Lynne(Praise/flames/corrections to: llevine@mit.edu)
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                     Immortal Women
      a Forever Knight/Highlander crossover story
     Janette noticed the dark-haired woman immediately, as the stranger made her way to the bar.
There was something very familiar about her.  Janette didn't often forget a face...
     It was a tavern in France, or maybe it was Germany?  Yes that was more likely, she thought
as she recalled the decor.  Nick and LaCroix had been off hunting, and Janette had just spied
some luscious looking prey -- a handsome man with the demeanor of a warrior.  She
approached him, giving him a sideways, demure glance.  He smiled and offered his hand.
     "I'm Duncan McLeod of the clan McLeod," he said with a pronounced Scottish drawl.
     "Janette," she purred, taking his hand.  Oh yes, he would be good.  He was sensuous, strong.
Perhaps he could even survive her lovemaking, though she doubted it.  Few mortals ever
survived, which was a shame, for there had been some she would have liked to have had more
than once.  This one for example.   There was a depth to his gaze that made him appear older
than his years --twenty-five or thirty, she estimated.
     "Duncan, there you are. " She heard a female voice behind her and Duncan quickly let go of
her hand.
     "Amanda," Duncan addressed the woman, "this is Janette."
     "Pleased to meet you,"  Amanda said with a look that told Janette distinctly that she was a bit
less than pleased.
     Janette was relieved to see Nick walk through the door.  "I must be going now."  She excused
herself and left the pub, with her arm around Nick's waist.  Ah well, some things were just not
meant to be....
     The stranger was staring at her.  Was this a case of mutual recognition?  Had Duncan's
companion been brought across?  Janette had to find out.  She walked over and introduced
herself.
     The stranger's jaw dropped slightly as Janette said her name.  "I am Amanda," she said and
received a similar look of astonishment in return.
     Janette glanced at the woman's drink--a liqueur with not even a trace of blood in it.  How odd.
Why would Amanda be at The Raven and not take advantage of the club's unique beverage
selection?  Unless of course this was just one huge coincidence and she wasn't a vampire at all.
     "Is this your first time at The Raven?" Janette asked.
     "Yes," Amanda responded.  She opened her mouth to say something else, then suddenly
looked startled.  "Excuse me," she said and left abruptly, her drink barely touched.
     How odd, Janette thought.  After a moment, she decided she'd go after the woman.  Where
could Amanda have gone in such a hurry, and why?
     Outside the club, Janette's acute hearing easily picked up the sound of metal upon metal.  She
had no trouble locating the source of the sound.  In an alley behind the club, Amanda was
engaged in combat - sword combat - with a large male.  As far as Janette was concerned, what
she saw was a female being attacked by a much bigger male, and her instinct took over.  She
lunged for the male, going directly for his throat.
     "No!  This is my battle!" Amanda shouted, trying to pull Janette off her attacker.  She shrieked
as Janette turned, her eyes glowing, blood dripping from her mouth.  The glint of fangs was
unmistakable.
     Amanda's attacker moaned.  Janette was astounded to see that the wound on his neck had
nearly healed.  He grabbed his sword and fled.
     Amanda leaned against a wall, shaking with leftover adrenalin from the fight, plus her
amazement at what she'd just seen.
     "You're a vampire," she stated, her voice scarcely above a whisper.  "Rebecca had told me of
such creatures but I was never sure if I should believe her."
     "You shouldn't," Janette responded.  She looked intently into Amanda's eyes.  "What you saw
did not occur.  You will remember nothing."
     Amanda blinked.  "Of course I will remember.  And it *was* you, in Germany, how many
hundreds of years ago, flirting with Duncan."
     Now it was Janette's turn to be astonished once again.  Amanda wasn't a vampire, but she was
hundreds of years old at least.  "What are *you*?" she asked.
     "I am immortal," Amanda replied.  "It's a long story," she added.
     It was a story Janette definitely wanted to hear.  They returned to The Raven, but this time they
went to one of the back rooms, where they would be undisturbed.  Amanda told Janette about
the immortals, the game, the quickening, and about her on-and-off relationship with Duncan.
     "He's still alive?" Janette asked, fascinated.
     "Oh yes," Amanda's eyes twinkled.  "I see we have similar taste in men.  That good looking
blonde you left with that night?  Is he a vampire too?"
     "Nicholah.  He comes in here regularly."
     "That's great."
     "What about the other immortal you spoke of?" Janette asked.  "The one who told you
vampires exist?"
     Amanda hesitated.  "She's gone."
     Janette saw Amanda stiffen slightly, clenching her fists.  "She was important to you..."
     Amanda nodded.  "She was my mentor.  My best friend."
     "And sometimes a bit more?" Janette prompted, going purely on instinct.
     There were tears in Amanda's eyes as she looked at Janette.  How did she know?
     "Sometimes it takes a woman to know another woman's pain,"  Janette said, reaching out
to squeeze Amanda's hand.
     They sat in silence for a moment.  They could hear the Raven -- a distant thump-thump of
heavy bass through the walls.
     "You have suffered a similar loss?" Amanda ventured.
     Janette nodded, pressing her lips together slightly, trying to hold back the pain the memory
still brought.  "It was so long ago.  I don't often speak of it."  She told Amanda about her last
few months as a mortal, and the only person to ever truly show her love and tenderness back
when she was mortal -- a fellow prostitute at the brothel.  And she told Amanda how her lover
had died at the hands of their owner, their pimp, and how, with LaCroix's help, she had avenged
her lover's death as well as her own mistreatment.
     "I'm sorry," Amanda said.
     Janette shook her head.  "It was so long ago.  And my loss is nothing compared to yours -- a
friendship of nearly a thousand years."
     "Nothing lasts forever.  Not even us."
     They were silent again with that thought.  Janette reflected that it was too easy to just let time go
by, to watch the days roll into months and months into years.  Amanda was right--even she, with
her immortality, couldn't take existence for granted.  Nicholah seemed especially fragile, with his
foolish death wish.  She shuddered, unable to imagine a loss as enormous as Amanda's, and to
lose Nicholah would be such a loss.  Suddenly, Janette wanted to appreciate the moment to its
fullest, to experience intensity, desire.
     "I want to touch you," she said.  There was no point in holding back; Amanda could always
say no.  "I'm not sure why.  I haven't been with a woman since I was mortal--except for feeding
from them of course but that's different.  And you wouldn't die, would you?"
     "No, I wouldn't die," Amanda responded.  There were tears in her eyes again as she
continued,  "But I can't do this.  I've only been with men, except of course for Rebecca..."  Her
words said no, but she reached a hand out and ran her fingers through Janette's hair.
     Janette responded by moving closer to Amanda, pulling her close as they sat together on the
plush antique sofa.  Janette could feel Amanda's warm breath on her face.  She leaned closer and
kissed Amanda softly.
     Amanda gasped slightly, surprised by the cold temperature of Janette's lips, but they warmed
quickly as the kiss deepened.
     Janette had forgotten how soft and smooth a woman's skin can be.  She expected Amanda to
be a bit tentative.  That would be good; it would help keep her vampiric instincts in check -- her
fangs always came out so quickly with others, Nicholah for example, though with him it was fine
because he would be doing the same.  But she didn't want to cut short this sensuous experience.
     She'd underestimated Amanda's enthusiasm for sex.  The other woman managed to slip her
hands down the front of Janette's dress, and had undone the clasp on her bra.  Janette gasped as
she felt warm hands pinching her nipples, raising them to hard little points.  Janette had to struggle
now to keep her fangs retracted.  She nearly lost the battle when Amanda had the nerve to trace
a line down her neck with her wet tongue, pausing to nibble lightly with her teeth.
     "You're playing with fire," Janette snarled, her eyes glinting yellow to illustrate her words.
     Amanda laughed and tried to get one hand beneath Janette's skirt, but Janette wouldn't allow it.
She pinned the immortal down on the couch and forced her legs apart with her knees.  Amanda
gasped as cold fingers pushed their way past her soaking wet panties, and into her.  "Oh yes..." she
breathed.  Janette worked her fingers in and out expertly, sensing Amanda's pleasure as if it was
her own.  With a knowing smile, Janette placed her thumb on Amanda's clit, and watched her
come, writhing and bucking helplessly with pleasure.
     Amanda's climax brought Janette over the edge.  Unable to hold back any longer, she sank her
fangs into Amanda's throat.  Amanda didn't fight her, in fact, she pulled Janette in tighter. As
Janette drank, waves washed over her, an orgasmic release a vampire could only experience
through the blood.
     Janette's desire slowly subsided, and it was only when she stopped drinking that she realized
something was wrong.  There was no heartbeat.  She eased the limp body back onto the couch.
*You told me you were immortal.  You told me you couldn't die*.  Janette turned away from
Amanda's body, clutching herself tightly as she tried to sort through her feelings.  There was
betrayal, yes, but something more -- she was sorry, truly sorry that she'd killed this female.
Unaccustomed to remorse, she struggled to hold back tears.
     She forced herself to think about more practical concerns.  How would she dispose of the
body?  It was such a problem in this "modern" era.  Well, there was no point wallowing in her
emotions; she'd best start making the arrangements.  As Janette stood and walked a few steps
toward the door, she thought she heard a faint heartbeat.  She was motionless for a second.
There it was again!  She turned around, and, sure enough, Amanda was beginning to stir.  The
heartbeat was that of a mortal's, frequent and steady.  Janette rushed back to the couch.
     Amanda opened her eyes and gave her a faint smile.  "I'm so tired," she murmured.
     "You gave me quite a scare.  You were dead!"
     "Oh...I guess I should have warned you.  We *do* die...we just don't *stay* dead."
Amanda tried to move, but was still too weak.  "I'm so thirsty," she said.
     "I'll get you something to drink," Janette told her.  She went to fetch a tall glass of orange
juice from the bar, impatiently pushing her way through the crowd.
     Janette hurried back to Amanda. She discovered that in her absence, the bite mark on
Amanda's neck had completely disappeared.  Amanda had managed to sit up, propping two
pillows behind her head.
     "Thanks," Amanda said, taking the orange juice.
     Janette sat down next to her.  After finishing the orange juice, Amanda curled an arm around
Janette.  "Sorry about the scare.  But I guess that means we're even now."
     "For what?!"
     "For trying to steal my man.  You were going to drink his blood, weren't you?"  Amanda's
eyes glinted mischievously once again.
     "Oh, yes," Janette said, remembering Duncan vividly.  She grinned.  "So, where *is* Duncan
these days anyway?"
     Amanda grabbed a pillow and hit Janette with it.  "That's for me to know, and you *not* to
find out!"
     "Oh?  I could hypnotise you and get you to tell me," Janette teased.  She looked deep into
Amanda's eyes with her best hypnotic stare.
     Amanda just laughed.  "You do that, and I'll find out where your "Nicholah" lives.  I bet
*he's* good in bed!"
     Janette gave her a look of mock horror.  Then they both laughed so hard they had to wipe
tears from their eyes.
     "I haven't had this much fun in a while," Amanda said after catching her breath.
     "Yes.  It is nice to find a woman with so much experience, wisdom, and exquisite taste."
Janette declared.
     Amanda agreed.  They would have lots of stories to tell tonight, and in future visits to come.

*the end* ;-)
comments, etc. to llevine@mit.edu
-Lynne