PART 3

A few months previously

Kavik stepped off the lift into Duncan MacLeod's loft, feeling the Presence of another Immortal. she thought as she saw Richie Ryan standing next to couch with his sword in his hand. "Hey Rich," she grinned. Richie was Duncan's student and friend. He had been taken in by Duncan and Tessa, Duncan's lover, when he had broken into the antiques shop Duncan used to own. Duncan had known that Richie was a pre-Immortal, but that wasn't why they had given him a home and a family. Both Duncan and Tessa had seen something in the street kid they had confronted. Richie hadn't let them down. Then, around three and a half years ago, Richie and Tessa had both been shot in an attempted robbery. Both of them had died, but Richie recovered, now a full Immortal.

"Hi Kavik." Richie visibly relaxed and stood his sword next to the wall.

"You here to see Mac?"

"Yeah, we're going to 'Joe's', he's got a new band playing tonight."

Kavik looked at her watch. "I'm early though."

"You want a drink while you wait?" Richie asked, walking over to the kitchen.

�

"Yeah, thanks. He in there?" Kavik asked, nodding in the direction of the bathroom, where she could hear water running.

"Yep," answered Richie, handing her a beer and settling down on the couch. "He's working through the 'fight or fuck' stage."

"He's what?!" Kavik laughed as she threw her coat over one of the chairs and sat down on the couch next to Richie.

"He got challenged earlier." Richie stated.

"Who by?" Kavik asked seriously.

Richie shrugged. "Don't know, neither does Mac. It was just someone looking for a fight." Richie took a drink of his beer as he rested his legs on the coffee table in front of him. "I guess the guy just chose the wrong one."

"Were you there?" Kavik laid her legs across Richie's lap and got comfortable.

Richie nodded. "The guy was pretty good, but not as good as Mac." Richie smiled proudly.

"And now he's working through the - "

"The 'fight or fuck' stage." Richie finished with a grin. "You know, it's the part after the Quickening when you're totally hyped and all you feel like doing is either - "

"I know what it is, Rich," laughed Kavik. "I've been there, remember."

"Yeah, I guess you have," Richie grinned sheepishly, before he started laughing as well.

They were still laughing when Duncan emerged from the bathroom wearing a pair of sweat pants and with a towel draped over a shoulder. Duncan MacLeod was one of Kavik's oldest and closest friends. They were also family. Kavik had been married to William MacLeod, the cousin of Connor MacLeod, Duncan's clansman, and fellow Immortal. Both Duncan and Connor were raised in the Scottish village of Glenfinnan, although Connor preceded Duncan by 74 years.

Kavik, Duncan and Connor - friends, family, Immortals, MacLeods. As Richie once remarked, 'it's gotta be something in the water'.

"Hi Kavik, I thought it was you." Duncan walked over to the fridge and retrieved a beer before sitting on one of the chairs.

"And if it hadn't been me?" Kavik asked.

"Then Richie could have taken care of it."

Both the older Immortals caught the look of pride at Duncan's trust on Richie's face before he managed to mask it.

"But," continued Duncan, "odds are it was you."

Kavik sighed dramatically. "That's true. Just little old, predictable me."

Duncan nearly choked on his beer. "Kavik, if there's one thing you *aren't*, it's predictable."

"Promise." Kavik batted her eyelashes at Duncan and put on her most angelic face.

"Trust me, in all the years I've known you, you have never been predictable."

Richie's eyes lit up. "I see a story here."

"And I see a half naked man who should be getting dressed before we go to 'Joe's'." Kavik said, glaring at Duncan. "Not that I object to the view," she added quickly, "but we said that we'd be there."

Duncan stood up and walked towards the wardrobe. "That's okay, I want to see Joe, see if he knows who this Immortal was."

Joe Dawson was the owner of the bar they were heading to. However, he was much more than that. As well as being a friend, he was also Duncan's Watcher. The Watchers were a secret society of people who recorded the lives of Immortals. In essence, they were historians, recording that which would otherwise never be known. If anyone could find out who the Immortal Duncan had just killed was, it would be Joe.

"You have no idea who this guy was?" Kavik asked as she leant over the back of the couch. The open plan of the loft allowed her to watch as Duncan produced a shirt and a pair of jeans out of his wardrobe.

"Not a clue," answered Duncan as he fastened a clip around his long, dark hair. Digging around in a drawer, Duncan produced a pair of socks and threw them on the bed. After he had pulled his boots out from under the bed, he proceeded to get changed.

After he was dressed, Duncan walked over to the couch and held out an arm to Kavik. "My Lady, would you do me the honour of accompanying me on this fine evening."

"Why, kind Sir, 'twould be my pleasure." Kavik took Duncan's arm and they walked over to the lift, pausing only for Kavik to grab her coat.

Duncan turn round and looked at the young man still sitting on the couch.

"Richie, are you coming?"

"Don't you mind?" Richie asked, not wanting to interrupt a private evening.

"Of course not," Kavik answered. "And we're meeting Adam there anyway, so come on."

Adam Pierson was a close friend of both Kavik and Duncan. Kavik had known him the longest, although she hadn't actually said *how* long. Duncan had met him a couple of years previously when he had been searching for the legendary Methos, the oldest living Immortal. Joe had sent him to Adam, who was a researcher on the Methos Chronicles. It was only when Duncan had walked into Adam's home and felt the unmistakable Presence of another, that he discovered that the Watcher Adam Pierson, was also an Immortal. Richie thought that he had the perfect masquerade as a Watcher, as it allowed him to keep tabs on the other Immortals while still affording him safety.

The three of them stepped into the lift, chatting about the band they were going to see.

Kavik placed an arm around Richie as they stepped off the lift. "Well," she whispered conspiratorially, "since neither of us have broken bones and our clothes are still on our bodies, it would seem he's worked through it."

"Your loss." Richie said with a leer. His face suddenly dropped. "My loss as well, I could have watched."

"Not necessarily. After all, he might have wanted to fight me, which would have you for the..." Kavik trailed off at the look of dawning comprehension on Richie's face.

"Um, Mac?" Richie said, turning to face his mentor. "I just want to say, while I have the chance, that I love you like family, but you're really not my type, man."

One look at Duncan's confused face and Kavik and Richie both burst out laughing again . . .

�

That had been one of the reasons she had wanted Sam to back to Xavier's. If he hadn't left she would have either hit him or ripped his clothes off. Kavik looked to check if she could see Sam and when she couldn't she began to walk off the adrenaline the Quickening had left in her system.

Kavik had been walking for about 30 minutes when she heard a noise behind her. She turned round to see two men leaning against a wall.

"Hey, baby," one leered, "wanna party?"

"Not with you," she succinctly replied and turned to walk away. She stopped when she saw two other men in front of her.

"Darlin', that wasn't a request."

Kavik could smell the alcohol on them. "Go fuck yourselves."

One of the guys in front of her had a feral grin on his face. "We'd rather fuck *you*."

"Not in this lifetime," retorted Kavik. "Hell, not in *any* lifetime," she amended.

"We'll see," one of them snarled as he grabbed her from behind.

Kavik instantly reacted, bringing her elbow back into his stomach, while at the same time, throwing her head back, smiling at the sickening *CRUNCH!* she heard. As the man behind her fell to the ground, she was rushed by the other three. Calmly, she kicked out and punched, drawing on ancient techniques and moves. Within a matter of minutes, all four of the men were lying unconscious at Kavik's feet.

"Impressive," a male voice came out of the darkness.

Kavik spun round and instantly relaxed her fighting posture. "Jesus, David, what the hell are you trying to do, give me a heart attack?"

"Well, it's not like it would kill you or anything."

Kavik laughed, shaking her head. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough," came the reply.

"Like I expected anything else."

"Kavik, I watch," David said with a hint of amusement. "It's what I do."

"You guys should put an ad in the papers. 'Join the Watchers - the club for frustrated voyeurs'."

David smiled. "Yeah. I can see it now, 'watch a MacLeod, you won't be frustrated for long'."

Kavik raised an eyebrow. "David Mitchell, that was bitchy," a grin spread across her face, "I'm proud of you."

The Watcher laughed in spite of himself.

"Damn, I should be getting back, they'll be wondering where I ran off to." Kavik looked at the young man next to her. "Can we meet tomorrow?

There's some stuff I need to talk to you about."

"Yeah, there's some things I need to talk to you about as well."

"Right, there's a place on the end of Graymalkin Lane. 'Harry's Hideaway', I think it's called."

David nodded. "I know it."

"Great, there, tomorrow, about three?"

"I'll be there."

"See you then, then." Kavik kissed David lightly on the cheek before she turned and walked into the darkness, leaving David staring down at four unconscious bodies.