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Title: The Highlander and the Really Old Guy

Author: Pat

Website : my stories are hosted by the lovely

elistaire at Taterville

Spoilers : Highlander the tv series

Pairing: Duncan and Methos

The Highlander And The Really Old Guy

Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod. He exudes power, his body firm and muscled, his voice promising unyielding strength in battle and raw passion in bed.

Born in 1592 in the Highlands of Scotland, the Highlander is a study of contradictions. A man borne from the past who lives in the present. Judgmental yet compassionate. Strong yet vulnerable. A reluctant hero with an inner darkness only a breath away, threatening to consume and rule him.

He is immortal. A man destined to live throughout time, forever young, never dying unless someone takes his head, releasing his quickening and taking his power.

Duncan MacLeod’s journey is about hope and love, pain and loss, and a never ending battle for survival. His internal battles are no less intense as he struggles to maintain his integrity, his hope for the future, his sanity and ultimately his life.

Methos. At five thousand years, the oldest living immortal. Myth or reality? A man as elusive as his legend, yet completely real and endlessly complex. A man who professes to care about only himself, yet places himself in constant danger to protect those he considers his own.

A self proclaimed pragmatist who follows his heart. A man who kills with deliberate coldness, yet falls achingly in love. Both shy grad student and Horseman. Watcher and Immortal. And always the ultimate survivor.

Five thousand years of life, of untold passions, shielded behind hazel eyes, a snarky grin and whimsical quips.

A Journey through Highlander

I first started watching Highlander during its first run. However, it wasn’t until the show was rerun by the Sci Fi channel that I really started to take notice of the intricate fascinating world of Immortals.

Highlander had a unique combination of talented writers, directors and actors. The flashbacks were colorful and fun. Some shows were gripping drama while others were lighthearted comedies.
But always they took me on a journey through a fascinating world.

Duncan MacLeod is a complex hero. A man who wants to do the right thing, wants to protect and care for his fellow man. But, he’s haunted by the rejection of his father and his clan so many years ago after his first death. We see Duncan fight his own inner demons over and over, until finally we see a man so shaken that he starts to question his own place in the world and his loved ones lives.

Highlander is Duncan’s journey, his trials and tribulations. His joys and loves. We see him lose his lover of twelve years, Tessa. He loses his best friend, Fitz. His mentor, Darius. He finds out about the Hunters, a renegade group of Watchers who have been murdering immortals. He’s angry, hurt and lonely.

And then he meets the world’s oldest immortal. And everything changes: how he looks at life and how he looks at himself. The chemistry between them is vibrant and alive. You can feel it humming around them. The looks. The banter and playfulness. The gut wrenching pain when Duncan finds out about the Horsemen.

The Relationship

“Duncan Macleod of the Clan MacLeod. Have a beer. Mi casa es su casa.”

“Methos!”

The air was charged with tension when the legendary Duncan MacLeod came face to face with the equally legendary Methos. He walked into a Paris apartment expecting to find Watcher Adam Pierson. He found Methos instead. And Duncan knew him. A heated look, a smooth sultry baritone and a toss of a beer and Duncan knew. “Methos?” The surprised awe in Duncan’s voice wrapped around them as Methos gazed up at the Highlander with intense green hazel eyes.

Their first meeting was magic. A moment in time that drew me into their world. I could feel the heat caressing their words. The undisguised awe in Duncan’s voice. The glint of mischief in Methos’ gaze.

Later that night, Methos, the world’s oldest man, and ultimate survivor, offered Duncan MacLeod his head. The sexual tension oozed through the tv screen as Methos wrapped his hand around Duncan’s on the hilt of Duncan’s sword, Methos’ head tilted back while the blade bit into the soft arc of his neck.

Canon or Subtext?

What is subtext?

Webster’s New World Dictionary describes it as “an underlying meaning, theme.”

The tones surrounding the actor’s words. And sometimes, the words not spoken. A look. A touch. A chemistry between the characters that transcends the scene. An undisguised playfulness between them.

Flirting: A playful swipe down a nose with a paintbrush. A casual lounging across the other’s bed. Stealing a swallow of beer.

A spar that ends with panting breaths as a sword bites into tender flesh, the tension wrapping around them in thick waves. A lecherous look when Methos enters Duncan’s barge in Finale I. The undisguised awe in Duncan’s voice and the glint of mischief in Methos’ gaze as he openly assessed Duncan’s body.

The characters flirted and danced around one another throughout the remainder of the series. Some things were subtle and others not. But all there, pulsing with life as much a part of the story as the written script.

Missing Scenes

Why did Methos leave his dying lover in Greece and run to Duncan MacLeod’s side during Deliverance? Why would he risk his life? Risk Alexa dying alone, thinking he had left her if he could not return?

What happened after One Minute to Midnight? Duncan’s friend, Jacob was dead. He was both hurt and angry that Methos’ actions had contributed in that death? Methos was gone. Duncan couldn’t forgive.

Fast forward to The Messenger. Methos, lying across Duncan’s bed, listening to the stereo, drinking beer. Calm. Assured of his welcome.

“Thought you were out wandering the world.”

“Mm. Tibet. Yak butter plays hell with the digestion. Besides, I’ve had all the enlightenment I could use.”

Followed by a flirtatious dance around the loft as they verbally sparred.

We’re Through

The Jimmy scene. Painful. Tearful. Heartbreaking.

Methos. One of the four Horsemen of the apocalypse. And Duncan MacLeod. Friend. Lover?

Duncan: Going somewhere?
Methos: You shouldn't be here.
Duncan: Where are you running from? The question or the answer?
Methos: There is no answer, MacLeod. Let it be.
Duncan: Is what she said true?
Methos: I'm outta here.
Duncan: No, you're not. You're not outta here. Is what she said true?
Methos: [pause] The times were different, MacLeod. I was different. The whole bloody world was different, okay?
Duncan: [pause] Did you kill all those people?
Methos: Yes. Is that what you wanna hear? Killing was all I knew. Is that what you want to hear?
Duncan: That's enough.
[Methos throws Duncan against the 4x4.]
Methos: No, it's not enough! I killed. But I didn't just kill fifty, I didn't kill a hundred. I killed a thousand. I killed ten thousand. And I was good at it. And it wasn't for vengeance. It wasn't for greed. It was because — I liked it. [giggle] Cassandra was nothing. Her village was nothing. Do you know who I was? I was Death.
[Methos laughs. Duncan throws him against the 4x4.]
Methos: Death — Death on a horse. When mothers warned their children that the monster would get them, that monster was me. I was the nightmare that kept them awake at night. Is that what you want to hear? The answer is yes, oh yes.
Duncan: We're through.

The scene was heartbreaking to watch. Anger and accusations. The shedding of very real tears. Yet neither drew his sword. It was never about immortality. It was about love and betrayal. It was about breaking up.

“We’re through.” The tears glistened in Duncan’s eyes when he said the words. The pain as he walked away. Methos, head down to his folded arms across the steering wheel, openly weeping.

Double Quickening

What is a quickening? The question is still debated in the fandom even now. Canon tells us when an immortal loses his head, his power is released and with it his knowledge and strength. All this incredible energy is then taken in by the immortal who won the challenge.

Revelation 6:8. Betrayal and pain. “We’re through”.

Fast forward to a church in Bordeaux. “Why did you lie to me?”

A submarine base. Dark and dank. A fight to the death. Unbearable tension strumming through the air. Until one word cuts through the atmosphere like a knife. And everything stands still, breaths held, only the thumping of their own hearts sounding in their ears.

“Methos!”

The look of realization on Duncan’s face. Silas’ stunned disbelief. Kronos’ anger, knowing he had once again been betrayed.
The battle rages on, the combatants now more determined than ever. A slice of the katana. A backhand stroke of the Ivanhoe. And once again the air hangs heavy and still in anticipation as Kronos’ and Silas’ energy rise out of their bodies.

The quickening was violent. Raw power pelting each man mercilessly. Then the impossible happened. The power accumulated inside them, mating with their own quickenings, before reaching out to the other. Their bodies jerked with pain and pleasure, their screams echoing off the walls as their power spiraled between them, then through them and out again.

Waves of sexual tension strummed through the air as each man fell to the ground with the aftermath. Methos on his knees...panting...sobbing. Cassandra hovering...axe in hand. The raw emotion in Duncan’s voice when he yells across the submarine base...”I want him to live!”

Their emotion touched me. It was real, alive. I felt Methos’ pain. Duncan’s desperation. And the sexual need crackling between them. A need as real as the blasts of power. I could almost smell the strong musk from their arousal through the tv screen.

“I want him to live!”

An Immortal Couple

Duncan and Methos. Two alpha males living in a world where killing means surviving. Why together? What draws these two men to one another despite misunderstandings and a completely different view of the world?
Why would Methos, a man who will do anything to survive, offer Duncan MacLeod his head? Why did Duncan, under the evil of the dark quickening, never try to kill Methos or draw his sword when he confronted Methos at the Jimmy?

What draws them together?

They have both lived in different times, different civilizations. And while they both try to fit into today’s world, they both know how transient things are. Together they have permanence. A history and a future. They complement one another in looks, personality and needs.

They are both strong, handsome, powerful and sexual men. Duncan is the ultimate boy scout. He cares about mortals and fights to protect them. Methos is the ultimate survivor who maintains that he only cares about himself.

Yet, we learned that Duncan has his own inner demons that he must learn to accept as part of himself if he is going to survive. We saw Methos risk his own life to save those he cares about. We saw the gentle care he took with both Alexa and Duncan when the need arose. Like and different. Charming and intelligent. Witty and snarky.

Duncan sees Methos as a teacher. Methos wants Duncan to see him as “just a guy.”
Methos sees Duncan as the hero. Duncan wants Methos to see him as a man.

They completed the journey together. And we got to watch and be a part of their joy. And their tears.

Highlander left many questions unanswered. History unaccounted for. Scenes unresolved. Canon left unexplored. Fanfiction explores these ideas with amazing intelligence and imagination. The authors in this fandom have an endless amount of wit and talent as they debate and explore the different relationships and story lines.

Fandom Guide:

Seventh Dimension
Rog-L Guide To Highlander On The Web

From there you will be directed to many brilliant authors and the stories that explore these two fascinating men. There are still endless possibilities left to explore in this fandom. From historical stories to sci-fi futuristic tales. Drama or humor. And endless passion.