Chapter 11

Seacouver

Joe opened his eyes and smiled at Dr. Anne Lindsey, "Good mornin' beautiful!"

Anne smiled back and shook her head, letting her shoulder-length dark hair swirl about her shoulders. "It's not morning and after an all-night shift... I'm not too certain about that other part... either."

"I am." Joe answered, surprised he felt well enough to flirt a bit. His eyes glanced over at his prostheses standing near the closet. He wondered when or even if he'd be able to use them again... or if this time... his injuries would confine him to the damned wheelchair! Still... the alternative... being dead... was even worse.

"Well... for someone who nearly died a few days ago... you are certainly chipper today."

"Yeah," Joe grinned, flashing his best smile, determined not to let his fears overwhelm him. "Coming out alive one more time can sure make a guy appreciate what he's got." Joe shifted slightly and gasped at the pain. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Heard from Mac today?" he finally managed.

"I think he called to see how you were. You were asleep." Anne closed his chart and held it close to her. Since Mary's birth, she had moved on with her life... a life that did not include immortal beings and a strange game that meant death to all but one. She had concentrated on her daughter... her position at the hospital... and the day to day business of normalcy. Anne was not certain she even wanted to be pulled back into Duncan's world... but she had loved seeing her former lover once again. She smiled.

Joe nodded, "Anybody else call?"

"Some of your Watcher friends... and I think your daughter finally got through to us. I can pick the messages up for you if you are interested."

"Amy's message... I'd like to see that one. The others can wait."

Anne nodded and turned to go. Suddenly she stopped and turned back to Joe. "Just what was going on? Duncan said he'd tell me but he and that friend of his apparently left town the next day and I still don't really know what happened."

Joe closed his eyes. He had once considered recruiting Anne into the Watchers... but had not out of respect for MacLeod. "Anne... you really shouldn't know too much... let's just say a couple of very sick individuals had it out for some of us... and Mac and... 'his friend'... came to the rescue."

"Well, that friend... Pierson I think he said his name was, saved your life. If not for his quick work on the scene... all our efforts would have been in vain." Anne paused and tilted her head slightly pursing her brows. "Is he like Duncan?"

Joe said nothing. If he owed Methos his life... all the more reason to keep the old man's secret. "Anne... not everyone Duncan knows is like him," he finally said truthfully. After all... MacLeod and Methos were nothing alike even if that's not quite what Anne was asking. "Mac'll tell you stuff when he can... do you know where he went?"

Anne shook her head. "No... just that something came up." She pointed toward the hall, "I'll just go get those messages for you."

Joe watched her leave. If something had come up... maybe it wasn't all over. And here he was... laid up for some time. He'd have to find out who had been placed on MacLeod and Methos... and he'd have to find out in a hurry... especially if what they were doing had anything to do with Ellie and Derrick. Ellie had said she and the boy were safe and on their way to a place where no one would find them for a while. She'd also said she'd contact him again someday. Joe had agreed to keep their existence a secret... at least until and if Derrick had to join the game... but he wished he knew where they were headed.

***

Paris

Nick finished off the lukewarm coffee and glanced over at Val. The little immortal had pulled her knees up onto the seat and clasped them as she stared out into the fog.

"Are you certain that address your friend Cassius gave us is a good one?"

Val laughed, "Well... I'd hardly call him a friend... but Cassius is usually pretty reliable. If he says a relatively new immortal has been seen near here... then one has. And the name he gave me is legit... the nearby shopkeepers seemed to recall the name... even if they haven't seen him in a while." Val grinned, "What's the matter Nick? I thought an old cop like you could handle a stake-out."

"I never liked stake-outs..." Nick's voice faded as he glanced up at the sudden buzz of an immortal presence.

Val looked about too. When she saw a figure making his way through the fog, she gasped and leaped out of the car... running up to him. Nick saw the man look about warily and then stare at Val. The immortal shook his head and pulled his hands out of his coat pockets to give her a small hug.

"Hmmph!" thought Nick. "For a child who says she needs a protector... Val sure gets around." Still if this guy was a friend, then Nick might be off the hook as far as keeping an eye on her. He exited the car and joined them.

"Well I wouldn't worry about Marie-Charles... she's no longer in Paris and probably won't be for some time to come." The immortal looked at Nick and smiled genially. "Hi... Adam Pierson... a friend of Valeraine's."

Nick nodded, then glanced at Val holding on to the other immortal's hand. "I thought he was a new one... you didn't know his name before?"

"Well... I didn't know this name... but he's an old friend."

"Can we get out of this bloody fog?" Pierson said, withdrawing his hand from Val's and returning it to his pocket. "My place is just over there." He pointed with his chin and led the way. Val and Nick followed.

Once inside the small apartment, Pierson turned on some lights and removed his coat. Nick noticed that although the man seemed to walk and move stoop-shouldered and differential outside... once in the apartment... his movements were cat-like and graceful... as though there were far more to him than what either Nick or Valeraine could see.

"Nick Wolfe," Nick mumbled... not too certain if any of this was a good idea.

"Right... Amanda once mentioned you." Pierson scratched at his dark hair and then said, "Beer anyone?" He flung his arms out in an inviting gesture.

"Yeah..." Nick answered, "You know Amanda?"

"Friend of a friend... we've crossed swords before." Pierson opened his refrigerator and pulled out several beers.

"Why didn't you take her head?" Nick asked as he twisted off the cap of his.

"We decided it made more sense to work together at the time... the job took two of us... too bad it didn't work out." Pierson stretched out in a chair and put his feet up on the coffee table. There was an edge of sadness in his words.

Val opened her own beer, and drank deeply, "I really need to get out more. Just who is this Amanda person."

"A thief..." Nick growled,

"Not a fan of Amanda's these days are you?" Pierson's voice was laced with sarcasm.

"Nope!" Nick took another drink then sat on the sofa. Val curled up beside him. "Should you be drinking that?" he asked her.

"I am of age... despite appearances! I just have to allow for my size." But she daintily set the beer on the table and sat back on the sofa with a demure look on her face, as if what Nick said and thought was of importance to her.

"So... do you know this Kenny kid." Nick asked Pierson.

The immortal shook his head. "Never had the displeasure... but I do know of him. If I'd ever met him... he'd be dead now."

"You'd have no problem killing a kid?" Nick asked.

Pierson drank deeply at his beer. His eyes flashed darkly at Nick and he smiled a cold smile. "None whatsoever!" Then he bowed slightly to Val. "Present company excepted, of course."

Val grinned and shrugged one shoulder forward, "Of course!"

"So what now," Nick wanted to know.

Pierson stared at his beer for a moment... then polished it off. "Valeraine should return to Ste. Genevieve and you should go on with your life."

"What about you?" Nick wanted to know.

"Me...? Oh... I'll vanish back into the fog... Maybe I'll have a talk with Cassius... so he doesn't give my name out again."

"No!" said Val, sitting up straight. "Why should I go back! It's been ages since you took me hunting! I won't go back until we've had some fun!"

Nick grinned. Val once more seemed like a spoiled little girl who wanted her own way. He glanced at Pierson's suddenly sober expression.

The immortal sat up and leaned forward. "Not this time Valeraine. I'm in the middle of something and I really can't take you about these days. Besides... the world has changed and it's not so safe for that kind of activity anymore... at least not unless it's necessary."

Val crossed her arms and pouted. She looked over at Nick and smiled, "Maybe Nick could take me home..."

"Why don't I call Marie-France and have her send someone to pick you up." Pierson said. "I think that might be safer for everyone."

Val sighed. "But you have to come for a visit... I've been studying Nietzsche and Freud... and I've no one to discuss them with."

"Soon Val... but not now." There was an edge to Pierson's voice that seemed to say the matter was not open for negotiation. Val apparently accepted his words as final and slumped back into the sofa.

"What about Kenny?" Nick wanted to know.

"One of us will get him one of these days. I wouldn't worry about him." murmured Pierson. "Now... I really have some things to do... I hate to throw you two out... but... " He motioned with his hands as though it couldn't be helped.

Nick nodded, polished off his beer and stood up to leave. Val sulked for another moment, then sighed and stood to leave also. Pierson showed them to the door and promised to contact Val's friend and have her send someone to collect the girl. Nick gave him the address of Sanctuary and said they could locate them there. Pierson smiled and nodded. Then he closed the door on them and they were once more in the Paris fog.

"Just who was that guy?" Nick asked as they walked back to the car.

"My teacher... he saved my life after I changed... I owe him everything." Val climbed into the car. "I first knew him as Sir Edmund of Whittenberg... although I think he has had many names and led many lives. At the school... we generally just call him 'the doctor'. I think Marie-Charles, or whatever her name truly is... is also one of his students. But he always said I was the best and most intelligent student he ever had." Val grinned and carefully adjusted her seat belt. "However... if he thinks I'm going quietly back to that convent school... he has another thing coming!"

Nick started the car and nodded. Child she may be... but Val was not a pushover. And if she had her mind set on something... he had a feeling she was going to get it. He drove slowly off into the fog.

Through the window of his apartment, Methos soberly watched them leave. Valeraine was a complication he did not wish to deal with... and certainly not one he wanted MacLeod to discover. He knew he'd never hear the end of it if MacLeod ever met the tiny one and observed her infatuation with "her gallant knight." If Eleanor had been to Ste. Genevieve recently... he wondered why she'd said nothing to him. Obviously her being there had aroused Kenny's attention and that had instigated Valeraine's little foray into the outer world.

He had enough to deal with right now... two immortal children and a green immortal with a chip on his shoulder (as Amanda had described Nick Wolfe to him once) were complications he did not need. Besides... Wolfe likely had a Watcher and he'd have to distract him or her long enough to get Val back to the school and hidden away. For that... Methos might need Joe's help... but Dawson was not exactly in any condition to be helpful. But maybe Joe's daughter Amy could be persuaded. Methos grinned... Amy Brennan-Thomas owed him one... maybe it was time to collect.

Thoughtfully he opened his laptop and emailed Phillip, Eleanor, Marie-France, and Amy. Satisfied with his messages, he closed his laptop... gathered the items from his safe that he had come for... locked up and headed back to MacLeod's barge. The Highlander should be back from the school and he wanted to see just what he had learned.