HLFIC-L Gathering Wednesday (Part 3 of 3) =========================================================================== Date: Sun, 24 Mar 1996 14:12:24 From: Jimmy Murphy Subject: WAR: Unwanted Attentions, part two "Unwanted Attentions", part two by Jimmy Murphy Christening Day, St. Darius Church Anne had found a restroom in order to take care of Mary's strained-pea incident. Jimmy decided that it would be a good idea to keep Anne in sight at all times, so he soon entered the church as well. Whether he was trying to insure hers and the baby's safety or just keeping tabs on her interchanges with MacLeod was a debatable topic. "Anne? Are you in here?" he asked, not too pleased to hear the subtle 'squish' of his shoes into the carpeting. "I certainly had not planned anything like *this*, he lamented. "Now I feel as if I have to revise my entire plan for Anne and Mary's big day." Indeed, he was doing it at that very moment. Jimmy turned to find not Anne, but James Horton. Or was it one of his doppelgangers? Jimmy was not about to ask; if you've seen one plot device in a trench coat, you've seen them all. "Convinced now, my friend? That was quite a play Macleod made for your precious Dr. Lindsey..and right in front of the entire group." Jimmy twisted the corner of his mouth sardonically. "I'd say I'm glad to see you, but I'm not that good a liar. What brings you to darken my doorstep? Are you and that kid in league somehow? You both seem to turn up just when no one wants you to." Horton just kept returning that slightly-psychotic look. "You should pay more attention. You and I share a common enemy." "Thinning hair?" Jimmy asked. Horton instinctively touched his scalp, then realized he had been had. "You don't act very grateful for someone who was released from prison on *my* bail! For such an unassuming grad student, you surely do attract a lot of trouble." Jimmy loved sharing barbs with the weirdo Englishman. "Must be the company I keep...like crazy murderers." Horton realized that he needed to regain control of the agenda. "You and I both know that this planet will be a better place once we rid the world of a...certain Scotsman." "Ronald MacDonald?" Jimmy asked sarcastically. Horton had to restrain himself from striking Jimmy with his English brolly. "Will you stop it?? MacLeod, you idiot! The man is a freak of nature." Horton had finally lost that cool facade, which was just what Jimmy wanted. It was how Jimmy had become a legend in the grad department office in his history department--making fools of professors with overinflated self-importance. If Jimmy could reduce his department chair to seething anger, an international criminal mastermind would be a piece of cake. "Duncan MacLeod! You and I both know that removing him from this world would make both our lives much simpler. As much as it galls me to say it, I can use your help in my quest to destroy MacLeod....and you can then have the fair Dr. Lindsey all to yourself." Jimmy had to pause--a rarity for someone whose mouth was always engaged. "I thought that might get your attention," Horton said triumphantly, if prematurely. "News flash, Horton...Anne no longer dates Duncan, and I can take care of this all by myself." Horton replied that if this Christening was any indication, Anne and Duncan would be lovers again before the end of the war...er, week. Horton started turning the screws. "Do you really think he would allow someone as beautiful, talented, and wonderful as Anne to leave his orbit? No, MacLeod and his ilk always return to lord over things they consider to be theirs...and how could you possibly stop him when he decided to take her back? They seek to dominate us all, Jimmy...and they have to be destroyed!" Jimmy scoffed once again. "Set it to music, Horton....that tune's had more airplay than the theme from "Friends". Why don't you just leave me alone and get out of this town? No one wants you here! I can make her happy without your brand of help." Suddenly, Anne emerged from the bathroom to see the two men exchanging intense gazes. "Am I interrupting something?" Anne asked, knowing she was. Horton extended his hand to Anne. "Ah, I came to wish you and your lovely daughter the very best. Your friend here was just telling me that there is a reception to be..." Jimmy interrupted. "You're no friend of mine! Why don't you just float out of here with the tide? I'm sure Reverend Douglass wants to see no more of us." He grabbed Anne by the arm and the two swiftly left Horton's presence, startling Anne. "Why did you do that?" Anne asked. Jimmy only said that he was ready for them to get to the reception. Jimmy retrieved his and Anne's coats from the cloak room while she tried to get more information from Jimmy. Jimmy is anxious to get them out of there, and hopefully to alert Joe to the Horton in the house. He throws on a dark-colored jacket that resembles his, but it is not in fact the right one. Shift: to Anne's backyard, scene of the reception. Anne is trying to figure out just where everyone will go to dry out. There are only three bathrooms, and while that would normally be enough for an average party, Anne knew this was no average party. At least most of the guests had started to *smell* normal. She was trying to busy herself with the matters at hand so that she would not have to think about how that snotty-nosed brat, Kenny, had managed to turn up once again to try his best to wreck things. Marie had vowed she would never again wear that Versace outfit. It would always have that bad smell. Still, since everyone else had that same odor, she figured it would be okay to wear the thing for the party. She was suprised that it was holding up, considering the unscheduled shower. "Hey, babe, that's some outfit. Is that some sort of fancy-shmancy designer?" Marie turned to see...nothing. She looked downwards a few inches and met the eyes of Benny Carbazza, whom she was immediately not impressed with. "Do I know you?" she asked. He said that he was a friend of Anne's. "Yeah, we are like *that*!" (he crossed his fingers) Marie attempted to walk away, but the unwanted admirer followed her to the punchbowl. "What is that perfume you're wearing? Smells great." she rolled her eyes. "Are you a former patient of hers?" Marie said, resigned to the fact that she could not shake the guy. "Nah, why? Do I look like I would have health problems?" Benny spread his arms. Marie looked at his blazer. ""Your eyes could use an exam." Benny tried to act as if she had hurt his feelings. "Hey, what did I do to offend you?" "You mean besides your lack of attention to tact, manners, and the wedding ring on my finger? Oh, not much." Benny did notice that ring, but not in the way she hoped he would. "That's one hell of a ring. Cubic zirconia, right?" Marie was positively offended. "Why, no it is *not*. It is from Harry Winston!" Benny had no idea who the famous jeweler was. "Well, he must be one helluva guy to give you a headlight like that!" From across the room, Donna saw this exchange between Benny and Marie, and felt from all that distance the impact of her hand across his face. People seemed to arrive by the carloads, and by the time everyone was there, Anne's mood was beginning to return to the way she felt before the unfortunate spray/stink incident. She saw Richie and some of his friends and felt the need to thank them especially, since they had weighed down the entire hall table with gifts. "Well, you know I always liked you, Anne...you made Duncan feel real good. This party's great, y'know...don't worry about that Kenny brat. I'm sure someone will take his head by the end of the evening." Richie walked away, and Anne could only close her eyes in fear of the light show that might make her baby's Christening an event to remember. Okay, people...mingle! JM =========================================================================== Date: Sun, 24 Mar 1996 17:32:42 From: Falcon Storm Subject: WAR: The Innocent "The Innocent", a.k.a. "Little Black Book" Author: Elspeth Emery - DFW Location: The Christening; Church Just before everyone departs for the Reception ============================= The woman came across the carpetted vestry with daintily small steps of her pearl buttoned boots. If you blinked twice her carefully piled dark hair and cream velvet dress with its long draped skirt and lace trim and matching parasol could have come straight out of a Victorian patternbook. If there was a more impractical looking costume at the christening, the group standing by the sanctuary doors hadn't seen it. She saw Anne & Jimmy standing together, talking quietly, by the doors, and lifted a lace gloved hand to wave brightly in the very best Southern feminine tradition. Marie, standing by Anne and holding Mary, rolled her eyes. "Oh, no," she muttered to no one in particular. "What -" Anne began, distracted from a very detailed recitation of the circumstances of Mary's birth. "What is it?" "One of Duncan's girls," Jimmy said, forebearing to roll *his* eyes. "The one with the weird name," Marie added. "Half of them have weird names," Anne said. "The weird Scottish name," Jimmy said lightly. "Looks like the head Scot's given her the slip. Watch, she'll ask if we've seen him." Anne gulped down a sudden burst of laughter at that description of MacLeod and feigned a cough when Marie and Jimmy stared at her. Elspeth did her best 'doe eyes' and sweet, helpless, shy smile as she came up to them, still carefully walking as if she were in a deportment class. "Dr. Linsay. Ms Chang. Mr. Murray. And little Miss Linsay - aren't you just a little doll?" "That's Murphy," Jimmy corrected. "Murphy? Oh, dear. Is it terribly proper to discuss your relationship to the child under these, ah, circumstances?" Elys asked looking as pitiful as possible while Jimmy turned pink. "No! Her name's Linsay. I'm Murphy," Jimmy snapped, hoping this woman wouldn't embarass Anne. Elspeth did the doe eyes again and took three dainty steps backward to bring her beside Marie. "Oh, dear. In light of your *law,* Mr. Murphy, I trust you'll understand if a lady prefers to, ah, keep her distance, so to speak." Jimmy gaped. Marie stared. And Anne had to cough again. "Oh, ah, yes. Of course," Anne finally managed. "What can we do for you dear?" Elys did her very best gracious manner with a wave of her left hand. "I just had to give you my very best wishes and congratulations, Dr. Linsay. This is a perfectly lovely occasion, and your daughter is so very charming. You must be so proud." "Well, yes. I am," Anne said. "She worked very hard on this," Jimmy added, relaxing again. "Oh, I can see that. You all must've worked very hard. It is a marvelous occasion." "Yes, it is," Jimmy agreed. "And I hope you will enjoy it every bit as much as I have," Elys gushed. "Now I know I interrupted a private conversation. I saw you two talking as I came up. So I will be going. Must find that good looking fellow with the long hair you know. But - Mr. Murray -" "That's _Murphy_." "Well, if you insist. Though I wouldn't if I were you, since things might start going wrong if you do," Elys said, batting big brown eyes, and somehow managing to keep a straight face. "What could go wrong?" Jimmy asked, repressing the sarcasm since this creature claimed to be leaving. "Oh, my - well, someone might not have found this for you, is all," Elys said, retrieving a little black book from the depths of the velvet reticule hanging from one gloved wrist. "I saw you drop it, and I was sure you'd want it back," she finished