Epilogue to Shadows

By: Seanait Doyle

Standard disclaimers do apply. Richie Ryan, Duncan MacLeod and Dr. Anne Lindsay don't belong to me, they belong to Rysher, unfortunately...

"I don't know you, and the truth is, I really don't think you want me too, Duncan." Anne Lindsay gave Duncan MacLeod back the key that belonged to the dojo and walked off.

..................................

"Wait, Anne!" She turned around. "I have an idea." Duncan was going to regret this later. "Can we have a 'last' dinner... here, in the loft at ...8:00." MacLeod's eyes had taken on a puppy-like pleading that Anne couldn't resist. Anne laughed to herself.

"Okay Duncan, but this is it. Here at the loft at 8:00, fine." With that, she turned and left. This so-called 'last dinner' was Duncan's only chance of getting Anne back. He had no intention of letting Anne go, though. 'I'm definitely going to regret this later.' The Highlander sighed heavily, that is until he heard a 'buzz'. A 'buzz' is like an Immortal warning system; all Immortals who are within 'range' of another will receive a 'buzz'. Duncan grabbed his katana and tensed up. He sincerely hoped it was only Richie Ryan, because Duncan wasn't expecting any other Immortal visitors. The mysterious Immortal came around the corner. Duncan was immediately relived when he saw it was only Richie.

"Mac! I'm back!"

"I'm here." Richie whipped around.

"Hey Mac!" Noticing the troubled look on the Highlander's face, Richie queried, "Mac, what's wrong?"

"Oh nothing, I'm going to regret something I did."

"Wait, going to regret... but you already did it? That doesn't make sense."

"Anne, dinner at 8:00," Duncan mumbled.

"So... that's great Mac! I'll leave you two alone for the night. But that wouldn't trouble you."

"Um, she kind of 'broke up' with me."

"Come on Mac, let it out, you're killing me!" MacLeod looked up at Richie while Rich turned away. "So what was the reason?"

"She doesn't know me well enough." Duncan walked away from the desk in the dojo.

"She doesn't know you... oh."

"Yeah."

"Soo... do you need me to be there? I'll be happy to, I've got no plans. I can be there for..." Richie tried to think, he knew he needed to be at dinner, but didn't know why. "For mutual support, you know, so she doesn't think you're completely insane. So you won't have to pull off the patented Immortal 'let's-take-out-a-dagger-and-kill-myself-with-it-to-show-the-other-person-who's-right' move," Richie added grimly and added an expression of pain to it. He'd never pulled that stunt, yet, but he knew how much it hurt to 'die'. Duncan looked at Richie, who was still grimacing with the memory, and managed to surprise himself with what he said.

"You know, Rich, you can always make something better or more humorous. I've had a rough day, thanks." He pulled Richie into a Scots bear hug. Richie returned the hug graciously. Then he ruined the sincere moment. Rich lapsed into the 'mortal' boy-thief that had broken into Duncan's shop attitude.

"Is that a compliment?" Duncan looked down at Richie, still in his hug, and noticed the crazy, reckless grin on his face. Duncan hugged Rich again and remembered the old times in Seacouver with Tessa and a young Richie Ryan. "I guess that's a yes," came a muffled voice. Duncan just chuckled.

................................

"Mac, Anne's here. Make your best impression. Luck to you." Mac was dressed up, not in formal clothes, but he just looked fancy.

"Well, here goes nothing." Duncan said gruffly. "Rich, could you go open the door for her." Richie looked confused. Duncan explained "She doesn't have the key anymore." Richie ran off, but before he did Duncan said, "Remember, you are only the waiter." Richie nodded seriously. Duncan heard the elevator that ran from the loft to the dojo, go down and only moments later, it came back up.

"I'll be back with your supper." Richie looked from Anne, beside him, to Mac and left the room.

"So, what would you like to talk about?" Duncan asked tentively. Anne was a little nervous, she loved Duncan MacLeod and had no doubts that he loved her as much, but she knew she couldn't do this.

"You?"

"How 'bout this, we talk about you and me." Anne shrugged.

"'Kay."

"10 questions each and I'll go first because I'm hosting." Anne looked at him. He must have his reasons for asking me questions.

"Fine by me." She shrugged again. Just then, Richie came back with dinner in his hands.

"Dinner is served." As Richie walked back to the other room, Duncan whispered something to him.

"Could you go downstairs for now, so Anne feels that no one is around?" Richie nodded slightly. Anne watched Richie disappear into the elevator and down to the dojo. After a half hour of small talk and eating, she asked,

"Would you mind starting your 10 question game?" So I can find out something about you. She finished in her thoughts. Duncan gulped heavily; Anne noticed this and wondered why the usually stoic man was so nervous.

"I guess." His voice was a little shaky. He was thinking about Tessa. He'd been telling himself that he didn't want another Tessa, but the truth was he didn't think he could handle another 'wife-like' person that he was telling his deepest secret to.

"Okay, question number one. What nationality are you?"

"Irish, I think," came the answer.

"Hm, question two, do you love being a doctor?"

"Of course." These questions continued until question six. This is where it became 'a-do-or-die' conversation. Duncan tried to relax himself temporarily as he built up to his cause.

"Uh, okay..." Duncan's voice was quite shaky. "Question six, do you believe in fantasies? Honestly."

"Some, yeah." Anne was getting curious.

"Seven, mythical stuff like unicorns, devils, angels, Immortals, phoenixes, you know, that kind of stuff?"

"Um, angels, unicorns, and phoenixes I believe are out there somewhere. As for Immortals and devils, no I don't think so." She paused for a moment then went on, "I've seen pretty lucky people and I've also seen too...many people die." She couldn't believe in stuff like Immortals after being a doctor. Ouch, that hurt. Duncan thought to himself.

Down in the dojo, Richie had been sitting in Duncan's office listening to garbled pieces of what they were talking about.

"Seven, mythical stuff like unicorns, devils, angels, Immortals, phoenixes, you know, that kind of stuff?" That was Mac, Richie thought.

"Um, angels, unicorns, and phoenixes I believe are out there somewhere. As for Immortals and devils, no, I don't think so." Pause. "I've seen pretty lucky people and I've also seen too...many people die."

This is going to be harder than you thought Mac, my friend. Richie thought to Mac, as if Duncan could hear him.

At the moment, Duncan was thinking along the same lines. "Eight, what makes you think that they don't exist?"

Richie had started to hum a song in his mind when he heard MacLeod say, "what makes you think that they don't exist?" Richie winced; he knew that Mac was having trouble sounding normal. Then again, he also knew what the Highlander was leading up to. Richie listened again.

"Duncan, I'm a doctor. I've gone to medical school. Not to mention, I don't believe in devils. They bring bad luck." Which brings me to your case, Duncan MacLeod, but she kept silent.

"Number nine. Do you love me?" Yikes, Mac! You're getting in deep, thought Richie. Duncan thought he could almost hear Richie saying something like that. Richie got up and started up the stairs noiselessly.

"I...I don't...yes I do. I guess I do love you."

"Okay finally, question number ten." This was the big one. Richie stood on the top of the stairs, listening intently and also wordlessly cheering and sympathizing for Mac.

"Do you believe in what you see, Anne?" He said it in a demanding tone. This was where Richie walked into the loft without being noticed.

Duncan noticed that Richie had snuck back into the loft and looked to the side of him. Richie gave him a thumbs up. Duncan glanced back at Anne as Richie kept moving. He hadn't been spotted by Anne. Duncan asked again, "Well, do you believe in what you see?"

"Yes." She had no idea how much her response was going to challenge her. Okay MacLeod, this is it, he thought to himself as he picked up a dragon headed tanto lying next to him. "Okay, my questions about you." While she asked, she watched the Scot across from her stab himself very deeply with a long knife like thing. She gasped and looked at his face shocked. She went into doctor mode, but a cool part of her brain noted that he was looking dead at her which meant this act had been deliberate.

"No. Sit down." Duncan commanded. Anne looked helplessly at his arm. The blood flow was strong, he's going to pass out the way he's going! Then...what are those blue streaks? In a matter of seconds, Duncan MacLeod's arm was healed up with no scar or any sign that he had sliced himself.

"What... how?" she stuttered in almost pure terror. Never in her life...

The man started, what seemed to be, a well rehearsed statement in a Scottish brogue. "I am Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod. I was born in the Highlands of Scotland four hundred years ago. I am Immortal and I cannot die."

"No it can't be, how?" Anne gasped still in shock. "It can't be, my eyes are playing tricks on me!"

"No they're not, it's true." Anne almost screamed. It was Richie... with a .65 revolver in his hand. Before anyone could do anything, Richie shot Duncan. The silencer had done its job. Duncan was dead and no one had heard it. Anne did scream as she ran to the phone and picked it up. There was no dial tone, Richie shooting Duncan was part of a stunt just as the phone was. Anne was crying and screaming about madmen and murders. There was a loud gasp from behind her.

"Anne..." came a moan. She whipped around and was frightened to point where she could no longer cry or scream. She backed away...right into Richie's arms. She screamed again and ran towards Duncan. He stood up, slowly, as if nothing had happened.

"I'm okay Anne. Really." She poked him, to see if he was real. To Duncan's misfortune she poked the gunshot 'wound.' "Ouch!" he yelped. Anne pulled back. He looked at the wound then at Richie. "That hurt. What did you use?" Richie dropped his head and looked innocently at the gun.

"I used your Colt .65. With the silencer." Richie added as an afterthought. Anne stood between the two men and listened to the strange conversation.

"Anne," Duncan startled her. "It doesn't hurt anymore." Without responding, she covered the distance between them and Duncan caught her in a hug and several long kisses.

Anne murmured, "Richie...?"

"Yes, my love."

Richie coughed. "I believe recalling that Mac asked if you believed what you saw if you saw it." Anne nodded. For some reason, she was a little frightened by Richard Ryan.

"But how?" She turned to look at Duncan and Richie.

They shrugged. "It's a kind of magic."