Disclaimer: Highlander belongs to Davis/Panzer as well as Rysher Entertainment. For all other disclaimer, see Chapter One!

One Year Later

Duncan was at a monastery in South Asia performing Chi Gung, mentally preparing to face Ahriman. He continued to have memories of Tori, the woman Richie loved, and the woman Duncan MacLeod had murdered. Various memories of Tori and Richie, mostly of Tori, flashed through his head as he was mentally preparing.

"Richie, Charlie asked me if…" Duncan started to say before he was cut off upon seeing Tori and Richie. He looked at them in surprise.

"Well," Duncan stated in surprise, "I got my answer."

"Come on, Mac," Richie looked at him, "I told you Tori was going to spend the night with me."

"Yeah," Duncan replied, "but you never told me to what extent."

"He's right, you know," Tori replied.

The three Immortals looked around in awkwardness in a pause of silence.

"Well," Duncan finally spoke up, "you guys should get fully dressed. Charlie is wanting to have breakfast with us at the Waffle House."

It was because of him that Tori was dead, and Richie was now widowed. He had taken Tori from her husband.

Tori was in a sing song tune before she hugged Richie, and then backed off.

"What's wrong?" Richie asked, "I actually liked that."

"Well, um," Tori answered, "we don't want to alert Maurice. What if he thinks we are a couple?"

"Good point," Richie nodded in agreement.

Her smile, her intelligence, her wit. All that was gone because of him.

Richie said his vows first, "Tori, I had no idea I needed someone as wonderful, smart, and beautiful as you. You were good to me ever since we first met, and you were the only one who stuck with me, no matter how bad things got. You are my rock, and you saw a side of me I never thought I was capable of showing. You have always been there for me through the good times and the bad times. I vow to be the best husband I can be, and support and protect you till death do we part. I promise this in front of our loved ones present here today."

Tori then said her vows, "Richie, you have a wonderful personality, and a great sense of humor. I never thought I was capable of love, let alone someone like you until I let you in my life, and the night we first met was the night where our lives had changed for the better. You are a gentlemen and a wonderful soul. While you are stubborn at times, I always had faith in you, and I still do. I love you, Richie Ryan, and I vow to be the best wife I can be, and to support and protect you till death do we part. I promise this in front of our loved ones present here today."

"By the power invested in me," the minster declared, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Methos handed the rings to the minster before Richie placed a ring on her right finger, and Tori did the same to him. Then, Richie lifted the veil and saw Tori's face for the first time as his wife and they shared a kiss on the lips.

Richie had forgiven him before but Duncan wasn't sure if he'd be forgiven this time. Tori was his wife and they truly loved each other.

"Well, I wanted to drink it with a friend," Duncan stated, "I'm drinking it with two friends, which is better. Still, didn't want to wait another two hundred and fifty years."

He took another drink.

"Thanks, Mac," Richie replied before taking the drink from Duncan and sipped from it.

"Yes, thank you," Tori added. She took the drink from Richie and sipped as well, "You know, I don't drink often, so it's a treat when I do."

Then, there was Tori's family, the Gordons and the Defenders. He wasn't sure how he was going to face them, but he knew he'd eventually have to face them.

"I'm unaware of your grudge, but when you bring me and my family in the mix, you surely have to pay for what you have done," Tori told her defeated opponent, "You are no better than Dunbar, you're not what you claim to be. Now, you're time is up!"

"Do it and I'm next!" Duncan declared as he, Richie, Amanda and Methos all arrived at the scene.

"I told Methos this and I'll tell you now," Duncan eyed Tori, "You kill him, Tori – I swear, you face me."

Tori nodded harshly before she turned and beheaded Keane and then took his quickening.

Duncan's eyes widened while Richie looked down sadly and Amanda and Methos both shook their heads.

After the quickening ended, Tori eyed Duncan and raised her sword, "Well? I accept your challenge. Come on."

Duncan doesn't move.

"I knew you were bluffing," Tori replied in disbelief before she left the area with Richie.

On top of that, he never gotten the chance to patch things up with Tori before she died after the incident with Keane. That was his biggest regret.

The demon, Ahriman, caused this. Ahriman set up the trap, mostly for him, and maybe for Richie, yet Tori paid the price. Duncan decided he had to make things right, especially with Richie and Tori's family, starting with destroying this demon.

Duncan knelt on a woven mat, and picked up a knife resting in front of a small mirror. He used the knife to cut his hair. He looked at his reflection as his hair was now stylishly short.

"No more tears," Duncan declared before he tossed the knife at Landry's journal, which was propped up nearby, pinning the open page in the process.

-Defenders-Chronicles-Highlander-

"I guess it's just you and me, Tori," Joe spoke as he was standing near Tori's grave, "I can't believe it's been a year already. I wish I could tell you why this happened, that it all makes sense now – but I can't. I'm sorry."

He looked sadly at the gravestone, which read:

Tori Gordon – Ryan

Beloved Wife and Daughter

Devoted Friend

"She knows why."

Joe turned around and saw Duncan standing as he had arrived at the cemetery.

"I'm glad you stayed in Paris," Duncan told him.

"Somebody had to," Joe replied before he looked at the grave as they both looked at the gravestone, "We buried her with her sword. I didn't know what else to put on the headstone. This seemed right."

"Friend is good, and so are daughter and friend," Duncan replied, glancing at the grave, "because that's what she was. Friend to us all, Janet's daughter and…...she was Richie's wife."

"The grave was simple, but the funeral…...that was another story," Joe stated, "I told everyone Ming killed Tori and he is now in IUA prison."

"That's good to hear," Duncan replied, "What about the others?"

"Methos and Amanda attended the funeral with me, the Defenders and the Gordon Family," Joe explained, "It was like a military funeral almost. Yet, I haven't seen Methos since the funeral."

"It's good that Amanda paid respects for her student and it was good that Methos paid his respects as well," Duncan replied.

"Supporting Richie the best they could," Joe chimed in, "After the funeral, Methos vanished and Amanda returned to Europe working at the circus."

"What about Richie?" Duncan inquired.

Joe sighed before he answered, "Richie was broken by everything. He was despondent, a shell of who he once was. Saying that alone is an understatement. I understand how he felt and let him know that before he left."

"Where is he now?" Duncan asked.

"I don't have his exact location, but the Defenders do, mostly LJ and April," Joe explained, "From what they have been telling me, Richie has been hiding out in holy ground, doing odd jobs and staying under the radar."

"From other immortals?"

"Essentially."

There was a pause of silence before Joe finally spoke up, "You know, I have had fifty watchers beating the bushes looking for you. Where the hell have you been?"

"Does it matter?" Duncan asked.

"Yeah, to me it does!" Joe declared, "I thought we were friends."

"We are," Duncan replied.

"Well, what happened to you?" Joe asked.

"I had some things to work out," Duncan answered.

"Hey, look, I – I know what you have gone through after…...after the accident," Joe told his friend.

"It wasn't an accident, Joe," Duncan stressed, "Tori was murdered. What, do you want me to say that it was a mistake? That I was out of my head and hallucinating?"

"Yeah, that would help," Joe nodded.

"I was a weapon," Duncan stated, "This thing used me to kill Tori."

"Don't you think I want to believe you?" Joe asked his immortal friend, "I mean, that the bad guy in this thing is a – Zoroastrian demon named Ahriman, a thing that comes back every thousand years to try and take over the world. Will you listen to how that sounds?"

"It's true, Joe," Duncan insisted.

"And you…...are the champion?" Joe asked further, "You're the guy who's been chosen to go up against this thing?"

"That's right," Duncan answered.

"And why you?"

"I don't know."

"And if this thing is so powerful, why doesn't it – just – I don't know – strike you with a lighting bolt or something?" Joe asked.

"Maybe it can't," Duncan answered, "Maybe that's the rules to the game. Will you help me? I need the watchers. I need you."

"You disappear over a year, no one knows if you're alive, you're dead, then you pop out of nowhere and you want me to get the watchers to help you?" Joe asked, "Well, you don't want much, do you?"

"When Tori died, I wanted to die, to avenge Richie, especially since I never patched things up with Tori after the Keane incident, but I realize if Tori's death was to mean anything, I had to survive," Duncan explained with determination, "I had to understand what happened. I had to believe what happened. This thing is evil, Joe, and I'm the only thing that can stop it, and I will stop it. I'm going to find it, and I'm going to destroy it. Will you help me?"

"I don't know," Joe bluntly answered before he walked off.

-Defenders-Chronicles-Highlander-

As Joe walked away, Duncan was left at Tori's grave. He looked at the grave.

"Tori, I'm very sorry for everything that's happened," Duncan spoke to the grave, "I took you from your husband. I know how much Richie loved you, and I know how much you loved him."

He sighed before he continued, "I'm going to make this right to you, your family and especially to Richie. I'll help Richie the best I can, hopefully, he'll let me, and I'm going to destroy this demon. I promise."

"How touching."

Duncan looked to see Horton, a form Ahriman was taking.

"You're such a sad story, MacLeod," Horton stated, "All alone and no one to believe you. Perhaps your friend Richie would listen."

"Richie is AWOL because his wife is dead," Duncan replied firmly.

"So the champion's back to fight me," Horton paced the area, "You want to die, MacLeod? You know, that's what's going to happen. Why don't you be smart? Go back to that little monastery you've been hiding away in. I wonder what it would take to make you leave."

"Destroying you," Duncan answered with a small grin on his face.

"Well, not before I destroy your little friend from the inside out," Horton replied.

"What are you talking about?" Duncan asked.

"Richie, of course," Horton answered, smiling a sinister smile, "I plan to break his mental state. He's been resistant of my power at first, but Richie is starting to show some wear and tear, physically and mentally, so it's only a matter of time. A descent into madness if you will."

"You won't win," Duncan affirmed.

"We'll see about that," Horton replied before stating, "I love your new hair."

Moments later, Horton disappeared, leaving Duncan by himself, looking around for a moment.

-Defenders-Chronicles-Highlander-

"Anyone home?"

Duncan looked around as he was surrounded by complete darkness, "Joe? Joe?"

Joe appeared in front of him with a shadowed figure, "Mac, who'd you think it was, Satan?"

"What are you doing here?" Duncan asked.

"I've got something for you," Joe got out his katana before he swung it at Duncan, who jumped back, "What are you doing?"

"I thought you might want your sword back," Joe replied, "Gee, if you're not going to use it, I'll give it to someone who will."

He handed the sword to the shadowed figure. The figure emerged from the shadows, revealing it to be Richie – facial expression filled with anger and hate.

"Richie?" Duncan eyed him.

"You murdered my wife!" Richie shouted in rage, "It is all your fault, MacLeod!"

He swung the sword at Duncan, who then caught the blade between his palms, "Richie, stop! Richie, stop!"

Richie pulled the katana back, and swung again. Duncan grabbed the katana, reversed the blade and slashed Joe before he beheaded Richie.

Duncan woke up as he sat up, gasping. He looked around that the barge was empty. There was no one in sight. It was only a nightmare.

Author's Note: I originally planned Tori appear to Duncan as a ghost during the last part of the Ahriman arc, but I decided after Roland Cain gave me some ideas regarding the It's a Wonderful Life vision Duncan recieves, Tori would appear with Fitz then and closure would ensue then.