Disclaimer: Insert something vaugly relating to the word 'no' here...

A/N: Thanks for the reviews Whither, Zealous, Asearcher and Nicole! I'm glad you're all enjoying the story. Sorry for the spelling and grammer mistakes I had on the last chapter; I write so much and yet I still screw up (haha... when I was little, I was dyslexic, so this is actually great for me). I give kudos to you Asearcher for you knowledge on the shows background. I also thought of another reason why my story wouldn't really 'work'; in the epesoid 'A Leap For Lisa', Al is supposidly executed and then the other guy goes in his place; giving the impression that even if there was never any Al, there still would have been a Project Quantum Leap. So I'm doing this story as an AU basically; and to ease my pain over the final epesoide! (just a note, I do spell check on the story; not the A/N and all of that. So you'll probably find a ton of mistakes in this part!). Well, read and review! ThAnKs!

--------

Sam wasn't sure what he should do. Al was jumping up and down excitedly, motioning for Sam to come with him outside the club, all the while Sam wasn't sure if he was going to faint, burst out into tears or follow after Al. He decided for the later.

"E-Excuse me," Sam's voice was barely audible and he left the table with numerous people calling after him.

Al disappeared and for a split second Sam felt as if his heart had stopped. Had he really just imagined Al being there? Had it maybe all been a sweet dream? Something he'd been hoping and praying for, for so long. That didn't stop Sam from running as fast as he could outside the pristine white gate and onto the abandoned pier.

"Al!" Sam's voice cried out, his eyes scanning around.

"Sam!" suddenly Al appeared beside him, "Oh my God, I can't believe it's actually you!"

"Al--" Sam couldn't stop the tears from streaming down his face as his hands covered his mouth in a feeble attempt to stop his emotions from leaking over, "It's-- oh my God."

"Easy Sam," Al used his sleeve to wipe his own face, "You're going to get me going."

Sam laughed as he slowly circled his friend which he hadn't seen in so long; taking in his bright orange jacket over a yellow button down top and red pants. A lit cigar hung limply out of his mouth and a hat that resembled that of a mobster sat on his head. What Sam wouldn't give to freeze that moment. To never let Al out of his sight again.

"Al--" Sam choked on his words, but continued anyways, "Al… what happened?"

"We lost you," Al attempted to explain, "There-- there was no one in the waiting room, and we couldn't find you. Ziggy," Al was forced to clear his throat, "Ziggy said there was only an 8.7 percent chance that we'd ever find you again."

"How long ago?" Sam whispered.

"Two and a half years," Al let out a laugh, "My God Sam, we've been looking for you for two and a half years."

"Two," Sam laughed as well, and crouched down to the ground, unable to support his own weight, "Two years."

"Sammy," Al cautiously moved down to his friends eye level, "Sammy are you ok?"

"No Al!" Sam burst, "I've been leaping around for two years with no purpose. Suddenly I'm here; what's going on?"

Al took a deep breath, "I don't know buddy. But I promise, I'll find out."

Sam took a moment before he made eye contact with his holographic friend, "Al, I need to know… you and Beth? Did you stay together?"

A weird look washed over Al's face before he replied, "What do you mean? You know what happened."

"No," Sam's heart pounded in his chest, "Tell me again."

Al's brow furrowed as he spoke, "She was re-married by the time I got back. She said that someone told her to wait, but that she met--" Al's eyes widened slightly now as he spoke, "But that she met a friend named Dirk at the Yacht Club. Sam… what's going on."

"Oh boy," Sam breathed deep and ran his hands over his face, "Al…"

"Sam, talk to me Kid," Al tried to keep his voice comforting.

"Al, I changed history," Sam spoke quietly, "That's why you're here."

"What do you mean?" Al questioned.

"That person that told Beth to wait was me," Sam insisted, "I'm the one that told her that."

Al shook his head, "No you didn't Sam. I remember; you never told her, but saved the undercover cop."

"I know," Sam now started to pace back and forth, urgently motioning with his hands as things seemed to slowly piece together through his swiss cheesed brain, "But I went back. After I leaped into that bar, I went back to Beth and told her. I told her that you were alive and ok and to wait for you. She must have," Sam's eyes widened, "God, Al, you must have come back and stayed married to her. That's why I was lost in time for those two years. For those years, history was changed, and you and I never got together to create Project Quantum Leap."

"What changed it back?" Al's voice was hoarse at Sam's recalling of what he'd done for him.

"Me," Sam emphasized the word, "When I leap into Dirk, and met Beth, history changed."

"I-I'm going to go run some scenarios by Ziggy," Al's voice caught in his throat, "I'll be back."

Al quickly typed some buttons on his glowing hand link and an illuminating door appeared.

"Al wait!" Sam cried out just before Al stepped in, "You're leaving?"

"I'll be back," Al insisted.

Sam studied him for a moment, "That's what you said last time."

"Sam," Al spoke slowly, as if weighing out each word he spoke, "I lost you once. I am never going to let that happen again. I swear to God I will never loose you again."

Sam's voice shone with the tears he forced inside him, "I just want to go home Al."

'I know," Al stepped back into the door, "I'll get you home Buddy."

And just like that Al was gone again; leaving Sam standing by himself.

"Please hurry," Sam whispered to the place where Al stood a few moments before.

"Dirk!" Sam swung his head around to see Beth coming out of the club, "Dirk, what happened? You just ran off like that."

"Oh, yeah," Sam cleared his voice, "Sorry about that. I, umm-- thought I heard my car alarm."

"What's that?" Beth walked around Sam to get a better look at his flushed face, "Dirk, are you alright? Maybe you should come and sit down; your Mom ordered something to eat for you."

"Yeah," Sam nodded, took a deep breath and followed his best friends wife back inside, "That sounds great."

Sam spend the next two hours through the most difficult conversation and meal of his life. He didn't want to sit there flirting with his best friends wife and at the same time he didn't want to stay away from her too much in fear of changing history again and causing Al to disappear. Instead he ate and had conversation, hoping to hear the familiar sound of the door opening and Al standing there. It didn't happen. Luck stayed on his side, however, when at the end of the evening Gloria asked if she could borrow the truck for the morning, and therefore drove Sam back to the home which he quickly found to be Dirk's.

That was after promising Beth that he'd call her the next day.

"Ok Al, you better show up," Sam mumbled as he opened the door up and walked in, "And tell me what the hell I have to do."

"Not talking to yourself would be a start," Al's voice came from Sam's right.

"Al!" Sam gasped and swivelled around; a smile on his face, "You're here."

Al took his cigar out of his mouth, "Well technically I'm not here, here, I'm about thirty years from here, but--"

"Never mind that," Sam turned on a light, "Did Ziggy figure out what I have to do?"

"Sort of," Al tried to avoid eye contact.

"Sort of?" Sam asked sceptically, "What do you mean sort of?"

"Well Ziggy was sort of having a hard drive overflow," Al feebly tried to explain, "When she found out that you were back, she kind of went a little ka-ka."

"Well what does Ziggy know?" Sam questioned impatiently.

Al sighed, "You're not going to like it Sam."

"Try me," Sam stated bluntly.

Again Al took a deep breath before speaking, "According to what Ziggy can figure out, you have two choices. One is that you make sure that Beth and you-- and Dirk-- get together and that she marries him. If you do that, then Ziggy says there's a 93.6 percent chance you'll leap out of here just like before," Al paused, "The other choice is that you convince Beth not to get together with Dirk and to wait for me to come home. But if you do that--"

Sam swallowed hard, "You disappear again."

To Be Continued...

--------

A/N: Haha, I'm having way too much fun with this story. There was also some fluff there between Sam and Al which I hope you guys don't mind. Oh, and another thing; I wasn't sure if car alarms were around back in 1969, but when I asked my Dad, he said probably not... which frankly doesn't mean too much. Haha... so I made it so they weren't. I hope you all continue to read this story and let me know what you think! ThAnKs!