Fic: Reckoning
MacLeod, Methos and Joe were seated in a pew near the front of the church when the door opened and two men entered. All of them tensed and Vin and MacLeod eyed each other warily.
“MacLeod,” Vin greeted carefully, still standing just inside the doorway. MacLeod rose to his feet.
“Caoimhín.”
“Adam,” Vin said with only the slightest hesitation, “has asked me to hear your side of the story.”
“Kol’tec was my friend too. If there had been another option I would have taken it.”
“Did you even look for another solution? You were helped. Did you even try to help him?” Vin snarled. Chris placed a hand on his shoulder, not to restrain him but to remind him. Vin visibly had to reign in his anger. He knew that sometimes in the heat of battle other solutions were hard to see. It just grated that his friend had lost his life because of this man’s ignorance.
Vin’s expression was distasteful, but he nodded his acquiescence none-the-less. He was grateful for the support that Chris provided. He knew that whatever happened Chris would have his back.
“I am sorry,” MacLeod told him sincerely. Vin merely glared at him.
“Until next time,” Vin said. MacLeod visibly bristled.
“I’m not the one who was a head-hunter,” MacLeod responded angrily. Behind him Methos winced. The comment did not garner the reaction MacLeod had thought it would though. Instead of being offended or defensive Vin smiled coolly.
“We’re Immortals, MacLeod. We’re a little of everything eventually.”
Somehow MacLeod was sure that was a threat.
“How about we all go to a bar and drink to burying hatchets?” Methos suggested. He didn’t think he’d be taken up on it, but the comment had the desired effect. The two Immortals’ attention was now focussed on him and the tension had dissipated, if only a little.
“We need to head back to Denver,” Chris stated. His voice, despite being soft, carried authority.
“Cei,” Vin acknowledged with a short nod as he turned and followed Chris out.
Methos nodded in return, but couldn’t help but feel relieved. It would probably be an exceptionally good idea to keep the two men apart for a few centuries at least. Of course, that was easier said than done. While he could keep tabs on MacLeod, Cailtram was another matter entirely. He wished he could give Cailtram the benefit of the doubt, but he knew that the man would just be waiting for an excuse to finish what he had started.
“What’s this about Cei?” Joe asked as they made their own way out of the church. Methos rolled his eyes and wondered how long he’d be fending off questions about that for.
***
Travis answered his phone on the first ring. He was sure that the last week alone had knocked a few months off his life. Worry for Team 7 must have amounted to at least a decade of his life by now.
“Assistant Director Travis,” the voice on the other end began and he recognised it immediately.
“Standish,” he said, not sure whether to be even more worried, or relieved.
“We’re coming home.”
Travis glanced skyward and thanked whatever deity watched over reckless, lunatic heroes. They were safe and for the moment that was all that mattered. He knew that within a week at most they would be back to endangering their lives in the line of duty.
“So it’s done?”
“For now.”
Travis hung up the phone with a feeling of foreboding. Despite how good Team 7 was, and they were the best, when things went down someone always got hurt, and one of these days it wouldn’t be the bad guys.
fin