Title: This I Promise You
Name: Jules
E-mail: goddessacacia@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-15 maybe sometimes higher
Disclaimer: Obviously, I don’t own any of the characters, no matter how much I WISH I did. They belong to
the idiot Joss and the WB. The rest belong to whoever owns the Highlander series. Any other characters, I
created, like Jonathan Damians. And Detectives Donner and Attkins.
Classification: (romance, friendship, little-angst, crossover)
Summary: During the summer of her junior year (of HS), something happens to Cordelia while in Paris and
she must spend the rest of her vacation training for her life as an Immortal. Once back in Sunnydale her life is
sullied again. Can Cordy hide her secret from Angel and the Scoobies? Cordy comes back a totally new
woman, with a new out look on life, and some new friends who are going to really shake up Sunnydale,
Methos, Duncan, and Richie. [AU Season 2] [Highlander Crossover] [Angel/Cordy]
Status: Completed.
~ Please excuse all errors in anything! I only got the WB this year, so needless to say, my only information comes from
episode guides, which don’t go into much detail. I’m assuming Cordy knows about all the icky demon things, and that she
knows Angel’s a souled vamp!
Alright, when I first wrote this fic, I was 16. I’d only had the WB a year, I’d never seen the first three seasons of BtVS, so I
was depending on episode guides for my info, so I was making some assumptions. Even now that I have the seasons on
DVD, the details get blurred. ANYWAY. Also when I first wrote this story, it became the first fan fiction I'd ever actually
completed. Since then...well, it's still one of the only things I've ever completed, but I've also grown as a writer greatly since I
finished, and I wasn't really that pleased with the structuring, some of the descriptions, and even found some of the things
kind of corny. I tried to fix up a lot of that stuff when I was 20 and I first fixed it up. I'm now 22, and I still constantly find
things to improve in here. I'm actually in the works of writing an AU version of this story, where Cordy hooks up with
someone else. Through that reworking, it's creating areas of improvement, that I continue to add to this as well. Anyway,
something’s will be different, something’s will be the same, something’s, I just don’t like the way they’re worded! I really
hope you all continue to enjoy this improved version of my first completed story. ~
This I Promise You
By Jules
Prologue
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ok, here’s the deal, this takes place at the end of the 1st season, which should make the gang like 16. I've decided to alter the
story line for my purposes, (if you don’t like it, bite me…wait, with the subject matter we’re dealing with, maybe ‘bite me’ isn’
t what I want to say…)
ANYWAY lets see, um...
Cordelia (16 going on 17) – Rich, popular, beautiful, May Queen of Sunnydale High. Contrary to popular belief, the
cheerleader isn’t completely self-centered and she’s not a total bitch. It’s just a mask she hides behind, because she doesn’t
trust anyone, no one has ever given her reason to, nor proven that people could be trusted. A member of the Scooby Gang. She’
s also an Immortal. Friends with Duncan, Richie, and really good friends with Methos.
Angel (240-something) - Has that thing for Buffy, but he’s also kind of got his eye on Cordelia. He’s pretty sure he loves
Buffy, but every time he sees Cordy, his heart tightens in his chest (I didn’t say thumped, or skipped a beat, I said tightened,
that possible isn’t it?) Anyway, he doesn’t know what he wants. He’s torn between the two girls.
Duncan MacLeod (Like 400 years old) – He is Immortal. Born in the Highlands of Scotland 400 years ago. He is not
alone. There are others like him, some good, some evil. For centuries he has battled the forces of darkness, with Holy Ground
his only refuge. He cannot die, unless you take his head, and with it his power. In the end there can be only one. He is Duncan
MacLeod, the Highlander. [If you want to hear the opening, click on this link: http://yauger.simplenet.
com/highlander/multimedia/season2-3.wave]
Richie Ryan – Also and Immortal. Trained by Duncan, only in his 20’s. A wisecracking street kid ‘til Duncan caught him
breaking into his antique shop, but kept him around when he recognized his Immortal potential. I don’t remember if he knows
French or not, but for the sake of the story lets say he does.
Adam ‘Methos’ Pierson – A legendary 5000 year old Immortal, the oldest current living Immortal. Methos was a member
of the feared Four Horsemen who raped, murdered, and pillaged across three continents three thousand years ago. Since then
he has tried to make up for his past sins by helping Immortals he sees promise in. (Will be known as Adam for awhile).
Connects with Cordelia right off the bat, unlike Duncan, sees himself in her, beyond the layers.
Buffy (16 going on 17) (not a MAJOR character, but she’s fairly big) – Smitten with the souled vampire. Pretty sure
she’s falling in love with him. The only hindrance in their relationship is that whole, he’s a vampire, she’s the Slayer thing.
Then there’s the rest of the gang, Xander, Willow, Giles, Jenny, Joyce, maybe Spike, and others as we go along! Also some
more characters from Highlander don’t know whom else yet though.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 1
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
** Paris Café **
** Twilight **
Cordelia Chase had only been in Paris for a week, but she was having the time of her life. It was a great way
to spend the summer vacation before her junior year. Getting away from Sunnyhell, the Hellmouth, especially
after that whole thing with the Master….
It was hard to believe that only a year ago, she thought all the things she’d seen lately were just myths and
legends to scare little kids, but they were there. Along with lots of other creepy crawly, things that went
bump in the night.
Before Cordelia knew it her mind drifted to the shadowy man that occupied her every thought. Cordelia didn’
t know how, or why, but the moment her eyes had laid on the dark, handsome, muscular, brooding man,
(with great hair she might add), she’d fallen for him. Somehow, she just knew, it was the way her heart beat
was more erratic when he was near, she just prayed he didn’t notice how flustered she’d gotten around him.
But he had eyes only for Buffy, the Slayer as it had turned out. Which Cordelia totally didn’t get; why would
such a hunk want to be with a Vampire Slayer?
She shook her head in melancholy. She had to snap out of it though. She couldn’t have him, and she
wouldn’t try to steal him either, if his was destined for Buffy, she wouldn’t stand in their way. Cordelia Chase
wouldn’t make a fool of herself trying to make him fall for her. So she was going to force herself to completely
get over him while she was here.
She looked at her watch then quickly stood up; she’d been invited to a party by the teens of some old friends
of her parents. And now she only had two hours to get ready.
The hour had grown late, and the streets were now sparse with people as she walked to her hotel. The teen
shivered a bit, fashionable white Capri’s, a tight sky-blue t-shirt with a low neckline, and white platform
sandals had been perfect for the summer heat earlier in the day, but with the dusk had come cooler air, and
she was feeling chilled, and a little frightened of the her surroundings. Having only been in Paris a week, she
wasn’t too knowledgeable about the area quite yet, but she’d just wanted some time to herself that day to
think…but she was beginning to regret that decision, now that night was beginning to fall, and she was
having to find her way back to the hotel alone.
As Cordelia walked along the street, a shiver ran down her spine, and her senses all went on high alert. She
felt as if someone was watching her and just moments later thought she heard footsteps behind her, wanting
to check to see if she was right, Cordelia stopped, so did the noise.
All was quiet now, except for the distant sounds of music and lapping water drifting from the canal…
Growing up in Sunnydale had made Cordelia Chase very wary, especially after the sun had set in the sky, so
with an inborn instinct, she began to walk faster. A few moments later, she was absolutely positive she heard
footsteps behind her, and the steps soon speed up, growing closer.
Cordelia began running, as fast as she could, but the shoes that she wore prevented her from attaining her
maximum speed. Scared, and not familiar with the area, she made a wrong turn and found herself trapped in
an alley, no way out on one end, and the form of her pursuer, with a gun, now occupied where she came in.
The man said something in French-
’God, why didn’t I pay more attention in French class? Um, I only understood hands, up, give, and purse….Oh God, he’s
mugging me! My first week here and I’m being mugged!’
Cordelia’s mind in absolute turmoil, gave into her fear, and she did what came naturally…she screamed at the
top of her lungs in terror, because while she’d actually seen scarier things, and been in worse situations, Buffy
or Angel had always been there to save her before…and in Sunnydale, it was to be expected, not in Paris, not
during her vacation from the bad and scary. So yes, she screamed…in later years she would realize just how
out of character it was, and how stupid a reaction it had been….
~*~
** Near the Canal **
Duncan MacLeod, had just finished picking up some groceries, and was walking to his barge when he heard a
woman scream, then split second after that, a *BANG!*, which noise that sounded like a lot like a gunshot.
Dropping his groceries, MacLeod did what he always did when he heard sounds of someone in trouble, and
ran right in the direction of the upheaval. The Scot just hoped he was able to find whoever was in trouble,
and prayed he got there in time to help.
~*~
** The Alley **
*BANG!*
Cordelia felt something rip through her upper abdomen, through the lower part of her chest. And pain, lots
of pain.
“Sacre bleu!” cried the French thief. He quickly ran off, forgetting to even grab the rich girl’s purse.
Cordelia’s hand fluttered down to her stomach, she looked down, shocked to see blood on her fingers. She felt
her knees grow weak, and Cordelia sunk to the ground. The pain was making spots dance in her eyes, and
she could taste the coppery tang of blood in her mouth, as her lung filled with the thick liquid, which would
end her life. Her last thoughts were of disbelief at the irony, that after having grown up on the Hellmouth,
and having managed to survive for so long around vampires and other all the demons that ran around the
town, that it was a simple mugging that was going to kill her. This wasn’t fair….Her last regrets caused a
single tear to run down her cheek, the realization that she’d never had friends like Buffy, Xander, and Willow
were. That no one would ever love her, or care about her….
Cordelia Chase was only 16, less then five months away from 17, when she felt her heart thump slower and
slower, as she lay frozen in a Parisian ally. Her eyes fluttered closed, and all the life forces in her body, came to
a finalizing halt.
~*~
As Duncan reached the area where the scream, and then the gunshot, had originated, his Immortal detection
warning went off, giving him a sensation of the Buzz, which felt like something was constantly coming at
him, and told him another Immortal was near. The sensation was felt for several moments, and happened
whenever an Immortal came in and out of sensing range.
(Until an Immortal learned to deal with the Buzz, it could be almost painful and overwhelming. It could also be used to sense
pre-immortals, who hadn’t been killed for the first time, therefore were vulnerable.)
However, this Buzz was a bit different, it was much more faint, Duncan almost had to strain to detect it, it
was then he recognized it as the sensation of a pre-Immortal….However, it as he neared the sensation’s
source, the feeling abruptly stopped and Duncan knew, the pre-immie had been killed. Duncan had been too
late to save whoever had been shot, but that didn’t mean that he was too late all together…there was still
something he could do.
Duncan looked around searching for what could have set off his Immortal senses, seeing nothing, until his
gaze finally lit upon on the dark alley, and landed upon a fallen girl, lying in a pool of blood. Could it have
been that young teenage girl who set it off? He prayed that it wasn’t her, for her to have died so young, to
have been brought into the Game at such an age.
His years of war training took over, and he managed to walk over to the grizzly scene. Duncan knelt down
and checked for a pulse, closing his eyes in sadness when he found nothing. The wound had already stopped
bleeding though. He knew he couldn’t very well leave her here either. He slipped off his coat and wrapped her
in it, hiding the bloodstains on her clothes from anyone he might pass on the streets. Looking around and
finding the streets unsurprisingly empty, he picked her up her, and then hurried to the barge. It was Paris,
and to see a man carrying a passed out pair amore was a very common occurrence, so as long as no one
looked too close to see any of the blood on the two of them, Duncan knew he would be fine.
By the time he laid her on the bed, the wound that went from the front all the way through the back of her
chest, was also already quickly closing, and beginning to heal. Duncan left the coat wrapped around her and
put her purse, which had still been clutched tightly in her hand, on the dresser. He then he picked up a book
and started reading. It would be a while before she awoke, and when she did, he knew from experience it was
going to take forever to explain things to her. The shock from waking up from the dead was a bit
overwhelming, and could sometimes take awhile to sink in, not to mention the complications of explaining
the rules of the game….He just hoped Richie, or worse Methos, didn’t show up while he was trying to explain
it and tried to hit on the girl.
** Late that night **
Cordelia woke up swiftly, gasping for breath, her lungs refilling with air, and she sat up abruptly.
“Good, your back.” Duncan declared in his slightly Scottish accent, putting his book down and standing up.
Cordelia gazed at the handsome 30-something man who had just stood from the chair, only 20 feet away. He
was very handsome actually, about 6’3”, long black hair that was tied back in a pony tail that went to his
shoulder blades, dark brown eyes, broad muscular shoulders, a diamond earring in one ear, dressed in black
slacks and a white button up shirt….Yes, a very pleasing picture over all, but at the moment Cordelia Chase
wasn’t that interested in the looks of her host. Frankly, she was just trying to take in her surroundings, and
the fact that the man was a stranger, meant she wasn’t going to take her eyes off him. Being a stranger, meant
he could be dangerous, she’d learned to be wary of the dangerous ones, and that meant keeping her all her
senses on them.
“Where am I?” she demanded, scared out of her mind. Cordelia knew this wasn’t right, and she wasn’t just
talking about the strange man close by.
“My home, on the river.”
She looked down at her blood soaked shirt, fingering where the bullet had gone through, and then saw no
wound below it on her skin. It looked, from the holes in the shirt that it had gone through her left lung, but
there wasn’t even a scar, not a single mar on her body, “I was dead.” she said softly, “I remember dying…I felt
my body getting colder, and I could taste blood….” her mind raced, and she came to her only logical
conclusion, “Damn it all, you turned me into a vampire-thingy didn’t you!” she accused glaring at him.
Duncan stared at her in shock, “What? No! There’s no such thing as vampires. Trust me, I’ve been around for
over 400 years, there aren’t any vampires.”
Cordelia raised an eyebrow at him smirking, “Yeah, well I live in Sunnydale, California. By the Hellmouth,
you know a gateway to hell? Trust me, I’ve seem more vampires in the last year, then my fair share. God, I
even know the Slayer. She who’s chosen to kill what goes bump in the night! God, my boyfriend was turned
into a vamp, then staked…” she trailed off, then started up again, “Over 400 huh? Wow, that’s old…and we
thought Giles was old, and he’s like, 40….”
Duncan gazed at her, dumbfounded. Here he had been, thinking that he was going to have to convince her
that it was possible for Immortal’s to exist, and there she was telling him that things he’d thought were
legends were real.
“So, if you didn’t turn me into a vamp, how am I alive?” She questioned, getting up.
“You are an Immortal. One of a select few chosen to live forever…” he launched into the long saga of their
existence.
To summarize, some people are chosen to live forever, no ‘dying’ per say, never aging. They are all foundlings,
having no parents, so nobody really knows where they come from. They can be killed in the conventional
way, but they are reanimated a while later. The only way for them to DIE, die is beheading. And if the victor
of this fight is an Immortal, he/she gains the power, memories, and strength of the defeated, in this thing
called the quickening, which involves lots of lightning, and explosions. (Really cool to watch!)
Cordelia absorbed it all in stride, “So, I’ll never get all wrinkly, flabby, and all that other icky stuff involved in
aging.”
Duncan had to smile at the girl, it was obvious that she was very young, extremely blunt, but that it took a
lot to faze her, so he just went on, not sure how she was going to take the next part, “Cordelia, you’re never
going to change again. You’re going to stay this age for the rest of your life.”
“So? No wrinkles still means, no wrinkles. You will not see me complaining. I just got one question.”
Cordelia informed him.
“Yes?”
“Who the hell are you?”
Duncan shook him self a bit, realizing he’d forgotten to introduce himself. Flashing her his charming smile,
he bowed, kissed her hand, “Duncan MacLeod, of the clan MacLeod, and you are?”
“Cordelia Chase, only daughter of the second richest man in Sunnydale. By the way, I’m only 16, just so you
know, if the cops come, because what this is looking like is soooo not legal.”
Duncan was a little surprised at this information. She’d looked older…which she would be thankful for in
later years, since from this point on, she would never age again, but she still looked so young. It just wasn’t
fair for her to have died for the first time at such a young age. She’d have to be thought of as a teenager for
the rest of her life….
“So, what happens now?” Cordelia probed eagerly, pulling Duncan out of his musing.
“Well, I’m going to train you, in martial arts, sword fighting, and lots of other things. It will take awhile.”
Cordelia sighed, “Well I can only stay until I need to start school again. And I’ll have to call my parents and
tell them that I’ll be at a friend’s most of the time now, and not to call my hotel anymore, and that I’ll see
them in September. Don’t even think about trying to make me stay longer, I’m already kissing my summer
vacation goodbye, if you think I’m going to ditch my friends next year you can like, so forget about it.” she
told him seriously.
Duncan could tell this was going to be a long three months, and just hoped he would be able to train her in
that small amount of time, “Alright, maybe we should go get your clothes and things, we’ll have more time to
train if you stay here on the barge with me.”
“Right, um, can I borrow something to wear though? I don’t think that me walking in wearing a
bloodstained shirt will not cause the security staff to get alarmed.”
Duncan raised his eyebrow; this girl wasn’t as dumb as she acted.
* Two days later **
Cordelia was ready to kill Duncan, barely lifting her head from the pillow “You have got to be kidding me, it’s
six am, it’s my summer vacation, and you’re making me get up?”
“Come on Cordelia, rise and shine.” Duncan directed her, fully awake.
“MacLeod, you are cruel. Truly cruel.” she grumbled, stumbling out of bed and into the shower.
** 45 minutes later **
Cordelia re-emerged, her long, damp hair brushed and in a ponytail. She was wearing black wind pants,
which she had rolled down to her hips showing off her slim toned stomach, and a white Nike sports bra top.
Awake, but still cranky.
Duncan handed her a cup of coffee, and half a grapefruit.
They quickly ate, and then were off to train.
** Ten am **
Cordelia did have some training, due to cheerleading, and because it was a dangerous world out there, her
father had insisted on her taking kickboxing. At present, she was working on the mental and physical part of
martial arts.
Cordelia was bored out of her mind however as she hit the practice dummy. She was hot, sweaty, and she
knew, she just knew, her breaking a nail was inevitable.
“No.” Duncan stopped her, “Here.” he advised her, pointing to a spot a few centimeters above on the dummy’
s side, where she had been kicking, “It looks the same, but you’ll cause a lot more pain if you kick here.”
Cordelia kicked the stupid, stupid thing there, then punched it in the face a few times, “There, happy? I can’t
take this anymore! I’m going to do my cheer routines until lunch.” Cordelia declared, leaving no room for
argument.
Duncan could tell she was going to stand firm on this, and relented, “Fine.”
Cordelia’s expression changed from one of frustration, to one of happiness. She put in a CD, then started
working on her cheerleading routines, which always calmed her down and got out annoyances.
Duncan stood in a corner watching his charge. She was very stubborn, which could get her killed, but it
might also be a valuable element, but it was still too soon to differentiate.
He winced when he noticed her do five handsprings into an American spit, which to him looked seriously
painful, but Cordelia just rotated her torso so her legs were now on either side of her. She put her hands
down in front of her and lifted herself off the floor, shaking a bit, then slowly letting her self down. Cordelia
hopped up and did a few back bends, slowly flipping over. Her agility would give her an advantage as well he
noted.
Duncan knew what he really needed to work on, was controlling her anger, and her sword handling.
** Several Days later **
Cordelia glowered at the man above her, shiny sword at her neck. Yes, he’d knocked her down once more,
and once again, his shinny sword was at her neck, and he still wouldn’t let her use a real sword. She decided
to take this moment to bring up her protest once more.
“I still don’t see why I can’t use a real sword Duncan.” Cordelia whined as Duncan pulled her up, “Why do I
have to use a wooden one?”
Duncan having heard this argument many times over the past week just put it to her simply, “Because, until
you can control this one, I’m not trusting you with anything that sharp. I let you start with a katana
remember? Must I remind you of what happened?”
“I replaced everything! I just lost my grip!” Cordelia protested loudly, stamping her foot.
“Oooh, what’d she break Mac?” A new voice called out interrupting.
The Buzz hit them all, and Duncan’s stern countenance broke out in a grin.
“Richie! I haven’t seen you for a few months, where’d you get off to?” Duncan questioned, leaving his charge
and striding over to greet his friend and student, who jogged onto the boat.
“Oh, you know, here and there…” Richie finally got a good look at the girl behind Duncan, who was not
paying any attention to the proceedings what so ever, and his eyes just about dropped out of his head. He
had never seen a more attractive female in his life, the curves on her body had to be illegal, “Oh my God, Mac,
this just isn’t fair, how do you always manage to snap up most beautiful ones.”
“What?” Duncan was confused for a second, then he looked behind him realizing what Richie was talking
about, “Oh, no, Richie, you have the wrong idea completely, but even though I’m not involved with her, you
can’t be either.”
Richie was hurt, “Why not Mac? Aren’t I good enough for her?”
“Well, honestly, probably not, but, more importantly my friend, she’s 16.” Duncan told him, clamping a hand
down on his young friend’s shoulder, “And if she wasn’t, her father’s really, really rich. Have you ever heard
of the Chase family?”
“Wait, let me think, yeah, when I was on the West Coast especially.”
“She’s Cordelia Chase, one of the two remaining heirs, and obviously, she’s not blood related either, but she
stands to inherit most of it. But as I said, out of your league tough guy.”
Richie still looked beyond Duncan at the young heiress, “Yeah, but I can gaze in adoration…oh Lord, can I.”
Duncan shook his head in amusement, “You are terrible.”
“I don’t care, just introduce me already Mac!”
“Alright, alright.”
Cordelia used Duncan’s distraction as an opportunity to check on her occult supplies. While she didn’t expect
anything to happen while she was on vacation, there was no way she was ever getting attacked yet again
without being prepared.
She had packed some stakes in her suitcase, as well as crosses, a holy water squirt gun, plus some extra holy
water, and now she was putting a couple stakes, a cross, and her squirt gun in her purse. In Sunnydale it
was just absurd to even think going outside after dark without the things in her purse, unless you had a
death wish, and Cordelia had no idea what lurked in the shadows of Paris….
She was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn’t hear Duncan and Richie coming up behind her, though in
their defense, they weren’t speaking.
Richie reached out and tapped her on the shoulder.
Cordelia’s mind was on vampires, so she immediately thought vampire. Her body went into auto with the
stake in her right hand, she grabbed, hand that touched her with her left, sweeping whoever-was-behind-
her's feet out from under them and stopped from staking the guy just an inch away from his chest.
Duncan watched the scene in astonishment, very glad that his friend was an Immortal and in some morally
wrong level, proud that Cordelia had obviously learned something from him in her training.
On Richie’s part, everything went in slow motion, and then moved very quickly, and all of a sudden, he was
on the floor. Not knowing whether he should be terrified of the fact that he had just been attacked, and that
there was something very sharp and pointy pressed to his chest, or happy that there was a beautiful girl lying
on top of him.
Cordelia on the other hand, was thinking nothing of the person underneath her. She just starred at the stake
in her hand in shock for a moment, and then she hopped up grinning. “Wow Duncan, I never thought about
how what I was learning could be applied if I went out slaying. But I was standing here, packing some stakes
in my purse thinking about the vamps at home, and your buddy here surprised me, so I went into autopilot,
next think I know, the stakes at his heart. Good thing I realized who he was before I staked him or he would
have been a goner.
“Vampires, are real?” Richie croaked out from the floor.
“Oh yeah. Is everyone oblivious to this fact? I mean, they totally roam the nights.” Cordelia shook her head
in wonder, completely disregarding to fact that she herself hadn’t even know about vampires until last year
and she probably wouldn’t have even bothered to acknowledge their existence if her boyfriend hadn’t gotten
murdered, even though she’d been involved in multiple vampire attacks prior to that time.
“Well, most people don’t live on the Hellmouth.” Duncan rationalized, having accepted the fact that vampires
did exist after a few stories about Cordelia’s hometown of Sunnydale, “Now why don’t you help Richie off the
floor Cordelia and apologize for trying to stake him through the heart, even though he would have
resuscitated, eventually.”
“Oh, right!” Cordelia reached down and pulled the boy up with her left hand, “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you
to come up behind me, and I was lost in my thoughts about what if there were vampires lurking in the
shadows of Paris, and what a bummer that would be and…so you must be Duncan’s friend Richie Ryan. He’s
told me all about you. It’s great to finally meet you.” Cordelia flashed him her patented smile, and looked him
up and down appraisingly.
Cordelia Chase had an eye that could calculate a man’s net worth a matter of a few seconds, and while Richie
Ryan was not husband, or boyfriend material, if Duncan liked him, he was good enough to be a friend,
besides, if he was immortal, after a few decades, who knew how much he could be worth eventually.
Duncan finished the introductions, “And Richie, this of course, is Cordelia Chase, my newest student, who
will be returning to Sunnydale in less than two and a half months, so we really need to get back to training.”
“Is Richie going to be joining us?” Cordelia questioned, eager for someone else to join them, so the poundings
would be dispersed somewhat.
Duncan looked to his other student with a raised eyebrow. Richie meanwhile, was staring at Cordelia in her
workout clothes, unable it seemed to take his eyes off her.
“Oh, yeah, definitely.” The older protégée answered.
Duncan rolled his eyes at the boy’s behavior, and discretely smacked him on the back of the head.
“Richie, why don’t you go get changed, Cordelia and I will just do a few katas while we wait for you.” The
Highlander told him.
Richie nodded, “Right, I’ll be back in a few minutes.” With that, he ran down into the barge.
“He seems…nice.” Cordelia said a few moments later.
“Aye. He is. He’s a very good boy. Loyal, trustworthy.” Mac told her.
Cordelia cocked her head, “How’d you meet him?”
Duncan blushed, “Well, um…he…that is to say….We uh met when Richie was 17, awhile before his first
death. He saw me and my kinsman, Connor MacLeod fighting with another Immortal, Slan Quince, who had
come for my head for some reason…I still don’t know why he came after me, I’d never even met him in my
life. Anyway, Richie saw Slan cheat and shoot a knife out of his sword, when he was about to loose to
Connor, right into Connor’s chest, which knocked him off the bridge they were fighting on. I showed up,
and defeated Slan, and Richie witnessed me receiving Slan’s quickening. He also watched me dive off the
bridge and pull Connor out of the river, and he then saw how Connor was then alive. Connor and I both
realized that we’d need to keep an eye on Richie, as because A)we could sense he was a pre-immortal, and B)
he’d just witnessed something that mortal’s weren’t supposed to see. So, I took him in, gave him a job in my
Antiques store….He managed to get himself mixed up in the game multiple times though, even before he
himself was finally pulled into the game at 19. I didn’t tell him how he was destined to become an Immortal
like me one day…frankly, I was kind of hoping he would be able to avoid the whole thing. Some pre-
immortals are able to do that, they can live their whole life and die a normal death….But Richie, it was
obvious from the moment I met him that wasn’t his destiny. The Game had too strong a pull on him, even
before his first death. It finally caught up with him when he was 19…my fiancé died by his side.”
“Oh Duncan…I really don’t know what to say….I’m sure she was a wonderful woman.”
Duncan gave her a small smile, “She was…Tessa was great, and she loved Richie too. But that was a few years
ago, and if I’ve learned anything, it’s that you shouldn’t live in the past. You can’t, or the past will drown
out your future.”
Cordelia nodded, “I suppose you’re right…though I really don’t have much of a past yet to speak of….”
Duncan laughed, “No, I don’t suppose you do.” He shook his head, “Come on now, that’s enough of a break,
you distracted me long enough. Let’s get back to work Chase.”
Cordelia sighed in frustration, then began the kata routine with Duncan.
** One month later **
Cordelia sighed blissfully as she looked around, finally, a day off. It was her reward for pinning Duncan in a
fight after all this time. She was going to shop all day, then eat a café, call Harmony and brag that she had
some Paris originals.
Duncan walked beside her, silently amused at the teen’s giddiness. He was glad to see his young charge was
so happy; she seemed totally in her element as she shopped all day. He figured after forcing her to train for so
long, he could at least accompany her without complaining.
Richie Ryan was with them of course. He had shown up about a month ago and was completely smitten with
Cordelia, though she had no inkling with regards to his affections for her. He too, was an Immortal, a recent
addition to their ranks too, with in the last five years was very young for an Immortal, but Immortal he was.
Only a bit older then Cordy was.
Both Richie and Duncan were taken with her charming bluntness and her tactlessness.
Richie had burst out laughing one day when Cordelia had looked Duncan over and asked him, “Alright, I
give up, what is it with Immortal’s and trench coats? It’s all Angel wears too! Richie might not be wearing the
latest things, but at least he has some more variaty in his wardrobe!”
“Ooh!” Cordelia squealed, picking up a dark red button up silk shirt off a rack, “Duncan, this would look
great on you!” She held it up to the Scots man, “See! Wouldn’t it be perfect for him Richie?”
Richie smiled, “Oh yes Cordelia. It’s just totally Duncan.”
Cordelia smiled back at him, causing him to blush. She had a quick look around and spotted something else
she liked, “Ooh, this suit is totally you Richie!”
Richie’s own visage turned to one of horror.
“Go try it on! I know you’re going to look so handsome in it.” Cordelia ordered.
Richie was among those afflicted to not being able to say no to her, he groaned taking the Armani suit from
her. She handed him a white shirt to go with it, “Take this too.”
The trial of trying on the suit however was totally forgotten when he stepped out of the dressing room.
Cordelia looked him up and down, then whistled, “You are a total hottie. Doesn’t he look great Duncan?”
“Oh, yes, a total babe.” He teased the poor boy.
Cordelia didn’t even notice, she walked around Richie, “I’m going to buy it for you. Every guy needs a really
hot looking suit, and something tells me you don’t have one.”
Richie was about to protest, but the look on her face kept him silent.
“We’ll just have it tailored to fit you’re measurements, the shirts as well….” she murmured to herself, pulling
on the sleeves and brushing the jacket. Cordelia knew also knew the only way to have a proper fitting suit,
was to have it custom tailored for the wear. She found the in store tailor, made the arrangements to have the
suits and shirts tailored to Richie’s measurements, and then they would be delivered to the barge in one day
(it was such a short time, due to the large purchase Cordelia was making at the store, and the expense of the
items she was purchasing. The store was eager to facilitate them in any way possible.)
They managed to get out of the store, half and hour later, with three suits for Richie, five shirts to go with
them, and several ties. For Duncan there were four shirts, and two ties, since his wardrobe was better then
Richie’s had been. The suits and shirts would all be delivered the following day as promised, and the two men
were now quite impressed with the way Cordelia Chase handled sales clerks. They’d never seen anyone handle
Parisian clerks with such finesse before…not to mention the way she got the staff to jump at her every whim,
Duncan hadn’t been so waited on in years.
** Seven pm **
Duncan and Richie flopped down on the couch in the barge, surrounded by bags, exhausted.
Cordelia, who had carried just as many bags, if not more, was still very energetic, “God, you men are such
wimps.” She shook her head as she went into the bathroom to change.
They guys are surprised when she came out wearing her workout clothes.
“What on earth are you doing?” Duncan questioned, wide eyed.
Cordelia glanced at him like he’s crazy, “Going to work out of course, my God, I was shopping all day, and I
had a huge lunch. I need to go work off those calories. Besides, I have to be ready for Cheerleader tryouts in
like a month! I need to really concentrate on that to if I’m going to be captain! If you want to join me I’ll be up
on deck.” When she saw they weren’t going to move, she jogged out.
“Where the hell does she get all that energy?” Duncan demanded, looking up to the heavens, hoping for an
answer.
“I don’t know…but man, the possibilities….” Richie uttered, naughty thoughts running through his head on
how she could expel some of that energy with him.
Duncan noticed the look on the young man’s face, “Don’t even think about it. She’s not even 17 yet, and I
know she’s not interested.”
Richie groaned, “I know, but I can dream.”
Duncan laughed, “Yes you can. Just don’t let yourself get too wrapped up in those dreams, I don’t want you
getting hurt.”
“I’ll try, but with a body like that, you can’t help but get burned…”
Up on the deck Cordelia practiced the Tai-chi Duncan had taught her, trying to get that damn Angel out of
her head. Her call to Harmony had revealed that Buffy had left Sunnydale for the summer to stay with her
Dad in LA until the school year started. For the past month she hadn’t thought about Angel as much,
because her training consumed practically her every waking moment, only in her dreams was she focusing on
him now, for that she’d made herself train extra, because she had to break this habit. She was going to get
seriously disappointed if she didn’t. And she wouldn’t do that to herself. Plus, there were more important
things to think about, like other immortals coming after her head…that was something she personally
thought was quite important to concentrate on. She’d already died once, and thought that those few
moments were her last on earth, and she hadn’t liked the feeling, she hadn’t done enough with her life. There
was too much left for her to do…she wasn’t going to die with so much left undone…Cordelia took the Game
seriously, not like some Immortals, where they actively sought to end it, no Cordelia wanted to live as long a
life as possible, which meant she would train as much as she had to, and avoid it if she could.
Cordelia Chase wasn’t going to let herself get taken out early, she’d survived almost 17 years on a Hellmouth
damn it, she wasn’t about to let some stupid ‘Game’ take her out…her thoughts completely resolved, Cordelia’
s focus became clear, and her movements more graceful as she was able to concentrate fully on her task, as she
stopped dwelling on the thoughts that had plagued her for many long nights, for the moment at least…..
** A few weeks later **
** Nine am **
Duncan, Richie, and Cordy (as they called her) were all doing the carefully planned sword training exercises
when they all were afflicted with the ‘buzz’, signaling another Immortal was in close proximity. It was a very
powerful Buzz as well, signaling that of an old lifeline.
They all had a quick look around and spotted a tall thin man walking en route of them. All three tensed,
ready to fight, until Duncan and Richie finally recognized him.
“Methos!” Duncan called out. Cordelia noted that Duncan and Richie had put down their swords, so she did
as well.
The man came and gave Duncan and Richie each a firm handshake. Stopping at Cordelia looking her up and
down, then took her hand and bought it up to his mouth and kissed it, “And who, is this lovely creature we
have here?”
Duncan made the introductions, “This is Cordelia Chase. She’s from America. She’s just entered the Game
couple months ago, she is my new student.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Cordelia, as you have heard, I am Methos, but I prefer to go by Adam Pierson.” He
glared a bit at Duncan when saying this, angry at the other immortal for being so careless with his name.
Cordelia’s nose crinkled for a moment, and then it was as if a light flickered on inside her head, “You’re like
the oldest living person in the world aren’t you?”
“So you told her too, eh?” Adam queried Duncan, more pissed.
Duncan shook his head, bewildered that she had known.
Cordelia explained it to them, “Immortals aren’t that much of a secret…I mean, it’s not like mortal’s haven’t
ever heard stories about us, they just think we are just myths. But the Slayer’s Watchers council does have a
few books on our legend. Methos was one of the first Immortals, over 5000 years old by now. Suspected to be
one of the four horsemen….Gods, you’re the legend of legends to them.”
“How on earth do you know that?” Methos demanded, very suspicious of the girl.
“I live in Sunnydale. I’ve read a few of the books in the library.” she explained indifferently.
“Ah, the Hellmouth. I see you must work with the Slayer. Actually, the Immortal’s Watchers Council is
where the origin’s of the Slayer’s Watchers Council got started, they just have blocked out their existence for
some reason.” Adam informed her.
Cordelia smirked at Duncan and Richie, “Told you I lived at the Hellmouth, and that Buffy was the Slayer.”
“I never said that you didn’t!” Richie exclaimed.
Cordelia glared at him, “Maybe, but you never said you believed me.” she turned to Adam, “You ever met a
vampire? Or any of those other things that go bump in the night?”
“Oh tons of times. Most of them are down right ugly wankers.”
“I know! Total gross factor of a scale one to ten, most of them are like 15.” Cordelia imparted to him,
sheathing her sword as they started to walk and talk, leaving Richie and Duncan behind.
“I really hate the ones with slime, or ooze. The smell is impossible to get off your clothes.” Adam commented.
“I know! And of course the ones they ruin are always the really expensive ones, never the stuff that is easy to
replace…”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Please, I want replies, I know it sounds pathetic, but I live for feedback, good or bad! If you have any
questions, or anything you’d like to point out, feel free to e-mail me! I always answer questions. And I’m
more inclined to respond back to positive reviews, if there’s a specific scene you enjoyed, or a line you loved. I
like to know what people enjoyed about my writings. A writer is always improving himself or herself.
If you want chapters as soon as they come out, join my mailing list at: http://tv.groups.yahoo.
com/vampirevixen
SO REPLY!
Name: Jules
E-mail: goddessacacia@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-15 maybe sometimes higher
Disclaimer: Obviously, I don’t own any of the characters, no matter how much I WISH I did. They belong to
the idiot Joss and the WB. The rest belong to whoever owns the Highlander series. Any other characters, I
created, like Jonathan Damians. And Detectives Donner and Attkins.
Classification: (romance, friendship, little-angst, crossover)
Summary: During the summer of her junior year (of HS), something happens to Cordelia while in Paris and
she must spend the rest of her vacation training for her life as an Immortal. Once back in Sunnydale her life is
sullied again. Can Cordy hide her secret from Angel and the Scoobies? Cordy comes back a totally new
woman, with a new out look on life, and some new friends who are going to really shake up Sunnydale,
Methos, Duncan, and Richie. [AU Season 2] [Highlander Crossover] [Angel/Cordy]
Status: Completed.
~ Please excuse all errors in anything! I only got the WB this year, so needless to say, my only information comes from
episode guides, which don’t go into much detail. I’m assuming Cordy knows about all the icky demon things, and that she
knows Angel’s a souled vamp!
Alright, when I first wrote this fic, I was 16. I’d only had the WB a year, I’d never seen the first three seasons of BtVS, so I
was depending on episode guides for my info, so I was making some assumptions. Even now that I have the seasons on
DVD, the details get blurred. ANYWAY. Also when I first wrote this story, it became the first fan fiction I'd ever actually
completed. Since then...well, it's still one of the only things I've ever completed, but I've also grown as a writer greatly since I
finished, and I wasn't really that pleased with the structuring, some of the descriptions, and even found some of the things
kind of corny. I tried to fix up a lot of that stuff when I was 20 and I first fixed it up. I'm now 22, and I still constantly find
things to improve in here. I'm actually in the works of writing an AU version of this story, where Cordy hooks up with
someone else. Through that reworking, it's creating areas of improvement, that I continue to add to this as well. Anyway,
something’s will be different, something’s will be the same, something’s, I just don’t like the way they’re worded! I really
hope you all continue to enjoy this improved version of my first completed story. ~
This I Promise You
By Jules
Prologue
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ok, here’s the deal, this takes place at the end of the 1st season, which should make the gang like 16. I've decided to alter the
story line for my purposes, (if you don’t like it, bite me…wait, with the subject matter we’re dealing with, maybe ‘bite me’ isn’
t what I want to say…)
ANYWAY lets see, um...
Cordelia (16 going on 17) – Rich, popular, beautiful, May Queen of Sunnydale High. Contrary to popular belief, the
cheerleader isn’t completely self-centered and she’s not a total bitch. It’s just a mask she hides behind, because she doesn’t
trust anyone, no one has ever given her reason to, nor proven that people could be trusted. A member of the Scooby Gang. She’
s also an Immortal. Friends with Duncan, Richie, and really good friends with Methos.
Angel (240-something) - Has that thing for Buffy, but he’s also kind of got his eye on Cordelia. He’s pretty sure he loves
Buffy, but every time he sees Cordy, his heart tightens in his chest (I didn’t say thumped, or skipped a beat, I said tightened,
that possible isn’t it?) Anyway, he doesn’t know what he wants. He’s torn between the two girls.
Duncan MacLeod (Like 400 years old) – He is Immortal. Born in the Highlands of Scotland 400 years ago. He is not
alone. There are others like him, some good, some evil. For centuries he has battled the forces of darkness, with Holy Ground
his only refuge. He cannot die, unless you take his head, and with it his power. In the end there can be only one. He is Duncan
MacLeod, the Highlander. [If you want to hear the opening, click on this link: http://yauger.simplenet.
com/highlander/multimedia/season2-3.wave]
Richie Ryan – Also and Immortal. Trained by Duncan, only in his 20’s. A wisecracking street kid ‘til Duncan caught him
breaking into his antique shop, but kept him around when he recognized his Immortal potential. I don’t remember if he knows
French or not, but for the sake of the story lets say he does.
Adam ‘Methos’ Pierson – A legendary 5000 year old Immortal, the oldest current living Immortal. Methos was a member
of the feared Four Horsemen who raped, murdered, and pillaged across three continents three thousand years ago. Since then
he has tried to make up for his past sins by helping Immortals he sees promise in. (Will be known as Adam for awhile).
Connects with Cordelia right off the bat, unlike Duncan, sees himself in her, beyond the layers.
Buffy (16 going on 17) (not a MAJOR character, but she’s fairly big) – Smitten with the souled vampire. Pretty sure
she’s falling in love with him. The only hindrance in their relationship is that whole, he’s a vampire, she’s the Slayer thing.
Then there’s the rest of the gang, Xander, Willow, Giles, Jenny, Joyce, maybe Spike, and others as we go along! Also some
more characters from Highlander don’t know whom else yet though.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 1
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
** Paris Café **
** Twilight **
Cordelia Chase had only been in Paris for a week, but she was having the time of her life. It was a great way
to spend the summer vacation before her junior year. Getting away from Sunnyhell, the Hellmouth, especially
after that whole thing with the Master….
It was hard to believe that only a year ago, she thought all the things she’d seen lately were just myths and
legends to scare little kids, but they were there. Along with lots of other creepy crawly, things that went
bump in the night.
Before Cordelia knew it her mind drifted to the shadowy man that occupied her every thought. Cordelia didn’
t know how, or why, but the moment her eyes had laid on the dark, handsome, muscular, brooding man,
(with great hair she might add), she’d fallen for him. Somehow, she just knew, it was the way her heart beat
was more erratic when he was near, she just prayed he didn’t notice how flustered she’d gotten around him.
But he had eyes only for Buffy, the Slayer as it had turned out. Which Cordelia totally didn’t get; why would
such a hunk want to be with a Vampire Slayer?
She shook her head in melancholy. She had to snap out of it though. She couldn’t have him, and she
wouldn’t try to steal him either, if his was destined for Buffy, she wouldn’t stand in their way. Cordelia Chase
wouldn’t make a fool of herself trying to make him fall for her. So she was going to force herself to completely
get over him while she was here.
She looked at her watch then quickly stood up; she’d been invited to a party by the teens of some old friends
of her parents. And now she only had two hours to get ready.
The hour had grown late, and the streets were now sparse with people as she walked to her hotel. The teen
shivered a bit, fashionable white Capri’s, a tight sky-blue t-shirt with a low neckline, and white platform
sandals had been perfect for the summer heat earlier in the day, but with the dusk had come cooler air, and
she was feeling chilled, and a little frightened of the her surroundings. Having only been in Paris a week, she
wasn’t too knowledgeable about the area quite yet, but she’d just wanted some time to herself that day to
think…but she was beginning to regret that decision, now that night was beginning to fall, and she was
having to find her way back to the hotel alone.
As Cordelia walked along the street, a shiver ran down her spine, and her senses all went on high alert. She
felt as if someone was watching her and just moments later thought she heard footsteps behind her, wanting
to check to see if she was right, Cordelia stopped, so did the noise.
All was quiet now, except for the distant sounds of music and lapping water drifting from the canal…
Growing up in Sunnydale had made Cordelia Chase very wary, especially after the sun had set in the sky, so
with an inborn instinct, she began to walk faster. A few moments later, she was absolutely positive she heard
footsteps behind her, and the steps soon speed up, growing closer.
Cordelia began running, as fast as she could, but the shoes that she wore prevented her from attaining her
maximum speed. Scared, and not familiar with the area, she made a wrong turn and found herself trapped in
an alley, no way out on one end, and the form of her pursuer, with a gun, now occupied where she came in.
The man said something in French-
’God, why didn’t I pay more attention in French class? Um, I only understood hands, up, give, and purse….Oh God, he’s
mugging me! My first week here and I’m being mugged!’
Cordelia’s mind in absolute turmoil, gave into her fear, and she did what came naturally…she screamed at the
top of her lungs in terror, because while she’d actually seen scarier things, and been in worse situations, Buffy
or Angel had always been there to save her before…and in Sunnydale, it was to be expected, not in Paris, not
during her vacation from the bad and scary. So yes, she screamed…in later years she would realize just how
out of character it was, and how stupid a reaction it had been….
~*~
** Near the Canal **
Duncan MacLeod, had just finished picking up some groceries, and was walking to his barge when he heard a
woman scream, then split second after that, a *BANG!*, which noise that sounded like a lot like a gunshot.
Dropping his groceries, MacLeod did what he always did when he heard sounds of someone in trouble, and
ran right in the direction of the upheaval. The Scot just hoped he was able to find whoever was in trouble,
and prayed he got there in time to help.
~*~
** The Alley **
*BANG!*
Cordelia felt something rip through her upper abdomen, through the lower part of her chest. And pain, lots
of pain.
“Sacre bleu!” cried the French thief. He quickly ran off, forgetting to even grab the rich girl’s purse.
Cordelia’s hand fluttered down to her stomach, she looked down, shocked to see blood on her fingers. She felt
her knees grow weak, and Cordelia sunk to the ground. The pain was making spots dance in her eyes, and
she could taste the coppery tang of blood in her mouth, as her lung filled with the thick liquid, which would
end her life. Her last thoughts were of disbelief at the irony, that after having grown up on the Hellmouth,
and having managed to survive for so long around vampires and other all the demons that ran around the
town, that it was a simple mugging that was going to kill her. This wasn’t fair….Her last regrets caused a
single tear to run down her cheek, the realization that she’d never had friends like Buffy, Xander, and Willow
were. That no one would ever love her, or care about her….
Cordelia Chase was only 16, less then five months away from 17, when she felt her heart thump slower and
slower, as she lay frozen in a Parisian ally. Her eyes fluttered closed, and all the life forces in her body, came to
a finalizing halt.
~*~
As Duncan reached the area where the scream, and then the gunshot, had originated, his Immortal detection
warning went off, giving him a sensation of the Buzz, which felt like something was constantly coming at
him, and told him another Immortal was near. The sensation was felt for several moments, and happened
whenever an Immortal came in and out of sensing range.
(Until an Immortal learned to deal with the Buzz, it could be almost painful and overwhelming. It could also be used to sense
pre-immortals, who hadn’t been killed for the first time, therefore were vulnerable.)
However, this Buzz was a bit different, it was much more faint, Duncan almost had to strain to detect it, it
was then he recognized it as the sensation of a pre-Immortal….However, it as he neared the sensation’s
source, the feeling abruptly stopped and Duncan knew, the pre-immie had been killed. Duncan had been too
late to save whoever had been shot, but that didn’t mean that he was too late all together…there was still
something he could do.
Duncan looked around searching for what could have set off his Immortal senses, seeing nothing, until his
gaze finally lit upon on the dark alley, and landed upon a fallen girl, lying in a pool of blood. Could it have
been that young teenage girl who set it off? He prayed that it wasn’t her, for her to have died so young, to
have been brought into the Game at such an age.
His years of war training took over, and he managed to walk over to the grizzly scene. Duncan knelt down
and checked for a pulse, closing his eyes in sadness when he found nothing. The wound had already stopped
bleeding though. He knew he couldn’t very well leave her here either. He slipped off his coat and wrapped her
in it, hiding the bloodstains on her clothes from anyone he might pass on the streets. Looking around and
finding the streets unsurprisingly empty, he picked her up her, and then hurried to the barge. It was Paris,
and to see a man carrying a passed out pair amore was a very common occurrence, so as long as no one
looked too close to see any of the blood on the two of them, Duncan knew he would be fine.
By the time he laid her on the bed, the wound that went from the front all the way through the back of her
chest, was also already quickly closing, and beginning to heal. Duncan left the coat wrapped around her and
put her purse, which had still been clutched tightly in her hand, on the dresser. He then he picked up a book
and started reading. It would be a while before she awoke, and when she did, he knew from experience it was
going to take forever to explain things to her. The shock from waking up from the dead was a bit
overwhelming, and could sometimes take awhile to sink in, not to mention the complications of explaining
the rules of the game….He just hoped Richie, or worse Methos, didn’t show up while he was trying to explain
it and tried to hit on the girl.
** Late that night **
Cordelia woke up swiftly, gasping for breath, her lungs refilling with air, and she sat up abruptly.
“Good, your back.” Duncan declared in his slightly Scottish accent, putting his book down and standing up.
Cordelia gazed at the handsome 30-something man who had just stood from the chair, only 20 feet away. He
was very handsome actually, about 6’3”, long black hair that was tied back in a pony tail that went to his
shoulder blades, dark brown eyes, broad muscular shoulders, a diamond earring in one ear, dressed in black
slacks and a white button up shirt….Yes, a very pleasing picture over all, but at the moment Cordelia Chase
wasn’t that interested in the looks of her host. Frankly, she was just trying to take in her surroundings, and
the fact that the man was a stranger, meant she wasn’t going to take her eyes off him. Being a stranger, meant
he could be dangerous, she’d learned to be wary of the dangerous ones, and that meant keeping her all her
senses on them.
“Where am I?” she demanded, scared out of her mind. Cordelia knew this wasn’t right, and she wasn’t just
talking about the strange man close by.
“My home, on the river.”
She looked down at her blood soaked shirt, fingering where the bullet had gone through, and then saw no
wound below it on her skin. It looked, from the holes in the shirt that it had gone through her left lung, but
there wasn’t even a scar, not a single mar on her body, “I was dead.” she said softly, “I remember dying…I felt
my body getting colder, and I could taste blood….” her mind raced, and she came to her only logical
conclusion, “Damn it all, you turned me into a vampire-thingy didn’t you!” she accused glaring at him.
Duncan stared at her in shock, “What? No! There’s no such thing as vampires. Trust me, I’ve been around for
over 400 years, there aren’t any vampires.”
Cordelia raised an eyebrow at him smirking, “Yeah, well I live in Sunnydale, California. By the Hellmouth,
you know a gateway to hell? Trust me, I’ve seem more vampires in the last year, then my fair share. God, I
even know the Slayer. She who’s chosen to kill what goes bump in the night! God, my boyfriend was turned
into a vamp, then staked…” she trailed off, then started up again, “Over 400 huh? Wow, that’s old…and we
thought Giles was old, and he’s like, 40….”
Duncan gazed at her, dumbfounded. Here he had been, thinking that he was going to have to convince her
that it was possible for Immortal’s to exist, and there she was telling him that things he’d thought were
legends were real.
“So, if you didn’t turn me into a vamp, how am I alive?” She questioned, getting up.
“You are an Immortal. One of a select few chosen to live forever…” he launched into the long saga of their
existence.
To summarize, some people are chosen to live forever, no ‘dying’ per say, never aging. They are all foundlings,
having no parents, so nobody really knows where they come from. They can be killed in the conventional
way, but they are reanimated a while later. The only way for them to DIE, die is beheading. And if the victor
of this fight is an Immortal, he/she gains the power, memories, and strength of the defeated, in this thing
called the quickening, which involves lots of lightning, and explosions. (Really cool to watch!)
Cordelia absorbed it all in stride, “So, I’ll never get all wrinkly, flabby, and all that other icky stuff involved in
aging.”
Duncan had to smile at the girl, it was obvious that she was very young, extremely blunt, but that it took a
lot to faze her, so he just went on, not sure how she was going to take the next part, “Cordelia, you’re never
going to change again. You’re going to stay this age for the rest of your life.”
“So? No wrinkles still means, no wrinkles. You will not see me complaining. I just got one question.”
Cordelia informed him.
“Yes?”
“Who the hell are you?”
Duncan shook him self a bit, realizing he’d forgotten to introduce himself. Flashing her his charming smile,
he bowed, kissed her hand, “Duncan MacLeod, of the clan MacLeod, and you are?”
“Cordelia Chase, only daughter of the second richest man in Sunnydale. By the way, I’m only 16, just so you
know, if the cops come, because what this is looking like is soooo not legal.”
Duncan was a little surprised at this information. She’d looked older…which she would be thankful for in
later years, since from this point on, she would never age again, but she still looked so young. It just wasn’t
fair for her to have died for the first time at such a young age. She’d have to be thought of as a teenager for
the rest of her life….
“So, what happens now?” Cordelia probed eagerly, pulling Duncan out of his musing.
“Well, I’m going to train you, in martial arts, sword fighting, and lots of other things. It will take awhile.”
Cordelia sighed, “Well I can only stay until I need to start school again. And I’ll have to call my parents and
tell them that I’ll be at a friend’s most of the time now, and not to call my hotel anymore, and that I’ll see
them in September. Don’t even think about trying to make me stay longer, I’m already kissing my summer
vacation goodbye, if you think I’m going to ditch my friends next year you can like, so forget about it.” she
told him seriously.
Duncan could tell this was going to be a long three months, and just hoped he would be able to train her in
that small amount of time, “Alright, maybe we should go get your clothes and things, we’ll have more time to
train if you stay here on the barge with me.”
“Right, um, can I borrow something to wear though? I don’t think that me walking in wearing a
bloodstained shirt will not cause the security staff to get alarmed.”
Duncan raised his eyebrow; this girl wasn’t as dumb as she acted.
* Two days later **
Cordelia was ready to kill Duncan, barely lifting her head from the pillow “You have got to be kidding me, it’s
six am, it’s my summer vacation, and you’re making me get up?”
“Come on Cordelia, rise and shine.” Duncan directed her, fully awake.
“MacLeod, you are cruel. Truly cruel.” she grumbled, stumbling out of bed and into the shower.
** 45 minutes later **
Cordelia re-emerged, her long, damp hair brushed and in a ponytail. She was wearing black wind pants,
which she had rolled down to her hips showing off her slim toned stomach, and a white Nike sports bra top.
Awake, but still cranky.
Duncan handed her a cup of coffee, and half a grapefruit.
They quickly ate, and then were off to train.
** Ten am **
Cordelia did have some training, due to cheerleading, and because it was a dangerous world out there, her
father had insisted on her taking kickboxing. At present, she was working on the mental and physical part of
martial arts.
Cordelia was bored out of her mind however as she hit the practice dummy. She was hot, sweaty, and she
knew, she just knew, her breaking a nail was inevitable.
“No.” Duncan stopped her, “Here.” he advised her, pointing to a spot a few centimeters above on the dummy’
s side, where she had been kicking, “It looks the same, but you’ll cause a lot more pain if you kick here.”
Cordelia kicked the stupid, stupid thing there, then punched it in the face a few times, “There, happy? I can’t
take this anymore! I’m going to do my cheer routines until lunch.” Cordelia declared, leaving no room for
argument.
Duncan could tell she was going to stand firm on this, and relented, “Fine.”
Cordelia’s expression changed from one of frustration, to one of happiness. She put in a CD, then started
working on her cheerleading routines, which always calmed her down and got out annoyances.
Duncan stood in a corner watching his charge. She was very stubborn, which could get her killed, but it
might also be a valuable element, but it was still too soon to differentiate.
He winced when he noticed her do five handsprings into an American spit, which to him looked seriously
painful, but Cordelia just rotated her torso so her legs were now on either side of her. She put her hands
down in front of her and lifted herself off the floor, shaking a bit, then slowly letting her self down. Cordelia
hopped up and did a few back bends, slowly flipping over. Her agility would give her an advantage as well he
noted.
Duncan knew what he really needed to work on, was controlling her anger, and her sword handling.
** Several Days later **
Cordelia glowered at the man above her, shiny sword at her neck. Yes, he’d knocked her down once more,
and once again, his shinny sword was at her neck, and he still wouldn’t let her use a real sword. She decided
to take this moment to bring up her protest once more.
“I still don’t see why I can’t use a real sword Duncan.” Cordelia whined as Duncan pulled her up, “Why do I
have to use a wooden one?”
Duncan having heard this argument many times over the past week just put it to her simply, “Because, until
you can control this one, I’m not trusting you with anything that sharp. I let you start with a katana
remember? Must I remind you of what happened?”
“I replaced everything! I just lost my grip!” Cordelia protested loudly, stamping her foot.
“Oooh, what’d she break Mac?” A new voice called out interrupting.
The Buzz hit them all, and Duncan’s stern countenance broke out in a grin.
“Richie! I haven’t seen you for a few months, where’d you get off to?” Duncan questioned, leaving his charge
and striding over to greet his friend and student, who jogged onto the boat.
“Oh, you know, here and there…” Richie finally got a good look at the girl behind Duncan, who was not
paying any attention to the proceedings what so ever, and his eyes just about dropped out of his head. He
had never seen a more attractive female in his life, the curves on her body had to be illegal, “Oh my God, Mac,
this just isn’t fair, how do you always manage to snap up most beautiful ones.”
“What?” Duncan was confused for a second, then he looked behind him realizing what Richie was talking
about, “Oh, no, Richie, you have the wrong idea completely, but even though I’m not involved with her, you
can’t be either.”
Richie was hurt, “Why not Mac? Aren’t I good enough for her?”
“Well, honestly, probably not, but, more importantly my friend, she’s 16.” Duncan told him, clamping a hand
down on his young friend’s shoulder, “And if she wasn’t, her father’s really, really rich. Have you ever heard
of the Chase family?”
“Wait, let me think, yeah, when I was on the West Coast especially.”
“She’s Cordelia Chase, one of the two remaining heirs, and obviously, she’s not blood related either, but she
stands to inherit most of it. But as I said, out of your league tough guy.”
Richie still looked beyond Duncan at the young heiress, “Yeah, but I can gaze in adoration…oh Lord, can I.”
Duncan shook his head in amusement, “You are terrible.”
“I don’t care, just introduce me already Mac!”
“Alright, alright.”
Cordelia used Duncan’s distraction as an opportunity to check on her occult supplies. While she didn’t expect
anything to happen while she was on vacation, there was no way she was ever getting attacked yet again
without being prepared.
She had packed some stakes in her suitcase, as well as crosses, a holy water squirt gun, plus some extra holy
water, and now she was putting a couple stakes, a cross, and her squirt gun in her purse. In Sunnydale it
was just absurd to even think going outside after dark without the things in her purse, unless you had a
death wish, and Cordelia had no idea what lurked in the shadows of Paris….
She was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn’t hear Duncan and Richie coming up behind her, though in
their defense, they weren’t speaking.
Richie reached out and tapped her on the shoulder.
Cordelia’s mind was on vampires, so she immediately thought vampire. Her body went into auto with the
stake in her right hand, she grabbed, hand that touched her with her left, sweeping whoever-was-behind-
her's feet out from under them and stopped from staking the guy just an inch away from his chest.
Duncan watched the scene in astonishment, very glad that his friend was an Immortal and in some morally
wrong level, proud that Cordelia had obviously learned something from him in her training.
On Richie’s part, everything went in slow motion, and then moved very quickly, and all of a sudden, he was
on the floor. Not knowing whether he should be terrified of the fact that he had just been attacked, and that
there was something very sharp and pointy pressed to his chest, or happy that there was a beautiful girl lying
on top of him.
Cordelia on the other hand, was thinking nothing of the person underneath her. She just starred at the stake
in her hand in shock for a moment, and then she hopped up grinning. “Wow Duncan, I never thought about
how what I was learning could be applied if I went out slaying. But I was standing here, packing some stakes
in my purse thinking about the vamps at home, and your buddy here surprised me, so I went into autopilot,
next think I know, the stakes at his heart. Good thing I realized who he was before I staked him or he would
have been a goner.
“Vampires, are real?” Richie croaked out from the floor.
“Oh yeah. Is everyone oblivious to this fact? I mean, they totally roam the nights.” Cordelia shook her head
in wonder, completely disregarding to fact that she herself hadn’t even know about vampires until last year
and she probably wouldn’t have even bothered to acknowledge their existence if her boyfriend hadn’t gotten
murdered, even though she’d been involved in multiple vampire attacks prior to that time.
“Well, most people don’t live on the Hellmouth.” Duncan rationalized, having accepted the fact that vampires
did exist after a few stories about Cordelia’s hometown of Sunnydale, “Now why don’t you help Richie off the
floor Cordelia and apologize for trying to stake him through the heart, even though he would have
resuscitated, eventually.”
“Oh, right!” Cordelia reached down and pulled the boy up with her left hand, “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you
to come up behind me, and I was lost in my thoughts about what if there were vampires lurking in the
shadows of Paris, and what a bummer that would be and…so you must be Duncan’s friend Richie Ryan. He’s
told me all about you. It’s great to finally meet you.” Cordelia flashed him her patented smile, and looked him
up and down appraisingly.
Cordelia Chase had an eye that could calculate a man’s net worth a matter of a few seconds, and while Richie
Ryan was not husband, or boyfriend material, if Duncan liked him, he was good enough to be a friend,
besides, if he was immortal, after a few decades, who knew how much he could be worth eventually.
Duncan finished the introductions, “And Richie, this of course, is Cordelia Chase, my newest student, who
will be returning to Sunnydale in less than two and a half months, so we really need to get back to training.”
“Is Richie going to be joining us?” Cordelia questioned, eager for someone else to join them, so the poundings
would be dispersed somewhat.
Duncan looked to his other student with a raised eyebrow. Richie meanwhile, was staring at Cordelia in her
workout clothes, unable it seemed to take his eyes off her.
“Oh, yeah, definitely.” The older protégée answered.
Duncan rolled his eyes at the boy’s behavior, and discretely smacked him on the back of the head.
“Richie, why don’t you go get changed, Cordelia and I will just do a few katas while we wait for you.” The
Highlander told him.
Richie nodded, “Right, I’ll be back in a few minutes.” With that, he ran down into the barge.
“He seems…nice.” Cordelia said a few moments later.
“Aye. He is. He’s a very good boy. Loyal, trustworthy.” Mac told her.
Cordelia cocked her head, “How’d you meet him?”
Duncan blushed, “Well, um…he…that is to say….We uh met when Richie was 17, awhile before his first
death. He saw me and my kinsman, Connor MacLeod fighting with another Immortal, Slan Quince, who had
come for my head for some reason…I still don’t know why he came after me, I’d never even met him in my
life. Anyway, Richie saw Slan cheat and shoot a knife out of his sword, when he was about to loose to
Connor, right into Connor’s chest, which knocked him off the bridge they were fighting on. I showed up,
and defeated Slan, and Richie witnessed me receiving Slan’s quickening. He also watched me dive off the
bridge and pull Connor out of the river, and he then saw how Connor was then alive. Connor and I both
realized that we’d need to keep an eye on Richie, as because A)we could sense he was a pre-immortal, and B)
he’d just witnessed something that mortal’s weren’t supposed to see. So, I took him in, gave him a job in my
Antiques store….He managed to get himself mixed up in the game multiple times though, even before he
himself was finally pulled into the game at 19. I didn’t tell him how he was destined to become an Immortal
like me one day…frankly, I was kind of hoping he would be able to avoid the whole thing. Some pre-
immortals are able to do that, they can live their whole life and die a normal death….But Richie, it was
obvious from the moment I met him that wasn’t his destiny. The Game had too strong a pull on him, even
before his first death. It finally caught up with him when he was 19…my fiancé died by his side.”
“Oh Duncan…I really don’t know what to say….I’m sure she was a wonderful woman.”
Duncan gave her a small smile, “She was…Tessa was great, and she loved Richie too. But that was a few years
ago, and if I’ve learned anything, it’s that you shouldn’t live in the past. You can’t, or the past will drown
out your future.”
Cordelia nodded, “I suppose you’re right…though I really don’t have much of a past yet to speak of….”
Duncan laughed, “No, I don’t suppose you do.” He shook his head, “Come on now, that’s enough of a break,
you distracted me long enough. Let’s get back to work Chase.”
Cordelia sighed in frustration, then began the kata routine with Duncan.
** One month later **
Cordelia sighed blissfully as she looked around, finally, a day off. It was her reward for pinning Duncan in a
fight after all this time. She was going to shop all day, then eat a café, call Harmony and brag that she had
some Paris originals.
Duncan walked beside her, silently amused at the teen’s giddiness. He was glad to see his young charge was
so happy; she seemed totally in her element as she shopped all day. He figured after forcing her to train for so
long, he could at least accompany her without complaining.
Richie Ryan was with them of course. He had shown up about a month ago and was completely smitten with
Cordelia, though she had no inkling with regards to his affections for her. He too, was an Immortal, a recent
addition to their ranks too, with in the last five years was very young for an Immortal, but Immortal he was.
Only a bit older then Cordy was.
Both Richie and Duncan were taken with her charming bluntness and her tactlessness.
Richie had burst out laughing one day when Cordelia had looked Duncan over and asked him, “Alright, I
give up, what is it with Immortal’s and trench coats? It’s all Angel wears too! Richie might not be wearing the
latest things, but at least he has some more variaty in his wardrobe!”
“Ooh!” Cordelia squealed, picking up a dark red button up silk shirt off a rack, “Duncan, this would look
great on you!” She held it up to the Scots man, “See! Wouldn’t it be perfect for him Richie?”
Richie smiled, “Oh yes Cordelia. It’s just totally Duncan.”
Cordelia smiled back at him, causing him to blush. She had a quick look around and spotted something else
she liked, “Ooh, this suit is totally you Richie!”
Richie’s own visage turned to one of horror.
“Go try it on! I know you’re going to look so handsome in it.” Cordelia ordered.
Richie was among those afflicted to not being able to say no to her, he groaned taking the Armani suit from
her. She handed him a white shirt to go with it, “Take this too.”
The trial of trying on the suit however was totally forgotten when he stepped out of the dressing room.
Cordelia looked him up and down, then whistled, “You are a total hottie. Doesn’t he look great Duncan?”
“Oh, yes, a total babe.” He teased the poor boy.
Cordelia didn’t even notice, she walked around Richie, “I’m going to buy it for you. Every guy needs a really
hot looking suit, and something tells me you don’t have one.”
Richie was about to protest, but the look on her face kept him silent.
“We’ll just have it tailored to fit you’re measurements, the shirts as well….” she murmured to herself, pulling
on the sleeves and brushing the jacket. Cordelia knew also knew the only way to have a proper fitting suit,
was to have it custom tailored for the wear. She found the in store tailor, made the arrangements to have the
suits and shirts tailored to Richie’s measurements, and then they would be delivered to the barge in one day
(it was such a short time, due to the large purchase Cordelia was making at the store, and the expense of the
items she was purchasing. The store was eager to facilitate them in any way possible.)
They managed to get out of the store, half and hour later, with three suits for Richie, five shirts to go with
them, and several ties. For Duncan there were four shirts, and two ties, since his wardrobe was better then
Richie’s had been. The suits and shirts would all be delivered the following day as promised, and the two men
were now quite impressed with the way Cordelia Chase handled sales clerks. They’d never seen anyone handle
Parisian clerks with such finesse before…not to mention the way she got the staff to jump at her every whim,
Duncan hadn’t been so waited on in years.
** Seven pm **
Duncan and Richie flopped down on the couch in the barge, surrounded by bags, exhausted.
Cordelia, who had carried just as many bags, if not more, was still very energetic, “God, you men are such
wimps.” She shook her head as she went into the bathroom to change.
They guys are surprised when she came out wearing her workout clothes.
“What on earth are you doing?” Duncan questioned, wide eyed.
Cordelia glanced at him like he’s crazy, “Going to work out of course, my God, I was shopping all day, and I
had a huge lunch. I need to go work off those calories. Besides, I have to be ready for Cheerleader tryouts in
like a month! I need to really concentrate on that to if I’m going to be captain! If you want to join me I’ll be up
on deck.” When she saw they weren’t going to move, she jogged out.
“Where the hell does she get all that energy?” Duncan demanded, looking up to the heavens, hoping for an
answer.
“I don’t know…but man, the possibilities….” Richie uttered, naughty thoughts running through his head on
how she could expel some of that energy with him.
Duncan noticed the look on the young man’s face, “Don’t even think about it. She’s not even 17 yet, and I
know she’s not interested.”
Richie groaned, “I know, but I can dream.”
Duncan laughed, “Yes you can. Just don’t let yourself get too wrapped up in those dreams, I don’t want you
getting hurt.”
“I’ll try, but with a body like that, you can’t help but get burned…”
Up on the deck Cordelia practiced the Tai-chi Duncan had taught her, trying to get that damn Angel out of
her head. Her call to Harmony had revealed that Buffy had left Sunnydale for the summer to stay with her
Dad in LA until the school year started. For the past month she hadn’t thought about Angel as much,
because her training consumed practically her every waking moment, only in her dreams was she focusing on
him now, for that she’d made herself train extra, because she had to break this habit. She was going to get
seriously disappointed if she didn’t. And she wouldn’t do that to herself. Plus, there were more important
things to think about, like other immortals coming after her head…that was something she personally
thought was quite important to concentrate on. She’d already died once, and thought that those few
moments were her last on earth, and she hadn’t liked the feeling, she hadn’t done enough with her life. There
was too much left for her to do…she wasn’t going to die with so much left undone…Cordelia took the Game
seriously, not like some Immortals, where they actively sought to end it, no Cordelia wanted to live as long a
life as possible, which meant she would train as much as she had to, and avoid it if she could.
Cordelia Chase wasn’t going to let herself get taken out early, she’d survived almost 17 years on a Hellmouth
damn it, she wasn’t about to let some stupid ‘Game’ take her out…her thoughts completely resolved, Cordelia’
s focus became clear, and her movements more graceful as she was able to concentrate fully on her task, as she
stopped dwelling on the thoughts that had plagued her for many long nights, for the moment at least…..
** A few weeks later **
** Nine am **
Duncan, Richie, and Cordy (as they called her) were all doing the carefully planned sword training exercises
when they all were afflicted with the ‘buzz’, signaling another Immortal was in close proximity. It was a very
powerful Buzz as well, signaling that of an old lifeline.
They all had a quick look around and spotted a tall thin man walking en route of them. All three tensed,
ready to fight, until Duncan and Richie finally recognized him.
“Methos!” Duncan called out. Cordelia noted that Duncan and Richie had put down their swords, so she did
as well.
The man came and gave Duncan and Richie each a firm handshake. Stopping at Cordelia looking her up and
down, then took her hand and bought it up to his mouth and kissed it, “And who, is this lovely creature we
have here?”
Duncan made the introductions, “This is Cordelia Chase. She’s from America. She’s just entered the Game
couple months ago, she is my new student.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Cordelia, as you have heard, I am Methos, but I prefer to go by Adam Pierson.” He
glared a bit at Duncan when saying this, angry at the other immortal for being so careless with his name.
Cordelia’s nose crinkled for a moment, and then it was as if a light flickered on inside her head, “You’re like
the oldest living person in the world aren’t you?”
“So you told her too, eh?” Adam queried Duncan, more pissed.
Duncan shook his head, bewildered that she had known.
Cordelia explained it to them, “Immortals aren’t that much of a secret…I mean, it’s not like mortal’s haven’t
ever heard stories about us, they just think we are just myths. But the Slayer’s Watchers council does have a
few books on our legend. Methos was one of the first Immortals, over 5000 years old by now. Suspected to be
one of the four horsemen….Gods, you’re the legend of legends to them.”
“How on earth do you know that?” Methos demanded, very suspicious of the girl.
“I live in Sunnydale. I’ve read a few of the books in the library.” she explained indifferently.
“Ah, the Hellmouth. I see you must work with the Slayer. Actually, the Immortal’s Watchers Council is
where the origin’s of the Slayer’s Watchers Council got started, they just have blocked out their existence for
some reason.” Adam informed her.
Cordelia smirked at Duncan and Richie, “Told you I lived at the Hellmouth, and that Buffy was the Slayer.”
“I never said that you didn’t!” Richie exclaimed.
Cordelia glared at him, “Maybe, but you never said you believed me.” she turned to Adam, “You ever met a
vampire? Or any of those other things that go bump in the night?”
“Oh tons of times. Most of them are down right ugly wankers.”
“I know! Total gross factor of a scale one to ten, most of them are like 15.” Cordelia imparted to him,
sheathing her sword as they started to walk and talk, leaving Richie and Duncan behind.
“I really hate the ones with slime, or ooze. The smell is impossible to get off your clothes.” Adam commented.
“I know! And of course the ones they ruin are always the really expensive ones, never the stuff that is easy to
replace…”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
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