Disclaimer: Connor MacLeod and all 'Highlander' characters are copyright Davis/Panzer Productions, and Balthazar Blake and all 'Sorcerer's Apprentice' characters are copyright Disney. This fanfic is based off a lengthy Role-Play, heavily edited for added narrative. No profit made, but a hell of a lot of fun. Being an RP, this is effectively co-written by my girlfriend, who played Balthazar.

Sword and Sorcery

25. Good night gone bad

They allowed Connor to sleep himself out, in the morning, and Balthazar was relieved that the immortal slept late. Veronica seemed just as amused over his mild hangover as she was sympathetic. He spent the morning sipping tea and doing very little, but they settled together comfortably on the couch, and eventually began to discuss what to do with their new houseguest. "I'm not sure he'll actually want to go into Manhattan," Balthazar mused quietly, "But we should do something. He's very active; gets restless."

"It's a shame the weather's so bad. Is it really going to snow again?" Veronica still marveled over technological weather prediction.

"Might." His arm slid around her, and he put his other hand on hers. It was cozy and warm, in the house, and he would have been content to stay right there. "But it's not intolerable, either. That little park might be worth visiting."

"If he's not too hung over." Veronica smiled.

"He won't be."

"I really am glad he showed up," Veronica went on. "He's not quite what I expected. You made him sound like some sort of… of superhero, but he seems very normal. Very human. Just… hurt."

"Superhero?" Balthazar chuckled. Veronica's instruction in pop culture was progressing nicely, thanks to Dave and Becky. "Did I? I didn't mean to. He's remarkable though, in a way that has nothing to do with the immortality."

"Mm. I'm glad you have a friend. You need looking after." She kissed him softly. "But yes. I can see he's hard to get close to, but I think I like him."

"What do you mean I need looking aft- Good morning, Connor." Balthazar blinked, wondering how long the immortal had been standing in the doorway. His face was a careful blank, still haggard and unshaven, but he looked marginally better.

Veronica turned and smiled calmly.

Connor nodded in greeting, giving nothing away. "Sorry I slept late."

"Are you hungry?" He kissed Veronica on the cheek and stood. "There's coffee… it's almost lunchtime."

Back to wary and reserved, Connor shrugged. "I can wait until you two are eating…"

"Actually, I'm starving." Veronica stood. "Take us to lunch, Balthazar?"

He smiled faintly. "The ice cream place again? You're an addict."

She made a face at him, then smiled endearingly at Connor. "That's okay, isn't it?"

He gave a small smile, looking just a little charmed by her. "Fine, just let me get my sword." Without waiting for a reply, Connor slipped away up the stairs, back in a moment with it.

When he returned, Balthazar was helping Veronica with her coat. They went out in the chill bravely, and took Balthazar's car out to a café that specialized in sundae desserts. Ordering soup and a banana split, Veronica waxed enthusiastic about ice cream in general, one of her favorite discoveries about the new world.

Connor kept his katana in his coat, and seemed not to care that he was still in yesterday's clothes. The outing seemed to be a relief to him, though, normal and friendly. He talked about being in the North, in Canada, and pouring syrup in the snow to make candy. His tone was quiet, more reserved than when he'd been drunk, but he seemed stable and calm. He ate half of a sandwich and part of a milkshake, but conversation distracted him.

Balthazar let them talk, and when they were both done eating he proposed going to the park.

"…Trying to keep me busy?" Connor tried to pin Balthazar with his gaze, but there was no anger in it.

"Figured you'd stay longer if we entertained you." He answered calmly.

Connor looked awkward. "You don't have to entertain me. It's… good just to see you again."

Balthazar smiled warmly and nudged his shoulder.

The three of them visited the park for a while, anyway, and Veronica walked between the men holding them each by the arm. Connor seemed deeply surprised by the gesture, but didn't protest, falling into stride with them. They talked a little, but spent most of the walk in companionable quiet. Balthazar knew Connor wasn't a conversationalist by nature, and he seemed relieved not be pressed into it. Nearly empty, and muffled with snow, the park held a sense of peace. Sneaking glances at his old friend, the sorcerer saw him wearing an open expression that restored a hint of his lost youthfulness.

After they got back to the house, Balthazar spent some time on the phone with David, but he was aware of Connor roaming the house. He seemed to be restless already, but Veronica diverted his attention to their not-insubstantial collection of books. By the time he finished his call, he found Connor perusing the shelves with avid interest. As Veronica helped him prepare a light dinner of fish and potatoes, she told him Connor had said he hadn't had time for reading lately. It seemed likely 'lately' meant in the last fifteen years.

They were up late after dinner, chatting and reading. Unrestricted by language and an expert at the delicate handling of antiques, Connor seemed determined to explore every volume they had that wasn't magical, and he was still up when Balthazar and Veronica retired to bed. Relieved that his friend was at least staying another night, Balthazar drifted off peacefully beside his wife, content.

Around three-thirty in the morning, a hysterical scream rang out in the upstairs bathroom, followed by the buzz and crackle of a plasma bolt. Balthazar sat up, only to find the bed beside him empty. Connor skidded past the bedroom doorway in only boxers and a t-shirt, katana raised and ready for a fight, and the sorcerer cursed his own slower reflexes. He staggered out of the room and up behind Connor, who had reached the bathroom doorway. Hair sticking out every which way, badly in need of a shave, Connor looked a little like a madman.

Veronica was cowering against the shower, trembling wildly, in her sleeveless nightgown. Her plasma bolt had melted a hole in the bathroom window, and more power crackled around her fingers, but she had yet to release it. Her expression showed no recognition of Connor, only horror.

Balthazar assessed the situation quickly, trying to calm the pounding of his own heart. "Easy, you two… easy…" This was not, unfortunately, the first incident along these lines.

Connor's wild gaze slid to the damaged window, but he shifted his stance to let Balthazar past, still tense. "What was it? Who was it?" Protective, he looked ready for a fight.

Moving past him to Veronica, Balthazar held up a hand to still him. His wife stared at him blankly. "Steady… it's all right, Veronica… it's me… you're dreaming."

She raised a hand as if to ward him off, but there was uncertainty in her gaze.

Connor blinked, gradually taking in the scene, and his blade lowered. After a moment he drew back, out of sight, but the sound of his retreat put him just around the corner of the doorway.

"Prove…" Veronica growled at Balthazar, distrustful of her own senses.

"Touch me. I won't hurt you. It's all right…" He soothed gently, staying very still.

"…Balthazar?" She burst into tears abruptly. "I saw her. I saw her in the window. It was Morgana, I swear…!"

"Ssh… Morgana's dead, angel. She's never coming back." He moved in then, and wrapped the trembling woman in his arms. There was no lingering dark power, only Veronica's. Morgana was gone, but being trapped with her so long had left its scars. He rocked her in his arms for a while, and never heard Connor leave, but after several minutes there was the quiet clank of the teakettle and the rattle of cups and things from downstairs.

Together they made their way down, Veronica clinging to him and looking ashamed.

Connor was no longer wild-eyed and the sword was nowhere in sight, but he still needed a shave and his hair looked like he'd stuck his finger in an electrical socket. Stripped down to underclothes he looked thin and lanky, and only his way of moving kept him from looking as gawky as David. Physically, they were the same age, but the immortal moved like an old predator, while David still spent a lot of time tripping over his own feet. Wordlessly, Connor offered Veronica a mug of tea that looked milky and smelled of whiskey. The bottle was still on the counter. His expression was deeply apologetic, even though he'd done nothing wrong.

She looked equally apologetic, and tentatively accepted the tea. "Oh Connor… Thank you. I'm… awfully sorry." Her eyes were red from crying, but she smiled weakly.

Balthazar gently squeezed her shoulders.

"What are you sorry for? I must have scared you…" He retreated a few steps. "You want any, Balthazar?"

"It wasn't you… It was the nightmares." She sat shakily.

"…Could I? Thanks." Balthazar sighed heavily, petting Veronica's hair.

Connor fixed another cup much like the first, milk, whiskey and all, and brought it over, then poured himself a straight shot from the bottle and stood leaning against the counter. After a long moment of silence, he said quietly, "I… used to dream about Kurgan, for years after."

Balthazar looked at him thoughtfully. After he'd left New York with Brenda, the Kurgan had never come up in conversation again.

Veronica gulped her tea, then searched his face. "It's… only every couple weeks, but I keep breaking things…"

"She's… completely gone, though?" Connor frowned thoughtfully.

"There may be some lingering influence," Balthazar confessed. "It's hard to be sure." He and Veronica both had already done what they could to investigate that, magically.

Connor nodded and tapped his head with the glass. "I asked because he's still in here. And Kane… and everyone they took…" His gaze went slightly distant.

The exponential implications were more than a little worrying. "You have to live with them all in your head? That's terrible…" Veronica seemed distracted by compassion.

He shrugged very slowly, looking at nothing now, and sipped his scotch. "They killed my friends, my teachers… but that means they're with me, too. But the Kurgan… was the worst quickening I ever had. I thought my head would split open. And the memories…" His expression darkened until he was giving the empty air a ready-to-kill look. "There are things I hoped he was lying about. Now I know he wasn't."

Balthazar was torn, wanting to comfort them both, but part of him also wanted to ask about Jacob Kell. The Kurgan had been bad, but from what Duncan had told him it seemed like Kell might have been worse. He stood next to Veronica, stroking her hair.

She reached out toward Connor tentatively, concerned.

Jacob Kell must have been in his mind too, but that wound was still raw. His gaze pulled back to the present a little, and he gave Veronica a grim, distant smile. "Mostly you just have to tell them to shut up. If she couldn't subsume you when it first happened, her chances now are pretty slim." This was probably intended to be reassuring.

Veronica shuddered, nodded, and looked teary again.

Balthazar conjured a handkerchief out of the air and gently dabbed at her cheek. "Time will heal it."

Connor looked apologetic again, and downed the whiskey in one gulp. He was trying to help, but the only lessons Connor seemed to know were hard ones.

"I'm sorry I almost attacked you." Veronica added at length, when she had herself pulled together again.

"I asked for it." He smirked sheepishly, and looked down at his bare feet. "I thought you were being attacked."

She laughed weakly. "I guess there's no harm done. The window can be fixed. Thank you."

"…For what? It's your tea." Connor continued to look sheepish.

"Wanting to protect us." She smiled a little, and sipped her tea.

Balthazar sat with his, seeing that she was recovering.

Connor shrugged, and considered the bottle on the counter beside him. "You're taking a risk, letting me stay here. You know that, don't you?"

Balthazar shrugged, considering what had just occurred upstairs. "You're taking a risk staying here."

He looked up and gave Balthazar a weary smile. "But I've got nothing left to lose."

"That's a terrible thing to say." Veronica chided gently. "Anyway, you have us, and we're not going anywhere."

Connor shrugged, and carefully closed up the bottle. He clearly would have liked to empty it, personally, but was showing restraint. "Never mind. You should get some sleep."

"Will you be all right?" She finished her tea in a gulp and stood.

Balthazar was silent, watching them.

"I'll be fine." He brushed her off with a hollow smile and offered to take the empty cup.

She let him, but it was clear from her expression that she was unconvinced.

"I'll be up in a minute." Balthazar reached to stroke her cheek, and she nodded, heading off upstairs alone.

Connor washed the cup carefully, even though there was a dishwasher.

The sorcerer watched him thoughtfully. "She likes you. You know that, right?"

"I… guess so. Isn't she the kind of person who likes everybody?" He dried the cup, watching his own hands intently. "I'm fine, it just startled me awake."

"Not everybody." He leaned on the counter. "You're not fine, but I know there's not much I can do, either."

Connor paused with a frown. "I'm fine about this, then. I'm glad I haven't woken either of you up."

Balthazar sighed, suddenly very tired. "You have nightmares, too?" He mentally kicked himself for having not expected that already.

He shrugged. "It's normal. I've just… been afraid I'll wake up slicing the guest bed to pieces or something. That would be embarrassing." Knowing his guilt complex, it probably wasn't the bed he was afraid of hurting.

"Heh. It's fixable; slice away." He hesitated. "You know I… never mind. Later." He found he didn't have the energy to get into deeper conversation.

Connor finished up and came to rest a hand on Balthazar's shoulder. "She needs you. Better go make sure she has good dreams." He smirked, not at all ashamed of any innuendo.

Balthazar found himself actually blushing, but smiled faintly. "You have good advice sometimes."

He tapped his head. "Not as dumb as I look, remember. Ramirez and Nakano live up here, too." He looked tired, but a little amused.

"Goodnight, Connor." Balthazar thumped him on the shoulder, then moved off upstairs. He heard the kitchen light click off behind him, and Connor grumbling quietly to himself as he followed the sorcerer up, and vanished back into his own room.