Quantum Leap: The Prom

This is a standalone in answer to a challenge I saw and thought would be interesting to write. Be forwarned that, while the situation concernes Brian and Justin from QAF, it's all from Sam Becket's POV.

Idea: Sam Beckett (Quantum Leap) as one of the QAF characters

Creator: Adrianne on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/qaffanfictionprojects/

Challenge: Traveling in his own lifetime, Dr. Sam Beckett finds himself in a ballroom surrounded by teenagers. He catches a glimpse of his reflection in a mirrored surface and.......Oh boy!

Author's Note: The character’s appearing in this fan fiction are from the series ‘Quantum Leap’ created by Donald P. Bellisario and from ‘Queer as Folk’ created by Russell T. Davies, Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, Showtime, and others. No copyright infringement is intended.

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"Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. He woke to find himself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that were not his own and driven by an unknown force to change history for the better."

—Opening narration, Quantum Leap

*~*~ Sam’s POV ~*~*

I really hate that disoriented feeling that I get when I leap into a new body. Usually, the first thing I do is look for a mirror so that I can get an idea of who I am this time. So far, I’ve been everything from a child to an old man, even a woman on occasion, which really freaks me out.

Today, I find myself standing in a bedroom. Looking around, I decide that it must be a teenage girl’s room. There are ruffles on everything, stuffed animals on the bed and pictures of young men that I suppose appeal to the younger female generation. Judging by the posters, I’d guess that it was around the turn of the century; twenty-first, to be specific.

Completing my turn, I find myself looking into a full length mirror at a perky, young, blond, teen girl. I notice the girl’s face is turning red. She / I’m probably blushing because the girl is only wearing her underclothes with a pair of stockings covering her legs. The strapless bustier (I think that’s what these things are called) shows the girl’s rather ample cleavage. Or, at the moment, my rather ample cleavage.

Did I mention that I really hate leaping into a female?

"Whoa, Sam. That’s one hot babe you leaped into." A voice said from off to the side. My sole connection with my own time was standing in the bed, a lascivious leer on his face. I think he does that just to annoy me.

I grabbed a robe from the back of the door and covered the girl’s – my – body with it. "She’s young enough to be your granddaughter, Al." I responded, irritated. "Would you mind?" I said, motioning for him to step closer. When I said that Al was standing in the bed, I meant that he was standing in the same space as the piece of furniture. However, being a hologram, he ended where the bed began. It’s a little disconcerting to see him that way, from just the waist up.

Al glanced down, realized what I meant, then took a few steps toward me until he was completely visible again. He started to say something, but was interrupted when the door opened and an older woman walked in. "Sweetheart, I found the earrings you wanted." She stopped and looked me over, clucking her tongue a bit. "Why aren’t you dressed yet?" The woman chided gently. "Your date will be here any minute and you’re still in you underclothes."

I wasn’t really sure how to answer that since I didn’t have any idea who I was at the moment, who the older woman was or where I was going. The idea of a ‘date’ however, didn’t sound too promising.

"Your name is Melissa Lee and this is your mother, Caroline." Al’s voice supplied from the corner where he watched, unnoticed by the older woman. That’s the other thing about Al, I’m the only one who can see or hear him.

"Here." The woman said, pulling out a dress and laying it across the bed. "You get dressed and I’ll see if I can find a wrap for you to take. It might get chilly later on."

"Thanks, Mom." I said cautiously. It was always a gamble to try to respond to someone I’d just met who thinks that I’m the person they know. It must have been okay, because the woman gave me a warm smile and bustled back out of the room.

I started to pull off the robe, resigned to the fact that I would have to spend the evening in a long dress. Then I noticed Al watching with a smirk on his face. "Do you mind?" I asked, indicating that he should turn around. There was no way I was dressing in front of that sex-crazed maniac.

Al snorted. "You really need to loosen up, Sam."

I picked the dress up and took a long look at it. It had thin black straps and looked two sizes too small. Turning it around, I wasn’t too sure which way it went on. The zipper was on the side, which didn’t help any. "Uh, Al?" Al may not know a lot about women's clothes, but he’d probably taken enough off to know the front from the back.

"Yeah, Sam?" Al asked, his back still to me.

"I don’t know how to get this dress on." I said. ‘Can you help?" Okay, this is one of the last things I’d ever thought I’d hear myself asking my friend.

Al’s smirk was firmly in place when he turned around. "Sure, Sam. No problem." Since he can’t actually touch anything, he made motions indicating which way to hold it as I stepped into the dress and pulled it up.

"There, aren’t you a tasty little morsel." Al teased as I turned back to the full length mirror. I couldn’t believe girls actually wore stuff this…tight. It left very little to the imagination and I’m sure that her date wouldn’t really need this kind of encouragement. Most teenage boys didn’t when it came to teenage girls.

"Al, why am I here?" I asked, getting a little panicky at the thought of going on a date dressed like this. I had never really dated much when I was a teen, so didn’t even know what a guy did on one, let alone a girl.

"Not sure, Sam. Ziggy’s working on it." Al smacked the small computer in his hand a few times causing it to emit a few beeps and whistles. "So far, all I have is your name and that you’re going to your Senior Prom tonight."

I know that I must have groaned at that. Not only was I going on a date, but I would be in a room surrounded by other teenagers, some of whom I was supposed to know. I didn’t think I could do this. "Al, I can’t go to a prom. I don’t even know how to dance." I found myself saying. Okay, it was a lame excuse, I admit it.

"Of course you know how to dance, sweetheart." The girl’s mother said as she walked back into the room, smiling as she looked over her daughter’s ensemble. "Now, where are your shoes?" She bustled around, finally pulling out a pair of high heeled, black things that looked like they would make a good weapon if you hit someone with the heel. I was glad they didn’t have straps. I wouldn’t have known how to fasten them.

The older woman helped me with my earrings, since I couldn’t seem to get them in properly. She probably assumed my shaking hands were a result of excitement, not nervousness.

Al was laughing over in his corner, but of course, I was the only one who heard him. A holographic door opened and Al stepped back into it. "Have fun, Sam. And, whatever you do, don’t let your date talk you into going upstairs at the prom." Was his parting shot.

"Why would he want to go upstairs at the prom?" I said in response without thinking.

Melissa’s mother gasped a little. "Did Chris say something like that?" She asked.

Not sure what was going on, I stammered for a suitable response. "Uh, no, it was someone else. I, uh, just thought of it."

"Well, good girls don’t do things like that." The woman said primly. "And a good boy like Chris wouldn’t ask you to."

Still not sure what we were talking about, I let the subject drop. Since Al had brought it up, I was probably better off not knowing.

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it), the doorbell rang then, so I was spared from having to come up with a response. My date, who I gathered was named Chris, was talking to Melissa’s father near the front door. We had to pose for a few pictures then Chris pulled me outside to the waiting limo. There were a couple of other couples already waiting for us inside. One couple was making out while the other was drinking something from the wet bar.

As soon as I was inside, Chris leaned over and started kissing me – Melissa – and running his hand up my leg. When I gasped in surprise, he slid his tongue inside my mouth. This was definitely not going to be a good night.

"Tell him he’s going to ruin your makeup." A familiar voice said, laughing in the background.

I pushed the amorous teen off and repeated Al’s excuse. Chris rolled his eyes and the girl who had been drinking laughed. The one that had been making out before, now gave a squeak of fright and grabbed for her purse. I guess to make sure her makeup wasn’t messed up.

"So, where are we going?" I asked, more to Al than the others, hoping for some clue as to why I was here.

Someone named some restaurant that I’d never heard of, then Al added. "All Ziggy has been able to find out is that something happens with Chris later, near the end of the Prom. I’m still trying to get the details."

As much as I would have liked to berate Al for his lack of information, I was constrained in what I could say without raising suspicions about my sanity. I’d learned the hard way how people respond when they catch me talking to – what’s to them - thin air.

The restaurant wasn’t too bad, although I was getting a little jumpy as Chris kept putting his hand on my leg. When he whispered something about a hotel room after the prom, I choked on my drink. Al chortling in the background about ‘Sam’s getting laid tonight’ didn’t help anything.

Excusing myself, I headed to the restroom to have a talk with my holographic friend. I had almost walked into the men’s room, when one of other girls (girls never go to restrooms alone) started giggling and steered me toward the ‘proper’ door.

Al, of course, probably preferred the woman’s room anyway. I was sure I was turning red.

"So, what was Chris whispering about at dinner?" The other blond, Jessica, asked as she reapplied her lipstick.

"Oh, I bet he was talking about what he wanted to do after the prom." The red-head, Natalie, remarked. "Todd already has a room booked for us." She added with a smirk.

Jessica (and Al) laughed as I turned even redder. "Oh, come on, Cyn. You’ve been talking about this for weeks. And it’s not like it’s the first time you and Chris have done it."

I said a silent prayer that whatever I was here for would be over before the prom was. I had no idea how I would get out of this one gracefully.

The other two girls kept up a continuous conversation as we returned to the table. I had no idea who the people they were talking about were, so kept my comments to a minimum. If they thought that was strange, they didn’t say anything.

Once we were at the prom, things weren’t too bad. I noticed that the other girls had taken their shoes off, so I was more than happy to leave mine at the table. High heels and I have never gotten along real well.

Then the other girls went off to dance, they pulled me onto the floor with them. I can’t say that I’m much of a dancer, but as long as it didn’t involve trying to keep Chris’s hands off my/Melissa’s anatomy, I was willing to give it a try.

The evening went uneventfully for the most part. Chris and the other guys kept disappearing. They’d return smelling of alcohol which I got a face full of when Chris decided to slow dance with me/Melissa. If I’d thought the limo was bad, it was next to impossible to keep his hands off my/Melissa’s rear end.

When I saw Al dancing next to a well endowed brunet, I excused myself and found a quiet spot to talk to my supposed helper.

"Al, it’s getting late and I still don’t know what I’m supposed to do."

"We’re working on it, Sam. Don’t get your panties in a bunch." Al replied, still trying to elicit some useful information from Ziggy.

I rolled my eyes at Al’s pun. I wasn’t in a humorous mood. "Al, I need something to work with. Chris and the other guys have been drinking since we got here. Should I be stopping them? Does it happen here? Does something happen when we… go upstairs?"

For once, Al was rather somber. "Sam, we’re trying. I’ll let you know as soon as I know something."

Seeing that Chris was gone again, I rejoined the girls at the table. I guessed that the guys were off drinking again. "Look at those two." Jessica said in a disparaging tone, pointing to a couple on the dance floor. "Like he’s fooling anyone by coming here with her."

Natalie huffed a bit. "Yeah, the queer and his fag-hag. Probably couldn’t get any other dates." Both girls laughed maliciously.

I looked around, trying to figure out who they were talking about. Not far away, a blond boy was dancing with a pretty little black girl. They both looked like they were having a good time.

"That’s Justin Taylor and his friend, Daphne Chanders." Al’s voice informed me. "He and Chris have been fighting all year."

"Because he’s gay?" I asked.

Thinking I was talking to them, Jessica snorted in disgust. "Like he’s going to bring his boyfriend to the prom."

"Yeah." Al responded, ignoring the two girls. "Whatever happens later, he’s involved somehow." Al was furiously poking at the buttons on his handheld unit.

Chris and the other guys rejoined us at that point. They were well on their way to feeling no pain. Chris sat down and pulled me/Melissa onto his lap, wrapping his arms around my/her waist. "What do you say we head on upstairs?" He asked as he nuzzled my/her neck.

"The prom’s not over yet." I answered. The last thing I wanted was to find myself alone in a room with this overly amorous teenager.

Just then, I felt Chris stiffen underneath me (and no, not like that). His eyes were glued to a tall, late-twentyish man who was just walking in, dressed in black with a white scarf around his neck. Al reappeared at my side.

"That’s Brian Kinney, Justin’s older lover." Al informed me. I was beginning to get a bad feeling about this. One look at the way Chris was glowering at the two men reinforced that feeling.

Brian stopped once he reached Justin and Daphne. If the smile on Justin’s face was anything to go by, he was most definitely in love with the older man. Now, understand that even though I, personally, want nothing to do with another man in that way, two men being together doesn’t bother me either. I don’t think Chris was of the same opinion though.

"We’re getting close, Sam." Al’s voice interrupted my thoughts as I watched the older man lead his lover onto the dance floor. Chris stood up to watch them, his eye’s narrowed. Most everyone else moved out of the way as the two men began to dance together.

"Sam, this is what starts it. Chris is going to do something to one of those men when they leave." Al said anxiously.

I looked around and saw that Chris was gone. "Where did he go?" I asked, a feeling of panic rising in my throat.

Natalie looked around. "Maybe he went to the restroom." She suggested, her eyes returning to the two men dancing together.

I looked back on the dance floor where everyone else’s attention was also. The two men were smiling at each other as they danced, almost in their own world. I’m not sure they even knew there were other people there anymore; they were so wrapped up in each other. I felt my heart twist at the thought that Chris, who hadn’t seemed like such a bad kid, would do something to one of these men just because they were gay.

I managed to push my way through the crowd and out into the hallway, looking for the men’s room. Al was waiting for me when I got there. "He’s not in there, Sam."

"Where then? Where does it happen, Al?" I begged. I knew that I had to stop whatever it was that Chris was going to do. I regretted that I hadn’t taken him up to the room when he’d asked now.

"Damn!" Al said as he hit the side of the handheld computer again. "Stay with Justin and Brian, Sam. I’ll look for Chris."

So I ran back to the ballroom, only the dance was over and the two men were gone. I stood in the doorway, debating what to do next. Jessica walked over and handed me my handbag and shoes. "We’re going upstairs. You coming?" She asked.

"I’m trying to find Chris." I answered, hoping one of them knew where he was.

"Well, see you later." Natalie said as they headed towards the elevators, unknowing of the drama that was about to unfold if I couldn’t find the men and put a stop to it.

"Sam, they’re in the parking garage!" Al yelled from down the hallway. "Take the stairs, this way." He motioned for me to follow him.

I nearly stumbled over my long dress as I tried to follow Al. Picking up the front until it was almost to my knees, I dashed down the stairs and into the parking garage. I ran, frantically trying to find the three men.

"Justin!" I heard a voice yell and ran towards it. I heard a ‘whomp’ sound, then the sound of someone falling.

Then I was there. Justin was laying on the ground, his back to me. I watched in horror as Chris dropped the bat and tried to run, but Brian picked the bat up and was after him, hitting him across the knee.

As Chris fell to the pavement, I took a step forward, knowing I was already too late. The dress, which had been the bane of my existence all night, caught under my foot and I fell forward. Handbag and shoes went flying, one of the shoes hit the car next to me with a loud thump as I fell.

Looking up, I saw Brian drop the bat and turn. He seemed to pause for just a second, then ran over to his fallen lover. The gut wrenching cry he let out tore at my heart.

I sat up and scooted in between two cars as I watched a small crowd gather. An ambulance appeared and took Justin and Brian away, then another came for Chris who probably had a broken knee cap.

The crowd was dispersing when Al reappeared.

"I failed, Al. I didn’t get here in time." I said miserably. I’d never failed before.

Al gave me a sympathetic look. "No, you didn’t fail, Sam." He said, looking at his computer.

I looked up, incredulous. "Justin was hit with a baseball bat, Al. He’s on his way to the hospital now."

"You did save them, Sam." Al told me. "All three of them."

Al waited until the words sank in a bit. "I don’t understand." I said, knowing there was more to the story. "What happened?"

"Well, originally, Brian didn’t stop with just hitting Chris in the knee. When you fell, you must have distracted him just long enough for him to regain his senses."

"What did he do?" I asked, my voice hushed.

"He killed Chris and was sentenced to life in prison. A couple of years later, they discovered he had cancer, but it had already progressed too far to save him. He died before he was thirty-five."

"And Justin?" I asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"He lived, but he was so traumatized that he couldn’t deal with what happened to him. Without Brian there to help him, he withdrew into himself. In less than a year, he died of an overdose of pain killers."

I looked up at Al, feeling a slight relief that maybe things had turned okay after all. "And now?"

Al punched his computer a few times. "Chris lives. Justin and Brian stay together, although it’s not always an easy road. Justin gets better and becomes an artist. Brian’s cancer is found before it has time to spread. There’s some other stuff that they do together, but… I think it’s time for you to leave, Sam."

I begin to feel that usual tingle that tells me I’m about to leap. So I hadn’t failed after all. I smiled a little to myself as I remember the two men dancing, glad that I’d had some small part in keeping that love alive.

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