In Remembrance

by Jennifer Campbell

The characters of Methos and Duncan MacLeod don't belong to me. I make no money off this. Rated: G.

No plot, no great characterizations, no wild sex -- only my somewhat feeble attempt to deal with the needless, tragic deaths of 12 students and a teacher at Columbine High School in Jefferson County, Colorado.

April 20, 1999

Duncan MacLeod sat in the dojo office, a cup of tea forgotten in his hands as he stared intently at the small television he had set on top of the desk. He briefly glanced up at the empty gym as Methos entered, then turned his attention back to the TV screen. The oldest immortal sauntered to the office and rapped his knuckles against the open door.

"A little distracted today, are we?" Methos asked. "Hey, Mac? Earth to MacLeod."

MacLeod waved him in irritably without looking up. "Come here."

With a slightly confused expression, Methos rounded the desk and stood behind MacLeod.

"It's CNN," he said. "So?"

"It's a shooting, at a Colorado high school," MacLeod said. "A couple of kids just walked in and starting killing their fellow students. Investigators think there might be as many as 25 people dead inside the building."

Methos shrugged. "It's a tragedy, sure, but we've both seen death counts much higher than this." He peered around at MacLeod's face. "This really bothers you, doesn't it?"

"I just don't understand it," MacLeod answered. "It's not like this is a video game -- hit the restart button and everyone is OK. And it's not like immortality because those kids won't get up again. And for what? Why would anyone shoot up a school?"

"What do the police say?"

"Not much. The SWAT teams are still searching the building."

Methos returned his attention to the television. The cameraman focused on a blood-covered student leaning out a broken, second-story window. The student waved feebly and climbed out the window, falling headfirst into the arms of some rescue workers. Then the station cut away to the anchorwoman, who gasped in surprise.

"Why?" MacLeod whispered.

Methos looked hard at the immortal. "I suppose you could blame it on the parents, saying they didn't raise their children right. Or you could blame it on the media, violent movies and games. But I can tell you right now that very few people will set the blame solely on the gunmen, where it belongs." He paused. "Some people are just evil, MacLeod, and no matter how much you either shelter them or inundate them with violence, they will do evil things."

"Like Kronos."

"Yes, like Kronos. He said he wanted to rule the world, but I think what he really wanted to do was kill."

"And what about you, Methos? You used to be like Kronos. Why did you do it?"

Methos narrowed his eyes. "Is this about that high school now or something else?"

MacLeod leaned over and flipped off the television. "Just tell me. I want to understand."

"You'll never understand, MacLeod," Methos said, shaking his head. "I killed because it was the only thing I knew how to do. I killed because no one ever showed me that there was a better way to live."

"Do you think that's what happened to those two students?"

Methos sat on the edge of the desk and sighed. "I don't know, and chances are that no one will ever know. You can't explain or understand something like this. All you can do is hope it doesn't happen again."

"But if we don't understand it, we can't prevent it. And if we can't prevent it ..." His voice trailed off.

Methos nodded as their eyes met.

"It will happen again," he finished.

In memory of the twelve students and one teacher who were killed at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999.

Cassie Bernall, 17
Steven Curnow, 14
Corey DePooter, 17
Kelly Fleming, 16
Matthew Kechter, 16
Daniel Mauser, 15
Daniel Rohrbough, 15
William Sanders, 47
Rachel Scott, 17
Isaiah Shoels, 18
John Tomlin, 16
Lauren Townsend, 18
Kyle Velasquez