========================================================================= Date: Sat, 27 Apr 1996 20:59:11 -0700 Reply-To: Mike Goldman Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Mike Goldman Subject: "Feels Like Rain" (01/03) Joe wiped down the bar, his actions short, choppy and not at all in conformity with the smooth-flowing James Solberg CD playing in the background. Duncan watched him with a tolerant look on his face. "You know she said she'd be back." he reminded his mortal friend. "Uh-huh." "She's going to want to see you." "Uh-huh." Duncan reached over, grabbed the bar rag, and threw it neatly over Joe's shoulder where it fell onto the back counter. "Don't go all monsyllabic on me now, Dawson." he said, sitting back down and taking a sip of his beer. Joe crossed his arms over his chest and waited. "The point of your little demonstration?" "It's been six months!" Mac exclaimed, exasperated. "Don't tell me you're not even going to see her!" Joe shrugged, hating the feeling that he was being backed into a corner. "You know, she mentioned once or twice that--" "Wait a minute!" Joe said sharply, uncrossing his arms and putting his weight on his hands as he leaned over the bar. "You've *talked* to her?" "Once or twice." Duncan allowed, not entirely sure how to take this mood of Dawson's. "Anne did, too. Why? Haven't you?" Joe flushed and looked away. "We had one conversation about two months after she left." he said shortly... >> >> Joe had heard the ringing phone as he came in the door, wondering who could be calling him at 2 in the morning. , he thought as he picked up the phone. "Hello?" he said. Silence. "Hello?" he tried again. "Hi, Joseph." came Rory's voice. The unexpected answer threw him for a moment. As he tried to rally his brain to coordinate with his mouth, he heard her voice again, "Are you there?" "Yeah...yeah, I'm here." Another pause. "How are you?" he finally asked into the silence. "Better." Rory responded after a moment. "Sean's been helpful." After another moment, she added, "How are you?" "Good." Another pause while he commanded his brain to get with it. "Talk to me," he finally said and then winced. He and Rory had used those words with each other before when they were requesting the other person be honest and speak what was on their mind. "I can't," she said finally. "Not right now," she amended. "Everything's still too raw." Joe knew his next statement was pride and hurt feelings, but he couldn't stop the words from coming out. "Honesty still a one-way street with you?" The absolute absence of any noise on the other end of the line desperately made him wish he could reach out and grab those words out of the air as if they'd never been said. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." he heard her say quietly. "Rory, wait..." he started, then realized he was talking to a dial tone. >> >> "You haven't talked to her since?" Duncan asked. Joe shook his head. Just then the door to the bar opened and they turned towards the shaft of sunlight that announced someone's entrance. "We're closed right now." Joe said automatically. "Actually, I know the guy who owns this place and I was hoping he might bend the rules." The door shut, the sunlight was cut off and, under the track lighting, they saw Rory. Lori mgoldman@cts.com Bass Player/Musical Director for the SJD Kick-Ass House Band CFW/WAR Chief for Smokin' Joe Dawson in the first HL WAR "Necessity is the mother of invention...and sometimes she can be a pretty mean mother." --Frank McPike "Living and Dying in 4/4 Time"