Date: Sat, 17 Feb 1996 07:14:06 -0500 Reply-To: LGreeneyes@AOL.COM Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Laura Schomberg Part 5 by Laura F. Schomberg Duncan's loft 2:00 pm Joe, Adam, and Duncan sat around Duncan's table. They had run out of things to talk about and were left to impatiently wait for Richie and Ellie to return. "How long are we going to wait for them?" Joe asked. He did have a bar to run, after all. "We have plenty of time," Duncan pointed out. He had to admit, if only to himself, that he was probably as tired of waiting as Joe. Only Adam seemed unfazed by their long wait. "I wouldn't worry about them," Adam said. "I've known Ellie a long time. The longer it takes them to get back the more she'll have told Richie. Who know's? Maybe when they get back Richie will be able to clear up all the questions we still have." Adam's comment about knowing Ellie a long time brought up another question for Joe. "How old is she anyway?" Adam shrugged and turned away from Joe's piercing gaze. "What do your records say? I haven't looked at them lately," Adam lied. That got Duncan's attention. "If you haven't looked at them lately why is she still mad at you?" Adam got up and went over to look out one of the windows. He wasn't really sure why she was still angry with him. When he had told her about the disc she was upset but she wasn't the sort to hold a grudge. ***************************************************************** ************* Paris Summer 1995 Adam and Ellie were just finishing their lunch on the outside terrace of Adam's favorite restaurant. Ellie knew that Adam had something on his mind but hadn't pushed to find out what it was during their meal. However, she had gotten tired of their idle talk of weather and her hunt. "Out with it Methos." "Out with what?" "Don't give me that. You have been worrying that beer for the entire meal. Normally you would have finished it and gone on to the next two by now." "You know me too well." "Flattery won't get you off the hook." Adam took a deep breath before starting, "I told you about Kalas but I didn't tell you about the threat he made to get Duncan to come to him." Adam started studying his beer again while he spoke, "Kalas found a disc that I created with another watcher. He was threatening to give it to the media." "A disc? What exactly did this disc tell?" "About us. Watchers and Immortals." Ellie sat contemplating what Adam had told her before asking, "What did it say about me? And what happened to it?" Adam squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. He then turned away from her and seemed to contemplate the people walking along the sidewalk. "It was destroyed. Don't worry, I didn't say how old you really were," Adam finally answered. He still hadn't turned back to look at Ellie. He wasn't sure if she would be able to tell that he was only telling some of the truth. The disc didn't tell her exact age but it did imply that she was older than the Watchers records indicated. "Were there other discs?" "No," Adam replied. At least he didn't think there were. Adam finally turned back to look at Ellie. She was staring at him, hard. Adam wasn't sure if she was trying to read his mind or decide if she should take his head. She was mad. That he could tell. Ellie's already green eyes turned even greener whenever she was angry and they were extremely green right now. Ellie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she looked at Adam again her eyes had gone back to her normal hue. Adam took that as a good sign. "Alright. I'll take you at your word. For now. You're not telling me everything but if you can look me in the eye and tell me I have nothing to worry about I'll believe you." Ellie sat staring at Adam. He became very uncomfortable under those waiting eyes. He looked away and then turned back to look into Ellie's eyes. "You have nothing to worry about. The disc was destroyed," at least that was the truth. Ellie contemplated him for a long moment before finally saying, "Fine. Then you have nothing to worry about." Adam felt that he had narrowly missed a losing a friend that he didn't think he wanted to lose. ***************************************************************** ************* Adam shrugged out of his revery before turning back to the other men. He wasn't going to tell anyone else any of Ellie's secrets. He quietly went back to where he was originally sitting. Joe harrumphed impatiently. He was about to get up when he noticed the far away looks that had come over the two immortals. He knew what that look meant. "Hamann?" Duncan shook his head, "Too soon. He couldn't possibly get here before midnight." "Must be Ellie and Richie then." Duncan shrugged noncommittally. The three men waited for the immortal or immortals to come to the loft. And waited. Duncan and Adam looked at each other as if to verify that each immortal felt the same thing. After 5 minutes Duncan stood and reached for his sword. "Let's go see whose here." The three men moved to the elevator. It was a very tense ride to the dojo. The men could hear the sound of metal against metal before they even reached that level. Adam drew his sword as Duncan opened the elevator doors. The two immortals relaxed as they saw who the two immortals were, Ellie and Richie. From the look of things Richie had the upper hand. The swords clashed again and again as Richie slowly forced Ellie back. Somehow he managed to get a few words out despite all the noise, "Told ya I could take you." Duncan cringed. To his right he heard Adam mutter, "That was a mistake." Ellie didn't answer. Instead she ducked under his sword and slammed her shoulder into his lower ribs while pulling the knife out of her makeshift belt. As Richie started to slump from the blow she brought her two weapons together and swung them up, catching his blade between hers. she then slammed into him again and used the weapons to twist his rapier out of his hands. Richie hit the floor hard as his rapier clattered to the floor just out of his reach. Ellie brought her combined weapon up and started to swing toward Richie's exposed neck. "NO!!" Joe yelled. He started to move forward stopping when he realized there was nothing he could do to stop what was about to happen. Ellie's sword swung towards Richie's neck....And stopped less then one inch away. Richie looked up at Ellie who never pulled the sword back from his neck. "That.....wasn't......fair," he finally managed to pant out. Ellie grinned, pulling the weapons away. She pulled them apart, putting the long knife back in her belt and thrusting the sword into the floor before reaching down to pull Richie to his feet. "Fair? You've got, what, 5 maybe 6 inches on me. And you're all arms and legs. Besides, who said our game was fair?" Duncan walked over to the two. He pulled Ellie's sword out of the floor and handed it over to her. "Do you mind. This is my floor not a dart board." "Oops. Sorry." "Just don't do it again." "Hey," Richie butted in. "Where did you get those anyway?" "A very dear friend made them for me," Ellie said as she turned back to Richie. "He told me that I was a good fighter but I had a hopeless disadvantage." Ellie drew her sword up and down her body, "Height, obviously. Not that I'm real short for a woman but most immortals are men and I am short compared to most men. Anyway, he made the weapons to lessen that disadvantage." She pulled the knife back out and showed Richie how the two weapons fit together. Both handles were flat. The knife had a hook on one side of the blade near the handle that latched onto the sword. It was apparent to Richie that it had to take skill and experience to bring the two weapons together to make one. Joe came over while Richie was admiring the weapons. "Look, this has been fun but we've got some pressing matters to take care of." "Oh, yeah, " Richie said, handing the weapons back to Ellie. Adam finally spoke up, "No offense guys but you two stink." Ellie shrugged, "I'm afraid I don't have anything else to wear." "Well, I already gave you the only set of clothes I had here. I've got my sweats but only the one set." Adam considered that for a moment before saying, "I know your size. It shouldn't take me long to go out and pick something up for you." Ellie didn't look like she wanted to owe Adam a favor but common sense got the better of her. Duncan's clothes would be way too big. She finally nodded and started to head toward the showers. She quickly stopped and turned back to look at Richie. "Well?" "What? At the same time?" Richie was stunned. "Those showers aren't private." "So." Adam started to laugh at Richie's obvious embarrassment. "It won't kill you. She grew up bathing with the opposite sex." Ellie wasn't sure she liked the way that sounded but it was true. She decided not to wait any longer and headed off to the showers. Richie watched her leave before turning to Duncan. "Uh, Mac? Can I, uh, use your shower?" Duncan nodded, chuckling. "I'll bring down a robe," he called back to Ellie. He and Joe went to the elevator with Richie. Adam watched them leave before heading out of the dojo. End of part 5 =========================================================================