Chapter 3

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Nadya was the first to reach the bar, mainly because she liked to help Joe get the place ready to open. It was a far cry from when she had worked for him when she lived in Seacouver, but spending time with Joe brought her more joy than money ever did. Besides, Joe liked to play a little if there was time before the place opened.

"The pretzels and peanuts are in the bags in the back." Joe called out to her as she moved into the back of the bar.

"I found them!" Nadya called back and emerged, arms full of the two large bags just as the door opened and Ororo entered with her companions.

"Hello!" she called out enthusiastically and Joe turned to see who Nadya was waving at.

He took in the four newcomers. Nadya had said some friends were coming by, but this was not what he had imagined. She had said she only truly knew Ororo, which Joe assumed to be the pretty lady with the white hair in a lovely white top with flowers, who smiled and returned Nadya's greeting.
Two of the others—-men--Joe could not picture, or, rather, did not want to picture her spending time with, more so the taller one who was eyeing the rest of the bar suspiciously.

'Not an Immortal,' Joe thought, 'But perhaps just as dangerous.' His time spent in the army and as a Watcher gave him a lot of experience when it came to reading people, and the guy in the leather jacket was not someone he wanted to meet in the dark.

The other guy might have been clean-cut but for the dower expression and furtive glances about the room as well. Of course, the most telling aspects of a person, the eyes, were indistinguishable behind the red sunglasses…which he kept on even inside.

Joe would have laughed out loud if he had been alone; part of him realized he was playing the role of "father figure" for the younger woman, but his next thoughts rose unbidden just the same. Ororo's third companion was a tall, younger man, shifting nervously from foot to foot yet trying to hide it. Joe noted the younger man's gaze moved about the room as well but landed again and again on the younger lady as she made introductions. 'Well, well...you had better tread carefully, son.' Joe thought as he nodded to the younger man.

"....and Piotr, this is Joe Dawson, a good friend." Nadya finished up the introductions.

"Nice to meet you all." Joe said to the group.

"Why don't you all have a seat? The rest of the crowd will start to file in eventually, and my friends should be here in a little while." Nadya gestured to a bit further back from the stage so they would be able to enjoy some conversation over the blues music that would soon be playing.

"You'll be joining us?" Ororo asked as they moved towards the table.

"Yes, I just need to help Joe with a few more things..."

"No, she doesn't." Joe broke in and gave her a shooing motion with his hands. "I'll be fine with Mike. You go sit with your friends."

Nadya was about to complain but thought better of it and moved to sit with her guests.

Ororo had spent the few hours before they were to meet at the blues bar in internal turmoil. Nadya was a sweet, kindhearted soul. 'How could she be involved in...murder?'

Still, she focused on putting her best face forward until she knew all of the details.

Scott was having trouble dealing with that aspect of the situation, too, but knew he would get some answers eventually.

Logan, though, was convinced the younger lady was involved on some level. But he was aware of something else that the others were not, something that he was unable to communicate with them in front of the company.

The scent was in the bar.

Whoever had survived the alley and gone to Nadya's home spent a great deal of time here....specifically at the bar. 'I could even pick out the stool the guy sits on if I had to.' Logan thought.

Piotr's thoughts were presently controlled by his libido. Not on the mission most definitely and hadn't been truly since they had reached the city. Piotr would have loved to wander about the L'ouvre for a few days on his own. He would still like to do that....only with company. Preferably, the company that was now seated next to him, tiny hands gesturing ever so often in-time with the blues tunes emanating from the stage. She was a fascinating, lovely creature, and it was the first time he had met a girl so close his own age that he was attracted to, as he was the oldest student at the Institute.

'But what if she has....' Piotr hoped silently that this was all some big misunderstanding.

The object of Piotr's fixation suddenly turned towards the door as it opened and moved to greet the approaching figure, which had paused by the bar to speak with Joe. Nadya gave a warm smile and hug to the taller man, causing a moment's jealousy before Logan's voice interrupted Piotr's reverie.

"The one we were following definitely comes here....a lot. I don't think that is him, though." Logan glanced back up to the bar as the two people headed back towards them.

Logan caught a whiff of the other man's scent as he approached and got out a hurried "No, it's not him" before they got within hearing range.

"This is Duncan MacLeod," Nadya introduced to tall man with the dark black trench coat with matching hair and friendly smile. "Duncan, this is...." and the introductions were made all round.

"Hello, nice to meet you all. Yes, I live in Paris. The weather is quite nice now, yes. Oh, I have known Nadya for quite some time. You are here on vacation. Yes, the Gardens still have some flowers. Do go and see them if you have the chance."

The customary pleasantries were interrupted when the newcomer suddenly froze and looked to the door of the bar. Though he tried to hide the change in mood, both Logan and Scott caught it. Logan also caught a slight scent of fear, though nothing too notable. Nadya also noticed this and looked towards the door, as it swung open. The doors banging somewhat covered the sound of the chair flying back as Nadya shot out again to rush to give the newest patron a hug.

The woman was taller by a good five or six inches...of course, the black boots added another 2 inches to that. The blue jeans she wore were nice fitting but not too tight and flared slightly at the bottom while riding low on the hips. The turquoise sweater was an extremely low v-neck with a white tank top underneath that became visible as the lady shook jet-black hair over her shoulder to welcome the hug. Nadya spoke to her and she nodded, then spoke again before turning to Joe with a warm smile to accept the small shot glass he had set out on the counter almost as soon as she had entered the building.

"That is Talia Devisson," Duncan said to the others at the table. He noted the looks on the male faces, even on the younger man's face that had seemed so fixated on Nadya just a moment before. He held back a chuckle and rose to give Talia a kiss on the cheek.

"Duncan, good to see you again."

"Likewise, Talia. It isn't quite the same without you here; you shouldn't spend so much time at your house."

Talia smiled at him and then looked about the table.

"Everyone this is Talia, another good friend. Talia, this is Ororo...." And the introductions began again as Talia sat down next to Nadya on the other side of....

"This is Logan..."

The other man nodded to Talia, who interrupted Nadya a moment.

"Logan what?" She smiled, one eyebrow arching slightly.

"What would you like it to be?" Logan countered.
The look Ororo gave him, as well as MacLeod and Nadya, would have melted steel at the comment made in very bad taste.

Not that he cared. Truth be told, he didn't remember his last name and a smart-mouth remark was the first thing that had came to mind. The reaction from Talia, however, took his mind off the others.

"Ha!" A slight bust of laughter followed by soft giggling came from the dark-haired lady, prompting Logan to take a closer look. A pair of extraordinary blue eyes glanced back at him from under dark lashes and a lightly tanned complexion. She raised her hand and the shot glass and took a sip of....

'Vodka.' Logan's sense of smell supplied that information as well as Talia's own smell which he was finding quite pleasant at the moment: vanilla and, underneath that, the scent of the ocean and breezes in the forest.

"I shall have to get to know you a little bit better before I would presume to give you a name...Logan." Talia said to him after she sat her half-empty shot glass on the table, smiling at the man across from her.

She then looked to the younger man on the other side of Nadya. "And this charming young gentleman would be?" Talia queried to Nadya.

"This is Piotr Nikolaievitch Rasputin."

Piotr nodded to Talia politely. "Zdrasvootye (Hello)."

"A pleasure," Talia said, recognizing the look and that the younger was a bit out of sorts at the moment. Talia caught a glance from Duncan as she looked across the table at him. The 'where is your sword' glance which she summarily ignored, of course, and continued on with the conversation.
"Where is Adam?" she asked Nadya.

"I left him a message but he was quite tired, he may not have gotten it." Nadya replied quietly.

Talia noted the slight body language that denoted stress and concern. 'Methos, tell me you are not going to bother Nadya after battles.' Sadly, she knew that the annoying Immortal was probably doing just that.

"Adam...?" Scott asked, trying to keep the conversation going to see if they would give anything away. This might be the person they were looking for, especially since he was sure Logan would not have reacted like that had Talia been the culprit.

"Adam Pierson." Duncan supplied. "He does research, teaches, plays the perpetual grad student...."

"Steals beer..." Talia quipped, smirking at Duncan who chuckled.

"A dear friend." Nadya finished, gaining nods from both Duncan and Talia. "Even though you spend as much time wanting to strangle him as you do anything else."

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"I should have packed a cell phone. Wait, I hate cell phones. I hate phones in general!" Methos muttered to no one in particular as he walked to Le Blues bar. A 10-minute drive turned into a 2-hour walk.

'You knew how long it would take...you've spent over 90 of your life walking...cars are new to you. So why are you so blasted annoyed that it had to break down? Oh, because now you shall have to deal with people wanting to know why you were late...I still haven't had a beer!'

"That has to be a record." Methos finished his internal tirade aloud and paused his pace a moment taking in that new-found fact. He then quickened his pace.

'Only fifteen more blocks left.'

The crowds had dissipated the last patrons filing out long ago, but it was a weeknight after all. Joe had moved up on stage to play a bit before joining the group at the table. The conversation had been present and the company enjoyable.

Then, Logan tore his eyes away from Talia as the scent of fear filled his nostrils again. He looked up in time to see Duncan glance at the door. He also noted Joe regarding Duncan's behavior as well. He noted a smirk playing on the corners of Talia's mouth as he turned his head towards the door. The wind gushed in as it opened, carrying the specific smell he had spent the better part of this day following across Paris. He gave a quick look to Scott to let him know this was the guy. Then he turned back to face the door.

"Why on earth does it always decide to rain when I am nowhere near an umbrella?!" The newest customer said aloud as he rushed into the room, shaking off a heavy coat and tossing it over a nearby chair before looking up at the crowd before him.

"Joe, I believe I am going through beer withdraw..." His conversation cut off mid-stream.

Logan pushed back his chair suddenly, causing it to fall loudly to the floor behind him. "YOU!" he bellowed.

Methos just stared a moment, transfixed, before saying hurriedly, "I can explain!"

Logan made to spring at the man, only to sprawl face-down onto the floor. Talia's boot quickly retracted as she grabbed one of the pins out of her hair, with which she had bound it up earlier in the night. The long piece of silver grasped in her hand, she moved out of her chair and over Logan, placing the piece at his jugular.

The room froze.

Talia looked up at the blinking Methos. "You were saying?"

But, before he could reply, Logan's claws extended and, heedless of Talia's dagger, he swiped backward at her, roaring!

Talia fell back against the table, three bloody marks across the side of her face!

"NO! What are you doing?!" Nadya screamed and rushed at him but soon found Logan's claws at her throat, the point barely making an impression in her skin.

"Don't...move!" he snarled.

Then, Logan found a samurai sword at his throat. "Get away from her!" Duncan ordered.

"Stop it! All of you!" Piotr's voice bellowed through the bar.

Everyone turned and glanced at the young man and the Immortals and Joe almost lost their jaws. Gone was the 6'6 young Russian man and in his place was a 7'2 steel monster! Duncan stood down and Piotr pulled Nadya away from Logan's claws. Even in her amazement, the girl ran to Talia, helping her up.
"Talia, Talia! Are you all right?"

Talia opened her eyes and something rumbled in her throat. "No, but I will be!" With that, she twirled the small dagger in her fingers and hurled it into Logan's shoulder. "OK, now I feel better." She shrugged off the coat as she stood up, the blood beginning to retract. "That leather was new."

Logan growled and drew out the dagger, letting it clatter to the floor. He watched the wound heal and then his face took on a look of shock as Talia's did the same thing, the large slash wounds closing up until you would have never known they were there!

"What are you?" Ororo gasped as Logan stepped back until the mutants were on one side and the Immortals/mortals on the other.

Methos still remained where he had stood, silent throughout it all. Suddenly, he found a huge hand around his throat. Piotr!

"I remember you!" the Russian said lowly. He walked forward until Methos was slammed against the wall, at least half a foot off the ground. His grip tightened. "You worked for Stryker! You broke into my home, stole my friends! You shot children!"

Methos struggled for breath, clawing at the hand that held him, but finding only steel-smooth metal.

"No, Piotr! Please, let him go!" A frantic voice cooled his blood and he looked down to see Nadya pulling vainly at his arm. "Please, let him go! You'll kill him!"

Suddenly, he let Methos fall to the floor and Nadya bent over him. The rage inside Piotr boiled even more seeing her tend this man who had worked for one who tried to kill all mutants.

"Would someone tell me what the hell is going on here?!" Joe demanded, leaning on his cane and glad that everyone else in the bar had left already.

"Someone lost the measuring stick, so the boys had to resort to physical violence," Talia said softly as she wiped the remains of the blood from her face with a napkin.

A moan and cough from the wall drew everyone attention back to the slumped figure.

"I am going to have to start stocking my own fridge with beer if this keeps up." Methos sputtered.

"You shot at children?" Nadya, who knelt beside him, directed the question at Methos. It was soft yet carried the weight of a judge's gavel.

Methos looked at her and for a moment considered lying. The towering metal giant of a man standing about a yard away from him discouraged that thought.

"Would you believe it is more complicated than that?" the old man ventured, not liking in the least the look that brought to Nadya's eyes.

'This has got to be the suckiest day...week...no...probably decade of my life.' Methos thought as he pulled himself up off the floor. 'Four against two....not good odds.'

He looked about the room and the mutants outnumbered the immortals 2 to one. 'How on earth did I get into this mess? What I wouldn't give for a beer and a plane ticket to Bora Bora right now.'

"Oh, I believe what I saw, bub." Logan said, pointing with his adamantium claws at the other man. "That was you, with guns and a bunch of camouflaged military terrorists in the mansion shooting...AT US!" he finished in a yell.
Methos, to his credit, did not flinch.

"Is it true?" Talia asked as she approached Methos, paying attention to where Nadya still knelt on the floor yet ignoring the towering metal giant across from them.

"Partly. Most of the guns were filled with tranquilizer darts," Methos offered, his face going hard a moment. "And I do not have to explain myself to you or to them!" He pointed to the others.

A soft sob broke his tirade before it started and he looked down at the shaking form, offering up several long dead curses when he saw Nadya crying.

"I like kids." Talia's voice was cold, right before Methos found another dagger imbedded in his left lung. His face took on a look of shock and disbelief as he gasped for air.

"NO!!" Nadya shrieked but Talia grabbed her by the shoulder and let Methos slump down to the floor and die.

"Hush, luv. It's not like it's permanent. Besides...everyone needs a moment to cool down, eh?" Talia spoke softly into her friend's ear and held her close while she pulled herself together.

"You killed him." Ororo said, finally finding her voice. Even Piotr had backed off from the scene, shedding his armor.

The room was still divided down the middle.
'Oh, this shall prove to be a most interesting night indeed.' Talia thought before speaking.

"Well...he's not quite dead yet." A smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth at the well-placed joke.

"I know a dead body when I see one!" Ororo stated, hands on her hips.

Talia shrugged. "Have it your way."

Joe groaned then interrupted the conversation. "Why do you people always have to make a mess in my bar?!" He then moved, haltingly, and picked up a nearby mop.

"Duncan, think you could move him and get some water to clean up this mess?" he asked as he held out the mop.

"What is wrong with you people?!!" Scott bellowed. "What is going on?!"

"Why don't you tell us?" Talia said as she had Nadya sit down in a chair and poured her a glass of water.

"What about....?"

A sharp gasp of air, and a loud groan brought everyone back to the figure lying on the floor. The mutants watched as Methos raised a hand and pulled the dagger out of his body, letting it clang to the floor. Then, he glared at Talia.
"I liked that shirt."

"More's the pity, and I do believe you have some explaining to do, young man." Talia said as the rest of the mutants watched the recently dead man pull himself up off the floor for the second time that night.

"And what if I think explaining is a waste of time?" Methos asked defiantly.

Talia twirled another dagger, this one pulled from her boot. A message that she was not to be messed with.

She then looked at Logan. "Mind telling me why you attacked my friend, Logan?"

Scott had reached his breaking point. "OK, that's it! You…" he pointed at Duncan, "Tell me why he's not dead!"

"Not until YOU tell me why he tried to impale him!" Duncan retorted.

"You're mutants," Nadya's voice quieted the forthcoming argument once more. She looked at Storm. "Ororo, aren't you?"

Storm found herself torn again. On the one hand, she trusted Nadya. But, on the other, Nadya knew this man who had captured her students, indeed her children; she was friends with this man! She had just seen them kill each other in front of her. What was she supposed to say?

"Yes, we are, Nadya."

Nadya's eyes dropped as she stood and turned towards the bar to return her glass. On her way, she stopped but never turned around.

"They are Immortals. There. Now we're square." With that, she disappeared behind the bar, into the office.

There was a sound of absolute confusion in her voice that resonated throughout the room, even after she was gone.

Piotr felt something sink within him. Talia and Duncan looked at each other silently and then Duncan nodded to Joe. The old man then thunked his way back towards the office.

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"Nadya, hun?"

Joe had used that affectionate word with her before but it seemed to carry greater weight this time. Must be the father instinct finally making itself known.

She sat at the desk, her head rested in her hands. "I thought the shocks were over. I thought everything weird that could happen had already happened and life was starting to level off. Now..." Her voice trailed off.

Then she looked up at Joe. "He shot children, Joe! Children! For no other reason than they were born with something beyond their control! Have you ever heard of anything like that?"

The old Watcher slowly took a seat next to her, sighing. "You're not going to make me go through the whole Vietnam speech, are you, Nadya?"

The young woman just looked at him and then dropped her eyes again. "I...I just don't know what to make of all this."

Joe reached out and put his finger under her chin, raising her head. "This doesn't all lay on your shoulders, girl. We're all in this together. Remember?"