Cross of Swords: Part 2:
The loft above the dojo
September 1995

Later that evening in his loft above the dojo, Duncan had fixed a casual dinner and was getting ready to open a bottle of champagne when he received the buzz. It wasn't Richie or Cat's so hew drew his katana from it's place and sent down the elevator. The dojo was closed at this hour and he wasn't expecting another Immortal. Unless he was right about Chris.

Duncan thought about it all afternoon. There was no other explanation for the resemblance, and she would not be the first Immortal to go into hiding as a Watcher. Last year when he was searching for Methos, he found him going by the alias Adam Pierson, a Watcher. The elevator stopped at the loft and the cage door rose. Duncan looked in and was not surprised. "I knew it!" he said as he walked over to Chris.

Chris hugged her former teacher and smiled. "When Joe asked me to do him a favor, I never thought you would be involved. How have ya been Mac?" she asked letting go. "How is Amanda? Is she still getting into trouble?"

"She's fine and always into trouble of some sort. It's great to see you again. You look great."

"Yeah well, the good thing about being Immortal is you can be 350 years old and still look as good as the day you died. You I might add don't look a day over 300, you 400 plus Immie."

"I still can't believe it. Why did you tell Joe we had never met? That's not like you."

"Because it would have given me away. He's been suspicious since day one. My first assignment was to locate and watch myself. When I reported Jordan could not be found and I assumed she had been beheaded, he asked no questions. The only other Watcher that knows is Adam."

"Methos, of course. It was probably his idea."

"Well that was twenty years ago. Now I've returned and here I am. So what's Caitlynn, I mean Cat like. I read her file, but there is not much to it. All I know is she is almost sixteen, from Wales like me, and you found and trained her."

"After today, it's hard to believe she's the same girl I found on my doorstep."

"She has had a rough life, what do you expect?"

"We've all had rough lives, we're Immortal. Still that's no excuse."

"True, but to her, it is a way to deal with her feelings. She's at an age where she is trying to find herself, so she is experimenting. It is just a phase, she will grow out of it if you give her time."

"Speaking of time..." Duncan said as they sat down. "What have you been up to. I haven't seen you since..."

"Paris after you ruined Kalas's voice. Best thing to ever happen to the opera world."

"Oh yeah."

"After that I spent some time on Holy Ground and then became a nun. Can you imagine me as a nun?"

"No more than I can imagine Amanda giving up her life of crime." Duncan said as the two laughed.

"It was after Will died. I spent 200 years with him, and then to loose him suddenly like that..." she stopped and paused wiping a tear away. "I did not know what else to do. He meant the world to me and I had to get out of the Game. Get away from everything that reminded me of him. When I realized I couldn't stay in the convent any longer, I left. That is when I met Methos."

"I heard about Will's death, and I know how much you loved him. I know it must have been rough for you."

"For awhile, I became just like Cat. I went reckless and lived dangerously. I came out of it, and she will to. Just give her time."

Just then the phone rang and Duncan went to answer it. "Mac here... Slow down Richie what?... When?...I'll stay here in case she calls or comes over... Yes, I'll let you know if I hear from her, and you do the same. Bye." he hung up the phone.

"What was that about?"

"Richie and Cat got into a fight and she took off. Richie panicked and is going to look for her."

"Tell me more about her. What were her adoptive parents like?"

"you know, I don't even thinks she knows she was adopted. But her mom was killed when she was little, and her dad was a master swordsman. She's known about and known how to use swords all her life, but when he was killed, it devastated her."

"How was he killed, and was that when you found her?"

"How he was killed is still a mystery, but I think she's knows. Cat came home one day and found his sword through his heart. I think it was Jayden Adams doings, but only she knows for sure."

"Jayden..." she thought trying to remember where she heard that name. "Ah, the first head she took."

"She almost didn't. I came home just in time to see him almost take hers."

"I bet she had a hard time dealing with it. The first Quickening is always rough, but to take one that was as strong as Jaydens."

"She almost took her own head she was so scared. That's why I sent her to Richie. I thought she needed to get away from all of it. I never thought she would turn out like this."

"You never told me how she came to you."

"Her godfather was an old friend of mine. Jayden took his head on Cat's birthday. All she saw was a headless body and before the fight, she was told to find me if anything were to happen. A few days later, she showed up at the barge."

"The girls always come to you." Chris said with a smile.

"It must be my good looks and attractive smile."

Chris moved closer to Duncan. "Maybe it is the way your eyes sparkle when the light hits it at just the right angle."

Duncan stared at his former pupil and smiled. "You always did have a thing for my eyes."

"I always had a thing for you." she said as she kissed him. It had been a long time since Chris had felt this way about anyone, and the way Duncan was holding her and kissing her, she knew she was getting in deep. "I'm sorry." she said as she pulled away and stood up. "I better go."

"You don't have to." Duncan responded as he walked towards the door where she was standing.

"Yes I do. I promised myself after Will died, I wouldn't get involved with another Immortal."

"Who says we have to get involved?" Duncan said with that cocky look and kissed her again.