========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Mar 1996 12:33:37 -0500 Reply-To: JJSWBT@AOL.COM Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Wendy Tillis Subject: Hidden Potential 12/22 Hidden Potential By: Wendy Tillis March 1996 All standard disclaimers apply. Chapter 12 Methos arrived at Maggie's house at 5:00AM. She answered the door and lead him into the back of the house . He sat at the kitchen table while she moved about the room preparing breakfast. Just as he was settling in with his first cup of coffee, Angus meandered into the room. "Still have a thing for big dogs, do you? Remember that pair you had in Egypt? "The ones that used to love chasing the local priest off the farm? Yeah. They were great. Angus here is a good boy. And a shrewd judge of character." " Is that why he is staring at me?" "No, he's just hoping you'll toss him some of your bacon. Go ahead, it doesn't hurt to make a good first impression with a beast that can tear your head off. Oh don't look so hurt - I'll make you some more." Methos tossed the dog *all* his bacon and went back to his coffee. "So - tell me. How did you let yourself get into such a mess." "Mess? Am I in a mess?" "I'd say so. You let yourself return from the dead in a public place, you made the evening news for days, you didn't leave when you *were* discovered, you're going out with a kid whom you can't possibly care anything about, and we won't even mention what you're doing to MacLeod. Why are you still here? You used to be an expert at the fast escape." "Why am I here? Because everyone has to be somewhere?" " Come on Magda." "Maggie." "OK, come on Maggie. Tell me." "All right." She finished dishing up breakfast and sat down across the table from him. Angus whined appealingly but she motioned him to lie down and he did. " About 18 months ago, my long-time mortal lover Thomas died in New York. We'd been together 40 years and I needed to get away. I hadn't been out here since the U.S. Cavalry arrived so I knew no one would recognize me. I decided to become a student. I'd been an international stock broker with Thomas. Before that I'd been a lawyer, before that a chemist. I just wanted to kick back and have some fun. I arrived, bought this house, set my cover story and started to take a few classes, make a few friends. In moving here, I broke one of my own rules - I didn't do any research. I never checked my files to see which Immortals might be in the area. I didn't 'consult' with a local Watcher to see who was about. I just picked a city and came. Stupid. Anyway. Last month I was visiting a friend when all hell broke loose. Her boyfriend tried to kill her and I stepped in the way. My Immortal reflexes took over, I suppose. Hurt like the Devil. I knew I wasn't going to make it but I managed to hold on until I got to the hospital. I figured it was better to revive in semi-privacy there than on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance. Trouble was - I hadn't been "dead' for a while and it threw me more than I expected. I was totally exhausted and just managed to get home and fall into bed. If MacLeod had arrived a few hours earlier, he would have sensed me because I was too tired to 'shield' myself at all. Then, it's 5:00AM and there is a television news crew in my driveway. I stumbled through the interview trying to say as little as possible." " Why didn't you leave then, as soon as they were gone?" " I intended to. I was upstairs packing when MacLeod appeared. I didn't know *who* he was at first - I though he was another reporter. But when he gave me his name - I knew. After all, I'd been hearing that name for 400 years in various circles. I'd never seen him but the description I had matched right down to the trenchcoat." " And it was love at first sight?" Methos said mockingly. "Hardly. He is an impressive man but right then all I was thinking was - what does he want? He didn't seem threatening and I admit that by the time he left I was intrigued. I was still going to leave, but then the publicity died down sooner than I thought - as soon as I refused to talk to the press they found another freak show to cover. So I stayed. MacLeod came back again, but still - I think he was just curious. And lonely. He just wanted to talk." Methos cut in : "But where does Richie fit into this." "I met Richie at the dojo. I had no idea he was Immortal. I just thought he was one of MacLeod's human buddies - a surrogate little brother type of thing. We've all taken young mortals under our wings at times. That Richie was interested in me was pretty obvious. MacLeod - I couldn't read. I must be getting old." She sighed. "Then, one night at Joe's, Richie asked me out. I said 'sure' - I wasn't doing anything . Besides Duncan hadn't asked and I thought it might make him a little jealous." "Did you ever think of asking *him* out, silly? Women do that now, you know." Methos was exasperated. " They *do*! How amazing. Yes - I thought of it. But - I was supposed to be this 20 year old college girl. Duncan is playing a lot older than that - I thought that it would be out of character for me to be so forward with a man of his age. So - I started going out with Richie. It gave me an excuse to stay around Duncan. I figured that sooner or later he'd ask me out himself." Methos scoffed. "MacLeod? Not bloody likely. He has this incredibly strict code of conduct that forbids him from doing anything so *dishonorable* as hitting on another man's woman. "I realize that now. " "Why don't you just dump Richie? He's been dumped before I imagine." " I would have done - if he were mortal. I only recently discovered he was Immortal. . ." "How?" Methos jumped in. " Oh, I discovered a $500,000 sword hanging in his apartment. Suddenly a few things became clear - like why MacLeod was so tolerant toward him. Then, later that day, he was showing off on his bike and he dumped it. He cut his hand pretty good but he hid it from me. Later, he was fine. Now, instead of going out with MacLeod's mortal side-kick - I was going out with his Immortal student. If I drop him *now* in favor of Duncan - there will be trouble. They are already just barely speaking to each other. Plus - I see something in Richie I don't like. It's just a feeling - that he could end up as one of those hard, mean, dangerous Immortals we all know and hate. I want to stick with him a while - see if I can't give him a gentle shove toward a better path." "Altruism - from you - at this late date? How - droll. What about MacLeod. He's in love with you. He has no idea that you are attracted to him too. It's eating him up seeing you with Richie - thinking of you in Richie's bed. Keep this up and they'll end up at each others throats." "I know. I know. I've been staying away from MacLeod as much as possible. I haven't given Richie any reason to doubt me. I told you it was a mess. I *know* that eventually I can let Richie down easy. It is just going to take a little finesse." "I don't think there's a man alive that could give you up *easily*. A night with you tends to have a lasting effect on men." " Mykos! What a nice thing to say! I knew there was a reason I liked you. I admit it is a tad embarrassing being stuck like this at my age. But - Richie is walking on the edge right now - the young ones always do. You know it, Duncan knows it. He can still go either way and I don't want to be the one that pushes him to the dark side. When I'm sure he is on the right road, I'll find a gentle way to leave him." " I wouldn't bet on him giving you up . I think young Ryan will hang on to you like grim death. He knows perfectly well that he has something MacLeod wants- and he isn't about to let go. The student thinks he has bested the teacher and that's a heady feeling." "True. Well. I'll think of something. As a last resort, I'll just dump him and run. I can always catch up with MacLeod I the future. I certainly don't intend to tell Richie what I really am - and I'm not prepared to play house with him for 5 years just so he can thumb his nose at Duncan." She got up from the table and paced around the kitchen. Outside, on the street Duncan paused, He had awakened early and been unable to go back to sleep. He kept thinking about Maggie and what Methos had said- that Duncan should tell her how he felt. Maybe she *didn't* know how he felt about her. He certainly didn't know what, if anything, she felt for him. She had seemed interested but then she had taken up with Richie. He decided to walk over to her house and confront her. The worst that could happen was that she would tell him that she was madly in love with Richie. If that was true, Duncan would try to accept it gracefully. He was just about to walk up the sidewalk to the porch when he felt the presence of another Immortal. Looking around, he realized it was coming from inside the her house. He looked at his watch. It wasn't even 6:00AM yet. Richie. Of course it was Richie. Duncan turned and walked back toward home. That settled that. Duncan felt like a fool. What had he been thinking? She was Richie's. He quickly walked down the block toward home. Inside, Methos suddenly sat up straight. He looked around in a way that Maggie recognized from thousands of years of personal experience. " An Immortal?" " Yes, in front , I think." They both moved to the front of the house. Maggie carefully pulled aside the curtain on one of the living-room windows and peeked outside. No one was there. She and Methos stepped cautiously out onto the porch. Looking to her left, Maggie caught a glimpse of a tall man in a dark brown trenchcoat turning the corner. " Damn! It was Duncan." " Why didn't he come in?" " Oh Methos! Don't be dense. Because he thought you were Richie, of course. Damn again."