========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Mar 1996 12:34:33 -0500 Reply-To: JJSWBT@AOL.COM Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Wendy Tillis Subject: Hidden Potential 13/22 Hidden Potential By: Wendy Tillis March 1996 All standard disclaimers apply. Chapter 13 Maggie and Richie walked through the second floor galleries at the Seattle Art Museum. Richie had planned on taking Margaret to a movie - the Odeon was running a Mad Max retrospective but she had insisted they visit the museum. A traveling exhibition "The Lost Treasures of Dresden" had just opened. Richie has asked how they could be the "lost" treasures if they were right here in the museum - Maggie had explained that these pieces had been moved out of Dresden during W.W.II and therefore had survived the terrible firebombing. They had been lost to Dresden but saved for the world. To Richie it was just room after room of silver plates, china pots and old paintings. Margaret seemed to be enjoying herself - she had oh'ed and ah'ed her way through the first floor galleries and was doing the same now on the second floor. In what Richie considered a waste of money she had purchased the $25.00 guide book to the exhibit. He couldn't see why she needed it as she seemed to already know what each piece was. She had been trying to educate him with little success. They stopped before a case of what appeared to Richie's eyes to be very little pictures. In fact they were exquisite 14th century miniatures -finely detailed portraits and landscapes in richly illustrated manuscripts . Richie had to admit they were pretty. "Think of the work involved in creating one of these, the hours of painstaking detail. . ." Margaret declared. "They're nice." "Nice? Is that all you can say? Nice?" "Very nice?" < Richie laughed> I'm sorry, Maggie. I just have trouble getting into all this artsy stuff. Duncan and Tessa used to drag me to art galleries all the time> I just don't see it." " So I noticed. Come on, my handsome young barbarian. I won't make you look at any more 'nice' paintings. I think there is an exhibit of medieval weapons down the hall Gallery 22." She paused. "Who's Tessa?" "Tessa? She and MacLeod lived together for a long time. She was great. An artist. Duncan and she were going to get, married- but" Richie started to tear up and looked away for a moment. Maggie was surprised, She had never seen him exhibit that much emotion over anything. Richie cleared his throat and went on. "She was killed, shot by a drugged out creep in a robbery. Mac took it real hard - we weren't sure he was ever going to pull out of it. He still isn't the same. Tessa. . Tessa made him laugh." Richie stopped talking, thinking about Tessa. Four years had passed since she had died but hardly a day went by that he didn't think of her. He knew it was worse for Duncan. She was the one thing that still bound them together. Duncan and Tessa had taken him in when he was nothing but a petty thief. Tessa had tried to civilize him, but she had never tried to mother him. He wouldn't have liked that Instead she had been a wiser older sister - or maybe like a sophisticated aunt. Poor Tessa. They had arrived at the weapons hall. Case after case of swords, maces, flails, armour, etc. Richie liked the swords. They stopped in front of one particularly ornate basket hilt sabre. The hilt was enameled and heavily engraved. "Now *that* is beautiful" Richie breathed. ""Yes, you're right, it is. Beauty and function merged. You ought to try making one sometime." "What?" " You could, you know. The university has metal working classes, and there are artisans around that could teach you the details. It could be an interesting hobby. Might even make some money at it. People will pay a lot for custom made swords." Maggie was trying to judge whether Richie had an interest in settling down to learn something more challenging that doing the books for a run-down dojo. He had admired Tessa - maybe there was an artist waiting to emerge in him too. " Me? Make swords? I don't think so. It would take years to learn how to do that." "You are still young, Richie. It's not like you're going to drop over of old-age tomorrow." " But why bother? I have a great sword - and I can *buy* one if I want another." " I just thought it might appeal to you. Something new to learn, a skill that would last you a life-time." "I already have a job. I don't need to learn another." He noticed her irritated look. "Wait. I mean . . it was an interesting idea. But, I . . I have something I wanted to talk to you about. Let's sit down over there." And he indicated a bench nearby in front of a case of crossbows. Maggie wondered what was coming. He seemed very nervous all of a sudden. They sat on the bench, turned so that they were facing each other. Richie *did* look nervous. She steeled herself for whatever was coming. "There's . . there's something I've been wanting to ask you. I . . I was waiting for the right moment." < Please, she thought, *not* a proposal!> " I wanted. . ." "Richie! Just ask, whatever it is!" " Well, I own a part interest in a race track, down in California and I wanted to know if you would like to come down there with me - please." He looked at her hopefully but warily - like he expected an immediate rejection. Maggie was thinking fast. A road trip to California? That was unexpected. She wondered what was really on his mind. " A race track in California? How did you end up with that?" Stall, she thought, stall. " A couple of years ago, I was on the road. Just cruising around. I met some guys, other bikers. They were talking about buying this old track in California, fixing it up to run races again. They asked if I wanted to chip in - become partners with them. It sounded like a great idea - so I bought a share." "Where is this track? I take it it is a motorcycle race track? What's it like?" "It's outside Barstow, out in the desert. But not too far! < seeing the look on her face> "They used to run races there up until the late Fifties, then it went bankrupt. I know it can be fixed up and then all we need is to get a few dates on the racing calendar and we're in business." Margaret thought it sounded like a pipe dream but Richie was enthusiastic. It was the first job he had sounded that way about since she met him. Barstow? She had been through there but that had been along time ago. God forsaken country - but you couldn't put a race track in the middle of the suburbs - and fans would drive a fair distance to see a sport they liked. She could see a glimmer of possibility. "So, when was the last time you were down there?" "I haven't actually *been* there. But I know all about it. And some of the guys called a couple of weeks ago to say they were heading down to start fixing it up. They should be there by now. Come on! Come with me, We'll have a great time. Just the two of us - off on our own. We can really get to know each other, Please!" "How long are you talking about? A week, a month. . longer?" "I don't know. If it goes well, I might just stay down there - there isn't anything in Seattle I care about - not if you come with me. I know we'll be happy - we can be together all the time." " I don't know Richie. I've got my house here. School. Angus.. ." And MacLeod, she thought . " Well, you said you might not take any classes this semester. And the house will be OK. You can get someone to watch it. And , well, you can bring Angus along." That last was said half-heartedly. Angus didn't like Richie and Richie didn't like Angus. The big dog growled at Richie every time he came to the house and made a point of climbing up on the bed when he and Maggie were making love. It was irritating in the extreme. Richie believed the dog knew exactly what they were doing and was trying to mess it up. " Angus doesn't like the heat" Maggie said distractedly. She was thinking the whole prospect over. She didn't know whether being alone with Richie was a good idea. Part of her said it was a mistake - just a gut feeling that the trip would end badly. On the other hand, part of her said it was the perfect opportunity to see what Richie was really made of. And maybe to help him find a niche in life. And maybe it would be good to get away from MacLeod. " Look Richie. I need sometime time to think about it. OK? A few days? I'd need to find something to do with Angus in any event." " Great fine. I know you'll say yes. It will be great." Richie was babbling happily. "Richie! I said I'd think about it. And even if I say yes - I'm not promising I'll stay forever, understand?" "Sure, of course, I understand. You're gonna love it." As Richie went on excitedly, telling her how much fun they were going to have, Maggie was in fact racking her brain for some excuse not to go. They got up and wandered down and out of the museum. Richie never noticed how quiet she had become. By the time they got back to his motorcycle, Maggie had come to the conclusion that there was no graceful way out. She would have to go to California with Richie. But she didn't have to stay. Or did she?