Disclaimers: Connor MacLeods and Rachel Ellenstein are property of Rysher and Davis/Panzer Productions. I'm just borrowing them for a while and will give them back unharmed.

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Connor MacLeod bid goodnight to the last customer of the day, and closed up the antique store. Rachel had left early to get ready for the evening, so Connor was alone.

He watched the first of the evening's Trick-or-Treaters scurry from door to door. For a moment, he almost wished he had bought candy for them. But no, he did not feel in the mood to be interrupted by little bunnies and Darth Vaders looking for candy. Like all holidays, Halloween had drifted from what it started out as years ago.

Turning off the lights, Connor picked up some books and headed upstairs to his loft apartment. Once upstairs, he set the books down and stopped to pull the curtains closed. After getting a drink and starting a Loreena McKinnett CD quietly playing, he settled down. He had needed to do some research for a week now, but he felt as though the work would still not get down tonight.

He leaned back against the sofa cushions and listened to McKinnett's voice float through the room. Her music always reminded him of home and of Brenda. Brenda had loved her music and always kept one of her CD's in the player. Connor smiled as he remembered the many occasions that he and Brenda had made love with the soft music in the background.

"Damn MacLeod," he muttered to himself. "Don't go getting maudlin on us tonight." He wiped away the blurriness that usually accompanied his thoughts of Brenda. They had not been allowed enough time, but then there was never enough time.

Connor forgot about the books stacked on the floor as he lost himself in the memories. It seemed at times as though there were too many memories. Too many that came and went far too quickly. Suddenly he was jarred back to the present as the door chime rang out. He walked to the window and watched as two teenagers walked back to a waiting car. WIth luck,they would go away peacefully.

His reflective mood totally blown, he again sat down to look through the research books. Before he could even pick up the top book, he heard the crashing of cans and people yelling from the street. Muttering about people who liked to play Halloween pranks, Connor went back downstairs to see how much damage he would have to clean up. He picked up his katana from it's place with his coat. He chuckled as he thought "If they want to be scared, I can oblige."

Just as Connor opened the door to the alley, he spotted the three teenagers diving for a large black cat. The cat had been hanging around for the past week, and Connor was not about to have it used as the center of a mindless prank. The cat must have sensed a friendly presence and darted past Connor into the shadows of the antique shop's workroom. The teens slammed to a halt when the saw Connor standing in the door, holding the katana.

"I think you boys need to find something else to do this evening. Don't you agree?" Connor smiled coldly as he moved the sword for them to see.

"uh.. yeah.. sure.. ," the teens stammered as they watched the sharp metal move. Then they turned, ran back to the car, pulled out of the alley and was gone.

Connor sighed. At least they had been easily scared. He went back inside and started looking for the cat. The animal was hiding between a table and a file cabinet. "Here Kitty, let's find you some food." Connor reached back for the cat and yelped as the frightened animal scratched the back of his hand. *It will heal* he thought to himself as he reached again, this time successfully pulling the cat out of the corner.

Connor petted and talked to the cat as he went back upstairs to the kitchen. "We have to thank Rachel tomorrow for leaving the milk here, don't we?" he asked as he poured some of the milk into a bowl. The cat finished the milk and after a few minutes of prowling, decided that Connor's lap would make a nice bed for a while. Connor settled back with his new friend, not feeling quite so alone.

Neither stirred when Rachel quietly let herself in and saw the two sound asleep on the sofa. She smiled as she watched them sleep. "Happy Halloween, Connor MacLeod." she whispered as she tiptoed into her room.

-end-