Notes:

I still have no Beta, but now this is re read and fixed as much as I am able to.

~ The End ~

Connor draws a deep breath and open his eyes, still in the destroyed factory building, disappointed he closes them again. It had felt like a lifetime, so real, so soft. But it was just a dream, a vivid tangible colorful wonderful dream, but still just a dream.

He feel no different than after any other Quickening now, well maybe a little rawer more worn-out Kurgan was old and powerful after all. With no energy to do anything he lies there, waiting for the Quickening to settle. Ramirez is avenged. The urging of the Gathering seems to have disparated almost in peace, but not quite. Absently he catalogs the feeling as vaguely familiar, to tired to remember from when and where.

Brenda…That beautiful stubborn lovely strong woman. The dream, a lifetime with her and with children. Not real, maybe not even her, just a fantasy. 'The Dream'.

The last of the Quickening reenergizes him, sweeping the pain and most of the fatigue away. Another deep breath, only one way to find out. He reopens his eyes searching for her as he start to get up.

"Connor! Are you okay?"

Brenda is by his side as soon as he starts to move. Strong, yes. Unafraid, important in a less peaceful life. He grunts and lift his hand to her face, a shadow of a smile and a warm glow in the eyes.

"Will be. We better get out of here, the light-show will have drawn attention."

They exit the building as they hear sirens closing in, Connor pull them into a shadowed doorway as a firetruck, followed by a police car, passes. He carefully lean in to kiss her, in no hurry to move on now that they are out of the warehouse, or whatever it was. They are standing in the doorway kissing as another police car and a ambulance passes. Then they walk home to Brenda, not speaking. Well inside the door they quickly get undressed and move to the bedroom, like as if they had known each other for a lifetime.

In the morning they talk over breakfast before trying out the living room carpet and the couch, then talk some more over lunch. Decisions are made, Connor calls Rachel and they make an appointment for dinner.

"I believe we are going to need a shower before we go anywhere." There is a joyful sparkle in Connors eyes as he carries a laughing Brenda to the bathroom.

~ New York ~

Later they walk, hand in hand, to the antiques shop. They are laughing and talking as they turn around the last corner and Connor feels a slight brush of another Immortal. Chills down his spine as he sees a male figure in a long coat step out of the antiques shop. Instinctively he reach for the katana and freezes as he realize it is not there. Stomach quench as he remembers, he never picked it up after the Quickening. Ramirez sword...

To his great relief the man walks the other way and disappears around the next corner, the Presence with him. Connor runs the last part of the way, Brenda is following him confused. He throws up the door and stop as Rachel turns to look at him surprised.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you? What did he want!" Connor demands in a harsh voice.

"I'm fine! Come in and close the door, he left your sword and a note." Rachel says as Brenda closes the door after them. "It was a polite, young looking man and he did not threatened me in any way. He said, 'Give this to Connor' ,then he left. Now let me close, the lasagna's in the oven."

She picks up the sword and a note handing it over to Connor before she pushes him trough the backdoor towards the apartment part of the store, with a smile at Brenda

He grabs the note and the katana, reading it as he steps into the elevator, Brenda next to him.

The note is machine written:

Figured you might want the sword back, not good to leave it for the police anyway.

You have people shadowing you.

If you lose them you will find me at the Trinity Church Cemetery tomorrow after sunset.

There is no signature.

They sit down to eat and Connor fills Rachel in on the whole Game not over and no Prize situation. Also that he and Brenda have decided to move, going back Scotland.

Rachel tells them that the young man, who introduced him self as Ben, had insisted that the note was only to be given to Connor and that if he did not show she should burn it.

Connor reads it again as they sit by the fireplace sipping drinks.

"If he wanted to Challenge me he would not have chosen holy ground to meet. He's obviously nervous about he mortals following me. I owe him for returning the sword. I will spend the afternoon tomorrow losing any tails and meet him." He sates it as a fact but look at Brenda for approval, she's not happy but nods.

Connor throws the note in the fire. They spend the rest of the evening planning their move, when Rachel excuses herself they move on to Connors bedroom.

~ New York ~

Next morning Brenda wakes up to the sight of Connor doing katas nude. After a late breakfast she goes home to start packing and arranging for the move. Later she joins Rachel for lunch, they bond over their worry for Connor.

Connor leaves the shop at midday, he spends the rest of the day moving trough crowds and doing unexpected things. He lost the police officers after less than 20min. But as he takes a late lunch in a shopping mall he spots someone else. When he moves again he has to admit they are good and that he would not have spotted them had he not been warned.

By sundown he is almost certain he has lost them. Arriving at the cemetery an hour late, hoping whoever the Immortal is, he will still be there. As Connor enters the unlocked gate he can feel the Presence almost right away. But it stays at the edge of his range leading him to a part that have lot of big gravestones to hide behind.

There in the shadow stands a man in a dark long coat, not the knee long light trench coat Connor prefers, but a full long dark gray wool coat, a knitted hat and gloved hands carefully visible.

Connor moves his own hands a little out from his body, moving a little closer but stay at a respectful distance, not wanting to crowd the unknown Immortal.

"Thank you, I appreciate having my sword back." Connor nods respectfully.

"I have to admit I was tempted to keep it." He steps out of the shadows with a smirk on his face.

"It would have been a nice trophy don't you agree?" He holds out his hands with a big grin.

~ Flashback: 1646 Japan, Mount Niri ~