CHAPTER 9
"MacLeod?" Methos was surprised to hear him answer the phone at Joe's. "I thought you were
leaving this morning with the dog and the car."
"We are, but Joe wanted me to stop by and pick up something on our way out of town. He's with
Richie loading it up now."
"Hope it's a keg." He replied glumly. Duncan could tell from his tone of voice something was
wrong.
"Problems?" Duncan asked.
"Ran into an old friend of Beth's this morning. A guy she and her husband grew up with. They
were very close." Methos replied.
"You aren't worried he might turn her head are you?" Duncan was certain that wasn't possible.
Beth was completely devoted to Methos.
"No … I'd just take his head if I thought that." Methos replied, half seriously.
"You mean he's …"
"Immortal … yes." Methos finished his sentence. "Beth has known him since they were five so
he's new to this. I think three years at the most, if the accident she mentioned was his first death.
Claims he had amnesia after his truck went off a cliff. Everyone thought he was dead, but they
didn't find remains in the burned out cab. Showed up about 6 months ago, after he claims to
have regained his memory."
"Do you think he knows what he is?" Duncan asked, running his hand across the back of his
neck as Joe and Richie came into the office of the bar.
"If he does, then he wants to make me believe he doesn't. And that makes him dangerous."
Methos replied. "If he doesn't … then he'll have to be told. Either way it will be awkward for Beth
and I."
"You didn't tell her did you?"
"No, but she sensed I didn't care for him. I can't lie to her … he's her friend and she would never
forgive me for keeping this from her. I bought a little time though, and hoped Joe could look into
him … see if the Watchers are aware of him.
Duncan got out a tablet and scribbled down the name Garrett Linton, and handed the note to Joe
who didn't seem to recognize it.
"I'll have him call you right back." Duncan told Methos.
"No … let me call him. I don't want to alert Beth until I know something. I'll call back in an hour."
"One word of advice from your best man." Duncan said before he hung up. "Watch your back,
but try to keep peace between you and Garrett. If he is as close as you say to her, you could end
up sleeping on the sofa."
Methos smirked. He was already sleeping on the sofa … "Thanks MacLeod. See you Sunday
night."
Duncan set the phone down and briefed Joe and Richie on the conversation. Joe immediately
went to his computer, but found nothing on a Garrett Linton … or any other new immortal in that
part of the country.
"We should get going." Duncan said to Richie who was still wondering what the odds were of this
happening.
"Yeah Mac. God I hope this guy really is clueless. If he does know … and Methos finds out he's
lying … Garrett's too close to Beth for him to take it well."
"That's why I want to see how early we can get there on Sunday." Duncan replied. "We'll call
you tonight Joe. You've got my cell number if you need to reach us in the meantime. Come on
Barkley … let's go boy."
-------------------------
Beth walked out on the porch just as Adam hung up the phone.
"Duncan and Richie are leaving now. They think they'll be here Sunday night." He told her when
she wondered who had been on the phone.
"Is Cassie asleep?" he asked.
"Not quite. Rayna is rocking her. She'll be out like a light soon." She replied, slipping her arm
through his. "Will you do something for me?" she asked.
"Have I ever said no?" he replied, covering her hand on his arm with his.
"I think I want to go to the house. But I'd like to go alone. Will you stay with Cassie?" she asked.
"Are you sure you want to go alone?" he replied and Beth nodded. "Then I'll be here … waiting."
Adam assured her.
Beth went back inside with him to get her coat and he made sure she had her cell phone before
she left. Adam hoped she was ready to deal with the memories as he watched the rental car pull
out of the drive. He understood why she'd wanted to go alone, but it didn't make it any easier
knowing he wouldn't be there to help her cope.
The phone rang inside just as he closed the door. It was Rayna's pilot. Adam handed her the
phone and took Cassie out of her arms. He carried the sleeping baby upstairs, but instead of
putting her in the crib, he spent the next half hour just holding her and studying every feature and
eyelash. She was truly amazing. When Rayna came upstairs to get her jacket, Adam was still
sitting on the edge of the bed with the baby.
"You really love her don't you?" Rayna commented as she interrupted the tender scene.
"I love both of them … with all my heart." Adam replied, dropping a kiss on the baby's cheek
before he put her in the crib and turned to let Rayna have her room back.
"I know the family can seem like a pain when we're watching and judging your every move. But
give us a chance. Because if you really are what you seem, they'll come around eventually. We
wouldn't be like this if Leandra wasn't important to us."
"I understand that. How am I doing so far?" Adam asked since Rayna appeared to be on his
side.
"Chris' husband Gary and I think you're the best thing that could have happened to Beth. Chris is
coming around … she's always been the mother hen of the group. Dad and the brothers … let's
just say the jury is still out on you with them. But Eva and Gwen are also completely taken with
you, so they'll keep Kyle and Justin from interfering too much" She replied seriously.
"And what would it take do you think to sway the rest of them?" Adam countered.
"It wouldn't hurt if you opened up a little and told us more about yourself. And if they see that
Beth is really happy and you don't try to separate her from the family, then they will come around.
But if you show any signs of hurting her … I wouldn't want to be you." She warned.
"I'll keep that in mind." Adam replied as he turned to go. "Thank you."
"No problem. I understand if it weren't for you, my sister would be dead now. I'll help any way I
can as long as she's happy." Rayna replied. "Oh and, I know you're not religious … but if you
would reconsider and marry Beth in the church I think Dad would feel a lot better. And Beth may
not say so, but it matters to her too." Adam said nothing in response, but nodded as he closed
the door.
"MacLeod?" Methos was surprised to hear him answer the phone at Joe's. "I thought you were
leaving this morning with the dog and the car."
"We are, but Joe wanted me to stop by and pick up something on our way out of town. He's with
Richie loading it up now."
"Hope it's a keg." He replied glumly. Duncan could tell from his tone of voice something was
wrong.
"Problems?" Duncan asked.
"Ran into an old friend of Beth's this morning. A guy she and her husband grew up with. They
were very close." Methos replied.
"You aren't worried he might turn her head are you?" Duncan was certain that wasn't possible.
Beth was completely devoted to Methos.
"No … I'd just take his head if I thought that." Methos replied, half seriously.
"You mean he's …"
"Immortal … yes." Methos finished his sentence. "Beth has known him since they were five so
he's new to this. I think three years at the most, if the accident she mentioned was his first death.
Claims he had amnesia after his truck went off a cliff. Everyone thought he was dead, but they
didn't find remains in the burned out cab. Showed up about 6 months ago, after he claims to
have regained his memory."
"Do you think he knows what he is?" Duncan asked, running his hand across the back of his
neck as Joe and Richie came into the office of the bar.
"If he does, then he wants to make me believe he doesn't. And that makes him dangerous."
Methos replied. "If he doesn't … then he'll have to be told. Either way it will be awkward for Beth
and I."
"You didn't tell her did you?"
"No, but she sensed I didn't care for him. I can't lie to her … he's her friend and she would never
forgive me for keeping this from her. I bought a little time though, and hoped Joe could look into
him … see if the Watchers are aware of him.
Duncan got out a tablet and scribbled down the name Garrett Linton, and handed the note to Joe
who didn't seem to recognize it.
"I'll have him call you right back." Duncan told Methos.
"No … let me call him. I don't want to alert Beth until I know something. I'll call back in an hour."
"One word of advice from your best man." Duncan said before he hung up. "Watch your back,
but try to keep peace between you and Garrett. If he is as close as you say to her, you could end
up sleeping on the sofa."
Methos smirked. He was already sleeping on the sofa … "Thanks MacLeod. See you Sunday
night."
Duncan set the phone down and briefed Joe and Richie on the conversation. Joe immediately
went to his computer, but found nothing on a Garrett Linton … or any other new immortal in that
part of the country.
"We should get going." Duncan said to Richie who was still wondering what the odds were of this
happening.
"Yeah Mac. God I hope this guy really is clueless. If he does know … and Methos finds out he's
lying … Garrett's too close to Beth for him to take it well."
"That's why I want to see how early we can get there on Sunday." Duncan replied. "We'll call
you tonight Joe. You've got my cell number if you need to reach us in the meantime. Come on
Barkley … let's go boy."
-------------------------
Beth walked out on the porch just as Adam hung up the phone.
"Duncan and Richie are leaving now. They think they'll be here Sunday night." He told her when
she wondered who had been on the phone.
"Is Cassie asleep?" he asked.
"Not quite. Rayna is rocking her. She'll be out like a light soon." She replied, slipping her arm
through his. "Will you do something for me?" she asked.
"Have I ever said no?" he replied, covering her hand on his arm with his.
"I think I want to go to the house. But I'd like to go alone. Will you stay with Cassie?" she asked.
"Are you sure you want to go alone?" he replied and Beth nodded. "Then I'll be here … waiting."
Adam assured her.
Beth went back inside with him to get her coat and he made sure she had her cell phone before
she left. Adam hoped she was ready to deal with the memories as he watched the rental car pull
out of the drive. He understood why she'd wanted to go alone, but it didn't make it any easier
knowing he wouldn't be there to help her cope.
The phone rang inside just as he closed the door. It was Rayna's pilot. Adam handed her the
phone and took Cassie out of her arms. He carried the sleeping baby upstairs, but instead of
putting her in the crib, he spent the next half hour just holding her and studying every feature and
eyelash. She was truly amazing. When Rayna came upstairs to get her jacket, Adam was still
sitting on the edge of the bed with the baby.
"You really love her don't you?" Rayna commented as she interrupted the tender scene.
"I love both of them … with all my heart." Adam replied, dropping a kiss on the baby's cheek
before he put her in the crib and turned to let Rayna have her room back.
"I know the family can seem like a pain when we're watching and judging your every move. But
give us a chance. Because if you really are what you seem, they'll come around eventually. We
wouldn't be like this if Leandra wasn't important to us."
"I understand that. How am I doing so far?" Adam asked since Rayna appeared to be on his
side.
"Chris' husband Gary and I think you're the best thing that could have happened to Beth. Chris is
coming around … she's always been the mother hen of the group. Dad and the brothers … let's
just say the jury is still out on you with them. But Eva and Gwen are also completely taken with
you, so they'll keep Kyle and Justin from interfering too much" She replied seriously.
"And what would it take do you think to sway the rest of them?" Adam countered.
"It wouldn't hurt if you opened up a little and told us more about yourself. And if they see that
Beth is really happy and you don't try to separate her from the family, then they will come around.
But if you show any signs of hurting her … I wouldn't want to be you." She warned.
"I'll keep that in mind." Adam replied as he turned to go. "Thank you."
"No problem. I understand if it weren't for you, my sister would be dead now. I'll help any way I
can as long as she's happy." Rayna replied. "Oh and, I know you're not religious … but if you
would reconsider and marry Beth in the church I think Dad would feel a lot better. And Beth may
not say so, but it matters to her too." Adam said nothing in response, but nodded as he closed
the door.