Sorry about the delay. I couln't seem to get this down. Anyway, I hope to update a bit more regularly.
As he returned to the apartment, he felt the presence of an immortal. He made his way carefully and quietly to his door, refusing to acknowledge the hope that welled unbidden in his heart and instinctively reached for the hilt of his katana. Entering, he fought back the wave of despair, as he took in the long form sprawled out on the couch, hand negligently resting on his sword hilt.
"Methos!"
"Hi there, how are you doing at this entirely too uncivilised hour of the morning? Make yourself at home, there is beer in the fridge."
"What do you want Methos?"
"Less a case of what I want, and more of what you need."
"What on earth are you talking about?"
"We need to talk about Amanda."
"What about her?", Duncan sounded annoyed, then turned suddenly as he thought of something, "Is she okay? What has happened?"
"Nothing's happened?" he stopped briefly, then amended that to "that I know of." Shaking his head as if to clear his focus again, Methos continued, "What happened with Amanda?"
"She had some business to attend to. You know Amanda, always something on the go."
"Yes, I know Amanda, and so do you. So why is this different?"
"Different?"
"Normally, when she leaves, you are either angry about something she has done or basking in the memory of her presence. This is different, why?"
"What does it matter, Methos? She is not coming back, not for a long time."
"And I ask again, why?"
"Because."
"Why?"
"Because I did something stupid."
Methos raised an eyebrow, "Okay, interesting ... define stupid."
"What does it matter?"
"I need to know where to start my lecture from,"
"Look, I really don't need this. I know I was stupid, asking her to marry me, especially blurting it out like I did. And I know it is going to take years before she makes contact with me again, and I know that when she does I am going to have to tread very carefully so as not to send her running off again. So save your lecture, okay."
He turned to find Methos staring at him. After a full minute of silence, he muttered, "WHAT?"
"Well Mac, I didn't think anyone could do it after all this time, but congratulations, you have surprised me!" He smiled, a rare real smile.