0. BALANCE OF NATURE
Short story. December 1872: Sgt. McKay puts everything at stake not to let injustice and fanaticism prevail, and Michaela, Sully and Cloud Dancing face the mysteries of life and death. Alternative ending to "Safe Passage". Drama and Hurt/Comfort.

0a. THE VISION
"Oh, boy!" To his surprise, Dr. Sam Beckett finds himself in the middle of a little-known episode of the Indian Wars. Up in the Waiting Room, the leapee isn't too thrilled either, until he realises his potential and wonders what would happen if he stayed there... A DQMW / Quantum Leap crossover. It didn't go like this... but what if?

0b. SURVIVORS
1868: a newly-enlisted kid takes a liking to his instructor, but receives only distance and even hostility in return. The kid gets really angry, and the young NCO is forced to face his still-recent Civil War scars and begin the long road home.

0c. HIGHLANDER
June 18, 1815: A tale read aloud around the fire... A soldier on a battlefield, alone with himself and his fate. A dream? A fictitious tale? A family history? (Most assuredly, NOT a cross-over with the TV series of the same name.)


First Season (12 episodes - complete!)

1. THE ARMY KITTENS (Part I - Part II)
Two-part episode. The "pilot" of my spin-off series, based on an imaginary DQMW season 7. June 1873: with Sully's help, McKay tries to stop a band of raiders from terrorising the inhabitants of a small mining settlement at Windy Creek, and befriends a lady farmer, Alison. Fort Lafayette is established in the mountains close to Colorado Springs, amid the diffidence of the townsfolk. Adventure and romance.

2. THE RED NEEDLE TRILOGY (The Choice - The Wait - The Reckoning)
Three short stories (making up a medium-length episode). September 1873: with danger looming ahead, McKay and Alison have to make difficult decisions about each other, but their path was traced from the very beginning. As long as everyone stays alive... Romance and some H/C.

3. ALL GOD'S CHILDREN
Short story. A closer look at that day of September, as the Reverend tries to sort out the situation... Good feelings.

4. THE HALLOWEEN UNMENTIONABLE
Medium-length episode. October 1873: Dorothy tries again her hand at staging another well-known tragedy, recruiting Hank and everyone she can get. A star is born, another is deterred at once by a federal inspection, some can't wait to fade back into obscurity. Shakespearean humour. (Won't mention romance any more.)

5. SONS OF THE FIRE
Medium-length episode. November 1873: Grandpa Angus comes to Colorado Springs for Thanksgiving and discovers his grandson has forgotten the land of their fathers. Cloud Dancing sympathises. Humour and good feelings.

6. THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Medium-length episode. December 1873: everybody is late for Christmas presents, and three respectable ladies are in danger of receiving the same item of clothing... well, maybe not exactly the same. Meanwhile Robert E establishes a new trade to support his growing family, and the townspeople join in a very special Christmas gift. More humour and more good feelings.

7. OUT THERE
Medium-length episode. January 1874: A riderless Army horse found by Robert E lures McKay out to investigate, leaving his house unprotected from the dangers of the night... or is it? A classic story of knights in armour and damsels in distress.

8. ... THAT NEVER FINDS THE DAY
Medium-length episode. February 1874: a ghost from Alison's past all but wrecks McKay's chances of being accepted by the townsfolk as part of the Colorado Springs community. Sully, Matthew and even Preston choose sides in unexpected ways. A "buddy episode" with some angst.

9. JUSTICE
Short Story. March 1874. Brian and his friend Toby have a bad adventure in the Gold Nugget, and Hank has a run-in with Daniel. A story without McKay! But this is the prologue of...

10. TELEGRAPH ROAD (Day One - Day Two - Day Three - Day Four)
Two-part episode (split into four parts for practical reasons). March 1874. Brian would love to see it. Sully still doesn't like it. McKay is stuck with it. Alison can't stand it. A slice of Army life up at Fort Skunk... er, Lafayette. Jane Austen meets John Ford, with a touch of Jackie Collins.

11. FROM HELL'S HEART
Medium-length episode. April 1874. An unknown young Irish woman comes to Colorado Springs in search of a job. It's clear at once that she is not all that she appears to be, and the townsfolk join in unraveling the mystery. But the truth may be hidden even deeper... Sully is forced to face his darkest fears, and McKay his darkest side. Drama, adventure and history.

12. KNOCKIN' ON HEAVEN'S DOOR (Part I - Part II)
Two-part episode. End of season. May 1874: if you remember the Bob Dylan song, you have a good idea of what could happen, as McKay is sent once again to fight the Indians just when Alison is facing her most important battle. Drama and H/C.



Second Season

1. A TIME TO FORGIVE
Medium-length episode. October 1874. Up in the Tongue River Valley, questions are answered and hearts seek peace. A new life is about to begin. Psychological drama.

2. THE FORK IN THE WOODS (working title)
November 1874. A weird but tried-and-true team goes out to battle the bad guys, which will lead to important decisions. Meanwhile, in Colorado Springs, nobody can give up an occasion for celebrating, and everybody is in love - new and old love, tentative love, hopeless love...

3. HIGH TIDE AGAIN (working title)
December 1874. The East Fork reservation comes back to the fore when it's time to renew the garrison. Sully and Cloud Dancing try to stand against politics, but the game involves some unpredictable pawns. Meanwhile, Alison ticks off one last day on her calendar.

4. "TO BE CONTINUED..." (working title)
January 1875. A heiress dies in mysterious circumstances! A financial empire is in danger! Unbridled passions shake the strongest hearts! And the whole of Colorado Springs can't wait to know what happens next...

5. JOURNEY OF THE HEART (working title)
February 1875. A remote incident of the war upon which Captain Shelby is called to testify is the excuse for all concerned to take a trip South, through old memories and everlasting love.

A CANDLE AT MIDNIGHT (working title)
Summer 1875. End of season. Tragedy strikes when a "perfect storm" hits Colorado Springs. Michaela must cope with emergencies, the townies help each other to save what can be saved, and the Fort Lafayette garrison is recruited as a rescue team. Some men lose their way and some things change forever in the eternal give-and-take between life and death.



Third Season

1. YET UNTITLED September, 1875. Nobody gets any younger, and Fort Lafayette faces a big revolution. Meanwhile, Andrew and Colleen come back to Colorado Springs, just when Preston is in sore need of a friend.

A STUDY IN SHADOWS
June, 1876. End of season. The Army has a problem: a promising soldier sent to a reconnoitring mission in Montana among the Sioux has disappeared into thin air. Is he dead? Has he gone native? A rescue party tries to get him back before the village he was headed for takes the full brunt of Custer's final campaign...



And...

I know I shouldn't be talking about this already...
It will take a heck of research...
All I have is a 14-year-old plot to recycle...
But hope springs eternal, so I'm planning a non-DQMW, stand-alone...

THE GLORY, THE SHAME
A Civil War Novel
1863. The war through the eyes of a young soldier, what he writes home and what he doesn't, his friends, his women and his whole generation's tragedy. Incidentally, a glimpse of what made Terence McKay the man we know.