Chapter Text
There were some leaps that begged for a vacation by the end, and Sam was desperate for a reprieve when their latest wrapped up. He was sure Al was ready for a break too after all that he’d been through, not the least of which was nearly jumping off a building. And Sam had fought hard to get everyone out alive, but too many people didn’t. He never took it well when someone died on a leap, but after a while, it became a necessity to be able to move forward knowing he’d done everything he could.
But that comfort didn’t work this time, because he wasn’t sure he had.
The chill from the snow dissolved into a pleasant warmth. As the blue haze disappeared, Sam noticed something squished between his toes. He bent down to look. He was dressed in nothing but a bathing suit, his feet wiggling in the sand.
He was surrounded by a crowd of excited people swimming, drinking, and enjoying the shade of an umbrella. Behind them was a gorgeous resort, and the beach stretched for miles next to a beautiful blue ocean. This was much nicer than any kind of leap in Sam was used to. Maybe he’d grown a bit cynical, but he was waiting for the bad part to unceremoniously appear.
“Oh boy!” he heard Al exclaim. There it was. He turned around with a panic.
Bedecked in a tacky Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses, and a straw hat, Al was sporting the biggest, happiest grin, a mojito in one hand and a model on the other. “Now this is my kind of leap!”
Without thinking, Sam called out to him. “Al—” A beach ball whacked him in the head shortly before being retrieved by a laughing child with a mischievous smile. The surprise briefly staggered him.
“Watch your noggin there, pal,” Al warned unnecessarily, although his focus never left the model’s sizable chest. Sam glared.
The woman giggled, pushing back her chestnut brown hair. Her high-waisted bikini suggested the 50s or 60s. “You two make me laugh.” She clasped Al’s arm with a sudden thought, her expensive jewelry jangling on her wrist. “Oh! I have to go find my sister, she’d just love you! Wait right here.” With that order, she pranced lightly across the sand, Al’s leering eyes following her every step of the way.
With a familiar, very specific kind of irritation returning to him, Sam trudged his way over to his drooling friend. A devilish smirk flitted across Al's face. “Did you hear that, Sam?”
“Al.”
“Her sister…”
“Al.”
“Heh?” At last tearing his gaze away, Al looked at Sam over his shoulder.
“What are you doing?”
“What does it look like I’m doing? Enjoying the view…” Al turned his attention to another bit of eye candy strolling down the beach, lowering his shades.
Sam’s head dropped back. “Can you at least keep your hormones in check long enough for us to figure out why we leaped here? Someone could be in trouble while you’re enjoying the view.”
“Who’s in trouble? No one’s in trouble.” Al waved his hand across the joyful beachgoers, gesturing casually toward a nearby tower. “Look, see, there’s a lifeguard on duty. If a shark shows up, we know who to call.”
“Al.”
Al’s neck disappeared, making him resemble a turtle, as he raised his shoulders defensively. “Would you lighten up? Everything’s fine. When’s the last time we had to jump into action the second we leaped in?”
Inside, Sam was aware his uneasiness was stemming from guilt. Guilt which didn’t relate to Al’s sex drive or this woman and her sister. He wanted to be ready at all times, to be sure that this leap he saved everyone, to…to prove himself. But Al didn’t know that. All he knew was Sam was the thing standing between him and two pairs of bingo bango bongos, and it had been far too long since he’d had access to any of those. Sam was too on edge to indulge Al’s overactive libido.
But he’d made a fair point. GTFW didn’t make it a habit to expect them to solve something immediately after they’d arrived. Sam’s shoulders relaxed a little as he begrudgingly conceded.
“Exactly. So, until Gooshie shows up so we can do what we gotta do, let’s just…” Al’s hand glided smoothly like a wave, “…take it easy.”
Sam sighed tensely. He was still waiting for the other shoe to drop. “Yeah. Take it easy.”
Al’s eyes slid to the side. Sam was being a total buzzkill. “This could just be the swiss cheese talking, but have you ever taken a real vacation?” His attention strayed toward the female persuasion again. Without waiting for an answer, he offhandedly wiggled a finger downward in Sam's direction. “You look good in your little trunks, Sam.”
Sam pursed his lips. Sometimes Al said things purely to mess with him.
The sound of familiar giggling had doubled, and their heads turned in sync to see the model...times two. Aside from her shorter hair, her sister was completely identical, and they were both eyeing the men before them like kids in a candy store. The only thing separating this from one of Al’s fantasies was the presence of clothing.
Immediately, Al’s jaw hit the sand. As far as he was concerned, this was the jackpot! Even Sam had difficulty not staring. They were…quite ample.
“Gee,” the sister said with a charming shrug of the shoulder, “Maria was right, you two look scrumptious.”
“This is going to be so much fun,” Maria grinned, draping her arm around her sister as she eyed them up and down, “We’ve never been with Americans before.”
Were they out of the States? A surreptitious glance, and Sam noticed the crowd was primarily Hispanic with a smattering of white tourists. When he returned his focus to Al, a small puddle of saliva had begun to form underneath him.
“Wait until you see my star-spangled banner…” Al breathed lasciviously to their chests. With a quick look at each other, the girls again laughed.
Sam wasn’t convinced Al ever stopped being a teenager. “Would you excuse us please?” With a polite smile, he took Al by the shoulders and directed him out of earshot.
“Saaam…”
“Al, you can’t—”
“Twins, Sam! Twins!” Al begged emphatically, “You know it’s been my lifelong dream to make it with twins! C’mon, don’t ruin this for me. For us. Look, they’re obviously into you too.”
Sam’s face became a scowl. “I’m not gonna sleep with someone I don’t know.”
“Why not?”
“Why not? Because—because we’re not who they think we are!”
“They don’t think we’re anyone, Sam,” Al pointed out, “You heard them, we just met. They don’t know us from Adam. So what’s it matter what we look like?”
“It matters to me.” Sam had his feet in the sand, his arms flat at his sides, and, as Al would say, the posture of someone who had recently gotten a swift kick in the ass.
For whatever crazy reason Al couldn’t quite understand, Sam upheld himself to some sort of saintly principles. He really wasn’t trying to be a killjoy, he just genuinely wanted to do right. And that, Al supposed, was an admirable quality. But not ideal for a wingman. And, he could see from the way he was acting since they leaped in, Sam was letting something else bother him that was making him irritable.
Al placed a soft but firm grip on his friend’s shoulder. “Listen, pal. I think both of us could use a break. Who knows? Maybe we were leaped in here to recharge after how loony that last leap turned out.”
Sam thought it over. This was already a thousand times better than their previous travel through time, and the warm sun did feel pleasant. “Maybe…”
Al was in. “Yeah, maybe. And I know this flies in the face of your Boy Scout nature, but it’s not against any rules to just take a girl out and have a good time. No strings attached. We’re not tied to anyone back home,”—not that that had ever stopped Al before—“and they clearly want it too.”
They weren’t tied to anyone back home. That was still hard for Sam to hear. It didn’t feel like it yet. But hearing Al say it out loud…it did start to sink in that being with a woman on a leap no longer made him unfaithful.
Al could see Sam remained hesitant, but his resolve was beginning to waver. “C’mon. You don’t have to sleep with anyone. We just spend the day with these ladies and see where it takes us, huh? Try to have fun.” He tugged him playfully closer. “Remember fun, Sam?”
Al should’ve been a lawyer. Sam finally gave in, even allowing a reluctant smile. He’d been a lone leaper for so long, maybe he should try things Al’s way for once. After all…they really weren’t hurting anyone. He still had no desire to sleep with a total stranger, but at the very least he could attempt to have a nice time at the beach. “Okay…okay, we’ll spend the day with them.” Al’s face cracked into a big grin as Sam raised a preemptive finger. “At least, until Gooshie tells us any different.”
“That’s the spirit, Sammy boy!”
As Al squeezed Sam's shoulders, he swallowed and hoped he didn’t regret this.
-------
Maria and her sister Francisca were fond of two things: handsome American men (which they apparently were), and stuff. Just, stuff. They’d stop at every booth along the boardwalk and take delight in whatever shiny baubles caught their eye, the gaudier the better. They’d brag about their money (they came from wealth) and tell stories about where their jewelry came from and what famous person gave it to them. Al of course was having the time of his life, but Sam found them quite shallow.
But, he couldn’t deny they were fun. They tackled life with such enthusiasm it was infectious. Francisca carried a clunky old Polaroid camera with her—a model Sam hadn’t seen in decades; it brought back good memories—and insisted on documenting their travels. As they ate ice cream together, they got passerby to take their photos. The girls had many colorful stories--some of which even took Al by surprise--and they were charming, if not a little over the top. This was a party for them. Admittedly they were not Sam’s typical type, but he was finding it easier and easier to forget about leaping for a while. They might’ve been a tad superficial, but they were decent company—for the most part.
But as usual for Sam these days, there was the guilt. Not that he considered this anything more than a day at the beach, but he hadn’t been on a real date since he told Donna he wanted a divorce. Sure, he’d been romantic on leaps before--leaps where he didn’t remember--but something like this felt different. He was…well, if he was being honest, a little scared. He wished he had Al’s ability to bounce back, but perhaps he was simply more of a pro after five marriages.
Why had he agreed to this again? The last time he’d been on a double date with Al, the girl’s father had to pick her up for curfew.
They seemed to’ve come to an unspoken agreement—a psychic twin connection?—that Maria was with Al and Francisca was with Sam, so while Al and Maria shared double entendres, Francisca was on Sam like glue. Al wasn’t deceptive about his intentions--half of his time was spent with his eyes on Maria’s chest—which was okay, because Maria wasn’t subtle either. And while whatever Al did was up to him, Sam didn’t exactly want to commit to the same. So as his friend was dipping his ice cream cone into Maria’s mouth sensually, Sam was awkwardly trying to distract himself from a woman who was not getting the equivalent attention.
“The sunset is beautiful, no?” Francisca asked with her head cocked, leaning into him, “Very romantic…”
“Yeah, heh.” Sam smiled politely. “Oh look, hats!” Awkwardly pulling away, he half-sprinted toward a booth selling souvenirs. Smooth.
“Ohhh, I have a sweet tooth too, you know…” He could hear Al breathe.
“Then why don’t you come have a taste?”
Sam glanced behind him. God, their tongues were down each other’s throats. He whipped back toward the booth and pretended to be interested in whatever hat was directly in view. He picked it up and folded the brim, as if testing the quality.
An amused Francisca peered down at his hands, a smirk on her face. Sam’s tactics were not lost on her. Keeping a respectful distance apart, there was a shift in her attitude. Her tone was markedly different than it had been before, less of a performance. “Our dad has the same one,” she said softly, nodding toward the large resort he’d noticed when they’d leaped in, “He owns the hotel…all of them, actually. Which means he could afford a new hat, but he’d never replace it. It means too much to him.”
Sam’s interest picked up a little at the fond remembrance. “Oh? And why’s that?”
“Because he’s balding and he’d never take it off.”
At the unexpected response, Sam burst into laughter. She smiled wryly and gave him a playful nudge, taking the hat and placing it on his head.
“What do you think?” he asked, tipping it askew.
She scrunched up her face. “Nah.” She snatched it off. “It’s not you. It’s…too showy.”
“How do you know if I’m showy or not?”
“I can read people,” she stated matter-of-factly, like she really did have psychic powers.
Sam grinned lopsidedly, playing along. “Oh yeah? Read me some more.”
Head tilted again, Francisca's eyes narrowed as she studied him carefully. “Hm, you strike me as…” A beat. She tapped a neon pink nail to her lips. “...someone who’s honest, maybe to a fault…but still has his secrets...who thinks himself kind, but possibly has a bit of darkness in him.” Sam’s smile slowly faded and he froze. She leaned in teasingly to cut the tension. “…and loyal, even when his friend makes him go on a date with two crazy sisters.”
The assessment revealed far greater depth than Sam gave her credit for. Maybe she did have some sort of power, because she definitely seemed to know more than he thought he let on. He ducked his head with embarrassment at the last comment. “It’s that obvious, huh?”
“Perhaps.”
“I’m sorry,” he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, “It’s not that you’re…I mean, you’re very, um…what I mean is—”
“It’s okay. You want it to be special.” Francisca smiled genuinely. Behind her warm eyes, Sam saw a very perceptive woman and realized his mistake in judging her so quickly. He wished he’d noticed how bright she was earlier in the day, because now…he kind of liked her. She laughed and shook her head, her curls bouncing in the sunlight. “You know, I just realized I never found out your name?”
Sam didn’t really know the name of his leapee either, but he answered easily, “It’s Sam. Sam Beckett.” He didn’t think about why he told her his real name, didn’t consider the consequences…he simply felt he could.
-------
“I don’t, um…I don’t usually do this.”
“Have casual sex?”
Sam closed his eyes and chuckled a little uncomfortably, stiffly rubbing his hands together as he sat next to Francisca on the hotel bed. “Yes—but it’s not just that.” He twisted his fingers together and thought on it, fear weighing heavily on his mind. This woman was still a perfect stranger, but he felt comfortable opening up to her. And…he needed to be upfront about this. “I was, um…I was married. Until very recently, in fact. And I haven’t…been with anyone since…” The words left him. What was he doing?
“Ohhh…I see.” Francisca nodded and looked down at her hands as well. “You must have loved her very much.”
“I did.” Sam paused. He wondered where Donna was now and hoped she was happy. Had she found someone else?
“It doesn’t erase her, you know.” He lifted his head with surprise. “You’re a good man. Good men remember the people who loved them.” Francisca placed her hand over his and he swallowed hard. She called him a good man. It meant more than she knew. “Was she your first? Wife, I mean.”
Sam gave a slightly amused smile as he thought of how different Al’s answer would’ve been. “Yeah.”
“I was married. Twice. But I only really loved the first.” Sam looked over at Francisca as she gazed at the wall reminiscently. She seemed too young to be married twice. “He died. A heart attack. Can you believe it? Thirty years old, and he dies of a heart attack.”
Sam frowned. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. It taught me something I never forgot: life is too short.” Francisca gave a devil-may-care shrug. “Tomorrow may never come, so why put off your own happiness?”
Perhaps it took a shot of reckless abandonment for Sam to suddenly understand.
Donna was no longer waiting for him. He couldn’t meet someone and fall in love again, not something long lasting anyway, unless he leaped home. And that clearly wasn’t going to happen yet. Maybe it never would. What he had was this moment, with this person, who only knew him as Sam Beckett. And though he was aware that he’d leave her life sooner rather than later…at the very least, he could see himself falling in love with her.
“Besides,” Francisca snorted, “I’d kick myself if I didn’t kiss you right now.”
Take the chance. Forget about the leap, forget about the baggage, just do it. Scooping her face in his hands, he slowly leaned in and kissed her.
He had now to be happy.
-------
Al was very happy. He had to come up from under the sheets for air. Wowza! This was one kitten who never stopped!
“You’re a machine!” she gasped, also needing a quick breather.
“Thanks,” he panted, “Remind me your name again?”
“Who cares?”
Breather done. They locked lips and once again buried themselves under the blankets. This was going to be a long night! Al was astounded that he’d landed such a knockout, and with so little work on his part. Whoever he’d leaped into, he must be one good lookin’ guy. If he got broads like this a lot, he was a lucky dog.
Not that Al had much else on his mind at the moment, but he did have a few thoughts. For once, he had leaped into a not-so-unpleasant situation, without all those sticky complications. Well, maybe a different kind of sticky, but still. Just simple sex. Simple, crazy sex. Holy cow, she was pulling some moves even he didn’t know!
And after their recent string of rotten luck, he was glad GTFW had finally given them a break. Hopefully Sam had taken his advice and loosened up, because he’d be thankful he did.
-------
Sam stirred awake feeling like a different person. Braver, more spontaneous.
For once, he was doing something for him on a leap and…the world didn’t end, he didn’t combust into flame. He’d only had a great time. Why had he waited so long to do something like this? What had he been so afraid of? He couldn’t believe he’d followed Al’s advice, but…he felt good. And he was looking forward to whatever time the leap afforded to him and Francisca. With a faint smile, he blindly reached over to caress her. “Mm, morning…”
The bed was empty.
His eyes cracked open. Brow furrowed slightly, he sat up and searched the room. There was no sign of Francisca anywhere. Nor was there a sign of any of his belongings either.
As the slow awareness from his sleep-addled brain gradually turned into panic, he went rigid. Everything was gone.
Immediately coming to life and scrambling out of bed, he checked the bathroom, the floor, the closet. His suitcase, his wallet, the place had been cleaned out. Hell, even the tiny shampoo in the shower had been taken. He was left with nothing but the clothes on his…
Eyes as big as saucers, he looked down and suddenly remembered he was completely in the buff. With a rapid onset of self-consciousness, he haphazardly snatched a sheet off of the bed and wrapped it around his waist. Oh boy.
He should’ve learned by now that if a leap seemed too good to be true, it usually was.
How could this happen?! He’d just gotten used to the idea of letting go of his paranoia, but sure enough, his instincts had been correct. There was the other shoe, dropped right onto his thick skull! He should’ve followed his gut instead of Al’s…gut.
The worst realization of this terrible situation, however, was that he was going to have to go outside at some point. And it was awfully breezy out there.
Al might have been just next door, but there was above a zero percent chance that Sam could be seen by someone, and that was more than he cared to gamble on. Sometimes he wondered if whoever was leaping them around in time wasn’t constantly thinking up ways to get his clothes off. Every other leap, he was losing his shirt or pants. It came off suspect, was all. What he wouldn’t give for some sweatpants, hell he’d simply settle for a pair of underwear! But if he was going to get anywhere, he'd have to bite the bullet. Taking a slow, deep breath, he steeled himself for the worst and grabbed the knob, ready to bolt for Al’s room.
When he ripped the door open, however, Al came barging inside…also wearing nothing but a bed sheet and an expression of horror.
“They robbed us!”
“You too?!”
Al spun around to shoot Sam a dirty look. “No, I just like hanging out au naturel with you, Sam.” A beat. He did a double take as he realized his friend was naked too. “Hey, did you knock boots with her?”
Sam was flustered for a moment. “I—yes,” he answered with embarrassment.
Al couldn’t help the small smirk on his face, distracted as usual. “Awww, good for you, pal.”
“Al.”
“...I didn’t actually think you’d do it. You know, I’m proud of you...”
“Al.”
“...If she was anything like her sister, Sam, she was wild! Hey, did she do that thing with you where she put her hand—?”
“Al!” Sam shouted, knocking Al out of his reverie. He hurried over, awkwardly holding his sheet in place. “What if something happened to them?”
“Heh?”
“What if they didn’t rob us? What if someone else did and—and took them hostage?”
Al twisted his mouth and let his head fall sideways. Poor, dumb Sam. “Both of them? Tune in to reality.”
“It’s possible.”
“It’s also possible I sang at the Grand Ole Opry, but that doesn’t make it true.” Al lowered his eyelids pointedly as Sam looked downward with ever-wavering denial. He sighed, shuffling over to the mirror and motioning to the glass. “Just take a look please.”
Wondering what he was getting at, Sam joined him and caught their reflections for the first time. Staring back at them were two fat, balding men in their 40s, with faces that defied the mirror to shatter. Not quite the Don Juans the girls made them out to be.
“Trust me, Sam. With faces like that? We were duped.”