altariel | Crossovers

selenak has a very good post about crossovers. I am guilty of the first crime on her list, writing a HL crossover having only seen the Methos episodes. At

selenak's request, here it is. Any infelicities arise from my not having watched enough HL, and the piece being written in 1999.

Headshots

‘You know,' he added gravely, 'it's one of the most serious things that can possibly happen in a battle - to get one's head cut off.’

Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass.

***

Eyes flicker, open, blink at the light. Throat constricts, gags. And then the chest heaves, hauling in air, like a child's first gasps for breath in its first moments of life.

Hand stretches out - clutches at the ground, feels grass and earth. Eyes focus, look ahead, see the sky, the ceiling of trees.

And the face comes into view: pale skin, dark hair. And the eyes... intelligent, humorous, ageless.

‘So you finally made it. About time.’

Gasping, trying to form words, the many questions that are in my mind.

‘I know, I know. What, where, when and who. There's probably a 'how' as well, if we're honest.’

I pull backwards, drawing myself up, and see the uniform. He sees my eyes widen and shakes his head.

‘Don't pay any attention to this. I imagine you've used it as a disguise often enough yourself. If I was really one of them I wouldn’t have come back for you.’

‘What's happened to me?’ I force it out through dry, cracking lips.

‘It's very simple. You died.’ He smiles helpfully.

I shake my head and look away. ‘This is not a good time for jokes...’

‘No, it isn't.’ His quiet, serious tone makes me look up. He pulls himself down opposite me, holding my eye. ‘You'd better listen, and listen hard.’ And he explains.

***

‘They shot you and they burnt the body. You’ve spent two months reconstructing yourself.’

It takes a little time to convince me, as you can imagine. Immortality.

‘There’s just one small catch...’

***

What can I do with this, this gift? What can the rebellion do with this on its side? It could make us invincible... We get up, start to go.

‘One thing.’

He turns to look back at me.

‘I don't know your name.’

He smiles like jewels. ‘Call me Adam.’

***

Invincible... But when the first of the three shots hit, the shock was profound, and it felt like death really had finally caught up with me.

‘Half the lesson is the death of an enemy, the other the death of a friend...’ I thought I’d learnt that lesson. Dear God, how wrong can you be?