Focus... Out of Focus

By:  M. J. Cogburn and C. E. Krawiec

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The leaper's guts twisted inside at the warning, more sickened by them than angered, as he released his hold on Inmon's clothing and stood up. Looking down at his friend he added, "Something happened that made me see that... I was taking a whole lot for granted about Johanna and... and it wasn't right or fair to Johanna." He paused a moment, seeing in his mind's eye the lovely Chief Leaper that he wanted more than he'd wanted any woman in his life.  Watching as Inmon began to shift around and get slowly to his feet, Vaughn extended a hand to his friend and helped him to get up on his feet.  When they were eye to eye again, he said quietly. "What I wanted... what I thought she wanted was wrong because... because Johanna never said it was what she wanted, too."  Scanning Inmon's face a moment, he finished, saying simply, "I can't... I won't bully her, or any woman, into anything. It's not right. So... I took myself out of the picture. And that's all there is to it, In. Like it or not... believe me or not... that's all there is to it."

The silence in the room was large, bordering on uncertain as the two men faced each other.  Then, from one breath to the next, it faded as Vaughn turned and went back to the table and sat down, pulled the report folder in front of him and looked at the pages before him.  "I've got a mission in about three and a half hours, In," he stated plainly, no impatience or malice in his voice." I've gotta review all of this before then so... just leave now, In."

Inmon wanted to believe everything that Vaughn was saying.  He wanted so much to believe him, but something... something, he wasn't sure exactly what it was, but the whole incident wasn't sitting well with him.  Inmon nodded at his friend then slowly moved to the door as he put his hand on his chest, knowing that he was going to have a hell of a bruise on his chest.  Laying his other hand on the doorknob, he turned his head back to Vaughn to see him leaning on one hand as he studied the papers.

Licking his lips, he called out to his friend, “Vaughn?”  Seeing Vaughn turn his head to him, Inmon met his eyes.  “Tell me, did you ever ask her what her opinion was?  Did you ever tell her or give her an option to choose what she wanted before you just took yourself out of the picture?”

The two men just looked at each other, seemingly in a staring contest.  It was Vaughn who broke the gaze, never answering the questions before he turned back to the file on the table.  "Later, Inmon."

Inmon nodded as he pursed his lips.  He swallowed, opened the door and closed it rather sharply as he left.  

PART ONE

Vaughn stood at the table still looking down at the notes that he had been trying to read.  He closed his eyes and for a brief moment clenched his teeth together trying to keep his anger in check.  He reopened his eyes and before he realized what he was doing, he picked up the files that were on his table, and flung them toward the door, the papers slipping out of the files and flying precariously into the air.  He grabbed the table with both hands and gripped it as hard as he could, doing his best to stop himself from turning the table over.  "Dammit, In.  Can't you just leave it the hell alone?"

Vaughn took his hands from the table and put them behind his head.  He turned slightly toward the kitchen, changed his mind and turned back around.  It was then that he saw the papers that he had strewn across his floor.

"Dammit," he cursed under his breath.  "Three and a half hours and I do this?  Why in the hell did I do that?"

Because you are an idiot. The voice came back at him.

Growling and ignoring the inner voice that wouldn't leave him alone it seemed, Vaughn Rickar began to pick up the papers and glancing over the information on each page, put them in the folder that they belonged.  He continued his diligent work for over thirty minutes before he heard Lothos' voice floating down around him. 

Lothos hadn't missed a single second of the brief intense confrontation between the two men he'd deliberately set against each other.  He made meticulous notation of the meeting, as well as his Chief Leaper's emotional outburst moments after Inmon Fitzpatrick had left.  It wasn't the first time the quasi-living hybrid parallel super computer had used such a ploy to test his humans.  Observing Vaughn Rickar's physical response and instant reaction thereto, Lothos was pleased.  Even in the midst of emotional rancor, his new Chief Leaper had, unbeknownst to himself, earned precious points.

Thirty minutes after collecting and reassembling the papers into their respective folders, Lothos decided it was time to put another twist in Mr. Rickar's focus.

"There is a security guard approaching your quarters, Mr. Rickar," Lothos informed the leaper.  "He has another file for you."

Vaughn immediately stood and went to the door and opened it and looked right then left.  Seeing the man at the far end of the hall, he started to go to meet him but stopped when Lothos said, "Stay where you are, Mr. Rickar." A few moments later, Vaughn found himself face to face with Stuart Evans.  He remembered the man; they had entered leaper training at the same time. Yet, as it always did, the extremely physical and mental demands of the training had culled several of the new leaper recruits. Stuart Evans had been among the first to be cut from the class, but he'd taken what he'd learned in those first weeks and had immediately applied for training as a security guard.  It turned out to be the niche meant for him and he took as much pride in his duties as any man determined to be the best at his chosen profession.  Still, as he presented himself at the open door of Vaughn Rickar's quarters, he faced his former classmate with the respect the man had earned as the new Chief Leaper.

"Sir," Stuart said respectfully, offering a plain manila folder to Vaughn. "I was ordered to bring this to you."  He nodded acknowledgement of the other's polite thanks then turned and returned the way he'd come.

Vaughn watched Stuart Evans a moment before stepping back into his quarters and closing the door.  Flipping the file folder open as he walked slowly back toward his sofa, he asked, "Lothos, respectfully, sir, what's this?"  The leaper nearly dropped the file when his master's voice said, "Your new assignment."

"New assignment?" Vaughn parroted without thinking. "But what about Beckett's kid? I thought that was top priority."

"I decide what is top priority, Mr. Rickar," the thinly disguised edge of frost in Lothos' tone effectively warning his Chief Leaper about presuming too much.

"Yes, Lothos," Vaughn responded instantly.  He still had questions about the new file but as every man and woman in the complex had learned at one time or another, sometimes the hard way, the leaper knew better than to ask them.  Some questions just weren't worth the 'answer' you got from the business end of a whip.

"You have fifteen minutes to review the file, then report to the Research Room," Lothos' tone hadn't lost any of its frostiness. "Mr. Woods will be waiting for you."

Vaughn immediately opened the file and began reading on his “new assignment”.  It took him a moment to realize what the leap was about.  It seemed very similar to the one they had been driving toward with Beckett’s kid.  This one – the only difference was it was another target in Project Quantum Leap.

The whole thing caught the young leaper off guard and intrigued him at the same time.  The idea that Lothos had come up with - namely of having actually planted someone inside Beckett’s project  to assist with the leap – as far as Vaughn Rickar was concerned was nothing short of brilliant.

Having finished the required reading, Vaughn tucked the file neatly under his arm and headed toward the door.  He wasn’t thrilled to meet up with Gillis Woods again, but with Johanna recuperating, he knew he had to bite the bullet and do the best that he could.  Just the thought of Johanna Royden sent the young man down a memory lane he’d rather avoid and never revisit again.  Just the memory of her body pressed so intimately against him caused his heart to ache.  He sighed as he exited his quarters, set the security lock then headed down the hallway.

Moving quickly, Vaughn was able to catch the elevator and pressed the button for the appropriate floor.  As the elevator passed the women’s quarters, Vaughn couldn’t help but think of Johanna again – this time standing before him, her arm draped around his neck as they faced the bedroom closet mirror intertwined in an embrace that he couldn’t erase from his thoughts.

Closing his eyes to that memory, Vaughn let out another long sigh before the elevator opened and he headed down the corridor.  Even as he headed toward the Research Room, he just hoped that Gillis Woods wouldn’t pull any of his pranks or start talking about Johanna as he normally did.  He’d hate to have to hurt his temporary observer then spend the next two weeks in incarceration as a consequence of that behavior.  Putting his hand on the security lock, the research lab opened and Vaughn Rickar stepped in and was immediately welcomed by Gillis Woods.

“Welcome Vaughn.  I was wondering how long it would take you to join me down here.  I’m sorry that I couldn’t wait for you.  I thought it better to go ahead and prepare for what was ahead of me.  Would you like to see what Lothos has in store for you?”

Vaughn Rickar’s eyes narrowed on the older man before him.  “I’ve already read the file,” he said with a glare as he removed the file from under his arm. 

“Oh that,” Gillis said with a wave of his hand.  “That was just the tip top of the icing for what Lothos has in mind for the company at Project Quantum Leap.  What you need to do is sit down here and actually research about who he is going to leap you into.  You have no idea how much information is in here about that man.  It’s going to be a very interesting leap, and you don’t want to do anything totally out of his character.  If you do, we are all screwed Vaughn.”

“Don’t you think that I know that, Woods?  I’m not ignorant,” Vaughn said as he sat down at the terminal that Gillis had pointed out to him.  Running a hand over his lips, Vaughn began to read the information displayed on the screen.

“This leap is just too good to be true.  It’s like it was laid out perfectly,” Gillis said as he began pacing behind Vaughn’s chair.

Vaughn turned his head, staring pointedly at the older man.  “Do you mind?” he asked shortly, indicating the screen before him.

Gillis stopped, turned his head to the leaper and grinned.  “Go ahead,” he replied.  “I’ve already read it.  It’s amazing as I was saying.  Absolutely brilliant actually.”

Vaughn narrowed his eyes once again at his temporary observer.  “Gillis, I can’t read while you blather on incessantly.  Nor can I read when you are standing over my shoulder like a mother hen.”

Gillis inwardly grinned.  He absolutely loved pushing the buttons of the man before him.  “So you do listen to me?” Gillis let his grin come through.

“Shut up, Gillis,” Vaughn said as he turned back to the screen to read the information gathered on the leaper.  “Let me read this.  If I have to live this man’s life, and not get out of character then you may want to quit clowning around and let me do my job.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Gillis backed away from the testy leaper and leaned against the wall.  He knew he’d have his moment and when it came, he knew it would be a doozy.