Celebrating Life

The Stage

Carol at the Party

by Donna and Ev

Dani was with Gideon, trying to help his friend get ready for the party that would be starting soon. "Will there be dancing?" Gideon asked. "I would like to learn to dance."  As Dani got Gideon's tie fixed, he stood up, brushing the straw from his pants.  His clothes were semi clean.  Well, maybe
the pants were not too clean, but at least they didn't have any holes in them.

Carol and Marie had heard about the party from Mullard.  They were excited!  They really hadn't met too many people yet.  They had come into town and the next day, gone and found a place to live.  All this time, they had spent mostly getting situated on the farm.  Carol had her hair French
braided and put her lovely purple suede outfit on.  It was a little hot, but she was ready to meet people. 

Mullard had the little cart that their neighbor, Samuel Grey, had found for them hitched up to the patient little bay mare that also pulled their plow when needed.  He helped Carol and Marie up into the cart, and then jumped in himself.  A short while later, they arrived in town and headed for
the livery to leave the horse and cart there.  Coming out of the big stable were two men who looked just like Mullard, one neatly dressed in a suit like outfit, the other, in jeans and a shirt that had definitely seen better days. 

Carol and Marie couldn't help a double take.  Mullard chuckled at them. He introduced his two lookalikes and they all walked out to the tables where the food was being set up. 

Dani couldn't take his eyes off the two new women.  He tripped over his own feet, trying to watch them as he walked. Carol saw Charity over by the food table, helping Lupe set everything out onto the table, and she waved.  On the makeshift stage,  one of the soldiers from the fort was playing a fiddle with a petite blonde woman accompanying him with the flute.  Sitting beside her and banging happily away on a drum was yet another man who looked like Mullard.

Carol could feel her shoulders positively twitching there were buzzes of so many Immortals around.   Seeing so many men who reminded her of her teacher was hard.  They all looked so good and they were each so sweet in their own way.  It made her wonder if by some chance he could be around somewhere and maybe she just hadn't seen him yet. 

She saw Duncan off to the side, talking to a pretty young woman with strawberry blonde hair.  "She is the nurse," Mullard told her. "Sarah Jo.  Duncan and one of the Methoses likes her.  Some of the guys are..."  He paused, searching for the word.  "making bets as to who gets her first."

Carol's eyes lit up seeing Duncan again.  It had been a long time, but you don't forget the guy who's there for you after your first death.  He would have been her teacher if he hadn't been heavily involved with someone at the time. Marie was so excited, she didn't know where to look first.  There were so many gorgeous men and everyone seemed to be from so many different places! This place was better and better all the time! 

The street was getting crowded.  All the men from the fort were there, as well as the crew of the Bounty. When Sarah Jo went to help with the food, Duncan came through the crowd, and when he got to Carol, he swept her off her feet. "Dance with me pretty lady!" he teased.

"Duncan!"  Carol gave him a hug and a juicy kiss.  "I had no idea you were here!  I would have been here in town more, if I knew.  How long have you been here?"  She pulled back to look at him.  "You're looking good."

"Thanks," he said with a grin. "I've got really good news. You know how some of the guys I've axed already are showing up again over on the other side of the river. Well...."

Carol's eyes lit up.  She was afraid to put it into words, though. "What?  Tell me!"

Mullard saw that she knew Duncan and led Marie away, introducing her to people so they could talk, but he couldn't help listening.  He wanted to just stay there and not miss a thing, but if Carol wanted to tell him about it later, she would.

"He's alive and well, " Duncan said, his voice catching. "If it wasn't for his voice rattling around inside my head, I could almost believe it never happened."  

Carol's eyes widened in disbelief.  "You wouldn't tease me about this..."   She stroked his cheek and ran her hand through his hair.  "This is too important, Duncan.  Where is he?"  She could feel tears threatening to start and had to force them back by sheer willpower.

Duncan pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight.  "He is out on his ship.  Should be back in a couple of days.  See that pretty little blonde playing the flute on the stage? Guess who that is." 

Carol looked.  She was small, blonde, musical...  There was a girl he talked about...  "Is that Katherine?  He talked about her so much.  Please...   What's going on?"

"It is," Duncan said with a smile. "She was in bad shape emotionally, even worse than me.  Went walkabout about two months ago.  I was searching for her by land, and when Connor found out she was here, he took the sea route.  All this time she was holed up in a cove with that man playing the
drums.  Who by the way, is Tarzan.  Scout's honor!"

Carol wasn't sure what to make of all that.  "Tarzan?  This place is such a trip!  Think you could introduce me?   To both of them, I mean.  I really need to know he's here.  I've felt so lost without him.  You know what I mean." 

"I was too," Duncan admitted. "When she takes a break, I'll make sure you two meet."  He took her by the hand, leading her around and introducing her to the men that had just arrived on the stage from Five Mile Creek.  As she chatted with the smooth talking gambler called Maverick, the scruffy looking man she had seen at the stables came close, a hopeful look on his face. 

Duncan chuckled, taking the hint." Carol, have you met Dani?"

Carol chuckled.  "We were introduced a little while ago.  There seem to be a lot of guys around with the same face, don't there?"  She grinned at Dani, taking in the scruffy clothes and open lust in his eyes.  "Looks like you need a dance, Dani."  She gave Duncan a wink over Dani's shoulder and
went off chuckling. 

Duncan pretended to sulk as Carol and Dani went off together, but he quickly made his way back to Sarah Jo's side to see if he could talk her into dancing with him before Doc Adams beat him to it.

Carol’s Fling

By Donna and Ev

  Katherine's set of music was just about over. Monroe was supposed to relieve her and Daniel, but he was nowhere to be seen. Connor was milling around the crowd, talking and nursing a beer. Every time he came close to another immortal, the hair on the back of their necks and on their arms would rise. "You better do something about that extra buzz," Duncan chided him. 

"I would love too," Connor sighed, casting his eyes longingly up on the stage. Katherine met his gaze and smiled back at him. 

It was then that Monroe came rushing up to the stage, apologizing for being late. "What was her name?" Katherine teased. Monroe just laughed and did a quick check of his guitar to make sure it was still tuned.  

Carol had raced to catch up to Monroe.  "Hey!  What's the hurry?"  She liked to take a little more time and she loved the lovely stubble on his cheeks.  Normally it was a turnoff for her, but for some reason, this was different.  As she got closer to the main party, she could feel a really huge buzz.  She looked around to see who it could be and there was the face she'd been looking for.  "Connor!!!  Is it really you?"  She launched herself at him. 

Connor barely managed to hold onto his beer as suddenly his arms were filled with a very lively female body. "Carol? Oh my God! It's good to see you!"  

"You were dead!  When I got here I was hoping somehow you would be here.  Goddess, I've missed you!"  She gave him a big kiss, completely forgetting that Katherine was right there and Mullard, too, for that matter. 

"Shhhh," he muttered into her ear. "It's okay. I'm alive and well. At least here on this world." He gave her an extra squeeze and then pulled back, grinning. "Have you met Katherine yet?"  

Carol giggled.  "Well, Duncan pointed her out to me earlier, but then I...  um... met Monroe and we... Well, you know me."  She gave his hand a squeeze.  "I seem to have a real thing for guys who look like you."   

"Hee hee," he chuckled, leaning down and giving her a brief kiss. The contact sent what felt like an electric current through her body. "Sorry, about that," he chuckled, as he reached out to try to smooth the hair down on her arms. "I took a head earlier today. An old one."  

"And you're still walking around?  I would've been....."  She paused.  "You're looking for Katherine aren't you?"  She chuckled.  "And here I am chattering away at you.  Can you introduce me first, then I'll get out of your way."   

"There is one slight problem," he chuckled. "She has a shadow." He took he by the hand and led her up to where Katherine was standing with Johnny's arm draped over her shoulder. "Kat, Johnny, this is Carol. An old friend of mine."  

Carol's eyes sparkled with interest.  "Katherine.  You have no idea how much I've heard about you when Connor was my teacher."  She almost added that she was so lost without him, but she had a feeling that no matter how hard it was for her, it must have been a LOT worse for Katherine.  "Hello Johnny."  She openly admired as she shook his hand.   

"Carol, would you mind teaching Johnny how to dance?" Connor asked hopefully, winking at her. 

Carol's smile only widened and she unconsciously licked her lips.  "Looks like fun!  Would you like that, Johnny?"  She winked back at Connor.   

Johnny looked at Katherine. "Go ahead, have fun," she told him. "Connor and I need a little private time together." 

He looked confused then smiled when he thought he understood. "Like times you need priv-hah-cee when go to bathroom?" he asked. She had lost count of how many times she had had to shut the door in his face. 

Katherine laughed and kissed his cheek. "Something like that. I won't be long." She then placed his hand into Carol's before she and Connor turned to leave.  

Carol grinned at the expression on Connor's face as he turned to leave.  Katherine was a lucky girl.  Then she turned her gaze to Johnny.  She wondered if he wanted to do more than dance.  "Have you ever danced before, Johnny?"   

"Kat teach me little," he said, reaching out to finger her red hair, lifting it up to his nose to smell it. "Nice. I like smell. You use flower soap right?" He leaned close and sniffed. "You just mate, right?"  He was intelligent and extremely curious, but he had not learned to be discrete yet in the questions he asked. 

She giggled.  "Yeah.  Actually, I just did.  You have a very talented nose.  I would have been in town more often, if I knew you were here."  She glanced around and saw that Mullard and Marie were dancing and seemed happy enough.  Good.  "How did you get here, Johnny?  Everyone seems to have a different story."   

"Talk later, dance now," he ordered, steering her out to the dance floor. He was an enthusiastic partner that was for sure. By the time the dance was over, she was panting for breath, and he was grinning from ear to ear. "I like dance," he chuckled, his laugh an exact copy of Connor's.  

Carol grinned and leaned against him a little as she caught her breath.  "You learn fast!  Let's get something to drink and maybe sit down for a little bit.  I don't know about you, but my feet are tired.  You think we could talk now?” 

"Talk good now," he said, looking back in the direction Katherine had disappeared. "I Kat's mate. Connor Kat's mate too. We share. You have mates?"  

Carol's eyebrows rose a little.  She had never pictured Connor sharing a woman with anyone.  But this was a new world.  "I have a mate.  His name is Mullard.  He's the man over there, dancing with the blonde woman.  He's another one of the men who look like you."   

"Many look like me," he agreed. "Gey-dee-yon. Priest. Dhan-nee. Many more."  He seemed pleased with that fact. "Is good. Tarzan raised by apes in jungle. Not in jungle anymore. Johnny now live with men who look like him and be mate with Katherine." His eyes seemed to almost glow as he talked.  

"So you didn't speak until you and Katherine got together?  What did you do with yourself?"  Carol found herself fascinated with this lovely man.   

"I speak ape talk,” he said, giving Carol a vocal demonstration, which made heads, turns. “Come, I show how live," he said, taking her by the hand and leading her away from the crowd to the woods outside of town. It was then she noticed that although he was wearing pants and a shirt, he was barefoot. Grabbing a vine, he climbed up to the first branch and then reached down for Carol.  

This was the first time anybody had ever taking her tree climbing, as an adult anyway.  She chuckled softly and took his hand.  He was very strong for someone so slender.  It was easy to see that he had been doing this all his life.  He moved through the tree with a certainty and grace that was like a dance.  Carol felt very clumsy by comparison.   

He took her high, and then sat facing her on a branch, his arms wrapped around her to keep her safe. "This Tarzan world. Live in trees with apes. Eat. Sleep. Play. Fight."  He then pointed at the lights of the town. "No Tarzan now. John Clayton, Earl of Greystoke. Man, not animal." There was a touch of sadness to his voice, but also strong resolve.  

Carol studied his face.  "I think you'll like being a man here, Johnny.  This is a good place for new starts.  I have a farm here.  That's new for me, too.  I used to be a little wild, but I always wanted to be able to settle down.  I can do that here.  You can too."   

She felt safe and secure with him, even though she was high above the ground. There was something very special about this man. Maybe it was his almost animal like magnetism, maybe it was the way he looked at everything in wonder, as if it was all brand new and beautiful. As she looked out into the night, Johnny made soft little “ohh, ohh” sounds into her ear as he started to nuzzle her neck. Carol sighed softly, and leaned into his chest. This would be a party to remember, that was for sure!