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The next morning MacLeod watched the two twenty-something immortals as they ate breakfast. Instead of playing pool, as they had originally planned Reina and Richie opted to stay at MacLeod's and subject him to mindless action movies. Naturally, as a huge Bond fan, Reina insisted that any movies featuring the secret agent were not mindless. At least for that evening, Reina seemed to have forgotten her annoyance about the watchers but with her one never really knew. Richie was happy not to lose any money to the female immortal and happily sat in front of the TV munching on popcorn. After the second movie during which Reina and Richie fell asleep, MacLeod curled up with a book and read until he decided it was past his bedtime. For a change there was no snickering or arguing during the evening.
"Why are you looking at us like that?" Reina asked.
"Excuse me?"
"Why were you staring at us like that? Is there something on our faces or something?"
"I was just thinking how it's good to see you being your old self again. And in a good mood."
"Are you saying that I'm a grouch?"
"No. Although I tend to see you when you're in a foul mood."
"Like when?"
"Remember when we first met?"
Reina shifted sheepishly. "Of course. It was the summer of that disastrous visit with my father."
Paris July 1989
MacLeod stroked his chin absentmindedly as he studied the chessboard. Darius had beaten him yet again. One day he would beat him at this game. Probably the same day the priest didn't try to foist something vile in his tea. That day was a long time coming. He reached out to move a piece when he felt a faint buzz followed by a much stronger one. MacLeod stepped outside keeping the katana hidden behind him. There was no need to scare the immortal-to-be unnecessarily. He watched as a teenage girl stormed past the gangplank followed by a mortal man and the immortal he felt.
"Reina, come back!" The mortal man yelled.
"You've made your decision," the teenage girl started over her shoulder. "Now leave me alone!"
The mortal man ran to the girl and grabbed her arm.
"Let go of me!" She shouted. "Don't ever touch me again!"
"Reina, I am your father! You will not talk to me that way!"
"You lost that right when you chose that bitch over me! No true father would be so spineless to let some two bit whore come between him and his child! Or is it because I'm not really your daughter? Would you find Ben and Jon worth fighting for?"
Reynaldo, in the meantime, was searching the area for the immortal he'd felt. "Reina, get back!"
"But…"
"Reina go!" Reynaldo snapped. "You too Jorgé."
"Now listen here Reynaldo…"
Reynaldo ignored Jorgé Molestador's protests as he approached the barge's gangplank.
"Reynaldo Montoya," a baritone voice said from the barge. "It's been a long time," MacLeod said.
"Too long," Reynaldo said.
"What the hell was that all about?" Jorgé demanded.
"Don't worry about it," Reynaldo told him. "You ought to be smoothing things over with your daughter."
Jorgé turned to say something to his daughter but she turned away from him. "Reina,"
"Forget it," she hissed. "I'll never forgive you for as long as I live. Go back to your bimbo."
"I will not allow you to disrespect me or her in that manner."
"Leave me alone!" Reina shoved her father. Jorgé underestimated his daughter's strength and lost his balance. He landed in the river. Reina turned on her heel and headed for the two immortals.
"Reina, isn't there something you want to discuss with your father?" Reynaldo asked.
"No," Reina glared at her father as he pulled himself out of the river. "He has his credit card back. Go back to Luxembourg," she told her father.
"Reina," Jorgé pleaded.
"The only reason you followed me out here was to get your card back. You got it so go. I don't need more reminders that you don't give a damn about me. I'll see you at graduation. If you bother to show up," she added bitterly.
Reynaldo shrugged sheepishly at MacLeod. "This is my Goddaughter, Reina Molestador and her father Jorgé. Things are a little strained between them right now. Reina, this is my good friend Duncan MacLeod."
"Nice to meet you Mr. MacLeod," Reina said, grinning. All traces of her annoyance gone.
"Please call me Duncan."
Jorgé nodded. "Reynaldo…"
"She can stay with me. I'll send her back home. If you're lucky, her grandmother won't read you the riot act. You know how much she dotes on Reina. And you know how she feels about you choosing your girlfriends over your daughter."
"My mother hasn't forgiven me for divorcing her mother. I can't do anything about that."
Jorgé turned and walked away, preparing to make the trip back to Luxembourg.
"So, Duncan, you live on this boat?"
"Actually, it's a barge."
"You live here?"
"Yes."
"What do you do for electricity? Do you move the barge often? How do you cook? What about phone lines?"
"Reina," Reynaldo admonished the teenager.
"That's okay," MacLeod said sensing Reina's need to take her mind off what had happened with her father. "Come on up. We can discuss old times and…" he looked at the teenager between him and Reynaldo. "New developments."
"Okay, I wasn't exactly in a good mood then," Reina snickered.
"What's so funny?" MacLeod asked.
"Nothing. I was just thinking that's all."
"There's a dangerous thing," Richie said.
"Very funny."
"You've been snickering all week," MacLeod said.
"I have not."
Richie nearly choked on the cereal he was eating. "Yeah right, and I'm Madonna. Look at you. You're about to laugh now."
"It's not a big deal okay," Reina said. "I read something in a book that made me laugh and I was just reminded of it. All right?"
MacLeod raised an eyebrow at Reina. "What book was it?" I think I'd like to read it."
"Oh, you wouldn't be interested. It's not your type of book."
"I'm always willing to read a good book."
"This book is awful," Reina shook her head. "I can't believe it was published. You wouldn't like it."
"Then why are you reading it?"
"You know me. I hate to not finish a book."
"Maybe it's one of those books," Richie said.
"One of what books?" Reina asked suspiciously.
"You know, one of those books. The one's you have in a crate in the back of your closet. Ow!" Richie rubbed his shin where Reina had kicked him. "What was that for?"
"What was what for?" Reina feigned innocence.
MacLeod smiled. "You hide books in your closet?" He asked changing the subject.
"They're not hidden," Reina retorted.
"What kind of books are they?" MacLeod asked.
"They're romance novels. Or as Reina calls them bodice rippers," Richie grinned. "I'd bet there's one in her bag."
"Don't even think about it," Reina told him.
Richie smirked. "What book is it Reina?"
"Forget it," Reina ran over to her backpack and grabbed the book in question. "I'm telling you, you don't want to read this book."
"Come on Reina, let's see the book."
"You want it? You'll have to take it from me."
"Is that a dare? Feeling lucky?"
Reina shrugged.
MacLeod watched the two younger immortals while they wrestled. Riche had a weight advantage and it didn't take long for Reina to end up pinned to the floor. The book, lying forgotten on the floor, having slid across the floor during the scuffle. MacLeod walked over and picked up the book.
"Aw come on," Reina pleaded. "Let me up. Give me the book."
"Say uncle."
"Forget it!"
MacLeod opened the book. It was The Blade of the McLeod's. He groaned. He was never going to live this down.
"I told you, you wouldn't be interested," Reina told him.
"Where did you get this book?"
"It's sold at any bookstore."
"I know you wouldn't buy this from the bookstore. I've never seen you buy a book like this."
"I'll have you know that I have bought books like this," Reina said. "But, as it so happened, Amanda gave it to me."
MacLeod rolled his eyes. Leave it to Amanda. She knew how he felt about this book and she gave it to Reina who couldn't help but snicker. The sound of the elevator pulled MacLeod out of his thoughts.
"MacLeod?" Joe called out from the elevator.
"Hi Joe. What's wrong?"
"You remember Peter?"
"Reina's former watcher."
"He was found dead a couple of hours ago. The police are looking for Reina."
"Why are they looking for me?" Reina asked as she pulled herself off of the floor, rubbing her hip.
"They think you may have something to do with his death."
"Why is that?"
"You'd have to ask them."
Reina narrowed her eyes at the watcher. "You think I did it," she said.
"You can't say that you never considered killing someone," Joe said.
"That was different," Reina snapped. "I had no reason to kill Peter. Having a stick permanently stuck up your ass is not a capital offense. Even if it were, it's not something for which I would be willing to play executioner."
"Reina!" MacLeod said, horrified at Reina's lack of tact.
"Duncan!" Reina said imitating MacLeod's tone. "I had every reason to want Carrie dead. She killed my best friend and my brother. But I couldn't do it. If I didn't kill someone for a good reason, I'm certainly not going to kill someone for something so -trifling," she said tuning back to Joe. "But I don't have to explain myself to you, a glorified voyeur! I'm outta here!" Reina grabbed her bag and stormed out of the loft.
"Reina wait!" MacLeod went after the younger immortal.
"Forget it Duncan," Reina said. "I've got to go home anyway before the cops decide to tear my place up."
MacLeod turned toward the watcher.
"I don't think the chronicles did her temper justice," Joe said weakly.
"What time was Peter killed?"
"The police say around midnight. He was shot with a 9mm gun. Just like Reina's."
"Reina couldn't have done it. She was here at the time," MacLeod told Joe. "The three of us were watching movies. She wasn't there."
"Maybe she left."
"No way man," Richie said. "We were watching James Bond movies. Reina loves those. She wouldn't even leave to go to the bathroom."
"I think I owe her an apology," Joe said sheepishly.
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