Chapter four

AS Sam and Alia prepare for the mission they know that it's up to them not to interfere with what has been done and what has been undone. Each has a mission, Alia as Maggie must follow the POW's and get the picture that will win her the Pulitzer prize. Sam as Magic must go with his brother Tom to try to make the mission work. Sam knows the outcome but must play along as it occurs without telling Tom. They both succeed in their missions and everything plays out as before. This time Al stays with Alai to make sure she doesn't get killed, but he must turn back to help Sam.

The unit is running for the helicopter when Alai comes running up.

"Wait stop-" Sam says.

She does stop just before the trip wire that killed Maggie before.

"Tom! Help her over the trip wire." Sam orders.

"Damn! How did you know?" Tom asks as he helps Alia(Maggie) over and into the chopper.

"It's like I lived this moment before." Sam gratefully answers.

"You lived this moment before, eh. Tell me what happened?" the Lieutenant asks.

"You don't want to know." Sam answers as they board and ride back to the base.

At the bar later all of the soldiers are gathered. This time Sam isn't getting wasted because he 'traded a life for a life'. Alia is there as well.

General Grimswold walks in with Maggie's last pictures. This time she can see them for herself.

"So do you think any are worthy of placing in the newslatter to Washington.?" He asks.

Alia unsure of what picture was the one that won Maggie the Pulitzer asks Sam, "What do you think, Magic?"

Sam looks at Al and then says, "The last photograph."

She rummages through the pictures and then sees it. The last picture is of a POW at the end of the line. Then she looks closer. It is Al.

She walks over to Sam as the others continue celebrating. She asks, "He could have been free."

Sam repeats what Al says now, "I was free. Up here he was always free. It's the same with you Alia. You can be free. You can leave all that you have done behind. Those evil people will never find you. I will never let that happen."

"I hope I can believe you." She says as the shimmering of the leaping effect takes over her and as she leaps out she smiles. Then Maggie leaps back in.

"Well, soldier. You going to buy a thirsty girl a drink?" she asks.

Another soldier obliges her as Sam and Al go to a corner.

"I never got to thank you Sam."

"Thank me for what?" Sam asks.

"For this." As he hold up a photograph of he and Beth and their daughters. "I've never been happier. I don't know how I could ever repay you."

"It's what I do, Al. It's what my purpose is. Not to expand the science or technical point of Quantum Leaping. It's what I do there that's really important."

Just then Tom breaks in, "It's 12:00. It's April the ninth and I'm still alive." Then he goes over to Sam and puts his are around him and says, "Thanks to you, little brother."

And that ends Sam's return to save someone he lost. He leaps out and travels the space-time continuum until his next leap begins.

He leaps in and is in a wooded area by a large lake. He sees a woman nearby and he notices he's holding a camera. There is also other photographic equipment around. Then she runs over and says, "Quick! Get it before it goes down!"

Stunned from what she is talking about and still confused from the leap he asks, "Before what goes down?"

She pulls the camera and chokes him as she quickly snap a picture. Then the negative slides out.

"We almost missed it! What has come over you?"

"I don't know?" he responds.

As the photo develops he see what she was so excited about. There is a dark image on the photo that looks almost like a dinosaur head.

"Now we have proof it exists!" she exclaims.

Staring at the photo, Sam exclaims, "Oh, Boy!" He just figured out she took a picture of the Loch-ness monster.