8

Disclaimer: The Highlander Universe is the property of Rysher Entertainment. The character of Gwen MacQueen and her assorted cast of sidekicks belong to me.

Authors notes; this story takes place in 1995 between the third season episodes of "Finally" part 2 and the Fourth season "Chivalry." (Italics) are used for hearing the characters thoughts.

I wanted to explore and find out what event might have changed him from the Ho Hum I'm just a guy, empires rise and fall kind of man he was, in the 3rd season, to the passionate guy we all saw in the Methuselah Gift. Here's the quote from the episode 'Methos' that inspired this story.

MacLeod- - "So after 5,000 years your only solution is that I kill you."

Methos- - - "He can beat me, he might beat you. He can't beat both of us."

MacLeod- - "If it's that simple why don't you take my head?"

Methos- - - "Because it's not just a matter of who is the better fighter.

It's about passion and hate and I don't have the fire..."

Chapter one - Looking for Methos

Somewhere after midnight in an empty parking lot outside of Tokyo Japan, two figures confront one another each with a sword in their hands. One of the swordsmen is a tall muscular man over six feet in height with long blond hair, and ice blue eyes. His opponent, in contrast, is a small attractive woman with long red hair tied back in a ponytail. She is barely over 5'2 and looks as if she is hardly able to wield the weapon in her hand with the strength she would need to behead the man before her. The warriors announce their names and greet each other before the battle is initiated.

"Quentin Smith"

"I am Gwen MacQueen, of course it's me stupid! What's the problem you need glasses or something? You came looking for me and we have known each other for over 20 years. Quentin, why do we have this quaint custom of announcing our names before a battle when we already know each other?"

"Shut up Gwen and just fight me" Quentin yelled back at her. "Did I ever tell you what a smart ass you can be?"

There are two watchers observing the immortals from the third floor of an office building window adjacent to the parking lot. The pair of watchers look out using binoculars and begin to take photos with a high-speed camera of the emerging battle below.

"No Quentin, You were always chasing me around like a lost puppy. Besides I thought the last time we had one of these get together, we decided to call a truce. I wouldn't kill you if you just stayed out of my hair. What ever we had is over Quentin, finished, and was a mistake, so go home while you still have your head attached." Gwen laughingly said cutting the air with her Rapier.

"I changed my mind; someone showed me proof that you were older than you admitted to" Quentin smiled at the surprise he saw in Gwen's face. "I hear you are close to four thousand years old, give or take a few centuries and I want the satisfaction of killing the oldest living immortal. It is hard to believe that a woman from 4000 BC could look as striking as you." Quentin Smith stated plainly pointing his Katana at the petite woman.

"Thank you for the compliments but they will not help you; I'm not the world's oldest living immortal. You're thinking of a guy called Methos, he is at least a 1,000 years older than I am. He has a rather larger nose too. I am sorry I don't know his current address but you could try the yellow pages under Retirement Homes for ancient immortals. By the way who can I thank for giving out that little peace of information? One's age is something a lady likes to keep to herself" Gwen replied.

"Look MacQueen, who told me, is of no importance. I thought Methos was just an old myth, and he died long ago. Well thanks for the info after your dead I will go looking for Methos. You on the other hand I have already found, and I will take your silly little head tonight. I am sick and tired of you sending me to some Morgue, only a sentimental fool would not have taken my head by now. Is it just because 20 years ago we had a moment? Well I have no problem killing a woman that I once held in my arms and made love to. What I really want to do now is to know how it feels to take the quickening of a truly seasoned ancient Immortal." Quentin shot back at her while raising his blade to attack.

"OK, now you are really starting to be annoying Quentin and I really regret ever having that moment with you. My judgment 20 years ago must have been impaired. I am sure you got a lot more out of our relationship than I did. I remember our moment being pretty small." Gwen gave him one of her erotic smiles.

"Gwen you wound me! You must be confusing me with someone else" Quentin blurted out.

"Quentin you are the confused one here! Honestly you need to do some math and realize that the older an Immortal is, the chance increases that they are more powerful and have taken more heads than you can even imagine. But then again that would take intelligence, which I see you lack. All the same I see you have a death wish, so be it I am tired of you anyway. I will miss our little tête-à-têtes once you're dead." Gwen raised her sword.

Back at the third floor looking out of the window was a man and a woman peering out with their binoculars at the two swordsmen below.

"Carol, why are they just talking? I thought this fight was going to be the big one, but MacQueen doesn't seem like she want Quentin Smiths head. He's not exactly a good guy and doesn't she have a reputation for being a headhunter of evil Immortals?" said Luke Denton, a blond man of muscular medium build with a glowing tan, who had been Quentin Smith's watcher for the past two years.

"You see Luke, Gwen MacQueen never strikes the first blow when her opponent is a former lover. She will only take his head when her life is in danger. It's the most stupid strategy I have ever seen; frankly I'm surprised that she has been able to survive for as long as she has. Luke, you carry on watching if you want, frankly I've seen enough of Gwen MacQueen to last a life time. Hey you want coffee I brought Starbucks, here is your favorite caffemocha and I got a cappuccino" she said teasing her friend. Carol who had a common looking face, which was a good thing by watcher standards. Carol was in her mid 30's dressed business casual with bleach blond hair and clear blue eyes and was enormously addicted to Starbuck Coffee.

The smell of the coffee was filling the small office the two watchers were using and Luke couldn't wait to just get a sip of the hot beverage and thought that maybe a shot of caffeine would help keep him awake after his fourteen hour day watching Smith. "Thanks Carol, you have some pretty strong opinions on the Immortal you watch, how long have you been watching her?" Luke said as he slowly sipped the coffee and watched the two swordsmen continue to talk below.

"Oh I was assigned to her about seven years ago, but she was impossible to follow. She is very good at hiding her tracks and the assignment was going nowhere. HQ and I figured the only way to get close enough to be able to watch her was to go inside her organization. So about six years ago I got a job at MacQueen Associates in the legal department as a secretary. As the years went on I became more trusted as an employee as I moved up the ladder and landed the job last year as MacQueen's personal assistant. After that, watching MacQueen was a piece of cake, I set up most of her business appointments and basically always knew where she was most of the time. Luke, the best part of this assignment was while I was still in legal, I met and I fell in love with Barney. I did tell you about me and Barney? He is the head of MacQueen's legal department and Vice President of MacQueen Associates." Carol smiled when she told Luke about Barney Miller her fiancée. "I can't believe the wedding almost here, June 29th I always wanted to be a June bride."

Luke smiled and nodded his head recalling this was at least the third or fourth time Carol had retold the story about her and Barney. Ok Luke thought Carol repeated her story a few too many times, but again it was nice to have company for a change while watching a beheading, he had spend to many long lonely night following this immortal to places he would never go if he had not become a watcher.

As Luke and Carol continued to chat, Luke watched the action below heat up between the two Immortals. "WOW, Carol did you see that, Quentin just about took your girls arm off. Holy Shit, there is blood flying everywhere. That cut in her shoulder looks nasty." Luke described graphically to his companion.

Down in the parking lot Gwen fell to the ground as Quentin's sword bit through her shoulder only stopping when it hit the bone, shattering it and making her left arm almost useless. Quentin then pulled his blade up in hopes of striking the death blow. Gwen hit the ground and rolled away just in time to keep the sword from hitting her again. Then controlling the pain she pulled herself to her feet, wiped the blood from her face as she looked straight into her opponent's eyes.

"Quentin you fool, my neck is four inches higher, and I thought your aim would be better than that. Didn't anyone teach you to use a sword or did you learn how to fight with a sword through a correspondent course. Now, your times up, that was your last shot at me. Quentin you should be praying to whatever Gods you worship because you're a dead man!" Gwen shouted at him

"Gwen, you're the fool! You are in so much pain you can hardly lift your blade. I expected someone who has lived as long as you would die better." Quentin boasted as he lifted his Katana for another charge at Gwen.

"My old friend, your memory is too short, there is more to an old Immortals power than just brute strength. Our true power is held in our quickening; sometime they give us special powers, Quentin now watch and see mine." Gwen said as she reached with her right hand and pulled a stiletto out of from her boot. As she held the stiletto in front of her aimed it at Quentin's chest and just let go of it.

Luke Denton could see the stiletto float in the air for just a few moments as if an unseen force was holding it in the air, and then it suddenly flew like a guided missile right into Quentin's heart. He fell to the ground and lay lifeless in a pool of his own blood.

Luke and Carol both just looked at the scene below with utter amazement. Luke turned to Carol and said, "Did you see that? Has MacQueen ever done that floating knife trick before?"

"Yea, she has some bizarre mystic powers; frankly she gives me the creeps. This better be the last time I see this stuff, did I tell you I'm quitting as soon as the powers that be reassign Gwen to another Watcher." Carol gasped "Oh No Sirens! Did you hear them; this means Gwen will not be taking Smith's head, again! Dammit!"

Gwen was raising her rapier to strike the finale blow when suddenly she heard the police approaching. The siren screamed out from the darkness of the night and began to get louder by the second. Gwen had managed to reclaim her stiletto and gave Smith a quick jab with her sword cutting him badly chest to navel. "That's for the shattered shoulder blade, well, unfortunately, I've got to get out of here. The police would see the quickening, so enjoy your trip to the morgue and keep that foolish head of yours for another day." and she took his Katana with her. Gwen than dragged herself into a nearby car and drove off.

"Luke, it's over for now, you better go and see if Quentin gets out of the morgue more easily than the last time she sent him there. I've got to hit the road, Gwen has finish negotiating the security arrangements for the rock band Queen and their Reunion tour of the Far East and she needs to get back to the USA as soon as she can. After one of these battles has ended, she usually puts as much distance between her and the police as possible. I am booked to fly to Seacouver in the morning, my wedding is in almost a week and Joe Dawson is going to be my man of honor. Unfortunately Gwen is Barney's closest friend, so she is going to stand up for him at the wedding." Carol took a deep breath and angrily said "I hate to include an Immortal in my wedding party, especially as the female equivalent of best man. I can't wait to get away from her, I never want to see another beheading or watch these ancient freaks of nature try to kill each other. This is my last day as Gwen MacQueen's watcher and personal assistant. My letters of resignation were submitted to MacQueen Associates and the watcher's a month ago. Believe me; I'm not going to miss any of this." Carol said as they walked to their respective cars.

"Carol it sounds like you're starting to lose your objectivity and that is a good time to retire from the watcher business. Who is taking over Gwen MacQueen? I was hoping Gwen would have finished Smith, and then I could ask for that assignment. I realize you're fed up with her but Gwen looks like she would be very interesting to watch." Luke said as he gave Carol a hug.

"Sorry Luke, Sam Wilson and I have been working on researching Gwen MacQueen for months. She might be one of the oldest Immortals that we have been able to locate. If we can verify who Gwen is then we might be able to find Methos too. Sam thinks we need a watcher who is an expert on ancient Immortals, so he has already asked Adam Pierson. I hope Sam can talk him into leaving those musty old books and taking a real assignment. Luke, you did get your wedding invitation? And are going to be in Seacouver next Saturday, for the wedding? I hope those two Immortals can put off their next battle until after Adam has taken over for me. Hey Luke, be careful, these two are on the dangerous side."

Luke replied "Don't worry Carol, I stay safe, and don't worry I already got an invite to stay with Joe Dawson and bought a plane ticket to Seacouver. I would not miss your wedding for the world"

End chapter one

Next chapter two - Adam Pierson Gets a Field Assignment.

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