Disclaimer: I don't Highlander (or Stargate when I get to it)

Rating: Warning this chapter is K+

Beta Reader: Michelle from the Official Highlander Message Board. Typo's are all mine.

Reviewers: Nedy Ryha – Jack will recruit Carin, just not this chapter, but it is going to happen.

Red Dawnn- Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Author's Note: Hi everyone, thanks are usual to those who added this story to their lists and to those who reviewed. I hope you enjoy this chapter. A spoiler for what's a head – the two worlds come together.Update (2014): I went through each chapter to fix any mistakes; if I've missed any please let me know.

AAD

Chapter 28: To thyself be true

November 10 1996 – Bordeaux, France

Thanks to Jack and the good old US Air Force, they'd made it to Germany and from there to Paris then Bordeaux.

Joe had told her where to find them and she and Jack had arrived just as a double quickening lit up the building. Nyssa remained in the shadows of the old submarine base. She waited until Cassandra came nearer then grabbed the witch and slammed her hard against the wall, her sword at her neck. "You're lucky MacLeod interfered because I would have taken your head without a second thought or an ounce of remorse before you could have swung that axe."

"How can you defend him, he made you into a killer," Cassandra hissed.

"Because I love him," Nyssa snarled back. "And he loves me. What do you think has kept me going all these centuries?"

"Then you're a fool," the witch snapped.

"The only fool is you, Cassandra," Nyssa stated. "You're so afraid of letting someone in you've become a bitter, nasty person." She stepped back. "Get out of my sight before I take your head in pity."

Cassandra stumbled away in a hurry, disappearing into the shadows.

Nyssa turned and ran back the way she'd come, hurrying down to Methos. The sight of her fallen brother tore at her heart but she knew Methos had done the right thing. The Four Horsemen had to be stopped. She knelt beside him, put her sword down and cradled Methos in her arms. His sobs brought tears to her eyes.

Duncan gripped his katana tightly as he walked towards them. "We have to get out of here."

Nyssa glared at him, her voice was stern and commanding. "Go. I'll look after Methos."

He went to protest, but her look was enough to make him leave.

"Methos," Nyssa rubbed his back, kissing the top of his head. "We have to leave; there are Watchers here. I spotted them on my way in."

"I can't leave them," he said distressed.

"Yes you can," she said, tears sliding down her cheeks. "Jack is here and he'll make sure their bodies are handled with respect." She somehow managed to get them both to their feet, taking their swords.

"Wait," he pleaded and stumbled over to Silas' body, finding the wooden flute and removing it. "Goodbye brother," he whispered and stood.

After collecting Methos' coat, they hurried away from the abandoned submarine base, their swords carefully concealed under their coats. Nyssa got him to the hotel she'd booked into, getting him straight to her room.

Slipping her sword carefully from her coat, she removed it and hung it up. Next to her Methos did the same, leaving his sword leaning against the wall next to hers, he sat down.

Pulling out her cell phone, Nyssa called Jack.

"It's Carin, I've got Adam… We're at the hotel…. Be careful, Jack," she put the phone away and sat next to Methos, taking his hand.

"I didn't want to do it," he whispered disheartened.

"I know," she caressed his cheek, gently turning his face to her, brushing her lips over his. "You did what you had to."

"It still hurts," he said in barely a whisper.

"It always does," she said softly.

Methos' clutched his hand around the flute; recalling the wooden animals Silas had carved out of wood for Nyssa when she'd been a child. Each one so perfectly detailed. Each one, he knew she still had, having managed to preserve them so they'd survive the centuries. He turned a little and searched her eyes, perhaps for answers, perhaps for forgiveness.

Nyssa squeezed his hand gently, a comforting gesture. "He would forgive you," she whispered and rested her forehead against his. "I do. You did the right thing."

"I would have let her kill me," he whispered.

"I would not have," she promised, keeping her voice low. "I do not care about the game, Methos, I care about you and me surviving and living."

He kissed her, a soft kiss that barely parted her lips, but it said more than words. "Together forever."

"Together forever," she promised.

They talked remembering their brothers. Despite everything that had happened to tear them apart, they'd been a family in every way but blood.

Methos knew though there was something on Nyssa's mind, he knew her better than she knew herself sometimes. "What's on your mind, little one?"

She was near the window checking to see if they were being watched. She turned back to him. "Why did you send me away when you knew I'd eventually come after you?"

He went over and drew her into his arms. "Because I knew you would," he nuzzled the top of her head. "I knew I could count on your being there when I needed you."

"Always," she promised.

"And is this Jack, Jack O'Neill?"

"The one and only," she revealed. "He's a good guy, old man." She rubbed his back gently; he was still tense. "Come and lie down, I'll give you a massage."

He smiled a little and kissed her forehead. "I need a shower."

"I wasn't going to say anything," she retorted lightly wrinkling her nose.

Methos snorted a chuckle. "Funny. Come on little one, you can wash my back."

She smiled and followed him into the bathroom. "Great idea."

In the morning, they found a message on her cell phone from MacLeod; he wanted to meet, choosing holy ground, the time and the place.

"You don't have to go," Nyssa told him.

"Yes I do." Methos insisted. "He might not listen or like what he hears, but he needs answers."

She sighed. "We are not who we were; if he cannot accept that, then there is nothing we can do."

"That, little one, is the truth."

AAD

Nyssa stood back while Methos spoke to MacLeod; she'd known the Scot for nearly 200 years. They'd had a friendship that was now torn apart and possibly would never be the same. Finally, she strolled over.

Duncan sighed as she approached, he thought he'd known who she was but it had been a lie too. "Is it true, what Cassandra said about you?"

"Yes." She took Methos' hand. "Where Death stood, I stood at his right."

"So how come you weren't there with your brothers. With your lover?" he asked her, disappointed in her as he was in Methos. He was starting to realize he didn't really know them at all and it was going to take time to trust them again. "You deserted him."

"She didn't desert me, MacLeod," Methos snapped. "I sent her away and told her to stay away and for once she did what she was told."

Duncan shook his head. "Up until the end."

"When I expected her," the elder Immortal retorted. "I found Nyssa; she grew up in the Horsemen camps. I taught her to handle a sword from the time she could hold one; to ride, to fight and to survive."

"Methos didn't make me into a killer, Kronos did," Nyssa told the Scot. "He was responsible for my first death; he and Caspian taught me about pain and anger. Methos taught me about love. Too see what was in my heart."

Methos squeezed her hand. "Sometimes you have to do things that disgust you to survive. You know about that; remember what happened to you after the dark quickening."

They walked away from him.

"And Cassandra?" Duncan called after them.

"One of a thousand regrets MacLeod," Methos answered, not looking back, "One of a thousand."

Duncan watched them walk away. He couldn't forgive them, not yet; one day maybe but in a way, he understood.

"You've got a hell've chip on your shoulder, MacLeod," a voice behind him announced with an American accent.

He turned; looking at the mortal he hadn't known was there. "Do I know you?"

"Nope." Jack O'Neill shoved his hands in the pockets of his leather bomber jacket, watching Nyssa and her lover walk away. "I'm a friend of Joe's, Jack O'Neill."

"You're a watcher?"

"Yep."

Duncan frowned. "In that case Mr. O'Neill, you don't know what you're talking about," he stated and walked away.

Jack followed. "Oh I think I do, MacLeod. You see, I've gotten to know Nyssa very well."

Duncan stopped and faced the American.

Jack said bluntly, "You don't get it, do you MacLeod. Methos might have been Death on a horse, but he kept his brothers from sharing Nyssa around as if she were a play toy. He did it because he did the most unthinkable thing a Horsemen could do – he fell in love with her. And when her life goes to hell he's there for her, just as she's there for him." He paused for a moment then added, "Get over yourself MacLeod. They're not Death and his Angel any more. They've changed, the world's changed and they've survived through those changes."

With that said Jack walked away from the Immortal and didn't look back.

AAD

November 15 - Paris, France

Methos heard a noise in the second bedroom of the apartment he and Nyssa had made into an office. He opened the door and leant against the doorframe as he watched the man climbing through the window.

"Jack O'Neill?"

Jack fell the rest of the way through the window and landed on his ass, looking up. "That would be me."

"Excellent, I would have hated to have shot you, thinking you were a burglar," the Immortal remarked.

Getting to his feet, Jack brushed himself down. "Thanks."

"So why are you coming through the window when we have a perfectly good front door?" Methos asked and gestured for Jack to shut the window.

He did and then followed the Immortal. "You're being watched. I didn't want them to see me coming in here."

Nyssa overheard that as they came into the living room. "Really?" She hurried over to the window and peeked out from behind the curtains. "That was fast."

"They think you're going to disappear on them." Jack informed them.

"So who did we get stuck with?" Methos inquired.

"You have Timothy Wyatt and Nyssa has Michelle Darcy."

"Oh I like Michelle." Nyssa turned back from the window. "Found them, be right back." She headed out.

"Don't terrorize them, Nys." Methos called after her and heard her laugh. He looked to the mortal. "So, Jack, want a beer?"

"Sure, what is she going to do?"

"Nothing major." He wandered into the kitchen and returned with two beers. "Most likely just saying hello."

Jack took the beer offered and sat down and chuckled. "Sounds like Nyssa."

Methos sat and opened his beer, flipping the lid into a wastepaper basket. "We know all the tricks of the trade, Jack. This isn't the first time we've had to avoid watchers; we've been doing it for centuries."

"That long huh?" The mortal quipped.

The Immortal laughed and took a drink. "I can see why Nys likes you, Jack."

"What can I say, I'm just a lovable guy," the retired Colonel said smugly, then, "Tell me something, did she really learn about pressure points in China?"

Methos nodded. "Around 1779, she met one of her husband's there."

"André," Jack clarified. "How do you handle that, both of you? I mean you've both been married to other people throughout the centuries and yet you're clearly head over heels for each other."

"Jack, I love Nyssa, she loves me, but it's not the right time," Methos said sincerely. "One day it will be and then…"

"Look out world."

"Something like that," the Immortal smirked. "And we know we're good together. We brought up Daniel the right way, didn't we? He turned into a fine young man."

"Whoa, wait a minute, you helped bring up Daniel?" Jack asked, surprised.

"Of course, who did you think was the father figure in his life?" Methos stated. "Devious little bugger too, he helped plan the demise of Alyssa Jackson. The boy is a genius. He gave a wonderful performance, had MacLeod totally convinced – it was brilliant."

"Yeah, I've seen that side of him." Jack recalled Daniel pointing a staff weapon at him and his team when they'd been captured by Ra; it was an Academy Award performance.

"The thing is Jack, we didn't ask to be Immortal, we didn't ask for this life but since we have it, we're going to make the most of it."

"And the game?" the mortal asked.

Methos shrugged. "We stay out of it as much as we can. Neither of us is interested in it."

"They say the Gathering is here though."

"They've said that before." Methos finished his beer. "Killing each other isn't going to bring about any prize, Jack. It'll just means at the end there will be one very lonely person."

Jack was going to comment when Nyssa walked back in. "Hey kid, how are your watchers?"

She smiled and sat next to Methos. "Tim was stunned and could barely get two words out and Michelle grumbled she hadn't had coffee this morning, so I ran down to the café at the corner and got her one. She's happy now."

He chuckled. "Nice going."

"So, Jack," Methos began, "What's next for you?"

"Back to the states. I'm not sure I'm ready for another assignment yet." He fiddled with the label on the bottle. "I might take up teaching and terrorize some young minds."

Nyssa snuggled into Methos' side. "I think you'd make a wonderful teacher, Jack."

"Yeah, thanks kid."

"You're welcome, youngling," she said with a smile.

"Well," he put the beer bottle on the coffee table. "I should be going."

"Try the front door this time, Jack." Methos advised as both he and Nyssa stood.

"Yeah, I'm getting too old for climbing through windows," he grumbled.

Nyssa gave him a hug. "Be careful out there, youngling."

He hugged her back. "You too, kid, watch your head; it's too pretty to lose."

"I will Jack." She gave him a kiss and then stepped back.

Methos shook his hand. "It was nice meeting you, Jack."

"You too, Methos," he announced. "Give me a call if you're ever in Colorado Springs, we'll have a beer."

"We'll do that."

"Thanks for all your help, Jack." Nyssa said sincerely.

"No problem, kid," he smiled. "Keep out of sight and I'll send your two friends off on a wild goose chase."

Methos laughed. "I knew there was a reason I liked you, Jack, you're devious."

"And proud of it," the mortal smirked. "I'll see myself out." He smiled as they headed to the back of the apartment. Going out the front door, he pressed the lock before pulling the door shut and walked down the street. He stopped at the silver car with the two watchers in it. "Hey kids, in case you're wondering, they've gone out the back window."

Michelle sighed. "The way you came in?"

"Yep," Jack smirked. "See you kids later." He headed down the street, whistling softly to himself, chuckling as the silver car drove past him. Some days it was just too easy.

AAD

Extract from the Nyssa Chronicles – Translated by Dr Daniel Jackson

December 1996

Methos and I were dishonourably discharged from the Watchers in absentia. I find out the usual way, I asked Michelle, who tells me all the gossip.

We invited Timothy and Michelle in for a drink a week before Christmas. If we are going to have watchers, then they have to expect us to talk to them. Tim was shocked at first, but Michelle is merely intrigued. Both have agreed to do things our way, especially since we could up and disappear and they would never find us unless we wanted them to. In the spirit of making this work, we even exchange cell phone numbers. There is something to say about modern technology.

AAD

To be continued in Chapter 29: Reunion

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