Past Sins
By Nelle Donaghue
Rating: R
Characters: From HL: Methos, DM, CM, J, original immies; From HLotS: Bayliss, Pembleton, Munch, Lewis, Gee(mentioned).
Author's Note: Unbeta'd, though it has been run through spellcheck several times. Feedback? Yes please! Archive? Other than Seventh Dimension and 11 Cents, ask first! Starts after last ep of Homicide and continues until several months past Homicide: The Movie. In Highlander, assumes that Archangel happened (sorry Clan Denial), also, the timeline has moved a bit to fit the Homicide timeline.
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, I just borrow 'em. All origional characters are mine, if you feel moved to use one, ask first!
Small Cabin in the mountains near Seacouver, Washington, June, 1998. God how he wanted to end it all, he was guilty of killing another human being. He had played God with another soul. The pills and liquor and a plastic bag should do it, give him his release from his life. He had taken a sabbatical from the Homicide unit of the Baltimore Police, his name was Tim Bayliss. The only person who knew where he was had strict instructions not to bother him. That person was Frank Pembleton, his partner for six years. The local police would be getting a letter in a few weeks, long enough for death to do its work. He was ready, his goodbyes were on the floor next to him in the bathroom. The windows were all open, he took the pills and drank a bottle of Everclear, put the bag over his head and waited for sweet release. He felt no pain, only sweet blackness. Suddenly he was yanked back to reality, he sat up expecting to be in a hospital, but he was still in the bathroom. What the hell happened? The plastic bag was still on his head, he ripped it off angrily. 'I can't even kill myself properly. You are such a failure.' He thought to himself. 'Well, maybe my gun will do a better job of it. He leaned over the tub and pulled the trigger, sweet oblivion again. He woke up again. "What the hell is wrong with me????" He yelled out loud. He gave up trying to kill himself for now. What he needed was a drink, too bad he drank all of the Everclear trying to kill himself the first time. He looked down at his shirt seeing blood all over his clothes. I should probably shower and change first, I might scare someone looking like this. After he had showered and changed he set off for Seacouver. He was looking for a small bar with some good blues music when he saw Joe's Bar. Stopping, he got out of the car and went to the door. He heard the blues music coming out of the bar, as he was about to enter the bar, he suddenly got a headache.
Adam Pierson, aka, Methos, was sitting at the bar, bent on drinking himself to oblivion. He didn't care if he got alcohol poisoning and died, he would just get right back up again. Suddenly he was hit by the buzz of another immortal. A new one judging by its strength. He looked up and saw a tall man with brown hair walk into Joe's. The man walked up to the bar and sat next to Methos. Methos was surprised by the haunted look in the man's eyes. "I have no challenge with you." He says to the man.
"Huh?" Bayliss was confused. Challenge, what?
A real newbie, doesn't even know what he is. Just my fucking luck. "My name is Adam Pierson, do you even know what you are?"
"What am I? Human last I checked. Tim Bayliss is the name." Well, it was up to Methos to tell him, damn MacLeod's ethics. Ten years ago he wouldn't have told him, guess I have, had, been spending too much time with him.
"Hey Joe, can I get another beer and whatever this man wants. Put it on my tab. Also, can I use your office?"
"Sure thing, what can I get for you sir?"
"A beer sounds good. You know, I own part of a bar."
"Really where?"
"The Waterfront in Baltimore Maryland. Myself and two other cops own it."
"So you are a cop? Sorry, I'm being rude. I'm Joe Dawson."
"I'm Tim Bayliss. So you own this place?"
"Yep. I think that Adam wants to talk to you."
"Thanks for the beer." Bayliss walks to Joe's office. "So what do you want to talk about Adam?"
"What we are. Have you had a near death experience recently?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"This evening."
"What was it."
Bayliss gets a haunted look on his face. "Why do you ask?"
"It is always good to know. Don't worry, I've seen pretty much everything."
"I tried to kill myself tonight."
"And you probably did. We are immortal. We cannot die except if we are beheaded."
"I don't believe you. I was dead. The dead don't rise."
"Oh yes they do. It probably hurt like a bitch." Adam takes a sharp knife from the folds of his coat and a towel from the desk. "Oh well, I guess I will have to do this the hard way. Don't call the paramedics. Give me five minutes." With that, he stabs himself in the chest. "I hate this part." And dies.
Bayliss is disturbed by what he just saw. Suddenly, a gasp comes from the dead man, he sits up. "Now do you believe me?"
"What the hell just happened?"
"I died and came back to life." He gets up and grabs Bayliss' arm and makes a deep cut. "Now look at that." He orders.
Bayliss watches in awe as blue lightening arcs from edge to edge on the wound.
"What the hell is that?"
"That is your quickening. The quickening is what we are. Our strengths, weaknesses, personality. When we die, it is usually in a challenge. Two immortals fight to the death, the winner takes the losers head and their quickening."
"Why?"
"The Game and the Prize. The Game is played because it is believed that the last immortal on earth will get the Prize. No one knows what the prize is, there are a few guesses, like ultimate power. There are rules to this game, three in fact. One, no fighting on Holy Ground,;two, one on one fights only; three, no mortals can see us fight, if a mortal walks by, the fight is stopped. The good guys stick to all three, the bad guys, the last two."
"How many of us are out there? And what happens when you fight on Holy Ground?"
"The only time that it is rumored that immortals fought on Holy Ground was Pompeii in 79 CE. There are probably thousands of us out there. No one knows for sure, especially in cases like Methos."
"Who is Methos?"
"Rumored to be the oldest immortal alive."
"How old would he be?"
"5000."
"To think of living that long, that would be amazing. So when did you become immortal?"
"About three years ago, I was killed. I was in the Watchers then, the Watchers are a group of mortals that watch immortals and record our history. I was a researcher for the Methos project."
"What was the Methos project?"
"It is still going on. Essentially people are trying to find out if Methos is still alive."
"Do you think so?"
"Yes. There is enough proof of it. I can understand why he wouldn't want people to know who he was."
"Why wouldn't he?"
"He would probably have every head hunter there is after him, mortal and immortal. His quickening would be prized." Methos is watching Bayliss carefully for his reaction. He is so far satisfied that if he told Bayliss, his secret would be safe.
"What I wouldn't give to spend an hour with him. To hear his life story, history coming from someone who lived it. It would be amazing."
"What about all the pain and suffering over 5000 years. Not being able to stay in one place longer than twenty years, losing friends immortal and mortal to time."
"Sounds depressing, still I wonder what kind of person he is. Do you want to know why I killed myself tonight?"
"Sure, why?"
"I killed a man in cold blood. He was an internet killer. He preyed on women and showed their murders happening live on the internet. Bastard used my homepage the last time. We caught him, but the charges were dropped because of delays. The whole fair and speedy trial thing. I hunted him and killed him. My doing that made me the same as him, a killer."
This throws Methos for a loop, still the guy deserved to die. Just as much as he did. "Sometimes I wish that drawing and quartering were still punishments."
'What? It sounds like he actually LIVED during that time. He might be a hell of a lot older than he says he is.' Bayliss thinks to himself. "So what are you thinking of my whole sordid tale?"
"I'm thinking that guilt is overrated and that I have done far worse things than you ever have. I am also thinking of telling you something that very few people know about me. But if I do, you have to promise NEVER to tell ANYONE it unless I say it is OK to tell. I will hunt you down if you break this promise."
'This must be pretty serious for him to make me swear that.' "I will do so if you promise to not tell anyone about what I did. No one has any idea that I did that."
"Agreed. Better sit down Tim."
"Okay, I'll sit down. I agree too."
"I am Methos."
"Why didn't you tell me right away?"
"I didn't know if I trusted you enough. I didn't get to this age by trusting everyone. It pays to be a little paranoid."
"So, what did you do that was worse than me?"
"Ever read Revelations 6:8? The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? Do you believe in it?"
"Yes I have read Revelations, but I don't believe in the Horsemen."
"I quote it, 'Death rides a pale horse.' I was Death of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."
"You are right, that is a hell of a lot wore than what I did. Why did you do it? How did you get out of it?"
"Why, I'm still trying to figure that out 3000 years after it happened. How did I get out? I think it probably had to do with the fact that I began to hate myself for what I did. It also had to do with an immortal named Cassandra. I started to forgive myself when I found Jesus."
"So you stopped because of some woman named Cassandra, and you forgave yourself because you found Jesus inside of you? Who was Cassandra?"
"An immortal that I raped and tortured for 70 years. She made me look at what I was doing, and I was disgusted by it. She made me see humanity again, unfortunately, she wants to kill me. I met Jesus and he forgave me. Really nice guy, I saw him crucified and rise again. He was not an immortal either. He truly was a son of God."
"Shit, you did do a lot worse than I did. But I also can see that you have changed from what you were. I can see it in your eyes, you still torture yourself mentally after all these years for what you did then."
"You are very perceptive, and finally someone else who when they hear that story of mine don't hate me."
"Who is the other person?"
"Joe. My friend Duncan MacLeod, when he found out, he hated me. See, Cassandra is one of his good friends. I am the only Horsemen left."
"What happened to the rest of them?"
"In 1996 Kronos, the leader, found me and offered for me to ride with the Horsemen again. I agreed and found the other two, Caspian and Silas for Kronos. They all thought that I was really going to ride with them again, I was really going to engineer their downfall. Get my Brothers killed. Kronos came up with a plan that would have killed off most of southern France. See, he had made a biological weapon. I tried to keep MacLeod out of it, but he couldn't take a hint. So, he ended up killing Kronos and Caspian, I killed Silas. I really did like Silas, he wasn't like the others, sure he killed, but he didn't do it because of pleasure, he did it because it was a job to him. While I was still down from Silas' quickening, Cassandra tried to take my head. She didn't succeed because MacLeod told her to spare my life for him. MacLeod and I had a big fight about this, and I have only briefly seen him since."
"And I thought that my past few years were shitty. When was the last time you saw him?"
"A couple months ago in France. Do you believe in demons?"
"I have never seen one or had one disproved to me, so I cannot say."
"Well, they are real. MacLeod was possessed by Ahriman, he killed his student Richie Ryan. Real nice kid too. He offered me his head, I refused and ran. Haven't seen him since. I was actually only going to be in town for a few days, I was going to leave tomorrow."
"You aren't going to leave tomorrow?"
"No, you need a teacher."
"Teacher?"
"I am horrible today, aren't I? You need a teacher to teach you how to use one of these." Methos pulls out his broadsword. "I would be willing to teach you if you want me too."
"Okay, when do we start?"
"Tomorrow, tonight you will stay at my place. Less of a chance of you getting killed that way. Not many people know that I am immortal, so you should be safe with me until you get trained. Now lets go get another beer, I seem to have run out. By the way, Joe knows who I am. He can be trusted."
They walk out into the bar room, Methos and Tim sit down and each order a beer. Methos feels the buzz creep up his neck, 'Oh wonderful, another immortal nearby. Well, if they are out to challenge someone, I hope its me.'
"Adam Pierson, my name is Fred Greene, I challenge you."
'They seem to get younger and younger all the time. "I don't want to fight you. Just leave me alone."
"Challenge me or die now."
"You idiot! This room is full of mortals. I was just trying to give you a chance to live. Fine, I accept. Bayliss, come outside with us. Joe, be back in a bit."
"Hope you say your goodbyes Adam. I tell you, the new immortals now days are nothing compared to the ancients. None of them stand a chance at winning the game, no killing spirit."
At this statement, Methos had to keep from bursting out laughing. Here was this *child* saying that he didn't have a killing spirit to the oldest known immortal. In a few moments they were in a dark alley. Methos went on the defense right away, the kid was making wild movements with his sword. After five minutes, he had yet to make a hit and was sweating, Methos had made several hits and wasn't even breaking a sweat. "So, how old are you?" He asks Fred.
"24."
At this time, Methos executed a spectacular array of moves that cut both wrists off, disemboweled him, and decapitated him. "Get back Bayliss." He managed to grunt before the quickening hit.Thankfully, the quickening was a short one, it seems that Greene had taken only a few heads, none of them very powerful. "Any questions Tim?"
Eight months later...
"Shit, shit, shit." Bayliss muttered under his breath. Gee had gotten shot. He looked around for Methos, not seeing him, he walked in the direction he thought that Methos was and called, "Adam."
"What Tim?" Methos appears from cabin, curious as to what has Tim excited.
"Gee got shot, I need to go back to Baltimore."
"Okay. Bayliss, you aren't going to do something that you might regret, are you?"
"I was going to confess my crime and get killed in an 'accident',"
"And how are you going to do that?"
"I'll figure something out. Hey, can you give me a ride to the airport?"
"I'm coming with you, and I will help you figure that out. Even though you have yet to take a head, you have a very strong quickening. This means that you heal a lot faster than you might otherwise. What would take a usual newbie an hour, takes you half an hour. So the more bloody and gruesome, the better."
"Fine."
"Besides, I've never had the pleasure to see your bar before. Do you think I could get a tab there?"
"Most likely, in my will, you are the sole beneficiary."
"So I will be part owner of a bar? Oh, how the possibilities are endless. When does the plane leave?"
"In two hours."
In Baltimore...
"Just drop me off by the station. I will call you later on your cell for a ride back to the hotel."
In a few moments, the station comes into view, Bayliss gets out of the car. Hoping to God that they can find the guy who shot Gee. As he is getting out of the car, he sees a familiar form coming towards him. Munch, it had to be Munch.
"Timmy my boy, who was that with you?" Asks Det. John Munch.
"That was my friend, Adam Pierson."
"*Just* a friend."
"Fuck you Munch. He is just a friend. In fact, he is the one whose cabin I was staying at when I got the call."
"So why is he here?"
"Because he has never been to Baltimore before."
On the roof of the Station, later that night...
"One last confession Frank, please, just one last confession."
"No, no, no Tim. I will not hear your confession." Frank puts his hands up to his ears as if covering them will make Tim stop.
"I shot a man in cold blood Frank. I hunted the bastard down and shot him."
"It was an accident."
"No it wasn't, I shot him like it was an execution." By this time, Frank and Tim's foreheads are touching
"You can't have, not you Bayliss."
"Yes I did, judge me Frank."
"I can't judge you."
"Then forgive me."
"I can't do that either."
"Turn me in then."
"No, no, NO. I will not turn you in Tim."
"A few months back I was going to eat my gun Frank. Either turn me in, or I will eat my gun."
"Goddamn you Bayliss."
With that, two figures disappear into the building. One slips out of the shadows and goes down to the street and waits.
"I am going to the Waterfront and having a last drink Frank." With those words, he walks down the front steps, right into the path of a speeding car.
'Dammit, dying hurt. Waking up was almost as bad as dying. Oh well, at least he had a friend who was going to break him out. Some weren't so lucky, some had to break out on their own.' "Adam," I hisses under my breath, "hurry up, it's freezing in here."
"Hold your horses." A minute later two figures are creeping out of the morgue.
Once outside, they slip into a car and drive into the night. "So Adam, what did you do with the car?"
"A long drive off of a short pier. How are you doing?"
"Better. I still wish that I could tell Pembleton the truth about us."
"Would you trust him with the truth?"
"Yes. And he would keep the secret."
"How about in while I send a letter saying that I have answers into your death to Pembleton? To get those answers, he would have to come to Seacouver. I could include open ended tickets."
"I would really appreciate that."
"Now, back to finish your training."
"I wonder which is more important to you now, me perfecting sword techniques or learning ancient languages."
"Guess."
"Ancient languages?"
"You got it. That way you can communicate more securely."
"Damn, you are paranoid."
"It's helped me this long."
"Good point."
A couple months later. Adam had just heard from Frank. Frank said that he would be arriving at Joe's around 2 AM. Joe had agreed to close the bar early that day.
'This is not the kind of place I expected, I guess I expected something a little lower in class.' Frank thinks to himself when he pulls up to Joe's Bar in Seacouver Washington. 'I just hope that that guy has answers to my questions.'
"Bayliss, go in back now. Frank is in front."
Just as the door closes to Joe's office, Frank enters the bar. "Excuse me sirs, could you please tell me where I can find Adam Pierson? I'm Frank Pembleton."
"That would be me." A skinny, tallish, pale skinned man says.
"You wouldn't happen to be *the* Adam Pierson, would you?"
"Huh?"
"The one who is a phenomenal researcher and translator? From your doctoral studies your are legendary for your ability to make nothing into something."
"Yeah, I guess that would be me. I take it that you came for answers?" Privately Methos thought that it always helped with history if you had lived through it yourself.
"Yes."
"Okay, if you will step into the office I will tell you. There are still patrons around who could hear things they shouldn't."
"This must be pretty high security stuff for all this cloak and dagger."
"It is quite literally a matter of life and death." Methos leads the way into the office where Tim is sitting on the couch reading a book.
"Hi Frank."
"Tim, that can't be you. I saw you, you were *dead*."
"I was, but now I am alive. By the way, the name is now Erik Thompson."
"How is that possible?"
"Have you ever heard of immortality?"
"It is just the goal of many scientists out there. Why?"
"Adam and I are immortal. As in can't die except by beheading."
"I don't believe you, you were dead before my eyes."
Methos is standing by the door, blocking Frank's exit.
"I really hate this part, it hurts like a bitch." Tim pulls out a dagger and stabs himself in the chest.
"Adam, are you just going to stand there. Give me the phone, call 911. He's *dying*."
"It is also very hard to explain to doctors why when just 5 minutes ago you were dead, but now you are alive without a scratch on you. Erik will be out for a few minutes more. Watch Frank." Methos grabs a towel from the desk and a dagger from his pocket and slices his wrist to the bone. Frank watches on with amazement as the wound heals itself. Blue lightening closing the wound. Suddenly Adam goes stiff.
"What's wrong?"
"Another immortal." He walks over to Tim's coat and pulls a sword out of the lining. "If someone is threatening you or Bayliss, try and stab them with this." Adam storms out of the room grabbing a long package from the closet on his way out. just as Bayliss is waking up.
End Part One