| Subject: LYRIC WHEEL: One Day of My Life |
Author:
Human Typhoon
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Date Posted: 17:02:56 05/04/02 Sat
DISCLAIMER: You know the drill. I don't own the intellectual properties to Methos, the Quickening, Highlander at large, blah blah blah... Anyway, I would have liked to explore this story a little more, but it's final exam time for me and... *insert whining here*.
- - - - - - -
Methos ran a hand through his hair absently, looking at the watch on his other wrist. Where is he, anyway? Eddy’s always late, but he should have been here about an hour or two ago…
He took a sip of his cup of coffee and looked out the window of the Expresso Royal. The city of Champaign was home to the University of Illinois, where Methos’, or rather Adam Pierson’s, friend Eddy taught philosophy.
Looking around the coffee shop, he saw at lest four people studying. In the spring, that was all anyone really did: study, study, study. It was an unusually cool May, not cold. Reading day had come and past and final exams would have started a few hours beforehand. A wave of students came walking past from the direction of the Quad, where all most of the college buildings were.
Methos looked at his watch again. “I’ll give him a few more minutes,” he muttered.
As if the mutterings summoned him, Eddy burst in the door. Tall and lanky, Eddy Stein carried a bulging briefcase at his side and a stack of papers tucked under his left arm. Bearing a mustache and short blonde hair, Eddy always seemed to blend into a room. Methos could never understand why, but he did not really care too much either.
“I’m sorry I’m so late, Adam… You’d be surprised how long administering an exam can take. I’m so sorry, have you been waiting long?” Eddy asked as he dropped his burden unceremoniously on the floor. He slid into the chair opposite Methos and motioned for an expresso.
“No longer than usual… How have you been, Eddy?” Methos said, smiling.
“Three of my students took the entire three hours on the exam… I gave them the chance to finish, but I didn’t think it would be so long, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s nothing, really. Sometimes you worry too much, Eddy.”
“My students forget that finals time can be as stressful for the teachers as it is for them. I’ve got about two-hundred exams to grade by Tuesday… But how’re things by you, Adam? I haven’t seen you for… years it feels like,” Eddy said.
“Not too much… here and there… and back again. You know, the usual,” Methos said, adding in thought, That’s too assume that fighting for my life against someone who can’t die unless you take their head is normal… which it is for me, at least.
“Nice to know you’ve been keeping busy. What brings you to Champaign, anyway?” Eddy asked as his expresso was made ready for him.
“Well, I wanted to come back three months ago, but I was busy. So, I figured I’d swing by, now that I’m free, and say hi to the new Misses Stein,” Methos said, sipping from his coffee.
Eddy nodded and smiled wistfully, “She was so sorry you couldn’t make the wedding. I’ve told her all about you and she really wanted to meet you.”
“I’m sorry I missed it too… but things were so… hectic,” Like being around Duncan usually is… “I just couldn’t get away for a few hours, much less a few days.”
“Well, you’re here now. That’s all that really matters, eh?” Eddy said.
Methos nodded his assent.
“Why don’t you come by my place around seven tonight. Me and the missus will make dinner and you can tell us all about what you’ve been up to,” Eddy said. He downed the expresso in one go and stood up quickly. He explained, “I’ve got to get these to the office and then head over to Foellinger Auditorium to help administer another test… I really need to cut back on the classes I get scheduled for next semester…”
With that, Eddy was up and out the door before Methos could say anything.
Nice to know some things never change… Methos mused as he sipped at his coffee again.
- - -
Separated by Wright Street, many students at the university felt Champaign and Urbana to be one town. Eddy’s humble home was straight up Goodwin Avenue from the Quad and maybe three blocks into Urbana.
As Methos pulled his borrowed car into the parking lot, he stopped abruptly, popping the trunk. Very close by, he could sense an immortal… no, two immortals. As he moved out of the car, he could hear the sounds of swords clashing.
Those can’t be coming from Eddy’s place, can they?
But as he trotted to the trunk where his sword rested, he could hear the end of the battle. The hair on the back of his neck stood up on end as the already-cloudy sky began to roil and churn with the power of the Quickening.
Methos threw his coat into the trunk atop his sword’s sheath.
I’ve got a very bad feeling about this…Methos thought idly as he ran alongside the house and leapt over the fence into the backyard.
A man dressed in black with a gray coat stood in the middle of the backyard, the last vestiges of the Quickening crackling across him. He looked frantically at Methos and shouted, “Stay out of this! This is none of your affair!”
Looking around, Methos saw Eddy leaning over someone’s body. The other immortal, of course… He turned aside rather than seeing the state the body was in. For a brief moment, he wondered what Eddy was doing crying over the body of the other immortal.
Keeping his sword out in front of him, he walked slowly around toward Eddy. As he got closer, he could see Eddy rocking back and forth slowly. He was whispering something over and over.
“O wake up, my love, my lover wake up… O wake up, my love, my lover wake up…” he was whispering.
Methos winced as he realized what had happened.
Focusing on the other immortal, Methos took one step in his direction. The other man took discretion as the better part of valor and ran off the way Methos had come in.
Taking one look at Eddy, Methos shook his head. There was nothing he could for his friend. He sighed expressively and decided on a course of action.
Methos ran off after the other immortal.
- - -
Bastard certainly can run… Methos thought absently as he ran up Goodwin Avenue. Although Methos was outpacing him, the other immortal had a greater lead. They were tearing past the Morrow Plots and Smith Hall when Methos finally managed to tackle the other man to the ground.
Methos had to give the other immortal credit as he threw Methos off and onto the stairs of Foellinger Auditorium. It was obvious the other immortal was no stranger to having to fight for his life.
“That little trollop never should have left me…” As if he were only then aware of Methos’ presence, he barked, “Do you have any idea who I am?”
“Not only do I not know, I really don’t care over much,” Methos said as he brought his sword up.
“I’m Donald Fisher… I’ve been all over the news… Who the devil are you? This is no business of yours!” the other immortal said. He held a long sword that looked outwardly similar to Methos’ own weapon.
“Me? I’m no one important… but that ‘trollop’ was my friend’s wife... So in case you haven’t figured it out, I’m making this my business,” Methos said calmly. He idly cataloged the other man as some politician who was coming through Champaign to campaign, but beyond that he could not really remember more.
“I suppose I’ll need to dispense with you… can’t have too many witnesses…” Donald murmured. Methos could almost see the wheels turning in the man’s head.
Definitely a politician… Methos thought as Donald came at him.
The overhand swing was almost clumsy, but Methos dove out of the way just the same. Taking in the surroundings, he back stepped into the wide open area that was railed in by stone. Thankfully, the quad was empty save a bird or two.
Donald came in at Methos again, but this time he parried carefully with the blade of the sword pressed up against his arm. It was clumsy and bad for the blade, but Methos was trying to end this quickly. Using the hand freed up by the parry, he jabbed out quickly, slamming Donald with the heel of his hand.
The other immortal fell back a step and Methos came on strong. He swung his blade high and quickly, only to have it parried sluggishly by Donald. In answer, Methos lunged in, turning is blade to the right slightly and pushed Donald’s long sword down and out of his hand.
Before Methos could finish the fight, Donald gave Methos a hard left hook that sent him back in a slight stumble.
Donald lunged toward his sword, but Methos was already in motion. The heel of his left shoe clapped down on the blade of Donald’s sword, even as the other immortal managed to get a grip in the pommel.
“Anything interesting in the way of last words?” Methos asked softly, bringing the tip of his sword under Donald’s chin.
Donald seemed unable to form words, so Methos brought the sword down and swung up quickly. In the span of a heartbeat, it was over.
For the second time that night, the Quickening lit a part of Champaign.
- - -
Watching the casket being lowered into the grave was nothing really new to Methos. He was used to seeing people he knew and cared about die.
Eddy was not quite as fortunate, but he was keeping a lid on the most powerful of his emotions. Of course, having spent the past week crying over it had drained the man of tears for the time being.
“Did you… you know…” Eddy asked softly as he looked over at Methos.
Eddy had forgotten most of the night, the Quickening too much for the man to understand. Methos had not bothered to elaborate on what had actually gone on. Eddy was overwhelmed as it was and Methos doubted he would understand at any rate.
“I did,” Methos said softly.
“Why did he… you know…”
Methos shrugged, saying, “A man will do just about anything for love… or to deny it to someone else in some cases.”
“I wish I could go back… relive that day… maybe… change something…”
Patting Eddy on the shoulder, Methos said, “But you can’t… The past is the past.”
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