It was a dreary summer day in Paris, as a small group was gathered on the burial grounds of Pere Lachaise Cemetery. Even the sky seemed to darken along with the moods of those present, threatening to rain but the heavens held their tears for a moment even if some of those waiting below could not. The death of a hero was always hard to take, even for one who had lived for over four hundred years. Not everyone present knew that, of course, nor did everyone know that the three freak electrical storms that had occurred over the past several nights were not storms at all, but Quickenings.<br/><br/>To those few who did know, it might have seemed a little strange that his Watcher, Joe Dawson, was the one standing before them attempting to give his eulogy through his barely concealed tears. Even his peers had questioned his decision, but Joe had insisted and they had relented. Now he stood before the small crowd, taking a deep breath as he shifted a little and gripped the handle of the cane on which he was leaning. He recognized many of the immortals among them, wondering how good of an idea it was for so many to be here after recent events...<br/><br/>Not only MacLeod had fallen, but Amanda and Darius, as well. And their killer (who Joe assumed was all the same immortal) could not be all that far off. Not that the others were in any danger in the cemetery, but on their way out... well he was still shaken and he could only imagine what people who had known Duncan for so much longer than he had must be thinking.<br/><br/>The grave site itself was on a slightly raised hill, a particularly wealthy friend of MacLeod's had pushed his name to the head of the waiting list and had purchased this plot for him, which was surrounded by the ornate gravestones of several notables. The center of the hill was dominated by a large gravestone, on which was engraved the MacLeod clan crest. A grass covered cliff rose to the west, and the site was otherwise surrounded by a dense copse of trees, with several paths cleared between them where one could see other plots, rolling hills and more trees in the distance.<br/><br/>Dawson cleared his throat, his voice carrying over the silence that came over the group. "We are all gathered here today to mourn the passing of Duncan MacLeod... he left his mark on all of us, touching us all in slightly different ways," he scanned the crowd and saw a few Watchers as well, some using the opportunity to keep a close tab on their immortal, some more to keep tabs on Dawson, who was understandably shaken and considered by many to be... unpredictable... at this point.<br/><br/>"He was a friend to some, a hero to others and even a lover... he played the game of life to its fullest and died as he lived, standing tall and meeting his... challenge," he glanced nervously, knowing he was skirting the line but right now he didn't care, "meeting his last challenge with the courage he always possessed in abundance. So we lay him to rest, and may god have mercy on his soul." He was so close to tears, his hands trembling as he looked out over everyone, "May god have mercy on the soul of Duncan MacLeod, of the clan MacLeod."<br/><br/>He stepped aside before anyone could see the tears rolling down his face, this was not his public persona and he didn't want anyone to see him like that. But as he slipped to the side of the crowd, he noticed a lone figure standing on a hill overlooking the scene, a large, tall man wearing a long black coat and a black wide rimmed Stetson hat. He wasn't crying, in fact Joe was pretty sure he saw the man grinning through his neatly trimmed goatee before he realized he had been spotted and turned away to leave.<br/><br/>A short, olive skinned woman with long dark hair separated herself from the crowd while they mingled, a soft, comforting smile on her lips as she passed by several of the immortals. She was dressed in a simple black silk dress, loose fitting, which trailed behind her as she moved gracefully among those present. She didn't know any of them and they wouldn't know her, and further more it was hard to tell if she, or anyone else they might not know who was present, was immortal since the 'sense' was a little overwhelmed in the presence of so many of their kind. And before anyone could approach her, she slipped out and got into a black limo, the driver shut the door and they were off in moments.