Disclaimer: Somehow I don't think I'd be able to keep it quiet if I managed to make any money out of this fanfiction lark!

Treat of the day: Broccoli. Honest.

September 26th, 1998 – Project Quantum Leap

Al's POV

Things were looking up for the first time that weekend. Gooshie and Tina were alternately programming Ziggy and soothing her over-temperamental ego; while Verbeena was having a quiet, unrelated chat in the Waiting Room with Daniel. And Al? Well he wasn't having quite so much fun, because despite it being a Sunday he figured that he should get started on the paperwork.

For every Leap, there shall be a report. For every report, there shall be several hours of writing and re-writing, followed by trying to recover the original attempt because it made more sense than the rest put together. After all these years Al knew his routine better than anyone, which was why he figured he'd better get on with the job. This wasn't going to be the easiest Leap to explain, and he had high hopes of concealing quite how top-secret the top-secret Leap should be classified. The last thing he wanted was for Kinsey to get wind of what they'd landed in this time – especially after playing that trick on him earlier. Maybe he should just leave that part out and hope for the best.

Puffing in irritation, Al looked up from his umpteenth game of Minesweeper and angled his gaze towards Tina and Gooshie. How was it that they could get so motivated about their work in an instant, and he couldn't? It took hours of failed Minesweeping to get him in a suitable frame of mind to accept the dreary task (i.e. despondent), but their enthusiasm was barely concealed beneath the surface, just waiting to get out. He remembered being that keen too, but for some reason he was deemed too old and decrepit for active duty these days. Not that he minded travelling through time as a hologram – that was fantastic, even if he was chasing after Sam all the time – but as the most senior person on this base he also got the joyful downside of meetings, analyses and forecasting.

Maybe the universe did have a sense of balance after all.

"Are we nearly there yet?" he called out, his tone bored, though he was already certain of the response. Gooshie would babble about diagnostics, and Tina would give him a great view of her ample bosom in the hope that it would keep him quiet for another half-hour. Ziggy would remain haughtily silent, especially after her earlier embarrassment.

"Well, we've managed to locate the feed suggested by Dr Jackson, and based on the frequency and modulation of our usual signal I believe that we should be able to take advantage of the unused portions of the SGC bandwidth by…"

Al allowed Gooshie's voice to wash over him as he eagerly waited for Tina to turn round. No leaning down required, just turn around and let me take in the view, he urged her silently. Damn it, if she didn't turn around soon he'd have to offer her a coffee or something – that would get her attention… but he'd have to make the coffee too.

"Al?"

Intent on developing telepathy as he was, it took Al a few seconds to realise that Gooshie wasn't explaining the finer points of his new toy any more.

"Uh, yes Gooshie?" the Admiral replied with what little dignity he could gather.

The specialist sighed. "You didn't hear a word I said, did you?"

"Course I did!"

"Ok, so what did I say?"

"Mmm… that you're nearly ready to give it a whirl?"

It wasn't as much of a stab in the dark as he'd assumed, because Gooshie's eyes merely narrowed. Caught out, but not completely. Excellent. Though Tina still hadn't performed her half-hourly duty. Perhaps that was a Sunday thing.

Coughing slightly under Gooshie's quietly irate gaze, Al decided to try another tactic. "How well do you rate our chances, Ziggy?"

"Adequate, Admiral," Ziggy's voice was superior as ever, indicating that she would not be willing to entertain any further criticism or suggestions – however helpful – for some time. "As Dr Fisichella explained we will attempt to piggyback the signal on several different feeds, partly to disguise any detectable effects and partly to increase the likelihood of a solid audio-visual projection."

"Thanks," Al replied wryly, knowing that if this idea failed she'd be unbearably smug… in fact if this wasn't all in aid of helping her beloved creator he'd almost suspect her to sabotage the attempt. "Yell when you're ready."

Giving up on his hope that Tina and her bosom might oblige his libido with a glance, Al turned back to his workstation and groaned. For a moment there he'd manage to forget about the damned report. He called up his weekly summary and decided that it would have to do for now – a simple listing of whether any Leapees had been in or out, associated action by Sam, estimated operating costs for the week, etc etc. Sure he knew what they wanted to hear, but sometimes the electricity usage of this place made him cringe all by itself. No wonder Kinsey grumbled.

One spell check and an email later, and the report was off. It was a Sunday, and the current Leap wasn't exactly over… even if Jack O'Neill had left the building. That's the way to do it. The rules were more like guidelines anyway, or so he assured himself.

Stretching his legs, Al stood up with a creak and decided to visit Verbeena and Daniel. They had a pot of coffee in there with them, and picking a mug up there would give him a great excuse for not getting Tina any – he wouldn't have to walk past her, therefore no reason to enquire after her needs, wishes or desires. That'd teach her, heh.

"Back in while, kids – I need to check up on our visitor."

"'kay hun," his astute girlfriend replied, still huddled over her work. "Don't forget to bring us all some coffee on your way back!"

So much for that plan – now he was expected to feed Gooshie's habit too! Female intuition had just been proven.

"Sure," Al answered, resigned to his fate.

In the Waiting Room, things weren't much more to his liking.

"Hey guys, what're you talking about?"

"Admiral! Actually we've been comparing notes – I'm currently writing a paper regarding the superficial changes in the nation's psychological profile over the last few decades, mainly what individuals expect from life and those they interact with, cultural norms, that kind of thing. It's based on my discussions with our Leapees –"

Al held up a hand, shocked. "Wait a sec – you're writing a paper on this?"

Dr Beeks looked slightly embarrassed. "Well, not a paper as such. More of a report for the Joint Chief and perhaps the Oversight Committee. I doubt it'll ever be read, but I have to prove my worth somehow. Also it helps me to organise my thoughts and rationalise the best way to approach our more traumatised visitors."

"Uh ok…" At least he wasn't the only one with paperwork to file. "And so how's Daniel helping you?"

The archaeologist smiled in a self-effacing manner that reminded Al so much of his best friend that he nearly reeled back in shock. The physical likeness was a given, but it was the Leapees' behaviour that usually kept Sam and his counterparts separate in Al's mind.

"Actually it's very interesting for both of us. See, when an artefact is found from a particular civilisation we often determine what its use might have been based on what we know from our own culture and other civilisations. That also involves quite a lot of indirect psychoanalysis, particularly when a temple or settlement is discovered. It's really very exciting – but Dr Beeks has observed changes on a shorter timescale, which –"

"Ok!" Al surrendered, shaking his head and wishing for a nice aircraft carrier in the open ocean. Life had been so much simpler back then. "I get it. Sorta." He looked up at the pair and failed to decipher their knowing expressions. "What? What did I say?"

Daniel managed to combine a look of sympathy with amusement. "Hmm… well, you just reminded me a lot of Jack there – usually when he's trying to avoid paperwork. His normal tactic is to annoy Sam and I until we kick him out of the labs."

"Really?" Al replied in a dry tone, hoping that it masked his suspicion that someone upstairs had a grudge against active servicemen and women who got promoted above Commander or Major (depending on which branch of the armed forces they'd joined). "Well it's a good thing he's not the base CO then, isn't it?"

"Uh…" the Leapee didn't seemed to know how to respond to that remark.

"How can we help you then, Admiral?" Verbeena asked smoothly. No guesses why she was such a good psychiatrist.

Al drew himself up into some semblance of authority. "I, uh, just wanted to check on you both and make sure that everything was ok. No side effects to the Leap, that sort of thing."

Dr Beeks tried to hide an obvious smirk. "In that case I am glad to assure you that as far as either of us can ascertain, Dr Jackson is in good mental health and has probably adjusted to his surroundings far better than most of our guests."

"Though that might be because you've told me a lot of what goes on here," Daniel added modestly. "I can see how this could be very disorienting otherwise."

"And of course your line of work has nothing to do with regular disorientation," Al finished with a short laugh. "Can I get a coffee?"

"White and two?" Verbeena asked.

"Today, black and two."

"Coming up."

Daniel clasped and unclasped his hands in apparent nervousness. "Uh, how are Tina and Gooshie doing… Al?"

"Pretty good, so far as I can tell. We should be ready to try your idea in a while. Thanks Verbeena," he added as he received his mug. "The signal couldn't get any worse because of it, but everyone's hoping that we'll at least be able to talk to Sam with the boost it gives us."

"And after that? Uh… how long before I can, y'know – go home?"

Al sighed. He should have seen that one coming. "That's not something we've ever been able to calculate I'm afraid. Ziggy's scenarios are generally accurate, but pinpointing how to make them come about has always been hit-and-miss."

At Daniel's stricken look, the older man cursed his choice of words.

"That came out wrong – what I mean is, Sam's never been stuck in one place for too long. He always Leaps, but it can take a while to work out who needs a nudge and when if you get my drift. For instance this time we figure that saving your friend Jack is the most likely objective, but we don't even know how he died the first time."

The archaeologist cringed at the word 'died', but nodded all the same. "Ok, I can deal with that. There was one thing I was thinking about though – if Dr Beckett Leaped out of Jack when he went through the Stargate, will he Leap back into him if they bring Jack back?"

Al blinked, his mind running through the possibility. "You think too much, Daniel. I have no idea."

"Admiral Calavicci."

Ziggy's clipped tones rang through the Waiting Room at twice the normal volume, interrupting the conversation like a slap to the face. She'd planned it that way, Al was sure of it.

"What?"

"Drs Fisichella and Martinez-O'Farrell have completed their tasks and a full diagnostic indicates that the new system is ready for testing."

"Quiet down a bit would you? Ear drums can burst," he muttered. Damned egotistical computer – thank God there was only one in the world. "We'll be there in just a second."

Verbeena stood up gracefully, and Daniel's Sam-like face held barely contained enthusiasm. Of course, Al realised, Daniel hasn't actually seen this baby in action yet has he?

Smiling, he nodded to the pair. "Showtime, boys and girls – and bring that coffee pot with you, ok?"

In the Control Room, Tina finally got her coffee. It came from Daniel, and she gave him a peck on the cheek in thanks, slyly watching for Al's reaction all the while. Al, for his part, rolled his eyes and indicated Gooshie's pining expression in the corner. At least life was never dull at Project Quantum Leap.

"Are we ready?" He called out to Ziggy.

"We are, Admiral. Please step into the Imaging Chamber so that we can begin."

"Ok, ok. Daniel – he's likely to be in your office then?"

"Unless he's already been found out," the archaeologist replied worriedly.

Al shrugged as he walked to the door and picked up the handset from Gooshie. "If that's the case we'll just have to play by ear. These guys will tell you how to contact me while I'm in there."

Daniel nodded, and Al had to smile. The kid was probably wishing he could do a little time travelling himself – ancient cultures were his speciality after all – but this time machine wasn't exactly HG Wells material.

One wave of the hand later and Al was inside the Imaging Chamber, but since they hadn't yet locked onto Sam's position its wall remained an iridescent white – much like the Waiting Room. He jabbed at the handset and looked around him. "Ok, hit me."

The images came swiftly enough, and Al was relieved to see that they were already more coherent than his last visit to the SGC. An office, grey walls, books from floor to ceiling, and one Dr Sam Beckett at the desk, nose deep in books – he'd arrived.

Noting the dull hum in the background, Al tried to clear his ears and failed. Must be a signal thing, he decided before characteristically thwacking the handset – causing it to yelp, as usual – hoping that that Gooshie would get the message and fiddle with the audio.

"Al!"

He looked up sharply. "Sam?"

"Al! It's so good to hear you, see you – you're not even that blurry!"

"You can hear me? I mean, uh – I can hear you! Hey Gooshie, it worked! Tina – give Daniel another of those kisses would ya!" Al couldn't keep the grin off his face. "Good to see you pal, how's it going?"

"How did you do it?" Sam asked at lightening speed. "See I was trying to figure out a solution to your broadcast problems, but –"

"Enough already! Something to do with piggybacks and NORAD feeds – I don't care, we made it and – thank God – we can actually have a decent conversation. How's the ankle?"

Sam looked down, evidently embarrassed. "Bad. I'm not going anywhere Al, not unless the men in white coats come for me."

"Flak jackets, more like," Al joked darkly, depressed that their fears had proven correct. "Does anyone suspect you yet?"

"Nope, but then the only person who's been in here to visit me – or rather Daniel – is the doctor. Nice lady, though I was scared stiff that she'd see me wincing."

Al walked around the table to get a better look at what Sam had been reading. "What on earth is that? Looks like gobbledygook to me!"

His friend laughed in return. "It's nothing on Earth at all, Al. Never seen it before in my life, but I figured that I may as well have a go at translating something since I could be stuck for a while. That and the real expert is a little indisposed?"

"Yeh, well… about that."

Sam closed a couple of the books and sat back, regarding him. "Now there's a serious tone. What's up?"

"Uh…" Al glanced around the room, suddenly worried that there might be CCTV installed.

"No one's watching Al," Sam stated, folding his arms across his chest. "Otherwise I'd be in custody instead of Colonel O'Neill."

The Admiral blanched. "Then Daniel was right."

"You've told him all about Quantum Leap?"

"Yeh – we didn't want to waste any time, especially when we found out who he was. When he was, too."

"No kidding," was the wry reply. "Well, the way I heard it, Colonel O'Neill jumped out of the wheelchair the second he arrived at the Alpha site and was immediately put under guard. Dr Fraiser was on her way out there to complete some tests."

Al rubbed his eyes. "Heh. Obviously he's himself again – question is, what does he remember?"

It was Sam's turn to smile wearily. "That's what I've been wondering too. My guess is nothing – Dr Fraiser didn't really hold much back when she was here, she wanted to know what I thought of his behaviour the last couple of days, that sort of thing."

"Ironic."

"Very. Anyway, he and Daniel are apparently best friends, so I'm guessing that she'd have told me if there was more too it than walking on an apparently sprained ankle." Sam wiggled the mouse to 'his' computer, then his eyes flicked back to Al. "I'm afraid to let Daniel's computer go to standby, or a screensaver. God only knows what his password is."

"Daniel?" Al called out, knowing that the archaeologist would be listening.

"Uh, much as I'd like to - no," came the disembodied reply from the Control Room.

The Admiral shook his head at his friend, sticking a finger in his ear and wiggling it. "It was worth a try. What's that noise anyhow?"

"What noise?" Sam frowned.

"Low level buzz?"

"Ah – that'll be the ventilation. We are two and a half times as deep as PQL here," the physicist (among other things) pointed out.

Al shrugged. "Yeh well – could you tone that frequency down a little Goosh? It's gonna drive me nuts."

The difference was immediate, and a smile of relief formed on Al's face – then faded as he remembered what he needed to tell Sam.

"Uh… heh, I was about to say sit down, but it looks like you're already there," the hologram joked weakly.

Sam evidently knew his friend well enough to recognise a delaying tactic when he heard one. "What's up? Has the probability matrix changed?"

Al shook his head. "No, nothing like that. But we are in deeper than I ever hoped to be."

"Tell me about it," Sam muttered, indicating his ankle. "I –"

"I –"

They paused, each waiting for the other to continue.

"You –"

"You first."

The hologram sighed, knowing he'd lost. "Ok, we've been talking to Daniel, and he's a good kid, but he thinks it's only going to be a matter of time before they catch on to you."

Sam nodded. "I figured that too. They have my prints for starters – those results won't take much longer – and while Dr Jackson obviously spends a lot of time in here I'd starve sooner than I'd make any progress on Colonel O'Neill."

The pair fell silent, but their eyes met. Neither wanted to come out and say it.

"So, uh…"

"Mmm…?"

"Who d'ya think I should… y'know… tell?"

Al winced at Sam's last word. Such a small word, but it was almost an admission of failure. The number of people who'd found out about Project Quantum Leap over the years could be counted on one hand, and most of those were kids whose minds were open enough to see the hologram… and Sam's real face.

"Uh… I guess that Captain Carter would be your best bet. She knows Daniel, and she should be able to grasp most of the technical details –"

"Do you think that's wise?" Sam interrupted.

"What? A tête-à-tête with the luscious Samantha or –"

"NO!" Sam rolled his eyes. "I mean telling them about… y'know… Leaping."

Al grimaced. "Wise doesn't come into it. How else are you going to explain all this and have them listen to you?"

"I'm sure I could come up with something," his friend replied, crossing his arms defensively.

"Yeh right, Sam – you're a terrible liar."

"Hmph."

"And think of how much fun it might be to talk with Captain Carter on her level…" Al dangled the carrot.

Sam rocked backwards in his chair, a sardonic expression on his face. "Al. I will be lucky to get away with a straitjacket as it is. Somehow I don't think that Captain Carter, or anyone else here for that matter, will want to talk quantum physics with the person who whisked both Dr Jackson and Colonel O'Neill away without detection. They'll be too busy forming a posse!"

"Well you'll just have to make them listen, won't you?" Al ground out between his teeth. "Because let's face it, they're not going to get Daniel back any other way."

"Hah! That's really going to go down well," his friend sighed. "Oh by the way, could you just keep Colonel O'Neill in custody for a little while longer? Why? Well if he dies I may be stuck here, then you'll have lost two of your top people. Thanks for calling."

Al prodded his handset a few times, then read the display. "Actually, that's exactly what Ziggy suggests –"

"Well then Ziggy has no tact whatsoever."

"You should know," Al taunted somewhat cruelly.

"Yeh, I know. I built her, or so you keep telling me," Sam finished. "Ok, so I tell Captain Carter… and we all pray that my confession will make the SGC that little bit more open to suggestion?"

The hologram nodded. "Vague I know, but I can't see any other way."

"Ok fine," Sam smiled weakly, and Al could see from his eyes that a plan – or coping strategy – was being formed in the physicist's mind. "I'll try to be equally vague on names, places, any specifics that they won't really need."

"Good idea."

"I hope so. It's probably a good thing that we're so close to the present, and in a place where weird is an everyday occurrence." Sam glanced back at the books and papers on Daniel's desk. "We're sure that Ziggy's scenario is correct, right?"

Al rolled his eyes. "As good as. It's not like we have much to go on here. There aren't many newspaper cuttings about wormholes these days. Nor quantum leap accelerators for that matter."

"So we have no idea whether what little I've done so far has had any effect?"

"Bingo."

"See, now this is the problem with getting so close to the present. Declassifying the assassination of JFK was easier to handle than this!" Sam joked, though the pain in his eyes showed that he remembered some of the trauma that had gone with that Leap.

"I guess time caught up with us… or you did… or something like that," Al spread his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Who're we to argue with the big cheese?"

They shared a smile.

"So I guess you'll be off now then?" Sam asked, looking down at his hands.

It was an almost child-like statement, and Al sympathised completely. He also felt bad, because sympathy wasn't going to be enough. Getting Sam home; now that would be enough.

Sam had been Leaping for so long now, and rarely had he ever been able to talk to someone (other than Al) as himself. The last person he'd been able to trust with that secret was Alia, another Leaper, but no one knew where she was any more. She'd Leaped out and as far as Ziggy or anyone else could tell, she was gone for good. Past, present, future – she could be anywhere – but for a while there she'd been more of a friend than Al could be. He was a hologram; he got to go home at night. Even Leapees like Jack and Daniel got to go home eventually, but Sam didn't.

"Yeh," Al admittedly eventually. "I don't know what good I could do by staying, but if anything happens I'll tell you straight away."

Sam nodded, then wiggled Daniel's mouse again with a frustrated groan.

"You could always try playing Minesweeper if you get bored," Al suggested with a lopsided grin.

"Minesweeper?"

The Admiral paused for a moment to take in the fact that his genius friend didn't know what he was talking about… although given his absence from normal life that wasn't really surprising.

"It's a game that comes with the computer these days," he explained eventually. "Lame, but great for wasting time."

"Riiiiight," Sam answered, evidently confused. "But what's the point of having that on a work-based computer?"

"Beats me," Al shrugged. "Did you ever hear of a guy called Bill Gates?"

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Bill Gates? Geeky guy, met him at a conference once upon a time."

Al tried hard not to laugh, settling for opening the Imaging Chamber door instead.

"Rich geeky guy, Sam – very rich. Now, take care of that ankle and I'll see you later." He waved, wishing he could give his friend a hug. "Good luck."

A/N: not exactly the best chapter I've ever come up with, but the next will be along shortly :)