Methos II
By: Marcus
Note: This is another interlude to Of Mutants and Immortals and They Watch Us While We Sleep, this takes place during the second story series by AnimeFreek, Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Again, this is just a non-profit story, so please, don't sue me, I just got 10 bucks to my name and that's gonna go out pretty soon.
Methos stepped off the plane and into the terminal of Paris, this had to be one place where Duncan or the others would take awhile to find him. It was obviously the most unlikely place to be it was a known place where he and Duncan as well as Joe Dawson were usually to be found.
It was the most likely place to be for him, and the most unlikely place for them to look for him, but eventually they would look here and this is where he'd be, waiting.
He stepping into customs to check his things, it didn't take too long, but for a guy who was ageless it was always tedious to him.
A few minutes later he was handed his duffel bag as well as his identification with his money exchanged to the currency in France. He walked through the crowds of swarming people, crying children, people begging for money because they had none for themselves. All around him he saw humanity, a society that was, to his eyes, a lost cause.
All through this, all that was on his mind mainly was Cordelia, the very look of her, the way she looked before he walking into the terminal in Los Angeles an onto the plane. All he really wanted was to be near her, but he couldn't, yet, he still had business to tend to, and it hadn't arrived yet.
He hailed a cab as he walked out the doors of the airport, it took awhile to get one to notice him, and for some reason he could never get that trick down, getting a cab on request.
After he finally managed to get one, he got inside and told the driver to go to the house he kept here in Paris, he knew it would come in handy, he was also happy he didn't sell it. "So, tell me of Paris." He said to the driver, the driver looked at him through the rear view mirror "Oh, nothing much, except for this new club that opened a few months ago, owned by a woman, along with her son and his girlfriend."
Methos smiled, it was well worth a look.
After he settled into his house, he put on some old clothes, an old sweater and a pair of worn jeans, he remembered Cordelia once making a comment about how he made his sloppy appearance look somewhat cute and charming.
He left the house and thought of where the cab driver said where he could find the club, he hailed a cab again as he reached a busier street not far from his residence, "The Ravens Nest." He said to the driver, it was a rather interesting name for a club, he had to admit that at least.
The driver nodded "Ah, a good place to go for a night like this monsieur, plenty of ladies dancing and, well, lot's to meet." The driver said as he began to drive off into the chaotic traffic of Paris. Methos looked out the window as they rushed past other buildings and cars.
After half an hour of driving, the driver pulled up to a rather amazing looking place, it wasn't lit up like the fourth of July, and it was just set up to be a place of class and taste. He paid the driver and bid him farewell. He walked up to the building, looking all around, like a child in a new place for the first time.
As he walked though the door, the smell of cigarettes and alcohol hit his senses hard, he looked around to see many different people sitting at different tables, there was a DJ at the back wall playing excellent music, and the space in the room was amazing. He walked up to the bar and took a seat at the stool, the back wall behind the bar was glass, and he could see everything behind him.
"Give me a beer, the best kind you've got." Methos said as the bar keep came up to him and looked at him with a gesture of curiosity as to what he could get for him. The bar keep returned in a few short moments with a Guinness beer. Methos nodded to the bar keep and took a sip from the bottle.
The turned around in the swivel seat stool and looked around the place, it was a great place, the owner definitely had class and taste from what Methos saw. The music was playing at a rhythm that he knew would make Cordelia want to start dancing away the night, he smiled as he thought of how much he wanted her to be there with him.
Hell, she would be just happy being in Paris itself, let alone here at the 'Ravens Nest'. As he looked around, his smile faded away at the familiar feeling of another immortal within proximity to him. Instead of looking around, he turned back around in his seat and looked around through the glass wall at the back of the bar.
He searched the crowd for a few minutes until he spotted two familiar faces, one he would never have expected to see here in Paris, one man, the other a woman, he knew them from the X-men, Remy LeBeau (Gambit) and Marie (Rouge).
He watched closely as they seemed to be scanning through the crowds, looking for someone discreetly, Methos knew deep down that they were searching for him, but how? They weren't immortals. Who was it that he felt just awhile ago?
The answer struck him as he saw a third face he recognized, Amanda. He didn't know what to do, he wasn't ready to face her, the mother of the child he tried to kill, and she'd want his head the moment she saw him. "Damn it!" he cursed to himself as he tossed the money for his beer and made his way slowly to the door.
"Methos! Wait!" he heard from behind him, he saw Amanda, Remy and Rouge rushing towards him, his face lit up with stress and surprise. He turned around and bolted out the door, Remy and Amanda rushed after him, and Rouge ran out of the back door in time to see Methos running past the building and into a dark alley.
She rose into the air, flying low to avoid any eyes from the streets, she searched through the darkness for awhile, she knew that Methos had to be found, he had to be told what they knew of what transpired months ago.
Methos leaned closely against the wall, in the shadows. His chest moved quickly with each quick breath he took. He waited until it was dead quiet in the streets. As he poked his head out from the shadows, he saw that the area was void of people.
He stepped out cautiously out of the darkness, letting the shadows melt away from him like ice. He turned the corner and jumped with surprise and shock, he found that he wasn't alone after all. "Hey Methos." Rouge said as she stood there, hands on her hips, but her face spoke other than anger and rage. To his evident surprise, it was the look of concern and worry.
"Don't run, please?" she said as Methos was about to begin walking in the other direction, he stopped with his back to her "And why not? Amanda is sure to want my head, even though it was Shadow King who pulled the strings." He said as he looked back over his shoulder. He remained still, like an ancient statue of Rome.
Rouge moved closer to him "She doesn't blame you, not anymore, at first, she was angry, but after time passed by, she wished she could talk to you, I'm not saying she ain't upset a little, she is, but, you should come back with me, stop running."
She put her gloved hand on his shoulder; he jerked lightly for an instant of her touch. He took a deep breath and made his decision right there "Alright, I'll come back with you." He said as he turned completely around to face her.
Her hair was tied back in a tail; the white streak ran down the center with a few strands of hair coming down over her face. She wore a black blouse and blue jeans, they looked a little tight, her gloves matched her blouse, and she was a little taller than he by a few centimeters.
She smiled lightly as they began to walk back towards the 'Ravens Nest' side by side; Methos was still scared about confronting Amanda. He kept his head lowered the whole time they walked back, "How have you been?" Rouge asked him as they walked.
Methos smiled lightly, it was a sign that she had no animosity towards him, they turned a corner and saw the Ravens Nest, "I've been doing good, especially recently, ever since it all happened a few months ago, I wasn't doing so well, horrible nightmares. The feelings I've had were torture enough while I was awake." He said as they walked slowly towards the club.
"So, what made it all change then?" she asked as she saw none of what Methos described in the person she was walking next to, Methos looked over at her "I fell in love, and she showed me what I had to do."
Later on, Methos was sitting in the back of the club, in the storage room, or office, he wasn't sure which it was, and just that it was kept rather clean. Methos figured that Amanda wanted the FDA to stay off her back, at least he thought it was the FDA that dealt with these types of establishments.
He stood up from his seat and walked around the room, he hadn't heard the door open and Amanda walking in "Hello Methos." She said aloud and plainly, no anger yet no genuine pleasant emotion could be heard either. Methos turned with a jump "Amanda, uh, hello." He said, and unlike Amanda, there was plenty of emotion in his voice.
Amanda paced slowly nearer to him, her arms crossed, looking at him, like she was preparing to judge him for the events that transpired month's back.
To his surprise she stepped up to him closely, and embraced him in a hug "Good to see you again." She whispered into his ear. Methos was struck with surprise by her actions, he didn't know what to do, so he completed what she had started, he hugged her back "And you as well my friend."
Remy was crouched next to the door with his ear pressed against it; Rouge saw this and crept up to him quietly "What are they saying?" she asked him suddenly, Remy jumped and landed on the ground in surprise "Mon Dieu! You nearly gave Remy a heart attack! Don' do that!" he said as his heart raced and he breathed rapidly.
Rouge merely smiled at him as she enjoyed doing this type of thing to him every change she could get, he brought her attention back to the matter at hand "Well? What are they saying?" she asked impatiently, Remy looked at her, irritated, and put his ear back to the door "They're talking, I don' know what it's about, but it's definitely a good talk."
Rouge rose over Remy and put her ear to the door as well so she could try and do like Remy and eavesdrop on them.
"So, who is this love of your life?" Amanda asked with a smile as she handed Methos a beer and took a seat next to him. Methos smiled as he lowered his head and brought it back up. Being a little embarrassed at his now evident love life "Her name is Cordelia, Cordelia Chase, she used to live in SunnyDale California. But she lives in Los Angeles, I also met another old friend while down there, but that's a story for another time."
Amanda shook her head in a motion, she wanted details, lots of them. "So, go on and tell me about her!" she said as she nudged him on the arm with her elbow. Methos looked at her with a smile, it felt amazingly good to have her as his friend again, he felt a part of his guilt being lifted from his spirit.
"If you're good, maybe you can meet her sometime." He said in his ever always and annoying cryptic attitude. Amanda chuckled at his attitude "It's good to have you back, the real you." She said with a grin on her lips, Methos lowered his head, it brought the memories of the past events back. "I fought him you know, every step of the way, screaming, fighting his will as best I could. I just wish it had been enough." He said sadly.
Amanda moved in front of him and crouched down "We know it wasn't your fault Methos, I know you wouldn't hurt my daughter, willingly or purposely, I should have known it wasn't you." She said as she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, Methos looked up at her "There were times when he'd let me out you know, just to torture me."
Amanda looked at him, completely giving him her attention, "He would just watch me as I sat against a wall in front of a mirror, screaming and crying, begging him to stop this. And all the while, he was taking so much pleasure from my suffering." He said.
He breathed deeply and wiped a tear that fell from his eye, "Then I killed Cassandra, and he played the whole thing through my mind again and again, just to hurt me, to listen to me scream and thrash in my mind."
Amanda took his head gently and brought it up to face her "Methos, you didn't kill Cassandra, Shadow King did, and Catherine sent him back where he came from, and this time, nothing will free him, ever, it's not your fault she died." Amanda looked at him with some sadness in her eyes, as did Methos.
"Thank you." Methos said, Amanda smiled, but didn't know what the thanks' was for "Thanks for what?" she asked, Methos simply smiled, as always, he was being cryptic "For not trying to take my head, for your forgiveness."
Amanda smiled happily, he was back, all was left was for Cathy to come and meet him, the real him "What about Catherine?" Amanda asked, Methos thought for a bit "She'll find me eventually, let her come at her own accord." He said "To be truthful, I'm not sure of how I should confront her, I know her and the others in New York are looking for me. But they'll find me eventually."
Amanda nodded "I won't tell her unless you want me to." She said, agreeing with his decision to be discreet, she got up and walked to the door and opened it, in fell Rouge and Remy in a heap "And I trust that either of you will tell her either." Amanda said with a smile on her face.
Remy looked up at her as Rouge tried to get a hold of something to get up off of him, "Why do things always go like dis for Remy." He mumbled as he got up as Rouge got off of him, Methos smiled as he got up and walked towards them, as Remy got up and looked at the immortal, he held out his hand and waited only a second before Methos shook it.
"Name's Remy LeBeau, Amanda's son." He said, Methos smiled as he slowly looked over to Amanda "Again, I feel a story coming along, for an immortal, you seem to have a lot of mouths to feed." He said with good intentions and humor in his voice.
Amanda lightly punched him in the shoulder playfully "Need a job?" she asked, Methos raised his eyebrows in surprised at the offer, he put his hands in his pockets and hummed to himself, "Not really, but I could sure use something to occupy my time." He said cheerfully.
Amanda made a gesture for an achievement "Yes! I need another barkeeper, Alex is quitting to go to Rome in a few days, I'll tell him after we close up." She said as she rushed past them. This left Methos standing around, dumbfounded, with Remy and Rouge.
They stood there for a moment before they heard a crash in the club, Rouge ran out there quickly to check what it was, Methos and Remy looked out the door to try and see what was up. "Uh oh, grace dropped another tray again, I say that girl got slippery hands." Remy said as he tilted his head as the waitress kneeled down to pick up the broken glass.
The next morning, Methos awoke in his bed, he looked around to see Remy on the couch still passed out, he and Methos had a lot to drink after the bar closed up. Come to think of it, so did Rouge and Amanda, but he remembered that they at least drank sensibly, unlike Remy.
He got out of bed and put on a pair of jogging pants, he walked to his kitchen and opened the fridge, it was pretty much empty, no food was in there, just some water and a bottle of ketchup.
"Mornin' Methos." Remy said as he slowly walked to him by the fridge "Ah, nothing to eat, lets go out and see how the others are doin'." Remy said as he tapped Methos on the shoulder, Methos swung the door closed and looked at Remy slowly make his way back to the couch, he was seriously hung over.
After Methos showered and changed into clothing that was similar to what he had been wearing the night before, he walked downstairs to find Remy trying to read one of his books, it was written in Greek however and Remy couldn't make heads or tails of what it said.
"It's a watchers journal, more than a thousand years old." Methos said as he took the book and carefully placed it back on the shelf in the living room, Remy shrugged as he picked up his trench coat and put it on, as did Methos with his black long coat "Shall we?" he asked as they left.
An hour later, they arrived at the house where Remy, Rouge and Amanda lived, the moment they entered the house they were struck by the sounds of an argument, they could tell that it was Rouge and Amanda arguing. Remy and Methos went upstairs to find out what it was all about.
"You burned all my clothes?!" Rouge yell aloud as Amanda simply looked at her with a calm look, but she had a look of false innocence as well. "Why on earth did you do such a thing!?" Rouge demanded, Amanda knew that Rouge couldn't kill her, at least not permanently, but she could knock her one that would send her halfway across the world.
"Darling, please, you look good, but you need to know how to dress like a lady, as well as look sharp for my boy." Amanda said in her domineering tone. "I don' know about that, Remy t'inks she looks fine just the way she is." Remy said as he leaned in the doorway, Methos was behind him, covering his eyes with his hand and shaking his head in embarrassment.
"Remy!" Rouge shrieked as she tossed the nearest pillow at him, but Remy ducked and the pillow flew past him and struck and unsuspecting Methos square in the head, sending him crashing down to the floor. "Hey, what in the blazes did I do?" he said as Remy helped him back on his feet.
"Don't worry darling, we'll go shopping and get you a new style." Amanda said with a smile, Remy still in the doorway with a grin on his face from ear to ear, he couldn't help but look at a naked Rouge, not even if he tried. "I don' know about that, Remy been asking for a long time for chere to be walking around like that." He said.
This time Methos saw what was coming and jumped for dear life to the ground as Amanda herself flew at Remy.
After a morning of shopping, as well as a few apologies, the group returned to the Ravens Nest, "So, how's the head feeling?" Rouge asked Remy, Remy grinned and rubbed the lump on his head "Just fine chere." He said, "Amanda?" Rouge asked as she turned her attention to Amanda "Just fine darling, Remy broke my fall." Amanda said with a smile.
"That's and understatement." Methos retorted as he smirked at them. He did get a few glares from both Amanda and her son, but it didn't last.
They walked to a table and took a seat, the Nest was rather empty at this time of day, the real business began at night, especially on the weekends, although there were a few people there, less than five actually.
"So, you better not burn these clothes in a few months." Rouge said to Amanda, pointing a finger at her, Amanda smiled at her, trying to look innocent, of course they all knew how fake that was. "Don't worry darling, you've got style now, why ruin it?"
"So Remy can be happy at a good show?" Remy said with a grin on his face once again, but it quickly vanished as Rouge reached for a bottle that was on the next table. He raised his hands in surrender, he knew from his earlier experience that it wasn't too wise to say that kind of stuff to Rouge, unless she was in the mood.
"Excuse me, I was still drinking that!" an English accented voice came from the table where Rouge snatched the bottle, Amanda immediately froze at the sound of it "Fitz!" she said as she turned in her seat to see exactly who she had called out.
"Yes Amanda, what is it?" Fitz said as he moved to their table. He acted as if he had been around her the whole time she was in Paris, but in fact, she hadn't seen him in a couple of years, "What are you doing here?" she asked with a shocked yet happy look on her face.
Rouge, Remy and Methos saw Fitz, a middle aged man with curly hair and with a slight bit of gray in it, wide and intense eyes that seemed to be one of his defining features, he reached to Rouge and snatched back his beer "Well, I came for a drink. I was at the local book store signing copies of my new cook book 'Fit For A FitzKing'." He said before he drank from his beer.
"So you finally got you book finished? Good for you." Amanda said, happy that her friend has accomplished what he had set out to do a few years back.
Well, seems that business is a little slow right now, sure you don't need a gourmet cook?" Ftiz asked with a smirk. Amanda became slightly irritated, Fitz always seemed to get under her skin, even if he wasn't trying to, he could do it. It was like a natural gift for him.
"When I was done, I asked what was the best place in the area to get myself a beer, they told me about this place. But I would never have guessed that you ran the place." Fitz said as he looked around the club. Amanda smiled as she lay back in her seat "Well, My son and his girlfriend, Marie, help out quite a bit." She said with a grin.
Fitz looked at her, his eyes widened larger than they usually were "Your son?" he asked in surprise, Rouge chuckled lightly as Remy smiled, Amanda nodded with a look of confidence on her face "Yes, adoptive son, but my son all the same."
Fitz looked at Remy then Rouge, then back at Amanda "Lucky you." He said as he downed the rest of his beer in one quick shot. Obviously Amanda had gotten to him like he always did to her, and she loved it!
"Well, I must be off, but I'll be back tonight. I remember that you owe me a card game Amanda, I plan on winning back some of the money you swindled me out of the last time." Fitz said as he got up and tossed a bit of money on the table for his beer.
Amanda looked at him with her usual look of innocence "I won that money fair and square Fitz." She said, Fitz looked at her, somewhat annoyed "Sure Amanda, and I plan on winning it back in the same way."
He bid the others goodbye as he rushed out the door.
Later that night, the club was having an easy night, there were plenty of people there, good music, but the business was always slower on a weeknight.
Methos and Remy were working behind the bar, rather fun for them, Remy was at the end of the bar, playfully talking with Rouge, whispering into her ear. Methos smiled as he saw them, it made him think of Cordelia, come to think of it, almost everything was making him think of her.
At the moment, everybody was happy, and Methos was writing a letter to Cordelia herself, he wanted to let her know how things were going for him here in Paris, his meeting with Amanda and Catherines brother Remy, he wrote about the Ravens Nest. As well as how he was doing, and the events that followed after he arrived.
He looked to the crowd that was massed around the card game that had been going on for the last hour between Amanda and Fitz, people had actually been placing a few bets on who would win, it was an even match between the two players. The two of them had their game faces on straight, Fitz and a one sided grin on his face while Amanda had her eyes narrow and a sly grin across her lips.
"I call your five, and raise you ten." Fitz said as he tossed some of his chips to the pile at the center of the table, Amanda in turn saw his bet and tossed the same amount into the pile.
"Ready? Sure you got what you need to beat me?" Amanda said as he lay her cards out on the table. Fitz saw her deck and tossed his down in disappointment "Again? You can't be that good Amanda." He said in an angry tone, Amanda pulled all the chips towards herself.
Fitz was suspicious, so without warning he jumped up and grabbed Amanda by the wrist "Let's just see how much of it is skill." He said as he pulled up her sleeve. As he suspected, he found an assortment of aces and a few other cards against her arm.
"I knew it! You've been cheating me in every game we've ever played!" Fitz said in shock and anger, Amanda simply smiled with her eyebrows curled upwards and smiled hesitantly. Fitz looked at her seriously, Amanda looked around the room to see people whispering to each other and others just watching what was actually amusing to them "Well, Come on Fitz, I'm a former thief, I've got to keep in some practice don't I?" Amanda said in her defense.
Rouge and Remy noticed the following argument, Remy shook his head with a smile, he wasn't angry since he learned how to do the very same thing from her when he was young. Rouge just shaking her head as the argument ensued.
Remy walked over to Methos who was more into what he was writing than what was happening in the room, Remy pretty much just let the argument go on, he could see it was just a petty one (as they usually are between Amanda and Fitz.)
"What you writing Methos?" Remy asked, Methos looked up from what he was doing, he noticed Rouge going off to try and keep the crowd from going into a brawl, he looked back at Remy who was still awaiting an answer "Just a letter, to Cordelia in Los Angeles." He answered with a small smile.
Remy nodded "Remy t'inks you really have it bad for the woman." He said with a smile, Methos smiled as he went back to writing the letter "I do, she's...vibrant." he said, trying to sum up the proper words to describe her. Remy patted the immortal on the shoulder "C'est l'amour." He spoke
"It is indeed, Remy." Methos said as he finished the letter by signing his name at the bottom of the last page. "Why don' you send her a ticket to come here?" Remy suggested, Methos thought of that, he had considered doing that, but wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not "Do you think it would be ok by Amanda and Rouge?" he asked.
Remy smiled with a chuckle "Oui, mon ami, it's alright by them, I'm sure that my mother would be dying to meet her, I'm pretty sure she already is, and Rouge wouldn't mind someone who isn't related to her, y'know, even up the odds."
Methos smiled as he lowered his head in thought, he'd do it.
Methos stashed the letter under the bar for the time being, when they looked back to the argument, Amanda and Fitz had their swords unsheathed and were arguing over a sword fight now, "Mon dieu." Remy said as he leaped over the bar to help Rouge keep the crowd at bay "Don' worry folk, dis happens all the time." He said aloud with a goofy grin.
"Well, it's not my fault your getting fat for your age!" Fitz said insultingly as he dodge one of Amanda's swings with her sword, they weren't really trying to kill each other, it was just how the argument had escalated.
"Excuse me? Me getting fat?!" Amanda bellowed out as she grabbed a chair and tossed it at Fitz, he ducked just as it flew past him, Amanda came at him, not with anger, but frustration. "I'll have you know that I'm just as thin as I was the day I first died!" she said angrily.
"Don' worry folks, that's just a figure of speech." Remy said as people looked at each other when Amanda mentioned the first time she died. Fitz was backing off from Amanda, he was bumping into tables and chairs as he did "Just admit you were wrong, pay me back, and all is well." He said, wanting his money back.
Amanda leaped at him, furious, "No! Make me!" she said as she continued to swing and thrust her sword at him, Fitz in turn kicked the table she had jumped on and sent Amanda crashing to the ground. In turn Amanda side kicked his feet and sent him down to the ground also.
It was then when the fight ended. "Ok, folks, show's over, we're closed." Rouge said as the crowd silently disbanded from the club, the DJ also gathered his things and left as well.
After the place was cleaned up and Rouge and convinced Amanda to let Fitz keep the money from the game they played, reluctantly. Methos was back at the bar with an envelope in his hand and his letter in the other. He signed the return address as 'Adam Pearson', his alter ego.
With the letter he added an extra item, one he went out and picked up as the others were cleaning the club. He remembered what Remy had said earlier about Cordelia, he knew it would take awhile for the letter to get there, but he also added the number for the club and his home phone number in the letter as well.
Rouge and Amanda came up to him as Remy talked with Fitz over a beer. "I assume that's addressed to Los Angeles?" Rouge asked as she took a seat opposite to Amanda and Methos.
Methos nodded with a smile, he kept his eyes on the envelope, it was somewhat thick, not thin like usual letters, he obviously wrote down what was going on in his head, and for a man whose the oldest living being on the planet, that's a lot.
"Yes, Remy suggested that I ask her to come over here. I know, I haven't been away from her for that long, but, I miss her." He said, to anyone else it probably would have sounded sappy, but to Amanda and Rouge, it was a charming thing to hear. "Oh man, why can't I find a relationship like that." Amanda said in a moment of seer longing.
Methos looked at her and shook his head "Well, if you and Duncan would stay committed to a relationship, you would!" he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Rouge couldn't help but nod in agreement with him "He's got a point Amanda."
Amanda looked at both her and Methos with wide eyes "Hey! It's just not the right time for the two of us, and my personal life is none of either of your business." She said with a rather pleasant yet exasperated tone of voice. Methos and Rouge simply smiled. Rouge went back to the table with Fitz and Remy for a beer as Amanda stayed with Methos for awhile longer.
"So, you think she'll accept the invitation?" she asked, Methos flipped the envelope through his fingers as he kept his gaze upon it "I hope so, I know she's mainly needed there, but I hope that she'll decide to come here, even if it's only for a little while.
He looked at Amanda who was resting her head on the palm of her hand, looking mellow and calm, just looking at him and listening to him, giving her undivided attention "Methos," she said calmly, he looked up at her "Yeah?" he asked. Amanda kept still like a statue almost "Go mail the letter."
A Week or Two Later
Gunn walked into the hotel with a pile of mail in his hand "Mail call." He called out as he placed all the envelopes on the desk that was once the main desk to the former hotel. Wesley's head popped up from behind, Gunn jumped back with a start "Oh man, you got to stop doing that." He said, annoyed.
Wesley reached for the mail, he was still confined to a wheel chair, but he was now able to get up a little, just not all at once. He flipped through the mail, mainly bills and such. Until he came to one that he had no idea who it was from "Uh, who's Adam Pearson?" he called out. Cordelia who was in the back looking for a specific book so she could continue to organize the whole pile of them came running out furiously and snatched the letter from his hand.
"It's another name Methos uses." She said as she quickly, yet carefully, opened the envelope. She smiled with unbelievable cheer as she began to read the longish letter.
She walked over to one of the chairs nearby and continued to read the letter, she had been waiting for something from Methos ever since he left, she missed him dearly, but didn't tell the others that.
"Anything you'd be willing to share with us?" Wesley asked as he and Gunn kept an eye on her. She gave them a glance over to them with a lope sided grin that would knock Methos out in mere seconds. "Well, he says that on his first day in Paris, he ran into Catherines mother, you remember hearing about Catherine right?" she asked, Gunn and Wesley both nodded.
Cordelia flipped to the next page "Oh, as well as her brother Remy and his girlfriend Marie, after a few talks they're on good ground with each other. He's working for Amanda, Catherines mother, at her club called the Ravens Nest, it's one of the best and only the best places in their part of Paris." She said with a smile.
As she kept reading she giggled and chuckled a few times, and other times the two saw a serious expression, like heart felt emotion coursing through her.
After a couple of minutes, Cordelia was reading the final page, she lit up like a bright light bulb in the darkness of night, she gave out a playful scream, like a giggle almost. "A number, two actually and…" she stopped as she looked in the envelope and pulled out something she really wasn't expecting, a plane ticket.
Wesley and Gunn saw it, and they didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing, they wanted to go with what Cordelia thought of it. "A plane ticket." She finished. She read the last bit of writing on the final page.
"He says, he would love it if I came down, even if it's only for a little bit, it's really my decision." She said as she looked at the ticket.
"Go." A voice came from the shadows near the corner, they all looked to see Angel standing there looking at them "It's no secret anymore between all of us that you and Methos are closer than friends." He said in a tone that spoke levels to them. Wesley and Gunn nodded at her "We kind of got the idea awhile ago." Gunn said admitting the fact.
"But, what about you guys?" she asked. No one had forgotten that she was their link to the Powers That Be. Angel shook his head, "There are other sources, don't worry, we'll be just fine." He said. Cordelia could make out sadness in his voice, she could tell that he was sad in allowing her to leave them for this unknown amount of time.
"Just watch your back." He said as he left the room and went back into his lair.
48 hours later
Methos was in the bar with Remy sharing a drink, Amanda and Rouge were out shopping again. This time Amanda got to Rouges shoes, and Methos and Remy had the bruises to prove it. "Why do we end up getting the worst of the situation? Especially when we had nothing to do with it." Methos asked.
Remy removed the icepack from his eye and exposed the bruised skin around the area "Remy don' know either." He said as he took a swig of his beer.
Just then Amanda and Rouge walked in, they were on good terms, laughing and smiling, Methos and Remy looked at them and went back to their beer with grumbles coming from their lips.
After a few minutes they had finished their beer and Methos went to put the glasses in the back room.
"Excuse me?" a voice came from the entrance, Remy, Amanda and Rouge turned to see a woman standing there, her hair was down to her neck, she had a sharp fashion sense that Amanda could agree with. "Can we help you?" Amanda asked her.
The woman smiled as she walked past the door and to the table where she and Rouge sat, "Uh, yes, I'm looking for…Methos." She said. Amanda looked at her peculiarly, she knew this wasn't another immortal, she would have sensed it immediately.
"He's in the back, can I help you…" she said, but Amanda was cut off by Methos' voice cut her off "Cordelia?" he said as he stood frozen in front of the door to the back room.
Cordelia turned away from Amanda and saw him standing there, a great smile stretched across her face "Methos." She whispered as she rushed towards him, Methos walked towards her as well.
The two collided with an embrace, each holding each other tightly, "I missed you." Cordelia whispered into his ear. Methos smiled "As I missed you my love." He whispered back, they pulled back slightly in their embrace, they faced each other.
To them, the moment was infinity, nothing else existed around them, just them. They moved closer, and before anyone knew what happened, the two were intertwined in a kiss, the embrace had become a passionate one.
Amanda leaned forward on the table, her head resting on her hand, a smile was on her face, again, as before, she was calm and relaxed. She was caught up in the moment shared with every other soul that watched in the room. Rouge was in Remy's arms, watching the two lovers reunite, even though they were only apart for a short time.
The kiss ended between the two, Cordelia looked at Methos, her palm gently cupped his cheek as they looked deeply into each others eyes, she leaned close enough that her nose was gently touching his "I'm not going anywhere either." She said softly.
Methos smiled as he traced the outline of her face, each smooth and gentle curve. He moved in to close the already small space between them that seemed so vast, and he kissed her again.
"C'est L'amour." Remy whispered as the two held each other tightly in their embrace, they were together, and not even the end of the world could, at that very moment, tear them apart.
End