Title: Who wants to live forever (part 11)
Author: BELOVEDbyWAR
Rating: PG
TV verse: Blood Ties
Disclaimer: Not mine, not making any money..
Wc: 1069
Sequel to: Expectations
AN.: A big THANK YOU to luvinmike for being such a great beta!

Part 11:

It took another six hours before Adam regained consciousness.

Mike watched, fascinated, as the broad chest of the man suddenly started to expand, soon to be followed by a hasty breath, as if the man had nearly drowned and now gasped for air.

Curiously, this unlikely behavior seemed somehow familiar to Mike, even if he couldn't quite put his finger on where he could have seen a similar reawakening.

Just as MacLeod had predicted, the first demand from the slightly grumpy man was for a beer, which they already had waiting.

What followed made Mike smile.

After taking one deep swallow, with Adam treating the beverage as if it was the best thing on Earth, his nose started to twitch as it took in the delicious smells coming from the kitchen. The smile that illuminated the man's face made him seem years younger. If Mike hadn't witnessed the carnage this small figure could bring, he would have thought him an innocent, mild-mannered graduate student.

Said young-looking man now sported an impish grin as he tiptoed to the kitchen, making no sound at all until he stood behind the tall frame of the cooking Scot. But before he could pounce, the man had turned, filled spoon in hand, just like he had always known the other man was there, and simply asked with a triumphant too-sweet smile:

"Taste?"

Dumbfounded, Adam simply opened his mouth and let Mac spoon-feed him.

After swallowing, the thin man quickly diverted the attention from his failed attempt by changing the subject.

"So, you couldn't stay out of it after all. I thought you were too busy to come up here."

"I never said that."

"Sounded a lot like it from where I stood."

"Me-"

"Ah, ah, ah!"

"Sorry, Adam. You knew I wouldn't let you fend for yourself-"

"Fend for- ?! Gee, don't strain yourself! I don't need your help! I survived well enough without you! The one needing help is Blondie over there!"

"Says the man who just woke from the dead."

This stopped Adam's rant for a moment before he regained his composure.

"So what? You dragged my carcass here? You could have left it there for all I care."

"Really?!"

"Yeah!"

"You lie."

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Ahem. Sorry. Guys?" Mike interrupted.

"What!" both growled in unison.

"I think the food is burning," he pointed to the smoking pan.

After a quick glance, they worked like a well-oiled machine and managed to save their late lunch.

Soon after, they moved to a hidden room, which actually turned out to be a private training room. Here Mike received his first lesson in swordplay, accompanied by a serious lecture on what to do if he should meet another Immortal and neither Mac nor Adam were present – which could more or less be summed up to get the hell out of there.

***

Henry woke to the sound of two familiar heartbeats close by.

He quickly donned his robe before entering the living room, but the sight that greeted him nearly made him stumble back.

There on his couches lay the battered shapes of Coreen and Vicki, both looking exhausted even in their sleep.

It wasn't until both women looked at him with uneasy expressions that he realized he had vamped out and had growled menacingly in response to the anger he felt about their current conditions.

Quickly regaining his composure, he walked over to the two women and demanded to know what had happened.

As Vicki shared the day's events, Henry's anger grew. Who dared touch what was his?! He was beyond furious and swore to hunt the person responsible for harming his humans down! Then she mentioned the slaughter they woke up to and his curiosity peaked.

Dismembered bodies? Chopped apart with a sharp object? Interesting!

"So, you are telling me those men were slaughtered all around you and you didn't see or hear a thing?" he inquired.

"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?! Embarrassing as it was, they knocked me out! So sorry! I was busy lying on the floor looking at my eyelids from the inside! Hey!"

Ignoring her rant, Henry had turned his attention to the pensive-looking younger woman who, at the moment, was chewing her lip rather savagely.

"Coreen? Did you see something more?" he asked carefully.

"I-I'm not sure," she answered hesitantly.

"Tell me," he encouraged her.

Not quite sure how to tell what she saw, she looked from one face to the other until she finally mumbled:

"I think I saw Mike!"

Silence.

Vicki looked at her as if she were a stranger.

"You what?!"

"I know it sounds crazy, but when I came to, I saw somebody leave the room. On his way out he stopped and scooped up a gun and I would swear it was Mike! I mean those jawbones are quite distinctive-"

"Why the hell didn't you tell me this earlier? No. No. No! That can't be true! I mean, you were hit on the head pretty bad. Hallucinations happen –"

"Then who came to our rescue?! It sure as hell wasn't Henry!"

"Mike – is – DEAD! He couldn't have-"

"But wouldn't it be just like him to come and save the day in the nick of time?" the Goth continued hopefully.

Vicki stormed over to the window, turning her back to them.

"He is gone," she whispered brokenly.

Feeling her pain, Henry followed after her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. When she didn't flinch away, he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her. It spoke volumes that she allowed it and even more so as she rested her head on his shoulder.

It was heartbreaking that it had to come to something like this for her to accept a little human compassion, but Henry cherished this moment all the more because of it. Closing his eyes, he let his senses roam and take everything in: The sound of her heart pumping, her breath flowing, the heat radiating from her as she warmed him, the smell of her soap and shampoo mixed with her natural scent, hospital stench, and…something else.

Henry's startled eyes flew open and he looked over his shoulder at Coreen before sniffing Vicki more thoroughly.

Yes! There! It was faint, but it was unmistakably there!

Smiling wondrously, he looked at the two now-startled women.

"Coreen was right! He was there! I can smell him on you!"

***

tbc