Chapter Thirty Three

Once at the hotel, Duncan MacLeod carried Beth up to the room previously arranged for them. Frank unlocked the door and stood aside so Duncan could enter and place her on the bed.

Covering her up with a blanket, he looked at her with worry. She seemed so small on the full size bed.

Frank stood beside him and said, "The sickness will pass on my honor as a Grand Immortal. You have to believe me and have faith Duncan."

Duncan nodded but still unable to be convinced he said, "I'll let you know when she wakes up."

"Yes right away and I'll be in my room next to yours," said Frank as he left closing the door behind him.

Duncan turned off the light and lay on the bed with his arm around her. He could feel her heart and was reassured by its beating. Closing his eyes he tried to wait and rest.

He drifted into a troubled sleep and then a dream wavered and took shape.

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Duncan stood on the deck of a clipper ship. He could smell the salt air. The sky looked clear and the ocean calm. He went over to the wheel and took a hold of it. He checked the direction and speed from habit. It felt good to be on board a ship again.

The rocking motion stirred up the memories some he cherished but others he did not. A breeze blew steady through his hair and keeping the sails full.

Looking around he saw the ropes abandoned where they hung lifeless, slapping against the mast and he realized he was alone.

The sound of footsteps brought him about and he stared as Horton approached with his usual attire in black suite. A white rose adorned the lapel. He approached MacLeod smiling broadly.

He said, "I swear MacLeod you couldn't accept my warnings as true and now you've condemned that poor girl to death."

Controlling his anger Duncan insisted, "I've kept her alive!"

Horton looked up and as if by his command, the sky grew dark and stormy. "Have you really? Her death is more certain now than it ever was. Think about it," Horton insisted, "If she was never with you she wouldn't have died twice but the next time you won't be able to stop death."

Duncan shook his head, "I can't believe you."

Horton looked angry and the sky became night without moon or stars. Duncan held firmly to the wheel of the ship knowing it was not real.

Horton's face loomed large above him with an eerie red glow. His voice sounded like thunder rumbled, "Soon you will know why she will die McFadden will tell you. However, to save her another must die. Who will you choose MacLeod? Who will you choose?"

Those last words seemed to echo in his mind repeatedly. "Who will you choose?"

Duncan awoke with a start realizing he had slept several hours. Sitting up in the dark, he wanted to erase what he just heard. He whispered, "That can't be right."

He felt Beth stirring awake and got up to turn on the light. When he saw her eyes blinking, he went to her and sat on the bed.

With his face showing concern he asked, "Beth, are you all right?"

She asked him, "How long was I asleep?"

Duncan told her, "At least eight hours." He stroked her face telling her, "I couldn't wake you up."

With panic on her face Beth said, "I had a bad dream and he was there. Mac, this demon is so evil," she held his hand tightly. "He told me I'm to die."

Helping her into a sitting position Duncan told her, "Frank McFadden is in the next room and he wants to explain what happened to you."

She stood up and felt herself sway then taking a hold of Duncan's arm, she said, "Then let's not wait because I need answers."

After a few minutes of privacy, Beth was ready to see McFadden. A minute later, they were standing before the door knocking rapidly. Deahna opened it immediately and ushered them in.

Duncan started with an accusation, "Frank I need you to be straight with me and tell me what this is all about?"

Put on the defensive Frank could only say, "Hello Beth. It is good to meet you. Can you tell me where you were during your long sleep?"

Beth shook his hand then looked at Duncan with a question in her eyes. He nodded for her to tell him.

She appeared troubled but cleared her throat to begin. "When I was asleep I thought I was near the moors in Scotland. I stared at a river watching it flow past me. Then when I was ready to sit down beside it a man came up to me. He said he was Ahriman but he looked like just a man."

"He kept changing faces telling me things then he took my hand and gave me a shock. He called it the power of the quickening. I could not pull away as he made me burn inside. He asked, "Do you know why you burn?" He also said that without a Quickening I would die. But if I fought an immortal and won, I would live."

At this point in the narration Beth looked to Duncan and said, "I told him I would kill to stay with you."

He gently took a hold of her shoulders telling her, "Sweetheart please don't say that. I'm sure he's lying."

She informed them, "If I didn't then I would die with my head on." Beth stared at Frank asking, "Do you know what that means to me? How can he know my all of my fears?"

Duncan said quietly, "He says what we want to hear." He looked to Frank as he held Beth.

Holding back his own dread Duncan said, "In my dream Horton told me that to save Beth another must die. Tell me he's lying."

Frank McFadden, the wisest Immortal, realized he had waited too long to talk to them and now Ahriman got to them first with truth twisted in dreams.

He looked to his wife who shook her head. Deahna could offer no advice to repair the situation. Frank sighed heavily as he sat in the chair. He wanted to tell them the whole truth but it would not matter. The truth was always stranger than fiction.

Frank began with, "Duncan I told you about my friend Tyrone. Let me tell Beth some of what I told you then I will try and finish." He instructed them, "Please sit down."

He wished it were not so hard to look them in the face as he spoke.

"My friend Tyrone was the Champion chosen two thousand years ago. A few months after the defeat of Ahriman, he became enamored of a woman he never met before the day he proposed. She was much like you Elizabeth. Beautiful, smart, a good fighter and she never took a head. As it turned out, she said yes. Right after they married it started. Not three days passed when she started feeling sick. A day later, she lay down and slept for approximately eight hours. Tyrone was frantic with worry. I tried to help him by consulting healers in our town. The sickness finally passed and she seemed healthy again."

He stopped again hesitating then seemed to change his mind. "When Tyrone had a combat and won the quickening was hard on her. She cried and burned inside. She begged Tyrone not to accept any more challenges. Of course he agreed but someone would always find him and he would win the challenge."

Duncan and Beth looked at each other with surprise. They went through this as well but to hear it from Frank McFadden made it sound bizarre.

"Two months passed before we knew what was going to happen but it was still too incredulous to believe. Four months later she gave birth to a son."

Beth jumped up grabbing Frank's shirt and shouted at him, "You're lying! Immortals can't have children!"

Taking a hold of her hands, Frank shouted back, "I was there! I know what I saw!"

Duncan took a hold of her and pulled her back, trying to control her. She cried out again, "That's impossible, I don't believe you!"

"I tell you the truth!" He yelled back, "This instance is so rare that to date no Champion ever brought forth a child to live but a few hours, none that I could discover." He explained, "I went to great lengths to research this."

Duncan held her tight so she would not fly into a rage a rage born of fear.

Beth hid her face in her hands and let him hold her. She kept moaning, "No it can't be."

Now he knew what Ahriman meant. Whom would he choose Beth? Or his child and then watch her die. Taking her chin with his hand, he told her, "Beth I need to talk to Frank alone. Please it will be all right."

Beth looked at him briefly with fear and disbelief too overwhelmed to disagree. Deahna went with her down the hall to the other room. Putting Beth to bed she fetched a washcloth and talked quietly while wiping her tears and trying to comfort her.

As the door shut Duncan demanded this answer, "What happened to Tyrone's wife and child?"

Frank looked sad at this question. He tried to explain further, "We were not present at the moment of birth. About an hour right after it occurred but within minutes…Tyrone's wife had killed the babe."

He saw the shocked register on Mac's face and said, "We didn't know why she did it, I could only speculate, but Tyrone went into a rage and killed her."

Duncan stepped closer to Frank and questioned him, "So that's it? Why did Tyrone's wife kill the child?"

Frank sat down again and looked up at Duncan to say, "I'm sure you can guess."

He demanded, "But I want to hear it from you."

McFadden sighed deeply hating this part. He explained, "She felt herself dying. Alone with the baby, she knew the reason and so she killed it to prevent her own death."

Duncan did not accept this bit of news very well. He lamented, "How can I watch her die!" Pacing the floor he asked, "What if she has a quickening now?"

"She would live with you forever but the baby will die." Admitted Frank knowing the path Duncan's mind would take.

Grasping at straws Duncan asked, "What about right after the baby is born and she takes the head of another Immortal?"

Frank thought this over then conceded, "That could work provided she is strong enough to take the quickening and willing to kill. Also who will be the one to give up their head?"

Duncan considered all these questions and tried to form a strategy. The Gathering would occur about the same time as the birth provided he did not have any more combats until then. He could lure an Immortal into a trap one that deserved death and then wound him just enough for Beth to kill him.

In frustration the highlander asked, "Why couldn't you have been honest with me Frank? You could have informed me days ago before you left for New York. I feel like you tricked me."

"Would you have believed me?" Frank demanded, "How could I find out without prying to ask "Did you sleep with her yet?" No all I could do was to encourage you down the path that all champions must face."

Still so full of questions Duncan asked, "How could this happen anyway?"

Frank tried his best to explain. "From my research I discovered that this one time miracle can occur once every thousand years and only after the defeat of Ahriman. The time frame is maybe two years when the Champion is altered to allow impregnation of an Immortal woman who has never had a quickening."

McFadden continued, "Many times Ahriman was able to prevent it from even getting this far. Or if the woman had convinced she became convinced that a Quickening would cure her."

Duncan stood there breathing deeply bringing his emotions under control. He said quietly, "Those options are not good."

His eyes showed strength and resignation then he calmly asked, "So Grand Immortal just how were you able to find all this out? Are you older than Methos?"

McFadden controlled his emotions as well when he answered him, "No Duncan MacLeod. I found out after Tyrone sought his own death because his pain was too much to bear. I went to the same place where Tyrone battled the demon. I sat and waited in a meditative state for hours. That is when Ahriman came to me."

"He wanted to gloat over the mayhem he had caused. I tricked him into telling me all I wanted to know about past Champions or the chance that another immortal child had ever been born."

Duncan MacLeod heard enough and looked at McFadden with the anguish of choosing. "I wish I could say thanks, but right now I can't." He went to the door and opened it.

He looked at Frank and said, "Beth said she would kill to stay with me. Maybe I'll just let her." He shut the door without seeing McFadden's expression of regret.

Deahna came back to their room and looked at Frank with questions. She asked, "So he knows?"

Frank shook his head in anger saying, "Duncan is a fool to think it will that easy." He then asked her, "How did it go with Beth?"

"She is in denial of course. She just stared at the wall not accepting her destiny. Then when Duncan came in she almost attacked him," said Deahna.

Frank went to hold her and kiss her cheek saying, "They have to deal with this on their own, there's nothing more we can do."

Hiding her face in his chest Deahna replied, "We have to be ready regardless." Frank nodded but said nothing.

They did not leave their room that night. Duncan ordered a dinner sent up. Beth sat through the meal not speaking. Duncan knew he would do anything to placate her. Whatever she wanted he would do except watch her die.

Beth felt suffocated with fear. It was impossible. "I have lived too long to even think of it!" Her thoughts went around her mind in chaos.

The concept of a child was foreign to Duncan MacLeod as well. He did not know what he would do if he did not have Beth there with him. It was agony to think that far.

Should he sacrifice the unknown for what he did know? He never expected the chance to have a child and maybe it was better if he did not.

He wrestled with his thoughts and convictions until he felt almost crazy. Duncan MacLeod found himself in a no win situation and the demon knew it. Again, he heard an echo of laughter.

Beth finally stood up and went to the balcony overlooking a small river. She stared up at the stars. Duncan came to stand behind her. He tentatively put his arms around her in the cold. Although she gave no thanks, he felt her relax a little.

When she did speak, she sounded distant. "See the stars light? They are not really there it's just reflections of where they once were."

He made the comment, "That's very true." His chin rested on the side of her head.

Her thoughts spoke aloud, "I see my life played out now. I'm no longer afraid." She decided, "I will have the quickening."

He tightened his arms around her feeling that this was the right thing to do. He told her, "It must be soon."

She felt a tear from his eye fall onto her cheek. It touched something in her heart and she broke down. Turning in Duncan's arms, she held back her tears as her lips found his.

Pulling off clothes as they stroked each other and feeling the intensity rise, Beth cried out in pain from her heartache and the love she carried.

She cried again, "Duncan please don't let me die."

He kissed her eyes to stop the tears, "I won't let you die. You are for me Bethany."

Laying her on the bed, he made his passion known to her. Kissing her deeply, satisfying his hunger of her.

She returned the passion with the same intensity with her arms around him, she desired to hold him on top of her and wrap her legs around as well to keep him there.

He gave into her wishes feeding his desires as well. Approaching the climax with ferocious intention, Duncan would not deny himself all he could have with her. He would make her want to stay with him.

He stared into her gray eyes seeing everything there. She stared back seeing his love flow down to her heart.

He kissed her now with tenderness wanting to drink it up and become full of her love enough to last for a thousand years.

He continued making love to her wishing the night would never end. Both immortals felt the most satisfying of all was the cold air on their warm bodies making every moment count. They were now lovers of the night.

End of Part One-

The story continues with The Gathering Verdict