Disclaimer: Highlander belongs to Davis/Panzer. They are being borrowed and returned hopefully in about the same shape they were taken in. Jeff, Emmy, and just about everyone else, belong to me. You can use them if you like, just return them please.

Chapter 7

Jeff drove conscientiously. They just wanted to get far from the scene of the accident and then head to Rick's house afterwards. That would make it so that they would not seem suspicious. He drove in silence for quite some time. The car seemed to Rick to be too filled with tension. Sure, they were not out of trouble yet, but Jeff still seemed overly tense. His fingers kept clenching on the steering wheel. Rick ventured, "What's on your mind, man?"

"Nothing," Jeff grunted.

"Really, then why do you still look like you want to knock someone's head in?" Rick realized that Jeff was not simply tense. He was angry. Why, Rick did not know, but he had never seen the young Watcher act like this. He was usually calm and collected. He had the attention span of a five-year-old and the hormones of a high school kid, and he liked being that way. Right now, he was wound up so tight, Rick was afraid if he touched him, he would go off like a jack-in-the-box.

"He's mad at me," Emmy said in a strained voice from the back seat.

"You bet I'm mad. Do you have any idea how many things could have gone wrong with a stunt like that? Including you losing your head? It was a half-brained idea, Emmy!"

"Jeff, chill. Emmy saved our lives," Rick found himself snapping. How ironic that he was now defending her, when they had been quarrelling only an hour or so previously. "If she hadn't pulled that stunt, who knows what would have happened tonight. I know it wasn't smart, but we didn't really have the ability, with the three of us separated as we were, to think of something better. You should be thanking her for helping save Casey's life instead of yelling at her."

"The only reason you're on her side is because you don't care about her!" Jeff growled.

"Enough!" Emmy shouted.

Rick kept from looking back, he did not want to confirm his suspicions that she was crying. Don't care about her? No, it's because she can take care of herself and isn't likely to lose her head ditching a motorcycle!

"Jeff, I admit that what I did was crazy, but I was more worried about the little girl, okay," Emmy said, her voice cracking. "I've lived a long time. I've had my share of adventures, but that little girl deserves a real life, without any more disasters, and if I lose my life saving a child, then it was a life well spent." Rick almost nodded his head.

Jeff did not reply. He just pulled into the parking space in front of Rick's house and turned off the engine. "We're here."

Emmy woke up to the sound of water running. The sound bothered her, which is why she woke up. She lived alone in a rather large house, which meant that the only time the water was ever running was when she was using it. Her head was throbbing, and she realized she was not in her own bed but on a couch, and it was not her couch. All of this took her a few minutes to process, and then she remembered last night.

She got up slowly and looked around, trying to remember exactly where she was. Every movement made her head spin slightly. Was this Rick's house? She looked at the couch. Someone had covered her with a blanket and given her a pillow, though she really did not remember that. The water turned off. She turned and saw a hall. She heard a door open and close. The person who had been showering was whistling as he moved through the hall. From the steady tread, Emmy was sure it was Rick, though that seemed impossible. Rick had never really shown anything but animosity towards her, and last night's adventure surely could not have changed that.

The whistling moved into another room and a door closed. Not sure of much, and still feeling dizzy, Emmy sat down and waited for Rick to come out again. It was only a few minutes before he entered the room. He seemed pleased, an expression Emmy was not used to seeing on his face. He gave her a cheeky smile. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

She blinked. "Dizzy, lightheaded, kind of wish I'd died."

Rick laughed, "Sometimes it heals faster that way. I know. And motorcycle crashes aren't fun. I've had my fair share. It'll be a day or so, but you'll be fine."

"Unlike most people who have been thrown from a motorcycle like that. Sometimes being an Immortal does have its perks," Emmy replied.

"So, you wanna go home, or stay here? I've got to get to the garage. Management, you know," Rick asked, all gentlemanly, disorienting in how different it was from the way he usually treated her.

"If it's not an inconvenience, I think I'd like to go home, shower, sleep some more, drink something to take away the pain," Emmy replied, trying to sound and look as neutral as possible.

Rick nodded. "No problem."

She stood up slowly, Rick came to her side, gently slipped his left arm under her right, and helped her walk towards the garage door.

As they got into the car, he asked, "So where do you live?"

"I live in a house on Palm Street. Do you know where that is?" she asked, watching him with still-dazed curiosity.

"Yup, it's actually not that far from here, though it's not very close to my shop. Oh, and if I were you, I'd be prepared to receive a visit from the police sometime soon. They'll be wondering how your motorcycle ended up where it did. So just tell them you were with me and Jeff all night. We'll confirm it, but the rest of the story is up to you."

Emmy nodded, "Thank you Rick, but you don't have to. I know you're not into this whole hang out with other Immortals thing."

Rick shrugged, "Maybe, I've been wrong."

"What's with your change of tune, all of a sudden? Yesterday afternoon you didn't want anything to do with me. Then last night, you let me stay on your couch, and today, you're taking me home?"

Rick did not reply, he just watched the road and drove. Something was on his mind, Emmy could see it on his face. Whatever it was, he was not sharing. At least, not yet. Emmy let him be and looked around the city in the morning light, still enjoying the beauty of Florida around her. She was not used to seeing the endless flowers, trees, grass, and blue skies. It was breathtaking and she really appreciated it.

It seemed to take no time at all before they were on Palm Street, "This is the place," Emmy said as they neared a tan house in the middle of the block. Rick stopped the car and she got out, still a little wobbly on her feet. "Thanks for the ride, Rick."

"Listen Emmy, I... what you did last night, I mean..." Rick seemed a loss for words.

"Anytime," Emmy said, and shut the car door. She was not sure how to deal with this version of Rick and the truth was, in her still injured state, she did not want to. At least before, he had been consistently belligerent. Now he was being solicitous, but she did not know the reason, or when he might change back. She went inside without a glance back at him, and went straight to her room and fell asleep.

Rick worked all day in silence. Neither Mike nor Manuel said a word to him. They were afraid that he was in a really bad mood, and neither one of them wanted to be on the receiving end of his wrath. The truth was that he just did not know how to deal with what was going on in his life. He had spent the last fourteen years cutting himself off from any other Immortals and now, here he was, realizing he was falling for one. The worst part of it was that even with his new insight into Jeff and Emmy's relationship, he was afraid of hurting his friend by wanting Emmy.

When he was mostly finished working, he sat down on a bench to think more about Emmy. He still did not trust her. It was not in his nature anymore, and he did not know anything about her. What kind of Immortal was she? Was she was just setting them up? The last thing Rick wanted in his life was a female Immortal. Especially one as complicated as her. And yet...

I've lived a long time. I've had my share of adventures, but that little girl deserves a real life, without any more disasters, and if I lose my life saving a child, then it was a life well spent.

That was what she had said, dazed and in pain, not quite all there. He could not shake his sense that this was the truth of her. She still cares about people. Children.

Rick heard something drop next to him. Looking down, he saw a penny on the bench. He raised his gaze to meet Jeff's smile. Jeff tilted his head and asked teasingly, "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Hey man, what's up? You seem like you're in a better mood than you were last night. Get some good sleep?" Rick grinned back at him.

He chuckled sheepishly, "Yeah, I guess. I was just worried, you know. Emmy's my friend, and she's not invincible, whether you two like to admit it or not. And it wasn't her thing, you know. This whole investigating thing, it's our thing. I just felt like I shouldn't have gotten her involved in it, you know."

Rick nodded. He whispered seriously, "Jeff, it seems to me that you didn't 'let' Emmy get involved in this. I think she kind of thrust herself into it, and there's no way you could have stopped her. She's a brave woman, and a headstrong Immortal. She's not going to listen to you."

Jeff nodded, also keeping his voice down. "Yeah, I know. So, how is your archenemy, now that you've saved her?"

Rick snickered. "She's not my archenemy, and she's fine. I took her home this morning. I think she's just planning to sleep it off."

"Man, I wish I could just sleep off something like that," Jeff said, with a far-off look. "So you think I can drop by and see her today?"

Rick shrugged. "If you want to, but I'm not her father, so I wouldn't know. I think you'll have to call and ask her."

"Speaking of Emmy I want to talk to you, in the office."

Rick got up and they headed to the office. "What's on your mind, Jeff?"

Jeff sighed and admitted, "I decided yesterday to look up Emmy in the database."

"You what?!" Rick said sharply, shutting the office door and turning to stare at his friend.

"I was curious, I wanted to find out how old she was, and I wanted to prove to you that she was trustworthy. I mean, Emmy and I have become really good friends over the past couple of weeks, and well, I didn't want to lose that just because you don't like hanging out with Immortals."

"Okay, so what's bothering you?" Rick asked, sitting down, and pulling his chair up to his desk.

Jeff turned and started playing with a file cabinet, almost as if he had never seen one before. "Well, for starters, she was trained by Amanda."

Rick stared at him. "Are you serious?"

"Yup, and it gets worse," Jeff said, glancing sidelong at his friend.

"Don't tell me she and Duncan were lovers too?" Rick asked, feeling like he was being stabbed by hundreds of knives.

"Nah, the whole Amanda/Duncan thing stopped that, but she is old friends with a lot of people from your old life, I think," Jeff said. "I mean from what you've shared with me."

"So why is it that I'd never heard of her or seen her before?" Rick asked.

"Because of her marriage to General David Wallace. She pretty much cut ties during that time and focused on her marriage. He died about six months ago. Amanda came and helped her deal with stuff there, and then she just moved. I guess she wanted a clean start. She felt like it was time, and she wanted to do it alone. Emmy is all about adventure."

Rick nodded again. He got up and started pacing back and forth.

Jeff watched him anxiously. "What's on your mind? What's wrong, man? I mean I know this isn't exactly the best news, but I don't think it's pace-the-room worthy."

"It's just another thing on top of everything else." Rick stopped, swore, and turned to face his friend. "What's between you and Emmy?"

"Me and Emmy? We're just friends, man. Look if you're that worried about your whole cover being blown, we can split ties. It's not that important to me. I mean I'll miss her, but I don't want to mess up your life for my friendship." Jeff was looking really concerned. "I really think everything will be okay. I mean, I don't think Emmy's going to be seeing Amanda or Duncan anytime soon, and even if she does, it's not like you guys are friends or anything, so I mean, I think it should be okay."

Rick sighed. "That's not the problem. I think, Jeff, I think that I want to be friends with Emmy. She's amazing."

Jeff stared at his friend. Then his eyes lit up. "You're serious? Mr. Lone Wolf Rick Cloud is falling for someone, and not only someone, but another Immortal? What the heck man? Yesterday, you were accusing me of mutiny, and today, what I was right?"

Rick sighed again, "Yes, Jeff, you were right, okay."

Jeff smiled. "I'm totally cool with this. Man, someday I want the hot babe."

"Jeff, when you are willing to grow up a bit, someday you might get the hot babe. Besides, right now I don't have the hot babe."

"I know, but man, this is so awesome!" At that moment, Jeff's phone rang. "Crap, I'm late, see you later man!" And Jeff was out the door like a shot, answering his phone as he went.

Rick sighed and looked at the ceiling. "Peter Parker the matchmaker... for his Aunt May. Now that's an unlikely story turn in the Spiderman Watcher chronicles."

Emerald's cell phone rang at six in the evening, waking her from the longest stretch of rest she had been able to have in a long time. "Hello," she said groggily into her phone.

"I didn't wake you up did I?" asked Jeff.

"Yes, but considering I've slept all day, I think it's okay. What's up Jeff?" she asked, sitting up in bed and stretching as she spoke.

"You'll never believe this, but no one will ever know we were involved last night." Jeff sounded excited, like a five-year-old who has just learned he is going to Disneyland for the first time.

"Okay, how? My bike was at the scene of the crime."

"Right, but your license plate was so mangled in the wreckage that it can't be identified. So, as long as you cut your losses and don't worry about the bike, we're in the clear."

Emmy laughed. "No worries there, nearly dying once on a motorcycle was enough to get owning one out of my system. I think I just need to buy myself a new Lincoln or something."

"A Lincoln? No, that's an old lady's car!"

"Jeff, I really hate to break it to you but, really, truly I'm an old lady. Older than most old ladies are." Emmy could not help but smile at Jeff's disgust. He really was a boy, in his twenties or not.

He chattered on with ecstatic energy. "Anyway, Rick and I were thinking of going out for dinner and congratulating ourselves, you wanna come?"

She scrunched up her face. "Jeff, I really don't think Rick likes having me around. You two go have fun. I'll just have a quiet evening, relaxing at home."

"Oh, come on Em! Rick's changed his mind about you. He thinks you're great. You have to come. Please, it's no fun having dinner with Rick; he's not hot like you are." Jeff was whining now, but in a mature way that only he could pull off.

"Oh, I see how it is. You just want me there as eye candy." Emmy was getting out of bed now. Her head was back to normal and in fact she felt great. She stretched her legs in yoga patterns, all the while continuing her conversation with Jeff.

"You've found me out. It's not because you're a fun conversationalist, and you helped me save my Goddaughter's life last night. Nope, the only reason I want you around is because you have a beautiful figure." She could imagine Jeff's face beaming on the other side of the phone; he was, if nothing else, a joker. He liked to have fun and enjoy himself.

Emmy laughed. "Okay crazy one, where are you two going out to eat tonight?"

"We were thinking about Nino's. How does Italian sound to you?" Jeff asked, accenting the word Italian.

"It sounds fantastic. And what time is this dinner?"

"Seven o'clock sharp, oh and it's formal wear this evening, for the fun of dressing up. Be there, or we eat without you," Jeff said and then, being his usual silly self, he hung up the phone.

"Oh you crazy, crazy boy," Emmy said to herself, and went to the bathroom to shower.