Disclaimer: I own nothing. I thank the creators and owners of these characters for allowing me to write fan fiction for my own and others enjoyment.

"In My Dreams"

The blue glow lingered for a moment as Sam found himself sitting in a position quite familiar to him. "Gee, it feels like I've leapt in like this before." As his senses came to him, he realized that that was mostly true. After all, he was wearing a tux and sitting at a grand piano. But instead of being on a stage in front of a full house, he was sitting in a room with small tables in front of him. It looked like there might be about ten people total in the room, several of them on bar stools around the piano. There was a large brandy snifter in front of him filled with green currency.

"So, are you going to play 'White Christmas' or aren't you?" The question came from a woman sitting on a bar stool next to the piano. He noticed that the people sitting like next to him were, nursing drinks and eating the cocktail mix out of the small bowls in front of them.

"Um. Yeah. Of course." Sam tried his fingers out on the black and white keys. The piano was in tune and as his fingers played, the memory of the song came to him. As he sang out the words that Bing Crosby made famous, he was taken with a sense of nostalgia, a wish to be back at home in…where was he from again?…somewhere in the midwest he was sure. As he finished the song, he heard the sound of the imaging chamber behind him.

"Ah, Christmas music. I sure miss hearing you play, Sam." He saw Al, dressed in a pair of red pants with a white silk shirt and a vest of gold with green and silver squiggles.

A young man at the piano asked for 'Winter Wonderland.' Sam nodded and asked under his breath. "Why am I here, Al?" right before starting into the words, "Sleigh bells ring, are you listening…"

"Um, well you're Tom Petterson and you play piano in this lounge in Dallas. It's December 24, 1975 and there's snow falling outside tonight and you're here to make sure that no one goes out driving after drinking here. Several accidents are traced back to patrons of this bar."

"You're telling me that I need to make sure no one drinks and drives? Oh boy…"

Al nodded. "You'll figure out a way to do it, Sam. You always do. I'm just going to sit by and listen to you play." He pulled up the chair that he kept in the waiting room and centered it on a chair at one of the tables. Closing his eyes, Al felt it was almost like having Sam back again, playing at the project's Christmas gatherings. He let the music flow over him, Christmas song after Christmas song.

Sam continued playing for the crowd. Nobody seemed to want to leave while the piano man was singing. After awhile, he saw one of the men get up and put a five into his jar. Sam finished his rendition of 'Silver Bells' and then asked. "Um, leaving so soon?"

"Yeah, Tom. Need to get back to feed the cats."

"Cats?"

"Yeah. Catalina and Catamaran. They deserve a special treat for Christmas."

"Why don't you let us call you a cab?"

"Cab? Why?"

"Well, the roads aren't too dry out there right now. It would be safer. You want to make it back to the cats safely, don't you?"

The man smiled. "Yeah. They're sort of like my kids. No other family, you know. But I'm sure I'll be fine."

The lady that had been sitting next to him smiled. "Mike, Tom's right. It wouldn't hurt to take a cab back home. My house is on the way. They can take both of us. Come on, you can join me for another round while we wait for it to come."

"Okay, Marsie. For you." The man looked kindly at her and she smiled back.

Sam caught the eye of the barkeep and noted when he came over with a beer that his nametag showed the man's name as Davy. "Thanks, Davy." He took a sip from the pro-offered beer. "Would you please call a cab for Mike and Marsie?"

Davy nodded. "Sure thing, Tom. I understand the roads really aren't too good right now. Makes sense."

Sam breathed a sigh of relief. Two down, eight to go. "How about another request?"

An older woman and man were sitting at the table closest to the piano. The man called out, "Do you know 'My Favorite Things? It's my wife's favorite Christmas song.

"Sure," answered Sam. He started into the lead in to the song. It was amazing to him that he'd hear the name of a song and somehow, he knew it. He figured that GFTW was helping him out a little on this leap, making sure he could remember the words and how to play them. As he did, images came to him of Christmases past. Katie had always loved 'My Favorite Things' as well. He smiled as he thought of her.

The song was finished after a few minutes and Sam heart was happy to see the couple smiling. The man walked up and put a five of his own into the jar. "You know, being in Dallas on Christmas wasn't our first choice. Our plane broke down after we arrived from Atlanta, and now we have to wait until tomorrow to leave for LA, where our daughter lives. It was a good thing we could get a room at the hotel across the street. They have a shuttle to the airport tomorrow."

Sam noticed that a cab driver came into the bar and Mike and Marcie went with him. Knowing they wouldn't be drinking and driving made him happy. He turned to the older man, "I'm sorry to hear about the breakdown, but it's it great that your hotel is close enough to walk to." Sam was thrilled that another two patrons were taken care of now. That left the final six, two woman and four men. "We're glad you decided to join us here, though."

The man nodded. "You have a great voice. Can I ask you for another song? I know it's a bar and all, but I'd love to hear 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing.'"

Sam smiled. "I think I can do that." He played the tune and allowed his voice to bring out the beautiful sound of the carol. The man went back to his wife and they closed their eyes, hearing the music and enjoying the sound.

The rest of the patrons kept time to the music, enjoying hearing the sounds of the season. Sam looked over to Al and was happy that his friend seemed to be enjoying his time there as well.

Sam noticed that the four men seemed to be together as a group. "Do you work together?" he asked.

"No," said one. "We just all went to the same high school. All of us are back from college."

"Hmmm. You know the roads aren't too good out there. How are you planning to get home?"

Another of the guys spoke up. "Oh, I'm the designated driver. I'm only drinking plain coke so I'll be okay."

Sam was glad to hear this. He finished the instrumental rendition of "Sleigh Ride" he'd been playing and then stopped. "Five minute break." He looked over to the two women and realized that he still didn't know how they were going to get home. He needed to have Al check with Ziggy. He got up and walked by the table. "Al?"

"You'll what?" asked one of the four guys

"I'll be right back," Sam covered. Al had looked up. "I just need to take a little break."

"Come on, Sam. The restroom again?"

Sam shook his head. "I'm going to get some fresh air."

All the patrons nodded and waved him off as he walked to front door. Heading out, he found that there was a light sheen to the sidewalk and street. Testing it with his foot, he realized that there was probably a good deal of black ice on the roads. He noted the hotel across the street "Al, you look a bit festive yourself today. Is it Christmas at the project?"

"Yeah, Sam. It's one of those rare occurrences when our days are synced." Al didn't say anything else as he watched Sam take in this bit of news. He could feel that Sam was feeling a bit down that he still hadn't made his way home and didn't want to upset him anymore then he needed to.

Sam looked down. "Yeah. Rare." He took a deep breath and looked up at Al. "Okay, How does Ziggy show things stand now?"

"You've done good, Sam. Seems like originally, those people who left in the cab earlier each had originally driven home and both got into accidents. He looked at the handlink again. "Uh oh."

"What?"

"Well, it looks like you have one more to take care of. One of the women still in the bar is going to wrap her car around a light pole tonight."

"No, I'll see what I can do to stop that. What about the other one?"

"I don't know."

Sam went back into the bar. He noticed that the one lady, about the age of the guys, was flirting with one of them. The other had moved over to the bar and was talking to Davy. Sam headed over to the bar first. Davy looked at Sam and stated, "Hey, man…you're really on fire tonight. Angela said she didn't know you knew all these Christmas songs."

"Angela?"

Davy looked at him strangely. "Yeah. You know Angela, my girlfriend. She's only in here at least one of my shifts each week."

Sam smiled weakly. "Oh…I thought you were asking for another song. So you will be leaving together?"

Davy considered that. "Well, we weren't, but you're right. With the roads as bad as they are, we probably should." He turned to the woman across from him. "Let me drive you home, Angela."

"Okay, Davy. You're better on this stuff then I am anyways."

That taken care of, Sam headed over to the final woman. "Do you have a request for a song?"

"Yeah, Tom. I'd like to hear 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.' Do you know it?"

"Is that the one from 'Meet Me in St. Louis?"

"I think so."

"Okay." Sam headed back to the piano and started playing again. He reached the words, 'through the years we all will be together, if the fates allow. Until then we'll have to muddle through some how…" Davy looked up confused. Sam finished, "…so have yourself a Merry Little Christmas now."

"What was that?" asked Davy.

"What?"

"The words are supposed to be 'hang a shinning star upon the highest bough."

Sam looked confused as well. "I'm sure those are the words…"

Al checked the handlink. "You're both right, Sam. You just sang the original version. But when Frank Sinatra sang it, he thought it sounded too sad, so he changed the words.

"But…" started Davy.

Sam explained the difference in the words and Davy nodded. "Gee, I never knew that."

The other woman got up and put a couple of dollars in the tip jar. "Thanks, Tom. I like the original version but nobody seems to sing it that way. I'd best be going though. Mom will be calling tomorrow morning. I couldn't get home this year."

Davy came over to the woman. "Um, Patty, let me call you a cab."

Patty shook her head. "I'm okay. It's only about a mile to go."

Sam walked over as well. "Patty, the roads are really slippery. I was just out there. Please let Davy call you a cab."

Patty looked up and saw the concern in Sam's eyes. "O…okay, Tom. I guess I'm not a 100 percent, even though I feel pretty sure I'll be okay."

Sam nodded. "Okay then. Another song for the lady as she waits?"

"Will you play "Silent Night?"

"Of course." Sam sat down at the piano playing and singing the old, simple carol. By the time he was finished, the cab had arrived and Patty had been sent off.

Sam was surprised that he didn't leap since he knew that everyone would now be getting home safely that Christmas Eve. As he sat at the piano, the words that Patty had used came back to him. 'I couldn't get home this year.' It brought a bit of sadness to the physicist's soul and he suddenly had his own request to fulfill.

Starting softly he played and sang, "I'll be home for Christmas…"

Al looked up, seeing Sam's face as he sang. It pulled at his heart. Sam had a faraway look in his eyes. "You can plan on me….please have snow….and mistletoe…and presents under the tree…"

He noted that Ziggy was in record mode, catching the sounds of the man they had followed throughout his travels in time. If nothing else, Sam was sending a message home, even if he couldn't be there himself.

"…Christmas Eve will find me…where the love light gleams…I'll be home for Christmas…if only in my dreams." He looked over to Al, a longing in his eyes. "Merry Christmas, Al. I miss you. I miss you all…"

Suddenly Al noted he was in the imaging chamber again and Sam had gone on again to another destination along his life's string timeline. "Merry Christmas, Sam," Al intoned before walking out of the chamber and into the control room.

Tina walked up to him. "Did Dr. Beckett know that it's Christmas here too?"

Al nodded his head. "He did. He wished us all a Merry Christmas." The Admiral shook his head. "I just wish Sam could really be here with us instead of him just dreaming about it."

"He will someday. We've just got to keep believing."