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Duncan MacLeod was fishing his car keys out of his pocket when he felt it: the presence of another immortal. He peered around the darkened street but saw no one. Jamming his keys back into his pocket, he pulled his sword out from the concealment of his coat. The presence was still there, yet he saw nothing.
"I am Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod," he stated with a sigh. It had been a long day and he was not in the mood for games. Then, just as quickly as it had come, the buzz left.
Whoever it was the must have thought better than to challenge him. Duncan shrugged. He liked it better that way anyhow.
The next evening found Duncan at Joe's Bar, last night's incident long forgotten. As he walked in, the hair on the back of his neck prickled. He smiled as Amanda waved coyly at him. While MacLeod made his way over to the bar Amanda motioned to Joe, who was waiting on a customer at the opposite end of the bar.
"What brings you back to Seacouver?" Duncan asked her.
"Oh...things...."
"Hmm. Things that I shouldn't know about?" Duncan used his height advantage to peer down at her in mock disapproval.
Amanda rolled her eyes. "Please, MacLeod, can't a girl just want to hear some blues?"
MacLeod laughed. "Now, where have I heard that before?"
Just then Joe set a single malt whiskey down in front of MacLeod. Duncan looked down at it then smiled at Joe. "I didn't order this."
Joe smiled back. "It's on the house, because your a such a good friend to me, Mac." Duncan's eyebrow shot up.
"Why are you trying to butter me up?"
"MacLeod! I'm shocked! Can't a man buy his friend a drink?" Duncan crossed his arms.
"No."
Joe turned to Amanda, "It's your fault, you know. You made him distrustful."
Amanda started to retort but stopped. Both she and MacLeod starting looking around the bar for the immortal that just arrived. Joe gave a snort. "I give. That's the reason for the drink." The new arrival stepped up to the bar a little way down from the trio. She looked hesitantly at the two immortals and then at Joe in an almost pleading look. Duncan tried to size her up. She was young in appearance, which didn't matter to those who never age, but by the way she shot nervous glances at Amanda and him, she was young as far as immortals went too. It suddenly dawned on him what Joe was going to ask of him. He turned to the bartender and said one word. "No."
Joe pleaded, "Please, Mac, just teach her enough to stay alive! PLEASE!"
Duncan leaned his weight against the bar. "I thought Watchers were suppose to watch. Why is she so different?"
Joe stiffened his shoulders. "She just is, all right?" Joe swung his cane into position. He shot an accusing glare at Duncan. "If you won't help her, I'll find someone who will!" With that he walked towards the young woman.
Amanda looked somewhat disappointed. "Wonder why he didn't ask me."
Duncan ignored her. He was trying to understand why this girl's survival was so important to Joe. He watched as they hugged across the bar. The woman was petite, about 5'3" Duncan judged. She had long light blonde hair that flowed to her waist. Joe looked like a proud father, that startled Duncan. Who is this girl?
While Duncan was pondering his friend's behavior, Joe was trying to find a way to give the bad news to his young friend.
"Out with it, Joe. What did he say?" Joe fidgeted for a moment then sighed.
"He said no, but don't worry. I'll find some one to teach you." She smiled softly and shook her head.
"Enough, Joe, you've done too much already. You're going to get kicked out of the Watchers for helping me."
Joe shrugged. "Who needs 'em?"
She leaned over the counter, a frown creasing her forehead. "You, Joe, you need them, and they need you!"
Joe rolled his eyes. "I think that they could manage without me."
She clenched her fist. "Joe, being a watcher is your whole life...." Joe interrupted.
"I would be fine," he said firmly, "and besides -- being friends with MacLeod should have gotten me kicked out a long time ago. But it hasn't, has it?" For that she did not have a response.
Down the bar Amanda turned to Duncan and gave him an icy look. "She looks important to Joe. If you won't help, I will." She spun away from him and Duncan set his glass down and followed her.
"Amanda," Joe beamed, "I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. Amanda this is Samantha, just became an immortal a few weeks ago."
"She was always immortal Joe, she just didn't know it." Duncan corrected. Joe shot him a look. By now Duncan felt like a criminal.
Amanda spoke up, "I hear you are looking for a teacher."
Samantha was about to reply when Joe cut her off. "I don't think you are the teacher that Sam needs."
Amanda was offended. "What can MacLeod teach her that I can't?"
"It is what you will teach her that I'm afraid of." That set off a heated debate between Joe and Amanda. Pretty soon Duncan jumped in, too. Sam tried to calm everyone down, but with no success.
Finally, she let out an ear-piercing whistle. The trio immediately fell silent. "Look, all I need is for someone to lend me the money to buy a decent sword and I'll be fine!" Duncan let out a huff.
Joe raised a hand towards her. "I'll get you a sword, but you do need a teacher, and Amanda may have some," Joe gave an apologetic smile, "unusual methods of getting what she wants but she is willing to teach you." Sam bit the corner of her lip and looked at Amanda.
"Are you sure?"
Amanda smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll have a great time." She winked at Joe. "And I'll try not to corrupt you too much!"
Sam laughed. "I've heard that one before."
Duncan folded his arms across his chest. "So have I," he muttered. Amanda simply glared at him.
Two months later...
The clang of steel hitting steel rang through the air. Amanda forced Sam to take the defensive position. She laughed. "You'll have to be more sure of yourself if you want to keep your head!"
Sam smiled slightly and took another step back. Amanda attacked again, deciding that it was time to put Samantha on her rump. She chuckled and tried a move against which Sam could never seem to defend. Amanda suddenly stopped laughing. The move did not work!
She tried again. Still, Samantha somehow managed to get free. Amanda was now determined to win. She threw moves at the younger woman that defied the laws of physics. Nothing worked. Amanda was startled. She knew that Sam had shown a major skill at sword fighting for one just starting, but she had never lasted this long! Amanda watched as a shy smile spread slowly across Samantha's face.
Suddenly, Sam was a blur of movement, and for once Amanda was forced to defend herself against her student. Amanda was awestruck. She cleared her head and counterattacked. This time, it worked. They locked swords for a moment, and soon Sam was knocked down hard.
Samantha grinned up at her teacher. "Better?"
Amanda laughed as she caught her breath. "Why haven't I seen you fight like that before?" She helped Sam to her feet.
"I guess it all just clicked into place."
Amanda shook her head, "I guess so, and I guess that I have something for you, then." Sam raised an eyebrow as a questioning gesture.
Amanda started off for the monastery where they had been staying since they met. When they were inside, Amanda told her to put her sword on the table. Sam shrugged and did as she was told. It was a practice weapon and Sam felt no attachment to it.
Amanda had her back turned and was opening the lid of a long flat box. She turned around and placed a different sword in Samantha's hands. "I think you'll find this more to your liking." It was a Japanese katana: its handle had red rayskin, and the wrap was black. Slowly, Sam drew it from its scabbard. She studied the blade. Very old and extremely well made, she assessed. She looked at her teacher: both had tears in their eyes. Amanda quickly brushed hers away. She was embarrassed to show so much affection to her student.
"Well, it's time you were on your own," she said curtly.
Sam smiled through her tears. "I know." It dawned on Amanda that her student would always be able to surprise her. Sam had never had to fight to the death, had never felt a quickening and yet she seemed to have full confidence for the times ahead of her. "Thank you Amanda, you have taught me so much! I will never forget you!" As they hugged, Amanda cried silently. She felt as if she were losing a daughter.
Meanwhile, in Seacouver, Duncan greeted Joe when the Watcher came into his dojo. "I know that I've asked you this before, MacLeod, but have you heard anything from Amanda?"
"Joe, you've been asking me the same question for the past two months, and the answer is still the same. No."
Joe's face fell. "Sorry, MacLeod. I'll see you around."
Duncan put his hand out to stop Joe from leaving. "We need to talk." The two went into the office. After they had sat down, Duncan asked his friend, "Why does this girl mean so much to you?"
Joe sat silent. "Come on, Joe, I'm your friend. Talk to me."
Joe looked at Duncan and took a deep breath. "When she was five years old, she stopped me from killing myself."
Duncan felt as if he had been slapped. He tried to answer, but no words would form.
"Shocking, isn't it?" Joe gave a half-hearted laugh. "To think that a great, easygoing guy like myself would think of suicide."
Duncan leaned heavily on his elbows. "It was because of your legs, wasn't it?"
Joe shrugged. "That was most of it. I was lonely, really depressed, and I got wasted. Let me give you a tip, Mac. Booze doesn't always help depression." Duncan urged him to go on.
"Well, there I was bottle in one hand, a gun in the other, and this kid comes from nowhere. I happen to be laying in an alley at the time; I figured that she was some homeless kid wandering the streets. Tried to shoo her away, but she stayed there just looking at me. I couldn't shoot myself in front of a little girl, so I eventually passed out. That's when she took the gun and threw it in a dumpster.
"The next day I had a hell of a hangover, but I tried to find her. Took me a year, but I found her and raised her ever since."
Duncan shook his head in disbelief. "How come you never told me about her?" Joe shrugged again.
"Mac, I had a feeling that she was immortal, and I didn't want her to have anything to do with them until she had to, even a great guy such as yourself."
He laughed. "How did she die?"
Joe frowned. "She found out about the Watchers a week or so before you met her. She followed a Watcher on assignment. The immortal felt her, but found the Watcher. The guy was a freak, was going to kill the Watcher, but Sam didn't want that to happen so she got killed instead." Joe shook his head. "Parents normally worry about their children, but what do you do when you know your kid might get her head lobbed off with a sword any day?"
Duncan sighed, empathizing. "I'm sure that she'll be fine, Joe."
Joe rose to leave. "Yeah, I think you're right."
Joe flicked on the lights to his apartment and sighed. He knew what MacLeod said was true. Sam was a surprisingly tough gal. She'd be okay, but that didn't stop him from worrying. His answering machine was flashing, and he turned it on. A familiar voice broke the silence of the empty apartment. "Hi, Joe! I miss you! I am out on my own now. I left Amanda a few days ago." Sam's voice grew excited. "I almost beat her! It was so cool! She's crazy you know! I had to stop her from going on a shopping spree a couple of times, if you know what I mean."
Joe nodded to himself, smiling. Amanda was truly a thief at heart. Sam's voice became wistful. "I miss her already, Joe. It's not easy being alone, is it?" Joe blinked back a tear. "I miss you so much, but I can't come back. I can't hide behind the Watchers and I REFUSE to get you into any more trouble than you're already in!" She gently chided him for being too soft-hearted as far as immortals were concerned.
"Well, I have to go now. Be safe. Don't worry so much!" There was a pause. When she spoke again, Joe thought he heard a quiver in her voice. "I love you, Papa Bear...." Then the line disconnected.
Joe stood in the middle of his living room and let the tears flow down his cheeks. "I love you too, baby doll!"
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