Date: Wed, 7 May 1997 20:49:45 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Circles of Fate - Part 24 Message-ID: Quantum Leap "Circles of Fate" Part 24 Al woke up with the worst hangover he'd had in twenty-five years. He couldn't remember much about the night before but what he could remember bothered him greatly. He vaguely recalled making some very brash statements that were not only untrue but also compromised the security of Project Quantum Leap. He looked around himself. He was lying in his bed at home. The shades in the bedroom's windows had been pulled shut but Al could still see that the sun had risen. It peeked through the blinds, causing Al to wince at the headache which resulted from the sight of the sun. "You're lucky I felt sorry enough for you to even think about drawing the blinds," Beth told him, standing at the bedroom door, a rebuking look in her eyes. Al sat up in the bed with a moan. "I guess I had a little too much." "'A little too much'?" Beth questioned. Al winced at his headache. "Okay. A lot too much. Is there some aspirin around here?" Beth frowned at him. "I should just let you suffer a little for last night," she told him as she approached him. She gave him a large glass of liquid. "Drink it," she ordered. Al took the glass and drank a bit. He grimaced. "Salt water," he realized. Beth looked firmly at him with commanding eyes. Al obeyed the unspoked repeated order, knowing from experience tha the salt water would rehydrate his body with the water the alcohol had deprived him. "Couldn't you have given me salt tablets instead?" he asked as he finished the drink. "And just let all of this slide by as if nothing ever happened?" Beth questioned. "I don't think so." Al exhaled. He could tell Beth was about to give him a lecture unless he started explaining himself. "I know what I did last night was wrong," Al started, looking into her eyes. "And I don't have a good excuse. But, even though it may not be very good, I do have an explanation." He took a breath. "You remember three days ago? When Sam leaped?" "The retrieval failed," Beth said sympathetically. "I know. Genine called me last night and told me. She also told me where you were." Al frowned. "How'd she know where I was?" "She said she'd put a tracer on the Ferrari. Just in case the retrieval did fail, she wanted to make sure you didn't do anything stupid." Beth looked at him. "So, the retrieval failed and..." she began for Al. Al sighed. "And I gave up. I gave up on Sam, on the project, on me... I just plain gave up. The whole thing hurt me greatly and I didn't want to be around anyone who would either directly or indirectly remind me of what had happened." Beth exhaled. "And you were angry with Sam for leaving you. Last night, you said he'd broken his promise to you." Al nodded. "He'd told me that he wouldn't leap unless the retrieval program worked." "So does it?" Beth told him with a knowing smile. Al looked at her. "Just because it worked once doesn't mean it'll work again. There are certain parameters which Ali... Sammy Jo," Al corrected himself quickly, "has set out." He paused, looking at his wife. "All the parameters were perfect except for one: we can't be sure that Sam wanted to come home." "And you think he didn't," Beth concluded. Al exhaled. "I don't know. Maybe he didn't." Beth looked at him firmly. "So, you're angry with him because he wants to leap and help others." She shook her head. "I can't believe how selfish you are being." Al looked at her with surprise. "I'M being selfish?" he questioned. Beth nodded. "You haven't even considered that Sam might have a very good reason for not coming home. All you've thought about is your anger with his not returning." Al didn't look at her, thinking about her words. Beth paused. "I've been thinking about what's happened, Al. Isn't it possible that the only reason Sam was retrieved was so that he would know what he had to put right?" Al frowned. He didn't like the thought, especially since he knew who really retrieved Sam and why. He shook his head. "Beth, that would mean that, in the original history, we were plagued with disasters. I refuse to accept that." Beth looked into her husband's eyes. "Al, you're getting that look again." Al looked at her in confusion. "What look?" "That look that tells me that you know something no one else in the world knows." Al exhaled. "Then you know I can't tell you anything." He paused, giving her a gentle smile. "But you've given me a lot to think about." Beth touched his hand. "Then promise me you'll tell me what's on your mind when you're done sorting everything." Al returned the touch affectionately. "If I can." ------------------------------------ So, what's Al up to? Why DID Sam leap? Find out in Part 25. Katherine