Chapter #2: The Child
Disclaimer: The only character I own is Katie
For My Purposes/Authors notes: Immortals can have children.
Alexa did not die, but enjoys a relationship with Adam/Methos and remember: Methos and Adam refer to the same person
This is basically because I'm experiencing some writer's block concerning my other fic entitled: Lost Memory- if you have any I won't lose my memory (ha, ha?) concerning those who gave me ideas and will include a dedication.
Summary: see first chapter
Reviews: Yes, but be kind
On with the show…
"So, have you been living in Seattle long?" Mac asked to make polite conversation.
"No, my family and I just moved here from Vancouver, it's for my dad's work," she explained.
"Turn right at the next stop sign" she instructed him.
"You baby-sit for Dr. Lindsay often?" Mac continued,
"No, only occasionally, who she really relies on is my older sister, but she couldn't make it, cause of school." Katie told him.
" I live right here, she told him pointing to the house just in front of them.
"I'll wait until you're in safely then before I go" Mac told her as he pulled his car to a stop. Katie got out.
"Thanks for the ride Mr. McLeod" she tossed over her shoulder.
"You're welcome, and please call me Mac" he replied,
" O.K, Mac" she replied. Katie waved as she got to the house, and Mac pulled away from the curb, and drove home.
Later that night…
Duncan walked into his loft with a smile stretched across his face. It was their first date, and all ready he could feel he and Anne re-establishing a connection that he feared had faded away, and he felt like, well he felt almost 14, instead of 400 years old. He was contemplating these very thoughts when the phone rang.
"McLeod," he told the caller gruffly, wanting to get to bed.
"Just thought I'd check up to see if Katie got home O.K.," the voice replied before adding: "I see you still answer the phone in exactly the same manner,"
"Anne! I was just thinking about you," Duncan told her, the smile re-appearing on his face.
"Oh, and what were you thinking" she asked playfully.
"Among other things, I was thinking how lovely you looked tonight, and what an absolutely charming little daughter you have," he replied.
"Oh, that's just like I was thinking that how absolutely handsome you looked tonight, you don't look a day over thirty" she returned the compliment, colouring slightly.
" Actually, I sort of had an ulterior motive to calling, I got called in for a shift tomorrow during the day, and as Katie will be at school I was wondering if you would look after Mary during the afternoon, pick her up at nursery school, then take her with you, that's if you don't have anything planned" Anne explained hurriedly.
"Umm, O.K. yeah, I think I can handle that," Duncan answered hesitating a little bit, really not knowing what he was going to do with a little kid for an afternoon.
"O.K, see you tomorrow then, I should be done around five, and Mac, everything's gonna be fine, she's going to like you, I know she is," Anne assures him.
" O.K, if you say so," Mac replies.
"I guess I'd better go, I have a long day ahead of me," Anne says with a yawn.
"Yeah, good night," Mac says cheerfully, and then the two hung up. The last thing Mac thought as he fell asleep was of the little girl with jet-black curls.
The following afternoon…
Duncan McLeod walked up gravel path to the school building. "I'm hear to collect Mary Lindsay," he told the teacher.
"Yes, her mother told me you were coming to get her today, I'll get her, the teacher told him. "Mary! Duncan's here," the teacher called. In response Mary came bounding outside into the sunshine.
"You're handsome," she told Duncan in greeting, "And you're cute," he responded. "You're also coming with me this afternoon," he continued taking her little hand in his. "Where are we going?" Mary asked,
"Where would you like to go?" Duncan returned.
"Can we go see Uncle Joe?" Mommy takes me there sometimes, and he lets me sing, he says when I'm older I can sing at his club for real in the band," she tells Duncan eagerly. "O.K." let's go, Duncan tells her while opening the car door for her to step in.
They were quiet all the way from the school to Joe's place. Duncan parked the car, then helped Mary out:
"Here we are, as requested: Joe's Bar," Duncan told her. Just as they were reaching the door his senses tingled with the presence of another immortal, 'great, just great, Methos', he thought. He opened the door, to a gravely voice saying: "Sorry, we're closed." Joe looked up from his inventory then when the person didn't leave,
"Well if it isn't my favourite little blues singer, I told your mom last night I hoped she'd bring you by, and here you are, your mom must be at work huh?"
"Yup, but Duncan picked me up from school, he's gonna spend the day with me until mommy can come pick me up, can we go sing now?" she asked innocently.
"Yeah we can sweetie, I was looking for an excuse to stop anyway, Joe told her. The pair left then. 'ahhh, this will keep the little spark occupied for a while.' Duncan thought as he felt the buzz for the second time that afternoon, only this time stronger. In walked Methos then, the reason for the buzz.
"Stuck baby-sitting for the afternoon eh McLeod?" He inquired relishing the fun he would have mocking Mac for all he's worth,
"Yeah, I don't know what to do with a three year old, any ideas?" he inquired thinking that surely the 5,000 year old man surely has had some sort of interaction with kids.
"Have you tried a colouring book and crayons?" he asked Duncan,
"No, I haven't, she wanted to come straight here, I did think I would take her to the park and hopefully tire her out, then back to my loft for a nap." Anything else to add? He inquired of the elder immortal,
"Nope, no words of wisdom, no more suggestions, I'm out of ideas Mac, really, I haven't been around kids since… well let's see: carry the one, carry again, in 4550 years, he says with a smirk on his face. 'Some help you're going to be' thought Mac.
" I suppose you want me to get you a beer too, hmmm?" Methos asked still smirking.
"Please, if you wouldn't mind old man," Mac returned. Mac, and Methos were sitting making idle conversation over their beers, when the door opened from the office and in ran Mary, dark curls flying behind her, with Joe almost out of breath trying to keep up.
"Should we help him catch her?" inquired the Highlander of his friend.
"Nah, let's let them run a little bit, it might tire her out," Methos returned. Duncan just nodded.
20 minutes later
"COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE RAGAMUFFIN! COME BACK HERE NOW!!" Joe screamed between pants, while the two immortals just looked on.
"Should we get involved, maybe see what she did to get yelled at" Methos asked Duncan,
"Yeah, we should" Duncan responded. Ten minutes later they found out that Mary had talked Joe into playing Hide and Seek with her, and she was being hard to catch.
"We should go, come on Mary, and say good-bye to Adam, and Joe." Mac told his charge.
"Bye Adam, Bye Uncle Joe, I'm sorry for making you chase me." Mary told Joe.
"It's o.k, we were just playing, and I'll be o.k." Joe responded still a little winded. Mary and Mac left then, and went to the park, then to his loft, because Mary was tired by this point, and frankly so was he, he didn't know how Anne managed, but he had a new appreciation for her. Finally five-thirty came, and Anne showed up as promised, bearing pizza.
"You didn't have to bring dinner you know that, I could have cooked." Duncan greeted her, and then took the pizza from her.
"No, I wanted to, to show my appreciation for your doing this for me last minute, I know it's probably been a while since you last spent time with kids…"
"Shhhhh! It's all right, I enjoyed it." Mac told her gently.
"It's o.k. Mac, I know what she did at Joe's, and you're a saint for putting up with it," Anne replied.
"It's really o.k. It helped me get in touch with my inner child, however old it might be," Mac quipped.
"Is it dinner time yet?" Mary asked.
"Yes", Duncan and Anne told her in unison. 'So this is what mortals must feel like- content while with their families, ' Mac thought while eating dinner. Then it was time to say good-bye.
"Say bye to Duncan Mary" Anne suggested while picking up her daughter.
"Bye Duncan!" she told him while leaning in for a kiss on the cheek. Anne set her daughter down again.
" Bye Duncan, and thank you very much." Anne told him, while doing the same as her daughter, only on the lips.
"Ooooooooooooooo! Mommy just kissed Duncan!" Mary shouted while clapping her hands in delight. Anne and Mary stepped into the elevator then, and the last thing Duncan heard was:
"Mommy, can we come again?" Mary asked Anne
Duncan just chuckled, and thought that was what he would love…
How was it?
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