New Fanfic: HIS BETTER HALF: An Elena Duran Story 8/8
Vi Moreau (vmoreau@ADELPHIA.NET)
Sun, 3 Jun 2001 05:27:19 -0400
HIS BETTER HALF: An Elena Duran Story 8/8
by Vi Moreau
vmoreau@adelphia.net
for thanks and disclaimers, see part 0
Duncan was just driving back up in Connor's sports utility vehicle as Connor
walked over to Elena, who was still on her knees from the Quickening.
Connor held a hand out to her. Panting, she put her hand in his, and he saw
that it was shaking a little; no, *she* was shaking a little, all over.
Well, a Quickening always gave him a hard-on, one of the reasons he found it
so difficult to get back to his feet afterwards. He wondered if Elena was
just plain horny; he could smell her ....
He shook himself loose from those thoughts. She just had an understandable
case of the shudders, that's all. He took her hand and pulled her to her
feet with a little grunt of effort--Elena was trim, but not light.
Once she was standing, Elena didn't let go of his hand right away. She
found she wanted to hang on to it. She also wanted to stop trembling. It
was no big deal, just a little bit of the shakes; not to mention a little
bit of lust thrown in. She'd gone through this before; but never in front
of Connor MacLeod. She also wanted to say something to him, but for the
first time the bon mot failed her and the sarcastic remark eluded her.
She held on to his hand for a long moment, covering it with her other hand,
waiting to see if he'd say something cutting, hurtful, sarcastic to her.
But he said nothing.
For that she rewarded him with a smile.
She was smiling at him. In spite of her dark complexion, she had a golden
smile, all those white teeth in that dusky face, and he saw that particular
smile so seldom it stunned him, as usual, with its power. Plus, there was
the fact that that particular Elena Duran smile was his, for him alone.
She had gripped his other hand, and now it was his turn to wait, to see if
she would come up with her usual little sarcastic quip, or a new insult.
But her only word was a soft, "Gracias," and then there were tears, one
thick fat one breaking loose, snaking its way down her face to her chin and
hanging there, suspended, before disappearing into the dry grass at her
feet.
Duncan walked up, and Elena let go of Connor's hand and pressed against her
lover. Still smiling at Connor, however, she said softly, "[Lo importante,
che, es no morirse uno, para poder arreglar a todos los imperfectos.]"
Duncan chuckled.
"What was that, exactly?" Connor asked, smiling back at her.
"The important thing is not to die, so as to be able to correct the
imperfections of others," Duncan translated, with a grin.
Connor barked with laughter.
``````````
"Couldn't sleep, Alex?"
Alex hadn't even noticed Elena standing in the darkness of the dining room,
gazing out the window at impenetrable darkness. But Elena had certainly
noticed her.
"I must be the noisiest person in this house," Alex said, smiling.
"No," Elena said, chuckling. "John is the noisiest."
Alex didn't mind. "Elena took care of it," Connor had said, coldly and
tiredly, when she asked him on the phone about Simon Andrew. Connorspeak
for "Elena used her sword, she killed him, she cut his head off ...." Just
like Connor would. Just like Connor had, more than once. Alex didn't
really want to think about it.
Connor hadn't said anything else about Simon, hadn't wanted to talk. Just a
moment ago she had been in bed with Connor, holding him against her, feeling
the solidness of him, the goodness of him, feeling his love and his
heartbeat ... and they'd found they hadn't really needed that many words
after all.
Now, however, she'd gotten out of bed to think, realizing what she needed to
do was to talk to Elena.
When Elena had first come back from her imprisonment, Alex had asked the
Immortal if she was all right. Elena had broken free of Duncan's protective
embrace and done a little pirouette for Alex with her hands out at her
sides. "As you can see, I'm fine, Alex," she had answered. But Alex had
taken in Elena's stained sweatpants, her dirty coat, her general pallor.
She especially hadn't missed the blood stains on the collar of Elena's white
sweatshirt.
It was late at night, or early in the morning, and Elena glanced back at
Alex, who was silhouetted against the hall light. She could see the tension
in Alex's body language, and knew Alex needed to talk; and she had a good
idea what the talk would be about. It was a situation requiring some
delicacy--but Elena was tired. Exhausted. She always felt tense rather
than relaxed after lovemaking, and after a Quickening, too. She'd come out
here to be alone for a few minutes, not to reassure Alex MacLeod. Still ...
"Is there something I can do for you, Alex?" Elena asked softly.
Alex came closer to the Immortal. Elena had changed into a nightgown and a
soft flannel robe, and was wearing the prerequisite woolen bed socks.
"I wanted to know ... to make sure you were really all right." Alex moved
closer to Elena. "They ... didn't hurt you?"
Elena got her meaning right away. "No, don't worry Alex. I was just tied
up. I've been through worse, believe me."
"Good," Alex replied, much relieved. "And ..." <Dammit, Alex!> she chided
herself. <Just say it.> "I feel guilty about what happened."
"I understand," Elena said, nodding.
Alex remembered Elena's words: "The MacLeods came down like the wrath of
God, and I was the lady in distress, rescued by the two brave, clever and
handsome knights!" Elena had told an eager John. "[!Son magnificos!]"
Except Elena had not been rescued--she had more or less rescued herself,
fought for her own life, slayed her own dragon. And Connor and Duncan
MacLeod had made it possible. They were magnificent. While she, Alex ....
Now Alex waited to hear what Elena would say about Alex MacLeod.
Elena sighed. "Please don't feel guilty," she said simply.
It wasn't enough. "But I ... the bottom line, Elena, is I let you go in my
place. And I do feel bad about that, and guilty. I feel ... cowardly."
Elena shook her head. Sometimes integrity got in the way of practicality.
"Alex, if you had proudly stood and proclaimed your identity to Simon, would
that have made you feel better?"
"Well, yes, but--"
"But he would have beheaded me on the spot, and destroyed your kitchen while
he was at it," Elena interrupted.
Alex smiled weakly at Elena's attempt at humor.
"He would have kidnapped you instead, probably killed you to fuck Connor,
and maybe even managed to kill Connor, too," Elena argued earnestly, holding
her palms up in the air. "Can you see how everything could have gone
wrong?"
Alex nodded unhappily. "Yes, I understand that, and you're right, I agree."
"So you did the smart thing, the right thing, and saved my life. I'm very
grateful, believe me."
"Well, you saved mine, and I'm grateful too. And Elena, I know,
intellectually, that I did the right thing, going along with you." Alex put
her hand up to her chest.
"But not standing up for yourself made you feel a little bad, a little
guilty, a little less than you think you should be," Elena suggested.
Alex nodded.
"What did the bard say, 'All's well that ends well?' We're all alive, and
Simon Andrew is dead. Excuse me for being selfish, but *I* think it was
worth it. Do you?"
"Of course!" Alex answered. She'd have to be content with this. Elena was
very honest, and wasn't going to lie just to make Alex MacLeod feel better
about herself.
Elena closed her robe around her, shuddering. Then she moved closer and
took Alex's right hand in hers, squeezing lightly. "But if you're
interested in my opinion, I don't think you're a coward," Elena added.
"Great!" Alex had been reassured by Connor, but Elena was the one who had
been there, and Elena was letting her off the hook. Alex took a deep
breath, feeling more relieved than she cared to admit. "Thanks, Elena, I
appreciate ... thank you very much." <But I'm not [magnifico,]> she said to
herself. <It's all right. We can't all be glorious.>
Elena dropped Alex's hand, then looked at her hostess for a moment. "You
know, only sometimes is it about making fabulous rescues, or being a hero.
Most of the time, it's about living day to day, being as smart, brave and
good as you can be." She paused, then paid Alex the best compliment she
could. She pointed at Alex. "Connor thinks you're [magnifica.] And
someone I really respect told me--just today, in fact--that Connor is
usually a good judge of character."
"Yes," Alex agreed, standing a little taller, smiling a real smile. "He is.
And he told me--just today, in fact--how grateful he was to you, Elena;
and how you thanked him. And how brave you were, how 'cool under fire.'
Even with a blade at your throat."
Elena put her hand to her neck. "He said all that?" she asked, smiling
broadly, a little surprised and quite pleased. "And here I thought he was
taciturn," she said brightly, using the new word Duncan had defined for her;
the new word she'd not easily forget.
"Taciturn?" Alex asked. "Well, yes, he is. I guess you inspired him to new
heights of verbosity," she said.
Elena laughed softly. "Because I am [magnifica,] too. We are all
magnificent!" she declared proudly.
"Yes," Alex agreed again, feeling her heart lift. "We are!"
Translations: (all Spanish)
asados - Argentine barbecue
chico/a or nino/a - boy/girl
sensei (Jap.) - teacher
gaijin (Jap.) - foreigner; alien (perjorative term)
carajo or cono - damn
que impaciente - how impatient
un nuevo - a new person
bastardo - bastard
cobarde - coward
caballero - knight, gentleman
gracias a Dios - thank God
magnifico/a - magnificent