She didn�t think she was going to regret this, but one could never be sure of these things. The computer screen was blinking a constant reminder that she had only a short time accomplish her mission. Her neck was in a constant spasm and she felt like a walking nerve end. She closed and locked the office door as a last precaution. If anyone sees me, she thought, they�ll say, �Well, it�s finally happened--Vidalia has gone over the edge.�

What they don�t know is that she went over the edge years ago, but she lived to tell the tale.

Carefully she checked her backpack and mentally counted off all the items she was going to need for this little adventure. Donning the backpack she quickly sucked in her belly and dove through the 17-inch monitor into the compound. She landed in the middle of the drive leading up to the main house.

For a moment she stopped and stared. Dang, the ladies have great taste!

Hitching the backpack back up on her shoulders, she started off towards the main house. Please let them all be sleeping. She really didn�t want to have to explain to the ladies why she was sneaking around the compound in the middle of the night. Well, it was the darn frus fault anyway for instigating this little excursion! Vidalia grinned.

Reaching the moat, she crept cautiously down to the water�s edge. How did one summon a dragon? she wondered. With a deep breath she placed her hand slowly into the water and splashed gently. When nothing happened, she removed the backpack and took out the 4 pack of Guinness and set it on the rock jutting out from the water. Grinning to herself, she certainly hoped the dragon liked the beer and got to it before Methos!

Standing, she grabbed her pack and started over the bridge. She speculated on the best way to get into the house without disturbing anyone. Deciding to try the kitchen door first, she headed around to the back. Jumping over the wall, she dropped down into the pool area, which hadn�t suffered as much from the fire and the whisky filled supersoaker. The ladies did know how to throw a party!

Reaching the backdoor, she removed her library card and was attempting to jimmy the lock when the door opened slowly inward. Cautiously she opened her backpack and removed the small flashlight and tuned it on. Tipping silently, she made her way through the kitchen to the island. Sitting her backpack down she cleared as much space possible for the gifts she�d brought.

First out was the rocket launcher super soaker, with replaceable loader and a case of whisky�Hayden�s gift. Next came out the question mark shaped candles she had made earlier. Each candle bore the name of all the ladies on the roster; next she sat the antique silver bowl that held the golden matches she stole from the Chinese place down the street from her house. Ok, stealing was wrong but she had left a really big tip! The next gift was for MacNair; Vidalia carefully removed the leather bound book that held all of MacNair�s stories in beautiful script complete with eight by ten color photos of Connor, except for the motorcycle pose and the sleeping pose that were in use elsewhere. Last came the a hand written card that read, I�ve not met everyone so I don�t know you, but think of these candles as my way of saying �thank you� and I�d like to get to know each of you, gratefully yours Vidalia.

With that done, she picked up the flashlight and headed down the hallway to the closet. Dropping down on her knees, she lowered her face to the floor. Peering under the closet door, she could see no light. Caution had to be her guide in the delivery of this gift, so with steady hands she removed the tiny power saw and began to cut a mouse size chunk from the closet door. Sweat beaded on her forehead and rolled down into her eyes stinging and clouding her contacts.

She stopped when the hole was completed and listened to make sure that there was no sound. Pulling the backpack open, she removed the last of the gifts. A small stone in the shape of a serpents head, a small pine cone fully opened, and a large chunk of dark emerald green glass that had been worn smooth by years of waves rolling over it. The stone and the glass came from the shore of Loch Linnehe and the pinecone came from the shoreline of Loch Shiel. Vidalia was sure that these were harmless enough items for k�lynn and Vidalia really did want to make friends with everybody, even those who they kept locked in the closet. Although the items weren�t expensive they were very precious to Vidalia.

Carefully sliding the items through the hole, Vidalia replaced the chunk she�d cut out and sealed it back with the Elmer�s wood glue that was suppose to safe for pets and children. She wasn�t exactly sure where k�lynn fit into those categories but she�d think about that later. Right now she had to get out of here before she was caught and had to explain. Rising to her feet, she turned and headed back down the hall.

Something stopped her at the door on her left. Without thinking exactly, her hand reached for the door knob and she soundlessly turned it. She did not stop to correct herself or analyze why she was doing this.

The breath exited her body in a sudden rush, her face paled and her mouth went dry due to the fact that all the moisture in her body concentrated itself in another area of her anatomy.

Connor MacLeod lay sleeping on a bed that had walked right out of every woman�s most imitate fantasy. His face was peaceful in sleep and incredibly sexy, his hand lay next to him on the pillow and Vidalia guess that somewhere in that huge bed there was a dragonhead katana sword too. She scrutinized the image--burning it on her brain for later consideration and as quietly as she had opened the door, she closed it and returned back to the hallway.

Moving back through the kitchen, Vidalia prudently locked the door behind her and headed towards the gate this time instead of climbing the wall surrounding the pool. Leaving the yard she decided to run the rest of the way, glad she had worn her black running shorts and white Reeboks she sprinted easily, laughing to herself, as she passed over the bridge and saw that the beer was missing from the rock. She had a feeling that she and the dragon of the moat were going to get along just fine.

Jogging down the drive, she reached the point where she would have to dive back through the blue circle that would spiral her back into her locked office. She stopped for a moment just to catch a quick breath before plunging back into the circle.

Deciding not to look back, she was poised for her jump when a pair of very strong arms encircled her waist and pulled her back through the opening. Twisting in mid fall hadn�t been too intelligent as now she was on her back in the grass, which on a good day would have been pleasant. But not right at the moment, she was terrified to open her eyes to the stars that she knew would be dancing around her head, which had taken quiet a thump when she landed.

Gingerly she opened her eyes to meet the dark eyes of one angry Highlander. Duncan, oh lord! she thought, why can�t I ever remember the fact that when one Highlander sleeps, there�s one awake?

�Who are you and what were you doing leering at my kinsman?� he demanded with a handsome face mere inches from hers. Somewhere in her befuddled brain, she was frantically searching for a plausible explanation. She really hadn�t been leering, lusting maybe, but she didn�t leer.

They both heard the shouting at the same time. Rising to his feet, Duncan pulled Vidalia up with him and he turned towards the shouts coming from the compound.

For a brief second, he released Vidalia�s arm and--quick as a wink--she dove back into the blue circle! Sliding along the blue lighting, she ended up in pretty much the same position as she had started and swiftly she punched the power off button and collapsed to the floor gasping.

She was going to have some serious explaining to do.

~finis~
Vidalia
March 1, 2003

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