A Different Immortal: Side Story chapter 2
Joe Dawson sits in his office thinking about what Methos had told him, and the situation with Adam and Mac. He hopes that Mac takes what he said last night to heart. Just then in walks the tall Scot, wearing a grey shirt and black slacks.
"Hey Mac, what brings you by so early?" Joe asks hoping that this visit is not about Adam's phone call last night.
"Joe, what has he done now? What kind of trouble is he dragging you into this time?" Mac demands.
Joe sighs and shakes his head in disappointment, "I told you this didn't concern you. I also remember telling you to go easy on him. I guess you listened to that as well as everything else I said. You are really screwing things up with him, you know that? Or do you just not care?"
"After everything that he did to you and Cassandra, you expect me to just act like nothing happened! I can't do that Joe! Bordeaux was just the last straw; he would have let Kronos release that virus if I hadn't stopped them. How can you just pretend like it never happened?" the impassioned voice of Duncan Macleod asks of his friend.
"I remember that the only reason you found them was that he left clues for you to follow. He didn't do anything to me, what he did do could have gotten him killed, and what happened with Cassandra happened over three thousand years ago, and should have no bearing on today, he is not that person anymore and you of all people know that. The person that she knew would never have tried to get you to take his head because he knew neither one of you could beat Kalas but you could if you took his head. Adam did just that didn't he, Mac? And he respects you a lot, in spite of how you have been treating him. Have you noticed the pain in his eyes every time you treat him like he is some kind of monster? Mac, how can you treat him like that? Especially after he helped you with that dark quickening, at great risk, you could have tried to kill him, and now you turn your back on him when he needs you the most." Joe tells the Scot remembering that he lost three people that he had been very close to for a very long time, and was unable to even morn them because of Mac, one of them he killed himself and another was a double quickening he shared with Mac, that had to make this situation even harder on Adam.
Maybe getting him to New York needs to take priority; Adam needs someone to take care of him right now. Yesterday there were times that he remembered that although Immortals grow and learn that a part of them mentally and emotionally remains the same age as physically, and he figures that Methos was about twenty one to twenty four years old when he died, and he needed someone to take care of him, that was probably why he gravitated to Mac, he needed to take care of everyone so why was he so blind to Adam's pain, the expression on Mac's face means that an Immortal is nearby.
"I guess I'll ask him what kind of trouble he is dragging you into this time." Mac says as they both head out to the bar.
As expected Adam is waiting for them, Joe notices something wrong immediately. Adam has on a tan sweater and an old faded pair of jeans and is sitting slumped in the booth the three of them were in yesterday staring at his hands, that was the problem they were empty, Adam always grabbed a beer as soon as he walked in. "Adam, are you alright? Want me to grab you a beer on my way over?" When Adam just shakes his head Joe tries to get to him quicker.
Mac looks at Adam for the first time and it is as if he is really seeing him for the first since Bordeaux and realizes what Joe was talking about how he could have missed this Adam looked so young and lost and that pain and grief were so strong it was almost palatable. What could have done this? Joe is just as surprised so at least some of this is new since last night. He sits down next to his friend and puts his arm on the back of Adam's chair, Adam surprises both when he leans back against Mac, who puts his arm around his friend to find him shaking, Mac pulls him closer. "Adam what's wrong?"
"I . . . I can't tell you. You wouldn't understand, or care anyway." says the young tearful voice. Joe has joined them now and is sitting across from them. Glad that Mac is helping Adam, when Joe hears his answer he realizes what is wrong, talking about Kronos and Silas last night made him miss them and he is finally grieving for them. He's right, Mac wouldn't understand I can't begin to imagine what it must be like to be that close for over one thousand years and still be drawn to each other three thousand years later and then to betray and kill them. I don't know how he kept it together this long, I'm just glad that although he doesn't understand Mac is here to help him through this, at least until we can get him to Rachel. She will be able to help a lot more because she will understand how he feels.