Chapter 3 of 12

(elle-nora')

Kendall propped his feet up on the table in front of him and carefully kept a sneer from his face. The young couple who was also staying at the hostel was arguing again. Kendall took a long swig from his beer and shook his head. As the imminent approach of an immortal assaulted his senses he glanced up to see Adam Benjamin enter.

His teacher spared a glance at the bickering couple and then sauntered over to slouch on the sofa next to him. "Got your message!" was all he said.

Kendall tossed him a beer. "Nice to see you, too."

Methos popped the top on the beer, downed it eagerly, crushed the can and tossed it into a nearby waste-can. "So... what's so damned important you wanted to see me... again."

"Ever been followed?" Kendall finished his own beer... and in a friendly competition, crushed it and tossed it into the waste-can as well.

"Constantly!" smirked Methos. "What are they arguing about?" he suddenly asked.

"They have three days in Paris. They've spent two of them arguing about which sites to see... as near as I can tell... they haven't bothered to actually go see anything," Kendall smirked. He shook his head. "The foibles of the young."

Methos groaned. "Tell me about it."

Kendall shot him a suspicious look. "Look Benjamin..."

"Adam... call me Adam."

Kendall sighed, "Fine... Adam... some mortal has been following me... any ideas?"

"Take him aside... talk to him... find out if he is really following you and then tell him to get lost!"

"I think he's working for someone... one of us."

Methos sighed, "I doubt it. If it was one of us... we'd just challenge you and get it over with."

"Speaking of challenges... I did meet someone earlier." Kendall smiled smugly.

"Oh be still my beating heart..." Methos rolled his eyes. "And..." he finally said when Kendall had become all too quiet.

"Oh... I let him live. He claimed he wasn't following me."

"And does this immortal have a name?"

"MacLeod... Duncan MacLeod... Ever here of him?"

"Mmmm... I think so... Tall... brooding... enormous shoulders... dark hair... Did I mention his shoulders?"

"That's the one!"

"Obnoxious boor... Stay away from him." Methos nodded, reaching for another beer.

"Why's that?" Kendall handed his teacher the beer and opened the last of the six-pack for himself.

"He's a dullard... likes opera... very honorable... sees the world in black and white... very much the Boy Scout!"

"Is he any good?" Kendall recalled that katana.

"He's passable... He took Byron's head recently!"

"Well Byron's abilities had gone downhill sharply since he took up rock stardom!" Kendall and Byron had shared a few drinks once upon a time. He hadn't liked the young immortal... but Benjamin seemed to have regarded the man's poetry as something worthwhile.

"Agreed."

"So... do you want this MacLeod's head?"

"If I wanted it... I'd have had it... years ago." Methos polished off his beer. If these two ever got together and compared notes... his ass was likely cooked. "I don't need any help when I do accept a challenge, Kendall, as you may recall."

Kendall nodded. He did recall. He recalled very well.

"So... I should just either ignore my follower or call him out."

"Yep!" Methos tossed his crushed and empty beer can into the waste-can where it clinked against the others. He stood and pulled his sweater down, gave Kendall a little wave and a smirk then walked out, hoping that, as they say, would be that. He liked Kendall... he just wished the immortal would get a life! Kendall had few resources and no property. The man just seemed to travel... he never did anything or became anything... he just moved through his immortal life as though he were a voyeur... watching the world evolve around him. Of course... Methos had to admit... he was much the same way these days... but there had been a time... oh yes... there had been a time.

As he left the hostel... Methos observed the rather obvious Watcher... not one he knew personally... nor one he recognized. There was a chance that this wasn't a Watcher... that Kendall was right and someone had been hired to keep an eye on the wandering immortal. Perhaps it was time Methos involved himself.

He wandered close to the mortal and bumped into him... all the while apologizing as he lifted the man's wallet and checked for the lack of tattoo on the man's wrist. Most definitely not a Watcher! A few blocks later... he tossed the man's wallet onto the ground where it could be found. He'd seen what he needed to... the man carried a business card with a name of one of them on it... an immortal that Methos did not want to meet... not again. Was his interest in Kendall Crane coincidence... or was Methos' old adversary attempting to find him once more?

Thoughtfully... Methos plunged his hands deeply into the pockets of his dark coat and attempted to become the invisible immortal as he slouched down the street.