Date:         Mon, 6 Jun 1994 23:36:21 EDT
Reply-To:     Highlander TV show stories <HLFIC-L@PSUVM.BITNET>
Sender:       Highlander TV show stories <HLFIC-L@PSUVM.BITNET>
From:         Hobert@AOL.COM
Subject:      CHANGES,  Part 2  (fist half)

Changes
by Kevin H. Robnett
hobert@aol.com

Part 2


     The sign had read "Eureka - 10 miles" followed
closely by "Rest Area - This Exit."  A good time to stop
after two days of endless travel.  What little food he had
taken was quickly devoured.  He only stopped when he
could no longer ride, camped wherever he could find a
spot.  The chirping crickets matched the throbbing in
his head.  The ache, his only acknowledged companion.
Sleep, his only refuge.  Not a word had been spoken, not
a thought had been voiced.  Mako had been blessedly
silent.  Just emptiness.  And loss.  Standing on the
cliff behind the rest area, watching the ocean.
Standing for hours, until...

                <What are you feeling?>

        <Nothing, Mako.  I feel numb.  And terribly alone.>

                <Was it worth it?>

        <What?  Helping Laura?  Or killing you?>

                <Revenge.>

        <I lost everything I cared about.  My home.  My life.
        Mac.  All I got was this  empty hole inside me.  Anger.
        And this gnawing feeling that I killed her.>

                <Laura? Or Tessa?>

        <Is there any difference?  I couldn't save either
        of them.>

                <There's always a difference.  There was nothing
                you could have done for Tessa.  You always had a
                choice with Laura.  Each step you could have
                stopped it.  You didn't listen to me, or MacLeod,
                and you paid for it.  You're still paying for it.
                The only question now is what you learn from it.>

        <What do you think?  Why do I bother to ask?  You tell
        me anyway.>

                <It doesn't matter what I think, boy.  You have to
                think about it.  You have to decide it's worth.
                You have to decide if you want to live your
                miserably immortal life at the whim of
                your hormones.  You...>

        <Oh yes, the font of wisdom spews forth his blessed
        knowledge for the poor, ignorant peasants.  Enlighten
        me with your genius.  Fill me...>

                <MacLeod was right.  You are a child.  I asked
                you a question, BOY.  WAS  IT WORTH   IT ! ? >






        <no>

                <Good.  We'll make a warrior out of you yet.>

        <I don't want to be a warrior.>

                <Is that gonna be your excuse when an Immortal
                comes for your head?>

        <You assume I wouldn't take his head first.>

                <You wouldn't last five minutes with my
                grandmother, God rest her soul.>

        <I killed you.>

                <You got extremely lucky.  MacLeod knew it.
                And so should you.>

        <Did every Immortal you killed harass you like this?
        Or am I just standing here talking to myself?>

                <This time share thing is new for me, too.  I
                never got anything from the people I beheaded.
                Except a stray idea now and then.>

        <Are you taking over me?  Is this what happened to
        Darius?>

                <The General?  I don't know.  Grayson told me
                Darius was possessed  He talked to himself
                constantly after defeating Bandero.  Who can say?
                That knowledge was lost with his Quickening.>

        <Maybe I'm just going insane, like Michael.  I really
        died and this is hell, trapped forever with the man I
        killed.>

                <Welcome, brother, to Immortality.  Forever is
                open for you, with Death just around the corner.
                You signed your death certificate when you
                became one of us.  Funny, isn't it, the only people
                who will live forever won't.>

        <I actually thought it would bring Mac and me closer
        together.  At least more than this shadowboxing we've
        been doing.  Instead it drove us apart.  He couldn't
        stand it that I was the one who lived.>

                <Is there anybody on this planet you're not angry with?>

        <What have I got left?  Love has been taken from me,
        friendship tossed off, my home sold.  Anger keeps me
        warm at night, when nothing else does.>

                <Anger is the coward's excuse.  It takes a
                courageous man to live, knowing he can't
                change a thing except himself.  Living without
                blame.  It's hard, but weaker men than you have
                done it.  You life is in shambles, fine.  Start
                a new one.>

        <Why do I feel another lecture coming on?>

                <I have nothing more to say.  Only to show you.
                Watch and learn...>

        The sound of the surf crashing on the rocks below
mixed with the cry of the sea gulls overhead.  The sky
exploded into yellow, orange, red, purple, and blue as the
light faded.  From the rest area, the sound of footsteps...

< < < < <

        ...approached Mako from behind.  Turning, he saw a
blond boy, no more than twenty.  In his shaky hand was
a Colt revolver.  "You killed my pa."

        "I was wondering when you would be showing up,
Ramsey," replied Mako as he slowly removed his black
gloves.  "It's been eighteen years.  Did MacLeod tell you
how to find me?"

        "No.  He said to leave you alone.  That you'd end up
killing me just like my pa.  But I don't care.  You have to
pay."  Nervously, the youth grabbed the gun in both hands,
trying desperately to stop the shaking.  His eyes wide,
almost in tears, the exact opposite of the cool, collected
lawman as he put the gloves in an inside coat pocket.

        "Boy, he was right.  You put the gun down, go on
home, and I won't hurt you.  It's understandable you
being upset about your father, but he broke the law,
and he ran.  It was my job to bring him in, dead or alive.
Your pa chose dead, not me."  Slowly Mako drew back
his coat, freeing his revolver.  "Killing me ain't gonna
bring him back.  It won't make you feel better.  If you
break the law, they'll hunt you down just like your pa.
And that'll leave your poor ma all alone out here,
unprotected and frightened.  Do you want that?"

        "Mr. MacLeod will take care of her.  He promised
on pa's grave.  He said he'd come and take her back to
New York if she wanted.  I told him I was staying.  I
said I had some work to finish.  I gotta do this.  For pa.
I gotta..."  Crying now, Duncan Timothy Ramsey could
barely stand.  Nothing prevented Mako from taking the
gun from him  and throwing it over the cliff.  Down it
fell, into the pounding water...

> > > > >

        ...as it drained into the sink.  Richie stared into
the restroom mirror,  looking at the stranger with the
wet face staring back, wondering what kind of monster
he was turning into. <You didn't mean to kill her, did you?>

                <What difference does it make, now?  Would
                it change anything?>

        <You bastard!>

                <My job was to bring her back.  Alive.  The law
                decides people's fate.  She would have stayed
                alive, except for your interference>

        <And Tim Ramsey?>

                <Back then, dead was an option.  Not anymore.>

        Moving to the urinal, Richie began unzipping his jeans.
The feeling started at the base of his skull.  A small buzz,
moving to his scalp.  Frozen in place, he breathed harder, his
thoughts racing a thousand miles an hour.  Quickly his head
flashed around the room, trying to find Death as it
approached.  <Don't be so alarmed, boy.  She's in the
other bathroom.>  Hurriedly zipping his pants as he
raced out the door, he sped for his motorcycle.  Intent
on grabbing his sword, he ran full tilt into a dark haired
woman, knocking both of them onto the concrete sidewalk.
Mumbling apologies, he reached to help her up, and got
his third shock of the day.

        "Felicia?  Felicia Martins?"

        The dark haired lady looked into his eyes, recognition
dawning like a flash of lightning.  "Richie?  Richie!  What
are you doing here?  Oh God, Duncan's here!  I'm not ready
for him, yet."  With a shove, she jerked her hand from
Richie's grasp and fled to one of the cars parked by the
sidewalk.  Starting the car as she jumped in, she threw
it in gear and sped dangerously out of the rest area as
Richie ran to catch her.

        "Damn!  She got away," exclaimed Richie, gasping
for breath in the middle of the road.  <At least one of us
remembers her license plate number, boy>

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
=========================================================================