Date: Thu, 6 Apr 1995 12:18:50 EDT Reply-To: "If 'Love is for poets,' then let me be poetic..." Sender: Highlander TV show stories Comments: Resent-From: "If 'Love is for poets,' then let me be poetic..." Comments: Originally-From: "If 'Love is for poets,' then let me be poetic..." From: "If 'Love is for poets,' then let me be poetic..." Subject: The Night Is Still Young 1 of 1 (PG version) Note: this is the "pg" version of the story. There is a more explicit version floating around here somewhere too... Disclaimer: The following story is an interlude chapter in the MacKenzie "saga," sort of an epilogue for Battle of Evermore and also a prologue for Red Rain, the next installment (4 of 5 total installments, the first being Descendants to the Prize and Behind Blue Eyes). Copies, if you can't get them from the archives, are available upon request, but be patient. :) _______________________________________________________________________________ ******************************************************************************* *********************** H I G H L A N D E R ************************** ******************************************************************************* ******************** The Night Is Still Young ************************* ******************************************************************************* _______________________________________________________________________________ Continuing the Story of Brian MacKenzie and David Macleod... by Brian Procopio Copyright 1995, Kaos Pictures, Inc. All Rights Reserved. _______________________________________________________________________________ "I'm young enough to still see the passionate boy that I used to be, but I'm old enough to say I got a good look at the other side... I know we gotta work real hard, maybe even for the rest of our lives, but right now I just want to take what I can get tonight... While the night is still young... I want to keep making love to you..." _______________________________________________________________________________ Brian closed his eyes again, the music sweeping his awareness of the outside world away with it, all of his attention focused on the woman before him, the smooth silk of her wedding gown sliding beneath his fingers as his hands ran down her sides, still trying to take in the fact that this image of perfection in a five foot two frame was now his wife forever. Laurana's breath blew softly on his face and he opened his eyes again, seeing such a depth of emotion in the deep brown irises gazing lovingly back up at him, such a pure reflection of his own feelings. Her lips silently mouthed out the words, "I love you," moments before he bent to kiss them, his soul opening deeper than ever before in the tender tounch... It seemed a matter of mere moments before the young DJ behind the speakers announced the last song, a series of images and brief snippets of conversations lost in a haze of emotion. Most of the guests were out on the crowed dance floor, partners in arm, swaying slowly to the music as Peter Gabriel's voice sang out, cutting through a dozen hushed conversations between mortals and immortals, some knowing the secret shared by so many tonight and others associating the random comments of centuries past to the alcohol. Laurana rested her head on his chest, feeling the beat of his heart thump deeply under the bass of the song, her hands tight around his neck, her body pressed firmly to his as they rocked slowly to the chorus of "In Your Eyes." MacKenzie let his eyes scan through the crowd, making eye contact with some, just acknowledging the presence of others. Duncan and Amanda, pressed almost as tightly as himself and his love, clung tightly to each other, both feeling the loss of too many friends in the few months past, both finding a brief respite from the pain of reality in each others grasp. Duncan had come arrayed in full Macleod dress, kilt and all, and had become almost the center of attention to all. Almost all... Then came the other two Macleods, both courting mortal dance partners, Connor swaying with the full security and confidence of someone who's been courting casually for centuries and David, with a date of a local friend from college, with the awkward confusion of a beginning relationship, unsure of just how far the friendship would go before deeper feelings surfaced and still reeling from the blows of his last debacle, the pain of telling another his deepest secret of his own immortality and then being rejected. Brian smiled in his direction, giving his pupil a slight nod that caused him to blush several shades, thinking his teacher was granting an approval of his choice in dates. He'd come around, Brian decided. It was the Macleod in him. Then there was Ritchie and Michele. The two seemed to hit it off just so. Maybe it was the wild streak that he knew Ritchie had in him and he had heard about in Michele. Either way they made an interesting couple, although it still seemed odd to have Ritchie arrayed in a tux, it just looked... odd, somehow. MacKenzie chuckled a bit as he realized he probably looked rather similar to the young red-head, his age of three hundred plus trapped neatly in a twenty year old body. He had the age and experience up on Ritchie Ryan, though, the slight motions that come only after long experience in conserving movements and energy. In him, it was a combination of martial training of so many styles as well as the experience of war... War. Was it only so short of a time ago that he fought for so long? The endless nightmare of combat missions when life or death for so many was determined merely by how quietly one moved. For so many centuries that was his life, fighting whenever, whereever, however. Too many times heartbreak would lead him to it, the ceaseless press of mercenary battles. No, not exactly mercenary, not always, he corrected himself. Not for the past hundred years or so when he realized just how much he loved this country, possibly even as much as his beloved Scotland, but he'd never tell Duncan or Connor that. The spirit, the drive, it was all too easy to become infused with it since those early days of the revolution. And so he had fought in times of war and trained in times of peace. Occaisionally, in the rare quiet and happy moments, he plied the ways of the actor on the stage again, returning to his roots from time to time, but for too much of his life he was a warrior first. Not anymore, he told himself as he caressed Laurana's cheek warmly, not anymore... ******************************************************************************* "Joe, you're worse than a ten-year old!" Brian chastised playfully as he helped Dawson into the car. "Sorry, Brian, it's just that a split Quickening is an extremely rare occurrance for us *and* you.." continued the bearded Watcher. "Joe, when I get back I'll come see you, and then you can ask me all the questions you want, ok?" Brian answered the older-looking gentleman ernestly. "*All* the questions?" retorted Dawson with a smirk and a wink. "Get outta here ya bum," chuckled MacKenzie as he began to back away from the late model indescript automobile. Perfect for a Watcher, his espionage- trained instincts told him, you would never notice it on the road behind you. "MacKenzie," Dawson stated as he grabbed ahold of Brian's hand just leaving the windowsill. "Good luck. You guys look good together, I've thought so for a long time..." "Thanks, Joe," returned the immortal with a happy smile. "Thanks for coming, it means alot to have new friends who know the secret." He watched the car scoot down the driveway smoothly, exiting onto the road and turning towards the airport. That reminded him to check his watch, they'd have to be leaving soon themselves in order to catch their flight. He turned around to face both Connor and David who walked towards him from the coat room in the inner lobby, each with a trenchcoat slung over one arm, Con- nor's a light beige and David's a solid black. The more he saw Dave with his kinsmen the more he saw the Macleod in him, even though both Connor and Duncan were a good few inches taller than him. "Mac..." began the youngest of the Macleods as he stepped up to his mentor, offering his hand to him. Brian grabbed the hand and pulled, clasping his one-time student and later friend firmly in a hug. "Dave." He broke the contact and stepped back, his hand still clasped around David's shoulder. "Well... congrats and all, Mac, and, well, you know..." Dave smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I know..." Brian returned with a nod, his emotions still lost in a haze somewhere off around the words, "I do." "Listen, Brian," Connor broke in with a hearty smirk and a hand on Mac- Kenzie's shoulder. "Dave and I have been talking a bit and I think he might head up to Boston after the semester's over, spend the summer and such..." "Yeah, sounds good you two. Catch up on the clan history, right?" Brian grinned at his first teacher. "Yes like the history of how to handle a good double Scotch..." <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ...by Connor Macleod, esteemed patron immortal of pubs and bars in the Old World and the New," Brian laughed heartily as he swallowed another mouth- ful of his drink. Whoa.. have to take it easy there, he decided as the room twirled about along several axises all of a sudden. Connor snorted, "Looks like it would be educational reading for *you*, Brian." He stared at him intently, trying to force back a grin. "What's a matter, getting out of practice in your old age?" Brian's resolve failed as a lopsided smirk worked it's way onto Connor's face, and the two collapsed in laughter on the countertop, Brian's stray hand whipping out and upsetting a bowl of pretzels immensely, spilling its salty contents across the bar and onto the floor, which, of course, the pair found immensely amusing all the while. "What's with them, Sammie?" asked a portly gentleman at the opposite end of the bar moments before he chugged another gulp of his beer down. The bartender leaned over on one elbow, glancing back in Connor and Brian's direction as he whispered confidentially into his customer's ear. "Now see the older one? That's Connor, he's a quasi-regular and he's quite certain that he was born a few hundred years ago in Scotland if you believe that one.." He chuckled, knocking loose a few strands from his bad toupee in the process. "Uh oh, looks like the mortals are asking a few questions," snickered Brian quietly as he stared back at the odd looks from the people at the end of the bar. "Um, well we better go then shouldn't we?" Connor collapsed into a fit of giddy laughter, his eyes clenched shut and leaking tears. Brian shook his head, the very image of his esteemed mentor completely smashed still hard to believe. He didn't really want to find a mirror himself, he decided thoughtfully-- well, as thoughtfully as possible under the circum- stances. He brought his legs off of the bar stool and attempted to gain a measure of stability before hauling Connor to two legs and a firm grip on the rail along the bar. "Up ya go, Macleod!" As the two staggered towards the front door the conversation at the other end of the bar continued unabated as a professor-esque looking man with a moustache and a postal worker's uniform rambled on. "Well actually, Sammie, there were some fairy folk living in Scotland at the time, it's quite possible, according to the ancient Celts, that some might have mated with human women and the resulting offspring would be immortal..." "Now come on, Cliff, who in their right mind would want to sleep with a fairy?" the middle-aged bartender retorted. "Diane," commented the overweight barstool abuser on the end as he slammed back the last gulp of the foamy brew with a chuckle... _______________________________________________________________________________ "Yeah, this is a nice place you've got here, Connor, you always had an eye for finding them," Brian remarked as he scanned the apartment loft with a yawn. The decor was mostly light in color, soft pastels and beiges accentuated by the bright sun streaming in through the wide French windows looking out onto the city of Boston. "I don't know though, it just seems..." "Not me?" Connor guessed as he drank another gulp of his coffee, one cream, one sugar. Brian nodded as he sipped at his hot chocolate testingly. Damn, but that was hot. "Yeah, not you... that's probably it. What happened, did you behead an interior decorator?" he smirked. "Heh-heh-heh," Connor chuckled, his eyes crinkling slightly in amuse- ment. "No, I fell in love with one." Brian spit a fine stream of chocolate clear across the light tan walls in an aborted swallow of liquid. "You *what*?" he stammered. Connor smiled heartily at his longtime friend. "You know, man, woman, love, that sort of thing..." "But when? I mean, it's only been a few months and all..." Brian began to reason. "MmHmmm..." Connor nodded, smiling still. "Well, I mean.. congratulations I guess, wow..." Brian remarked. "Her name is Cynthia, she's a decorator out in Los Angelos most of the time but she lives here when she's not on assignment. I met her at a party in New York not long before I left there. Ah, god she's beautiful..." Connor smiled wistfully at MacKenzie, who chuckled warmly, the aftereffects of the night of drinking forgotten momentarily. "Look at you, Connor, you're like a schoolboy!" Brian laughed. "All warm inside and in love. *Love*!!! I never thought I'd hear you say the word again." "These things happen, Brian. Sometimes only once, sometimes twice if you're lucky, but they happen, and you have to hold on as tight as you can when they do..." >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "...and never let go when you know she's the *one*," Connor finished as Cynthia-- Cindy, Brian corrected himself, came up beside him and slipped her arm around his waist. "Don't worry, Connor," MacKenzie gazed wistfully off into the distance to see Laurana and Amanda giggling playfully as they walked through the lobby. "I won't. Now get the hell outta here, you damned Macleod!" "I'm still older than you, MacKenzie!" Connor smirked. "Yes, but I'm still better," Brian retorted with a smile as he waved Connor and his fiancee off. "So.." he commented as he turned to face his student. "You're off to travel with the almighty one, are you?" "Well, as soon as the semester ends and all..." David commented. Brian nodded in acknowledgement as David walked over to his date's waiting car. "Maybe he can teach you how to drive!" he called out to his student who chuckled in return. "I'll call, ok?" "Damned right you'll call. I wouldn't want to find out the two of you found *another* ancient pair of immortals to mess with," David smirked, the lights of the doorway reflecting with a glimmer from the two earrings in his left ear. Brian shook his head as he turned to see who was left, and was greeted by his wife's warm smile in return, with Duncan, Amanda, Ritchie, and Michele in tow. "Duncan..." Brian commented as he clasped his friend's forearm in his own, holding tightly. "Hang in there, ok? We'll be back around in a few months..." "I will," Duncan winked in return. He turned and gave the bride a soft kiss on the cheek before walking out. Amanda leaned over and planted a kiss on Brian's cheek wetly. "Hey, watch it," he retorted as he wrapped his arms around Laurana's waist tightly. "You wouldn't want Laura here to think there was something going on between us two..." Amanda slipped a hand around and goosed MacKenzie as she winked with a giggle, "Of course not, Cherie..." "I'd have to behead you both," smirked Laurana as she poked Amanda in the ribs before shoving her off. "Watch after *that* one," she pointed in Duncan's direction. "Well, Mac, thanks for inviting me...," clamored Ritchie as he grabbed MacKenzie's hand in a firm handshake. "Hey, Ritchie, no problems at all, glad to see the two of you could make it," commented Brian nearly from rote repition. "Drop us a line when you get back to touring on the racing circuit, Ritchie, we'll try to stop by and watch," smiled Laurana. "Great, so now I have to deal with performance anxiety too..." Ritchie shook his head as he walked down to the waiting car with a wave. Laurana slumped exhaustedly against her husband. "Are they all gone?" she questioned as she wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his arm. "I don't sense any more of them..." Brian smirked as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, squeezing gently. "Well go check for any mortal stragglers then while I go and get changed for the flight!" she poked him firmly in the center of his plaid cumberbun in the colors of the clan MacKenzie. "You sure you don't need any help?" he winked suggestively. Laurana replied by playfully ruffling his hair with her lace-clad fingers. "Oh yes I'm sure. We'd never make the flight otherwise..." _______________________________ for my artist... love always, brian =========================================================================