Chapter Fourteen

Hey, Sam . . ." Al said as they started up the flagstone walkway to the house. "It looks like you aren't gonna leap for a few minutes — I think I'll go back and see if Gregg is holding things up. I'll be back in a bit. I want to say goodbye to him anyway . . . " his voice trailed off as he exited through the Imaging Chamber door.

Martha and Scruffy greeted them from the porch as they arrived back at Gull Cottage. "My word! You're soaked! What happened?" the housekeeper asked, looking at the still-drippy children and the soaking wet Captain. Scruffy ran around in circles yapping at the group.

"We'll explain in bit, Martha," Carolyn answered. "In the meantime, could you please call and cancel the fire department? Everything's all right — no sense dragging them out here now!" she added, running upstairs to get some dry clothes for the children.

Sam placed Candy on the couch carefully and felt her ankle with a practiced hand. Holding a degree in medicine along with six other degrees certainly comes in handy! he thought.

Martha came back into the living room. "Darn these rinky-dink small towns! The fire truck hadn't even left the village yet! Coffee and hot chocolate is almost ready Captain — What's the verdict?"

"I'd say Candy's ankle is sprained, not broken, Martha. I need an ace bandage to wrap her properly." He paused. "I need to change clothes too . . ." He stopped, realizing he had no idea where Captain Gregg might keep a change of wardrobe — or if he even had one!

"I found some dry clothes for you, Captain," Martha said, holding a bundle out to him, "I checked in your sea chest after I put on the coffee and cocoa — they may be a little musty but . . ."

"Beats what I have on," said Sam. "Thanks!" He grabbed them and headed for the bathroom. "Where are the ace bandages?"

"Under the sink!" Martha called after him. "I'll get a fire started!"

Carolyn came back downstairs with a now-dry Jonathan and carrying a change of clothes for Candy. "What's under the sink?" she asked.

"Bandages. The Captain says Candy's ankle is sprained, not broken," said Martha. "I think he's right — after all, he would have to know some medical stuff if he was on a ship for months at a time! Jonathan, why don't you go out to the kitchen and see if the cocoa is ready yet? Candy — let's get you changed!"

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Sam stepped out of the bathroom a few minutes' later, ace bandage in hand.

"Coffee or cocoa, Captain?" Carolyn asked, not looking up from where she was pouring the chocolate for Jonathan and Candy.

"Half and half . . ." said Sam, without thinking, ". . . then add a shot of brandy." and he turned and bent over to wrap Candy's ankle.

"Half and half what?" asked Carolyn again.

Busy with Candy's ankle, Sam replied absently, "You know — café mocha — half hot chocolate, half coffee with a shot of brandy."

"You're doing it again, Sam . . . " Al said, as the Imaging Chamber door opened through the lit fireplace. "Hey! Cool clothes! Much better than what you were wearing before! . . . Starbuck's doesn't exist yet – remember?"

Sam looked at his friend, and then glanced at the tight black pants and open-necked white shirt he was wearing and shrugged, irritated. "Well?" he asked Al, clearly asking his friend why he hadn't 'leaped.'

Irked at the 'Captain's' tone, Carolyn whirled to face him. "I'm working as fast as I . . . " she stopped, and gazed at 'Daniel Gregg' open-mouthed. "I . . . you . . . " she paused and collected herself. ". . . Where did those clothes come from?"

"Uh . . . Martha said they were in the sea-chest, I think." Sam replied, taking the coffee cup from her. "Thank-you . . . Carolyn."

Al Calavicci looked at Sam and raised an eyebrow. "I know what you're gonna ask Sam — Ziggy says you should have leaped back at the beach. We don't know why you're still here. The kids are safe and Captain Gregg has come to terms with the idea of sharing responsibilities and co-authoring with Mrs. Muir. He won't withdraw now, I'm sure of it. As a matter of fact, Ziggy thinks that's the way it was supposed to work this time – I was here to get Gregg straightened out and you were here to save the kids." Carolyn looked at 'the Captain,' who, near as she could tell, was staring off into middle space again.

"Captain . . . Captain . . . Daniel!" Carolyn said standing, and walking over to where Sam was standing under the portrait of Daniel Gregg and interrupted the unheard conversation, "Are you listening to me? I can't begin to thank you for rescuing Jonathan and Candy, but this STILL doesn't answer all my questions! Why have you . . . " Al's handlink chirped.

"Hey, Sam . . . " Al said, punching a button, "Ziggy says you gotta kiss her . . ."

"I what?"

". . . Have to stop interrupting me, Daniel!" said Carolyn, clearly frustrated, "I just wanted to . . ."

"You better kiss her, Sam – Ziggy promises . . ." Sam smiled broadly at the beautiful woman in front of him.

"You know . . . It's been a really big day . . . Couldn't we talk about this later tonight?" He said, giving her a tender look that made her heart melt.

"You have to stop putting me off . . ."

"Even if I do this?" Sam said, as he kissed her on the nose.

"Well, I . . ."

"And this?. . . " and he sealed his lips over hers, and wrapped her up in his arms. Carolyn's arms went around him.

"That's it Sam! You did it!" Al shouted as Sam was still kissing Carolyn, "Ziggy has the whole data feed now — The Ghost and Mrs. Muir go on and finish the Captain's Memoirs — the book becomes a movie, the movie becomes a TV show, and Daniel and Carolyn go on to write another ten books! Nine of them best sellers! Hmm . . . " Al said as he slapped the side of the handlink once more, "The Captain has to use a pen name of course . . . but it's him all right . . . Carolyn's co-author is Joshua Webster."

"Hmm?" Sam mumbled, not totally breaking the kiss, and then started kissing Carolyn again.

"Never mind," said Al, "I'll tell you later! Hey, Carolyn still lives here at Gull Cottage in the present! It says so on the blurb on the back of her last book!" Al's handlink chirped again. ". . . And Ziggy says, and I quote, "that blasted Captain" is still there too . . . I guess we'll have to trust her on that!" Albert Calavicci looked at Martha and the smiling children. "You did a good job, Sam — Say goodbye . . ."

And Samuel Beckett leaped.

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Daniel Gregg opened his eyes and saw Carolyn Muir's emerald green ones looking into his, and then turned to Martha and the children, who were grinning at him from ear to ear. Not letting go of Carolyn, he went to the couch where Candy and Jonathan had started cheering and gathered them to him also, and then he winked at Martha. Leaning over her, he kissed Carolyn soundly once again and held her close as she buried her face in his chest. Gazing up toward the heavens, he murmured in a quiet voice:

"Thank-you Admiral. Thank-you Dr. Beckett . . .

"Daniel . . . " Carolyn said softly, tilting her head up and gazing into his eyes, "Who ARE you talking to?"

"Never mind, my love . . . Just some spectral friends of mine!"

The End