Date: Thu, 22 Feb 1996 21:12:00 PST Reply-To: Mike Goldman Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Mike Goldman Subject: Counterfeit Friends (21/22)--HL Story BTW: OK all, being a bit vague on the finer points of swords and sword fighting, had to make it up as I went. Hope it's OK.....Oh yeah, profanity warning. He drove her back across the asphalt and she parried his moves. They stopped at the edge of the asphalt, already breathing heavily. The slight wind carried Samuel's words back to Duncan, Richie and Joe. "Ye know," Samuel said, " 'twas such a sad thing that happened to Kieran." Rory said nothing, only continued to watch his blade glinting as he moved it back and forth in front of her. "Did ye never figure out, in all the years since, that I was the one who planted the bomb?" Rory froze, looking into Samuel's eyes. The smile on his face told her it was true. Crying out in rage, she blindly attacked. The two combatants continued their fatal dance until a thrust of Rory's got past Samuel's guard and cut his face. Samuel stopped, putting his hand to his face in disbelief. "You marked me, bitch!" he spat. Rory gulped in oxygen. "Did I?" she responded sweetly. "So sorry - I was aiming lower!" Samuel took the hilt of his sword in both hands and drove it straight at Rory, who backpedaled furiously. However, she misjudged the distance and caught her heel against the sandbox, falling heavily on her back, sword dropping from numb fingertips. "No!" Joe yelled, taking a step forward as if he was going to go help her. Richie grabbed his arms and held him back. "You can't do anything, Joe!" he yelled at the older man, standing in front of Joe to make him look at Richie and not at the fight a few feet away. Joe struggled for another minute, then subsided slowly. Samuel kicked Rory's sword away, raised his sword over his head and brought it down. At the last moment, Rory desperately rolled and Samuel's sword landed inches from her. She kicked out at him blindly with her feet and felt them connect on his shins. Preoccupied with regaining his balance, he lowered his sword, giving Rory precious seconds to gain her feet. She stood and turned just in time to see Samuel begin to come after her again, placing himself between Rory and her sword. Trying to stay out of the reach of his sword, she yanked off her denim jacket and wrapped it around her right forearm. Using this to try and deflect some of his blows, she continued moving back across the playground, watching him carefully as she attempted to move him away from her sword. He continued after her, hacking her jacket to bits. At times, she could feel the blade bite through to her arm and sucked in her breath each time the fire from a new wound flamed up her arm. he continued moving carefully back across the playground as Samuel began toying with her -- acting like he was going to attack and then just jabbing his sword at her. They were over by the jungle gym now and she could see her goal. Just a few more steps... Drawing even with the jungle gym, she reached down with her left hand and felt her fingers wrap around a piece of pipe. Praying it was one that was small enough to lift, she brought it up and deflected Samuel's next blow with a crash. Stunned as the shock reverberated thorough his fingers and up his sword arm, Rory took the opportunity to shake the jacket off her arm and grab the pipe with both hands. Using it as a sword, she attacked. Not trying to injure him, but just to keep his mind on his own defense, she swung wildly. As they neared the sandbox again, she took the pipe and threw it at him. Samuel went down on his knees as the pipe connected solidly with his chest. Ignoring him, she sprinted over to where her sword lay and picked it up, whirling to face him as he came at her like a wild animal, saliva spraying his face as he yelled, "There can be only one!" She semi-crouched and, as he ran to her, turned her blade sideways. He ran headlong into it and she finished the sweeping motion. Samuel dropped his sword and fell to his knees. He put his hands to his abdomen and lifted them to his face, staring in stunned surprise at the blood on them. Rory's sword was against his neck. "It didn't have to end like this." she whispered, tears mixing with the sweat on her face. Samuel smiled grotesquely. "Of course it did." he said. "I'm only the first of many." He closed his eyes. Rory nodded and beheaded him. As the support of Samuel's body fell away underneath her sword, Rory staggered. Her sword fell from her grasp and she went down on her hands and knees, braid falling over her shoulder. The white mist began to rise from Samuel's body and Joe watched in fascination and concern as it enveloped Rory. As the first crackles of lightning began, Rory gave a short scream, then as the light grew brighter and more intense, she reached over to her sword and stood it in front of her, blade down. Grasping the hilt and pulling herself up on her knees, she rested her forehead against it for a moment, then tilted her head back as the Quickening gained force. The lightning branched out and shattered the park lights, making the three men shield themselves from falling glass. Inside the Quickening, Rory felt as if her soul was being torn apart. She could not remember a time when she had felt more pain. The power seemed to travel directly underneath her skin and then painfully erupt somewhere inside of her skull. She could not see and could not tell if it was because of the bright light or if the Quickening had made her blind. Suddenly, there was silence and all she could hear was her own labored breathing. The men on the sidelines looked out from under the arms they had flung over their heads to protect themselves, and saw Rory let go of her sword and drop to the ground. Joe started across the playground and Duncan and Richie fell into step with him. When they reached Rory, her eyes were closed and she was breathing heavily. Duncan bent down beside her, gently touching her shoulder. "Rory?" She opened her eyes. "Aye. Could ye help me sit up? I'm a little winded." Duncan smiled and helped her to a sitting position. After a few moments, she was able to stand, but had to grab onto Joe's arm to make sure she kept her balance. She swallowed. "So," she said, "ye still got my key?" Joe laughed and crushed Rory against him. "It's right here." he said, taking it out of his shirt and showing it to her. He placed the key in her palm and closed her fingers over it. Then he kissed her and the two of them might as well have been alone on the playground. "Ahem." Richie finally coughed. "We'd better get out of here. The cops will probably be by soon to see what blew out most of the lights here." Agreeing, they began to leave the playground, Joe supporting Rory. As they continued to walk down the street, eyeing the police cars racing by, Rory had a question. "Macleod, why in the name of all the saints did no one think to remind me how much a Quickening *hurts*?" Duncan laughed. "Better get used to it. You're back in the Game now." "Thanks for reminding me." They stopped at Joe's car, which Samuel had "borrowed" that afternoon. As Joe unlocked Rory's door, Richie asked the question he'd been wanting to ask for a while. "So, Joe, are you going to be Rory's Watcher as well?" Joe leaned against the car door for a moment. "No, no one knew she was alive until tonight. Samuel's Watcher would have been there, so now it'll be reported." "What will happen to you?" Duncan asked quietly. Joe sighed. "I honestly don't know, Macleod, and right now, I don't care. We'll deal with it when it happens." He turned to Rory. "Let's go home." I feel inspiration when all may be lost I claim resurrection no matter the cost My moment of waking', darlin' Is so close at hand And I'm gonna rise from the ashes I know I can, I can I'm gonna rise from the ashes "From The Ashes" -- Rosanne Cash =========================================================================