Duncan stared at the stretch of highway in front of him, occasionally glancing back to check on Alex. They had been riding in silence since they left the Diner. Duncan knew what the boy was going through, he himself had gone through the exact same thing 379 years before. He knew what it was like to be confused, but most of all he remembered how scared he felt.
Two years, for two years Duncan wandered the wilderness of scotland. Totally unaware of what he was, until he met Connor.
At the thought of his old mentor, Duncan returned his attention to Alex, trying to get his mind off of Connor.
In the four hundred years he'd been alive Duncan had been there when humans had been reborn as immortals. The situation was always the same, but this was different. He couldn't quite place it, but there was something in his eyes. As if he had faced strange and unusual situations before. And what was that question about aliens?
"How you doing back there Alex?" Duncan asked.
"I'm...," Alex started. "Not so good."
"Why don't you tell us about yourself?" Duncan said.
"What'd you like to know?" Alex asked.
"Anything," Duncan said. "I heard you're from Roswell."
"Yeah," Alex said nodding.
"Were you born there?" Duncan said.
"No, actually I moved there when I was seven," Alex said. "My father's a computer programmer, and he got a job there."
"So you meet any aliens?" Richie asked jokingly.
"NO!" Alex shouted wide-eyed.
Duncan and Richie looked back at Alex, noticing how quickly loudly Alex had answered their question.
"So I'm gonna be hunted for the rest of my life?" Alex asked changing the subject. "So I'm not safe anywhere?"
"No," Duncan said. "You're safe on holy ground."
"Why's that?" Alex asked.
"It's one of our rules," Duncan said. "We cannot fight on any form of holy ground."
"Really?" Alex asked skeptically. "What if someone decides to just forget the rules?"
"No immortal, no matter how evil, would ever break that rule," Duncan said.
"Well that's a relief," Alex said.
Suddenly something occurred to Alex, and he leaned towards Richie.
"Hey wait a minute," Alex said. "If we can't fight on holy ground, how were you able to cut my hand in the cemetery? I mean that is holy ground isn't it?"
"We weren't exactly fighting now were we?" Richie asked with a sly smile. "And besides the rules can't be broken, but that doesn't mean they can't be bent."
"Richie?" Duncan said shaking his head.
"I had to show the kid he was immortal," Richie said.
"Must be hell for your kids?" Alex said looking out the window.
Duncan and Richie shared a look before Duncan returned his attention to Alex. Duncan knew that this would be even harder for Alex to take.
"That is a hell that we are spared," Duncan said solemnly.
"What do you mean?" Alex asked leaning closer.
"What I mean is that we can't have children," Duncan said.
"You mean we're not allowed to?" Alex asked.
"No Alex what I mean is that it's impossible for us to have children," Duncan said.
"Basically what Mac is trying to say is that you'll be shooting blanks for the rest of your immortal life," Richie said.
Duncan glared at Richie, before turning his attention to Alex. The look on the Alex's face was that of sorrow. The boy was tired, he had been through alot in one day.
"Listen try to get some rest," Duncan said. "We'll be in Seacouver by the end of the day."
"Alright," Alex said laying back in his seat, sleep overcoming him quickly.
"So what do you think?" Richie asked.
"He's a good kid," Duncan said. "It's a shame it had to happen to him. Seems like he had everything going for him."
"Yeah," Richie said. "It's just something doesn't seem right."
"What's that?" Duncan asked.
"You know about him not remembering how he died," Richie said.
"You know Richie that immortals can experience amnesia," Duncan said. "He probably suffered some severe head trauma in the accident."
"Yeah," Richie said. "It's just..."
"What?" Duncan asked.
"The way he said it," Richie said. "It's as if he knew without a doubt in his mind that he didn't die in a car accident."
"I know," Duncan admitted.
"So what do you think really happened?" Richie asked.
"I'll have to talk to Joe," Duncan said looking out the window.
TBC...