Date: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 23:48:27 -0400 Reply-To: Hobert@AOL.COM Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: K Robnett Subject: LESSONS: An Episode, Part 2 of 4 ACT TWO: INT DOJO OFFICE - DUSK Duncan and Richie are standing near the door, facing each other. Duncan has a travel bag over one shoulder. DUNCAN: I'll only be gone a day, two at the most. RICHIE: (Exasperated) I'll be fine. Amanda needs you now. I *can* take care of myself, Mac. DUNCAN: I know. Off camera, the sound of a door slamming is heard. Duncan looks behind at the dojo proper. DUNCAN: (Looking back) I'd feel much better if you'd go to the island for a bit. RICHIE: (Shaking head) I've got a job here. The one you gave me, remember? DUNCAN: Maybe I should fire you... (Off Richie's look) Forget it. Mark enters through the dojo front doors in background. MARK: (Yells) Someone call a taxi? DUNCAN: Watch your head. RICHIE: (As they hug) Call me. And give Amanda my condolences. DUNCAN: I will. Duncan turns and leaves. Richie walks him to the office door, where he stops, hanging on the frame. Duncan and Mark are walking toward door when... RICHIE: You could bring her back, you know. DUNCAN: (Yelling back) I know. MARK: I'll keep an eye on the lad, Duncan. DUNCAN: You better. They walk to the exit. As they pass a vertical bar, the scene changes to outside on some docks. They are still walking side by side, but they now wear clothing of the period. As the camera stops and continues to watch the pair walk off, the words "San Francisco 1853" appear at the bottom. INT VICTORIAN HOUSE - AFTERNOON Mark and Duncan enter the front door. Duncan sets the luggage down. MARK: I want to thank you for coming. You're the only person I could think of. DUNCAN: So this student of your's is good. MARK: Better than me. That's why I needed you. DUNCAN: (Looking around) Where is he? MARK: Upstairs, in the practice room. INT PRACTICE ROOM - LATER Nathan is alone in the room, practicing a move, his back to the door and camera. He is dressed for fencing, attacking an imaginary target with a foil. The buzz sounds, and the camera closes as he turns around. MARK: (off camera) Here he is. Duncan and Mark walk up, Duncan and Nathan facing each other. MARK: Nathan, this is Duncan MacLeod, a good friend. He's come to see if he can help. NATHAN: (cocky) Let's see. He grabs another foil and tosses it to Duncan. The two square off and spar, dressed as is. Nathan is graceful and smooth, but shows a severely limited repertoire. Duncan scores several hits, making Nathan furious, until Nathan scores, cutting a thin line across Duncan's cheek. They stop, Duncan brushing the wound with the back of his hand. He eyes Nathan warily. DUNCAN: I think that will do for now. INT SAN FRANCISCO BAR - LATE AFTERNOON Duncan and Mark are at the bar, drinking. MARK: So you'll stay. DUNCAN: For a bit. I can at least get him started. MARK: That's what I was hoping you'd say. It's been too long. DUNCAN: Yes, it has. But you owe me for this. MARK: (Raising glass in toast) I owe you. DUNCAN: He's a handful, I'll wager. MARK: It hasn't been easy. On either of us. When he's comfortable with the arrangements, he'll drop the smugness. He really is good. DUNCAN: Enough talk about students. It's my first night in San Francisco. What kind of trouble are we going to get into? MARK: I'm glad you asked. Bartender, another round. A close-up shot of the bartender setting a drink on the bar, but when the camera pulls back, it is Richie sitting at the bar. INT JOE'S BAR - EVENING Richie leans over to pick up the drink, looking at Joe. JOE: You seem awfully quiet this evening. RICHIE: Yeah. Silence as Joe cleans the bar with a rag, waiting. JOE: OK, spill it. RICHIE: There's an...'old friend' in town. Trevor Matthews. JOE: Never heard of him. RICHIE: He's going by Simon Rusk, at the moment. JOE: Still doesn't ring a bell. (Silence) Is he a friend of Duncan's? RICHIE: Hardly. JOE: So Duncan flies off to Paris, leaving you behind. Rich, he's a big boy... RICHIE: Matthews is after me. JOE: Ahhh... Joe goes back to cleaning the bar. Richie waits until he can't bear it. RICHIE: What do you mean, 'Ahhh...."? JOE: Someone's finally come for you. You didn't get in the way, it's not about MacLeod, your head is being hunted. Welcome to the big leagues. RICHIE: It had to happen sometime. So what do I do? JOE: You askin' me? (Richie nods.) Hey, I just give advice about your love life. And occasionally watch. This is out of my department. Ask MacLeod. RICHIE: I already know what he thinks. JOE: Which isn't the answer you want to hear. Look, Duncan has more.... (off Richie's look) It's about Duncan. You're not scared about this Immortal, you're angry at MacLeod. RICHIE: He's driving me crazy. He's so... so.... JOE: Overprotective? RICHIE: It's getting old. I mean, how many Immortals do I have to fight before he'll admit I can take care of myself? JOE: You never had any parents, did you? RICHIE: No. What's that got to.... JOE: Nothing, really. So, back to the original question. What are you going to do? Richie looks at his watch, setting his empty glass on the counter. He pulls a couple of bills from his wallet and throws them next to the glass. RICHIE: I'm gonna go open up the dojo. JOE: This late? RICHIE: Last minute workout. Hey, you've got to be flexible if you want the business. Am I right? JOE: On the nose. Take care of yourself, Richie. RICHIE: One of the few things I *am* good at. Night, Joe. JOE: Night. Richie heads to the door, stopping and turning around, his earlier smile from the banter gone. RICHIE: Thanks, Joe. JOE: Any time. Richie walks out. Joe looks at the patrons, jerks his head in Richie's direction, and a nondescript person leaves a table and walks out, following Richie. EXT STREET - LATER Whistling approaches off camera. Richie's head appears just as the buzz sounds. He momentarily stops, checks for his sword, then begins walking and whistling again. He slowly gets faster and faster until he is running dead out. Up the sidewalk, across the street, taking several corners. He stumbles once, rolling on the sidewalk, then regaining his feet. Finally, Richie makes it to a church, where he stops, breathing heavily. The buzz, still pounding in his head, is joined by a low, raspy laughter, until both fades, leaving Richie alone, still gasping for breath. INT PARIS HOTEL - SUNRISE (Gratuitous Amanda in a robe scene) Amanda is sitting in the middle of the sofa, leaning against the back, now in a silk bathrobe. Duncan walks up, a cup of coffee in each hand. He is also wearing a silk bathrobe. He sets the cups on the table, sits behind her, and starts massaging her shoulders. AMANDA: (Dreamily) You have about a century to stop that. DUNCAN: It might take me that long. He kisses her on the shoulder, but she pulls away. AMANDA: I'm sorry, Duncan. I'm not really in the mood. DUNCAN: (Guiltily) Neither am I. You didn't sleep at all last night, did you? AMANDA: (turning around) Neither did you. You're worried about Matthews going after Richard. DUNCAN: Yes. AMANDA: Then you should have stayed. I'll manage. DUNCAN: You needed me. And, it would have looked like I don't trust Richie to handle it himself. AMANDA: Well, you don't. DUNCAN: (Caught) Am I that transparent? AMANDA: (Rubbing Duncan's arm) Only to me. Poor Duncan. At least Richard has a fighting chance... DUNCAN: Stop that! You can't.... AMANDA: (Setting cup down) If I didn't agree to the party, if we had stayed at the convent... DUNCAN: (Pulling her close) You did everything you could. AMANDA: Not everything. DUNCAN: She had a bad habit of walking off with strange men. AMANDA: I taught her better than that. DUNCAN: But you aren't responsible when they don't listen. Trust me, I know. It hurts. But you can't blame yourself. AMANDA: I just feel so helpless. And guilty. DUNCAN: We'll catch Matthews. AMANDA: (Turning to face Duncan) Are you including me? DUNCAN: Richie did say to bring you back. AMANDA: And what do you say? Duncan kisses her gently on the cheek. She lowers her head to his chest as the camera pans back. DUNCAN: I say we need to get ready for the funeral. INT DOJO OFFICE - NIGHT Two men, Mike and Pal are sparring hand to hand in the dojo proper. Richie is at the desk, messing with paperwork. A "buzz" sounds. He stands, looking out at the dojo. He walks out, starting for the elevator. RICHIE: Hey, Mike. I'll be upstairs if you need me. MIKE: Naw, we're finished. See ya' Monday. The pair move to bags by the dojo wall, preparing to leave as Richie enters the elevator. Cut to... INT LOFT - SAME TIME Richie opens the elevator gate. A table lamp is on, giving only faint light for the room. He looks around, checking to see if everything is O.K. Suddenly, the lights go out, the room only bathed in moonlight from the skylights. He pulls his sword. He goes to the desk, digging through drawers, finding a flashlight. As he turns on the light and holds it to his face, it fades away. RICHIE: Oh, man... VOICE: I don't think you'll be making it to church again tonight. A dark shapes comes after Richie, who blocks the attack. The pair fight, but Richie is seriously outmatched in the dark. He turns and runs, managing to reach the loft door, but gets stabbed in the side. With a yelp, he opens the door and runs out. INT DOJO - IN DARKNESS Richie enters the darkened dojo from the side door. He is limping, obviously hurt. As he blindly makes his way to the front door, the office phone rings. He turns to the office, but is interrupted by the buzz. Frightened, he turns and leaves, the phone still ringing. EXT OUTSIDE THE DOJO - SAME TIME Richie stumbles down the stairs, sword in one hand, clutching his stomach with the other. Down the way, Mike and Pal are standing by their car, talking. They see him. MIKE: (Yelling) Hey, Rich! Thanks for staying open. RICHIE: (Turning his head) Don't make it a habit. MIKE: (waving) I won't. The buzz sounds again. Richie hurries around the building corner, running into a dark shape. He yells. It is Mark Levison. MARK: (grabbing Richie's shoulders) Richie. It's me, Mark. What's the problem? RICHIE: (gesturing with sword) He's inside. Upstairs. They walk around the corner together, stopping when they see Mike and Pal still talking. Mark turns around, walking Richie to his car parked up the street. He's clutching Richie almost possessively. MARK: Come on. We'll go to my hotel. INT PARIS HOTEL - LATE MORNING Duncan is standing by a side table, hanging up phone. He is dressed for the funeral. Amanda walks up, putting on earrings. AMANDA: Did you talk to him? DUNCAN: (worried) No. He wasn't home, or at the dojo. AMANDA: How about Joe's? Does he hang out there a lot? DUNCAN: That would make me seem pretty desperate. Amanda gives him a 'well, you are' look, then grabs his arm, walking toward the door. They exit. Fade to black. Commercial. =========================================================================