Quantum Leap: A Leap on Jump Street Series
A Leap for Judy and Tom
By Heather Samantha Beckett
Disclaimer: I do not own the concept of Quantum Leap or 21 Jump Street or their characters, those solely belong to Don Belisario (Quantum Leap) and Stephen J Cannell and Patrick Hasburgh (21 Jump Street)
Chapter 7: Michelle Talks
Sam woke up to the aroma of the kind of homemade breakfasts that his mother made him when he was a teenager back on the farm. He looked out the window and noticed it was morning. Wow have I really been here all night???? Sam asked himself.
"Hey Tom how many pancakes do you want?" Judy asked Sam from the kitchen.
"It doesn't matter, oh lets say how about 10." It had been a long time since Sam had a real home cooked breakfast.
"Well aren't we the piggy this morning," Judy laughed.
Sam couldn't figure it out. Wasn't it just a few hours ago Judy was getting the life choked out of her and now she was joking and making a huge breakfast and acting like nothing had happened the night before.
"Judy we need to talk about last night," Sam said as gently as possible not to sound too much like he was about to give her a big lecture.
Judy came out of the kitchen and quickly darted into her bedroom. "We can talk later, got to get ready for work," she called back behind her shoulder.
A few minuets later Judy reappeared dressed for the day and wearing her makeup like she was a little girl who was wearing make up for the first time and Sam couldn't think if she reminded him more of a clown or a hooker.
"Ah Judy what's with the makeup?" Sam said as quickly as possible.
"I don't know what you are talking about Hanson," Judy said innocently pretending like she didn't know what Sam was talking about.
"We both know you are trying to cover up what Bailey did to you last night. Please don't act like nothing happened, after all how do you explain that I spent the night over here?"
Judy looked down at her shoes and shifted uncomfortably. She didn't want to look Sam in the eye.
"Ok look, I'm sorry for not sounding more appreciative for what you did. It's just that..." Judy's voice trailed off.
"Just what?"
"I don't want everyone to know ok? It's not like Bailey is put away and not in my life anymore. You don't know what he's like and if he knows I'm having the other officers check him out who knows what he will do to me."
Sam could feel his cheeks get hot, "you could end up seriously injured by the hands of that jerk and you keep defending him. He could end up killing you, you know." Sam didn't mean to come across to harshly but by the look on Judy's face he knew he had failed.
"Who do you think you are talking to me like that. You know maybe you are just as crazy as Bailey," after Judy said that she quickly regretted it.
Sam had a look of bewilderment on his face he couldn't believe Judy would dare compare him to a woman beater. "Me? I don't think so. I don't go around beating up the woman."
"Well who was it holding up his gun to Bailey acting like he was going to shoot an unarmed man and going on about some dude named Chuck and some chick named Katie?" Judy couldn't believe she just used the word chick.
"Katie is not a Chick," Sam said quietly but defensively.
"Well who is she?" Judy said sympathetically. She knew Sam was holding something painful back.
"She's my my my ah my second cousin," Sam thought fast. He couldn't tell Judy that Katie was his sister because more than likely Tom Hanson didn't have a sister named Katie. "She ended up marrying an abusive man and she hasn't yet had the guts to leave him or press charges against him. She just keeps living in fear hoping he doesn't put her in the hospital or kill her. She doesn't even have any children because she couldn't subject an innocent child the wrath of Chuck, and more than anything she wants to be a mother."
"Wow," said Judy not knowing what else to say. She walked over to Sam and put her arms around him hugging him tightly and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for coming to my rescue and staying with me last night, I really appreciate it, and thank you for sharing that with me."
"You're welcome. I do care about what happens to you. So are those pancakes ready?" Sam said changing the subject.
After they had breakfast Judy took care of the makeup situation. She and Sam both decided to hide the fact that Judy was beaten up and tell everyone that Judy got hit in the face with a ball while they were playing a game of squash on their double date. Sam didn't want to endanger Judy more especially since Bailey did get away and neither of them knew where he was since Judy had called his dorm and his roommate said he had not seen him since yesterday afternoon. Sam decided to just stick with Judy as much he could.
Everyone at Jump Street including their Captain bought Judy and Sam's story and no one questioned her further about the big bruise on her face.
"OK where are you guys?" Fuller asked Sam and Judy.
"We aren't really any closer," said Judy.
"Nope. Sorry Captain," Sam lied. He couldn't tell his Captain and especially Judy about the lead Al had given him about Melissa Copper mentioning a teacher named Bailey and how he was going to pay for what he did to her and her sister. How would he explain how he got the lead? He was sure they wouldn't buy a hologram from the future told me.
"Are you guys too busy playing house?" Penhall laughed playfully punching Sam's arm and giving him an approving thumbs up.
"Doug go stick your head in a toilet and flush it," Judy said giving Doug a disgusted look.
"Ok," Said Penhall excitedly pretending to go in the direction of the bathroom.
"Well you guys just keep doing what you are doing and hopefully something will develop soon so you guys can move onto another case," Fuller instructed.
Judy and Sam pulled up in the school's parking lot and Clayton, Michelle, Kristi, Jarod and Aaron were all waiting for besides Clayton's car.
"Hey over here," Clayton said motioning Sam and Judy over.
"What's up guys?" Judy asked.
"Well we wanted to find out if Tom wanted to skip school with us and head over to the university to listen to the great JD Dubois," Kristi said giving Sam a flirty wink.
"Who is JD Dubois," asked Judy.
Michelle shot Judy a dirty look. "He is like one of the greatest philosophers of our time. He gives the best lectures. Anyway Tom what do you think?"
"Sounds good to me you got to come with me cookie lips," Sam said batting his eyelashes at Judy.
"Ah no way," said Michelle rudely.
"And why not?" Judy asked her hands on her hips.
"Dear you aren't one of us. I told you already that you have to be smart and take school seriously to be in the same league with us and since you aren't you can't possibly be in our group like your MIT bound boy toy Tom," said Michelle her face was just inches away from Judy's.
Sam could tell Judy was getting uptight because she was squeezing his hand hard. He thought she was going to break his hand. "Well If she doesn't come with me I won't go," said Sam. After all how could he keep his eye on her and protect her if she couldn't be where he could see he?
"Michelle shut up already and leave Judy alone. Sure you can come with us," Clayton said opening his door so she and Sam could get in."OK Jarod you and Kristi and Aaron ride in your car and follow me," instructed Clayton.
"So have you heard anymore more from Melissa?" Sam asked Michelle as they all headed over to the university in Clayton's car.
Michelle gave Sam an I don't want to talk about it look, but decided to talk to him anyway. "Ok I don't know if I should be saying this or not, but Melissa called me last night."
"She what?" Clayton asked shocked that Michelle hadn't told him anything earlier than now.
"Yea she called to see how I was doing, and make sure I was ok."
"Why wouldn't you be ok?" Sam and Clayton asked Michelle in unison.
"OH Ah," Michelle stammered knowing she had said more than she had wanted to.
"Sam keep talking to her and see if she will let anything slip," Al said suddenly walking through Clayton's car and floating next to Sam. "Ziggy says Michelle is going to be killed today."
"Killed?"
"Ah who is killed?" Judy asked Sam.
"OH I was just thinking out loud. I just realized that I killed my perfect attendance record," Sam thought fast.
Al continued to talk to Sam not expecting him to be able to answer him back. "Ziggy says Michelle is one of 2 people killed at Metroville University when she and the rest of the kids that skipped school with you and Judy are taken hostage by a crazed gunman."
Sam cupped his hand over his mouth and pretend to be carsick. "So now Michelle is danger?" Sam whispered to Al. "Who else's life and I'm going to ruin in this leap?"
"Keep Michelle talking," Al instructed Sam. He punched in some buttons on his hand link and disappeared through a door.
"You are ok aren't you?" Sam asked Michelle. "You know you can talk with us we are your friends. I mean you can talk to us if anything is ever bothering you. I just wanted you to know that."
Tears streamed down Michelle's face. "Clayton please don't hate me."
"Hate you? I could never hate you Michelle," Said Clayton putting a reassuring hand on Michelle's shoulder and giving her a pat.
"Well I never told you this but when we were separated I dated another man, and older man, actually he was a substitute teacher," Michelle hung her head her cheeks turned red and she was too ashamed to look at Clayton.
"What? You dated a teacher? I don't believe it," said Clayton. He didn't know what else to say.
"Did you say a substitute teacher?" Judy asked sounding suspicious. "What was his name?"
"I. I. I. Don't want to say, all I know is that he was the only one who could comfort me when I was miserable from my separation with Clayton. It started out as nothing. He would talk to me after school and make me feel special and then it turned into me going into school early in the morning to see him before classes started and then before I knew it we were doing it at lunch time in the teacher lounge's bathroom. I thought he was special I gave myself to him and then one day Melissa, Tracy and I were visiting Alison in the hospital when she was ready to talk and she told us about an affair she had had with a substitute teacher and how she had found out she wasn't the only one who had a relationship with this guy. She told them she had found out from Jessica and Tammy Evans about relationships they had each had with a substitute teacher and how they were all girls with broken hearts on the rebound. She also said how this guy had beaten them up to keep them from talking and Tammy and Jessica made Alison swear she wouldn't tell anyone what they had told her but since Melissa Tracy and I were her best friends we told each other everything. Alison had deiced she needed to tell us what happened to her despite what Tammy and Jessica said so we wouldn't be the next victims. Melissa and Tracy then confessed that they too had dated and slept with this guy. I didn't know what to say. I wasn't about to say I had dated and slept with the same guy that all of them had supposedly dated and slept with as well. I felt like a fool he had played me like he had played the other 5 girls I was too ashamed to say anything then. Melissa and Tracy swore to Alison that they would do whatever to took to bring down the sub and expose him but the next day they were both found beaten up in the girls bathroom and now Tracy is still in the hospital lying in a coma."
Sam and Judy exchanged shocked but sympathetic glances.
Clayton looked at his girlfriend unable to hide his shock. "Is this why you begged me to take you back? Did you feel guilty? Or did you think that if we got back together that it would make you forget all about him and what he did to you?"
Michelle remained silent she didn't know what to say her face turned red with embarresment.
"I'm sorry if I hurt you I didn't mean too Michelle I love you," Clayton said after a while.
"I need you to hate me right now," Michelle told her boyfriend.
"Why?"
"Because I was the stupid one who let a rebound guy talk me into seeping with him instead of saving myself for the only guy I have ever loved. How can you love me know knowing I haven't saved myself for you but you have saved yourself for me? I don't deserve you" said Michelle starting to cry.
Clayton started to cry too and he didn't care that he was crying in front of his friends. "Well I know you made a big mistake and I'm not saying what you did was ok or that I am alright with it. The fact of the matter is I'm pissed but everyone deserves a second chance and if you can forgive me for the biggest mistake of my life I can forgive you too."
"Biggest mistake of your life?" Michelle questioned. She didn't know what Clayton was talking about.
"My biggest mistake was leaving you. I got scared that I was falling in love with you and I had never really fallen in love before. What can I say? I was a coward, so I left you. If anyone is to be blamed for what happened to you it's me. I mean if I hadn't left you then you would have never dated that creep. Will you forgive me?"
Michelle put a shaky hand on Clayton's lap and cried. "Of course I can. I love you too."
"Ok I love you and you love me the news is out," Clayton laughed his face turning red. He felt a little embarresed for crying in front of another guy. "Now we need to put this creep away before he hurts you or anymore girls. I couldn't forgive myself if anything happened to you Michelle."
"I want to put this guy away too but I just don't think I can face that guy again and I don't want to end up like my friends lying in a hospital bed."
"You have one thing your friends didn't have," said Clayton.
"I do?" Michelle asked.
"A really pissed boyfriend."
"And the cops to back you up and protect you," said Judy giving Sam the look.
Sam took the hint. "Yea you got the police on your side already."
"What are you talking about I haven't been to the police and I'm not planning to either," said Michelle.
"Well the police are closer than you think," Sam said pulling out Tom's badge and showing it to Michelle and Clayton.
"You guys are cops???" Clayton asked half shocked and half impressed. "Dude, that righteous."
"Yes we are with an undercover unit and we were both assigned to this case to find out who is behind these beatings. If you help us we can put this guy away for good and all the girls in your school will be safe. You do want that don't you Michelle?" Judy asked also showing Michelle her badge.
Michelle couldn't look Judy in the eye she was too embarresed because of the way she had treated Judy ever since she met her. "I'm sorry Judy for giving you a hard time. I don't know what came over me. I guess I was jealous that you and Tom were together because he intrigued me so much and I thought you weren't good enough for someone as smart as him. Anyway I thank you for trying to protect me."
"So are you guys really together?" Clayton asked Sam.
"Ah I don't think so. I don't know, are we?" Sam asked Judy.
Judy gave Sam a weird look that he couldn't quite read. "No we aren't together. We are partners on this assignment," Judy said answering Clayton's question.
"Oh man dude you guys need to hook up for real you both are hot together," said Clayton.
Judy and Sam stared at each other for a while and Sam shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He couldn't tell her he liked her because he didn't know if the real Tom Hanson did like Judy Hoffs. "Give us a name please if you can," Sam pleaded with Michelle and glad to have changed the subject before things got more uncomfortable than they already were.
"Wait a minuet," said Clayton ignoring Sam's request. "Let me ask you something Tom if that is your real name. If you are a cop what was all that about MIT and blowing us all away with your gift of languages and science."
"And don't forget literature" Michelle continued remembering Sam's mesmerizing speech about Lord of the Rings.
"Yea Tom really. When did you get so smart?" Asked Judy with an amused look on her face. She loved putting "Tom" in the hot seat.
Sam fidgeted in his seat uncormfortably. "Well uh I was quite the geek in high school and I was really MIT bound or so I thought. I decided it was MIT or nowhere and when I got my rejection letter I decided to join the police academy," Sam half lied. He really was the biggest geek in high school and MIT bound but he didn't get a rejection letter.
"Well I do believe you about being a geek in high school I can so picture that," laughed Judy.
"Not to change the subject or anything," fibbed Sam who really did want to change the subject for a second time. "Will you let us help you Michelle? Will you give us a name?"
Michelle looked at Clayton and the officers uneasily but she thought about it and after a while she said, "Ok. I want to help out. I want this guy put away for good. His name is Bailey Johnson."
The color in Judy's face drained.