FROM FATHER TO SON

Usual disclaimers. I don't own anyone apart from Nicholas Beckett. Everyone else and the whole concept of Quantum Leap belong to various Powers that Be. I'm not making any money out of this.

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Chapter One: Strange Visitors

February 17th 1997, Brooklyn, New York:

'Well, Sam, you did it. Ben doesn't die; he grows up to marry Mary and becomes a successful divorce lawyer. Hmm, maybe we should've let him die after all. Blood sucking creeps all of them', Al told Sam. It was the end of another successful leap.

'Having trouble with one of your wives' solicitors, Al?' Sam teased.

'When am I not? I...'. But Al was interrupted by flashes of blue electricity as Sam leaped.

'Oh well, on to the next undeserving creep', Al muttered wearily to himself as he left the imaging chamber. As usual by the end of a leap, he felt that he could sleep for a week. And, also as usual, he knew that would be impossible. He wondered how long it would take for the next visitor to emerge in the waiting room. He just hoped that the next leap would be easier than this one. Keeping an eight year old kid away from matches was difficult for anyone, but if you add a fatally ill sister, and a senile grandfather into the equation.... Al shook his head and headed towards his quarters, his bed, and Tina.


May 17th 2003, Project Quantum Leap, Satllion's Gate, New Mexico:

After just one hour's rest, Al was rudely awakened by Ziggy.
'Admiral, you are urgently needed in the waiting room. It is an emergency. A new visitor has arrived.'
Already? This was the quickest that Sam had ever leapt into anyone, thought Al. And what was the emergency?

As he approached the waiting room, Al could hear the chaos coming from within.
'I demand to speak to Admiral Calavicci! Now! No, Doctor, I am quite calm. You don't understand. The Admiral is the only one who needs to be here. Get him here, now!'
'OK, what is all the noise about?' asked Al, instantly bringing the room into silence.
'Oh, at last', the visitor remarked, turning to Al. 'Perhaps I can get some sense out of someone now. A...Admiral, please tell these people that they do not need to be here. You are the only one who I can speak to.'
'Just one minute here. First of all, 'these people' as you so eloquently put it, are highly trained professionals who are only trying to do their jobs. And second, how do you know who I am?'
'Admiral we have another emergency', interrupted Ziggy, before the visitor could reply. 'I am unable to locate Dr. Beckett'.

'Repeat that, Ziggy, would you?' asked Al, his mind still on the enigmatic visitor, who strangely seemed to know who and what everyone and everything was.
'I said, Admiral, that, even though Dr. Beckett has leaped into his next host, I am unable to locate him anywhere between 1953 and now, 2003'.
'What? But that's impossible. How can Sam not be located within the usual parameters? He has to be somewhere, somewhere between his birth date and now. Ziggy, keep trying'.
'Right, next problem', he muttered to himself. He turned towards Verbena and Sammy-Jo, the only others in the waiting room besides himself and the visitor.
'Perhaps you two had better go, just for a few minutes'. They left, reluctantly.
'Ok, mister, I want some answers and I want them now', Al demanded, turning to the other man in the room.
'Who are you? What is going on? How do you know who, and what, we are? Where's Sam? Why can't Ziggy locate him?'
'What makes you think I know the answers, Al, er, Admiral', the other man replied, calmly. He suddenly looked sad, and was watching Al very closely. Now that he had Al's attention, he suddenly seemed reluctant to talk. A thought occurred to Al: 'You're not another leaper, are you, like with Alia and Zoe?'
'No, Admiral. How could that be? The mechanics of a leap wouldn't work like that. How could I leap into Sam while he is leaping into another person? A leap can only deal with two people at once.'
'Oh, really?' remarked Al. It was more than he knew about leaping. Sam was the scientist, not him. Sometimes, like now, he felt that leaping could result in just about anything. But, the 'guest' was still being cagey. Al was sure he knew more than he was letting on.
'You still haven't answered my first questions. You seem to know a lot about science, and about leaping' Al said, returning to business. He wasn't used to being in this situation. Usually it was him in control, and the visitor who wanted answers. Now, though, he felt out of his depth. Nothing like this had ever happened before. How could a visitor know about him and Quantum Leap before they had told them? Just who was he? Al felt sure that something very strange was going on, and he did not like feeling that way. It was way too confusing, and worrying.
'Yes' replied the visitor, in answer to Al's previous remark. 'I take after my father'.
'Your father', replied Al, wishing the other man would stop playing games and just tell him what was going on. He knew that if the other man just told who he was, everything would make sense. 'How nice. And who is this wonderful father of yours? And, for the last time, who are you?'
'Well. I...'. The stranger faltered, trying to decide what to do.
'Yes', said Al. This was it, the moment of truth.
'Well, Ok. I suppose enough damage is done now anyway. I'll tell you. My name is Nicholas. Nicholas Beckett'.