To Life Immortal: 5 - The Spirit of the Bear

By Claudia Aranda.

Crossover: Due South/War of the Worlds/Highlander: The Series

Rating: PG

Warnings/Categories: AU

Main characters: Ray Vecchio and Paul Ironhorse.

Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me and I don't intend to make any money with them. There are no intentions to infringe the rights of the legal owners.

As always, this story hadn't been possible without Birgitt and Connie. Gracias Ladies of The Sith.

By Claudia Aranda.

Ten years ago...

Paul Ironhorse walked towards The Cottage. The rubble was the only proof that what he remembered wasn't a nightmare. Because if the shot hadn't been enough, the explosion would have been. Because... He had died the night before. Right?

What was the meaning of this?

That now he was under the power of the aliens?

Paul couldn't take the risk. The Blackwood Project and his friends were too important. Without any doubts he made towards the cliff and threw himself from it.

*-----*

Paul woke up in the darkness, with his body numbed by the cold. The sea pounded incessantly and Paul felt frustrated. He was alive! He had thrown himself from more than ninety feet. He should be dead! Another attempt at suicide couldn't hurt, so Paul threw himself into the sea to drown. Unfortunately, letting yourself drown isn't the same as throwing yourself from a cliff. Against his will Paul had to admit that he couldn't resist the instinct to swim. He sat on the rocks to wait for the light of day to decide what to do.

*-----*

As soon as the sun came up, Paul started to climb the cliff. Maybe someday he would laugh about it, but at that moment it was a frustrating task, because ironically, he had fallen a couple of times and of course he had died... again.

When finally he had come to the top, Paul had given himself some moments to analyze his situation. He was tired, in pain, hungry and alone, and to make it all worse, he couldn't ask for help because he didn't know what had happened to him. He thought of himself as a time bomb.

Death would have been a relief, but the facts had shown him that was impossible. After the falls, while he climbed the cliff, Paul had seen with horror how, in front of his own eyes, the exposed fracture in one wrist had healed itself. First Paul felt a strange itch, then a blue sparkle that looked like electricity started to splutter from the wound. Next the bones and the flesh started to go back and fix themselves, taking the shape they should have had. Paul looked at his arm as if it did not belong to him anymore. Finally, a last blue sparkle slid over the skin and there wasn't any sign of the wound. Paul stared, impressed, and after the rest of his body continued repairing itself in the same way every time he got hurt, Paul realized that death was his last concern.

Far away, The Cottage's ruins continued smoldering.

*-----*

Some days had passed since Paul woke up at the bottom of the cliff. The Cottage and all its installations were abandoned, even the large main door was open. Maybe staying near a secret government installation wasn't the smartest thing, but Paul hadn't the heart to leave. That would mean facing other human beings, and Paul didn't trust himself. When nobody either called or showed up to ask for an explanations for the silence of the Blackwood Project's members, Ironhorse understood that he was alone.

He checked out the Omega Squad's quarters, and little by little, he hid in the woods all the rations, clothes, weapons and other useful articles that he found there. Once all was in a safe place and within his reach, Paul started his journey into the depths of the woods, thinking that possibly he would never see another human being again.

*-----*

Five years after his 'death,' Ironhorse was still living in the deep woods. In all that time he had avoided every person that crossed his path, but he struggled with his decision because the question still remained:

What did this new life mean?

Every night, staring into his campfire, Paul had reflected about it.

A long time ago, during a mission, Paul had met Joseph Lonetree. Paul had felt fondness for the old man because he reminded him of his own grandfather. Both Joseph and his grandfather were shamans and believed in the forces of nature.

Joseph knew that he had reached the time to give the power of the spirit to the next generation, and the logic choice had been his son, but the spirit had rejected him. When Joseph met Paul, the old man knew immediately that Paul had the spiritual force to be a shaman, so Joseph thanked the ancients, brought Paul to the woods with him, and called upon the spirits.

Paul had been a little afraid but when the mighty spirit had shown itself before him, Paul knew that he had been choosen. From that moment he would be the link between the spirit world and the material world.

For a long time Paul had believed himself to be a weapon of the aliens, and he had prayed to the spirits for the power necessary to fight them, because even the aliens had fallen due to the power of the spirits.

Finally, after so many years Paul had the skills and the strength necessary to call upon his powerful guide spirit. The time had come to ask for the answers he needed. That night he would call upon The Spirit of the Bear.

*-----*

The Spirit of the Bear answered Ironhorse's call, but Paul didn't understand the message completely. Images and feelings floated over the campfire's smoke. There were his friends from Blackwood Project, there were images of places in which Paul never had been and a crowd of faces that he didn't know. Among all these faces two stood out due to their beauty and power. A woman: Young, strong and vibrant, but dark-eyed with sadness. A man: Tall, dark and heroic, with eyes full of compassion.

The images associated with his friends from the Blackwood Project were of joy and hope. Paul felt very confused. His friends' hearts held no fear anymore. Paul understood that they had succeeded. What, then, was the meaning of his own life?

A weapon is useful only when there is somebody to pull the trigger, and everything led him to think that that somebody didn't exist anymore.

The spirit signaled that the truth would come with the dark man, because his soul and Paul's were the same. This man was a powerful warrior, so the way would be dangerous and maybe Paul wouldn't survive. For Paul that was no reason to worry. "How am I going to find him?"

"He comes for you... His path to this place began even before you were born."

As soon as the trance ended, Paul stood up and started to prepare his things. When the dark man came, Paul would be ready to leave with him. To live or to die.

*-----*

When Duncan felt the other immortal's buzz, he took his sword and searched for his adversary. The presence had started to vanish but after a slight hesitation, it became strong again. With his sword positioned, Duncan checked out his surroundings.

From behind a tree, a man appeared. If the stranger hadn't been betrayed by the fact that he was an immortal, Duncan would never have suspected that the man was there. The stranger was dressed in military clothes, a little battered already.

Duncan prepared himself to fight, raised his sword and roared, "I'm Duncan MacLeod, of the clan MacLeod!"

The stranger seemed surprised by this reception. "I'm Paul Ironhorse. I was waiting for you."

Duncan didn't let down his sword. "What do you mean?"

Paul hated to be questioned like this, but he had to trust in this man. "The Spirit of the Bear showed me your face and told me that you have the answers I'm looking for."

Although Paul's face was emotionless and his gaze was somewhat hard, Duncan decided to give him a chance. After all, he had lived with a Sioux tribe and understood what Paul had said. Duncan let down his sword but kept alert, "What do you want to know?"

*-----*

Duncan and Paul talked a lot for the rest of that day, and all the next day. Duncan realized that Paul wasn't completely convinced, but that he made a great effort to believe. After all, a lot of the things that Duncan had said to him, Paul had lived for himself during those five years.

Duncan had noted too, that in spite of his disorderly look, Paul had a good education and knew the world. He hadn't stayed in those woods his whole life. Paul told him his story, and Duncan remembered his own terrors. Paul had feared he was the aliens' instrument, and Duncan had feared he was the devil's instrument.

Duncan had planned a quiet weekend to reflect, and to choose a new course to his life, but he felt that this had been a lucky meeting. He and Paul had a lot in common. Duncan missed having a student, someone who would understand that to be able to live forever made you even more afraid of death.

*-----*

The second night it was settled that the next day Paul would return with Duncan to civilization. Inwardly Paul was thrilled. He had spent to many years alone, and he was tired of solitude. He wanted to see a city, feel the noise and enjoy the company of other people. Paul was surprised by it, but happy. He would live again.

*-----*

Duncan and Paul parted early in the morning. Both of them were calm but expectant. Duncan had told Paul about Tessa, but how would he explain this to her? Well, he would worry about that when it was necessary. He was sure that Paul and Tessa would be congenial.

*-----*

In the present...

Paul hadn't changed his name. If Duncan didn't do it, why should he? Maybe it was crazy, but it was the only thing he had left from his old life.

Paul felt he was being watched. He turned around slowly and saw that a beautiful young woman was observing him. The young woman's expression was a mixture of horror, relief and joy. She was one of the models, the typical tall blonde, but this one had the most beautiful blue eyes that Paul had ever seen. Wait a minute... Paul had seen those eyes before. "Debi...?"

The girl, about 23 years old, approached to him slowly and whispered, "Colonel...?"

Paul stood astounded, while Debi embraced him and cried for joy.

To be continued...