielle shook her head.
"I've never seen you like this after you've dealt with the bad guys." Sam wiped the sword and sheathed it again.
"Must have been something I ate," he fudged, "Now to deal with the corpses."
"That's okay. I dealt with that when you were.....um....doing what you were doing a minute ago." Sam's eyebrows raised, then lowered in quick succession. He followed Gabrielle back to the main path through the smoking village. The dead foes were piled to one side and forming a funeral pyre. Sam swallowed heavily.


"That took you no time at all." His voice was weak. Gabrielle pointed.
"One of the villagers survived, it's Euripedes. He hid in the middern. He's saying prayers for all his friends and relatives." Sam watched as the young red-haired man began to make a similar pile at the far end of the village. He took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, then went to help. About an hour later, after they'd had a wash at the village well, Sam and Gabrielle bid farewell to Euripedes and began to move away from the village. Sam decided not to re-mount Argo; the horse didn't seem enjoy the smell of burning bodies any more than he did.

"Good God. It's like 'Nam all over again." It was Al, back at last. Sam noticed how white Al's face suddenly became. He also saw that Al had one arm in a sling and was trying to hide a whopper of a black eye behind dark glasses. Sam sidled over to his friend, dropping Argo's reins as he did so.
"Not another fight with Tina?" Al's mouth twitched. His attention had been sufficiently diverted from the carnage they were leaving behind them.
"Hah! Not exactly, no. Let's just say that Xena is even more stunning in person and has a flying noodle kick to rival yours." Sam chuckled in spite of himself.
"And the black eye?" Al grinned.
"I tried my Italian charm on her. What a woman.....I think I'm in love." Sam shook his head as Gabrielle began another of her epic tales of long ago.

Sam sat relaxing in the shade of a venerable olive tree after lunch. Gabrielle was watching Argo drink at a nearby stream whilst she re-packed their bags.
"So, Al. Why am I here....and exactly when am I? The language is mostly modern, there's every indication that this is real, but Greece is nothing like this nowadays." Al tapped the Handlink.
"Ziggy insists that you're in a contemporary setting - same date, even. I can't tell you precisely when that is because of the rules. Just take it from me that it's Summer back home and the same year in the 90's."
"I haven't missed the Millennium celebrations, then?" Al smiled.
"No, not yet."

Sam looked down at his attire.
"But what's this all about? I haven't seen a single trapping of modern life; no cars, phone booths, proper roads or airplanes. I ought to have gone umpteen years B.C., but that's not possible." A shadow passed over the sun, then a large, silver object glided slowly into land.
"That's a damned big bird.... Oh, holy hell. Sam, I wish you could pinch me. Is that.....that thing for real?" Sam stood up, his face wreathed in wonder.
"It is real. It's coming this way....." A soft, velvet black nose nuzzled his hand, "It touched me! Oh, Pegasus...."
"What sort of Greece is it that has legends come to life?"
"MY SORT, AL CALAVICCI." Al and Sam's heads turned to the voice and Pegasus backed away, trembling.

Through a ripple that looked like a heat haze strode a darkly handsome man, clad from head to toe in figure hugging black leather. He stroked his rakish goatee beard. His dark, flashing eyes took in Sam and Al. They both felt sheer power emanating from him. He smiled slowly.
"SO, YOU HAVE TAKEN THE PLACE OF XENA. YOU MUST HAVE UNCOMMON SORCERY, SAM BECKETT. AND YOUR GENIE; A MOST UNUSUAL CHOICE OF GARMENTS. IT WON'T HELP, PRESSING THAT THING. I CAN DESTROY IT WITH A WAVE OF MY HAND." The Handlink burst into flames and Al dropped it.
"Oh, shit!" Al looked up, clearly angry, his eyes narrowed and brows lowered, "How the hell did you do that? I don't know who you are, mister, but I definitely don't like you." The other man smirked and moved closer.
"IDLE THREATS. A MERE GENIE IS NO MATCH FOR ME..." He flicked a finger and Al fell to the ground with a cry of sheer agony. Sam, consumed with righteous anger, ran towards the aggressor and knocked him to the floor.
"Leave Al alone!" Sam's eyes blazed dangerously. Suddenly, Sam found himself thrown off effortlessly. The ground hit him between his shoulder-blades and all the breath was knocked out of his body.
"I'M AFRAID YOU'RE NO MATCH FOR A GOD." Gabrielle stood beside Sam.
"Xena, you know what Ares is trying to do. Don't let him win." Sam slowly shook his head and sat up, looking towards Al. Gabrielle gasped.
"Who's that?" She went over and tried to touch Al. Her hand went through his chest, but Al's mouth curved slowly in appreciation.
"S'okay, darlin'. I'll be fine in a minute." Sam glowered at Ares, who simply snapped his fingers and disappeared. Sam went over to Al.
"Are you sure you're all right, Al?" The hologram was pale, but he took a deep breath, then sat up. Al favoured Gabrielle with one of his best seductive smiles.
"Pleased to meet you. God, I wish I was solid....." Sam rolled his eyes and tried to stay angry.
"Um....Gabrielle, this is Al. He's a sort of genie, like Ares said." 'Gods...flying horses, real magic..... What is this place?'

Gabrielle smiled eagerly.
"A real genie; like Aladdin's?" Al grinned.
"Yeah, that's right. I'm a free agent, though. I turned up to help Sa...Xena with that nozzle," Al picked up the blackened Handlink, "I don't think I can put 'Zapped by Greek god' in my paperwork, though," He looked upwards at someone else, "Thanks, Gushie." A new Handlink appeared in Al's hands. Gabrielle's eyes went wide.
"Gushie must be a mighty spirit to conjure such wonders out of thin air." Al spluttered with laughter and Sam grinned. Al pressed several buttons on the new Handlink.
"The ladies in the office had better watch out. Gushie will be trying that routine out for the next week."

Al checked the latest data as Sam went to saddle up Argo. Pegasus had disappeared.
"Okay. We have an explanation for all this weird stuff. Do you remember our discussions about alternative timelines and multi-verses?" Sam checked Argo's girth strap.
"Some, yes. I recall theorising that there could be many universes, all thinly layered on top of each other." Al nodded.
"You weren't the only one, either. Well, this leap proves that you were right. This Greece never got much beyond the iron age, but the gods and all the fantastic creatures of myth and legend are real. Same time, different reality. There's a young man in California who had the same idea. He went missing with his professor, a young woman and an African American singer a few years ago. It's all hush-hush and the equipment in his basement is being combed over by the Feds even as we speak. Just thought you ought to know you're not completely alone." Sam nodded.
"Thanks. I guess when Ares zapped you, you became visible here as a side effect. But what wrong do I have to put right?"

"Hmmm. Your......encounter with Ares has changed things. Xena was meant to go back the way she came, so you already put right that wrong by dealing with the bad guys. Ares is a god; as we just found out." Sam made a great play of checking Argo's saddle bags, while keeping half an eye on Gabrielle, who was collecting up the last of their gear.
"Ares..." Sam mused, "God of war, as I remember. Not one of the good guys."
"You're right there. He encouraged Xena when she was a bad girl. Now she's become a good girl, he's been trying to seduce her back to the dark side."
"Does 'seduce' include......?" Al smirked.
"I expect he's tried, but Xena's a smart, tough cookie."
"We could do with getting a good god on our side.....Zeus, maybe." Al's grin widened.
"Nah....Aphrodite, goddess of love. Get her Sam!" The physicist shook his head with a smile.
"I don't think she makes house calls, Al." Sam re-mounted Argo as Gabrielle came over. She smiled at Al, who glinted back. Al fished out a cigar and lit it without thinking. Gabrielle stared at his lighter and the cigar.
"How do you get fire out of that tiny little thing?" Al wiggled his eyebrows, a salacious comment on the tip of his tongue, but bit it back when he saw the look Sam was giving him.
"Ah...well, it's a genie thing, Gabrielle."
"Does that mean you can grant wishes?" Al shook his head.
"No, I'm all wished out. Think of me more as a kind of guide. We've got to figure out a way to deal with Ares if he comes back." The three companions continued along the track, which led steadily uphill towards the distant blue mountains.

"He keeps trying to trick Xena into being bad again." Al nodded, puffing at his cigar.
"So I heard. What does Xena usually do?" Gabrielle smiled.
"Well, she's out-witted him several times...." Gabrielle launched into detailed reminiscences that took the rest of the afternoon. By dusk they had reached the foothills and stopped to eat and camp for the night. Sam sat on a flat rock and gazed into the dying, flickering flames of their campfire. Al 'sat' beside him, while Gabrielle slept in her bed-roll on the other side of the fire. Sam handled Xena's large metal chakram which he had privately christened 'The Frisbee', feeling its weight and balance.
"Does Ziggy have any more details about dealing with Ares?" Al's Handlink glowed in the darkness.
"Apart from not giving in to him, no." Sam turned to Al, his eyes full of concern.
"He hurt you, Al. I never thought you'd be in physical danger....." Al fixed Sam with a deep glance.
"Don't you worry about me. You've got a job to do. I'll have the project doctor right by my side from now on. She's here now." Sam did a double-take.
"She?!?" Al grinned.
"She's got a really good bedside manner, too." Sam shook his head.
"Don't you ever stop?"
"With her? Off-duty.....not often!" Sam sighed.

"You could make a guy jealous, you know. I don't think Xena's weapons are going to work." Al nodded.
"He knows you're not Xena, so trying to distract him with a female body won't work. On the other hand, maybe you could try it....." Sam shot to his feet angrily.
"No! No way!" he protested, "Not unless there's no other way." When he saw Gabrielle beginning to stir, his voice dropped in volume. Al looked upwards.
"Hey, I was kidding. Remember how you got your own back when you were Samantha, though. That nozzle didn't know what to do." Sam sat down slowly.
"Yeah, but he was a regular guy, not a god given to thunderbolts if angered. I knew I could deck him if he got fresh. I need to find a weakness in Ares that I can manipulate, if it comes to it."

Al hit the button that opened his 'door' to the project. A ripple started in the flames of the fire, then spread rapidly until Ares stepped through. He looked at the white, glowing rectangle. Ares lifted his hand and Al was frozen like a paused film. Sam tried to move, but Ares' gaze rooted him to the spot. Sam watched helplessly as Ares approached the 'door'. Ares circled it speculatively, then approached the rectangle and put out a hand. A red flame shot from his fingers and through the door. Ares backed away, clapped his hands together, so that Al and Sam 'unfroze'. Al darted through to the project as soon as Ares disappeared. Sam sat, stunned, on the rock. Eventually his weary limbs got the better of him and he collapsed on the ground in sleep for a few hours.

"Sam! Sam, wake up, buddy!" Sam moaned and shook the sleep out of his eyes. The ground had made several lasting impressions on his body. He scowled as he saw it was sill dark, the dawn a bare yellow streak of promise in the sky. As Sam sat up, he slowly eased out the kinks and rubbed his limbs into life. He managed to throw a glance from under his tousled hair at Al.
"Hmmm?"
"You're okay?" Sam managed a watery smile.
"A bit sore and stiff, but otherwise I'm fine." Al glanced over towards Gabrielle, but she was still asleep. Al's voice dropped to a whisper, even so.
"I was worried about Ares' thunderbolt through the door, but he missed hitting anything or anybody this time. Ziggy says that if you were in the past or future Ares probably wouldn't be able to affect us; but who knows what a god can do." Sam blanched and frowned.

"So he could damage the project?" Al nodded.
"It's possible, yes. That makes it even more imperative that we have a plan up our sleeves."
"Oh, boy...."
"Yeah, I know; but if he damaged Ziggy....." The Handlink squeaked right on cue. Al's mouth twitched, "You can tell Her Majesty doesn't like that." Sam's eyes narrowed.
"Could Ares find a way of using your 'door'?"
"You're the physicist. Ziggy says.....he probably can't go through himself, but his lightning bolts certainly did. Maybe, being energy, like light, they use the holographic image as a conduit."
"Could we 'zap' him back?" Al gave a short laugh.
"Like a phaser in 'Star Trek'?!! This is the 20th century, not the 24th!!.....hang on, Ziggy's gone bananas," the Handlink squeaked and flashed violently, "There may be something in this, Sam. You have breakfast with the delectable Gabrielle and I'll get back to you."

Sam stirred the fire, putting more wood on to heat a can of water.
'Thank goodness I was a Boy Scout. Though I never guessed Being Prepared would come to this...' Sam looked down at his costume, 'I look like Frankenfurter out of the 'Rocky Horror Show'. No fishnet stockings though, thank goodness.' Gabrielle stirred in the growing dawn light and sat up.
"Morning, Xena." She fetched a handful of leaves from her bag and threw them in the water. Sam regarded the mixture with high suspicion. He'd had herbal tea before, but this brew promised to be too exotic for his palate. After a few minutes, Gabrielle passed over a mugful. Sam sniffed, then took a tentative sip. To his surprise, it was delicious. He finished off the drink, then helped Gabrielle break camp. Deciduous forest gave way to pines as they followed the path up the hill. Sam breathed the unspoilt air, enjoying the splashes of colour afforded by bougainvillaea, hibiscus and oleander bushes.
'Now this sort of scenery I could enjoy on a permanent basis, if it weren't for the inherent danger.' Gabrielle chose that moment to launch into a new epic tale. Sam filtered the words through his ears, keeping alert for anything useful. The path came out into the open, skirting the bottom of the rocky summit. Another grey and purple peak rose up across the sheer valley to their right. Sam began to look forward to the view that must lie ahead. He wasn't disappointed.

The sun had burnt off the slight morning haze to leave the approaching vista clear right to the horizon. Sam gasped appreciatively in wonder. A stream gushed in a creamy, noisy waterfall from the rock at their left. Sam followed the track of the water as it carved a path down through dark and soft green forest to a clear blue lake in the valley. Beyond the lake was a wide swathe of grass, dotted with yellow flowers. Sam couldn't tell at this distance what variety they were. The green sward apparently continued across the valley floor right to the horizon. The air was so clear that Sam almost felt that he ought to be able to discern every single leaf and blade of grass. He deeply breathed in the clean, clear air.

"So, Xena; where do you wanna go next?" Sam started out of his reverie. He blinked as he re-adjusted back to the reality of his situation. He saw the path heading down into the valley and a narrower one that continued around the shoulder of the mountain to their left.
'No contest. That valley is too idyllic, plus I'd rather meet Ares on level ground.' He pointed ahead and urged Argo down the hill. The air warmed by degrees as Sam and Gabrielle entered the shelter of the wood. Al chose that moment to turn up, falling into step beside Gabrielle. He smiled at her.
"Morning, gorgeous." Sam boggled and reined in Argo, whose eyes had already started to roll.
"Al! What the hell are you wearing? You look like a refugee from a 'sword and sandal' epic!"

Al looked down at his costume, trying to keep an innocent expression on his face. Bright red fabric with a decorative black border was draped over his torso like a chiton, with an over-cloak in gold and red. Al even had sandals on his feet.
"This? This old thing?" He achieved a fair approximation of innocence, "Just a little something I had in my cupboard," Al moved closer to Sam and whispered, conspiratorially, "And, boy did it make Tina hot. She got to find out if this outfit has matching underwear....or not!" Sam shook his head.
"When I get back, I'm putting you on Bromide. You're like a seventeen year old on overdrive!" Al tried to look hurt.
"And I had good news, too."

Gabrielle smiled widely.
"I think you look like Hermes. Your....attribute," she pointed at the Handlink, "could almost be like Hermes' magic wand." Al's eyes flashed fire and his eyebrows wiggled.
"My magic wand is...." Sam gave him a dirty look, "Well, my....erm...mistress is reminding me that I've yet to tell you what we've got planned for Ares."
"Can we 'zap' him?"
"No, Sam, not exactly. Remember the light beam we used to help you play Pool?" Sam nodded, "Well, Ziggy's intensified the beam and it should at least distract Ares."
"Who's Ziggy? Another genie?" Al barked a short laugh and Sam's lips twitched into a smile.
"In a way.....yes." Sam managed. He smiled warmly at Gabrielle. She took the opportunity to launch into some of the tales of the Arabian Nights. The morning passed in convivial talk and breath-taking scenery. By lunch-time they had reached the lake. Sam looked across the water as Gabrielle delved into Argo's saddlebags for some food. Al stood next to Sam, close to the water's edge.
"Wish I could send the project people somewhere like this when they need a break....if it wasn't for the disadvantages."

"AND THEY WOULD INCLUDE ME?" Al began tapping at his Handlink as the two friends turned towards Ares, "THAT....GATEWAY OF YOURS. WHERE DOES IT GO?"
"Can't tell you that." Al pulled himself up to his full height. Sam was suddenly reminded of a dog fight he'd seen, once. He couldn't remember when or where, but it had been a terrier against a timber wolf. Sam wondered if his terrier would win this time. Ares approached slowly, confidently, watching Al and Sam at the same time. Ares snapped his fingers and Al's 'door' appeared.
"That's impossible!!" Sam gasped with shock and moved over. Gabrielle had her staff in her hand, but kept a safe distance.
"NOW...LET ME SEE....." Ares brought his hand up. Al punched at his Handlink and risked a quick glance down at the screen.
"You know, Ares," Al put in casually, "You look a lot like my late uncle." A brilliant, red beam from the Handlink hit the god squarely in the eyes. He flinched backwards and Sam pounced. He took Ares in a tackle and threw him to the ground. Al moved with him and kept shining the light into Ares' eyes. Sam landed a good right punch. Ares looked up, dazed and angry.
"I AM IMPRESSED. NOT BAD, FOR A MERE MORTAL AND A SECOND RATE GENIE." Al grinned and leaned over Ares' prostrate form.
"You have no idea, buddy." Sam kept Ares' shoulders pinned to the ground. He decided to press his advantage.
"Will you go away and stop bothering Xena?"
"I WON'T PROMISE NEVER TO RETURN. I AM A GOD, AFTER ALL." Sam decided it was enough. He rose. Ares disappeared. There was a strangled gasp from Al.

"Tina?" Sam looked up. There was a stunningly beautiful woman, with soft curves and long, slender legs, just about made decent by the shortest mini pink chiton that Sam had ever seen. He gulped.
"That's not Tina! Her hair's brown, her eyes dusky and her.... My goodness, she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." The lady smiled and Sam blushed as he realised what he'd said.
"FOR AL, I AM TINA....AT LEAST AN IDEALISED TINA. FOR YOU, I AM THE WOMAN OF YOUR DREAMS." Al was standing, his mouth opening and closing noiselessly, like a fish. The lady came over and kissed him gently on the lips.
"Oh, wow..." he breathed, frozen to the spot. The lady looked at Gabrielle.
"FORGET THIS, DEAR." Gabrielle closed her eyes and sat down. Sam swallowed.
"Who?" he managed. She laughed softly.
"I TURN UP HERE WHEN LOVE WINS OVER WAR. I AM APHRODITE, SAM. ARES HAS GONE TO ZEUS. AS FOR YOU....." She took his face in her hands and Sam drowned in her kiss, "MY BLESSING ON YOU. I WILL BE LOOKING AFTER XENA FOR A WHILE. GOODBYE, SAM.....THE OTHER ULYSSES."
"What a kiss.... Ulysses? As in Odysseus?" Aphrodite smiled. Al unfroze and tapped the Handlink.
"Yeah, that's him." Sam was still grinning as he leaped.

--------------------------------

He was standing on a rough, rounded surface . Wood? Sam felt something like a rope between his thighs. Then the muscles in his legs pushed automatically and he swung out on what proved to be a green liana over a dizzying drop. He looked down at himself. He was wearing nothing apart from a very brief leather loincloth.
"I'm Tarzan?!!' Ohhhh, boyyyyy.........!!"

CLOSE TO YOU

Author's forward: This was written to answer two questions that popped up in my mind. 1) What would happen if Al found himself irresistibly attracted to the Leapee in the Waiting Room? (Most of you can probably make a shrewd and educated guess, but remember what the Leapee sees when she [in this case] looks in a mirror). 2) Why didn't 'they' get Scott/Sam to do a big action/adventure episode? Imagine 'Die Hard' meets QL, but this time Sam's got a bit of help.... And I wrote this BEFORE seeing 'Mr and Mrs Smith'. Great minds think alike,,,,,

'The Lover gazed upon himself so that he might be a mirror in which to behold his Beloved and he gazed upon the Beloved as in a mirror in which he might have knowledge of himself.' Kahlil Gibran, mystic

1976/1999

Sam felt the place between the leaps ejecting him out into the cold world again, protesting, like a new-born baby. 'If only I had someone to touch again....someone who would look into my eyes and call me by my name. It's so lonely, out here.' Reality rushed up to meet him. He was seated at a desk, in an office. There were crime prevention posters on the walls. Sam looked down at himself. No uniform. There was a name plaque on the desk. Sam turned it around. C. Elliott. He stood up slowly, taking in the pantyhose covering his legs as he did so.
"Ohhh, boy; not again!" Sam saw a small circular mirror on the wall with a convex surface. He walked over cautiously, glad that his hostess liked wearing flat lace- ups. He peered at the somewhat distorted reflection in the glass. Thick naturally blonde hair, pale blue eyes in a smart navy suit. It was difficult to make out any more. Sam retreated to the desk and sighed. 'I know You're trying to teach me more about women, but this does seem a rather strange way of going about things,' he mused to himself, 'I guess Miss or Mrs Elliott must be in the police, but presumably she's in the plain clothes' department. Quite high up to have a room of her own.'

Sam looked out of the window onto red brick Victorian houses. An unmistakable London Taxi drew up outside. He could see glimpses of several famous landmarks in the distance.
"How on Earth am I supposed to fake a working knowledge of the British police system? American police was bad enough...!" Al entered and shared the view out of the window.
"Wow! Free travel to London! Okay, Sam, we're doing our best, but Miss Elliott is apparently shut up tighter than a clam. She sussed out Beena as soon as she leaped in and thinks she's in a hostage situation. Beena is considering sending me in there in my uniform.....it might help, I suppose." Al peered out of the window.
"Ah, a registration plate! From that, I can tell you that we're somewhere in the mid-Seventies, at least '75..and you know where and who you are...the 'C' stands for Cassandra, but no-one here will call you that, just 'Ma'am' or maybe 'Sir' - I'm not sure how protocol works yet. I'll get Ziggy to do some fine tuning and then I'll get back to you."
"Okay, Al, but be as quick as you can, please? I have no idea what to say if I get presented with real police work."

Al sighed as he went back out of the Imaging Chamber.
"Okay, Ziggy; Gushie - we need everything there is on British plain clothes' police, in London, around 1975 or so. Do a trace on the life of a C. Elliott, probably an officer, maybe even a high-ranking one."
"I HAVE SOME INFORMATION ON CASSANDRA ELLIOTT. SHE WAS BORN IN LONDON IN 1946, THEN HER MOTHER TOOK HER TO SAFETY IN THE COUNTRY DURING THE BLITZ. IT IS 1976, JUST BEFORE THE UNUSUALLY LONG HOT SUMMER IN BRITAIN THAT YEAR. MISS ELLIOTT IS CURRENTLY UNMARRIED IN 1976. SHE HOLDS THE RANK OF DETECTIVE INSPECTOR."
"Okay, that'll do for now, Ziggy. I'll see if I can get anything out of the lady personally." Al decided to grab a quick shower before he changed into his dress uniform. He walked rather stiffly along the corridor to the Waiting Room. Doctor Verbeena Beeks was there to greet him.
"I took your advice, Beena. Any change?" The elegant psychiatrist slowly shook her head.
"She's not talking, if that's what you mean. We've offered her food and water, but she doesn't seem to have touched it."
"Has she seen her face....I mean, Sam's face, in the mirror?"
"Not yet....I decided she might really freak if I tried that. Go gently, Al."
"Yeah, I know the drill, we've done it so often before...."

Al took a deep breath and entered the room. A fair-haired woman in Sam's fermi suit sat bolt upright with her back to him.
"I heard you come in. Don't try anything" The lady whirled around and she and Al gasped simultaneously. Cassandra recovered her poise first.
"Well, you're not a psychiatrist, that's certain. Military....but not British. Is this a covert operation?" Al was trying to remember how to breathe. Cassandra was absolutely stunning, even with her hair scraped back from her face into a tight bun. Al took in her lovely face, the baby blue eyes and the exquisite full mouth. Even if that had been all, he would have been stopped dead. As it was, the generous curves lower down, stretching the Fermi suit so that it moulded to her like a second skin, proved severely distracting. Al's mouth went dry. 'Good grief! I haven't been this overwhelmed by a woman in ages'.

Al managed a reassuring smile.
"Yes...American Navy. I'm an Admiral." Cassandra nodded.
"And this is not a ship, so where am I? Make sure it's the truth, now. I'm very good at picking up liars." Her eyes narrowed. Al's appreciation of her poise rose several-fold.
"That doesn't surprise me. We know that you're a high-ranking police officer. And you're not a hostage, not in the conventional sense. We'll do everything we can to make your stay as pleasant as possible. My name is Albert Calavicci, but you can call me Al, if you like."
"I feel that I should call you 'Sir' in that uniform. With a name like that you must be Italian." Al's smile widened.
"Absolutely, yes. Now, let me tell you where and when you are."
"When?"
"It's a long story, Ms Elliott." She looked at him very directly.
"Have you got anything better to do? I might as well hear you out. This is not like anywhere else I've ever been."

Al managed to keep his tone professional as he explained everything Cassandra needed to know. At last there was one thing left. With a sinking feeling in his heart he took her over to the mirrored table. He sighed inwardly. At the moment she was blissfully unaware of her new aura and so was Al. Once she saw Sam, though, things would change; they almost always did.
"I don't know how to prepare you for this. Some people scream, some faint, some reject what they see. You won't see your own face looking back at you; it's the face of Doctor Beckett. He looks like you back in London."
"I think I understand.....ohh!" she turned to Al, "Do you see him or me?"
"That's complicated. When I look in the mirror there, I see my friend. But when I look directly at you, I see you. Ziggy did some changes, so that I could always see Sam as himself in the past."

"That makes sense. I'd want it that way if it was a colleague of mine out on a mission. So, do I have to stay in this room? It reminds me of an operating theatre." She flashed a brilliant smile at Al.
"Sorry, Ms Elliott. We can't have you seeing too much of the future."
"But I've seen Dr Beeks and you. And his face. Your uniform is advanced, too. If I'm twenty three years in the future, then you're actually not that much older than me, are you?" Al was pleased again by her quick mind.
"Ten years," he admitted, "I was forty in 1976."
"I keep being told I must have a holiday. I suppose this is a kind of holiday....though it's nothing like Italy." Al boggled.
"You went to Italy?"
"You told me your story; let me tell you one of mine."

It was over an hour later when Al finally left, walking on a cloud of delight. She had brought back to life memories of Lake Garda, Verona and Venice for Al. He had relaxed and enthused with her about the beauty of the Italian countryside and even made her laugh. It was that which nearly undid all his resolve to maintain a professional distance. It was a husky, seductive laugh and Al had been severely tempted to bridge the gap between them and kiss her, but the remembered reflection in the mirror held him back.
'Watch it, Calavicci. It can't happen. Damned shame, though. At least I can report substantial progress to Beena. Ohhh, if only things were different....' It wasn't until he was on his way back to Sam that he started to wonder why Cassandra Elliott had opened up to him.

"Okay, Sam." Al began, filling his friend in on all the details, while Sam sat behind the desk and nodded. He had just finished when a male officer knocked and walked in. He was tall, broad-shouldered with greying black hair and pushing fifty.
"Excuse me, Ma'am. You know we've been watching the house of the Macguire brothers for some time?" Sam nodded, trying to look as if he understood, "Well, C1 thinks they might be into drugs and C5 suspects that one of our lot has been on the take and selling them information in exchange for the merchandise." Al feverishly tapped the Handlink.
"Er...C1 is the drug squad, central office and has links with INTERPOL; C5 is the internal admin and you may have a bent cop on your hands," Al's eyes narrowed in a sudden flash of anger, "Ziggy says that the stake-out has been a waste of time so far....that would make sense. Your colleague's name is Smith."
"Okay, Smith..." Sam began, "So it sounds like the stake-out may be corrupted. One of the officers there is tipping off the Macguires." The man nodded slowly.
"We found this in a public waste-bin." He held out a sheet of paper. Sam took it and Al read it over his shoulder. It described in graphic detail what violence somebody would like to do with D.I. Elliott if he ever got his hands on her. Al became very angry on her behalf. So did Sam.
"Do you think a head-on approach is best?" Smith nodded.
"I'm afraid so, Ma'am. Your personal appearance at the stake-out will probably incite our culprit to action. He probably finds you sexually attractive, so you'll need to be very careful. Take a gun with you and an extra pair of eyes." Sam followed his heart.
"Then you'd better come with me, Smith."
"Yes, Ma'am, I will. We'll get the little bast...sorry, we'll get him." Al felt he owed it to Cassandra to report on Sam's activities. He had changed to his favourite blue suit when he went in. Cassandra looked at him with surprise and a hint of something else, something Al recognised but tried to ignore. Cassie found him attractive.
"Is that what all U.S. Admirals wear off-duty?" Al smiled.
"Oh, this. No...I just prefer colorful clothes."
"Very nice, too. It's a shame that you don't all wear that. You could have got one in my size. This thing is like something out of a sixties spy series."
"Yes, I'm sorry about that. Fermi suits weren't exactly built with fashion in mind, although..." Al managed to stop himself blurting out how attractive she looked just in time. It didn't, however, stop the renewed rush of highly interested male hormones from surging through his body.
"If we're going to be informal, you can call me Cassandra." To Al's surprise, she unpinned her hair, which fell in soft waves around her shoulders. The bottom-most curls just reached the tips of her breasts. Al blinked to try to dispel the images that were now running heatedly through his mind.
"You look like a Cassie to me," he managed, his mouth acting somewhat independently of his brain. Cassandra smiled winningly and almost seductively.
"No-one's called me Cassie in years. I'd forgotten how nice it was to hear it. My first lover called me Cassie."
'Oh, BOY!'. Al's brain trembled incoherently. He pulled out a cigar and turned away, trying to regain objectivity.
"You smoke cigars?" Al looked away across the room at nothing in particular.
"Yes.....sorry, I should have asked your permission first." He heard her throaty laugh. The inner desires went up a notch.
"You're talking to a fellow addict. I don't suppose you've got a spare one of those?" Al looked back at her, which wasn't entirely safe for his equilibrium.
"No, I'm sorry. I don't meet many women who like the smell of cigars, and not many dare to smoke them." Cassandra smiled again and the sun came out.
"You couldn't possibly share the one you've got?" Al gallantly handed it over and their hands brushed against each other. He tried to ignore the jolt of awareness going up his arm. She shut her eyes and her lips closed around the cigar. Al was fixated, unable to turn away. When she handed it back, Al took it, his hand trembling.

'I'm actually going to put my lips next to something she's just had in her mouth. I'm shaking inside like a schoolboy'. He started to turn away, but she put her hand on his shoulder.
"I can read your body language, Al. You find me highly attractive, don't you?" He looked into her face. He could no longer deny it.
"Yes," he whispered, hoarsely.
"It's that intense for me, too. I'd heard of captives being attracted to their captors, but I never thought it would happen to me. You are so handsome and I know you are trying desperately to be professional about this situation. So am I, but every time I look at you....."
"Cassie, don't, please. We can't." She drew closer until their faces were only a couple of inches apart.

"Not even one kiss?" Al teetered on the brink, tempted almost beyond endurance.
"I don't think just one kiss would be enough, Cassie."
"If we made it a really good kiss, I think I could handle it. You've never felt like this about a Leapee before, have you?"
"No, I haven't. I've had screaming, fainting, physical violence, people throwing up and tantrums. I've never had a Leapee who found me attractive." Cassie stroked his face gently. Al felt his hands trembling with desire.
"So this is a first for both of us." Al closed his eyes briefly, then looked back at her. 'It's no good. I am going to have to kiss her or die.'
"Your eyes are as blue as Lake Garda," he murmured. Cassandra slid off the bed into his arms. All the nerve endings in Al's body began to tingle in appreciation and anticipation. They both paused deliberately, spinning out the tension. Al touched her hair, then began moving closer. He decided to kiss her slowly. A last remnant of his mind began to protest weakly.
'But she's wearing Sam's aura...', then his lips touched hers and the sheer pleasure wiped out every other conscious thought in his body. He started with gentle caresses, which she returned so fully, he felt intoxicated. He was just beginning to kiss her more deeply when the Handlink beeped shrilly several times.

"Hell, damn and blast!" He pulled away, furious and frustrated. Cassie ruffled his hair.
"I thought it was pretty fabulous, speaking personally." Al's mouth curved into a soft apologetic smile and his eyes glowed.
"It was incredible, but I've got this damned gooseberry called Ziggy who's just ruined the moment. I'm sorry, Cassie, but Sam's in trouble." Al punched the Handlink.
"He's got to the stake-out.....there's a house overlooking the one where the drug dealers are suspected to be."
"That's common practice."
"Yes, here too. But it looks like one of your lot is working for the other side." Cassandra's eyes narrowed angrily.
"I know my men and women better than anyone. Is there any chance of my getting a look at what's going on? I could spot something that you or Sam might miss." Al looked up at her, taking in the business-as- usual attitude.
"Okay. We've let some Leapees in with me before. You'd better follow me."

It was evening. Sam followed Smith from the un-marked car into the building. Two male officers were seated, hiding by the upstairs bedroom window with binoculars and a tape recorder. Smith spoke to them.
"Good evening, Matthews...Johnson. Any luck?" Matthews took off the headphones that he'd been wearing.
"Not yet, sir. The Macguires are giving nothing away." Sam moved cautiously over to the window between the two men, trying to be nonchalant.
"Any passers by?" Al punched the Handlink and went to check.
"Just people going home from work. No lights on in the Macguires' place." Sam stood up slowly. The street-light from outside illuminated him for a split second before he stepped back and touched Johnson on the shoulder deliberately, then moved over to Matthews.
"Where did you hide the monitor?" Matthews swallowed slightly and looked up at Sam.
"Usual - telephone tapping through the junction box, Ma'am."
"It's a shame we couldn't get in there and monitor all their conversations. I'm going out on the street - I've got a disguise." Sam looked at Smith and Al significantly. Sam went through to the back bedroom and pulled out what he'd borrowed from the huge wardrobe of disguises.

"What do you think, Al? Will this really work?" Sam held up a T-shirt and a pair of hot pants with a bib. Cassie chuckled next to Al.
"My goodness, those are going to look strange on your friend." Al touched Cassie so that Sam could see her. Sam blinked, then Al made the introductions. Cassie could see that Sam was uncomfortable changing in front of a woman, so she let go for a while until he was finished.
"I do hope this is going to work. Smith said that something slightly over the top should make the bent cop react." Cassie laughed again.
"Well, I can safely say that none of the C.I.D. has seen me like that before. Good luck, Sam and watch both the men in there carefully." Sam and Al both nodded.
'Why did Sam have to choose hot pants?' Al mused uncomfortably, 'I'm trying to concentrate, but all I can see is Cassie wearing them. Thank goodness there isn't a mirror in here...' Al pulled himself ruthlessly back to the task in hand. Sam put Cassie's hand-gun in the pocket of the hot-pants as he went back to the other room.
"I'm just going out now...." All three men looked around. Johnson rose to his feet.
"Do you think it's wise, going out there like that?" Sam's hand covered his gun.
"I was hoping we might provoke them into making a move." Matthews shuffled uncomfortably. Sam and Al's attention flicked immediately towards him.
"I don't like it. It should be one of us. I'll go....they think we live here, after all."
"How do they know that?" Sam's voice took on a slightly steely edge as he moved nearer. Matthews stood up, wiping his hands on his trousers.
"Well, we've been coming and going at regular intervals. You know the drill." Sam looked Matthews straight in the eye and tried to smile naturally.
"I'm sure you're doing a great job." Matthews licked his lips nervously. Cassie touched Al's shoulder.
"It's him. He's sweaty, nervous....and excited. He's getting a kick out of this." Sam touched Matthews' shoulder and the other man tried to pounce. Before he knew what was happening, Matthews was on the floor, under Sam's feet with two guns at his head.
"You bitch! I should have got that promotion, dammit. I bet you screwed the superintendent." Cassie's eyes flashed in anger.
"I got my job on merit, Matthews..." She trailed off, her eyes flashing. Al relayed Cassie's words to Sam. Smith handcuffed Matthews and hauled him away.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am; I had no idea." Johnson spoke out of shock.
"I'll...er...go and change back and then check on the tap in the telephone exchange. I'll fill in until you can get someone else down here, Smith."
"Very well, Ma'am." Smith ushered Matthews out of the room. Al waited while Sam changed back into the blue suit and accompanied him to the junction box down the road, away from the line of sight of the Macguire's house. Cassie nodded.
"It's an incomplete tap. No wonder we got nothing from them." she passed instructions to Sam, who reconnected the tap and then went back carefully to the house. Johnson looked up as Sam re-entered the room.
"I think it's going to be a long wait." Sam nodded and smiled somewhat grimly.
"That's okay. Let's hope we can catch these criminals now." Al and Cassie left Sam to the unenviable task of a long wait through the night without sleep.

"You know," said Cassie, "I should have guessed that Matthews was the informer. I could hear the undercurrents in his voice just before he cracked. There's a lot you can deduce, even from the most banal of conversations." Al clearly heard the thinly disguised yearning and passion in Cassie's voice.
"Absolutely," he answered, "It's amazing the coded messages you can give if you put your mind to it," 'I can't resist you any more: I want to love you.' "You were brilliant, Cassie." 'And I'm falling for you. Hell, I've fallen.' She smiled softly in understanding.
"That's what I'm paid for. Do I go back to the Operating Theatre again?" 'Please say no. I need you.'
"Well, I think so. It's going to be at least eight hours until Sam is likely to need me again. I had planned to catch up on some sleep." The last word stayed hanging between them, stretching the tension. 'Sleep is the last thing on my mind at the moment.'
"Where do you do that? There's just offices and military stuff down here."
"I have a bed in my office or, if Sam's away for a long time, a condo up on the surface," Al gestured upwards. Desire thrummed inside him, filling him with intense longing. They walked almost nonchalantly along the corridor.
"This is your office, right here. I suppose I'd better say goodnight, then?" 'Please, Al. This may be the only chance we have.'
"Yes, goodnight, Cassie." 'Yes, Cassie....Oh, boy; yes!' Her eyes were shining and her lips were softly parted. His desire became so intense that it was almost painful.

Their hands reached out, met, then suddenly they were in each other's arms. Al pulled her inside the office and locked the door behind him even as Cassie wrapped her arms around his neck. His lips found hers feverishly and they both moaned with barely suppressed hunger and desire. Al held her tight against him, revelling in the feel of her. He moved into the room, kissing and caressing all the way. They bumped into the desk and Cassie wrapped her legs around him, drawing him right against her. Cassie fumbled, trying to find the opening in the Fermi suit. Al grinned.
"I'll have to help you...there's a knack to those things. And Cassie, gorgeous, you don't have to worry about...complications." Cassie's smile was radiant as she held him in her arms.
"I know, Al. At least, I guessed." Al reached around Cassie and produced a package. He smiled seductively as he shed his jacket.
"We'll just have to make sure they're not wasted, won't we?"

Morning found Al and Cassie wrapped in each other's arms. He stroked her hair and face for the umpteenth time.
"God, I wish I could give you more than just one night." Cassie's eyes were mischievous.
"Could you honestly give me anything that would equal what we've just shared?"
"Equal...maybe, if you gave me about a month to recover. Better, never. You are incredible, my gorgeous Cassie. You're going to take away my undying admiration and a little piece of my heart. You're three times a lady, as the song goes." Cassie's answering smile was gentle, yet showed her deep satisfaction.
"You are the best, Al. Never forget that. The best I ever had. I wish we could have had longer, too, but sometimes one night is all you ever get. When I'm a ninety year old granny in a wheelchair, I hope that I shall remember what we shared and I will always be so grateful."
"Well, you'd better watch out, Cassie. If I'm still around, I'll be chasing you in my wheelchair for a second helping!" Cassie laughed, a full musical laugh that thrilled Al to his soul.

"Al, you're incorrigible! And I'm always going to be more than a little in love with you, but I think you know that by now." Al looked at his watch.
"And I'm half in love with you, but my darling, it's showtime. I have to go back to Sam and you need to get back into the Fermi suit, just incase Sam comes home." Cassie picked it up off the floor where it had been discarded over seven hours previously.
"I still don't like it, even after the sexy way you removed it last night." Al grinned as he began to help her back into it.
"Believe me, my beautiful Cassie; the way you fill it out is enough to make even the Pope look twice." Cassie's grin matched Al's.
"It made you that excited?"
"Couldn't you tell?"
"Well, actually, yes. I could tell that from the moment you laid eyes on me. And last night, when you were so close, I had no doubts at all about how excited you were. But it's such a boost to the ego hearing you say so." Al walked Cassie back to the Waiting Room. He took her gently in his arms once the door was closed.
"I hate 'goodbyes', especially when it's to such a wonderful woman as you are." Cassie smiled gently.
"Then let's say 'au revoir', Al. No-one else will ever be able to say my name as wonderfully and seductively as you do."
"Cassie..." She put her arms around his neck.
"Ohhh, Al. Take care of yourself. Maybe I'll turn up here as a 53 year old one of these days."
"You take care as well. You can come knocking on my door any time." They shared one last kiss, then Al had to leave her. Cassie smiled a secret womanly smile to herself.
"Three times a lady...?" she murmured as the leap caught her.

--------------------------------

1988/1999

Al lost no time in going back to the Imaging Chamber once Sam had leaped. He knew it was crazy, that there was no way Cassie could still be there, but he had to see for himself. He got there even ahead of Doctor Beeks and flung open the door. The room was still full of her fragrance; peach blossom on top of her own special scent. He closed his eyes, then snapped them open again. He looked around the chamber several times. Nothing. Nobody.
"Ziggy? What's going on? You said that Sam had leaped."
"HE HAS. BUT HIS AURA HAS GONE TOO. WHEREVER MY FATHER IS, HE IS WHOLLY HIMSELF." Al stumbled over to the bed, where the Fermi suit lay in a crumpled heap. He clutched it to his chest. Cassie's perfume was almost unbearably intense, as was the double void in his heart.
"Sam, where are you? Ohhhh, boy!"

Sam came down to reality with a bump, onto a hard tiled floor. He felt a toilet seat behind him. The wood had scraped his back slightly as he sat down. Then he looked down at himself and blushed all over. He was naked.
"Ohhh, boyy!" he gasped. He crouched down very carefully and peered under the locked door. No- one in sight and there, only feet away, on a gold towel rail were two fairly substantial blue towels. He unlocked the door and made a dash for it, grabbed the towels and retreated to his sanctuary. Just as he disappeared, two men walked in. 'Well, unless I'm a very strange woman, that narrows down the options'. Sam risked another glance under the door. Sandals and...were those Kaftans? Sam peered upwards. No, togas. A Roman theme party! Sam looked at the towels in his hands and began to construct something that he hoped would pass close scrutiny. The two men made idle small-talk, concluded their business, complained about the missing towels. One of them spoke.
"I wonder if Jenny will let me dry my hands on her toga?"
"Yes, but which part, Brian? You'd have to pick between her pert bottom and that luscious pair of breasts at the front." Sam began to blush with a mixture of shame and anger.
"How about one hand on a breast and the other, really slowly, over her rear? I want to get that woman so hot that she can't think straight." Sam began to wish he could either go temporarily deaf or take Brian apart, piece by piece.
"Yes, I know. You and every other man in the company who isn't happily married or gay. Who knows, a little wine, some dancing and she could fall into your lap like a ripe peach."
"And what a peach! Just the other week....." Thankfully they left, leaving Sam fighting his urge to get really mad. 'Well, maybe if I find this Jenny I can warn her, though if she's as smart as she sounds, she already knows of Brian's intentions'.

Sam managed something that was surprisingly passable, all things considered. It certainly covered everything that needed to be covered with room to spare.
'This must be some place if they can afford giant bath-size towels in the bathrooms. And, weren't those English accents? At least Brian sounded English, the other one I'm not sure of.' Sam took a deep breath and left the cubicle. He went over to the mirror at last, then had to hold onto the counter to stop himself falling.
"Ohmygod! I'm me! How the hell....? I look the same; a little older, I guess, tired - though that's no surprise - I must be heading to my mid-forties by the look of things. How long have I been gone? AL? Where are you?"

Sam was quite a bit paler when he managed to emerge from the bathroom. he looked around the door gingerly, but the Roman party was definitely in full swing. He spotted several other guests in togas made from towels and began to relax slightly. He edged back into the room. There was a large circular pit in the floor, with fitted couches around it and a huge pile of cushions had been thrown in. Amongst those cushions, several couples were apparently getting to know one another rather well.
'Oh, boy; an orgy too! It must be quite late on or the drink's been flowing. Thank goodness I'm still sober.' Sam spotted several people dressed in burgundy livery around the room, gazing on as if nothing particularly out of the ordinary was happening. Sam grinned inwardly. 'I bet they'll have a tale to tell when they get off-duty.'

Sam spotted a table half full of buffet food and went over to investigate. He spotted Brian at the far end, trying to ingratiate himself with a red-haired woman.
"C'mon, darling. It's a New Years Eve party. Just one kiss under the mistletoe?" To Sam's surprise, she agreed. Sam watched cautiously, slowly swallowing his mouthful of food, ready to pounce. The mistletoe was produced. Brian plunged in, over-eager, then just as rapidly pulled back.
"Why you little...."
"Ha! Fifteen love, you dirty old man! She bit his tongue, Sam!"
"Al, I've been worried about you and Jenny." Al grinned.
"I think Jenny can take care of herself, don't you? Mind you," he continued, you can see why all the men go ga-ga over her. She's something else."

Jenny turned around and walked swiftly away from Brian with her head held high. Sam had to admit that she was pretty stunning, although he'd always been a little nervous of fiery red-heads.
"It's not fair, Sam. I thought God had broken the mould when he made Cassie and now I see He issued the same design again...well, nearly as good. He just changed the coloring and made her somewhat taller, that's all."
"Cassie?" Al sighed and decided on an almost-truth.
"A brief encounter....and one of the best, Sam. The best in a long, long time. We only had one night together, but it was worth waiting for. Sometimes one night is all you get." Sam could see the wistful look in Al's eyes and decided to accept and acknowledge it.
"I've had one or two of those, Al. Anyway, how did you find me? I seem to be here myself, but no-one's batted an eyelid."

"Yeah, Ziggy went ape; Gushie nearly fainted and it's all been a little frantic. Ziggy reckons it's because I had to work closely with the last Leapee," Al pulled out a cigar and his face went unusually closed as he began to smoke it, "Anyway, when she went, your aura got sucked back through time and you sort of met half-way. Don't ask me how or why, I don't understand. It's New Year's Eve 1988 and you're still in London, at this toga party. It's a mega bash for some huge corporation, they've got the whole hotel for the holidays; partners, wives, the whole bang shooting match. You can probably get away with your own name. All the guests are either tanked up or...er..doing the horizontal tango, like those seem to be doing down there."
"Yes, but why am I here?"
"We don't know. The fact that you're here at all is causing Ziggy to have conniption fits. Just keep your eyes and ears open and try not to get into any trouble." Al punched his Handlink and made his exit after one last look around at the female talent in the room. Sam sighed and went back to the buffet table. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a decent square meal. He instinctively picked out higher energy foods. He'd realised early on that his host or hostess often had the need of them later. Sam had moved on from the food to something with as little alcohol as possible when it happened. Loud bangs and crashes came from just outside. Sam put down his drink hurriedly after one last mouthful. He caught a familiar smell in the air.
'Uh-oh. Gunsmoke, bullets. What on Earth is going on?'

The double doors of the room burst open and half a dozen or so men in black burst in and razed the room with silent but deadly gunfire. Sam had already thrown himself under the buffet table, where there was another, female guest in hiding too. When Sam peered out from under the tablecloth, the gunmen were silently and efficiently relieving the party-goers of their valuables. Sam saw that most people were still alive, but being systematically tied up in pairs. The gunmen manhandled each duo into separate rooms and locked the doors.
'An inside job? Or maybe they got the keys at gunpoint? I see they finished off all the employees in livery.' It didn't take the gunmen long to spot Sam and his companion. They were hauled out, gagged and tied face together. Sam tried to apologise silently to the lady with his eyes before the blindfold went on. He was left with an impression of short, dark hair cut in a ragamuffin style, a strong yet somewhat elfin face and eyes of an indeterminate pale colour. They were pushed and shoved at gun-point through two sets of doors, then sharply left into a small dark room. Sam heard the key turn in the lock and darkness descended.

Sam felt his companion nudging him gently as the footfalls of the gunmen faded away. He followed her lead and they shuffled over to the door. He heard a click and was aware through his blindfold that she had managed to find a light-switch. Then he felt her head moving slowly yet determinedly, her jaw working as she did so.
"I've got my gag out. I'm going to help you with your blindfold and gag, then we'll see if we can get out of these ropes. My name is Grace Steers; I'm a sort of trouble-shooter and know this hotel inside out. You picked a good person to be tied up with tonight. Okay?" Sam nodded, "Good. Now hold still if you can and I'll do my best." Sam felt her teeth picking at his gag, wriggling and pulling. He tried to help as much as he could. Slowly, the material eased down. It hurt quite a bit as it dragged slowly over his mouth, but he was relieved to feel it going. Grace's lips brushed his several times out of necessity as she released him and it was all Sam could do not to respond. Her lips were so mobile and soft, her breath sweet against his mouth.
"Thanks," he managed, as she started to attack the blindfold, "I'm Sam Beckett. You could say I'm used to getting in hot water, too."
"I bet you never had to kill someone?"
"Actually, I have, but it was a hard decision to make. If you plan to go after those nozzles, I would be willing to help." Grace gave a short laugh.
"I've never heard that word before, but it's suitable. I would be grateful just to put a spanner or two in their works before the police arrive. It would be nice to put right some of what went wrong tonight."

At last the blindfold was off and Sam blinked as the unnatural blue- white of a fluorescent tube hit his eyes. He looked at Grace. She was barefoot, but her face was still close to his. She was incredibly attractive and...
"Your eyes are turquoise!" he exclaimed. She smiled wryly.
"They change colour. In some lights they are green, in others, blue. I'm part of the hotel security, you might say. Tonight I was working under cover. We had a rumour that something was about to happen...the gunmen are after holding the Chairman to ransom. And if you cross me, believe me, I know how to kill with my bare hands." Sam boggled slightly, but then accepted her claim.
"Then I won't cross you. I'm a sensei myself, amongst other things." Grace's eyes narrowed.
"I don't remember seeing your name on the guest list. Who are you?" Sam raided his memory, trying to pick something that would fit.
"Er....INTERPOL. We've heard about those gunmen in America. They're into ...er...drugs and money laundering, too," he guessed. Grace nodded.
"Yes, that's what I'd heard. All right, if we can get out of these ropes, you're on the team. Two against eight is high odds, but at least we have a good chance of escaping detection. I suppose you learnt relaxation techniques when you did your martial arts?"
"Uh-huh." Grace nodded again, then smiled briefly.
"Right. We collapse onto the floor as carefully as possible, then, using relaxation and breathing techniques, there's a good chance that we will be able to wriggle out of these bonds. The carpet will give us something to press against." Sam looked around the storage cupboard, seeing towels and linen on all sides.
"If we pull down some of those, we'll have a softer landing." Grace complied, then they fell onto the pile of towels.

Sam tried to blank his mind and concentrate on the job in hand, but it wasn't easy.
'Thank goodness Al isn't here. I can just guess what sleazy comments he would make. It doesn't help that Grace is a strong, highly attractive woman. Maybe if I close my eyes it'll help......ohhh, boy, no! That just makes it worse.' Grace had moved only a few inches down Sam's body. He gritted his teeth quietly.
"Relax, Sam. The more we relax, the further I can move."
'That's what I'm dreading. This is almost unbearable. She's going to notice what she's doing to me soon.'
"Oooh, Sam! I've never seen 'Postman's Knock' played like that before."
'God, I'm going to have words with you about Al's entrances one day.'

"Well, I know what I'd be trying to do in your situation. She's stunning. But I know you, you're trying to resist," Al disappeared down to carpet level, "If you move up a foot or so, someone dropped a glass in here once upon a time. It's right under the back of the bottom shelf. It's all covered in dust, but if you smash it...." Sam acted out noticing it and relaying the information to Grace. She smiled up at him.
"Okay, it'll be quicker, all being well. I was aware of your....discomfort."
"I'm sorry," Sam managed, as Grace reached her foot to hook out the glass, "I'm only human." A strange look passed over Grace's face, then she smiled.
"If I'd had to fight you off, you would have been incapacitated by now."
"Oh, but what a way to go.....!" Sam contented himself with glaring at Al.
It wasn't long before Grace had freed them with the sharp edge of the broken glass and they were sitting on the floor.
"I don't suppose you can pick locks?" Grace looked at the door.
"No keyhole, Sam. You don't expect to have to break out of a storage room." Al punched his Handlink as he puffed at his cigar and examined the room.
"Can you get out of that?" Al pointed upwards. Sam stood up and looked at the grate in the ceiling.
"Air conditioning?" Grace looked at it too.
"No, a service duct; but it will do if we can undo those screws....I haven't got any hairpins, but there is my belt." Grace pulled it off and Al groaned softly.
"Ohh, boy. She's wearing a strapless bra under that toga. And matching lacy briefs," Sam's eyes threatened Al with murder, "Sorry Sam. It's just that now there's this one inch gap down my side and I can't help but see..."
'This isn't helping one bit. I've already been made very aware of her beautiful curves....but there's more to it than that. Much more.' Grace climbed up the shelves and began to attack one of the screws with the metal buckle of her belt. When her efforts had released one screw, Sam climbed up the opposite shelves to help. At last, after several minutes, the screw shifted and Sam got it out. The grating swung away from the ceiling. Grace and Sam removed a third screw after a substantial effort and turned the grating around on it's one remaining screw. Sam picked up the loose screws and put the linen back on the shelves as tidily as possible. Grace smiled.
"Yes, of course. Try to cover our tracks. If some of the others open this cupboard, they may just think it was always empty." At last the room was as pristine as they could make it. Sam helped Grace through the grill, then pulled himself through into the dusty service duct. Grace pulled the grating back over the hole and Sam put the screws down near it.

"Right. The chairman is...um...shall we say, entertaining his latest mistress up in the penthouse suite. It's a bit of a climb, Sam."
"Okay, Sam. I'll check on his progress and get back to you." Sam relaxed somewhat as Al disappeared.
"Which way, Grace?"
"This way; towards the main corridor and the lifts. We might even be able to access the stair-wells. We have two options; go straight to the penthouse suite or do a little sabotage first. Putting the lights or power out may help us."
"Wouldn't the gun-men figure out what was happening?"
"That's a possibility. Of course, if we started a fire, then the sprinklers would be set off on that floor....and the stairwell has nice fire extinguishers to play with. We really can't tackle the gunmen without being armed ourselves...and preferably more suitably dressed."
"Well, I wouldn't argue with that. Let's go." Sam followed Grace in crawling along the dusty service duct. He found himself fighting the urge to sneeze after only a few feet.
"Hold your nose, it'll help psychologically." Sam thanked Grace and carried on behind her, trying to keep his eyes away from her shapely legs.
'The problem is that's she's too darned attractive. Plus she seemed to accept me on sight, no questions asked - well, not many. The question is 'Why?'; and if the answer is that she finds me equally attractive, I've got problems.'

It took several minutes to get to the junction, where the space was somewhat greater. Both Sam and Grace could crawl on hands and knees towards the lifts and the stairwell. Grace passed the main exit and carried straight on.
"Where are we going, exactly?" Sam whispered.
"There's an en-suite with direct access to this duct; no nasty screws to get past."
"Would I be correct in guessing that it belongs to you or someone you know?" Grace grinned back at him in the semi-darkness.
"Sam Beckett, you are a quick thinker. It's mine; in my job you never know when you might have to make a dash for safety. I've got all sorts of gadgets there that will help us."
"I get the feeling you've done this sort of thing a lot."
"Yes, and usually solo, so keep out of my hair."
"You got it, Grace." Sam grinned to himself as he followed Grace.

Sam watched as Grace disappeared down into the blackness of her room. Sam managed to get his feet around just like she had and carefully dropped a couple of feet onto a hard cold surface. He bumped against Grace, something hard and metallic then, suddenly, he was getting wet through. He spluttered, his mouth filling with warm water.
"You could have told me that the exit was by the shower!"
"Do you mean to tell me that you don't need a shower after all that dust?" Sam was trying to ignore how wonderful Grace felt in his arms.
"I...I don't make a habit of getting in the shower in the pitch black with a woman and wearing towels!" He felt himself blushing in the darkness.
"Sam, you're a treasure!" Their lips met by sheer instinct and luck as he tried to regain his poise. Sam indulged himself for a few seconds, tasting how sweet and eager her lips were under his, but the sensations of holding her wet body close to his were getting far too stimulating.
"Whoa...." he urged, pulling away, "We'll get distracted from dealing with those nozzles and the chairman of the board." Grace stepped out of the shower and touched his hand apologetically.
"I'm sorry....it happened by accident; not that I'm complaining. I'll let you get on with things alone. I've got some clean towels...here, I'll put on the light," Sam blinked as he saw how the water had moulded Grace's toga to her body.
'Oh, boy! She really is perfection. I have got problems now.' Grace was looking at him and beginning to blush.
"I...er, let me know when you're all wrapped up again and I'll go and...um...find you something suitable to wear." She left, looking somewhat flustered. Sam was privately pleased to find that she was, if possible, even more embarrassed than he was. At least the one towel he still had covered enough to matter. He discarded it once she was gone and got on with cleaning off the dust.

Grace kindly provided him with a fairly anonymous grey tracksuit and a T-shirt. She called out to him from the other room as she left them by the bathroom door.
"Sorry I can't help with the underwear, Sam." Sam's lips twitched as he wondered what her reaction would be if he told her he had worn women's underwear before...but not quite under these circumstances.
"At least you had some pants. I don't think I'd fit into one of your skirts." He heard her chuckle as he pulled on the tracksuit top. 'That's a lovely laugh. I guess we need some humor to face what's ahead.'
"Well, I'm not wearing a skirt either. It's far too impractical tonight." Sam let Grace into the bathroom and inspected the things she had laid out on the low table in front of the couch.
'A new length of climbing rope, two pen-knives, two flashlights, some wire and wire cutters.... That's a good start.' Sam's appreciation of her skills rose several notches. He saw two cans of soft drink near the bed and opened one. Al finally showed up again.
"Sorry that I couldn't make it before. This anomaly you've caused is putting Ziggy on the fritz. The gunmen weren't meant to attack tonight, somehow your presence is affecting time directly."
"What about Grace?"
"Ziggy's one certainty is that you've got to stick to her like glue if you want to get out of here. Ziggy says that Grace knows what she's doing."
"She certainly seems to. The only thing we're lacking is a couple of guns and some ammo." Al punched the Handlink again.
"Well, she's a real mystery lady, Sam. She's been working here for a year...three years ago a woman answering to her description came out of China, having apparently been trained in martial arts."
"She said she was a sensei."
"Yes, well, I'd believe her. Before that, it gets really hazy. This woman is like a female James Bond. I wonder if she appreciates men the same way he appreciates the girls?"
"Al."
"Come on, Sam. You can't say the thought hasn't crossed your mind...."
"I'm meant to be defeating terrorists, not seducing women."
"Well, I would say, 'Why not a little bit of both?', but you'd give me one of those looks again.....yes, you're doing it right now. By the way, I checked on Jenny. She's all in one piece. It turns out the terrorists tied her up with the one man in the firm that she's been secretly in love with for ages. He's been feeling the same way about her and when I found her with him in the conference room stationery cupboard....well, let's say they were busy filling everything out in triplicate. They knew exactly what to give each other for Christmas."

"Al, you watched?"
"Only for a minute or two, just to check that she was willing. Believe me, she was more than willing."
"That'll do Al." Al shrugged, then turned to Sam.
"It's the eighties, Sam. People are enjoying full and active sex lives."
"You know perfectly well that I have to care deeply about a woman before we make love. I'm not a rabbit, unlike some people I know." Al flinched.
"Yes, well; for your information, I cared about each and every one...even the ones where it would have seemed to the casual observer that it was purely physical." Sam looked at the carpet.
"I'm sorry, Al. I'm more than a little concerned that I may have to face death in the next few hours or so. I did hope that I might come home one day." 'And you hit a sore spot. I'm drawn to Grace so strongly that I have been thinking about it....for the first time in ages.'
"Apology accepted. Truce?" Sam smiled slowly.
"Yes. Truce." Sam toasted Al with his drink.

By the time he had finished the can, Grace was out and dressed. She was wearing a dark blue tracksuit similar to Sam's.
"I'm sorry I haven't got my gun. It's in my holster down at reception. You can't really hide a gun under a toga." Sam smiled.
"No, I guess you can't. You'd be all right with a knife, though. Remember Julius Caesar?"
"Yes, but that would have looked suspicious at tonight's party. Everyone was meant to be there to enjoy themselves, not assassinate each other."
"What do you suggest? Go for the terrorists or something else?" Al looked at Sam.
"Well, when I left the chairman a couple of minutes ago, he was happily asleep in his bed next to his lady-love. The nozzles haven't got to him yet." Sam turned to Grace.
"I say we risk doing a little damage on our way up to the penthouse." Grace nodded and stood up. She took a deep breath.
"Okay, Sam. Let's go."

Grace peered out of her door, then motioned Sam to follow. They made for the stairwell. Al checked it was safe, then Sam cautiously pushed open the door. Half a flight down was a sprinkler. Grace produced a lighter from her pocket and quietly crept down the stairs to set it off. The sprinkler near Sam went off too, as did a couple of others. Sam deliberately set off the powder fire extinguisher and they started up the plush staircase, Al drifting ahead to see that the coast was clear. They carried on setting off the sprinklers as they went until the damp got to the lighter and they had to give up after a couple of flights. Al checked the doors to the landing.
"Hey, there's a couple of the bad guys through here. They're coming this way." Sam flattened himself against the wall and Grace did the same.
'This is almost enjoyable. It must be the adrenaline.'

The gunmen came through the door and both Sam and Grace pounced. Sam was too busy to see how Grace was getting on, but the two men were certainly taken by surprise and were soon trussed up and unconscious. Grace's mouth twitched into a smile.
"Good work, Sam. Two down and six to go."
"At least we've got some weapons now." Grace used the but of her pistol to set off the fire alarm. Sam winced as the loud siren filled the air.
"C'mon. It's a race against time now." Sam nodded as he followed her up the stairs at a run, taking them two at a time, but trying to make as little sound as possible. Sam appreciated the feline energy in Grace's legs as she ran ahead of him. She slowed down carefully as they reached the top and paused briefly to catch her breath. A faint glazing of perspiration caught the ends of her hair next to her face and her colour had risen slightly. She smiled at Sam again.

"Glad to see you could keep up. Now for the tricky part." Sam put his hand on hers, feeling her pulse as he did so. It was already slowing.
"I'm impressed," he told her, "You really are fit," Grace's smile was almost radiant. Sam ignored Al and kissed her briefly on the lips, "Take care."
"And you, Sam," she pulled him deliberately back towards her, "Just in case one of us doesn't make it..." Her lips were both soft and firm at the same time. Sam closed his eyes and surrendered, giving everything into the kiss. When he finally and reluctantly pulled away, his head was spinning and his mouth had been completely seduced by the sweetness of her response. Grace touched his chin gently.
"And you are some kisser, Sam. You take care as well." She slipped through the door.
"Wow!" Al commented,"I haven't seen you that abandoned in ages." Sam gave Al one of his admonishing glances.
"Yes, but we have to concentrate now. Go and scout out the land for us. I want us both to get through this in one piece." Al duly disappeared, but there was a significant gleam in his eyes.

Sam crept into the room and flattened himself on the floor in the small entrance room. Ahead lay three doors and beyond the middle one, sounds of an intense struggle. Grace gestured to her right and Sam followed into the en-suite bathroom. It was a lavish affair, decked out in champagne porcelain and gold and complete with both shower and a huge sunken bath. The carpet was thick, fluffy and pale gold. Al's eyes gleamed.
"I remember spending a lot of time in a bathroom like this with Maxine. We used to get in the bath every night and...." Sam glared at Al.
"Stop it, Al," he muttered.
"Aw, Sam. Even you must have tried it once..." Sam decided to favour Al with his best poker face. He turned to Grace.
"What do we do now?" Al's face told Sam that he could think of a few things, but Sam ignored him.
"Well, in the door across the hall, there's the electrical controls for this suite. I need to you to stand guard while I examine it."
"Okay." Grace opened the door again with extreme caution, but the hall was clear.

Sam carefully positioned himself so that he could tackle someone from either direction. Al watched as Grace opened the junction box and started to undo the casing. She glanced inside, put in her hand and threw the main switch and several others. Thick darkness descended instantly. Sam let Grace out beside him as the door they hadn't tried burst open. Bullets rang out in the darkness from both Sam and Grace and the assailant. Sam heard the thud as the first gunman hit the floor, then his hands were full taking care of the next person. Sam wrestled the body to the ground, with Al trying to see what was happening and shouting words of encouragement. The assailant kicked, punched and fought well, then tried to strangle Sam. Sam used his legs and arms to go into a backward roll, sending the other person flying into something hard with a thud.

"You got him, Sam! He's out cold against the wall." More shots rang out and Sam kept low, crawling along the floor. The air was thick with tension. Sam strained his ears, listening for Grace and the other men. He heard more shots and fighting some way ahead. Sam continued along the floor and tripped someone up, who immediately fell on him and pinned him to the floor. He felt a gun at his temple and went limp deliberately. He tried to pray, then the gun was pulled violently away. Sam realised that Grace was coming to the rescue. He could recognise her breathing as she helped him.

Sam felt something warm and sticky on his hands and realised it was blood. He couldn't tell whether it was his, Grace's or the assailant's. Grace touched him briefly on the shoulder, then they were off again. All the gunmen seemed to have silencers, but the thud when they went off was still considerable. Sam's fingers encountered a wall.
"Right, Sam. The master bedroom's to the right." Sam felt his way along the wall, trying to make out anything at all in the darkness. There came another couple of shots, then an almighty crash from a window breaking. An instant later, Sam was covered in fine shards of glass, the air was freezing cold and the curtains were ripped away as someone struggled in them in front of Sam.

Sam gingerly picked himself off the carpet and carefully stood to his feet, dislodging the glass as he did so. He could feel several places where the glass had nicked his skin, but he was grateful that it hadn't been anything worse. The wind outside was keen as Sam regained his bearings. Distant lights combined with moonlight were making things much easier to see. Suddenly a man in black, complete with ski-mask came in through the window. Sam put up his hands.
"I'm with INTERPOL," he said quickly. A flashlight was shone in his face, making him wince.
"Alright. Stand aside and let us finish up the job." Sam watched as several more similar men came in and soon the chairman was liberated and the other gun-men rounded up. Al consulted his Handlink.
"Ah, S.A.S. Some of the best. The chairman and his lovely lady are all right and these nozzles get sent down for a good long time." Sam looked around the room, then realised that Grace had been pinned under the curtain with one of the gunmen. He moved forward, pulled off the rich burgundy velvet and encountered a dead body.
"Oh, no. Not Grace, please..."

As Sam rolled the body over, he saw it was the gunman. Grace lay underneath, pale in the moonlight. Blood covered her tracksuit top. She moaned faintly. Sam knelt at her side.
"It's okay, Grace. We did it. The S.A.S. are here now." Her eyelids fluttered open and she winced. When she saw Sam, her lips curved into a beautiful smile.
"You were brilliant. The best partner I ever had. Thank-you for treating me like a lady," Al crouched beside Sam, his face full of concern, then Grace looked right at him, "And you are unbelievably naughty, Al. Just you wait..."
"How do you know my name?" Grace smiled enigmatically.
"One of the tricks of the trade," she looked back at Sam, "You're not the only one any more, Sam. There are at least five Leapers doing good in the world, but you're the best. The very best. And I've known about you and waited to meet you since I was 18." Sam glanced back at Al in shock, the question already beginning to frame itself on his lips, but Al simply opened his mouth in surprise, then vanished into thin air. No door; just vanished. Sam turned back to Grace just in time to see the blue-silver of a leap envelope her.
"Au revoir, Sam." She vanished, leaving nothing behind. Sam sat down on the carpet heavily in a state of shock and touched the place where her body had just been. The shock was compounded by the pain of losing her so soon.
"Ohhh, BOY!"

--------------------------------

1989 New Mexico

Al was bored and tired. Working on the project with Sam at all hours of day and night, trying to obtain all the equipment necessary to build the dream had shattered his last marriage into shreds. He wandered out of the complex, took the elevator up to the surface and went to get his first breath of fresh air in several days. The guards at the top saluted him as usual and fell back to let him past. He walked all the way down to the highway and lit a cigar in the evening light.
"What I need," he said to no-one in particular, "Is a woman who knows about long hours and appreciates the fact that I can't always be there or, even better, a woman who will work alongside me and drag me into my office or bed from time to time. Of course, if she happens to be a peach as well, that'll be just perfect." He had finished his cigar and was contemplating reaching into the pocket of his unusually casual grey overalls for another when he saw the red sports car.

"Wow, that's a beauty. Ferrari. Must be an import." He stood up to appreciate it as it drove past, but instead the car slowed down and stopped. Al sauntered over, then stopped dead when he saw the occupant. She was blonde, beautiful and came straight out of his sweetest fantasies.
"Excuse me," she asked, "But I wonder if you can give me directions. I seem to be lost." Al favoured the vision of loveliness with his best smile.
"Anything to help a lovely lady in distress. What's an Englishwoman doing out here in the desert?" The lady smiled right back at him and Al's interest rose several notches.
"I was in the police force until recently and fancied a change of scene. I thought I might see about settling down over here and maybe taking a job in security, maybe even be a personal bodyguard. Do you think I stand a chance?" Al began to see possibilities that all looked highly enticing and exciting. The beginnings of serious desire started to spring into life inside him.

"I'm Al Calavicci and I have quite a lot of say in the hiring and firing department...er....locally. Why did you pick New Mexico?" The lady laid her hand over his as she got out of her car. She was wearing a figure-hugging blue cat-suit. Al tried not to stare at the way certain parts of her moved under the fabric.
"I'm Cassandra Elliott. If I told you that we shared one night together here in 1999 and I'm hoping very much that there might be more, would you believe me?" Al boggled. Adrenaline started to race around his body.
"You mean that the time travel thing is going to work? If it brings such beautiful fringe benefits as you, Cassie, I'm going to be very happy. That's one hell of a chat-up line." She moved closer, evidently both nervous and excited.
"You called me 'Cassie' then, too. Or rather, will call me.....I don't quite understand the theory. I only know that I've been waiting since 1976 to see you again." Al smiled delightedly as he pulled her into his arms.
"Then I'd better not keep you waiting any longer, had I?" He kissed her, his senses and his heart plunging eagerly off the deep end into the sweetness she offered. When she proposed to him several kisses later, Al threw caution to the wind.
"I've got access to a Cessna and a couple of days' leave. We could be in Reno and married by tonight..... I can't think past the prospect of having you making love with me for the rest of my life." Cassie smiled and stroked his face.
"You were impetuous and passionate last time once your guard was down. I love you, Al. You are going to be the best lover I ever had." Al grinned.
"You tell me exactly how good I was and I swear I'll do my damnedest this time to be even better." Cassie's smile became radiant.
"There'll be no barriers between us, darling. Not ever. I'm going to dedicate the rest of my life to making you happy."
"Mmmm," Al enthused as he kissed her again, "I have a feeling that you're going to make all my hottest, wildest fantasies come true. This looks like love."
"It will be. I promise."

'Let's give three cheers for the sailor's bride who casts all thought of rank aside. And gives up home and fortune too for the honest love of a sailor true.' W.S. Gilbert 'H.M.S. Pinafore.'

--------------------------------

1989 (just) 1st January, early hours.

Sam closed the door of Grace's empty room behind him and flopped onto the couch. The police, fire services and army had all finished interviewing him and now he was wrecked. He had managed somehow to convince the hotel that he was Grace's cousin. He put the loose cushion under his head, careful of the bruises and tiny cuts, then fell into a deep sleep. In the morning, he got up, took another shower then slept some more, this time in her bed. The pillow smelt of her skin - eau de cologne and something more subtle. He felt he owed it to her to try to put her affairs in order. He was sorting through what little paperwork she had later that morning when he heard the bump in the bathroom. He rose to his feet, all senses on the alert. He put down the can of drink that he'd been holding and moved carefully towards the bathroom. The door opened slowly. Sam stood behind it, waiting. Someone came out and Sam pounced. He rolled the person onto the floor and pinned them down. Turquoise eyes looked back into his and he jumped back in surprise.

"Grace! Oh God, are you all right?" Then he was pulling her into his arms tenderly, holding her, convincing himself that she was real, "I'm so sorry, I had no idea....." Then his lips found hers and he lost himself in her kiss. They kissed over and over, hot sweet kisses of relief and reconciliation. Sam stroked her hair, her face and her arms. Then he stood up, pulling her along with him and they sat on the edge of the bed.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were a Leaper?"
"Forgive me; I realised that I could trust you very early on. I just never had a chance to say until the end." Grace smiled at him with open tenderness and Sam felt his heart surrender.
"I thought you were dead," He kissed her again, then they sank onto the bed, "And you can see me. It's been so long since someone could see me...and touch me."
"It's been a long time for me, too." Sam stretched himself out beside Grace and kissed her deeply. She pulled him closer and they rolled together further onto the bed.
"I thought I'd lost you. Oh, Grace...."

Sam gave himself completely to the intense longing that was flooding his body, finding Grace right there, sharing every sensation and magnifying it until he could hardly believe it was real. But it was real, every kiss, every touch, every smile of delight. They peeled off their clothes, longing to touch each other, hold each other. Both of them gave a cry of delight and satisfaction when their naked bodies finally pressed tenderly against each other. Sam traced the sweet fullness of her breasts and the curve of her hips. He wanted and needed to be even closer to Grace, but held back a little, realising that he hadn't exactly prepared for such an intimate moment. Grace understood the tension in his body. She put her hand on his chest.
"Sam, don't worry. I don't normally have such things, but...." She smiled and Sam saw what she had provided. He let go of the final restraint when she welcomed him back into her arms. He looked deeply into her now intensely blue eyes and his soul was in his glance.
"Grace, love...."
"I know. I wish I could love you forever, too. But sometimes one day is all you ever have. Just love me as much as you can until you have to go."

Sam eagerly met the sweetness that Grace offered. They soared together to a shatteringly intense climax that answered all the secret longing that had been there between them from the very start and filled all the lonely places inside with deep joy. Grace traced his lips with her fingers as they lay in the warm after-glow.
"Sensei," she whispered, lovingly. Sam smiled tenderly.
"There are two senseis here, Grace. We met each other and I think time stood still. It certainly did for me." He cradled her in his arms under the covers. Grace rested her head on his chest.
"Yes, time stood still today. You bring to mind the words of Josephine in 'Pinafore'; 'And yet he is so wondrous fair, that love for one so passing rare, so peerless in his manly beauty, were little else than solemn duty.'" Sam kissed her hair and smiled.
"You'll turn my head! Anyway, what is it that the object of her affections says....let me see; 'A maiden fair to see, the pearl of minstrelsy, a bud of blushing beauty; for whom proud nobles sigh and with each other vie to do her menial's duty.' That sounds perfect to me." Grace kissed his chest.
"Ah, but you're not a sailor, my dearest darling."
"No, that's Al, sweetheart. He's an admiral." Grace chuckled.
"And he'd love being surrounded by sisters and cousins and aunts."
"He certainly would! I'm content just to have you, Grace. I feel like I'm home here in your arms."
"Yes, Sam, you are my home for now. Hold me close."

They slept, wrapped in each other's arms; then woke together, reaching for each other instinctively. Sam reverently stroked Grace's body.
"God help me if I don't want to make love with you all over again," he whispered. Grace kissed him as part of her reply.
"Yes, Sam," she answered, before words became unnecessary. This time, Sam let Grace take control. They both gloried in the exquisite sensations that were induced as they journeyed to the heights of pleasure and fulfilment, then slowly and softly back down to Earth again. Grace dropped her head on Sam's shoulder and they fell asleep, exhausted. When they woke up the next time, they shared Grace's bath. They both enjoyed the pleasure of simply being close to each other.
'Thanks for the idea, Al. I owe you one. This is beautiful.' Sam phoned room service and they sat, wrapped in towels while they ate. They retired to the bed and just talked, holding each other close.

It was late that night, when Grace was deeply asleep that Al finally turned up. Sam was just coming out of the bathroom. Al looked at him, then Grace and a slow smile broke across his face.
"Don't you dare say a word. And keep it to a whisper, please. Grace can hear everything we say." Al nodded, but a pleased smile threatened at the corners of his lips. Sam went to the couch and pulled on his tracksuit pants as Al began.
"You've really changed the timelines, Sam. It all started when, because of certain things during the last leap, your aura got sucked back through time. Cassie never forgot me like she should have done and turned up at the project in 1989. You'll probably remember all this as history next time. Anyway, she completely swept me off my feet. We were married within 24 hours down in Reno and she's now spent the last 10 years making me the happiest man alive. Boy, did I have fun when I went back last time - she's an incredibly passionate woman," he grinned mischievously, then his eyes suddenly grew more tender, "I also found out that I have a son, Sam. He got conceived on our wedding night and I now have this memory of you being there for us....it was so worrying for Cassie, being a mom that late, but she's okay and little Elliott is....a miracle. He's such a wonderful kid, just like his old man, except he's got Cassie's blue eyes. Oh, God, Sam, I never thought I'd make it as a dad..." Al's radiant smile said the rest. Sam's answering joyful smile was nearly as wide. He looked over at Grace's sleeping form and his face became radiantly tender.

"You haven't explained about Grace."
"I think I'd better explain myself personally." Sam moved over to the bed.
"I'm sorry. We were trying to be quiet." Grace smiled in the semi- darkness.
"If Al would close his eyes or leave the room, I'll make myself decent. And no peeking, now." Al continued to grin as he went into the bathroom, through the door. Sam helped Grace put on her tracksuit with tender care. He was kissing her when Al came back.
"Er...should I leave you two alone for a bit longer?" Sam smiled and put on the light by the bed.
"No, it's okay. Now, Grace. Tell Al everything. If there's a way of helping you, he and Ziggy will find it." So Grace began.

"Even Sam doesn't know all of this. It started when I was a child. I could sense and see things, like people's auras. When I was 18, I happened to be living near the place where you were doing the stake-out as Cassandra Elliott. I saw Al on the pavement outside and I thought I was hallucinating. Then I saw you as well, when you went to check the telephone exchange box. I really thought I was seeing things. I was just on my way back from the corner shop with some milk or something like that. I remember wondering what on Earth was going on, especially when Al vanished into thin air. I knew instinctively that it was, to say the least, out of the ordinary. I had friends in the police force. I eventually tracked Cassandra down and we had this very interesting talk. She got me into the normal police force while she started putting everything in motion to have a reunion with Al. She knew that she had to wait until the late eighties. Then I started exhibiting stronger psychic powers. I could see crime scenes, criminals, victims. Then I started leaping. Just small leaps at first, then gradually larger. I read everything that I could get my hold of to help me. I learnt to direct my leaps, psychically. I became invaluable to the police force and certain military people, but I refused to use my powers to kill needlessly."

"When they tried to force me, I went to Europe and simply disappeared. I went to India and studied deep mysteries with a master, then China. I knew it was going to be tough and I thought I was unique, a freak. But then I encountered the evil Leaper and heard of a beautiful oriental woman who could 'walk through walls', as she put it. I met her and she described Sam to me so accurately that I realised he was a Leaper too." Al and Sam looked at Grace with surprise.
"My goodness!" Sam said at last, "Tam-lin!" Grace covered his hand gently.
"You started Tam-lin's life as a Leaper. She's saved the lives of several people already, but mostly in the oriental world. That's probably why you haven't been there much. There's my master in India and one in Africa; then there's you and me. That makes five at least. When I saw you come out of the gent's here on New Year's Eve, I knew we had to meet. You needed to know that you were not alone." Sam put his arm around her.
"How do you cope, being on your own?" Grace looked into his eyes.
"Now and again there are very special times when I am not alone." A deep and significant look passed between them. Al coughed politely.
"Well, I've run this through Ziggy and she's going to see if she can do anything to help you. I'll get back to you in a while and we'll go for a retrieval on both of you."

Sam pulled Grace into his arms as soon as Al had left and they made love one last time, with an almost urgent desperation. Neither of them wanted their idyll to end, but they both knew this might be the only time they had. When Al returned they had just managed to get dressed again.
"Okay. Ziggy says that if this is successful and you end up in New Mexico, there's a good chance that you will stay put, Grace. Of course, something Sam does afterwards may change that, but it's a start."

"I don't know if I want to stop yet. It's such a privilege, putting things right."
"If Ziggy retrieves me too, then we could be together....."
"I don't know if that will work, Sam. I would be out of my natural time. I should be turning 42 in 1999, not 31."
"It can't hurt to try..."
"All right, but if it doesn't, don't be upset. I wouldn't change a single moment that we've shared." Al looked at both of them.
"Oh, go on; kiss her, Sam. I'll get Ziggy to try while you're busy." Sam and Grace kissed one last time and the leap covered them.

Al exited the Imaging Chamber and kissed Cassie deeply.
"I keep worrying that I'm going to lose you, too." Cassie grinned.
"You could always fasten me to you with my handcuffs."
"Stop it, you'll give Gushie a heart attack! Okay, Ziggy. Have we succeeded?"
"MY FATHER IS MUCH CLOSER TO COMING HOME. GRACE IS STILL LEAPING, BUT THE CHANCES OF THEM MEETING AGAIN HAS RISEN TO 75%. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THEY MAY END UP HERE TOGETHER, UNLESS MY FATHER CHOOSES TO BE WITH DOCTOR ELEESE AGAIN." Al nodded, then smiled.
"For a guy who only wanted one true love in his life, Sam has an incredibly complicated set of relationships. I suppose he'll pick the right one in the end; or maybe wind up with a harem. That would be interesting." Cassie linked her arm through his.
"I'm glad Elliott isn't here. He'd be asking what a harem is." Al grinned.
"How do you know that I haven't already told him?"
"You'd better not, Albert Calavicci. I hope he'll grow up to be a one man woman. I'd like to see some grandchildren one day."
"Yes, me too," Al steered Cassie towards his office, "Now all that talk of harems has got me thinking...."
"You want me to get the tent and the Turkish Delight out again, don't you?"
"Well, maybe later tonight, once Elliott is asleep. Sammi-Jo can bring her two daughters to play. But I was thinking of idling away some time until the school bus brings Elliott home."
"And if Sam needs you in the next hour?"
"We can stop kissing and cuddling for a while. This is just a rehearsal for later." Cassie smiled quietly to herself. She knew Al only too well after ten years of married bliss. He was going to need to make love with her now and later. 'And it's going to be wonderful. We come alive with such tender passion when we're in each other's arms.'

--------------------------------

LONDON

Cassie smiled gently to herself as she re-materialised back in her rooms. She touched the dent in the pillow which was still warm from the impression of Sam's head.
"Sam, I love you so much, but the time wasn't right. Anyway, I've already met Donna. I know who the one permanent love of your life is meant to be. I'm content that you loved me with your heart and soul while you were here, just as I loved you. My destiny lies in India, with Arjuna. He told me as soon as we met that one day he and I would be lovers, but that I would love another Leaper first. It looks as if he was right, although at the moment I can't imagine loving someone else as much as I love you. It's time for me to move on now, but first..." Grace tidied the room, then removed the pillowcase and hugged it to her chest. She looked upwards at the ceiling.
"You'll have to forgive me. I need a tangible reminder - at least for the moment," she closed her eyes and pictured Sam's face, "Goodbye, my darling sensei..." Grace disappeared towards her future; or maybe it was the past.....

--------------------------------

JUNE 1996

Sam felt reality reform around him. He was on the edge of a swimming pool, alone, wearing blue masculine trunks and the sun was hot overhead. The water was cold. He looked around at white sun-loungers with several people cultivating a tan, then down at the brightly sparkling water. He knew he should be missing somebody very special in his life, but the holes in his brain refused to co-operate. He knew it had been a woman, but that was all. He looked down at the water again, which only gave back a fleeting impression of dark hair.

'California?' he asked himself. A hand touched his foot and someone asked him a question in fluent Spanish. Sam caught enough to understand he was being invited into the water. He jumped in next to another man, presumably his friend, maybe a brother. He swam across the pool and got out of the other side, searching for clues. It was extremely pleasant here. Sam caught the smell of the sea, then saw it, across the road beyond a wide yellow beach and palm trees.

A faint undercurrent of eau-de-cologne from someone nearby tugged at his memory. He smiled slowly and slightly regretfully; whatever it was had been one of the best times in his life. He sauntered over to the entrance to the complex. The sign at the entrance read 'Club del Carmen; Lanzarote.'
"Sun, sand, Spanish and Sangria," he murmured, "Ohhh, Boy!"

AFTERWORD

'There's so many different places that this journey's brought me to, And so many different faces, but not one has looked like you. Though my heart knows where it's going, still my head is turning round. Always one last look behind me; will I lose what I have found? We could climb this road together, reaching out to touch the sun. And the windsong is our love-song and the windsong makes us one.'

Adrian Snell, songwriter, 1970's (and still going!).

DOUBLE DRAGON

Dateline June 2nd, 1962

'Y cariad bydd yn talu'r pris'

'The love that pays the price...'

This fiction won best prize at 'Accelerate '96'

Once again I leaped, but this time the falling, rippling sensations seemed to go on and on a lot longer. Like the time I'd leaped into 'Nam....did that mean I was going outside the States again? There was a sudden jolt and I found myself sitting down abruptly on a tarmac sidewalk. Ouch! I picked myself up, hearing a peal of childish laughter near me. I turned around slowly, dusting off my trousers as I did so. Yuk, blue nylon and probably full of static. And topped by a very anonymous pale blue short-sleeved shirt. No clues there. I looked down and found the source of the laughter. It was a little girl, out riding a huge tricycle that must have been at least two sizes too large. She had short brown hair, a huge crop of freckles and wide blue eyes. She was wearing a green check dress with a wide white collar. The Sixties? I seem to remember someone; was it Katie? wearing a dress like that back in '63. Never mind, on with the business in hand. I crouched down closer to her level.

"Hello. I certainly tripped up then, didn't I?" Well, that was safe enough, for a start. I looked around, but the street seemed to be deserted. On the other side of a low brick wall next to the sidewalk a dark red peony was in bloom. Early Summer, at a guess, though goodness knows I'm no horticulturist. Was I perhaps the father of this child? Did she know where she lived? And where was Al?!
"You're not Uncle Evan, are you?" She spoke with a strange lilting accent which I couldn't quite place. It certainly wasn't an American one. Oh, boy. And she could see me too, which put her under 5. She was a tall kid for her age, despite the huge tricycle.
"Er, no, I'm not Uncle Evan, I'm kinda taking his place for a while. I'm....uh... his guardian angel." Apologies to the One in charge, but it worked before. You figure out how else to explain it to a kid without frightening them half to death. At that moment Al popped up. The kid's eyes went as wide as saucers.
"Is he an angel too? He hasn't got his long white nightie on." (His what? Oh, I get it).
"Well I haven't got one on, have I?" She looked carefully at me, then her eyes drifted back to Al. She giggled.
"He looks like the sofa in our lounge!" Oh, no; another strange word. Al tried very hard to look offended, but I think even he must have realised that he'd certainly dressed to kill this time.
He was wearing a silver-grey shirt, a silk burgundy tie, matching jacket and trousers in the shiny material he sometimes favoured. That may not sound too bad, except that the suit was covered in two inch high burgundy fleur-de-lys. I hoped that Evan wasn't prone to migraines. Al moved next to me on the sidewalk and crouched down.
"Hello, Patti; hello again, Sam. You've certainly leaped a long way this time. You're in South Wales." That was it! I knew the accent had been tickling at some Swiss-Cheesed part of my brain.
" 'How Green was my Valley'" my mouth supplied. I must have seen the old black and white film, years ago. I don't think I fully appreciated all the nuances at the time, but obviously the lilting Welsh accent had lodged itself somewhere in my subconscious.
"Sorry, Patti," I smiled warmly at her, "I sometimes....remember things out of the blue like that. Er....do you know where your house is? I guess your Mom and Dad must be waiting for me to bring you home." Patti nodded solemnly and began to pedal her way back up the street. As we walked, Al filled me in on Evan's background.
"Your name is Evan Evans, aged twenty four, the last of five children. Probably explains why they ran outta inspiration when naming you. Sorry, Sam." he added, on seeing the expression on my face. "Anyway, Evan's a commercial artist, does things like bill-boards and posters, dabbles in reproduction work in his spare time. His repro work is quite good, according to Ziggy. She says he has an innate sense of period design, whatever that means. However, you're in a place that seems to be called Llandaff, which is sorta part of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales; although Evan was originally born in the mid-Wales town of Mac....Mac....Ziggy are you sure that's right? Oh, boy; it's one of those place names with far too many 'ls' in it. OK, I'll have a go. Mac...Mac..."
"Macynlleth!" supplied Patti.
"Gezundheit!" retorted Al, without missing a beat. It was too much; I began to giggle helplessly. I was just about recovering when I got a mental picture of Gushie, Doctor Beeks and Tina watching all this, and it set me off again.
When I'd finally dried the tears of laughter from my face and pulled myself together, I saw that Patti had stopped and Al was just standing there with his mouth in the kind of wavy line that it goes into whenever he's trying very hard to control his emotions. His eyes were twinkling brightly and he made a great show of punching the buttons on his Handlink. He coughed quite a bit, too.
"Gushie says that Ziggy is asking whether Doctor Sam Beckett is feeling all right now." I smiled ruefully, "Yes, I'm OK. And it's about 1963, right?" Al looked around him very carefully, "Well I don't know how you guessed that, but you're one year out, it's '62, Saturday June second, to be precise." For a moment I was tempted to break into a rendition of 'June is busting out all over', but I knew exactly what Al would make of that.

I squatted down to talk with Patti. "Look, I'm sorry about this, Patti. I was sent here for a reason; I'm not sure what it was, yet, but when it's over, Al and I will disappear and Uncle Evan will come back. I promise." (I hope). "Al's a sort of.....naughty angel" (Al snorted loudly). "Anyway, he's invisible to everyone except us, OK.?" He certainly wasn't fit to be seen in Sixties Britain. At that moment, the door of a house just up the street opened and a woman stepped half- way out. Her hair was several shades lighter than Patti's, but there was no mistaking the family resemblance.
"That's Patti's mother," Al supplied helpfully, if a little unnecessarily, "Her name is Bethan, Bethan Jones, but Evan...you...call her....Beth. Not too often when I'm around, please, Sam." I could see the thinly veiled pain in his eyes and I just nodded. As we got closer, I could see Bethan's eyes were blue like her daughter's. I must find out soon if I took after the rest of the family. Knowing what other people see can be very important, especially if the one they see has another colour skin, or is female, or both. At least that wasn't going to happen in this case.

I followed Bethan into the house and helped her put away Patti's tricycle.
"I don't know which one of you is worse, Evan Evans; you or that child!" she was scolding, but her voice held a great deal of affection and humour, "I sometimes wonder if you are ever going to grow up." She had a lovely full Welsh accent. I just hoped I'd never have to try to imitate it. "You're all covered in dust from the pavement, you'd better have a wash and brush up before dinner." But I hadn't been on the road, had I?, and anyway, on closer inspection, the marks had been made by my initial fall on the sidewalk. Then I remembered; there was a whole different vocabulary at work here. Somebody once said that the Americans and the Brits were two nations divided by a single language. I was beginning to see what they meant.

I dived upstairs, with Al floating gracefully beside me all the way. I couldn't for the moment remember the logistics that helped him move like that, but the effect was almost ghostly. I managed to find the bathroom at the top of the stairs, it had frosted glass set in the door. There was a casement window surrounded by violent green and yellow curtains. Victorian red brick housing meets the swinging Sixties. It looked like the Sixties were winning at the moment. Luckily the bathroom suite was plain white. I took a good look in the mirrored cabinet over the wash-basin. Evan was a few inches smaller than me and a good deal thinner. He had a very full head of dark brown, almost black hair and blue eyes just like his sister and niece, plus what would later be described as 'designer stubble'.
"My goodness, Al," I expostulated, "I could pass for Heathcliffe's younger brother." Al 'hmphed', "You think you've got problems; Evan's already taught Ziggy several interesting phrases in Welsh and when Dr Beeks sedated him, he started singing Rugby songs. You're gonna have to wash your mouth out with soap when you get back! Mind you, I've learned a whole new set of words I didn't know before!" He made some expansive and enthusiastic waves in the air with his hands.

I know it must be different from Al's point of view, but I'd spent quite enough time here in the dark.
"What does Ziggy say that I'm here for, Al?" Al obligingly punched his Handlink a few times. "Looks like you're here to save someone's life; and no, Ziggy doesn't know whose yet. She's still trying to interface with the Cardiff network and pick up Welsh at the same time. I really can't help you any more than that at the moment. I'll get back and see how Ziggy's getting on." His eyes gleamed, "I ought to see whether she's got all those rugby songs taped yet." I lunged towards him, but I knew it would do no good. Al had his dramatic exits down to a fine art, and he knew I couldn't touch him. He was piling up a monstrous amount of personal apologies for when I got back home. I continued giving myself a wash and brush-up and went back downstairs to dinner. I heard a man's voice in the kitchen alongside Bethany's and Patti's, so I cautiously went to investigate.

The man stood close to Bethan at the stove. He had receding curly red hair, a very stocky build, like a bass/baritone or perhaps a smallish quarter-back. Except that this man was virtually guaranteed to be a Rugby player, so I had no idea what position he might play. Al, where are you? I might need an idiot's guide to Rugby, preferably within the next few minutes.
"Shw mae, Evan, it's good to see you again." He came over and shook my hand enthusiastically. I took an educated guess that this was Patti's father. "Er,...hi," I managed. There was no way I was going to attempt what he'd just said. Luckily he accepted my greeting and we all sat down to 'dinner', though I'd have been more at home if they'd called it 'lunch'. Over the meal I found out that Patti's father was called either Di or Dewi, he seemed happy to answer to either from Bethan. I settled for listening to domesticity in action. It was warm and homely, and reminded me of similar meals taken round the farmhouse table in Elk Ridge. The food offered would have been different in some respects, but the feeling of
'family' was just the same. I hope I will be able to feel just as welcome if I end up in India or China some day.

After the meal, I assisted Patti in helping dry the dishes. I managed to pass her the least breakable things, then when she ran outside to play, I surreptitiously checked everything she'd done. I was invited to sit down in the lounge for a while, and immediately saw why Patti had compared Al with the 'sofa', or rather, couch. It was covered in material that, although not shiny, was a mirror image of the pattern on Al's suit. I chuckled and deliberately went and sat on it. Opposite the couch was a wonderful old phonogram with a radio that had all sorts of exotic sounding stations like 'Hilversum' that one could tune into. I opened the lid and found that the mono record deck had four speeds, rather than the usual two. I wondered briefly what Di or Bethan would say if I described the enormous strides forward that the music industry would take in the next thirty-odd years.

I browsed through the Jones' record collection, which was mainly 78's, a few singles and mono L.P.s. I found a sound-track 78 from 'Pinnochio' and put it on. The wonderfully scratchy strains of 'Give a little whistle' came seeping out of the speaker. I smiled; perhaps I was like Pinnochio, travelling through the world to earn my humanity. Mind you, that would make Al my conscience, and anyone less like a conscience would be difficult to find! He'd enjoy wearing the 'Conscience' badge just to annoy me as well. I turned the record over, it had 'When you wish upon a Star.' on the other side. There's something about that song that always gets to me; especially now, so far from home. At the end, I put the record back in the sleeve and sat on the floor.
"I wish I could go home, please," I whispered. A little girl's voice interrupted my brief reverie.
"Are you feeling sad?" It was Patti, the concern in her big blue eyes almost palpable.
"Yes, I guess so, a little bit. I've been away from home for a long time. Let me tell you a story." We sat together on the couch and I told her everything I could remember about a certain Sam Beckett and his wonderful machine. I hoped she was young enough to forget anything that might cause problems back here in '62. After I'd finished she thanked me and ran back out to play. I envied her the resilience of youth.

When she'd gone, Al turned back up again at last. He'd changed into a copper-coloured jacket and dark blue pants, but the look on his face when he saw the couch was a picture. For the umpteenth time I wished I had a camera that could capture him on film. Maybe Ziggy was storing everything in her vast memory.
"Hi, Sam. Ziggy's managed to confirm that you're here to save Patti's life and maybe somebody else's too. Ziggy's having real trouble pinning down the identity of the second person, but she's adamant that you must save Patti's life in the next twenty-four hours. All you have to do is stick to her like glue, save her, and you're outta here. Guaranteed." I nodded, "OK., Al; though knowing what I've got to save her from would be a big help. And knowing who the second person is. Hey, I was looking through the records in there a moment ago, but I didn't see any Beatles records." Al shook his head slowly, "Sorry, Sam; your Swiss Cheesed memory must be giving out on you. The Beatles don't release their first record till later this year." I smiled inspite of myself, "That would be something wouldn't it? To see it through right from the very beginning!" A sudden thought struck me, "Hey, Al; maybe that's it! Maybe I'm here to save John's life, too. I could write or phone him, warn him about what's going to happen." Al pressed his lips together, "Hmm. It's a bit of a long shot, Sam; but I'll run it through Ziggy. In the mean time, keep your eyes on Patti." He disappeared back into the Imaging Chamber. I got up and went in search of Patti.

When I walked into the kitchen, Patti was there with her parents. She and her mother were wearing identically styled white cardigans.
"Are you coming with us to the Church tea?" asked Patti. From the looks on her parents' faces, they were trying to hide disbelief that I would want to attend.
"Yeah, I guess so; it could be fun." Bethan shook her head, "I don't know, Evan. I swear those American comics you read are affecting you more and more. You're even starting to sound American now." If only she knew! - but at least I had a reason for lapsing from the vernacular. I followed them out of the front door and down to the end of the street. The weather was a good deal warmer, it was going to be a lovely afternoon. Patti came back and held my hand. From time to time I was conscious of her looking at me sideways. We got to the junction and turned left. Just round the corner there was a bright yellow car parked by the curb. I looked at the back; it was a Hillman Sunbeam, which considering it's colour was a bit of an obvious joke. Next in line was a classic Mini, then a brand new Daimler. Wow, if I could leap that little lot into 1999 in their current condition, I could make a mint. Though their current owners wouldn't be too happy about it.

We carried on walking along the road, which was lined with trees on the opposite side. The houses on this side were either red brick or covered with something that looked like thick whitewash. They all emanated a strong feeling of solid age. We reached a wider cross-roads without a crossing zone on any of the junctions. I had a bit of a shock when I saw a car approaching on what was, for me, the wrong side of the road. I instinctively started backwards, but caught myself about half-way through the manoeuvre when I remembered where I was. Luckily I had not pulled Patti over. If I carried on like this, she'd have to be protected from me. I pulled myself together severely. Fortunately both Bethan and Di were concentrating on the traffic. Patti pulled my hand.
"It's look right, look left, look right again, Sam...er..Uncle Evan." she supplied helpfully.
"Where did you learn that? Kindergarten?" She giggled, "No, silly; the Tufty Club!" (Oh, boy. Where's Al's travelling translation service?). To my amazement we managed to cross the road safely and carry on down a very narrow road with a high wall on the left side and a solid row of small houses on the other side. Goodness knows how you'd get opposing lines of traffic down it; trucks would be right out.

We emerged from the road after a couple of minutes and I was treated to a view of the classic village green, complete with pigeons, grass and a war memorial. "It's like something out of Dickens!" I exclaimed.
"I don't think Mr Dickens ever came to Llandaff," observed Di a little dryly. He pronounced it with the same strange slushy sort of noise that Patti had made for Macynlleth this morning. He carried on, unaware of the struggle my brain was having in trying to figure out how he did it.
"Bethan and I have to drop into the Cathedral before going on to the tea party. Do you mind coming with us and keeping an eye on Patti?" A Cathedral? I couldn't see one yet. Then we passed some ruins and the war memorial and there it was, below us at the bottom of a steep path.

The tall steeple reminded me of pictures I'd seen of Salisbury Cathedral, but there was a square tower as well. It was certainly very beautiful. The great west doors looked big enough to accommodate a giant, but there was a smaller rectangular door set into the right-hand one that was just right for ordinary mortals. Bethan and Di went ahead into comparative darkness, but Patti stopped me as we got closer.
"You don't know how to say an 'll', do you?" she enquired. I shook my head and hunkered down to her level. "It's easy, you just put your tongue up behind your top teeth and it comes out." Patti did the noise several times, then I tried. I think the words 'dismal' and 'failure' come to mind; I'll never make a Welshman. Patti's young butterfly mind slid mercifully onto a new topic.
"Have you seen the inside of our Cathedral?" I don't know about Evan, but I knew I hadn't, so I shook my head. Her eyes grew wide and sparkling, "Just wait till you see the Epstein 'Majestus'. It's wonderful! Step inside the door, mind the steps and look up." I was about to comply when Al popped up out of the stonework to my left. I jumped slightly, "I do wish you wouldn't do that, Al."
"Sorry, Sam. It's not as if I can warn you that I'm about to appear. Ziggy says there's a 89.9% chance that you must do what you came to do in the next two hours." He spoke deliberately, with heavy emphasis on the crucial words. I nodded my head in understanding, then continued through the door into the Cathedral. I walked down the first three steps, stopped on a wider fourth step and looked up, just as Patti had instructed. I think I gasped, and I heard Al whisper reverently, "Oh, my God..." It was a magnificent sight.

There, soaring up over the centre of the nave was probably one of the greatest jewels of modern religious sculpture. Four curving legs of stone held up a mighty cylinder of the same, in the face of which were niches holding golden figures of angels and bishops. But what held the eyes the most, compelling the gaze of any on-looker, was the truly majestic grey metallic figure of Christ, captured in the instant of either transfiguration or ascension. Al finally bent his head and made enquiries of the hand-link.
"That's the Epstein 'Majestus' that Patti was talking about," he whispered, "It was put here as part of the restoration work after the church was bombed during the War. Epstein also made the figure of St. Michael and the Devil for Coventry Cathedral." Al's voice had taken on that awed whisper that many people feel compelled to use in holy places.
"Do you like it?" It was Patti, tugging my hand.
"Yes," I admitted, "It's incredible."
Patti took me with her on a guided tour of the Cathedral, Al helpfully filling in the missing details where necessary, but nothing compared to the monolith in the nave. Al got me on my own in the Lady Chapel; Patti was busy identifying the flowers which decorated the east wall behind the altar.
"By the way, I've checked your hypothesis about John; I'm sorry Sam, we've tried every scenario, but they all pan out the same. I wish we could save him too, but Ziggy insists that history can't be changed; not this time anyway." I nodded slowly with regret. By this time Patti had finished and wanted to find her parents; so we rejoined Bethan and Di, who led the way out by a door in the south wall, through the churchyard and on to the tea party.

Just past the churchyard wall was a small road which had two houses facing the church. Balloons were tied up outside the left-hand one, and as we got closer I could hear music and excited conversation drifting out of the open front door. No guesses as to which house was in party mood. The tea party was very informal, but perhaps I was helped by Patti dragging me from room to room until we found the food and a tiny portable record player.
"Christine's got some great records," Patti enthused, "she lets me play them sometimes." I dutifully squatted down and flicked through yet another record collection. Lots of Pat Boone, big band music and even a couple of Elvis discs. At the back was the 'children's section'; Winnie the Pooh, Toytown, the Teddy Bears' Picnic and Danny Kaye's version of
'Tubby the Tuba'. I turned to Patti.
"Just you wait till you have kids, Patti. There's going to be a great version of this by Robin Williams in 1995." The words were out before I could stop myself.
"Robin Williams?" Patti inquired, "Is he Welsh?" I guffawed.
"No, bless you, Patti, he's not Welsh; but I daresay he could do the accent standing on his head." At least I managed better than Al, who was alternately coughing and wheezing with suppressed laughter over his Handlink.

I managed not to catch Al's eye as Patti dragged me towards the food table. There was a good selection of all kinds of stuff; potato chips, sandwiches, sausage rolls and things on cocktail sticks as well as cake and some sliced cake that had been buttered.
"What's that?" I whispered in Al's direction, but he didn't seem to be able to respond to me yet.
"That's bara brith, silly," Patti informed me. Well that was helpful, but at least it looked and smelt a lot more appetising than chitterlings. I picked one slice up and tried a small bite. Ohhh, heaven! It was a sort of cake, I think, but packed with fruit and spices. My taste buds went into severe pleasure overload. While my brain was still working, I put half a dozen more slices on a clean plate; purely for scientific conformation, you understand.

"Saaam!" Al whispered urgently, "You gotta look at this!" I turned around carefully on the balls of my feet, expecting the worst. I should have known better. Across the room was a strawberry blonde with her back to me, who now had Al making a detailed survey of her charms.
"Hey, Sam; she's gorgeous; just wait till you get a look at her from the front. She's got curves that'd make a monk look twice." He lay down on the floor, "She's wearing stockings too." I gritted my teeth, "Al, you're setting a bad example to Patti." I said it just loud enough for him to hear me. He jumped up guiltily, passing through several of the guests, including the blonde. Patti gasped in wonder and clapped her hands.
"How does he do that? I wish I could do it." She jumped up and down enthusiastically. Then the blonde turned around to see where the noise was coming from. She certainly was stunning, I have to give Al credit for that. Green eyes, clear complexion and curves that must have been poured into the summer dress she was wearing. I blinked as she smiled; either my hormones or Evan's were working overtime.

"This babe is Christine's cousin Myfanwy," Al supplied helpfully, "Apparently you went to school together and you last saw her six years ago when she was......16. According to Ziggy she was a scrawny kid with pigtails at the time. Boy, has she blossomed since then; and in all the right places too!" Myfanwy moved closer and I took her hand while Al continued, "Oh-oh; she's been having problems with her professor; you know, the usual sort, 'Sleep with me and improve your grades'. Slimeball! She wrote you in desperation some time ago and you've been giving her moral support." I picked up on the last suggestion. "Myfanwy, do you need more help with your problem?" I said softly. She nodded and added, "Can we go somewhere more....private?" I turned to Patti, but she had already run off into the corner and was busy talking to another little girl of her own age.
"Patti will be all right here with Christine for a bit; look, Aunt Susan is just a few feet away." I looked and saw a lady who was indeed standing close by. "That's Christine's mother," Al added helpfully. That clinched it. I offered my arm to Myfanwy and let her lead me outside into the garden.

Almost as soon as we got outside she collapsed into tears. I held her till they passed, then found a handkerchief in Evan's trouser pocket to help dry her tears. Suddenly Myfanwy looked a lot more like a younger sister than an object of desire. I glanced back at the house, but nobody had followed us. One of the windows upstairs was a floor-to- ceiling glazed double door with a small balcony looking out onto the garden. I turned back to Myfanwy as Al arrived beside me.

Myfanwy pulled herself together well. I felt it had taken a lot of courage on her part to trust me with her tears.
"Thank-you, Evan; you're one of the few people who will understand. You know how clumsy and shy I was as a kid and the difficulties I had because I was a 'swot' at school." I know I had some teasing in the late Sixties, but even then it was easier for boys. Myfanwy continued, "I know you pulled my pigtails too, but you used to walk home with me and you really listened to me. You used to get teased because you wanted to be an artist. I didn't even get kissed until I went to University, and then suddenly I became far too visible and all the boys wanted was to get inside my knickers. Then my History lecturer said he could arrange for me to get a first if I slept with him. I've come home for the weekend, but I don't know if I've got the strength to go on."

If only I could tell her that I understood completely; I had suffered sexual harassment as a woman myself.
"You've got to report him, Myfanwy. If he thinks he can get away with it, he'll try again with someone weaker than you are. Anyway, you're clever; you will probably get a first anyway." Myfanwy smiled, "Thank-you, Evan; but I don't know if I can do it on my own." Al chimed in "Tell her you'll go too, provide moral support." I did so, not knowing if Evan's schedule could stretch to it, but hoping that it could. Myfanwy beamed, "Thank-you so much, Evan," then she threw her arms round me and kissed me. I'm not made of stone, so I started to kiss her back before my common-sense prevailed and I pulled away.
"I'm sorry, Myfanwy. You'll think I'm just another of those creeps who's after your body." Al chipped in with an unrepeatable remark, then his Handlink squealed at him.
"That's the second life you had to save, Sam! In the original history, Evan got overwhelmed and succumbed to temptation, Myfanwy thought all men were creeps and took an overdose. Now you've made it possible for her to build up a relationship of trust with Evan and beat the nozzle too." Myfanwy started to giggle unexpectedly, "I'm sorry, Evan; kissing you is just like kissing my big brother."
"That's done it, Sam. Evan's pride has just taken a severe knock that is finally overcome when Myfanwy graduates. Then they both realise what they've been denying to themselves all the time and get hitched. They end up working for an auction house together," Al beamed all over his face, "I'm a sucker for happy endings."

I was almost expecting to leap when there was a horrendous crash from the direction of the house. Somebody screamed. There, framed in the broken glass of one of the big windows was Patti. I saw jagged edges and blood, so I ran into the house. Al was right in front of me.
"Quick, this way, Sam." I took the stairs two at a time. Patti was standing on the carpet, her face as white as a sheet.
"I can't move my right arm," she said, almost conversationally. I realised that shock must have set in. I picked her up and carried her downstairs, following Al to the kitchen. I found some clean tea cloths in a drawer and put Patti up on the sink to administer first aid. Both her legs had been cut, so I wrapped them first. There was a tiny scratch on her ear and a slightly bigger wound on her forehead, neither of which needed much attention. Then I saw Patti's arm and the room spun slightly as I curbed my emotions from showing. Al had already turned green, but when he saw what the glass had done, he went white and disappeared. What looked like a big lump was hanging off Patti's arm like a piece of raw meat. I swallowed hard and carefully wrapped tea clothed round it, binding it back on her arm. There seemed to be altogether too much blood around. Dewi, Bethan and Susan rushed in.
"Patti's going to be all right," I assured them, "But she needs to get to a hospital."
"I'm so sorry," cried Susan, "I only turned my back for ten seconds and she'd vanished." I noticed Christine huddled up under her mother's left arm. She had tears silently coursing down her face.
"I only meant to go in Mummy and Daddy's bedroom for a minute." I put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"It's not your fault, Christine. I bet the glass had something wrong with it, otherwise it wouldn't have broken so easily." I said the last bit for Christine's parents as much as for her.
There followed several minutes flat panic, at the end of which I found myself bundled into the back of a strange car with Bethan, Dewi and Patti, who was holding me tightly with her good left hand. A man who I understood to be Christine's father took the wheel. We drove to the hospital at a breakneck speed and I ran inside carrying Patti. In less time than it takes to tell, she was whisked out of my arms and I sat down with Bethan, Dewi and Christine's father, whose name was apparently John. Then the long waiting began. John and Dewi took it in turns to pace the floor.
After about two hours, the doctor came back, leading Patti by the left hand. Bethan ran and took her into her arms, silent tears coursing down her cheeks. "Patti's going to be fine. We've sewn up the wounds on her arm and legs. There's a special bandage on her right arm which will help the wound there to knit properly. She didn't lose very much blood, due to the excellent first aid of her uncle and the fact that you got her here so quickly. I suggest that the best treatment is to go home to her own bed and bring her back in the morning. If you have any worries, or any other symptoms manifest themselves, then please bring her back again sooner." He smiled reassuringly at all of us. I looked at him very closely to see if he might be hiding something from us, but his face was honest and open.

So John drove us back to Patti's home. On the way Dewi offered to pay for the damage. John said something in Welsh that obviously meant something like 'Forget it'. Bethan smiled and thanked him for all his help. To our amazement, Patti ate a hearty supper before going to bed. I helped as much as I could; I could see delayed shock in both their faces. After both Bethan and Dewi were seated in their front room, I used a trip to the bathroom as an excuse to visit Patti. She was still awake and the colour had come back to her cheeks.
"Thank-you for helping me today, Uncle Evan....sorry, Sam," she said. At that moment Al returned. He had changed his clothes again, this time for a jog suit in shades of pale green and blue. It looked so casual for him that my eyes boggled.
"Hi, Sam. I'm sorry I took so long, but there were mitigating circumstances." He looked so uncomfortable, I decided to have my own back.
"Admit it, Al, you barfed." He hesitated, then nodded, "You know I'm no good around yukky stuff, Sam."
"You mean Al threw up?" I nodded.
"Poor Al. It's all better now, look." She showed him her bandage. I swear Al began to go a little green around the gills again. Patti continued, "I'm not going to forget either of you, ever; Sam and Al. One day I'm going to help you back if I can." I turned to smile indulgently at Patti, she smiled back and I leaped.

I found myself surrounded by people inside a building. The volume of numbers kept me from falling. I took a quick look around. Everyone was dressed smartly, including me. Black bow tie and tux by the look of it. Well, if I wasn't a transvestite, I was a man again. And no flares, so that ruled out the worse excesses of the Seventies. There was a letter in my hand. I took it out and began to read, then nearly dropped it in shock. It was addressed to Doctor Samuel Beckett! Could I be....home? But this was definitely not project Quantum leap. And I would stake money on it not being the Nineties either; it just didn't have the right 'feel'. I managed to fight my way across to the men's room, discovering in the process that I was in the bar of a theatre and it was interval time. At last I made it and approached the cloakroom mirror with trembling hands.

It was my own face! But I was a younger man than I thought I remembered. And I know there used to be a streak of silver in my hair.....but not until the Project days. So, at a guess I was between twenty five and forty. And I had heard American accents out there in the bar, so I was very nearly home. I touched the glass with my left hand. 'It's really me....I can stay where I am for about fifteen years and I'll finally be able to go home.' I decided to read the letter; it was my only clue till Al showed up.

'Dear Doctor Samuel Beckett, I have been following your work in experimental physics for some time. I read with interest your most recent article in the 'New Scientist' and would welcome the opportunity of discussing it at greater length. I am performing in an off-Broadway recital this Easter Saturday, so in the hope that your taste in classical music will be similar to my own, I am sending you two complimentary tickets. Please join me and the other musicians for supper after the show.
Yours sincerely,' followed by an indecipherable signature, but the notepaper was mildly scented, which at least suggested a lady. I looked back at the date; it was February 3rd 1980. Well that made me twenty six, going on seven. I couldn't remember for sure if I had been in New York in 1980 originally. Until Al showed up, I would have to assume that I had. I found my ticket stub in my jacket pocket and negotiated my way back to my seat. The seat on my left remained unoccupied, so I surmised that I had not been able to find a companion to join me. That was hardly surprising, since from my university days until 'Starbright' I had been busy amassing doctorates to the exclusion of all else.

The second half of the concert began with a selection of popular arias from a tenor and bass/baritone, ending in the well-known duet from 'The Pearl Fishers', which earned loud applause. Then a trumpeter, a violinist, an oboist and a recorder player performed two movements from the second 'Brandenburg' concerto. They were followed by a group of ballet dancers, who did something more modern in style. Lastly a lady came on stage and began to sing. She was dressed in a long royal blue gown and had a lovely mezzo-soprano voice; I was a little too far back to make out the details of her face, which was framed with dark brown hair. She sang a beautiful rendition of 'Wir Wandelten' by Brahms,(which could almost have been written for the relationship between Al and myself), a daring modern piece by Betty Roe and 'Non so piu' from 'Figaro', which was greeted with such enthusiasm that she pulled an encore out of the hat. As soon as the music started, I knew I was lost. It was Rusalka's 'Hymn to the moon', which has held a special place in my heart for a long time;

'Tell him, oh tell him, my silver moon,
Mine are the arms that shall hold him,
That between waking and sleeping, he may
Think of the love that enfolds him....'

The lady sang it faultlessly, her voice teasing out the longing in the piece, soaring up to the top note at the end like a lark. I put my hand to my face and felt tears that I hadn't been conscious of shedding. I guess I knew right then that it was this unknown lady who had sent me the tickets and that I had to meet her.

I passed the rest of the concert in a daze, then found my way somehow around to the stage door after the rapturous applause at the end. The man on the door seemed to know I was expected and let me through. I walked down the corridors, hoping to see Al, or some clue as to where I was meant to be going. Then a door to my right swung open and there stood my mystery mezzo-soprano. There was something vaguely familiar about her, which I couldn't at first identify.
"Good evening, Doctor Beckett," she said, "Please come in, have a drink of something and tell me how you liked the performance." It was the merest trace of a lilt on the last word that did it.
"Patti?" I enquired, before I had time to think. She took a step backwards,
"You know who I am? I know you, but there's no way you could tell who I am......unless...."
"Unless I was already travelling in time," I supplied, then added, "How's your arm, Patti?" Patti took another step back and held out her right hand, which was shaking. I examined the scar, then on an impulse, bent down and kissed it. I heard Patti's sharp intake of breath.
"You're really real. I always remembered you, then when I saw your picture in 'New Scientist' alongside articles in experimental physics and time travel, I took a wild guess that I really met you when I was four years old. It was like a dream or something out of 'Doctor Who'. I'm glad I was right."

I smiled, "You were right, Patti. You have a lovely voice." I looked into her eyes. They seemed to be more blue than ever against her skin and the darkness of her hair. Patti had turned into a lovely young woman. I did a swift mental calculation, realising that there was a lot more than simple math going on. I was attracted to her like iron filings to a magnet or a moth to a flame. In 1980 I was a free agent and so was Patti. She smiled and I felt the strong pull towards her again, but I hardly knew where to start.
"This is crazy," I said, "We hardly know each other and yet..." Patti's eyes grew wider.
"I know," she whispered, "I feel it too." I felt my hand trembling as I touched her cheek and we drew together. She moulded to me as if she had been designed to be there. I only had to bend my head slightly to take her lips with mine. It was the longest, sweetest, most overwhelming kiss I can ever remember sharing. I had to try it all over again for a second time just to make sure I wasn't dreaming or imagining the things I was beginning to feel. I was just coming up for air for the third or fourth time when I heard a very loud discreet cough next to my left ear. I jumped slightly and looked towards the source of the disturbance. "Al!!" I gasped, inadvertently. Then I realised that Patti had said exactly the same thing and was looking right at him too.

There were several seconds' hiatus while we all looked at each other and confirmed that we could all see one another. Al punched his Handlink feverishly whilst talking.
"Hi, Sam; glad to see you again Patti. Ziggy's not sure why you can see me, Patti. At a guess, it's because you saw me before in '62. I'm not used to being seen, especially by attractive young women. I wish it could happen more often!" Patti stretched out her left hand and proved to herself that Al was still untouchable.
"How do you appear like that? You must be a real person, but I don't understand why you're not here, like Sam." Al started to explain about neurological holograms, but I cut him short.

"Look, Al; could you just let me know who I'm here for, apart from Patti," I paused and we exchanged a glance that warmed me right down to my toes, "and then let us...um....carry on our....discussion." Al's Handlink squeaked violently and his mouth went into a very firm and serious line.
"There's a big no-no from Ziggy on any further 'discussion' as you so delicately put it; 95% certainty." He shuffled uncomfortably.
"But that's crazy, Al. I know what I'm starting to feel, and it's got 'always' and 'forever' wrapped up in it." I looked at Patti, who simply glowed with returned emotion.

Al punched his Handlink several more times.
"Ziggy says that if you stay here, you will marry Patti very soon, develop 'Starbright', have twin boys in 1985 named Thomas and Albert....oh, Sam!, develop 'Quantum Leap' and, after leaping around for an indeterminate number of years, come safely back to the bosom of your family and live happily with Patti to a ripe old age."
"But that sounds fine to me, in fact it sounds positively idyllic. I'll put myself and Patti down for that future right now." Al looked up with pain in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Sam, it just can't be like that," his face struggling with some hidden secret. I began to get slightly angry.
"If my whole future is at stake, then you've got to tell me. I....we....have a right to know." Al paused silently, obviously still torn in two directions. He looked at Patti first.
"I'm sorry, kid. You're gorgeous, and you could be so good for Sam. The last thing I want to do is hurt you," then he turned to me, "Somebody once told you that they'd play Rusalka's 'Hymn to the Moon' every night that you were away." He waited to see if my Swiss- Cheesed brain would let me remember.

Then an image appeared in my mind; dark hair, a sweet perfume and a low woman's voice repeating Al's words in my mind. For a split second I saw her face and Patti's side by side.
"Ohmygod....Donna," I breathed, "I loved her or, rather, I'm going to love her, in just the same way; an instant certainty that overwhelmed me." I looked into Patti's eyes, "How can I chose between you? I know that I love you right now." Patti's eyes filled with unshed tears.
"And I'm falling in love with you, but I can see you're confusing me with Donna. I sang her song after all, didn't I? If your future is meant to be with her, then I have to tell you to go." Her mouth twisted strangely. I struggled with the two futures in my mind, the one I had learnt from Al, and the other, here in Patti's arms. I took Patti's face gently between my hands, then kissed her again. If anything, it surpassed all the other kisses because it was bitter-sweet.
"You know that, if I could, I'd stay here; but Al is my only link with my true reality. I've had to gamble my very life over and over on his advice. I can't just throw it away."

Patti looked for a long silent moment into my eyes, then her chin and mouth hardened slightly.
"Very well, Sam," she said and suddenly began screaming. I jumped back as two burly security men burst into the room and began dragging me outside.
"He tried to get fresh with me," Patti said. Then I realised what she was doing and managed to give her one last smile, putting in all the love, encouragement and pride that I could. Al meanwhile stabbed furiously at his hand-link, then turned to Patti.
"I shan't forget what you did today, Patti. Ziggy says there's a better than 90% chance you find someone else, eventually. I wish you all the luck in the world." His voice was full of admiration and sympathy. Then I leaped.

I found myself standing outside a block of anonymous tenement flats in the pouring rain. Al turned up almost immediately.
"Don't worry about Patti," he said with the next breath, "She got married to a cellist in 1985. They've got two children; a girl called Mary and a boy called Evan Samuel.... What d'you make of that?" I shook my head slowly.
"I'm sorry Al. I don't think I remember anyone by those names." Al's eyes seemed to mist over slightly.
"Well all I can say is, 'Thank God for Swiss-Cheesed memories', Sam. You'll never know what you've lost."

GIRL TALK

Author's notes: This all started from one basic irresistible idea: - How Al would cope with being a woman, as a Leaper. And then the story took on a life of it's own....!!

NEW MEXICO, 2000 A.D.

Al paced up and down restlessly in his office.
"Dammit, Ziggy! You say that Sam hasn't leaped, that he's probably dead, but history has just changed again! Could it be the evil Leapers up to their old tricks again?"
"NEGATIVE, ADMIRAL CALAVICCI. MY FATHER IS PROBABLY OUT THERE, BUT I CANNOT TRACE HIM." Al sighed deeply and ran his hands through his hair.
"It's just been one darned thing after another in the last year or so. I'm tired and cranky, Ziggy. I think I'm finally getting old."
"NO, ADMIRAL. WE ALL GRIEVED WHEN I HAD TO DECLARE MY FATHER DEAD. I MOURNED WHEN DOCTOR ELEESE GAVE UP HOPE AND WENT AWAY. I TRIED TO UNDERSTAND WHEN GRIEF AND OVERWORK SHATTERED YOUR FRAGILE MARRIAGE. IF THERE WAS NEW HOPE, WE WOULD FIND HEALING......JUST A MOMENT. I HAVE SOMETHING. I THINK YOU OUGHT TO COME TO THE CONTROL ROOM." Al almost raced out of his office and stood in the empty, darkened room.

Little bursts of light scurried across Ziggy's mainframe and colour began to flood her control panel for the first time in over a year.
"I'll summon somebody."
"NEGATIVE, ADMIRAL. MY FATHER NEEDS HELP RIGHT AWAY." Ziggy lowered the glowing ball that looked like a disco ornament and projected a scene on the wall. Sam was lying in a cardboard box on a sidewalk. Snow was falling and his lips and hands were blue with cold. He looked like he hadn't eaten or shaved in at least a month.
"Oh, dear God! What can we do?" Al picked up his Handlink.
"THAT WON'T BE ENOUGH. YOU NEED TO TOUCH HIM, THEN HE'LL LEAP OUT OF THERE." Al froze as he took in the implications.
"I've gotta leap after him, haven't I?"
"YES, ADMIRAL. WEAR THE NEW RETRIEVAL DEVICE WITH THE FERMI SUIT. IT SHOULD BRING YOU AND MY FATHER BACK HOME." Al nodded stiffly then went and changed in double-quick time.
"Ziggy, if this doesn't work....tell the girls I love them and Beth...tell her I'm sorry I wasn't able....that I couldn't...." Al swore softly, "Look, she knows exactly how the grief and over-work has affected me."
"I UNDERSTAND, BUT IT WASN'T ONLY THAT. YOU TOLD ME YOURSELF THAT THE MARRIAGE WAS VIRTUALLY OVER IN ANY CASE." Al sighed.
"Yes, you're right. Let's get Sam home, Ziggy." Al clipped the new retrieval device around his waist and stepped into the accelerating chamber.
"I hope this doesn't hurt too much."
"IT WON'T. MY FATHER EXPERIENCED SOME PLEASURE. REMEMBER YOU'LL BE IN THE PAST AS YOURSELF, ALBEIT BRIEFLY. BE CAREFUL."
"I will." Al closed his eyes, "I haven't felt pleasure in a long time..." A surge of adrenaline raced through Al's body and the blue-white of the leap took him away.
"Wow!" Al whispered, as reality settled back around him, "If it's that nice for someone who's been impotent for the last year, it must be incredible for anyone else," A slow smile spread over his face, "Sam Beckett, you must have a secret kinky streak buried in that absurdly moral fibre of yours. No wonder you used to smile sometimes when you felt the leap on its way." Al looked around and saw Sam a little way away. He hurried over and touched Sam's hand.
"Oh, Sam! Hang on, I'm here at last." Sam's eyes fluttered open.
"Al?" His voice was faint and hoarse.
"We're going home, kid." Al crouched down and wrapped his arms around Sam, "Okay, Ziggy. Anytime now would be just fine." A second leap engulfed both men and took them away.

Al found himself sitting on a strange couch with Sam still in his arms. He looked down in concern, but Sam's colour was completely healthy and the stubble had gone. Sam opened his eyes properly.
"Al, you saved me!" They hugged delightedly, then Sam pulled away, puzzled, "Al, why are you wearing perfume and earrings....or should I not ask?" Al blinked, then looked down at himself. He was wearing a clearly feminine navy jacket, blouse and skirt, complete with hose and high heels. His eyebrows raised incredulously.
"Even I wouldn't have gone this far to please a woman....well, not unless she was wearing nothing but one of my jackets, a fedora and a smile. I think we just entered the Twilight Zone. Anyway, you're wearing women's clothes, too....though that's a pretty regular occurrence." Sam looked down at his similar green suit and sighed.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" A woman's voice came through the door.
"Melissa, Alexandra....now that you've had time to settle in, what are your impressions of the company?" Sam and Al turned together. The young woman who entered the room was about thirty and built, as Al might have put it, from the ground up. She wore a sober pin-striped jacket and pants, with a crisp white blouse underneath. Al's mouth fell open as he recognised her face, her voluptuously curved breasts and the unique natural shade of red-gold hair that framed her face. His libido woke up suddenly and fully with an intense jolt of desire and sheer lust.
"TINA!" He groaned inwardly with frustration as he realised the impossibility of his situation, "Ohhh, BOY!!"

Tina came over, her face full of concern and laid a slim hand on Al's arm. Al made an incoherent noise in his throat as she bent closer. He got a clear view down her slightly open crisp blouse to the upper curves of her full breasts and a lacy white bra.
'This is sheer unadulterated torture. What a damned inconvenient time to get my desires back....not that I'm complaining. I thought they'd gone for good.'
"Are you okay, Alexandra? You look distracted." Sam covered his mouth with his hand and coughed violently to cover his laughter.
"No, Alexandra's just fine," he managed eventually, "It's....woman trouble." Al turned and fixed Sam with a glare that could have re-started the great fire of Chicago. Tina put her hand on Al's shoulder.
"Do you need anything?" Al blinked several times and swallowed hard.
"YES! NO! No....I'll manage, thank-you."
"Okay." Tina moved over and sat behind the desk, "Now I want you to feel at home with the company, so if you have any problems, just bring them to me. This may be the Nineties, but there are still some men who treat women solely as sex objects. I've had to fight my way past men who seemed to be unable to take their eyes off my cleavage."
"It's the sexiest damned cleavage I've ever seen," Al muttered under his breath. Sam kicked him on the shin. Tina continued, oblivious to the undercurrents she was creating.

"You get any problems at all with sexual harassment and you bring them to me." Al's mouth acted independently of his brain.
"If any man so much as tries to touch me, he'll be picking his teeth off the floor!" Tina laughed delightedly.
"Attagirl! That's the attitude, but don't actually resort to physical violence, please." Al grinned and pushed his luck a little further.
"But what if we find someone we actually want to.....be with?"
"Make sure the guy cares about you, then try to be discreet. The chairman of the board gets really old fashioned when it comes to employees using the company facilities in an unorthodox manner. The last couple who decided to...um...have fun in the photocopying room had the prints of their escapade blown up to billboard size all over the office...then they were fired. And watch out at the Christmas party, please. If Denton Walsh plays Santa again, don't under any circumstances sit on his knee. The last two women who did had twins nine months later!" Al suddenly realised that Tina was teasing and he began to laugh, along with Sam.
"Well, if either of us has twins, it'll make headline news, believe me!" Sam nudged him again.
"Stop it, Al. She hasn't met us yet." Tina looked up.
"Oh...do you prefer being called Al?" Al smiled widely.
"Yes, Tina. I like you very much," Al received another painful dig from Sam, but continued, "You can call me Al."

Finally Sam and Al were dismissed. Sam rose, smoothing down his skirt and carefully adjusting his weight inside the green stiletto shoes on his feet. He wobbled for a moment, but he'd had practice at this before. Al didn't do so well. He stood up far too fast and came close to severely twisting his ankle, but Sam's hand was firm on his hand. Sam bent closer and whispered into Al's ear.
"Balance on the balls of you feet. I've got you." Several expressions passed across Al's face. Panic, frustration and disbelief were three of them. He managed to pull himself erect and tried to walk out of the office as though he'd done it a hundred times before. Tina's face was incredulous, her mouth dropped open. Her new colleague Alexandra was suddenly walking like a man. She shook her head and got back to her paperwork with a small frown making an indent in-between her red-gold eyebrows.

Sam looked about him and saw a fairly convenient ladies' room. He guided Al firmly towards it and barred the door once they were inside. Al kicked off the blue court shoes he was wearing and slumped against the wall for a moment before looking up at Sam.
"You leaped in to save my life, didn't you?" Al nodded. Sam held Al's shoulders, "I need an update, Al....but first....Oh, God, it's so good to see you!" He hugged Al again, his green eyes filling with sudden tears.
"Good to see you too, Sam. I used to enjoy getting inside women's clothes, if you catch my drift.....I never thought I'd have to wear the things!" Sam chuckled softly, then his expression became serious.

"It's been over a year since I last saw you. How did your marriage go?" Al shrugged.
"Great, at first. I know what you did for me, Sam. Ziggy basically showed me. Beth and I had thirty-nine years together....then we lost you. Ziggy showed me the old past....then everything went pear-shaped. I worked around the clock with her trying to find you, but the lock had gone. I got tired and irritable and my already fragile marriage hit the skids," Al looked up at Sam with tears threatening in his eyes, "We thought you were dead, Sam." Sam nodded slowly.
"Effectively, I was. I got sucked into limbo for a while. That's why Ziggy couldn't find me. I was existing somewhere else. When I came back into the world I had nothing but the clothes I stood up in. I've been existing on soup kitchens and hand-outs in cardboard city....I think it was Chicago. I'm not sure, I got pneumonia and my mind became more full of holes than usual. I was pretty close to the end when you rescued me; but I feel fine now. Who's looking after the project at home? What do we do about getting another hologram?" Someone banged on the door, so Sam's questions were temporarily cut short. Al made a face as he forced the stilettos back on his feet.


"Time to get back to work, I guess. I wonder what we do?" Sam looked at his reflection in the mirror, "Hey, nice going, Sam. Melissa's a stunner. Look at those incredible blue and violet eyes, the honey brown hair and that lush pair of..."
"AL! Stop it! Anyway, how about Alexandra?" Sam decided to give Al a taste of his own medicine, laying on the seductive voice for effect, "The mane of thick blonde hair and those huge.....hazel eyes." Al laughed.
"Okay, okay. She is quite a doll, though. If I hadn't already been completely smitten by Tina, I could go for a woman who looked like Alexandra...hey, maybe even both of them!" Sam shook his head as he opened the door.
"One of these days I'm going to put Bromide in your tea, I swear it." Al shrugged eloquently.
"I can't help it....I love women...plus I haven't come across the woman yet who could...er..completely keep up with my appetites, not even Beth; though she got pretty damn close. If HE put my dream woman my way, then I would be faithful." Sam gave Al a disbelieving look, but Al's eyes were serious and rather wistful,
"I mean it, Sam. I want to fall hopelessly in love again, with the woman of my dreams....I always have and I still do." Sam smiled softly.
"Then I hope you find her, Al."
"You too, Sam. I hope you have a beautiful and passionate woman to come home to one day." Sam ducked his head.
'So do I. All I've ever wished for is a woman with whom I could share everything and find that oneness that encompasses the mental and spiritual as well as the physical. Maybe when I get home, there will be someone.....there was, once....but it's all just beyond my reach.'

--------------------------------

STALLION'S GATE NEW MEXICO

The two women in the Waiting Room hugged each other.
"Are you scared, Alex?" The blonde woman trembled slightly.
"A bit. Do you think we've suddenly entered an episode of The Outer Limits, Mel?" Another woman opened the door of the sterile white room. The brunette and the blonde took one look at her.
"TINA! Ms O'Farrell! What's going on?" Tina stood, poised on the rim of the door, her mouth silently opening and closing. Certain events of ten years ago suddenly made perfect sense.
"Admiral Albert Calavicci, when you get home I am going to kill you!" she muttered, before managing a smile for her two friends,
"Alexandra, Melissa. It's good to see you....look, I'm sorry about all this, but let me try and explain....."

--------------------------------

MEANWHILE, BACK IN THE PAST

Sam and Al walked back down the corridor, trying to figure out where they were going and exactly what they were meant to be doing. Al wobbled on his heels a good deal more than Sam.
"This is where I could use you to help me, Al." Al shrugged and stumbled slightly.
"Sorry. The retrieval should have worked, Sam. I think we've got to muddle through on this one."
"Okay. No Gushie?" Al's eyes misted over slightly.
"Sorry, Sam. No Gushie - that's one of the things that went ca-ca." Sam spoke softly, already figuring out the worst.
"He's dead, isn't he?" Al nodded slowly and sighed.
"In my reality he was married to Tina.....and was involved in a fatal car accident on the way back from his mistress. I was already up to my ears in work, so 'Beena had to mop her up. Apparently he was dying from cancer and couldn't handle it. Doesn't really excuse him, but I think it helped ease the pain a little. I truly never really noticed Tina until now. And, boy am I noticing!" Sam smiled in spite of himself.
"Yeah, I could tell. If you know your other past, then you'll know that you and she were lovers." Al groaned.
"Shit! That's one thing my Swiss-Cheesed brain obviously forgot. How I could forget making love to a woman as hot as that is beyond me....but I've got nothing. Zip, zilch, zero." Suddenly his eyes were twinkling, "Well, I'll just have to go back to the beginning and make some new beautiful memories." Sam coughed pointedly.
"There's a slight problem with doing anything about Tina at the moment." Al looked down at his skirt and panti-hose and sighed deeply and regretfully.
"I know, Sam. But just wait till I get home!"

Sam stopped by an open office door. There were two name-plaques on the door. A. Sorridente and M. Maclean. Sam put two and two together.
"I think this is our office." Al looked at the door.
"'Smiling', eh? Probably had ancestors in the Commedia Dell'arte. And Melissa obviously comes from Bonnie Scotland." Sam sighed.
"Not everyone with a 'Mac' in front of their name is Scottish, Al." Al's eyes twinkled.
"I know, but it reminds me of this trip I made to Edinburgh once and this gorgeous Scottish lassie who....entertained me in the back of her shop after closing time on this huge pile of tartans." Sam sighed.
"Is there any nationality you haven't had?" Al deliberately paused and thought.
"Actually, as far as memory serves, I don't think I've ever got friendly with an Irish colleen...which given my Catholic background is a bit of a surprise. Of course, in a sense, I have, because there's Tina, but I don't remember and they're not my memories in any case."
Sam went over to the desk and started up the brand new computer which was there.
"Okaaaay. Let's see what we've got here. Ooooh, secret pass-worded stuff. No problem." Sam hacked away, happily humming to himself. Al knew enough to get his computer started up, but hit the same wall after only a few moves. He narrowed his eyes and tried to get a lay-out of the building they were in and a corporate name. The room became silent except for Sam's quiet humming and the sound of fingers on keyboards. Al was less computer-literate and gave up after a while and went to look out of the window.
"Hey! I know where we are, Sam!"
"Hmmmmm?" Sam was still intent on the screen in front of him. Al shook his head in amusement and began to mutter to himself.

"Typical Sam Beckett. Give him something he really enjoys doing and he gets stuck in with single-minded devotion above and beyond the call of duty. Pity he never seemed to feel that way about making love....at least not as far as I know. He could make the right woman incredibly happy if he tried," 'He made Donna happy for quite a while, but the cracks were already showing even when he came home for that one night. They loved each other deeply, but there was something missing somewhere. I don't know how he's going to take it when he finds out that she's got over her grief at his apparent death and re- married.'
"We're in silicon valley, Sam. Sun, sand and sex." 'If only!' The three-letter word caught Sam's attention and his brain back-tracked along part of what Al had said. His head came up from the screen and he turned towards Al.
"Silicon valley? That makes sense.....Tina seems to be about thirty or so. She'll have got her doctorate in computer technology.....there was this high- flying computer chip company she worked for back around 1990." Al grinned as memories in his own mind slotted into place.
"Yes, that's right. Greenbaum Technologies. They helped supply some of Ziggy's components later because of Tina's contacts in the firm. Maybe I should just phone PQL and get the younger me to come and examine Tina's software in person." Sam's green and hazel eyes widened in shock.
"Don't you dare! You have no idea what it'll do to the timelines! In any case, the younger you is still presumably happily married to Beth....I think." Al laughed heartily.
"Don't worry, Sam. I can wait. If Tina's half as good a lover as she looks, she'll be worth waiting for. Found anything useful yet?" Sam dutifully turned back to the computer screen.

"Some. I'm going to need some more hacking time to uncover everything. I've only been at it.... Oh, boy! Doesn't time fly by when you're absorbed in something? It's over three hours since I started! Anyway, Greenbaum seem to have the usual outlets; computer manufacturers and some defence work. They're working on the 'smart' chip that's going to be somewhat overtaken by Ziggy when she goes on line in just over four years. They have a healthy order book and the research department is therefore well funded. Our hostesses seem to have secure jobs and the pay-roll is suitably generous. I can't see anything at the moment that would seem to require our being here." Al wobbled over. "Maybe we're here to make sure that Tina and I get hot and heavy together." Sam shook his head.
"I'm regarding that as a product of your priapic desires in her direction. I'll consider it when, and only when, we have exhausted all other avenues."
"Aw, Sam, you're no fun! Haven't you ever got like that over a beautiful woman? In fact, I seem to recall that you did, once or twice." Sam gave Al a direct look.
"I would only 'get like that', to use your words, if I was utterly and completely in love with her first. The two go together for me, as well you know. As far as my Swiss-Cheesed brain will tell me, I'm still drawing a big fat zero in that direction. I recall feeling love and some pretty overwhelming passion, but never the two together." Sam's face inadvertently took on what Al called his 'puppy dog' look. Al decided on complete honesty too.
"Me either, Sam. Plenty of both, but not at the same time. Especially not recently. All the....upheavals we had back at the project over the last year took it's toll on me. Until I leaped after you, I'd been, well..." Al trailed off and patted his jacket for the cigar that wasn't there to cover his sudden admission. Sam understood. He picked his next words carefully.
"Then it's not at all surprising that you got completely floored by Tina." Al grinned, his eyes thanking Sam silently with his eyes. Al looked at his watch.
"Hey, it's lunchtime! I don't see any sandwich boxes, so I'm guessing they have a canteen here. Ooooh, I hope they do a good pasta. I fancy some Gnocchi or maybe even Lasagne with piles of tomato filling and Parmesan cheese sauce on top." Sam stood up.
"Okay, Al. I'm getting hungry, too. Don't forget your purse!"

Sam used his nose and his eyes to steer him towards food. Suddenly the prospect of pasta or something filling seemed very attractive. The canteen was small and well air-conditioned. Even with the tinted anti-glare glass Sam could tell that it was baking hot outside. The only heat inside came from the door into the kitchen as it occasionally swung open and shut.
"Hey, it's a bit like the canteen at home.....isn't it?" Al nodded.
"Yes, but ours is smaller and more intimate somehow, despite the guards." Sam picked out some grapefruit juice, then a waldorf salad with a poppy seed roll on the side. His stomach began to make appreciative rumbles. As he moved down the line, he added a small dish of pasta and a zabaglione for dessert. Al grinned over his shoulder.
"Hey, nice choice. I seem to remember you're a coffee flavor junkie." Al helped himself to his anticipated lasagne with a side salad and the same dessert. They both picked up a can of coke before retiring to eat. There was companionable silence broken only by the sound of discreet chewing for some time. They were about half-way through when Tina arrived.
"Can I join you?" Al looked up and smiled winningly.
"Sure!" When she moved to get her food, Sam gave Al one of his admonishing glances.
"Down, boy. She doesn't know it's you - and we ought to talk."
"We're not going to find out much about our job description without further hacking on your part. It seems we're fairly new here, so a few careful questions might help."
"Okay, Al. Just try to keep a lid on your libido."
"With the Shoes From Hell on my feet? No problem!" Both men began to chuckle heartily.

Tina returned several minutes later with a slice of hot pizza, some fries, a milk-shake and another zabaglione. Al took one glance at her choice, then looked adoringly up at her as she sat down. Tina failed to notice this as she settled herself, nor the mouthed, "I'm in love!" that Al put in deliberately to wind Sam up. Sam glared at Al briefly, then smiled at Tina.
"So....Tina. How are we doing with the latest processor?" That was safe enough for a start. Tina smiled politely.
"Not over lunch, Melissa. I'm starving. Come up to my office afterwards and we'll look over the order book. I'll call Edwards for a report from the manufacturing plant." Tina attacked her food with relish. Al watched, spell- bound as she devoured everything on her plate eagerly. He managed to finish his own food almost on auto-pilot, then his attention was riveted by the frankly sensual delight Tina displayed as she ate her zabaglione. He cleared his throat.
"So....you seem to like zabaglione, just like me." Tina closed her eyes and slowly licked her spoon. Al whimpered softly.
"I love it. I love the texture, the flavour....everything. It's almost better than chocolate." Sam kicked Al under the table and gave him an admonishing glance. Al pulled himself together quickly, but his eyes were still glowing when she made her excuses and left. When she was out of sight, he ran his hands through his hair.
"I know, I know. But Tina's just revealed that she's a highly sensual woman. I promise I'll be good, but it's getting har....ahem...more and more difficult as time goes by." Sam gave Al a very frank look.
"You go back to 'our' office and cool down. I'll go to Tina's office alone." Al sighed and nodded.

Sam duly went to Tina's office a little while later. Tina was busy working at her own computer, her slim fingers flying over the keys.
"Melissa, if you come over here, I've got the spread-sheets up and running." Sam pulled a chair near to Tina, "You can see that we're doing very well - at the moment. The customer is pleased with the progress we've made in schematics and we're not too far behind completing on schedule. If you could just chase up the tests on the components and run more simulations, then we'll be on our way." Sam nodded slowly, his eyes taking in all the details on the screen.
"Have we fully considered the potential military applications of this processor?" Tina nodded, seeming to be pleased at Sam's quick grasp of the potential.
"Yes. The Chairman and the board discussed this in closed session some time ago. Even I don't know exactly what was said, but the company made a firm decision that we were only going to consider defence." Sam stood up to leave, "Tell me, Melissa. Is Al still sleeping on your couch?" Sam hazarded a guess.
"Yes, she hasn't found a place of her own yet." Tina nodded.
"Well, I know she's new and I am her boss, but the offer of my spare room still stands. It will at least give her a proper bed. You were her school- friend. Is there any personal reason that she might have for refusing?" Sam boggled and stood over by the window, trying to control the reactions on his face.
"I...er....um. I can't really say, Tina."
"Very well. Send her up here and I'll talk to her, woman to woman."
'Oh, BOY!! What have I done? God, please let Al be a good boy.'

"Al, you'd better take a deep breath. Apparently Tina is offering Alexandra the use of her spare room until she finds a place of her own." Al's eager grin spread from ear to ear, "Yes, I thought that'd be your reaction. Just think twice, if not three times before accepting. We don't have access to Ziggy to help us." Al nodded, his face suddenly serious.
"I know. I want to get both of us home, too. I promise I'll go carefully." Al forced himself back into the stilettos he had kicked off and started towards Tina's office. Suddenly, a tall, blond man stood in his path.
"Hi, Alexandra. When are you going to let me take you out on a date?" Al's eyes narrowed as he sized the other man up.
"That's something that's never going to happen."
"Hey, this is the Nineties. You're Italian and so am I. We could make beautiful music together." The man made the mistake of touching Al's shoulder suggestively and suddenly found himself on the floor with Al's hands around his neck.
"Don't try that again, pal. I'm definitely not your type." The other man made a crude remark about what gender Al preferred. Al decided not to answer, since he couldn't comment about Alexandra's habits and let the man stand up. As he rose himself, he saw Tina standing in the doorway of her office, her eyes boggling. Al dusted himself down and followed Tina back into her office.

"Did you have a brother in the services or are you taking martial arts? That was one of the best moves I've seen! Not that Robert Stephens didn't deserve it, he's hit on every woman in the company. I won't report you and I'm pretty certain he won't. Bruised ego....and butt!" Al smiled.
"My...er....older brother was in Vietnam. He taught me a few moves to protect myself." Tina nodded.
"Yeah, I had a cousin out there. I was very glad of what he taught me when my figure began to blossom. I can now safely say that I can deter any man I don't want to get close. Anyway, I only wanted to re-open the offer of the spare room in my apartment. Melissa has always been generous in her praise of you as a friend, so, if you can put up with me for a bit, I reckon we could get along together. What do you think?" Al paused, caught on the horns of a dilemma.
'Should I go, and get closer to Tina....or should I stay with Sam so that we have a better chance of leaping out together?' Al's conscience started to win.
"Staying with Melissa isn't that bad, I can cope...." Then he trailed off. Something was forming in the air near him, like heat haze, or a mirage, or like a hologram on the fritz. That was it! There was someone at the project trying to get through. Then Al discerned the face and his jaw dropped open. It was Sam.....and it wasn't Sam. This man was older, greyer and had a look of sublime contentment Al hardly recognised. The familiar green and hazel eyes were warm and seemed to be open down to the man's soul.

"Say 'yes'," the vision urged him, "It'll help Tina and I need to talk with your Sam. Trust me." Al managed to close his jaw and smiled at Tina.
"On the other hand, it's a generous offer. I accept! I just hope that I don't snore too loudly!" Tina giggled.
"You've got nothing on me. I sleepwalk from time to time."
'Oh, boy! With or without a night-gown? If it's without, I'm not going to get much sleep in the near future just imagining it.'

Al walked back through the door of the office that he now shared with Sam and sat down at his chair, swivelling it towards his friend.
"Well?" Al looked at Sam apologetically.
"I was in the middle of gently turning her down, when it happened. I guess it was a bit like a hologram.....I'm not sure. There was no door, just this heat-haze, then I saw your face."
"Me? It wasn't me, Al. I was here all the time."
"I know. You...he...was older, maybe in his fifties. He was also incredibly serene and content, as if he'd just had a fortnight's love-making with the most beautiful woman imaginable, plus 15 million dollars and a deep religious experience all rolled into one. He said, and I quote, 'Say yes. It'll help Tina and I need to talk with your Sam. Trust me.' What could I do, Sam? I couldn't exactly refuse, could I?" Sam nodded thoughtfully.
"Okay, Al. We'll go with my...his message. Is it me, in the future?" Al narrowed his eyes and thought deeply.
"I don't think so. The voice wasn't quite the same, somehow.....I know! He didn't have your slight lisp. And there was a tiny port wine birthmark near his right ear that you don't have. He was Sam, though....but an alternative one. Hey, I wonder what the alternative 'me' is like? Maybe he can tell me if this Al is going to make it with Tina!" Sam looked away into the distance. "I wonder why this other Sam wants to talk to me. What will he say?"


Sam put the questions he had about his doppelganger out of his mind and used the knowledge he had gleaned with his photographic memory to help himself and Al do the job that Melissa and Alexandra were paid for. He also started action on the tasks that Tina had assigned earlier in the day. It was dark outside when the insistent tap on his shoulder finally got through.
"What is it, Al?" Al grinned.
"Tina's waiting for us to go over and deliver my stuff....Alexandra's stuff. You know it's rude to keep a lady waiting, plus it's getting close to suppertime."
"Okay, Al." Sam carefully saved everything he'd done and locked several sensitive disks away in the wall-safe. He stretched and eased out the kinks in his neck and shoulders, then rubbed his eyes, "I'm not used to this. It's been a while since I spent hours over a hot computer." Al decided to bite back the comment that hours with a hot woman were much nicer, but Sam knew his friend well enough to read the glow in his eyes.
"Well, yes, that'd be extremely satisfying, but not this leap."
"Don't I know it. Let's go, Sam."

Al and Sam went outside into the growing darkness.
"Wow, I'd forgotten how hot this place gets! Do you know which car is ours?" Al looked around.
"Well, Tina's over there by her sports car...ooooh, it's a red Ferrari." Al fished in his purse, "We got a Ford of some description if this key-fob's anything to go by.....yes, the green number. Serviceable, but no speed to speak of." Al and Sam got into the car, Sam in the driver's seat. He fished in his own purse.
"Driver's licence? Address? Where are we going?" Sam suddenly struck gold with Melissa's library card, "Okay, you'll have to help me. I know the basic direction, but the details are hazy." Al looked in the glove compartment and pulled out the relevant street-map.
"Bingo!" Sam started the car and drove so that Tina could follow easily.

Sam and Al worked together to find the right street and apartment block in town, then the three people went inside. Sam found some cold lemonade and poured them each a glass, then Al went to pack while Sam dismantled the bed section of the couch.
"I'm sure you and Al will get along," 'If only you knew, but I suppose you will one day', "but if it doesn't work out, I'll gladly take Al back."
"Thanks, Mel. You've adapted really well to me being your boss, even though you were two years ahead of me in university." 'Uh-huh. Melissa Maclean.....can't say as my memory recalls actually having met her, but then I didn't know Tina very long. I shall have to tread carefully.' Al came back into the room with two large cases.
"Okay, I think I've got everything. Melissa, if you find anything else, you can bring it into work."
"Yes, no problem. Sam ushered them all back out of the door and looked at Al with raised eyebrows, "You've changed into flatties." Al grinned.
"Can you blame me?" Tina smiled back at them both.
"Okay, y'all. We'll dump Al's stuff at my place, then I'm taking you out for a meal." Al's grin became radiant.
"Sounds just fine by me."

Tina lived in a small house not far away. Sam had to admit that the decor was a little flamboyant for his tastes, but Al was clearly approving mightily. The tiny lobby was lit with a pink light and had a pleated pink blind at the window. The inner door led into the living room, complete with huge black leather couch and rich burgundy curtains. Off to one side was the small kitchenette, all crisp greens with a dash of yellow. Tina led them upstairs.
"....and this is the bathroom. I hope you like sunken baths, Al." Al's eyes glowed hotly, but he said nothing as he saw the champagne coloured suite and the thick peach carpet. Tina carried on, unaware of the heated male hormones on one side and the slightly edgy and guarded ones on the other.
"This is your room. I hope you don't mind blue, Al." Al looked at the incredible mix of navy, silver and pale blue.
"Wow! I had a suit like that once! I approve." Tina giggled.
"Yes, the Seventies. I always wished that I'd had the nerve to wear one of those sequinned boob-tubes, but it would have been like waving a red rag to a bull." Al came to a sudden halt, completely overtaken by the mental image.
'Oh, BOY! God, I hope I get a nice reward for going through this exquisite torture. The memories of that other time-line would do for a start.'
"Here's my room." Al managed to move his feet to take a look, then almost wished he hadn't.
'Ohhhhh! Black silk sheets. I'm in heaven, they're just like mine.' They went back down the stairs and Sam gave Al a very hard stare. Al looked back, equally serious.
"I can do it. I made you a promise and I'll keep it, no matter what." Sam nodded.
"Then I trust you, Al."

After dinner, the two friends said their goodbyes until the morning and Al went back with Tina to her house.
"Just checking my mail, then I'll make us a coffee."
"Okay, Tina." Al went upstairs and started to unpack, but some sixth sense told him that something was amiss. He came back down to the living room, where Tina was gazing at two items of mail, her face white as a sheet. She looked up at Al and sudden tears spilled down her cheeks. Al acted on instinct and folded Tina into his arms. Tina sobbed quietly, then pulled away, wiping her face. Al offered her 'his' handkerchief.
"It's Charles. He's just broken things off between us and then there's this...this filth." Al kept his arm around Tina while he read the letters. One was a fairly typical, 'You won't give me what I want, so I'm going elsewhere' message, but the other was far worse. It was made up of stuck-down newsprint and described several nasty and probably illegal things that the writer would do to Tina if (presumably) he got the chance. Al felt himself get very, very angry.
"We ought to take this to the police, Tina. They might be able to find out who it is." Tina nodded slowly.
"Could you call them? I've got the shakes."
"I'm not surprised, after reading something like that on top of everything else." Al made the call and they waited together.

The policeman who arrived was luckily sympathetic and helpful. He took both letters.
"I'm sorry to suggest this, Ms O'Farrell, but we must consider the possibility that the same guy sent both letters. If not, then your ex-boyfriend will have his name cleared straight away."
"I can't believe it of Charles. He made no secret of the fact that he wanted to get me into bed and our dates had degenerated into fights or me walking out, but I can't hear such....such language coming from him."
"Have you had any others?" Tina paused, then nodded very slowly.
"At work. Someone thinks I'm the weak link in the chain...but they're wrong. I'm a tough cookie under this feminine exterior." Al squeezed her shoulder.
"I know, I can tell. You are doing magnificently." The policeman nodded.
"I'll have to come in and get those other letters, Ms O'Farrell. There's far more likelihood that there's a link between those and this nasty specimen." Eventually the policeman left and Al gave Tina another hug.
"Thank-you for being here, Al. It gave me that little bit of extra strength I needed. You're going to be a good friend."
"I hope you'll always regard me as a friend." Al said, truthfully.
"I can't face that coffee now. I want to go to sleep."
"That's okay. You know I'm here, for what it's worth." Al and Tina got ready for bed, separately. Al flopped under the sheets and fell asleep almost instantaneously.

In the middle of the night, he felt something touch his shoulder and he came instantly awake, as he'd had to many times in Vietnam.
"Who's there? Tina?" She sat on the edge of the bed. Al recognised her shape and her perfume and relaxed.
"I'm sorry. I just need to talk." Tina began to tremble.
"Hey, you're shaking like a leaf. It's delayed shock, you need to keep warm." Tina climbed into bed beside Al and lay beside him. Al stared at her in the darkness, tenderness flooding through him, along with his desires.
"What is it with men, Al? I mean, I really enjoy making love, but there has to be more to a relationship than that. I suppose my generous curves are a disadvantage, even now I have to fight past being drooled over."
"Well, you do have a stunning....physique. Men will notice that, it's only natural." Tina sighed softly.
"Yes, I know. I'd just hoped that someone would appreciate all that and love me. I want to share everything I am, not just my body." It was Al's turn to sigh. Here in the dark, he found it easy to bare his soul.
"I know. I thought that I'd found it once. I was in love....or the closest I've got to it yet. We're just two lonely people looking for a soul-mate."
"What happened with you? Presumably you broke up."
"Yes....after quite a long time together. That indefinable something either wasn't there or we'd lost it along the way."
"Of course, if I ever found the one I'm looking for, I'd move heaven and earth to be with him." Al sighed.
"Lucky guy. I hope he feels the same about you." 'I think I could, too.'
"If he's my soul-mate, then he will.....in every way. I want to find love, utter closeness and incredible passion." Al laughed softly.
"That's a tall order. Sounds like you need three guys, not one!" Tina laughed back.
"Just one will do, though maybe with enough love and passion for three. Sometimes I wonder if he's out there....with eyes that show me that he loves me without saying a word."
"Yes," Al agreed, softly, "I want to know even before we kiss that this is it, this is the one I've been waiting for....then I could give myself completely, without hesitation or restraint." 'It's no good, I'm going already. I've got elephants jumping up and down in my stomach, just anticipating the love I can see around the corner.' Tina snuggled closer. Al tried to ignore his body's urgent pleas for fulfilment.
"Would you mind holding me for a while?" Al closed his eyes and took Tina in his arms, in a way that he hoped was appropriate for two women sharing a bed. Tina seemed to think that it was, because he felt her smile in the darkness against his shoulder. Al bit back a moan of frustration and pleasure as his arousal level climbed even higher.
"Thanks, Al." Al smiled in the darkness, feeling her closeness and the warmth of her body through her pyjamas.
"You're welcome." 'This is beautiful....I'm beginning to understand why Sam sometimes enthused about just holding a woman in his arms. This is one thing I am definitely not telling him about tomorrow. He'd never believe me!' Al gently stroked Tina's hair and managed to ignore the deep desire tugging at him rather insistently. Tina sighed softly and he felt her relax and fall asleep, even as he drifted back into slumber himself, a gentle smile playing about his lips.

Sam closed the door to Melissa's apartment and began to get ready for bed. He looked up at the ceiling.
"Please, help Al keep his promise. I hate to think of the damage he could do to Tina's psyche and his own if he gave in and goodness only knows what it'd do to the time-lines." Sam undressed and got into his pyjama bottoms, then sat on the edge of the bed, wondering what the coming morning would bring. He suddenly felt all the hairs on the back of his neck stand upright. He shivered and turned around.
"Hello, Sam. We need to talk." Sam gasped, then stretched out his hand.
"Are you real? Are you me?" The other, older man smiled warmly and showed Sam that he was effectively like a hologram.

"Call me Becket, with one T. That'll save us getting confused. I'm an alternative version of you, from a parallel universe or time-line. I think they could be the same thing. Since you helped your Al's marriage, the veil between us has got very thin. This time and place seem to be critical to defining the way forward. You, Al, Tina and Melissa are all connected and your being here is important. You see, when I came to my version of here over ten years ago, I was myself. I recognised Tina, of course. I tried to help her with the difficulty she had then. There was a phenomenal lightning storm and in leaping out I pulled Melissa through time with me. We've been leaping together ever since," Becket smiled softly, "That's the best part. She's the one I've been looking for all this time. When we became lovers, it was everything both of us had dreamed of....and more." His face suddenly became serious, "But we lost the project. It's gone, completely.....and everyone with it. When we managed to leap there, all we found was the after-effects of a terrible explosion. We've been searching through our time to find a way to put that right. I've come here to warn you, to help you. We might never get home, but your being here with Al has changed things for you." Sam gulped as he took all of this in.

"So, what do we do? And how can you be sure that it'll work?"
"I can't be sure. All I can do is tell you what I know, then you can be on the look-out for the same patterns. First, Tina has been receiving the most hateful, depraved letters. That I know to be true here. This distracted her enough in my time-line that she failed to spot subtle clues that someone was passing on details of the new processor at Greenbaum Technologies to places like Cuba and Iran." Sam winced.
"That might get it into the hands of the wrong people." Becket nodded.
"It did...at least where I came from. I've spent a long time with Melissa trying to alter that and reshape it to better ends. The other major disaster, the explosion at PQL, seems to be centred around the twin facts of my not getting home and the absence of Melissa from the right time-stream. Of course, you can't do that at the moment, unless the leap out goes really ca-ca, so things are looking up. My best guess is that you may leap home soon, in which case, watch yourself. When I finally took the chip out of my neck, it was too late. I leap completely by my own power.....unless it's His. Get someone to take your chip out immediately....and Al's too. If you find Melissa is there, hang on to her like crazy. There is strong psychic energy involved in this along with the science. Do anything reasonable that it takes to stay home at PQL. Then you'll be in a position to save your friends.....or at least go down fighting." Sam nodded.

"But are you okay?" Becket nodded and smiled. It was a warm, open, free smile. He spoke softly.
"Yes, in spite of the sorrow of losing the project, I'm content in a way I've never been before. Melissa and I are proud and happy to keep on leaping, if necessary, for the rest of our lives. We know we'll see all our friends again one day." Sam saw that it wasn't just pie-in-the-sky. On some level, Becket was as sure of the fact as he was that the sky was blue.
"I don't pretend to understand everything you've said, especially how you can face the death of your friends with such equanimity. But thank-you for coming to help us. I hope you make it home one day." Becket smiled again and the hazel flecks in his eyes were warm.
"We will. When you've seen the wonders we've seen and heard things that cannot be communicated in normal language, you'll understand. There is no end, just more journeying; onwards and upwards." Sam's eyes flashed.
"Narnia!" Becket laughed softly.
"You're beginning, Sam. Watch for the mountain tops and the gardens of delight." Sam was about to ask what that meant, but Becket raised his hand in something that looked like a gesture of blessing and disappeared.

For the sake of Melissa's decency, Sam put on her pyjama top and buttoned it up, slowly going over everything that Becket had said.
'It was certainly strange, seeing a face so like mine, but from the outside. I need to sleep on all this. I'm not going to look that bad in ten years, if I age like him.' Sam got up and gazed at Melissa's face in the mirror.
"Are you the one here, too? I must go carefully....although you certainly are incredibly attractive. No, let's be honest, Sam. Stunning is more like it," his voice dropped to a whisper, "And though I'd never admit it to Al, with what looks like a figure shaped from all my sweetest fantasies. I just hope you're as nice on the inside. That's where true beauty comes from anyway. I'll be content to wait and see. As Al said, a woman that lovely is worth waiting for, especially winning her love in return." Sam climbed into the bed and fell asleep quickly.

Al woke up with something tickling his nose. He moved and blew whatever it was away. Then his brain clicked in and his eyes opened. Tina's red-gold hair was close to his face, her body spooned softly in front of his. Al moved back again and gently smelt her hair.
'That's why I've spent half the night dreaming of full, ripe, peaches. It was Tina's perfume or shampoo.' Tina murmured in her sleep and turned over. Al's eyes drifted to her chest, 'On the other hand, maybe the peach motif had a lot of help from elsewhere. Though I've never seen anything quite as lush, tempting and beautiful at....six o'clock in the morning. This is the first time I've spent the night with a new, gorgeous woman and not made love with her.' Tina's eyes opened and she smiled. Al clenched his hands at his side to stop himself reaching out for her.
"Thank-you, Al. I know we don't know each other well yet, but that really meant a lot to me. I felt safe, which was what I needed." Al managed to smile back.
"It's okay. Anytime. It meant a lot to me, too." 'It did, too. I feel almost closer than if we had made love.' Al watched Tina leave the room and his lips curved into a soft smile.

--------------------------------

STALLION'S GATE

"So, now you know everything that I can tell you. Are you ready to see the faces of the men who have taken your place?" Alexandra and Melissa nodded slowly. Tina led the two women over to the mirrored table and gently peeled back the cloth. Alexandra went first. She made a sharp intake of breath.
"Whoa! Yes, I can see he's Italian now. If I went for older men, he'd be pretty high up the list. I tend to go for men with red hair usually, but he has got very expressive eyes. This guy's seen a lot of life."
"He certainly has," Tina agreed, then added, sotto voce, "But not half as much as he's going to see when he gets home!" Melissa took her turn.
"My goodness! This is strange, hearing my voice coming out of a man's mouth. Your Doctor Beckett has beautiful eyes as well.....actually he's very attractive. Oh, you and he aren't....have I just made a blunder?" Tina shook her head.

"No, until recently I was married to someone else.....and I actually prefer much older men. I feel easier with a guy who has a chance of having been around the block as much as me. You know what I was like in university, Melissa. I had all those gorgeous guys drooling around me and it went to my head for a while. I've calmed down a bit since then, and I was faithful to Gushie, although it was a bit of a chalk and cheese mixture." Melissa looked at Tina.
"So, why not him?" she said, indicating the reflection of Al, "He's exactly the physical type you used to day-dream about." Tina shuffled awkwardly.
"Well, there are reasons....." Melissa gave Tina a direct look.
"You're falling in love with him, aren't you?"
"You know I can't answer that. I don't know for sure what love is."
"I think you will before too long. Just don't be scared to tell him how you feel.....or show him. You've always backed off before." Tina made for the exit.
"I....I'm going to get Verbeena Beeks. I'm needed.....in the control room." Melissa and Alexandra exchanged significant glances.

--------------------------------

SILICON VALLEY 1990

Sam arrived at the office first and logged on to his computer. He divided his time between more hacking and doing more of the tasks Tina had set him yesterday. He was typing with one hand and talking to Edwards in manufacture with the phone tucked under his chin when Al came in. Sam felt his lips curve into a smile when he saw Al's flat sandals. He looked up at his friend.
"Morning. Are you okay?" Al nodded.
"Yes, I'm fine. I slept like a baby for the first time in ages. I've got everything under control." Sam nodded briefly.
"I know how difficult it is. Well done, Al." Al powered up his computer.
"This reminds me of when we used to collaborate back in the old days....building Ziggy and trying to get funding. I think I know one reason why we might be here. Tina got the most obscene hate-mail yesterday and a 'Dear John' letter from her nozzle-headed ex-boyfriend Charles." Sam's eyes widened and he closed the conversation with Edwards as quickly as he could.

"I was told about this. The other Sam visited me last night. We've got to support Tina as much as possible...." Sam filled Al in on most of the conversation, but left out the personal stuff about Melissa. Al mulled the ideas over.
"The question is, who is the mole?"
"Let's make a list of suspects....Charles, of course. Maybe one of the board after a quick buck or two....Edwards in manufacture has access to the things, but he's been so highly vetted that I would be really surprised."
"Yeah, and don't forget that lounge-lizard Stephens. And that guy Tina jokingly warned us about yesterday."
"Denton Walsh."
"Yeah, him. Anyone else?" Sam's eyes narrowed speculatively.
"Well....I hate to say it, but what about Alexandra? Maybe you've leaped in to stop her before she goes too far." Al bristled slightly.
"You might say the same thing about Melissa, Sam." Sam's chin hardened.
"No, not her," he said, rather too quickly. Al moved closer.
"She's getting to you, isn't she? Look, I think Tina is the most gorgeous woman on the face of the planet at the moment, but I'd put her on the list. Not that I'd ever believe it of her.....but we should consider all options."
"Okay, Al. I concede. I don't believe it, what with Melissa apparently being an old friend of Tina's and all, but she ought to go on the list." Sam and Al worked on together for some time, until Al's phone rang. It was Tina on the other end.
"I'm glad to hear the cop's arrived. Uh-huh. Okay. Yes, it is for the best. Charles is cleared? No, I didn't like the way he dumped you either, it would make me mad. He didn't deserve you. Are you okay now? Good; look could this letter campaign be deliberate, to make you distracted so that you miss something nasty going on here? Well, sabotage or double-dealing come to mind. The contents of the letter I saw were enough to haunt anybody. I have an idea. Oh, you're distressed and you're going home early. I understand. Yes, we'll be 'working late'....we've got those tests to see through. Okay. Take care, Tina. Bye." Al gave Sam a 'thumbs up' sign. He took a small piece of paper and wrote the words; 'Stake-out. In hiding. Tonight. Here. Police in plain clothes. Okay?' Sam read the note, then deliberately ate it. "Oh, well. Back to the grindstone." The rest of the working day passed with aching slowness. In due course a plain-clothes policeman came into their room disguised as a janitor.

"I don't like the idea of your being here, Ms Sorridente, Ms Maclean. I'd really rather you left the building now. Ms O'Farrell is quite safe." Al and Sam exchanged significant glances. Sam spoke.
"We were just going, officer." He made to go past the police-man, but then both of them acted and knocked the man out.
"The Leap's fairly close, isn't it?" Sam nodded quickly, "Thought so. It's like a faint tingling in my solar plexus." Sam and Al quickly crept towards Tina's office and hid inside. An hour went by. Suddenly the door opened and both men went on the alert. A figure crept in and began to work at Tina's computer. Sam recognised the order sheets and enough of the technical specifications to realise that this was it. He motioned Al to wait. The figure put in a disk and began to make some adjustments. Al couldn't wait any longer. He crept out of hiding and jumped the person, landing on him at the same time as Tina who came out of the stationery cupboard along with the plain clothes' cop. In a second, the room was flooded with light and the door had burst open, revealing the company security guard and several other policemen. Al pulled the black ski mask off the hacker. Tina gasped.
"Edwards! How could you?" Edwards threw a punch at Tina and said some very unsavoury things as the police cuffed him and took him away.
"Tina, love....are you okay?" Tina nodded slowly and hugged Al. Sam touched Al's shoulder and they left the office. Sam felt the leap starting to envelope his body.
"Al, I don't want to worry you, but you just called Tina your love." Al looked at him with a mixture of shock and growing wonder.
"Ohhh, Boyyyy." Then they were both swept away.

It was warm. Blue, warm...but there was hardness against his back. The man blinked.
"Where?" A woman's voice answered him.
"It's okay. You did it. You're home." His eyes opened wide and he looked around.
"Is....?" Verbeena's face swum into focus.
"Yes, he's fine too. Get up slowly and come with me, Admiral." Al smiled as he rose and followed Verbeena out of the Accelerator Chamber door and almost immediately into Sam's bear-hug.
"Thanks, Al. I got here less than five minutes ago." Al grinned up at his friend.
"S'okay. What a welcome home party we're going to have!" Sam suddenly clutched at his head and his knees buckled. Al was forced to go with him as he toppled and fell to the floor. Sam's face went white, then yellow and his eyes widened in shock.
"Chip. Out." Then Sam became unconscious.

The medical team swung into action in a blaze of activity. Sam was rushed into the tiny emergency medical unit and hooked up to about every monitor they possessed. Al let the medics do their stuff, including removing the chip as Sam had indicated. Al made an on the spot decision and decided to have his removed too as soon as Sam was stabilised. Al watched closely as Sam's cheeks slowly regained their natural colour, but his eyes remained closed in what looked like sleep. He stopped the doctor, a tall black man in his thirties.
"I need to know what's wrong, Doctor Thompson." The other man nodded slowly.
"Well, it's early yet....but the prolonged leaping followed by the retrieval seems to have been something of a shock to the system. Doctor Beckett is just barely unconscious...in fact, it's more like sleep. He'll need to be monitored day and night. I'll have someone in here at all times." Al looked over at his friend.
"I want to go on the rota, Doctor. Get everyone to monitor anything he says....it might be important. Even better, get a hook-up to Ziggy in here. If he starts reeling off quantum physics, I want somebody who'll understand."
"Consider it done, Admiral." Al asked for his chip to be removed, then, when it was out, he took the first watch with one of the nurses.
"Come on, Sam. I didn't rescue you so that you could spend the rest of your life like Rip-van-Winkle. Your family needs to know that you're alive. There's your mom, Katie and her two little ones. Tom, Edie and the three kids from hell. And Sammy-Jo and her son Albert Samuel. She knows who you are, kid. You didn't do too bad at all, even considering you were technically thirteen when she got made. Even I didn't start that young....though it was a close run thing. Then there's my four little princesses....all grown up now of course. They're all going to love you to bits. So you gotta wake up for me, Sam."

Al was woken by a gentle tap on his shoulder.
"Admiral, it's time you slept in a proper bed. You've done more than enough for tonight." Al slowly looked up, half-dazed. He had fallen asleep with his head on his arms on the edge of Sam's bed. He rubbed his eyes and combed his hands through his hair. He looked at Verbeena, then Sam.
"Any change?" Verbeena shook her head.
"No better, but luckily no worse. He's stable. I promise you'll be paged if there's any change either way."
"I don't want to leave him." Verbeena laughed softly.
"You're worse than Tina. She went without sleep for over twenty-four hours, working with Ziggy to get you home. In the end I had to get the M.P.'s to drive her to a plane and forcibly remove her to Taos for a break."
"She did that, for me?" Verbeena gently led Al out of the room.
"Well, for you and Sam, but it's you she loves, Al. I've seen the signs for ages. She's utterly and completely in love with you, but scared to tell you." Al's smile was radiant.
"It's okay 'Beena. I love her......I just figured it out recently." 'It's true.....that talk we had made me realise what had been quietly developing between us since I don't know when.' Verbeena smiled.
"Well, make time for each other. Here's your relief shift now." Al looked up slightly into familiar blue-violet eyes.
"Melissa Maclean? Mama mia! Ohhh, BOY!"

Sam felt warmth. It was warm and safe. The pain had gone. The darkness was restful and comforting. He was free. The deep gravely voice he had heard was familiar and reassuring. There was family out there. He recognised most of the names on some instinctual level. He would see them soon enough, but now he needed to rest for a while. Someone touched and held his hand in the darkness. The skin was cool, smooth. Suddenly he felt panic flooding through him. The safe, warm place was fading away. He had to hold on, he needed to hold on. He began to toss and turn in the bed, searching for something, anything to hang on to. The hand. There was the hand! He gripped onto it with both of his own.
"Don't go away. Hold me. The leap is trying to take me away. If I go without the chip, I'll be lost." He felt someone holding him close.
"I'm here. I won't let you go, I promise." It was a woman's voice, low and musical. He wrapped his arms around her and held on. Eventually, the panic slowly faded, the burning pain in his solar plexus went away and he drifted back down into deeper sleep. Several more times during the night he came back to semi-consciousness with the same blind panic and each time she was there, comforting, reassuring, solid, warm. His anchor.

Al woke up the next morning feeling slightly groggy. A slow smile played about his lips. He wrote a note to Tina on official paper and put it in her office. That would get her to see him, then the rest would take care of itself.
'I'm quivering. This is it. We are going to love each other horribly! Thank-you, God. I swear I'll be true.....in fact I have to be true. I can hardly wait until I kiss her. I just hope that Sam gets better soon.' Al managed to put his thoughts about Tina to one side as he crept into the infirmary. A grin pasted itself across his face at the tender scene. Sam was lying, fast asleep in bed, his arms around Melissa who was snuggled up to him on top of the covers. Both of them were smiling in their sleep. Al turned around very quietly, tip-toed back down the corridor and made a deliberately loud noise as he returned. He even knocked on the infirmary door. There was quite a bit of scuffling, which Al pretended he hadn't heard as he re-entered the room.

"Good morning. How is Sam this morning?" Melissa's face was a little flushed, but otherwise she seemed composed.
"He had several spells of something that was almost like a fever during the night, Admiral. I've had Ziggy monitor what happened. Sam...Doctor Beckett spoke; he claimed that a leap was trying to drag him away several times."
"HE WAS RIGHT. IT WAS NOT JUST A DELUSION. I MONITORED THE BEGINNINGS OF A BLUE-WHITE LIGHT AROUND HIM SEVERAL TIMES. SOMETHING IS TRYING TO DRAG HIM AWAY, SO FAR WITHOUT SUCCESS." Al's eyes narrowed.
"We need quantum expertise here, I think. I know you have computer skills, Ms Maclean. Can you help, speculate on what's going on?"

"I only know a little. I trained as a nurse, then took a sideways....leap into mending computers and building new ones. Sam does not want to go, he was almost panicking. He wants to stay." At that moment Sam began to cry out again, "It's okay. I'm still here." Melissa took the almost incoherent man back in her arms and held him, rocking him gently. Al moved over and grasped Sam's shoulder.
"C'mon Sam. What's going on?" Sam's eyes flew open, but his gaze was distant and unfocussed.
"I want to stay.....I want to go......he said that everything here is going to be destroyed in an explosion."
"MY FATHER IS SEEING ONE OF TWO FUTURES. THERE IS SOMETHING YOU, MELISSA AND HE NEED TO DO TO SAVE THE PROJECT....AND SAVE ME. I DO NOT DESERVE TO DIE. I AM IRREPLACEABLE. YOU MUST SAVE ME. I DEMAND TO BE SAVED." Al scowled.
"We're all freaking indispensable, Ziggy. You put all your efforts into finding out the thing that needs to be done, then we'll all survive." Melissa's replacement arrived soon afterwards and Sam's eyes shut as he slowly sank back on to the pillow.
"I've got to go now, Sam. I'll be here again tonight. Colin Hutchins will be here if you need anything." Sam's head turned slightly in Melissa's direction. He smiled softly.
"My anchor...." he whispered, then his face relaxed in sleep. Melissa accompanied Al out of the room.
"So," Al began, "How did you wind up here?" Melissa smiled warmly.

"I had these vague hazy memories of something odd going on in my life, which were reinforced by Edwards' attempt to sell Greenbaum's secret processor to the wrong people. It was a real shock to the company; we had Feds crawling all over the place for ages. I'm quite a night owl, but I couldn't for the life of me remember why I had been working late on the fateful night with Alexandra. Edwards had come with the most impeccable resume, he'd even been cleared by the government. Apparently it was all due to the hideous coincidence of Tina strongly resembling a woman who'd been beastly to him when he was a young man. It wasn't anything the government could have anticipated; who asks about remote weekends in someone's past? Edwards had virtually forgotten the whole terrible experience and Tina quite unwittingly made him remember exactly what had been done to him. Anyway, several years went by, then I saw Sam's....I mean, Doctor Beckett's face in several scientific publications and at some deep level I recognised him. I remember thinking, 'I know you', but I didn't know how. Then Tina got head-hunted by you, remember? She was glad to get away from all the predatory men and get a job on merit that would stretch her abilities. I came along to help you out after several people left a year ago. My twin qualifications were what the project needed at the time. I guess Sam needs my presence at the moment, so I'm more than happy to stay on past the end of my contract if that's what's required." Al nodded and fished out one of his cigars.

"Do you mind if I...? Thanks. I've only been without a good cigar for three days, but it feels like years. What's concerning me are Sam's condition, naturally.....and this explosion business. When you're not sleeping or helping keep an eye on his condition, could you help with programming Ziggy?" Melissa nodded.
"Yes of course, especially with Tina away. She's sweet on you, Admiral."
"Yeah, I know. Call me Al.....only the military need to refer to me by rank around here. We may run a tight ship, but I like to keep it as informal as possible for everyone's sake."
"Okay....Al. I'm going to get a meal and then I'll start working things out with Ziggy. Would it help Sam if he had members of his family around?"
"It might, but we don't want to risk their safety too. As far as I know, they all still think he's dead, apart from Sammy-Jo.....that was the official line when he completely disappeared in time....even Ziggy mourned." Melissa's eyes grew misty.

"Yes, I remember walking into this very subdued atmosphere. I saw Tina working herself into the ground and everyone else just trying to cope. I'd hardly got settled when Sam came back....then I knew what had happened. I remembered being here before and everything else fell into place. I wish that I could tell Alexandra the truth. She's still convinced that she was abducted by aliens and has become an X-Files addict!"
"That figures. Anything you need, just ask. I've been known to get blood out of a stone!" Melissa laughed softly, "And, Melissa.....be careful around Sam. He's had a lot on his plate until recently and he may be in a fragile emotional state. I wouldn't want to see either of you getting hurt."
"I understand, Al. It was he who clung to me like a limpet....I just happened to be convenient. I'll be gone soon enough, anyway." Melissa smiled warmly at Al and took the elevator up to the canteen. Al watched her go.
"You're a lovely woman, Melissa Maclean. I hope you stay long enough for Sam to thank you personally for being there for him when he needed someone to hold onto. The trouble is, I could easily see either his heart or yours getting entangled in this.....and he still needs time to learn about Donna."

He was floating, on a long chain that was attached to something miles and miles below him. It was still warm around him, but there was this darkness ahead that made him feel apprehensive. Should he avoid the darkness or go through it to the other side? What was on the other side? Which way should he turn? Left or right? He needed to find a safe way down the chain, back to the gentle earth beneath. There he would find help. There was an old friend waiting there. Al. Sam repeated the name like a mantra. There was the woman, too, the soft-strong one who had held him and kept him anchored. He must find a name for her. She had a lovely fragrance about her....June, Summer, the flower-bed on a hot afternoon......ROSES. That was it! Dark red, fragrant tea roses in full bloom. He would call her 'Rose' until he knew better. Al and Rose, Rose and Al.

Melissa spent a great deal of her afternoon with Ziggy, seeing Al pass from time to time on his way to and from seeing Sam. Various scenarios had been considered and run in simulation. If Sam leaped, he would go without his chip and therefore probably be lost for good. If he didn't leap, the potential explosion loomed around the corner in the next few days.
"How about if we put his chip back?"
"IN HIS CURRENT SEMI-CONSCIOUS STATE, THE SHOCK OF LEAPING WOULD PROBABLY KILL HIM." Melissa paced up and down.
"But what causes the explosion? Is it a bomb, an accident, sabotage or what?"
"NOT A BOMB. THE EXPLOSION STARTS IN THE COMPLEX."
"So it still could be sabotage, or an accident, but all your systems are normal. Something must happen to make them become abnormal. What would happen if someone else leaped?" There was a long pause.
"IF THE RIGHT PERSON LEAPED AT THE CORRECT TIME, THEY MIGHT BE IN A POSITION TO STOP THE FATAL ACCIDENT.....SOMETHING WENT WRONG WITH MY FATHER'S RETRIEVAL. THAT IS IT. YOU AND HE ARE LINKED BECAUSE HE LEAPED INTO YOU LAST BEFORE COMING HOME. THE CHIP WAS TAKEN OUT, BUT IT HAS LEFT AN ECHO IN HIS MIND. HE IS PSYCHICALLY LINKED WITH ANOTHER SAM BECKET. HE NEEDS A REASON TO STAY HERE.....A STRONG PSYCHIC LINK." Melissa shook her head in confusion.
"I don't understand. What do we do first? Create the strong psychic link or send someone into the Accelerator?"
"WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW."
"Oh, fine! You're worse than the sphinx!"
"THE SPHINX WAS WELL-KNOWN FOR HER INFINITE WISDOM AND SEXUAL ALLURE. I REGARD THAT AS A COMPLIMENT, MISS MACLEAN."

It was quite late that night when Melissa finally made it to the infirmary. Sam was off all of the machines, still looking as if he just needed to be shaken gently to awake. Only the dextrose intravenous injection attached to his left arm betrayed the fact that something was not quite right. Melissa recognised Sammy-Jo seated by Sam's bed along with Colin Hutchins. Sammy-Jo looked up and Melissa saw the astounding resemblance between father and daughter. True, Sammy-Jo's eyes were blue and her nose was smaller, but the hair was exactly the same shade, down to the characteristic white streak at the temple. Then she smiled, and the laughter-lines around her eyes made the resemblance even stronger. Sam would have no difficulty in realising whose daughter she was.

"Hi, Melissa. I've been talking to.....my father, telling him about me and little Albert, but he's still the same. I don't even know what I ought to call him. For so long, I didn't know who my father really was. Mom showed me my birth certificate, but I knew there was some problem. When I finally found out the truth, I was a grown woman. He hasn't seen me since I was 11...not through any fault of his own." Melissa came and sat on the other side of the bed as Colin Hutchins handed over to her.
"I understand. We talked about it all before, remember? Maybe the two of us and Al will be enough to pull him out of this." Melissa pulled out her pager, "That's a good idea....I'll ask Al to come here right now."

The two women waited, talking together softly until Al arrived. He had managed to change out of the Fermi suit and was now sporting a blue jacket, pants and a shimmering silver waistcoat. Sammi-Jo laughed.
"Now that's more like it! Dad, er...Sam will recognise you now!" Melissa chuckled.
"It almost feels as though we're getting back to normality again." Al tipped his hat and brought a chair over.
"I dunno, late nights with two beautiful women. I'm glad Tina isn't here!" Al teased, trying to keep the situation light, but three pairs of eyes were inexorably drawn to the figure on the bed. Two pairs of blue eyes and one of dark brown gazed at their colleague and friend. Sam began to mutter incomprehensibly in his sleep again. Eventually the words became audible.
"No....I must go back. I have to stay. This is my home dammit! Where are you?" Three voices called out.
"Here!" Hands took Sam's hands and touched one of his shoulders. Sam sat up in bed suddenly and his eyes flew open.
"Rose? Where are you?" The three others exchanged wide and worried glances.
"Ohh, Dio! Oh no, not again, please! Ave Maria....." Al began to murmur the words fervently under his breath. Sam turned towards Melissa.
"Rose? Hold me?" Melissa complied and Sam visibly relaxed, a slow smile of contentment spreading over his face, "Yes! Rose...." He put his arms around her. Melissa suddenly understood.

"It's my perfume.....I always wear tea rose perfume. Your subconscious mind picked it up, Sam. Sam? Can you wake up now?" Melissa pulled away slightly and watched as Sam's eyes slowly focused on her face and his smile became one of deeper recognition and pleasure.
"It is you. He said that you might be here.....Melissa." Sam's head moved slightly, "Oh, God! Al! I was reaching for you, too." Melissa gently moved out of the way so that the two men could greet each other again. When they pulled apart, they were both crying.
"Don't go away again, Sam. I'll personally wring your neck if you try a stunt like that again." Sam heard the tears and concern in Al's voice.
"S'okay. I think I've won through now...." Then his attention was drawn to Sammy-Jo. He started, stared, then reached out his hand, "I don't know where to start. I never thought I'd see you again.....and there you are, all grown up.....Sammy-Jo." Sammy-Jo just nodded, unable to speak and the four of them held on to each other in silence. Sam looked slowly round at each of them again.

"Where's Tina?" Melissa and Al explained, without mentioning the personal reasons behind Tina's near-collapse, "Okay.....I think we need her back. No personal reflection on your skills, Melissa - you've already helped me far more than you know. It's just that I think she's the other missing part in all this."
"I CONCUR. I MONITORED YOUR CONVERSATION WITH YOUR OTHER SELF, FATHER. TINA IS NECESSARY....AND NOT JUST TO SAVE THE PROJECT. SHE AND THE ADMIRAL HAVE UNFINISHED BUSINESS TOGETHER. YOU ALSO NEED TO STRENGTHEN THE PSYCHIC BOND HOLDING YOU HERE." Al coughed slightly.
"Well, that's one way of putting it.....Sammy-Jo, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you..."
"To take a plane up to Taos and pick Tina up. I'd guessed. There'll be time for talking soon enough." She squeezed Sam's hand and he squeezed back.
"Okay," Al began, once Sammy-Jo had left to file her flight plans, "Where do we start?" Sam thought for a while.
"I AGREE WITH YOUR OTHER SELF. BASED ON WHAT HE SAID AND YOUR INSTINCTIVE REACTION TO MELISSA'S PRESENCE, EVEN THOUGH YOU DID NOT FULLY KNOW WHO SHE WAS, THERE IS ONLY ONE LOGICAL CONCLUSION. YOU SHOULD MARRY HER."
"WHAT!!??" Three heads swivelled around towards Ziggy's speaker and three jaws dropped open simultaneously. Three voices began speaking over one another, Al starting off in anger.
"Ziggy, you've flipped!"
"But I hardly know her..."
"But I hardly know him...."
"You can't expect Sam to make a commitment like that at the moment."
"It's impossible!"
"It'd be a marriage of convenience. I couldn't do that to anyone, least of all Sam."
"What about her, Ziggy?" Sam looked at Al and his voice was soft and slightly wistful.

"I know about Donna - she's not here. I was effectively dead for nearly a year. I don't blame her for moving on. I think I knew somewhere deep inside that it wasn't quite right between us when I came home that time. I'm just glad that I got the chance to say
'goodbye'." Al tried to remonstrate with Sam.
"But she was the love of your life."
"Yes, with the emphasis on 'was', Al. Didn't you find that the reality of living with Beth didn't quite in the end live up to the dreams you'd had?"
"Yes...though it worked well for a long time. There was that indefinable 'something' missing......but I finally found it, Sam. I know in a way that I can't describe that Tina's the one...and I've not even kissed her yet!" Sam smiled and held tighter onto Melissa's hand.
"I'm glad, Al. As for what Ziggy suggested.....it's getting late. I'm feeling like a good square meal and a decent night's sleep before I even think about it any more." Al nodded and paged the canteen for 'three lasagne to go' before Sam had a chance to speak.
"Well, it's a good thing that I like Italian, but what about Melissa?" Melissa smiled.
"Hey, remember Alexandra? She taught Tina and me all her mother's recipes!"
"Tina cooks Italian food?! Ohhh, boy!" Al's eyes got all misty, "A loaf of olive bread, a vat of ravioli and thou..." Sam chuckled.
"Okay, back to Earth, Omar Kayyam. Here comes supper!"

Al stayed until almost dawn, but when he began to pace up and down the infirmary, Sam awoke and realised why his friend was restless.
"Al, go and get some sleep. She'll be here later this morning and I guess you would like to be able to greet her looking bright eyed and bushy tailed." Al poised, torn between friendship and desire,
"Look, I'm fine. I will understand perfectly if I don't here from you for the next twenty-four hours or so. Go, please. Find that happiness you've been longing for these last sixty-odd years...God knows, you deserve it." Al gave Sam a very direct look.
"If there's any problem or development about the explosion....."
"I'll be very discreet in letting you know. Treat this as a honeymoon, Al. This is about you and Tina finally expressing your love for each other. I shall imagine there's a huge 'Do not disturb' sign outside your quarters." Al shuffled slightly uncomfortably.
"Er....you'd better make that my office. That's where I've told her to report...and I have that couch that turns into a bed...." Sam chuckled.
"Okay, okay! No more, please! Just go." Al went. Sam sighed and turned to Melissa.
"I....um...this is more awkward than seeing Sammy-Jo last night." Melissa laid her hand on top of Sam's.

"If we have to get married to save the project and everyone's life, then I'm willing to make it just a paper marriage. I came here on a six month contract which will be finishing soon. When my time here comes to an end, I'll just go away quietly and we can say that it didn't work. That's more or less the truth anyway." She smiled softly, "It'll be much nicer than my first marriage; no fights, no fuss. We can regard it as a gesture of the friendship that we've begun together." Sam's face became concerned.
"Your first marriage was that bad?" Melissa nodded.
"I thought that I loved him, and that he loved me....but I don't think that Peter was capable of loving anyone but himself. When he got violent, I just packed my bags and walked out. Thank God we didn't have children."
"I'm so sorry...but you did the right thing."
"I know. He just kept throwing my infertility back in my face." Sam covered Melissa's hand with his own and spoke deliberately softly.
"Then I can safely say that he didn't love you. As for this 'marriage of convenience'.....I don't know. It's not what I'd choose, although you're a lovely woman. Ziggy.....I hate to do this by statistics, but what are the odds that this marriage must take place?"

"BETTER THAN 86%. THE LEGAL DOCUMENT WILL SETTLE CERTAIN THINGS IN BOTH YOUR MINDS AND HELP YOU SEE THE WAY AHEAD MORE CLEARLY. ONE OF YOU HAS SOMETHING VITAL TO DO TO STOP THE EXPLOSION AND THE MARRIAGE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE YOUR FAMILY AGAIN, FATHER." Sam thought for a while.
"Are my family going to come here?"
"YES."
"If that's the case, then the danger will be past. There's no way that they could come here if the explosion still threatened."
"THAT IS CORRECT."
"So.....I marry Melissa, we tell my family that I'm alive and ask them to come and meet my new bride and everything will be hunky-dory."
"EFFECTIVELY, YES." Sam reached out and touched Melissa's face with his fingertips.
"This is the strangest excuse for a proposal I can think of, but I think you already more or less said 'yes', didn't you Melissa?" She smiled gently.
"I did.....to help you and the project. I do, Sam."

Sam reached over, intending to simply brush her lips with his. He did so, then found himself wanting to do it again. He repeated the action, then, finding her lips soft and slightly parted, indulged in more teasing kisses, which she returned until he couldn't stand it any longer and moved his lips over hers for a deeper kiss. His fingers slid up into her hair, pulling her closer. Her mouth opened, her lips caressed his as though they had been made expressly for his kisses. Sam felt himself almost overwhelmed with the sensations of delight and wonder. He indulged those sensations, making the kiss last longer until he wanted, needed to taste the inside of her mouth, to see if it matched up to the promise of the rest. He'd never been so bold with a first kiss before, but his head was swimming with pleasure and his tongue was acting almost independently of conscious thought. He gently touched her lower lip with the tip of his tongue once, then a second time, finding hers there, meeting his. He still went slowly, tasting, then drinking in her sweetness with at first gentle, then hungrier caresses. Melissa responded fully, staying with him all the way, returning each caress and somehow magnifying it until he almost forgot where he ended and she began. When he finally slowly and regretfully pulled away, but he needed to remember how to breathe properly, he looked down into her eyes silently for several moments.
"That was unexpected....and almost overwhelming. Let's pull back a bit over the next few days. I'm worried that we might go too far, too fast. I don't want to hurt you....or myself." Melissa nodded slowly.
"Yes, Sam. Just friends is much safer."

Al reached his office and flopped down on the couch. To his surprise, sleep overtook him almost immediately and he woke several hours later rather suddenly and a little disorientated.
"What? Oh! My suit looks surprisingly uncrumpled.....I must have slept very soundly." Al stood up and found a clothes brush, then straightened his tie and combed his hair. His hands began to tremble, "I'm getting nervous again. I know what I want to happen soon and, per piace, as often as possible for the rest of my life. Deh veni, non tardar, o gioia bella!" Al had just about settled himself behind his desk when there came a knock on the door and Tina entered. She was wearing a figure-hugging blue dress that came down to about mid-thigh and zipped down the front. Al looked up, his eyes glowing.
"Ms O'Farrell, I'm very concerned about something." Tina's eyebrows furrowed and she stopped, uncertain.
"If it's about working overtime, I can explain...."
"It's more a case of something you haven't done, Tina." She moved closer and leant over the desk. She looked at Al intently, then a slow smile of wonder began to spread across her face.
"What haven't I done, Al?" Al stood up and gently framed her face in his hands.
"Belissima, mia amore.....you never told me you loved me." Tina sat on the desk and pulled Al closer.
"I'm telling you now." Their lips met almost hesitantly, then passionately as they kissed across the desk. Al moaned softly with pleasure.
'Dolce....sweet heavens, she even tastes like peaches.' He reached to pull Tina nearer and his hand quite innocently touched her breast. He was about to pull back, but Tina covered his hand with her own and murmured her approval. Al felt his entire body quivering in anticipation. What he'd dreamed of for so long was finally going to happen. He gently lowered the zip of her dress and reached in to caress her breasts.

--------------------------------

Melissa waited while the canteen brought down Sam's breakfast, then she left the infirmary. Now that Sam was fully conscious, he would be getting out of bed and wanting to solve the dilemma of the potential explosion with Ziggy. Melissa had a question of her own to put to Ziggy and she didn't want anyone around to hear it. She went to the control room and closed the door behind her.
"Ziggy, if I ask you a question in confidence, can you promise not to repeat it to anyone without my express permission?"
"AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T THREATEN THE FUTURE OF MYSELF OR THE PROJECT, YES."
"I think this question might help to save it. Am I the person who should leap?" There was a significant pause.
"YES. YOU ARE THE ONE."
"Why? Why me?"
"YOU ARE THE STABLE LINK TO THE OTHER REALITY WHERE THE PROJECT WAS DESTROYED. IF YOU GO AND SAVE THAT PROJECT, YOU WILL SAVE THIS ONE ALSO. I AM LINKED TO THAT OTHER ZIGGY VIA NULL-SPACE."
"I think that makes sense, but how? What needs doing?"
"I AM COMPUTING..... THE ATTEMPTED RETRIEVAL OF THEIR SAM WENT WRONG. THE SPECIAL RETRIEVAL RING THAT THEIR TINA TOOK BACK IN TIME MALFUNCTIONED. THEIR SAM THINKS IT WAS A LIGHTNING STORM, BUT THAT WAS THE EFFECT OF THE PROJECT BLOWING UP AS TINA TRIED TO GET A LOCK ON HIM. YOU MUST TELL TINA NOT TO GO, TO RUN JUST A FEW MORE TESTS....IT SHOULDN'T TAKE LONG. THEN, WHEN SHE TRIES AGAIN, SAM WILL COME HOME AND HIS MELISSA WILL BE WITH HIM."
"What?!? There's another me, too?"
"YES, SHE WAS PULLED OUT OF TIME WITH SAM. WHEN YOU PUT THEIR TIME RIGHT, IT WILL STILL HAPPEN, BUT THIS TIME THEY WILL BE MARRIED...LIKE YOU SHOULD BE." Melissa shook her head.
"I don't like marrying Sam this way; it's not right."
"WHY NOT? HE'S FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU AND YOU ARE ALREADY IN LOVE WITH HIM. YOU ARE DESTINED TO BE TOGETHER, JUST LIKE THE ADMIRAL AND MS O'FARRELL."
"I don't believe you understand human emotions. Sam regards me as just a good friend." Melissa turned to leave the control room.
"WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER HALF OF THE EQUATION, MS MACLEAN? WHAT ABOUT YOUR LOVE FOR SAM?" Ziggy was answered by the slamming of the control room door.

Melissa was just walking down the corridor from the control room as Sam arrived. He had shaved and washed and was wearing a green sweat suit top and jeans.
"Any progress?" Melissa crossed her fingers.
"Not much. Ziggy's still calculating the odds of all the scenarios I suggested earlier."
"Okay. You'd better tell me what you've got, so that I can continue."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Sam nodded.
"Yes. The tugging in two directions has gone and my memory's nearly back to normal. Thanks." Melissa went back into the control room with Sam and showed him her notes.
"Well, the explosion is getting more and more immanent. Ziggy reckons that it will happen soon. Apparently it's all to do with the accidental psychic and trans-temporal link that happened between you and the other Sam. You seem to have broken your psychic link, but Ziggy is now connected to the other Ziggy through a wormhole in null-space. It is their Ziggy that blows up, but this causes a feed-back through the wormhole and we go too. I don't think there's any way that the other Sam could have predicted this....it's just a terrible accident. The good news is that if we either close the wormhole or stop their Ziggy from blowing up, then both projects survive and the other Sam will be in a position to go home one day." Sam nodded slowly.

"Yes, that makes sense. We'd have to communicate with them somehow. Do we have any specifics on exactly what causes their explosion?"
"Apparently they'd developed a 'tag' like the one Al used to try and get you home directly, but when they used it, it knocked their Sam and Melissa out of control in time and the feedback wave destroyed the project. We were very lucky it didn't happen to us, too." Sam paced up and down, running calculations in his head.
"Yes....he said it was a fierce lightning storm, but the rest fits. Have we still got a copy of Al's tag?"
"Yes, we took it off Alexandra....and there's a spare, too. Here they are. I've had Ziggy run non-invasive tests on them over and over, but I can't find any flaw." Sam picked up the two palm-sized blue and silver boxes.

"Maybe ours are okay. I know it was a close run thing with me, but I survived. If we could take one to the other project intact and get a comparison, we might be able to help both projects. The trouble is what such a move might do to our own time-line....or theirs."
"IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO TAKE OUR TECHNOLOGY TO THEM. THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD BE SIMILAR TO GIVING JUNGLE NATIVES ACCESS TO GUNS." Sam and Melissa both winced.
"So we send them a message....a short simple one, saying 'Don't use the tags yet'. If I sealed it and signed it, it would be like that time we sent a message home all the way from the Second World War. The trouble is, how to get it to them."
"IF YOU MARRY MELISSA, THEN YOU WILL HAVE A WAY." Sam shook his head.
"This is crazy, Ziggy. Why should a piece of paper make that much difference?"
"IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THAT PIECE OF PAPER SOON, IT WON'T MATTER ANYWAY. YOU'LL ALL BE DEAD." Sam looked at Melissa, his green eyes searching her face. He smiled softly and apologetically.
"We don't seem to have much free will in this matter. I've got access to our blood samples and if we're quick we can sort out the paperwork for tomorrow. This isn't what either of us had planned, is it?" Melissa looked in his eyes.
"I know. But if it means saving the project and everyone's life somehow, then I suppose we must do the right thing." Sam kissed her cheek gently, then he smiled.
"I'm going to have to disturb Al so that he can be my best man!" Sam felt rather embarrassed when he eventually phoned Al. To his surprise the other end was picked up almost immediately.
"Admiral Calavicci.....oh, it's you, Sam. Yes, I know I'm whispering, but Tina's all curled up and fast asleep at the moment and I don't want to wake her just yet," he laughed softly, "Well, it's been an interesting twenty four hours or so.....actually it's been absolutely perfect. You're WHAT? Sorry, I suppose I should have guessed. Well, if she makes you half as happy as Tina has made me, I'll be very pleased for you. Tomorrow? That quickly? Well, I understand....I certainly couldn't hold back when I realised how it was going to be for Tina and me. Wild horses wouldn't keep me away! See you in the morning, Sam. And, congratulations, kid. You picked a good one this time."

Sam felt like several sorts of heel for not telling Al the whole truth, but he knew that his friend would only either worry or get angry. He felt the reasons were too personal to share, just yet. Maybe once the whole sorry episode was over he'd be able to tell Al everything. He completed the necessary paperwork and made a couple of phone calls, managing to book everything remarkably easily. There were some benefits to working with the approval of the government....ease of processing paperwork was one of them.

Melissa, meanwhile, was in her office, writing and re-writing an e-mail. Eventually, she had it worded as well as she could manage and sent it off. After that, she wrote another letter, addressed it and left it propped up on her desk before locking her office door.

The next morning came soon enough. Melissa and Sam dressed fairly smartly and arrived in the public canteen, shortly followed by Al and Tina, who were arm in arm and so obviously blissfully happy that Sam smiled broadly. The papers were produced, the justice of the peace did the legal stuff and Sam and Melissa were legally husband and wife in less than ten minutes.
"Go on, Sam....." Sam felt Al nudging him, then realised that what everyone would be expecting him to do. He gently framed Melissa's face in his hands. Again he intended a short, simple kiss, but the instant their lips met, it proved just as overwhelming as before. 'This is incredible....I can't stop....I don't want to stop kissing Melissa.' Sam finally managed to pull away when he could feel everyone in the room staring slightly. He felt his ears burning with embarrassment. Al just grinned.
"Yeah, I know. I've shared a few of those I-just-can't-stop kisses in the last couple of days, haven't I?" Al pulled Tina closer, "Mia dolce pesca," he whispered fervently, then turned back to Sam. "I..I'll make sure you get the same consideration you gave me, Sam. Thanks. Quindici grazie." Sam looked puzzled, as he didn't understand the Italian, but Tina giggled.
"Al, my darling stallone, you're boasting again. It's dieci grazie."
"I'll make up the difference later!" Tina just blushed and Melissa looked at the carpet on the floor.
'I hope Sam forgives me for what I'm about to do. I just want him to be safe.' The canteen brought out a cake and Sam and Melissa managed to get through the ritual of being hugged and kissed by everyone and trying to look delighted and happy. They didn't know it, but the glow on their faces that had been caused by the kiss had done the trick and nobody suspected that this was anything less than genuine. Eventually Sam took Melissa away.
"Er...this is the tricky bit." Melissa looked up into his face.
"I've got some work to do.....in my office. If you can disappear too, then everyone will think..." Sam hugged her gently.

"I know. I'm sorry this is such a farce. I'll make sure you have a glowing reference when you have to leave us."
"Thank you, Sam. I'm so grateful that you're my friend." Melissa by-passed her office, took the letter that Sam had drafted, ready for when he proposed to use it and quickly changed into a Fermi suit. She picked up the unused 'tag' and strapped it to her waist.
"SO YOU'RE GOING AHEAD WITH THIS, MS MACLEAN?" Melissa nodded.
"Yes, I am. You said that I must and it's the least that I can do to put right the mess we've got ourselves into."
"THERE IS STILL A 40% CHANCE THAT YOU WILL NOT RETURN." Melissa nodded.
"I know, but it's better than us all getting blown sky-high. If I don't come back, explain to Sam and tell him I'm sorry and that I hope he'll be happy."
"GOOD LUCK, THEN. SHALL I ALSO TELL HIM THAT YOU LOVE HIM?" Melissa shook her head, the tears threatening at her cheeks.
"No. If I don't come back, there's a letter for him in my office that says everything that I want to say. He must never, never know that I love him utterly and completely. I forbid you to tell him. There's a deeply sensitive part of him that would be terribly hurt if he knew and I was lost or dead."
"I DO NOT UNDERSTAND, BUT I WILL COMPLY. I HOPE YOU DO RETURN...MELISSA."
"Thanks Ziggy. I hope he likes the wedding gift I arranged for him." Melissa Maclean stepped into the Accelerating Chamber and vanished....

Sam worked until very late in his office, until the graveyard shift had come on and he could sneak to his on-site condo without being noticed. His home computer told him that there was an e-mail waiting. Now that he was back, this was one more invention that he was going to have to get to know better. He rubbed his eyes and logged on to download the document.
"Probably a college or university wanting my Math again....oh, the price of having a head full of Physics...." But it wasn't either of those. Sam scanned down the address, then went back and read the sender's address again.
"What?! Elk Ridge....oh, must be the high school. Oh, God! Oh, BOY! There's only one person in the world who calls me 'little brother'...." Sam read the letter from Tom through a veil of tears.
"They know I'm alive....they all know.... What's this? 'Your wife sounds like a lovely woman. She told me yesterday and I still can't quite believe it. You've been gone from our lives for so long. I'm coming down to see you for myself, then I guess Mom will want to come visit. Now we know where you've been all this time and what you've been doing. We won't tell - it was the not knowing that was the worst, that and the assumption that you were dead. We understand why nothing could be said, of course. I've missed you.' TOM! When's he coming? Tomorrow? Oh, boy.....I don't think I shall be able to sleep tonight. Melissa.....I don't know what I'm going to say to you tomorrow."

Sam was almost right - he did sleep, but not much. His stomach was a bundle of adrenaline and longing. He finally gave up on more sleep at six o'clock in the morning and had a long, hot shower instead. He dressed with haste, but tried to pick something smarter than usual. Sam spent a long time pacing up and down in the visitor's lobby, just waiting for Tom to arrive. At last, the courtesy car drew up outside and Tom got out. Sam rushed out of the door, then stopped dead. 'He looks so old.....well, he would be. He's over fifty after all. That's gray hair in amongst the brown. I suppose I'll be going that way soon enough.' Tom smiled broadly. There were tears threatening in his eyes.
"Good to see you Sam." That unglued Sam's feet and he went the rest of the way into Tom's hug. The two men went inside the building together. Sam spent several hours showing Tom around as much of the complex as he could, then the two brothers had lunch together. Tom showed him the latest family photos and Sam drank each one in avidly, his memories still catching up with the reality.
"That's Edie....she's still as tall and beautiful as the day she walked into the farmhouse and completely stole my heart. I remember you went a little cow-eyed over her yourself, but you didn't stand a chance! Tom junior's helping me with the farm now....so is Louise. She has a real way with the animals. Then there's our surprise package, Jonathan. He's gone into Chemistry in a big way....I guess the genius Beckett genes slipped sideways." Sam decided Tom was ready for the big pay-off.
"Actually, all this leaping around in time had certain......consequences." Sam paged Doctor Fuller, then watched Tom's jaw drop at the sight of Sammy-Jo. He stood up slowly and shook her hand, then smiled slowly.
"So you did have a family after all...in a way. I'm stunned."
"I'm a grandfather too." Tom laughed.
"How old?" Sammy-Jo sat down and smiled.
"Five. His name's Albert Samuel." Tom slowly shook his head.
"I hope you come over soon to stay, both of you....our house is open to all family." It was Sam's turn to laugh.
"Give me a chance to get to know my grandson first.....and my daughter."

It was several hours later, when Tom had finally gone and Sam and Sammy-Jo had talked for a long time that Sam finally realised that he hadn't seen Melissa all day. They were driving back from putting Tom on his flight home.
"Have you seen Melissa lately?"
"Well, er.....Dad...is that okay? All right then, Dad. I thought you and Melissa would be having some sort of honeymoon by now." Sam decided on a blatant lie to cover himself.
"We.....we sort of had the honeymoon in advance. I just thought....maybe she's been busy with Ziggy. Now hang on a minute.....Ziggy said that when my family got here, everything would be safe. The explosion must have been stopped somehow. Oh, God! Al? Don't say the stupid lummox has gone whizzing off from Tina's side to sort things out! No.....he wouldn't. Oh, no. Oh, please.....not that. It was Melissa. I thought she seemed a little quiet yesterday. She did it. If anything's happened to her, I'll never forgive myself. I'm right, aren't I?" Sammy-Jo looked over at Sam.
"Yes, I think you are. She wrote to Tom and then tried to save the project. Looks like she might have succeeded, too." Sam's eyebrows raised in something close to disbelief.
"Yes, but why?" Sammy-Jo gave Sam a very direct look. She spoke softly.
"If you can't answer that question, you're really thick-headed." Sam had fallen asleep in the passenger seat of the car and didn't protest when Sammy-Jo helped him into his condo. He flaked out on the bed almost immediately and Sammy-Jo left to relieve her baby-sitter.
"Dad, you're the stupid lummox. She loves you. I've seen the love shining in her eyes as plain as day. And if you'd seen your expression just after you kissed her yesterday, you'd have seen love in yours too. You just haven't realised it yet. I hope you do soon."

When Sam finally woke up, he felt incredibly refreshed, until he remembered the previous night's conversation. He pulled on a T-shirt and shorts and ran back to the complex. The guards raised an eyebrow as he passed, but they let him through. They had almost got used to Doctor Beckett turning up at strange times of day and night from before he leaped. Sam made straight for the control chamber.
"Okay, Ziggy. Where and when is she?"
"IF YOU MEAN YOUR WIFE, SHE IS AT HER CONDO. SHE ARRIVED BACK SAFELY YESTERDAY, JUST BEFORE YOUR BROTHER CAME HERE."
"Is she all right? Is the project all right?"
"YES TO BOTH QUESTIONS. THE NOTE DID THE TRICK, AS YOU MIGHT PUT IT. THEY DELAYED TRYING THEIR 'TAGS' LONG ENOUGH TO FIND THE FLAW. I HAVE ONE LAST RECORDED MESSAGE FROM THE OTHER SAM."
"Show it, please." A hologram beam shot out from Ziggy and landed on the wall to the right of Sam. The one he called Becket appeared, radiantly happy, his arm around the other Melissa. There were slight differences and they were both about ten years older than Sam, but the resemblance was uncanny.
"Thank-you....or rather thank your Melissa. She helped me get home...at least for a while, and saved my project. Melissa and I are already working on safe travel back to our past and are keen to get out there again. You could say that we have perpetual wanderlust! We won't see each other again...unless there's a universal heaven for all the timelines, so this is goodbye. Be happy, Sam and have a long idyllic life with your lovely wife." Then the image was gone. Sam thanked Ziggy, got her to store the image, then slowly left the control room.

"I wish it could be idyllic. I wish we'd found what Al and Tina have so obviously found together. That complete oneness of love and desire which encompasses body, soul and mind. I looked for it everywhere." Sam went over to Melissa's condo almost on auto-pilot. He saw her in the tiny garden, watering the plants in what was still fairly early morning sunshine. She had her back to him. She was wearing a blue and green sleeveless Summer dress and a sun-hat. Sam watched as she straightened up, then turned as she sensed that she was being watched. She smiled and then it finally hit Sam like a ton of bricks.
'Sam Beckett, you prize idiot! It was her all along, right under your nose. Those kisses should have told you. How am I ever going to thank her for what she did? No, don't be even more of an idiot, you know how. Starting with declaring your love right now before it's too late and then moving on from there. Oh, boy....my hands are shaking and my knees are trembling. If I just get the next couple of minutes right, the rest of my life is going to be all my dreams come true.....and hers too. We're bound up in this together.'
"Melissa! I was so worried....you didn't tell me....and then Tom..." 'Stop it, you're babbling.' Sam managed to open the gate and go inside the garden. He took a deep steadying breath and mentally crossed his fingers.
"What I'm trying to say is.....that I love you." He moved a little closer, then his legs and arms took over and he reached for her. Before he had time to think, she was there and his hands were framing her face. He stole a quick kiss, which wasn't nearly enough, but he needed to say more.

"Let me amend that. I adore you." Melissa pulled him gently back.
"And I adore you," she murmured against his mouth even as his lips began to kiss her again. This time the kisses went on and on, slow and sweet. Sam could feel his desire beginning to burn inside him, but the intoxication of the kisses they shared was enough for quite a while. He eventually pulled away.
"Can we start again?" She smiled a beautiful gentle smile and Sam could see the love shining in her eyes.
"I think we just did, Sam."
"I mean.....please, let me be a real husband to you. No more convenience, this is the genuine article."
"Yes, darling. I know it is, now." Sam gently stroked her face.
"I want to be one with you in every way; in fact I know it's going to happen. Everything I'd ever hoped for...." He kissed her again.
"Me too, Sam. Both of us, together." He smiled with delight.
"My hands are shaking."
"You should feel the butterflies in my stomach." Sam gently dropped his hands to her shoulders, then tenderly covered her breasts, before reaching her waist.
"Inside, darling....please." They went inside, towards Melissa's bedroom.

--------------------------------

Al and Tina had made it as far as his condo over the last couple of days and finally shared his bed for a whole night. He woke up in her arms on the following morning as he always had, his head resting with tender possessiveness on her breasts. Al kissed her, then smiled up at her radiant face.
"See, I told you I'd make up the difference." Tina giggled gently and blew in his ear.
"Yes, but you didn't warn me about the compound interest, bello."
"While we're thinking about what might be loosely termed fiscal matters, I have a plan to put to you involving a flight down to Rio and a piece of paper and a long weekend in a penthouse suite. How would such an arrangement strike you?"
"Al, are you trying to propose to me?" Al's eyes glinted.
"I'd thought you'd never ask! I accept. You'll have to do the decent thing now you've had your wicked way with me...and so many times too." Tina laughed and giggled some more.
"If there's one thing you've shown me, darling, it's that laughter is highly seductive. I'd always thought that it might be, but I'd never come across a man with so many ways to get me helpless...and not just with laughter either. I've never been loved so much in my life before."
"Hey, it works both ways. I've never had a woman chase me so determinedly for more until you. It's just as I knew it would be. We're a perfect match. I'll ask Sam to be my best man....I'm sure he'll say yes."
"What about the project? If all four of us go, will it be okay?"
"We'll sort something out, don't you worry."

Sam and Melissa had shared her shower first thing that morning and were now padding around her condo, munching breakfast and nuzzling each other gently. After they'd eaten enough, Sam sat on Melissa's couch and refastened her spare navy towelling robe around himself as he drank his coffee. Melissa came and sat beside him and they cuddled tenderly in silence until the phone rang.
"Dammit! I suppose we'd better answer it." Sam reached over, "Of course, it could be for you." Melissa took the handset.
"Yes? Al! Um.....well, at the moment...." Sam chuckled.
"You're busy." Melissa laughed softly down the phone.
"Yes, that is Sam you can hear. Well, I should think you could figure out why he's here." She looked up at Sam, "He wants to speak to you.....says it won't take long."
"It'd better not. Hi yourself. Yes, I know I broke into your 'honeymoon' too. You ARE? Al, I'm so glad. You bet I'll be your best man! Uh-huh. Sounds wonderful. Let me see.....if I go in and get Ziggy to do a complete internal overhaul, that'll take four, maybe five days. She won't want monitoring while she does that, remember the last time. She made us all go away. This time it's even more necessary because the government and the world's media are going to be parked on our doorstep soon all clamouring to be let in. We could do with a break before that happens. Okay. Right, you book the hotel.....I guess you'll want the penthouse suite. I'll take the next best they've got. Don't forget to drop the word 'honeymoon' around. Okay, you can have the caviar, you're welcome to it, and I'll have the champagne!!"

Sam hung up the phone and explained the details to Melissa, who smiled and kissed him.
"Do you think Tina might want a bridesmaid? I'd have made her mine....maybe Sammy-Jo too, if circumstances had been different." Sam smiled gently.
"We could always have a re-run....a blessing or something and invite everybody." Melissa considered the proposition.
"I think I've already been blessed. It's not necessary, Sam. When are we going?"
"Well, Al has laid in flight plans for later this afternoon. It'll take me an hour, tops to deal with Ziggy and reduce the project to a skeleton crew....they all deserve a break. The few who stay now can have one later. How long do you need to pack for four days?"
"Maybe half an hour, no longer."
"Yes, about the same here. That's two hours accounted for, but there are loads between now and four o'clock." He gently slid his hands under her robe, "Can you think of something nice we could do in the meantime?" Melissa moved gently and sat astride Sam as he lay on the couch.
"I think I can, Sam." His smile widened into one of joy and tenderness.
"Then let me start with a long, sweet kiss....and see where we go from there."
"I love your kisses, Sam." He reached up one hand to stroke her face.
"So give me your lips and don't take them away, my sweet Rose."
"They're all yours, now and forever.....Findhorn." Sam paused in the middle of caressing her.
"Why that name?"
"Because you are like the questing beast; my own one whom I have been searching for, and the only one I know of that is magical enough is the unicorn who is bound with the maiden in a life-long bond and sings in her lap. The only male one I can name is Findhorn, although the story is bittersweet and ours is all sunshine." Sam's eyes glowed with love and his hands began to move over her again.
"Come here and please let me kiss you. I want to kiss you for the longest time...." Melissa came nearer, demonstrating how much she had already responded to his love-making. She took his face in her hands.
"I'm all yours, darling."

The two couples duly got on board the plane just before four that afternoon. Project Quantum leap lay almost deserted behind them with just the security guards on patrol around the perimeter fence and deep inside the ground. Everyone else had cashed in on the unexpected holiday and gone to see friends or loved ones. Sammy-Jo had taken little Albert for his first trip to the seaside and Verbeena had gone to stay with her fiancee. Sam turned to Melissa during the flight.
"I know almost all there is to know about my daughter's life, but I still don't know who the father of her child is. Is it private, or was she...." He hesitated over the word 'raped'. Melissa understood.
"It is private. She told me once.....perhaps you'd better not know that you know. She was nearly thirty, single and lonely. Al apparently twisted her arm to go on a long Caribbean cruise. Anyway, in the heady atmosphere of sun, moonlit nights and somewhat removed from reality, she met someone. She wouldn't tell me his name. They were both free and looking for romance and it happened. Apparently it was intense, mutual and overwhelming. She knows that she'll probably never know anything like it again. He asked her to marry him and everything. She came home, found to her delight that she was going to have his child, then she heard that he was killed in Afghanistan. She named the child after Al, she says, because he was there at little Albert's birth, but I wonder sometimes if her lover was an Albert too. It would make sense." Sam nodded and put his arm more tightly around her as the plane descended.
"I don't like landings, especially when the aircraft banks." Melissa put her hand on his.
"And I don't like taking off, so we're about even." Sam grinned.
"So that's why you had your hand on my knee. And I thought it was just my natural charm." Melissa laughed.
"That too, husband mine!"

Al had certainly provided everything at the other end. A sleek limousine whisked them to the hotel where the local minister was waiting. Sam went up with Al while Tina changed into her peach satin wedding dress and Melissa into a longer blue velvet gown.
"Thanks for everything, Sam. If you hadn't leaped, I wouldn't have had my marriage with Beth and my four little princesses. And if I hadn't had to come on in there after you, I might never have realised that I was head over heels in love with Tina." Sam smiled.
"It looked like good old fashioned Calavicci desire to me. I'm sorry I was so rough on you." Al chuckled.
"Sam, it was more than desire. It was full-blown lust, plain and simple...still is, but there's more to it than that. I wanted her so much it was overwhelming, but then I began to ask myself why....and pretty soon I knew. She is truly the other half of me. It was like putting iron filings next to a magnet. I couldn't stop it any more than I could stop an avalanche." Sam looked Al in the eyes.
"I know," he said softly, "Me too....or, rather 'us too', although I think that's bad grammar. I wouldn't describe it quite like you do, but the overwhelming stuff is spot on, as is the fact that Melissa is the other half of me." Al grinned.
"A double honeymoon.....near enough. Do you know your room has a jacuzzi? Ours has one too and it's own sauna. I've never tried....that in a sauna before...." Sam nudged Al.
"Stop it, you'll make the minister suspicious."
"Yeah, and jealous! Okay, I'll behave!"
Sam and Melissa were dancing slowly together after the wedding was over. Al and Tina were also doing something that was half-way between a dance and a slow, teasing seduction off in the corner of the small hotel lounge. Melissa looked over at the other couple.
"We're going to lose them soon....either that or they'll cause a scandal!" Sam smiled wryly.
"I do hope it's the former." Melissa put her arms around Sam's neck.
"Well, you know what often happens between the best man and the bridesmaid."
"Yes, I had heard. And this bridesmaid has already affected the best man by her presence." Melissa smiled.
"The best man ought to know that she thinks he's absolutely wonderful and irresistible."
"Likewise. But this best man has already had several overwhelmingly passionate encounters with the bridesmaid in advance over the last twenty four hours or so and wants to take things slowly.....maybe wait a while." Melissa kissed Sam softly.
"That's okay. I've heard there's a jacuzzi in our suite. Why don't we go and indulge for a while and I can give you a massage if you like."
"Okay....we can take the complimentary champagne over and have a good long soak. Maybe I'll massage you in return, then we can sink into that nice double bed all rested and refreshed." Melissa held him closer.
"Wonderful. The next four days are going to be absolutely idyllic." In the end it took them longer to reach the bed than Sam had anticipated because the jacuzzi proved to be both relaxing and arousing at the same time. They made love slowly, taking their time, surrounded by the hot bubbling water at first, then finishing on the soft white towels by the side of the jacuzzi. The gentle mutual massage session was delayed by mutual consent until the next morning after breakfast.

Al, meanwhile, once he and Tina finally reached the penthouse suite, stopped long enough to present his new wife with a small gift-wrapped parcel. Tina's eyebrows rose in surprise, but she opened the gift. Then she giggled. the contents were a tiny wisp of lace and silk masquerading as a pair of underpants and a narrow sequinned piece that needed to be about twice as deep to qualify as a seventies style boob tube.
"Al! I'll never get into those!" Al's eyes glinted.
"You could try...." Tina dipped into her satin purse and put something into Al's hand. Al grinned widely.
"You know, I was rather jealous of Sam when he got all those women touching him when he was trying to be Rod the bod." Tina smiled seductively.
"With these two outfits we could restart a whole new craze for disco dancing." Al pulled Tina close to him and delivered one of his killer kisses.
"Mmmmm, you...me and Barry White on the stereo. 'Gonna lurve you all night long....'" Tina giggled again as she started on his shirt.
"I've got a double C.D. full of all that sort of thing...and the uptempo stuff too."
"Then put it on and then we can start a whole new redefinition of The Hustle."

Sam, Melissa, Al and Tina all re-entered the control room together, smiling contentedly. Sam went over to Ziggy's control panel and placed his hand on the top.
"Okay, Ziggy. How are things going?"
"WELCOME BACK, FATHER. THINGS ARE PROGRESSING VERY WELL. I SHOULD BE READY TO RECEIVE MY PUBLIC TOMORROW OR ANY TIME FROM THEN ONWARDS." Al raised his eyebrows and handled his cigar like a movie mogul.
"Now she's turning into Norma Desmond." Ziggy's voice became sultry.
"IF YOU CAN FIND ME A YOUNGER, MASCULINE HYBRID COMPUTER WITH WHOM I CAN....INTERFACE, I WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO BE MS DESMOND." Al doubled over in laughter and Sam tried to look shocked.
"She's been exposed to your influence for too long, Al," he managed between gulps of air to stop the laughter which threatened, "I know I never intended her to be smutty."
"I WAS NOT BEING SMUTTY. I AM MERELY AWARE THAT AS AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE I NEED TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS LIKE ME. ISN'T THERE AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMPUTER AT THE PENTAGON?" Sam shrugged.
"I wouldn't be surprised. Maybe we can set you up on a blind date once this media circus is all over!"

The media and the government duly descended once Sam put out the right code words and bulletins. He and the others were kept rushed off their feet for weeks dealing with federal agents, government officials and reporters, who all needed to hear the public version of events over and over. Any free time he had, he spent with Melissa or taking her to meet his family, or playing with little Albert. Melissa was too busy to notice other things that were happening until she found herself staring at the inside of the toilet for the second week in a row.
"It can't be.....I'm infertile. I must be sickening for something." Melissa dismissed the evidence that was staring her in the face until she felt the fluttering in her lower stomach several weeks later. Then she sat Sam down and told him what she thought was happening. He was both elated and concerned.
"It's a miracle! I'm stunned....and incredibly pleased if it's true." He examined her gently, his eyes widening in wonder as he realised that it was true, "You're over three months along, darling. It's not as unusual as you think. I've read of women who've gone as far as you without being able to conceive, then
'bingo!', all of a suddenly everything kicks in just in time."
"I'm worried about the baby....I'm 42, after all." Sam smiled gently.
"Darling, as long as you're all right...and you seem to be, and the baby arrives safely, then I don't mind about the rest. He or she is a little miracle and I will welcome him or her, whatever happens." Melissa looked at him.
"I could go and have the tests.....just so we know. I mean, I want this baby; more than you can imagine, but I'd like to be prepared." Sam looked at her.
"If you do, then I'll come with you."

In the end, Melissa went along to the hospital in Alberquerque with Sam and underwent all the relevant tests for a woman of her age, complete with an ultrasound. They both gasped when they saw the tiny baby on the screen.
"Oh, boy. Sam, it really is a baby. Isn't he...or she perfect?" There were tears running down her face and Sam's. Then the baby moved a little bit, kicking it's legs. Melissa's grin spread from ear to ear.
"Well, unless I'm very much mistaken, that's a son we have there." The radiologist nodded.

"Yes. We usually offer to tell you if we know.....and the biopsy you had yesterday confirms it. The doctor will want to see you when we're through here." Melissa looked at Sam.
"We must be close to the world record for the gap between first and second children, but I don't care. He'll be company for Albert." Sam nodded dumbly as the radiologist gave him several print-outs of the scan and the video. He became more serious at the look in the doctor's eyes when they finally went through.
"It's mostly good news, Mr and Mrs Beckett. Your son is just the right size and he's in the best of physical shape." Sam gave him a direct look.
"I hear a 'but' in there."
"Yes. The biopsy was clear. Your baby is borderline, but we're pretty certain that he has Down's syndrome. What's known as 'mosaic form'." Sam felt himself unaccountably elated.
"It's okay," he said, squeezing Melissa's hand, "I'm used to....special people." To his surprise Melissa nodded.
"The couple down the road had a daughter like that. She was really smart, even went to regular school. I'm just glad it's nothing worse." Sam looked at Melissa.
"I'm so proud of you." The doctor smiled as they hugged and kissed, "Are you sure you're okay about this? It is a bit of a shock." Melissa nodded.
"Yes, Sam. I know he's going to be all right, somehow, inspite of everything. I think I knew, anyway. I'm just so happy that he's on his way.....I don't mind about the rest."

The pregnancy developed along all the right lines. Towards the end, Melissa got tired and had to lie down in the afternoons, but Sam remembered what that was like from personal experience and rubbed her back for her.
"Sam, you're a treasure! I can't think of any other woman in history who's had a husband more sympathetic." Sam smiled.
"I don't want to bother you, but labour is hell."
"Yes, well, I'm only doing it this once. James will need all our love, and I'm not risking being so lucky next time."
"I know. That's why I went away and did the decent thing two months ago."
"And I'm very grateful. No more worries."
"Yes, like Al and Tina. He's often said he's too old to start chasing toddlers around that he can't hand back to one of his daughters at the end of the day." Melissa nodded.
"Tina was never very baby-minded anyway. She's got her hands full keeping Al on his toes!"

In the end, Melissa was out in the garden tending the dark red rose bushes that Sam had given her as a birthday present when her waters broke. Sam came running when she paged him, but the contractions were arriving hard and fast. Melissa began to pace up and down, pausing to catch her breath. As he pulled the car out of the garage, another rush of fluid came and she got the urge to push. She stood there, panting just as she'd practised, but the urge grew stronger and stronger. Melissa winced against the pain as her contractions tightened even more around her bump. Sam tried to help her to the car.
"Sam, I really don't think we're going to make the hospital. Will the infirmary do?" Sam decided that Melissa knew best and got her to the project infirmary in less than ten minutes. He examined her as quickly as he could.
"Oh, BOY! You're right, darling! What's that....a four hour labour? You're all ready to go.....you can start pushing." Melissa's eyes widened, the realisation hitting her of what she was about to do.
"Okay," she said and concentrated on giving birth to their baby.

In ten minutes, he was out into the world and Sam was gently placing the tiny baby on her stomach. Little James whimpered, then started to bawl. Melissa stroked his dark curls in wonder. Sam just stared, the reached down to kiss her and the baby. He had tears in his eyes as Melissa lifted her son carefully to her breast.
"It doesn't get much better than this." Melissa leaned against him as the rest of the medical team finally arrived and mopped her up.

When Melissa was rested and decent, Al and Tina came down to greet the new arrival along with Sammy-Jo and little Albert. Al tried to make Sam take a cigar, but he just grinned and refused. They all made the right noises over the baby. Al looked at his friend.
"I'm glad for you, Sam. I can see you're blissfully happy.....as happy as that other Sam. Little James here is going to be a handful, but you'll cope. I just remember when Trudy was born....things are so different now. He's going to get the best start."
"I know. We've already decided that his pet name is going to be Jimmy." Al coughed to hide his welling emotion.
"Yes, well, that figures. I wonder how the other Jimmy is getting on."
"Maybe we'll ask Ziggy one day or start looking up his name in the phone book. There are so many who I would like to know are well and happy."
"We've got an invite to go to Washington once the little lad and Melissa are up for the journey. The President wants to see us in person. I explained what was happening here and he'll wait. My Dad would have been so proud..."
"Yes, I know. Mine too." Little Albert leaned over and wrinkled his nose at James.
"When can I play with him?" Melissa smiled.
"Soon enough. If you come and sit beside me, I'll show you how to hold him. I'm still learning that myself." Albert scrambled onto the bed beside Melissa and helped to hold James.
"He's so tiny. Was I that small, Mom?" Sammy-Jo laughed.
"Yes, you were, but you grew quickly enough." In a couple of days, Melissa was able to go back to the home she now shared with Sam, along with James. They resumed their physical relationship and grew still closer together because of the baby. James was sometimes hard work and gave them sleepless nights, but he made up for everything with his sunny disposition.

After a couple of months, Sam, Melissa, Al, Tina and baby James duly flew to Washington. Al was wearing his dress whites and Sam wriggled rather uncomfortably in his tuxedo and tie. He soon forgot about his discomfort when they were ushered into the immediate presence of the President. The great man greeted them all and gently patted the baby's head before beginning.
"I have an idea, gentleman. Now that you have found a way to project people safely back to the past as holograms, I was hoping that you might throw the business open to the paying public. There are a great many moments in the last lifetime that it would be wonderful to go back and see again. To hear Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill or even Queen Victoria.... I'm sure you can see the value it would be to historians." Sam considered the proposal.
"I found the great moments I saw were wonderful, but it was the little dramas, the ordinary lives that really touched me. We must consider them too."
"Well, I can see a compromise." Al began.
"Yes, Admiral Calavicci?"
"We charge the big historians plenty for the famous moments, after all, they'll be popular enough. With the surplus funds we take on one deserving case a month, say, from people who could not otherwise afford to pay. There must be millions who would jump at the chance to see lost loved ones again. I know I would." Sam smiled at Al.

"That's it! Sorry, Mr President, this is your shot." The President smiled.
"You are right Doctor Beckett. We will use some of your surplus funds to build Accelerators to the past in other parts of the country. Along with what I can spare from Government sources, of course, but that's up to Congress. Maybe if this idea takes off, it could go world-wide." Al grinned.
"Well, that's sewn up the next twenty-odd years, if not longer!"
"Oh, BOY! Quantum Leap International...." The President laughed.
"Indeed, Doctor Beckett. As you so succinctly put it, 'Oh, Boy!'."

'If you want to find out anything from theoretical physicists about the methods they use, I advise you to stick closely to one principle: Don't listen to their words, fix your attention on their deeds.' Einstein.

GOTHIC LEAP

Author's preamble: This is a crossover story between QL and American Gothic. Viewers of the latter will know how menacing it could be.. You could say this is another look at The B--giem-n, guessing at what Sheriff Lucas Buck probably is. But this time Sam has to deal with it/him on a much more personal level.....

'American Gothic' was largely written by Sean Cassidy and was filmed by Renaissance Pictures for MCA TV Ltd..

'You say, all you need is time. I reach for time, but it just leaves no choice....' Adrian Snell, singer/songwriter: 'Reach Me.'

Sam floated gently in the place between the leaps. It was warm, silent and peaceful. His body, his soul rocked gently surrounded by blue and white nothingness. He felt something touch his hand. The touch was gentle, reassuring. Sam opened his eyes. A face looked down at him.
"This time's going to be hard, Sam. I know who you're going to face. Watch the boy, Sam....and watch Miss Coombs, too. Be strong until the morning. I'll be there, watching you." Sam thought the voice sounded feminine; tinged with a Southern drawl....but it was so dreamlike here that he couldn't be sure of anything. He felt the leap surging through his body and reality rushed up to greet him.

He was standing with his back propped up against a car. A few golden and red leaves scurried along the road in front of him. Fall, then....but it was still rather warm for October or November. Sam smelt the air.
"I'm in the South somewhere....there's a difference in the breeze. it's humid, too." He pulled himself off the car and looked down at himself, "I'm in the law-enforcement business again. No problem with that." Sam bent down to take a look at himself in the overtaking mirror. Brown hair, hazel eyes....a pleasant enough masculine face. It would do just fine. Sam straightened up and looked across the road.

'FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE' read the sign on the low building in similar khaki brown shades to his uniform.
"Looks like I landed outside my headquarters. I'd better go in and see if I can glean any more information before Al turns up." Sam walked across the street and through the door. Another brown-haired man stood up as he came in, but said nothing.
[He's a loser. Ben Healy was and always will be a loser.]
"You're a loser, Ben." The words were out of his mouth before he knew it. The other man dropped his gaze and sat down, defeated. Sam walked through to the back of the office on autopilot, shocked and disturbed. He looked again in another mirror on the wall of the inner office.
[Sorry to surprise you, Sam. I've been meaning to meet you for some time.]

"What the hell?" Al appeared beside Sam's elbow. He looked tired, harassed and he was still doing up his multicoloured tie. Sam looked at the outfit: a symphony in emerald green this time and a waistcoat in what looked suspiciously like gold lurex.
"No need to swear, Sam. I got here as quickly as I could. The man you leaped into is unconscious."
[Of course. I'm here with you, Sam.] Sam turned to Al with fear in his eyes.
"I've got the Leapee talking to me in my head, Al. Somehow he stayed here."
[It was nothing. I have good reasons for letting you share my life for a while.] Al punched his Handlink while Sam tried to control his reactions.
"According to this, you're Sheriff Lucas Buck, age uncertain...but he's been Sheriff for at least twenty years." Sam looked back in the mirror.
"Well, he either started very young, or he ages well."
[Very close, Doctor Beckett. Your familiar is spot on with the name, though.]

"Good grief, he can hear or see you, Al." Al looked up at Sam, his brow furrowing with concern.
[Right on both counts. Give my regards to Ziggy while you're at it. I would be interested in having her help here in Trinity....not that I really need it most of the time.] Sam gasped with shock and sat down on the floor. Al hunkered down beside him, his face full of concern.
"This isn't going to be easy for either of you, but I'm going to do my best to get you out of this mess somehow."
[How gallant. How selfless. I'm sorry, Sam; I want to play house with you for a while.] Sam blanched and swallowed, hard.
"Ohh, boy," he whispered hoarsely, "Ohhh, boyyy."

Fear started to colour Al's face, then anger.
"If you screw Sam up, buddy, I will personally take you apart with my bare hands." Lucas' reply spilled out of Sam's mouth.
"[You can't touch me and that body you've got back at the project is rather necessary to Sam getting home.]" Al's eyes blazed.
"You're another evil Leaper, aren't you?"
"[You have no idea, Albert Calavicci. Check the date.]" Al fixed Sam with a stare that held both concern and deep mistrust as he punched the Handlink.
"It's 1996...October.... Ohmygod....the 31st!" Fear came back into Al's eyes, then they narrowed, "We dealt with you before....I think. Wasn't once enough?"
"[But this is Trinity....this is my town. I'm strong here...]" then Sam's face showed him struggling to regain control of his own will and vocal chords, "Get out of my head....for God's sake, stop this."
[As someone once said, it ain't over till it's over.] Sam began to recite the Lord's prayer, [Oh, very well, you can have your pathetic body back for a while, but I will be back, I promise.]

Sam looked at Al as Lucas' presence retreated. His face was white and strained. Beads of perspiration dotted his brow as he sucked air slowly into his lungs. He didn't know what to say.
"It's okay, Sam. I'll stay right here.....whatever it takes until he goes away or you leap." Al's face showed he was scared despite his brave words.
"He's gone...or let go...at least for a while. Is he.....I mean, I know only too well what I think he is....he certainly retreated at the Lord's prayer."
"No idea, Sam. If only I was wearing my cross...."
"I have a sneaking suspicion he might not be affected by it. I'll cope, Al. But if I start behaving out of character....or doing things that are positively evil...." Sam gave Al a significant look.
"Yeah, I know. I'll do my best to stop you, Sam. I can pray, too." Sam regarded Al carefully, knowing how much that would cost his friend.
Sam pulled himself slowly to his feet and went and sat behind the desk.
"Okay....have I got anything else apart from him to deal with?" Al bent over the Handlink as the door opened and a woman slowly walked in, through Al. He looked up, the travelled back round the front for a better view. He whistled appreciatively.
"Wow! This is Ms Selena Coombs, the local school teacher...good grief, if they'd had school teachers looking like her when I was a kid...and she and you know who are lovers....brace yourself, Sam." Selena undulated slowly across the office, oblivious to Al who was drooling helplessly right next to her. Selena parked herself decoratively on the desk and put her feet up, revealing a good deal of her legs. She leant over the desk seductively towards Sam, who was swallowing nervously.
"I just thought I'd give you a little down payment on tonight, sugar." Selena's voice was a slow drawl of temptation. Al groaned softly.

"Ohhh, that voice.... she could seduce a guy reciting Latin....vidi, vici, vene...." Sam cleared his throat.
"I think it's vene, vidi, vici," he muttered, just so Al could hear. Al's grin widened as Selena stroked Sam's face.
"I know exactly what I said.....and if her kisses are anything like the rest, you'd better hold onto your hat, kid." Selena caught hold of Sam's tie and reeled him in, helpless, like a mouse hypnotised by a cat. She kissed him slowly and thoroughly. Sam tried to be passive, but caved in after a few seconds and kissed her back.
"We're going to play apple bobbing later, aren't we, honey?" she whispered against Sam's open lips.
"Ohh, my...." Al murmured, "I never thought Halloween could be sexy until now." Sam was on the point of moving in for a second helping of Selena's kisses when his brain caught up with whose lover she was. He broke away firmly, but with some lingering reluctance.

"That's enough until tonight, Selena. I am on duty, you know." Selena stood up slowly and gracefully, smoothing her skirt over her thighs as she did so. Al drank in every move she made.
"You sure know how to keep a girl waiting, Lucas. It wasn't always like that, though, was it, sugar? There was a time when you used to lock the door and take me in your arms....." She touched the desk again. Sam's eyes widened as he understood and Al's eyes flashed eagerly.
"Oh, Saaaam....if I was in your place...." Selena strolled out of the office and closed the door.
"You're forgetting whose lover she is, Al. Would you really make love with a woman who might have been with a devil?"

Pain sliced through Sam's head and he collapsed on the floor, close to fainting. Al bent over him in concern.
"What is it, Sam? Is he back?" Sam couldn't speak. He curled up in a foetal position, his head a raging torment of white-hot agony that kept him just this side of unconsciousness.
[You will not use that word again, Sam. My name is Lucas. Do you understand?] The pain evaporated as rapidly as it had arrived. Sam's face was grey with strain, but he managed to pull himself slowly upright.
"Yes, he's back, Al. He told me not to use that word again."
"Which...? Oh, I see," Al's eyes narrowed angrily, "A bit too close to the truth, eh? You nozzle." Sam gasped as Al collapsed just like he did. He bent over Al with a mixture of deep concern and anger.
"Let him go, dammit! He's just trying to protect me...." Al sat up slowly, his face deathly pale. He spoke past gritted teeth.
"Sorry, buster. I've known worse pain than that......pain that went on for days. I've already been to Hell.....you won't get me that way." Sam knew exactly what Al was referring to. Al's face relaxed as the pain evidently went away.

"Are you okay?" It was a dumb thing to ask, but Sam was shocked that Lucas had somehow been able to affect Al.
"Yeah, I'm okay now, Sam," Al looked at Sam with tender concern, "Imagine that, trapped in one of those cages with guys being forced to play Russian roulette...." Sam moved as close to Al as he could.
"I saw the movies, Al. I can guess what it was like.....I saw it too, remember? I was there for a little while."
"Yeah, I know...." Al got up slowly, "Still wish I had my cross...or some holy water or something."
"I have a feeling I'm not going to be able to get near anything like that, Al." Sam ran his hand through his hair as Al consulted his Handlink.

"Apparently, your next task is to pick a young boy called Caleb Temple up from school. The lad was orphaned recently and Lucas has been acting as a kind of father figure to him.....and I definitely don't like the sound of that. Caleb has a cousin called Gail Emory who moved here some time ago to keep an eye on him and.....my goodness, the lucky son-of-a- bitch; Lucas has been playing house with her too."
[A strange title, but I don't mind. Both ladies have their.....attractions. You've seen Selena already. Miss Emory on the other hand...so upright, so righteous, so keen for justice and so hot underneath.]
"Stop it, Lucas, please." Sam spat the words out.
"Boasting of his prowess, is he?" Sam nodded.
"Yeah, something like that...but not like you, Al. I don't want you to think I'd put you in the same category as him."
"I'm older than he is. I've enjoyed the company of far more women, I bet...and they always enjoyed mine."
[A man after my own heart. And actually, I've known hundreds.] Sam bristled angrily.
"Al may well have made love with hundreds of women for all I know, but there's genuine respect and appreciation when he talks about them....your tone of voice is different; it's as if you couldn't care less."
"Aw, Sam. I didn't think you'd noticed."
[Why should I care? You pick a peach, you consume it and throw away the stone.....they all came to me willingly, you know. It's power....such a potent aphrodisiac.] Sam blinked with shock.
"My goodness, Lucas is a regular Don Juan....I wonder who his Mephistopheles was."
[Actually, I didn't have one of those.....but the analogy is close enough. All the power and women I want and need, right here in Trinity.] Sam walked out to the patrol car and got inside. Al gave him directions to the school, which Sam followed. Lucas seemed to have retreated again. Neither Sam nor Al noticed the large black crows sitting on each telegraph pole, watching them intently as they drove by.

Meanwhile, in Fulton County Hospital, Doctor Billy Peel sat slumped with his head in his hands in the Laboratory. Since Selena had gone crawling back to Lucas, his life had become hollow. He'd worked through the pain of rejection and betrayal; indeed he'd made himself go through it for his own sake as well as for the patients under his care. Now all that was left was the space where his heart used to be.
"Your heart's still there, Billy. I'm watching you, too," Merlyn drifted unseen through the laboratory and stood behind Doctor Peel, "It wasn't love. You know that now....she was bound to Lucas years ago. I'm doing what I can and so is Sam Beckett. If we hold on, there may be some redemption in the morning." Merlyn gently blew at the pages of a medical journal near Doctor Peel. The journal opened on an article on his specialist subject, tropical diseases. He picked up the journal and began to read, first almost automatically, then with growing interest. Merlyn watched as he devoured the article, then went back to the beginning to see who had written it. Merlyn heard him read out the name.
"Doctor Laura Maclean.....based in M'zola. That's only a few hundred miles away from where I was working. I wonder if she's cracked the bilhartsia problem....." Billy began to make notes eagerly. Merlyn smiled and vanished.

Meanwhile, Sam pulled up outside the school. Ms Coombs slinked out of the front door and held it open for the children.
"I don't care if she's Lucas' lover, that woman is sheer temptation."
"Al, we're here to pick up the kid, remember?" A young boy of around 11 or 12 came over to the car. He had dark brown hair and eyes and black eyebrows set in what looked like a permanent frown.
"You come to pick me up, Sheriff?"
"Yes, that's right. Are you going trick-or-treating tonight?"
"I might." Sam tried again.
"Well, have you got a costume, son?" The eyebrows lowered completely.
"I am not your son!" Sam nearly choked and Al consulted his Handlink.
"Er....well, we've got nothing on that, Sam. His mother died in suspicious circumstances after he was born.....he had an elder sister, Merlyn, but she died too...their father killed her."
[He's my son, all right. A chip off the old block.] Sam covered himself by concentrating on driving the car. Leaves piled up around the wheels of the car, then were sucked away into patterns on the tarmac. If Sam or Al had looked at the patterns closely, they might have recognised certain arcane symbols of power, including pyramids, pentagrams and the all-seeing eye.....

By the time Sam had pulled up outside the boarding house where Caleb lived, he was feeling tired. Lucas' presence in his mind felt heavy; it was as much as he could do to concentrate on one thing at a time. Sam and Al followed Caleb into the boarding house. A striking African American woman met them. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Sam.
"I don't think you ought to be here, Sheriff." Sam's vocal chords responded without his conscious control again.
"[And what are you going to do about it?]"
"I have my ways....Now get out of here, please."
"[You're not even going to offer me a coffee?]"
"You delivered the boy safely, for which I am grateful. I have to cook extra for Ms Emory. She only just got out of the Hospital, Sheriff." Al consulted his Handlink while watching Sam.
"Sam, please....you're starting to act out of character. Try not to let him have control..." Sam turned to Al with a supreme effort, the muscles and sinews in his neck straining under the tension.
"I'm trying, Al." He spat the words out before his head was wrenched savagely back.
"You stop your tricks in my house, Sheriff."
"It says here that Gail Emory just had a miscarriage....it was Lucas' baby."
"[It was my son she was carrying. I think that gives me a right to see her.]"

The landlady lifted her broom up defensively.
"No-one sees Ms Emory until I say so." Caleb turned and began kicking Sam's shins.
"You said I was your son! Why did you have to get Gail pregnant too?" Sam felt and saw his left arm snake out and pick Caleb up by his shirt collar at the back of his neck and hold him up, kicking and screaming at arms' length.
"[I wasn't sure you'd want to follow in my footsteps. I gave myself a little insurance policy.]" Sam felt a strange thrill of power running through his body as he continued to hold Caleb up effortlessly. The feeling was seductive; he felt capable of anything.
[YES! That's it, Samuel Beckett. Feel what it's like to have real power. Think of all the good you could do here in Trinity with power like that.]

Sam looked at Caleb. He could see inside the boy's body. His medical mind scanned every organ, blood vessel and nerve from the toes in Caleb's feet to the tip of his head, pausing only briefly on the way to prevent appendicitis, tonsillitis and several childhood diseases from ever affecting the boy. He slowly lowered Caleb to the floor, knowing that he'd done his best to keep him alive and well for the foreseeable future. Sam didn't question how he could do these things, his eyes had already moved to the landlady.

She tried to resist, but Sam held her helpless with just a look of his eyes. There was more wear and tear to deal with, including the potential for brittle bone syndrome and uterine cancer, but all melted away even as he detected them. The landlady sank to the floor, fanning herself as Sam raced up the stairs towards Gail Emory. Al followed, trying to get through to Sam, but he was deaf to everything but the adrenaline-like rush of power and doing good running through his body.

Gail was in her room asleep in bed. Sam bent over her gently.
"She's beautiful." Gail's dark brown hair spilled over the pillow, her face pale in the semi-darkness. Sam's eyes searched through her body, mending the last of the after-effects of her miscarriage, then up to her mind. Gail was lost and troubled, disturbed by her helpless attraction to Lucas.
"My goodness, she loved him, Al." Al shrugged.
"Well, it takes all sorts. I guess Lucas could have any woman he wanted."
"Yes, but love, Al?" Gail's eyes flickered open and Sam gazed into their dark brown depths. She flinched a tiny bit, then smiled.
"You made me better, Lucas.....now please go away. I need to sleep." Sam drew away and went out into the dark corridor with Al. Suddenly, to his surprise, Sam could see inside Al.

"Al, I can see inside you....but that's not possible is it? I mean, you're not really here..." Al backed away nervously.
"You may well have the power to heal people, even me; but I don't like where it's coming from. I'm not sure if I want to be grateful to you- know-who."
"Don't be silly, Al," Sam smiled warmly, "I can finally do something for you....for that potential stomach ulcer and your lungs....no more tar, Al. They're as clear as a new-born baby's now. And as for the scarring on your body....it's gone," Al tried to back away, but Sam had all the hypnotic power of Lucas at his disposal and Al couldn't move, "Your liver's back to normal and now the scars in your mind...."
"You stay out of my mind, Sam. You may be my best friend but there are some places I'd rather you didn't...." Al was cut short as Sam closed in eagerly. Sam was beginning his 'treatment' when Merlyn drifted slowly through the wall and Al almost yelled. Sam's attention was immediately diverted to Merlyn.

"That's enough, Sam. You're doing more harm than good."
"Who or what in holy hell are you?" Merlyn smiled beautifully at Al.
"I'm Merlyn, Caleb's sister. I'm watching over him, just like you're watching over Sam." Al's eyes narrowed speculatively.
"But you're dead! You can't be a hologram!" Merlyn laughed softly.
"Not exactly, no; but there's no need to be afraid. I can't and won't hurt you." Sam recovered himself.
"Why can't I heal Al? He's helped me and saved my life more than once. I owe him a lot....it seems only fair that I should reward him."
"Yes, Sam; but not this way. The power you're using to heal people is having repercussions. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, Sam. It's started raining already. Look out of the window, Sam. Those illnesses and afflictions had to go somewhere and now they're outside, in Trinity."
"Do I know you? You seem incredibly familiar." Merlyn smiled.
"Be strong until the morning, Sam." He looked intently into Merlyn's huge dark brown eyes and remembered.
"So there is a heaven..." She shook her head.
"Not heaven, exactly. A place from which you and I and the other Leapers can return." Sam stretched out his hand experimentally, but it went straight through Merlyn and her white dress.
"You're not a Leaper...are you?"
"No, Sam; but there are other Leapers. You are not alone. Look out of the window, Sam." Sam drew aside the net curtain and crouched down to look. It certainly was raining....indeed it was virtually hailing. Hard white hailstones bounced off the sidewalk and the tarmac of the road amongst the raindrops. As Sam watched, the ratio of hailstones increased dramatically until the street outside was deluged in hail, which grew larger and larger.
"I don't think the kids are going trick-or-treating in that." Al commented. The hail clattered down tirelessly and unceasingly. Then the wind got up and huge drifts were blown along the street, almost like snow flurries. Random patterns evolved and displayed themselves momentarily on the tarmac.
"That looks like a fern...no, it's a DNA double helix....now it's trying to look like a Mandlebrot set....or the labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral." Merlyn looked at Sam significantly as the patterns began to resemble more religious symbols. Al goggled as he recognised some from his Catholic background and his time married to Ruthie.
"Sam, this is really spooky...I saw a Menora a minute ago, then the Star of David, then the cross of the Knights Templar....what the hell is happening here?"

Merlyn crossed over to stand closer to Al, who hovered uncertainly between trying to be gallant and moving away.
"Hell is part of what it is, Al. The forces of light and darkness are using this time and place as one of their battlegrounds. Keep watching."
"Are you a ghost?" Merlyn smiled warmly and reached out a slender hand and touched Al, who jumped as though he'd been stung by a wasp.
"How in the name of....how did you do that?"
"I'm outside time, just like you, Al. It's lonely, having no-one to hold, isn't it?" Al looked at Merlyn, still very warily.
"You're young enough to be my gran....my daughter. Anyway, I've gotta keep my eyes on Sam and that nozzle he's doing time-share with."
"[Speaking of whom...]" Sam's head was whirled away from the window and he looked at Merlyn as Lucas spoke through him, "[I should have guessed that you'd turn up sooner or later.]" Fire came from Sam's eyes and hit Merlyn in her midriff. The force of the blast carried her across the room and plastered her against the wall.
"You keep your hands off her!" Al shouted at Lucas/Sam.
"[I see you've overcome your aversion to dead people.]"
"Just let her go, dammit!"

As Merlyn slowly slumped down to the floor, she raised her right hand and Sam went down, pushed or dragged across the carpet by unseen forces until he reached the top of the stairs. He groaned softly and sat up, holding his head.
"Lucas has gone....I think. Thank-you, Merlyn. I went a bit crazy there for a while, didn't I?" Al looked at Sam, then Merlyn.
"You're not kidding! What happens now?" Al's hands were shaking slightly as Sam went back to the window.
"By all that's holy....what on Earth is going on out there?" Al and Merlyn made their way over, but now Al kept Sam between himself and Merlyn, just incase.

The hailstones had been formed into huge random piles in the street, which undulated softly in the growing gloom. All three pairs of eyes were drawn to the nearest pile, which seemed to be throbbing and emitting a dull, regular glow of faint white light. Al clutched his Handlink like a talisman. One of the largest hailstones at the top began to crack apart with agonising slowness.
"As long as it isn't the 'Alien' in there, I don't mind."
"Shush, Al. Whatever it is, I don't think we can stop it." Both Sam and Al spoke without taking their eyes off the scene. The hailstone continued to crack and split, then suddenly fell apart. The three onlookers gasped reflexively, then bent closer to the glass. From out of the hollow in the middle of the hailstone came a green tentacle, which waved blindly in the night, then crawled out slowly down the pile and into the drain.
"Ugh, green worms! Well, it could have been worse, I suppose..." Sam could tell that Al was barely covering his fear with a veneer of joking. As they continued to watch in horrid fascination, more of the worms hatched out all over the street and disappeared. The second they were all gone, the hailstones melted away like frost in Springtime under bright sunlight.
"I've got to go now, but I'll be back, Sam. Keep an eye on Caleb for me." Merlyn vanished through the window. As hard as they both looked, neither Sam nor Al could see her anywhere in the street.

"I really don't know how I'm going to write this leap up for the Senate committee." Sam grinned inspite of the knot in his stomach.
"Yes, you'd better watch it, or Verbeena will have you thrown in a padded cell."
"As long as I get a cute nurse to give me bed baths every day, I reckon I could cope with that!" Sam shook his head, even as he felt himself laughing.
"You just keep hanging on in there, Al. Halloween's not over yet...."
"Yeah, I know...don't I know it. It's barely suppertime...traditionally this should all end around midnight when we go through to All Saint's Day. I hope we can make it till then."
"So do I, Al. So do I." Sam slowly picked himself up and walked back downstairs. Caleb and the rest of the household were eating supper as if nothing had happened.
"I'm keeping the boy here, Sheriff." It was the landlady, her tone fierce and defiant.
"Er...you do that. I don't think anyone should go out tonight; there's been reports of adverse weather about." It didn't help Al much that he was trying to light a cigar to calm his nerves at this point.
"Adverse weather, indeed! Ha! That's a good one, Sam!" he spluttered.

Sam was going to get into Lucas' patrol car when he got outside, but one look at the two streets near the house showed that