Chapter 2-But do I have to go?

Paris, France

"Would someone please explain to me why I have to go to this meeting?" Nick Wolfe, former cop-turned-immortal PI, asked the two Immortal men standing on the other side of a desk as the three poured over several papers.

"Because," the young man with the rather protuberant probascus and a British accent, "You are my student and I'm telling you that you're going." Nick just sighed and walked out of the room.

"Is that really necessary, Methos?" the other man at the desk asked.

"Of course! I also can't wait to see the look on our dear Amanda's face when she sees Mr. Wolfe over there."

Just as Methos said this, an older middle-aged-looking man hobbled into the room, a cane in one hand and a breifcase in the other.

"Hey, Mac," he said to the man who came over to help him, "What's up with Nick?"

"He's just been told that he has to go to the Court meeting because he's Methos's student," the man, Mac, said as he opened the briefcase on the desk and took out a laptop.

"Does he know that Amanda will be there?" Mac and Methos shook there heads. "Well, won't he be in for a hell of a surprise. Anyway, he should be glad that he doesn't have to record the whole thing!" the older man said.

"Don't worry, Joe. You're not going to be the only recorder for this meeting."

"Really."

"Yes, really. Josef Kostan called earlier and said that some young reporter named Beth Turner will also be there."

"Anything I should know about this Beth Turner?" Methos handed him a DVD titled Buzz Wire.

"Watch this. Those are some of her big stories."

"Wait, Buzz Wire's Beth Turner?" Nick asked as he came back into the room with a box that Joe had obviously guilted the younger man into fetching when Nick had left minutes earlier.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Who's Beth Turner?" Mac asked as Nick took the laptop, hooked it up to the internet, and typed in the website.

"That is Beth Turner," Nick said as what appeared to be a news video began playing.

The four men watched as a blonde woman reported on a series of kidnappings that had been taking place in the LA area.

"Police are still unsure as to what the motives for the recent string of kidnappings is, as we have been reporting that there is no apparent connection between the now seven victims. If you know anything about these disappearances, please contact the number on your screen. This is Beth Turner for Buzz Wire." The video switched to an entertainment reporter talking about the latest action movie as Nick muted the computer.

"They're saying that she could be the next Lara Logan or Katie Couric," he told the older men.

"Well, she certainly seems competent, but we'll have to wait and see what she's really like at the meeting," Joe said as he stood up from the chair he had confiscated and began rifling through the box that Nick had placed on a nearby table.

"Josef has assured me that she'll be able to keep up with you. Besides, Joe, you should be flattered! You're the only Watcher that was invited to this little get-together. It means that the others trust you!" Methos gave his friend a crooked smile before ducking to avoid the cardboard box lid that was thrown at his head.

"Hey isn't this meeting usually held in Brussels?" Joe asked as he began taking out seemingly random files.

"Yes, but the Lycans were worried about the safety of the new leader of the Loup-Garou," Mac replied as he opened up another box that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

"Isn't her boyfriend a wanted man in the States?"

"Yes, which is the real reason why our Nicky here will be coming. Vivian asked for extra measures to be taken since her suggestion of Canada was out-voted by the Old Court," Methos said as he began looking through the Chronicles of the other groups of Watchers that existed.

"Great, so I get to play babysitter to some guy who-what did he do anyway?" Nick said, realizing that he didn't know the full story.

"Beat up his dad when the old man decided to use him as a punching bag," Joe replied.

"Oh, so he's a nice fugitive."

"Yep."

"Hey Methos, aren't you a member of the Old Court?" Joe asked as the men continued their apparent research.

"Yes, but I voted for Canada. I can't help it if they don't like North America's north."

Okay, so if it looks like some stuff isn't adding up, that's because there's more in store!