Author: Cadey

Rating: PG-15

Characters: M, J, RR, A, Amy Thomas, Sydney Fox, Nigel Bailey, Claudia, Vlad Dracula

Disclaimer: No one belongs to me. I just borrowed Vlad from the annuls of history. Methos, Amanda, Joe, and Amy belong to Panzer/Davis. Richie belongs to them and the Clan Denial. Syd, Nigel, and Claudia belong to their PTB.

Author's Notes: Egad! This is the biggest one yet! As always, the romance warning (Methos/Amy) is in effect. Don't like it, don't read it. I'm kind of blowing canon out of the water, because Richie's still ALIVE. Get it? Got it? Good. Send constructive criticsm, funny advice, Darwin award winner stories, Methos quotes, apples, and beta offers to highlandspacecadet@yahoo.com. Flames will be used to light various explosives. :)

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"Like I'm really going to believe that story Old Man." Amy dug her spoon into the pint of Ben & Jerry's sitting partially away from the stacks of paper lying on the coffee table.

Methos dug in his spoon and looked at Amy, amused. "And every word of it's true."

Amy snorted. "Sure it is." She licked her spoon clean before digging more ice cream out of the carton. Her eyes lifted to meet his when she 'heard' his thought about licking ice cream off her naked body.

//As much as that idea holds my interest, Claudia will be here in a while.// She silently replied.

Methos frowned slightly, but put the idea on hold for a while. He looked at the stacks of papers and sighed. As much as he wanted to forget the papers, they *had* to get the midterms graded. Before Sydney had taken both herself and Nigel off to Brazil, she asked Methos and Amy to grade her class' midterms as well as their own. They reluctantly agreed when Sydney said that Claudia would help.

Methos felt the tiny Buzz in the back of his head. //Speak of the devil.// He got up from his comfortable sprawl to answer the door as Amy cleaned up their ice cream. As she stuck the ice cream back in the freezer, she privately congratulated herself on getting better at noticing the faint Buzzing in her mind when they ran into an Immortal. Claudia's Pre-Immortal Buzz didn't make her as jumpy or nervous as full Immortals, but she could definitely detect it.

//Remind me to talk to you about some research that I dug up.// She nodded, even though he couldn't see her. She went back into the living room, seeing Methos sprawled back out on the couch and Claudia claiming the matching chair. Amy settled back down in front of the coffee table opposite Methos. Amy sorted the papers into two groups, then split each group into threes.

"The inside stack is our class and the outside stack is Syd's class," she explained. Methos and Claudia nodded and all three grabbed the top paper in a stack.

The worked steadily for a few hours, getting about a third of the papers graded, then called a halt.

Amy stretched slowly as she got up, getting used to moving again. "I'm getting a soda. Either of you want anything?"

Claudia yawned. "Same for me."

"Beer," was Methos's predictable response. He caught the bottle with a practiced ease and tossed the bottle cap on the coffee table. He pulled the phone out from between a couple of cushions.

"What do you like on your pizza Claudia?"

"Vegetarian."

//The usual Amy?//

//Of course.// Methos dialed the phone and placed their order. "It'll be here in about forty minutes."

All three of them were yawning at four in the morning, even with the aid of coffee. Methos threw down his pen and stretched his long body before relaxing into a sleepy sprawl. Claudia was half-asleep in the chair and Amy had long ago given up the floor for another chair. Amy watched Methos with amusement.

//Sometimes Methos, I swear that you're part cat.//

He smirked and leered slightly at her. //Maybe I am. After all, you do know how to make me purr.//

Amy blushed, but it was fortunately unnoticed by Claudia, who was finishing up grading her last paper. She tossed her pen on the table with a flourish and collapsed back into her chair.

Methos laughed slightly at the picture they were making, three people tiredly leaning into the furniture, two empty pizza boxes sharing space with two neat stacks of graded papers and empty beer bottles, mugs of coffee, and cans of soda. "I'm not sure if I should offer the both of you rooms or take you out to breakfast."

Amy yawned. "What time do we have to be there?"

"In about three hours."

"I'm all for breakfast, then. Claudia?"

"Breakfast sounds good. I'll catch an hour or so at the office before Syd and Nigel get back in."

"Claudia, I don't suppose that you brought a spare change of clothes?"

Claudia held up her bag with a tired smile. "One of the things I learned with Syd around. Always be prepared to stay for a couple of days."

Methos's mouth tipped into a half smile. "Well, I'm going to take a shower and change. Amy, one of you can use my other shower while the other can use your shower."

Amy looked at Claudia, who looked quite confused. "What Adam didn't tell you is that I live next door. You're welcome to use my shower, Claudia."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, just go straight through the door in kitchen and you're there."

Claudia paused, thought about it for a second, then shook her head and went through the kitchen.

//What other shower Methos?//

He smirked. //To tell the truth, I don't have one, but you're welcome to use mine.//

//With you I hope.// Methos wrapped his arms around her waist.

//I would insist on it.//

//We'd better hurry you know, Claudia probably won't take long.//

He simply unbuttoned her shirt and pushed her towards the bathroom. //Then we'd better get moving.//

With the grades posted at seven a.m. on the dot, the three trudged wearily to the cafeteria where most of the professors frequented before and after their classes.

"Rough night?" The mocking voice belonged to Dr. Richardson, mathematics professor and general pain in the ass. He had a genius IQ and made sure that everyone around him knew it.

Methos's mouth quirked up and his perverse sense of humor kicked in. "Jealous that you aren't getting any?"

Amy noticed that most eyes were trained on them, and she had to admit that they did make quite a sight. Methos had on tight jeans and a loose light brown cable knit sweater that should look frumpy, but instead highlighted his long arms and hinted at his physique. Amy was dressed in a comfortable pair of jeans and had once again borrowed Methos's 'Age and Treachery' shirt under a black leather jacket she found in his closet. Claudia was dressed in a red tank top and a pair of tight black capri pants. Amy shook her head slightly at Claudia when it looked as if she was about to say something, indicating to her to let Methos to handle Richardson. They simply sat down at a table and nursed their coffee.

Methos, wearing a smirk and holding a cup of coffee, joined them. Amy answered his smirk with one of her own. "Victorious in battle?"

"Did you expect anything less?" Out of sight under the table, he gave her leg a quick caress. //You do look rather lovely wearing my clothes.//

Amy raised an eyebrow. //Considering you got water on the ones I changed into the first time...// "Of course not," she said aloud.

//Ah, but the look on your face was worth it. Besides, I rather like the look of you wearing a white shirt and no bra under it.//

//Why do you think I have your jacket over it?// Methos simply smiled and relaxed further into a sprawl. Amy checked her watch and kicked his feet under the table.

"Come on Old Man. We have just enough time to get back to the History building before class. You coming Claudia?"

Claudia stood as well. "Yep. Syd and Nigel should be back today, so I have more work to do before they get back."

Methos ambled up and bowed slightly, managing to look graceful doing it. "Well then ladies, shall we?"

Amy and Claudia smiled at each other. "We shall," they answered together.

"Claudia?" Sydney leaned down and looked at her young secretary, who was sleeping peacefully at her desk. Sydney reached out a hand and touched Claudia's elbow. Claudia jerked straight up.

"Syd?"

"Yeah, it's us. Hot date last night?" Sydney couldn't resist teasing just a bit.

"If you call a hot date with Adam and Amy and well over 400 midterms to grade, yeah. Hot date." Nigel winced in sympathy, as did Sydney.

"Claudia, take a nap on the couch. Or better yet, take the rest of the day off. Catch up on your sleep."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Both Nigel and I got plenty on the plane from Brazil."

A lazy voice drew their attention to the doorway. "I don't suppose that you want to take over the rest of our classes for the day?" Methos leaned against the doorway to the office.

"I can tell them that you canceled class for the day." Methos looked at Amy, who shrugged. Sometimes Sydney swore that they were talking telepathically.

"I guess we might as well tough it out. But you two owe us big."

Sydney smiled. "I'm confident that we can handle that."

A smile hovered around his mouth, but never quite made it to his eyes. "I'm not so sure about that." He smiled, then turned and left. Amy shrugged again and left as well.

Sydney gazed at the door a while longer. "Sometimes those two really scare me. It's like they know something else is going on."

Nigel looked worried. "Do you think that they might be relic hunters?"

Sydney shook her head. "No, I don't think so. Claudia, are you going home?"

Claudia shook her head. "I think I'll just take a nap on the couch."

Once their 12:30 class left, Amy pulled her cell phone out of the backpack and checked for messages while Methos dealt with students and their questions. She was mildly surprised when she did have a message. She checked the message and looked up at Methos with wide eyes.

She nodded towards the direction of their office and quickly made her way there. Once Methos joined her, she filled him in through their link.

//Joe called. He told us to call him back ASAP.//

//Did he say why?//

//He just said to call him back.// Methos moved to the door and locked it, then pulled the blinds down and closed them. Amy put the speakerphone on and dialed her father's office number.

"Le Blues Bar." Amy frowned at the unfamiliar voice.

"Is Joe there?"

"Yes, who's calling?"

Methos sat on the edge of the desk. "Ryan, put Joe on. He's expecting us to call."

"Adam?!"

"The one and the same."

"Hang on. Joe will be on in a minute." Amy looked up at Methos.

//Who was that?//

//Richie Ryan, MacLeod's student.//

//I heard that he disappeared before MacLeod did.//

"Amy?" Joe's Chicago-accented voice came on the line.

"Yeah I'm here, and so is Adam."

"Good. Adam, are you keeping an eye on Pre-Immortal?"

Methos rubbed the back of his neck. "Somewhat, yes. Why?"

"Does the name Jason Knight mean anything to you?" Amy drew in her breath.

"Not to me, but Amy recognizes the name. Who is he?"

"Bad news. He likes to hunt Pre-Immortals, kill them, then take their heads."

Methos cursed fluently in six different languages. "Of all the times that bloody Highlander Boy Scout has to go missing he has to choose now." He sighed. "Why are we getting the heads up?"

Joe paused for a minute. "He was spotted in Hartford two days ago. We don't know how he's getting his info either."

"Bloody wonderful."

"Look Methos, we're doing everything we can."

"I know. Is Ryan coming?"

"How'd you guess? I'm also going, since Richie doesn't have a regular Watcher at the moment."

"Thank God for small favors. What time will you be here?"

"11:30 tomorrow morning."

"See you then."

"Bye Joe," they chorused together. Amy hung up the phone and leaned back in the chair. Methos came up behind her and started gently kneading her shoulders.

//That feels good.//

//I know love.// He kissed along her jaw line.

"Why now Methos?"

"I've been around for a long time and I have yet to figure out Fate. But I do have an idea. Did Amanda give you her number?"

"Yes, why?"

"Because I'm calling out a hunting party. Claudia may seem to be not all there, but she doesn't deserve to get her head taken. And I'm very worried about you."

"Me?"

"That bit of research that I did. I called Cassandra and asked her about it. She wasn't happy to hear from me, but when I explained why I was calling, she did listen. She expressed some worry about us being linked. She said that it might be entirely possible for Immortals to feel my Quickening in you, but as a Pre-Immortal. She didn't know if my Quickening can bring you back or not, but she said that if it did, then we would always be like this. One Quickening in two Immortals." He ran one of his hands through her hair. "I don't want to find out if it can or not."

"I promise I'll be safe. I know that this Knight person doesn't have a chance against you, Amanda, and Ryan."

He smiled and kissed her. "And with you, I won't play fair. I'll play to win."

Sydney backed silently away from the door, her mind whirling. Her mouth set into a grim line. She was going to find out what was going on and how exactly it involved Claudia.

"Joe!" Amy waved to get Joe's attention. He ambled over to her and she silently looked over the young man keeping pace with him. Her nerves tingled, telling her that this innocent-looking young man was an Immortal, and probably Richie Ryan. He was casually scanning the crowds, looking for any hint of trouble. Amy silently mused about how he might be feeling *her*, but shook off any apprehension.

She grabbed Joe into a hug, surprising him pleasantly. He hugged her back and kept one arm around her shoulders as he introduced her to Richie.

"Richie, meet Amy Thomas, my daughter. Amy, Richie Ryan, MacLeod's student and sometimes general pain in the ass."

Richie's mouth dropped open, but he recovered enough to return a handshake. Amy laughed slightly. "He's kind of cute when he's flustered. Come on, the Old Man wants us to hurry back."

"You know Adam?" Richie blinked at Amy, who held up her left wrist.

"Who do you think I Watch?" Another tingle in her mind had her looking at Richie, who was scanning the crowds. Her eyes roamed around as well, looking for anyone familiar. A head of white-blonde hair made her relax.

"Amanda!" Amanda's head swung around gracefully, then she smiled when she recognized the three people before her. She walked up to Amy and gave her a hug before bestowing the same honor on both Joe and Richie. "You made good time Amanda."

Amanda shrugged. "The Concorde was such a nice invention. I arrived in New York earlier this morning and caught the first plane here. It's good to see you again Richie."

"Good to be seen again."

"I'm going to get the car while you three get through customs. I'll meet you at the luggage pickup." Richie rubbed the back of his neck as they waited for their luggage. He looked at Joe, who seemed pretty happy to see his daughter again.

"So Joe, how long have you known about Amy?"

Joe shrugged. "A few years. I knew before she did. I've only known her for about a year and a half, though." Joe snorted. "The Old Man has known her just as long. He helped me rescue her from her first assignment. Why?"

Richie shook his head. "Joe, it's so strange, I swear I could almost feel a Buzz from her."

Joe's eyebrows skyrocketed. "A Buzz? That's impossible. She knows her mother and I know that I'm her dad. Hell, even Methos said that she looked like me when she was mad."

Richie shrugged. "Just saying what I felt. Maybe we should ask Methos about it. He'd probably be able to get a better fix, or at least have an explanation." He grabbed both of their bags and hefted the weight of the sword case. They walked over to Amanda and Amy, who were waiting for them.

Amy drove the twenty miles to the college, catching up on all the Paris Headquarters gossip with Joe.

"So how many Challenges have been issued inside the bar?"

Joe laughed. "More than enough. I have to consider consecrating the back alley. The bar's pretty much known as neutral territory, almost as safe as Holy Ground."

Amanda snorted. "What do you think my club is built on? Joe, I highly recommend getting Father Liam to consecrate your bar. Sooner or later, somebody's not going to wait to get out to the back alley."

"True." Joe thoughtfully stroked his beard.

"So what about Kelly Abrams and..."

"Greg Thackery? He proposed right there in the bar. They're going to be married in July."

Amy shook her head. "Amazing. With the way their fights went, I would have thought that they broke up."

"Like I said, I get better action in the bar than Headquarters does." Amy looked at her watch as she pulled into a parking space near the History building.

"Well, you guys can either come with me to class or you can hang out in Adam's office." Amy grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder.

Amanda and Richie opened their respective sword cases and quickly hid their swords as Amy hid them from view. "Lead on."

Amy smiled and walked into the History building. On their way to class, they ran into Sydney in the hall.

"Hey Amy, who're your friends?"

"Syd, meet my dad Joe, Amanda Montrose, and Richie Ryan. Guys, this is Dr. Sydney Fox, professor of Ancient Studies." Sydney bestowed them all with a dazzling smile.

"Nice to meet you all. Amy, if you have time today, can you or Adam stop by my office?"

"Need some translating done?"

Sydney shook her head. "Just a few questions."

Amy nodded. "If I have time, sure. I'll ask Adam though." Sydney nodded a goodbye to them and continued down the hallway.

Richie turned around to watch her walk away. "I think I'm in love."

Amy laughed. "Don't tell her that. I'll tell you a little secret, she's a bit more interested in her assistant than anyone else." Amy continued on her way through the hall, pointing out their office as well as Sydney's. Amanda stared a bit longer at Sydney's office than the rest of them did, but Amy figured that it was natural since Claudia was a Pre-Immortal.

Amy smiled as she ran into the comforting presence of Methos. Amanda and Richie hesitated for a second, but continued on with her.

//No need to worry Methos, it's just Amanda and Richie.// She sent as she opened the door. Everyone's attention in the auditorium-like classroom was focused on Methos, who was writing a long sentence in cuneiform on the dry erase board. Amy quietly told Joe, Richie, and Amanda to have a seat and that the class would end in a while. Methos turned back and pretended to see her for the first time that day.

"Ah! My right hand returns! The world is safe once again."

Among scattered laughter, someone yelled, "Yeah! Help us Amy! Save us from Dr. P's handwriting!" Amy laughed as she slid a hip onto the desk.

"Hey Doc, when are you gonna ask Amy out?" someone else yelled out when Amy gulped down the rest of Methos's coffee, now barely warm.

Methos rolled his eyes. "When her dad says that it's okay."

"And they say that chivalry is dead."

Amy answered. "It's also because my dad is a big, bad dude and even Dr. P is scared of him."

"What about if I wanted to ask you out?"

Amy pretended to consider it and smiled when Methos sent her a suggestion. "When you can translate this sentence." She rattled out a long stream of Sumerian that had Methos silently contemplating whether to blush or laugh.

He held up his hands. "And on that note, get out of here. No homework, but study for the quiz on Monday." The students laughed and dutifully filed out, some pausing to glance at the three strange people on their way out. Once the room was empty, Methos quickly scaled the stairs.

Joe caught him in a hard hug, Amanda greeted him with a kiss, and Richie settled for shaking his hand.

"Damn it's good to see you all again." He caught the briefcase Amy threw at him and waved the way out. "Let's go to my office. We can talk better there."

They all instinctively matched Joe's stride and walked silently down the hallway. Amy unlocked the office, then once everyone was inside, relocked the door and kept the blinds shut. Joe settled into one of the chairs opposite the desk while Amanda claimed the other one, Amy slid a hip onto the desk and Richie matched her action on the other side.

"So who are you watching Methos?"

"A young lady by the name of Claudia. She's Sydney's secretary. She might just be your type, Ryan."

Richie raised an eyebrow. "Really? Maybe I should go take a look for myself."

"After we get the information. What does the database say about Jason Knight?"

Joe shifted a bit. "He's somewhere around two hundred thirty. We don't have exact dates on him, he just showed up as a student of Gregory Hastings."

"Is Hastings still alive?" Methos's tone of voice sent shivers down Amy's spine.

"No. Knight took his head after they parted company."

"Damn. I was hoping to kill him myself."

"Well, you can go after Knight. Those two were like peas in a pod. Anyways, Ling-ma’s Watcher in Hartford spotted him. We don't know how he's getting his information about Pre-Immortals, since they rarely make it into the Chronicles before they are killed the first time."

Methos shrugged. "He's got to have some way. Are there any other Immortals besides Ling-ma in town?"

Joe shook his head. "None that we know of."

"Does Ling-ma have a student?"

"Nope. That's why we think that he's coming after Claudia."

"Lovely. Ryan, why don't you go meet Claudia, see if you can take her out tonight or something? I think that she's between boyfriends at the moment, so you'd better hurry," he added with a smile. Richie stood and opened the door, then took a step back. Sydney and Nigel stood there, looking very pissed.

"Uh oh," Richie muttered as the both of them stalked in the office. He shut the door again the door and leaned against it.

"What the hell is this all about *Adam*? Or should I call you Methos?" Sydney demanded. Nigel simply stayed in the background.

Methos merely leaned back in his chair, not looking concerned at all. "How much did you overhear?"

"Quite a bit. Yesterday and today."

"Terrific." Joe muttered something about always getting new recruits.

"What's the deal with Immortals and how does it involve Claudia?" She looked at Methos and Amy. "And what is your story?"

Amy winced slightly as Joe raised an eyebrow at his daughter. "Well Sydney, Nigel, have a seat. This is going to take a while." Methos nodded at Richie, who quietly left to meet Claudia.

As Joe gave them the basics of Immortality, Amy and Methos were having a conversation all their own.

//How much should we tell them?// She asked him while keeping her eyes firmly on Joe and Sydney.

//I'm not quite sure.//

//Neither am I. I don't want to lose my job over this.//

//You won't. Joe knows that some things aren't for the masses.//

//Yeah, but you are sleeping with his daughter.//

//Of that I have no shame about, but I wasn't going to tell him that.//

//What shame? You could parade through the streets of LA naked and not blush.//

//I'm not sure about that one.//

//Although, I do like the thought of you naked.//

"Amy?"

Amy blinked. "Huh?"

Sydney raised an eyebrow. "Lost in space?"

"You could say that."

"I asked who Cassandra was and what you two were discussing yesterday afternoon."

Amy raised an eyebrow and looked down at Methos, indicating that it was his show.

He stood up. "Cassandra is someone very old. She's almost three thousand. But she has . . . powers. She would be what you term a psychic. Some would still call her a witch. She has made extensive studies into Quickenings and would know more about the powers associated within."

"And what you were talking about yesterday?"

Methos sighed. "About seven months ago in Paris, someone Challenged me. I won, and right before the Quickening started, I noticed that someone was too close." Amy grimaced slightly. "That someone was my Watcher. Amy. I thought that the Quickening had just knocked her out, but then something odd happened."

"Like what?" Joe's voice was sharp.

Methos looked at Amy, who answered. "When I got too close, some of the Quickening went to me, instead of bouncing off the brick and going back to Adam. It's still in me."

Methos played absently with a pen. "Cassandra called it linking. She said that she'd never heard of it before, but she had heard stories of people being seriously hurt by Quickenings. She thinks that there must be something either genetically or mentally different about Amy that allowed her to integrate with the Quickening."

Amanda spoke up. "So what does this mean?"

"It means that there's a possibility that Amy might one day become Immortal. Right now, my Quickening can heal minor cuts on her, but we're not going to find out if it can heal bigger ones. Also, we don't know how, but we can talk to each other telepathically."

"Telepathically?" Joe wasn't the only one looking shocked.

Both Methos and Amy shrugged. "We don't know either."

Amanda nodded slightly. "Well, that explains the little Buzz I felt."

"You felt a Buzz from Amy?"

Amanda nodded. "Very faint, almost like a Pre-Immortal."

"Richie said that he felt it too," Joe said.

Methos raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

Sydney looked at Methos. "And how old are *you* Methos?"

"First, Sydney, keep calling me Adam. Methos is a very dangerous name to know."

"What's so special about your name?"

"Not a damn thing. Methos is considered by some people to be a myth, and those who do believe the myth will do anything in their power to find him."

"And why is that?"

"Because they believe that the Quickening of a five thousand year old man will give them enough power to win the Game."

Sydney sat down hard. "Five thousand?"

"Give or take a few centuries. My first clear concrete memory was about five thousand three hundred eighty-seven years ago. The gods alone know how old I really am."

"Oh my God. Did you...?"

"No. But I did know Cleopatra."

Sydney smiled. "Funny. Claudia did too."

"Ah, yes. The past life thing."

Sydney raised an eyebrow. "She try that on you?"

"Not me. Amy." Amy blushed. Amanda sat forward on her seat slightly.

"Oh now this has to be a good story. Tell us everything." Amanda's voice had dropped to a husky whisper. Amy shook her head.

Joe yawned. Methos looked at Amy. //I'll take him to a hotel. You stay with Amanda at all times.//

//I hear and obey.//

//Loveable brat.//

//Damn straight. See you soon.//

Methos herded Joe out to the car to take him back to a hotel so he could get some rest. Nigel made his excuses and left as well. Once he left, Amy turned to Sydney and Amanda.

"Priestess of Zeus. 472 BC. I awarded the laurels and blessings on the winner of the marathon at the Olympian Games, who in return showered me with his blessings back at the temple."

Amanda's mouth curved as Sydney thought. Her head suddenly snapped up. "Didn't the men compete naked?"

Amy smiled. "They did."

"So what did the winner look like?"

"About six feet tall, long and lean all over, built like a runner, a very Roman nose, kind of pale, but he had the most interesting eyes. They were caught somewhere between green and gold."

Amanda's mouth dropped open. "Methos?!"

Amy simply smiled. "It was an eye opener, to say the least."

"Recording it in his Chronicles for posterity?"

"Nah. My own journal. Besides, who would believe me?" She stretched. "Well, Adam told me to stick with you Amanda. So where are we going? The museum? A few jewelers?"

Amanda made a face at her. "I came here for a hunt. I barely brought any of my toys with me."

Sydney snapped her fingers. "Amanda Montrose. You're a thief."

Amanda smirked at her. "No one's been able to prove that in two hundred years." She looked at Amy. "Why did Adam want to kill Hastings?"

"Hastings killed a Pre-Immortal under his care, then took her head while Adam was forced to watch. He had been raising her as his daughter."

Claudia giggled as she came out of the theater. Her date, one Richie Ryan, had charmed her thoroughly. She snuggled into his very muscular arm. All through dinner, he had told her stories about living in Paris and some of his friends. He walked her over to his motorcycle and grinned down at her. Her enthusiasm for life was contagious. The only dark thought he had was how it was going to be a shame to kill some of that joie de verve when she became a full Immortal.

"What are you frowning about?"

Richie smiled. "Just thinking about how long I'm going to have to wait to see you again." She smiled back at him. He handed her the helmet as he got on the bike.

Claudia raised an eyebrow, but put the helmet on and climbed on behind Richie. She gripped his jacket and snuggled close, smelling the faint trace of aftershave he used. He started up the bike and took off in one fluid motion. Claudia's little shriek was lost in the wind. Richie smiled.

Three years in a Tibetan monetary seeking enlightenment was enjoyable and challenging, but the world had called to him, and even the masters said that he should heed the call. Perhaps enlightenment came through living. He had rushed off to Holy Ground after Mac had tried to kill him for the second time, thinking that he was Ahriman. He had barely escaped with his life, so he took off to Holy Ground without telling anyone where he was going. He had lived and learned, and now it was time to live again. They pulled up to Claudia's apartment building and he turned off the bike.

"I guess this is goodnight," she murmured.

"I'll walk you to your door."

Claudia winked at him. "And people say that chivalry is dead."

Richie smiled. "Ah, but the thoughts in my head are not so chivalrous." He lifted her hand and gently kissed her knuckles. "Good night milady."

Claudia smiled. "Good night, Richie. Be careful."

"I always am. Lock your door, okay?"

"I will." Richie watched her from the bike as she climbed the stairs to her apartment. He had just started his bike when the Buzz hit him. He grabbed his sword, turned off his bike and rushed up the stairs to Claudia's apartment. The Buzz was getting stronger, so he suspected that Knight had waited for her inside her apartment. The sounds of a struggle reached his ears just as he got to the door. One kick had it caving inwards to shine the light on a man that looked to be in his early thirties standing over Claudia's prone body. As soon as he saw the sword, he backed up and jumped out the window that he had come in through. Richie flipped on the light and cursed. Claudia was still alive, but had a small dagger through her stomach.

"Claudia?"

"Richie?" Her pain-filled blue eyes opened and tried to focus on his face.

"Yeah, it's me. You're going to be okay."

"No I'm not. I'm dying. It feels like Egypt all over again." Richie knew that she was talking about her past life experience.

"Claudia, you're going to be okay. Trust me."

"How can I be okay?"

"Because you're going to live forever. We need to get you out of here before the cops get here." He quickly pulled the dagger out and stored it and his sword in his jacket. He picked Claudia up and carried her down the stairs. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she quickly lost consciousness. He got them both on the bike and quickly sped off to Methos's apartment.

The Buzz made three people look at the door. Methos and Amanda drew their swords while Amy grabbed a dagger. Joe made sure that he had a gun in his hand. The frantic knocking on the door made them relax somewhat, but all of them still held their weapons. Methos answered the door, keeping his sword out of sight. Richie came through the doorway, carrying Claudia, either dead or unconscious.

"What happened?"

"Knight was waiting for her in her apartment. He knifed her in the stomach before I could get there. He took one look at me and jumped out the window. She died on the way here." Richie ran a hand through his short hair and looked around angrily after he set Claudia down on the couch.

Amy stood up. "I'll call Sydney and Nigel. Richie, you might want to clean up. You have blood on your shirt." She moved to the kitchen to place her phone call while Methos wet some paper towels.

//Ryan showed me the dagger and gave us a pretty good description of the guy that killed her.//

Amy frowned. //I thought Knight killed her.//

//Ryan thought so too, but his description doesn't match Knight. It matches Gregory Hastings.//

//I thought that Knight killed him.//

//That's what we all thought. It looks like these two are working as a team.//

//Is Richie going to Challenge anyone?//

//He said that I had prior rights on Hastings. I don't know who is going to Challenge Knight.//

Amy heard the knock on the door and quickly answered it. Sydney and Nigel stood there, looking for all the world like they had just gotten out of bed. Amy raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

"Where's Claudia?"

"Upstairs." Amy stopped them both before they could rush up. "Claudia's dead."

Sydney looked as if someone had just shot her and Nigel didn't look much better. Amy cursed. She had forgotten that no one explained to them that Claudia was a Pre-Immortal.

"Sorry about the blunt delivery, but I forgot that no one told you."

"Told us what?"

"That Claudia is a Pre-Immortal."

Nigel looked up at her. "You mean. . .?"

Amy smiled. "She should be waking up within the hour. Richie, Adam, and Amanda are upstairs with her." She turned around suddenly.

"Well, two out of the three *were* upstairs," she corrected dryly.

Methos smirked. "We have to scheme. Coming?"

"In a minute." She turned back to Sydney and Nigel. "Go on upstairs. Seeing a familiar face or two will help. You can scheme with us as soon as she's awake."

"Gotta love the plans with a body count," Amy remarked as she stretched. Methos's living room was sort of turned into a rather demented version of the Knights of the Round Table. Joe was sitting in a chair, Methos was sprawled out on his couch with Amy sitting near his feet, Amanda had claimed the other chair while Sydney, Nigel, Claudia, and Richie gathered around the coffee table. "Let's see if I have everything correct. Knight and Hastings are working as a team, since most everyone thinks that Hastings is dead. They come to towns with known Immortals and scout for Pre-Immortals. They found and killed Claudia, with the intention of taking her body and then taking her head as soon as they got somewhere semi-private. Since Richie got her before they did, it's fair to assume that they will be coming after Claudia once more to take her head. It's also pretty safe to assume that if they got near enough to Claudia to feel her, then they have also felt me, since both Richie and Amanda have."

Richie nodded. "Right so far."

"So, the both of us are to have Immortal bodyguards, to prevent anything else from happening. Since I am around Adam all day, he's going to be guarding me while Richie and Amanda team up for Claudia. Joe, in the meantime, will have full run of our office, searching for information on both Knight and Hastings. We believe that Claudia is going to be number one on their 'to do' list, so when Hastings shows up, someone, preferably Adam, will Challenge him. Then the rest of us get to sit back and enjoy the light show once Hastings’s head is removed from his shoulders."

Sydney looked up. "What if Knight tries to interfere?"

Methos shrugged eloquently. "Then he's fair game. Of course, Amanda, Richie, Claudia or any other Immortal passing by could Challenge him at anytime for any reason at all."

"And a Challenge usually ends with someone's head being chopped off with a sword," Nigel remarked.

"Correct." Methos got up and crossed the floor to a closet. He pulled out a large bundle wrapped in a blanket as well as a couple of long cases and carried all of it over to the coffee table. He looked at Claudia, who had been fidgeting since she learned of all the pitfalls of becoming Immortal. He untied the blanket, then started sorting out the various swords uncovered.

"My God. Do you always keep this much hardware in your house?" Sydney stared at the ten swords laid out on the coffee table.

"All of this and more. Claudia, your teacher will teach you how to use one, but your first lesson is free. Keep more than one weapon handy at all times. You never know when you'll need it."

"Ain't that the truth," Richie muttered.

"You're far too young to be so cynical." Methos looked at Amanda. "Up for a little sparring?"

Amanda smiled. "I'm always up for something. You want the winner Richie?"

Richie smoothly got to his feet. "Fine with me."

Amanda nodded at Methos. "Very well. The rules of engagement?"

"Flat of the blade. I don't have any wooden practice weapons and we don't need anyone getting squeamish. Amy, care to grab the sword cases? Everyone else, grab a sword or two. We'll bring it all down with us."

"Down?" Joe asked.

"Down. There's a hidden room off the basement."

Joe raised an eyebrow. "And you know of this because?"

"I'm the one that built it. This rather unassuming house was a speakeasy during Prohibition. I simply turned the old bar into a practice room. Oh Joe, there's a few bottles of brandy and Scotch that were left over." Joe's eyes lit up.

"How old?"

"Pretty old. As far as I know, they're still unopened."

Sydney shook her head. "This is going to take some getting used to. You're talking about something that happened well over eighty years ago like it was yesterday."

Methos shrugged. "To me, it practically is. Come on, I can tell that Joe is chomping at the bit to get his hands on those bottles," he added with a smile.

Everyone was simply staring at Methos and Amanda. Their swords continually crashed against each other as they wove in and out in a very complicated and deadly dance. Sydney suddenly realized that these two were masters of the art of sword fighting. They were also the masters of dirty tricks, she noted as the both of them pulled daggers and used them in their sparring match as well. Richie was warming up on the side of the room, always keeping his eye on the combatants, while he performed the katas that were a daily part of his life. Sydney recognized a few of them and wondered idly how good a fighter she was compared to these people. Nigel was watching them as well, simply in awe. He could hear Joe and Amy whispering among themselves and making notes on a laptop computer. Claudia was alternating between stark terror and depression. She was silently questioning why this happened to her and why she absolutely had to learn to kill people with swords.

Richie sat down silently beside her. "I know exactly how you feel," he whispered to her.

"How do you know that?"

"Because I was probably wearing that same look on my face the first time one of my foster parents hit me, or the first week I spent out in the streets, or when I woke up and saw Mac holding Tessa's dead body, or the first time I was Challenged. I didn't know that when Mac took me in, I would eventually become Immortal and have to learn to use a sword in order to survive, but I did and have. This is all about survival. Don't think about it as learning to kill, it's learning to defend yourself."

Claudia chewed on her lips for a moment, thinking it over. She did want to survive, but she originally thought that it would only be for 78 years or so. She had to get used to the fact that she would never age another day and she had the possibility of living forever.

"I once asked the Old Man if it was worth it, living for so long."

"What did he say?"

"That if you live long enough, you'll see something that's worth seeing. I suppose that's true enough."

Sydney looked at him. "What have you seen?"

Richie rolled his eyes. "You name it, I've probably seen it. You know, the week before I broke into the antique store, I had no clue that within two years I would be Immortal and living in Paris. I was just trying to survive out on the streets of Seacouver. I didn't know that the guy that caught me would become one of my best friends and the closest thing to a father I ever had, or that I would meet a drop-dead gorgeous cat burglar who had been plying her trade for a little over a millennia, or that I would meet a guy who was well over five thousand, who loves beer and has the most perverse sense of humor that I've ever seen. I didn't know that in a few years Mac would try to kill me twice, once because he took a Dark Quickening, and the other because he thought I was a demon. And to think that I'm only twenty-five." He looked back at the combatants, not very surprised to see that Methos had won. "Well, I'm up."

Methos was sprawled back out on his couch, one long hand curled around a beer bottle and the other absently scratching a speck of dried blood off of his bare chest. Sydney had goaded both him and Richie into an 'anything short of the neck' fight, and the resulting mess was rather bloody. His sweater was ruined by a katana plunging into his lung, but the same lunge Richie had made to score that hit was offset by the fact that he had Methos's sword straight through his heart. Sydney, Nigel, and Claudia had started badly at seeing Richie die, then revive in a few minutes, but were slowly relaxing again. Amy and Joe were at the computer, apparently reporting the day's activities to Watcher Headquarters. Sydney looked at the titles of some of the books littering the coffee table, fascinated by the range of literature. 'Poetics' was on top of what looked to be a first edition book of 'Dracula,' which was in turn was on top of the complete works of Shakespeare. Casanova shared a spot with John Grisham, Byron was next to the Bible, and there were several paperback novels scattered among translation texts. Sydney noticed that most of the fictional books were about vampires.

Methos watched with amusement as Nigel picked up a thick, leather-bound book and opened it. Nigel's eyes opened wide and his face first lost all of its color, then flushed it scarlet as he read the notes jotted in the front. Claudia looked over Nigel's shoulder and scrunched up her nose in confusion.

"Who's Doc and John?"

Methos stretched. "Doctor John Polidori."

Sydney looked up from her perusal of a translation book. "Polidori. Wasn't he Lord Byron's traveling companion when he left England?"

Amy's hands froze for a moment as a brief flash of memory forever associated with Byron flashed from Methos's mind to hers. The smell of candle wax, rain, and sex imprinted itself on her mind as she rubbed her hands over her face and vaguely noted that they were trembling.

Methos's voice was the same neutral tone. "Yes he was."

Nigel snorted lightly. "From these notes, it seems that he was a bit more to both Mary Shelley and Lord Byron."

Joe looked up from the computer, which was sending in his report of the events that day. Amy had already made her report and noted Claudia's entry into the Game. Methos met Joe's gaze evenly and nodded his head slightly.

//Did I miss something?// Amy asked.

//Byron was my last student. Mac took his head a few years ago.//

//Are you okay with this?//

He smiled slightly at her. //It still hurts a bit, but I know that Byron lives on in Mac.//

Her eyebrow arched. //Lovers?//

//Byron and I yes, for a while. Mary Shelly joined in with us for one very memorable night. Amanda once complained that Mac was so sexually repressed...//

Amy nearly groaned. //No sex talk, please. I'm turned on enough from that bit of memory I caught. Maybe a cold shower would help the both of us.//

//Not if we're in there together.//

Amy smirked as she walked into the living room and looked over Methos's form, bare from the waist up and in tight jeans. //Better watch it Old Man, you're going to be sporting a tent in a few minutes.//

He smirked right back at her. //Wouldn't be the first time that happened while people were around.//

//Before that happens, you'd better answer Syd.//

Methos blinked at Sydney, looking somewhat apologetic. "Sorry, my mind was wandering. What did you ask?"

Sydney looked at him oddly, but held up 'Dracula.' "What does this say? I only recognized a few words."

"It says, and I quote: 'Hans- Not quite a good story as the real one, but I never knew that you telling me those old folk stories while we were impaling Turks would help me disappear in the annuls of history. Always, Bram.'"

"Bram? As in Bram Stoker?"

Methos shrugged. "Well, yes and no," he answered in his annoying vague way. He merely smiled when Joe growled.

Joe looked at Methos threateningly. "If you don't tell them, I will."

Methos sighed. "Very well. I used the name Hans Kilder in the mid 1400's. After I graduated for the first time from medical school in Germany in 1453, I made my way south to Hungary and present-day Romania, plying my trade not only as a doctor, but also as a royal advisor. Prince Stephan had use of my stragery skills, since he was lacking his own. And he, in turn, introduced me to his friend, Vlad Dracula, a.k.a. Vlad Tepes - 'the Impaler.' Vlad was not always the most stable person to be around, but the man's mind was brilliant. He took me as his personal doctor and bodyguard, since he couldn't trust anyone from his native land. Needless to say, Vlad liked to kill his enemies with sharp pointy sticks, where he got the nickname 'Tepes.' I told him the old folk tales of the Moroi, the vampires, while we both impaled Turks. I stick around, wait for Vlad to die for the first time, teach him the rules, then we split company about thirty years later. We bumped into each other in London around 1897. Vlad, now Bram Stoker, had just written a story called 'Dracula' which he had loosely based on his own life, sort of obfuscating a few details. He gave me that book as soon as it came out."

Joe leaned forward. "Have you seen him since?"

"Not since then. We'll eventually bump back into each other."

Richie went to spend the night on Claudia's couch, Sydney and Nigel went to their respective homes, and Joe and Amanda went back to their hotel for the rest of the night. Amy smiled as she rubbed her cheek against Methos's bare chest. It was good seeing her father again. She didn't realize that she missed him so much until she saw him.

//I missed him too. Maybe over the summer, we can sneak into Paris for a week or so. But in the meantime, you were saying something about you being turned on?//

Amy smiled. //Maybe I did. Care to refresh my memory?//

The next couple of days were quiet, almost normal. Richie started teaching Claudia some basic defense, getting her ready for sword training, Sydney and Nigel were called off to retrieve a relic in Spain, Joe and Amanda took in the sights not only in Hartford, but also in New York City, and Methos started teaching Amy how to fight with and throw the dagger she started carrying around.

Amy's cell phone rang just as she and Methos were walking back to his office. She pulled it out. "Hello?"

"It's Joe. How fast can you make it out to the Warchester warehouse in the old industrial area?"

"About five minutes."

"You'd better hurry. I don't think that this fight's going to last that long." Amy raised her eyebrows, but hung up and dashed for Methos's car with him right beside her.

They made it in four minutes, due to speeding through a few yellow lights. They saw Joe's car parked a safe distance away and pulled up alongside it. Before the car had stopped moving, Amy was already out and running towards the side door, which was open just a bit. She saw Joe, standing by the door with Amanda and Richie. She had already felt the odd tingly/nervous sensation she got when there were Immortals present, so the presence of two other Immortals didn't shock her much. Amanda and Richie turned to see Methos, coming in the door. The two combatants, their swords locked together, also glanced at Methos. Once they saw that he didn't even have his sword drawn and was content to simply watch, they returned to their fight. Amy noticed that neither Amanda nor Richie had their swords drawn, so someone must have recognized one of the two fighting Immortals.

"Who's fighting?" she whispered to Joe.

"I don't know who the black-haired guy is, but he's fighting Jason Knight." Amy's breath caught, then she dragged out a small video camera from her ever-present backpack. She flipped it on, then brought it to focus on the two Immortals fighting.

Methos peered over her shoulder to look at the video being captured, then looked back up at the real version taking place. He frowned as he saw the man fighting Knight move his sword in a complicated maneuver designed for the rounded curve of a kilij, instead of the straightness of a broadsword. Very few people knew that maneuver and fewer still would try it with a broadsword, as you had a fifty-fifty chance of cutting your own head off with it. Knight didn't know what to make of the flashing sword, since he was well used to taking the heads of young, weak Immortals with little to no sword training. He wasn't used to facing a true blade master, one who had honed his abilities with a sword against opponents. Knight had kept his sword by some luck, but it ran out when the older man's sword crashed onto his with considerable strength, wrenching it out of his hands. He lunged for his sword, only to feel the long steel of the other's blade run through his stomach. As Knight sank to his knees, he didn't see the sword rushing towards the back of his neck.

The white mist of the Quickening drifted up out of Knight's headless body and hovered before the winner for a brief moment. Amy caught a good shot of the winner's face, then hurredly shutting the camera off and rushed out of the side door before she was caught in a second Quickening. Methos, Amanda, Richie, and Joe were already outside waiting. She had just joined them when the boarded up windows suddenly exploded, sending pieces of glass and wood flying through the air. Everyone reflexively ducked, even though the shards landed several feet in front of them.

Once the Quickening stopped, they rushed back in. Joe pulled out his cell phone and called for a cleanup team while Amanda and Methos helped the victorious Immortal to his feet. Amy noted that he wasn't much taller than Amanda herself, but there was something in the way he stood that made him seem taller.

Methos touched the man on his shoulder, positive that this was his old friend. "Vlad?"

Vlad Dracula turned towards the voice. His own emerald-green eyes locked on the odd mix of green and gold in his old friend's eyes. "Hans!"

Amy just looked at the two oddly. //Vlad Dracula?//

Methos spared her a glance. //The one and the same. They say speak of the devil and he will show, and for Vlad, that's true enough.//

"Adam now," Methos corrected smoothly. "It's been a while, my friend."

"Indeed it has." Vlad slapped Methos companionably on his back. "I go by Stephan now. A fitting tribute, no?"

"Indeed it is. These are some friends of mine, Amanda, Richie Ryan, Joe Dawson and his daughter, Amy Thomas. Everyone, Vlad Dracula, an old friend of mine." Vlad nodded at them, then turned to Methos with a raised eyebrow.

"Joe and Amy know about Immortals," he explained. "But for now, maybe we should get going before the cops show up."

"So. You have a hunt and do not invite me," Vlad said in exasperation.

Methos shrugged. "I didn't know how to contact you. Besides, now that you've taken care of Knight, that only leaves Hastings. And no, you can't impale him," he teased.

Vlad snorted. "I haven't done that in over five hundred years. What is your interest in this Hastings?"

Methos's mouth twitched and his changeable gold-green eyes turned very cold and very dead. "I was raising a Pre-Immortal girl in France. I left her home alone one day to run an errand that wouldn't take me more than an hour. When I came back, I ran into two full Immortal Buzzes, as well as a sword through my gut. Hastings had already killed Marie-Claire, and before I died temporarily, he took her head. He was apparently going to try for mine as well, but I revived quicker than he expected. My neighbors broke down the door from the noise and chased him off." Methos rubbed a hand over his face. "Marie-Claire was fifteen when she was murdered."

Amy placed a shaking hand on his shoulder. He captured her hand with his and looked down at her. She had comforted him through more than one nightmare about Marie-Claire.

//Don't blame yourself. You couldn't have known.//

//I know. That's what the both of us keep telling me.// He smiled faintly.

With one last squeeze of his shoulder, Amy walked back into the kitchen. Vlad was looking at him speculatively.

"Well, well..."

"If you value being conscious for the next few hours, don't finish that sentence. She's a friend."

Vlad smirked. "If you say so. Who is she anyways? I don't remember you being so careless as to let mortals know that you are different."

"Do you remember one of the legends I told you about?"

Vlad rolled his eyes. "Which one? You told me well over two hundred."

"The one about the people who watch the ones touched by God."

"Yes I remember. What did you call them? Watchers?"

Methos said the proper name in Akkadian. "Roughly translated, yes, it does mean Watcher. It could also mean Storyteller. Amy's my Watcher."

Vlad laughed. "Finally tracked you down, hmm?"

Joe handed Methos a beer. "More like infiltrated our ranks. Amy said to give you a beer before you got maudlin." Joe sat down in one of the chairs and laughed at Methos's half-hearted growl about interfering Watchers. They all heard Richie's bike start up outside, followed by Amanda's car that she had rented. Methos slanted an inquiring look at Amy, who had come back out to the living room.

"Richie's picking up Claudia and Amanda's trying to teach Nigel and Sydney to pick locks. Apparently, they get handcuffed and stuffed into locked rooms often enough to warrant their interest in Amanda's skills."

//Perhaps one day they'll take advantage of a locked room and handcuffs.//

Amy rolled her eyes. //Dirty old man.//

Methos smirked. //I am old love. And owing to my age and wisdom, I know that for those two, it's only a matter of time before something happens between them.//

Vlad looked at Joe. "Are we missing something?"

Joe shrugged. "I guess so."

"Gossip." Methos supplied with a smile. "Nothing more than gossip."

Much later that night, Amy woke up in a cold sweat. A scream was lodged in her throat as she tried to bring her breathing under control. Long strong arms pulled her on top of an equally strong body and simply held her as both bodies shook. Methos stroked a hand soothingly down her back, trying to calm them both from the shared dream they had.

//Have that one often love?//

Amy mutely shook her head against his chest. //Not for almost a year.// She could recall the feel of Walker's sword against her throat as if it were happening all over again. She looked into Methos's eyes as he pulled her face up.

//No one will ever be able to do that to you again. I'll kill them before they can try.// She simply pressed her lips to his, giving as well as seeking comfort.

Later still when they both lay together, she thought that sleep would give her some peace. Sadly, there was no peace to be found, even in her dreams.

"Well, well, it looks like you two had another rough night." Amy rolled her eyes at Richardson's voice. She personally felt like she had been through several wars and Methos didn't look much better. His control, which was usually kept tightly leashed, was frayed around the edges.

"I've got one nerve left and you're getting on it Richardson," Methos growled. The tone of his voice let everyone within hearing range know that he was not just quoting a bumper sticker.

"Maybe if you and your 'assistant' spent more time apart than you do together, then maybe you wouldn't be looking like this."

Amy turned. "And just *what* are you implying Doctor?"

"I believe I know what he was implying Amy." Amy swallowed convulsively. She had only heard that tone once before: Right before Morgan Walker lost his head. She turned to look at Methos and almost wished that she hadn't. Any semblance of a teasing smile so remnant of Adam Pierson was gone from his face, replaced with the cold, distant look of Methos. The people that had turned to watch shied intuitively away from the menace that seemed to radiate from his slender form. "Now Richardson. You have precisely three seconds to apologize to Amy before I show you that translating is not the only thing I'm good at."

Richardson took one look into the changeable eyes and nearly wet himself at the absolute lack of any emotion. He nearly stumbled over his apology, then once he felt that he had satisfied it, he hurriedly turned and left. Methos calmly walked over to the coffee pot and fixed both himself and Amy a cup of coffee.

//Thanks love,// she replied silently as he handed her cup of coffee to her. He knew that she wasn't just talking about the coffee.

//Anytime. I think that we've made the gossip mill for the day.//

//Probably. Do you think that we'll be having a torrid affair by the end of the day?// They sat down at an empty table and pulled out half-graded papers they were going through.

A small smile worked itself onto his face. //As I recall, we already are having a torrid affair, but I think that most people think that I care about you like a little sister. The ones that don't are the ones we have to watch out for.//

//You think Richardson is going to try anything?// Amy chewed on the end of her pen.

//Possibly. He'll either be scared off or he'll try to prove that we are sleeping together and take it to the dean.//

//Who happens to be Claudia's father's friend.//

//I don't know if that will hold any sway.//

//Being his daughter's teacher has got to hold some.// He looked up sharply at her. //Think about it. Richie isn't old enough to teach her. Amanda's going to have a student of her own soon, and MacLeod hasn't been seen in three years. Someone's got to teach her.//

//Me? I haven't had a student since Byron. Maybe Ling-ma could take her in.//

//She won't. Ling-ma lost two of her students within days of each other about fifty years ago. She turns away all prospective students now.//

He sighed. //I really didn't want to teach her. I don't have a very good record at keeping students once they start training with me.//

//Because you push them to the edge?//

//Precisely. I want to make sure that they live. Most people now want the easy and fast solution. They think that with one magic pill, they can learn sword fighting and expect that they can hold their own against someone a lot older and a lot meaner than they are.//

//All you can do is try. Richie says that he's going to visit, keep an eye on her.//

//Ah, the hormonal attraction. Makes me glad that I wasn't killed when I had more hormones than brains.// Her eyes rolled heavenward, then moved towards the door when the tingly/nervous sensation danced along her nerves. Methos had already looked towards the door, then relaxed when Claudia came in with Sydney and Nigel. Claudia was looking around as she came in, then spotted Methos and Amy.

Claudia's hands were shaking as she sat down. "Is it always like this?"

Methos nodded. "The adrenaline rush. Gets you ready to fight or run. It's an instinctual response when we run into another one of us. Everyone always gets it, even around friends."

Sydney leaned forward. "You know, Richardson is claiming that you threatened him."

Methos and Amy shared a look. "My the gossip mill works fast," he wryly remarked. "I simply said that translating was not the only thing I was good at. I never said *what* I was good at. He's simply jumping to conclusions again."

Nigel looked at him. "Again?"

Methos looked at Amy, who answered. "Richardson was implying that we're sleeping together, hence why we both look like hell today, even though that's not the reason."

Sydney frowned. "Is everything okay?"

Amy rubbed the side of her throat. "Yeah. Just some really bad dreams last night."

"Yours?" Sydney asked softly.

"Yeah." She rubbed her neck one last time, then played with her pen. "I hadn't had that particular one in about a year. I thought that I was finally over it."

"Over what?"

Amy sighed. "I wasn't always his Watcher. My first assignment, Morgan Walker, discovered me following him and kidnapped me. He found out what we do and called Joe, figuring correctly that a Watcher with a phone or an internet connection was the closest thing to an Immortal telephone book there is. He told Joe that if he turned over an old acquaintance, he would let me go. That old acquaintance was Adam, although Walker knew him as Benjamin Adams. When Joe and Adam showed up, Walker had a sword to my throat and would have killed me if Adam didn't fight."

"And he's never getting out of the little cage I have him in either." Methos smiled grimly.

Amy shook her head slightly as her stomach growled. "Anyone else want something for lunch?" Claudia offered to go with her down to the Subway on campus to get everyone lunch.

While they were waiting for their orders to be made, Claudia suddenly started looking around and Amy felt the Immortal Buzz. She looked around, hoping to see Amanda, Richie, or Vlad.

Claudia's eyes grew wide and she backed against the counter. Amy looked down her line of sight and also caught her breath. It wasn't any Immortal that she personally knew, but she recognized him from Methos's dreams.

Methos suddenly stiffened in his seat. Sydney and Nigel looked at him oddly. "What's wrong?"

"Claudia and Amy. Hastings is on campus." He suddenly got up and had his coat on before either of them knew that he was out of his seat. Sydney privately thought that he didn't seem capable at moving at such speeds. She and Nigel simply looked at each other for a second before rushing after him.

Both Amy and Claudia were backed against the counter from the man standing in the doorway. Amy had pulled the dagger she carried with her but held it against her side, hiding it from view. She knew that Methos was on his way, and she could feel him getting closer every second.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Gregory Hastings leered.

"Nothing you want to mess with," Amy answered.

"I doubt that." A small, evil smile crept across his face. "I see a great deal." He looked back over his shoulder, tense and agitated.

Claudia tensed as another Buzz came into her range, but Amy relaxed. She knew it was Methos. Claudia also relaxed when she saw Methos's familiar face. Hastings had turned around to see who the new Immortal was, and was quite surprised when he saw a man whose head he had almost taken a hundred years before. Methos used the time in which Hastings was momentarily stunned to move very close and set a dagger against his neck.

"These two are under *my* protection. The Warchester warehouse in the old industrial park. 8 p.m. Don't be late and make me have to hunt you down."

Hastings snorted. "Your protection. That's amusing. You couldn't protect Marie-Claire."

Methos narrowed his eyes. "This time, I know your tricks. Like I said, don't be late."

Amy turned and paid for their order, acting like nothing was wrong. She and Claudia slipped past Methos and Hastings and out the door. Amy hovered in the doorway and waited for Methos. With one last murderous look, Methos quietly palmed his dagger and turned and left.

Once back at his office, Amy sat down in a chair and concentrated on her breathing with her head between her knees. Methos knelt in front of her and made soothing sounds while rubbing her back.

//His eyes. Everything he wanted to do to me was in his eyes. God, it was so much like Walker.//

//I know love, I know. He'll never get near you.// Her head lifted until she was looking in his eyes.

//I'll hold you to that.// He smiled at her, then got up and sat down in his chair. Amy rubbed the back of her neck, then grabbed her sandwich. She grabbed her laptop and booted it up while everyone else also grabbed his or her sandwiches. Amy typed in a report and sent it off to Headquarters, noting that Methos had Challenged Hastings and that she would report on the fight taking place at 8 p.m. that night. She typed in a separate report for Claudia and sent that in as well.

"So that was a challenge?"

Amy nodded. "That was a challenge." She turned to Methos. "Is Hastings going to cheat?"

"He might. Is there anything in his Chronicle?"

Amy shrugged. "He hasn't had a Watcher since he was presumed dead. His Chronicle doesn't mention working with mortals, but we are about ninety years behind. He may have changed his opinion. I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"That's my driving motto," Methos remarked with a smile.

Amy arched an eyebrow. "I thought that it was 'live; grow stronger.'"

"That one too." He looked at Claudia. "You are welcome to come along. Might as well get all of the shocks over with. However, you must come armed. Hastings might be hiding a few tricks up his sleeve."

Sydney smiled ferally. "That won't be a problem. Who else is going to be there?"

Amy counted. "Well, there's me, doing my job, my dad, Richie, Amanda, Vlad, the Old Man here fighting, and you three, if you decide to join us. Besides, I think that my dad will offer either Sydney or Nigel another job."

"Another job?" Nigel asked.

"Watching Claudia. Right now, I've got that job, but I can't double up indefinitely. So it's logical that Joe will offer one or both of you a job as Claudia's Watcher."

"And what would this other job entail?"

"Just keeping an eye on Claudia. We don't need to know *everything* that goes on in her life."

Claudia spoke up. "Do I get a choice in this?"

Methos shook his head. "No. Every Immortal has a Watcher, active or not. And Amy would have been seriously remiss in her duties if she didn't report your First Death to the Watchers. And if Amy hadn't, Joe would have."

Claudia sighed. Sydney looked interested. "What does it take to get into the Watchers?"

Amy shrugged. "Most recruits have to go to the Academy. In your case, since you can't easily take a year off, you'll take the Oath, get the tattoo, and be placed with a senior Watcher, who will teach you the basics and rules of the Society, surveillance techniques, things like that."

"You?" Sydney asked.

"In all likelihood, yes, mostly because this is where Claudia will get her training."

"Who's going to teach me?" Claudia asked.

Amy pointed at Methos. "He is."

At eight p.m. that night, Methos was leaning against the door to the Warchester warehouse. He was dressed completely in black, holding his sword loosely in front of him, listening to the night and Joe and Amy giving last minute instructions to Sydney, Nigel, and Claudia. Amanda had a nice perch on the hood of the car, with Richie and Vlad leaning on the car on either side of her. Sydney, Nigel, Claudia, Joe, and Amy were across from the car, hidden in the shadow of another warehouse, a safe distance from a Quickening. All of the Immortals tensed, sensing another Immortal nearby. Methos straightened up from the door and looked around. Gregory Hastings stepped into the light cast by security bulbs. He smiled a mocking smile.

"I never figured you for a cheat."

Methos never changed his expression. "I figured you for a coward, so we're even. They're here to watch."

Hastings drew an English long sword from his coat and immediately set out on the attack. Methos effortlessly blocked each swing and returned them with frightening efficiency. A few minutes after the fight had started, Hastings’s head landed on the ground with a wet thud.

Claudia turned away, Nigel looked green, and even Sydney had to swallow hard at the sight of Methos's sword cutting through another man's neck. Joe gently turned Claudia back around.

"It's not over yet," he softly murmured.

Amy watched the white mist rise up and hover before Methos's body for a second before the Quickening started. The hair at the back of her neck stood on end and her breathing quickened as her mind tried to process everything that the Quickening was. This time, she did see the Quickening bolt that hit her. By that time, she was fortunately away from the rest. It formed a visible link between her and Methos, startling everyone that witnessed it. Their minds were completely open to the other's, linking them even more tightly. She bit her lip to keep from screaming from the worst pain and the most amazing ecstasy she had ever experienced. She was barely conscious of the Quickening ending. Sydney simply held her as she shook with all of the emotions that were sweeping through her.

Joe was worried about his daughter, as well as dying to ask the questions burning in his mind, but he knew that they had to get the place cleaned up. Joe stepped out of the little crevice that housed his little group to see Vlad and Richie helping Methos back up.

"Claudia, you, Vlad, Amanda, and Richie take Adam and Amy back to his house. Throw them in cold separate showers, then find whatever liquor he has in his house and make sure to keep it flowing." Claudia mutely nodded and supported Amy on their way out. Joe turned to Sydney and Nigel.

"Do you two still want in?"

They turned to each other, then back to Joe. "Hell yes," they chorused.

Joe nodded. "Good. Stick around. I have to call a cleanup crew, then I can call Paris and get the paperwork faxed over so we can get you two in. Welcome to the Watchers."

Amy, freshly dressed in jeans and a sweater, held a snifter of brandy, about half-full. She was still shaking somewhat, but the shakes were going away in a haze of alcoholic fog. Methos was sprawled out on the couch, also holding a snifter of brandy, but he was only half-dressed. There was also a noticeable bulge in his pants that the brandy wasn't taking care of just yet.

Amanda, Vlad, and Richie were chaperoning them, making sure that their liquor didn't run out and that their clothes stayed on. Claudia went home, content that she was safe for the first time in a few days. Sydney and Nigel had also gone home after they had both gotten the Watcher tattoo and took the Oath.

Amy looked at Amanda. "Is that what you feel everytime you take a head?"

Amanda shrugged. "The best joy and the worst agony in the world? Every time. The side effects are the same as well."

Amy groaned. "How long does this last?"

"It can go up to three days."

"Three *days*?! Fuck that."

//Or me.// Methos was smirking at her. She took another sip of her brandy before she jumped him right there and damn anyone watching.

"So are we supposed to be drunks for the next day or so?"

Richie snorted. "That usually helps. Don't worry about driving us to the airport tonight, we'll manage."

Amy looked at Richie. "So soon?"

He shrugged. "Joe's got to get back to the bar and I have to get back to work. Nick called this afternoon for Amanda, he got a new case that need her 'special touch.'"

Vlad nodded. "I must also get back to work. It has been an enjoyable visit, my friend."

Methos inclined his head. "I always try to keep my guests entertained. Don't wait another hundred years to drop by, Vlad."

Vlad laughed shortly. "Perhaps I won't." He made his goodbyes and quietly departed.

Amy looked up as Joe entered the living room. "It's time for us to go if we want to catch our flight," he said. Amy sighed and set her brandy down. She caught Joe in a hard hug and quietly promised him that they would make it back to Paris over the summer. Richie and Amanda also made their goodbyes, then left with Joe, who gave one last admonishment to behave themselves.

//Finally.//

Methos looked at her as she set down her brandy and walked towards the stairs. She looked over her shoulder at him. //Care to join me for a nice, long, hot shower?//

Methos looked down at himself, then back up at Amy, who had already pulled off her sweater. He smiled and set down his drink as well, then turned and locked the door and set the chain. He slowly staundered over to her, then pulled her hard against him, working out a little moan from her. //Anytime.//

Some secrets were revealed, and some still remained.

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End Joined, Chapter 3