========================================================================= Date: Sun, 21 Apr 1996 23:56:06 -0400 Reply-To: Jill Marie Spetoskey Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Jill Marie Spetoskey Subject: Mortals 14/14 (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: k s gritten Subject: Mortals 14/14 Mortals 14/14 Natalie smiled in the dark as the phone rang. "Hey, I thought that it was my turn to call," she answered without preamble. "Yeah, well, I was just thinking about you." At the other end of the line, Joe Dawson did not sound the least contrite. She tried to picture him at his home, but all she could focus on were the familiar, low tones of his voice. She turned on her side, propping her head on her hand, rearranging the pillows on the bed for more support. She glanced at the clock--yep, fifteen minutes before she was supposed to have called him. It had become a kind of ritual; they talked frequently in the late hours. "How's work?" she asked. "Oh, same old thing. Trying to keep Watchers in line. Trying to keep Richie out of trouble when Duncan is gone," he answered wryly. "How about you?" "I'm working more days," she said quietly. "Are you okay?" There were many depths to the question. "Yes," she reassured him. After a pause, "We all are, I think." Silence lay between them for a moment. "Nat? Can I ask you something?" His voice was half-serious, half-mischievous. "Sure," she answered easily. "Will you marry me?" In the darkness, she grinned. "No. Why do you ask?" She heard his chuckle. "It seemed a very human thing to do." Despite their bantering tones, Natalie found herself blushing. "You know my deepest secrets, but I bet you don't even know my favorite color," she teased. "You're right." The silence was more pleasant this time. "Have you heard anything about Lisa?" she asked, trying not to sound too apprehensive. She could almost hear him shake his head. "Nope, not yet. We'll find her soon, hopefully." She wrapped the telephone cord around her finger idly, breathing a sigh of relief at his lack of news. "If you guys need any help, I think that you can count on it from here. Nick wants to know who brought her across." "No luck finding anything out, huh?" "Nope. But the official police interest has died down." Natalie and Joe had concocted a bizarre tale to keep their secrets safe. They had said that a delusional Lisa McKenzie had believed herself to be a vampire, that she had admitted killing her husband because she saw him leaving the Raven with another woman. Tracy had laughed nervously. Reese had shook his head, muttering something about working the night shift. "I'll let you know as soon as we find out anything," Joe assured her. "So, when are you going to come see me? I promised to show you the nightlife here." "I hope that it is more subdued than ours," she laughed, then answered, "Soon. If I keep working some days, I may even have a suntan by the time I get there." "You'll make Nick jealous," he joked. 'I just might,' she thought. Natalie stifled a yawn, then said apologetically, "I better get going. Switching shifts so much has thrown my internal clock off." "Okay. Goodnight." "Goodnight, Joe." "Nat?" "Hm?" "What's your favorite color?" "Green. Go to sleep, Joe." "G'night." She drifted off to sleep easily. *end*