Two Sides, One Coin

Two Sides, One Coin
2 | 3 | 4

SongStar

Part 1

Washington Sheraton Hotel---Washington, DC
June 24, 2001
9:20 pm

The President had been invited to speak before a large crowd gathered at the Washington Sheraton Hotel. He had come to talk to them about his reelection campaign and his illness in the hopes of trying to get more support. His staff all stood along the back wall listening.
He had only been speaking for the better part of twenty minutes, but one of his staff was about to climb a wall. Sam Seaborn was that such person and he was nervous because he had to testify before a grand jury the next day. Toby stood next to him and Congresswoman Andrea Wyatt next to Toby, holding onto his hand. Andi had come in support for both Bartlet and her ex husband. She and Toby and been talking since the night of the press conference and had even gone out once or twice. She now glanced over at Toby's deputy and leaned in to speak to Toby.
"I think your sidekick is about to climb a wall. Why don't you take him outside and try and calm him down." she whispered.
Toby smirked and nodded. "Yeah, good idea." he whispered back. "You want to come?"
Andi nodded "Sure."
"I'll tell Leo." Toby whispered again. "Go ahead."
Andi nodded again and moved to touch Sam on the arm. She gestured with her head towards the door and Toby watched both of them leave. He walked quietly over to Leo and spoke in his ear.
"Leo. Andi and I are going to take Sam outside and try and calm him down. He looks like he's going to come unglued." Toby whispered
Leo nodded in understanding. "Go ahead. We should be through in a little while."
Toby nodded his thanks and left the ballroom. He quickly joined up with his ex and Sam and walked outside.
"Why are we out here?" Sam asked as they walked outside into the parking lot
Toby patted him on the arm. "Because you my friend looked like you needed some air."
Sam shook his head. "I'm fine." he lied
Toby raised his eyebrow at him and gave him a serious look. "No your not. Your nervous because of tomorrow. Its perfectly fine."
Andi smiled at him and patted his arm as well. "Yeah. Its going to be ok." he told him and then looked at her ex husband. "So Toby, oh ex husband of mine, you want to go somewhere and make out."
Sam burst out laughing as he watched Toby go completely red in embarresment at her suggestion. "Yeah Toby. Why don't you?. I promise I won't get into any trouble while your gone." he turned and winked at Andrea, who couldn't help but grin back.
Toby turned a mock glare on his deputy after he had recovered enough to talk again. "I swear Sam."
Sam laughed again, his blue eyes shining with mischief "Uh Oh. This can't be good."
"Sam." Toby growled, taking a step towards his deputy.
"Down Toby." Andrea told him, laughing.
Toby stopped and looked at them both. "You two think your so funny." he growled again.
Sam was about to respond when a loud bang rang out and the tire on a car near them exploded seconds later.
"What the hell?!" Toby shouted fully alert. He started looking around.
"I don't..." Sam started to say but was cut off when more banging noises started occuring and things started to fly around them.
"We're being shot at!" Toby realized a little to late. "Get down!!!" he screamed
All three jumped in different directions, trying desperatly to get undercover somewhere. Toby managed to make it behind a nearby limo and he immediatly hugged the ground. He covered his head with his hands, praying that he was behind enough cover to not get shot and praying that both Andi and Sam had made it to cover. He also couldn't help but wonder why in the hell someone was shooting at them again. The President wasn't even out here.
After about a what seemed like an eternity, the gunshots ended just as suddenly as they began. It wasn't till another minute had passed that Toby raised his head. He listened for anymore shots, but all he heard was shouting from people he hoped would be the Secret Service.
He glanced around as he got to his feet and dusted himself off. His eyes coming to rest on the still figure of his ex wife who was lying not to far from him in a pool of her own blood.
"Andi!" Toby shouted as he ran over to her. "Andi!" he repeated as he reached her side and knelt down. He turned her over and was greeted with the site of blood all over her shirt front. She had been shot trying to get to cover and she had almost made it. Toby reached for a pulse, knowing that he wasn't going to be finding one. Andi's wide open and staring eyes told him all he need to know. "No....Andi." he whispered as he gently closed her eyes with a shaking hand and bent his head.
His head came back up suddenly seconds later as he remebered Sam. He stood up and started looking around frantically for his deputy. This was turning into Rosslyn all over again. "Sam!" he shouted
"Toby!" another voice answered, but not Sam's. Toby turned to find Ron Butterfield running towards him
"Ron." Toby said in relief.
"Are you ok?" Ron asked, pulling up beside Toby and glancing down at Andi. "Shit." he muttered, jaw clenching in anger.
"I'm fine." Toby responded "I haven't been hit. Did you get the shooters."
Ron shook his head. "No, but agents are in pursuit." Ron told him "Where's Princeton. Wasn't he with you?"
"Oh God." Toby said, remembering. His thoughts were all in a jumble right now. "Sam!!" he shouted as he looked around.
"There!" Ron said pointing to the space between two cars that were a couple of steps from them.
Toby turned to look where Ron was pointing and saw a figure lying between them
"Sam!" he screamed and ran over to him with Ron trailing behind them.
Sam was crumpled in a heap on the ground between the two cars. Toby couldn't tell immediatly if he had been hit until he knelt down and gently rolled the younger man over. He gasped as he saw that his deputy was pretty much in the same condition Andi had been in, but it seemed that Sam still lived.
"Is he breathing?" Ron asked
Toby reached for a pulse and found one. It was faint, but it was there. He looked up at Ron. "Get help."
Ron nodded and pulled out his walkie talkie. "This is Butterfield." he said into it. "I have found Toby. He is unhurt. However I do need medical assistance. Does anyone know if an ambulance has been called."
"They should be here shortly." the answer came immediatly as soon as Ron had stopped speaking
"I don't know if that's going to be quick enough." Ron muttered as he looked into the panic filled eyes of the Communications Director.
"No." Toby said defiantly and looked down at Sam. He reached out and touched the younger mans cheek gently. "Sam?" he called "Can you hear me. Sam!."
Sam let out a moan of pain and his eyes fluttered open. His pain filled blue gaze focused on Toby after a moment. "To...Toby." he whispered.
Toby picked up one of Sam's hands "I'm here Sam. Your going to be fine." he tried to reassure the critically injured younger man. He wondered vaguely if he should try and stop the blood that seemed to be pooring out of Sam's stomach area, but a more logical part of his mind that was still functioning told him that it wasn't going to help, that it was to late....that Sam was going to die. Instead he just gathered Sam in his arms and held him. "Oh Sam." he said saddly
Ron, unable to take it any more, stood up and moved away to give them privacy. He started speaking into his walkie talkie
"To...Toby." Sam grated out between clenched teeth. "Sssoo...So...cccc...cold...Te...Tel..Tell Josh...." he trialed off, those few word obviously taking alot out of him.
Toby shook his head, refusing to accept the inevitable. Suddenly he heard sirens approaching and he looked down at Sam who had closed his eyes.
"You hear that?" Toby said "Sam, you hear that. Help is here. Your going to be fine." he shook Sam just a little.
Sam's eyes fluttered open again and he looked at Toby. "I'm....i'm....sorry...."
Toby was about to ask what Sam meant when Sam gasped suddenly, eyes going wide, as his body spaszamed and then went completely limp. His head rolled to the side, eyes still open.
"Sam!" Toby shouted shaking the body in his arms. "Sam! Don't do this to me. Don't you dare die on me! Sam!!"
Ron was instantly by his side, trying to pull him away. Toby resisted, but then he noticed that the medics was behind Ron and he allowed the agent to pull him away.
Several medics swarmed around Sam. One yanked open a kit and pulled out the cardiac paddles. They knew it was pretty much a lost cause, but they knew that had also managed to pull people back from the brink before even gunshot victims. The medic with the paddles placed them on Sam's chest and nodded at the medic who would be monitoring.
"Clear." the medic shouted and Sam's body jumped.
Toby jumped as well.
The medics tried a couple more times, but were unable to perform a miracle and stopped their actions. One of the medics gently closed Sam's eyes for the last time and another medic who was standing by with a gurney, pulled the sheet off it and placed it over Sam's still body. The medic with the paddles looked up and shook his head "There was just to much damage." he said unnecessarily.
Toby barely registered what the medic had said as he sank to his knees. He looked at the sheet covered body of his deputy and then over to where his ex wife lay and then let out a scream of unbearable pain.

Stallions Gate, New Mexico
Project Quantum Leap
April 14, 2004 8:50am

Dr. Sam Beckett sat in the mess at Project QL, reading the morning newspaper, and idly drinking a cup of coffee. He was paying particular interest to the front section where it was talking about the growing problems with China and the Middle East that the current President, President John Hoynes, was trying to resolve. The paper was also talking about the fact that if the President didn't get them under control then World War III just might break out.
"Hmmmm," he sighed thoughtfully, flipping the page over. He took a sip from his coffee and failed to notice the entrance of Al Calavicci.
"Morning Sam." his friend grunted, making a beeline for the coffee pot.
Sam looked up and smiled slightly. "Morning Al. Sleep well?"
Al grunted. "No." he muttered as he poored himself a cup. "As a matter of fact I didn't. You know I don't sleep very well when Beth is gone."
Sam laughed a little. "Yeah I know. She'll be back in a couple of days." he put down the paper and eyed his friend. "You must be really missing her, your rather subdued today." he said, referring to Al's choice in clothes. The former Admiral was wearing jeans and a tshirt
Al just gave him a dirty look and came over to sit with him while he drank his coffee. "Like you aren't missing Donna." he growled and nodded towards the newspaper. "So, what are you reading?"
Both women had taken two weeks off and had gone out to California to soak in the sun on one of the beaches. They were due back in a couple of days and both men were missing them.
"Have you seen this morning's newspaper?" Sam asked, looking up, not seeming to have heard the comment Al had made about his wife.
Al shrugged "Yeah. I glanced at it. It doesn't look to good."
Sam nodded his head. "Yeah i agree. I just hope this won't lead to World War III or something." he said and fell silent for a moment. "You know something."
Al looked at him over his coffee cup and raised an eyebrow. "I know that look Sam." he said as he put his cup down. "What are you thinking?"
Sam opened his mouth to respond when Al's wrist communicator went off.
"Yes?" Al answered
"Admiral." it was Gooshie's voice. "You have an incoming call. I'm putting it through to your office."
"Alright. Thanks." Al said as he got up and looked at his young friend. "Hold that thought. I'll talk to you in a little while."
Sam nodded "Sure. I'll be in my office." he said and went back to the paper.

Al found Sam about an hour later, just where Sam said he would be. Al knocked on the door and Sam looked up from where he was scribbling something. "Come on in."
Al came in and took a seat across from Sam on the other side of Sam's desk. Sam leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on his desk.
"So, who was that?" Sam asked "Beth maybe or one of the girls calling in to calm you down?." he smiled as Al gave him another dirty look.
Sam held up his hands. "Ok, sorry about that." he grinned. "So who was that?" he repeated.
"Well." Al said, "It was one of the members on our board, Jack Taylor."
Sam looked worried. "Oh no. We aren't in trouble are we?" he asked.
Al shook his head and reached into his back pocket of his jeans and produced a cigar. "No, thankfully." he said and raised the cigar as if asking for Sam's permission to light up. Sam just rolled his eyes. "So what did he want?"
Al didn't answer as he lit the cigar and took one long drag. "Well." he said around the cigar. "He called to ask a favor. Apparently I owe him a couple or something." Al drew in another long smoke of his cigar.
"What's the favor?" Sam asked, getting somewhat annoyed by how long it was taking Al to finish the story.
Al just grinned at him. "He wants us to meet with a friend of his to talk about the possibility of changing some piece of history."
Sam's eyebrows went up. "Really. Who is the person."
Al jerked his head the newspaper that was sitting on the corner of the desk. "I think it's going to have something to do what with the front page story this morning." Al said, taking his cigar out of his mouth and rolling it around in his fingers. "The guy's name is Toby Ziegler."
"Toby Ziegler." Sam repeated. Al could hear the wheels turning in his friend's mind as he tried to place the name. "He was with the Bartlet administration if I remember correctly." he said after a moment."I know I wasn't here for most of it, but I do remember reading about it in the paper when I came back."
Al nodded his head. "Yeah, he was the Communications Director under Bartlet."
Sam rocked in his chair for a moment, trying to think through why the former communications director would want to talk to them and why he would possibly want history changed. Unless.....
"What else did Jack say?" Sam asked sitting up
Al shrugged "Not much else. Just that he has set up a meeting for us in town at 12:30 for lunch with the guy."
Sam nodded "Okay, sounds good to me." Sam said, wondering if this was going to going where he thought this might go, then they may just have a chance to avert World War III.

Stallions Gate, New Mexico
The road between PQL and town
12 noon

"So, what did Ziggy manage to dig up on this guy?" Sam asked, briefly taking his eyes of the road to glance at Al who was sitting beside him. "You got a disk didn't you."
They were cruising down the loan stretch of road in Sam's 2004 Camry. Before they left for this lunch meeting, he knew Al had asked Ziggy to dig up some info on the man they were going to meet.
Al pulled out a disk from his pants pocket and leaned over to put it in the slot in Sam's car. He had changed into his dress whites for this occasion. He didn't particularly like wearing them all that much, but he usually wore them to something like this or when he was trying to get funding for the project.
When the disk was inserted, a screen came up and on it flashed the face of Toby Ziegler.
"Toby Ziegler." a female voice said, obviously Ziggy's. "Former White House Communications Director under President Josiah Bartlet"
Sam glanced over at the picture that was projecting and tried to get a good look at Toby, but really couldn't since he was driving.
"Toby Ziegler, one of four children, worked with several unsucessful campaigns before joining up with Bartlet." the female voice continued. "Nothing much is known about him since President Bartlet's failed attempt at a second term in the White House. Sources say that he has been floating around the country and has been in and out of rehab facilities for drinking problems. However, all this has been kept pretty much out of the papers. That's the reason why so little information is known. It is pretty much known that not only his problems but the Bartlet adminstrations problems started the night of June 24, 200l when a failed attempt on Bartlets life ended the lives of both Ziegler's ex wife, Congresswoman Andrea Wyatt and Deputy Communications Director Sam Seaborn. His brother, David, died in a car accident last year."
That got Sam's attention and he glanced over to watch Toby's picture change to show pictures of Andrea Wyatt, Sam Seaborn and David Ziegler. "Maybe I shouldn't have come." he muttered "I might bring up bad memories for him."
Al shook his and took out the disk. "I think it will be alright." he said and looked thoughtful. "I think i'm getting the picture here."
Sam nodded. "Yeah, but lets meet with him first and see what he says before we make any assumptions."
Al nodded and sighed. Sam went back to watching the road.

Sam pulled into town twenty minutes later and glanced over at his friend. "Ok. Where are we supposed to meet him."
"The Resturant New Mexico." Al answered. "Jack thought it would a quiet out of the way place."
Sam nodded. Al was right about that so much so that there had been rumors lately that the New Mexico might be going out of business. It was also pretty much out of the way of prying eyes or at least Sam hoped so. He quickly went through the route in his head and made it there at the appointed time.
There were a few cars in the parking lot, which was ok. They could talk about things and blend in. Sam quicly scanned the cars noticed one that was a rental. He parked the Camry and he and all got out.
"You ready?" Al asked.
Sam nodded and ran a hand through his brown hair. "Yeah, lets do it."
They walked inside the resturant and were met by a hostess.
"Is a Toby Ziegler here?" Al asked her
The hostess smiled and nodded her head. "Yes, if you two will follow me."
She walked them over towards a booth where Toby sat. Sam studied him as they made their way over. Toby had yet to notice their approach which gave Sam time to annalize the way he was sitting. He looked to Sam like a man pretty much worn down by what life had thrown at him the last couple of years.
Toby did finally look up when they were close to the table and Sam could tell even from where he was that the person he was looking at probably wasn't the same person he had seen in the picture on their way over here. Toby looked older and much more sadder. Of course, Sam had to remind himself, having your ex wife and deputy get killed, probably wouldn't help matters much. He could remember one leap where he had messed up the timeline and Al had died and he could remember how he had felt.
"Toby Ziegler?" Al was asking next to him, bringing Sam out of his mushings.
"Yes." Toby answered warily.
Al held out his hand and Toby took it. "Al Calavicci." he turned to Sam "This is my associate Dr. Sam Beckett."
Sam watched Toby as Toby shook his hand. "Dr. Beckett."
Sam opened his mouth to tell him to just call him Sam, but he promptly closed it again. Something told him, maybe it was the slight flinch from Toby when Al had said his name, to not say anything.
"Mr. Ziegler."
All three sat down again and the waitress took both Al and Sam's drink orders and then left.
Al placed his hands on the table and looked all business like. "So, Mr. Ziegler. How can we help you."
Toby ran his hand through his thinning hair. "Well, lets see. Where do I start."
"Out of curiousity. How did you find out about us?" Sam asked giving them a starting point.
Toby shrugged. "I've known Jack for a couple of years now and I talked to him back several weeks ago and he told me about your little project." he told them.
"I wonder what made him do that." Al said thoughfully glancing over at Sam.
"I wondered that myself Admiral." Toby responded with a small shake of his head. "I think he did because he shares the sames concerns I do about where we're possibly headed."
"Al." Al told him "You can call me Al. I'm retired and just wear this thing on certain occasions."
Toby nodded, a slight smile on his face. "Al then."
The waitress chose that moment to show up with Sam and Al's drinks. They told her they were going to wait a little while on food and she nodded and then walked off.
"So how can we help you?" Al asked when she left.
Toby sighed looking a little bit nervous. "I still can't believe that their is actually a project where someone can travel through time and change things. Its eerie." he said
Al chuckled at that. "Yes i know, but believe me its real." he glanced over at Sam who nodded.
Toby nodded and didn't say anything for a moment. Finally he launched into what he wanted to say. "I'm sure you guys have noticed what's been going on lately in the news." he looked at both Sam and Al
Sam nodded. "Yeah. The fact that we're extremely close to a third world war."
"Exactly." Toby said running a hand over his head and he leaned in closer. "I think and Jack does as well, that if Bartlet was still in office we would not be where we are at the moment. John Hoynes doesn't really know what he's doing and thats why were in the situation we're in."
Al nodded. "I met the guy once. He didn't impress me to much."
Toby nodded "He's an idiot to put it mildly. A smart one, but an idiot none the less."
"So." Sam said, getting them back on track to the time travel issue. "You think that if we go back in time and change whatever caused Bartlet not to get reelected then maybe we would not be on the doorstep of World War III." he stopped and then added a little bit more hesitantly. "Do you think that even though Bartlet has MS that he could prevent it."
Toby nodded "Yes." he replied without hesitation. "There is no question about it. It doesn't impair his judgement anyway, unless he has some kind of attack."
Sam nodded and narrowed his eyes. There was something that bothered him a little bit about that last statement, but he let it go. He decided to ask another question. He already thought he knew the answer to this next question, but he wanted to hear Toby's response. "Do you know the events that may have caused the events to lead up to Barlet not getting reelected?"
Toby looked away for a moment and sighed. "Yeah." he said after a moment. "I think i know." he looked back at them and if it were at all possible, he looked 20 years older than he was.
Sam sighed. "I'm sorry to make you talk about it, but it will help us make a better decision to know where to leap into."
Toby nodded in understanding and took another breath. "It was the night of June 24, 2001. We were at a Washington area hotel so the President could give a speech. He was trying to calm the public's fears about his announcement and hopefully get there support back." he stopped for a moment, recalling those events that night in vivid detail. He sighed. "My deputy, Sam Seaborn was pretty nervous about having to testify before a grand jury the next day, so I and my ex wife Andrea Wyatt took him outside so we could calm him down." Toby stopped and took a sip of his coffee.
Al and Sam glanced at each other both knowing how hard it was for Toby to talk about this.
"While we were outside, someone started shooting at us. I managed not to get hit somehow, but Andi was killed instantly and Sam died in my arms a few minutes later. The medics tried to bring him back, but..." Toby trialed off and looked away again.
Al had to look away himself, remembering a leap where he had almost lost his Sam
"Anyway," Toby said after a moment, apparently having gained control over his emotions. "That was the night that things started downhill. Nobody was the same after that and Bartlet eventually lost his reelection campaign.
"Did they catch those guys?" Al asked. "I can't quite remember."
Toby nodded. "Yeah they did. Apparently from the statement they gave, they were supposed to kill the President but since they saw they had a congresswoman and the Communications people for Bartlet they decided to take the chance with us."
Al narrowed his eyes. "And i've heard in certain circles that it was rumored that the President, then Vice President may have had something to do with it."
Toby shook his head. "Hoynes. Yeah i heard that to, but nothing was proven."
Sam raised an eyebrow at that and noone said anything for a long moment. Sam thought for a second, knowing suddenly that he was going to have to do this. He not only knew he had to do this, but he wanted to. He hated the look of saddness and utter loss, not only for Andi and Sam, but for the Bartlet administration as well, in Toby's eyes and wanted to erase it completely.
"Al. Can I speak to you a minute." Sam said turning to the Admiral.
"Yeah." Al nodded and turned to Toby "Excuse us for a second."
Toby raised his hand. "You both can stay, I need to go to the restroom anyway." he said and got up. "I'll be back."
Sam watched him as he walked away and turned back to find Al looking at him. "What do you think partner?" Al asked already more or less knowing what Sam was going to say.
"I think we should do this." he said
"Reasons?" Al asked and then shook his head. "Sorry, stupid question. I know why."
Sam grinned slightly and looked seriously at Al. "Al. Did you notice. He still wears his wedding ring. He...." Sam broke off shaking his head, unable to express out loud what he was thinking.
"I know." Al said simply "Ok, lets do this. Why don't you go out and call Gooshie and tell him to get all the information he can find about this and have it ready for when we get back. Do you think we should take him back with us?"
Sam nodded "Yeah, because I don't think he's going to stand for us telling him that he can't."
Al sighed, he didn't particuarlly like that but he knew they would have to. "Ok, go call Gooshie. I'm going to order and we'll head back after we eat."
Sam nodded and got up and left. Toby came back a minute later and sat down.
"Where's Dr Beckett." he asked.
Al looked at him and smiled. " He went to go call the project. We've decided to do this."
Toby sighed "Thank you." he whispered "I'm coming with you."
Al nodded. "We'd figured you would want to. I don't really like it but we will take you back with us." he said and then added. "But lets eat first."

Stallions Gate, New Mexico
Project Quantum Leap
Same day 2pm

All three men arrived back at the Project about 2pm. Gooshie met them with the news that he had all the information read for them. Sam invited Toby to come with them, but Toby waved the offer of telling them that, if it were possible, he would like to lie down for a little bit. Al took him off to one of the vacant rooms and Sam went off to the conference room to wait on Al.
Al came back a couple of minutes later and sat down at the table. Gooshie came in seconds later.
"Is he ok?" Sam asked concerned.
Al nodded "More or less yeah. He just said that he hadn't slept real well in a couple of days and he needed to lie down for a little while."
Sam nodded, not sure he wanted to accept that answere, but letting it go anyway. He looked up at Gooshie. "Ok, tell us what you found out."
"Ok." Gooshie said turning on the projector. "I'm going to first walk you through who the players are and all that. Then we'll get into who it would be best for you to leap into and all that information."
The first picture to come up on the screen was that of President Bartlet. Gooshie didn't say anything for a second while he pulled out information for Bartlet, giving Sam some time to study the picture.
"Ok, this is President Joshiah Bartlet. He was not the favorite to win a presidental election, but he managed to win anyway. In the year that you are going to be leaping into, he will announce that he has MS, but does want to run again. He is currently back in New Hampshire where he lives with his wife Abigail. His health in the last few years has not been good.
Al nodded, he knew that much.
Bartlet's picture was replaced by another one.
"This is Leo McGarry. He was Bartlet's chief of staff and the one that first got Bartlet to run for the presidency. When Hoynes was elected, he chose not to stay in his administration and lives not to far away from Bartlet with his current wife."
Gooshie changed the images yet again and this time a younger man came up. He had bushy hair, but a kind face.
"This is Josh Lyman, Deputy Chief of Staff. He was originally with Hoynes campaign, but went over to Bartlets to help him get elected. He met Sam Seaborn in school several years before the campaign and was the one that brought him onboard Mr Lyman suffered a serious injury during the Rosslyn shooting, but fully recovered, only to suffer from PTSD a couple of months later. However, with help he got through it. Unfortunatly after the incident at the Hotel, Lyman had another break down and never really got over it. He is currently in a Hospital near his mother.
So that meant that Sam and Josh were pretty close friends, Sam thought to himself. He knew right then that he was really going to have to change this history.
"This is Sam Seaborn." Gooshie said, pulling Sam out of his thoughts. Sam looked up and studied the face of the young man. He was a very handsome young man and probably had a fair share of the ladies running after him. In the picture, he had a smile on his face and his eyes shown with quiet laughter. He looked so full of life that it tore at Sam's heart to know that that life was now gone.
"He was killed the night of June 24th when a presidental assasination attempt went wrong. He is buried in California and his parents have divorced. His father is remarried to the woman he had been having a 28 year affair with."
Sam's mouth dropped open. "My God." he said "Did Sam ever know that." he prayed he hadn't
Gooshie shrugged. "You'll have to ask Toby that question, but from what I can tell he did know. However he and his mother only found out like a month or so before Bartlet announced his MS. At least that what Ziggy managed to find out."
"Ouch." Al said "To find out about your father and then have to find out about the President being sick and hadn't told you he was. The poor kid."
Sam shook his head and then nodded to Gooshie to continue.
"This is CJ Craigg, former White House Press Secretary under Bartlet. She was brought onto the campaign by Toby Ziegler. She also chose not to work for Hoynes and is now married to a man by the name of Danny Cancanon. They have one child. Unfortunatly she suffers from bouts with depression from time to time." Gooshie stopped and then put up the picture of Toby.
"Finally this is Toby Ziegler, the guy who is just down the hall. He was originally in Bartlets campaign from the beginning and was the only one that was kept when a few were fired. He was married to Andrea Wyatt for a while, before they divorced. However they remained close and were going back out when she died that night at the hotel."
Gooshie flashed a picture of Andrea up on the screen next to Toby.
Al sighed softly thinking about his own wife. He didn't know what he would ever do if he lost Beth.
Sam however, and unfortunatly, had memories of the timeline where Al and Beth had never stayed married and had kids. He was grateful however, that the fates allowed Al to not have any knowledge of that timeline. For all Al knew, Beth was there waiting for him when he was released from being a POW in Vietnam.
Sam sighed and traded a look with Al before looking back at Gooshie. "So what is the percentage that this incident was the one that started the whole mess."
"Its high." Gooshie told him. "There's a 98% chance that if you stop Andrea Wyatt and Sam Seaborn from getting killed then President Bartlet will go on to run for a second term and win." he said and anticipated Sam's next question. "You can't stop the shooting from occuring, but if you do prevent anyone from getting killed then the timeline should be corrected."
Sam nodded and ran a hand through his hair. "Ok, so how far in advance do I get before this happens?" he asked this, because he hoped that it wasn't like just right before the shootings took place.
"2 days" a female voice answered. It was Ziggy.
"Ok. Ziggy." Sam started, looking up at the ceiling. "How am I going to prevent it?"
"You have to keep anyone, particularly Seaborn and Wyatt from going outside before the speech is over with. If you prevent that from happening then we should be able to know more after that. I'm sorry, but I haven't been able to calculate that far."
"And you call yourself a super computer." Al quipped.
"Hmphf." Ziggy responded.
Sam chuckled "Now, now kids. Behave." he suddenly sobered and stood up. "Ok. Lets do this." he looked over at Al. "Al your going to probably have to remind me of a few things after you pinpoint me."
"Sure thing buddy." Al said as he stood as well.
Sam nodded and looked at Gooshie. "You and Ziggy go get things ready. Make sure the retrieval program is working and we will do this within the hour."
Gooshie nodded and left. Sam turned to Al again "Go get Toby and meet me in the control room."
Al nodded and walked out, leaving Sam alone in the room. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, praying that this would work out for the best and that he would come home again. They had managed to retrieve him the times he lept after he came home, but there was always that risk. He sighed, opened his eyes and left the room.

Sam was in the control room when Al walked in with Toby about twenty minutes later. Al drifted over towards the table where Gooshie and several aids were working, leaving Sam to talk to Toby.
"I wanted to thank you." Toby said in greeting.
Sam shook his head. "You don't have to. I want to do this." he said and held the other man's gaze for a moment.
Toby finally broke, looked away and cleered his throat. "So how is this going to work." he asked gruffly
"Well i step over there and Gooshie presses a button that will send me back." Sam told him "I will leap in two days before hand. Is there anything you can tell me about what was going on two days before the shooting?"
Toby thought for a moment. "Nothing really. Bartlet was going to give the speech and Sam and I were working on. We had it pretty much nailed anyway, so I don't think 2 days before your really going to have to worry to much about it." he trailed off for a moment, looking sad. "Besides, Sam had written it pretty much by himself."
"You two were close?" Sam asked quietly.
Toby sighed "I never told him, but I thought of him as a brother. I was always pretty gruff with him and everyone else." he said and smiled just slightly. "So don't ruin my reputation."
Sam had to laugh at that. "I promise."
Toby grunted and shook his head. "But nothing big was going on except grand jury investigations of which were going pretty much ok. Sam had one scheduled for the day after..." Toby couldn't say it and trailed off. "But I had already done one and you won't have to go through it.
Sam nodded, thinking he had all the information he pretty much needed. He touched Toby's arm briefly "I swear I'll right this wrong." he said quietly. "Ill get them back for you."
Toby nodded "Thank you." he whispered, unable to say anything more.
Sam squeezed his arm just as Gooshie looked up at him and nodded.
"We're ready?" Sam asked
"Yes." Gooshie said "If you'll step into place.
Sam nodded and walked over to his mark. He stood there for a second and then sighed. "Ok."
"Godspeed sir." Gooshie said
"I'll be with you shortly." Al told him as Gooshie and his aids put their hands down on the keypads on the console.
Sam nodded and felt the leap effect start to take him. He looked over at Toby who was standing near the console and locked gaze's with him.
Sam continued to hold the gaze as the effect completly took him and he leaped.

Washington DC---White House
June 22, 2001 2 days before
11 am

The blue white light faded from around Dr. Sam Beckett, leaving him momentarily disoreiented. As his brain started to kick back in something else decided kick him as well. He didn't notice a small round object suddenly come his way and smack him upside the head.
"Ouch." he said, closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead.
Someone started laughing histerically and Sam cracked one eye to see who it was. His gaze landed on a man leaning back on the couch across from his desk and he was the one that was doing the laughing. Sam's brain kicked in a second later and identified said person. It was Sam Seaborn, a very much alive and breathing Sam Seaborn at that, who was practically on the floor he was laughing so hard.
"Its not funny." he growled.
Sam managed to stop laughing for a second and look at him. Two second later he was laughing again.
Toby/Sam sighed. "Why me." he mumbled.

part 2

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