A/N: I couldn't find reference to Jonathan's birthday or Ethan's height; if I'm contradicting canon on this, I offer my abject apologies!

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Chapter Nine

Jonathan stepped slowly towards the door. On the one hand, he was happy that he'd managed to finish dressing before disaster happened. On the other hand, well, disaster! What was he going to say to the guy? How was he going to explain this?

He paused with one hand on the doorknob, thinking things over again. No, no use hiding; surely a Watcher had magical ways of knowing if the room was empty, and there weren't any other exits except for the windows. Maybe he could fake a name and make up some bogus story, but would he be believed?

Only one way to tell. Jonathan took a deep breath, and opened the door.

The man on his doorstep wasn't at all what he expected. The stranger wasn't the Watcher named Wesley, or anyone else he knew that had a British accent. So, where had this one come from? Jonathan didn't recognize him at all. He was maybe Giles' age, not all that physically impressive. He was lean and wiry, not overly tall, with brown hair that was starting to recede and brown eyes that were currently widening in apparent surprise. Jonathan had a creeping feeling, though, that the man had strength far beyond what could be seen.

"Riley Finn?" the man exclaimed, then started to laugh. "This is totally unexpected! And possibly quite delightful. I've been looking forward to the opportunity for payback."

Jonathan blinked, and instinctively retreated a few steps into the room. He'd been recognized? And not in a good way, apparently. There was something about that smile, something in the tone of the laughter that made his skin crawl.

He cleared his throat and tried to ward off trouble. "Look, I don't know what you're here about, but ..."

The Englishman laughed again, cutting him off. "Don't try to play innocent with me, you Initiative bastard. I spent nearly two years in a cell in Nevada because of you. Now, tell me where Jonathan is, and I'll cut the torture in half."

Jonathan stumbled backwards again, and collided with the edge of the bed. He sat down hard, trying desperately to think of a way out, and could find none. Maybe this was the universe's idea of justice. Fess up, and be punished for his own crimes. Fake it out, and be punished for someone else's.

"Uh, what do you want Jonathan for?" Jonathan crossed his fingers mentally. There was still a fraction of a chance that the guy didn't work for either Warren or Mr. Giles.

"Does it matter?" the man asked him. "Let's just say I have a birthday present for him. And here you are, occupying the very room I tracked him to. I was mildly confused when the manager gave me your description instead of his, but now it all makes sense. One more punishment for old Ethan. Well, you're not going to get the better of me this time."

By the time Ethan had finished his little speech, his face had twisted into a snarl, and his tone of voice had gone from mocking to bitter. It was all very confusing to Jonathan. So this guy might be on Jonathan's side? But why? What reason could there be for someone to punish a complete stranger by kidnapping Jonathan?

"Look, this isn't making much sense to me," Jonathan said, gathering his courage together. "And I'm not really Riley Finn, so I'd appreciate it if you back off. I'm just borrowing his face for awhile."

"Borrowing his ...?" Ethan stopped short. His eyes narrowed, and he looked Jonathan over a little more carefully this time. "But that would mean ..." Then suddenly, his expression cleared, and he started laughing again.

Jonathan raised his eyebrows. There was no menace in the laughter, this time, that he could hear. What was going on?

Finally, Ethan stopped for a breath. "Ohhh, I should have been watching for this. Blood will tell, after all, and you *have* been learning magic."

"What?" Jonathan gaped at him. "What do you mean?"

Ethan smiled at him. "I think I saw a bar across the street. I have a lot to explain, and I don't really want to do it in some filthy hotel room."

"But I ..." Jonathan tried to protest.

"Oh, come on. You'll be 21 tomorrow, Jonathan, that's close enough." Ethan turned and walked out into the hallway again, throwing a mischeivous look over his shoulder at Jonathan. "Or don't you want to know what this is all about?"

What the hell, Jonathan thought. He was doomed regardless. And what else did he have to do?

TBC