Date: Wed, 7 May 1997 20:48:42 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Circles of Fate - Part 23 Message-ID: Quantum Leap "Circles of Fate" Part 23 It was a strange reenactment of the events of three days before. Al stood behind the control console, this time without his walking cane, his hand on the activation panel. Gushie stood beside him, assisting him just as he had three days ago. Genine stood near the control console, hope in her eyes. Janet Kalarco stood nearly, watching and waiting patiently. The only difference there was on this day was that Sammy Jo Fuller was in the Control Room as well, hoping her calculations were correct. Al slowly removed his hand from the activation panel with a breath. "Retrieval complete," he told everyone. He paused hesitantly, looking towards the Accelerator Chamber. Everyone followed his gaze as he slowly made his way towards the Accelerator Chamber door, a knot in his stomach. Genine followed him gently, stopping with him at the door. Al took a breath. "Ziggy?" "Yes, Admiral?" Al hesitated a moment. "Was the retrieval successful?" There was a long silence. "No," Ziggy finally told him sadly. "The retrieval was not successful." Al closed his eyes and took a deep, slow breath before turning away from the door and starting for the Control Room's exit. "Aren't you going to check for yourself?" Janet asked him as he walked. Al stopped. "No, Janet, I'm not," he answered without turning around. Without another word, he left the Control Room. Janet looked at Genine with question. Genine exhaled. "Three days of work and worry for nothing," she said softly, walking towards the control console. "But it should have worked!" Sammy Jo said, going to the console as well. She looked at the read-outs on the console carefully. "The parameters were better than they were in October. The odds of his retrieval had gone up to seventy-two percent." She looked at Genine. "The only reason this could not have worked is if Sam..." She stopped with realization. She closed her eyes with a sigh. "He didn't really want to be retrieved," she said quietly. Genine lowered her head. "Doesn't look like it, does it?" She looked towards the door through which Al had exited. "And I think the Admiral knew Dr. Beckett wouldn't be retrieved." No one responded to Genine's observation. ************************ Al was drinking when Beth found him at the bar in Albuquerque. She knew he would be there when she received the call from Genine, telling her of the failed retrieval. He had left the complex almost six hours before without a words to anyone about where he was going. "Al," she said gently, gaining the man's attention. Al huffed slightly. "Beth," he replied knowingly. He took a drink of the beer he had in front of him. Beth sighed. She sat at the table and looked at him carefully. "How many of those have you had?" Al looked at the drink thoughtfully. "Six or seven. Or eight. Or nine." He took a large gulp of beer. Beth looked at him with reproach. "You're drunk," she said with disgust. Al nodded. "I am very drunk, Dr. Calavicci, and I intend to get plastered." As he said this, a waitress came up to the table. "Can I get you anything?" she asked Beth. Beth nodded. "Yes. The check." "And another beer," Al added. Beth shook her head, slipping the waitress thirty dollars. "Just settle the bill and keep the change." The waitress smiled with delight. "Yes, ma'am," she replied, starting away from the table. "Oh, one more thing," Beth stopped her. She promptly took the beer out of Al's hand and gave it to the waitress. The waitress accepted the half-finished beer and left the couple alone. Al glared at her with malevolence. "I was drinking that," he told her, a slur in his speech. She gave him a knowing glare. "Not anymore, you're not. You're coming home with me right now." Al rubbed his face, very much wanting to avoid the lecture he knew was coming. "Look at you!" Beth told him firmly. "You're a disgrace! If Sam saw you like this..." "That's just it!" Al yelled at her. "Sam can't see me like this because he's not even here! Who knows where or WHEN he is?" He paused, obviously angry. "Damn it, Beth! He made a promise!" "I can see you're upset about this," Beth started gently. "Upset?! Damn right, I'm upset! And you should be too!" "Why?" Beth asked. "Why?!" Al exclaimed. "Haven't you been listening to me? He broke his promise!" Beth exhaled. "I'm sure he had no choice." Al glared at her. "He had a choice," he told her firmly. Beth touched Al's hand gently. "Al," she started. Al could see she was about to negate his statement. "He had a choice!" he yelled at her, pulling away his hand. "He could've come home if he wanted to!" Beth bit her lip with concern about where this conversation was going. "Al, I don't think you want to discuss this here." "Why the hell not?" Al asked. "He doesn't give a damn about us! Why should we give a damn about him?" Beth slapped him hard across the face, startling Al immensely. He stared at her in shock. Beth looked at him firmly. "Al," she said slowly, "unless you want to cause a scene which would bring in the police, we are leaving. Now." Al sighed. "Is that an order, Captain?" "You're damn right, it is," Beth told him. Al thought for a moment before nodding and standing up slowly, trying to keep his balance. Beth stood up as well and helped her inebriated husband to the Ferrari parked just outside. She put him in the passenger's seat before going around to the driver's side and slipping into the car. "Can you buckle yourself in?" she asked. Al didn't answer. Beth looked at him to find him passed out. She sighed and reached over him to buckle him into his seat. She then buckled herself into the driver's seat before starting the car and driving towards the Albuquerque city limits. -------------------------- Part 24 coming next. Katherine