Jonathan Beckett
Copyright 2010.
Disclaimer: If it is illegal to read this where you are, then don't read it. This story is completely fictional, and based off the TV series Quantum Leap. Any similarities to any persons or events, past or present is purely coincidental. This story contains homosexual themes, along with a sci-fi/fantasy storyline. Quantum Leap is copyright by NBC.
August, 2010
Chapter #1 -- Mirror Image
Late one night Ian and Donna get a call. John has broken into a US military base, and steps into the quantum leap accelerator, in an attempt to save his father. His only guide on the mission is his lover, Ian who relents and helps John as he leaps from life to life, trying to find the man he's never met.
September 8th, 2015
Ian and Donna stepped into the big room. The main room of Project Quantum Leap was colourful, with Ziggy the project's main artificial intelligence at the centre of it all. Ziggy was a computer and piece of abstract art all in one.
Gooshie looked over at Ian. "I am sooo sorry." Gooshie looked like he had been terribly upset. "Tina is in the waiting room."
Donna walked over to the super computer, and put her hand on a console. "Good morning, Ziggy."
"Good morning Dr. Beckett" the zany computer replied.
"Are the retrieval protocols still online?" asked Donna.
"Yes Dr. Beckett. They are online at all times and available."
"When can we attempt to retrieve my son?"
"Your son leaped 1.45 hours ago, Dr. Beckett. You may attempt to retrieve him now."
Donna nodded at that. "Then do so."
"Retrieving Dr. John Beckett."
July 5th, 1996
John looked around a little. He had no idea who he was, or where he was. He ran a hand over his cheek, feeling the rough stubble. Then a pair of slender arms went around him from behind. In the mirror he saw a man, with a woman behind him.
"Sam, come back to bed."
Who was he, and why was he here?
"Sam, you look lost."
John turned to look at the woman. "What? Who are you?"
The woman blinked for a moment, "Sam, this isn't funny. Your memory is always swiss cheesed when you're out leaping around, but you're here with me now."
John looked her in the eye. "I don't think I'm this Sam you speak of."
The woman laughed at that. "Then who are you, Sam? The boogeyman?"
John shrugged a little, while the woman walked off to the washroom. "Stay home and relax. I'm heading over to the base to check on Al's status for you" the woman said from the washroom.
After the door to the washroom closed, John walked back over to the bed, and laid down. Then a whoosh was heard, and a white opening appeared. A man in a white lab coat came through, and the 'door' closed. In his hand was a small coloured device the size of an ipod touch.
"John, there you are! We've all been worried, looking for you!"
John blinked and looked at the man. "Who are you?"
The man studied John for a moment. "You don't remember, do you? It must be the swiss cheese effect Donna and Gooshie told me about."
"Who's Gooshie?"
The woman walked out of the bathroom. "Who's Gooshie? Sam, he's your most loyal scientist at the project. Now get some rest. I'll be home in a few hours." Then the woman headed downstairs.
"I don't believe it" the man said.
"Who are you again?" John asked, having no idea who this man was, or why the woman didn't react to him.
"I'm Ian, your fiance John. I'm a hologram. An observer from your own time that only you can see and hear. I'm afraid I can't tell you more than that. Project rules. You'll have to remember on your own. That woman though, that's your Mom."
John just blinked.
"We were all worried about you, but I sucked it up so you wouldn't be lost. I'm sorry if it took a long time for me to find you. Ziggy had to lock on to your neurons and masons. Parts of your neurology that let you see me."
John remained quiet, having no idea what to stay to this strange man who claimed to be his fiance.
"Ziggy says there is a 75% chance that you are here to tell your mother about you. He thinks it will help have your father more in your life, though how none of us are sure since like you he's out leaping."
"John, it will be alright. I'll help you with the mission, and then we'll help you leap home." Ian sighed, wishing he could hold his lover. But as a hologram, he couldn't do anything but look at John.
John sighed, "Let's say I assume you're correct and I'm this John, who seems to be in another person's body. What happened to the person who was in this body?"
Ian looked at John. "That person is your father, John and he'd be... oh shit! I gotta go." And Ian made that door re-appear, and he disappeared through it leaving John alone with his own thoughts.
John found a pair of boxers, and walked downstairs to the family computer and booted it up. 'Ugh, AOL' he thought has he decided to check out he net. He wondered if these people had any taste at all.
"GET OUT OF THERE YOU FAGGOT!" John could hear someone shout from outside. While he was using dialup, he looked out the window to see the neighbour with a shotgun. He walked over to the back door and opened it.
When the door opened a boy of about 16 entered the house. John made sure to close and lock the door, attempting to help the boy escape his father. "Um, thanks Dr. Beckett" the boy said quietly, almost sad.
"You're welcome, but I'm afraid I don't know your name."
"Liam Montegro."
"That name sounds familiar. Do you have a brother?"
The boy smiled, all proud. "Yes, my brother is Ian and he's 6. I was going to take him to the park so he could play but my Dad found out I'm... I'm... gay" he whispered the last word, close to tears.
John remembered something about a Liam Montegro. Though he couldn't remember exactly who he was, he remembers hearing that he'd killed himself at age 16. "Do you want something to eat, or wear?" In his haste to escape his father, Liam was wearing only a pair of swim trunks.
The boy blushed, "Um, no thanks Dr. Beckett."
The whoosh returned and Ian was back in the room. "Thanks for asking that question, John..." Ian started to say when his eyes fell on Liam. "Liam..." his eyes started to water. "John, Liam was my older brother." Ian looked at the handheld device, "And Ziggy says despite the fact your Dad now knows you're alive, you haven't leaped. So he guesses" Ian sniffled, "that there's a 85% chance you're here to prevent Liam from killing himself."
John just glared at Ian, "Well duh."
"I didn't say anything" Liam looked over to John.
"Oh, it's my over-active imagination. I like pretending I can build castles in the sky." John teased himself.
Liam just looked at John funny.
John escorted Liam up to the bedroom, where he helped him find something that fit and he then fed the boy some eggs, toast, bacon and cereal with a glass of OJ because he was 16 and still growing.
John finally excused himself once Liam started eating, and went to the bathroom upstairs, with the door locked. Of course Ian followed. "Why did he kill himself?"
"For being gay."
"But weren't you there to prevent it if he's your brother?"
"I was 6! What was I supposed to do? Sit on him?!?" Ian was upset, and had a few tears.
John shrugged. "When were you going to tell me?"
"About?" Ian asked as he sniffled.
"Project Quantum Leap. I don't remember a lot, but Liam opened a window and I recall you never told me about the Project, or that you knew my Dad."
"John, honey I... I wasn't allowed to. It's a top secret project, which you wanted no part of, remember? You wouldn't sign the paperwork for the non disclosure."
John shrugged, "I'm not sure that makes a big difference. You knew, and you never told me. That's betrayal in my book Ian."
Ian looked crestfallen, and starred at the floor. He whispered, "Do you want me to find you a new observer?"
John looked to his fiance, right in the eye. Yes, he knew their relationship now. Liam reminded him. "No I want you to man up, and make it up to me and that may be a while before you can seeing as we can't exactly have any physical contact."
Ian just nodded in agreement quietly. It was far too emotional of a day for him.
As John started to stand, they heard a loud gunshot downstairs, and the two of them took off for the kitchen. When they arrived, they found Liam bleeding on the floor.