========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Mar 1996 17:50:53 -1000 Reply-To: Heidi S McKeon Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Heidi S McKeon Subject: New Beginnings 2/5 for disclaimer see part 1 ************************** New Beginnings A Highlander Story Heidi McKeon ************************ Chapter 2 SEACOUVER a few weeks later After Tom died she vowed that she would begin to fulfill some of the dreams that always got put on hold. And why not? Now at 35, here she was at a new town, a new home and a business. Jess bought the building with the money she saved from Tom's estate. The Realtor told her it had a string of owners the past few years but that it had basically been empty. Jess had fallen in love with the building when she saw it 2 months ago. She had timed closing on it with her camping trip, so she could move in when she returned. That way she could start renovations immediately. She hadn't had time to think about him since her return, but now with the renovation almost done and her shipment from storage not due until tomorrow she could think about Duncan. ****************************************** They had spent the rest of the night together talking about his immortality and Scotland. As they talked they remained on the bed holding each other, it just seemed natural. It was funny to realize how much alike they were in some ways. Beside the physical similarities of coloring and hair color, there was poetry, philosophy, and history (he lived it and she studied it). They talked about Tom and how they met at the University she was attending, their life together, the traveling they did, and Amy. He would occasionally lean over and cup her face. His look was so intense, Jess was sure that he was going to kiss her, but he would just caress her cheek and move away, looking lost. He didn't share to much about himself, he was obviously a man with a heavy burden and a heavy heart, his face showed every emotion and they played across his features during their conversation. It had to be hard for him to watch those he loved grow old and die while he remained young forever. Lonely too. Being with him, next to him, gave Jess a sense of completeness. This was something she never experienced with Tom, even when their marriage was new.. Jess had been told once, by a friend, that he knew a man that was her other half. At the time she didn't believe him. Maybe he was right after all. Was this what she felt with Duncan, this sense of completeness? Why would a total stranger make her feel this way? Had he been as effected by their closeness as she was? Was that why he left in the morning while she was sleeping without saying Good-bye or leaving a note? And to top it off he took her favorite sweatshirt. ******************************************* Jess unpacked her boxes as soon as they were delivered. It would felt good to at least have the apartment finished so she could work on setting up the shop. Knowing that it would take days to get everything right. Jess was glad to get her furniture out of storage. She was not one to have a lot of furniture in her home, preferring lot of pillows, but she still missed the soft cream colored leather sofa, her green reading chair, not to mention the king size bed she shared with Hershey. Jess started with her bedroom. The room she picked had double doors, lots of windows, a sky light, and a glass block shower. Hedonism at its best. Her king Canopy, night stand, trunk, and her favorite chair, would be perfect in here. She would add her plants later. The other bedroom she would use as a guest room, and did it in shades of blue. Her sofa, coffee table surrounded with large pillows would make up the living room. The stereo equipment could go into a cabinet a previous owner had installed. Setting up the shop would take some doing. She had to install a sprinkler system into a back room so she could create a green house. The main room of the shop would have plants all over with an area to display her orchids, as well as areas for indoor flower bed and the ornamental trees she would have on display for those who wanted to rent them. She also had ferns and orchids hanging from the catwalk over head. The office she left alone. The green marble like walls and bookcases fit her perfectly. Jess had also arranged for a gentleman with a landscaping business to help her with any type of deliveries she had to make in return for recommending him to her clients. Six weeks from the time she returned from the cabin, Jess was ready for the opening of 'Tropicals'. The timing was right on, just before Christmas. Jess sat with the phone book in her lap, just after Christmas, open to Martial arts studios. She need to start working out again. She had started Tai chi after Tom and Amy died to help work through the grief, and in the beginning it was her reason for getting out of the loft in Paris. Even her friend and lover had a hard time getting her to visit friends. Finally he just gave up and let her work it out on her own, which she did. The joke was that he was a researcher and wasn't into the social scene himself, preferring to spend quiet time at home. The stress from the renovations and the Grand Opening had taken its toll. She needed to get back into Tai Chi again and find that peace it brought with it. Since she had started to make her wish list come to be, now maybe she would learn to fence. She would take Hershey and check out some of the places listed tomorrow. After driving around the city for what seemed like hours Jess came across a place that wasn't listed in the book. "Desalvo's. Well Hershey lets try this place It can't be any worse than all the other places we've looked into." Jess walked up to the second floor Dojo and left Hershey sitting by the entrance. There were various groups of people working out around the Dojo, some were sparing, other were doing individual katas. A young red headed man was in the office, so that is where Jess headed. She was met half way by that same young man, he had seen her and Hershey enter. "Hi I'm Richie, Can I help you?" the young man asked "Hi Richie, I'm Jess and I'm interested in working out. Can you help me?" Jess replied. "Lets go into the office and I can give you some information." Richie gave her all the information she needed and told her about a fencing class that was going to start soon. Jess felt she was lucky to stumble into this place. "OK Richie, sign me up." Jess told him enthusiastically. ************** 'Tropicals' had been open for almost a year now and Jess was pleased with the reception it had received. Her orchids were a big hit and she had waiting lists for young plants of certain varieties. Her working agreement with the landscaper had turned into a fruitful relationship for them both. She became his supplier for certain plants and occasionally got to go and help put the landscaping together. This place had been a good move for her, Jess was more at peace with herself than she had been in a very long time. She was sure that her time at the dojo also had a lot to do with it. The Tai Chi had helped pull her back to center and focus her attentions. Jess's fencing had advanced so much that she had begun to spar with Richie on occasion. His style was really a combination of styles that always challenged her, and Jess was never one to turn down a challenge. Richie was almost secretive when asked about how he learned his style, only saying that the dojo owner knew several styles and was always teaching him different moves. This peaked Jess's curiosity about the owner, but Richie never said too much only that he traveled a lot and trusted Richie to run the place. Jess and Richie's friendship had grown over the past 6-8 months and occasionally they would go for dinner or a movie together. There was never anything romantic between them, just friendship. Their relationship reminded Richie of Tessa. He wondered what Duncan would think of Jess when he returned, if he returned. Richie knew that something had happened to Duncan last fall, but Mac as usual was very closed mouthed about it. He just took off to get some space, leaving Richie in charge. Even Joe and his watchers had a tough time keeping track of Mac. He simply didn't want to be found. Richie went to the island every so often to see if Duncan had appeared there, but there never was any sign that he had been there. Not even Connor had seen or heard from him. He couldn't have been taken by another immortal, some other watcher would have recorded it, thus getting back to Joe. But Joe had heard nothing, unless it was an immortal no one knew about. Even that was almost impossible because a watcher somewhere along the line would have seen the unknown immortal. Duncan was always somewhere in Jess's thoughts, whether consciously or unconsciously. She knew that he may never appear again in her life but she knew that he would always be a part of her. It was close to Christmas and Jess had finished her little bit of shopping: Richie, and Tom's kids from his previous marriage, and didn't really want to go home yet. Richie always talked about Joe's bar, but like 'Tropicals' they just never made it there. Jess figured now was a good time as any to stop in. Maybe Richie would be there. Joe's was a dark place with smooth jazz and blues playing under the voices of the customers. Jess spotted Richie at the bar talking with a bearded gentleman, that must be Joe, she thought. "Hey Richie!" Jess called as she approached. "Jess, what brings you here? Hey this is Joe, Joe meet Jess, she's the one that I've been telling you about." Richie introduced. "Richie are you talking about me behind my back?" Jess joked with him. "Since you are always talking about this place, I thought I would finally check it out. Joe, this is a great place you got here. Richie praises you and the bar highly." Jess told him. Joe offered Jess a drink and the three of them moved to a table where they could talk. They talked a while about 'Tropicals', and she told them they would have to come see the place, teasing Richie that he never even had been there and that they had been friends for a while now. Joe and Jess started trading stories about some of the more unusual customers they had. Each trying to out do the other with their stories. Richie threw in a few tales about the dojo. He was in the middle of a story when he suddenly halted in mid sentence and got a funny look on his face. "What is it Richie?" Richie shook his head not wanting to answer in front of Jess, but Joe understood its meaning. Another Immortal. At that moment someone walked through the door. Joe and Richie were seated facing the door and raised a hand to the newcomer, with looks of relief passing over their faces. Jess turned to see who this newcomer to the group was. She was hidden in the shadows so the man couldn't see her at first. It was probably a good thing too. Jess turned pale at the sight of him. It was Duncan. Not knowing whether he would acknowledge her or not, she kept quiet while the men exchanged greetings. Richie and Joe were relieved and happy to see Duncan, meaning that they were more that just casual acquaintance. How did they know him? Duncan had not yet seen Jess as he greeted Richie and Joe. He spotted her when Richie turned to introduce him to Jess. Duncan was floored at the sight of her sitting with his friends. What was she doing here and with Joe and Richie. "Mac, let me introduce you to a friend, Jess Campbell." Richie extended a hand and pulled Jess to her feet in front of Duncan. "Jess " was all he could get out before giving into the impulse and pulling her into his arms. It felt good holding her. Why had he fought the feelings she aroused in him? Was it because they felt the same as those he once had for Tessa and he was afraid of forgetting her? Was that why he just spent the past year in hiding on holy ground? He pulled back to look at her, cupping her face in his palm, leaning down he gave her the briefest of kisses before returning her to his embrace. Richie and Joe stood back shaking their heads at Mac and Jess wondering how they knew each other. Richie knew she wasn't an immortal. But how did Mac meet her, when, and was she the reason he disappeared? These questions ran through both he and Joe's mind. Jess, knowing that Joe and Richie must be confused, turned in Duncan's arms and explained " Duncan and I met just before I moved here but I haven't seen him since then." Duncan had question that needed answers. Realizing that he still held Jess in his arms he released her and turned to Joe and Richie for some answers. "Why don't I leave you gentlemen to talk, I'll just get refills at the bar. Duncan you won't leave without Saying good-bye, this time will you?" she chided. Duncan turned to Joe and Richie "What the hell is going on here? How do you know Jess?" "Don't look at me I just met her tonight." Joe stated, 'I think I'll go keep her company." Leaving Richie to fill in the details on Jess and how they met. Duncan turned to Richie for the explanation. Richie told of how he met Jess, her working out at the dojo, and her fencing lessons. Duncan didn't know how to feel about Jess showing up where he lived and in his dojo. There was a part of him that was relieved to see her again. He knew he would have to face her questions about his leaving and why. He also had questions of his own. Richies explanation of things were just too good to be true. Could it all just be coincidence? Jess watched the conversation between Duncan and Richie, knowing that she was the topic of choice. Unwilling to have Duncan rake Richie over the coals any more on her account, Jess come up behind Duncan at the table. "Why don't you just ask me for the answers instead of Richie. You are pumping him for information about how I happened to be living here and working out at the same dojo your friend runs, aren't you Duncan." "Maybe we should just go somewhere we can talk privately." "I agree, your place or mine Duncan." "Mine." They headed out the door leaving Joe and Richie wondering what just happened. beagle4u@lava.net 'Your dog loves you when no one else does' TRADEWINDS ( ) MFW-DFW [0]xxxxxxx( )=========================>> ( ) member PWFC