Chapter I
Duncan walked out of the airport terminal, stopped and looked at each of the cars parked at the curb to his left, then did the same to his right. A black SUV double parked in front of him and honked its horn. He bent down enough to be able to see inside the SUV as the driver yelled, "Hey Mac", and waved him over.
Duncan hoisted his duffel bag back onto his shoulder and hurried to the SUV. He opened the passenger side rear door and tossed his duffel bag in. As he climbed into the passenger front seat he gave a half hearted smile of appreciation and said simply, "Joe."
Joe Dawson watched Duncan as he got in the front seat and felt concern for his Immortal friend. MacLeod had been gone from Seacouver for nearly three years, two of which were spent searching for his wife, Caitlin.
Three years before a band of renegade Watchers led by a young man who claimed to be James Horton's son, Sidney Horton, abducted Caitlin while she was jogging along the Seacouver shoreline. They had spirited her out of the country on a private jet to parts unknown. They had left a young female Immortal, Roux Bedeux, on the spot on the beach where they'd grabbed Caitlin. Joe had found Roux cowering on the beach, took her home with him, fed her and cleaned her up and got her to trust him enough to tell him some of her story (what she could remember anyway. Roux didn't know how long she had been held by Horton's people, but the entire time she was in their "custody" she had been used as a guinea pig for some sort of experiment. She had been tortured to see how much pain she could endure before dieing and allowed to revive only to go through more torture. She couldn't give much information because her treatment had caused her to literally lose her mind and her memories were so shattered that it was an effort for Joe to learn that much.
A private investigator friend of Duncan and Caitlin's had learned that the private jet had filed a flight plan from Seacouver to Hamburg, Germany. Duncan left for Germany the next morning and had spent the next two years searching for his beloved Caitlin. He finally gave up when every possible lead turned up nothing and it became apparent that she had vanished without a trace.
Duncan had spent the last year somewhere in Scotland in seclusion trying to come to terms with his loss. He had finally phoned Joe a week ago and announced that he would be coming home; that it was time to move on and Joe had offered to pick him up at the airport.
Joe hadn't seen his Immortal friend in three years and had only talked to him a few times on the phone and, with the exception of the most recent call; the calls were during Duncan's two year search. The Duncan MacLeod he saw now didn't surprise him much. He actually expected him to look much worse than he did. But his sorrow was evident. Duncan also looked exhausted and Joe figured it was from not only a lack of sleep but he probably worked himself so hard physically trying to fight his "demons". Joe had seen it before, only not to this extent. Joe felt for his friend. He knew how much Duncan had loved Caitlin. They had shared such a strong connection and had seemed to complete each other in so many ways. The fact that Duncan had married Caitlin. showed the world how much he had loved her. She had become his whole world. Now she was gone. Vanished without a trace. "How does someone find closure in this kind of circumstance?" Joe wondered. He doubted he'd be as strong as Duncan. He doubted that he would be able to go on if he were in Duncan's shoes.
Not really knowing what to say...and knowing that words were never needed between them before, Joe waited until Duncan was strapped in then slowly pulled away from the curb and headed for the city. He said simply, "It's good to see you Mac."
Duncan took in a shaky breath and continued to look out the passenger window as he said quietly, "Thanks, Joe. For everything."
"That's what friends are for", Joe smiled.
They rode in silence the rest of the way into the city. Then, just before the freeway off ramp, Joe asked, "Do you want me to drop you somewhere? Or come back to the bar with me?"
Duncan thought it over. He really hadn't planned anything past getting here. It had taken him a year to get the courage up to return to Seacouver. He wasn't sure he was going to be able to go through with it. Not until the plane actually left the ground in Scotland was he convinced he could. Six times in the last year he had purchased a ticket to Seacouver and five times he had turned it back in. Now, seeing the Seacouver skyline he wishes he had stayed in Scotland because the memories are flooding back.
As if reading his friend's mind, Joe said, "You know, Mac...you don't have to do this all at once. No one will fault you if you want to take it one step at a time."
Duncan glanced at Joe and saw the understanding in Joe's eyes. "Thanks, Joe", he said softly. "The bar's fine."
"Good," Joe said simply and turned off the freeway. He pulled into the parking lot of his bar and parks. He got out of the SUV at the same time Duncan did and watched Duncan get his duffel bag out of the back seat. To him, Duncan looked like a robot on auto-pilot. Joe led the way into the bar.
As Duncan entered the bar behind Joe, he was overcome with the familiarity of it. He looked around at the empty bar and was reminded of many happy times here. He felt tears well up in his eyes and no matter how hard he tried he can't stop them.
Joe went behind the bar and said, "Come on, Mac. Come have a drink."
Suddenly Duncan's head filled with the buzzing sensation signifying the presence of another Immortal and as he looked up he hears, "A little early for that don't you think, Joe?" He turned to see Methos coming out of Joe's office.
Methos strode up to Duncan and gave him a brotherly hug which Duncan returned.
"Welcome home, MacLeod," Methos said.
Duncan managed a weak smile. "Thanks," he said and stepped up to the bar taking a seat on one of the stools. He found himself watching the front door of the bar as if he expected Caitlin to come through it.
Joe looked at Duncan and watched him worriedly for a few minutes then glanced at Methos. When Duncan turned back to face the two men, he had a cold, hardened expression on his face. His brown eyes were almost black and his jaw is set.
"Mac..." Joe started. Duncan held his hand up to stop Joe from saying anything else.
"I'm fine, really." He said unconvincingly. "It's just a lot harder than I thought it would be."
"Maybe you weren't ready," Methos said quietly.
"As ready as I'm going to be," Duncan said and swallowed the scotch in his glass in one gulp. "As ready as I can be."
"Like I told you on the phone, Mac," Joe said as he poured another shot into Duncan's glass. "We're here for you. Whatever you need...just name it."
Duncan gulped down the scotch and put his duffel bag on his shoulder and stood up. He looked at Methos and Joe and gave them, a half hearted smile. "Thanks."
"Leaving already?" Methos asked.
Duncan nodded. "I need to do this on my own," he said. "Thanks for everything." He turned and started walking toward the backdoor.
"Mac..." Joe said.
"Please, Joe," Duncan stopped just feet away from the door and spoke without looking back. There was a part of him that wished one of them would come force him back and a part of him that wanted to do this alone.
Joe looked down at the floor, leaned against the bar sink and shook his head.
"Keep in touch, Mac," Methos said from his stool. "You know?"
"Yeah," Duncan said almost inaudibly and walked out the door into the Seacouver morning air.
Inside the bar, Methos and Joe exchanged looks.
"He'll be OK, Joe," Methos said.
"You trying to convince me or yourself?" Joe asked.
Methos looked at the door and said simply, "Right."
Outside, Duncan looked around. He adjusted the weight of his duffel bag and flagged down a passing cab. He gave the driver his destination and the cab pulled away from the curb. It drove through the heart of the city headed for the east side of town. Duncan stared blankly out the passenger window. Memories passed through his mind like silent home movies. Soon the cab had left the business district of the city and had entered the residential district.
The driver steered the cab onto a quiet street that had very few houses visible. He slowed as he approached a driveway that disappeared into a wooded area.
"Is this it?" The driver asked.
"Yeah," Duncan answered. "You can let me out here." He sat forward and paid the driver and got out of the cab. He waited until the cab had pulled away and slung his duffel bag over his shoulder and started up the winding driveway.
The driveway was approximately 1/4 of a mile long and led to a house set on a three acre parcel on the edge of one of Seacouver's rain forests. The house was an "A" frame style with a large picture window in the front. It had a covered porch that extended the full front of the house with a porch swing and a wicker love seat and two chairs.
Duncan stopped at the end of the driveway and looked around. His gaze stopped at a tree stump in the middle of the front yard. His vision became blurred as he continued to stare at the stump, a faraway look in his eyes.
Caitlin dressed in a pair of cut offs and a tank top has the garden hose in hand and is in the middle of washing the T-Bird. Duncan comes out of the house and walks toward the car.
"You missed a spot," he teases.
Caitlin sets the hose down and stands on the stump to reach the top of the car with the soapy sponge. She looks around.
"Where?" she asks.
Duncan hurries up behind her and scoops her off the log.
"Here," Duncan teases. He takes the sponge and squeezes the soapy
water onto Caitlin and laughs.
Caitlin squeals. "Oh you brat!"
"Me? Yep," Duncan laughs.
Caitlin wriggles free and picks up the hose and turns it on Duncan.
"Oh yeah?" She quips.
Duncan jumps back trying to avoid the spray from the hose, but is unsuccessful.
"Well take that," Caitlin laughs.
Duncan tries to dodge the spray to get to Caitlin but she opens the nozzle all the way and drenches him. Duncan starts laughing. Soaked, he lunges for Caitlin and grabs the hose, turning it on her.
"ahhh!" she yells.
"There. You take THAT, you brat!" Duncan says.
Caitlin squeals and runs for cover on the other side of the car.
Duncan ducks down and slowly works his way around the car trying
to catch her. He quickly stands and sprays over the top of the car.
Caitlin grabs the bucket of soapy water as she skirts around the back of the T-bird. She comes around to his side and dumps the bucket's contents on him. She drops the empty bucket and turns to run away. Duncan grabs her and pulls her onto the muddy ground.
"Not so fast, you!" He laughs.
Caitlin is giggling. She turns over on her back and looks up at him. Duncan brushes her hair from her face, leaving a streak of mud on her cheek. He chuckles.
"Oh. You think that's funny, huh?" She says.
"Yes, I do," he answers. He sticks his hand in the mud and rubs her other cheek with mud.
Caitlin grabs a handful of mud and rubs it on his face. Duncan sputters.
"Yeah. You're right; it is funny. Now," Caitlin teases.
Duncan rubs a dollop of mud across her nose.
"Oooooo...you're asking for it mister," she laughs.
"Guess I am at that," Duncan smirks.
Caitlin pulls his shirt tail up and puts mud on his back under his shirt.
"Ewwww...," he groans.
Caitlin tries to playfully wriggle out from under him.
Duncan takes a big glob of mud and drops it down the front of her tank top. Caitlin gasps in surprise and because the mud is cold.
"OK. You wanna play that way?" She says.
"What are you going to do about it, huh?" Duncan taunts.
Caitlin shoves a handful of soapy mud down the back of his pants.
"oh, no! Not there," he exclaims and smears mud down both her legs.
Caitlin uses his distraction and manages to wiggle free. She reaches for the hose which is just inches out of reach. He rolls over just in time to get hosed down.
"oh! That's cold!" He howls.
Caitlin takes the nozzle and pushes it past his belt and down the front of his jeans.
"No fair!" He says and tries to pull the hose out of his pants.
Caitlin leaves it there and jumps up and runs as fast as she can toward the house.
Duncan gets the hose and aims it at Caitlin as she runs toward the house but she reaches the porch and opens the front door before he can spray her. She turns around to face him and sticks out her tongue at him then disappears into the house.
Duncan looked up from the stump and swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. It seemed like it was only yesterday that they were laughing and so full of love and happiness. He took a shaky breath and walked slowly towards the front porch.
TO BE CONTINUED