Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 13:57:56 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Memories - Part 8 Message-ID: Quantum Leap Memories by Katherine Freymuth Copyright 1997 Part 8 "Maddie!" a male voice practically screamed. Sam woke to see Joe glaring down at him. It was obvious that the young man was more than a little angry. "What time is it?" Sam questioned as he sat up on the couch that was his bed for the night. He could see that it was definitely passed dawn and he wasn't about to let Joe's anger, regardless of what on which it was based, interfere with getting Linda and John home safely. "Who cares what time it is?" Joe complained. "What the are those two doing up there?" "What?" Sam questioned, a bit confused. "The boy and his sister!" Sam glared at Joe. "You mean Linda and John." "Of course, I do!" Joe yelled. "What are they doing in your bed?" Sam yawned, stood, and looked around for a clock. "Sleeping," he answered as he read the living room's clock on a mantel about the room's fireplace. It was five fifty-two. Joe faked a laugh. "Oh, that's funny, Maddie. That's really funny. Just get them out of here before their old man finds out. I don't want to get the blame for your stupidity." He huffed. "Besides, there's nothing worse than having someone scream in Italian. Can't those idiots learn how to scream in English?" Sam took a slow breath and glared at Joe meaningfully. "Let me remind you that you are part Italian yourself. So, unless you have something derogatory to say about yourself, I suggest you keep your comments to yourself." Joe huffed again and returned Sam's glare. "I don't have time for this crap. I've got to go to work." He turned and headed towards the front door. "Just get those two brats out of here," he ordered before slamming the door behind him. "Joe can be a real asshole," a voice commented from behind Sam. Sam exhaled in anger. "You can say that again." He turned and looked at his holographic partner. He paused at the sight he saw. "Al, you look terrible." Al raised an eyebrow. "Well, you're no CCCCindererella yoursssself. Trouble sleeping l-last night?" Sam nodded slightly. "A little. You don't look like you've had a lot of sleep yourself." Al exhaled. "Th-That's an understatement." He paused. "The r-r-reason I'm here is to w-w-wake you up for w-w-work but I see Joe's alr-ready done that. And, although Joe is an eg-gotissstical b-bigot, he is r-right on one thing: you've g-got to get L-Linda and John home and in b-bed before M-M-Michael w-wakes up. According to Z-Ziggy, that'll be in..." He raised the handlink and punched a few buttons. "...fourteen point two s-seven m-m-minutes." Sam started walking upstairs towards Maddie's bedroom. "Still can't seem to shake the stutter?" Sam observed more than asked. Al shook his head. "N-Not since I w-w-woke up this m-m- morning." Sam hesitated. "Al, it sounds as if it's getting worse, not better." Al didn't answer, avoiding looking at Sam. Sam let the lack of answer pass as he entered Maddie's bedroom. He walked over to the bed and smiled at the sight of Linda wrapping herself around her little brother, giving him more warmth and assurance. "Al," Sam motioned the Admiral over to him. Al obeyed the beckon and looked down at the two children. *"She is so much like you, Al, it's almost scary."* *The girl had been crying but now she was asleep. And cold. He could see her shaking. He was cold too. And weak. But she was more important. He laid next to her, letting his body giver her warmth and assurance.* "T-Trudy," Al whispered. Sam looked at his friend with concern. "What did you say?" Al shook his head slightly, clearing it. "Y-You'd b-better w-wake them," he told Sam, ignoring Sam's question. "Y-You're r-running out of t-time." Sam exhaled, letting Al's avoidance go in favor of the matter at hand. He gently placed a hand on Linda's shoulder. "Linda," he said gently. Linda immediately opened her eyes and looked at Sam. "Time to go home," he told her. Linda frowned. "Do we have to?" Sam nodded slightly. Linda was obviously upset but, nevertheless, she gently woke her little brother. John smiled at Sam as Linda helped her brother out of the bed. "Sham, you Ma--ie?" Sam smiled in return. "Yes, I'm still Maddie." John giggled slightly. "Goo game." He pointed at Al. "Who man?" Linda started leading John out of the bedroom. "Come on, John. Time to go home." John pulled his hand away from his sister. "No home! Sham! Ma--ie's house!" Al looked at the handlink. "Sam, M-Michael is going to w-wake up in about five m-minutes. He's s-sober but I d-doubt that he'll be hhhappy to f-find them here." He paused. "L-Let me talk to J-John," he suggested. Without any approval from Sam, Al walked up to John and squatted down to his level. "John, y-you havvve to go home. F-For now. Okay? Everything is g-going to be okay. S-Sam and I w-w-will m-make sure of th- that." "John, let's go," Linda gently ordered. "Daddy will be awake soon and we don't want to get in trouble." Sam picked up John quickly but carefully. "Your sister's right. Let's go." He carried the boy downstairs, Linda just behind him. John didn't complain loudly but cried quietly nonetheless, not wanting to return to the Tornelli house. "One m-minute, S-Sam," Al warned as the four entered the house. Sam put John on the floor quickly. "Linda, take your brother to bed, quickly and quietly." Linda nodded and obeyed. As the children went to their room, Al breathed a sigh of relief. "Z-Ziggy says they'll b-be o-okay." He pushed some buttons on the handlink. "B-But y-you have to l-leave b-before M-Michael sees you." Sam headed for the back door and, with a little help from Al, returned to Maddie's house without Michael seeing him. Sam sat on the couch and exhaled. He looked at Al with question. "Al, how am I going to help Linda and John if I have to spend my time dodging around Michael? Both you and I know that they would be in better care with Maddie." Al looked at Sam with a slight frown. "I w-warned y-you last n-night that th-they should have g-gone straight home. And y-you c-can't just take them aw-way from M-Michael, even if y-you m-might w-want to," Al pointed out. "Th-That's kidnapping, t-techn-nically. Somehow, y-you're g-going to have to c-convince M-Michael that g-giving M-Maddie c-custody of Linda and J-John is the r-right thing to d-do." "How?" Sam questioned. Al exhaled in frustration. "I don't know." Sam looked at Al firmly. "Try asking Ziggy." Al pushed a few more buttons on the handlink. "Sh-She d-doesn't know either. Yet," he amended. "Sh-She says th-that she's w-working on a hypo-th-thesissss by t-taking w-what we know about M-Michael and ap-plying it to pssssychology. Beeks and sh-she w-will p-probably c-come up w-with something ssssoon." Sam didn't say anything for a moment. "So, what do I do in the meantime?" "How about stop talking to yourself and get ready for work?" Christa said from the foot of the stairs. "What's with you anyway today? You're still in your nightgown and you have to be at Michael's in a half an hour. And did I hear Joe say those kids were sleeping in you bed?" Al raised his eyebrows. "Hey, S-Sam! Sh-She didn't call them b-brats." Sam nodded both to Al's comment and in answer to Christa's question. "They stayed here last night," Sam told her. "Why?" Christa questioned. "Because they were afraid." Christa frowned slightly. What could Linda and John be afraid of? They're just children." Al's and Sam's eyes widened with astonishment. "Sam!" Al exclaimed. "Sh-She said th-their names!" Sam smiled slightly. "It's good to know you actually act like a human being when Joe isn't leading you in an anti-handicapped-Italians parade." Christa flushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry about what I said yesterday. I've been thinking about what you said." She hesitated. "You're right. I have been following Joe's lead and rather blindly at that. I spent a lot of time last night thinking about my actions." She took a breath. "I wish I was like you, Maddie. You've always known what to do, what to say. I followed Joe's lead because I knew I wasn't you and I didn't know what else to do." She smiled slightly. "Besides, Al Calavicci scared me and I thought of Joe as protection." "I s-scared her?" Al questioned as if the thought of it was absurd. Sam hid a smile. "Well, I'm glad you actually took my words to heart." Christa was quiet for a moment. "I haven't changed that much yet, Maddie. But I want to and I figured that forcing myself to at least say their names will help me remind myself that they're human too." She looked at the clock. "You'd better hurry. You only have fifteen minutes. You don't want to be late. You know Michael won't pay for the first hour if you're late." Sam nodded, standing and heading for the stairs as Al made a negative comment about Michael's lack of willingness to part with his money. "Maddie?" Christa put in as Sam headed up the stairs. Sam looked at her with questioning. "Be patient with us," she asked of him. "We're trying. At least I am and I'm sure Joe will eventually." Sam nodded. "I'll be patient with you if you start asserting yourself and form your own opinions based on facts rather than prejudice. As for Joe..." He exhaled. "We'll see."