Time and Tide
A Crossover Collaboration by: A J & TNT
The world's oldest Immortal sat back, looking at his newest Watcher's Council e-mail again. "Joe, Joe, Joe; What have you gotten yourself into this time?" He read through the weird Chronicle again, shaking his head. "And what the #&][ does this mean at the end? 'Standard disclaimer Applies'?" Methos took a drink of his imported pilsner. (He didn't care what the others said, he'd been imbibing since fermented brewing was invented. Germans made the best &#* beer, period.) "I hope I don't get wrangled into this circus."
Chapter Four
The minute he got home that evening, Paramedic Angelo Dawson called his great-uncle Joe. He had to try three times before there was an answer at Dawson's Pub & Grill.
"You'se got Joe's, it's happy owah, whattiya still doin' home?" came a campy Jersey voice over the line. Angelo rolled his eyes. "You'se caught us inna middle uva rush heah. Leave a message." A second later a long beep sounded.
"Hey, Uncle Joe, It's Angelo, your niece Kate's kid, calling from Heatherfield. I'd appreciate a return call, A.S.A.P. It's a professional matter, and it needs watching." He hung up quickly, hoping that the mysterious message would make the right kind of sense. His Uncle had inducted him into the family's 'other' business when he turned 18, but there hadn't been any active assignment at the time. Angelo had decided to go to school, and with the insider's info he had, he'd decided to keep and eye out for the strange and unusual with expediency, if not a big paycheck.
Little had he known that the six-month stint in suburban West Virginia, which the big company he'd applied to had recommended before they moved him to an inner-city run with more action, would net him a case just like he'd been looking for. So here he sat, Angelo Dawson, rookie Watcher, with his first Immortal. It almost relieved him that his charge was a stripling rookie as well. It meant he was (Hopefully!) less likely to go haring off in search of fellow Immortals' heads right away, like they had in the heydays of dueling. Angelo certainly didn't envy his uncle's assignment, the trouble magnet Duncan MacLeod.
Logging onto the Watcher's web-site, he filed an 'Initial sighting' report, only just remembering Martin's last name at the end before he posted it.
He got back an 'Acknowledged; no prior recorded sightings,' and signed out. Google© was next. All that came up after a full search was a birth announcement and a series of yearly Honor Student listings for Martin Victor Tubbs, all for academics.
'Oh boy,' Angelo thought, and dialed Joe's Pub again.
"Yello," came over the line, and Angelo looked heavenward in thanks.
"Hey, Uncle Joe, it's Angelo."
"Angie! How ya doin', kiddo! Katie told me you graduated with honors. Where'd you end up?"
"Ah, that's just it, Uncle Joe. I'm in Heatherfield, West Virginia, and I just ran into somebody you should meet. They're in our family business."
"Whoa, you're not talking ..?"
"Yeah, just like good old Mr. Nash," Angelo replied, his voice equally strained with nerves.
"You said Heatherfield?" Angelo could hear typing from Joe's end for a minute. "Okay, I can have someone out to give you a hand with some tools of the trade by morning after next. Angelo. Think you can keep tabs on things in the meantime?"
"Shouldn't be a problem, Uncle Joe; I do have one additional request. Could we spare a tutor?"
"What kind?"
"Uh, all of it, actually. He's new. Brand new, still in high school, and nothing like your old pal, Ryan."
"Jesus… alright, I'll make a couple calls, see if we can find us a mentor. Do what you can with him in the meantime, Angie. I'll give you a buzz when I've heard something."
"Thanks, Uncle Joe." The two Dawsons' both hung up, and Angelo got up to fix a quick, portable dinner. He'd set up outside … yeah, the Tubbs' residence … and stake it out just in case he wasn't the only one who'd noticed young Martin's miraculous revival …
… He was only a half an hour late …