Chapter 53

Paris, later that day

Derrick had to admit that he felt better. The salve might be revolting to smell and the tea Ellie brewed for him to drink was nasty tasting… but he really did feel better. He'd dozed off and on most of the night and though the day… aware of her when she moved through the room… but not responding unless she gave him more to drink.

Now, he sat on the floor in his sleeping bag and leaned back against a wall staring through the open window and letting the gentle warmth of the spring day flow over him.

He flexed the fingers of his right hand, noticing they bent easily… and were no longer swollen. He hadn't realized how bad it had gotten… until it was better. Restless, he rose and crossed to the old icebox looking for some juice. Finding it, he upturned the bottle and drank greedily, surprised at just how thirsty he was. Having emptied the bottle… he set it on the counter and rummaged through a bag for croissants. Grabbing a handful to munch on, Derrick considered knocking on Ellie's closed door.

"As I recall," he laughed, "that's how I got into this mess. Best leave her be." Having finished the croissants, he brushed the crumbs away and rummaged through his bag, withdrawing the old laptop to set it on the table. As he did so, Derrick was aware of that insistent hum from the sword.

He pulled it from the bag, removing and tossing aside the scabbard, and held it before him, concentrating on the elegant and slow warm-up moves Methos had taught him. Closing his eyes, he swung, stepped, shifted left, right, back… all the while feeling the strength return to his arms… and the stillness that came with concentration. Gradually he increased his speed. He'd truly missed this.

Unaware of how long he moved through the warm-up and practice he was startled when he opened his eyes to see Eleanor leaning against the doorjamb soberly regarding him. He dropped his swordarm to one side and shrugged, "I felt better. I thought I'd exercise a bit."

Eleanor nodded, slightly arching one eyebrow. "Not bad… for a mortal." Grinning with amusement, she crossed to the stove and put on some water to boil.

"More tea?" he groaned.

Ellie laughed. "More tea! It seems to be working. Now put that thing down and have a seat in that chair so I can check your arm." She did so and seemed pleased. She re-applied more salve and re-wrapped it in fresh bandages. "I can't believe it got so bad so fast," she murmured upon finishing.

"Because I scratched at it?"

She smiled. "No… it might have been something on that dusty sheet I used to stop the initial bleeding. I knew better… but I had to staunch the blood. I thought I'd rinsed it well enough afterwards… but I guess I didn't. And you convincing me to let you drive all that way didn't help either. I neglected to check it as often as I should have."

The water boiling, Ellie steeped the tea for him… and some instant coffee for herself… wrinkling her nose at the taste. Later, she suggested they get out a bit and motioned him to follow her.

But it wasn't to the gate she led him.

"I'm going to show you my back door into and out of here… just in case you need it for some reason." She showed him how to access the mechanism… made certain he could operate it… and close it once in the tunnel… and then led him down into the sewer. She shone her Maglite up and down and explained where they were and how he could hide or travel along the tunnels. "I don't really recommend it until your arm heals some more… but you might have to in an emergency."

"What emergency?"

Ellie responded grimly, "Keith mentioned Watchers… mortals who follow us sometimes… if they picked up on us in Geneva and are preparing to grab us… I wanted to have an escape route planned."

"Why would they want me?"

"They wouldn't… but they might kill you. Trust me Derrick… if they managed to take Adam… then we are all in danger. Now follow me… I want to show you something."

Eleanor led the way across the tunnel and made certain he could find and operate the other entrance that led to the subterranean cave. Once into it, she revved up the small hand-crank generator so that the lights glowed dimly. Then she waited for Derrick's reaction.

He stared at the symbols covering the rock walls of the cavern and then shrugged. "What's all this?"

Eleanor's shoulders sagged. "Old writing. I just wanted you to see it."

Derrick smirked, "Why?"

"Because I thought maybe something here would help you with that computer game."

Derrick turned regarding the odd symbols. He reached one hand out to touch one of them… feeling the cold damp of the wall. "Did he write them?"

"Darius? No they were here long before he was. He found them."

Derrick turned to face her. He shrugged. "They look like some cave painting… or maybe graffiti. I don't think they mean anything. I don't see anything here that resembles the stuff in the game."

Eleanor nodded. "Well… you can retreat to here if you need to leave the grove suddenly. C'mon." The lights began to fade out as they left and she re-locked the entrance. She led him back to the grove, but didn't enter it with him.

"You're leaving me."

"I have to check on some things… and where I go now you cannot follow. I'll be back." She closed the opening and Derrick was alone in the sacred grove.

-----

Alisaunne tossed the empty bottle into the trash, hearing it thunk on the side with satisfaction. "I am sooo bored!" she snapped at Ian. "I need to work off some excess energy."

Ian grinned and arched his eyebrows.

"Not that way, silly!" She stood and began shoving the furniture against the walls. "I need a workout… c'mere and help me." Once they had made some room… she centered and then began katas… moving as Duncan had taught her… focused only on clearing her mind and letting the movements flow through her automatically. She worked empty-handed… then with each of her weapons… then empty-handed again… faster and faster.

To Ian… she was a blur of movement. So focused was she… he doubted she even knew he was here. When she stopped… she looked at him and smiled. "Join me… I need the practice."

Ian nodded… he knew he was in for it now. "We best do hand-to-hand, Ali… if someone in the hall heard the swords…" he winked, then attacked.

By the time Duncan returned the hotel room was in shambles and the two lay exhausted on the floor. "Nice," the Highlander smirked. "Housekeeping ought to love this."

Alisaunne sat up with a grin. "We didn't really break anything… just… moved everything around. Besides… you said to stay here."

Duncan laughed and set a bag of sandwiches and cold drinks on the table. "I guess I didn't realize how pent up you've felt the past few days. Eat something… I'll work with you later."

While the young immortals ate… Duncan checked his email, and then booted up the game. He'd had a thought while he was out… and wanted to try something he hadn't tried before. Swiftly he pulled up each page until he found the one he wanted. Focusing on one small portion… he enlarged it and smiled. It was one of the two symbols written on the cover of both Les Miserables and Candide. It was small… very light… and totally obscured by more pronounced features… but it was there. He copied it to a new page and began another search… finally finding the other one and did the same. The next part would be harder… looking for symbols he didn't know… but that were hidden on the pages.

"Are we gonna work-out?"

Duncan glanced up at Alisaunne. He smiled. "Absolutely!" Saving the game, Duncan shut it off and prepared to spar with his student.

-----

An early dinner with Amy had been a surprise, as had her information that she was being urged to give them an immortal.

"They know you were trying to meet with someone. They know MacLeod was here. They're getting anxious to find him."

Joe regarded her seriously. "I don't know where he is, Amy and even if I did… there is no way in hell I'd tell anyone."

"Not even for me?"

Joe leaned back in the chair. "You really think it's come to that?" When she nodded… he told her about Byron Delano and Melanie Pryor. "I don't know this guy… but he's hanging out in the right area. His Watcher is a bit out of her depth. It might work."

Amy regarded him soberly. Then she nodded. "Maybe he'll give them the slip."

"Maybe."

She'd left soon after and Joe had returned to the bar, wishing he'd never involved her in any of this. Once he had things moving… and everything covered… he left. He was tired and discouraged. He'd been home only a few moments when he heard a soft knock on his bolted door. Sighing he opened it and then grinned as Ellie slipped inside… closing the door behind her.

"I was afraid they had you," Joe said with relief.

"No… but they definitely have Methos."

"That must explain why they are actively looking for MacLeod right now."

"Then they don't have him?"

Joe shook his head. "Not as of this morning. Nor Amanda either. She popped in looking for Mac this afternoon."

"They must be after the major players."

Joe shook his head. "I think they just missed them last time. I think they're after everyone. I had to give them the location of one of you earlier."

"Who?"

"Byron Delano… you had a run-in with him a few days ago."

"Oh him… the one on the rooftop watching." She smiled. "He's harmless… but I wouldn't want to see anyone hurt."

"Under the circumstances… I had to point them in some direction… and he was all I could think of at the time. Have you eaten?" Joe grinned.

Ellie eyed him questioningly and then shook her head. "No…" she finally said.

"Perfect!" Joe turned toward his kitchen. "I got this special… won't be long."

Ellie laughed and surveyed the room. Noticing the photograph of two small children, she picked it up and was running her fingers slowly over the glass when he came up behind her.

"My grandchildren."

Ellie smiled at him. "I didn't realize you even had children."

Joe reached by and picked up a small photo of Amy and him, casually explaining about Amy… and how she was in Watchers. A buzzer sounded. He winked. "I'll be right back… have a seat."

Ellie thoughtfully replaced the children's photo on the bookcase and curled up on the couch. Joe entered with pizza.

"I ordered this special from one of my favorite places in Chicago. I hope you like everything. It's the only way to go."

Ellie nodded with an amused expression. "Real Chicago deep-dish pizza. So this is a date."

"You betcha!" He set things down and watched as she bit daintily into one slice. "And…" he hit the remote for the television, accessing the menu on the disk drive, and then punching in his selection. A baseball game began to show. "It's from the World Series two years ago… when the Cubs finally won."

Ellie laughed. "Our ballgame! You are such a romantic!" She leaned against him on the couch and continued to nibble quietly on her slice of pizza as she watched the game.

Joe leaned back with his arm about her. "I won't let anything happen to you," he promised himself silently. "No matter what."

Shortly afterwards, she leaned forward and put down the slice she was eating and stared at him. "I can't stay long. I just wanted you to know we were fine and see what you'd found out. If you see MacLeod… tell him to come to the church… to come inside and wait. I'll meet with him there. We have to locate wherever these Watchers are hiding Methos."

"You think he's still alive, then?"

Ellie nodded with a sad smile. "He's alive. I can still feel him in my dreams… I just can't seem to make a connection. But at least I know he's there. But for how much longer?" she spread her hands and shrugged. "I don't know. If we don't find him soon… he may never be the same again. He's lost in old memory… and those are gradually pulling him back to that mindset."

Joe wrinkled his brow… tilting his head to one side. "You think he's becoming Death again?"

Ellie nodded. "Either that… or he's taken so much in over the years… that he's starting to lose his sense of self." There was a haunted expression on her face. She shivered.

"What did he do?" Joe's voice rose.

Ellie smiled and shook her head. "We're fine… but I have to find him."

"Ellie… please, you need to be honest with me or I won't know how to help."

Ellie paused at the door and looked back, her eyes passing over the pizza, the television with its muted ballgame, and the photographs on Joe's bookcase. "I'm not important Joe… they are. You have no idea how precious children are… what a miracle they are. We may live a long time… but when we die we are gone forever… unless some memory of our lives remains. Children are something we cannot have…" her voice broke in a sob. "And if it were possible… we wouldn't be who we are. Your immortality lies with them and their memories of you. Don't put them in danger Joe. Them or you." Opening the door… she vanished into the night.

After she was gone, Joe surveyed the remains of the pizza and turned off the ballgame. "I still owe you a tour of Chicago, darlin'… a tour of Chicago." But he stared at the photo of the twins and smiled. "My immortality… absolutely!" He rose to clean up the mess.