Of Fairies and Immortals

by Dore

a dangerous Immortal from Methos's past comes back to torture him

DISCLAIMER:

The Immortals mentioned in this fan fiction do not belong to me but to the producer of Highlander: The Series. The songs mentioned do not belong to me either but to L. Cohen for Jeff Buckley's song Hallelujah; Loreena McKennitt's Bonny Portmore is a traditional song. The character Ephranos, whom I refer to in part 25 is not mine; he can be found in Broken Chains (by V. Watts) and Forgotten Memories (by Maygra de Rhema).

Feedback: dore_77@hotmail.com

WARNING: this fan fiction contains graphic violence. Do not read it if you may be offended by it. If you want to read it anyway, you may want to skip parts 13, 23, 24, 25.

I just want to thank my Beta Reader, Alexa: without her, it would have been another WIP! Merci Alex, je t'adore! Moreover, English is not my native language, so please indulge my mistakes.

Of fairies and immortals

By Dore

1.

I heard there was a secret chord

That David played and it pleased the lord

but you don't really care for music, do you

well it goes like this the fourth, the fifth

The minor fall and the major lift

The baffled king composing hallelujah

Hallelujah...

Well your faith was strong but you needed proof

You saw her bathing on the roof

Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you

She tied you to her kitchen chair

She broke your throne and she cut your hair

And from your lips she drew the hallelujah

Hallelujah...

Baby I've been here before

I've seen this room and I've walked this floor

I used to live alone before I knew you

I've seen your flag on the marble arch

But love is not a victory march

It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

Hallelujah...

Well there was a time when you let me know

What's really going on below

But now you never show that to me do you

But remember when I moved in you

And the holy dove was moving too

And every breath we drew was hallelujah

Well, maybe there's a god above

But all I've ever learned from love

Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you

It's not a cry that you hear at night

It's not somebody who's seen the light

It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

Hallelujah...

"That kid's good, Joe," Duncan said when the song stopped.

They were at Joe's, after closing time, listening to a CD the Watcher had wanted to share with them.

"And we all know what a great ear you have for music," Methos teased. "Joe, never take his advice on that subject, believe me!"

"What exactly do you mean, Old Man?" the Scot asked in mocked anger.

"You bagpipes lover."

"Kids, I wanted to share it with you, not start a fight," the mortal cut off.

Both Immortals apologized, and quickly quieted down. They had come to cheer Joe up, not make him mad.

"And concerning Jeff Buckley, you could use the past, he's dead. Definitely, I mean. Accident."

"Oh," Duncan commented with a concerned look, which made Methos roll his eyes and sprawl further in his seat, while taking a sip on his beer. *Geez, he feels sorry for a guy he didn't even know! I bet he's wondering where he was at the time the kid died and why he wasn't there to save him!* He was drawn away from his analysis of his friend's character when Joe politely but firmly asked them to leave, for he was getting tired.

2.

"It's getting worst, isn't it?" Duncan asked when they were back at the barge.

"Oh come on, Duncan, it's not that bad - well all right, it is. He's getting old, that's all. You know how it is, he's taking an assess of what he did in his life, listing what he wish he had done, that's the way it is for them."

"I wish I could help."

"You always do, don't you?"

Methos's last sentence left Duncan silent.

"Wow, no time for brooding, Highlander! Nothing you can do for Joe right now, but you can for me! I don't know, you could - "

He did not finish his sentence but caught hold of him and drew him to the bed.

3.

When Methos woke up, his hand searched for his lover, his head still buried in the pillow, but the bed was half-empty. *Why on earth does he have to get up so early? I mean, come on! He's not going to save the world at - * Still asleep, he managed to catch his watch and to open an eye. * - at 6 a.m.!* He buried his head back in his pillow. No need looking for Duncan on the barge, he did not feel his buzz. Might as well go back to sleep, right? You wish, Old Man! Just as he was welcoming Morpheus back, he felt a buzz - probably Duncan's, but he couldn't be too careful. He woke up instantly, caught his Ivanhoe and sat on the bed. *Mental note: wear underpants when sleeping, just in case.* He had not had the energy to put his pajamas on last night after the sex. Thank Innana it was only Duncan. And not a happy one.

"Brooding, aren't you?" Methos asked, still in bed. "Does it mean I should cheer you up?" he added playfully.

No answer? Uh oh, not a good sign. He quickly got dressed and left the bed - *at 6 a.m., I don't believe it! You owe me one, Duncan.* - and went by his lover's side.

"We should help Joe. I just don't know how - well I have an idea, but you're not going to like it."

Being pulled out of bed before sunrise was something Methos disliked. Hearing the Scot telling him he had an idea to help someone was something he disliked. But hearing the Scot telling him he had an idea he would dislike was something he hated.

"Go ahead," he invited, holding his breath.

"Talk to him about your past - real stories I mean."

"No way - Wait a minute, what do you mean, "real stories"? Are you implying that I usually lie? Cause let me tell you - "

"Please, Methos," Duncan cut off.

"No, N.O."

"I'll do anything you want!"

"Anything?" Methos repeated with an evil grin. "You should have read Dr Faust, child - "

"Methos, Joe's birthday is coming soon, Amy still won't talk to him - I know, I called her to beg her - and -"

"You begged her?"

"Well, not exactly. I asked very intensely. Anyway, please, Methos!"

A begging Scot? The promise to have him do anything he wanted? Wow, situation serious. How to take advantage of it? -

"Why don't we just take him on vacations, you know, to change his mind? And there you could tell him stuff. Why are you looking at me as if I had grown another head?"

"Your Fitzcairn trip really messed up your common sense, didn't it?"

Duncan was silent for a minute, then looked up at his lover with a playful twinkle in his eye. Words had not convinced Methos, but he knew how to make him change his mind. He walked slowly toward the Old Man, taking his sweatshirt off as he did so.

*Uh oh, warning!* Methos's mind flashed. *Please don't let him convince you - Oh my - I'll stand still, I have to - *

4.

"Sorry, child. Nice try, but I'm still on no. Very nice try though."

All day long. They had spent the day in bed, only leaving it to go and take some food to play with, and the answer was still the same.

"All right, Old Man, I didn't want to do this, but - I won't fuck you anymore. Sex strike."

Methos's eyes jerked open, he sat up and knocked over his beer in the process.

"I mean it, Methos," Duncan added with a grin, savoring the impression his words had made on his lover. It would be hard on him too, but the end justified the means, didn't it? It was a lesson he had learned from a certain 5,000 years old Immortal.

He saw that the Highlander was serious about it. There was no way on earth he would let him take control of their relationship! Duncan could be on top when they fucked, but he was the manipulation master - had taught Machiavelli a few lessons - and he refused to give up on that.

"Well, no fuck, no reason to stay," he answered while gathering his clothes.

He walked out of the barge, leaving a dumbfounded Duncan McLeod of the clan McLeod behind him.

5.

"Joe, I never thought he would actually leave!" Duncan whined for the hundredth time, while his mortal friend refilled his glass.

"Oh, don't worry, he'll be back. He always comes back, remember?" Joe ventured in an attempt to reassure him - unsuccessfully.

"No fuck, no reason to stay, that's what he said, Joe! What am I for him, just a sex machine?"

No need trying to have a conversation now, Joe realized. A 400 years old teenager whining about a lousy date, that's what Duncan was, but at least he kept him away from his own thoughts.

"And what kind of a friend is he? Doesn't even remember birthdays!" Duncan exclaimed.

"Yes he does," Joe cut off.

"What?"

"He gave me a present a few days ago, and told me not to open it till my birthday, therefore I did not unwrap it."

"What is it?"

"I just told you, I did not open it," Joe explained patiently.

"Could I take a peak at the present?" Duncan asked.

A 400 years old kid on Christmas day now. Joe shook his head, sighed and filled the Scot's glass again - even if in maturity he was definitely under twenty-one today, he had to, there was no age limit in France.

6.

When he came back from his morning run the following day, Duncan felt a buzz inside the barge. *Please, let it be Methos!* But when he opened the door, a blond Amanda caught him and dragged him toward the bed, just like Methos had done a couple of days before. They were having sex before he had time to complain about the persons he chose as partners.

"I missed you," Amanda said afterward. "But where is Methos? Did you have another fight?"

"Why are you here?" he asked, ignoring her question.

"Whether you like it or not, I'll find out what happened, so you might as well tell me about it," she answered.

"Why are you here, Amanda?" he repeated.

"I came to talk to Methos. I'll find him by myself," she answered before gathering her clothes and leaving. "See you later, honey."

7.

"Both of them, Joe! They both left, right after the sex! What is wrong with me?"

Like the previous day, Joe sighed and filled his friend's glass. Another day, another thing to brood over.

"Maybe you should reconsider your choice in decoration," he answered.

Duncan raised an interrogative eyebrow.

"Oh come on, it looks more and more like a monk's cell!"

"I think you spent too much time with the Old Man," Duncan replied with a sour face, "that's exactly the kind of line he would come out with."

He folded his arms on the table and put his chin on them, a deep frown on his face.

"Now, wait a minute!" he suddenly exclaimed. "What did you mean he gave you your birthday present? The bastard probably wanted to take off anyway!"

"Whisky makes you wiser, Mac," came the answer - along with a refill.

"You mean you knew!?"

"Of course I knew. Don't you know him yet? He can't stay in the same place for long. I don't know, maybe nomadic origins coming back. Now stop brooding and cheer up, it's an order."

Duncan resumed in position. At least he would brood silently, which was a good thing as far as the Watcher was concerned.

8.

"Amanda, how the hell did you find me?" a grumpy Methos asked when he opened the door. "And, more important, why did you have to arrive in the middle of the night again? I told you once: good way to get your head cut off!"

He more or less invited her in his hotel room and went straight back to bed, thinking that she would let him alone. But no, she just sat on the bed, and said:

"You know how sometimes you see something you really, really want but you can't have? Well there was this box, really nice, Methos, trust me on that one, in this museum -"

"Which museum?" he interrupted, suddenly worried of what would be asked of him - he could not wait for galactic travel to be available, just to get away from the McLeod gang and hang a Do Not Disturb sign on the door.

"Whatever. I saw it, I wanted it, I took it - you know how it works, don't you?"

He nodded in approval and invited her to go on. Instead, she jumped off the bed, rummaged through her piece of luggage and came back with a carved box.

"It is made of elder tree wood. In some legends, the elder tree is the tree of the witches, in others it protects people from the witches. I checked and the designs carved in it are those of the Midsummer Day's herb, verbena, speedwell, euphrasie, mallow, achillie, and brunelle. All seven of them are supposed to protect a person against any attack, natural or supernatural - we both lived in times when people believed in spells and witchcraft, therefore you know what I mean. Anyway, I opened it and something came out."

Methos rolled his eyes. He knew exactly what she was about to tell him. He knew what was in the wooden box, had met it before.

9.

Bronze Age, Western Europe

"Come on, Caspian, admit it: we're lost!" Methos exclaimed.

His brother did not answer but stopped his horse, and they all did likewise. Caspian had complained on how it was always Kronos or Methos who took all the decisions on the raids they should lead, and they had decided to let him do as he wished. Kronos cast a "I told you" glance at Methos, who only laughed.

"Silas, Caspian, stay here and settle the camp," Methos ordered, "while Kronos and I go get something to eat."

The problem was that every time they moved their camp they killed their slaves - could not be bothered - which was efficient but meant that they had to cook for themselves for a while. Methos had refused to leave the question of food to Caspian - his last attempt had killed the little patience Kronos still had, and if it was as disgusting as expected, the Horsemen would only be three.

"Why?" Kronos asked when they were alone.

"That way he won't complain for a while," Methos replied.

"I hate that place!"

"Still, don't kill Caspian, he's good at torture."

"Though not as imaginative as you are, brother," Kronos replied with a grin. "And at least you don't want us to eat that!"

"You're right, we should teach Caspian not to play with his food."

The purpose was more to quiet Kronos down than to hunt for food, and they went on chatting. They had spent enough time together for Methos to know when his brother's limits had been reached - and this was definitely the case today. Suddenly, a deer jumped before them and ran away. With a glance, they agreed to hunt it together and dug their heels on their horses' sides. A frantic cavalcade was just what they needed right now - the deer was only secondary. After a while, they had to admit that they were lost and that the fog prevented them from going back to their brothers.

"We might as well spend the night here," Kronos proposed while dismounting his black horse.

10.

Methos and Kronos woke up in the middle of the night, when they heard the noises of a banquet. They both got up, caught their swords and walked cautiously toward it. Whereas the place where they had chosen to camp was dark, the woods lit gradually as they moved. They were guided by fireflies, but when one of them came closer, they could see a tiny person with a pale yellow skin, yellow hair, even her two pairs of diaphanous wings were yellowish. Her clothing was made of leaves.

"Could someone pinch me, please?" Methos asked in amazement.

No sooner said than done, Kronos hit him with his sword - not hard enough to cause blood, though.

"Ouch!"

"You asked for it, brother."

They never stopped gazing at the creature. The little thing was flying before them, obviously curious. Methos and Kronos had been born in times when superstitions and supernatural were part of their everyday lives, therefore they both identified it as a fairy, but they had been around and considered themselves as too old to believe in invisible creatures. They were both walking while staring at the yellow fairy. Then they stopped and stared at the banquet before them. Fairies and elves of various sizes were having a lavish entertainment in a clearing.

"Remind me to get really mad at Caspian when we get back," Kronos whispered, "this is all his fault."

All the creatures expressed themselves with a clear hissing, which the two Horsemen had the surprise to understand, as if they were talking directly to their minds.

"Please join in, Immortals!"

The invitation came from an elf who looked like a human, and who was obviously the guest of honor of the banquet. Methos and Kronos were surprised to be called Immortals, but they sat down nevertheless and two fairies offered them various foods and drinks.

"I am Dagda," the guest of honor said, "king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, Dana's tribe. The beautiful Queen Titania was kind enough to offer this banquet to celebrate our victory over the Firbolgs during the battle of Mag Tured - we chased them out of their territory, which is now ours!"

Cheers from the elves welcomed his words.

"You are welcome to stay as long as you wish, Immortals," the woman designated as Queen Titania offered.

"Who are you?" Methos asked politely - never be mean with people who made such a good beer, not to mention such a beautiful woman.

"Enjoy the merrymaking, and your questions will be answered tomorrow," she answered quietly, then nodded at two women, who approached.

"Balbine and Urielle will be at your service. If you need anything, they will provide it for you. Be our guests, and enjoy yourselves."

And they did, but were not allowed to ask any questions. When Kronos attempted to find out more on their hosts, Urielle silenced him with a kiss, took him off toward the dancers and they joined them. It was not more difficult for Balbine to distract Methos's attention.

11.

"Methos, is it a dream, or what?" Kronos asked his brother later when they were both lying on the grass under an oak tree.

"I have no idea. I heard several stories concerning the invisible world, and I guess you heard them too," Methos answered, before adding in a lighter tone: "They said the fairies were beautiful, they were right about that, weren't they?"

Kronos grinned in approval. It was nice to be served without having enslaved the person - there had been no fear in Urielle and Balbine's eyes during the banquet. And he would not have to prevent them from escaping. He was actually glad that Methos and him had a break from Caspian and Silas, an occasion to restore their brotherhood, which had somewhat been called into question when Cassandra had managed to run away. He knew Methos had let her escape, but had not mentioned it. They were brothers, weren't they? And he would not let a mere female separate them.

"I wish they would answer our questions," Methos said. "I'm really curious to find out more about them."

"Now, don't you dare telling me you're not a scholar!" Kronos laughed. "Can't you just enjoy the moment? We have -"

He stopped suddenly and sat up. The yellow flying fairy who was so curious about them the previous day was spying on them, hiding in a nearby grove - but she lighted the leaves, therefore was easily seen. Kronos called for his brother's attention to it. When she saw she had been spotted, she came out, flew toward them and landed on a mushroom before them. The two Immortals laid down on the grass in order to be at the same level as she was.

"Are you going to stay with us?" she babbled. "What are your favorite flowers? How does it feel to be human?"

But she was interrupted when Queen Titania appeared and said:

"Clelia, be quiet now. Those Immortals are our guests, do not bother them."

She then turned toward Methos and Kronos:

"I will answer your questions."

She sat down under the oak tree, and Clelia settled by her side, listening to the conversation.

"What is this place?" Methos asked.

"My kingdom, Tir na-nog, where fairies live, and you met the ruler of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the elves."

"How come you called us Immortals?" Kronos asked. "How do you know about Immortals?"

"I created your people, that's why," she answered.

Methos and Kronos frowned and asked her to explain.

"We, fairies and elves, have some difficulties to perpetuate our races, therefore we have to abduct human newborns and raise them as our own children. They become fairies and elves - that is why Balbine and Urielle look like humans, because they were born that way, whereas Clelia was born here in Tir na-nog."

When her name was mentioned, the yellow fairy straightened up and held her head up, which made Titania smile.

"Some children," the Queen continued, "are brought back to your world, but since the time goes by differently here, they parents are usually dead. Their immortality is a remnant of their stay on this land."

The silence fell for a few minutes, before Methos asked:

"How do you decide which children stay or leave?"

"It is their faith to become an Immortal, either here or there, and we act according to it," she answered before adding: "As I said before, you are welcome to stay as much as you want. If you wish to, consider this place your home."

Kronos and Methos accepted her offer and stayed, their lives an endless line of pleasure and lust. They found out that the company of those creatures was not that nice for people they did not like, though, for a good fairy is a fairy in a good mood, while a bad fairy is one that was offended - and their revenge on the mortals who had offended them had nothing to be jealous of the methods of the Horsemen.

But after a while - they had lost track of time and did not know how long they had been there - they decided to go back to their world, where Kronos could kill people at least - it would have been terribly impolite here, not to say useless since they had everything they could desire. Titania and Dagda told them they would always be welcome in their world.

When Methos and Kronos were back to their camp, the only thing that remained of their horses were the saddles and the bridles.

12.

Brittany, nowadays…

Amanda handed him the box, saying:

"I borrowed it from a Witchcraft Museum, in Casteltown, on the Isle of Man, and it said that a fairy was locked in it. I did not believe it, of course. Not at first."

Methos sighed and opened the box, resigned. A pale yellow light was off like an arrow, flew quickly around and settled on the tall cupboard. From her hiding place she took a peak at the persons in the room and when she recognized Methos she brightened up and flew back on the bed, landing on the headboard. She flicked off the dust she had collected on the piece of furniture and sat on her perch, inviting Amanda to explain the situation to Methos.

"She said she had been trapped in the box by an Immortal named Pryderi."

When he heard that name, Methos stared at Clelia with clenched jaws. He had met him before, and it was not happy memories that came back to him.

13.

Western Europe, 10^th century

Methos eventually came back from the dead, and found out he was locked in a cage where he could neither stretch nor stand. He felt that the room where he was kept was damp: he heard water oozing on the walls, and it smelled musty. He was hungry but could not find anything to eat nearby. *When will people learn how to treat their prisoners like gentlemen? There should be a law on that,* he thought. *Whoever put me there will have to come back eventually, I'll just wait. It's not like I could go anywhere, though.*

He could feel his cloths getting mould and falling in tatters. Because of the moist, his own skin was also falling into pieces where the bars rubbed it. He had not idea how long he had been there, since daylight did not reach his prison. When he was thirsty he would try and stretch his hand toward the walls and lick whatever liquid he could collect off his fingers. He would sometimes try and catch whatever vermin happened to pass by. Actually, pass by was not the exact word for it: rats were actually attracted by this inexhaustible reserve of meat. Whenever Methos caught one, he quickly killed it and devoured it, feeling it was a small revenge on these animals who were constantly biting him off. But this food was not enough and he often died from starvation. But his martyrdom was endless for he would always revive to find the rats feeding on him.

One day, he revived and found himself lying on a bed, in a lit room - he was blinded by the light until his eyes got accustomed to it. He felt a buzz: the Immortal standing by his side was a tall, blond man - had he not been in such a position, Methos would have called him handsome.

"Good evening, Methos," the other said. "You will excuse my lack of hospitality, won't you? I think living in the wilderness rubbed my manners away. Really, I should at least have offered you a welcome banquet! I hope my four legged pets did not bother you too much, at least."

Methos felt too weak to make conversation. The Immortal had obviously bathed him, and he was wearing clothes. At least that was a start.

"Let me introduce myself: I am Pryderi. Hmmm - they said you were cute, they were right about that," Pryderi said with a tender voice.

Oh great, just the kind of situation he loved: himself too weak to defend himself and a crazy Immortal rapist who knew his name. The situation was just perfect. It was not as if he had been in that situation before, but it did not mean that he liked it. Yet, there was no way to escape.

"I can see the question in your eyes," Pryderi continued, stroking Methos's leg as he talked.

"Who told me about you? Let's just say that you helped Titania, and I want to destroy Titania. The friend of my enemy is my enemy, you know."

Queen Titania. Methos had not seen her in a while. He sometimes was allowed back to Tir na-nog, but that was all. He frowned, partly because he could not figure out how he was included in a fight against the Other World, and partly because Pryderi's hand was now up his groin. He kicked it away - he had to try, even if he knew it was hopeless. What did he expect? That the other man would get up and say "Oh, I'm sorry Methos, maybe you would rather go back to your life? Just a second, I'll give you food and shelter until you feel strong enough to take my head and go away!" Pryderi kicked hem in the jaw, tore Methos's clothes away and raped him - several times, actually. Afterward, he dug a dagger in his victim's heart - much to Methos's relieve, in fact.

When he revived, he was tied up on a table, Pryderi by his side.

"Oh hello, hello, beautiful one," he cheered. "I was taught some techniques and I would like to experience them on you. You don't mind, do you?"

Then he laughed, like a child who was about to play with a new toy. *How old was he when he died? Between fifteen and eighteen, approximately. Oh, good Methos, excellent moment to think about that.* Pryderi took a dagger, climbed on the table and sat on Methos, one leg on each side.

"How long have you been alive?" he babbled. "Do you remember your boyhood? My mother taught me not to hurt other people, but I have an inquisitive mind. Could I draw on you? Do you think that if I cut you deep enough I could scar you forever? So many questions, so little time!"

He leaned forward, kissed Methos fully on his mouth and whispered to his ear:

"Thank you for helping me find the answers."

Then he began to carve different motives on Methos's bare torso, commenting them, explaining to his support what they meant. When there was too much blood for him to see what he was doing, Pryderi would lean forward and lick the red liquid away from his lover's body. He actually considered Methos as his lover, not as his victim, for the latter would have made a monster of him, and after all, Methos had not attempted anything to escape so far, therefore he must be willing - the reason why he kicked his hand away previously was only part of the preliminaries as far as Pryderi was concerned. He was nibbling Methos's left nipple when he straightened up and asked, tapping the pointed end of the dagger on his bottom lip in a thoughtful gesture:

"If I cut off one of your nipples, do you think it would come back?"

No sooner said than done.

"Yes! It works! At least you won't be scarred forever."

When he got tired of his game, he climbed off and disappeared for a while. He came back with plenty of food and explained:

"You will excuse me if I don't offer you anything to eat, but as long as you remain weak I can keep you here without you escaping."

He kissed Methos quickly and enjoyed his meal, which smelled delicious, reminding Methos that he had not had any decent food since - well, a very long time. Once he had finished his meal, Pryderi untied Methos, rolled him over, tied him again and raped him. The he got up and walked around the table, brushing his lover's body with one hand, the other one playing with the dagger in the air. He shook his head in disapproval when he noticed that the table was full of blood and semen, but he wanted to play, not to clean up. He stopped, one hand on Methos's shoulder blade, the other one holding the dagger. Then he lightly climbed on the table and sat astride Methos, asking:

"Have you ever skinned an animal, Methos?"

He ran the dagger along Methos's spine - not deep enough to touch a nerve and kill him, though - and attempted to peel the skin off. When the dagger pierced it where it was not supposed to, Pryderi frowned, mumbled that it was not the appropriate tool for that kind of work, and stretched to catch a semi-circled scraper.

"This ought to be much more efficient, you'll see!"

Methos could acknowledge that it was. He knew that this would not kill him, he had been on the other side of the pointed object often enough to know the place of the vital organs – even if he had never raped a male victim. Pryderi mastered the art of torture enough not to touch anything that might kill him - only made him suffer.

When the skin hung on each side of Methos's mutilated body, Pryderi raped him, tearing the skin off as he moved in him, coming when it was completely removed. He laid on his lover's flesh, resting, and whispered in his ear:

"I'll take pity on you. Sweet dreams, my love."

Methos welcomed the dagger that killed him - a temporary rest only, for the next days were spent likewise, an endless line of rape and torture.

14.

Methos's martyrdom came to an end, though. One day he revived in the forest, lying on a pile of velvet cushions. A white dressed woman kneeled by his side, cupped his head with her left hand and lifted a wooden cup to his lips. Then, she put the cup on the floor, took his head on his lap and offered him some food - grapes -, which she gave him one piece at a time.

"Even Immortal bodies have limits," she explained with a soft hiss, which Methos recognized as belonging to an inhabitant Tir na-nog, "and you have reached yours."

He attempted to speak but she stroke his forehead gently and told him not to speak. He felt so well at this particular moment that he wished it would last forever. It was even softer by contrast with his stay with Pryderi.

"My name is Clarissa," she hissed, "Titania sent me to get you as soon as she learned what was going on with Pryderi. Clelia helped me release you. You remember Clelia, don't you?"

Because of the food, the cushions and the caresses - not necessarily in that order - Methos was slowly falling asleep. The last thing he heard was the fairy telling him to rest in peace, that she would be there when he wakes up. How sweet slumber felt!

He woke up later to find Clarissa stroking his hair. His head was still resting on her lap. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Clelia was there too, flying back and forth, waiting for him to wake up. He sat up and picked the food Clarissa offered him.

"Pryderi kept you there for a long time," Clarissa said, anticipating his question. "You probably also wonder why you got caught in the first place."

"He said he was an enemy of Titania," he answered between two mouthfuls. "How come?"

"His parents were Pwyll, prince of Dyfed, and Rhiannon. When he was taken away by fairies, his mother was accused of his murder. Her punishment was to seat by the castle's entrance and tell the passers-by that she was a child-murderer and carry them on her back wherever they wanted. But Pryderi's fate was to become an Immortal, not a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and he was returned to his parents - I do not know why he was returned to his real parents, another mystery on how the time goes back differently in our worlds, I suppose. Rhiannon's sentence was lifted. Pryderi grew up with the idea that the Other World was responsible for his mother's temporary disgrace, and, encouraged by his Immortal master, he decided that he had been chosen to destroy it."

"Who was his master?" Methos asked.

"I don't know," Clarissa answered, shaking her head slowly.

"Probably someone who knew me," he ventured, lying on his back, arms crossed behind his head, "otherwise, how would he know my name?"

"You have made many enemies over the years, haven't you?" Clelia stated while flying over his face.

He only grinned slightly. *If only you knew. But you know, don't you?*

"How were you caught?" the yellow fairy asked.

Methos frowned and collected his memories before answering:

"I was home, with my wife, Beatrix, and her daughter, Alva, when an old woman knocked on the door and asked for our hospitality for the night. We invited her in. We all ate and went to bed. Next thing I remember, I was locked in a cage, with rats as cell-mates."

"I came looking for you," Clelia said quickly, "to warn you against the bad fairies and elves who were after you, but I was too late: when I arrived to your home, you had already been taken away."

She added in a whisper, her eyes filled with tears:

"Your family had been killed. I am sorry, Methos. Please forgive me."

Moved by his fairy friend, he told Clelia he did not blame it on her, then they fell silent. Lost in his thoughts and memories - how he had met Beatrix, her joy when he had adopted Alva as his own child, how he had taught her how to climb trees, how they welcomed him when he came back home, Alva jumping in his arms, putting a chain of flowers around his neck, "for good luck" she said - Methos fell asleep. When he woke up, he was alone in the forest, with a horse, food supplies and anything he might need during his journey.

15.

Brittany, nowadays…

"I came back looking for you," Clelia said, sitting on the headboard on the bed of the hotel room, "because Pryderi is back and will want to kill you, or anyone who would help Titania or Dagda."

"I don't understand: how could he destroy the Other World?" Amanda asked.

"You mean you didn't ask her before?" Methos asked, surprised at the lack of inquiry of Amanda.

"I did ask her, but she refused to answer. Only kept repeating I had to lead her to Methos. You were lucky I was the one who found her!"

"Yeah, yeah, you deserve a medal," he answered, rolling his eyes.

"Our world is getting weaker and weaker everyday," Clelia explained. "People no longer believe in us, they no longer respect our territories. Methos, you remember how the Tuatha Dé Danann were forced to hide underground after the Gaels chased them out of their territories, the humans? They had to hide to survive - The links between the two worlds are getting weaker, until one day they will disappear - until we disappear."

The yellow fairy stopped for a moment before adding:

"The gnomes, the sylphs, the naiads and the salamanders are trying to call for the humans' attention, but they just won't listen."

Amanda cast a questioning glance at Methos, who explained:

"The ancients civilizations thought that the gnomes controlled the earth, the sylphs the air, the naiads the water and the salamanders the fire. When they did not respect Mother Nature, whether they called it Titania, Gaïa or whatever, they would go angry and produce what we now call "natural disasters.""

"Just an older version of the "acts of God" in fact," Amanda observed. "Funny how the same things are found in all religions."

"Methos, help us get rid of Pryderi," Clelia asked. "Help us stay alive."

Methos rolled his eyes. Oh great. Why? Why had he met this stupid, stubborn Boy Scout? He had said it before, but he had spent years losing his conscious, only for him to find it again. He was Death, not a knight in a shiny armor ready to help any damsel in distress. There was no freaking way he would get himself mixed up in this nasty bit of business. What did he care if some winged creatures disappeared? He had seen numerous civilizations rise and fall, that was the way it worked. Pryderi was dangerous, and he had learned from experience that when something damages your health, you should avoid it, right? They would not ask a diabetic person to eat sugar, therefore they should not ask him to run into Pryderi on purpose. He had to be firm and save his reputation of "selfish, manipulative son-of-a-bitch," to quote Joe, otherwise he would turn into a boy-scout too - the world surely could not endure a Duncan McLeod ersatz, one was already too much. Plus, Kronos would probably laugh at him - wherever he was. He had betrayed his brother once when he was alive, he would not do the same when he was dead. Call it a tribute to his memory. He refused to help anyone.

16.

"Oh, come on Methos," Amanda said, "it's not that bad."

They were now in his car, on their way back to Paris to ask Joe where they could find Pryderi since Clelia was unable to locate him - the powers of the fairies were weaker now that fewer people believed in them. *How did I get caught into this?* he wondered. The answer was easy: too much time spent with a certain Scot - it seemed that Duncan had left more than semen in him, after all. Cure: avoid him for a couple of centuries. But Clelia and her people had helped him before, he felt indebted to them. *Death on a horse feeling indebted to fairies. You spend years building a reputation and you lose is because of bad frequentations, that's the way it is. Laugh all your heart, brother, wherever you are.* Plus, he knew that the Scot would get mingled into this - he would be curious on the reason why his two unruly lovers were back in Paris so soon and at the same moment.

"You're thinking of McLeod, aren't you?" Amanda asked.

For safety reason, Clelia was back in the box, therefore they could talk freely - he did not want to shock her. Which was ridiculous because she had been alive at least as long as he had, and had therefore already seen and heard many things. But still, he felt he had to watch his words in her presence.

"What happened, Methos?"

"I needed room, therefore I left, that's all."

"And I guess you left after a tiny fight, if I know you well."

"I just love to torture him," he answered with a satisfied smile on his face.

"And he's soooo easy!" Amanda exclaimed.

"Tell me about it! He wanted me to tell Joe the truth about my past, you know, let him read my journals. I said no, he tried to convince me and when it did not work he threatened me with a sex strike. I left."

Amanda was laughing, imagining how Duncan must have looked like when this happened. Then she told him how she had left too, right after the sex.

"I bet Joe had to reassure him for a while!" she exclaimed.

"I swear, Mac should pay him for his psychological help," Methos said.

"And with both of us as lovers, I guess he needs plenty of it."

The rest of the journey was spent talking about Duncan McLeod of the clan McLeod – his faults, his sexual habits, everything.

17.

Duncan was meditating in his barge, all candles lit, brooding over Methos and Amanda when he felt a buzz. *Oh great, who is it this time?* He opened the door to find Cassandra. It was the first time he was actually glad Methos had dumped him. He invited her in.

"Duncan, I need your help," she said.

*How surprising,* he thought.

"It has nothing to do with the Horsemen, don't worry, I'm not here for Methos. I made a mistake a long time ago, and I want to fix it. But first, there's somebody I'd like you to meet."

She took out a box from her bag, and a violet fairy came out. Duncan's mouth hanged open when he saw her, flying around until she settled on the bar.

"Her name is Aleyde," Cassandra explained. "She is a fairy, as you can see. Her world has many names: Tir na-nog, Tir N-aill, or Avalon, it depends on the culture."

"What does she have to do with - " Duncan asked.

"I took a student in the fifth century, Pryderi, who wanted to destroy the Other World. He had a gift; he was a warlock, therefore I taught him some witchcraft too. But he ran out of control and is about to succeed in destroying them - they have grown weak since people no longer believe in them."

"And you need my help to - " he prompted.

"Actually, I need Joe's help to locate Pryderi."

"Cassandra, the last time I helped you - "

"Pryderi is a danger nowadays," she interrupted. "I know, I was his teacher."

A teacher taking a student's head - this was a little too familiar for Duncan. First Warren Cochrane had taken Andrew Donelli's head, then Duncan had taken Richie's, and now Cassandra was after Pryderi's. But what could he do? With or without his help, she would find Pryderi and kill him - or be killed by him. He might as well go with her, just to make sure he was really evil.

18.

When Methos and Amanda arrived in Paris, they went straight to Le Blues Bar, where they felt a buzz. Expecting to meet Duncan, they entered. He was there alright, and so was Joe. Unfortunately, another Immortal was there too. Cassandra. She and Methos froze, and to say that the atmosphere was tense would be a terrible understatement. Amanda stepped between them and said quickly:

"We just came to ask for Joe's help, not to fight."

"So did we," Duncan said in a muffled voice.

*Poor Mac,* Joe thought. *Three lovers at the same time, two of them willing and able to kill each other. Wonder what the sleeping arrangements will be.* Then he said:

"No fight in my bar, okay? Why don't all of you explain to me what you want? Duncan, Cassandra, you came here first, go ahead."

But they refused to speak. Not in front of them. Joe turned toward Methos and Amanda, who also refused to speak. The situation was about to explode - Cassandra was already in the starting box to kill Methos - when Clelia came out of her box, while at the same time a violet light flew out of Cassandra's coat. Hopefully it was late and the iron curtains were drawn, therefore no unexpected guest would show up. The four Immortals looked at each other, while Joe could not keep his eyes off the violet and yellow ballet taking place before him. When the fairies stopped and settled on a table, they all took a seat around it and waited for an explanation. Duncan and Amanda provided it, since Cassandra and Methos kept casting each other cold glances.

"Cassandra arrived at the barge today and asked me to help her save Aleyde's world."

"Clelia asked us the same thing."

Joe raised his hands and exclaimed:

"Wow, hold on. What are these things and what are you talking about? And how do I fit in this?"

Amanda and Duncan quickly explained what they knew about it, while Methos get up and served all of them something to drink. Cassandra gave an ironic snort when he gave her what she had ordered, and Joe caught Methos's wrist just in time to prevent him from throwing the glass at her face, which would have been considered as a declaration of war by both parties and would have ended in the death of one of them. But thanks to Joe's intervention, Methos sat back in silence, sipping on his beer.

"We should all work together on that," Duncan proposed, avoiding the angry looks of the two antagonists.

A cold silence welcomed his proposition. Duncan and Amanda had mentioned that Pryderi was the one they had to get rid of, but none of them had revealed anything on the two old Immortals' relation with him.

"How do you know Pryderi?" Joe finally asked Cassandra.

"I was his master. I was the one who taught him magic - he had memories of his stay among the Tuatha Dé Danann."

Methos's fingers were holding his beer bottle so tight they turned white, until the bottle eventually exploded under the pressure, slashing the flesh deeply. Clelia immediately flew toward the wound and removed all the fragments lodged in it, in order for Methos to heal more quickly. Her small hands managed to get every piece of it - which must have been terrible painful, Joe realized, but Methos did not flinch. He just kept staring at Cassandra in pure hatred, until he finally stated with a cold and deep voice which Amanda had never heard him use:

"And you turned him into a killing machine. you used his trauma for your personal needs - revenge on me, for example."

Cassandra cast a surprised look at him. How did he know she had mentioned him to Pryderi? But Methos turned to Joe before she could ask him.

"Joe, could you help us find Pryderi? I promised Clelia I would help her, and I will. Let's get this over with as soon as possible. You won't object to that, will you, Cassandra?"

They all knew that the only thing that prevented him from beheading the witch was Duncan - he did not want him to get caught in the middle of it. It had been hard enough last time.

"Why don't you use the Watchers' database, Methos?" Joe offered.

Methos nodded and went in the back room where the computer was, followed by Clelia.

"Why don't you kill her, if you want to?" the yellow fairy hissed while he turned the computer on.

He smiled. Life would be so simple if he could only act as he wished and not care for the consequences - like the fairies and the elves did.

"Because if I kill her, Duncan will be sad and I don't want that."

"Why would he be sad? She is mean."

"He doesn't see it that way, I guess."

Clelia shook her head in disbelief.

19.

They were both here, in Paris, near him. Pryderi could feel their auras. He had had so much fun with them - For centuries he had worked on the eradication of the Other World. The Christian Church had been a blessing, he admitted that - he still considered the Inquisition as the best time he ever had. Lying on his bed, he recalled the joy he had felt when he had caught this fairy - Balbine her name was - and he had tortured her before the eyes of the crowd. He had first strangled her, watching her tongue coming out, trying to grasp any breath she could, and then her face had turned blue and she had suffocated. The crowd - he could always count on those mortals to provide an understanding audience. Then she had revived, surrounded by a pale blue light, and the crowd had asked for more. Poor Balbine - she could not even escape - he had established a barrier around the city to prevent her from using her powers and disappearing, which would have spoiled the fun. She had revived and he had tied her on the wheel - oh the sweet sound of her bones being smashed into pieces - He recalled every single thing he had done to her. She had died several times before the crowd, and several more times in the privacy of the torture chamber – by the end of it her body could not even heal properly anymore, since her magical powers were diminishing, and one of her eyes, which had been taken out of its socket by a blow, hung on her cheek.

Pryderi rolled on the bed and took a fetal position. That bitch had deserved what he had done to her. She had been with Methos, hadn't she? Of course she had, he had read it in her mind. No competition with other Immortals for Methos. He did not care much that Methos sometimes transferred his affection to mortals, because in the end he, Pryderi, would get him back. He had lost patience with the last one, though. But she was dying, wasn't she? He had only encouraged Alexa's death, that was all. Methos and Alexa could still have had a few months together, but Pryderi was losing patience - he wanted Methos now. Methos had had Cassandra, Pryderi had tortured Cassandra - he could not decently kill her, she was his master after all. Methos had had Duncan McLeod, Pryderi would have Duncan McLeod. And they were all in the same place now. Oh it would be so much fun! Maybe Methos would like to watch his former slave and his lover die -

20.

As soon as Methos left the room, Joe had thought that the atmosphere would be easier to stand. He was proved wrong when Amanda, her jaws clenched, asked Cassandra in a cold voice:

"Why did you send Pryderi on Methos?"

"I mentioned the Horsemen to Pryderi, I never asked him to kill them!"

Amanda could not stand the woman, that was obvious. Sharing Duncan with Methos was one thing, and since she liked the old man's company, she did not mind. But what had Duncan seen in that witch?

"Pryderi was my student, but he has stopped listening to me a while ago. I was even surprised that Methos had met him."

"Amanda," Duncan interrupted, "we should help Cassandra. Methos is right, let's get this over with as quickly as possible."

"Which side are you on, Duncan!?" Amanda exclaimed. "She's been willing to take her revenge on Methos forever and you think she's going to give up just because you ask her to? I know you can be really convincing sometimes, but not with her, not this time."

Joe kept staring at Duncan in silence. The Scot was obviously having a hard time. He had met Cassandra when he was a child, his feelings toward her were obviously influenced by that. But he was in love with Amanda, and he did not want to lose her. As for Methos - well it was more complicated but he did not want to lose him either.

The Watcher reported his attention on Cassandra. She was a beautiful woman, he agreed on that. But she was Methos's enemy, and therefore he could decently not trust her totally. This was why he had offered Methos to check the Chronicles first. Joe knew he should not interfere, but even if the old man was sometimes irritating - and God knows he was - he was his friend, a friend who had saved Amy's life. Joe understood the dilemma Duncan was facing, he had been in the same position before - when the man who had saved his life during the Vietnam war had turned out to be a murderer. How could he help Duncan realize that he had to double check everything Cassandra told him? She could manipulate him so easily, especially by using the Voice.

Joe finally starred at Amanda, and smiled. She could be spoiled, selfish, everything, but touch a person she loved and prepare to meet her fury. He had never seen her this mad before, she usually acted in a cool, detached way. She had been in a similar situation before too: her Immortal "son," Kenny, was a murderer, and had tried to kill Duncan and Anne Lindsay. Amanda had had some difficulties accepting it - who wouldn't?

Friendship could be a bitch. Because of his friendship with James Horton, he had failed to see the menace he represented, both to the Watchers and to the Immortals. Joe decided he would not let Duncan's feelings for Cassandra be a menace for Methos, no matter what happened.

Duncan stood up and walked toward the back room. He felt he could not avoid Methos any longer - they had to talk about the current situation. He would not let Cassandra come between them again. His lover was working on Joe's computer, and he barely glanced at Duncan as he walked in.

"Methos, I - " Duncan started.

"Not now, McLeod, I'm busy. I'll talk to you later."

His voice, cold and hard, hurt Duncan more than a thousand knifes. He was already losing him.

"She came, asking for my help. What was I suppose to do?"

Methos refused to answer, focusing his attention on the screen.

"You can't blame her for being mad at you, not after what you did to her!"

Duncan was trying to catch his glance, but the hazel eyes would not leave the computer.

"I believe her, I trust her, as much as I trust you, Joe or Amanda. She won't go for your head. We find Pryderi, we kill him, and she leaves. As simple as that."

Methos still would not answer. He had thought Cassandra was part of his past, now, that they would decently avoid each other's path, and that all would be good in the best of worlds. He did not blame her for her feelings toward him - how could he? But he blamed her for coming back, looking for troubles. Why had she asked for Duncan's help, of all people? She knew Methos would be around.

Amanda came in, interrupting Methos's thoughts and Duncan's monologue.

"Duncan, Cassandra is waiting for you," she said in a cold voice. "I think you should leave."

"No I won't! Not with both of you mad at me."

"McLeod, listen to your elders. I think you should leave," Methos said, casting a cold glance at him.

His heart broken by his two favorite lovers, the Highlander left Le Blues Bar with Cassandra and Aleyde, and the three of them went back to the barge.

"Did you find anything so far?" Amanda asked Methos.

"I think so. Clelia, look at the picture, doesn't that guy look like Pryderi?"

The fairy nodded vigorously, and Amanda read:

"Norman Bates. That guy has a great sense of humor."

Methos smiled slightly. *At least that's a start,* Amanda thought.

"He lives in Brittany, near the place where you found me," Methos said.

"Shall we go now, or wait for Duncan and Cassandra?" Amanda asked.

"I think the two of you should go ahead," Joe intervened. "Or better yet, get some sleep and go after that."

The two Immortals turned around and gazed at him.

"You can stay at my place if you want," Joe offered, "and then you can leave in the morning. Duncan and Cassandra don't need to know you found him so soon, do they?"

"Joe, are you taking side?" Methos asked. "Doesn't it sound like interference? And what will Duncan think?"

Joe smiled. He knew Methos was only asking him those questions because he did not want his Watcher friend to get caught in the middle of a fight with Cassandra.

"Don't worry, Methos, I made up my mind."

21.

The following day, Methos and Amanda were on their way back to Brittany. Along with Joe, they had decided not to tell about Pryderi's home. They knew they would be more efficient if they all worked together, but the three of them just could not trust Cassandra - Amanda because of physical hatred, Methos because she wanted to kill him, and Joe because of his loyalty toward Methos. The mortal had promised them he would held them back as long as possible – he wanted Methos and Amanda to clean the place before their arrival.

Methos had been touched by his Watcher friend's loyalty. It felt good to have someone to count on. He had not told him about his "stay" with Pryderi though - he had only mentioned that he had met him and that he was willing to kill him if it helped. Joe had not asked for more explanations. Amy's rescue from Morgan Walker had really created a bond between them – a bond that would resist anything, even Cassandra. Now that he thought about it, Joe had never blamed anything on him concerning the Horsemen. He had just accepted it as a part of Methos's past.

"Do you think Cassandra has something to so with Pryderi's obsession with you?" Amanda asked.

"He knew me. I know I have made many enemies over the years - especially among bartenders, I must admit it - but she was his master, therefore she was likely to tell him a lot on my account - my real name and how to find me for a start."

"What does Clelia have to do in all that?"

"There are two separate problems: Cassandra's hatred toward me and Pryderi's hatred toward the Other World. If we could solve both of them with one stone, I would really appreciate that - I could go back to my good old beer and sex life."

"Do you think Duncan is going to realize he's being manipulated by that witch?"

"Amanda, my dear, we both know he loves being manipulated - especially by the two of us - and that he cannot resist someone he's sleeping with - or slept with, whatever. Remember Christine? She tried to kill him and he still couldn't kill her. I just hope Cassandra has nothing to do with Pryderi, otherwise it is going to be difficult for Duncan."

"I just hope she's not going to ruin him, though," Amanda said in a thoughtful voice.

Methos cast her a questioning glance.

"I don't mind sharing him with you, but I - I just can't stand her! She could convince him he should meditate some more, or that he should get rid of more furniture! I wish he would get over his zen/brooding phase."

"Oh I've been working on it. But this is a very slow process, takes a lot of efforts and patience, and - O Inanna! you're right, she could ruin him."

"Let's kill Pryderi and send the witch away! I wish I could sing Ding Dong the witch is dead, which old witch, the wicked witch!"

"Me too, Amanda, me too - "

Amanda was surprised by his answer but said nothing. Cassandra had tried to kill him, after all, and she had used Duncan against him, and she had been Pryderi's master. That was a lot. Silence fell. Methos turned the radio on, and Loreena McKennitt sang:

O Bonny Portmore you shine where you stand

And the more I think on you the more I think long

If I had you now as I had once before

All the Lords in Old England would not purchase Portmore.

O Bonny Portmore I am sorry to see

Such a woeful destruction of your ornament tree

For it stood on your shore for many's the long day

Till the long boats from Antrim came to float it away.

O Bonny Portmore you shine where you stand

And the more I think on you the more I think long

If I had you now as I had once before

All the Lords in Old England would not purchase Portmore.

All the Birds in the forest they bitterly weep

Saying "where will we shelter or where will we sleep?"

For the Oak and the Ash they are all cutten down

And the walls of Bonny Portmore are all down to the ground.

O Bonny Portmore you shine where you stand

And the more I think on you the more I think long

If I had you now as I had once before

All the Lords in Old England would not purchase Portmore.

Though no song reminded them more of their lover, neither Methos nor Amanda turned the radio off until the song was over. Then, they remained silenced until Clelia knocked from her box, asking Amanda to let her out. The yellow fairy sat on her wooden prison, which stood on Amanda's lap, and hissed:

"Methos, you should go straight to Pryderi and fight him. If you take too long, he might go after Duncan. Pryderi is obsessed with you, Methos. He tortured Balbine only because she had been your lover."

"Don't worry, that's what we had planned," Methos said. "Although I had not thought of protecting Duncan. Why didn't you say anything before?"

"What for? I do not know Duncan very well, but would he have accepted to be protected?"

Methos and Amanda both laughed. Good point. They began to find the situation rather amusing, after all: Duncan McLeod of the clan McLeod, protected by his two lovers without knowing it. He would be so mad when he finds out - and he would hear about it for a long, long time. Lots of rounds of fight and fuck in prospect.

22.

They finally arrived at Pryderi's home. Methos parked the car and the three of them went toward the front door, which opened, and then slammed behind them. They felt an Immortal's buzz. Pryderi was standing by the fire place, playing with the logs. He did not turn when they entered, only said:

"Welcome home, Methos. Oh, and may I remind you this is Holy Ground? If you wish to fight me, you will first have to drag me away from Brocéliande. Not likely, is it?"

Methos slowly walked toward him, but was stopped by an invisible wall. When they saw that, Amanda and Clelia tried to leave, but the three of them were trapped. Pryderi finally turned to face them.

"I should have expected more from you, Methos. Falling in such an easy trap, really! What would the victims of the Horsemen think? What would Kronos think?"

He paused and added:

"Oh my, aren't you gorgeous?"

Pryderi walked around the invisible wall and stopped before Clelia:

"You took him from me once. Don't expect that to happen again. I've been learning a lot since the last time. And don't even think of using your powers here, you can't."

He moved again and told Amanda:

"I've never met you, but I am delighted to have you here, I really am! I love new toys! But the three of you must be terribly tired after such a long drive. I think you should rest - "

As he said so, a white smoke entered their jail and the three of them died more or less instantly - though they had time enough to feel their lung simultaneously burn and being torn apart.

23.

*I don't believe how easy it was,* Pryderi thought. *He wanted me to catch him, in order to save that Duncan McLeod from me.*

Sitting on a wooden chair, Pryderi was watching Methos. He wanted to be there when he woke up - wanted him to know that he was still loved. Pryderi did not understand why he had dragged Amanda and Clelia along, though. His love for the Highlander made him act in a weird way. He would make Methos forget about the Scot.

Pryderi stood up and walked around the table where Methos was tied up, brushing his fingers on the cold - and very naked - skin. As soft as it used to be. He bent and kissing him on the mouth, taking his time, savoring his long lost lover. He then gave him a caressing look and moved toward the pit where he kept Amanda. He did not care much for her - but she would provide a good audience to his artful work. As for Clelia, she would do no harm, locked in her box - a box he had designed himself and that could keep any inhabitant of the Other World. He had trapped her in it before, preventing her to call for Methos's help – Pryderi had not been ready at the time. He was now.

He walked back toward the wooden table. Methos was reviving.

"Hello, hello, sweetheart, my love," Pryderi said, brushing his lips on Methos's. "I know what you're thinking. That as long as I am busy with you I won't go after Duncan. You made a choice, I will respect it."

Pryderi smiled broadly, tilted his head on the side and added:

"Are you ready?"

Then his face lit and his hands began to move as he talked feverishly, preparing his toys.

"You know, so many things have been created since the last time we made love. Electricity. This is cool."

Methos could not see what Pryderi was doing, but he had a really good idea of it. Well, maybe not a really good idea, but he knew he could expect to be hurt. He was sorry he had dragged Amanda along, but if he knew Pryderi, he would be so busy playing with his long lost toy that she would be alright - after all, they had never slept together, had they? *Inanna, please, tell me I made the right decision. Oh, and make sure Duncan is alright. And while you're at it, make sure that Amy calls Joe. Great, Methos. That's the thing to focus on, you moron.*

"Don't worry, I won't touch her," Pryderi said. "Shall we get started? Good. I thought that first, as a reminder of our first date, I should start with him."

He pointed at a nearby table, where a rat in a cage stood. Methos could see it very well from where he laid.

"And you do remember that, don't you?"

He took off a dagger, the same he had used the last time. Still smiling, Pryderi took his time, and slowly made a small incision above Methos's navel. His tongue came slightly out of his mouth, acknowledging his concentration - an apt pupil doing his homework. Then he quickly buried a piece of cheese in the flesh, and repeated the process several times, drawing sun rays on his lover. Because of the cheese, the wound could not heal. Once he considered his masterpiece finished, Pryderi took the rat out of its cage and settled it on the table. The starving animal immediately went for the cheese, biting pieces of Methos off in the process.

Pryderi had been careful and had buried the food deep enough for the rat to hurt Methos. It was a success. The rat had tasted blood and wanted more. It dug more deeply in Methos's stomach. Half of its body was already inside him, biting his insides off with razor-like teeth. Methos could feel it moving in him, his claws and teeth tearing his organs into pieces as it worked its way deeper inside him. He had promised himself he would not show Pryderi his pain. Methos heard a long yell and was surprised when he realized he was the one yelling as the rat finally managed to squeeze into him totally. He had difficulties breathing - it must have torn a lung apart. Methos felt it working its way up in his chest. Suddenly, the yelling stopped, much to Methos's relieve, and he died as the rat's head entered his heart.

Pryderi stood by Methos's side all this time, delighted by how much pain such a small animal was able to create - provided you know how to use it of course. As soon as Methos died Pryderi dug in dagger into the dead body and killed the rat too. He could not take the chance that it would come out by Methos's neck, it might kill him for good, and Pryderi had been in love with Methos for too long to fall in love with someone else.

Did it really have to take him so long to revive? He wanted to take the rat out, but he could not decently do it when it did not cause any pain, could he?

24.

When Amanda revived, it took her a few minutes to get her eyes used to the darkness of the cell. She could see light above, and she quickly guessed she was in a pit. She could hear Pryderi walking around, mumbling. Probably to Methos. Then she heard a yell. Methos had told her that Pryderi had been good at torture, and according to the sounds she was hearing, he still was. There was nothing she could do from the pit. She had to get out, and since the only way was up there, she would have to climb. It was too large for her to use her back and her legs to climb, therefore she grabbed a stone and attempted to make her way up. She cursed under her breath when she fell down. She was almost grateful that Methos's yells covered the noise of the rocks falling on her. She tried again, and managed to climb. She started to slip, tried to catch a grip, but only managed to tear her nails out of her fingers. She almost fainted from the pain. Lying on her back, she could see her three fingernails, stuck in the wall. Above her, the yell stopped suddenly, and she heard Pryderi laughing. She could feel her bleeding fingers healing, and prayed for Methos's to be alright.

25.

Pryderi was walking back and forth, waiting for Methos to revive. It did not take that long, but he was of an impatient nature. When he finally felt the buzz, he smiled broadly and immediately jumped on the table and sat astride Methos's chest.

"Oh great, you're back! I was wondering: have you ever peeled a fruit? Of course you have. How about a person?"

He stopped, frowned and added"

"I am starving. Aren't you? Well, anyway, let's get started!"

Pryderi took a potato peeler from his back pocket, and moved it near Methos's face. He suddenly stopped.

"What was I thinking? I forgot to take the rat out!"

He considered removing it right away, but shook his head in denial – an inspired artist should not stop what he was doing, even for something funny. He would save it for later. He put the peeler on Methos's cheekbone, gashed the skin and slowly moved down toward the chin, then took the tool in his other hand and went up to the other cheekbone. Pryderi delicately removed the strip of skin away from Methos's face. They were right to say that a wound on the face caused a lot of blood. Pryderi tilted his head, considering his work. Then he leaned to catch a wooden bowl, took something from it and put it on the flesh. The salt made Methos yell out. Satisfied, Pryderi repeated the operation until his lover's face was but flesh and salt. He could trust Methos not to die to easily – his stay with Ephranos had toughened him.

Pryderi got down, savoring his lover's pain. He took a piece of wood, settled it on Methos's chest, and with a sledgehammer attempted to open his ribcage, which he found surprisingly easy to do thanks to the retractor he had bought recently – trust medical doctors to have the best toys. Methos was in pain, his body hurt so much he could not even scream. The salt slowed the healing down, but it did not prevent it. He was in such a pain that he did not even hear Pryderi's words.

"Hey look at that! You're body's healing process made the rat disappear! Talk about recycling! Oh I'm so sorry: I could have spared you the pain of it. Oh well, what is done is done. Let's find something else to do!"

26.

At Le Blues Bar, Joe was playing on his guitar when Duncan came back, followed by Cassandra – since he could not see Aleyde with them, he assumed that the fairy went back to her kingdom. Before the Watcher could say anything, Duncan raised his hand, requiring silence with this gesture.

"Joseph, Cassandra and I talked. Do not worry, she will not harm Methos, but according to what she said, Pryderi will. You must tell us where to find him, otherwise Methos will die!"

He had promised himself he would not lose his temper, but he almost yelled the last three words. Methos will die. He was convinced deep down inside of him that Pryderi would kill Methos. Maybe not physically, but mentally. And he knew that he could not stand his life without Methos.

Joe saw the grief in his friend's behavior and felt sorry for him. Then he cast a glance at Cassandra. She actually seemed worry too. Could it be possible that she had finally put the past away? As if she had heard his thoughts, she nodded and smiled at this exact moment. Joe got up and went to look for Pryderi's address. When he handed it to Duncan, he said:

"Methos asked me to do it, Duncan."

"Do not worry, Joe, I do not blame it on you," Duncan answered before heading toward the door. He turned to Cassandra, who told him she would follow him in a minute. Then she turned to Joe.

"I realized that I was wrong. Thanks for keeping your word toward Methos. And he did save my life. Twice. Some say that you can judge a man on his friends. From what I witness here, he really has changed."

"I am glad you finally realized it," Joe said with a smile.

She left the bar. Picking up his guitar again, Joe thought: *Methos, I hope you will live long enough to hear that.*

In the car, Duncan and Cassandra were silent. After last night, what was there to say? Cassandra was sorry she had been so full of hate for so long. Duncan had realized that Methos had run to Pryderi to protect him – which was a really dumb thing to do, but he had to admit that he would have done the same. He was blaming himself for what was happening. Why did he have to take Cassandra's side again? Why had he not told Methos he loved him while he could, instead of fighting all the time? Duncan knew he would never forgive himself of anything happened to Methos. He was more than willing to find the old man sipping a beer at Pryderi's place, Pryderi properly beheaded, and Amanda and Methos would make fun of him for worrying so much. Yes, he would give anything to have them both laughing at him…

27.

Pryderi felt them as they got closer.

"Uh oh… I have the feeling your lover and your slave are about to arrive… I guess I'll just have to leave you here… I hope you understand why we must be separated again… and I hope you will be able to cope with the separation… again… see you next time…" Pryderi said in a good humored voice, "If you don't mind I will just take our fairy friend with me…"

He took Clelia away from her confinement, then went toward the pit and told Amanda: "Please send my love to Duncan and Cassandra. I am sorry I missed them. Take care!" Then he disappeared, leaving Methos dead.

When Duncan and Cassandra arrived, he rushed toward Methos, while she helped Amanda out of the pit. The two women then turned around to find Duncan on the floor, gently rocking Methos's body, which he had covered with a blanket. Tears were rolling down his cheeks, and he kept murmuring "I am sorry… I am so sorry…" while rocking back and forth.

"Let's go back to Paris," Amanda said. "To a place that means something for both of them."

Cassandra agreed, and drove them all to Paris. On the way, Amanda called Joe and told him what had happened, asking him to meet them on the barge.

Hopefully they arrived at three o'clock in the morning, therefore they did not have to be afraid of being seen. The only person who did witness their arrival was a wino who was laughed at when he told his friends that he saw a guy with a ponytail carrying a giant ragged doll, helped by two gorgeous women and a three-legged man. He stopped drinking after that.

It took three days for Methos to revive. Three days during which Duncan refused to let him go. Three days during which Cassandra finally put aside her hatred of Methos. Three days during which Amanda and Cassandra actually became friends. Three days during which Joe was no longer a Watcher but a worried friend. Three days during which they all hoped that Methos's revival would set Duncan back into his normal Boy-Scout mode, instead of his present Rain-Man mode.

But when Methos revived, Duncan was still in shock. It was Methos's turn to worry, which was probably for the best, because it forced him to move on instead of focusing on what had happened.

"I can cast a spell to make him forget his memories of this… event," Cassandra offered.

"Why would you want to help me?" he asked suspiciously.

"Look, let's just be friends, okay?" she answered, "let bygones be bygones."

They shook hand, leaving Joe and Amanda bemused. Then they worked together on the ceremony, while Duncan was still rocking back and forth.

"How come you didn't give him a shot to relax him?" Methos asked angrily.

"He would not let you go, and he would not let us come near you, and therefore we could not give him a shot," Joe explained. "But we have some sleeping drug. Maybe you could approach him and do it."

Methos gave him the shot as gently as he could, which put Duncan to sleep and enabled them to cast the spell. Amanda settled five candles on the floor, and drew a star inside a circle with salt around them. Cassandra stood in the center of the design, while Duncan laid at her feet, surrounded by lit candles. Where she had found black candles, Cassandra refused to tell. She asked Methos to stand on the other side of Duncan (South), while Amanda stood on the East and Joe on the West. Then the ceremony began:

O wounded one, suffer no more!

Goddess, help us close the door

Of our friend's mind

O Goddess may you be kind!

Rays of energy flew away from Duncan as the four of them repeated the mantra, as if he was loosing his Quickening. It lasted for a few minutes, then Cassandra decided it was enough and she helped Methos putting Duncan in bed.

Then they all went outside to say goodbye. They had agreed that Cassandra and Amanda's presence would be disturbing for Duncan, therefore they had to leave. Plus, they had to bring Cassandra's fairy friend back home.

"A good occasion to bound our new friendship, isn't it?" Amanda said before hugging Joe and Methos.

The two women left, soon followed by Joe. Methos went back to the barge and fell asleep right away. To worry for somebody could be exhausting some times.

28.

Duncan woke up and sat, sweating. It took him a while to be able to breathe again, but he did it anyway, staring at the barge's door. He was afraid to check on the person sleeping by his side. *Please God, give me the strength…* he thought. Then he closed his eyes. Counted to ten. Took a deep breath. Finally opened his eyes again. When he turned his head, he was so relieved his heart almost stopped. *Joe would be too happy to wrote down in my chronicles that I died of a heart attack, I am not going to give him this pleasure.*

He laid back, staring at Methos, who was safely sleeping by his side. *A dream, it was only a dream…* He reached for his lover, his hand almost touching him. God, he was so cute, cuddled into the blankets, his dark hair in tufts. Duncan knew that he could be awoken really easily (which was probably why he was still alive… apart for his hidden dagger that it), therefore he fought his urge to touch him. Instead, he just settled himself comfortably to stare at the oldest Immortal (or so he said).

Methos suddenly sat and yelled:

"Duncan, for Christ's sake, can't you just stop staring at me when I am sleeping?! I am sorry to tell you this but I need some privacy sometimes!"

Duncan's lack of reaction alarmed him:

"Are you okay? What's wrong? Afraid of the bogeyman?"

"Nothing… I guess it was only a nightmare…"

"May I help you in any way? Otherwise if you don't mind, I would quite like to go back to my beauty sleep."

"You were in danger… not in danger… in trouble… in pain… a guy was hurting you… Pryderi his name was… and there were fairies…"

Methos started laughing:

"Man, you should give up spicy food. Not good for your digestion obviously…

Duncan just smiled in return. If Methos had shown concern, he would have been worried, but if it was nonsense, it was alright. He took it for what it was: a nightmare, totally unrelated to Methos's past or future (he was not psychic, was he?).

"You're right… I'll just go for a run. See you later. See you at Joe's…"

"Sounds good to me. Night," Methos said before burying himself back under the blanket.

29.

As soon as he took a glance at his new consumer, Joe reached for a beer, opened it, greeted him and asked him how was his lover. Slouching on a chair and taking a sip of his beer, Methos answered:

"He had a nightmare about Pryderi."

"Do you think he remembers anything?"

"Probably not consciously. Do you still think we took the right decision?"

"Definitely," Joe answered in a don't-you-dare-having-doubts way.

"Any news from the girls?" Methos asked for a while.

"Amanda called, said they were having great fun in Hawaii. Tons of rich guys willing to have them on their yacht apparently."

"I am glad everything turned out all right."

"How are you?" Joe asked, concerned.

"I am relieved: Duncan seems alright."

"I meant about Pryderi."

"I know, I was just trying to avoid the question."

Methos thought for a few seconds, peeling the label off his bottle, and then answered:

"Let's just say I am glad nobody got killed. More bad memories to put aside. I am upset that he is still alive, because it means he will be back."

"Do you think?"

The conversation was cut short by Duncan's arrival. Much to Methos and Joe's relief, he seemed to be back on his good old brooding-boy-scout mode.

"You're late, Bozo," Methos said.

" I can't believe this!" Duncan said right away, ignoring Methos's remark. "I wanted to help an old lady cross the street, but she started yelling that I wanted to steal her purse, and then this cop came by, and he was one of the cops who arrested me back when you and Amanda wanted to help me, and he wanted to arrest me!"

"I can't believe I missed that," Methos said seriously.

"Yeah, well, I'm glad you did. You are so bad you would have sent me right to jail!"

"How did you avoid going to jail by the way?" Joe asked, raising an eyebrow, obviously in full Watcher mode.

"Oh don't you dare putting that in my file!"

"But Duncan, it's my job!" Joe said innocently, to which Methos only answered with an amused look.

"I don't get it, you never tell anything about Methos, but you always write down the bad stuff about me! It's nor fair!"

"McLeod, where did you get that idea that life was fair?" Methos asked.

"It's just that… Oh no, you will not drag me into that good old conversation, Methos! Anyway, I was lucky because the old lady's grand-daughter had seen the scene from a café and explained everything."

At this point, Duncan basically collapsed on the chair. Methos was smiling in delight, imagining his lover being hit by an Alec-Guinness looking old woman with an umbrella. Meanwhile, Duncan was trying to convince Joe not to put this incident in his chronicle:

"I'll do anything… I'll … I'll pay Methos's bar tab!"

"Deal."

"Seriously?" Duncan asked suspiciously. Then, turning to Methos: "You cost me a lot of money, really!"

"I told you I was high maintenance. Plus, nobody asked you to blackmail Joe."

Duncan was still looking for a sensible answer when the door opened and Amy stepped in the bar. Joe was silent therefore Methos greeted her. She greeted him back and sat down.

"Duncan, don't we have to…"

"What? Oh, yeah, sure, let's go!"

Amy smiled and said:

"You don't have to. What I have to say will only take a minute. Joe, I am sorry I acted that way. If you still want a daughter, I would love to have a father."

Joe was unable to speak. He just took her hand and smiled in agreement. Methos went straight to the bar and took a bottle of champagne.

"I brought this!"

"Where did you… Hey! You took it from my barge!"

"You said you were saving it for something special!"

"And what was that mysterious present you gave Joe before leaving me?"

Let us withdraw from the bar, reader. The quarrel went on for a while – both of them wanted to entertain Joe and Amy, and they were really good at that.

That night, before falling asleep, Methos prayed that Duncan would never remember what had happened. Then he himself shut the door to the past and put his bad memories away. He knew Pryderi would be back some day. He also knew that there was nothing he could do for Clelia until Pryderi decided to reappear.

30.

Pryderi saw Methos falling asleep in his crystal, smiled, and said aloud:

" I am glad you are having fun, my love… enjoy it while you can…"

Clelia, locked in a cage, tried to escape her fate, but he grabbed her. He found out she could be a pleasant toy: he slowly tore off her wings, whispering "love me… love me not…" every time, and yet she was still alive. Weeping but alive. Satisfied, Pryderi managed to fall asleep too, hoping he would dream of Methos. Until next time, lover…

THE END