A Little Black Magic

This story takes place in 2008 about a month after my story Methos and Harry Dresden – the Wizard, the Knight and the Pragmatist, ends. For anyone who has not read that story, this can be read as stand-alone story. Methos is living in the Dresden Files Universe dating Karen Murphy, and hanging out with Harry Dresden while trying to get used to his new life as a Knight of the Cross.

The Dresden Files belongs to Jim Butcher, while Highlander belongs to Panzer Davis productions. I wish to thank my editor BCF and Beta Reader RJ Bingham. His stories can be found at (.net/u/2428181/R_J_Bingham)

Chapter 1

Methos Gets Blast from the Past

The day I met Harry Dresden my life made a 360-degree turn and would never be the same again. I am Methos, the oldest immortal; currently I am caught living a triple life. Ok I have always lived a double life, which in itself is normal for me. I use the identity of a mortal as my cover to stay as far from the game as possible. But until the day I met Harry Dresden I never dreamed I would be living a triple life.

My current mortal identity is Dr. M.E. Stacy, trauma surgeon. Recently I ran into a complication, the wizard Harry Dresden destroyed my Ivanhoe sword. It is impossible for an immortal to be without a sword unless they have a death wish, which I certainly do not. So I called Joe Dawson and asked him to send me a replacement blade, but that was going to take over a week to arrive so reluctantly I borrowed one from Harry. Unfortunately this particular sword came with a lot paperwork filled with much fine print and a fancy outfit. Also it came complete with an archangel whispering in my ear. I am now the reluctant Knight of the Cross bearer of Amoracchius the sword of love. Through all the many millennia have I lived, I never thought I would be risking my life for the side of good. That was a job I have always left to people like Duncan MacLeod and Harry Dresden. It's this Bloody Damn sword Amoracchius, it's changed me in ways I'm not happy about.

It was March 1st and freezing cold even for Chicago standers! I used to think the weather in Paris was cold in the spring but this year Chicago was unseasonably chilly. Well at two AM I crawled back into my warm bed with my now sleeping girlfriend, Karrin Murphy. Last night had been Karrin's night off so I wanted to show her a night on the town. We went to one of our favorite spots: Andy's Jazz Club and Restaurant. Regrettably around 9:00 pm my friend Dr. Don Wingrove called and asked if I would come into Northwestern Memorial Hospital and work in one of the operating rooms. There had been a multi-car pileup on the loop just twenty minutes before. Karrin dropped me at the Hospital, and that ended all hopes for a romantic evening.

The only bright spot was I didn't have to leave home until 9:30 am so there would still be time to spend with Karrin in the morning. It was eight o'clock and the morning sunshine was lightly filtering in to my master suite. I was in one of those states of nirvana half awake, warm in my bed spooning with my lover and at peace with the world.

THEN IT HAPPENED!

I felt a familiar Buzz of another Immortal. Next thing I knew someone was ringing my doorbell and loudly calling out my name. Oh not my name on the mailbox, but the only genuine name I could remembered …METHOS!

"Methos, Methos are you Home? Methos answer the Damn door?" The Immortal yelled out.

"Dammit, Bloody Hell!" was all I could say as I jumped out of bed grasped my sword Amoracchius, and ran to the front door of my penthouse condo in nothing but my boxers and bare feet. Adrenaline was running through my veins so I barely felt the chill in the air and the cold floors against my toes.

Slowly I opened the door to reveal The Highlander Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod, still leaning on my doorbell. I pointed Amoracchius straight at his throat. He smiled and gingerly with two fingers pushed the sword aside, then walked in to my condo as if he owned the place

Damn Highlander!

Suddenly before I could even get a word out I was being pummelled with questions.

"Nice place you have here Methos, wow that's a big sword. Where did you get that sword? Where is the one Joe sent you? I thought he sent you a new one several weeks ago? Methos why didn't you call him back to let him know it had arrived? You know how Joe worries!" What is this stuff about Excalibur you been telling Joe? You know Excalibur is only a myth? Methos what's going on, you walked out of our lives seven years ago only to call Joe like the world was coming to an end? Then I find you living like.. like.. this?" Mac finally stopped the inquisition to take a breath and looked around scouting out my change in lifestyle.

To begin it was a far cry from how I lived as the eternal graduate student. My Condo was spacious, the entire top floor of the high-rise. There were floor to ceiling windows that gave spectacular views of the Chicago landscape and Lake Michigan. Every inch of the condo was decorated with sculptures, painting, and plush furniture. The whole condo was a mix between modern and Greek revival, very eclectic. I had not let Karrin change anything yet! Karrin's taste ran more towards doilies and country contemporary. I was not looking forward to trying to mix our style. But after 68 wives I knew how women tend to sneak in to my life and ruin perfectly good custom decor.

"Mac What the hell are you doing here? Moreover how did you find out where I lived?" I asked him before Mac could start his last line of questing. My voice was gravelly and grumpy, I began to feel the chill in the air and missed my warm bed.

"You Doctor ME Stacy are in the Phonebook; I looked it up one line. Joe sent me here because he was worried when you never called back so he sent me to check up on you. Hey you disappear for over seven years and suddenly call Joe and said that your Ivanhoe sword was broken and you needed a replacement. He described it as you were acting like the world was coming to an end. Then you didn't call him back when you got the new sword, which made him more apprehensive. Then Joe finally calls to find out if the sword came and you are acting and I quote (all domestic and lovey-dovey), well you know how Joe talks." Mac spilled out his guts and started chuckling at me.

I ran my fingers through my hair fighting off another headache. "Great I will make sure I change to an unlisted number later today, come in and have a seat Mac, I will be back in a moment after I get some clothes on." I was still yelling at him in my grumpiest voice as I started stumbling off back in the direction the masters bedroom.

Then before I got to the edge of the Oriental rug Karrin emerged out of the bedroom, with my robe on, it dragged on the floor. Then she stood on her tippy toes and tried to look me straight in the eyes. "Good Morning Honey" her words sounded if it was almost dripping with real honey, I could hear the sarcasm in it. "I see we have a guest. I was a little shocked to see how fast you could get out of bed, grasp Amoracchius and answer the door. Do you want to clue me in or should I ask the tall dark stranger sitting on the sofa?"

Karin was all of five foot nothing, with a great figure, the deepest blue eyes I've ever seen with soft curly blond hair that just kissed her shoulders. She was quite a contrast for my tall thin six-foot frame. I was sporting longer dark brown hair than when I lived in Paris, with a neatly trimmed goatee and moustache. Ok we were not getting any prizes for the best-twinned couple in Chicago.

I sighed trying to dodge two bullets this morning, "Good Morning Karrin this is my old friend Duncan MacLeod, Mac this is Karrin. Sorry Karrin he is an immortal also it is a natural reaction of mine to jump up and get a sword when I get a buzz that another immortal in near." I confessed. "Plus Mac was shouting out the name Methos and my neighbors only know me As Dr. Stacy."

"What neighbors?" Mac broke in. All I was sure of was that Karrin was looking at his big brown eyes and huge chest that was rippling with muscles that his sweater only showing off all too well.

"Methos you have the whole floor to yourself! The elevator open just to your condo, and please Karrin call me Duncan," Mac beamed to Karrin with that wide sexy Highlander smile.

"Sorry Duncan if you are an old friend then you knows just how sensitive Methos happens to be about the name thing. Nice to meet you Duncan, would you like some coffee?" Karrin offered.

"I'd love a cup thank you" Mac answered so pleasantly and courteously. I guess the Spanish inquisition was out of session, now if I could get Mac to stop flirting with my girl friend!

"Methos go get dressed; you don't even have pants on; not that I don't love your legs." Karrin laughed again sarcastically.

"Listen it was a perfectly normal reaction; I just wanted to make sure I still had my head firmly attached to my body! I never know who is going to show up whenever I get that buzz. Honesty MacLeod you were last person I was expecting this morning." I took a deep breath and looked at both of them; my patience was waning and attitude was deteriorating. "Really Karrin, what wrong with my legs now?" Then pointing at the Highlander I said in a firm voice, "Mac will you stop flirting with my girlfriend! Aren't you married now anyway?" sadly I had an annoyed almost whining tone to my voice. Again things were not going according to my plans, why on earth Kronos ever thought I was the master schemer boggles my mind.

Karrin just laughed at me as she walked over to me and gripped my arm, and then went up on her tiptoes and she gave me a kiss on my cheek. "Your legs are getting too skinny, now Methos go get dressed, remember to put on a suit. After you pick up Sanya you are going to work at the Medical Center's Free Clinic and need to look all Doctor like. Plus Methos would you just stop acting like a feral cat. I will entertain Duncan while you're getting changed, and put Amoracchius away before you cut up the furniture again."

My eyes grew very wide with displeasure but not wanting to get in to another argument with Karrin I nodded my head like a good solider. Then went into the bedroom slamming the door behind me; my legs were not too skinny! Not the morning I had planned.

"So Methos mentioned that you were married Duncan." Karrin asked trying to recoup from the fiasco a moment before.

"Yes, for six years now, my wife's name is Amy and we have homes in Seacouver, New Zealand and Paris, I have her pictures on my phone. I wanted Methos to come to the wedding so he could be best man but no one knew where he was. He sort of does this disappearing act from time to time." Then handing Karrin the phone as he continued to speak. "See this is Amy and me in front of my Barge on the Seine in the shadow of Notre Dame Cathedral."

"She's lovely, you both look very happy," Karen smiled and gave the phone back to Duncan.

"Thanks we are, so Karrin how long have you known him and the bigger question still is how long is how long have known him as Methos?" Mac asked, still shocked that Karrin knew so much about me.

"Less than a year, and I found out about him being Methos and his immortally thing pretty much on the first day we met. I knew about Dr. Stacy for several months before we shared several mutual friends, but we really didn't know each other well. Still our dating relationship is pretty new, sorry Methos can be little on the jealous side too." Karrin said pulled the oversize robe tight and showed Duncan to the kitchen.

"He's already told you his real name and that he is an immortal on the first day you met him! That is quite strange he's usually much more secretive about his life. He doesn't sound like the Methos I know at all?" Mac had a sense of disbelief in his voice.

"Well, Duncan I saw him die the first day we really got to know each other. He was tossed in to brick building by a Troll, and crushed limb like a rag doll. I was starting to get upset about him being dead but then my friend Harry Dresden gave me the cliff notes on immortals. You see Duncan here in Chicago Methos was just a new kind of weird too me, nothing really that abnormal. When we started dating Methos began filling in the cliff noted on his personal history. He may be a lot older than some of the other beings I come across, but Methos doesn't dwell on the past, he tries to live in the now." Karrin smiled getting out the cream and sugar.

"WOW Methos gave you cliff notes on himself? And is acting jealous, this is unquestionably a new kind of weird for him. Methos can be scheming, conniving, deceitful, calculating, double-dealing, devious, manipulative, and wily maybe, but I have never seen him act jealous or handing out cliff notes about his life before. Did you know he didn't tell his last wife her he was immortal until just before she died?" Mac sounded even more surprised.

"Yes, you're talking about Alexa right? Well Duncan there is a lot about Methos and his life in Chicago you might be surprised about; things are different for him here. He has found a group of loyal friends too. If you came because you were worried about him don't be. For one thing he is happy here, and he told me that he hasn't been happy for a very long time. I think that coffee is done do you want a cup? We have lot of healthy breakfast stuff too. Methos is on kind of crazy health kick lately. I guess he's just doing his Doctor thing right now; when everyone knows he can't get high blood pressure or heart problems. Well we're all trying to get him to be a little less paranoid about things but I guess it's hard to shake habits he has had for thousands of years." Karrin said.

"For Methos being paranoid is more like a lifestyle I've never seen him anything but paranoid. Karrin you mention he has a group of friends now? Methos is not someone I would call a groupie, if anything he is a loner. Is he really hanging out with a solid group of friends now, like on a daily basis?" Mac continued to question Karrin. I could hear from the bedroom and it sounded like the Spanish inquisition was starting up again. The last thing I wanted was Mac to start bothering my girlfriend.

"Well I will let Methos tell you if he wants about his new life, I really shouldn't have interfered in his business Methos hates that, but I have a feeling he considerers you a close friend and trusts you. Do you want cream and sugar with that coffee?" Karen asked.

"Now that sounds more like the paranoid Methos I know!" Mac smiled finally seeing his old friend in Karrin's words.

"Did I hear that the coffee is ready?" I said in a booming voice. "Karen go get dressed, or better yet take a shower don't you have to work at the station today? I should be entertaining Mac, not you, but thank you love." I said as I leaned down to give her a kiss right on the lips. We loved kissing; I guess it's that new part of a relationship we hadn't tired of yet. I could tell she felt funny about being intimate in front of Mac because she slipped out of my arms and off to the bedroom as fast as she could. It wasn't fair I had to witness Mac kissing so many women over the years. I just smiled and sighed waved my hands and grabbed a cup and started filling it with the dark Columbian blend.

"Well Mac, so how is the old gang doing?" I asked as I stirred cream into my coffee.

End of Chapter 1

Next chapter 2

Mac and Methos - Seven Years Between Drinks