========================================================================= Date: Sun, 14 Apr 1996 19:07:00 PDT Reply-To: Mike Goldman Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Mike Goldman Subject: "A Dangerous Game" (5/22) HL Story "Our darker side keeps breaking through..." Joe and Rory managed to arrive at the club just before the band's break. Joe took his place behind the bar and Rory sat and waited on a barstool. As usual, the place was packed with people and filled with bright lights, humming conversation and loud music. When the band finished its set and came over to the bar to fetch their nightly libations, they saw her. "Where have you been?" Matt yelled, picking Rory up off the barstool and hugging her. She apologized into Matt's chest. As he set her down, she explained that the "personal business" she had had to take care of had taken longer than she had planned. "But I'm here now," she finished, "let's play." As she and the rest of the band waded through the sea of people back to the stage, Duncan and Anne threaded their way to the bar from the opposite end of the club. "Duncan. Anne." Joe greeted them, smiling. Anne pointed to Rory on the stage. "Is she alright after the last few days? I would've thought she'd be home resting." Joe shrugged the universal "hey-I-tried-but-I'm-just-the-significant-other" shrug. "She says she's OK." The band began to play and Anne turned to Duncan to make a comment only to find him staring at the stage. "Somehow I doubt that." he said. Joe and Anne followed his gaze to the stage. Rory had been singing a chorus to one of Matt's songs when she suddenly stepped back from the mic with a confused look on her face. Her fingers faltered on the bass and she dropped the beat. Matt, realizing something didn't sound quite right, stole a sidelong look at her and she swallowed, shaking her head slightly, then stepped back up to the mic. "She *never* does that." said Joe, frowning. The song finished and Matt used the clapping of the audience to incline his head to Rory and say a few words. She shook her head angrily and he shrugged, turning back to his mic. As soon as they finished the last song and people began to leave, Rory was the first to exit the stage, barely taking the time to set her bass in its stand. The other band members watched her curiously, but took over the tearing down of the stage. Walking quickly over to the bar, she completely ignored the trio staring at her and asked for a glass of gin. Joe stared--Rory hated gin. They watched without verbal comment as she picked up the glass and downed half of it in one swallow, then stood there twirling the glass in her fingers. Mac cleared his throat. "What happened up there?" Rory remained motionless for a moment and then turned towards him. "And what's *that* supposed to mean?" she asked in a voice that could have frozen Florida in the middle of summer. "Nothing." Mac said, "You just seemed to lose your place for a moment." She looked at him as if he were a particularly disgusting species of insect and then turned back to her drink, muttering something. Duncan looked intently at her and said something sarcastic-sounding in a foreign language neither Joe nor Anne could place. She looked at him and responded back, her tone equally sarcastic. Joe and Anne, watching the back and forth, were beginning to feel like they were watching a volley at a tennis tournament. Duncan stepped up close to Rory. As he did so, she seemed to shudder slightly and her eyes closed for a moment. "But you don't speak Polish." he said to her in English. She was as still as a mannequin for a moment. Then she spoke, "No kidding, Macleod, I know I don't speak Polish." She looked over and saw the other two watching her intently. "What?" she asked, "Are we playing 'Jeopardy' and someone forgot to tell me?" Joe shook his head. "No," he said quietly. "Come on, I'll have Mike clean up--lemme take you home." "That might not be a bad idea." she agreed, rubbing her eyes. "I'm really tired and I have the *worst* taste in my mouth." "Maybe it's the gin." Anne offered, pointing to the glass. Rory followed with her eyes to where Anne was pointing and seemed surprised to see the half-empty glass in front of her. Picking it up, she sniffed the contents suspiciously and then took a sip. Immediately, she spit the contents over the bartop. "Yuck!" she gasped, "That's awful -- I don't drink this stuff!" "But it's what you asked for." Anne said, puzzled. "No way!" Rory protested, "I wouldn't drink this if Macleod promised to show us what Highlanders *really* wear under those kilts." She turned to the other end of the bar. "Mike!" she called, "What are you trying to do to me? You know I rank this stuff right up there with paint thinner!" The words "but you ordered it" died on Mike's lips as Joe, out of Rory's line of sight, shook his head slightly. "Must have made a mistake" was all Mike said. "Come on," Joe said, drawing Rory's attention back to him, "Grab your jacket and let's go." Rory put the glass down and excused herself to go grab her jacket from the back room. Joe gave Mike a few last instructions and then made his way out from behind the bar. "Joe," Duncan said quickly, "what color are Rory's eyes?" "Blue." Joe answered quietly. "They were brown just a few minutes ago." Joe nodded that he'd seen it as well. Duncan looked around to make sure Rory wasn't within earshot. "Watch her tonight -- and watch yourself." Joe nodded again and they separated as Rory came out, shrugging into her jacket. They all said goodnight and Joe and Rory walked to the Forerunner and drove off. Out in the parking lot, Anne hugged herself against the cold as Mac unlocked the convertible. "What do you think is going on, Duncan?" Mac sighed and looked over to where the Forerunner had been parked. "I wish I knew." Lori mgoldman@cts.com Bass Player/Musical Director for the SJD Kick-Ass House Band CFW/WAR Chief for Smokin' Joe Dawson in the first HL WAR