CHAPTER 49
The next morning Beth slept longer than usual. She woke up a few times during the night and the
last she could remember, Adam was holding her in his arms … his body spooned behind her.
When she didn't feel his familiar warmth, she turned and felt the sheets behind her …
disappointed when she realized he wasn't there.
Brushing the hair that covered her eyes back with one hand, Beth sat up … pulling the sheet
around her. Last night had been so wonderful … she had almost forgotten how it felt to be that
close … to share such intimacy.
Looking at the clock, she wasn't that surprised Adam had gotten up … but she was surprised
she'd slept so soundly she hadn't notice when he'd left. Picking up the pillow they had shared the
night before, she held it to her face … inhaling the scent of him that still lingered.
Hearing footsteps on the stair, Beth smiled … anticipating Adam coming through the door. But
when the door opened, she couldn't hide her disappointment. It was Amanda …
"Sorry hon … it's just me." Amanda smiled as she came in with a tray. "I was bringing this to
your room …" she indicated the dry toast and glass of ginger ale that seemed to keep her
stomach from revolting. "And when I didn't find you there … " she grinned.
Beth pulled the sheet more tightly around her and tucked the corner under her arm as she slid to
the edge of the bed and took a sip of the soda. "That was sweet of you Amanda … but you
shouldn't have. I really do feel better …"
"Obviously." Amanda couldn't help teasing.
"So I take it you and Adam are getting … closer?" Amanda observed.
"I thought so … but he's not here so …"
"Well for that you can blame Duncan." Amanda told her. "He called here a few hours ago
demanding to talk to Adam. And about ten minutes later he was out of here like a shot."
"Do you think something happened? … that something is wrong?" Beth asked, her voice full of
concern.
"I don't think so … I mean … Devan is still out there. No … I think it's more about why he pulled
his disappearing act this week. Duncan wasn't pleased."
"Guess I'm not the only one with questions." Beth said more to herself than to Amanda.
"You are really feeling better?" Amanda asked.
"Much … I know now I was pushing myself … I've got to be more careful." Beth admitted.
"Feel like getting out for awhile? Claudia is crawling the walls of her suite and Richie invited … or
make that 'begged' me to bring you over and see if we can help him entertain her."
"Sure … just let me grab a shower. It will give us a chance to start planning for the holidays."
Beth said, reaching for the shirt Adam must have left for her before he went out.
An hour later Claudia was becoming more and more excited about spending the holiday in
Seacouver. "I'll be done with my concert schedule next week … and then it will be almost
Thanksgiving. I'm really looking forward to this." Her eyes sparkled like a child. "I just wish the
hotel would let me put a tree in here … can you believe they said all I could have was an artificial
that would fit on a table?" she complained.
"So don't stay here." Beth answered. "There are two more rooms at the house that haven't been
used yet … even when Duncan and Amanda stay over."
"Seriously?" Claudia asked.
"And one of them is pretty big … we could probably fit a tree of your own inside if you want." Beth
replied. "One thing though … neither is furnished. I finished painting them but …I'll need to order
a bed and at least a dresser …"
"Would you let me furnish it myself?" Claudia asked.
"Sure … " Beth replied. "And this will be better anyway … if we're both under one roof … we're
easier to protect."
"Good point." Richie said, glad that his days of guarding Claudia alone were over.
"Can we go now to see the room? I've got a few hours before I need to be at the concert hall."
Across town at MacLeod's, Duncan was listening as Methos explained to him why he had to go to
Paris.
"You're kidding me right? You said yourself that the manuscripts were filed under legend. For all
you know it's a fable … "
"But what if it's not?" Methos replied. "What if …"
"You can't be serious!" MacLeod interrupted him. "Are you not seeing the risk in this? Did
watching her collapse in pain only a week ago not mean anything to you?"
"It ripped through my soul MacLeod." Methos retorted, raising his voice.
"And when even after everything … after what she learned … " he continued. "She looked past it
and saw me as a man she could love … I knew I had been given another chance … and then I
found this." he indicated the manuscript.
"You do have a chance … She's not Alexa … She's healthy and she's carrying a child that will
only add to what the two of you could share." MacLeod tried to reason with him. "Don't risk it all
on some fairy tale … "
"Don't you understand MacLeod? I don't want just a few decades with Beth … not if there's a
chance we can have more. One hundred years MacLeod … if this is no fable, then we have a
chance at one hundred years while time stands still for her." Methos' continued with passion.
"And then when that time is over, she will age naturally … and with the strides medical science
could make in that time … who knows how much longer we could be together?"
"Are you hearing yourself?" MacLeod argued placing his hands flat against the counter, trying to
control his frustration. "You are grasping at something that will end with the same result … she
will die. Eventually she will die no matter what you do and you will have to deal with the pain and
the loss anyway."
"Fifty centuries …" Methos replied. "Fifty centuries MacLeod I've existed. Fifty centuries I've
seen and done just about everything there is to do … and in all that time, all the women I've had
in my life … not until the one precious year with Alexa did I realize what mattered more than
anything … love matters. She taught me how to love and now I have another chance to do that
with Beth."
MacLeod said nothing but continued to listen.
"Maybe finding Beth and the key to this opportunity is some kind of return for the fifty centuries
I've existed as a shell of a man ... " He tried to justify.
'It doesn't make any sense … don't you think if this were true we would have heard more about
it?"
"It's been documented twice … and it makes perfect sense to me. The life force in a woman who
is carrying a child is one of the most powerful forces in the world."
"I can't support this … not without some proof … and I don't think I could even then." Duncan told
him flatly.
"Then find your proof." Methos challenged. "There is a witness to the second occurrence. A
witness so close they were actually there to deliver the child."
Duncan raised an eyebrow.
"I was going to ask you … because she would never tell me. Hell, she'd probably lie just to spite
me and then try to take my head.
Duncan didn't want to know what he knew he was about to hear.
Methos waited before telling him. "Cassandra knows the truth."
The next morning Beth slept longer than usual. She woke up a few times during the night and the
last she could remember, Adam was holding her in his arms … his body spooned behind her.
When she didn't feel his familiar warmth, she turned and felt the sheets behind her …
disappointed when she realized he wasn't there.
Brushing the hair that covered her eyes back with one hand, Beth sat up … pulling the sheet
around her. Last night had been so wonderful … she had almost forgotten how it felt to be that
close … to share such intimacy.
Looking at the clock, she wasn't that surprised Adam had gotten up … but she was surprised
she'd slept so soundly she hadn't notice when he'd left. Picking up the pillow they had shared the
night before, she held it to her face … inhaling the scent of him that still lingered.
Hearing footsteps on the stair, Beth smiled … anticipating Adam coming through the door. But
when the door opened, she couldn't hide her disappointment. It was Amanda …
"Sorry hon … it's just me." Amanda smiled as she came in with a tray. "I was bringing this to
your room …" she indicated the dry toast and glass of ginger ale that seemed to keep her
stomach from revolting. "And when I didn't find you there … " she grinned.
Beth pulled the sheet more tightly around her and tucked the corner under her arm as she slid to
the edge of the bed and took a sip of the soda. "That was sweet of you Amanda … but you
shouldn't have. I really do feel better …"
"Obviously." Amanda couldn't help teasing.
"So I take it you and Adam are getting … closer?" Amanda observed.
"I thought so … but he's not here so …"
"Well for that you can blame Duncan." Amanda told her. "He called here a few hours ago
demanding to talk to Adam. And about ten minutes later he was out of here like a shot."
"Do you think something happened? … that something is wrong?" Beth asked, her voice full of
concern.
"I don't think so … I mean … Devan is still out there. No … I think it's more about why he pulled
his disappearing act this week. Duncan wasn't pleased."
"Guess I'm not the only one with questions." Beth said more to herself than to Amanda.
"You are really feeling better?" Amanda asked.
"Much … I know now I was pushing myself … I've got to be more careful." Beth admitted.
"Feel like getting out for awhile? Claudia is crawling the walls of her suite and Richie invited … or
make that 'begged' me to bring you over and see if we can help him entertain her."
"Sure … just let me grab a shower. It will give us a chance to start planning for the holidays."
Beth said, reaching for the shirt Adam must have left for her before he went out.
An hour later Claudia was becoming more and more excited about spending the holiday in
Seacouver. "I'll be done with my concert schedule next week … and then it will be almost
Thanksgiving. I'm really looking forward to this." Her eyes sparkled like a child. "I just wish the
hotel would let me put a tree in here … can you believe they said all I could have was an artificial
that would fit on a table?" she complained.
"So don't stay here." Beth answered. "There are two more rooms at the house that haven't been
used yet … even when Duncan and Amanda stay over."
"Seriously?" Claudia asked.
"And one of them is pretty big … we could probably fit a tree of your own inside if you want." Beth
replied. "One thing though … neither is furnished. I finished painting them but …I'll need to order
a bed and at least a dresser …"
"Would you let me furnish it myself?" Claudia asked.
"Sure … " Beth replied. "And this will be better anyway … if we're both under one roof … we're
easier to protect."
"Good point." Richie said, glad that his days of guarding Claudia alone were over.
"Can we go now to see the room? I've got a few hours before I need to be at the concert hall."
Across town at MacLeod's, Duncan was listening as Methos explained to him why he had to go to
Paris.
"You're kidding me right? You said yourself that the manuscripts were filed under legend. For all
you know it's a fable … "
"But what if it's not?" Methos replied. "What if …"
"You can't be serious!" MacLeod interrupted him. "Are you not seeing the risk in this? Did
watching her collapse in pain only a week ago not mean anything to you?"
"It ripped through my soul MacLeod." Methos retorted, raising his voice.
"And when even after everything … after what she learned … " he continued. "She looked past it
and saw me as a man she could love … I knew I had been given another chance … and then I
found this." he indicated the manuscript.
"You do have a chance … She's not Alexa … She's healthy and she's carrying a child that will
only add to what the two of you could share." MacLeod tried to reason with him. "Don't risk it all
on some fairy tale … "
"Don't you understand MacLeod? I don't want just a few decades with Beth … not if there's a
chance we can have more. One hundred years MacLeod … if this is no fable, then we have a
chance at one hundred years while time stands still for her." Methos' continued with passion.
"And then when that time is over, she will age naturally … and with the strides medical science
could make in that time … who knows how much longer we could be together?"
"Are you hearing yourself?" MacLeod argued placing his hands flat against the counter, trying to
control his frustration. "You are grasping at something that will end with the same result … she
will die. Eventually she will die no matter what you do and you will have to deal with the pain and
the loss anyway."
"Fifty centuries …" Methos replied. "Fifty centuries MacLeod I've existed. Fifty centuries I've
seen and done just about everything there is to do … and in all that time, all the women I've had
in my life … not until the one precious year with Alexa did I realize what mattered more than
anything … love matters. She taught me how to love and now I have another chance to do that
with Beth."
MacLeod said nothing but continued to listen.
"Maybe finding Beth and the key to this opportunity is some kind of return for the fifty centuries
I've existed as a shell of a man ... " He tried to justify.
'It doesn't make any sense … don't you think if this were true we would have heard more about
it?"
"It's been documented twice … and it makes perfect sense to me. The life force in a woman who
is carrying a child is one of the most powerful forces in the world."
"I can't support this … not without some proof … and I don't think I could even then." Duncan told
him flatly.
"Then find your proof." Methos challenged. "There is a witness to the second occurrence. A
witness so close they were actually there to deliver the child."
Duncan raised an eyebrow.
"I was going to ask you … because she would never tell me. Hell, she'd probably lie just to spite
me and then try to take my head.
Duncan didn't want to know what he knew he was about to hear.
Methos waited before telling him. "Cassandra knows the truth."