Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 22:21:17 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Mirror - part 5 Message-ID: Quantum Leap Mirror of Deception by Katherine Freymuth and Gary Marsh Copyright 1998 Part 5 "He's asleep," Cathy said into her cellular phone early the next morning. "Are you certain?" "Yes, I'm certain. I drugged him up pretty heavily last night." She paused. "He's going to be a difficult recruit." "Well, aren't you wearing the perfume?" "Yes, I'm wearing it! I have never had so many men try to pick me up in my life!" The person on the other end of the line chuckled. "Really? Oh, you poor darling!" There was strong sarcasm in the voice. Cathy frowned. "I'm not like you, you know. I don't have to sleep with every man I meet." Another chuckle. "You don't?" "Al is different," Cathy said firmly, "and you know it. This was your idea, not mine." "And what makes this time so different? The Admiral isn't the first man you've recruited." Cathy closed her eye. "Stop it." A laugh on the other end filled Cathy's ears. A tear slowly rolled down her cheek. *Damn! Why does she torment me like this?* "You're not going to get emotional with me, are you, Catherine? It was so many years ago." "I said stop it!" Cathy almost shouted. "Look, I'll bring him in. It just may take a little time. He isn't as easy to woo as most but I will bring him in." There was a long pause. "I hope so for your sake, Catherine." With that, the line went dead. Cathy slowly shut the power off and returned the phone to her purse, forcing herself to regain control of her emotions. "Cathy? Are you okay?" Cathy took a deep breath and turned with a smile. "Al, I thought you were still asleep." Al walked slowly over to her, a white and maroon robe covering him. "I was until they called me in to work. Took me a while to hear the phone." He touched her cheek. "What's wrong? You've been crying." She shook her head. "It's nothing. Really." Al looked at her with deep concern. Cathy looked into his chocolate brown eyes and knew exactly what to do next. "Oh, Al!" she cried, wrapping her arms around him and crying on his shoulder. "Hey," Al said quietly, stroking her auburn hair. "What's wrong, honey?" Cathy didn't answer. "That's okay," Al told her. "Take your time." Cathy pulled slowly away from him and walked a few feet away. She gently wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't lay my problems on your shoulders," she said quietly. "I mean, you're an admiral. You probably have enough problems of your own." Al took a slow breath. He gestured her over to him. "Come here. Let's sit down. You look like you need someone to talk to." Cathy slowly took his hand and allowed herself to be led to the couch. She slowly sat down and wiped another tear as Al sat beside her. "Now, what's wrong?" he asked gently. Cathy hesitated a moment. "It's my ex-husband. We've been divorced for years but he won't let me go! He's so possessive!" She sniffled and allowed a tear to trickle down her cheek. "I came to America for a holiday to get away from him for a while but somehow he found out where I'm staying!" "Was that him on your phone?" Al asked. Cathy shook her head. "That was my best friend. She called to warn me that he's planning to come here." Some more tears trickled down her face. Al wiped them away with his thumb. "Gawd, Al! I'm scared! He threatened to kill me if I left England and I think he means it!" Al shushed her gently and hugged her. "I won't let him get to you, Cathy." He thought a moment. "In fact, why don't you stay here, just to be safe?" Cathy sniffled. "You mean it?" Al smiled gently. "Of course, I mean it. I'd love for you to stay with me." Cathy pulled out of his hug gently and smiled. "Thank you, Al. You don't know what this means to me." Al wiped a fading tear away. "Don't mention it," he assured her. He slowly stood. "Listen, I have to get to work. Why don't you go collect your things and bring them on over?" Cathy nodded slightly. Al kissed her forehead before leaving the living room to ready himself. The moment Al closed the bedroom door, Cathy straightened herself and smiled at the door wickedly. "Who has he leaped into this time?" Al asked as he entered the Control Room. The Control Room was alive with activity, typical for the beginning of a leap. Gushie and another technician were working diligently at the main control console, setting the parameters for the Imaging Chamber. A corporal stood dutifully on guard, snapping to attention the moment Al entered the room. Verbina stood just out of the way of the technicians who were moving to and fro, doing their duties as project staff. "Terry Hatcher," Verbina told him as he approached her. "Thirty-eight year old construction worker. Has a wife and a seven year old son." Al raised an eyebrow. "So, he isn't a knockout brunette who acts on prime-time television." Verbina smiled. "No, he's not." Al snapped his fingers in disappointment, causing the psychiatrist to laugh gently. "Is he up to having a visitor?" Al asked. Verbina nodded. "But I think you should check on Sam first, Al. Terry mentioned that, the last he remembered, he was about to go down a scaffold." She hesitated. "He was on the twelfth floor." Al winced slightly in sympathy. There was one thing that Sam feared the most and that was heights. "I see what you mean," he said. "I'll go and help him down to the ground," he told Verbina as he headed for the control console. "Do we have anything yet on what Sam's there to do?" Gushie answered the Admiral's question. "Not as yet. Ziggy's still researching the year." Al took a handlink from the control console and slipped it into his jacket pocket. "What's the date?" Al questioned. "December 12, 1982," Ziggy supplied willingly. Al rose an eyebrow. "If you know what date it is, why don't you know why Sam's there?" There was a long pause. "The events occurring around December 12, 1982, appear to be in a constant state of fluctuation." Everyone in the Control Room frowned at Ziggy's words. Al looked up at the sphere which hung from the ceiling, eyelids lowered in confusion. "What do you mean?" he questioned. "I am unable to determine what Dr. Beckett must do in order to leap because history is constantly changing. At the same time, history has not changed as yet." That really confused everyone. Al frowned at the sphere. "Ziggy, history either changes or it doesn't. So, which is it?" "It is both, Admiral." Al shook his head in confusion. "That doesn't make sense, Ziggy." The computer was quiet for a moment, almost as if she were seriously thinking about how to respond to Al's comment. "It is difficult to describe the situation in laymen's terms, Admiral. Dr. Beckett has leaped into a time in which there is a possible split in the timeline. The timeline will either follow one path or another. However, that path is indeterminable." "But how can that be?" Gushie questioned. "I am not certain," Ziggy told him, sounding disturbed by the fact. Al exhaled. "Well, explain it all to me later. I better get to Sam. Center me," he ordered, walking through the Imaging Chamber door and into the past.