========================================================================= Date: Fri, 26 Apr 1996 22:37:17 -0400 Reply-To: MJordan104@AOL.COM Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: "Monica T. Jordan" Subject: Out of Love and Vengeance - Part 11/11 (Epilogue) X-cc: moreau@odixie.enet.dec.com, mjordan@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu, nevets@newwave.net, naortiz@dttus.com "Out of Love and Vengeance - Part 11/11 (Epilogue)." by Monica T. Jordan. Copyright, 1996. For Disclaimers, Warnings, etc. see Part 1. Thanks. Seacover. December 18, 1995. "You don't have to leave," Duncan said, leaning against the van watching Aria pack more luggage into the already over stuffed vehicle. Aria smiled, but finished with the luggage before addressing Duncan. She walked up next to him and leaned against the van, facing him. She smiled warmly at him. "Yes I do Duncan." "Can I ask where? Or would you rather not," Duncan said. He hoped she would tell him. "I'm headed for L.A. There's an old friend there I need to see. I'll probably stay there for a while." "An immortal you trust?" "No. A mortal." "And you trust this mortal?" "Implicitly." They stared at each other for a while time. There was so much he wanted to say to her and she to him. A week had past since getting Emily back and they'd spent it together. All three of them. Like a real family. It was the closest each would ever get. "Well? Are you gonna kiss or what?" Emily teased, grinning from inside the van. Aria feinted shock. "Emily Rose! Now where'd you learn such bad manners?" Aria asked waiting for a response from the child. Duncan smiled at the exchanged glances between mother and daughter. Aria looked at Duncan nervously. Even though they'd spent a lot of time together in the last few days, they'd never taken their relationship to that final step. They'd shared many secrets about their lives and many stories, but no intimacy had been shared between them. Not for lack of trying. It just didn't happen. Aria became preoccupied with Emily after the child had a couple of rough nights of bad dreams. And the moving away preparations hadn't helped either. Now, gazing into Duncan's soulful brown eyes, she regretted it. "Well are you?" Insisted the precocious child. Duncan blushed. Aria grinned. "You know Duncan? You really are cute when you blush," she said, her grin widening. Duncan reached for her arm, grinning back. "I'll miss you too, Aria." They embraced. "Liar," she said, hugging him tightly. They remained like that until Emily mentioned a car had stopped in front their drive way. Aria and Duncan parted, and Duncan slipped his arm around her waist. It was Joe and they went to meet him at the car. Joe watched them curiously, stepping out of his car. Aria smiled at Joe. she thought. She'd done plenty of that in the past week. She glanced at Duncan. She had him to thank for that. And Richie. Once he relaxed, he was pretty funny and fun to be around. And Dawson. She hadn't seen him since the warehouse and was pleasantly surprised to see him here. Dawson wanted to see her before she left to assure her Lynn couldn't hurt her anymore. "Joe," Aria called. Duncan extended his hand to greet his friend. Aria offered her hand also. "I'm glad you came." Both Duncan and Joe were stunned. Aria thought it funny and laughed. "You're glad to see me?" Joe asked confused, leaning heavily on his cane. "I don't blame you for anything that happened, Joe. I should've trusted my first instincts about you. They're usually are right. I do like you, don't necessarily like what you do, but as a person, you're a stand up guy." "Wander where I heard that before," Duncan quipped and received a jab in the side for it. There was a short awkward silence. "Emily okay?" Joe asked. Aria nodded. "Tough kid you got there," he said, rubbing his stomach. Joe searched Duncan's face, but Duncan shrugged. "Is there something on your mind Aria?" Joe asked, nervously. "If you're worried about Lynn..." "I'm not worried about her," she said, pausing. She looked uneasy and wrapped her arms around Duncan. "Over the past few days I've had a lot of time to think about all this new information concerning the Watchers." Joe twitched in his shoes. "Like?" he prompted. Aria looked apprehensive for a moment, but came to a decision. "Is there a way you could find out who my previous watchers were?" Joe arched his eyebrows, his mouth opened and closed with no sound. Duncan became concerned too, and tightened his grip around her waist. "It's not what you're both thinking," she said, taken aback. "It's just that...." she stopped. Maybe she was wrong she wondered, but she had to know for certain. "I'm particularly interested in my watcher in Mexico City twenty five years ago. I assume I had one?" Joe's mouth dried suddenly. he thought. Aria realized she would have to explain further. "Let me make this easier for you Joe. Was my watcher's name Lucia Mendez?" Joe's mouth fell at the mention of the watcher's name. "Thought so." She grinned. "It all makes sense now." She let go of Duncan and returned to the van. Duncan was watching Dawson who shook his head. "I didn't say anything," Joe said defensively. Duncan smiled at his friend. "You didn't have to Joe," he said tapping Joe on the shoulder. "Your face did." Joe nodded. "I'll have to work on that," he said. He stared at Aria who had her back to them now. "What makes sense now?" Aria didn't turn around, "How much do you know about me Joe?" Joe's face turned red when she asked the question. He was glad that she wasn't looking at him at the moment. "Straight for the bulls eye, huh?" Aria turned to face Joe and nodded. "Works best that way don't you agree?" Joe nodded again, smiling uneasily. He scratched at his beard, pensive for a moment. She'd earned this. "You were my first major research assignment," he said shyly. Aria quirked her lips. "I was your first Joe?" she said suggestively. Duncan laughed, watching Dawson turn a deeper shade of red. "I guess I should be flattered." ### Aria, Duncan and Joe sat in Aria's Kitchen, drinking freshly made coffee. They'd entered the house at Aria's prompting. She had something to get off her chest and she urged them to come in before she lost her nerve. Both were curious so they'd obliged. Emily had been sent upstairs to finish last minute packing. Aria sipped her coffee and smirked. "So I was your first research assignment? So I guess you know me pretty well, huh, Joe?" "Well, I wouldn't exactly say, 'know pretty well' just know of you." "Do you know about the last immortal I beheaded in Mexico?" Aria asked. Joe nodded. "Do you know what happened after I took his head?" Joe shook his head this time. "When I first found out about you watcher's I was pretty upset and very angry. But then I got to thinking and some things became clear to me. Like Lucia." Dawson put his coffee down and stared at Aria. He was very eager to hear what she had to say. He'd been very curious why Lucia Mendez refused to talk about Aria and those missing two years. "I met Lucia," he said. Aria was stunned by that bit of information. "When?" she demanded. It would always bother her that strangers knew about her life. She took a deep breath and calmly asked, "How?" "Lucia had been your watcher for over twenty years and then suddenly she resigned and nothing was reported about you for two years, prior to her resignation." Aria digested the information. A smiled slowly formed on her face. She looked Joe in the eye. "Do you know why I took that immortal's head?" Joe and Duncan nodded. Aria made a mental note that Duncan knew more about her than she realized, but filed it away. She knew now she could trust Duncan with anything. "After I took his head, I couldn't move afterwards. Days had gone by and I was still there. Lying comatose close to his rotting body. I wanted to die. I felt I had no reason left to live. If an immortal had come by at that very instant I would've gladly given up my head." She turned her face away, but not before Duncan caught the tear that had rolled down her cheek. "Lucia came in and dragged me out of there and took me to her home. I'd often wondered how she found me? Why she never questioned the scene she'd walked into? Why she would help me? For months I did nothing, said nothing. I couldn't function. I was like a vegetable and Lucia had to take care of everything. She practically nursed me back to health, and only after I became a bit more coherent and easier to handle, she decided that leaving Mexico was vital for my recovery and we ended up in L.A." Aria stopped and said nothing for a while. Duncan and Joe, shifted in their seats, but waited patiently until she began again. "It took two years for me to get back to normal. I lived with Lucia for some time after that. Then she forced me to go out on my own. I went to college and bunked with a computer hacker who taught me the finer things of computer life. And then I made the big move and came up north." "And this is the 'old friend' you're going to visit?" Inquired Duncan. "Yes. I want her to meet Emily and I also want to thank her properly. If it hadn't been for her..." Aria smiled, and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. She stood and stretched, making a cat like sound. A huge grin formed on her face and mischief developed in her eyes. "Anyone for ice cream? I've got a ton in the fridge and I can't take it with me." Dawson and Duncan took the hint and nodded. Aria smiled and yelled for Emily to come to the kitchen stating some serious ice cream eating was about to begin. Duncan stood and went to her and hugged her tightly. "If you ever need anything," he whispered into her ear. "I know," she said, chocking back tears. "I know." The End. Comments can be sent to (mjordan104@aol.com). Thanks.