Previously On Quantum Leap

 Dr. Sam Beckett found himself in the past, again to save Lieutenant Lisa Sherman and her unborn child from her abusive husband, Captain Jack Sherman. Neither Al nor Sam knew that Lisa was pregnant. After asking their Visitor about the information, Lisa told Al that the child is his. 

Upon seeing Sam brutally beaten, Al sought out the now 64 year old Lisa Sherman, to find out any useful information to get the leap to progress. Al asked her where their child was. Unable to tell him because of the adoption process, Lisa sought support through Al’s loving arms, and was caught by her husband. Only after an abusive attack does Lisa finally escape her husband’s hands. It was then that Lisa found out where their daughter was; she was standing right there in the same room with the present-time Al and Lisa. As Al's recently assigned bodyguard, she was protecting both of them all the while from Jack Sherman. Her name: Captain Julianna Thomas. 
 
 

PROLOGUE
 

"What did you say her name was?" She asked softly. 

Al reached for a blanket and wrapped it over her shoulders before leading her to the couch. "Julianna. I call her Jules for short," he told her, gently rubbing her arms.

"Oh my God." She said looking at him softly.

Jules could easily be seen from the living room, her ear against the receiver as she spoke with the police. She was wiping her hands of Jack's blood with a paper towel. She had checked for a pulse. 

"Al, do you remember what you first asked me today?" Lisa asked not taking her eyes away from the lady in her living room.

Al looked at her with curiosity. "I asked you where our child was. You said you didn't know. Why?"

"I didn't." She said as she pointed a finger at Jules. "But I do now."

Al followed her finger with his eyes before frowning. "Jules?" He shook his head. "Can't be. I've known her for years."

Lisa turned to him finally taking her eyes off of Jules. "Al, I gave the... I gave our daughter to the Thomas family. I... I asked them if I could name the baby... I named her Julianna after your dad, Julian. Oh, God, Al. That’s our daughter."
 

       PART ONE

Longview, Texas

December 11, 2000

6:25 PM

"Julianna?" Lisa called to her. "Please come here."

Julianna raised a finger to indicate that she should wait a moment while she finished the call to the police, looking toward them with a nod of acknowledgment.

Al frowned, still refusing to believe it. She's in shock, he told himself. "Lisa, there are hundreds of Thomas all over the United States and I'm sure that there are quite a few Julianna’s." He looked at Julianna for a moment before looking back at Lisa beside him.

Lisa lightly tapped his knee pointing again at Julianna. "Our daughter. I’ll prove it."

Al frowned again, worried about Lisa. He brushed her hair gently. "Sweetie, you've had a rough day... a rough time all around..."

"No." Lisa said as Jules came up to them. "Let me prove it."

Julianna hung up the phone and started toward them. "The police will be here in a few minutes. They told us not to touch anything and to stay put." She looked at Al, then Lisa. "Are you all right, sir? Ma'am?"

"May I ask you some questions, Julianna?" Lisa asked as she pulled the blanket around her shoulders tighter to fight off the chill that had been placed there by the shock of killing her own husband. She tried to ignore the evidence sprawled on the floor, and the chill came back.

Julianna raised an eyebrow in question.

"What are your parents' names?"

Julianna shifted her feet. "Don't you think that's a little personal, ma'am?"

"Just answer the questions, Jules," Al told her, giving her a little shrug.

She frowned slightly. "Syd and Lanette Thomas." She looked at her with a hint of a smile. "What do I win?"

Lisa closed her eyes as she remembered the names herself. This is my daughter, she thought excitedly. I have my daughter back! "You were adopted." It should have been a question, but she knew it to be the truth.

Jules slowly sat down beside her, looking at her with curiosity. "Yes. Why?" Her forehead wrinkling in a frown.

Lisa's hand went to her chest. "By chance... would you happen to have a birthmark? But don't tell me what it is."

She frowned at the question, looking at Al. "Is this some kind of joke, Al? Another one of your famous little pranks?"

Al raised his hands to indicate his innocence, listening intently to the conversation. "I didn't tell her a thing, Jules," he replied.

Jules exhaled. "Yes, I do. But knowing Al, he probably already told you that."

Lisa closed her eyes and brought her arms up as if she were holding a baby in her arms. Her body remembered the feeling, the touch, the smell, and the sight of the baby in her arms. "It's sort of odd," she said dreamily. "You don't just have one birthmark. You have four. You were kissed by an angel on your shoulder, the middle of your back, your ...right... no, left ankle. And the last one ... well... it's on your lower abdomen. It's always hidden, but the others aren't easily hidden. And each one is a perfect kiss mark." Lisa opened her eyes to look upon Jules. "Am I right, Julianna?"

The look of total shock was evident on her face. "How did you...?"

The tears that had been building finally fell onto Lisa's face. "See Al. I told you.... she’s our baby.... our daughter." 

Al just looked at Jules with surprise. He swallowed tightly, not knowing what to say. "Jules... Lisa, when was the baby born? What's her birthday?" He needed that one piece of information as the clincher.

Lisa looked at Al as she wiped her eyes. "Our Julianna was born December 15, 1960. Three weeks early."

"Oh, my God," Jules whispered, standing and beginning to pace. She rubbed her face gently.

Al looked at Julianna with amazement and wonder, not knowing what to say. He opened his mouth and shut it, looking for a moment like a fish out of water. "Jules..."

Julianna turned towards him quickly, looking at him with wide eyes, looking more scared than happy about this revelation.

Jules started to pace more frantically, her expression becoming tighter. Something was obviously upsetting her but it was also equally obvious that she didn't want her emotions to get the better of her.

Lisa looked at her knowing that this was a bit much. She looked down at her lifeless husband. "How could anything positive come out of this? It's amazing." Her face finally looked relieved. "Julianna.... " She called to her.

Julianna turned towards the woman she now knew to be her mother with questions in her eyes. Her gaze grazed across Al's face before focusing on Lisa, almost as if she didn't want to even look at Al again. 

"I know that this is a complete and total shock." Lisa stood, her voice shaky, and took a few tentative steps toward her. "I... I've been trying to locate you for so long without letting him know." She motioned toward the body on the floor, feeling a little sick. It wasn't supposed to be like this. 

Julianna nodded. "I'm sorry, Lisa. It isn't this I can't handle." She motioned between herself and Lisa before looking at Al firmly. "It's this I can't," she finished, using the same motions between Al and herself.

Al shut his eyes at the motion and bowed his head slightly not knowing what to say.

Lisa took another step toward her daughter. "Why? I mean, I can understand if you have qualms working for him now." Lisa looked back at Al with sad eyes knowing that his must be tearing him up inside.

"That's just it," Jules said firmly. "The fact is I can't work for him now. I can't work for him ever again. Damn military protocol." she muttered in frustration as she started to pace again.

"We can work something out." Al said softly. "No one has to know." Al stated even hating what he was saying.

"But I'll know, Al!" She told him with force. "Don't you get it? I'm not like you in that respect. I can't break the rules. I never have and I never will."

Al clenched his jaw shut at her words and nodded curtly at her.

Lisa watched the two of them and shook her head. This wasn't how it was supposed to be, she thought again. They just found out and they are already fighting. "Julianna, Al. Stop. Just stop it." She said softly, her voice quivering. "I wanted to find both of you. Get you two to meet. How was I to know that you were working for each other?" Lisa finally sat down, shaken at the turn of events. The enormity of…well, everything was starting to hit her. 

Jules closed her eyes tightly, trying to keep herself from the emotional outburst that was threatening to come. "We're not working for each other, Lisa. I'm working for him." She gave a sad laugh. "I'm his bodyguard."

Lisa's head jerked up. "What?!"

Al closed his eyes. "Assistant, Jules. Assistant." He muttered softly, knowing that it was useless. He rubbed his face hard.

Julianna looked at him firmly. "Tell that to the orders in your desk."

Al looked up at Julianna with sad eyes and stood up. "I'm going out to the car." He stated sadly not wanting to fight about it knowing that they were going to have a long, quiet ride home.

"No. No, you're not running away from this Al. You can't. " Lisa went to him and laid her hand on his arm. "You can't walk away and think that things will get better. I've tried that and you can see..." Lisa swept her hand to the still form. "See what that did to me. You two need to sit down and talk to each other. And neither of you are leaving my house until you do so." She was surprised her voice was as strong as it was. She felt like she was going to pass out.

Julianna and Al both looked at her with a bit of surprise. "There's nothing to discuss," Julianna said firmly. 

"See?" He said, replying to Julianna's words. "There's nothing to discuss." 

"I'm not talking about our relationship, Admiral, sir," Julianna said with obvious annoyance. "The fact is I can't work for you anymore, even if I want to."

Lisa finally turned to Julianna. "Why? You still haven't given me a good enough reason. I want a reason." She said as her foot began to tap with nervousness.

"Because the rules say so, Mrs. Sherman. Apparently you've been out of the military for far too long."

Lisa pointed a finger at her daughter. "Stop. Stop right there." Lisa dropped her finger and tucked her hair behind her ear. "It's true that I haven't been in the military for quite some time, but I know the rules. And I know the system of bending the rules as well. I'm not condoning it, but there are ways. And SECNAV knows that. He did it for me." Lisa turned and glanced back at Al then back to Julianna. "Actually, he owes me one, anyway. I'd gladly use it too. So... don't you dare start lecturing me about the rules."

Julianna looked at her with a bit of a frown. "You and the Secretary know each other?"

Lisa raised her eyebrow. "Yes, we do. Actually, we knew each other long ago. I ... why am I explaining to you..." She stopped in mid sentence. "The point is that you can work for Al if I call in my favor. It's not like I'm going to be getting back into the Navy after all these years."

Julianna sighed at her words. "I don't need handouts," she stated stubbornly, every bit her father's daughter. "I worked my way into the position I have and I'm damn proud of my accomplishments. And I didn't get here by breaking the rules."

"Damn... you are so much like your father." Lisa said as she shook her head as she listened to her words. She felt a chill return, and knew that shock was still a factor in her thinking. "I know that you are proud of what you accomplished. I'm proud of what you've become. But, I ... I have never been able to give you anything. Let me do this for you. I want to do this for you." Lisa's chin began to quiver. "Call it what you want... a very belated Christmas, birthday, anything... let me give you something..."

Al came up behind Lisa and lightly put his hands on her shoulders. "Lisa...."

"No, Al… she has to understand. When you leave, I'm calling in my favor." She said as she wiped at the tears that threatened to spill over her eyes. "I'm not going to have this..." she motioned between the two of them. "This taken away from either of you... like it was taken away from me."

Al slightly rubbed on Lisa’s shoulder. "Lisa…" He tried again.

Lisa caught Al’s hand and brought Al around in front of her and turned him so that he would be facing his daughter. "Let me give you your father." Lisa knew deep down that she was doing the right thing. She knew that they were good friends now torn apart by a secret neither of them had known about. She closed her eyes and desperately hoped that she hadn’t destroyed the relationship that had already been built between the two of them. She couldn't handle destroying another person.

Al looked at Julianna carefully not quite sure of how she was taking all of this in. He was worried that he would never be able to talk to her again as he had. She had been… was… no… is a good friend and confidant. He thought to himself as he blinked at her not knowing what to say.

Julianna, as well, didn’t know what to say to her mother’s words. Her eyes snaked over Al to rest on Lisa for a moment. Jules finally dropped her eyes and softly shook her head.

"Nothing has really changed, has it?" Lisa asked when neither of them said anything. She stepped in front of Al in able turn to him. "You still care for her, don’t you?"

"Yes." Al said quickly and firmly.

Lisa turned fully to look at Julianna. "And you still care for him."

"Yes, ma’am." Jules said softly as she looked down at her hands before her. 

"There you go. That’s all that matters right now. As for Michael… I mean… SECNAV…" Lisa said as the doorbell rang. She started toward the door and stopped. She turned back to them, her hand on the doorknob. "I’ll take care of it." She said firmly as she opened the door to her fate.

The door opened to reveal two police officers at the doorway. "Ma’am…. We got a call." One asked as he took off his hat from his head when he saw her.

Lisa nodded as she opened the door wider. "I hope that you have a large spiral notebook to jot things down in, sir, because this is going to take awhile."
 

PART TWO

The trip back to New Mexico was a quiet one as Al drove. Neither had said a word, both lost in their own thoughts about the revelations made on what was supposed to be a simple information gathering trip for the leap.

The moment they arrived on the complex, Al went directly to the Control Room while Jules went to her office, supposedly to work on the growing mound of papers that were on her desk. Without a word to Gooshie, Al grabbed the hand link and went into the Imaging Chamber, hoping to see that some kind of progress had been made in getting Sam out of the hands of the monster in the form of a Naval Captain.

The Imaging Chamber door opened for him, opening to Sam sitting on Lisa’s bed, his head down, focusing on something in his hands. Al frowned with great concern at the sight. He reminded Al of Lisa when she had told Al in the Waiting Room that he should leave.

"Sam, are you all right, buddy? What do you have there? How’s it going?" He questioned gently.

Sam turned from his friend, and laid down on his right side, his back to Al. He didn’t respond. Sam took a deep breath and sighed as he brought the small item up to look at it once more. In his hand was a small silver fish-shaped pendant with an amber gem as the body of the fish. Sam’s fingers traced over the small pendant and he sighed softly once again.

Al peered at the small object in his friend’s hand and recognized it. It was a pendant that he had given Lisa before he had left to go on his next assignment – the one where he met Beth. Al frowned. "Sam?" Al said hoping that he could pull his friend out of Lisa’s reverie. "Sam?"

Sam twitched his head softly. He sat up on the bed, keeping his face hidden then finally looking up to barely see Al in front of him. 

Al gasped. Sam’s face was all black and blue. His face and eyes were swollen up from the abuse that he had suffered. "Oh my God." Al said softly. "I knew that I shouldn’t have left. I’m so sorry, Sam."

Sam swallowed and licked at his cracked lips. "There’s nothing you could have done, Al. Nothing I did was right last night. Nothing pleased him. I tried to defend myself, but every time I tried, Lisa would take over again, letting him do it. I don’t get it, Al. Why won’t she fight back?" Sam asked softly.

Al began to pace. "She finally did fight back. She shot him last night in self-defense. I think that the clincher was when he hit Jules." Her name struck him funny as he looked down at the floor as he scuffed the floor with his foot.

"Anything wrong, Al?" Sam asked. "You look like you have lots of stuff on your mind. What did you find out last night?" Sam asked. He finally sat up, putting his feet on the floor.

Al chuckled slightly at the question, rubbing his face gently. "More than I expected to."

"More than you expected too?" Sam interrupted him. "What do you mean? She didn't have triplets or something did she?" Sam asked as he looked to his stomach.

"No, no triplets," Al replied with amused eyes.

"Then what did you find out. Come on Al, don't leave me out here with nothing to go on." Sam said as he gingerly touched his cheek once more and winced.

Al raised the hand link when he saw the pain in Sam's face. He decided that focusing on the leap was the best thing for his friend. "Well, we know with absolute certainty that you're here to get Lisa away from Jack and to keep her away from him. And," he hesitated, going on his own instincts rather than with what Ziggy was saying. "And to make sure she keeps the baby."

Sam nodded understandingly as he listened to his friend.

The hand link squawked loudly at Al's reply, making Sam look from the hand link in Al's palm to Al and back again. "Hmmm." He said softly knowing that something was up. "That so."

"Yeah," Al said, hitting the handlink to shut it up. The statement was plain and unexplained, indicating that the Observer was definitely keeping very tight-lipped about something.

Sam nodded as he pursed his lips. "So, Lisa wants to be a single mom on her own, with a baby, with no help. Whereas, the baby could have a rightful home, with all the help that was needed, and still be loved." He looked down at the floor.

"And what about the baby? Don't you think she deserves to really know her mother?" Al countered. 

"She? Another girl?" Sam questioned as he looked up. "What's her name?" He asked getting caught up in the excitement of the revelation.

Al hesitated, wondering if he would remember Jules from that leap several months before. "Uhh... Lisa had her named after my father."

"She ... ah... I can't remember your father's name, Al." He stood up and went up toward him. "Come on! I remember the others: Liz, Christa, Vickie and Jackie. This would be..." He stopped hoping that Al would supply the name.

Al sighed, knowing that Sam wouldn't stop pestering him unless he told him. "Julianna," he said softly.

"Julianna." Sam said as he let the name roll off his tongue. "What a beautiful name." He smiled as he walked around the room. He looked down at the amber fish in his hand and suddenly stopped. "Julianna Thomas." He said as he connected the two names together. "Julianna Thomas?!" He spun towards Al, his voice raising as he turned.

The look in Al's eyes said everything, right down to the slight twinge at the raise in Sam's voice. "Yeah, Julianna Thomas."

"Julianna Thomas is your daughter?" He asked incredulously as he began to remember the leap from a few months back.

Al frowned at the look in Sam's eyes as he said the name. "You remember her, don't you?" Al questioned quietly. "I mean, really remember."

"As in the lady that tried to save..." He stopped and paused finally putting his hand over his mouth.... that I slept with. Sam finally thought to himself.

Sam swallowed and turned away from Al. Even though his face physically hurt from the bruises, he ran his hand over his face. "Oh, boy." He said softly. He couldn't believe this. He finally turned to Al. "Oh, Al.... I... oh, boy." He said not knowing what else to say to his best friend.

Al shrugged at him as if none of it really mattered. "Well, neither of us knew that then. How was I supposed to know us saving Lisa would result in Jules?"

Sam went back to the bed and sat down. He didn't understand how Al could be so calm at the moment. Sam shook his head. "True... but... ah... " Sam dumbstruck. He didn't know what to say and even if he did, he wasn't sure if he should say anything at the moment.

"What?" Al questioned with a hint of frustration. "She's a grown woman, Sam. She knows what she's doing and you didn't take advantage of her. So, that's all there is to it." He lit a cigar and started pacing slowly in front of him.

Sam took a deep breath. "Okay." He said softly. "Okay... so your daughter ... your daughter is Julianna Thomas, who I slept with in another leap." 

Al waved his hand in the air, continuing to pace. "Lucky me," he said with a hint of sarcasm.

Sam's eyes widened at the sarcasm. "Al. " He watched his friend pace back and forth before calling him again. "Al." He said more prominently. "What's wrong? And don't tell me 'nothing'. I can tell. Other than this," Sam said as he patted his tummy, "what is it?

Al exhaled, stopped and looked at his friend. He turned away again, noting the wounds on Sam's face, and started to pace again. "I don't know how to relate to her, Sam."

"To who? Lisa or Julianna?"

"Both," Al said firmly before sighing again.

A question came back to haunt him from last night. "Do you care for them?"

"Of course I care for them, Sam. But it's not that simple. Jules..." He took a breath. "How much do you remember about her?"

Sam sheepishly looked up at Al with a blush coloring his cheeks. "Ahmmmm, to what are you referring to, Al?"

Al frowned at him. "What do you think I'm referring to? What do you remember about Jules, other than the fact that you shifted her gears to high?"

Sam almost choked as he began to cough. He finally calmed his cough down and cleared his throat. "Weitzman's bodyguard." He said softly. "That's it, right?"

Al nodded. "Well, since Weitzman's a goner, she was reassigned... to me."

Sam smiled and winced at the same time, his cheeks hurting from both motions. "She's your bodyguard? That's good." Sam really didn't understand why Al needed a bodyguard, but he guessed that he understood.

Al's eyes narrowed. "Good? You think it's good that my daughter is trying her damnedest to get killed?"

Sam gasped. "That's not what I meant Al, and I think that you know that." He threw the words up to him. "I meant that you are able to talk to her."

Al laughed sarcastically. "Yeah, I am able to talk to her. That's why she would rather work for someone else other than me. That's why she keeps insisting on following me around everywhere instead of being the assistant I do need." He looked at Sam firmly. "The last thing I want is for her to get shot trying to protect me from whoever the hell would even want me dead, other than my daughters' ex-boyfriends."

Sam sat quietly listening to his friend rant. "Al, I understand what you're feeling here. Did you two talk about this? Do you even know if she wants to stay or go or .." Sam stopped and looked at Al firmly. "Or on the ride back from where ever Lisa lives in the future, neither of you said one word to each other?"

Al didn't speak for a moment. "I didn't have to talk to her. She already said what she wanted at Lisa's." The hand link appeared to be very interesting to Al from the way that he began to study it in his hand.

"And that was what?" Sam questioned.

"She wants to be reassigned," he said quietly. 

Sam's shoulders dropped. "I'm sorry, Al."

Al shrugged his shoulders yet again. "There's always Christmas."

"But is that what you want? What do you want, Al? You know what she wants. What do you want?"

Al hesitated before looking at him firmly. "I want what is best for my daughter. I want...."

"No, you didn't hear me." Sam said over him. "Every parent wants what's best for their son or daughter. It's natural. I don't want to hear that. What do you want from the relationship between Julianna and yourself? And you don't have to answer me now, but you will eventually have to answer that question. And when you do, I hope that you have the answer that you want."

Al sighed slowly, sadly. "So do I, buddy. So do I. But first, we've got to get you out of this hellhole."

Sam nodded at Al's statement. He was right, he assumed. "So, what does Ziggy say to do?"

Al raised the hand link and pushed some buttons, searching for the answer. He frowned deeply at what he read. "She says you should wait until Jack leaves for the base to work. But that isn't for another two days, Sam! If you stay here until then, he'll knock you to oblivion, especially if Lisa keeps popping up every time you try to defend yourself!"

Sam rubbed his lips as he thought of what Ziggy had said. He began to chew his lower lip as he thought, only half-listening to what Al was saying. His eyes were unfocused as he glanced back and forth at the carpet in the room, his mind racing. "Actually, I think that Ziggy is on to something there." He said finally looking up to Al.

Al looked at him with question. "What the hell are you talking about, Sam? You've got to get Lisa and Jules out of this house now!"

"And then what, Al? You already told me that he finds her and drags her back. What do you think the punishment for that will be? Huh?" 

Al winced at his words, beginning to pace. "The alternative is getting a new face the hard way."

Sam shrugged. "Ziggy is probably right though, Al. I have a better chance of getting away if he's not around. I don't understand why Lisa keeps putting herself in my way. It's..." Sam stopped trying to find the words. Then, finding them, not wanting to say them.

"It's called guilt, Sam," Al said softly, shaking his head. 

"Bingo!" Sam said as he pointed to him. 

Al jumped slightly at his choice of words before exhaling.

"I mean... right." He shook his head softly. "It's almost like she is punishing herself. Every time I try to punch him, she would appear and bring my arms down so she took everything from him. Have you talked to her, Al?" Sam said as he began to pop his knuckles.

"Which one, the one in the Waiting Room or the one in Texas?" Al asked. "In either case, it's yes."

"Have you talked to Lisa in the Waiting Room? Maybe if you talk to her again, make her understand that it's time to let go, then she might. Subconsciously, she still thinks that she needs to be punished. That's the feeling that I keep getting over and over again." Sam said as he began to slowly pace back and forth in front of Al, wringing his hands as he did so.

"Probably because she's still in love with me," Al muttered sadly. "I don't know what I could say to her, Sam, that wouldn't cause her to..." 

"It's because of me." Sam said suddenly.

Al stopped at the statement. "What?" he asked carefully.

"I...I cheated on him. I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have fallen in love with him, but I did." Sam said softly. "I couldn't help myself." Sam picked up the little amber fish once more from the bed, and gently placed his lips to it. Softly, he said, "I love you, Bingo. Why did you leave me?"

Al closed his eyes, his heart torn by the words coming from Sam, knowing it was Lisa who was saying them. How could he possibly try to explain everything to her?

Sam sat down on the floor, and tilted his head to look at the small pendant. He softly began to sing, " 'They who love is for the very young, every star is a wishing star at night.' " Sam stopped, then slowly turned his head to look up at Al, his eyes brimming with unshed tears.

Al rubbed his face slightly before taking a step towards him. "Lisa..." He took a deep breath, shaking his head. "I'll talk to her, Sam. You just hang on, okay?" He slowly started for the Imaging Chamber door.

The tears fell down his cheeks as he watched his best friend leave once more. "Al," he said softly. 

Al stopped, turning to look at his friend with concern.

Sam didn't even bother wiping at the tears. "Hurry."

"Don't worry, Sam. You won't even notice that I'm gone." He gave him a reassuring smile as he stepped through the door.

Before the door closed, Sam sighed. "Tell that to Lisa." He said softly knowing that Al couldn't hear him.
 

PART THREE

Project Quantum Leap

December 11, 2000

Al didn't even bother looking towards Gooshie as he walked into the Waiting Room. He was trying to think what he would say to his former love. He looked at her with great sympathy, seeing her sitting on the table looking so forlorn.

Lisa brought her hand up to her mouth and lightly tugged at her fingernail with her teeth. She shifted uncomfortably and frowned. Ever since Al left the first time, she had assumed that he wouldn't come back again. Slowly, she closed her eyes, pulled her legs up on the table and laid down, her back now to the door that had opened a moment before.

Al sighed at the reaction before slowly going up to her. He tentatively laid a hand on her shoulder before brushing her hair with his other hand. "Lisa, sweetie..."

Lisa lightly jumped from the touch and turned her head when she heard his voice and turned away from him once again. She moved away from him and sat up. "Hello, Al." She said as blandly as she could. She drew her hands in around her stomach and sat still.

Al winced at the tone in her voice then walked around to sit next to her. He didn't look at her or touch her as he spoke, wishing there were some way he could make her happy. He hated seeing her so.

"Lisa, I think that there are a couple of things we need to talk about. For our child's sake."

Lisa's hand slowly dropped to her abdomen. "Our child? You mean the one that I'm giving up for adoption? I'm doing that for the sake of our child, Al." She said sadly as she swallowed down the emotions that were trying to overtake her. 

He looked at her gently. "But that's not what you really want," he stated more than asked.

"No." She said simply. "But, it's what's best. Better than taking her or him home to... " She stopped as she thought about it, only for her to physically shake at the thought.

Al noted the shaking and slowly wrapped an arm around her to give her support. "Lisa, sweetie, why are you torturing yourself? Is it because of me? Because of us?"

"I'm not torturing myself... he is." She tried to move away from Al's embrace, eventually moving off the table to get away from him. His touch wasn't making it any easier to talk with him when all she wanted to do was hold him, kiss him, and touch him like she did only four short months ago.

"But you're letting him," he said in a near whisper, watching her move away. 

"No," She said tentatively upon hearing his words.

Al looked at her firmly. "Lisa. A friend of mine has taken your place in the past. And Jack is hurting him. He can't defend himself because you won't let him." He tried hard to make his voice as non-threatening as possible. 

Lisa shook her head slowly. "No. I'm here. I can't be there stopping him. How am I not letting him defend himself? I'm here with you." She looked at him softly and whispered, "Finally here with you."

Al licked his lips. "But it's not permanent, Lisa. When we finally get you away from that nozzle and when our baby is finally safe, you go back. And if you don't let Sam defend himself, we can't get you away from Jack."

Lisa slowly walked up to Al, her eyes fixed with his, and lightly placed her hand on his chest as she whispered yet again. "Any time with you is worth it, Al. You ought to know that by now, don't you? Remember... I know... you remember Chip coming to get you? So we could be together? Even if it was for five minutes? And you couldn't keep your hands off me then." She said softly reminiscing the past. "Any time with you, from four months to forty years, is worth the wait."

She closed her eyes and put her head against his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his torso, holding on tightly. Even softer, she said, "I've always loved you."

"Please, don't," he whispered carefully. "Don't make me fall in love with you again, Lisa. I care too much about you to do that to you." He slowly exhaled, gently pulling her arms from around him.

"No." She said softly, but complying with his wishes. She ducked her head and turned away, walking from him as quickly as she could, knowing that if they got close again, she'd probably kiss him.

"I'm sorry," he told her gently. "But I hate seeing you let yourself be hurt. You are a good woman, Lisa. You deserve a helluva lot better."

Lisa quickly turned to him. "I deserved you." She threw her arms up in the air and let them fall to her side. "But what I deserve and what I get are two totally different things, aren't they? I deserved the love that meant something more than a piece of paper and a name change."

"You also deserve someone who will help you raise your daughter, not a man who is going to be..."

"Again, Al, that would be you. Her father." She broke in. 

"God, Lisa, I want to raise her," he said passionately. "But I have four other daughters who need me as well."

Seeing that this was going nowhere, she ran her hands through her hair and pulled at it when she got toward the end. "What do you want me to do? Not what's good for the baby, not what's good for me; what do you want?"

"I want you to get the hell away from Jack -- forever," he said firmly. "I want you to have a life of your own." He looked at her lovingly. "I want you as my dear friend and the mother of my child and I want to be part of my child's life as a father rather than as..." He didn't finish the sentence, realizing that he nearly told her too much about her future.

Lisa caught his words. "As what?" She asked, again coming toward him. "You want to be a part of your child’s life as a father rather than as a what, Al?" 

Al shook his head. "I've already told you too much."

Lisa looked down at the floor then back up to him, the sad look now replaced with quick anger. "You wait a damn minute, here flyboy! You want me to get away from my ever-loving husband who uses me as a damn punching bag, but you won't tell me what is going on? Why is this so important to you? I mean other than me?" Slowly she blinked as it came to her. "You already have met our child, haven't you?"

Al hesitated before he nodded slowly, avoiding her eyes. 

"Something's wrong, isn't it?" She placed her hand on her stomach. "Jack hurt it, or I did... I..."

Al turned towards her with surprise at the statement. "No. No, Lisa, nothing like that. Our daughter is fine. She's just fine."

Lisa's eyes filled with tears. "A little girl." She blinked trying to hold back the water from spilling over yet again. 

"She's beautiful, Lisa," Al said gently, taking her hands. "She... she looks like you. But she's way too much like me."

"Then she's perfect from my standpoint." Lisa said as she softly wrapped her arms around him once more. "Okay," she said softly as she kissed his cheek. "Okay."

"Okay?" Al questioned, returning the hug.

She slowly withdrew from the hug. She nodded. "I'll leave him. For you... for her... for us... for me." She finally said. 

Al shook his head at her words. "Only for you, Lisa. You and J... our child are all that matters."

Lisa gently smiled at him and nodded. She hopped back up on the bed and looked up at the ceiling in a prayerful manner. "I don't know how long I'll be here, but, Al, I want to ask you something."

He nodded slowly. "Of course, sweetie. You can ask me anything."

Lisa bit her bottom lip before she spoke. "Will you tell me one last time?"

Al furrowed his eyebrows at her request, not exactly certain of what she wanted. "Tell you what?"

Lisa licked at her lips, as her shoulders slumped, her chin began to quiver, but only for a second. "Never mind... it doesn't matter. But... ah... " She blinked. "What do you think of Julianna for a little girl's name? I wanted to name the baby after your dad. But... then again... Danesa somehow sticks out in my mind too."

It didn't take much for Al to realize what she wanted. He smiled, then walked up to her and took her hands gently. He chuckled at her Swiss-cheesed, magnafluxed memory. 

"I think Julianna is a gorgeous name, Lisa. As for Danesa..." He shrugged slightly. Then, as if it came out of the blue, he kissed her cheek softly. "I love you, Lisa."

Lisa smiled lightly as she laid her head against his.

A chirp from the hand link sounded in his pocket.

Al jumped slightly in surprise at the sound, startling Lisa at the same time. 

"What was that?" She asked as she looked around the room.

"I'd better go," Al told her quickly. "My friend needs me."

"Oh. Al, tell him... tell him I'm sorry." 

Al gave her a gentle smile. "He knows, Lisa. Just remember, none of it is your fault. Promise me that you'll remember."

Lisa quickly grabbed Al's shoulders, pulling him to her one last time. She placed a soft kiss on his lips. As she pulled away, she rested her forehead on his. "I promise, Bingo."

The kiss had surprised him a bit but he accepted it gracefully before pulling gently away from her, giving her a smile and a nod. 

Lisa watched him go. "Goodbye, Al." She said quietly knowing that this time would be the last time she'd see him.

Al, then, quickly left the Waiting Room, then practically ran for the Imaging Chamber.
 
 

PART FOUR

"Admiral...." Ziggy purred.

Al stopped at the door of the Imaging Chamber, turning back at the sound of Ziggy's voice. "Yeah?" he asked haphazardly.

"Dr. Beckett is still in Lisa's bedroom, laying on the bed. However, Captain Thomas is on her way out of the complex. She has turned in her keys to Gooshie and has asked me to remove her passwords and access codes from all panels."

"What?!" Al exclaimed, looking at Gooshie with surprise.

Gooshie frowned as he held up the key in his hand. "I'm afraid that Ziggy's right, sir. She said that she wouldn't be needing it anymore."

Al growled in frustration and hidden anxiety, and headed for the exit. "Don't let her leave the complex," he ordered, pointing towards Gooshie. "And reactivate all her codes."

"Yes, sir." Gooshie responded. As he watched Al leave, he looked up at the ball hanging from overhead. "I wish people would really stay still. This changeroo is about to drive me nuts."

Al ran through the corridors of the complex, getting into the elevator in good time. When he reached the top level and stepped through the doors, he headed directly for the exit.

"Admiral?" Ziggy's voice followed him into the elevator. "Admiral, Captain Thomas has just left the complex. She was able to leave before the doors were sealed."

"Unseal them!" Al shouted commandingly, nearing the exit.

"I'm sorry, Admiral. That cannot be done for another four hours. Security protocol and standards set forth in the programming won't allow for any earlier time period."

Al glared at the ceiling strongly. "Who the hell designed that damn program?"

"You and Dr. Beckett designed the flaw into it." Ziggy said with a sigh.

Al grunted out a cry of frustration before slamming his hand into the sealed door. Turning around, he leaned against it, his eyes closed tightly. "Dammit!"

"However, Admiral, you might want to know that Dr. Beckett has moved from the room with the assistance of Jack Sherman." Ziggy replied.

"What?!" he answered with wide eyes.

"Must I repeat?" Ziggy huffed. "Dr. Beckett may require some assistance."

Al pushed himself off of the door, forcing himself to remain calm as he hurried back down to the Imaging Chamber. Ignoring the look on Gooshie's face, he rammed through the door. Centering himself on Sam, he glared at Jack Sherman with intense hatred upon his arrival in 1960.

"You leave him alone, you bastard!" He yelled as he saw Jack slap Sam across the face before pushing him down on a chair.

"I told you to either get rid of that brat before I did it myself! I warned you, Lisa!" He said angrily. "Why is it that you make me do these things?" 

Sam simply sat there his head softly rocking back and forth from the motion of the slap. He looked just about out of touch with reality. He had retreated to a far corner in his mind as Lisa took control of the situation once again.

Al looked at his friend with growing concern. "No! Sam! Sam, come on! You can take this guy! Sam!" He raised the handlink to see what Ziggy was predicting. 

"There's a 75% chance that Lisa Sherman will abort the pregnancy." Ziggy said to the Admiral through the speakers.

His heart tightened into a knot. "God, no! Sam, you've got to get the hell out of here!"

Sam just blinked at the words coming at him. 

"There's also a 88% chance that Lisa will miscarry if something isn't done at this moment in time."

"The hell she is!" Al shouted back. "I am not going to lose my daughter because of this bastard!" He turned to his friend. "Sam, you've got to do something! If you don't, Lisa'll miscarry! Are you listening to me, Sam? Two lives need you to snap out of it! Now!"

Jack looked at Sam and grinned. He pulled out a knife from behind his back and roughly grabbed at the jumpsuit that Sam was wearing. He pulled at the material and took the knife to cut at it. He cut the material across Sam's waist, long enough to give him access.

"SAM!" Al screamed, seeing the progress that Jack was making, his eyes wide with fright. He looked at Sam again and could see the terror on his face, realizing that Sam was no longer there.

Sam's body bounced against the chair as Jack pushed him back once again. Again, he just blinked at the actions happening around him.

"87 % Abortion; 90% Miscarriage." Ziggy reported.

Al quickly knelt beside his friend, pleading in his eyes. "Lisa. Lisa, listen to me! You gave me a promise, dammit! Listen to me!"

Sam/Lisa turned toward Al, looking directly at him. "Al…"

"90% Abortion; 93% Miscarriage."

Al bit his lip tightly. "Don't let him kill our baby, Lisa," he said firmly. "Don't let him hurt you."

Jack had proceeded in cutting through her undergarments as well. "Alright, Lisa.... time to say goodbye."

"94% Abortion; 97% Miscarriage."

"NO!" Al shouted in fright. "Please, Lisa, you can stop him! Don't let him win!" Al pleaded franticly, calming down enough to remember what she had wanted him to say when he was in the Waiting Room only moments before. "Lisa, baby, listen to me, I love you. I love you, Lisa."

"Goodbye," Lisa said as she looked at Al, bringing both of her legs up. She kicked Jack in the face with both of her feet, using all the strength that she had.

"YES!" Al exclaimed proudly. 

Sam/Lisa stood up only for Jack to come up to his feet, madder than hell. "You bitch!"

Before Jack could say anything else, Sam twirled with a roundhouse kick that knocked Jack out. 

Al exhaled shakily, his relief obvious but his fears still just wearing off. He looked down angrily at the man who nearly took Julianna's life before she had the chance to live it. 

Sam stood above him, his breath ragged and grabbed at the clothes he was wearing. He started off toward the bedroom to get some other clothes on. As he walked by Jack, Sam quickly kicked him in the side for good measure. 

Al nodded with approval at the kick before following Sam into the bedroom.

Once in the bedroom, he quickly found some clothes to put on and dressed, knowing that Al would be following after.

Al raised the handlink, reading it quickly. "Sam, you've got four minutes before he wakes up madder than the fires of damnation."

Sam turned to his friend. "And then?" He asked softly. "Then he'll find her again and it'll start all over again."

"I'm trying to see if there's a way we can stop that. The only thing I can think of is if..." He punched buttons in the hand link. "Don't just stand around! Get going!"

Sam stood ramrod still. He knew what he was doing. He couldn't leave. "Al..." He said as he stood his ground. "I know why I'm here Al."

Al looked at him with a frown. "Yes! To get the hell out of here before he wakes up!"

"No, Al. No." He said softly. He went past Al to the telephone that was in the hall. He dialed the operator and asked for the Military Police. Upon getting one of the officers on the phone, Sam quickly summed up what was going on. "And, sir, if you don't get here rather shortly, you'll have a dead body in my house. It'll either be me or my husband."

Al got a grin on his face when he realized what his friend was doing. He nodded with approval while listening to the conversation.

Sam placed the phone on the table and went to the closet that he had inspected earlier to pull down the shotgun that he had found. He made sure that it was loaded and went to sit down at the kitchen table.

Al watched, hoping deep down that Jack would wake up. The one thing Al wanted most at that moment was to see the man dead.

"You could shoot him now and it would still be self-defense," Al told Sam firmly.

"I don't want to kill anyone, Al. But, there's nothing wrong with scaring someone half to death, now is there?" Sam asked a smile playing on his lips.

Al shook his head. "You're a better man than me, Sam. I would've blown his brains out." 

The moan in the living room caused Al to turn his head.

Sam sat back, the shotgun aimed at the living room. He held the muzzle in his left hand and the trigger with his right. "Here we go," he said softly as Jack stood up and bellowed.

The door to the kitchen slammed open, revealing the furious man. The moment he saw the shotgun, he smiled with amusement before giving a slight laugh. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Lisa?"

"Hmmmm... let me think..... " Sam said as he played it up. "Oh... yeah! Defending myself, you asshole."

"I second that," Al said in a low growl.

Jack's amusement turned back into anger as he took a step towards Sam. He stopped abruptly. 

Sam slowly leveled the gun on its object, and cocked the gun as Jack took a step towards him. 

"Now, Lisa, let's be reasonable. Put the gun down."

"Now Jack, lets not be stupid and take another step. I'll blow your kneecap out." Sam said as he lowered the rifle down toward the man's knees. "Remember, if you can, that a shot gun has two shots, and that the pellets spread out, causing a lot more pain than, let's say, a .44 magnum."

Jack frowned at him strongly. "What do you want?" he questioned with a growl.

"I want you to get your things and leave my house," Sam said pointedly.

"Your house?!" 

"Well, you sure as hell aren't the one that keeps it up. I do all the work. You eat, sleep and moan about how nothing gets done. If you aren't part of the solution, your a part of the problem, and Jack... you are the problem. I'm not letting you touch me again."

Jack shook his head roughly. "No, you’re the problem, Lisa!" He started to walk backwards from him, heading for the door. "You just don't know your place! And if you want me to go, that's just fine! See how long it takes until you come running to me, begging me to take you back because you don't have enough money to take care of that bastard child!"

"You know...." Sam began. "You may be right," He said softly.

"What?" Al questioned with confusion. "Sam, what the hell..."

"Let me see how long it will take .... " Sam puckered his lips and knitted his brow. "Oh.. yeah.... It'll be a cold day in hell before I come back to you." 

Jack huffed at his words. "Fine. Guess a slut like you deserves to live like the trash you are." He pushed the door open from behind him, his eyes not leaving the shotgun.

Sam took a breath and began to relax. He was glad to know that Jack was going to move on. It was the best. He mistakenly let the gun move toward the floor.

With a slight leer, Jack noted the action. Seeming as if he was about to leave the kitchen completely, he quickly turned and rushed at Sam to knock the shotgun out of his hands as Al shouted a warning to his friend.

Sam barely got the shotgun up when the gun went off. Jack stopped in his tracks. He staggered for a moment looking down at his stomach as blood began to seep into his clothes. He fell to the floor and looked up at her as the sirens sounded outside.

Sam looked at Jack, stunned for a moment. He looked at him with pity and shook his head sadly. 

Al looked down at Jack with hate, contrasting Sam's pity. After a moment, he took several steps away, and closed his eyes saying a grateful thank you that Lisa’s ordeal was through. 

"Isn't it about time to leap?" Sam asked wonderingly since he had stopped the attack from happening and had helped to stop a murder of Al’s unborn child.

Al raised the hand link, still a little shocked by the events. "Yeah. Looks like it."

"Then why haven't I leaped?" Sam asked as he walked in a wide circle around the now moaning, cursing Jack Sherman. He could hear squealing brakes outside.

"I don’t know." Al answered with a shrug. "Lisa gets a divorce from Jack there, who survives." 

"Pity." Sam said looking back at Jack.

Al nodded with agreement. "Yeah, but at least now I can have a shot at him. He's at Leavenworth but not as a guard."

"Good." 

"Jules still joins the Navy and becomes Weitzman's, and then my, bodyguard," Al read the news, his voice a bit bland.

Sam smiled at the report. "Guess there are some things that just can't and won't be changed."

"Yeah," the Admiral answered sadly. "I guess that's it then." He looked at his friend with a slight smile.

Sam shook his head as thundering feet approached the house. "Guess not." But even as he went to the door, the tingling sensation began to pass through his body. He looked at Al and smiled at him. "Maybe so." And with that, he leaped.
 

PART FIVE

Project Quantum Leap

December 11, 2000 

11:27 PM 

Al rubbed his face as his stepped out of the Imaging Chamber. He should have felt good about the end of this leap. After all, Lisa was finally free from her ex-husband and she did have Julianna. Everything did work out for the best for the two women, in the long run. However, Al felt only sadness and depression. 

"Admiral, are you okay?" Gooshie asked as he came out. He was extremely worried. The Admiral had been acting very funny as of late, and it was worrying him.

Al gave him a small smile meant to reassure. "Yeah, I'm okay, Gooshie. I just need some rest." 

"Why don't you go to your quarters and rest, and I'll let you know when your daughter comes in and then you two can go get something to eat in the mess hall." Gooshie replied, trying his best to get Al to a bed.

Al nodded slightly, though he seemed a bit confused. He wasn't sure which of his daughters Gooshie was referring to. Still, at this point, he didn't care. He just wanted to be able to visit with any of them, preferably with the elusive Jacqueline, who always seemed to be doing something with wassisname, her husband. Al wondered why he could never remember his son-in-law's name as he entered his quarters and slipped into bed beside his wife.

Feeling the bed move beside her, Beth turned over and nuzzled up to the warm body in the bed. She ran her hand up and down his chest and sighed happily as she pressed against him. "I love you," she said softly in her sleep.

Al held her gently and kissed the top of her head lovingly. "I love you too. Go back to sleep," he whispered softly as he closed his eyes.

Project Quantum Leap

December 12, 2000 

8:30 AM

When he opened them the next day, he found the other side of the bed empty. He could hear talking in the other room so he carefully slipped into his bathrobe and started towards the door.

"I know that this is something out of the ordinary, Beth, but she has her heart set on it. Please, let her come to the Project."

Al frowned at what he heard, his curiosity piqued. He slowly opened the door only a sliver, feeling more like a spy than a man of the house, or rather, apartment.

"Jules?" Al whispered to himself, the door opening further. He had thought that he wouldn't see her again after she left without saying goodbye.

Julianna's hand movements matched her fast speech patterns, obviously an inherited trait. "You have to understand. She has been patient ever since I was born, and it's time that she knows. Who would she tell anyway? She lives all by herself, except when I go to visit. " Jules sighed and blew out air. "Besides, she's my mom. She deserves to know what I do for a living along with where it is. I want her to be proud of what I do. I know that I'm proud of what I do."

Beth smiled at her gently. "Julianna, I know Lisa is proud of what you do. She doesn't have to actually come here to be proud of you."

Al stood straight at the name, stopping just short of exiting the bedroom.

Julianna bounced on the balls of her feet. "But... You don't understand! It's a surprise.... ya know... for dad," she whispered as she pointed toward the bedroom door. "She wants to surprise him. Please, Beth, I don't want to just bring her in without authorization from someone, and I can't ask him. Where is the surprise in that?"

Beth exhaled slowly. "All right," she said with a hint of defeat in her voice.

Julianna smiled. "See? I always knew that you were a cool step-mom." 

"Well, I don't have a chance when you start pouting like your father," Beth retaliated gently as Al started out of the bedroom, feigning ignorance.

Julianna giggled slightly, straightening up as Al came out.

"Jules, what... what are you doing here?" he asked, looking at her with a wry smile.

Julianna smiled at him. "Oh, nuttin' much. But, ah... you need to get dressed, dad. Okay?" She started toward the door turning back to him. "I'll be back in about an hour." She grinned at him. "See you in the mess hall in approximately..." She looked down at her watch. "Two hours for that seminar that you promised me."

"Seminar?" Al questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Quit joking with me, dad. See ya in a bit." She opened the door and quickly shut it behind her. Immediately, she began to run down the corridors and the upper levels of the Project.

Al looked at Beth with questioning eyes. "Beth, what's going on here? I could have sworn that she'd be in D.C. by now, looking for another job."

Beth frowned at him. "What on earth are you talking about, Al? Julianna is happy working for you as your bodyguard/assistant/head security officer."

Al raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Head security officer?" he asked slowly. He never remembered actually giving that assignment to Jules. Why would she want to be the head security officer of the complex?

Beth put her hand to his forehead. "Are you feeling okay, babe? You look pale," she said, the mother in her coming out in full force.

"I'm... I'm fine," he said as he gently removed her hand from his head. "I'm just a little confused." He looked at the door through which Julianna had left. 

"About what, hon?" She asked softly. She looked at the door then back to her husband carefully.

"Since when did Jules call me 'dad'?"

It was Beth's turn to raise her eyebrows. "Ever since she was able to talk, Al. You don't look good at all. I want you to go lie back down. Now." Beth said as she took his arm and headed him back toward the bedroom.

Al frowned at her actions. "Beth...." He tried to pull his arm away gently but found that he couldn't without causing Beth more concern. "I'm fine. Really. It's nothing. Just the usual post-leap... memory problems."

"I don't care, dear." She said as she opened the bedroom door. "You need to lay down and let it come back to you. That's an order, Admiral." She said firmly.

Al gave her a teasing smile, holding her gently. "If you didn't care, you wouldn't make it an order, now, would you?"

Beth smiled at him, and shook her head slightly. "Exactly, flyboy. Go on." She kissed him softly then pushed him toward the bed. "I mean it. If you get up before you actually realize what is going on around you, I'll confine you to that thing."

Al waved a hand in a gesture to try to calm her. "Okay, okay. I'm going. See?" He went over to the bed and sat down on it.

"Lay down, Al." She said putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm not tired, mommy," he said with sarcasm.

Beth ran her tongue over her teeth in annoyance. "I don't care, son, you'll lay there until I come back." She said as she started to go through the door, leaving him alone in the room.

Al exhaled, slowly laying on top of the covers and staring at the ceiling.

"Good boy." She called from the other room, giving him the opportunity to lay down. "Now, stay."

"BARK!" Al shouted towards her as he laced his fingers over his chest.

Her laughter echoed in the room as she left from their quarters.

He tried to think of what he overheard them saying to each other. However, his mind was becoming a dense, thick fog. History had changed, he knew, but it was becoming difficult for him to remember how it changed. He did remember one thing and that was that he didn't want Julianna to leave. But why would she leave?

"Ziggy?" he finally called up to the ceiling.

"Yeeeesssss, Admiral Calavicci?" Ziggy purred at him.

"What did Sam change?" he asked with curiosity.

"In the original history, Lieutenant Lisa Sherman gave Julianna up for adoption to Syd and Lanette Thomas. On the same day as her appointment with the doctor’s office, Mrs. Sherman ran away from her husband in an attempt to save the life of her child. She succeeded in having the baby, but was forced back to her home by an extremely abusive Captain Jack Sherman. 

"When Dr. Beckett didn't leave that day, history changed, and there was a high percentage that either Captain Sherman would abort the baby himself or that Lieutenant Sherman would miscarry...."

"I remember that, Ziggy," Al interrupted as she spoke. "What I mean is... Why is Jules here? At the complex?"

Ziggy paused for emphasis. "Literally, Admiral, she is here as your bodyguard, assistant and head of security. She performs all three tasks in admirable status."

"I'm glad you approve," Al said with a frown. He scratched his head tiredly. "But the last I remember is Jules leaving the complex to find a different person to play bodyguard over."

"I was getting to that, Admiral, before you interrupted me. Julianna Thomas is no more. Since Lieutenant Sherman injured her husband and turned him over to the Military Police, she was able to divorce the Captain. She had Julianna, and kept her. She had constant contact with you and your wife for the last forty years. You were notified of Julianna's birth, and every step, lost tooth, first boyfriend, all of the necessary things that make a father, a father."

"Her senior prom, her graduation from Annapolis..." It seemed to all be clicking into place finally. He frowned again. "Then, if she isn't Julianna Thomas anymore, then is she Julianna Holdenson."

"No, Admiral. It's Calavicci. Lieutenant Sherman wanted to make sure that her daughter had the surname of her paternal father."

Al couldn't help but smile at that. "Ah, Lisa." He exhaled slowly. "I still hate her being my bodyguard, though. Haven't you talked to her about finding someone else, yet?"

Ziggy paused. "There is a 32% chance that Captain Calavicci will leave the Project. Do I need to talk to her about leaving, Admiral?"

Al slowly sat up on the bed, thinking about the percentage that Ziggy provided.

"Actually, Admiral, the percentage lowers everyday that she stays at the Project. Is there something that I need to be aware of?"

Al ran his tongue across the inside of his mouth before shaking his head. "No. I may not like it, but if Jules insists on risking her life I'm not going to stop her. I know it's what she does."

"Plus it's her orders to do so from SECNAV." Ziggy stated informatively.

Al growled at the reminder. "Sometimes I think SECNAV has a burr up his ass and it's affecting his brain. Who the hell assigns a daughter to protect her father from bullets?"

"Actually, Admiral, the SECNAV preferred Captain Calavicci for the job because Captain Calavicci asked for the assignment. After some debate on the present topic you are discussing, he found out what everyone else at the Project already knows." Ziggy paused for a moment waiting for him to predict her words.

"That she's my daughter?" Al quipped, obviously not in the mood to play guessing games.

"No, Admiral." Ziggy said simply. "He found out that the Calavicci clan has a stubborn streak from here to Cape Horn."

Al huffed. "Tell me about it," he stated sarcastically. 
 

PART SIX

Replete in his favorite green suit with matching fedora, Al walked into the mess hall in search of the black sludge that the staff called coffee. He knew that Julianna was lurking somewhere in the large but cluttered room, probably poring over a report. After taking a sip of the coffee, Al sat at a table and waited.

Julianna peered around the door of the mess hall and saw Al at the table, sipping his coffee. She smiled broadly and looked at the person beside her, putting her finger up to her lips. "Wait until my motion." She said softly then continued in the room. 

"Hey, dad." She said as she got closer to him. 

Al raised his head with a smile, looking at his daughter affectionately. "Hey, sweetheart."

She went up to him and gave him a quick hug and peck on the cheek. "I know, I know, not at work, but a gal has to get that out of her system." She said with a quick grin.

"Yeah, well, you're lucky that everyone knows who we are. Otherwise, we might get in trouble for fraternization," Al said jokingly. 

"Oh... yeah... I know... we don't need any more 'Al needs a vacation' jokes floating around." Jules said as she moved away and sat down opposite him with a smile.

He sighed. "Sometimes it's no joke." 

She was absolutely glowing, her smile wide as she looked at her father. "Ya know what, dad?"

"I know a lot of things, including what," he said gently. "Just depends on what the 'what' is." He took a gulp as his coffee and winced at its bitterness. 

Jules propped her head on her hand, her elbow on the table.

"Elbows off the table, young lady," he teased.

Just to spite him, she placed her other elbow on the table and smiled brightly at him and tilted her head to the side, giving the silent motion to their hidden observer. "Come on, Dad... no one else is in here. Is protocol really that important?"

Al looked at her with a bit of surprise. "I thought you were the one that didn't break the rules. Then again..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a soft pair of hands slid around his face, cutting off his vision of Jules. Jules lightly laughed at the surprised look that Al gave.

"Okay, there are several possibilities here," he started. 

"But do you want to be in trouble if you guess wrong?" Jules asked with laughter in her voice.

"You tell me. Do I?" he questioned. "But I think I can make a pretty good description. About 5'6" tall, brown hair, blue eyes, and very lovely. Am I warm?"

"Dad...that just about describes all the women here at the complex." Jules remarked.

The hands slowly moved and the hidden person slowly bent down and smiled as he turned to see Lisa smiling warmly at him. "Admiral," she said softly.

He smiled gently at her. "Admiral? Is that all you can say, Lisa?" He shook his head.

"I could say more, but I like to be able to look and see what a horse's ass looks like." She winked at him as she chuckled.

"Mom!" Jules said with exclamation.

Al laughed loudly at her, standing to give her a hug, not bothering to explain the comment to Julianna.

"It's been a long time since we hugged." Lisa said softly. "But I remember every single one." She took a deep breath and then broke away from him. "But," she said louder as she turned to Julianna. "Now that you have us both here, what is it that you want to tell us?"

Al turned towards Julianna as he offered Lisa a seat and sat back down himself. "Good question. I overheard you this morning talking to Beth, Jules. I didn't get everything but I figure that it must be something if you brought your mom here."

Jules shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She knew that look from her mother and her father. "Oh boy." She quirked suddenly. "Well, I guess that I need to tell you both a few things." She said taking a deep breath.

"Well, I'm listening," Al told her before looking at Lisa. "Are you listening, Lisa?"

"Oh... yes... very much so. I’m always interested in what our daughter has to say."

"That makes it unanimous." He looked at Julianna with expecting eyes. "Okay, spill it, Captain."

Jules lightly laughed and rubbed the back of her neck gently before getting up from the table and beginning a four step pace. She looked at her watch. She had to stall for a few more minutes. "Ahm, well, first, I love you both very much. Mom, you've..."

"She broke the window again," Al commented jokingly.

"I knew it." Lisa said. "I thought I felt a breeze in the house last night. Cough up the money, Jules." Lisa said as she played along with Al.

"Oh, good grief." Jules said as she looked up toward the door. She quickly glanced back to her parents, and took a deep breath. "Thomas has asked me to marry him and I've accepted." She wasn't sure exactly what her mom or dad would say. She just hoped that Al wouldn't explode. He didn't really care for Thomas.

Al looked at her with wide eyes. "Thomas? You mean the same Thomas you..." He gestured his hands in small circles, trying to find the words. "The same Thomas who needs a serious attitude adjustment?"

Lisa sat there with her mouth hung open, blinking occasionally as she looked back and forth between Al and Jules.

Jules anger quickly flared, but she held it all in, not letting an ounce escape. "Dad, I'm capable of making my own decisions. Plus, ahm.... I'm... I'm pregnant."

Lisa's eyes widened in shock. She sat there quietly as she looked back at Al for his reaction. 

"Now, before you go completely bonkers on me..."

Al slumped forward in his seat, resting his head on his hands.

"Dad," She called to him, seeing his slouch. She motioned to the person at the door to come in.

Slowly, he raised himself again to look at his daughter.

Thomas entered the room and came up to her, putting his arms around her. "Mr. Calavicci, Mrs. Sherman." He nodded.

"Admiral," Al corrected firmly.

"Admiral!" Jules said as she stopped Thomas from saying anything else to her father. She took a step forward making sure that she had his attention. "Admiral Calavicci."

Al took a breath. "Okay. I'll be nice." There was little conviction in his voice. "Besides, you're forty years old. You can marry whoever you well please without my permission."

"You can never make things easy, can you dad?" She asked softly. "That's precisely why I brought Thomas here. I want your permission. Thomas and I love each other very much, and obviously ah... er... it's going to show... but...."

"The deed was done?" Al said over her, his eyebrows raised. He mentally hit himself for what he said. "Sorry," he said softly.

Jules nodded her head at his remark. She turned to Thomas and spoke quietly to him. "I hoped that I wasn't wasting my time. I thought that perhaps this time would be different."

She linked her arm with Thomas' and looked at her mom. "Mom... I'll be in my office if you want to talk." Jules started towards the door with Thomas in tow.

Al stood quickly, wishing he could take back his words. "Jules!" He called out quickly.

Julianna didn't even bother turning around. She waved a hand at him. "Yeah, I know, dad. I know." She said as she left the room.

Al slumped into his chair again, rubbing his face with his hands. 

"You always had a problem with running your mouth before thinking about the consequences, Al. It's good to know that things haven't changed." Lisa said with a smirk letting him know that she was joking with him.

"Yeah, not one damn iota," he replied with a sigh.

"Well, if you haven't changed, why are you still sitting here?" She said as she placed a kiss on his cheek. "You didn't like Thomas when she dated him in high school. I didn't particularly like him either, but fate has a way of m