Date: Sat, 17 Feb 1996 12:58:00 PST Reply-To: Mike Goldman Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Mike Goldman Subject: Counterfeit Friends (3/22)-HL Story BTW: For the life of me, I could not remember the name of the monastery used by immortals for refuge that was referred to in the Kalas eps-and I can't find it on my tapes either. Therefore, I made up a name.... By 7:00 that evening, Richie and Joe and joined Duncan at his apartment above the dojo and he had started dinner. Rory had still not arrived. "I wonder where she is," Duncan mused, alternately glancing out the window and peering in the various pots and pans on the stove. "Relax Mac," said Richie, "She probably just got lost being in a new city and all." "Well, she better show up soon or dinner will be ready." As if in response to the somewhat cranky-sounding statement, both Immortals turned toward the lift as it began to rise. Joe chuckled, "I take it from your reactions, she's arrived." The liftdoor was flung up and Rory stepped out. She'd taken the time to change out of the jeans and T-shirt of earlier to a long skirt, vest and boots. She smiled at the assembled gathering and gently pitched a bottle of wine to Duncan. "I would have been here sooner if the barbarian had thought to tell me that he lived on the *second* floor of this building." she said, "I must have walked around this building at least twice looking for your apartment." She crossed over to the stove and lifted a lid off of a pot, pulling back slightly as the steam came pouring forth. "Smells good, what is it?" "Pasta." Duncan flung back over his shoulder as he opened the wine. "Thank God!" Rory said, melodramatically laying a hand on her heart, "I was afraid you were going to try and make me eat haggis again!" Duncan finished pouring the wine. Wiping his hands on a towel, he put them on his hips and responded in kind, broadening his accent. "Well, if you haid any class, you wouldna hae refused it. There's nothin' wrong wi' a wee bit of haggis." "Oh, *excuse* me," Rory responded, rolling her eyes, "you mean sheep's organs are *supposed* to be part of your basic meal?" Duncan was about to respond when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Richie and Joe peering into the same pot Rory had just looked in. He picked up a wooden spoon and brandished it mock-threateningly. "All of you, get out and let me finish in peace!" Laughing, the three picked up their wine glasses and moved into the living room area. Rory made a brief tour of the apartment, noting the spare yet personal style in which it had been furnished - most of the furnishings were there because they served a necessary purpose, but the fabric and colors used to decorate those furnishings told a lot about Macleod and his personal tastes. After looking through the stacks of CD's by the stereo, she joined Richie and Joe on the couch and made small talk until Duncan told them that dinner was ready. After they had sat and eaten for a while, Duncan decided to get the converation going again. "So tell me, Rory, what have you been doing for the last 20 years?" Rory put down her fork and took a sip of wine before responding, "I was taking some time off at St. Anselm's." She picked up her fork again, but only played with the remaining food on her plate. Duncan's smile faded and a look of concern crossed his face. "What happened?" She sighed, looking up at them but not seeing them as her eyes were clouded over with the memory. "I'd met a man named Kieran Delaney at the beginning of 1975. It was about then, too, that some of the various factions were heating up the Troubles again. I'd managed to pretty much ignore most of it, but Kieran was rather impulsive and made his opinions known regarding his view and the fact that he felt we should be a part of England. I tried telling Kieran that he needed to be less vocal about his opinions, but he just told me that everyone needed to be able to voice their sentiments on the issue. Unfortunately, not everyone else felt that way." She closed her eyes for a moment and then looked at Joe. "The pub you mentioned? It was Kieran's. He was killed in the bombing along with your Watcher. After that, the world just didn't hold much for me for a while." Joe felt a familiar shock run through him as she finished her tale - the shock of remembering Lauren and how he had seen her murdered before his eyes. He knew how Rory felt - powerless to help while you watched the one you loved being taken away from you. He added his sympathies to Duncan's. Rory nodded. "Well," she said, looking up and smiling brightly. "Now that I've *totally* bummed you all out..." To help break the somber mood, she got up and began busily stacking empty, sauce-smeared plates. As she carried them over to the counter, Richie asked, "So how long have you been back in the outside world?" "A year or so." she responded, wiping her hands on the kitchen towel. "I started playing with the band about 3 months after I left St. Anselm's. They'd been crisscrossing Europe and had decided to try their luck over here. They had the excellent taste to hire me and Joe had the excellent taste to hire us." She grinned. "Do you play any other instruments?" Joe asked, getting up from the table and walking to the living room. She put the towel down and went to sit across from him. "I've played several instruments throughout the years. Right now, I'm sticking with the bass guitar, some electric/acoustic guitar, and doing some singing." Duncan finally got up and joined them as Richie was still hoovering down the pasta. "As I recall, you have an excellent voice." "Well, tomorrow night, you'll find out if your memory is correct." she responded. "Can't wait." said Richie, his mouth finally empty. The four of them continued talking about past and present until late into the night, only calling it quits well after midnight. =========================================================================