Date: Tue, 15 Nov 1994 15:44:00 +0200 Reply-To: Highlander TV show stories Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Marina Bailey Organization: CDS OnLine BBS, Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA Subject: Cruel Deception, Part 2 of 2 CRUEL DECEPTION, Part 2 of 2. Elyse looked at Richie with panic in her eyes. "I don't want to die," she said. "He'll take my head this time, I know he will." "I won't let that happen." "You didn't see him, Richie! He'll take yours first and then come after me!" She started to cry. "Elyse!" Richie shook her. "I'll protect you. I'll take you to Mac. No one'll get you when he's around." Elyse grabbed him and held on for dear life. "Don't leave me, okay?" "I won't." "Make love to me now, Richie, please. Let's celebrate life, not death." Richie tried to disengage himself from her grasp. "Look, I think we should go to the dojo right away." "I don't want to go now. I want to be with you. Please." Richie was, after all, 18 forever. "Okay. We'll go later." "So this man... Paul Coetzer, thinks you're going to become an Immortal, and he wants your head?" Duncan MacLeod asked Elyse. "That's right. Richie says I'll be safe here." Duncan looked at Richie, shrugged. "You probably will." "Just for a few days, Mac." "Okay." "What's the story with this Paul character?" Duncan asked Joe. "Do you think it's likely that she is an Immortal?" "I don't know, MacLeod. He might have been trying some sort of con game on her. She's obviously convinced." "But you aren't?" "There's something missing from the equation, Mac. I can feel it. I watch, I observe. But I've never heard of anything like this before. With the exception of you and Richie." "Okay, Joe. Let's get to the bottom line. Is she going to become Immortal?" "I honestly don't know." *** *** *** The phone rang in the dojo one afternoon. Elyse answered it. "Hullo, Elyse. My offer still stands." Elyse tried to get the words out, but her throat had closed. "N...no..." "I think I'll kill your boyfriend, too. His Quickening won't be worth much, but it'll do." "I'm not Immortal yet. Why me? Tell me, please!" MacLeod grabbed the phone out of Elyse's hands in time to hear, "I want you; always have. If I can't have you I'll have your head." "You come near Elyse and I'll kill you," said Duncan into the phone. But the phone went dead. Elyse looked at Duncan. "He knew I was here. How did he know that?" Duncan looked at the floor, then back at her. "I think he's developed an obsession with you. I don't think he wants your head at all. To him you're just an exotic plaything. And I think he lied when he told you you're Immortal." "You don't know that," she said. "You don't know it isn't true." "No, we don't know. But I wouldn't like for you to die finding out." "If I'm Immortal, I'll come back." She was too stubborn. It seemed her heart was set on being Immortal. Duncan grabbed her arm. "You're hurting me." "Listen to me! We can't have you taking any chances, do you understand? Because finding out you were wrong isn't going to be only disappointing!" Elyse pulled her arm free. "I can't keep living like this, Duncan, don't you understand? I have to know!" "Even if you die finding out?" "I won't die. Paul Coetzer knows the truth. Let's find him and find out once and for all!" "Oh, no." Duncan shook his head violently. "No way." "It's the only way, and you know it." "We'll wait here. Sooner or later he'll come for you." But Elyse wasn't interested. It *was* painful to live in fear. She didn't want to die, but rather die knowing the truth than live with uncertainty. She waited until Duncan had to go out, then set to work getting by Richie. It wasn't hard; within an hour she flung on some clothes and sneaked out. Paul was waiting for her right behind the dojo. "I knew you'd come. You had to know, didn't you?" "Look, just tell me the truth, please." "Truth is relative, my sweet. I want you. Any part of you that I can have - and that includes your head." "Go to hell." "So impolite. What happened to the ballet dancer who glided across the floor so gracefully?" 1985 Elyse ran her hand across her costume. Everything was in place. This one last dance and it would be over! All that exhausting work, over. She was 17, and had the world at her feet. As she took the stage and danced, she never saw the man at the back of the theatre who stared transfixed at the vision on the stage. At the woman of his dreams. She was the image of a woman he had loved nearly 150 years ago: tall, with fine, delicate skin and soft, brown hair. He had to have her, come what may. 1994 Richie woke up with a sense of dread. Somehow, he *knew* that she'd slipped out on him. She'd tricked him in the oldest possible way and left the dojo. "Damn!" Richie pulled on his jeans and sneakers as fast as he could; grabbing his sword on the way out. Elyse and Paul Coetzer were still standing behind the dojo. "How did -- " Elyse began. "You saw me dance! You saw me when we did Romeo and Juliet 9 years ago. Is that what this is about? A stupid fannish crush?!" "No, it's much more. You're her. I must have you." "Who?" Suddenly Paul looked around. Richie came barrelling out of the door. Paul rushed forward and grabbed Elyse, holding his sword to her throat. "You won't stop me," he said. "I'll have her, come what may." "Who do you think I am, Paul? Who?" "Marietjie, my first love. You're her." "Look, my name is Elyse Benjamin. I'm not this... Mary-key, whoever she is." "Was. I killed her. And now it looks like I'll have to kill you, too." He pushed Elyse to the ground and held the sword to her neck. "No!" Richie rushed forward. "Take one false step and she's history." Richie backed off. Slightly. But he knew, just *knew* that if Elyse died, this man would lose his head. "I'm not her," repeated Elyse. "I'm not. Can't I prove it to you?" "You are her." He said it with such a tone that the lovers knew he really did believe it was her. And he was going to kill her - again. "Se^ vir my dat ons altyd saam sal wees," said Paul. Elyse merely looked up at him in confusion. "Asseblief. Se^ vir my dat jy my lief het. Dat jy dit nie weer sal doen nie." Richie took a step forward as he saw Paul's sword dropping. "She doesn't know what you're saying," Richie said. "She isn't your girlfriend." Paul hesitated, and Elyse jumped up. Richie sprang over to shield her. "Run!" he yelled, sword in hand. Elyse turned to run, but Paul was faster. He dropped the sword and took out a gun. "Ek sal nie toelaat dat jy my los nie!" he shouted, and fired. Elyse fell to the ground. Richie rushed over to her. "Richie, I..." she began... but didn't finish. Richie felt for a pulse. There was none. He held her and waited, looking with utter hatred at Paul, who smugly looked down at them. But Elyse didn't move. "You lied. Didn't you? It was all a lie. She wasn't Immortal. She was just a girl who looked like someone from your past. ISN'T IT?" "So I made a mistake," said Paul casually. "She isn't going to come back." It was a statement. "Of course not." Richie grabbed his sword. "You're not going to come back, either." Paul picked up his sword, stood ready. "We'll see." The swords clashed. Richie knew he wasn't as experienced, but he relied on his training. He'd defeated Immortals before; he knew he could do it again. Paul wasn't worried. He'd killed many times. All people were easy to kill. One just had to get at their weak spot. "You loved her, didn't you?" he asked Richie, taunting him. Richie attacked; Paul parried easily. "You loved her and you thought you'd spend eternity together." It wasn't true. He had cared, maybe had dreams of spending a few decades together. But she hadn't bought into those dreams; she'd been stubborn and practical. And she'd never forgive Richard Ryan for not sticking to his guns (so to speak) and getting the bad guy. So the next time when Paul attacked, Richie used a trick Duncan had taught him, and stabbed Paul in the chest. Paul sank to his knees. "You were taught well," he said. "There can be only one," responded Richie... He found MacLeod at Joe's place. The minute he walked in the door, Duncan knew the outcome. "She's dead." "Yeah. But so is the other guy." "You killed him?" "Damn right. She wouldn't have forgiven me if he'd lived. She would've found a way to haunt me." He attempted a smile. "Was she Immortal?" "No. He shot her, Mac. And she died. That's all there was to it." "Why?" "He thought she was his long-lost girlfriend. Even when he realised she wasn't, he wouldn't give her up. He killed her simply to stop her from leaving him." "Mortals and Immortals alike can be crazy," Duncan pointed out. "We have to -- " "Uh, yeah. Look, I gotta go, okay?" "Sure." Richie left the bar just as Joe came in. "Will he be okay?" "Sure," said Duncan. "He always knew that something like that would happen. I doubt he thought it would be so soon, however." "Things are happening quite fast for Richie," Dawson pointed out. "That they are." When he got back to his apartment, Richie found *her* sword in his closet. It wasn't as old or as strong as his. But it was enough to remember her by. THE END ******************************************************************** Afrikaans Translations ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ "Se^ vir my dat ons altyd saam sal wees." ---> "Tell me we'll always be together." "Asseblief. Se^ vir my dat jy my lief het. Dat jy dit nie weer sal doen nie." ---> "Please. Tell me that you love me. That you won't do it again." "Ek sal nie toelaat dat jy my los nie!" ---> "I won't allow you to leave me!" Notes ^^^^^ This story started as a Mary Sue. Somewhere during the writing it became an exploration of what makes a pre-Immortal instead. Letting Elyse die at the end, I think, makes it both an anti-Mary Sue story, and pro-Richie story. Of course, that it was written by an unashamed Richie fan is obvious. Comments to: tmar@cds.Alt.ZA. ********************************************************************* \\"I have been to the sword seen it come seen it die||"...in the midst// // As we enter the dark I beseech you to try..." ||of the rubble, I\\ \\ - Melissa Etheridge; Keep it Precious ||felt a sense of // //========Marina Bailey======tmar@cds.Alt.ZA========|| rebirth..." \\ \\ "We're in the Highlands; where else?" - Connor || - Indigo Girls // .. Kirk to Enterprise, Kirk to Enterprise! Damn! It's --- Blue Wave/RA v2.12 [NR] =========================================================================