June 15th 1967

When Sam woke up the next morning, Al was already there walking around the room and talking to Ziggy.

"Morning."

Sam grunted a reply as his shoulder awoke at the same time. He started moving it slowly to bring back blood and warmth to it.

"Take it easy Sam."

"Don't worry; I'm not going to start push-ups this morning."

Sam liked to exercise his body but this morning, he would rather go on sleeping. He looked at Al and had a double take as he saw his friend's clothes.

"Al…" He blinked and looked again thinking he has hallucinating.

"Yes."

Sam pointed an index at his clothes.

"Halloween suit. Like it?" Al opened his arms and turned around to show every detail.

"Christmas!" Sam exclaimed suddenly.

"What?" Al didn't understand Sam's outburst.

"Yes, of course…" Sam was lost in his thoughts wondering at how he could have missed the connection.

"Sam, this is June, we're far from Christmas, or even Easter, of Thanksgiving, or anything else…" Al carried on searching for holidays. Sometimes, he just sounded like a computer looking for similar words or expression.

"Not here," Sam explained.

"We're getting ready for Halloween at home. This is why I'm dressed up like this…" Al didn't follow Sam's train of thoughts.

"No." Sam sighed and started again realizing that Al could not read his mind. "Captain Laura… something of the Salvation Army mission and Michael Blake… That's why she looked so familiar."

"You didn't tell me that."

"I thought it was only a leftover memory of the baby. It made sense. Babies are really close to their mothers."

Al opened his eyes wide dumbfounded.

"How could we miss this?" He punched his handlink heavily and yelled. "Ziggy, what were you up to?" He seemed to listen to an answer.

"What do you mean you didn't think it was relevant for this Leap?"

Al listened to the computer's answer and Sam wished he could hear it too."

"Of course, it would have helped."

"…"

"For one thing, Michael can see me."

"…"

"Yes, I know animals and babies can see me too…"

"…"

"No, thank you, I don't need you to center me on him now."

Sam tried to ignore the weird feeling he felt at seeing Al apparently talking to thin air. But it somehow made him understand why people looked at him with a worried face when he seemed to be talking to thin air.

"I didn't see Michael, that's why I never made the connection."

Sam shook in head unbelieving. His Swiss cheese memory seemed to always concern the precise things he needed. Everything came back to him now; even the first embarrassing seconds of his Leap, helping Michael to his underwear of all things.

"We scrooged him, remember?" Sam smiled as he recalled how both of them had made Michael realize he was destroying his own life.

"You bet I remember. It took me days to get all that paint off my face…"

Sam looked at him dubious.

"Okay, not that long. Tina has everything needed for that kind of job. Do you know how many lotions she has for her eyes only?"

"Michael can see you." Sam looked at Al expectantly.

"I'm not dressing up in those chains again…" Al started.

"No, it wouldn't do this time anyway."

"You know we cannot tell him the truth, unless you want to stick around longer…"

"No!" Sam answered horrified. Infancy was already hard enough; he didn't even want to think about going through childhood or teenage. "You've got to find a way to get to him and bring him here."

"How?" Al sucked heavily on his cigar. "You want me to dress up as an angel and tell him I'm there to help him save his baby?"

Sam pointed his index to the sky.

"I'm not sure He would like to see you as an angel. Red outfit and fork tail would probably fit better to you."

"That was a low one."

"Yeah, but it's about all I can come up with right now."

Sam sighed deeply and let his head fall back on the pillow. Funny he seemed to have been lying down a lot during this Leap. It sort of made it for the Leaps he spent all his time running around.

Al requested more data from Ziggy on his handlink.

"Ziggy says the 'angel' plot might work. Wonder how I'd look with a white dress and wings."

Sam looked at him trying to imagine and laughed. Al addressed him a murderous stare which only made Sam laugh harder. After all the dreadful moments he had been through finding a way out was making him hilarious with relief.

"Skip the dress and wings. Just be yourself and get him here."

Al opened the Door.

"Ok. Hold tight, I'm bringing in the Cavalry."


Al got off the Imaging Room wondering how he was going to pull this one off. Dressing and behaving as the ghost of Christmas' to come was one thing; convince Michael to follow him again was another. The man probably thought it had all been a dream. He was definitely not going to dress as an angel, even if he was pretty sure to find a costume in the complex. Some of the technicians did have their thoughts on the Quantum Leap program, and Halloween was a unique occasion.

He went to his room discarding the Casanova costume that he had been trying on before, that one was definitely not the thing to wear. He needed something that would have Blake trust him and follow him. His eyes drifted on the different vivid colors he favored for his clothes. With Ziggy's help he could probably come up with something pretty shiny but would it be the solution?

His eyes finally fell on the dress white uniform in the plastic bag. His hand automatically opened the sipper, his fingers resting on the shoulder stripes. He looked good in it; it gave him that respectability Sam so often chided him about. Yes, this should do it. Blake would probably wonder why an Admiral should appear to him, but he was probably someone who believed in the values it carried.

He dressed trying to think how he was going to convince Michael and by the time he was back in the Imaging Room door he still hadn't found anything.

"We'll just let it happen and see how it comes out," he muttered as he took the handlink on the console.

"Oh Al, I love it when you're wearing that thing."

Trust Tina to call his dress uniform a "thing".

"Can you center me on Michael Blake, please?" He had no time to stop for her, but he did let his eyes wander on her curves before getting through the door.


Blake was pacing in the living room. He hadn't really changed since the first time Al had met him, but his eyes were drawn and he looked on the fringe of nervous collapse. If Al had appeared dressed as the first time, the man would have probably dropped dead from a heart attack. However, right now the lacked alternatives, so he settled for a simple "Hello". Not a good idea either. Blake jumped in surprise with a scream.

"Sorry I didn't knock, but you see it's kind of hard for me," Al explained.

"I know you." Michael looked like he had seen a ghost, which in fact was almost the case.

"Really?"

"You are Pearson's friend."

"And do you recall why I came the first time?"

Michael seemed to remember pretty well but wasn't apparently sure if this was reality or another dream as he had come to think about the Christmas night. He extended a hand to touch Al and it went right through him.

"Ah! You're a ghost!" he yelled.

Al sighed.

"Please, don't scream." This seemed to be becoming a habit. "I'm not a ghost."

"Who are you then?"

"I can't tell but I'm here to help you."

"You don't look like an angel."

"Did you talk to Sam?"

Why did everybody seem to think he could not be an angel? After all, what was he to Sam if not some sort of guardian angel helping him in his missions?"

"Who?"

"Never mind. I'm here to help you," Al repeated blowing his smoke.

Michael winced in distaste before realizing there was no smell. He sat down and took his head in his hands.

"I must be in worse shape than Laura. Here I am talking to thin air. I think I need a drink."

He went to the bar, poured a generous portion of whisky in a tall glass and drank it to the last drop.

"That's not the solution…" Al started, but seeing Michael's face changed his mind, "but it can help."

He had himself often indulged in the past to know that sometimes a drink was –or rather seemed- the only answer to questions.

"So why are you here this time? Have me turn the whole Blake Plaza in a mission or leave the place to the hippies?" If nothing else, Michael seemed to remember why Al had appeared to him the first time.

"Help you save your baby."

Michael turned around so fast he almost tripped.

"What?" He did not wait for Al to answer. "Where is he? Is he all right? Take me to him."

"I thought I was only a product of your imagination created by despair," Al said, glad he was at last listened to and not realizing how cruel he was being. But Blake was too worried to pay attention.

"I still think you are, but I'm ready to follow a crystal ball if that's what it takes to find Al."

"You know, it's funny that you named your son Albert."

"Huh?" Michael didn't understand.

"Never mind. Let's go."

Al went through the door. He turned around and would have bumped into Michael if he hadn't gone right through the man. Michael jumped again.

"I'm not going to disappear. You don't need to stick that close."

Michael mumbled some apology.

"Do you have a car?" Al asked. Then he remembered Pearson. "Do you drive?"

"Yes, of course!" Michael seemed insulted.

"What did you do with Pearson?"

"Got married."

"That's nice."

"Weird I'd say."

"How's that?"

"Right after you disappeared last time, he started complaining that he needed to live for himself and there were other lives. Laura introduced him to somebody at the mission and he just asked his leave to get married and go to the West Coast."

Al smiled. He often wondered what happened to the people Sam had Leaped into when they got back to their own life. He didn't exactly know what they remembered and how they would act. And now that he could have asked, the person wasn't around. But it did seem as if Pearson had changed from his experience. True, Sam hadn't really enjoyed being a butler and had probably left some traces in Pearson's mind.

Michael was getting the car off the garage while Al checked the way to follow with Ziggy. When they got to the street he started giving him instructions. Michael mumbled something under his breath looking ill at ease.

"Something wrong with the direction?" Al asked.

"No." Then with a twitch of his mouth as if he feared the reaction, he dared to ask, "could you try pretending you are sitting in the car instead of standing through it?"

Al looked surprised and made a big show of making himself appear sitting in the passenger seat. Why did everybody want him to act as if the things around him really existed, when they were only images?

"Now, is that better?" he asked with long enduring patience.

Sam had made him go through this so many times… True that was generally when he was upset, as if having to deal with present and future at the same time was too much on those particular moments.

"Yes, thank you," Michael answered politely.

He sounded exactly like Sam.

"You've been talking to Sam behind my back or something?"

"Who's Sam? Another angel like you?"

"No, you haven't," Al concluded. "He doesn't think I'm an angel. But I think I understand why you can see me. You seem to have a lot in common."

After all Michael was the only adult who could see him. Sam had said something about his synapses being similar. Maybe synapses were related to habits, such as complaining why a hologram did not act as a flesh and blood human. Looking at his handlink again to check the road Al didn't see the look of puzzlement Michael gave him.

"You're sure Al is alright?" Michael asked again.

"Yes, don't worry."

The sorrow in Blake's eyes was so deep, Al wished he could tell him the real baby was perfectly safe and taken care of by professional people and a doctor. But of course he couldn't do that. As a matter of fact, appearing to Blake was not something he should do either if they were to "respect the rules", but after all Sam had written most of those rules even he couldn't remember them, and probably thought now that most of them were useless if not completely wrong. They both had twisted those rules around so many times.

"He's safe," Al repeated checking his link.

"That thing is telling you that?"

"Sort of."

"Sort of…" Blake repeated. "Who are you exactly?"

"Can't tell, but I'm…"

"going to help me," Michael finished frustrated. Then realizing Al was his only hope, he added, "thank you."

Half an hour later, Michael stopped the car and shut the engine down.

"That red building. They're on the fifth floor. The third window to the right is the room where they keep Al."

"You've been inside with my baby?"

"Yes. He's okay. The guys who kidnapped him apparently don't want him to get hurt."

"Why are you doing this?"

"What?"

"Helping me. Again," he added.

"I can't tell you, but trust me."

"Is there anything you can tell me?"

"We've got to save baby-Al," Al offered.

Michael accepted the answer for the moment but it was clear that he would try again. He looked at the building.

"We could try getting there with the emergency ladder."

"No. There's a padlock on the shades. They caught him when he tried to escape through the window."

"Al tried to escape through the window?" Michael couldn't believe it.

"Well… yes." Okay, go ahead and think your kid is smart. Can't hurt to think you're raising a genius. "Probably took it from his father."

"Mother."

Al looked at him questioningly.

"She used to be pretty good at getting in where she wasn't supposed to be." Michael smiled fondly as he remembered how he used to chase her away from his apartment. "So how do we get in?"

"Through the front door?" Al asked.

"Hey! You're supposed to be helping me here."

"I said I knew where Al was and would take you there. I never said it would be easy to get him out or that I would help you." That's Sam's job.

"Who are those guys anyway?"

"Sean and Dave. Don't know their last names."

"Sean, Dave. Could be anyone."

"Somebody you got out of work?"

"I don't know the names of all the people I…" Blake's voice trailed as he realized what he was saying. "Business is business," he added.

"I'm not going to prosecute you. I already prevented you from doing the biggest mistake of your life once; I'm not going to go over all your life now."

"Okay, so maybe I fired those guys. They want to get even by getting money from me. Now what? I give them the money and get my kid back? I'm not sure it will be that easy."

"Probably not. But you can still try talking to them."

"They wanted to meet me in the park tonight."

"No, don't do that!" Al almost screamed and Michael looked at him in surprise. "It won't work, that's why I'm here."

"So what, I just knock at the door and say 'I want my baby back'?"

"Could work."

If Sam can think of something to say we could reason them. Sam was pretty good at talking to people. Okay, right now it was not really easy but Al could repeat what he said.

"They'll be surprised enough. Unless of course they have a gun."

Fear crossed Michael's face as he realized the consequences. He looked at the window in the building and opened the door with grim determination. Al followed.

"Which floor did you say?" Michael asked as he started climbing the stairs.

"Fifth. I'll meet you up there." He disappeared before Michael could even think of asking what he meant by that.


Sam was staring at the ceiling as he had throughout most of this Leap.

"Cavalry's coming," Al announced surging unexpectedly.

"Al!" Sam rose like a Jack from the box. "Did you find Michael?"

"Up. He's coming up the stairs right now. I thought you'd like to know."

"What does he plan to do?"

"Just knock at the door and ask for the baby."

"Brilliant. If you helped him come up with that plan I know why you became an Admiral.

Al sniffed disdainfully.

"You're the one supposed to help. I'm just here to observe and provide you with the data. Remember? I'm the Observer."

"Observe the past without interfering." Sam looked at Al hoping it would make more sense to him. And as each time he got too close to the truth Al was suddenly very busy checking his handlink. "What again? Something you're not supposed to tell me if I can't remember?"

Al bit his lips and wished he had his cigar to draw on. He had dropped it before coming to Sam, for once listening to Verbeena who kept yelling at him not to smoke near the baby. Sam frowned trying to remember.

"I was not supposed to really be in the past. Only observe without interfering and when I got into the accelerator something went wrong and I… Leaped."

Sam was talking very slowly as if he needed to think each word separately before saying it. But he couldn't make out what he really remembered and what he knew from Al. And of course Al would not give him an answer. He came back to the present. Al was watching him a bit worried.

"Don't let it get to you. If you don't remember maybe it's just for the better."

"For whom?"

"Yourself. What you don't know can't hurt you."

"Like what? Knowing I have children and that I'll never see them grow up?"

"You don't have children."

Al felt he needed to tell him at least that. Sam had often said he would have liked to have children, no need to have him worry about not knowing if he had any and what was happening to them. Sammy Joe was a different story…

"Too busy doing research to even get married probably."

Noise at the door saved Al from having to lie again. Sam felt his pulse racing. Now things were really starting for better… or worse. He went to the room's door and opened it slowly.

"Open that door or I'll get the cops!" Michael's deep voice came through the front door.

"Sean and Dave jumped nervously.

"I know you've got my son. Open the door or…

I'll huff and puff and blow the house down. Sam smiled as the story came to him. Laura had been reading it to him recently, so it was not really surprising it came back to him now. Michael could probably crash the door if he put his mind to it.

Sean went to a drawer and pulled a gun out. Sam tensed ready for action, even if he didn't know what he could really do.

"What did you say on the phone? How did he find us?" Dave started to panic.

"Shut up. Keep an eye on the kid." Sean went to the door and opened it, the gun pointing towards Michael's chest.

"Well, well…. Look who's come to pay a visit. "Sean opened the door wider. "Pray come in sir," he added sarcastically.

Michael paid visibly.

"Oh, you do remember us, don't you?"

Al was beside Sam halfway through the door.

"Michael knows them?" Sam whispered.

"Yes. I think that up to now he didn't exactly know who they were, but he had figured they were probably people he had put out of work."

"If people start kidnapping people for that reason…"

"What do you remember from that Christmas Leap?"

Sam frowned.

"Michael was not exactly a happy soul. Only dedicated to his business."

"Right, and he was not troubled with feelings. If it wasn't for you he would have ended up ruined."

"Thanks to you; I couldn't have managed that one alone."

"I'll chalk it up with the others."

Meanwhile, Michael had come into the room his hands raised, showing that he had only pacific intentions so far.

"Sean, Dave." Michael nodded as he remembered them.

"He does remember us."

Sean and Dave had conducted a strike in one of the companies Michael had bought. They had been the first he had fired when he had reorganized the company. They had sworn that they would get even some day. But that was so many years ago…

"Sit. Keep your hands on the table. No fancy actin; I know how to use this thing," Sean said as he prodded Michael's ribs with his gun. "Thanks to you I have been in the streets long enough to learn how."

Michael did as he was told and had a look towards Al who shrugged.

"Can I see my son? Have you treated him well at least?"

"So far yes. We figured you'd want him in one piece for the exchange."

"Can I see him?"

Dave turned to the room and saw Sam peeking through the slightly opened door.

"Looks like he already heard you. Come here baby."

Sam ran to Michael who rose in a jump. Sean raised his gun.

"Sit," he ordered.

Michael sat back and extended his arms. Sam went to him. Michael hugged him so fiercely Sam could barely breathe.

"My baby, my darling…" Michael kept squeezing him in his arms overwhelmed with relief at seeing him alive and apparently unhurt. Sam moaned when his shoulder got in the way.

Michael looked at him worried and reached for the shoulder. Sam withdrew instinctively to avoid the pain.

"What did you do to him?" Fury exploded in Michael's eyes.

"Little accident, but he'll be fine. Okay, now let's talk."

Sean grabbed Sam's arm and pulled him backward. Then everything seemed to happen all at once.

Michael rose, unable to control himself anymore.

Sean raised his gun again pulling the trigger.

Sam yelled and jumped at the hand holding the gun, saw a flash of light…

And was suddenly holding a gun and a baby was screaming at his feet.

"Sam!" Al watched from the baby to his friend while punching furiously on his handlink. "Ziggy, what happened?"

But he didn't need the computer to understand. Somehow Sam had just Leaped from the baby's body to Sean's.

"Sam, drop that gun!" Al advised.

But Sam didn't need to be told. He had always hated fire arms, aiming one at a baby was beyond anything he could do. He dropped the gun and stepped backwards as Michael's fist connected with his jaw. Dazed, he didn't even have the time to avoid the other first coming for his stomach. He doubled over and fell to his knees gagging.

"Good job Michael!" Al exclaimed, then winced as he realized Sam had been the one hurt. But now at least he would be helping.

Michael came closer to Sam and lifted his foot to kick him. Al went to him to protect Sam from a further blow.

"No, stop. I think he's had enough. Tie him up."

Dave was only too happy to lift his arms when Michael got close to him.

"There's rope in the kitchen he offered.

Al knelt beside Sam.

"How are you doing?"

Still dizzy Sam shook his head to clear it and moved his jaw.

"He's got a mean punch." Then he looked at the baby still crying on the floor and looked up. "I Leaped into Sean?"

"Yeah. That solved the problem pretty well. Let Michael tie you up, call the police and then… Phew, you're out."

Michael looked at Al.

"Does he see you too?" he asked dubious, worried that maybe the Admiral was on the wrong side too.

"It's… a bit complicated, and I can't…"

"Tell me. I know. There's just so much you can't tell me."

He tied Sam's hands strongly behind his back, then tied Dave who wasn't saying anything.

"Now what?"

"Go call the police."

"Okay."

He picked up baby-Al, hugged and kissed him tears in his eyes. "Everything is alright now, hush, hush, don't cry." He started to the door with baby-Al in his arms, then stopped. "Could you keep an eye on him while I go out?"

"Yes, of course, but put him on the bed; he'll be safer."

Michael did so and was out.

"Wow, that was fast," Al exhaled. "I thought we'd never get out of…"

Suddenly Sam reacted as a flash of light engulfed him again.

"Bye Sam," Al said as he waited for the hologram to dissolve around him while Sam Leaped back again. But the hologram didn't disappear.

Sean started to yell and kick.

"Now what?" Al asked.

"Arrgggh!" Sam's voice came from the bedroom.

"Oh boy!"

Al ran to the room to see Sam holding his head between his two hands, rocking back and forth moaning. He turned around as he heard people coming into the living room. Michael was coming in with the police force. Sean's face turned red with anger but he didn't resist as the men put him up and took him outside. Dave didn't even utter a word.

Michael came to the room and sat on the bed exhaling deeply. He looked at Al.

"I called Laura. She became quite hysterical. But I think it was mostly relief."

"Quite natural, especially in her state."

"What state?"

Al looked at Sam who merely shrugged. Laura wasn't obviously pregnant. Maybe she hadn't said anything to Michael yet, wanting to be sure first.

"She's pregnant."

Tears came to Michael's eyes and he turned to take baby-Al in his arms.

"Did you hear that baby? You're going to have somebody to play with."

Sam let Michael rock and hug him and turned to Al.

"Everything has been fixed now."

"Yep."

"So, why don't I Leap?"

Al checked the handlink, pushed some keys.

"According to Ziggy, you cannot Leap immediately after those tow close Leaps. Because of the energy going on, you'd end up with a tremendous headache."

"I already have a tremendous headache. That Leap felt like I was being ripped apart."

"Tremendously tremendous headache," Al corrected.

Sam made a face at him. As often, Al had absolutely no idea of why things were happening, but he still wanted to have the last word about it.