"Hey, Chance," the flame haired lady behind the counter said, "I was wondering when you were going to get here..." she smiled warmly but Chance thought that he saw a mischievous tinge around her eyes, "...I was starting to think that maybe you'd been sidetracked again."
"Nope, not this time, Ang," Chance said, walking behind the blue cafe counter.
"Well, that's a first," she said, pulling off her apron and putting on a leather jacket from a coat rack in the corner, "just out of curiosity -- where exactly were you?"
Chance shrugged noncommittally, "Visting some friends." He hated himself for lying to Angie... but he had promised Duncan and Richie that he wouldn't tell anyone about Immortals. Besides, Joe had offered him a possible position in the Watchers... if he was going to accept he'd have to get used to hiding his activities regarding Immortals.
"Okay, I'll be back in a few hours... and I don't want to find the place on fire, or the windows shot out when I get back, okay?" Angie grinned good naturedly.
"Hey, I wasn't responsible for the windows getting shot out last time, Ang --"
"I know, but with you anything's possible -- it might happen again," Angie said as she opened the door and almost ran into the pair coming into the cafe.
"I'll be good," Chance promised as he turned and started tieing on a coverall apron.
"I'm telling you, this place has great food -- I ate here once before on my way to Seattle," said a male voice from the pair which had just walked into the cafe.
"What you consider edible food is toxic waste to the rest of the human population."
Chance grinned, they sounded like a married couple. Turning around to face the face the couple, he said, "Oh, don't worry, we took toxic waste off the menu a few weeks back after the health inspect --" Chance broke off mid sentence and his face paled when he saw who he was talking to.
"Something wrong?" the auburn haired woman asked.
Chance blinked and shook himself, "No, um, nothing." he said, reaching for some menus and placing them in front of the agents, who had seated themselves on the bar stools at the front counter.
"Don't I know you from somewhere?" the taller man asked, eyeing Chance like a bird of prey looking for his next meal. Mulder couldn't quite place him... and that unnerved Mulder considering that he had a photographic memory.
Chance decided to play it dumb, "No, I don't think so," he said, acting as casual as he could.
The brown haired man turned back to studying his menu, clearly not satisfied.
"Really, Mulder, you are getting way to paranoid," Scully said to her partner without looking up from her menu, "You need to stop hanging around with Frohike and the Lone Gunmen."
"You'll be eating those words one of these days, Scully."
"Somehow I doubt that... so what's the plan Mulder?"
"Well, that triple-bacon-cheeseburger looks pretty good."
"I *mean* with the *case*," Scully said, sighing with exasperation... sometimes she believed in a conspiracy -- a conspiracy of Mulder's to drive her out of her mind.
"I'd like to stake-out MacLeod's place tonight, you wanna join me?"
"No, Mulder that's okay, one stake-out a season with you is more than enough."
"Huh?"
"I think I'll go check out the police records on Duncan MacLeod."
"I *told* you, I've been through all of them -- I'm warning you, you'll regret it. The man is a witness in more murders than anyone I've ever seen before. The collective total of files is thicker than the telephone book."
"I'd still feel better doing it myself. Besides, I'd like to get started on that autopsy as soon as possible."
"I doubt that you'll have any trouble determining the cause of death," Mulder grinned impishly.
Chance stood a ways off, leaning on the wall and listening to the agent's conversation. They were definitely the two had come to the dojo looking for Duncan MacLeod earlier. This was more serious than he or Richie had thought... somehow he had to get word to Mac.
"Sir?" Scully called, snapping Chance back to reality, "I think we're ready to order now."