Title: Right Back (1/1)

Author: Lady Starblade – PG (minor swearing)

Fandom: Highlander (series)

Disclaimer: Read carefully: This is a fan work of fiction. I own nothing Highlander-related (unless one counts crushes on Joe and Methos…) and I make no money from this writing. So no sue. Trust me, I'm not worth the lawyers' fees.

Summary: Joe Dawson keeps watch over a downed Immortal.

Author's Note: After Richie took the bullets for Joe in "Counterfeit, Part II" and delivers his famous line, the next time we see the pair, Joe's bouncing-off-the-walls-excited (for Joe, anyway  ). So this is my imagining of what went on in between. My first attempt at Highlander writing; so be kind.

Richie Ryan looked at the three bullet holes in his chest and gave a little shrug before lifting his eyes to meet Joe's. "Stick around. I'll be right back." Then he died.

Joe Dawson had seen a lot of men die. More than he cared to remember. That last small shudder, that last intake of breath, then everything going still and settling into death. He'd seen it before. He watched Richie's eyes flutter, his punctured chest hitch, then the stillness come over the kid. He'd expected more. Sure, he knew as long as the head was still attached, the young Immortal would be wisecracking again within minutes, but Richie was still dead now.

Propping a hip against the stone wall and splaying his left leg out wildly, Joe bent over enough to press two fingers to Richie's neck. He was about to become the first Watcher known to have seen an Immortal die and resurrect, and he was documenting every moment of it in his head. No pulse. No breath. He rotated his wrist for a quick check of his watch. Two minutes and counting.

Would there be any warning? Any sign? What if something went wrong? Would he be able to tell? Did something have to be done before the resurrection? Even after thousands of years of observation, there was still so much the Watchers didn't know.

Three minutes. Joe glanced around, wondering how much longer he had before someone came to investigate the commotion. He didn't know if he could haul Richie's corpse to a more secluded location than the sidewalk, but he was willing to try. Four minutes. Dammit kid, make this a whole lot easier on me and wake the hell up!

Worry and frustration finally got the better of him. He lifted his cane and nudged Richie's shoulder. Then again. "C'mon…" Joe muttered. "C'mon…" The nudge became a poke. Then a second. "Aw hell…"

The tip of the cane was pulling back for a final try when a hand snapped up and grabbed it. "Don't do that," Richie groaned, drawing a deep breath as his eyes opened. "Aww man, Mac wasn't kidding when he said comin' back was the worst part."

Joe couldn't help it. His jaw dropped. He'd never seen anything like this. Richie had just come back from completely dead. He was experiencing the big difference between knowing something was possible and actually seeing it. He was still reveling in the feeling when Richie let go of the cane started to pick himself up from the ground. Joe held his arm out and Richie grabbed it for leverage, muttering his thanks on the way up.

Once upright, he rolled his shoulders and smirked. "Okay, I'm back. Did I miss anything?"

Joe could only shake his head, brain still assimilating what he'd seen.

The other man nodded, then started tugging a little on one of the bullet holes in his shirt. "Well, that was fun."

Joe snorted, finally finding his voice. "You've always had a weird idea of fun."

His only response was a cheeky grin. "Yeah. Just wait. It gets better. Now let's make some tracks, huh?"

The Watcher and the Immortal proceeded to do just that.

END