Disclaimer: Methos, Joe, Duncan, Connor Macleod and some of the watchers are the property of Davis-Panzer Productions. Gwen MacQueen and her assorted bunch of side kicks are mine.
I want to thank my beta reader R.J. Bingham without his help I would never get this story out to you all.
This is the second story in a trilogy I have written the first being "Methos' Passion"this story is called the "Original Good Time Girl" and takes place almost one year later after "Methos' Passion" ends. Renegade Watchers are killing immortals and Joe Methos Connor and Gwen have to stop the killing before its too late. Its another huge mess, that only our favorite highlander characters can solve along with asorted cast of watchers. So come sharpen your blades and enjoy the action and romance. Sparks are sure to fly when ever Gwen MacQueen Joe and Methos are in the same room! Please feel free to commet I love feed back!
This story takes place between "Through a Glass, Darkly" and "Judgement Day" season four highlander. Since "One Minute to Midnight" was aired in September 1996 and Alexa died April 25 1996, I felt I had some wiggle room; I placed this story in June of 1996. Dana Brook is named in the watcher chronicles CD as Connor Macleod's watcher.
Chapter one
Intimate Positions
There was barely a breeze blowing over Mills Lake that night in June. The water was as still and smooth as glass, when suddenly the tranquility was broken. Lightening suddenly appeared from a cloudless sky. An electrical forces raged from out from the body of the now headless girl lying on the beach, it enveloped the nearest Immortal; Gwen. She cried out as if in pain as the power of the Quickening encircled her in it grip. Gwen did not earn this Quickening but received it only because she stood only a few feet from Michelle, as a mortal woman swung a sword and with all her strength beheaded the young Immortal.
From a distance a young blond hared blue eyed man heard the shouts and watched, stunned, unable to stop the drama that was playing out before him. (No! This can't be happening if only I had a way to stop this. I know it against our direct orders but I have to do something! ) Luke thought as he walked closer to the beach where the execution had just taken place. He dialed 911 on his cell phone.
"Hello 911 operator, YES! There is a murder taking place on Mills Beach." Luke quickly spoke at the operator, his voice shaking and then he hung up. OK he wasn't doing much, but just maybe now the sheriffs would send someone down here and prevent the watchers on the beach from killing Gwen too. He picked up his binoculars and saw, that the force of the Quickening had burned off Gwen's ropes that bound her hand and feet. She bolted in to the surrounding woods, and disappeared in to the dark forest of the state park. Luke heard gunshots and then thankfully finally sirens. (I just hope that what ever gods you pray too, are with you today my friend. Poor Michelle, she never even had a chance.) Luke thought as he watched the renegade watchers put their weapons away and regrouped when they heard the sirens and saw the sheriff's car arriving. Luke forced his still stunned body to move as he tried to pick up Gwen trail. There was a pit in Luke's stomach almost the size of his fist. He vomited as he thought in retrospection the events that he had just witnessed. As Luke reached the highway 101 and he saw in the distance a trucker stopping to allow a woman to climb into his cab. With a honk of his horn the tractor trailer truck took off to parts unknown. Gwen was gone, and Luke knew he had to find her before the hunters did.
Three days later an exhausted Luke Denton found his way to a Town called Seacouver and bar called "Joe's" The Monday night poker game was in high gear when he walked in. Luke remembered the bar was always closed on Monday nights, the only times when the watchers could gather for their card games.
At the head of the table sat Adam Pierson, who had been heaping a large pile of poker chips in front of him. Adam was winning nearly every hand. This was something Mr. Pierson rarity did, but tonight Adam was being a terrible tease and flaunting his good luck in the other player's faces.
Joe Dawson was losing, and not at all happy about the way Adam was behaving. The other players, besides Mike the Bar tender were an older woman known as Dana Brook and her younger apprentice Bill Swan. Dana had just retired from the watcher active list. After 15 years Dana just couldn't hang up the trench coat, binoculars, and sunglasses. Bill Swan, who had just taken over for the duties of watching Connor MacLeod had grown fond of the older women and soon a June-December romance bloomed between the apprentice and mentor. Now they were working as a team observing the elder Highlander. Tonight Dana was busy filling Bill in on a few of the finer points of Macleod sword fighting techniques. Frankly she was a bit annoyed at Adam for being such a poor sport about his winnings.
All eyes turned on Luke as he entered the bar. Adam yelled over with a boyish chuckle in his voice, "Hey, Luke good to see you, pull up a chair, its poker night, and come to lose some money?" Adam who was still grinning like a Cheshire cat, turned to take a good look at his old friend Luke Denton and replied, "Luke, you look like Hell, has MacQueen been leading down back allies on wild goose chases again?"
"Luke come and sit down, you can have my seat. I'm on a fixed income now and Pierson seems to think we all have a Swiss bank account like the Immortals we watch." Dana noticed Luke was looking quite frazzled and was in bad need of some TLC and rest. Her eyes shot daggers towards Adam and she vacated her seat giving Luke a hug and a sweet kiss on the cheek.
Every one could tell Adam was quite drunk. Joe knew why, but even being in morning was no excuse for Adam to take that type of chance of slipping up in front of the other watchers. Alexa had died only three and a half weeks ago and Adam had come to Seacouver to put memories aside for a few days and hang out with old friends.
"Thanks Dana, it been a bad day. That why I am here. I lost Gwen three days ago when something awful happened I need to talk to Joe about it privately, and then make my report," Luke said as he relaxed in the first comfortable seat he had been in three days.
"What happened Luke, we all friends her except maybe Pierson, who drunker than a skunk" Joe said back to Luke.
"I resent that Joe, I have only had?" Adam paused to count the glasses before him and after counting, replied "a few."
"Ignore Adam we all know what his problem is and we sent out condolences, just go on Luke" Dana interrupted, always being the peacemaker in the group.
"OK Gwen and her student Michelle took off for some Druid back to nature trip in the mountains, west of Mills Lake state park about a week ago. Three days ago some mortals cut off ago Michelle head at Mills Lake, about 30 miles north of here. Gwen got the quickening and was able to escaped but now she is no where to be found, and I'm very worried. I am telling you the truth it wasn't another immortal, it was watcher! I didn't recognize the others but Carol Wright was one of them." Luke said as he looked at his hand of cards.
Joe who was already looking for a reason to leave the game said "are you sure Luke, I'll check the computer and see if any Immortals other than the regulars have been reported in the area. Macleod is still in France and Ryan is in Mexico for some motocross racing. Seacouver is pretty quite right now"
"Maybe MacQueen took her students head off herself." Adam jested
"Pierson your drunk, we all know Gwen MacQueen's file well enough to know that she would never do something like that! Kill her own student that ridiculous." Joe shot back at Adam.
"Oh I not so sure about that, MacQueen is very unpredictable and passionate, anything's possible." Adam said.
"No really you guys, it was mortals and I recognized Carol Wright among them, she always hated MacQueen, and it's just like when Horton was alive all over again" Luke said with a shiver in his voice.
"That it, I'm shutting this game down and someone taking Pierson back to my house to sleep it off. Mike, check you sources and see if you can find anything else about this, were all going home." Joe said
"Sure boss." Mike reported.
"As far as I know the only immortal around here is Connor MacLeod who is with his son John and they are using Duncan Macleod Cabin on his holy Island for the week. Connor's wife and daughter are on her annual girl's only week long shopping trip in Beverly Hills," Bill Swan reported.
"I'm sending Bill to the island tomorrow to check on MacLeod. He on holy ground so I don't think there will be any action, but we should make sure he's still there and had nothing to do with the beheading" Dana told the group. "Besides it's about time Bill got to stand in the rain for hours and hours doing this glamorous job. Watcher has such exciting lives."
"Luke you got a place to stay yet?" Joe asked him.
"No, I been living out of my car the past 3 days, Bill are you sure you really want a field assignment?" Luke asked "You could always live the cushy life of a researcher like Adam"
"Hey, I had a field job once; it lasted for almost a 2 days. Now I spend all those hours locked in the basement of a library and it not always easy. The lighting is bad, remember what mold can do number on your sinus, endless hour on the laptop can causes burred vision and not to mention reading those old worn out text." Adam shot back.
"We know Adam, life's tough. Hey Luke do me a favor, you can crash at my place tonight if you take home my very drunk friend with you." Joe asked "I need to stay here and clean up and spend some times on the books.''
"Sure, come on Adam we will count your chip at home. Aah, a real Bed, My dreams have come true." Luke said as he and the other watcher left the bar, all of them saying their respective good night to Joe as the left to go to Joe's house for the night.
Joe worked on the computer for almost an hour that about 1:30 AM he stepped outside and locked the bar's door. He hadn't walked more the a few feet when he saw a figure with a sword hiding in the shadows. "Who's there?" Joe called out.
Joe pulled a gun out of his coat. "OK who ever you are I've got a gun so don't try any thing."
"Joe, is that you? Are you alone? It's Gwen." A soft voice called out to him.
"My God! Where have you been? Luke has been searching for you the past 3 days." Joe said as he looked a Gwen. She was a mess. Her clothes were torn and bloodstained, her hair wet jet black, cut short and stringy, and she was caked with dirt. Gwen barely resembled the beautiful woman Joe met last year. Rain stared to fall as the June winds blew cold as Joe stared at Gwen.
"Please, can I come in? I know shouldn't have come here, but I couldn't think of any were else to go. I have been running for three days, the police think I killed Michelle and some other renegade watcher. All my bank accounts and phones are tapped, my houses and friends are being watched, and I am afraid. No one knows about us but you, me and Methos. I made a vow to him not to see you but I have no place to turn and I need your help." Gwen looked so helpless.
"Oh Gwen, hurry up and get in the bar it's staring to rain. I almost didn't recognize you besides it's freezing out here and you don't even have a coat. You will catch your death of a cold if you stand out of here any longer." Joe said, than remembering Gwen was an Immortal and he quickly rephrased his words, "Sorry I forgot, I guess after our last meeting, its difficult to think of you as an Immortal. Anyway let get back in side the Bar."
"Joe that is probably the nicest thing you could have said to me." Gwen smiled for the first time in three days. "Joe you know meeting you made me break a rule I had kept for almost 4000 years."
Joe sighed the last thing he wanted to do was discuses the one night stand he and Gwen had and how she walked out of his life with even a goodbye. "Just hurry up, get inside, because I'm freezing out here. This storm is way to cold for June even for Seacouver." Joe said as he walked Gwen in the bar and in to his office where she sat down on the sofa. "Well Gwen you can't come to my house, there are several watchers staying there already, they all think it's a free hotel. How about I call Macleod and ask him if it is OK to let you crash at his place. He was planning to stay in Paris for a while." Gwen was still soaked to the skin revealing every curve of her body right down to her pouting nibbles, Joe gathered his thoughts, and with a deep breath try to turn his mind to watcher business, and way from his memory of the night of passion he and Gwen had shared. "OK tell me what happened to your student Michelle; I got a message from your watcher that mortals took her head? And what going with you my favorite fashionista, looking like someone who's been living in a swamp? Joe said as he was looking around for a blanket, anything to cover her up so he would stop looking at her. Finally he found a blue blanket in the closet and handed it to Gwen.
"Oh Joe I'm so raddled, it's Carol and she was with a group of 5 or 6 men all other watcher. They caught at Mills Lake and shot us and tied us up then waited for us to revive. Then when we were totally awake and they told us they were going to chop both our heads off. Carol said she wanted me to watch as see as she killed my student first than she had something special planed for me. Michelle was crying and begging then to stop but Carol didn't and killed her right in front of my eyes! If Michelle's quickening hadn't burnt off the ropes they had tied me up with, I would have been dead too. I did try to stab one of the men, to escape but it was in self defense." Gwen was weeping as she recanted the episode to Joe "Michelle never had a chance; that witch Carol could have taken her head when she was unconscious, or shot her again first but she wanted Michelle to feel very afraid, she wanted me to feel all Michelle's fear when I took in Michelle Quickening. Joe do have any idea what that is like to take in to your soul?" Gwen looked up at Joe, of course he didn't, one thing immortal rarely spoke of among themselves was quickening, and how they affected the immortal who received them. The watcher did do interviews or ask question of immortals, they just observed recorded and tried not to interfere.
"I am sorry Gwen; it sounds like it was a horrible experience. I didn't think Carol could do anything like that, good thing you came to me it's probably the only place you are safe. I have to get the Watchers involved, this mean calling my house guests Adam and Luke. Its watchers business and they could help." Joe said
"NO! Joe. Please, please, don't tell Methos I am here. I am breaking a vow I made to him just coming here, I better leave, I sorry Joe I shouldn't have gotten you involved. I am just so confused right now, I sorry Joe. I really have to avoid Methos at all cost; he really doesn't want to see me." She said as she got up to leave.
Joe walked over to Gwen and put his arms around her, then looked down in to her big brown eyes "You are not going anywhere, look at yourself; you can barely stand. Gwen you have been running for three days. I don't give a damn what vow you made to Methos. He is a self-indulgent son of a bitch most of the time anyway. I will handle him, now you just lie down on the sofa and rest for a little while. I'll call MacLeod and I'll take you to the loft as soon as I get some work done. No one can come in my office without me knowing it. Frankly no one ever reported the fact we met except at the wedding so even Carol doesn't know there was anything between us." Joe said sadly as he freed her from his embrace, when all he wanted to do was hold her and kiss her lovely full red lips. But the reality of the situation set in and Joe knew how exhausted Gwen really was so he just grabbed a pillow and dry blanket and handed it to her.
She curled up on Joe's leather sofa and fell asleep as most as fast her head hit the pillow.
"Typical" Joe commented feeling a bad for himself as he closed his office door behind the sleeping immortal "Gwen you didn't even say thank you like you didn't say good by last time."
Joe walked to the bar and picked up the phone and dialed the over seas call to France, he hoped Mac was home, and hoped he hadn't disturber him and some lady.
"MacLeod here" rang the familiar voice.
"Mac its Joe Dawson, sorry did I disturber you, its kind importune"
"Its OK I'm finishing breakfast here with Amanda, What up?"
"Well Adam is here visiting for a few days, he still pretty broken up over Alexa and guess what ex girlfriends of his breezed into town tonight?"
"Gwennie! Joe oh get her a hotel room, take a vacation, and just do not get involved with her again. I remember last year after she left that whole thing was mess, and I know by now you must have talked to her watcher or read her files. Frankly I am just got tired of listening to Methos go on and on about her. I know she is beautiful and enchanting but last year if Methos hadn't walked in when he did I think Gwen and I would have been in a very uncompromising intimate position"
Amanda tossed a bottle of wine at Macs head when she heard part of the conversation. "Amanda Please! Sorry Joe, you know how jealous Amanda is, but really from the stories Methos has told me he calls her the original good time girl." Mac Paused and yelled at Amanda "I hope you happy now Amanda! You broke a perfectly good bottle of 1954..."
Joe broke in "Mac, Amanda cut it out you two, this time it's different she's in trouble, and this time its renegade watchers killing immortals again."
"What dose Methos say about Gwennie, oh yea, Trouble is her middle name. She over 4,000 years old, I think she can take care of herself. It's taking care of someone else that I am worried about right now….Amanda!"
"No Mac, you didn't hear me, its watchers like Horton hunting again. Michelle and Gwen were their targets this time. Gwen is frightened and they killed," Joe Paused and took a deep breath. "Mac, Oh God I don't know how to tell you this," Joe hesitated again, "Michelle Webster is dead, sorry Mac I didn't mean to blurt that out like that. Now some crazy renegade watchers killed her and Gwen barely got away, I am so sorry" Joe said as he ran almost out of breath, choking back thoughts of disgust.
"NO!" MacLeod was dumfounded "not Michelle, she was so young! Tell me who killed her? Dawson was she killed because Michelle was with Gwen, and Amanda why in the world did you give you student to Gwen? Come to think of it Amanda how do the two of you even know each other?"
"Mac you don't understand; it was our people, Hunters, Carol her old watcher along with others yet to be identified. Mac this is another huge mess, its got to be stopped. We have to help Gwen; she did save both our lives last spring." Joe paused. "Oh one thing" Joe chuckled, "MacQueen wants to avoid Methos at all cost if she can."
"Joe He is at your place, right? Sounds like a fine mess, I am on the next flight to Seacouver" Mac replied
"NO! Mac stay were you are for how, maybe I can get Adam to fly back to Paris and back to his old dusty chronicles and get the hell out of Dodge, before someone discovers his secrets. If he gets too close to some renegade watcher when they are cutting off an Immortals head and the quickening jumping to him they the cats out of the bag. Perhaps you can help by getting our friendly 5,000 year old Immortal back to home, before this turns in to a blood bath." Joe commented
"OK Joe I talk to him in later today, it's the middle of the night there isn't it?" Mac replied "And Joe he been through enough please do what you can to keep Gwen MacQueen out of the picture, When he lost Alexa," Mac Paused "Well lets say it has been hard on him. Plus you saw those two in action last year; they were either in bed or fighting like cats and dogs. Fire and ice doesn't even begin to describe their relationship, take care Joe I will do what I can" Mac said as he hug up the phone.
"Ya I know" Joe said turned to look at the sleeping immortal woman, the words fire and ice rang in his ears, and he tried not to think of his one night stand with Gwen and how much he still wanted her.
End chapter one
chapter 2
For God Sake Put some Clothes on!
Or
Connor MacLeod Meets Methos, What's Cooking?
