HE IS IMMORTAL. BORN IN THE HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND 400 YEARS AGO. HE IS NOT ALONE. THERE ARE OTHERS LIKE HIM. SOME GOOD, SOME EVIL. FOR CENTURIES HE HAS BATTLED THE FORCES OF DARKNESS WITH HOLY GROUND HIS ONLY REFUGE. HE CANNOT DIE UNLESS YOU TAKE HIS HEAD AND WITH IT HIS POWER. IN THE END THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE. HE IS DUNCAN MACLEOD THE HIGHLANDER.

Cassie Steiger came out of the hotel her Father had set her up at and looked around. His message had said to meet him at the outdoor Café on the corner. She spotted the Café her father told her about and headed to it.

She should have known that he would get her here somehow. Six weeks ago Robert had come to Paris to do some final research on a book he was writing. He had begged Cassie to come, but she wasn't ready to face the world just yet. Six months ago her brother had been killed. Not even a week after her father had insisted they move and against her better judgment she packed up with him leaving her life behind her once again. She was just getting settled in this new town. She had found a nice Martial Arts Studio to buy and it was keeping her very busy on top of her work as a free-lance architect.

Finally in desperation to have Cassie join him, Robert had sent her a plane ticket with hotel reservations and a note attached telling her it was vacation time. Cassie smiled; he did know which buttons to push. It really hadn't been that hard to get one of her students to take over while she was gone and she brought some of her work with her so she at least didn't feel so bad about a vacation. She glanced at her watch and realized she was a little bit late and picked up her pace.

Duncan MacLeod and Richie Ryan were sitting at a little Cafe' in Paris. Duncan had just sold his barge and they were discussing what they were planning on doing.

"I guess I'll head back to the dojo for now. Charlie is probably ready for a break. You sure you don't want to come?" Duncan asked Richie, as he took a sip of coffee.

Richie looked up a little startled that he would even ask if it suited him he usually did what he wanted. "Na" Richie said in between bites of his sandwich. "I'm thinking of going to California for awhile." Duncan was stifling a grin, no matter what happened Richie's appetite never failed him.

"What's in California?" He asked setting his coffee down.

"I thought about trying my hand at motorcycle racing." Richie said finishing his sandwich. Something seemed to be bothering Duncan, but Richie couldn't put his finger on it. "Mac, are you all right?" Before Duncan could answer Richie had the familiar feeling of another immortal pass over him and saw Duncan looking already looking around for the immortal.

Duncan looked around warily and saw a pretty young woman enter the Cafe'. She looked to be in her early twenties. She was fairly tall and the short sundress she had on showed off her curvy figure and long legs. Her long straight auburn hair was tied with a bow at the nape of her neck.

As she approached the Café, Cassie had a strange oppressive sensation pass over her, like someone was watching her. She shivered a little and glanced around quickly. That had never happened before, she must be more anxious than she thought. She frowned checking her watch again; he had said 2:00. Robert was never late; it was always her that was late.

"Do you know her?" Richie asked Duncan who was watching her closely with a puzzled look on his face.

"I've never seen her before." Duncan was curious about this Immortal; she didn't seem interested in them at all. They both turned and watched her cautiously as she stopped a waiter.

Cassie asked the waiter if her father had left her a message, but he only spoke a little English and she couldn't seem to get her point across.

"Richie, watch her, she hasn't once looked at us. She acts like we aren't even here and yet we know she is here." Duncan said keeping an eye on her."I don't think she knows what she is."

"How can she not know?" Richie scoffed.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out just what is going on with her." Duncan said pushing himself away from the table. "Stay here and I'll go introduce myself." He told Richie turning toward the woman.

Cassie was beginning to get totally frustrated. It was just like Dad to have to pick a restaurant where they didn't speak English. She started to rummage in her pocketbook for her dictionary when Duncan stepped up beside her.

"Hello, can I help you?" Duncan asked startling the young woman into dropping the dictionary she had dug out of her pocketbook. He bent over quickly and picked it up handing it to her.

"I hope so." Cassie said. As she took the book from him and their hands touched, a jolt of what could only be described as electricity tingled through her hand and up her arm. Looking at him with a curious look, Cassie shoved the dictionary back into her bag. The feeling that she'd before was even stronger and she scolded herself for being so jumpy. "I can't speak French and the waiter couldn't understand me well enough to help me find..." Cassie took a deep breath, "I'm sorry I'm rambling. I'm trying to find out if my father has been here." she finished chiding herself for letting him make her nervous.

"You're not rambling." Duncan said flashing an amused smile at her at her as he waved for the waiter. "What's your father's name?"

"Robert Steiger." Cassie replied composing herself quickly and looking closely at Duncan as he turned to ask the waiter if he had seen her father. He was heart stopping handsome, tall, well built and had long black hair. Tall, dark and handsome, Cassie thought smiling at herself. Well she was in Paris. She was still studying him intensely through narrowed eyes when he turned back to face her.

"He hasn't seen your father, and he hasn't left you a message." Her striking green eyes threw him off balance for a moment; they reflected certain sadness, a sadness he was all too familiar with.

"Well thanks anyway." Cassie said as she extended her hand to Duncan, disappointment sounding in her voice. "I'm Cassie Steiger."

"Duncan MacLeod at your service." He bowed slightly and took her hand gently lightly kissing it. "Nice to meet you Cassie Steiger and welcome to Paris."

"Thanks, I appreciate your help." Cassie stammered. She felt a chill run up her spine as Duncan's lips brushed her hand. Cassie quickly forced herself to calm down and regain some dignity as she felt her cheeks redden. She was acting like a kid.

"Will you join my friend and I until your father arrives?" Duncan smiled a mischievous twinkle flashing in his eyes as he noticed her flustered look. So much for that self-control he had seen her trying to keep in line, he thought as he reluctantly released her soft hand and motioned to the table he had been sitting at. Their eyes met again and Duncan paused searching them for any deception. It wouldn't be the first time that an Immortal snuck into his graces only to betray him.

Cassie met Duncan's eyes squarely. The twinkle she had glimpsed a moment ago was gone and she felt his dark piercing eyes cutting straight through to her soul. Something seemed strangely familiar about him and she let her mind wander trying to remember when suddenly a man's face flashed before her.

It was the day of the accident that had killed her mother. The man had introduced himself to them at the Shopping Mall, he was really eerie. His eyes hadn't matched his young face; they were dark with old knowledge and had a foreboding glint to them. He seemed like he known her mother, but he didn't know her name. Catherine had stepped between Cassie and him saying her name was Katrina Krueger. When the man had asked about Cassie her mother had replied that she was none of his business and insisted that Cassie wait at the car. Cassie protested, she could tell this man was trouble but with the look that her mother gave her, she quickly headed to the car. She had never seen him again and it seemed odd that she had suddenly remembered him. Cassie forced herself back to the present. She looked at Duncan speculatively as he studied her thoroughly and she smiled tentatively. Well he certainly didn't seem like a crazy man, she thought. He didn't give her the creeps like that other man had. There was something about this Duncan that made her want to trust him.

"Well I suppose that would be all right." Cassie said a little hesitantly looking over at the table he had waved at.

There was more to this young woman than met the eye Duncan thought. He was now positive that she was an Immortal and almost as sure she didn't know. Her eyes were clear and thoughtful, he watched as several emotions passed quickly over her face. Duncan wondered why she was in Paris and did her father know she was an Immortal? He needed to call Joe Dawson as soon as possible. Surely he would have information on her, he knew about all of the immortals. Or so he claimed.

Joe was a member of the Watchers, an organization devoted to watching Immortals. They had been watching for centuries, they claimed with no interference. Joe had told him it was a unique way to document history.

Duncan happened upon them when his dear friend Damian, another Immortal, was killed and he found a chronicle that was written by a Watcher over a century ago, it was very valuable to the Watchers since it had histories of Immortals in it. This in turn led to Dawson. It turned out that Joe had been watching Duncan for over 15 years.

The organization had been given a bad name when one of the Watchers Joe worked with, his brother-in-law James Horten, took it upon himself to form a separate faction dedicated to killing the Immortals. Horten insisted that there was no place for immortals on earth. No one that could have that much power should be allowed to live; they were all abominations that needed to die. The last showdown with Horten had come when he had lured Duncan to the cemetery where Tessa was buried. Horten had coerced a young lady, Lisa into shooting Duncan so he could come along behind and cut his head off. Duncan had persuaded Lisa that Horten was no good and they set it up so that Horten thought Duncan had been shot. When Horten arrived and found Duncan alive he took Lisa as a hostage and proceeded to kill her before Duncan could stop it. Fortunately for Duncan, Joe had followed him and distracting Horten long enough for Duncan to get away from Horten before he could shoot him. Duncan had finally confronted Horten and killed him with his own knife.

"You don't sound like you're from Paris, have you lived here long, nor are you just on vacation?" Cassie said breaking in on Duncan's thoughts.

"Don't I?" Duncan replied with an amused lilt to his voice. "Well, you sound like you're from the States." Duncan said smiling secretively avoiding the question. "What are you doing in Paris?"

"Yes as a matter of fact I'm from California." Cassie said as she looked at him out of the corner of her eye warily. She noticed that he had ignored her question and skillfully changed the subject. "My father has been over here for the last six weeks doing research for a book. He thought I needed a vacation so he sent me a plane ticket." And I still can't believe I'm in Paris, she thought to herself. It is so beautiful; I can almost forgive him for coercing me over here. Cassie glanced at Duncan and he was watching her curiously.

"I said did you need a vacation?" Duncan asked again when she hadn't answered his question. That was the second time she seemed to get lost in another world. He felt compelled to keep an eye on her; there was something mysterious about her that was strangely attractive.

"Yea, I guess I do." She said smiling at him a little sheepishly. She'd have to watch herself better next time, she thought to herself. Her father had often preached to her about the need to stay in control at all times, but she hadn't had much luck at keeping her mind focused lately. Cassie allowed him to take her arm and lead her toward his table. There was a young man sitting at the table Duncan had steered her to. He looked about the same age her brother Colin had been when he died.

"Richie, this is Cassie Steiger." Duncan said holding a chair for her. Cassie shook hands with him and she got the same strange feeling about him that she had felt with Duncan. She looked at Duncan and then at Richie, they were both giving her the strangest look. She started to ask them what the matter was but spotted Robert coming toward her down the street.

"There's Dad now." She said waving at him as she headed to meet him. She hadn't gone three steps toward him when a car came to a screeching halt beside him and three men jumped out. Cassie bolted forward, something telling her that this was trouble. She watched in horror as they grabbed Robert and wrestled him toward the car.

"Dad!" She screamed and ran faster, she hadn't been that far away but now it seemed like blocks. She finally reached the three men and grabbed one of them and jerked him away from Robert just as they dumped him in the back seat of the car. As her instincts kicked in, she smashed him into the building next to her and before she had time to grab another man she watched in amazement as Duncan and Richie joined her and grabbed the other two men. She caught sight of Robert's limp body in the back seat of the car and hoped that they hadn't hurt him.

The man that Cassie had first hit was on his feet and sprinting toward the car. Cassie followed and tried to reach Robert but when the driver saw her trying to open the door he took off. Cassie was knocked off of her feet and watched in horror as the car peeled away with her father in it.

"No." Cassie screamed as she jumped up and took off after the car.

Duncan ran after Cassie and grabbed her arm before she had gone too far. It wouldn't do her any good she couldn't catch them now. He didn't know if it was fear or anger but could feel Cassie trembling next to him. He protectively pulled her into his arms.

"Let me go, we've got to go after him." Cassie pleaded with him, struggling in his strong arms. People passing by were stopping to see what all the commotion was about. Cassie looked at Duncan in shock, why wouldn't he let her go. "Please let me go after them." she begged him, knowing there was no hope.

"It's too late." Duncan said firmly as he pulled her back up on the sidewalk. "Richie did you get that plate?"

"Yeah I did." A police car came screeching around the corner. "Look here come the police" Richie said turning to examine the two hoodlums left behind. The first thing he did was to pull the sleeves on their jackets up to expose their watcher tattoos. He looked up at Duncan and caught his narrowed angry look. He rummaged through their pockets quickly before the police stopped. Neither of the two had identification.

"Are you all right?" Duncan asked Cassie as the police stopped and jumped out. He felt her shoulders slump in defeat and he tightened his arm around her shoulders.