*** 2001 ***


It hit him then, the presence wasn't gone. Not all of it. There was another, a second immortal. He glanced around, glaring at Harry to back off. A soft chuckle filled the air and Methos gazed at the door. There was a small boy standing there. He couldn't have been more than nine. Such an innocent, or so most would think.

Methos stared at the boy and he could see the evil in the young boy's eyes. The hate and the pain. Methos managed to get himself to stand in between Harry and the boy and faced the kid.
Something happened between them.
A meeting from one predator to another, the boy looked at him and understood. He had to be intelligent, otherwise he wouldn't have survived a week in that form. Smart and ruthless.
Yet another of the Dark Lord's flunkies and not just a hapless victim of his powers either.
The kid nodded and turned away, Methos didn't dare move before every last hint of the other's presence was gone.

Harry ran up to him, barely stopping mere inches in front of him, holding on like a brave little Gryffindor. Methos wondered if the kid had even realized how much danger they'd both been in. Methos especially.
But no, the kid was young, in love with danger and excitement and when the terror would come, it would probably be discarded as cowardice.
Gryffindors!

"What was that?"

Methos refused to meet his gaze and grabbed for his coat.
"Get your stuff kid, we're leaving."

The boy looked at him, maybe he wasn't all that stupid, at least he wasn't that naive to trust just anyone.
"Where to?"

"There's a bookstore here in London, a friend of mine'll be waiting for us."

After a second the kid came to a decision and got his coat, staring at Methos.
"Who are you?"

"Family."

"I don't have family."
Methos barely held in a chuckle at the kid's brave posture. If he wanted to, he could take him out anytime and for some reason he suspected Harry knew that ... Yet ...
"Sure there's the Dursleys. Were ..."
The boy winched at mentioning the name, probably remembering what had happened.
Methos couldn't help but take pity at him.

"I am family."
The boy looked at him in disbelief.

"Then why..."
The boy quickly bit back the rest of the question. As if trying to hide something.

"Look, we don't have the time, so don't go playing 20 questions with me now agreed?"
The boy quickly nodded.
"Your father was my guardian for a while. To the magical law, that made him my father, and us family.
Now will you please stop nagging little brother. I really don't want to keep my friend waiting."

Harry stared at him in what seemed to be surprise. Methos left, not bothering to check if the kid was following. He smiled as he heard the back door of the car slam shut as the boy sat down.

*** 1984 ***

Methos smiled as he pulled up the clay, it felt so warm under his fingers, stretching out under them. A face formed in the clay, then a second, a third. So many formed that the clay returned to a moving blur. There was so much in his mind, too much to remember.
Slave, master, demon, god...
He'd been it all.

He nearly crumbled underneath the weight of the memories, frozen by their overwelming presence.
"Methos?"
He knew now how long it had been to hear his name called out like this. He'd hidden it for so long...
Lilly stood in the door, staring at him, her belly ripe with child.
He grabbed for his head, dimming the scream about to burst out. Lilly approached, her fingers brushing motherly through his hair. It was nice. He'd never had a mother. Plenty of lovers, but never a mother.
"You'll be fine."
But would he, could he ever be fine again.
She didn't really knew him, she didn't know how the young slave she'd cared over had been washed away behind an ocean of memories. All of which were grabbing for a piece of what remained of his tainted and tattered soul.
As old memories mixed with the new, his hands fell on the ground for support as he could feel a woman's touch on him. She felt wrong, so different, yet ... he knew her somehow.
Lilly.
That was her name and she was crying for him, caring.

He could feel a tear form in his eyes and did a desperate attempt to wipe it away.