========================================================================= Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 22:44:53 -0400 Reply-To: MJordan104@AOL.COM Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: "Monica T. Jordan" Subject: Out of Love and Vengeance - Part 8/11 X-cc: moreau@odixie.enet.dec.com, mjordan@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu, nevets@newwave.net, naortiz@dttus.com "Out of Love and Vengeance - Part 8/11. by Monica T. Jordan. Copyright, 1996. For Disclaimers, Warnings, etc. see Part 1. Thanks. Duncan's Loft. December 9, 1995. Aria sat on the couch, her legs tucked under her and stared at Duncan who was busily making coffee. Some time had passed since they came up from the Dojo, but not much had been said and the silence was stifling. Before coming to the Dojo, Aria had decided to ask Duncan for help. But after the fight with Richie, even though he said he would help her, she doubted it. Duncan walked over to the couch with two steaming cups of coffee, handing one to Aria and sitting next to her. She wrapped her hands around the mug, letting the heat dull her nerves. Duncan decided that patience in this situation was the best remedy and would wait until she was ready. When Aria finally spoke, her voice was low, almost a whisper as she stared into the coffee, averting eye contact with him. "About Richie..." "I'll talk to Richie." "I didn't want to fight him." "I know. He challenged you and you defended yourself. That's the nature of the Game." "It doesn't have to be that way." "I know. He just had a bad experience recently and I'm afraid he's transferred his anger to you." Silence grew between them again as Aria digested Duncan's answer. She no longer could think cohesively and almost lost her head because of her lack of concentration. Aria looked at Duncan and wrangled with what she must do. In the short space of time she'd known Duncan MacLeod he'd made a major impression on her. There was no doubt he was honorable. "Sometimes being immortal, it's hard to trust." "Yes, it is." "Are there people you trust Duncan?" "There are some." "I've only trusted a few...and most of them are dead." Aria returned to staring at the coffee. The strain in her voice was palpable and Duncan knew whatever she was fighting with had to be difficult. He remained quiet, waiting until she was ready. He watched her intently as she took several deep breaths. Aria took her first sip of the coffee, and gazed directly into Duncan's eyes. "I haven't trusted anyone, let alone another immortal, in a long time Duncan. This... isn't easy for me." She closed her eyes and sank further into the couch, letting out a heavy sigh. She looked like she was carrying the world on her shoulders and Duncan's heart ached at the sadness that bore over her face. She looked so tired. "I've done things in my life I'm not proud of Duncan. Things I wished I'd never done. I had done them out of bitterness and hatred for the loss of people I cared about. But the things I did can't be taken back. I can only make amends. Find a way to atone for my past actions and hope it's enough. But it never is Duncan," She said sadly. "But we can try Aria. That's all we can do." "But is it ever enough? Every time I think I've earned the right to be happy it gets yanked from under me. When I'd been mortal I'd married a wonderful man. His name was Amjed and he worked along with my father in the market my family owned. He was my whole life. When they were killed, I thought the pain alone would kill me. All I wanted was vengeance." <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Granada. 1212. Aria awoke disoriented and greeted by a buzzing noise in her ears. She inhaled deeply and glanced at her surroundings. She struggled to her feet, but the buzzing in her ears was so great, she clasped them and howled at the pain. She didn't know where she was and all she remembered was the torment she felt as the blade went through her chest. "The sound you hear in your head is how our kind recognizes each other." Startled by the voice Aria staggered back and fell on the cot she'd been lying on. "What? Who? Oh!" She relaxed a bit as she recognized the man and the noise in her ears had subsided to a tolerable level. "Faysal?" she said groggily staring at him. He nodded. Her hand absently touched her chest where she'd been stabbed and she looked down at the rip and blood on her dress, but felt no wound. Faysal was seated in a chair close by drinking something and watching her with sad eyes. "You are immortal now. Like me. From this day forward you will not age another day and you will not die, lest your head separates from your body." Aria just stared at him. She was shocked about still being alive and now Faysal was telling her she was immortal like him and could not die. She had to be dead and in hell. "This is not possible. I died!" Her voice was near panic. "Yes. You did die, child. But that was only your first death," he said seeing the confusion deepen on her face and fear build in her eyes. "Don't be afraid. I will tell you what you are. What we are," Faysal said with a sweep of his hand toward her and him. Aria remained seated on the cot but she became frightened as she listened to Faysal tell her about immortality, the Game, Quickening, the Prize, and the rules immortals live by. "We live by simple rules we all observe and never break. I will teach them to you. Learned them, observe them, and you will live long," Faysal said calmly, sipping his drink. Aria was stunned. Her mouth hung open, her eyes wide. "This simply is not possible." Faysal watched her with concern. "It is hard to comprehend at first. But give it time. Until then, you will need to learn to defend yourself with a sword." "Defend myself? But you just said I could not die!" "Yes I did. But I also said if your head comes away from your body you will die. And our kind will fight each other to the last. They will seek you out for your head." "My head?" she said softly, rubbing at her neck. "But how..." she stopped as Faysal fingered the hilt of his sword. She had heard what that sword could do. Cutting men in half. She swallowed hard as she thought her neck wouldn't be much of a challenge for it. Faysal must have read the look on her face, and laughed. "I will not take your head, but I will train you to keep it, child. Hopefully." He chuckled as Aria stared at him, her mouth agape. "I knew you'd be one of us from the day I met you." "You could tell?" "Some of us can. Yes." Faysal smiled, though his eyes were sad. "I told your father you were special." At the mention of her father's name, Aria remembered and the emptiness in her heart ripped her apart. The hatred she began feeling consumed her, making her irrational. Aria stood up from the cot glaring down at Faysal. "I will avenge their deaths!" Faysal was afraid she'd react this way, "Vengeance never helped the soul grow Aria," he said softly, hoping it would calm her down. "But it shall give me satisfaction!" Faysal stood and watched her evenly. "Satisfaction?" "Yes! I want blood Faysal! Their blood!" "Aria, please..." he said and stepped closer to her. Aria backed away from him. "No! They have taken everything I held dear, everything I loved in this world. Without Amjed or my father life does not mean anything. And for that those swines will pay with their lives!" "And then what!" "I do not know. But I will do what I must!" Faysal's shoulders drooped, he was afraid of this. He _had_ to talk some sense into her. "And then what?" His voice gentle, almost fatherly and she wavered in her resolve. He stepped closer and grabbed her by the shoulders and squeezed them gently. "Vengeance will not bring them back." "I know," she stammered shrugging him off and backed away further from him. She was not going to let him change her mind. She would not. "Stay here. Let me find them and I'll deal with them." "No Faysal. Amjed's and my father's death will be avenged by my hands!" "And who will avenge yours?" She was stung by those words. "You believe because I am a woman, I will die?" "No. I believe because you are a fool, you will die." "But," she stammered, confusion and doubt grabbing at her. "You just told me I could not die." "And beheading is the punishment for murdering Spanish soldiers," Faysal said. Aria slumped to the floor without a word. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "I was angry, furious, bitter. All I had in my heart was hatred. But Faysal's pleadings finally got through to me. He was a wonderful teacher Duncan." She opened her eyes and smiled. "I learned so much from him. Though I'd been very afraid of him the first time I met him. I grew to trust him and loved him as a father. He was a great calming influence on me." She couldn't bare Duncan's gaze any longer and she returned to staring at the coffee which she'd barely touch and was now cold. "Then..." she choked. Duncan wanted to say, but didn't. He couldn't. He also wanted to reach out and embrace her. Hug her close to him as tears began to roll down her face. She'd been fighting it, blinking her eyes but the pain won out. It was a terrible struggle she was going through telling him her story. She untucked her feet from under her, laid the coffee mug on the floor and drew her legs to her chest clasping her hands around them and rested her chin on her knees. "What happened?" Duncan asked gently. Aria's posture changed as she tensed and her eyes actually got darker. "Faysal was betrayed by a Spanish immortal bastard named Enrico Sanchez! Three years had passed since Faysal told me I was immortal and Sanchez was the only other immortal I'd met in that time. Faysal welcomed him into his home." She sighed, "I still hated the Spanish and wanted nothing to do with them. But Faysal had always insisted they were no nationalities among immortals. One day while I was away, Sanchez snuck up behind Faysal and beheaded him. Just like that. Faysal never saw it coming. He was a warrior Duncan, he didn't deserve to die like that!" She choked, blinking the tears away, struggling to remain in control. "And that, as they say, was the straw that broke the camel's back." Duncan couldn't help himself and he reached over and stroked her hair. She turned to face him and when Duncan saw the depth of the pain in her eyes he opened his arms to her. She hesitated slightly but she came to him and he wrapped his arms around her. Aria gripped his arm tightly he lost some feeling in it for a while. All immortals accepted the risks whenever they took on the responsibility of training immortals, Duncan argued in his mind. But had one of Connor's students taken his head in that manner, Duncan knew he would hunt them down to the ends of the earth and kill them without mercy. Of that he was certain. But would he have done what Aria did afterwards? "You hunted him and beheaded him?" "Yes," she said sniffing and pulled away from him, to Duncan's chagrin. "You might not like me too much after this part. The things I did, the people I hurt. Duncan I caused so much pain and heartache that was needless and unnecessary. I..." she choked on the words. Although Duncan knew more or less what she would say, he didn't want to put her through it. She was obviously ashamed of her past. Lord knows he had done things in his past he wished he hadn't. Besides, he felt guilty he knew so much about her without her knowledge and she knew nothing about him. "We've all done things in our past we regret Aria." "But..." "You don't have to justify yourself to me. Or your past. What's past is done and all we can do is make up for them." At that moment, Aria knew she'd fallen in love with Duncan MacLeod. She caressed his face. Duncan held it and kissed her palm and pulled her close and kissed her. Aria drew away from Duncan and laid her head against his chest and fished out something out of her pants pocket and handed it to him. "This is Emily," she said softly. "My daughter." It was a photograph of her and Emily. Duncan reasoned the picture must have been taken by Aria, by the angle of the photograph and where her hands were. They both were all smiles. A smile he hadn't been fortunate to witness. "She's beautiful," he said tightly. "She's not only beautiful, Duncan, but she has a beautiful soul to match. I've learned so much from her," she said, wiping tears from her face. "She was kidnapped three days ago. The price for her freedom is you," she said. "I'm sorry." She untangled herself from his arms and stood, turning her back to him. Duncan stared at her back for a long time. She'd finally said it. But was she asking him for his help or his head? Duncan immediately felt guilty for the thought and stood up and went to her but she averted his eyes. "How can I help?" Aria's head snapped up, awe stricken. "You'd help me?" "I told you I would. I meant that Aria." He smiled. Aria suddenly felt nervous and her stomach fluttered as he smiled at her. "Oh... I thought..." "What? Did you have doubts I would?" "It's just that... Well... With what I just told you and what happened with Richie, I..." She stopped as Duncan reached for her hands and held them. He squeezed them gently and pulled her closer. "Tell me everything," he said smiling. Aria wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. ### Aria was too wound up to sit as she told Duncan about the events of the past few days. The woman she had described could be anyone. Tall, beautiful, blond hair. He'd met many who could qualify with that description. Duncan watched her pace frantically about the loft, her hands would either be pressed to her sides or up in the air. Her voice had gotten deeper, singed with the anger and helplessness she felt at not being able to find her daughter. "She slapped her Duncan!" she said. Duncan's jaws tightened. "My baby was so afraid and there was not a damn thing I could do to stop it. And I've killed people for less!" A statement Duncan didn't doubt. "But you know what got me? What really scared me? And it would take a lot to scare me Duncan. Believe me." She stopped her pacing and returned to the couch and knelt before him. "She knew everything about me Duncan. Everything!" "Everything?" Echoed Duncan. "Yes. Everything. She knew my birth name, when I'd been born, my first death, she knew the names of immortals I'd killed, places I've traveled. She knew that Duncan and that can't be possible. Yet it happened!" Duncan could feel the brewing of a headache coming. None of what Aria had said in the last few minutes was good. There was only one conclusion he could come to. One he didn't want to. Hunters. It had to be them. Only the watchers had that type of information and they would never hunt immortals. His attention returned to Aria when the tapping on his knee registered. "You asked me about the scar on my neck. How I got it?" She paused as he nodded. "I just couldn't believe she really knew what I was," she sighed. "Well, not until she brought my own sword to my neck and cut me. I was so scared Duncan I almost wet my pants." Duncan's countenance instantly changed to dark thunder. He'd hoped that the hunters had died right along with Horton. People he cared about had been killed or hurt because of their existence. Darius. Fitz. Charlie. Tessa. "Duncan, what's wrong?" Aria became alarmed by the change of his facial expressions. It went from anger to sadness and she couldn't figure why. Then it dawned on her. "You _do_ know who these people are," she said softly. Duncan's eyes fixed on hers. "Yes," he answered tightly, standing and walked away from her. His stance rigid, his hands at his side clenched. Aria, still kneeling on the floor, watched him. "Who are they?" "Hunters." The word dropped form his lips with hatred and contempt. "They only live to hunt us. To hurt us and the ones we love." "Mortals hunting us! Why?" "They have this crazy notion that immortals are an abomination on earth and their sole duty is to rid the earth of us." "Let me get this straight. There are mortals who know about us and want to kill us." She paused and got up off the floor and walked over to Duncan and stood behind him. "How did they find out about us?" She asked more to herself than to Duncan. Duncan closed his eyes. He wasn't looking forward to the conversation he was about to have with Aria. All the immortals he'd told reacted differently. "From The Watchers." "What watchers?" Duncan turned around, "The Watchers." He sighed and continued quickly. "A secret organization of mortals that have been watching immortals for centuries." Duncan let out a wry laugh. "They observe, record, but never interfere," he said sarcastically. "That was until the Hunters were formed. A splinter group of renegade watchers." Duncan hesitated slightly, but knew he couldn't avoid it any longer. "I better call Joe and see what he can find out." Aria was astonished and amazed -- and frightened -- at everything Duncan just told her. "Watchers? Secret organizations? Hunters? and who's Joe?" Duncan sighed heavily. He wasn't looking forward to this part either. "Joe Dawson." "Joe Dawson? The singer from the club?" "Yes," Duncan said. "What does he have to do with any of this?" "He's my Watcher," he said simply. ### On their way to Dawson's, they drove in separate cars. Duncan had insisted on only taking his car, but Aria needed time alone to think about this new development. Especially before meeting one of them. To know mortals had been watching her and tracking her every move for centuries made her furious her whole body shook with anger. She gripped the steering wheel tighter to keep from driving off the road. Eight hundred and nine years and she'd never noticed. Never! And if she had they would be dead. Duncan drove slowly making sure she stayed in view at all times. He was glad he left out the minor detail of Joe's narration of her life story to him and Richie the night before. He didn't wish to add more wood to the fire. Duncan knew by her reaction to finding out Dawson was a watcher he would have to be alert for any possibilities when they met. Aria was fuming and he didn't wish for Dawson to be harmed. Duncan had tried calling Richie to meet him at Dawson's but he kept getting the answering machine. He was worried about how Richie had left this morning and decided against leaving a message. He had to talk to him in person. Explain things so he would understand. ### Dawson stood on his porch, drinking coffee, waiting for them to arrive. The conversation with MacLeod had been brief but what he heard worried him. He tensed as he saw the cars pull up and park in front his home. MacLeod exited his car and waited for Aria to join him. Walking up the stairs, Aria stared at Joe icily causing him to step back a bit. Duncan conveniently stood between them as Dawson greeted them both. Aria had liked him last night but now she only felt contempt for Dawson and it showed on her face. "Duncan tells me you can help me find my daughter." "I can certainly try," Joe said with a smile. The same smile that had made her feel at ease at the bar, now only made her want to lunged at him and hurt him. Joe motioned for them to enter the house, but Aria just stood and continued staring at Dawson. It was an unsettling feeling which created a tense silence on the porch. "Aria. Joe's a friend. You can trust him," Duncan said. "_You_ can trust him. I have no reason to," she said bitterly. "Aria..." "That's okay MacLeod." Joe came closer to Aria and their eyes met. "I'm not your enemy. I will do whatever I can to find your daughter. I promise." Joe was sincere but all he received for it was silence and a stony glare from her. They finally entered the house and after a few questions from Dawson, he excused himself. He had several phone calls to make. Aria was livid and had been confrontational with Dawson, but kept her distance from him. Duncan watched her with a somber look and knew tonight would not be easy. There was a strong possibility that hunters had kidnapped her daughter, thanks to the information gathered by the watchers. ### "I can't believe you are friends with one of them!" "I've learned to accept it Aria. There isn't much I can do about them. And Joe is a standup guy. You'd like him if you got to know him," Duncan said, hoping she'd understand but she just wouldn't. Uptight, tired and frustrated, Aria began pacing and wondered about what kind of person watched immortals. she thought. She thought about her life and what she had done over the centuries. There are things she doesn't want anyone to find out about, then a sickening thought occurred to her. What if Duncan already knew about her past. She couldn't bring herself to tell him much, let alone everything, but if this Dawson person told him, Duncan would probably believe him. Duncan seemed to trust him, but could she? Duncan was wary of Aria's agitated state as she paced about the place. She was on edge and anything could set her off. Duncan didn't have to imagine how he'd feel if he was in her place. How had he felt when Tessa had been kidnapped by that hunter? Anger. Hate. Panic. Fear. Hysteria. He was desperate to find her and everyday she was away he grew more and more on edge, frustrated. He felt no remorse for having killed the mortal who'd hurt Tessa and knew he would've killed more for her safety. His attention snapped back to Aria when he noticed she wasn't pacing anymore but stood still. She held something in her hand he couldn't see and was about to ask her about it when Dawson re-entered the room. Duncan was sure what he saw on Joe's face was fear. Just pure fear before Aria leapt on him. Dawson let out a scream of fright and his cane went flying into the other room crashing into something and glass shattered. Duncan sprang forward and pulled Aria off Dawson, but the damage had already been done. She was consumed with such fury that it took all his strength to get her away from Dawson. Dawson, shaken, laid on the floor bleeding from bruises on his face. Duncan continued to struggle with Aria. She was stronger than she appeared but he managed to push her back and pinned her into the couch. "I'm going to kill him!" Duncan was on top of her, pinning her body with his, their faces inches apart. "Why Aria? I told you Dawson would help you!" Dawson had managed to get to his feet, though it took considerable effort on his part and watched Duncan and Aria on the couch. He still had her pinned but she continued to fight him. She then bit MacLeod's face, who screamed in pain and lost his hold on her. She punched him in the face and got up. Dawson backed into the other room, afraid he might die tonight if Duncan didn't regain control. Duncan tripped Aria as she made her way to Dawson and stood between them. "Get out of my way MacLeod!" She hissed drawing her sword and attacked. Duncan dodged her first thrust and kicked her. Aria fell but got to her feet again. Duncan sighed and drew his sword. "Why?" Duncan pleaded. "Why are you doing this?" "Because he's part of this!" She lunged forward and their swords met. Dawson couldn't believe what was happening. The fight was difficult in such a cramped space as Aria attacked with abandon and slashed at Duncan. Joe guessed Duncan didn't want to hurt Aria as he began trying to reason with her. "Aria please," he panted, "Dawson would never hurt immortals, let alone a child!" "Then how do you explain that!!" Aria nodded to an object on the floor but Duncan didn't dare take his eyes off her. "What?" "The woman that kidnapped Emily and wants your head MacLeod!" "What?" Duncan said again and ventured a look, but Aria lunged at him and he barely managed to deflect her sword. Dawson had walked over and picked up the object of her fury but he just stared at it shaking his head. "It can't be. It simply can't." "What is it Joe?" asked an exasperated Duncan. He couldn't turn his back on Aria, not in her current state. "It's a picture of me and my niece," Dawson whispered. "Your niece!" Aria and Duncan shouted in unison. Aria was incensed by the revelation. But it only took Duncan seconds to make the connection. Joe only had one niece he knew about. "Lynn Horton!" Gasped Duncan. End of Part 8. Comments can be sent to (mjordan104@aol.com). Thanks.