Date: Thu, 1 Dec 1994 21:20:40 -0800 Reply-To: Perri Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Perri Subject: What's Past is Prologue (1/7) X-To: fkfic-l@psuvm.psu.edu Be it known that this is a Highlander/Forever Knight crossover. All characters are my own, with one minor exception. All references to the television shows are made without anyone's permission. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- What's Past is Prologue (1 of 7) By Perri Smith Copyright 1994 The bay was quiet and still at that time of the night. Morning, really, with the barest glimpse of dawn beginning to peer over the ocean, casting a silver gleam over the fog that surrounded San Francisco. A small ferry chugged its way across the bay, leaving a white V in the dark gray water. The driver yawned widely, not used to making the bay crossing at 4:30 in the morning. Not even the fishermen were out yet. Still, his two passengers were paying him well. He looked over to where they were standing by the railing, the wind whipping through the woman's pale copper hair and blowing the man's dark trenchcoat around his tall, lean body. A strange pair, he thought to himself. They didn't touch, but they seemed connected, like an old married couple. And their eyes, when they had hired him, had seemed impossibly old and experienced -- the man especially, his gaze had been steady and cold for a man only in his late twenties. He wondered what they were, what they had seen, that made their eyes so frightening. The driver shook his head firmly. *Keep your mind on business,* he told himself, *Not on daydreaming about your passengers.* Aislyn watched the edge of sunlight on the horizon, studying its strength with years of experience. "We'd better make the shore soon, or you're going to get a hell of a burn," she informed her companion. Michael looked down at her. "We have another half-hour, at least." "This was a stupid risk to take." "Call me sentimental. I wanted to return to San Francisco the same way we came." "Last time, we were on a frigate, heading into a boom town," she said. "I understand things are a little different now." "Does that mean I'm not going to get to see you in that charming saloon girl outfit again?" His grin was pure devilment, made all the more charming by its rareness. Women across the centuries had found it irresistible. Aislyn was no exception. She grinned back reluctantly and reached up to shove a lock of reddish-brown hair off his forehead. "No, I will not put on one of those outfits again. But if you're very lucky and willing to spring for a good club, I might wear the slinky black number and go dancing with you." "You're on," he answered, flashing the grin again. She laughed out loud, the clear soprano floating out through the fog. They were on shore a half-hour later, but the sun had already risen too high for comfort. They kept to the shadows until they found the hotel. Aislyn had argued against the ostentatious (and expensive) waterfront hotel, but she had to appreciate the presence of a desk clerk who didn't bat an eye when confronted with two scruffy young people, wearing denim and leather and carrying only battered duffel bags. The clerk calmly motioned a bellboy to take their bags and shoved a registration form at them. But she noticed with amusement that he got the credit card right up front. Not a stupid man. The bellboy was less well-behaved, his eyes roaming appreciatively over Ais' tall, slender body, barely pausing to notice the green-gray eyes and pale skin while he tried to imagine her without the jeans and ancient bomber jacket. Ais was used to it, and ready to let it pass. Michael wasn't. He caught the boy's eyes with a cold emerald glare, exuding the menace that always seemed to surround him, despite his rather ordinary face. Of course, the ten inches of height that he had on most people didn't really hurt, nor did the incredibly pale skin that only added to the iciness. That glare had gotten many years of use and had its usual effect. The boy gulped hard and spun his eyes away from Ais, focusing intensely on the door of the elevator, as if he could hurry it by concentrating. Ais shook her head at Michael, silently chastising him. He shrugged, his face blank. She sighed. The bellboy took off as soon as he dropped the bags, not even waiting for his tip. Aislyn pressed a five dollar bill in his hand before he made it all the way out, to make up for the scare from Michael. "You've really got to stop doing that," she informed her partner, who had started closing the drapes the second they hit the suite. Another good thing about expensive hotels, they rarely skimped on the furnishings. He shrugged again. "The boy needed to learn manners." She shook her head in disgust and took the bags to the bedroom. "Ais?" he called over his shoulder. She wandered back out of the bedroom, idly swinging her sword. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you always have to be playing with that?" "Yes," she answered, refusing to be drawn into the traditional argument. He let it go with only mild disappointment. "When did Dierdre say to meet her?" He aksed, going back to his original thought. "In about half-an-hour, on the Embarcadero." "You couldn't get it set for later, for tonight?" he asked for the hundredth time. "No, I couldn't," she answered for the hundredth time. "She said it was urgent, that she needed to see me right away. Besides, you couldn't have come, even if it was at night." She whirled the sword through a brief practice drill. Michael watched critically, enjoying the efficient grace of her movements. She moved like a panther, all strength and elegance, never making a wrong move. "I could have watched your back, kept whatever's worrying Dierdre from ambushing you." "That's impossible," she answered impatiently. "An Immortal could no more sneak up on me than one of your kind could ambush you and you know it. You just want an excuse to see Dierdre again, which you can't do anyway." "Why not?" He knew that answer, but wanted to see how far he could push her. Not very far. "Because I don't feel up to explaining why that gambler we harassed almost a hundred years ago is still walking around, hasn't aged and isn't one of us! That would be lots of fun!" He conceded the point with a slight bow of his head, inwardly chuckling at his partner's hot temper. She was so easy to provoke sometimes. And he'd known he was going to lose the argument -- it was the same one he used to keep her from meeting members of his own community. "Very well," he said out loud. "You'd better get moving." She checked her watch and nodded, silently sheathing her sword. "I'll be gone a few hours, so eat while I don't have to watch and get some sleep." "Yes, Mother," he answered with a mocking bow. She ignored him and started for the door. "Aislyn." She turned, raising an eyebrow at him. "Be careful, Lady" he told her, all trace of mockery gone. She smiled. "Always." The door closed behind her. He listened to her footsteps until she reached the elevator, then turned back to the window. He had to fight off the urge to open them and watch her leave the building. Not for the first time, he cursed the sunlight that kept him from protecting Ais from whatever was out there. He cursed again, then went into the bedroom, emerging with several flasks. He opened one and sipped at the thick red liquid inside, grimacing at the taste of cow blood. He had never really gotten used to it. If only he had known when he'd made that promise.... Well, it had been made, and it was useless to regret it now. Ais was unlikely to release him and breaking his word to her was one of the few things he could not do. And the hunger mostly slept now -- some of Aislyn's sensibilities had rubbed off. His eyes drifted back to the window. He drained the flask, then, in a rare burst of temper, threw it across the room. __________________________________________________________________________ Perri "There comes a time 'tween life and death FOLC when all men stop to catch their breath. Knightie We ask the stars why and question our lot, DDEB2 The heavens open wide and reply 'Why not'" ___________________________________________________________________________ =========================================================================