Quantum Leap: The Next Step

Title: Quantum Leap: The Next Step
Author: Megan Faye
Rated: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine.........don't blame me.




"I know. Its going to be okay, Samantha." Naomi smiled and settled back onto
Sam Beckett's chest. He smiled. Sam could get used to being Kathryn. Blue
light surrounded him, and Dr. Sam Beckett leaped.



sam sat in the non-exsistance awaiting materialization into someone. he looked over at al and donna.

"you won't remember us when you finish leaping," came a thought into sam's mind from one of the others.

"why not?"

"we don't know."

"jesus, sam, we go through this every leap."

"i can't help it. where is naomi?"

"you remember naomi?" al thought to sam.

"who is naomi?" donna's mind asked.

"can i go back?"

"no, you have to leap."

"naomi needs me. she's going to loose neelix, and no one can stop it but me," sam screamed with his mind as he watched voyager's life play for a year. "i want to be there. i want to be with naomi."

"ziggy, he's not going to leap. we have to send him somewhere or he'll die. "

"naomi is a sweet child. i miss her, donna. gotta go back."

"ziggy, now!"




When he opened his eyes, he was still on Voyager, looking into Naomi's tear filled eyes. Confusion came over her face.

"Tom?" She looked closer, and a smile broke out on her face. "Sam?" she
whispered.

"Oh boy......"






"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. His
only guide on this journey is Al, an observer from his own time, who
appears in the form of a hologram that only Sam can see and hear. And so
Dr. Beckett finds himself leaping from life to life, striving to put right
what once went wrong and hoping each time that his next leap will be the
leap home."




2379

"Oh my Gods, Sam! What are you doing back here?" Naomi whispered.

"Back? You mean I leaped?" he asked, in a hushed whisper. "Why don't we go someplace not crawling with people. Besides, Neelix's cooking tends to make me sick." Naomi's eyes shot down to the floor.

"Neelix died 3 months ago." Sam mentally kicked himself. "He and my Mom were on an away mission and he fell." Naomi stood and took Sam's hand. "Show me the new holoprogram, Tom!" she said, grinning ear to ear.

"What?" Naomi nodded towards Kathryn and Samantha, who had just entered the mess hall. "Oh yeah," he said, doing his best impression of Tom. "You'll love it. Captain Proton meets The Evil Dr. Beckett of 1999, a Quantum leap scientist. He leaps from body to body, causing trouble." Naomi giggled, and climbed onto his back. She whispered something into his ear. "OK," he said back softly.

"Hello, Tom. Off to the holodeck with my daughter?"

"Where else would we be causing mischief. Hi, Kath," he said, leaning down to kiss her gently. "Mmm, coffee."

"Stop flirting with your wife and let's go!" Naomi said, grinning. "Bye Captain Janeway! Bye Mom!"

"If we weren't so happily married, I'd be jealous of your daughter, Samantha," Kathryn said, joking as Sam ran down the corridors with the girl on his back, shouting out Captain Proton sayings and quotes. "She's doing better."

"I think she still blames me for what happened."

"Once you tell her she's going to be a big sister, she'll change her mind."




Sam let Naomi down. She hit a few buttons and a program of a small cafe appeared. Sam smiled and sat at one of the stools. Naomi had dug into the history books and found information of the Quantum Leap project. Near the site stood a small cafe. Sam had grown up working there before he started collage.

"Its perfect, Naomi." A port opened and Al stepped through.

"Wait a minute, why are we in the cafe? We're supposed to be-"

"Hi, Al," Naomi said, pulling herself onto the stool next to Sam.

"And we're back on Voyager." Al sat on the other side of Sam and put his chin in his hands, as did Naomi and Sam. "Ziggy has no idea why your here."

"I do, and your 3 months late."

"Neelix died."

"That was supposed to happen. His time was up. If he had stayed, and you made it home, he'd have been killed and a war would have broken out." Al slapped his remote and nothing happened.

"Maybe you leaped here because you just like it here?" Naomi suggested. Al shook his head. "If you don't know what you need to do, can you leap home?" Sam shook his head. "You can't pilot the ship, so that's out. Maybe you and Kathryn have a fight and you have to make it right like you did with Mom and Chakotay." Al slapped the remote again.

"Uh oh, Sam," Al said, panic in his voice.

"What does Ziggy say?"

"Task Complete. You should be leaping as we speak, but you're still here," Al said as Tom stepped out of Sam. "And you aren't Tom anymore."

"Naomi! What the hell happened? End program." The cafe disappeared leaving Tom, Naomi, Sam and Al. "Paris to security; intruder alert in holodeck 2."

"Lt. Paris, its okay, he's not an intruder!" Tom snatched a phaser from the panel near the door and pushed Naomi behind him. "Tom, he's here to help us."

"Is he going to get us home?"

"Probably not."

"Is he going to bring back Neelix?"

"No," she answered softly. "Remember the Quantum Leap Project we've been studying for the last 9 months? This is Sam Beckett." Tom whipped his head around to face her.

"Dr. Beckett?"

"Yeah," Sam breathed, lowering his hands. Tom put the phaser away.

"History recorded you as dead in 2006 after failing in your last leap." Al looked at Ziggy and back at Sam, shrugging.

"Ziggy said task completed. Maybe she let you come here because you loved being here last time." Tom whipped back around at Sam.

"Last time? Who did you leap into last time? What did you change? Why can Naomi see you when you're in someone else?" Tom questioned in one breathe.

"Are you through?" Naomi asked, placing one hand on her hip.

"Yes," he answered.

"He leapt into Kathryn to get you and her together and save my Mom. I think you can figure out what he changed." Tom nodded as the doors opened. Tuvok and a security team rushed in.

"Tuvok, its all right. Meet Dr. Samuel Beckett of Earth. He still holds the record number of doctorate. He's got one in every medical and psychological field, and most of the science theories of today came from his projects and theories." Tuvok sent the security team away, but kept his phaser handy.

"We'll wait until the doctor can confirm his identity before we allow his to roam the ship."




"Naomi, we don't know if he's dangerous. I don't want you hanging around him until we know for sure who he is!" Samantha said, stepping between Naomi and the exit.

"He's my friend, and he's not dangerous! He saved your life, got you and him together, got The Captain and Tom together, and do you know what? I like him." Naomi stood her ground waiting to be sent to her room.

"Naomi, listen to your mother."

"You are not my father!" Naomi yelled as she stomped out the door. Sam had been on his way to pick Naomi up to have lunch and was at the end of the corridor. He could see from the far end of the hall the tears on her cheeks.

"Naomi," he said, kneeling down to hug her. "Hey, what's wrong?" Naomi sniffled and snuggled into his arms.

"He has no right to tell me I can't eat lunch with you. He's not my father."

"Chakotay still loves you, though."

"Then why did he kill Neelix?"

"He didn't kill Neelix, Naomi. Neelix fell off a cliff in a cavern. I'm sure your Mom and Chakotay did everything they could to save him." Naomi started sobbing.

"They let him die! Its just like killing him. Why did Neelix have to die? I wish it was Chakotay who's rope broke." Sam lifted her into his arms. "I couldn't have my father, so I had Neelix, and he was taken away too. Its not fair!"

"Is that why you don't want anything to do with Chakotay? Are you afraid he'll leave too?" Naomi nodded into his shoulder. "Is it okay is we talk to them about it?" Again, she nodded. Sam headed towards Samantha's quarters. He rang the chime.

"Come in," came the muffled reply.

"I believe I've found something of yours," Sam declared, smiling weakly. "Naomi, sweet heart, you've got a death grip on my neck. Can't breathe." Naomi let go so Sam could put her down. "Is it all right if we all speak?"

"Naomi, you go to your room," Samantha said, more harshly than she'd intended. Naomi burst into tears and ran into her room, sealing the door. "Just who the hell do you think you are?"

"I think I'm a man with doctorates in psychology, psychiatry, general medicine," Sam said softly. "I see my friend hurting and all you do is sit and criticize me. Do you even know why Naomi won't speak to Chakotay? She didn't even get a chance to know her real father, and the only father she's ever known died. She doesn't want to loose him, too. If I were the two of you, I would get my asses in there and tell her that its all right to get close to people without fearing they'll leave." With that, Sam turned on a heal and walked out. "What am I supposed to do, Al?"

"I don't know, Sam. I don't know."




Kathryn leaned back against Tom and stretched out on the couch. Tom tightened his grip around her waist and smelled her hair. "Rough day?"

"Try impossible. Tuvok want to confine Sam Beckett to his quarters. Chakotay wants him in the brig, Naomi wants him free, you want him to help with a holoprogram, the doctor wants him in sickbay, and I don't know what to do."

"What does he want?" Tom asked.

"To go home."

"Well, we all want that."

"Tom, I have no idea what to do. He wants to help out, but he doesn't know anything about this technology."

"He's got a few psychology degrees, ask if he'll be ship's counselor." Kathryn snuggled further against Tom.

"Tomorrow. Now, I want to sleep." Tom smiled and kissed her head.






"Ship's counselor?" Chakotay asked, clearly irate. "You must be out of your mind. There is a temporal prime directive here. If we get home and send him back into his time, look at what we could loose! Its insane!"

"It is a logical conclusion, Commander. He is a psychologist, and a psychiatrist. There are some who would benefit from seeing him regularly." Tuvok said, standing beside Chakotay.

"Dr. Beckett?" Kathryn said. Sam looked up from the PADD he had been reading at the couch on his duties. "What do you think? Will you take the position?"

"I don't know," he said softly.

"You'd be instated in Star Fleet as a Lt. Commander. Tom, Chakotay, Tuvok, and B'Elanna will teach you everything about this ship you need to know to pass Academy exit exam. It'll take about 6 months, but you can practice starting today." Sam set the PADD on the coffee table and stood.

"I think it sounds pretty good to me," Sam said, smiling. He shook Kathryn's hand. "I remember the rules about the replicator from my last leap here."

"Last leap?" Kathryn asked, sitting down. "Gentlemen, your dismissed." Chakotay and Tuvok exited the ready room. "You leapt here before, as I've been told, but I don't know any of the details."

"Ah," he replied, lifting his coffee to his lips.

"Who did you leap in to?"

"I, um, leapt into you." Kathryn's eyebrows shot up. "To save Samantha."

"Ah. I see we, Uh, did the trick," she said, grinning. "And that's when you and Naomi met and got so close to her." Sam nodded. "Well, since everyone has been moved to new quarters, being married and everything, you can have Harry's old quarters on deck 8 for the time being. We'll arrange for an office and quarters on deck 2 as soon as possible."

"Oh, no, deck 8 is fine. It'll be more accessible to the lower ranking crew members who may need me."

"Oh, you're good."

"More coffee?"

"You are so perceptive!"

"I was you once, remember?" Kathryn laughed.

"I think this is going to turn out to be a beautiful friendship."




"So you bit her."

"Yes, and it was delicious."

"Vorik, B'Elanna is married. I understand that the Pon Far is a difficult time, but you can't go around biting other crew members, especially married, pregnant Klingon crew members. How's your nose?"

"It is broken," Vorik snarled. "She broke it!"

"You bit her."

"One could assume that because she is Klingon, she was engaging in a mating ritual."

"No, one could not. You bit her, she was angry and she broke you nose and threw you 30 feet away from her shouting to never come near her again! One could assume she wants you to back off." Sam said, rubbing his forehead. "Go to the holodeck and have the doc set up Vulcan Nights. And no challenging to the death, all right?"

"Aye, sir." Vorik stood to leave. "Thank you for your time."

"Anytime, only don't come at 0300 hours again, or I'll break your nose," Sam grumbled, going back in the direction of his bed. The door hissed shut. "Al, the next time someone comes, do me a favor and don't wake me. Unless-"

"Unless its Naomi. Gotcha."

"This is just been the best first week of a job," Sam muttered as he pulled the blankets over his head.

"Uh, Sam?"

"What?"

"Naomi is coming. I'd put some pants on." Sam pulled his pajama bottoms over his flannel boxers and yawned.

"I'm really not liking this job anymore." The chime punctuated his sentence. "Come in." Naomi stepped in, Flotter tucked carefully under one arm. "Hey, sweetie, you okay? Come sit down."

"Mom and Chakotay are still on the away mission, and I don't like being in our quarters alone." Sam brought 2 cups of hot chocolate to the coffee table and sat next to Naomi. "Thanks."

"My Mom used to make this for me when I couldn't sleep."

"Do you miss her?"

"Yeah, I miss her a lot. She died when I was 12."

"I'm sorry." Naomi sipped her drink. "Do you know your father?" Sam smiled and nodded.

"My Dad used to grumble that I was too much like him. He never gave up on anything. Dad and I lived on a farm in Arizona. He loved that farm! It was his life! Dad was smart enough to do the things I've done in science, and other things of that nature, but he was so content to brush a horse, milk a cow, or pat the chickens when he took their eggs. He is the nicest man I have ever known."

"My real father, in the Alpha Quadrant, isn't too bad. All I know of him is from what Mom tells me, and from when we talk on the comm every week."

"Every week now?"

"Yeah! No one told you? Since your last visit, we've increased the time to 10 hours of comm time a day. Everyone gets 28 minutes a week. Mine is coming up tomorrow at 0928. Who are you going to speak with?" Sam shrugged.

"I don't have anyone in this century. Maybe talk to someone from Star Fleet with Captain Janeway," Sam said, yawning.





"Computer, time?" Sam asked as he covered Naomi with a blanket and tucked her in on his couch.

"The time is now 0420."

*Wildman to Beckett.*

"Beckett, go ahead, Samantha."

*Captain Janeway, Chakotay, Tuvok and I just returned from the planet, and Naomi isn't in our quarters. She conveniently left her comm badge on her desk.* Sam smiled.

"She's here," he said putting the empty mugs back into the replicator. Moments later, the chime rang. "Come on in, Samantha." The door hissed open. "Hot chocolate?"

"No thanks. I'll just get Naomi and be out of your hair." Samantha was still unsure of Dr. Beckett. "I'm sorry she bothered you at such an odd hour. I'll talk to her about it."

"Samantha, its okay. She is welcome at any hour. Same goes for you, and Kathryn." Samantha smiled gently at the man. If she wasn't married to Chakotay, she could easily fall for Sam Beckett. "She's comfortable, and my first appointment isn't until 9:00. Why don't I bring her back at around 8:30 or so?"

"All right. I'll contact the doctor and tell him she'll be missing classes today." Samantha smiled and headed back towards her quarters. Sam turned back towards the couch and made sure Naomi hadn't been woken. When he was sure she was still sleeping he went to shower and dress. The uniform he was issued felt strange and uncomfortable, but Sam wasn't one to complain. It was warm and he stood out less.
Sam looked at the chronometer. It was only 6. He left a note for Naomi in case she woke up and went to the mess hall for breakfast. The morning crowd wouldn't be in for another hour, giving Sam some time alone to think.
He sat with his coffee in the corner facing the view port and read over his schedule. It was filled with appointments and classes. He took little notice of the white port opening until Al spoke.

"Sam?"

"What?" he responded softly, as was his nature. Sam the soft spoken space ship psychologist. "What?" he said more forcefully.

"You okay?"

"I don't know, Al. Even if Voyager does get home, I never will. My wife will be dead; you, all my friends and family. I have nothing left. These people will be home in 20 years, and they'll see their families, and I never will. The only person on this ship who comes close to having no one, no one, is Naomi. She at least has a father there. She has a father here, too. And a mother, and soon a brother or sister. I have lost everyone, Al." Al stood watching his friend silently. He knew there was nothing to say. Blue light surrounded him, and Dr. Sam Beckett leapt.




sam sat in the non-exsistance awaiting materialization into someone. he looked over at al and donna.

"you won't remember us when you finish leaping," came a thought into sam's mind from one of the others.

"why not?"

"we don't know."

"jesus, sam, we go through this every leap."

"i can't help it. where is naomi? she needs me."

"you remember naomi?" al thought to sam.

"who is naomi?" donna's mind asked.

"can i go back?"

"no, you have to leap."

"i need to be with naomi. send me back! why did you take me away from her again? send me back! i need to be near her. she's a good kid. she doesn't deserve to loose so much.

"ziggy, he's not going to leap. we have to send him somewhere or he'll die."

"naomi is a beautiful girl. i miss her, donna. gotta go back." sam's mind was sobbing. "please, donna, let me go back!!" in his mind, sam had huddled into a ball and was sobbing.

"ziggy, send him 15 years into the future! he can be with naomi, and she'll be old enough to be with him."

"al, we'll never get him back," donna's mind screamed.

"at least he'll be alive. ziggy, he's dying, do it now!"





15 years later



Dr. Sam Beckett opened his eyes and looked into Kathryn Janeway's eyes, but womething was wrong. Her hair was too long, too light colored and she looked to be 8 years old. From across the room, he spotted a woman, who looked to be about 30, with small spikes on her forhead.

"Lori," the woman called, "Lunch is ready. Chell made your favorite."

"Who're you?" Lori asked. "Naomi, who's he?" Naomi looked up from her PADD.

"Sam," she whispered, tears filling her eyes. Sam smiled and accepted a hug.

"Naomi, what happened? Last thing I remember, I was in the mess hall talking to Al, and-"

"You leapt," she finished. Sam nodded. "I thought you were dead," Naomi whispered, still in his arms. "Its been 15 years."

"You're all grown up, Naomi. What have I missed?"

"Not too much. Mom and Chakotay have 2 kids. Shawn and Becky. Kathryn and Tom have one daughter, Lori."

"I'm 12," Lori piped in as she sipped her water.

"And you look so much like your Mom, Princess."

"Why don't we report to the Captain. I'm sure she'll want to see you." Naomi linked his arm and escorted him to the turbo lift. "Gods, I missed you so much, Sam. I woke up, and you were gone. We thought you were dead, Sam." Sam hugged her again.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that again, sweetie."

"At least you came back," Naomi whispered.

"I don't know how or why I leaped, but did I leap in to anyone?"

"No, you just appeared." A white port opened and Al stepped though.

"Voyager again? Holy Conjestive Heartfailure."

"Hi, Al," Naomi said, smiling lightly. Al nearly dropped his remote. "Yeah, its nice to see you, too." Sam smiled.

"You two never quit."

"You wouldn't have it any other way, Sam. Al, what does Ziggy say this time?"

"Ziggy says nothing. This is permanent, Sam. It was hard as hell to find you, and Ziggy can only project me for another 3 minutes. I came to say good bye," Al murmured. "Donna wants you to know she loves you, and to settle down here, start a family. She's here in the chamber with me." Al grabbed on to something and Donna appeared next to him. She said something to Al. "She says she loves you, Sam. She misses you, and she always will."

"I love you, too, Donna. Write me and leave it to be delivered to Star Fleet in the year-"

"2395," Naomi filled in for him. Donna smiled at Naomi and said something to Al.

"Donna says Naomi is just as sweet as you made her out to be." Sam smiled. "We have to go now, Sam. Its been...."

"Yeah....."

"Well, take comfort in knowing you won't leap out again." Sam smiled as Al faded. "Task complete, Sam."





Naomi sat down across from her mother and set the coffee in front of her. Samantha smiled and took a sip. "You know, Naomi, you're 24 years old now."

"I realise this, Mom."

"Physically, your what, 30?"

"Yes, what are you getting at?" Naomi asked.

"Well, you've never been in any serious relationship except Icheb when you were 19. I know it ended badly, but you need to move on."

"To whom? There is no one on this ship who isn't a father figure to me!" she laughed "I can see it now, I date Chell, or worse, Vorik! It would be like dating my uncle!"

"Sam isn't your uncle, Naomi. He loves you, and I could see it when you were 7 how much you loved him. You had a thing for him!"

"MOTHER!"

"Naomi, if you care for him, tell him!"

"This coming from you who told me you didn't like him."

"I didn't like him when my 7 year old was head over heals in love with a 40 year old man. I can accept my 24 year old who is physically 30 is in-love with a very handsome ships counselor." Naomi laughed.

"I can't ask him out, Mom. He just told Al and his wife good bye."

"That was 3 weeks ago, and she told him to move on, Naomi. I'm not saying marry the man tomorrow, but I wouldn't be upset if you had a dinner date with him. I'll even fix your hair." Naomi rolled her eyes. The chime at the door rang.

"I'm 24, not 4. I can fix my own hair," she said. "Come!" Sam stepped in, smiling. "Hi Sam!"

"Hello, Ladies. Naomi, I was wondering if you'd have dinner with me in the mess hall. If its all right with you, Samantha." Samantha smiled.

"Its perfectly fine! Naomi's an adult, and she's sinlge. I'll leave you two alone." Samantha stood to leave. She hugged Naomi and whispered into her ear. "Its my turn to play matchmaker, Sweetie."

"Mom!" Samantha winked and left. "Sorry, would you like some coffee?"

"No thanks, but a Dr. Pepper would be great."

"Dr. Pepper?" Sam's eyebrows shot up.

"And Tom calls himself the 20th century expert. Computer, dig in your data base to 20th century and get me two Dr. Peppers." After a moment, two glass bottles with dark liquid appeared. Sam handed one to Naomi and took one for himself. "Drink it." She took a sip.

"Its good!"

"Tell me more about the last 15 years."

"Well, after you left, we picked up 15 new human crew members. The Federation Starship Istruma was lost out here 30 years longer than we were. The had no comm with Star Fleet. Most of the crew was dead. Just the 15 managed to survive. The ship was on the verge of implosion, and there were no shuttles, no escape pods, minimal power. The crew members were all crewmen with little experience on, well, anything. It was their first mission fresh out of the Academy. Not one of them was over the age of 19 when they were stranded, and the were 50 when we got there. Only one is still here. One by one, the left to settle on a planet.
"I made Leutinant 6 months ago. Mom was so proud. I out rank her now. She and Chakotay are still together, and their really happy. My Dad died when I was 12, and Chakotay legally adopted me. Its all one big happy family. Becky is 14. She's named after you. She has heard all about you her whole life. Shawn is 11. He wants to study quantum physics."

"I've been here three weeks, and I haven't met Shawn or Becky. Where have they been?"

"Classes mostly. They are a little worried about meeting you. You were supposed to be dead, and now your back. Its kind of hard on them."

"You've been avoiding me a bit too."

"Sam, we had a funeral, and I said good bye, and your back. Its hard for me too. I thought I lost you. I refused to leave my room for months. I know you won't leave again, but its sort of unbelieveble that your here again. I don't think I could handle loosing you again, Sam." Sam folded his arms around her and hled her close. "Don't leave me like that again."

"I promise," he breathed. Naomi backed away a few inches enough to look up at him. "I promise I'll never leave you again, Naomi." Sam leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Why don't we go have dinner, and then spend some time on the holodeck?"

"Sounds wonderful." Neither one moved. Sam leaned down and kissed her gently. After a moment, he moved away quickly. "Sam? What's wrong?"

"I can't do this. I still see you as a child. You know, it was three weeks ago according to my clock, you were sleeping in my quarters because your Mom wasn't onboard Voyager. Its impossible to move beyond that."

"Sam, I'm 24 years old. Physically I'm around 30. I'm not that little girl anymore, Sam. Even Mom thinks I should date. She wants me to be with you." Sam's eyes shot up. "When she hugged me, she said its her turn to play matchmaker."

"Naomi," he started as he sat on the couch.

"You love me, right."

"God, yes!"

"You know how much I love you," Naomi sat next to him on the couch. "Sam, I love you. I'm not a little girl, and its all right to love me." She leaned over and kissed him deeply. When she moved back a few inches he smiled and gently pulled her back.

"I love you, Naomi," he whispered.

"I love you, too, Sam." She took his hand. "Now, how about that dinner you promised me?" He took her arm and lead her out towards the mess hall.




Kathryn looked over at Tom as he and Lori painted together. She silently wondered what she would have done with out him when Sam left. Naomi had sunk into a deep depression, and having her so upset took a heavy toll on the crew. It had been Tom that pulled her back to normal.

"Kathryn," Tom called over his shoulder. "Could you bring me a towel?"

"I swear you two get more paint on your hands then on the canvas," she said, laughing as she tossed the towel from the drawer next to her.

"That's what happens when you're finger painting, Mom," Lori said, cleaning her hands. "Its much more fun than using the brush. It adds a connection with the work. Dr. Beckett says its good for the soul."

"Sam's a good man, Lori."

"Naomi was with him in the mess hall. They kissed." Kathryn's head shot up. "Her Mom saw and didn't look to unhappy about it. You said he was a good man, Dad."

"He is, but there is a lot more to it, sweet heart."




3 months later

"Sam," Naomi exclaimed when he stepped into the room. He lifted a single rose from behind his back. "Its lovely. Thank you." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Mmm, coffee?" Naomi laughed at the memory of his last leap into Tom. "You look wonderful, Naomi."

"Thank you, but dinner is getting cold. Stop stalling; I'm not that bad a cook." She stole a quick kiss and lead him over to the table. Naomi uncovered two plates of food. "Roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, and corn."

"Oh god I want that. Do you realise how long its been since I have had a decent plate of roast and potatoes?" Naomi grinned. They sat and started eat. "Naomi, sweet heart, you are a wonderful cook. I wouldn't tell Kathryn. Chell might be out of the job. This is the best food I ever put in my mouth."

"Thank the replicator. All I did was program and heat it." He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"And you did a wonderful job." Sam took the last bite and cleared the table. "What about desert?" he asked, almost seductively.

"Its on the holodeck." Naomi stood and headed towards the door, but Sam pulled her back. "What?"

"I want to talk to you about something, hon. I know we've only been together a couple of months, but it seems like forever."

"Gee, thanks!"

"No, what I mean is it seems like we've been together our whole lives. I love you, Naomi. I want to spend the rest of my life fighting with you over who clears the dishes, and who is stealing the covers at night. I want to wake up with you next to me for the rest of our lives. I want to marry you." Naomi's smile faded.

"Sam, I don't think I can."

"Oh," he murmured. He heaved a heavy breathe like he'd been punched in the ribs. "Can I ask why?"

"I don't know, I just don't want a-"

"Its okay." Sam stood and left. "Don't explain it, please. It just makes it real, Naomi."




"Naomi Wildman."

"Seven, you've known me for 20 years. I think you can call me Naomi."

"There is no need to snap at me because you have relationship problems." Naomi glared at her. "You made an error in judgement, Naomi. Do you know what I see when I look at you when you are with Dr. Beckett?"

"Seven-"

"I see what I may look like when I am with Joe. I see what the Captain looks like when she is with Tom Paris, and your mother with Commander Chakotay. Dr. Beckett would never hurt you, would he?"

"No."

"You would never hurt him."

"No."

"Then the logical conclusion is that either you are in error for turning him away, or Captain Janeway, your mother, and I are in error for not turning our....men.....away." Naomi wiped tears from her cheeks.

"I don't want to loose him."

"And yet you push him away?"




"Hi, B'Elanna," Sam said from his hide out in engineering.

"Hey Sam. Have another fight with Naomi?" she asked jokingly.

"No, I asked her to marry me."

"I can see by the excitment on your face she turned you down?" Sam nodded. "She just doesn't want to loose you. She lost her father, Neelix, you, Chakotay, Tom, her mother....."

"What do you mean she lost Chakotay, Tom, and Samantha?"

"They were missing for about 6 months about 7 years ago. The doctor had to keep Naomi sedated for a week. They'd been captured by some alien vessel. We managed to kidnap them back. We made a few enemies, but we got them back. Naomi still isn't the same."

"I had no idea."

"No, I don't think she'd tell you. It was hell on her. She had Becky and Shawn. Becky was 7 and Shawn was maybe 4. The Captain took the three of them in, but Naomi was still really out of it for months after they came back. Wouldn't eat, hardly slept, she was basically dead. She loves you, but she's lost every one she loves too many times to get too attatched to anyone." Sam nodded. "She just doesn't want to loose you."




"Hi, sweet heart." Naomi sat next to Sam on the couch.

"Sam, I-"

"No, let me. Naomi, I know that you've lost a lot of people, but you got them back. I want you to know if it means never leaving the ship, these quarters, I won't let anything happen to keep me away from you. I love you too much to hurt you that deeply. If you aren't ready to get married, we don't have to. I just want you to know that the offer stands when ever you're ready."

"What if I'm never ready?" she asked, settling into his arms.

"Then I'll have a life time of dating the most wonderful girl I've ever met." He kissed her forehead. "If we get back to Earth, I'll go where you go. If you want to settle on Vulcan, that's where I'll go." Naomi laughed lightly. "I love you, Naomi." Naomi stood and took his hand and lead him towards her bedroom. "Ah, the forbidden territory."

"You've been in my room," she said, kissing him.

"Yes, but never in this sense."

"Would you rather we didn't-"

"No, I think I'd like to venture into this unknown." She slapped his arms playfully.



2 months later

Sam opened his eyes. Naomi was tucked comfortably against his chest, sleeping. He ran his fingers though her hair and watched her dozing. She moved in her sleep, cutting him with her spikes.

"Ow!" he sqweaked, jumping lightly and waking Naomi.

"Hmm? Oh, Sam, I'm sorry!" She jumped up and grabbed a towel. "Are you all right?"

"Fine, just a little scratch. Come back to bed, hon. No need to go to warp 10." She smiled and slid back into his arms. "I was having fun watching you sleep."

"We have duty in an hour."

"Damn, I wanted to sleep in a little longer." Naomi looked deeply into his eyes. "You have that look in your eyes."

"What look?"

"You have something to tell me. You have that look that says somethings on your mind and you want to blurt it out and yet, you want it to come out gently." She smiled and looked down. "I know you too well, Hon. Tell me?"

"Sam, I'm pregnant." Sam felt his face form into a goofy smile. He pulled Naomi to him and kissed her. "Well, you took it better than Chakotay."

"Uh oh. Does he want to kill me now?"

"Not you, you at least made it known you wanted to marry me before we even had sex. He's furious at me." Sam pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry, Naomi. I'm happy about the baby though. Does Dr. Joe know if its a boy or girl?"

"Boy."

"Wow! I always wanted a son! I can see him now! Brown shaggy hair, your blue eyes and the spikes, my mother's smile," he rambled.

"Would you like to see his holoprojection?" Sam nodded. Naomi handed a PADD to him where the Doctor had uploaded a snap shot. "He looks just like you."

"Only he has my mother's brown eyes, and your smile. He's so beautiful, Naomi! He looks like a Scotty."

"I was thinking the same thing."

"How about Scott Neelix?" Naomi smiled and kissed Sam's forehead.




Naomi handed her mother a cup of coffee and sat across from her at the table and sipped her cider. "Naomi," Samantha said. "Please marry him."

"We're not getting married, Mother. Sam and I are going to raise this baby together, but we're not going to be married. So please drop it."

"Okay, I'll drop it if you can tell me why."

"Because we don't want to change what we have. We're both happy with things like they are. Married people end up staying out of obligation. Look at Harry and B'Elanna. They hate each other and yet they stay together for Luke. He's 15 years old, and wishes they'd separate and get it over with. They were a lot better before they were married. Sam and I won't become that because we aren't married." Samantha stared at Naomi.

"You're afraid that he'll leave again. You are afraid that he'll do what your father did, what Chakotay and I did, even if it was not anyone's fault, you afraid he'll leap, you are afraid." Naomi slammed her hand down.

"I'm not afraid, dammit! I just don't want to change the relationship by putting legalities to it. So you know, we are married. We had an exchange of vows in the holodeck. Just the two of us, no uniforms, no Captain, no one, and it was a beautiful, quiet ceremony on a cliff in California at sunset." Samantha choked back tears.

"You could have invited me to your own wedding."

"It wasn't a wedding, Mom. It was spur of the moment, and we didn't want anyone there. We were on the cliff and he started talking about being married and I said I would never leave him, and he said it sounded like we were exchanging vows, and so we did. After were were done, I said, "You realize in my eyes, we're married," and hi kissed me and said he does, and he's happy with that." Samantha stood to leave. "Where are you going?"

"Naomi, I have duty, and I really don't want to talk right now. I am really dissappointed in you."

"What? Why? Because I didn't do what you wanted me to? Mom, I'm an adult, I'm married, I'm pregnant. Maybe I went about it in an unorthadox way, but I made my own choices. Get over it," Naomi hollered.

"You are so afraid of loosing people, but you just keep pushing everyone away, and you know what, Naomi? You're going to loose people a lot fast that way, and you may not get them back."



8 months later


"Naomi, hon, where are your boots?" Samantha called from the living room. "I want you to come to lunch with me."

"Mom, I'm having lunch with Sam. We're taking a shuttle out towards the moon, and I'm wearing my boots," Naomi said, poking her head out of the bedroom. "Come in and see."

"I believe you're wearing your boots."

"No, I mean come in and see the nursery. Its done." Samantha smiled and entered the small room that had once been Sam's office. Now, he used a new office off the Mess hall. The room had been painted a soft yellow and blue. Against the wall facing the veiwport, stood a white 20th century style crib with blue and yellow blankets. Samantha picked up a blue blanket and read the embroidery.

"S.N.B."

"Scott Neelix Beckett." Samantha smiled and put the blanket back on the changing table.

"Its lovely, Naomi. Its like something out of Sam and Tom's holo programs, you know, from the 20th century." Naomi laughed lightly.

"It is! Its from that time. Scott's going to know about his father's time and mine. Well, I have to go, Mom. Lunch is waiting."

"Aren't you worried about going in to labor on the shuttle?"

"I have another week to go."

"Famous last words."




"Delta Flyer III to Voyager, help!" Sam squealed into the comm. "Tracter us in! Naomi's in labor and I suck at piloting!"

*Acknowlaged,* came Tuvok's response. Sam held Naomi's had and kissed her forehead.

"We're almost there. Voyager's bringing us in."

"Good, because this hurts LIKE HELL!" she screamed. Sam rubbed her back and stomach gently. Within minutes, they were in the shuttle bay. Sam lifted Naomi up and carried her towards sick bay. "I can walk, Sam," she said softly.

"Scott has spikes and they're probably cutting into you. I'll carry you, Sweet heart." She smiled up at him weakly. He rounded the corner and stepped onto the turbo lift. "Deck 5. Hey, maybe we could get Tom to program some elevator music," Sam joked. The doors opened and he walked as fast s he could to sick bay.

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency."

"She's in labor. You do the math."

"Set her on a biobed. Well, Naomi, I remember delivering you. Hopefully this will go much more smoothly." Naomi rolled her eyes.






Kathryn slumped in her chair. They had tractered the Delta Flyer III in almost 2 hours ago, and still no word about Naomi. She silently prayed it would turn out better than when Naomi was born. She remembered hearing the news that the baby girl had died. A few hours later, Harry came from the alternate Voyager with Naomi, who had survived on his Voyager, which did not survive.

*Beckett to Chakotay,* squawked over the comm.

"Go ahead, Sam."

*Its a boy! He was born at 1523 hours, 8 pounds, 5 ounces, brown eyes, and wants to meet Grandpa. Bring Samantha.* Janeway smiled and nodded and Chakotay ran off the bridge.

"Captain, make an announcement. Chakotay to Sam Wildman," he said as the turbo lift doors closed. Kathryn laughed lightly.

"Harry, open comm over the ship."

"Ready, Ma'am," he answered

"Captain Janeway to the crew of USS Voyager. 24 years and 11 months ago, I made an announcement. Naomi Wildman, Voyager's first child, was born. Today I make an equally joyous announcment. Voyager's first grandchild was born as 1523 hours. Naomi and Sam will announce the name at a later time."

"B'Elanna won the betting pool," Tom whispered.

"Congradulations to Sam and Naomi, and to B'Elanna, who won the betting pool. One half of the winnings go to the happy couple and their son. Harry, cut the comm." Harry nodded.





The End?????? Nope! Quantum Leap: The Last Step coming soon!!!!