Date: Wed, 16 Mar 1994 08:26:58 -0800 Reply-To: Highlander TV show stories Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Selma McCrory <94smccro@ULTRIX.UOR.EDU> Subject: (Repost) fanfic: _Change of Perspective_ (2/4) A Change of Perspective by Selma McCrory Copyright 1993 part 2 Greer sat on the couch. She looked at her tattoo on her bared left wrist, and sighed sadly. She remembered the time when she had been so proud, staring for hours when she had not been busy happily tracking immortals. _I wish I could be so happy now._ Her friend, Matt, who was a fellow Watcher, had joked once that Greer would be lousy at anything but watching immortals. She knew this was true, since she was good at what she did, and seemed attracted to immortals. _Well, now I know why_, she thought. Her eyes were clouding up with tears as she remembered all the friends she had made, friends that shared a common purpose in life. Who could she call upon for friends, now? She knew that immortals were fairly lonely people, outliving most of their loved ones. Indeed, Alberta was a typical case, although her loneliness was due to being stuck on the frontier, surviving through the attack that had killed her husband. Greer didn't know if she could be a friend to Alberta, since she was afraid that she would accidentally reveal her past to her. Greer pulled herself out of her thoughts. She had plenty of things to do besides mope in her apartment all day. Just because she had become immortal didn't mean that she didn't need to run the dishwasher, or water the plants. Taking her watering can out of the cabinet, she filled it with water and stepped outside to water the spider plant hanging on her back porch. As she was watering the plant, she stopped suddenly, looking around while keeping the watering can up. She looked around for the cause of the chill runnning down her spine again. She saw a man approach her, a handsome, lean man with brown hair and brown eyes, with tan slacks and a grey shirt. He looked oddly familiar, and then Greer was shocked to realize that the last time she had seen him, he had been wearing a trenchcoat and wielding a sword. _Leland,_ she thought, naming him out of old instinct. He stopped at the edge of her porch. "I want to talk to you," he said. She backed up, and when he moved closer, tried to hit him with her watering can. The plastic did little damage, and he easily wrestled it from her grasp. He had her arm by this time, and it was Greer's only consolation that he had stepped within range of her overwatered plant, and was getting wet. He grimaced and hauled her inside. Greer looked at him in terror. "Who are you? And why are you here?" Leland gave her an amused look as he let her go. He made himself comfortable on her couch, and looked at the water stains on his clothes. He looked back up at Greer, who was frozen in place. "This is better. We can discuss business without any mortals peeping in." _Mortals?_ she thought, then realized that he was talking to her as another immortal. "Well, I should introduce myself. I'm Leland. Your friend Alberta will no doubt tell you about me. I know who you are. I investigated after I followed her and saw her take you here," he said. He got up, after he rearranged his clothes a little. "I will not stay long. I just want to tell you to tell your teacher that if she does not stop going for my head, I will take off yours first." She backed towards the front door, and he followed her towards it. "You're mad!" she said, her eyes opening wide. "This is the Game. Or hasn't she told you that part yet? If she hasn't, she should. This world is not a nice place." He advanced upon her. Suddenly, she was enveloped in his arms. He kissed her. She quaked, and he smiled at her, like a benevolent monarch. "I have always liked stealing kisses. Almost as nice as stealing Quickenings," he said, and then his smile dropped, and he started looking around. Greer caught herself doing the same, suddenly, as the chill sped down her spine again. Alberta stepped through the open door. She saw Leland and pulled her sword out. Leland shifted Greer so that he was holding her in one arm as a shield while he got his own sword out. Greer started hyperventilating as his sword touched her neck. In an instant, Leland lowered his sword and thrust Greer towards Alberta. He glared at both of them, and then went through the front door, slamming it. Alberta held Greer for a few moments while Greer regained her mental and physical balance. She was glad to see Alberta's concerned face. "You're all right?" Alberta asked. Greer nodded, but sat down on her couch. Alberta was nodding to herself, looking rueful. "I should have known he'd do that. It's a common tactic, threatening your opponent's loved ones." "Why?" Greer asked, confused. Then she nearly slapped her hand against her forehead as Alberta spoke. "Because you make your opponent upset. If you are upset, the easier it is for you to make a mistake. If you make a mistake, you're dead." "Why me? Why did this have to happen to me?" Greer asked the world around her. Alberta looked at her sharply. "You are what you are. You can't change it. I've survived through centuries of this, and so can you." "How old are you?" Alberta smiled, and sat down on the couch beside her. "I just turned 235." Greer knew this, but put on a startled look. Alberta added, "You'll get used to it. Most of your opponents will be older than you." Alberta opened her mouth to speak further, but the phone rang. Greer went to the kitchen and picked it up. "Hello, Greer." Michael, her supervisor, was calling. Greer started to smile and relax, and then she remembered who was in her living room. "Oh, hi, Michael. Just a moment." Greer put the phone down on the kitchen counter and turned to Alberta, blushing. "Um...could you step out for a moment? This is a private matter." Alberta nodded, looking thoughtful, and walked out the back door, closing it. Greer picked the phone up. "I'm back. What's up? I have a guest." "Well, a couple of things. Business first. Have you been keeping track of Alberta Barrow?" "Yes," she said, managing to keep her voice professional. She was glad that he was not there, or he would be able to tell that she was lying. Somehow, he had always been able to tell. "Robert lost Leland, but he was headed in your general direction. We know that he and Alberta Barrow are after each other, so you may see him. Contact Robert if you do." "Ok," she said, calmed by the routineness of the request. However, she knew Michael too well to think that was it. "What else?" "Robert says that someone made a tremendous racket in the warehouse during the fight last night. He also said that he saw you framed in the doorway. He also saw Alberta Barrow go in. Then he followed Leland, who ran away. What happened? Are you okay? Did she find you?" Michael's voice was warm, but concerned. "I'm fine, except I'm just embarrassed because I knocked some boxes over and made noise. I saw her run in, but I hid and she missed me." "But you're not hurt?" he asked, still obviously concerned. "Just my pride," she said, hopefully cheerfully. "That's good. If you keep up with this, you might have to be promoted to a desk position." "That'll be the day I die," she told Michael, laughing. Since she had already died, she didn't have to worry about being promoted. He laughed, obviously relieved. "Yes, it will. You have room for dinner in a couple of nights?" "Yeah, I should be free by then. Going to propose to me?" "I just might, this time." "OK, how about next Monday, at eight?" "Sounds good to me. See you then." "I will. Goodbye." "Goodbye." Greer hung the phone up, grinning. Michael always found a way to crack her up. She hoped that nothing radical would happen in her life before then, for she really wanted to talk to him face to face. Maybe she could convince Michael to remain a friend even though they were now on opposite sides of the line. Alberta knocked on the glass door to the patio. Greer had temporarily forgotten about her. She flushed with embarrassment and let Alberta in. Alberta held a long, slim case in her hands. "Sorry about that, Alberta." "That's all right. Old boyfriend?" Greer laughed. "Current boyfriend. We're having dinner on Monday." "Good for you." Alberta said, and smiled wistfully. She hefted the case she was holding. "While you were talking to him, I got the chance to run to my car," she told Greer, and held the case out to her. Greer took the case from her and opened it, almost dropping it in surprise. Inside was a sword, a gold-tinged rapier. "I took this from another immortal I defeated. I meant to use it as a backup sword, but it will do just as good for you. Guard it well. It has to become a friend, or you will never survive." part 3 tommorrow... Selma McCrory 94smccro@ultrix.uor.edu saselmam@ultrix.uor.edu p.s. if this pops up with equal signs in the text, let me know. =========================================================================