Two children weeped together softly. Other than that, a grey, still silence dominated the Stonehenge plateau. It was as if the world stood still, holding it's breath, awaiting what happened next.
Finally, Constanza said, in a subdued voice, "It's time. Children..."
"NO!", Amanda exclaimed, shaking off the sickening sensation of the dark force she had just absorbed. She rushed up and stood between Constanza and the twins, her dark eyes wide with despair. "There must be some other way! This can't be how it ends. I haven't had enough time. We haven't..."
Duncan hurried up to her side and stood with her. Their companions approached, too, standing a little off to the side. "Constanza, can't this wait?", Duncan asked, "I demand...I beg of you..."
Constanza looked at this, the first Immortal family of it's sort, and the last to exist, ever. And he felt a stirring, of a sort he didn't remember feeling in all his centuries of waiting, of observing. And he realized something. Though events had to take their course and this was the time they had to take place, they didn't have to take place now. He smiled kindly and stood aside.
Duncan and Amanda turned to the children, Amada's by birth, Duncan's by from the hip adoption. They reached down and pulled the boy and girl to their feet. Amanda smiled wanly and said, stroking a blond lock out of Darius' eyes. He wrapped his strong arms around Amanda, hugging her hard, "Mother, I'm sorry..."
"It's ok, it wasn't you. I know," Amanda said, her eyes closed, holding her son. She felt him holding her back, completely.
"It's NOT OK!", Darius exclaimed, "I should have been strong enough! I should have fought harder. But...I wanted a life..."
Duncan stepped up to Darius, Methos coming behind Duncan, "Darius, I've experienced Dark Quickening myself. I KNOW what it's like. No one is blaming you for what happened."
"It'll be interesting to watch how the Watchers deal with it," Methos mused.
Joe shrugged, and said halfheartedly, "I suspect we've got folks already on it."
"The world will dismiss all that has happened as explainable things, and forget about all that doesn't fit into neat categories, as it always does," Constanza said, "It is the way of mortals, in how they deal with a world that defies catagorization."
"There's always a few who are a bit more open..." Connor MacLeod said, also stepping up. "Duncan...you've been busy..." He chuckled in his raspy voice. "Aren't you going to introduce me?"
"Connor, meet Darius Connor MacLeod, my son," Duncan said, gesturing to an uncertain appearing Darius.
Darius said nervously, "I did just try to kill him, Father."
"No," Connor said, shaking his head, "That was someone else." He shook Darius' hand firmly, smiling kindly, and gave him a wink. He then turned to the brunette girl with the bright blue eyes, who looked peaceful, yet sad. She brightened when Fitz stepped up to her side, and slipped an arm around his waist, kissing him on the cheek.
Connor's eyebrows went up slightly. Duncan pursed his lips slightly, sighed, and said, "Rebecca Anne MacLeod. My daughter."
Connor bowed slightly at the waist and smiled, "Good to meet you, Rebecca. I trust Fitzcairn there has been an adequate guardian?", glancing at Duncan.
"He has, Uncle," Rebecca smiled serenely.
And for the first time in as much time as anyone there could remember, Hugh Fitzcairn, lover of ladies the world over, blushed.
Richie walked up to Darius and gave him a hug, "Welcome back, bro. Missed you."
Family and friends reunited and shared a time together. Laughter and chatter burbled forth from the group. The gathered Immortals around seemed to relax a bit. The waiting was still there, but the tension had eased considerably. This all would end, but this perfect moment could go on just a little longer.
Methos silently extracted himself from the cluster and walked up to Constanza, who stood by himself, looking on.
"Has it always been like this for you, the watching, but never belonging?", he asked. Cassandra came up from behind Methos, and took in Constanza after exchanging glances with Methos.
"I suppose it has," Constanza said, "But up until this point, I have never had occasion to notice. If you don't notice something is missing, is it truly missing?"
Methos looked at Cassandra again, then said, "Well, having lived the life of a loner, I can tell you that one does miss company, no matter your circumstances. You can ignore it, but never forget it."
"What if you never knew it?", Constanza asked?
"Then, you never know what you missed. Perhaps, in some cases, this is not such a bad thing," Methos mused. He then cast his gaze back to the group.
After a time, Constanza said, "It is time."
Rebecca hugged Amanda tightly, tears streaming down her face, and then moved to Duncan, then Joe, then Richie, then Fitz, and finally Methos, who just returned to the group. Darius did the same, with some extra back slapping and fancy hand shaking with Richie, who grinned and gave Darius a shoulder chuck. Rebecca then broke down and wrapped arms tightly around Fitz's neck, her tears moistening his skin. She bestowed upon his lips all the passion at her command in that moment, then stepped back, smiling sadly.
"Much love, lass," Fitz said, his voice choking.
Rebecca smiled, stepped back and took Darius' hand. A glow emanated from them, and shapes flitted among the Immortal throng. They were followed by a Quickening unlike any before, and perhaps one wouldn't be seen like it again, until the last. Immortals were reacquainted with some they thought forever lost, memories long forgotten, and nightmares faded from view. It all was back, it all was present, and it would be carried with them for the rest of their days when they left this place.
And then, it was just a memory. The Quickening vanished from sight.
As had Rebecca and Darius.