Theorizing that one could time-travel within his own lifetime, Dr. Sam Beckett led an elite group of scientists into the desert to develop a top-secret project known as Quantum Leap.  Pressured to prove his theories or lose funding, Dr. Beckett prematurely stepped into the Project Accelerator…and vanished.

He awoke to find himself in the past, suffering from partial amnesia and facing a mirror image that was not his own.  Fortunately, contact with his own time was maintained through brainwave transmissions with Al, the Project Observer, who appeared in the form of a hologram that only Dr. Beckett can see and hear.

As evil ones do their best to stop Dr. Beckett’s journey, his children, Dr. Samantha Josephine Fulton and Stephen Beckett, continuously strive to retrieve their time-lost father and bring him home permanently.  Despite returning home several times over the last decade, Dr. Beckett has remained lost in the time stream…his final fate no longer certain.

Trapped in the past and driven by an unknown force, Dr. Beckett struggles to accept his destiny as he continues to find himself leaping from life to life, putting things right that once went wrong with the hopes that his next leap…will be the final leap home.

Previously on ‘Quantum Leap’:

 

Deceit: Sam had Leaped into the life of Alexander Lothoman, Jr., the older brother of Nathaniel Lothoman, during the early phase of Project Alexander. While Al insists that he’s there to prevent Lothoman from completing his Project, Sam feels that he’s there for other reasons. That reason is revealed in the person of Tanya Primrose, a young nurse who is working for Lothoman. As it turns out, her body was found in a motel room. Sam quickly set out to save her, and he did, with the insistence that she change her name and leave the island. She did and Al then reported that where ever she was, she was safe.

 

In The Line of Fire: Having found himself in the midst of the United States ’ second involvement with Iraq , Sam had Leaped into the life of Private First Class Joseph Wright. As Sam strikes up an incredible bond with three other soldiers, Al and Ziggy set out find out the purpose behind Sam’s Leap. It isn’t until a fateful ambush that it is revealed that another Leaper has been detected. Sam soon finds himself face to face with the enemy as his fate hangs in the balance. Lothos has returned with a vengeance.

 

Post Traumatic Leap Syndrome: Christmas time is drawing near, and so is the time for Christa Sharpe to give birth to her first child. While shopping with her sisters at a local mall, she experiences intense pain. She is immediately rushed to the hospital. Ensign Edward Sharpe is contacted and he and Al rush to the hospital. From there the situation turns grim.

Back at the Project, Julianna and Chief Fulton make a startling discovery: Ed Sharpe’s fingerprints were all over the vials that held the toxin that was used to poison Christa. When Julianna arrives at the hospital to place him under arrest, she is met with a suicidal Sharpe. He then confesses to her that he is responsible for everything just before taking his own life.

 

Post Traumatic Leap Syndrome: Salvation: A week has passed since the tragic incident at the University of New Mexico Hospital. Meanwhile, upon Leaping into yet another unknown situation, Sam Beckett is unexpectedly pulled out of his Leap and before he knows it, finds himself as Al Calavicci. Ziggy’s holographic matrix tells Sam that he is there to prevent Ensign Sharpe’s suicide. Sam manages to calm the distraught Ensign and then promises him that he will find out the truth behind the tragedy. Julianna, after Sam had Leaped out, kept her word and soon the emotional wound between herself and the Ensign began to heal.

 

Bloodlines: Ed and Christa are able to finally put the pieces of their broken lives back together when Vaughn Rickar returns yet again. While Ed is detained in the Holding Chamber at Lothos’ Project, he is severely tortured by Xavier. Back at Quantum Leap, Vaughn sets out to destroy Al. Having managed to get Al and Julianna alone, Vaughn makes his move. After overpowering Julianna, he then is about to shoot Al when Christa sneaks up behind him, shooting him.  The Evil Leaper is pulled out as he lies on the floor, bleeding, leaving in his place a severely wounded Ensign Sharpe. From there Ed is immediately rushed to the infirmary where he is under the care of Doctors Aurora Lofton and Roy Bremmer. Hope for Ed is slim, as he had slipped into a comatose state.

 

And now, the story concludes:

PROLOGUE

For a moment, a long moment actually, he felt nothing but pain. Intense and unrelenting was its hold on him that he could not think of anything else. He could hear the voices, too, but they seemed distant and a bit garbled. He knew that they were talking about him but what exactly they said he did not know. The Darkness had enveloped him, refusing to let go as he felt it pulling him deeper and deeper into oblivion. At least the pain was beginning to fade, he thought to himself as he stopped struggling against the Darkness.

For an immeasurable amount of time he felt himself actually become a part of the Darkness, listening to the soft, faint voices that surrounded him. He could’ve sworn that one of those voices had belonged to his loving wife, Christa. He wasn’t exactly sure if it was in fact her but just knowing that she was near had helped make the transition a slightly easier experience.

Christa. Just her name alone had made his heart cry out in agony; all the pain that she had gone through with losing their daughter, he should have done more to protect her. Yet he had let her down, not only Christa but the Admiral, Jules, and even his grandfather and parents. The Sharpe men were always strong when it came to their families; they had always stood strong and were able to protect the ones they loved. He had failed in upholding those values. If he had only been stronger then perhaps Christa would be well and their daughter would still be alive. As far as he was concerned, he deserved a lot worse than what he was experiencing.

        It was at this revelation that he felt himself hurdling through the Darkness as such a speed that he had no time to think of anything else; the Darkness was soon pierced by long, thin streaks of Light. The Light soon found its hold on him as it shot through his entire being, pulling him along as the Darkness turned into pure Light within a matter of a single moment.

        He found himself standing in the doorway of a rather peculiar establishment. He wasn’t exactly sure just how he had arrived there in the first place, but there he was, dressed in his Naval uniform and standing before several of its patrons. They simply looked up from their drinks and conversations and smiled at him as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred. After sweeping his gaze across the strange place, he found that it was a tavern of sorts. The place looked modern but had a rather ‘classic’ feel to it. He likened it to that of one of those retro cafes. Looking over his shoulder, he saw a large glass window that took up the majority of the wall. According to the large yellow lettering on the window, he was at Al’s Place. Outside was a picture perfect day; the sun high in the clear blue sky. Looking down at his hands, he saw that the cuts and bruises were gone. Gone, too, were all the other cuts that graced his face, arms, and legs. He looked, and felt, like a brand new man.

        “H-how did I get here?” Ed Sharpe mused out loud as he took a step inside. When he looked over at the bar, he noticed a rather stout looking bartender wiping some glasses with a white dish rag.

        “Good afternoon, Edward,” the Bartender greeted him as he continued to clean the tall glass. “Please, have a seat.”

        Once again, Ed looked all around him; the patrons continued about their business and drinks. He then glanced back to the large window. “Oh, man,” he mumbled to himself.

PART ONE

Al’s Place

Timeless

Ed hesitantly made his way over to the counter. Taking a seat, he quickly glanced around and noticed two others sitting at the bar, sipping at their drinks. One person, whom Ed didn’t recognize, was female and wearing fatigues. Her blond hair had been tied up and tucked under a cap. The name stitched on her uniform was ‘MORGAN’. She glanced over at him and tipped her head. The other person in particular looked rather familiar to him. It was a moment later that Ed realized just whom that person exactly was. “Y-you’re Frank Strickland,” he said with an astonished look on his face. Frank was dressed in his racing uniform, his helmet sitting atop the counter.

        The former NASCAR champion tipped his head and lifted his glass as he greeted Ed. “Hi, kid.”

        With a half smile, Ed turned back and faced forward. He was still musing over how he had arrived at Al’s Place when the Bartender approached him.

        “What’ll it be?” The Bartender asked Ed.

        “I’m not sure,” Ed replied as he eyed the Bartender skeptically.

The Bartender smiled and nodded as he went over and plucked a tall glass from one of the shelves. Ed turned around in the bar stool and looked around the place. It definitely had a warm, comforting feel. The patrons here appeared as if they were just simply passing the time with drinks and conversations.

        “Here you go,” the Bartender said as he placed a coaster in front of Ed and then a tall glass with some kind of dark colored drink.

        “Thanks.” With a raised eyebrow he took a small sip of the drink and then set it back down, even more confused. “Root Beer?”

        “That’s your favorite, isn’t it?” The Bartender asked with a smile.

        “Uh, yeah but when I was a kid; I was thinking more along the lines of something...stronger.”

        “Sarsaparilla.”

        Ed shook his head. “I want beer. Bud Ice, actually.”

        The Bartender only chuckled at the Naval officer. “I’m sorry, Edward. Normally I’d be more than happy to accommodate you but there are certain laws that prohibit underage drinking. If I served you beer, I could loose my license.”

        Ed frowned. “Sir, I believe you’re mistaken.” Gesturing towards his uniform he said, “I’m an officer in the United States Navy. I’m twenty-six years old, and I’m-” Ed quickly closed his mouth when the Bartender laughed and walked away, leaving Ed staring wide eyed at his reflection in the large, wide mirror that graced the wall across from him. Ed held his gaze on his reflection, cautiously waving a hand in front of it as the mirror image mimicked his movement. “How the hell...” The image that he saw was himself but it was the image of how he was ten years prior. “I’m...a kid...again?” A very familiar face from the past had stepped into view, standing behind him, looking on with an amused smile.

        “A kick in the ass, isn’t it?”

          “Joe?” Ed asked as he stared at the mirror image of Joseph Wright, looking as he did ten years ago.

        “Good to see you again, Sharpeshooter.”

        Ed turned around and was startled yet again as he suddenly saw Joseph, looking exactly as he did when he was shipped off to Iraq . He was wearing his fatigues with his assault rifle at his side. Ed turned his head and looked back at their reflections. “H-how is this....what’s going on here?”

        Joe said, “Let’s go take a seat at one of the tables, Eddie. There’s something that I need to tell you.”

        Ed slowly nodded as he stood up and followed Joe over to one of the tables nearby. Motioning for Ed to sit, Joe propped his rifle against the table and sat down. “Look, I know that you probably have a shitload of questions about this place and how you got here.”

        “Yeah, I do. This place,” Ed said with a wave of his hand, “doesn’t quite seem like your average bar. For one, I just saw one of my favorite NASCAR drivers; he’s been dead for about eighteen years now. And now I’m talking to you.”

        Joe smirked. “That’s what I need to talk to you about. First, let me ask you a question. What was the happiest moment in your life?”

        That was a question that Ed didn’t even need to think about. “That would be when I met Christa, of course.”

        “You see, you appear here as you were during the happiest period in your life. For me, that was when I met Vanessa. People here see us as we were back when we were in high school.” Joe laughed as he said, “Funny thing, too. I’m old enough to carry this,” he gestured towards his assault rifle, “but I’m not old enough for a damned beer.”

        Ed held up a hand as a thought had just occurred to him. “Wait a minute, here. If you’re dead and Frank Strickland is dead, then is...everyone else here...you know...”

        “Yeah. That’s what makes this place...unique.”

        Ed glanced around the tavern as he said, “Does that mean that I’m dead as well?”

        “That’s why I need to talk to you,” Joe said as he leaned forward. “Eddie, it’s not your time yet. You can’t stay here.”

        “Stay here?” Ed met Joe’s gaze. “I don’t even know how in the hell I got here in the first place. For that matter, I don’t even know what this place is exactly.”

        Joe nodded as he began to answer Ed’s questions. “This place here...isn’t your typical bar. The guy behind the counter there,” Joe said as he cocked a thumb towards the Bartender, “runs this place. His name is Al. He’s a pretty decent guy but rather obscure when it comes to answering questions. As far as how you got here, well, when you returned to the Project you were near death’s door. Those injuries were pretty severe, Eddie.”

        “Yeah, no shit,” Ed groused. “I remember fully well what I went through when that maniac was torturing me. He nearly killed me, Joe. For a while there, I thought I was dead.”

        “Yes, Eddie, I know.” Joe’s eyes were full of sorrow.

        “How could you know, huh?” Anger overwhelmed Ed as he recounted his horrendous experiences at Lothos’ Project. “I was beaten, cut, flogged, and hung from the ceiling by my fucking feet! My wife was tortured, too, but only she thought that it was me who was injecting her with that poison. You had no idea what I endured, Joseph.”

        Joe’s eyes flashed with anger. “No idea? Is that what you think?” Joe suddenly pushed his chair out as he stood up, lifting up his shirt, revealing cuts and bruises that mimicked Ed’s, down to the tiniest detail. Ed stared gape mouthed at the very sight. “I was there with you, Eddie. I was with you for every strike, every cut, every moment of sheer agony you suffered by Xavier’s hand. You were never alone, my friend. Not for a damned, single moment.” Joe lowered his shirt as he sat back down, pulling the chair up to the table.

        “I-I’m sorry,” Ed stammered. “I had no idea.”

        “No sweat,” Joe replied. “Anyways, what I need to tell you is that when you were about to give up, you arrived here. Right now your body is in the infirmary back at Quantum Leap, surrounded by your family. The Admiral, his wife, Captain Blaize, and Christa are all there by your side. The reason you’re here is because you’re being given a choice.”

        Ed tilted his head slightly. “A choice?” He had feeling that whatever the options were, the choice wasn’t going to be an easy one.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Project Quantum Leap Infirmary

June 14, 2008

10:09 A.M.

Al stood by his daughter’s side as she sat next to the bed. She held the hand of her comatose husband as she cried softly, a Rosary in her free hand. Al gently patted her on her shoulder as his gaze fell on the bloodied, bruised, and beaten body of Edward Sharpe IV. In his mind, still rather fresh, was the encounter three days prior that he had with the Leaper whom had Leapt into Eddie. At first he couldn’t make sense of things but when ‘Eddie’ had struck Jules and then pointed a gun at him, it was then that Al had realized his worse fears had become reality.

          “Admiral?”

        Al blinked and then looked over his shoulder. Doctor Aurora Lofton stood behind him, motioning for him to come over. Al tipped his head and then kissed Christa on the top of her head. He walked over to Doctor Lofton. “What is it, Doctor?” Al asked as he looked back over at his grief stricken daughter.

        “I wanted to tell you that I’ve done all that I can at this point,”
Aurora told him sadly. “The next twenty-four hours are going to be critical. He has suffered severe head trauma and has lost a considerable amount of blood. The wounds that he sustained are pretty nasty; whoever did this knew that they were doing. The cuts, they were so precise and clean. No major arteries were cut but those wounds...I can only imagine what that poor man must have endured.”

        “I know, Doc.” Al didn’t feel quite up for discussion, as Aurora could plainly see, but hearing the facts did help him gain a firmer grip on the situation.

        “I’m going to have Doctor Bremmer here with me,” Aurora said. “I could really use his help on this. In fact, I’m going to go page him now.” She glanced over at Christa and then back at Al. “I’m so sorry, Al. I promise I’ll do everything in my power to save him but...to be honest with you, I’m not so sure that he can pull through on this.” After giving Al a hug, she went over to the phone and paged Doctor Roy Bremmer.

        Al turned around and went back over to Christa. “Babydoll,” he started to say when Christa looked up at him, wiped at her watery eyes, and then fell into his arms.

        “Daddy,” Christa said in between sobs, “I don’t want to lose him. If I hadn’t had shot him...I...I don’t want him to die.”

        Al smoothed back the hair on Christa’s face. “Shhh. It’s not your fault, Christa. You only did what Ed wanted you do in the situation.” He glanced over at Ed’s prone body, noticing the gunshot wound that had been left behind during the Leap. Al knew that Christa had shot the Leaper, however the wound was transferred to Ed when he’d Leaped back. “You handled yourself rather well,” Al told her. “If it hadn’t been for your intervention then Jules and I may not have survived. You saved us, Babydoll.”

          “I shot Eddie,” Christa said. “I don’t ever want to touch another gun as long as I live.”

        Al consoled his daughter, holding her tightly and whispering to her that everything would be alright. He was still holding her when Beth stepped in the infirmary. Al looked over Christa’s shoulder and smiled at his wife.

        “How are they doing?” Beth asked as she approached Al.

        “Not good,” Al replied. “Eddie’s still in a coma and Christa is falling apart.”

        Beth looked down at Ed. “Poor boy,” she whispered. She moved over to near the bed where, she reached out and gently touched Ed’s forehead. “Come back to us soon, Eddie.” She then looked over at Al and Christa, giving them both a comforting smile.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Al’s Place

Timeless

“What are you talking about?” Ed sat back in the chair, looking on at Joe with a raised eyebrow.

        “Let me emphasize here that while you’re not technically dead,” Joe said to Ed, “you don’t have a whole lot of time to make up your mind, either. You see, Eddie, you do have the option of crossing over. It may help to think of this place as a way station of sorts. I can help guide you in making the right decision but you’re the only one who can make the decision.”

        “So what you’re telling me here is that I can choose to either move forward or go back.” Ed shook his head at his friend. “I don’t know, Joe. I royally screwed up back home. I let Christa down. Not just her, either, but the Admiral, Jules...everybody. I failed. I don’t know if I can go back.”

        “You did nothing wrong,” Joe told him. “You have nothing to be ashamed of, not one damned thing.”

        “I should’ve protected my wife better,” Ed shot back. “If only I had...I don’t know...tried a little harder then maybe we’d still have our baby. She’d be alive and well.”

        “You couldn’t have helped that, Eddie. You had no way of knowing when or where they’d strike next. They chose you as their target to get to the Admiral and Doctor Beckett. That’s what they do, Eddie. You were simply their pawn in their attack against Beckett and the Calaviccis. You had no control over the situation.”

        Ed refused to be let off the hook so easily. “It doesn’t matter. After even the first time I should’ve known what they were up to, you know? I could have at least better prepared myself.”

        “Prepared for what? They strike without warning. I’m telling you that there’s no way you could’ve possibly known.”

        Ed sighed as he lowered his head. “I wasn’t strong enough.”

        “That’s where you’re wrong, my friend. I was right there with you, all the way. You didn’t crack, not even for a moment. You didn’t tell them a damn thing. For that you are quite strong. You’re stronger than they’d guessed.” Ed started to disagree but Joe cut him off with a wave of his hand. “This debate can go on forever but unfortunately you don’t have that kind of time. You need to decide what it is that you’re going to do.”

        “I don’t deserve Christa,” Ed told Joe. “Regardless of what you say, I feel in my heart that I let her and her family down. I’m...not the man that I always thought I’d be.”

        “So are you telling me that you’re going to stay here?”

        Ed shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not sure what it is that I’m saying, Joe. I love Christa dearly and would do anything in the world for her but at the same time I feel rather strongly that I failed her. I’m torn.” Unbeknownst to Ed, the door chime softly clanged in the background.

        Joe wore a thoughtful expression as he stood back up. “If I alone can’t convince you of the truth then maybe he can.”

        Ed stood up as Joe took a couple steps back. “What’s going on here?” he asked confusedly as a tall, older gentleman walked up behind Joe. “Oh, man,” he breathed.

PART TWO

Ed stared in disbelief at the person who stood before him. Here he was, standing there and looking on at him with all the love in the world. Yet, at the same time, just looking at him reminded Eddie quite so how he had failed them. “Grandpa? What are you doing here?”

        Edward Sharpe the Second smiled warmly at Ed and then said, “We need to talk.”

        “Perhaps I should give you all some time alone,” Joe said as he stood up and started towards the bar. “Maybe he can talk some sense into you, Sharpeshooter.” Joe went over to the bar and sat down, staring at his reflection for a moment before the Bartender stepped in front of him, blocking Joe’s view of the wide mirror. “Hey, Al, what’s up?”

        “Joseph,” Al replied. “There’s something that I need to talk to you about.” He picked up a glass and started wiping at it with his dishtowel, all the while he kept his steady gaze on Joe.

        “I’m all ears, pal,” Joe said with a smile that held as much humor as a nun in church.

        The Bartender regarded him with a shake of the head as he continued to clean the glass.

        “So,” Edward Sharpe the Second said after Joe had left, “I hear that you’re about ready to give up.” In life, the elder Sharpe was never one to beat around the bush. Of course the Sharpe men were quite direct. “That’s not like you, Edward. That’s not the boy that I’d raised all those years. It’s not in the Sharpe blood to give up on those you love.”

“I failed them,” Ed told his grandfather. “I wasn’t strong enough to protect my wife and because of that our daughter is dead.”

        “What happened to your sense of honor and pride? You succeeded in protecting your wife and family, Edward. When they returned and took you away, you instilled in your wife the courage and strength to do what she had to. Christa is a very strong willed lady, I tell you, and the Admiral is a very honorable man.”

        “The Admiral,” Ed retorted, “can’t stand me. I don’t think I’m good enough for Christa in his eyes.”

        “That’s not true. On the one hand you did break the rules going to see Joseph in the Waiting Room at Project Quantum Leap but at the same time, the Admiral knows why you did it. You paid the price for that mistake, but not you, Christa, the Calaviccis, nor even Doctor Beckett deserved what those criminals have done. I don’t know how many more times we can say that. Joseph is trying to help you and I think that it’s wise that you listen to him.”

        Ed sat there and listened to his grandfather speak. He wanted so badly to believe him, more importantly to rid himself of the heart wrenching guilt and pain, but he also knew that deep down he was responsible for his daughter’s death. “It’s not that simple, Grandpa. I failed not only as a husband and officer, but as a father as well. I should have done something more to protect them.”

        The elder Sharpe chuckled and said, “You’re as stubborn as a mule; that’s something else that you got from your father. Don’t ever think that for a moment that you’re alone in this world because you will always have me, your mother, your father, and Joseph looking after you. More importantly, you have your wife. She has yet to leave your side. No one here can make the decision for you but I do know my grandson, and I know that you will make the right decision.”

        Ed smirked and picked up his glass, taking a long sip of soda. “My parents,” Ed said after a long couple moments as he set his glass back down, “where are they? Are they all right?”

        “Don’t worry about them; they are in a better place. They’ve been looking after you this entire time. The ones that you need to focus are on Christa and her family.” He leaned forward and placed a hand on top of Ed’s and, looking him square in the eye, he said, “I know you better than most people do, Edward. I know how important family is to you, so it comes as a great surprise to me that you’re willing to throw all that away because of your inability to control the unexpected. Whether you realize it or not, you already have everything you wanted out of life. You’re not alone in this world; you’re part of a family who cares deeply for you and a wife who loves you unconditionally.” As he spoke, Grandpa Sharpe’s eyes quickly watered, which was something in life that Ed barely saw happen to him. “You’ve grown into an accomplished young man, Edward. You’ve surpassed your parents’ expectations, as well as mine. I mean, look at you,” he said as he gripped Ed’s hand, pride just bursting out of him, “you’re an officer in the United States Navy! You already have an outstanding career. You’re proving your worth to the Admiral and I know you’re going to go real far in life.” As he released his hold, Grandpa Sharpe pushed his chair back and stood up. “This guilt…I know it’s not an easy thing to do but, please try. Please try to let go of it. Because if you don’t, then that’s when you truly will lose everything.” He looked over his shoulder, towards the door, and then back to Ed. “As much as I’d love to stay here and spend more time with you, I must get going. I want you to listen to Joseph, alright? He may be a smart ass but he’s no idiot. He’s a good kid…just like you.”

        Ed stood up and went over to his grandfather, embracing him tightly as his heart cried out for him to never let go. “Grandpa, please don’t go. I don’t want to lose you again.” As he squeezed his eyes shut, a few tears managed to escape, slowly rolling down his cheeks.

        “That’s just it,” Grandpa Sharpe told his grandson, “you never did lose me. Just because I’m no longer with you doesn’t mean that I’m gone.” Grandpa Sharpe pulled back and looked on at Ed with a tearful smile. “Just promise me that you’ll do what’s right.”

        “I will.” Ed then stood there, watching as his grandfather made his way across the tavern, smiling and waving at the majority of its patrons, including the Bartender.

        When the screen door had creaked open, and as he stood in the doorway, Grandpa Sharpe turned his head and said, “That’s one thing that I’ve always admired you for, Edward; you’ve always done the right thing.” With those words said, he stepped through the doorway, the screen door nosily closing behind him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Project Quantum Leap Infirmary

10:30 A.M.

Doctor Roy Bremmer went about adjusting the IVs that were hooked up into Ed, marking things off on a clipboard as he went along. Christa and Al stood nearby, looking on at Ed Sharpe with much sorrow. Blood had stained the sheets around his arms and legs.

        “How is he?” Christa asked softly.

        Bremmer didn’t look at her as he responded. He intently studied Ed’s abrasions. “He’s still comatose. There’s no telling when or if he will pull out of it. If it’s any consolation, he’s not in any agonizing pain.” He glanced over at Christa and frowned; a part of him had actually felt awful for what she must be going through. It was that very part of him that he despised immensely. That part of him had felt alien yet familiar to him at the same time. Adjusting his glasses he turned to Christa. “However, they do say that when someone is in a comatose state they can still hear you. You might want to give it some thought.” He then tipped his head for Al to follow him.

        “I’ll be right back,” Al told his daughter as he stood up and went over to speak in private with Bremmer.

        As Christa held the hand of her comatose husband, a memory came to mind, vivid and strong. Her eyes watered as a couple tears had trickled down her cheeks.

Slowly, Eddie had steered the car onto the small driveway where he shut off the lights as he parked the truck. His hands slightly trembled as he turned the key in the ignition. He looked up at her and smiled nervously. “I-I had a great time tonight at the Back to School dance,” he told her, blushing as he stammered.

Christa smiled. “I did too, Eddie. Thank you for taking me.”

Eddie shrugged. “Thanks for letting me. I have to tell you something, Christa.” Eddie paused as he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. After a few moments of awkward silence he said, “Ever since school started, I’ve had...feelings for you, you know? I didn’t think that you would go out with me, and that’s why I never asked you. In fact that’s why I never approached you at all until yesterday when I asked you to the dance.”

Christa’s smile grew wider as she gently reached out and placed her hand on top of his. “I’m glad you did.” She undid her seat belt and shifted her body so that she could sit as close to Eddie as she could.

Eddie glanced over at her. “I-I like you a lot, Christa. I think that you’re the prettiest girl at Huntington High. In fact,” he said as he gently reached out and touched her face, his fingers just above the deep scars, “I can’t remember ever seeing any girl who was more special, more beautiful in my life.”

For once in her life since she’d been inflicted with those deep running scars, she didn’t pull away when somebody had touched them. She knew that Eddie saw past the physical, he saw into her soul. “I like you too, Eddie.” He smiled as he leaned forward and gently kissed her on the forehead. When he saw the slightly confused look on her face, he only smiled back at her.

She started crying again as she held tightly onto his hand. “Don’t leave me, Eddie. Please.” She slowly stood up and went over to him where she gently kissed him on the forehead. “I’ll be here for you, sweetheart, always and forever.” She then rested her head on his chest, praying that her husband would come back to her.

        Al folded his arms as he approached Bremmer, physically holding in the fury that was attempting to escape. “If I ever get my hands on the son of a bitch that did this to Ensign Sharpe then I’ll…” Al paused as he tried to control his frustration, “I’ll choke the living hell out of him. For starters,” Al added almost as an afterthought.

        Bremmer looked on at him with a slightly amused expression. “Take it easy there, Admiral. There’s no use getting yourself all worked up. Remember what I told you earlier during your last exam; keep that blood pressure of yours down. If it gets any higher then you’ll likely have a stroke.”

        Al waved a hand at Bremmer, dismissing his advice. “I’m not worried about that right now, Doc. I just want to make sure that my son-in-law makes a full recovery. Then, I’m going to go after the bastard that did this. That man killed my granddaughter.”

        Bremmer’s eyes seemed to almost gleam as he looked on at the emotionally devastated Admiral.

        “This isn’t even the first time that they’ve nearly killed him,” Al went on. Even though he was well aware of the fact that Bremmer probably wouldn’t understand half of what he was saying, to some degree it felt slightly better to just talk about it. “Hell, Bremmer, the last time this happened Eddie almost killed himself because of those maniacs. Well,” Al corrected himself with a shrug, “the first time he succeeded but then Sam came back and saved him.” In his mind’s eyes, Al recalled witnessing Ed shooting himself in the alternate reality that Sam had prevented. Al blinked away the painful memory and then looked over at Bremmer. “Probably sounds crazy, huh?” He rubbed his forehead as he sighed.

        Bremmer only smirked. “You’re just under a lot of stress, Admiral. The only thing you can do at this point is be with your family, and leave the rest to Doctor Lofton and me.” When Al only nodded he said with a faint smile, “Don’t worry, you’re in good hands. I’ll see to it that Ensign Sharpe gets the treatment that he deserves.” Bremmer watched as Al made his way back over to his daughter, looking on as he sat down next to her, reassuring her. The corner of his mouth curled a bit as he shifted his gaze to Ed’s prone body on the hospital bed. “If I were you, kid, I’d stay dead,” he muttered to himself. He stood there for a few more moments, simply looking on at the Admiral as he tended to his daughter.

“Sweetheart,” Al said as he sat by Christa’s side. He gently rubbed her back as she continued to lay her head on Ed’s chest.

        “He’ll come back to me,” Christa murmured. “I know he will.”

        “He’s a strong man,” Al told Christa. “This family’s been through Hell and back, and I don’t want to think that God will take Ed away from us, not now.”

        Christa’s only response was a slight movement; she shifted in her seat so that she could lean her head against her father’s chest.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Al’s Place

Timeless

Ed was smiling when Joe came back, taking his seat as he propped the weapon he carried against the table. For a few moments Joe sat there, looking at his friend as he smiled fondly, his gaze held on the front door. “He’s worried about you,” Joe said.

        Ed slowly pulled his gaze from the door. “I know,” he said as he leaned back in his seat. “I just don’t know what to do. I tried my best, Joe.”

        “Exactly,” Joe said as he slapped at the table triumphantly, clearly glad that Ed was beginning to accept the truth. “That’s exactly it, Eddie. You tried your best and they all know that. You see, that’s another reason why I brought you here.”

        Joe was about to continue when Ed cut him off. “Wait a minute. Did you just say that it was you who brought me here?”

        Joe tipped his head. “Yeah, I did. I know what you tried to do for me back when I was at Quantum Leap. At the risk of losing your career in the military, you tried to help me. Not only did I want to repay the favor but it’s something that I wanted to do. Remember the promise I made to you back then? I still got your back, Eddie.” Joe smiled as he held up a hand, index finger extended. “Listen,” he told Ed.

        Ed frowned. “For what?”

        “Just listen.”

        Ed tilted his head as he tried to listen to whatever it was that Joe wanted him to. At first, he heard nothing but the clanking of glass coming from the bar and the soft hum of activity that floated through out the tavern. After nearly a minute he finally heard what Joe wanted him to. At first it was rather faint. He could hardly hear what the person was saying but after a moment or two he could hear the person clearly. “Christa?”

“Please, sweetheart. Come back to me. I miss you so much. I just want you in my arms again. I swear I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Christa then went into a brief moment of sobbing. “I only did what you wanted me to; I shot that man and now you’re dying because of me.”

“Christa, that’s not the truth!” Ed bolted from his seat. He didn’t bother to regard the few patrons that had stopped to look over at him with a curious eye. The Bartender did as well, although it wasn’t Ed that Al was looking at but Joe. “Christa, it’s not your fault!” Ed sighed as he slunk his shoulders. Speaking in a much softer tone he said, “It’s not your fault.” When he sat back in the chair, he buried his head in his hands, tears streaming down his cheeks.

        “Is that how you would want to leave things?” Joe asked as he watched his friend weep. “She needs you, Eddie. They all do.”

        “It’s not her fault,” Ed told Joe as he slowly lowered his hands. With watery, reddened eyes, he sighed. “I just wanted her to be able to protect herself if they ever came back. She only did what I asked her to. Now she’s blaming herself for what happened to me.”

        “She’s one tough gal, though,” Joe commented. “That’s one thing that I’ve always liked about her. She has an incredibly strong will.”

        Ed smiled and with a nod he said, “That she does.”

        “You two were always meant together. Both Vanessa and I knew that. You two completed each other,” Joe said. “You were able to show her that not all guys are assholes like Brad and Alan were. You fell in love with who she was on in the inside. And Christa,” he added, “was able to fill that void in your life, having someone very close to care for. Besides your grandfather, I mean. There was a piece of you that only Christa could complete.”

        Ed laughed nervously. “Damn, Joey. Here you are, talking like some philosopher on love.” Ed’s laughter quickly dried up when he saw that Joe wasn’t sharing in the humor.

        “I’m being serious, Eddie. I brought you here because you need to make a decision. Not only that but you need to let go of the guilt. The Admiral and the Captain, they all know that it wasn’t you who had poisoned Christa. You didn’t murder your daughter; it was that Leaper who pretended to be you. Once you can find it in yourself to let go of the guilt then I think you can make your decision, so I think we’ll start with that.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Project Quantum Leap Infirmary

11:08 A.M.

Al stood in the doorway, watching his youngest daughter as she continually held onto the hope that Ed would return to her. He rubbed his forehead and sighed when somebody had tapped him on the shoulder. Turning around he saw Julianna and Tuyen behind him.

        Al was aware that the former Senator had been going through extensive and intense physical therapy to help restore his ability to walk. Seeing Tuyen now walking on arm crutches with the support of Julianna’s arm around his waist, Al could see the amazing progress his son-in-law had made.

        “Dad,” Julianna greeted softly before catching sight of Christa. Helping Tuyen into a nearby chair, she hugged her father and then after a moment she went over to Christa where she sat in the chair that Al had been in a few minutes before. Julianna held her sister tightly as Christa softly cried.

        “Admiral,” Tuyen said as he watched his wife console her sister, “I came as soon as I could. When Jules told me what happened to Eddie I left the office and came directly over. Did you catch the persons responsible for this?”

        Al shook his head. “We already know who did it, Tuyen, but we didn’t catch them. Once again they managed to get away from us.”

        Tuyen then looked at Ed as his hands rested on the chair’s armrests. “I really don’t know him all that well but my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.” He extended his hand and the two men shook hands.

        “Thanks,” Al said after a moment. “I don’t know what the hell to do,” he told Tuyen. “My daughter is falling apart and Ed is-” Al stopped himself as he tried to calm himself down. He met Tuyen’s gaze and he said, “When my girls were little, they would always come to me for answers, and today they still do on occasion. Usually I have some kind of answer for them but what I do if I don’t have the answer? I hate feeling so damned helpless, Tuyen.”

        Tuyen looked up at Al with sympathetic eyes. “Sometimes,” he told Al, “just by being there for them is enough. For now that’s all you can do until you can find the answers that you seek.”

        “Just knowing that those bastards are out there somewhere,” Al said, “really pisses me off. Sam was able to save Eddie and Christa once but when they came back a second time, they made damn sure that we’d never forget.”

        “Speaking of Doctor Beckett,” Tuyen asked, “where is he?” Since Dr. Beckett had leaped into him only a few short years before, Tuyen had been aware of Sam’s leaping to put right what once was wrong and had kept a strong interest in his well-being. After all, if it weren’t for Sam Beckett, he would never have fallen in love with Julianna.

        “Ziggy’s still tracking him.” As he held his gaze on Ed’s battered and beaten body, the words once spoken by Duke Lothoman came back to haunt Al in a way that even he couldn’t have possibly fathomed.

"Just keep in mind one thing, Al. There are no choices that come without consequences. You have no idea what you're messing with here, so I highly advise you to watch your back. If you do anything to jeopardize what Nathaniel is setting out to accomplish, you and those who you hold near and dear will forever remember the name Lothoman."  

Al and Tuyen saw Roy Bremmer talking with Melissa Henderson, one of the few nurses who were recently assigned to the Project. The way Bremmer seemed to be conversing with Henderson implied that he had other things on his mind rather than attending to the wounded Ensign. Melissa, however, didn’t seem to be as interested in whatever was being discussed as Bremmer was and, in fact, seemed rather uncomfortable with the doctor’s flirtatious attention to her.

        “Can you believe this?” Tuyen asked as he and Al watched Bremmer. “Shouldn’t this man’s priority be taking care of Eddie?”

        Al simply watched Bremmer with narrowed eyes. Something wasn’t sitting well with him. When Melissa picked up a clipboard, she excused herself from Bremmer as she went over to Ed and began to check his vitals. Bremmer slowly turned and saw Al looking at him. With a smirk and a tip of the head, Bremmer went back to his duties.

        “If you’ll excuse me, Admiral,” Tuyen gestured towards Julianna and Christa.

        “Sure,” Al said a bit absently as he continued to hold his gaze on Bremmer. He felt like he was on the verge of solving whatever it was about Roy Bremmer that had been bothering him for the past several months.

        Tuyen carefully stood and went over to the women. Julianna looked over at him as she wrapped her arm around his waist. “Christa,” Tuyen said, “I just want you to know that your sister and I will be here for you. If there’s anything that you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

        Christa only tipped her head in response as she continued to hold Ed’s hand.

PART THREE

Al’s Place

Timeless

Ed came back from the bar holding two chilled glasses of root beer, setting one down in front of Joe, and then sitting back down in his chair. After several moments of both men simply enjoying their sodas, Ed set his glass down and met Joe’s gaze. “To some extent, I know that it wasn’t entirely my fault what happened to Christa and our baby. But,” he said as he shifted in his seat, “I still do blame myself for not better preparing Christa.”

        “Okay,” Joe said thoughtfully, “I can understand your viewpoint on that. If it had been me that was taken captive and Vanessa had been tortured, then I would probably blame myself as well. But, Eddie, that’s just it. You can’t let the guilt weigh you down. There’s still so much for you to do. If you don’t release the guilt, then it will ultimately destroy you.”

        Ed picked up his glass and took a long sip of soda. When he set the glass down he said, “Don’t get me wrong, Joe. I miss the hell out of Christa right now, and I know that she doesn’t blame me for any of what happened, but these memories...even though they’re not mine I feel as if they are. I can actually remember injecting that poison into Christa, meeting with that treacherous doctor at the Project. I can still feel this guy’s hatred. That’s the scary part, too. Maybe it’s because of his repeated Leaping into me, or something else that I haven’t thought of yet but I can feel it, Joe.” With his index and middle fingers, Ed tapped at his chest, where his heart was. “Everything from his simple pleasure of torturing Christa and me, to the longing of destroying the Admiral and Doctor Beckett, I feel it all.”

        “But it doesn’t belong to you,” Joe told him. “All that crap you’re feeling was from the other guy. Ed, I know you can let go of all that hate and guilt. I can see the strength in you. You need to overcome it. I know you can do it.” Joe then picked up his glass and took a sip.

        “Easier said than done; I’ve tried so many times but it’s strong. It’s like...it’s a part of my soul, a dark part that refuses to go away.”

        “With some help it can be done. Even though the time we have is very short, I think I can help you let go of the hate.”

        Ed looked on at him curiously. “You think you can do that?”

        Joe nodded as he leaned forward and lightly slapped Ed’s shoulder. “Of course I can. You forget who you’re talking to. Remember the time your grandfather caught us both smoking? He was ready to whip both our asses when I talked him out it. Granted, I took the blame for it all, saying that I talked you into it, but it sure as hell kept you from the wrath of Grandpa Sharpe.”

        “That may be but I still got grounded for two weeks because of that!” Ed added with a laugh.

        Joe said, “That’s what made our friendship last. We were always there for each other, we balanced each other out. But now it’s you and Christa, and as you’ve already heard, she needs you. Even though you couldn’t keep me from dying you sure as hell can still save her.”

        With a furrowed brow, Ed asked “What do you mean by saving her?”

        Joe stood up from the table and motioned for Ed to do the same. When Ed was standing Joe asked him to go stand by the window. As Ed made his way over to the window, Joe glanced back towards the bar. He saw Al standing there, giving him a look that to any other person wouldn’t tell much, but Joe knew what the consequences were. Holding up a hand to Al, Joe turned around and went over to stand next to Ed. “Look out the window.”

        “Okay,” Ed said as he turned his head and looked out the window.

        “What do you see?” Joe asked.

        “A perfectly warm, sunny day and a couple of boys fixing a bike near the bar.” Ed glanced at Joe.

        “Look closer,” Joe told him.

        Ed did as requested and a moment later the scenery had changed significantly. At first everything seemed to shimmer and ripple, sort of like the heat radiating off of metal on a hot day. The scenery then materialized but it wasn’t of the outside of the bar. What Ed saw was an overcast day at the Whispering Willow Cemetery in Albuquerque , New Mexico . He saw Christa standing near Joe’s grave marker, along with the Admiral, Beth, Julianna, and her husband. They seemed to be consoling Christa as she knelt before the grave marker that was next to Joe’s. Ed frowned. “What’s this?”

        “Just watch.”

        Ed continued to watch. He then backpedaled a bit when he saw what Christa had been doing. She was placing some flowers at the grave that she was knelt in front of. “No,” Ed breathed in utter disbelief as he saw the name on the grave marker.

ENSIGN EDWARD GEORGE SHARPE IV

U.S. NAVY

AUG. 9, 1981 - MAY 26, 2008

“Why are you showing me this?” Ed said as he continued to watch Christa sob, her hand touching the dark granite marker. The Admiral had placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. She then stood up and fell into her father’s arms. Beth had joined them in the hug. Julianna stood next to the Senator, gazing at the grave marker. The wind had picked up, rustling the dried brown leaves that covered the ground. After a while Christa turned around and, along with the others, had started walking towards the double, wrought iron gates of the cemetery.

        “Christa! Wait!” Ed called out. He got as close to the window as he could. He placed a hand against the warm glass. “Don’t go.” The moment touched the window the scenery once again rippled and shimmered, and a moment later it reverted to the outside of the bar. Ed glanced around the bar for a moment, and when he noticed that the patrons continued to go along their business Ed went back to the table and sat down. He picked up his glass and sipped his soda.

        “I know how painful that must have been,” Joe said as he took his seat. “I wanted to show you what things are going to be like if you don’t go back.”

        “You Scrooged me,” Ed said after a moment.

        “In a sense; I wanted you to see what’s in store for Christa and her family if you don’t let go of the guilt. You think that’s what your parents would’ve wanted, to have their only child die before his time?” Joe met Ed’s gaze. “Listen, Eddie. The choice is yours alone to make. I just really want you to think this over.”

        Ed ran a hand through his hair as he shifted in his seat. “W-where would I go if I chose to...keep on going?”

        “I can’t tell you that,” Joe said. “That’s not for me to decide.”

        Ed asked him, “How did you end up here?”

        Joe shrugged as he picked up his glass and took a sip of the soda. “I wasn’t really ready to move on. There are still some things that I have to do and it may take me a while. I don’t mind it here much, although,” he added as he tipped his head towards the bar, “it sucks that I can’t sit back and have a beer. You wouldn’t believe how much crap I get from some of these people calling me ‘kid’, ‘son’, and ‘junior’ all the time.”

        “These other people,” Ed said as he cocked a thumb over his shoulder, “how long have they been here?”

        “Some don’t really stay here,” Joe explained as he leaned back in his chair, glancing over his shoulder at the patrons. “Some just like to stop by, chat, have a drink or two, and then go on their way. Others, however, decide to stay here a bit longer. You see, Al has these rules set up for those who decide to stay and although he’s one hell of a nice guy, he’s a stickler when it comes to following those rules.”

        Ed then looked over at the Bartender, who was talking to a couple of men who were sitting at the bar. The Bartender looked past the two and smiled at Ed. Ed tipped his head in acknowledgment as the Bartender returned his attention to the two sitting at the bar.  “You get along with him any?”

        “For the most of the time I do. I mean there are a few things that I don’t agree with him on, but he runs this place and so far everything’s been fine so I just sort of sit back here most of the day.”

        “Doesn’t that get boring after a while?” Ed asked as he sipped his soda.

        “Not really. There’s more to it than just staring out this window,” Joe told him. “I sit here because I choose to do so, I have my reasons why but that’s not what you’re here to discuss. You’re faced with a very important decision to make, Eddie, but you can’t make that decision until you can find it in yourself to let go of all that hate, guilt, and blame.” Joe then turned around in his seat so that he could look over at the clock that was situated across the room on the wall. “You don’t have much time left.”

        Ed sighed as he glanced out the window, looking on at the two boys who continued to work on their bike, laughing as they carried on.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Project Quantum Leap

Cafeteria

1:08 P.M.

Julianna and Tuyen had left about an hour ago, and Al had finally been able to get Christa to go up to the cafeteria to get something to eat. It was all too painful for Christa to leave the infirmary, but it had been over a day since she had anything to eat. She needed to keep up her strength, especially when Ed would come back to her. She felt it deep in her soul that her husband would never leave her like that. She could remember those conversations that she and Ed would have about watching their children grow, having children of their own, and growing old together. At the thought of children, Christa slowly brought a hand to her stomach. She sat at one of the many tables in the cafeteria, sipping orange juice as she had a late breakfast that consisted of a ham and cheese omelet, toast, and bacon.

        “Hi, sweetie,” Al said as he sat beside her. He was working on his fourth cup of coffee in the last thirty minutes. “How’s your food?”

        “It’s good, Daddy,” Christa said as she pushed around the omelet with her fork.

        “You’ve barely touched it,” Al pointed out. “You need to eat.” He watched as Christa continued to poke her omelet with her fork. “You haven’t eaten in the past day, Christa.”

        “I know,” she said. “I’m trying but I can’t stop thinking about,” she paused as she tried to keep herself from crying, “I can’t stop thinking about how I shot Eddie.”

          “You didn’t shoot Ed,” Al said as Christa dropped her fork and leaned against him. He lifted his arm and draped it around her shoulders. “You shot the guy that had Leaped into Ed. You did exactly what Ed prepared you to do.”

        “Wait a minute, if I did shoot this other guy then how come Eddie was left with the wounds?”

        “You see,” Al said as he started to explain some of the side effects to Leaping to his daughter, “sometimes when your Uncle Sam Leaps out of somebody, if he’s been injured, the injuries sometimes have a way of being left behind for the other person when they Leap back. The person who had switched places with Ed was the one that you had shot, but when Ed Leaped back, he was not only left with the gunshot wound but all the other wounds that were inflicted upon him while he was away.”

        “Still doesn’t make me feel better. Just knowing that Eddie can die at any moment makes me feel terrible.”

        “I know, Babydoll, I know.” For several moments Al sat there with his daughter, his arm draped around her. “He’s a strong man,” he told her, “when you think about it, he’s still alive. Through all that he had endured, he still was able to come back to us.”

        Christa smiled a bit. “He is, isn’t he?”

        “You bet. Right now he’s in a pretty bad condition but with the care that Doctor Lofton is giving him, he’ll be back with us before you know it. I feel it in my bones.”

        Christa’s smile grew as she then hugged her father. “I love you, Daddy.”

        “I love you too, Christa.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Doctor Roy Bremmer was alone in the small office. The door was shut and the window blinds were drawn. He went over to the small metal safe and knelt before it, quickly dialing the combination. After hearing the soft clicking of the tumblers, he opened the door and reached inside. He pulled out a thin glass tube that encased a derivative of the toxin that had been used on Christa Sharpe. Ever since her baby was stillborn, he hadn’t produced any more batches. Granted, he had made sure that Ensign Sharpe’s fingerprints were all over the vials but there was still the slight chance that it could be traced back to him. In his hand was the last of the toxin; however that particular sample was strong enough to kill a person within a matter of moments. On the one hand, it would be very easy for him to inject Ensign Sharpe with the toxin when no one else was present. From there he would then arrange the autopsy. It was all too simple yet a bit risky at the same time. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that the Admiral was out for blood for what had happened to Sharpe and his daughter. And once Sharpe was dead, his lovely wife would then fall apart. The Admiral would then be reduced to an emotional wreck and wide open for attack. After all, that was the plan, but as events had unfolded, and the situation was working out in his favor, Bremmer couldn’t shake the feeling of the intense guilt that he was experiencing. There was a small part of him that had actually cared for the Admiral, his daughter, and Ensign Sharpe.

        “Stay focused,” Bremmer told himself as he went over to his desk and sat down. He rolled the vial between his thumb and index finger, staring thoughtfully at a nearby wall.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Al’s Place

Timeless

“You keep saying that,” Ed said to Joe, clearly annoyed. “I know I don’t have a whole lot of time here but I just can’t make a decision like that.” Ed snapped his fingers for emphasis.

        “Why not?” Joe asked him plainly.

        “Because,” Ed started to say but when he really couldn’t think of a good enough answer he simply shook his head and slunk back in his seat.

        “You love Christa, right?”

        “Yes.”

        “And she loves you,” Joe said. “So what’s there to think about?”

        Ed leaned forward. “I came here because you brought me, right?” When Joe nodded Ed said “Okay, so now I am faced with a choice to make. Either keep going forward from where I’m at or go back. The question is, back to what? God only knows what I’ll exactly be going back to, Joe. Those people really screwed me up. All those cuts, beatings, I don’t know how I would handle something like that.”

        “And that’s another reason that you need Christa.”

        “What do you mean?”

        “Those scars on her face,” Joe said, “are the exact same ones that you will forever have if you go back. You were inflicted with the exact same facial wounds as Christa had when she was kidnapped.”

        Ed’s eyes went wide as he heard the grim news. “The same?”

        “Yeah. And that is something that she can help you with. She’s already gone through this sort of thing and you need her more than ever now.”

        Ed was speechless. He didn’t even know what to think as he absently sipped at his soda.

        “I already showed you one possible outcome if you choose to stay here,” Joe said as he gestured towards the window next to them. “Those people are still out there, Eddie. Don’t let them win. I’ll tell you something right now, and I want you to listen carefully. Those bastards are on the verge of destroying the entire Calavicci family, starting with you. If you go back to them, they will have a much better chance of overcoming this.”

        “They’re probably long gone by now,” Ed replied.

        Joe shook his head as he said, “They’re a lot closer still than you may think. They will not stop until they are finished.”

        “I can’t let that happen. I can’t let them destroy Christa and her family.”

        Joe smiled widely. “So you’re going to go back then?”

        “But how,” Ed said quickly, “am I going to help them if I’ll be confined to a hospital bed?”

        “That’s the beauty part; all you have to do is be there.” Joe could see that Ed still didn’t quite comprehend the situation. “They’re still there at Quantum Leap. They still plan on finishing what they started with you, but if you go back and you’re still alive,” Joe said with a grin, “then they can’t do a damn thing.”

        “What are you talking about?” Ed was still at a loss. “The one who was responsible for my daughter’s death was another Leaper. He left when Christa shot him. In fact,” Ed said as he pointed at Joe, “he’s probably dead by now because of that.”

        “Eddie,” Joe said as he tried to think of an easy way of telling him that he was wrong but when there wasn’t any other way he looked his friend in the eye and told him, “I’m sorry, I really am but he didn’t die. In fact, when you returned you were left with the gunshot wound. That, among the other wounds that carried back with you, is what put you in your current state.”

        Ed paled at the news. “I can’t believe this.”

        “Well, you have to believe it. If I hadn’t pulled you out of that Darkness then you never would’ve even had a chance of going back. I was allowed to pull you away from the Darkness to bring you here, to give you a chance.”

        “Allowed? By who? Al?”

        “Doesn’t matter, but what does matter is the decision that you are faced with. There’s only so much that I can do, that I can say.”

        Ed nodded as he leaned back in his chair. He glanced over his shoulder and saw an older gentleman sitting across the tavern, sitting in a chair, while holding a baby that was swaddled in a thick, white blanket. He appeared as if he were talking to the baby. He narrowed his eyes as he tried to get a better look. From where he was, the older man resembled the Admiral a bit but with a slightly darker skin tone. “Who’s that guy?”

        Joe narrowed his eyes. “Who are you talking about?”

        Ed tilted his head in the direction that the gentleman was. “Over there, the guy with the baby.”

        “I-I wouldn’t worry too much about that right now,” Joe said a bit hastily. “I need you to focus here, Eddie. I need to know what you plan on doing.”

        Ed found himself pulling his gaze from the gentleman. Picking up his glass he took a couple sips of the soda. “I want to know something. Why do you keep telling me that I don’t have a whole lot of time? I thought in places like these that Time wouldn’t really matter much.”

        “That’s just the way it is.”

        Ed blinked and then asked, “What?”

        Joe said, “The human soul doesn’t have a whole lot of time outside the body. If you don’t go back soon then you’ll never be able to go back.”

        “But there’s more to it than that, isn’t there?” Ed saw the look in Joe’s eye, the look Joe often got when he was hiding something. “What is it?”

        “Like I said,” Joe said as he held up a hand, clearly avoiding Ed’s question, “I don’t make the rules around here. I’m just obligated to follow them...as closely as I can.”

        Ed muttered something under his breath as he took another sip of soda.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Project Quantum Leap

Outside the Infirmary

4:45 P.M.

Three incredibly long hours had passed since Christa went back into the infirmary to be by Ed’s side. Al had managed to get her to finish her meal. Beth was in there with her, holding her hand and comforting her in the best way she could. Al stood outside the infirmary with Aurora Lofton. She hadn’t stopped working since Ed was rushed into the infirmary just hours ago. Doctor Roy Bremmer, on the other hand, was a completely different story. The last that Al or anybody had seen of him, he was in the infirmary checking Ed’s vitals.

        “As soon as I can I’ll run a CAT scan on Ensign Sharpe to see if there’s been further damage, but the bleeding has stopped,” Aurora told Al somberly. “Other than that, there’s been no other change. How’s Christa?”

        “She’s okay, considering,” Al replied softly. “She had some lunch earlier and she seems to be opening up a little.”

        “And yourself?”

          “Don’t ask,” Al said with a wave of his hand.

        “Al, I can imagine how tough times may be right now but don’t do this to yourself.”

        “Do what? Christa is scared to death that she’s going to lose her husband, who just happens to be innocent in all this. Those evil Leaping sons of bitches took him away from us and tortured him. Not only that,” Al said as he waved a hand towards the infirmary, “but my daughter is in there, scared out of her mind. She refuses to do anything else but sit there and wait.” Al then looked away from the infirmary, down the hall. After taking a couple of calming breaths Al asked Aurora , “Have you seen Bremmer anywhere lately?”

        Aurora shook her head. “No, I haven’t. He was in the infirmary about a couple hours ago but he’d left when I arrived.”

        “Okay,” Al said as he patted her on the shoulder, “I’m going to go to my office for a bit so tell Christa I’ll be there soon. If anything happens-”

          “I will immediately contact you,” Aurora finished for him with a smile. “Go take care of what it is that you have to and I’m going to check up on Ensign Sharpe.”

          “Thanks,” Al muttered as he started down the corridor.

        Aurora watched him disappear around a corner and then went into the infirmary.

PART FOUR

Project Quantum Leap

Private Office of Adm. Albert Calavicci

4:50 P.M.

The door of the nicely furnished office slowly opened. Al stepped inside as he closed the door behind him. For a moment he just stood there, his thoughts still on Christa and Eddie. He then went over to his desk and sat down. He reached over and picked up a small, silver framed picture of Christa and Eddie that was taken just a couple months before her miscarriage. Ed wore his dress whites while Christa wore a beautiful white dress, both were smiling into the camera as Ed had his head rested on her shoulder. Al smiled fondly at the picture as he set it back in its place. He pulled out a cigar from the top drawer of the desk and, as he lit it, he sighed heavily. As he puffed on the cigar his thoughts were then drifting towards Roy Bremmer. There was something that was very unsettling about the man, but for the life of him, Al couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Perhaps it was all his imagination running wild but he didn’t think so. It wasn’t like it was just once or twice, but it was every time that Al was near Bremmer.

        Then there was another question that had gone unanswered through out the entire ordeal. Al had known that it was this Leaper that had poisoned Christa but who had supplied him with the poison? He felt that he was on the verge of finding out whom, but at the moment he had reached a dead end. He simply needed more evidence, or anything that could point him in the right direction.

        He knew that he had to get back to his daughter soon. Even though Beth was with Christa, Al felt like it was his place to be beside his daughter in her time of need. “Ziggy?” he called out to the hybrid computer as he glanced up at the ceiling.

        “Yes, Admiral?” came the nearly instant reply of Ziggy.

        “Could you tell me where Doctor Bremmer is at?”

        “Doctor Roy Bremmer is currently on his way back to the infirmary to assist Doctor Lofton. Shall I contact him for you?”

        Al waved a hand in dismissal. “Don’t worry about it. I’m heading back there in a second.” When he leaned back in his heavy leather swivel chair, he spoke the two words that Samuel Beckett quite often found himself saying. “Oh, boy.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Al’s Place

Timeless

“The clock’s ticking.”

        Ed looked at Joe; his forehead wrinkled a bit as he thought about the decision at hand. “Whatever I choose to do,” he told Joe after a moment, “I want to make sure that Christa will be taken care of.”

        “I know you do, and what ever choice you do make, Eddie, I will stand by you.”

        Ed smiled. “Thanks, Joe. I have to admit, the more time I spend here talking with you, the less I feel guilty about what happened. Don’t get me wrong,” Ed added rather quickly, “I still do take some responsibility for what happened to my daughter, but I know that there’s only so much that could’ve been done. Knowing that I still have the love of an incredible woman is rather comforting for me.”

        “I’m glad that you’ve finally seen it for the way it really is,” Joe said. However before he could continue, Ed held up a hand. With a raised eyebrow, Joe sat back and continued to listen to Ed.

        “But maybe,” Ed said thoughtfully, “I could do more for her here. I can watch over her, protect her. Look at me, Joe. Here, I’m in perfect condition. Back there, I’m nothing but a battered, beaten shell of what I once was.  How can I be the man, the husband to my wife that she so deserves?”

        “That’s something that you’re going to have to decide.” Joe ran a hand through his hair, sighing in frustration. “Maybe I spoke too soon, Ed. Perhaps you’re still not seeing the bigger picture.” Joe leaned forward, his arms resting on the table top as he looked Ed straight in the eye. “There’s something horrible that is about to happen at the Project. Right now, you’re the key in all this, but if you’re not there to prevent it from happening, then all hell is going to break loose.”

        “Damn it, Joseph!” Ed said as he pounded the table top with a fist. After taking a couple of deep breaths, he straightened himself out and asked calmly, “Why can’t you just tell me what’s going to happen back at the Project?”

        “Because,” Joe said a bit sullenly, “that’s the way it is. It’s like I told you earlier, I can only help guide you in the right direction but everything else is up to you.”

        Ed licked his lips as he nodded. “I see. I just think that maybe I can do more for her here rather than back there. Whatever is going to happen, maybe I can stop it from here.”

        “I don’t think you could. This is something that you have to actually be there for.”

        “Again with the obscurity,” Ed said. “How do you expect me to make such a decision if you’re going to only give me hints?”

        “It has to be something that you want,” Joe explained. “I’m doing everything that I can to help guide you, but I can’t force you to make a decision that you may not want.”

        The words spoken by Joe had somehow managed to sting Ed. To him it sounded like he was being told that he didn’t want to go back. That wasn’t strictly the case, though. What he thought he was doing was weighing what options he did have. On the one hand, he very much wanted to be back with his wife again; to have her, hold her, to kiss her. On the other perhaps he could do more for Christa while staying at Al’s Place. In life he was nothing more now but a battered and beaten man but there at Al’s Place, he felt like a brand new man. He could do more for her that way.

        “Trust me,” Joe went on to say, “I’d love nothing more than to have you up here with me, to sit back and have a few...sodas,” he said with a chuckle. “While I know where your heart truly lies, you need to find that out for yourself.”

        “I can’t help it. I’m torn.” Ed lowered his head slightly. “I just want Christa to be safe and happy, but I don’t know if I can provide for her being in the condition that I’m going to be if I go back. It’s bad enough that I may very well lose my career in the military but what if I can’t,” Ed paused as he closed his eyes. “What if I lose Christa, too? I mean, why would she stick around to be with somebody who, um, couldn’t-” Ed then shook his head and tilted his head back slightly.

        “Couldn’t what?”

        Ed slowly met Joe’s gaze. “You know, couldn’t be there for her. I mean, why would I want to go back a life where I could be confined to a wheelchair or something?”

        Joe laughed. “You’re not going to be confined to a wheelchair that much I can tell you. Relax, buddy.” Joe smirked at his friend as he then said, “Let me put it to you this way; if you were confined to a wheelchair, you wouldn’t be the first who was and still be able to take care of the woman he loves.”

        Ed just stared at Joe for a moment, and then allowed himself a chuckle. “It’s just scary, you know? I’ve busted my ass to get what I have in life. I just don’t want to have to lose any of it.”

        “Christa’s love is something that you can never loose, even if you decide to stay here. The amazing thing about love is that you take with you. Besides you and Christa, I’ve also watched over Vanessa. It hurts like hell to see her still suffering. Do you have any idea how many nights have passed where she’d cried herself to sleep?”

        “I remember what it was like right after you died. I remember how Vanessa cried on my shoulder as they lowered your casket. When they tried to hand her the flag, she nearly collapsed.”

        Joe looked as if he were about to break down in tears. “I remember that. I was sitting right here, watching the whole thing.”

        “How did you find this place?” Ed asked him after several moments.

        “I didn’t,” Joe replied. “I guess you could say that it found me. To be honest, I really don’t remember much what happened but, like you, I just...found myself standing at the front of the door.”

        “And the Bartender, who is he really?”

“Oh, man,” Joe said as he rolled his eyes. “Don’t even ask about that one. All I know is that he owns and runs the place. I stopped asking questions when he would only answer them with other questions.”

        “I miss this; just the two of us, sitting around and talking, hanging out like we used to years ago.”

        “And someday we will have that again, but time is quickly running out. You don’t have much time left, Eddie.”

        Ed nodded, his body trembled a bit. “I know.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Project Quantum Leap Infirmary

9:23 P.M.

Doctor Aurora Lofton was changing Ed’s IVs as Christa sat bedside, her hand resting on top of Ed’s. Al stood behind her, although his attention was on Doctor Roy Bremmer, who was across the room, a thin manila folder in hand, going over its contents.

        “Keep up the faith,” Aurora told Christa as she moved past her to switch out the other IV bag. “You know something, sweetheart,” she said when she was finished replacing the IV bag; “you’re quite an amazing young woman.”

        Christa smiled a bit as she reached over and brushed some strands of hair off Ed’s forehead. “I know my husband would never leave me like this,” she told Aurora . “I want to be the first face he sees when he wakes up.” Although she sounded rather optimistic about the situation, Aurora could still hear a hint of doubt in her tone. Christa may very well be wearing a brave face, but beneath that she was truly worried and scared that she may never have her husband back.

        Aurora only smiled at Christa as she then went across the room to converse with Bremmer.

        “It’s getting late,” Al told his daughter. “Perhaps you should get some sleep.”

        Christa said, “I can’t right now, Daddy. What if Ed wakes up and I’m not here?”

        “Then either I, or Aurora or Doctor Bremmer will let you know right away.”

        “I can’t leave his side,” Christa said firmly. “My place is at my husband’s side.”

        Al nodded and with a smile he said, “I know. Then, what if I were to set up a cot in here for you? At least you can get a little comfortable that way.”

        Christa nodded and said, “As long as it’s next to his bed.”

        “Sure thing, Babydoll. I’ll be right back.” Al kissed the top of Christa’s head and then turned around and headed towards the double doors. Along the way, he passed by Bremmer, who greeted him with a tip of the head. Al paused just before he was about to push open the doors. There it was again, that look in Bremmer’s eye. Al glanced over his shoulder and saw that he had gone over to Christa and was talking to her. The only reason why he decided to leave the infirmary because Aurora was still in there and she knew that if anything were to happen, that he would be immediately notified. Shaking his head, he pushed open the double doors and made his way down the corridor.

        “How are we doing this evening?” Bremmer had asked Christa as he stood on the other side of the bed, closely examining Ed’s facial wounds.

        “Fine for now,” Christa replied. “I’m a bit tired but afraid to go to sleep.”

        “There’s nothing to worry about,” Bremmer replied as he stood back up, looking over at Christa. “A good night’s rest is probably just what you need. Your husband’s in good hands.”

        Christa looked up at Bremmer and smiled. “I know.” She then turned her attention back to Ed. “Come home, sweetie,” she whispered to him.

        Bremmer held his gaze on Ed. “I can only imagine what he must have gone through,” he mused out loud, his expression rather hard to read. Christa glanced up at him, taken completely by surprise at his comment. “He’s rather strong. If it were any other person they’d most likely have died by now. Truly amazing when you think about it.”

        “What?” Christa asked as she looked back at Ed’s prone form.

        Bremmer waved a hand. “Nothing. I’m sorry to disturb you, Christa. If you need me, I’ll be over there.” He turned around and went over to the other side of the infirmary.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“There you go,” Al said as he finished setting up the cot next to Ed’s bed. “This way, you can get some rest and still be the first person Ed sees when he comes to.”

        Christa smiled at her father as she fluffed her pillow and then lied down. Al had gently placed a blanket over her as she made herself comfortable. “Get some rest now, Christa.” He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

        “I love you, Daddy.”

        “Love you, too, kiddo.” Al then looked over and saw Beth standing in the doorway. He went over to her as he reached out to hold her.

        “How is she doing?” Beth asked as Al held her.

        “A little better,” he told her. “I talked her into getting some rest, though. She’s wiped, Beth.”

        “I just hope that she does get some sleep. I think I’m going to stay here with her tonight.”

        Al shook his head. “No, you need your rest just as much. I’ll stay here tonight with them, okay? I want you to go back and get some rest. If you don’t want to go back home I’ll understand. You can use one of the private quarters here if you like.” Before Beth could protest, Al brought a finger gently to her lips. “I promise I’ll let you know as soon as anything happens.” He then kissed her tenderly.

        “Promise me, Al. If anything happens-”

        “Try not to worry so much, Beth. I’ll be here.”

        With slight reluctance, Beth made her way down the corridor, Al watching her until she went around the corner.

        Al then pushed open the double doors and went back in the infirmary. He went over to Christa and found that she was already asleep. His gaze then went over to Ed. Al sighed as he looked on at the young man. “Come on, son. Come home.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Al’s Place

Timeless

Ed and Joe were on their third glass root beer when Joe looked over and saw Al giving him a knowing look. Joe nodded and then turned back over to Ed. “You’re just about out of time, Eddie. Have you reached a decision?”

        “I still don’t know,” Ed said with frustration in his tone. “There’s still so much to think about...I wouldn’t know if I would be making the right choice.”

        “That’s something that you’re going to have to figure out quickly,” Joe said as he set his glass down. “I hate to have to rush you but if you don’t make a choice soon then it’ll be too late.”

        Ed rubbed his forehead and sighed. “I know, I know. I’m very well of the time limit, okay? Just give me a minute to think.”

        Joe picked up his glass and took a few sips of soda, his eyes never leaving Ed. “I can only imagine what must be running through your mind right now. Believe me, I’m not trying to make it difficult for you, I just want you to make the right decision.”

        Ed locked gazes with his friend. “I know you do but this,” he said as he waved a hand about the tavern, “this is...weird. I still don’t know what to think of all this.” He picked up his glass and took a big swig of root beer. Setting the glass down he said, “Whatever choice I make, I want to be damn sure that Christa will be taken care of. That’s my main concern.”

        “As it should be,” Joe added.

        “Yes, well, tell me something, Joe. If I do decide to stay here, will I be confined to this place or will I be able to go forward?”

        Joe shifted his shoulders. “Like I’ve said, that wouldn’t be for me to decide.”

        “Would I ever see you again? Would I ever see Christa, or my parents and grandfather?”

        “I couldn’t tell you.”

        Ed grumbled, “Well, that answers just about everything.”

        “You’re asking the wrong person here,” Joe said. He then cocked a thumb over at the bar. “Try asking him.”

        “You mean the Bartender?” Ed asked a bit incredulously.

Joe smirked. “Why not?”

        Ed eyed him curiously as he pushed his chair out and stood up. He then went over to the bar where the Bartender greeted him with a warm smile.

        “Edward,” Al said as he went over to him. “What can I do for you?”

        “I need some answers,” Ed told him. “I need to know something.”

        Al said, “Go ahead. I’m listening, but keep in mind that your time is just about up.”

        “I get it,” Ed groused. “I just need to know something here. Just what exactly is this place?”

        “It’s a bar.” Al smiled at Ed.

        “That’s frequented by dead people?”

        “There is something special about this place, isn’t there?”

        Ed couldn’t believe how obscure the Bartender was being. “That’s one way of putting it, yeah. Tell me something, Al. Is this...Heaven?”

        Al let out a hearty laugh as he clapped Ed on the shoulder. “You’re in Pennsylvania .”

        “ Pennsylvania ?” None of this was making any sense to Ed. “But I thought I was-”

        “Edward, as much as I’d love to chat with you, I think you need to go back over to your friend. You still need to make your decision.”

        Ed was about to get up when the Bartender went over to the other end of the bar where he began to dispense drinks for a couple of his patrons, leaving Ed staring at his youthful reflection in the mirror.

        “So what happened?” Joe asked when Ed sat back down at the table.

        “Nothing,” Ed replied as he sat down. “He was just as obscure as you. The only thing that I got out of the guy was that I’m in Pennsylvania . I always thought that when somebody would pass on they would go...somewhere else.” Ed shook his head and then picked up his glass, sipping at the soda.

“I told you this wasn’t your average bar. And I know how irritating it can get when trying to talk to Al.”

        “Then why the hell did you have me talk to him?”

        “I don’t know,” Joe said with a shrug, “I just thought that maybe he would tell you what ever it was you wanted to know.”

        “Yeah, right.”

        “It’s time,” Joe said as he stood up.

        “Time? No, no,” Ed panicked as he quickly got to his feet. “I can’t, not yet! I haven’t decided!”

        “You best hurry then.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Project Quantum Leap Infirmary

11:17 P.M.

Roy Bremmer was the physician on duty for the duration of the night. Aurora Lofton had, like Beth, decided to remain in the complex. The Admiral had quarters set up for both of the women. Bremmer had spoken with him before he had gone to the cafeteria to get himself a cup of coffee. He told Bremmer that he was pulling an ‘all nighter’ and that he needed all the leaded coffee he could get. For now, other than Christa and the Ensign, he was alone. He quietly made his way over to Christa just to make sure that she was still asleep; the young woman was snoring softly as she shifted in her sleep. Smirking, he then glanced over at Ed. “Don’t worry, junior. Everything will be alright.” He then checked to make sure that nobody else was around. The corridors were empty, with the exception of a couple of Marine guards nearby. Time was running short; the Admiral would be back soon. Bremmer then reached his hand into his trouser pocket as he made his way over to the cart that held some medical instruments. Picking up a syringe, he smiled as he pulled out the thin glass vial from his pocket. Putting the needle into the vial, he withdrew the plunger, watching intently as the syringe filled with the greenish fluid. “All too easy,” he said to himself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Al’s Place

Timeless

Ed stood before Joe, his mind running a mile a minute as he quickly tried to reach a decision. He nervously licked his lips. “I-I don’t know what to do.”

        “I wish I could give you more time but I cannot. I’ve said all that I could, done all that I could. Now it rests on your shoulders, Eddie.”

        “Okay,” Ed said as he held up a hand. “I accept the fact that it wasn’t my fault that Christa was poisoned and that our daughter died because of it. I know that I tried my hardest to protect them, but I still feel the other man’s hate in me.” Ed was speaking rather quickly.

        “In time,” Joe said, “you will learn to let it go. After all, it’s something that doesn’t belong to you; it’s not a part of you...not really.”

        Ed nodded. “I just want to make sure that, whatever I choose; Christa will be taken care of. I know I’ve said this before but I can’t stress this enough. I want to know that if I go back, I can be the man that I was.”

        “Eddie, because of what you went through, you will never be the same person you were. It’s a tough fact to learn but it’s true. It’ll be just that, whether or not you choose to stay here. But,” Joe said as he took a step towards Ed, “you will never know for sure until you choose.”

Ed knew that Joe was right. He didn’t count on this being as difficult as it was being for him. He knew what he truly desired but the only thing that was holding him back was that one, single shred of doubt that was in the way. “But,” he stammered, “w-what if I can’t?”

        “Can’t what?” Joe seemed to be growing impatient. “We’ve gone over this already. You won’t know until you decide.”

        Ed could hear the desperation in Joe’s tone. He was right, it was now or never. “Oh, man,” he breathed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Project Quantum Leap Infirmary

12:28 A.M.

Bremmer started towards Ed when the door suddenly opened. Quickly turning around, he brought his arm around behind his back, hiding the syringe from whoever had entered the infirmary. “How can I help you?” he said with a forced smile as he saw Melissa Henderson come in.

        “Doctor, I was just coming by to see if you needed any assistance. Doctor Lofton wanted me to be here with you in case anything was to happen.” Melissa then asked with a raised eyebrow, “Are you feeling all right?” She could see that Doctor Bremmer was a bit startled.

        “Oh, no. I’m fine for now, nurse.” He smiled at her.

“Let me check the patient,” she said as she went across the infirmary and over to Ed. Unbeknownst to her, Bremmer was a bit nervous. She carefully checked Ed’s wounds, frowning as she saw the condition that Ensign Sharpe was in. She then looked over at Christa, who was fast asleep on the cot. “How’s she doing?”

“Fine,” Bremmer said as he still hid the syringe behind his back. “Poor girl was tired but she was afraid to fall asleep.”

Melissa smiled warmly at Christa. “I know that kind of love. I once loved a man like that, but that was a long time ago.”

“Really,” Bremmer said as he took a couple of causal steps back, trying to find a way to hide the syringe. “That must have been quite a lucky guy.”

        Melissa chuckled. “He didn’t see it that way.”

        As Melissa was still facing Christa, Bremmer quickly placed the syringe under a blue paper towel that was on the thin silver tray, along with other medical instruments. He turned around at exactly the same time she did. “Did you ever tell him how you felt?”

        Melissa nodded. “I did. And I know that he loved me too but he was committed to another cause, although if it weren’t for him then I may very well have-” She shook her head as she then said, “I’m sorry, Doctor. I don’t mean to prattle on like that.”

        Bremmer said, “It’s perfectly alright. That guy clearly didn’t know what the hell he had. You’re quite a lovely woman, if I may say so.”

Melissa smiled widely. “Thank you, Doctor.”

        Bremmer smiled, looking upon Melissa in a new light and suddenly realizing that she was very familiar to him, as if she were a face from a distant past.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Al’s Place

Timeless

As Ed quickly thought of his decision, all the other patrons stood from their seats and went over to where he and Joe were standing. They all stood behind Joe, their gazes affixed to the young Ensign. Even the Bartender had stopped what he was doing so that he too could look on. As Ed flustered, the front door chime sounded as another person stepped inside. Ed narrowed his eyes as he saw his grandfather walking towards the crowd. The patrons looked over and quickly made some room for him to move through. He stood directly behind Joe, looking on with as much intensity as the others.

        “The time has come,” Joe said, “for you to make your decision. We’ve given you as much time as we possibly could, but now you have to decide. What’s it going to be?”

        “Okay,” Ed said, “if I go back I’ll be preventing some disastrous event at the Project, right?” Joe nodded. “But I don’t know exactly what kind of life I’m going to have if I go back.”

        “You’ll be with Christa,” Joe said simply enough. “Isn’t that what you want?”

        “Of course that’s what I want,” Ed replied as if the question was absurd. “Christa is my world.”

        “Then what else is there to think about?”

        “The kind of person I would be. You say that I won’t end up in a wheelchair but it’s hard telling just what other problems I may have down the road.”

        Joe said, “But what ever problems you may have, you won’t be facing them alone. You will have Christa to help you along. And don’t forget that I will always be here, looking out for you.”

        Ed’s eyes began to water. “I love her so damn much, Joe. I can’t lose her.”

        “What are you saying?” Joe asked.

        Ed looked about the sea of faces that stared at him, waiting for him to make the decision. He shifted his gaze back to Joe. “What I’m saying is that I don’t want her to be alone. Someone as beautiful and incredible as Christa doesn’t deserve that. And,” he said as he addressed the entire group, “I want nothing more in this world than to be with her, to have her, to hold her.”

        “I’m so proud of you.” Edward Sharpe the Second beamed as he moved past Joe, extending his hand to his grandson. As Ed shook his hand, the elder Sharpe said, “Someday we will all be reunited, don’t every worry about that. Until that time comes, we will be looking after you.”

        Ed’s eyes heavily watered as he swept his gaze about the group. Once again he saw the gentleman with the baby in the back, sitting in the same chair, rocking the baby softly. Ed quickly wiped at his eyes as he looked at the gentleman with much curiosity.

        “Eddie,” Joe said as he closed the space between the two, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Time’s up. What’s your decision?”

        After a moment, Ed looked Joe in the eye. “The time I’ve spent here, talking with you and seeing Grandpa again, is something that I will forever cherish. And I look forward to being with you all again someday, but I want to go back. I want to be with Christa.”

        Joe nodded. “Good. That’s exactly what I was hoping you’d say.” He then draped an arm around Ed as he led him to the front door, the crowd making a path for the two.

        As he made his way towards the door he noticed that all eyes were on him. The Bartender even regarded him with a wave. “This sure is one hell of a place,” Ed told Joe as they found themselves standing in front of the door. “What are you going to do, Joe?”

        Joe tipped his head towards the chair that he’d been sitting in. “Me? Not to worry. I got a good seat with a great view. I’ll be just fine,” he added as he hugged his friend once more. “That seat over there,” he said to Ed as he gestured towards the chair that Ed had been sitting in, “will be there waiting for you.”

        Ed pulled back from the hug and looked upon the crowd one last time. His grandfather stood next to a woman whom he didn’t recognize. “Love you all,” he said to Joe and his grandfather.

        “Go on,” Joe said with a smirk, “get going. Your wife waits.” Just as Ed was about to step through the door, Joe called to him. When Ed looked over at him he said with a grin, “Oh, I almost forgot to congratulate you.”

        Ed furrowed his brow as he tilted his head. “Congratulate me on what?” When he saw a certain gleam in Joe’s eye, the way he stood there grinning at him, it didn’t take Ed long to figure out what Joe exactly meant. “A-are you saying-” Before he could finish talking, Joe stepped forward.

        Joe quickly stepped up to him as his hand was slightly raised. He then placed his hand firmly on Ed’s chest, his hand taking on a slight golden glow as he pushed Ed through the door.

        Ed felt strange energy flow through him as Joe touched him. In fact he felt it coursing through his entire being. “What?” he muttered as he let himself be pushed out the door. As soon as he was through the door, Joe pulled his hand back, the energy leaving with it. Ed found himself standing outside the bar on the small porch. Standing next to a bench he started looking around. “How the hell do I get back?” he mused out loud.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Joe sat at the bar, sipping another cold drink, a broad smile on his face. He glanced up at his reflection and said, “You’re one good looking kid.” He was still staring at his reflection as the Bartender stepped into view, blocking his view of the mirror.

        “Joseph, I think we need to talk.”

        “Sure,” Joe replied nonchalantly, although the Bartender could easily see the nervousness in Joe’s blue eyes.

        “I don’t think I need to go over the rules with you, do I?” When Joe shook his head the Bartender went on. “You were only supposed to talk to him. You did more than just help guide him, Joseph. You practically made him feel guilty.”

        “Guilty? Al, I know this guy better than most people. I knew what he wanted; I just wanted to make sure that he didn’t make the wrong decision because he blamed himself for something he had no control over.”

        “I understand that,” Al told him, “but you know the rules. And speaking of rules, you broke one of the biggest of all. You pulled Sam Beckett directly out of a Leap before he had a chance to accomplish his task.”

        Joe’s eyes went wide at Al’s comment. “Al, Eddie killed himself because he thought that he’d poisoned Christa and murdered their daughter. I watched in horror as he shot himself in that hospital. I’d say that was a wrong that definitely needed to be put right.”

        “But that wasn’t your choice to make.”

        “The hell it wasn’t,” Joe retorted. “I made a promise to watch over him, to protect him in any way I could.”

        Al nodded thoughtfully and then said to Joe, “So, you’re going to take it upon yourself to watch over Edward and Christa. Very well then, the job is yours, Joseph.”

        “Job?”

        “Yes. Even though you blatantly disregarded several rules, you show a true desire to protect your friend and his wife. Therefore, it is now your job to continue to watch after them. You’re going to be staying here for quite a while, Joseph. However,” the Bartender added as he held up a hand, “because of recent events, you will be permitted to observe but not physically interfere. I cannot have you interfering with the natural order of things.”

“That’s a load of crap, Al. How in the hell am I supposed to help them if all I can do is watch?”

        “Sometimes, that is all that we can do. Edward and Christa will be taken care of,” Al told Joe.

        A thought had suddenly struck Joe. “You weren’t ever going to send Doctor Beckett back to save Eddie, were you?” When the Bartender remained silent, Joe shook his head. “I don’t believe this! You’re lecturing me about interfering when the lives of two innocent people were shattered, when you weren’t going to do a damned thing about it?”

        “It wasn’t the right time,” the Bartender said.

        Joseph was already standing up. “I’m not worried.” He then turned around and went back over to the table, taking his seat. For a moment he simply stared at the chair that Ed had occupied just minutes before.

        The older gentleman whom Ed had seen sitting across the tavern while holding a baby stood. Cradling the child, he looked to see that Al the Bartender was occupied with a patron before he walked up to Joe’s table and gently smiled at the younger man.

        “Alberto is quite insistent, isn’t he?” the man said, his accent clear in his voice.

        Joe huffed slightly. “You’re lucky, Gino. You can actually change things if they need changing.”

        “I keep with the rules. You don’t.” The baby shifted in his hold slightly, gaining his attention for a moment. He whispered softly to the baby before returning that attention to Joe. “Alberto said you couldn’t physically interfere. But sometimes it isn’t necessary to physically change things to make a difference. After all, you did give of yourself already. Besides, sometimes all it takes is the voice of the wind.” Gino smiled mischievously at Joe before looking out the window. “Looks like a storm is coming in, eh?” he commented before he stopped by the bar to order a drink.

        Ed thought about the older man’s words for a long moment and then smiled slightly as he realized what Gino was telling him. He then looked over at the window, leaning back in his chair. As he sipped his soda, he said, “Don’t worry, Eddie. I got your back.”

EPILOGUE

As he stood there outside the bar, trying to figure out just how he would find his way back, he felt the Light begin to wrap itself around him. With a broad smile on his face he whispered just as the Light began to pull at him, “I’m coming home to you, Christa.” The Light then engulfed him as he felt himself hurdling with incredible speed through infinite space. However it wasn’t even as fast as Ed had wanted; he had one person on his mind, Christa. He felt like he’d been apart from her for a lifetime. For a brief moment in Time he was a part of the Light. The Light had soon intensified as the speed picked up. Then, before he knew it, the Light had darkened quite significantly, the rushing sensation had suddenly ceased. The pain that he had felt earlier had found its way back to him, but only this time it wasn’t nearly as intense as it once was. Slowly, he cracked open an eye and found that the Light was now coming from somewhere in the quiet room. When he was able to get both eyes open, he saw Doctor Roy Bremmer standing over him with a syringe that was filled with greenish fluid. The needle barely touched his skin. “Wha-wh-what are y-you doing?” he struggled to say.

        Bremmer was shocked as he suddenly saw Ensign Sharpe’s eyes flash open. His hand shook a bit as he quickly regained his composure. “Decided to wake up, huh?” He then glanced at the syringe. “It’s nothing to worry about, son. Just relax and everything will be all right.”

        “N-n-no,” Ed said as he tried to struggle. His body, on the other hand, refused to cooperate. His arms and legs barely moved, but just the slight movement alone sent a shockwave of pain through his body.

        “Calm down, calm down, everything is all right.” Bremmer pulled the needle away a bit as he spoke to Ed. “This is for your own good.” Bremmer chuckled as Ed tried to struggle. “Now just lay still and take your medicine like a good boy.”

        Ed closed his eyes as he continued, despite the intense pain, to struggle. “N-n-noo...p-p-plllleeasse d-don’t.”

        Just before it could puncture his skin, the needle suddenly left his sight, clattering on the ground near the bed.

        “What the-?” Bremmer started to say as he felt himself being roughly pulled away from Ensign Sharpe. He felt someone grab him by his collar and jerk him around. He found himself standing face to face with the Admiral. “Hey there, Admiral. Mind telling me just who the hell you think you are?”

        “What were you going to inject him with?!” Al demanded as he gripped the lapels of Bremmer’s white coat. He shook Bremmer as he gritted his teeth. “Answer me, you rotten son of a bitch!” Al glared as Bremmer only laughed.

        “Trust me, Admiral,” Bremmer said with a smirk, “you have no idea who you’re really dealing with, if you only knew.”

        Behind Al stood two Marine guards, tense and ready to act at any given moment.

        “What’s going on here?” Christa asked sleepily as she sat up, rubbing at her eyes. “What’s happening?” As she watched her father grab at Doctor Bremmer.

        “Ch-Christa?” Ed asked softly.

        Christa’s eyes widened with excitement as tears began to stream down her cheeks. “Eddie?” She quickly went over to her husband. As he looked up at her with glassy eyes she continued to cry. “Oh, Edward! Thank God!” She went to hug him. He flinched as she held him. When she saw his expression she quickly leaned back. “Oh, I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m sorry.” She wiped her eyes as she sniffed. “I’m so glad you came back to me. Are you all right?”

        “N-not to worry,” Ed said with a certain boyish grin, “you just managed to break a couple of ribs and cause some internal bleeding, b-but other than that no b-big deal.”

        Christa brought a hand to her mouth. “Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to break your...ribs,” she trailed off as she saw Ed beginning to chuckle, and then immediately wince at the pain. “How could you joke about something like that?” However she was too overcome with happiness that she could hardly find it in herself to be angry at Ed’s new found, albeit slightly twisted, humor. “You sound a lot like...Joey.” The way she said his name almost sounded as if she were asking a question.

        Al and Bremmer looked on as Christa adjusted Ed’s pillow and sheets. Turning to Bremmer he then called over to the Marine guards.

        “Guards, please escort Doctor Bremmer to the Security Office. I will be there momentarily.”

        “Yes, sir,” one of the guards said as he stepped forward. He waited until Al had released his hold on Bremmer.

        Al watched as the guards escorted Doctor Bremmer out of the infirmary. He then went over to the other side of the bed and knelt down, picking up the syringe. He stared at the greenish fluid for a moment and then went over to Ed and Christa. “Ensign,” Al said.

        Ed looked up at the Admiral. “Sir,” he started to say but stopped when Al held up a hand.

        “Call me Dad,” Al told him with a smile. “I’m glad your back, Ed.” He looked on as his daughter reunited with her husband. “I think I should give you two some time alone. I’m going to go get a hold of your mother, Christa.” When Christa only nodded Al told Ed, “Take it easy, kid. I expect you to make a full recovery.”

        Ed chuckled but immediately winced when it brought about a brief wave of pain. “Sure thing, Dad.”

        Al smiled and then quietly took his leave. When he stood outside the double doors he glanced up at the ceiling. “Ziggy?”

        Ziggy’s voice floated through the corridor. “Yes, Admiral, what can I do for you?”

        “Could you please contact Beth and Aurora and have both of them come down to the infirmary?”

        “Of course,” Ziggy replied. Al then waited for the next couple minutes outside the infirmary until Beth and Aurora arrived.

        “How’s Eddie?” Beth asked.

        Al nodded. “He’s doing okay, I suppose. Right now Christa’s in there with him.” He gave her a quick kiss and then told her, “Why don’t you go ahead? I’ll be in there soon, alright?” He watched as Beth went into the infirmary. Turning to Aurora he said as he gently handed her the syringe. “I caught Bremmer just before he was able to inject Ed with whatever this stuff is. I was hoping that maybe you could find out what it is.”

        Carefully holding the syringe Aurora said, “Sure thing. As soon as I’m finished tending to Ensign Sharpe, I’ll have this analyzed.”

        “Thank you,” Al said as he gave her a one arm hug.

        “What are you going to do?”

        Al tipped his head towards the corridor. “I’m going to go to the Security Office and have a little chat with Bremmer. There’s something about that guy; he reminds of somebody I once met. If my suspicions are correct, then we’re all going to be in a world of shit.”

        “Be careful,” Aurora told him as she went into the infirmary.

        Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, Al headed down the corridor, taking the quickest route he knew to the Security Office. “Let me be wrong on this,” he told himself. “Please let me be wrong, for all of our sakes.” With each step taken, his heart beat quickened and his hope sank.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Christa.” Ed spoke a bit hoarsely as he looked on at his wife with slightly glassy eyes. “I m-missed you so much, sweetheart. I thought I may never see you again.”

        Christa gently held Ed’s hand in hers. “I’m so glad you’re all right.” When she saw that he wouldn’t stop smiling she furrowed her brow. “Why are you smiling like that at me?”

        “I’m so happy,” Ed told her. “We can be a family again.”

        At first Christa didn’t know what Ed had meant but when she saw him giving her the same look he had when she told him she was pregnant the first time, she slowly sat up and asked, “How did you know? I-I just found out myself and I haven’t told anybody else either.” When Ed only smiled at her a couple tears had rolled down her cheeks. “You’re truly an amazing man, Edward.”

        “Come here,” Ed said to her. When Christa leaned forward, he asked her to lower her head a bit. When she did he kissed her on the forehead. As Christa held Ed’s hand he told her, “And this time I’m not going anywhere.”

To be continued next season in “The Interrogation”