Cross of Swords: Part 1:
Joe's Place
September 1995

Richie Ryan and his friend and teacher, Duncan MacLeod were sitting at the bar of Joe's place talking. Joe and Mac had just returned to Seacouver after spending some time in Duncan's homeland of Glenfinan, Scotland, and the two had much to catch up on. Especially about Caitlynn Renwyck who Duncan had found and trained, and then sent to Richie.

Six months had passed since that day she had come to live with Richie, and when Duncan first met her, she was a shy, naive, fifteen year old pre-immortal. Now she was almost sixteen, and Immortality had changed her for the worse.

"I'm not sure what else to do, Mac" Richie told Duncan. "I can't handle her. She's never home, she doesn't go to school, and she's always getting in trouble with the police."

"Reminds me of how you use to be." Joe said as he handed his friends a beer.

"Any luck finding a family for her?" Duncan asked Joe. Joe was a part of a secret organization called The Watchers that watched Immortals and Joe was Duncan's watcher. Like Immortals, Watcher's had rules of their own, and the main one was not to interfere, but with Joe and Duncan, it was different. they had become good friends.

"I've tried Mac." Joe responded. "But not that many people want a juvenile delinquent." Joe and Duncan both looked at Richie. It was no secret that Richie use to be a juvenile delinquent, but since he had met Duncan, things had changed.

Just then, Duncan and Richie got the buzz. and Cat walked in the door. She walked over to the three men, and before she even got there, Duncan could smell the overwhelming aroma of alcohol. "Mackey! how've ya been? Long time no see." she said as she hugged her former teacher. Duncan pulled back feeling nauseous.

"Where were you last night?" Richie demanded. He was responsible for her, and even after all the trouble she had been in, he still cared for her like a big brother. "You could've at least called and let me know where you were or when you'd be home."

"Chill, dude. I was just out having a good time. Something I can't do with..." she stopped. The guys recognized that look as she took off running towards the bathroom.

"See what I mean?" Joe said as he walked away.

"She's like that all the time, Mac. I don't know what else I can do."

"What about letting her stay with Anne? They got along so well in Paris."

When Cat first came to Duncan, he was living in Paris with his girlfriend Anne Lindsey. In the year prior to that, Cat had lost both her foster father and her godfather, and many years before, her mother. Anne seemed to be the foster mother Cat really needed.

"With Anne working a lot plus the baby due soon, I don't want to add to her problems." Richie said. "She has enough to worry about. What about you? You're back and have some free time, how about taking her in? She feels at home in the dojo."

"I guess for a little while it'll be all right. Hey Joe?"

"Yeah Mac?", he responded placing his hand over the receiver of the phone which he was on. "Can it wait till I finish this conversation?" he didn't wait for a response, just went back to talking.

Cat walked out of the bathroom, looking slightly more coherent. She slowly walked over to the two men and sat down.

"Feeling better?" Duncan asked. He couldn't believe that this was the shy naive young lady he found on his doorstep and helped her through the tough time she had after learning what Immortality really meant.

"I'll never drink again!" she swore as she looked at the ground. Since she had return, she couldn't bare to look at either of her friends.

Richie looked at Duncan and then at Cat. "She says that every time."

"I mean it this time. I really screwed up last night. I drank so much and took so many drugs that I don't remember what happened after I passed out. Are you sure we can't get pregnant?"

Duncan looked at her and remembered how Richie use to be. Richie grew up on the streets, and looking at Cat now, Duncan saw a mirror image of Richie just a few years ago. "Well, things are going to be different. How would you like to come stay with me for awhile at the dojo?"

"Honestly?" Cat asked as she looked towards Joe. Duncan nodded. "Joe how's the search going?"

Duncan and Richie laughed and Cat just stared at them. When she realized they had most likely asked Joe the same thing earlier, she started to laugh. Just then, Joe walked over.

"What's so funny?" Joe asked. Not 5 minutes ago, Duncan and Richie wanted to kill Cat and now the three of them were rolling on the floor.

"Inside joke." The three of them said together and started to laugh again.

"Well," Joe started. "I got good news. I've found someone who might want to take Cat in. She'll be here in a few minutes."

"Who?" the three said in unison again. But this time, only Joe laughed.

"She's an old friend of mine. Her name is Christine and she's a retired Watcher. This way since she's retired she won't be interfering. She's also a trained swordswoman so she'll be able to continue Cat's training. But there is a catch."

"There usually is." Cat said rudely. She usually wasn't like this, most of the time she was still the same girl Duncan first trained. But after a night like last night, she was hell on wheels as Richie had often called her.

"You have to ship up. No more going out and staying out all night and not calling, no more drinking and drugs and no more lies. You will treat Chris with respect. Is that understood?"

"You make her sound like a nun." Richie said.

"She use to be before she became a Watcher. Now's she's a good friend of mine and she's doing all of us a big favor."

Just then the three Immortals got the buzz letting them know there was another immortal around. Cat still feeling woozy from the alcohol and drugs, ran back towards the bathroom. Richie and Duncan looked towards the door.

Two women about their mid twenties walked in the door. One walked towards the men and the other towards a corner table. Joe hugged her and Duncan saw the Watcher tattoo. But Duncan kept thinking their was something familiar about her.

"Duncan, Richie, this is Christine. Chris this is Richie Ryan and Duncan MacLeod."

"Nice to meet you." She said as she stared at Duncan. "So where's Caitlynn? I thought you said she was here."

"She had to use the ladies room." Richie said as he made the motion of throwing up. Richie noticed that Duncan and Chris staring at each other and wondered.

"Do you two know each other?" Joe asked also noticing the stares. It was possible if her former assignment had known or been confronted by Duncan.

"I've heard about him, but I've never had the pleasure." Chris said with a quiver in her voice...

***England 1667***

Duncan and Amanda were walking down the streets of England, when they received the buzz. They looked around and saw a young woman in her mid twenties who had appeared to be beaten. Amanda was the first to realize she had just become one of them and cautiously approached her.

The young women was frightened as Duncan approached with Amanda and started to run.

"Wait!" Amanda said. "I am Amanda and I'm like you."

The girl hesitated for a moment and turned around. "What do you mean, like me?"

"Come and we'll explain. This is Duncan MacLeod, my friend."

"I am Jordan Christine."

"We'll help you get through this, come."

Duncan and Amanda spent a year training Jordan, and after her first Quickening, like all other Immortals before her, went to fight in the Game alone."

***

Duncan hadn't seen Jordan in over seventy-five years, but it seemed as if he was looking at her identical twin. But it was impossible. Chris was a watcher, not an Immortal. It just seemed strange. Joe said she was an old friend, but she looked as old as Richie. "The resemblance is uncanny." Duncan thought to himself .

Cat walked out of the bathroom and walked over. "Is this an old friend of yours Duncan?" she asked thinking the buzz came from her and the way they looked at each other.

"No, this is Christine." Joe said starting to get suspicious. Now that he thought about it, it was possible she was an Immortal. In the fifteen years he had known her, she hadn't aged, she had a fascination with swords, and her style was similar to Duncans. Chris would've told him. He shook the thought of his head. It was impossible. 'But then again, if Adam could've gotten away with it..."

"Nice to meet you Caitlynn. I've heard a lot about you." Chris said extending her hand.

"It's Cat," Cat snapped pushing the hand away.

"Gee Richie, I can't see why you don't want her anymore." Chris said sarcastically talking about Cat's attitude. "I always heard you liked having a pussy around."

Duncan, Richie, and Joe laughed and Cat just rolled her eyes. "Very funny." Cat said. She couldn't believe this was the person who she would be spending the next two years with until she turned 18. It was a stupid rule that she had to have a guardian. She was fine on her own and she wanted to stay that way. If she was still in Wales, she'd be married by now, but no. Duncan had to send her to America.

"Well..." Chris said after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. They all knew this meeting was not going well at all. "How about I come over to your place in a few days, Duncan and that'll give Cat time to think. Maybe we can get together, Cat and talk. We can get to know each other better. That way it won't be so awkward."

"Whatever." Cat said as she ran her finger along the panel work of the bar. She had not heard a word she said and could care less.

"How about Cat stays with Richie one more night, and Chris you can come over and we can talk some more." Duncan said to Chris. There were a few things he had to get cleared up.

"Do we have to?" Cat and Richie said in protest as the looked at each other.

"Yes." Duncan said. "And Cat, you will either stay in or be in early tonight. Is that understood?"

"Great." Cat said. "What could be my last night of freedom, and I'm on restriction."

"Damn right." Joe, Duncan, and Richie all said as everyone laughed.