A/N: Post MI . Never? Never? How can it be never? I refuse to believe it.

Thank you to those who stuck by this story. Meant a lot. :stops before she gets all emotional and sappy: Just, many thanks.

Special thanks go to Kreek, Drifterskip, and Dulcinea1969 for their kind and encouraging words, and thank you Kreek for giving my stories another go. It touched me deeply.

As this story ends, another may follow…but that is up to you to decide.

My Sixth Sense

"Two may talk together under the same roof for many years, yet never really meet; and two others at first speech are old friends."

Mary Catherwood

My Guardian Angel

Part 6/6

Sam blinked rapidly and was surprised at the sudden stillness he had leapt into. It was very peaceful, it almost felt…other worldly… Sam's breath caught in his throat as he finally noticed his surroundings.

He was in a graveyard. He recalled being leaped into a graveyard before, but this time rather than being terrifying…it was soothing. Slowly the wind began to stir up fallen leaves and the songs of birds could be heard.

The air was fresh and the sun's light gave Sam's face a sense of warmth. It had been a while since Sam felt so…whole. There was a quiet shuffling of grass, a shifting, and Sam turned and was surprised, shocked, delighted to see Al standing there, his face mirroring Sam's own.

"S-Sam?" Al choked out finally and stepped forward hesitantly. "Is-is it really you?"

"A-Al? You know me…I can't believe it…" No Sam couldn't believe, so unreal was the shock that Sam found tears running down his face, and he stepped towards Al to get a closer look. "Oh Al."

"Sam, we-we've been looking for you…I've never given up on you Sam. Never…I-I can't believe it…" Al gave a strangled laugh "That I would get to see you now. After all these years…" Sam stepped forward having a great urge to just embrace his friend, but was hurt to see that his friend stepped back and bowed his head. Oh, that's right. Sam had forgotten that Al was a hologram, but the action still hurt.

Al seemed to have seen Sam's hurt expression as he looked at Sam guiltily.

"Sorry Sam, guess I'm still a little woozy…hard to believe in all this. That's all." Al clutched his hands, and shrugged. "What-What have you been doing these couple of years kid? I can't believe it…you're here. You're here." It was Al's turn to have tears in his eyes, and yet they didn't fall, just shimmered brightly in his eyes.

"I've been leaping Al, I've been leaping as myself…I…how's Beth?" Al adopted a distant gaze at the mention of Beth, and for a second Sam was afraid that he had failed to get Al and Beth together, but his fear was short lived as Al smiled.

"She's a little upset with me at the moment, but Sam she'll be fine, thanks to you…I have four beautiful girls who love her and care for her as much as I do."

"Four?" Sam grinned widely. "My weren't you busy bunnies." Al chuckled softly, and then Sam frowned as Al's other words hit home.

"Thanks to me? You know?"

"I've always known Sam…thank you." There was another period of silence and Al spoke up again. "You've been leaping all this time?"

"Yea, I found out that I can direct my leaps now…"

"You never came home." Al stated flatly and with a hint of disappointment. Sam gave Al a quizzical glance and spoke carefully. There was something different about Al.

"I still can come home. It's just I got so caught up, Al, after I helped you with Beth, I found I could help so many others, and then…I began to hear cries for help, and I went to them. I was in a position to help, so I did."

"It's funny. Don't you think Sam?"

"What is?"

"You no longer retain any memory of the future without Ziggy and I to help you, so in reality you're just a human changing the world because your soul senses what is right…Just means anyone can be a hero if they wish to be…"

"Al, is everything all right?"

"I've finally found you Sam, what could be better?" Al grinned, and titled his hat back. Sam noted absently how Al was in his white admiral's uniform, just like the last time he has seen him. Sam briefly wondered what was going back in his time. What was to stop him from asking?

"You're all dressed up, fancy…" Sam grinned. "What's up?" Al blinked and looked down, and stroked his uniform as if it were the first time he had seen it.

"Just came back from a funeral…" Sam's face fell, that could be why Al was acting so on edge. "Who?"

"Who?" Al repeated, still stroking his uniform, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"Who died?"

"Oh…" Al winced as if in pain, and began walking. "You wouldn't know him. Just an old friend."

"Navy?"

"Yea, he was in the Navy…" Sam walked briskly towards Al and began walking instep with him as they passed many headstones…so many names. They were walking for a long while, before Al turned left, and Sam had to wonder who he was searching for.

Finally Al stopped with a sigh in front of one headstone and turned away, Sam frowned and looked to the headstone wondering what had caused Al's hurt. Sam collapsed onto his knees in pain as he read the name, tracing it with his fingers.

"Gooshie?"

"He died a year ago…We-I thought…maybe you're here to say goodbye."

"Oh Al…" The tears kept on coming today. "I just had no idea, I had no idea that I had been gone so long…how…?"

"Cancer. He never stopped fighting for you Sam. Never." Sam bowed his head and gave himself a moment to remember Gooshie. His friend, the quirky man who had so much faith in both of them, a loyal companion who would stand at the ends of the earth with them…and he did. He did.

"You were there?"

"Everyday. Tina loved him so much, she was strong...she is strong. His love still lives in her." The three friends stayed in silence, each of them reliving different memories as they thought back to Gooshie. They stayed in the same companionable silence for what seemed like hours, before Al whispered.

"He's happy though. He watches over her." Al nodded and he began walking away from the tombstone. Sam lingered, his hand feeling the cool marble under his fingers, and he said a final goodbye. He hadn't leaped. But Sam knew why…he was scared. Scared that if he leaped, he would lose Al again.

"Al?"

"Yea?"

"How'd you and Ziggy find me?" Al stiffened and slowly he tilted his head and shrugged.

"We were lucky, you're just a week behind my time and-"

"Just one week?" Sam gasped with joy. "How? Oh it doesn't matter! And I'm in New Mexico! Al! I can see you! I can visit you! I'll meet your kids, talk to Beth! Where are you Al?" Sam began running with excitement towards the exit of the cemetery. "Won't you be surprised? I wonder what you'll say…Al?" Sam stopped his speedy dash to look behind and found Al was staring at him in extreme pain. Sam felt his heart twist and he began walking back towards his old friend.

"Al? What's wrong buddy? Why don't you want me to look for you? Where are you? Are you not in New Mexico? Where are you?"

"Here Sam." Al muttered, and took of his hat. "I'm right here." Sam smiled, thinking that Al was just pulling another of his jokes and so Sam humored his friend.

"Well yea, I know you're here, but where are you in this time?"

Al said nothing, just gazed blankly straight ahead. Sam followed his gaze and looked at elaborate tombstone before him. His mind would not take in the information that was etched upon the slate. They just didn't make any sense. He tried to read it several times, but he couldn't. He just couldn't. His heart had already hurt so much today. He didn't need this. This wasn't real. This was just a dream.

No. He would not, could not believe it.

"Sam?" Tears were hot and Sam felt himself growing angry. How could this happen? Hadn't he helped everyone? Why had this happened, why was he here too late? For both of them? How could he miss it? How? No. This wasn't real. No. Sam screwed his eyes shut. He was right here next to him. He could not be under the ground. He could not be. No. Sam shuddered. It didn't make sense.

"I-I tried Sam. I tried waiting. I tried." No. It wasn't real. It couldn't be. No. "But it was out of my hands…Sam please. Please Sam, forgive me." No. No. Don't apologize. Don't you dare make it real.

"Shut up…" Sam hissed, and he began shifting upon the grass. He was standing on him, quickly Sam stood up and scampered away. He stared at the angel statue atop his tomb, her arm sweeping upwards and a dove was taking flight from her hand. It was beautiful. Sam could just stare at the statue, and he didn't have to think about anything else. He would ignore the calla lilies that adorned the tomb as well. Just focus on the angel.

"A-At least He let me be with you now. He said I could be your guardian angel, ain't that a kick in the butt huh?"

"No. No."

"No?" Al sounded hurt, and Sam shook his head fiercely. He sounded so alive. So real. This couldn't be real. This stupid rock was wrong. "I admit I was surprised that I made it to be an angel, but He said…"

"Shut up!" Sam swung to finally face him. He was shaking and trembling with absolute fear. "Shut up." He whispered and fell to the ground shaking his head. "You can't be dead. You just can't be."

There was a pause before Sam felt something on his shoulder. Brilliant, fierce, warmth, a gentle love, a touch so familiar. He clasped the hand greedily and held on, he just held on and he squeezed the hand so hard. This was real. The rock wasn't.

"But I am Sam."

"No. No. No."

"I was buried in my uniform…I died in it."

"No. No. No, stop it, please just stop."

"I know it hurts Sam, God I know death hurts…but you have to understand…it's not so bad…"

"…please…"

"I get to look after you, I get to look after my Beth, my kids…it's not so bad Sam." Sam just wrapped himself closer around Al. He was real. He couldn't be dead. No, not Al. Not Al. Slowly Sam felt his hair being stroked.

"Not so bad kid." Sam shivered, and his heart shattered, oh God…Why?

"How?" Sam whispered.

"I may be an angel Sammy, but that doesn't mean I can hear every word you say, speak up…"

"H-How did you die?"

"Oh Sam, you don't need to know that. It doesn't matter."

"Yes! To me it does. It matters. Tell me."

"Sam…I know you…"

"How Al? Tell me, please. It matters…" Al stopped stroking his friend's head as Sam became rigid with a new purpose.

"I-I was coming back…from a conference…and I don't remember."

"Yes you do. Tell me." It was Al's turn to stiffen.

"I was hungry, I was thinking about what Beth was making for my birthday dinner, and then I thought of you, wondering if you would ever come back to have dinner with us…and then I woke up and there was light."

"What happened?"

"I-I don't remember Sam…."

"I can stop it Al! I can stop it!"

"Damn it Sam." Al shoved Sam away from him so his friend could face him. "That's what I didn't want. You're so close to home, please don't give it up again for me Sam. Please, you're almost home."

"I have no home without you."

"Yes you do! There are people here who still care about you and love you! You have to try to go back for them, I'm here to say goodbye Sam. You're here to say goodbye. We're still connected after all this, even in death. I was able to call you here. You know Sam, you feel it. It's real."

The pain was too large to be real, and yet it was true, recently Sam had felt torn and empty. He hadn't dared to think why…but no Al was still here. It just didn't make sense.

"No goodbyes."

"You're right, of course. No goodbyes. Just a see you soon huh? I'll always be by your side, even if you can't see me…"

"I'm going to save you Al. I can't stop Gooshie's death, but maybe I can stop yours."

"No kid, please, please, don't hurt yourself like this."

"You're not dead Al. I won't believe it."

"Why?" Al pleaded in desperation. "Why? I am Sam, please accept it…Death isn't the end. I'm still here. I finally get to help you again. It'll be like old times. You just won't see me, but I promise you, I will be there."

"I'm going to save you Al…and then…and then…I'll have that dinner with you and Beth."

"No, Sam…" But Sam would hear none of it, he brought his friend into a tight embrace, and they stood there for minutes just holding onto one another. Feeling each other's presence. There was no way Sam was going to lose this. Al would be saved.

What if Al is right? And you fail? And there is just more pain?

For Al he would take that chance. He wouldn't fail. He couldn't.

Still, Sam clung to his friend and just squeezed him tighter.

Just in case.

He held on until he felt like he couldn't breathe, and finally he summed up his courage.

And he leaped.

Fin.