Duncan stood outside Joe's. The blue neon sign
was out but there were lights inside. But Duncan stood outside looking
at the building. One way or another it was finished. There would
be no more friendly evenings sitting with old friends listening
to Joe play the blues. Taking a deep breath Duncan walked through
the double doors. Joe sat inside nursing a bottle of whiskey.
"Joe"
Joe turned in his chair. He wheeled
himself around to face his friend.
"Demetri is dead"
Joe nodded. He indicated the
bottle on the table.
"Drink with me."
The atmosphere was tense and
grim. There was no elation in Duncan for having survived nor in
Joe for the return of his friend. Demetri had caused the deaths
of too many friends. For a while the two men sat in silence.
"who's left Joe? Demetri
believed he would be the last.. But he was not"
Joe didn't answer. He poured
himself another drink and wheeled his chair away to the stage.
He sat facing away from Macleod and drank the scotch.
"Lisa called me last night"
Duncan knocked over his glass
at Joe's words.
"Lisa is dead. Demetri killed
her"
But Joe shook his head. He turned
to Macleod knowing that what he said hurt the Scotsman beyond
any previous pain.
"No, he didn't take her
head. He left her staked to a tree to go back to when he had your
head. She got free two days ago and came straight here."
Duncan groaned. He rested his
head in his arms on the table. Lisa, the only other living immortal.
She was just a child. Barely twenty when she died less than two
years earlier. The love of Methos life, his daughter. And Duncan
had sworn to protect her, his last promise before Demetri ook
Methos head.
Gods of all people why Lisa.
She was the most innocent of immortals. She had not yet taken
a head. And unless Macleod presented her with his own she never
would. He could not kill her.
Joe came back to the table. He
watched Macleod knowing how he felt. They had all fallen under
the spell of the young innocent when Methos brought her looking
for a new teacher. Duncan had taught her, Richie had been her
friend and Methos, Methos had loved her. She occasionally sang
in the bar, her voice belying an experience she did not have.
Duncan looked up, his face betraying the presence of another immortal.Moments
later Lisa walked through the doors. With a cry she flung herself
at Duncan. He rose in time to catch her and hold her in an embrace.
When she pulled away Lisa's face was streaked with tears.
"I never thought Methos
could die."
Duncan pulled her back into his
arms, his own eyes filling.
"Or Richie or Amanda or
so many others."
Joe began to feel like a third
wheel when Lisa turned to him. She knelt beside his chair and
threw her arms around his neck.
"Thank you Joe"
He laughed bitterly "for
what"
"For being there Joe, for
being here now."
Lisa backed away and stood up.
"Pour me a drink"
Duncan got a third glass from
the bar while Lisa wheeled Joe back to the table.
"What happened to your legs
Joe?"
Duncan looked up in surprise,
Joe laughed.
"I lost them in a war?"
Lisa hit him on the arm "No
moron I mean why in the chair today?"
Joe grinned, "I have an
infection. I can't wear the prosthetics. It'll be fine in a week
or two."
He moved one leg so the bandage
on the stump was visible. Lisa grimaced.
"Looks sore, you take care
of yourself or else!"
Joe grinned and stuck his tongue
out at Lisa as Duncan returned with the glass. He poured fresh
drinks for them and they again sat in silence. Duncan downed glass
after glass in succession Joe sipped at his drink while Lisa just
played with hers. Suddenly she stood up and held up her glass
in a toast.
"To all the friends and
family we lost"
The two men echoed her toast.
Then Lisa put down her glass.
"Duncan what do we do now?
He looked at her. his heart was
broken by he look of trust on her face.
"We should fight for the
prize"
Lisa shook her head. "I
will not fight you Duncan, and I will not kill you" Duncan
stood up desperately looking at the tiny frame before him."Duncan
either you take my head, behead yourself or we live until some
accident separates our head from our body. I will not kill you."
Anger and fear over came Duncan.
"You have to fight me Lisa,
I swore to protect you and I can't kill you. I promised Methos"
At the sound of Methos name tears
sprang to Lisa's eyes. She walked closer to Duncan until she stood
looking up into his eyes inches from his body.
"Duncan if we fight you
will win, unless you cheat. I will not fight you. Demetri took
Methos from me. All I wanted was to be with him. To be safe."
But Lisa could see from his eyes
that Duncan would as soon cut off his own hand than kill her..
She walked away from him and stood looking at the tunes listed
in the jukebox.
"I was twenty when I died
Macleod. And I had never been loved by a soul. Then I met Methos."
She turned back to Duncan.
"An eternity on this earth
and there'll never be another like him. there will never be another
immortal to love. Everyone, lovers and friends alike will be mortal,
doomed to die."
Duncan couldn't look at her,
he focused past her to the e jukebox.
"And you and I Duncan,..
Duncan look at me..., You and I will always feel the pull, growing
stronger. We cannot be friends knowing that someday one of us
will grow tired or greedy and come looking. We will never be able
to trust. I have lived like that Duncan, I cannot do it again."
Lisa walked back to Duncan and
put her arms on his.
"End this Duncan. you were
always our hope for the prize. End the pain. Let me be with the
only man who loved me. Duncan you can feel the need growing. You
are the stronger"
Slowly staring into her eyes
Duncan drew his sword. He looked like a man in a trance. Lisa
stepped away from him as he raised his sword above him. They spoke,
their lips moving in sync., their voices together.
"There can be only one"
A moment late Lisa fell. Joe
braced for the light show to follow, but instead a gentle glow
formed in the air around Duncan. The bolts of energy discharged
into him hardly disturbing the air around him. And it was over.
Duncan stood motionlessly staring at the remains of a beautiful
girl.
"Duncan..... Duncan, what
now?"
Duncan turned to face Joe. He
realised the watcher was terrified. no one knew what would happen
next. no one except Duncan.
"She was right Joe."
Duncan's smile was bittersweet
but peaceful.
"Remember us Joe OK?"
Duncan stepped into the centre
of the room as a glow, centred in his body started to grow around
him.
"They are together Joe..
We all are"
The light grew till it was hard
to look at Duncan any more. then Joe realised he could see through
Duncan. He searched for Duncan's eyes in the light. As he found
them he heard his voice
"Joe... We are... One"
And there was nothing. The bar
was as silent as before Duncan arrived. Lisa's body was gone.
Only the three glasses on the table showed they had ever been.
Grief overwhelmed Him. Joe rested his head in his hands as tears
flowed freely down his cheeks. He stared at the ground past his
feet. He couldn't believe it was over. His friends were dead and
Duncan, God alone knew what Duncan had become. Joe had reached
down in his chair to scratch the itch in his ankle before it dawned
on him. He had been looking at the ground past his feet, HIS FEET
for god's sake. He hadn't had feet in twenty years.
Joe closed his eyes and took
a deep breath. then he looked at his legs. And they were there,
whole, complete and large as life. Joe stood up and walked to
the bar.
The
End
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