Author/pseudonym: Nelle

Title: Once Again: Duncan's POV

Once Again 3: Duncan's POV
by Nelle
***

I was walking home from Joe's Bar when I felt the presence of two immortals.

A few seconds later, I heard the clashing of swords. I probably would have kept on walking if I hadn't recognized one of the presences. Methos.

Walking faster I came to the mouth of the alley that they were fighting in. I watched in mute horror as Methos lost his head to a young immortal. A young immortal had killed the oldest of us all. I felt my body go numb in shock. This wasn't supposed to happen; he was supposed to be the one. I knew that he thought that I should be the one, but I knew differently. Methos deserved to be the one, for surviving for fifty centuries in this cursed game of ours.

I stumbled over to his body and gently placed his head where it should have been, on his shoulders. I abstractedly noted that Methos' quickening was hovering ten feet in the air still. I started to cry, my tears falling down on that beautiful face. The face that I would never see light up again or darken in anger. Those chameleon eyes that would never see again. Those lips that would never quirk into a smile again. That mouth that would never give a sarcastic comment again. Those thoughts made me cry even harder. I felt the young immortal stir from the fatal wounds that Methos had managed to inflict before Methos had lost his head. I unsheathed my katana and charged the other immortal, yelling a battle cry I hadn't heard since I was mortal.
The other immortal only lasted a few seconds against me before I took his head. Now Methos would be inside me forever. I was wondering why Methos' quickening hadn't struck when the young immortal's quickening struck. For being so young, his quickening was quite strong. I screamed until my throat was raw. When it was over, I felt an arm around my shoulder. I looked over expecting to see Amanda or Joe. Not Methos who should be dead. I know that my face shows my elation and awe.

I hear him say, "It's me Duncan."

It is him, I know it is. Every single one of my senses is singing that it is him. "Methos," I say quietly, "you were dead."

He replies with a quiet, "I know Duncan, I know. Lets go grab a beer at my place. I need to figure some things out." He offered me his hand, and I took it. Once standing I enfolded him in a rib crushing hug. I didn't mind that he would probably give me some scathing comment, he was alive and that was what mattered. I was surprised when he hugged me just as tightly. I let him go and find that our hands have become intertwined, we walk out of the alleyway like this. Once back at his apartment, Methos grabbed each of us a beer. We sat next to each other on the couch, neither of us speaking. I didn't mind; it was enough to be here with him. He lets out a huge yawn and moves to get ready for bed. For some reason, I stop him with, "Methos, would you mind if I spent the night."

He looks as if he had been expecting this. He replies, "No I wouldn't Duncan." That is the second time today that he has called me by my given name, it is also almost as many times as he has called me by it in all the time we have known each other. He offers me his hand again and helps me up.

Together we collapse on his bed, not even bothering to get out of our clothes. I curl up around his lithe body listening to him breath. He takes a long time to fall asleep, but when he does I can see that there is a smile on those lips. It's almost as if he knows that I am standing guard over his life. A long time after he falls asleep, I fall asleep with my chin resting on the top of his head. For the first time in years, I am completely at peace.

~~finis~~