DISCLAIMER: Here we go again. Everybody who doesn't know that the concept of Immortals and certain Highlander characters, along with certain Forever Knight characters don't belong to us, raise your hand. {Liz looks, sees nothing} Thought so. And, of course, real people used here belong first to themselves, then to history. But Elaine, Aria, Maggie and a few others do belong to us, so don't use them without permission. Richie used to belong to the Highlander people, but now he belongs to everyone. AND HE LIKES IT THAT WAY!!!!!!!!!

The Secret Diary of Maggie Sullivan

ENTRY ONE:

Another day, another journal entry. It seems like all I ever do is write journal entries. However, this time it has nothing to do with the Watchers. This one is for me.

There is something very strange about Aria's new friend, Elaine. Aside from the fact that she and Aria are now sharing Richie (something I find very odd, but who am I to judge? If they can make it work, then more power to 'em. I just don't want to be the one to tell m'mum <G>), there have been some rather odd occurrences around here ever since she showed up. I've decided to start this journal as a way to keep track of all these things so, maybe, I can finally figure out what in the bloody hell is going on.

All right, the first thing I suppose I should mention is Elaine's low body temperature and extremely pale skin. The poor dear feels like she's spent the day in the freezer and she practically looks like a corpse. But I'm probably just overreacting about that. Right?

"So, anyway," Aria said as she and Maggie entered the house, "I figure this personal assistant job is the perfect cover. You still get to follow me around and do all the bologna the Watchers need ya to do, but this way you don't have to worry about them gettin' suspicious if they catch ya hangin' out with me."

Maggie put her packages down as they entered the family room. She and Aria had spent the afternoon shopping and Ari had been pushing this personal assistant job on her the entire time.

"I don't know," she said finally. "What exactly would I have to do?"

Aria shrugged. "Nothing that would interfere with your Watcher duties, if that's what you're worried about," she answered. "You'd basically just have to keep track of m'schedule, help keep me organized, make travel arrangements for us from time to time, stuff like that."

"In other words, I'd be doin' everythin' I do now for the Watchers, only gettin' paid for it twice," Maggie laughed.

Aria grinned. "That's about the size of it."

"Then I guess I'd better say yes before you wise up," Maggie replied.

"That's m'girl!" Aria laughed.

"So what's this I hear about someone movin' in with Richie and ya?" the Watcher suddenly asked.

"One of Richie's old girlfriends decided she didn't want to stay old anymore," Aria shrugged off the question.

That was informative. "So what's she like?" Maggie fished for more details.

The Immortal looked behind the Watcher. "Why don't ya find out for yourself?"

Maggie turned. A small blonde figure wearing one of Aria's T-shirts was coming down the stairs. She staggered, half-asleep, across the room and into the kitchen.

"That her?"

"Yup."

The blonde returned, carrying a coffee mug. She curled up on the couch next to Aria and kissed her on the cheek.

"You're up early," Aria noted.

Early? It was three in the afternoon!

"Can' sleep. Strange voice," the blonde mumbled, resting her head on Aria's shoulder.

"Well wake up. I want ya to meet someone. Maggie, this is Elaine Lambert, m'new girlfriend. 'Laine, this is Maggie Sullivan."

Elaine raised her head and held out a hand for Maggie to shake.

Maggie took it and nearly jumped. The woman's hand was ice cold!

But Aria wasn't finished. "Maggie's m'Watcher," she continued.

Elaine's face froze. "Oh."

"Better watch that, ducks, or I may start takin' it personal like," Maggie teased.

"It's all right, 'Laine," Aria said. "I've known Maggie for her entire life. Her mum is m'housekeeper. She knows when to keep her mouth shut."

"Regular Helen Keller, I am," Maggie added.

"If yah refahrin' tah Helen as bein' a mute, yah a li'le off the mahk theah. Helen'd talk yah ahm off given half a chance," Elaine corrected. "Ah liked hah. Real sweet gahl."

"Ya knew Helen Keller?" Maggie had seen the movie when she was a girl and it had impressed the hell out of her.

"An' miss out on bein' friends with someone wheah Ah didn' have tah worrah about' not agin'?" Elaine asked. "'Cahse Ah knew hah, weh met when she was gon' tah Radcliff. Mind yah, it was a bit disconcah'in' the fahs' time she put hah fingahs in mah mouth."

Maggie raised an eyebrow, not sure whether to be impressed or disgusted. "Yeah, I guess I can see where that would come in handy for you Immortal types," she said. "Of course, I grew up around Immortality so it seems pretty dang normal to me."

"Now you know why I keep her around," Aria laughed.

Elaine thought it over. She still didn't like Watchers, but anyone Aria liked couldn't be all bad. "Weh'll see," she finally said. What the hell, Ah cn always kill hah la'ah.

"Yah know, Ah think Helen may've figahed out about' meh," the blonde continued. "Cahrection, considahrin' some of the thin's she said, she mus've known about' meh. Nevah le' on, though. Ah don' theink she reallay undahstood what Ah was, she jus' couldn' see the bad in anyone. Not even meh."

Realizing she was about to say too much, Elaine stopped talking. She yawned and settled back on Aria's shoulder.

"Shouldn't ya be goin' back to bed?" Aria asked.

"Uh uh. If Maggay's goin' tah beh han'in' aroun' heah, Ah need tah get used tah hah voice. Too paranoid. Can' sleep 'roun' strange voices. Comes from bein' chased by people with stakes too many tiems, Keep talkin'." The blonde snuggled, closing her eyes.

Maggie raised an eyebrow. Stakes? Aye, well, there's no accountin' for people's reactions to Immortality, I suppose.

The two women proceeded to oblige Elaine, continuing their earlier discussion. They started working out the exact details of Maggie's new job and basically just chatted for awhile.

Elaine's head slipped off Aria's shoulder, landing in her lap. Aria started to move it off her, but stopped when Elaine ... growled? It was definitely a growl, at her.

Maggie made a mental note to see what the Watchers had on her. There was something odd about the woman, even if Maggie couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Oh, an' Maggay," Elaine suddenly spoke up. "Don' even think about' checkin' the Watchah files on meh. It's not a good ideah. The las' three Watchahs who got too nosay ended up havin' fa'al accidents. Ah'd hate fah yah tah make it foah."

END PART ONE