Spur of the Moment

By Donna and Abby

After Duncan and Methos left the City Hall, Sarah Jo stood by the window, looking down the street. Doc had thrust her away as if she was nothing... a piece of trash. She didn't understand why, and the thought of this man named *Cain* appearing sometime when she and Doc were alone frankly terrified her.

As she watched, a buggy came down the road. Seeing Connor and Katherine in it, Sarah Jo ran out into the street, and told them what had happened. The older Highlander's jaws tightened. "I'm taking you both to the Mission. It is Holy Ground. You will all be safe there until this problem is solved." He helped Sarah Jo into the buggy and after dropping the two women and the baby off at the Mission, he went in search of Methos and Duncan to see what was going on.

The twosome were coming back from the Saloon.  "I packed him off to Lovelace's," Methos said.  "Never thought I would find the local whorehouse to be such a convenience."  Then he stopped and shrugged, as if saying, "Well, yeah, maybe I did."

"I took Sarah Jo and Katherine to the Mission," Connor said. "Just in case, I wanted them safe."

"That's a good idea.  It's early yet, and Lovelace may not be open.  If they have to come back they'll be in a terrible temper.  But Doc was not armed, and I know that Renny wasn't.  He preferred a handgun to a sword, and he had none on him at the Saloon."

"Any chance of him finding a gun at Lovelace's place?" Connor asked as all three men headed back towards the Mission.

“For all we know they've already gotten them.  Bogy has weapons in the mercantile."

Duncan's brow furrowed. "How in the hell do I keep him away from Sarah Jo? I don't mind sharing her with Doc, but this Cain fellow would not hesitate even one moment in giving her the same treatment that made her lose her first baby!"

"Now don't rush to conclusions.  Doc is still *in* there.  I saw the look on his face.  The problem is that they are, right now, sharing the same body."

"That's what I am afraid of! What if this Cain persona shows up when she is alone with him? Or Prudence?"

"I can't say.  At this point I don't know what is going to happen. But for the time being we should keep them apart. Until we see which way the wind blows."

"There is something I could do," Duncan said, "but I don't know if Sarah Jo would agree to it."

"She's scared out of her sweet little mind right now," Methos noted.  "She might say yes to anything."

"Even to marrying me?" Duncan said in a low voice. "Curse and all?"

"Gee, with that ugly mug, I can't say!"

Duncan shot him a dirty look, but Connor just chuckled. "Won't hurt to ask, cousin, now will it?" he asked, an innocent expression on his face, which earned him a fierce scowl as well. But before he could say anything else, the door to the mission church opened, revealing Father Liam and the other priests.

"What's going on?" Liam asked.  "You all seem distressed."

As Methos explained what had happened, Duncan brushed by them all and went into the church. He spotted Sarah Jo by the candles, where she prayed quietly. Joining her, he lit a candle himself. "It will be all right, " he whispered softly. "I'm here. We all are here."  He put his arm around her shoulders protectively and hugged her.

Methos looked around the inside of the mission.  "Population is actually too big to fit in here any more," he pondered.

Katherine walked up to join the men, her baby up on her shoulder, looking around in interest. "Would you like to hold Doireann for a while?" she asked Methos.

Of course he did not turn that down, much as he wanted to overhear Duncan plight his troth.  In retrospect he was glad of the child; she kept him from laughing outright.  Of course, he wondered what was taking the guy so long!  As he smiled into Doireann's face, he had to tell himself that this was MacLeod's first marriage.  Long didn't begin to cover it!

By the candles, Duncan held Sarah Jo while she prayed. After she crossed herself, he helped her to her feet, still holding her. "Honey, part of me wants to tell you to have nothing more to with this Doc/Cain creature until we are sure it is safe to be around him, but I don't have any right to do that. Not unless... not unless I was your husband or something."

Sarah Jo's jaw dropped. "Husband?" she gasped.

"Yes," he nodded, and then sank down on one knee, taking her hand in his and kissing it. "Sarah Jo McCants, will you do me the honor of marrying me? Here, now?"

"NOW he's in a hurry," Methos said to the smiling baby. She responded to his tone with a laugh and a burble.

Sarah Jo swallowed hard. Her free hand was resting on her rounded belly, and underneath it, Duncan's child kicked hard, as if giving Sarah Jo its opinion in the matter.

She opened her mouth, tears running down her cheek. She wanted to ask a thousand *what if's* but the imploring look on Duncan's face stopped her. "Yes," she said softly. "Yes."

Methos lifted Doireann to his cheek.  "I'll believe it when I see it," he told her in a stage whisper.

"Behave," Katherine warned. Looking over at Father Alec and the other clergy, she asked if they minded doing a no-notice wedding.

Father Alec's chuckle was an echo of Connor's. "I would say it was past time, in fact," he said with a sparkle in his eyes. “Ralph, why don't you run over next door and get the women so Sarah Jo could have some ladies to stand up for her? Jose, can you dash over to Joe's? I believe he, Connor and Methos are Duncan's closest friends here in town."

"I shall go," said Herrera, "but I will not 'dash'."  Hydra, who was coming in and heard this, gave her husband a playful box on the ears.  She was almost due and quite large.

Katherine and Hydra took Sarah Jo aside to try to fix up her hair a little bit, and to wipe her tear stained cheeks dry while Connor fussed with Duncan. Methos watched it all with amusement, while Doireann chewed on one of his fingers with all the vigor she could muster considering she had no teeth.

Methos was idly trying to decide if this canine ability made her more likely to be his than Duncan's when Herrera returned with Joe.

Ralph showed up a moment later with Fiona and the three MacDonald sisters, who all immediately ran over to Sarah Jo to congratulate her. One of them produced a delicate veil to lay over Sarah Jo's hair, which was now released from its braids, and was tumbling down in soft curls down her back. Meanwhile, Connor was able to finally get the top button of Duncan's shirt fastened, even though his cousin complained under his breath about not being able to breathe.

Herrera went to his wife and made her sit in a pew while they finished getting everything ready.  Methos took his tiny charge and went to sit down next to her, content to be a spectator and babysitter while everyone fussed.

Father Alec appeared, having gone to get the appropriate clerical robes for the occasion. Seeing everyone was there and as ready as they could be, considering, he motioned from them to approach the front, and for the couple's friends to gather around them. "Dearly beloved," he said, beginning the ceremony with the words that Duncan had thought he would never hear, at least directed towards him.

Hydra inched closer to her husband, who had come to sit with her when the ceremony started.  Not so long ago, they had been standing at that altar.  He put a hand on her belly meaningfully, the box to the ear long forgotten.

The unmarried girls watched with misty eyes as the two of them exchanged their vows. There was no wedding ring, but at the last moment, Katherine slipped one off her hand and passed it to Duncan to use. Then at long last, the words he thought would always be denied him were said. "I now pronounce you, Man and Wife," the priest said with a happy smile. "You may kiss the bride!"