"A Finale, Of Sorts" or "A Fanfic of Highlander: The Series" by Shaule Sachs This is a work of fiction. This work is not meant to infringe on the Highlander copyrights and other things. It is written solely for the therapeutic release of the author and enjoyment of others. Any similarities between this and real life is pure coincidence. ----------------------------------------------------------------- --- Part 1 --- Monday, before dawn A City Park A lone man in his early twenties maybe at the most twenty- eight sat waiting for the Sun to rise in a park that was empty save for him. From the headphones laying around his neck one could hear one of Mozart's classical symphonies playing softly for a hi-tech CD player. The young man sat against a tree that had been in the park for two hundred years and it showed its age with proud. There was something about the young man as he relaxed against the old tree that could suggest that the young man was not so young that he may have been older than the ancient tree if one could look closely at him. When the first rays of dawn touched him his face warmed as well. His face was like a child who was seeing the sunrise for the first time. It was a face of childlike wonder and marvel. The music seemed as if it was choreographed to the sunrise as if Mozart had a sunrise in mind as he wrote the chosen music. The music swelled as the sun rose up majestically. Once the sun had risen fully into the sky the music stopped. The silence that fulled the park seems almost a silent climax to the dawn. The man's face was both peaceful and happy. "Quite a beautiful sunrise, wasn't it, Methos?" came the question as if the Sun itself had asked. Methos gave a start. "Yes, it was," responded Methos evenly. "No matter how old I get a sunrise is still as awe-inspiring as when I first saw one," Methos said in a voice of reflection. "How true," said the voice. Methos turned around and saw a man leaning against the ancient tree. The stranger had an ageless look to him. He looked neither young or old nor were there again signs of ageing or signs of young about him. From the expression on Methos's face one could see that Methos admired the stranger greatly. The stranger sighed and said, "No matter how long I live Creation will always inspire me." The stranger spoke as if he could not understand how other people took Life for granted. "You should check out tonight's paper, Methos. You'll find the news from Paris interesting, I think," said the stranger. Methos just nodded. If his old Mentor said the news was interesting then the news could not be anything else. While the stranger just leaned there Methos could not help but try to figure out his Mentor who so long ago showed him the ways of the Game. While his Mentor was immortal like Methos himself he did not seem to have any Quickening to him. Once again Methos could not help but feel that the old village fool that Methos dimly remembered hearing back in his village was right. The gods do walk the Earth in Mortal form. ******* Tuesday, afternoon Motorcycle Racing Track in Paris Richie felt ready. He felt he will win this motorcycle race or die trying. Richie chuckled at the thought. He could not die trying since he was Immortal but the thought was what mattered. He had practiced a lot on this track to both familiarize himself with the track and to show that he could still race to the owner of the team. Of course, the fact that he had beaten the top rider's time on the course helped make the winning feeling he had in him. He had just finishing tuning up his bike and getting it ready to ride when he noticed that one of the tools was slightly out of place. Setting the bike back to its resting position and with a curse under his breathe at Mako's Quickening Richie put the tool back into its proper place. He noticed that the need to put everything in its proper place and the need to find out the local laws had become so much apart of himself that he wondered sometimes if he had always had the need but Richie know that the need came not from him but from Mako's Quickening that he had taken. Once everything was in its proper place Richie took his motorcycle and headed for the track. Halfway to the track Richie felt the Buzz of another Immortal around. Richie as he continued to go to the track began looking around for the Immortal he felt. Within a few minutes of looking he spotted the source of the Buzz. It was Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod, his Mentor, coming towards him. Richie felt the tense that he don't know existed release from his body and waved at Duncan. "Hiya Mac," said Richie in a cheerful way. "Hi, Richie," responded Duncan. Richie noticed that Duncan was still feeling terrible about leaving Anne because he could not bring himself to telling her that he was Immortal. /So now he's in Paris and she's in the good old U. S. of A./ thought Richie, /I'll have to do something to get them together./ With a smile on his face Richie thought, /Of course, Mac can't find out it was me or he have my head./ "What are you planning, Richie," asked a slightly worried Duncan. "Me?" asked Richie in his best innocent voice. "Yes, you, I know that look," said Duncan as he poked Richie playfully in the ribs. As cool as he could Richie said, "I think I'll win this race," changing the subject. "Don't get overconfident, Richie, I have seen overconfidence lead to defeat more times than I like to admit to," replied a serious Duncan MacLeod to his pupil. Richie knew that Mentor-to- Student voice of Duncan's and he also knew it was true from examples that Mako's memories supplied. Still he could not help grinning and saying, "Still, I'm going to win. I can felt it," remarked Richie. "We'll see, Richie," replied Duncan with a slight smile. Duncan knew that Richie's good spirit as contagious, it was one of the reason that Duncan had came out to see Richie race. Duncan knew that he was in a dark mood and that the light of Day with Richie would drive the dark mood away for awhile. Richie got a great start in the race and kept it for most of the time. He was trading first and second place with another rider who was from another team. As they got closer and closer to the finish line the fans began to bet who would win. Feeling some of Richie's enthusiasm and the group's energy Duncan joined in the bet that Richie would win. There was a cheer when the racers crossed the finish line. The two racer were so close that the Judges had to look at the photo of the finish to determine who won. Duncan felt himself holding if breath as he waited for the results. He hoped that Richie won after all the hard work he had done for this race. Of course, Duncan realized there would be other races and by now he knew how best to convey the expression, "You can't win them all," to Richie. He knew he has had a lot of practice in it. Duncan had moved to where Richie was waited for the announcement of the winner. When the announcement came that Richie had won Duncan was the first to congratulate him. Duncan felt slightly bad about the fact that he had searched out Richie with the thought that he had lost but he was glad he was wrong. Richie felt great. He had his best friend and Mentor with him and he won his first major race. /It would have been better if Tessa was with them or even Anne was here,/ thought Richie, /or if Basil Dornin, the number one rider for the team had not at the last minute developed a mysterious illness that prevented him form racing./ Still Richie felt great. He felt so great that he decided that he would take Duncan out for a victory celebration to a new restaurant that he had found. He wanted Mac's opinion of the place and knowing Duncan as he did he was probably there when the restaurant had its first opening. So they went there and Richie was right Duncan had been there when it had first opened way back when. ***** Tuesday, evening Duncan's Barge, Paris Just as Duncan was entering the shower the phone rang. Rapping a towel to cover himself, muttering about "Always when I try to take a shower," Duncan went to get the phone. "Hello," said Duncan. "Kalas is out of jail, Mac," came the voice from the voice. Duncan knew immediately the voice on the other end was Joe Dawson's. === End of Part 1 ===