Chapter 7
The Dojo
Richie spun round as he felt the presence of another Immortal "What the hell happened here?" Richie strode across the Dojo to Duncan who stood in the doorway "Hey, Mac am I glad to see you.I had a little trouble" Duncan stepped forward "No.Not one of us" Richie said shaking his head. "So who?" Duncan said as he helped Richie pick up some of the things that had been thrown around the room "Two guys came in looking for a woman called Louisa.when I didn't give them the answer they wanted.they pulled their guns.I was just lucky I'd been practicing with the quarterstaff.Man, I never thought a wooden pole could take down guys with guns but as you can see it can".
"See sometimes my nagging for you to practice pays off." Duncan said as he put the last of the weights back on their stands "Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on Mac?" Richie said as he followed Duncan over to the office. Duncan closed the office door as Richie perched himself on the edge of the desk.
Duncan explained the previous night's events to Richie and what Methos had told him about Cristo. "I think those guys you met are working for Cristo, he doesn't play by the rules Richie so be extra careful, OK?" Duncan patted Richie on the shoulder.
"Heard anything from my Guest?"
"Well, she did come down early but I told her to go back up.I'm glad I did now. then there was a lot of noise earlier sounded a bit like she was rearranging the furniture.but I haven't heard a peep for sometime."
"Well, she did have a nice hangover this morning maybe she's sleeping" Duncan laughed entering the elevator and pulling down the gate.
Duncan's loft
Duncan could see Dani in the middle of the room through the bars of the gate he slowly lifted it and walked out into the room; Dani seemed to be unaware of his presences; the noise of the elevator had not managed to penetrate her concentration. He could see that all of the furniture that could be moved had been moved against the wall and in the clear space that was left there was Dani. Duncan walked to the kitchen poured himself a coffee and leaned against the counter. He watched as she moved gracefully, totally absorbed in the her movements, her dark hair tied back away from her face, that glistening with perspiration.
He could see from the confident way she moved this was something she practiced often and it explained how she managed to dispense with the man who attacked her the other night. He smiled to himself. The clothes he had found for her last night hung very loose on her frame and made her look even smaller than she had last night. Dani's movements finally brought her round to face the kitchen, as her eyes focused on where Duncan was standing she seemed to jump as if his presence shocked her. Duncan smiled at her "Oh, I..I didn't hear you come in," she said grabbing the towel she had left on the sofa. "I didn't expect you back so soon".
Duncan raised his eyebrows as he straighten up the warm smile remained on his face "Did a Tornado come through here after I left?"
"Er, no.I was going to put everything back before you got back.but you caught me out" she wiped the perspiration from her face, smiling back at Duncan. "It's just that there wasn't a lot to do here on my own and I went downstairs but Richie told me that you said I should stay out of sight." Duncan tilted his head to one side, he seemed to Dani to be asking her why she had moved the furniture, so she continued "I thought a work out would help clear my head.there wouldn't have been enough space and I was frightened of breaking any of your things.so I thought it would be safer to move everything out of the way." Dani felt that she was rambling, his intense gaze made her feel like a child caught doing something they shouldn't. "You really should invest in a TV."
As Dani started to move the sofa back to its former position, she thought she saw a glint in his eyes as he walked over to give her a hand. "I've never had a reason to get one. Leave the rest. I'll straighten this mess out while you grab a shower," Duncan said putting his hand on her arm.
"There's one problem.I've only got these" Dani said as she looked down at the oversize clothing she was wearing. "I really need to go home and change.unless this is high fashion where were going" Duncan's hand lingered on Dani's arm, smiling he said "Well, now that you mention it, I think you're a little underdressed. You go take a shower and then I'll take you home to change."
Dani looked at the mess she had made of Duncan's once very tidy loft "I'd really better give you a hand to tidy this place, after all I made it."
"It's OK I've been trained on rearranging furniture some years ago" Duncan remembered the times he had to rearrange the antique shop because Tessa wanted a change. He felt a warm feeling pass over him. 'Methos was right it is better to remember her when she was full of life, even if that particular habit was annoying.'
When he looked up Dani was disappearing into the bathroom calling over her shoulder "Well, if you're sure, who am I to argue?"
It took some time to put the room back how it was this morning when he left. 'Thirsty work, this furniture moving,' he thought walking to the kitchen. By the time he had made both of them a coffee Dani had re-entered the room. She was wrapped in a large bath towel with her hair wrapped in a smaller one. "Any chance that I can borrow something else? I feel so clean it seems a shame to put those clothes back on.Or I could just go home like this.. that would make the neighbours talk, wouldn't it?" Dani laughed.
Duncan noticed that her face seemed to radiate light when she laugh "Yeah, I suppose it would.hang on I'll just get some." She had only been a part of his life for little over a day and he was not normally this at ease with strangers, but there was something about her that made him feel warm right though his body.
"Here" Duncan handed some clothes to Dani "I'll just have a quick shower and then I'll take you home.I wasn't going to change but then I wasn't expecting to have to rearrange the entire apartment"
"I am sorry about that.it won't happen again" Dani called after Duncan as he went into the bathroom.
When Duncan came back Dani had changed into the clothes he had given her "Well, what to you think?" she said giving him a twirl "Cinderella's ready for Prince Charming to take her to the ball" she laughed.
Duncan walked over to her, gently stroking her cheek. Their eyes met "You look beautiful.if a little baggy." He smiled warmly at her "Let's get you home so you can change." As Dani followed him to the elevator she couldn't help smiling to herself 'he looks even better looking than he did last night' Duncan was dressed in black trousers, a white turtle neck and a blue jacket. On his way to the elevator Duncan picked up his long coat from the chair and slipped it on. Dani thought it was a bit strange to wear such a big coat, as it was a warm summer's evening. Duncan gestured for her to enter the elevator with a flourishing hand gesture, which she had only seen in the movies. "Why thank you, kind Sir.I think you've done that before" Dani said as Duncan pulled the gate down.
The Dojo
Richie spun round as he felt the presence of another Immortal "What the hell happened here?" Richie strode across the Dojo to Duncan who stood in the doorway "Hey, Mac am I glad to see you.I had a little trouble" Duncan stepped forward "No.Not one of us" Richie said shaking his head. "So who?" Duncan said as he helped Richie pick up some of the things that had been thrown around the room "Two guys came in looking for a woman called Louisa.when I didn't give them the answer they wanted.they pulled their guns.I was just lucky I'd been practicing with the quarterstaff.Man, I never thought a wooden pole could take down guys with guns but as you can see it can".
"See sometimes my nagging for you to practice pays off." Duncan said as he put the last of the weights back on their stands "Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on Mac?" Richie said as he followed Duncan over to the office. Duncan closed the office door as Richie perched himself on the edge of the desk.
Duncan explained the previous night's events to Richie and what Methos had told him about Cristo. "I think those guys you met are working for Cristo, he doesn't play by the rules Richie so be extra careful, OK?" Duncan patted Richie on the shoulder.
"Heard anything from my Guest?"
"Well, she did come down early but I told her to go back up.I'm glad I did now. then there was a lot of noise earlier sounded a bit like she was rearranging the furniture.but I haven't heard a peep for sometime."
"Well, she did have a nice hangover this morning maybe she's sleeping" Duncan laughed entering the elevator and pulling down the gate.
Duncan's loft
Duncan could see Dani in the middle of the room through the bars of the gate he slowly lifted it and walked out into the room; Dani seemed to be unaware of his presences; the noise of the elevator had not managed to penetrate her concentration. He could see that all of the furniture that could be moved had been moved against the wall and in the clear space that was left there was Dani. Duncan walked to the kitchen poured himself a coffee and leaned against the counter. He watched as she moved gracefully, totally absorbed in the her movements, her dark hair tied back away from her face, that glistening with perspiration.
He could see from the confident way she moved this was something she practiced often and it explained how she managed to dispense with the man who attacked her the other night. He smiled to himself. The clothes he had found for her last night hung very loose on her frame and made her look even smaller than she had last night. Dani's movements finally brought her round to face the kitchen, as her eyes focused on where Duncan was standing she seemed to jump as if his presence shocked her. Duncan smiled at her "Oh, I..I didn't hear you come in," she said grabbing the towel she had left on the sofa. "I didn't expect you back so soon".
Duncan raised his eyebrows as he straighten up the warm smile remained on his face "Did a Tornado come through here after I left?"
"Er, no.I was going to put everything back before you got back.but you caught me out" she wiped the perspiration from her face, smiling back at Duncan. "It's just that there wasn't a lot to do here on my own and I went downstairs but Richie told me that you said I should stay out of sight." Duncan tilted his head to one side, he seemed to Dani to be asking her why she had moved the furniture, so she continued "I thought a work out would help clear my head.there wouldn't have been enough space and I was frightened of breaking any of your things.so I thought it would be safer to move everything out of the way." Dani felt that she was rambling, his intense gaze made her feel like a child caught doing something they shouldn't. "You really should invest in a TV."
As Dani started to move the sofa back to its former position, she thought she saw a glint in his eyes as he walked over to give her a hand. "I've never had a reason to get one. Leave the rest. I'll straighten this mess out while you grab a shower," Duncan said putting his hand on her arm.
"There's one problem.I've only got these" Dani said as she looked down at the oversize clothing she was wearing. "I really need to go home and change.unless this is high fashion where were going" Duncan's hand lingered on Dani's arm, smiling he said "Well, now that you mention it, I think you're a little underdressed. You go take a shower and then I'll take you home to change."
Dani looked at the mess she had made of Duncan's once very tidy loft "I'd really better give you a hand to tidy this place, after all I made it."
"It's OK I've been trained on rearranging furniture some years ago" Duncan remembered the times he had to rearrange the antique shop because Tessa wanted a change. He felt a warm feeling pass over him. 'Methos was right it is better to remember her when she was full of life, even if that particular habit was annoying.'
When he looked up Dani was disappearing into the bathroom calling over her shoulder "Well, if you're sure, who am I to argue?"
It took some time to put the room back how it was this morning when he left. 'Thirsty work, this furniture moving,' he thought walking to the kitchen. By the time he had made both of them a coffee Dani had re-entered the room. She was wrapped in a large bath towel with her hair wrapped in a smaller one. "Any chance that I can borrow something else? I feel so clean it seems a shame to put those clothes back on.Or I could just go home like this.. that would make the neighbours talk, wouldn't it?" Dani laughed.
Duncan noticed that her face seemed to radiate light when she laugh "Yeah, I suppose it would.hang on I'll just get some." She had only been a part of his life for little over a day and he was not normally this at ease with strangers, but there was something about her that made him feel warm right though his body.
"Here" Duncan handed some clothes to Dani "I'll just have a quick shower and then I'll take you home.I wasn't going to change but then I wasn't expecting to have to rearrange the entire apartment"
"I am sorry about that.it won't happen again" Dani called after Duncan as he went into the bathroom.
When Duncan came back Dani had changed into the clothes he had given her "Well, what to you think?" she said giving him a twirl "Cinderella's ready for Prince Charming to take her to the ball" she laughed.
Duncan walked over to her, gently stroking her cheek. Their eyes met "You look beautiful.if a little baggy." He smiled warmly at her "Let's get you home so you can change." As Dani followed him to the elevator she couldn't help smiling to herself 'he looks even better looking than he did last night' Duncan was dressed in black trousers, a white turtle neck and a blue jacket. On his way to the elevator Duncan picked up his long coat from the chair and slipped it on. Dani thought it was a bit strange to wear such a big coat, as it was a warm summer's evening. Duncan gestured for her to enter the elevator with a flourishing hand gesture, which she had only seen in the movies. "Why thank you, kind Sir.I think you've done that before" Dani said as Duncan pulled the gate down.