DISCLAIMER: I do not have any association with the wonderful show, of time past, Highlander the series. I have an undying fascination of the characters Duncan and Methos. I hope I can keep these two in the style that we all love.

Story description: Duncan and Kate were happy in New York, rediscovering one another. Then tragedy strikes and the appearance of a new immortal will test the long time friendship of Duncan and Methos. Rated PG-13

Chapter 1

The early hours of evening were accompanied with a soft drizzle of rain. New Yorkers went about their timely routines of fighting rush hour traffic, both on the streets as well as on the sidewalks. This evening was no different from any other for Kate. She was on her way home to the man she loved.

She reached for her classic black umbrella as she wished her assistant, Julie, a pleasant evening. She passed through the small white lobby of her photography studio and placed her hand on the doorknob. Kate paused to answer the small cellular phone that had begun to ring in her coat pocket.

"Hi Duncan. I'm at the front door now. Sure, I'll pick up the wine and be home shortly. I love you, too. I will." With a final wave to Julie, Kate blended into the fast paced crowd outside.

The crowd thinned slightly after three blocks and the rain quickly became a cloudy mist. Headlights from the slow passing cars cast butter colored hues along the asphalt. There was only one more block to go and she would have a nice bottle of Merlot under her arm. She only lived a block and a half from the little health food market where she purchased a lot of the spur of the moment items. She could then enter the contemporary styled high-rise building that she shares with her husband, Duncan MacLeod.

At the last intersection crosswalk, Kate stood among other busy people, making their way home or to business meetings. She felt the presence before she saw the other immortal. Kate looked at the faces around her. Most were staring at the traffic lights and a few where talking on mobile phones while trying to stay dry under their umbrellas. Kate didn't see a danger and she didn't see anyone else searching the crowd for her. "It could have been someone from a passing car," she thought to herself. Taking a deep breath, she let it out in a slow stream and tried to calm herself.

The lights changed and the pedestrians began moving across the road, to the other side. The tingling vibration became more intense and Kate fixed her eyes on a young woman ahead of her. The woman showed no indication of recognizing an immortal. To the woman, Kate was just another stranger who occupied the busy street. To Kate, this lovely woman had not yet lost the ability to grow old. For a brief moment Kate experienced a twinge of envy.

For decades Kate fought the heart wrenching emotion of not being like others around her. She watched as little by little the models around her developed "laugh lines" and "crows feet" designs around their eyes. Some began to color their hair to cover gray streaks, instead of just for fun to match the changing times and fashions.

She believed that it would be utterly romantic to gray and wrinkle with Duncan, as time went by. Duncan has made her happy and very wanted over the past year. "Be thankful you aren't walking through this century alone, Katie," She thought to herself again, using Duncan's favorite name for her.

Deafening screams broke through Kate's reverie and her hand went to the hilt of the sword, hidden beneath her ankle length coat. She turned in time to see a motorcycle careening out of control and spinning in her direction. Dropping the bottle of wine, she grabbed the person next to her and jumped backwards.

An oncoming car clipped the front of the motorcycle, flipping it through the air. Kate watched in horror as the bike landed on top of the woman she had pulled to misguided safety. The motorcycle and the woman were projected 15 yards away. Kate ran to the broken body and felt for a pulse, but couldn't find one.

The air around Kate seemed to become suffocating. A man was yelling for someone to call 911, the world was moving in slow motion, and once again the rain began to fall. Kate knew that it would be impossible to explain that the woman would be fine and able to walk away from this accident. Kate stayed close to the dead woman and was planning on how she'd take the woman home. Duncan and Kate would have to explain to her how her life had just changed forever.

Kate briefly glanced around and saw a small crowd forming a semi-circle facing the driver of the motorcycle. He seemed to be alive. The motorcycle was lying at the side of the busy road with its front wheel spinning.

Kate turned back to the lifeless form before her. Kate found a small wallet in the woman's jacket pocket. Her name was Emily Johnson. The group of people surrounding them were pushing closer. One person asked, "Is…is she dead?"

Kate replaced the wallet in Emily's jacket and said, "No, she's alive. Move back, please."

Emily's left hand began to twitch and her chest rose with a sharp intake of oxygen. A strangled sound came from her throat as her eyes fluttered open. Her hand immediately touched her left temple and Kate knew that Emily was feeling the intense alertness of an immortal.

Kate placed her hand on Emily's shoulder and leaned closer, "It's alright. Don't be scared." Kate knew that it was useless to try to comfort Emily, for it would take weeks to grasp the situation that she was now in. Emily was close to hysteria and Kate needed to get her out of the public view.

Kate heard police and E.M.U. sirens just a few blocks away. She glanced down the street and wondered if she could reach her doorstep, with Emily in tow, before the authorities arrived.

Kate reached to pull Emily to her feet when two out of control cars ran over the mangled motorcycle once more. The second car's front fender tore the motorcycle's windshield free and propelled it at high speed.

Kate raised her eyes in time to see something shiny and wet flying toward her. She didn't feel the cold fiberglass as it sliced through skin, sinew, and bone. The last image the nerve ending in her brain fired off was of Duncan. Kate's face held a look of peace and a small smile on her lips as her quickening was released.