========================================================================= Date: Tue, 16 Apr 1996 16:21:00 -0400 Reply-To: LC Krakowka Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: LC Krakowka Subject: Nothing Gold Can Stay 5/6 Nothing Gold Can Stay LC Krakowka hck1@cornell.edu copyright-1996. boy am i stupid! i spelled copyright wrong on the first 4 sections! [part 5] "Well, well. The legendary Methos." Adam spun around at the sound of his name. He had sensed another immortal present, but assumed it was Sarie. He didn't really believe that Sarah would allow herself to be used as bait, but he couldn't take the chance. Linna Wolfram had said that Sarie was in no condition to talk, but that she would be spared if he arrived by nine PM. He should have just killed that woman when he had the chance. "Who are you?" "My name is Paul Wolfram." Adam frowned. The man wielding a curved blade and smiling at him was most certainly not Sarah. "And?" "Methos, meet my husband," Linna said, stepping out from the shadows. Three more men stepped out from across the room, one brandishing a wicked looking axe. "And I suppose you were the groomsmen?" Adam asked. "You have a wise mouth, for someone who is about to lose his head," one said, pulling a pistol from his pocket. Paul Wolfram looked around nervously. His eyes fell on Linna, but she offered no explanation as to who these people were. "You need four people to fight your battles for you, Wolfram?" Adam asked, backing away and looking for an escape route. "You know that's against the rules." Paul shrugged in genuine confusion. "I have no idea who these people are," he said. Adam felt a pang of sympathy for the man. It passed quickly. "They're Hunters." "Hunters?" "A branch of the Watchers you'd rather not marry into, trust me," Adam answered. "Linna, you promised me two Highlanders as well," Mitch said, leaning casually on the handle of the axe. "Things didn't work out. But MacGreggor will show up to rescue her lover here," she said. "I'm sure Dawson told her where we are, and I'm sure MacLeod is with her." Adam breathed a sigh of relief. So, Sarah was safe. Hopefully one or both MacLeods would keep her that way. "Well, that negates our deal, doesn't it?" Mitch made a barely perceptible nod and two shots rang out. One brought Wolfram to his knees, clutching at his stomach. The other tore through Adam's chest and sent him spinning to the floor. Linna reached for her own revolver, but the shorter of Mitch's men pointed one at her and asked that she not make any sudden moves. Before he lost consciousness, Adam saw an axe swinging toward Wolfram's head. Sarah, Connor, and Joe arrived in time to see windows shattering and flashes of bright lightning licking the frame of the building. She would have run in headlong, but Connor grabbed her around the waist and held on until the quickening stopped. She took a deep breath and nodded at him, indicating that her urge had passed. They entered the warehouse cautiously. Connor was holding a pistol in one hand and his sword in the other. Sarah's rapier was tucked inside her coat, but she had refused to carry a gun. "Ah...not the two Highlanders I had expected, but these will do nicely," Mitch said, his axe poised to fall across Adam's neck. Without thinking, Sarah grabbed Connor's wrist, leveled the pistol at Mitch's chest, and pulled the trigger. His body was thrown backwards and the axe fell with the butt end of the head crashing into Adam's nose. "I thought you said you didn't know how to shoot," Connor said. "I said I didn't like guns," Sarah responded on her way to Adam's side. Connor chuckled, but leveled the gun at the other mortals before the element of surprise could wear off. The man near Linna raised his arm to shoot and Connor put a bullet in his chest. To his own surprise, the woman drew a small revolver of her own and shot the third Hunter squarely in the face. "You on our side?" Connor asked. "Hardly." She aimed and fired, grazing him across the shoulder. "That wasn't very nice," he said, advancing on her. Linna backed away. No matter how many times she had seen them heal, it always unnerved her to watch an immortal ignore pain. Sarah was kneeling next to Adam and didn't hear the exchange. "Come on Petey, get up. You have to get out of here." Adam blinked up at her for a minute, then sat up groggily and scratched his head. He touched his broken nose gingerly and scowled at the blood on his fingers. "Looks like you were right, Sarie. Go ahead and say I told you so." She smiled, despite the situation. "Get out of here. Go to Duncan, he'll get you out of town," she pulled him to his feet and pointed him toward the door. "Come with me." Sarah shook her head. "I have to get the Methos Chronicles back. Maybe we can cover this up still. I'll meet you at the dojo." "Then we'll take a slow boat to China together?" He asked, wiping the blood from his nose with the corner of his sleeve. "This is not the time for jokes, Petey. Get out of here." He pulled her into a hug and kissed her gently. "That wasn't a joke. I'll wait as long as I can." "I'll be there." "Hurry." Sarah nodded and shoved him toward the door. She watched him weave his way through the rubble from the quickening, the tip of his sword clanging as it dragged across the floor. Behind her, Mitch was struggling to his feet. "Bullet proof vest," he said to Connor, whose jaw was slightly slack at the sight. Sarah turned to find Linna Wolfram pointing a revolver at her chest. Mitch grabbed the axe and hefted it, charging headlong at Connor, who brought his sword up reflexively. Sarah laughed. If there was anyone who knew how to defend against and axe, it was a Highlander. "I'll take your head with your own sword," Linna said, drawing Sarah's attention once more. "Oh, I don't think so." Sarah lashed out with an open palm uppercut to the jaw and Linna reeled backwards and fell to the ground clutching at her face. In one fluid motion, Sarah grabbed the gun, took the woman by her hair, and pointed it at her temple. "Where are the Chronicles?" "Why should I tell you?" Linna asked through broken teeth. "Because if you don't you'll have a bullet in your brain," Sarah cocked the hammer with her thumb and yanked Linna's head back. "It's too late, they've already told people Methos is real. Someone will come hunting for him. Everyone will come hunting for him. And you. We have pictures of you two together." "Where are the chronicles?" "You won't kill me." "Don't push your luck." Something in her tone told Linna that Sarah would all too gladly pull that trigger. She glanced over at Paul's body; then looked to Mitch, who was losing his battle with Connor. There was no way he would walk out of this one. But maybe she could. "I didn't give them to the Hunters." "Where are they? And the journals. And your files. I want everything, or you die here and now." "It's all in a locker at the train station. Number 612. The key is in my left pocket." Sarah pulled out the small key and examined it briefly, allowing Linna the luxury of slumping forward into the agony of her bleeding mouth. "This all ends here, do you understand?" Sarah asked, pocketing the key. "If I ever see your face again, or if anything happens to Petey, you'll know what it's like to be hunted." Linna simply nodded. Paul was dead. She had no more reason to get involved with immortals. Sarah heaved a sigh of relief and slammed the woman's head into the ground, knocking her unconscious. She threw the gun aside and took off at full speed for the car. Connor culd take care of himself. She and Joe had to get the chronicles and make it back to the dojo before Petey left. *** "I'm not leaving without saying good-bye to Sarie," Adam said stoutly. "Methos, you have to get out of here, *now*," Duncan responded. "She'll understand...we all have to make quick escapes now and then." Adam shook his head. "I'm not leaving without seeing her. We've done this before and it took us six hundred years to find each other." "That was different, you guys thought the other one was dead..." Richie said. "And if you don't get out of here soon, you *will be* dead," Duncan added. Adam sighed and his face ran through a series of emotions, heart wrenching pain being the most frequent. "Give me fifteen more minutes, she'll be here." Richie was about to remind him of the urgency of the situation again, but a sharp look from Mac silenced him. Adam wandered into the office and sat down at the desk, praying that Sarah would make it in time. He thunked his head down and sighed again. She had to make it in time. He couldn't do this again. Not after all they had been through. They were supposed to wind up together this time. "Why don't you leave her a note? Just in case." Adam looked up and saw the Highlander leaning against the doorjamb, compassion evident on his face. "There is too much to say in a note," he said. "If I miss her, will you make sure she understands?" Duncan nodded, "Of course I will. And there is paper in the top drawer." He left the office slowly and sat down next to Richie on the weight bench. Adam took out a pad with the dojo letterhead on it and picked up a pen. He stared at the blank sheet for the better part of five minutes, trying to come up with the right words. How do you convey nine hundred years of emotions on a single piece of five by seven paper? Finally, he carefully wrote two words and a question mark and folded the sheet in quarters. A glance at the clock told him there was no more time to wait. *** Sarah slammed the car out of gear and ran into the dojo at top speed, leaving Joe to close her door and turn off the engine. Duncan was sitting alone on the weight bench, his head bowed and his elbows slouching on his knees. "Where's Petey?" She asked, coming to an abrupt halt in front of him. Duncan stood slowly and offered his arms in a hug, but she backed away, her face stricken. "He and Richie left about twenty minutes ago," he said quietly. "Where were they going? Maybe I can catch them..." Duncan shook his head. "I don't know. And even if you could, it'd only be endangering both you and Methos." Sarah squeezed her eyes shut and slammed her fist into her thigh. Duncan thought she might break down and cry, from the look on her face, but instead, she paced over to the weight bench and collapsed in defeat. He sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulder. "It's not the same as it was six hundred years ago, Sarah," he said. "He'll find you. He'll be back or he'll send word when everything is safe again." Joe limped into the dojo, carrying two large books and a small canvass bag that looked to be heavy. He saw Duncan comforting Sarah and swore inwardly. Connor arrived not moments later and took in the scene with a grave frown. "I can't wait another six hundred years," Sarah said, leaning against Duncan's shoulder. "I just *can't* do it." "You won't have to. Come on," he pulled her gently to her feet, "let's go upstairs. I think we could all use a drink." Sarah allowed him to escort her to the lift and tried not to think about whatever plane, train, or boat Adam was on, speeding his way to parts unknown. Who were they to think they could lead a normal life in the middle of the Game? Once inside the loft, she took the glass of scotch he offered and sat down on the couch, staring off into space and trying to figure out if there was a way to fill the large hole forming in her chest. The three men gathered in the kitchen and spoke in hushed tones. "Did he make it out okay?" Joe asked. Duncan nodded. "He asked Richie to take him somewhere. They left about twenty minutes before you guys got here." Joe sighed heavily and drained his glass, holding it while Connor poured a refill. "I never should have told Linna about Adam and the Methos Chronicles." "Don't blame yourself," Connor said. "It all would have come out eventually. It always does. Then we pack up and vanish, leaving everyone we love behind." "And you took care of the Hunter?" Connor nodded. "And the woman." Joe swallowed hard. Linna and he had been young together. Gone through training together. Crossed paths several times during their field work. But that was nothing. Not compared to the history shared between Connor and Sarah, or Sarah and Adam. He knew the elder Highlander didn't kill indescriminantly. This had been to help Methos, despite the somewhat strange nature of their relationship. Maybe it had been done out of loyalty and caring for Sarah. Regardless, it had been done. And maybe it would be enough. But he doubted that very much. Duncan took the bottle and joined Sarah on the couch. She was staring into the amber liquid in her glass and barely looked up as he sat down. He frowned deeply, watching her struggle to keep the lines of tension and sadness from forming on her face. "He wrote you a note, but I think he must have given it to Richie." Sarah drained her glass in one gulp and looked up at the ceiling. "We were supposed to go ice skating tomorrow. Can you believe it? Like we were a normal couple or something. Ice skating." Duncan pulled her into a hug and kissed the top if her head tenderly. "It'll be okay, I promise. He's been around a long time...he'll be okay." In the kitchen, Connor pulled up a stool and hung his head over his empty glass. Joe took a seat next to him and swirled the remainder of his own drink around thoughtfully. "Does he have a Watcher?" Joe shook his head. "We couldn't risk anyone knowing about him. I should have assigned someone though...then at least I could tell her where he was." Connor shrugged, but made no response. They had been sitting in silence for nearly an hour when Joe recognized the look that suddenly came across Connor's face. Sarah leapt up from her spot next to Duncan, hoping against all hope. Her face fell noticeably when Richie pulled the gate up on the lift. He entered the room slowly, slapping his leg nervously and looking from Sarah to Duncan and back. "I took him to the docks." Sarah nodded. "Did he get out okay?" "Yeah." She was about to ask him if Adam had his scarf along, but decided it was a stupid question and even more stupid to be worrying about him getting cold when soon every ill mannered immortal on the planet would be after her Petey's head. Instead, she nodded again and paced over to a window, hugging herself against a cold that went deeper than the Seacouver winter. Richie shucked off his coat and followed her. "He said to tell you to wait for him. And that he loved you." Sarah bit her lip hard and nodded a third time. She knew that if she spoke, it would all come pouring out. "And he gave me this," Richie pulled a slightly crumpled piece of paper out of his back pocket and handed it to her. Sarah took the note and held it for a minute, unfolding it once, then handed it back to Richie. "You read it, I can't." He hesitated, but opened the piece of paper and fought back a wave of emotion himself as he read it. "Well?" She asked. Richie shook his head. "I...here," he shoved it back into her hands. Sarah looked down at it and a soft smile formed on her face, then she closed her eyes and sank to the floor. Richie dropped to his knees and wrapped both arms around her. Connor started across the room, but a gesture from Duncan brought him up short. Mac took him by the elbow and steered him toward the door. "Let's let Richie handle this, they...well, he's closer to her than any of us," he said. "And right now, he's her only link to Methos," Joe added, picking up his coat. He looked at the stack of Watcher Chronicles sitting on the chair and decided that tomorrow would be soon enough to deal with them. Richie looked up briefly as he heard the door click shut, then directed his attention back to Sarah. She was shaking and trying to catch her breath. He hugged her tightly, then pulled back and crooked a finger under her chin, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. Sarah drew her sleeve across her face and sniffled. "I'm sorry." "Don't be, it's okay. Adam was pretty upset too." "Do um...do you know where the boat was headed?" Richie shook his head. "He said it was better if no one knew." Sarah nodded, he was right, of course. "You should probably vanish too." "Why?" "Anyone who comes hunting for Adam will most likely go through you first." She sighed and rested her head on his chest. "If I go anywhere, I might run into him by accident...or lead someone to him. I should just stay here and pretend nothing happened. And I'm tired of living secret lives." Richie hugged her again. He didn't know what to say. But Adam had asked him to take care of her and that he would. [end pt 5] -- LC Krakowka/ hck1@cornell.edu |CIT Lab WebMistress/LTC Team ***MFW Cavalry--We're tougher than we look.*** The host is riding from Knocknarea /And over the grave of Clooth-na-Bare; Caoilte tossing his burning hair, /And Niamh calling Away, come away: Empty your heart of its mortal dream. -Yeats