Date: Thu, 22 Feb 1996 21:10:00 PST Reply-To: Mike Goldman Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Mike Goldman Subject: Counterfeit Friends (18/22)--HL Story BTW: Romance scene. Duncan returned to the dojo and quickly went upstairs, ignoring Richie's greeting and questions. Once upstairs, he walked over to his liquor cabinet, blindly pulled out a bottle and poured a glass. He gulped half of it down and drew in a sharp breath as the fire ran down his throat. Resolving to treat what was left with slightly more care, he sat down heavily in his armchair, not even looking up when Richie came bounding into the room. "Hey, Mac," he said, bouncing onto an ottoman. "What's going on?" Duncan reflected sourly that sometimes Richie had the limitless abandon and boundless enthusiasm of a puppy -- just before it was disciplined. Taking a careful sip from his glass, he recounted the events that had just taken place at Joe's. "Oh man," Richie breathed when Duncan had finished. "Where are they now? "Joe disappeared upstairs and I have no idea where Rory is right now." Richie jumped up. "We gotta find her, Mac!" "And just where do you propose to look?" Duncan demanded. "She's had centuries of practice at hiding. You won't find her unless she wants you to." He took another sip. "I know you just want to help," he continued in a softer tone, "but Joe and Rory are the ones who have to figure this out." Richie sat back down, deflated, and the two continued to sit silently in the gathering dark. The next day Duncan, despite his advice to Richie, went looking for both Joe and Rory. At Joe's he only ran into Mike who couldn't or wouldn't tell him where Joe was and Rory's apartment continued to remain dark with no hint the female Immortal had been there at all. He tried various other ideas, but returned home to sleep empty-handed and defeated. Only two days left. The second day dawned the same as the previous one, gray and cloudy. However, the afternoon saw Rory walking up the leaf-strewn gravel to her house, the wind blowing bits of hair loose from her braid and across her face. She had just started up the steps to the second floor when Joe appeared from under the staircase. She reared back in shock and began reaching for her sword. "Wait, it's me!" he shouted. She wiped the hair out of her eyes, relaxing her hand but keeping it near her back. "I'm sorry," he apologized, "I didn't mean to startle you." "Well then, ye shouldn't sneak up on people like that." she said tartly. Joe nodded, giving her a sheepish grin. "Can we go inside and talk?" "What? You didn't get to say enough already?" He put a hand over hers. "Please." he said. She looked at him. "Alright." They walked up the stairs and she opened the door for him. He stepped into the kitchen and she shut it. She took off her jacket, placing it on the kitchen table. He shivered in spite of the overcoat he was wearing. "Why is it so cold in here?" "I was gone for a day or so and didn't leave the heat on." The tone of her voice matched the temperature of the room. She walked into the living room and Joe followed after her, sitting on the couch as she flicked on some lamps. She turned around. "Planning on stayin' awhile, are ye?" "Just long enough to say what I need to say. After that, I'll go if you want me to go." Rory nodded and sat on a chair across from him. "Talk." Joe could tell the tone meant he should not waste any time, so he dove right in. "I spent a lot of time thinking after my encounter with Samuel. I tried to come up with various reasons as to why you became involved with the IRA. I even re-read your Chronicle hoping to glean some kind of insight out of it. I guess I was trying to come up with some more palatable excuse for you to have been involved -- that you didn't know all of what was going on, that you were never a part of some of those acts Samuel told me about." "I did and I was." Rory said softly, looking him in the eyes. "I know," Joe responded. "but then I couldn't reconcile that person with the woman I've come to know -- the woman who can sing love songs that'll make your heart break, who smiles and laughs like a little girl." He put out a hand and gently touched her face. "The woman who can give herself so completely to someone else." Rory reached up and touched his hand, but didn't remove it from her cheek. Instead she turned it towards her and kissed his palm. She then placed it in her lap, holding it with both of her hands. Joe placed his other hand on top of hers. "What I need to know in order to complete this picture is why you left the IRA?" Just then the phone rang. Neither of them moved to answer it although their eyes were irresistibly drawn towards it. After a few moments, the machine clicked on and Samuel's voice filled the room. "Rory? Where are ye?" his disembodied voice said. "Runnin' from me? Y'know darlin', ye run now and I'll just keep comin' after ye." He waited a few more seconds. "Well, if ye aren't there, ye need to meet me tomorrow night at 11:30 over at that playground they're buildin' on 4th and B Streets. The place should be fair well deserted by then and no one to see me take your head. 'Bye now." He hung up the phone and the machine clicked off. "Technology." Rory said, smiling shakily. "I doubt this is what 'reach out and touch someone' is supposed to really mean." Joe squeezed her hands, bringing her attention back to him. "Will you tell me why you left?" She sat silently for a moment and then nodded. "You deserve that." Releasing his hands and getting up, she ran her hands over the top of her braid, attempting to slick back the stray pieces. "You remember the picture of the London department store?" she asked. Joe nodded. Rory began pacing in front of him, watching the ground in front of her. "I'd been in for a long time by that point -- dying and rejoining several times over. Because of all this knowledge -- or whatever you want to call it -- that I had, I rose more quickly through the ranks each time. Anyway, the department store bombing happened in August of 1967. One of the necessary people was arrested just before they were due to leave and I ended up taking his place." "We got there," she continued, "and everything went off without a hitch. We were able to get in, plant the bomb and get out with no one being the wiser and, at 12:30 p.m. the next day we were out on the street waiting to see the results of our efforts." Rory sat back down in front of him again. Her hands trembled and her eyes were beginning to fill. Forcing her hands flat on her knees, she took a deep breath and continued in a fairly steady voice. "The bomb went off on schedule and it was a sight. Smoke, flying debris, people screaming, sirens..." her voice trailed off for a moment as she saw the events again in her mind's eye. "After the initial blast, we waited a few minutes and then walked in with all the other spectators and people who were trying to help. My 'fellow patriots' were quietly congratulating themselves on a job well done when I--". She put her face in her hands and Joe reached out and touched her shoulder, but she moved away and wiped her face. "I need to tell you." she said. "I saw a little girl -- she couldn't have been more than 5 or 6. She was wandering around with blood all over her and she kept calling out for her mother. I guess she suddenly saw her because she went over to this woman and started tugging on her arm, saying 'Mommy'." Tears were spilling down Rory's face now. "And then it hit me that I was the one responsible for killing this baby's mother. I did it as sure as if I'd stood there and shot her point blank. With all the lifetimes I've lived, I'd forgotten that there were real people out there who could be hurt by some action of mine. Did that little girl know why we'd bombed that store? No, all she knew is that her mommy wouldn't wake up." "What happened then?" Joe asked quietly. "I guess I lost it and started screaming and the others dragged me off. When I got back to Ireland, I told them that I was through. I couldn't do it anymore. They agreed and I left the country for several years. I came back in about 1973 and was with Kieran until he was killed in 1975." She moved over and sat beside Joe and he instinctively put his arm around her. "I saw that little girl in my dreams for years." she finished. Joe sat there for a moment, stroking her hair gently. "I think I have a complete picture now." he said. She looked at him. "Is it -- is it one you can live with?" Joe looked back at Rory for one of the longest moments of her life. "Yes." he finally said. He kissed her gently at first, but with increasing hunger as she responded to him. He stopped the kiss, tracing her cheek with his hand and smiling. Standing up, he held out his hand and said, "Come with me." Afterwards, as they were laying there in each other's arms, the phone rang. "Alexander Graham Bell needs to be shot!" Rory groaned. "Unfortunately, he's already dead or I'd carry out your wish, madam." Joe quipped, "I'll get it." He rolled over and reached across Rory for the phone. "Hello." he said. Brief pause. "Hi, Mac." Rory slapped her forehead in disbelief. "Not again." she whispered. Joe made a shushing noise, grinning broadly. "Yeah, Rory's here. No, she's not available -- can't talk either." "Oh Lord," Rory muttered, "I think I'm actually blushing." "Come by the club at around 11 tomorrow morning. We'll talk then." Another brief pause. "I'm just fine, thank you. Goodnight, Macleod." He hung up the phone. "Mac just wanted to make sure you were alright." "Oh, thanks." she said, hitting him lightly on the arm. "Am I?" "Are you what?" "Alright." she said in exasperation. Joe laughed and pulled Rory over on top of him. "Oh, I'd say you're way past alright. I'd even go so far as to say you've surpassed outstanding." "That's *not* what I meant!" she said, looking at the huge smile on Joe's face. "Men!" "What does that mean?" "Oh, shut up and kiss me." Joe happily obliged. Take up the hearts you came to heal Put down your dagger and your shield You need hide nothing now from me I see the essence of the man I stand before you as a friend The truth moves through us Even when we sleep And the wheel goes round and round And the flame in our souls It will never burn out And the wheel The wheel goes round "The Wheel" -- Rosanne Cash =========================================================================