Lex opened the door to the mansion as his visitor's car pulled into the driveway. As he turned to the mirror, and straightened his clothes, he felt a sharp pain in his head and moved his hands up to grasp at the sides of his face. It was intense and uncomfortable for a few seconds, as he felt the pain stinging at his temples and taper off. It travelled down past his face, through his neck, and settled in the centre of his torso, before it simply went away. He shook himself and looked to the mirror again, as if expecting to see someone other than himself looking back at him. Shrugging it off as a momentary problem, caused by lack of sleep, his thoughts returned to his situation. He moved out of view of the doorway, and waited. As he heard a tentative call of his name, followed by light footfalls, he exited the shadows.

"Mr. Pierson, I presume." Methos nodded. "Come through to the office."

Lex led the way, and Methos followed cautiously. It wasn't everyday that he lacked control of the situations he found himself in, but he decided to give Lex the benefit of the doubt, and played it his way. Nonchalantly, Lex poured himself a drink and gestured towards the leather seats by the fireplace.

"So, what is it that you would like to discuss, Mr. Pierson?"

"Adam, please. Mr. Luthor, I can assure you there is nothing untoward in my visiting you. I merely feel that you may be interested in what I have to say." Methos sat, shrugging off his coat and placing it over the arm of his chair. Lex raised an eyebrow in speculation, noting his visitor's self- assuredness as he made himself 'at home.'

"Do you know my father, Mr. Pierson?"

"I know of him, yes."

"Then you're aware that he is a very determined man. Much like myself."

Methos' brow furrowed in confusion. He wasn't sure where this conversation was headed, but he was intrigued. He nodded, and Lex continued.

"His level of power and control, however, exceeds my own, at least for the moment." Lex smiled cruelly, his words punctuated with venom and distrust. "If I were to ask you if he sent you here, you would say no; you're already shaking your head in denial, but that's not of any implication to me. My father has the power to control anyone, at any time, and the conviction to do it. Tell me, Mr. Pierson, why should I believe that what you have to tell me isn't merely another orchestration of my father's to ruin my life? What could you possibly tell me that I am not aware of already?"

Methos' hand instinctively moved up to brush his hair back from his forehead. Lex's gaze was burning into him with a cool, collected anger that he had not seen in many but himself. His mind ran through the possibilities of his answers; finding none that were acceptable, save the truth, he sighed.

"I do know your father, but that's not why I'm here. This has nothing to do with him. If you do know about what I have to tell you, which you couldn't," or we'd be killing each other right now, he said to himself silently, "then we wouldn't be having this visit at all."

It was Lex who looked confused now, and he found himself intrigued by the stranger's words. Blackmail had been ruled out as soon as his visitor had entered the office and sat down. From Lex's experience, people who wanted money from him often just got right to the point. He would pay them off, or threaten them with disparaging information that could be used against them, and they would leave. It was obvious, however, that Mr. Pierson had no intention of going anywhere any time soon. He sighed.

Methos looked Lex over, seeing his inner thoughts as clear as day. Lex couldn't think of a reason for him to be there, and it seemed more than possible that Lex knew that Lionel wasn't involved. Methos took the next step cautiously, not one for socialising himself, and lacking the ability to ease himself into it like MacLeod did at the drop of a hat; he took the initiative. Standing, he moved slightly towards Lex, not wanting to appear confrontational.

"Perhaps we should start again." Lex looked at him questioningly, and he put his hand out in greeting. "Mr. Luthor, my name is Adam Pierson. It's nice to meet you."

Lex took the proffered hand, and shook it once, sharply, before releasing it. Methos took the opportunity of the young immortal's tentativeness to continue talking. He walked to the display cabinet, taking a crystal tumbler from the counter top, and poured himself a drink from the decanter. "May I?"

The look on Lex's face was priceless. He looked dumbfounded, and Methos suppressed a laugh. Now that he had the full attention he desired, he made his move.

"You may want to sit down." Methos spoke, his tone indicating it was more of an order than a request. Lex, of course, followed it, and Methos was thankful for his years of experience spent practising controlling techniques. It wasn't so much about controlling people's actions as it was conveying to them through tone of voice and body language that they would do what you told them to. Oblivious Influence was his dubbed nickname for it. He smiled slightly, and moved to sit opposite Lex.

"Two weeks ago, you married a young doctor by the name of Helen Bryce; against the wishes of your father, might I add. And then something inexplicable happened. Unfortunately I don't know the details; I was hoping you may be able to help me with that." Lex looked surprised. "However, I know enough to determine that whatever it was that happened was life-changing. In fact, one could say that you were indeed reborn."

"Reborn?" Lex questioned.

"Yes," Methos replied, "In fact, that statement is more appropriate than you believe it to be."

Lex raised his hand, as if to halt the conversation, but Methos shook his head. "Please, let me continue. You are haunted by dreams of the events that occurred, and find it difficult to sleep. More often than not, you stay awake until you can't fight it anymore, and aren't even aware that you have slept until you wake, probably from your recurring dream, or nightmare." He gave Lex a piercing look, and kept talking. "I know what happened to you, Mr. Luthor. I don't know the details. I know that you have recurring dreams about. whatever it was that happened. I know you feel stronger, yet weakened. I know that when I arrived here today you felt a pain unlike any you have ever experienced, and I know how to help you." Methos stopped then, allowing Lex time to absorb what he had said, waiting for the inevitable questions. He drank the liquor down in one smooth motion, and moved to the cabinet again, plucking Lex's glass out of his hand as he did, and refilling them both, before passing Lex his glass back.

The sight of a fresh drink in front of him broke Lex's silence. He looked up at Methos, shock etched on his features. He'd told no one of his dreams; there was no one to tell. He just assumed it was a natural way of coping with what had happened to him, and how much hurt it had caused. It was only right, after all, for him to be plagued by memories of Helen, and her betrayal of him, especially after all he had done to her. Organising the break in at her office, stealing the vial of blood, and then admitting it. He berated himself for his naivety. He had been in love, and still was. Was it such a bad thing? Apparently it was, for a Luthor anyway, or at least Luthor Junior. He'd only loved his mother and Pamela before Helen, and they'd been taken from him by death and his father, to a certain extent. Why not just exclude the former from the equation and let himself believe Helen's betrayal was down to Lionel; after all, it seemed fairly apparent that it was.

"How do you know all this? What are you? Who are you?" Lex stalled, trying to gain control over himself. "What else should I know?"

"You died, Alexander." It was the first time Methos addressed him with his given name. "You were reborn."

Confusion again passed across Lex's features, before his eyes rolled back into his head, and he passed out. The crystal glass fell to floor and smashed, the echo resounding through the halls of the mansion.

---

Lex woke sometime later, to the aroma of freshly cooked chicken and spices. He wondered for a moment why he could smell food, seeing as there was no one around to cook for him - all the staff thought he was on honeymoon, and had been relieved for the fortnight - when he remembered his visitor, and his last words to him before everything turned to black. Lex stood too quickly and swayed with dizziness. He composed himself, regained his balance, and walked out of the office and down the hall to the kitchen, only half surprised to see his visitor at the table while something sizzled on top of the stove.

Methos looked up at Lex from his seat, and smiled slightly.

"Oh good, you're awake. I helped myself to a drink; hope you don't mind," he said, raising his glass of wine. As Methos stood, Lex went to the fridge and retrieved a bottle of water, twisting the cap off and taking a long drink of the cool liquid, sighing contentedly as it quenched his thirst. He looked questioningly at Methos, and then at the stove.

"Oh, I thought you may be hungry; you've been out for a while. When I was sure you weren't unconscious, and that you were just sleeping, I thought it best to leave you be. I popped into town and picked up some food. There's absolutely nothing edible in this place."

Lex nodded. He felt like he'd lost the ability to speak, and that he was undoubtedly making himself look like a fool in front of this man who looked so at ease in his kitchen It was almost as if the mansion was his home, and he always cooked food for the two of them.

"So, you said that I." Lex paused for a moment, as Methos looked at him with concern. "You said I died, and that I was reborn?"

"Yes."

"That's impossible."

"If you believed that, you would have told me to leave by now."

Lex nodded. It was completely true. If he honestly believed that this man was a lunatic, and that he hadn't died, he wouldn't be having this conversation. Lex scoffed to himself, and shook his head. "That makes that twice now then." Methos looked at him questioningly. "I drowned when I first arrived here; a local boy saved me when my car flew off a bridge. Technically I died and he revived me. So that makes it that I've died twice. I guess."

Nodding, the older immortal began dishing out food onto the plates he had found. He put them both down on the kitchen table, and sat down, gesturing for Lex to join him. "It's only spicy chicken with salad; I didn't know what you liked, so I decided on something simple. Wine..?"

Lex shook his head, and picked up his fork, prodding it into the chicken on his plate; tentatively he took a bite out of the tenderly cooked flesh. Surprised that the taste was so explosive, he realised how hungry he was, and continued to eat. Methos took the small noises Lex was making as he delved into his food as a good sign, and started his own meal. So far, Lex was taking the whole dying issue well, and Methos wondered silently if it was a façade, or if Lex had just simply accepted it. They ate together in silence.

When the meals had been finished, and the plates pushed aside, Methos finally asked the question he had wanted to ask since arriving at the mansion.

"What happened to you? How did you die - again?"

Now wasn't that the question, Lex thought to himself. Chuckling out loud, Lex startled both himself and Methos, and told his tale.