AN –Thank you to all the people who have been kind enough to take the time to write reviews of my stories (and such nice things too!) I've never published anything on the net before, so it great to know that people are actually reading it!

***

After ten minutes standing, in the freezing cold, outside the deserted bar, Richie decided that even the cool leather coat wasn't worth this.

"Is there some sane, normal, reason, why we aren't just going in the door like regular people?"

"Yes." Methos scowled at him. "Standing out in the cold freezing our bits off is soo much more fun."

"And back in the real world we are doing this because ..?"

"Because it is the middle of the night. The bar is locked and I don't have a key. Satisfied?"

"Well why didn't you just say so?" Richie shook his head. "Just show me the door and I'll pick the lock."

"Won't work."

"Why not?"

"Because you like the guy who owns the bar. You don't want him to get robbed and you installed a security system so good that you'd have to be Houdini to get in there without setting it off. Which is the last thing we need by the way."

"So how is this Amanda going to meet us here?"

"She's that good."

"Oh." Richie considered this. "Is there any chance she might have given me a few lessons?"

"Over Macleod's dead body." Methos scoffed.

"Because .." Richie flashed him a smile. "I have this really good idea."

****

Two minutes later Methos realised that he might have to reassess a few things.

"I don't suppose it is any good asking you how you knew how to do that?" he sighed.

"Nope." Richie looked around. "Hey. This place is pretty cool."

"Joe's a pretty cool guy." Methos acknowledged. "Macleod, on the other hand, is going to freak when he discovers you haven't been his blue eyed boy scout."

"Who's Macleod?" Richie squinted at him.

Methos cursed. He hadn't meant to bring that up so early. "He's your  teacher."

"Oh." Richie nodded. "So he was the one who taught me how to use a sword?" He asked innocently.

"Yes." Methos had the definite feeling that this was going somewhere he wouldn't like.

"To cut off people's heads?" Richie clarified.

"Well. Yes. In order to survive." Methos felt uncomfortably like he had to defend the Highlander's moral stance.

"But not to do a little B and E in the name of self preservation?" Richie finished.

"Well." Put like that, Methos realised that Macleod might well have considered that a touch of larceny was a useful part of the kid's education. It wasn't like he was exactly Snow White when it came to the appropriation of stolen goods. A certain Scottish stone came to mind. "I .." he paused. "Saved by the buzz." Methos muttered as Amanda emerged, beautiful as ever, from the stock room.