Part Four

November 18, 1995

The storm that raged through the Colorado mountains made the summer homes appear desolate and vulnerable as dusk settled. The lights had already gone out twice causing the occupant of the house to light a few candles to ward off the darkness when it came again. Presently, the phone rang and she went to the phone picking up the receiver only for a light blue hue to come over them, taking her just a few years into the future, while leaving a tired, bruised, Dr. Beckett in their wake.

It took Sam only a moment to collect himself as he stood there with the receiver at his ear. He could hear a voice on the other end of the line talking rapidly. Not being able to make out what they were saying, he presently said, "I'm sorry. I couldn't hear what you were saying." He looked down at his attire and presently realized that he was wearing a navy blue top, with a blue-jean denim skirt underneath, and socked feet. He had leapt into a woman again.

"You didn't hear me!" There was a definite sigh. "Kassaundra, this is Officer Hendson. I'm glad that we found you. He's escaped…"

Sam knew exactly who the he was. He didn't have to be told. He knew. Without realizing it, the phone slid down with his hand. He was standing in front of a mirror and he hadn't even realized it. He looked at the beautiful lady staring back at him. Kassaundra. He turned his head and evaluated the scars that he had first seen only twenty minutes before. They were faded, but still remained engrained into her skin. His hand went up to the scar touching it slightly when he saw a movement in the corner of the mirror.

He spun around quickly dropping the receiver in the process. "Beau?" he asked knowing that he had assured that they would be together just a few minutes ago. For a long silent moment, he didn't hear anything. But he could feel a presence in the room with him and that eerie, creepy, crawly feeling suddenly sprang into Sam's psyche.

Suddenly the presence was made known as a person came rushing into the room, holding a long butcher knife in his hand, it's blade gleaming in the candlelight. Sam moved rapidly around the couch, trying to put any large object between him and his attacker. "I'm going to kill you, you bitch! You put me behind bars for ten fucking years! I may go back for doing this, but I'll be damned if I'm going there for a few measly dollars from your purse," he growled.

Sam remembered what had happened to Kassaundra and what the police officer had told her. "You confessed when they caught you. What did you expect?" Sam again dodged as the man ran at him again. An old lamp was pushed off of the side table and shattered on the floor. Sam could hear Officer Hendson still on the phone calling out to Kassaundra, hearing the commotion in the room but not being able to help him any.

Sam instinctively ran toward another room as he tossed the table the lamp was sitting on behind him in an attempt to slow down the attacker. He managed to run into the kitchen realizing that all he had to do was to have an advantage over the guy. He hid beside the refrigerator out of sight knowing that just at the right moment, he might be able to make this an even fight, even if he was in a dress.

The attacker entered the kitchen and warily looked around the room not seeing his victim. Knowing that the kitchen only had one doorway, he knew that she was in the room. "You can't hide from me. I'll find you, and then I'll torture you until you die." He slowly started walking around the kitchen going toward the direction that Sam had hidden.

Sam licked at his lips just as the Imaging Chamber door opened up right beside him causing his heart to skip a beat. He knew that if he ever got back home, that he was going to have to fix that.

Al stepped through the door with a smile. "Hey, who turned off the lights? Sam?" Al turned toward the attacker just as he saw the knife gleam as lightning lit the room. "Sam? Where are you Sam?" Another streak of lightning lit the room briefly to allow Al to see Sam beside the refrigerator. "Stay behind there, Sam. He's got a knife."

Not even looking at Al, Sam was ready to spring into action when he saw the blade of the knife. As if on cue, the point of the knife came into his line of vision and he took a deep breath, reached out and spun the knife out of the guys hand with enough force for it to sling across the room and come to a rest beside the trashcan.

Surprised, the attacker grunted, but quickly grabbed for Sam's throat and began to squeeze. Sam saw the murderous look in the man's green eyes and he took in a raspy breath as he looked at Al for support.

"Come on, Sam. You're on even ground, now. Knock this nozzle out."

Al began to program in questions as to this leap even as Sam stood there in the madman's grasp.

Sam grabbed the man's arm with one hand and the man's shirt with his other. He pulled him quickly toward him, throwing his balance off, making him release his hold on him for only a moment. Sam used that advantage and kneed his attacker in the groin making him double over finally releasing his hold on Sam's neck.

Al grimaced as well as the attacker. "That's gotta hurt."

Sam spun around giving the attacker a spin kick which put him on the ground. He was dazed and hurting and Sam used that to his advantage. He went around the attacker and headed toward another part of the house, wondering if he was all alone or if Beau had already been taken care of. He was hoping that the latter wasn't the truth.

From what he could see, he was alone in the house with the attacker. Only after running out of the kitchen, did he realize that he had left the knife behind. Sam cursed his clumsiness and hid in one of the bedrooms in the other end of the house, hoping that his attacker would think that she had left the house.

Al popped in beside Sam giving him another start. Al quietly apologized and began, "We know why you're here, Sam." Sam only looked at Al with a glance as he watched the door. "Yeah," Al said emphatically. "In the last leap in Kassaundra's life, you were right, you were there to save their relationship." Sam turned to face him. "But this time, to save her life. Mr. Personality here kills her the first time. She has to be around Sam, because….watch out!"

Sam turned back in time to see the man coming at him from the door, the knife in his hand again. The knife penetrated Sam's left shoulder as he blocked it from going into his head. He cried out in pain as the attacker pulled it out and grinned ready to hurt him again. He grabbed at Sam's arms as he tried to protect himself, and held them back as he raised the knife again, this time, his aim for Sam's heart. "Die, bitch." The gleam of the knife again was lit by lightning from a nearby window.

"NO!" Al screamed.

Suddenly, there was a deafening boom in the room. The attacker's grip on Sam's arms relaxed, his eyes closed and the knife clattered on the wooden floor. Sam grunted as the heavy man fell onto him. Sam wasn't sure what was going on until Al said, "Thank God, they arrived."

The weight was shifted off of Sam. The now dead attacker was left in a heap on the floor. Sam looked up into the caring eyes of Beau Morgan. "Kassie, are you okay, baby?"

Sam looked at his left shoulder seeing the blood seeping into Kassaundra's blue shirt. "I think I'll be okay."

"Oh, Kassie." Beau slowly helped Sam up so that he was able to sit on the bed. "I'll be right back. Let me get something." Beau quickly exited the room.

Sam looked at Al. "You were saying?"

Al blinked at him confused. "Oh…oh yeah,… Kassaundra had to stay alive because she is one of the lobbyists that help fund the project. Amazingly enough, she is a professor at one of the biggest Universities in Texas and for some reason suspects that some scientist will need the money for a necessary project. When questioned about it later, she says that it's something her husband talked her into." Al looked at Beau with a smile as he came back into the room. "Subconsciously, he must have remembered something and wanted to help out."

Sam looked at Beau considering what Al had said. "I'm glad that you decided to stick around."

Sam grimaced as Beau placed the towel on his shoulder and began to press down to control the bleeding. "Well, dear, I'm glad that you did too." Beau leaned closer to Sam and Sam began to fidget under Beau intense gaze.

"Oh Sam… that's sweet." Al grinned jokingly.

Sam began to feel the tingling sensations spread through his extremities as Beau pressed his lips to his. He looked up to the heavens and thankfully leaped.