[FIC] Reunion, PG13, Dead Like Me/Highlander
Title: Reunion
Author: Sinanju
Fandoms: Dead Like Me / Highlander
Rating: PG
Warnings: Character death (but this being a Dead Like Me crossover, that really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone).
Characters: Daisy Adair, Amanda
Summary: Old friends have a chance encounter and brief reunion.
Daisy looks up at the sound of footsteps. It's dark and this street is not in the best part of town. She sees a woman walking toward her. Automatically catalogs her appearance. Short platinum hair, an expensive knee length trench coat, black tights on her lower legs and, incongruously, sneakers. As the woman gets nearer her eyes flick across Daisy, then move on, searching.
The eyes return to Daisy's face. A sudden hesitation in her pace. The dawning surprise and recognition in those eyes match Daisy's own experience. Daisy speaks first.
“Amanda?” Daisy asks. “Amanda Darrieux?” It can't be. She died decades ago.
“Daisy? Daisy Adair!” Daisy recognizes her voice. It's impossible--but it is Amanda. She hasn't seen Amanda since the seventies, when they beguiled the male population of New York City. They'd been thick as thieves for years, scamming or stealing from the rich and spending the proceeds on a lifestyle of drugs and sex and rock n' roll that would have killed most people. Daisy had barely made time for her duties as Reaper.
“Oh my god--Daisy!” Amanda cries, then rushes to embrace her. Daisy wraps her arms around Amanda as well, too surprised not to. Her mind is awhirl, thrilled to find Amanda alive and well again after so many years, shocked by it as well, and wondering how it could possibly be. Amanda squeezes her hard, wordlessly expressing her joy.
Amanda steps back to arm's length, hands gripping Daisy's arms as she looks her over. “My god, Daisy,” Amanda says, “you haven't changed a bit!”
“You cut your hair,” Daisy says. “And bleached it.”
Amanda's smile is brilliant even in the dark. She preens for an instant. “Like it?”
Daisy reaches out to finger Amanda's hair. “It's nice,” Daisy says and means it. But in her mind's eye she sees it falling over Amanda's bare shoulders in dark, luxurious curls. Daisy remembers running her fingers through those long, gloriously silky locks.
Amanda's smile fades. Daisy thinks at first that she's disappointed by Daisy's reaction to her new haircut. Then Amanda says, “You haven't changed a bit. It's been--” Amanda cocks her head, thinking “--thirty years. How can that be?”
The evasion comes easily. Daisy doesn't even have to think about it. “I was wondering the same thing!”
Amanda isn't buying it, though. Her face hardens almost imperceptibly. She seems to draw away though she doesn't move. “How can you be unchanged after so many years, Daisy? You're not--” she begins, but doesn't finish the sentence. Instead she says, “I'd know if you were one of us.”
“You would?” Daisy's surprise is genuine. She's been a Grim Reaper for almost seventy years now and she sure as hell can't always spot another. But of course Amanda is another Reaper! How else could she remain young and beautiful after so long?
“Yes,” Amanda says. She's puzzled by Daisy's reaction. Daisy smiles, relieved to have worked out the answer. There's no need to keep secrets now.
“Oh, Amanda,” Daisy says, “Keeping secrets gets so tiresome, doesn't it? But we don't have to do that anymore--”
But Amanda isn't listening to her. Her head lifts and her eyes go unfocused for a moment as if she's listening to something only she can hear. Daisy can hear nothing except the distant sound of traffic humming along a highway.
Amanda releases her hold on Daisy's arms and steps back, turning to scan the area. One hand unbuttons her trench coat and slips inside. Daisy glances around, wondering what has alerted Amanda as a figure rounds the nearest corner. A man. Broad shouldered, blonde, wearing a trench coat very much like Amanda's. It's unbuttoned but his hands remain at his sides.
Amanda moves to stand between Daisy and the stranger. He stops and looks at each of them. “Amanda Montrose?” he asks.
“No!” Daisy says at the same time that Amanda says “Yes.”
“Her name is Darrieux,” Daisy says firmly. It has to be. Please let it be.
Amanda turns her head enough to address Daisy without taking her eyes off of the stranger. “I changed my name when I left New York, Daisy. It's not Darrieux these days. It's Montrose.”
“Oh...Amanda,” Daisy says sadly. She thinks of the Post-it note in her pocket.
A. Montrose
12:04 a.m.
corner Yonge & Bloor.
The blond stranger walks a little closer. His eyes flick over Daisy briefly, then dismiss her. “She shouldn't be here. You know the rules.”
“She's just leaving,” Amanda says.
“Amanda--” Daisy says, though she has no idea what she intends to say.
Amanda cuts her off. “You should go, Daisy,” Amanda tells Daisy without looking at her. “I'm staying at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. Meet me there later.”
Daisy's eyes are burning and her throat is tight. She feels the need to cry but she knows she won't. It isn't fair. God damn it, it isn't fair-but she knows, as only someone who has collected souls for over half a century can know-that life isn't fair. It never was.
She moves up behind Amanda and lays a hand on her shoulder. “I've missed you, Amanda,” Daisy says.
“Me too,” Amanda says, her eyes still on the stranger. “Daisy, I don't know what you think is going on here, but--”
“I know exactly what's going to happen, love,” Daisy says. That surprises Amanda enough that she glances at Daisy. “We'll talk later,” Daisy says, putting on her most award-winning smile. “And I'll explain everything then.”
“I'll hold you to that,” Amanda says. She looks like she wants to say more, but then she just gives Daisy a bright smile of her own. Daisy wonders if it's as false as her own. “Now go on,” Amanda says. “I won't be long.”
Daisy pats her shoulder wordlessly, then brushes her fingers along Amanda's arm. Mission accomplished. Daisy walks away then, trying not to look back. Behind her, she hears Amanda speak quietly. She looks back just once, in time to see Amanda and the stranger disappearing around the corner with--swords?
Then there's nothing to do but wait. Daisy leans against the brick wall of the warehouse at her back and works to maintain her composure. Eventually the chime of blades clashing reaches her ears. It goes on for several minutes before ending abruptly. Daisy glances at her watch. 12:04 a.m. The sudden crash of thunder startles her, as does the arc-light glare from the mouth of the alley that flashes in the windows of the buildings across the street.
Author: Sinanju
Fandoms: Dead Like Me / Highlander
Rating: PG
Warnings: Character death (but this being a Dead Like Me crossover, that really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone).
Characters: Daisy Adair, Amanda
Summary: Old friends have a chance encounter and brief reunion.
Daisy looks up at the sound of footsteps. It's dark and this street is not in the best part of town. She sees a woman walking toward her. Automatically catalogs her appearance. Short platinum hair, an expensive knee length trench coat, black tights on her lower legs and, incongruously, sneakers. As the woman gets nearer her eyes flick across Daisy, then move on, searching.
The eyes return to Daisy's face. A sudden hesitation in her pace. The dawning surprise and recognition in those eyes match Daisy's own experience. Daisy speaks first.
“Amanda?” Daisy asks. “Amanda Darrieux?” It can't be. She died decades ago.
“Daisy? Daisy Adair!” Daisy recognizes her voice. It's impossible--but it is Amanda. She hasn't seen Amanda since the seventies, when they beguiled the male population of New York City. They'd been thick as thieves for years, scamming or stealing from the rich and spending the proceeds on a lifestyle of drugs and sex and rock n' roll that would have killed most people. Daisy had barely made time for her duties as Reaper.
“Oh my god--Daisy!” Amanda cries, then rushes to embrace her. Daisy wraps her arms around Amanda as well, too surprised not to. Her mind is awhirl, thrilled to find Amanda alive and well again after so many years, shocked by it as well, and wondering how it could possibly be. Amanda squeezes her hard, wordlessly expressing her joy.
Amanda steps back to arm's length, hands gripping Daisy's arms as she looks her over. “My god, Daisy,” Amanda says, “you haven't changed a bit!”
“You cut your hair,” Daisy says. “And bleached it.”
Amanda's smile is brilliant even in the dark. She preens for an instant. “Like it?”
Daisy reaches out to finger Amanda's hair. “It's nice,” Daisy says and means it. But in her mind's eye she sees it falling over Amanda's bare shoulders in dark, luxurious curls. Daisy remembers running her fingers through those long, gloriously silky locks.
Amanda's smile fades. Daisy thinks at first that she's disappointed by Daisy's reaction to her new haircut. Then Amanda says, “You haven't changed a bit. It's been--” Amanda cocks her head, thinking “--thirty years. How can that be?”
The evasion comes easily. Daisy doesn't even have to think about it. “I was wondering the same thing!”
Amanda isn't buying it, though. Her face hardens almost imperceptibly. She seems to draw away though she doesn't move. “How can you be unchanged after so many years, Daisy? You're not--” she begins, but doesn't finish the sentence. Instead she says, “I'd know if you were one of us.”
“You would?” Daisy's surprise is genuine. She's been a Grim Reaper for almost seventy years now and she sure as hell can't always spot another. But of course Amanda is another Reaper! How else could she remain young and beautiful after so long?
“Yes,” Amanda says. She's puzzled by Daisy's reaction. Daisy smiles, relieved to have worked out the answer. There's no need to keep secrets now.
“Oh, Amanda,” Daisy says, “Keeping secrets gets so tiresome, doesn't it? But we don't have to do that anymore--”
But Amanda isn't listening to her. Her head lifts and her eyes go unfocused for a moment as if she's listening to something only she can hear. Daisy can hear nothing except the distant sound of traffic humming along a highway.
Amanda releases her hold on Daisy's arms and steps back, turning to scan the area. One hand unbuttons her trench coat and slips inside. Daisy glances around, wondering what has alerted Amanda as a figure rounds the nearest corner. A man. Broad shouldered, blonde, wearing a trench coat very much like Amanda's. It's unbuttoned but his hands remain at his sides.
Amanda moves to stand between Daisy and the stranger. He stops and looks at each of them. “Amanda Montrose?” he asks.
“No!” Daisy says at the same time that Amanda says “Yes.”
“Her name is Darrieux,” Daisy says firmly. It has to be. Please let it be.
Amanda turns her head enough to address Daisy without taking her eyes off of the stranger. “I changed my name when I left New York, Daisy. It's not Darrieux these days. It's Montrose.”
“Oh...Amanda,” Daisy says sadly. She thinks of the Post-it note in her pocket.
A. Montrose
12:04 a.m.
corner Yonge & Bloor.
The blond stranger walks a little closer. His eyes flick over Daisy briefly, then dismiss her. “She shouldn't be here. You know the rules.”
“She's just leaving,” Amanda says.
“Amanda--” Daisy says, though she has no idea what she intends to say.
Amanda cuts her off. “You should go, Daisy,” Amanda tells Daisy without looking at her. “I'm staying at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. Meet me there later.”
Daisy's eyes are burning and her throat is tight. She feels the need to cry but she knows she won't. It isn't fair. God damn it, it isn't fair-but she knows, as only someone who has collected souls for over half a century can know-that life isn't fair. It never was.
She moves up behind Amanda and lays a hand on her shoulder. “I've missed you, Amanda,” Daisy says.
“Me too,” Amanda says, her eyes still on the stranger. “Daisy, I don't know what you think is going on here, but--”
“I know exactly what's going to happen, love,” Daisy says. That surprises Amanda enough that she glances at Daisy. “We'll talk later,” Daisy says, putting on her most award-winning smile. “And I'll explain everything then.”
“I'll hold you to that,” Amanda says. She looks like she wants to say more, but then she just gives Daisy a bright smile of her own. Daisy wonders if it's as false as her own. “Now go on,” Amanda says. “I won't be long.”
Daisy pats her shoulder wordlessly, then brushes her fingers along Amanda's arm. Mission accomplished. Daisy walks away then, trying not to look back. Behind her, she hears Amanda speak quietly. She looks back just once, in time to see Amanda and the stranger disappearing around the corner with--swords?
Then there's nothing to do but wait. Daisy leans against the brick wall of the warehouse at her back and works to maintain her composure. Eventually the chime of blades clashing reaches her ears. It goes on for several minutes before ending abruptly. Daisy glances at her watch. 12:04 a.m. The sudden crash of thunder startles her, as does the arc-light glare from the mouth of the alley that flashes in the windows of the buildings across the street.