-1Sam and Al watched as the teenaged boy and girl walked off hand in hand.
"Way to go Sam," Al said as he read what Ziggy brought up. "Jack and Jane there get married a few years from now. Today, they have four children, one of whom is serving in the Peace Corp."
This leap, his mission had been to bring the two friends together as more. In the original history, they didn't and the girl ended up in an abusive relationship where her husband eventually murdered her in a fit of jealous rage.
Sam sighed. "That's great, Al," he said. But, there was something in his voice Al couldn't quite place. Something he had never heard in Sam's voice.
"Is something wrong?" Al asked.
"Not really," Sam said. "I'm glad we brought them together and saved Jane. But, I don't know. I'm getting tired of leaping around."
"You're getting tired? What?" Al said as he took a puff of his cigar. "Since when did you start getting tired of helping people?"
"It's not that," Sam said. "I'm tired of always helping other people and no one knows the difference. What does it all amount to? We help people. Because of us, people get jobs they didn't originally get, people have gotten together because of us, and all that. But, really what does it amount to?"
"Sam…" Al said in a worried tone. Al then realized what was off in Sam's voice.
He sounded depressed.
"Al, it's all ultimately pointless when you think about," Sam said looking at his long-time friend. "Tomorrow, what's it going to matter? Are we really making any difference in the world?"
"You are," Al said. "Without you, a lot of lives would be a lot worse off."
Sam shook his head. "I wish I could make myself believe that again." Sam paused for a minute. "Al, I'm coming home."
Al remained silent. He puffed on his cigar a few times as he stared at his friend.
"Are you sure?" Al asked.
"Yes."
He hated seeing his friend this depressed. Especially when it made his friend decide to stop doing what he loved most--helping others. But, he knew there was nothing he could say to change Sam's mind. Al looked down and pressed a button on Ziggy and the Imaging Chamber's door opened.
"I'll see you at the Project," Al said in a low tone.
Sam watched as Al stepped through and the chamber's door closed. He looked back and out the window and saw Jack and Jane kissing. Sam felt himself leap.
So ended his last leap through time.