CHAPTER 1

As Sam and his younger self drove around Elkridge, he tried to make sense out 
of everything.

This was the most incredible leap ever. I had previously been in a bar on the 
day of my birth where I was myself for awhile, when I learned that it had 
been me leaping myself around (whether or not it had all been a strange 
dream... I may never know). I then realised that Al's plight was what I had 
to right. I went back to where Al last had gotten to see Beth and I explained 
to her how her husband would come back. After I left, I leaped. Now here I 
am-as my own brother. And sitting next to me behind the wheel, is none other 
than my own 38 year old self. But... having spent God knows how long leaping, 
I had no way of knowing how old I was so I couldn't figure out how close to 
the project I was.

"Hey Tom, I know this may sound... alittle creepy considering you just had 
your kidney removed, but I was wondering if you wanted to visit Dad's grave."

"Sure, there's nothing weird about it." Looking into the mirror to see his 
own brother's reflection, Sam was in awe of how gracefully his brother aged. 
Sam tried to choke back his tears but couldn't. "It uh... it still feels like 
he shouldn't be gone."

"I'm sorry Tom. I guess we better wait until you feel better."

"Thanks, Sam. I know how hard it must've been for you when you were away 
after it happened."

"I know, Tom. But I managed to deal with it. Thank heavens you were there."

"I... I was there?"

"Yeah, you were so caring after I had my nervous breakdown. But now I get to 
return the favor!"

"Nervous? I'm not nervous!"

"No, but you did just go through surgery. You should be thankful it didn't 
take place in Vietnam"

"Yeah. Hey, wait a second. Do you remember me going off to war?"

"Uh huh. I remember when you came home that one Thanksgiving. It's a little 
fuzzy, but I remember you saying how I was talking about the future or 
something. Only I had to deny it."

"That's right, you were." Sam began to think back to when he had leapt into 
himself. "You were probably just worried I wasn't going to make it. But I 
did!"

"That's right. Anyway, what's interesting enough, is that something I said 
prompted Katie to not marry this guy for some reason."

"I guess you had a good enough reason why."

"Oh Tom, I just remembered that I have some people coming by. This married 
couple named the Calaviccis, Al and Beth Calavicci., I met Al at the 
Starbright funtions in Nevada and he was interested in this idea I had. So 
him and his wife are coming over."

"Al?! That reminds me, where is he?" Sam thought. "That sounds neat!"

--- August 30, 2001 ---

The Calaviccis, Al and Beth sat happily at a bench enjoying a picnic lunch. 
It had been months since they could spend time together.

"So how are things going at the Project, hon?"

"Not too good, Beth. We haven't been able to locate Sam in weeks. I managed 
to find him somewhere in the year 1953, when he was born. But just after we 
had established contact with him, it was lost."

"That's so sad. I know how much you care about him."

"I do Beth, I do. You don't know how much pain this man has been through. And 
yet, I feel as if I owe him."

"Well, he did give you the assignment within a lifetime."

"Funny spin on words." Al said, chuckling, just as his cellphone rang. 
"Yello? Oh, hi Gooshie! Someone's in the waiting room? Uh huh, and he claims 
to be... who !!?? That's incredible! Yeah, yeah we'll be right over."

"What is it Al?"

"Sam leaped into his own brother, and he's just a decade in the past!"

Moments later, the Calaviccis were at Project Quantum Leap, located deep in 
the deserts of New Mexico.

"Ziggy, fire up the Imaging Chamber!"

"Al, I have to warn you of something that we thought we had never taken into 
account before."

"What's that?"

"There are currently two Dr. Sam Becketts occupying the same place at the 
same time. Plus, as is my understanding you and your wife will also be there. 
If by some chance the two of you were to be in the same place as the two of 
them, there is a possibility of an overlap enabling them to see you and Sam's 
physical aura instead of Tom's."

"Well, is there any way we can run a fail-safe mechanism incase one of them 
should show up while I'm talking to Sam?"

"This should be no problem. They will be incapable of seeing you or being 
able to see Dr. Beckett instead of Tom Beckett."

"That's good. Wish me luck, sweetheart!" Al kissed his wife as he grabbed the 
handlink and ran into the Chamber.