Methos' eyes widened slightly, and Joe started, then signaled one of his waitresses to bring a cloth over to wipe up the mess and refresh Duncan's drink. He had the lady leave the bottle. He had a feeling...
"C'mon, Mac, that's the good stuff..." Joe joked, but concern shown on his face. Methos just watched Duncan, waiting for him to speak.
Duncan took the refreshed drink from Joe, looked at it, then downed it in one gulp, with a grimace. He then looked at Methos then Joe, then back again.
"Amanda's pregnant," he blurted out.
The two men stared at Duncan. Methos' brow furrowed thoughtfully, while Joe stared, then broke into a grin. He grinned even wider at the almost helpless look in Duncan's eyes. Duncan has pulled the poker face before, but this was too much.
"Get outta here," Joe said. "Don't try to kid the kidder." he shook his head and chuckled.
"I don't think he's joking, Joe," Methos said softly.
Joe looked from Duncan's distressed face to Methos' thoughtful, concerned one. "Mac..?"
"I wish I were kidding, Joe," Duncan said sincerely, taking pull from his glass. "But I'm not. I just left her place, after she told me the news."
"But how is that...we have never heard of such a thing," Joe stammered.
"Not even in legends, half remembered tales in your chronicles? How about you, Methos?"
Methos reflected for a second, "The closest thing I can remember was a cult led by an Immortal in ancient Rome. An Immortal male started a fertility cult, putting forth the idea that he had the ability to fertilize barren women. He had a whole harem of mortal beauties at his beck and call. He ran into problems when some Immortal females came to him, hoping he could give them the gift, too. And they decapitated him when he couldn't."
"We don't have that story," Joe mused.
"I know," said Methos, with a small smile.
"How did he get any credence in the first place?" Duncan asked. "We can't impregnate anyone, mortal or Immortal."
Methos said, "Normally, this is true. But you know how some of us seem to develop strange talents beyond the usual range, the longer we are around? Somehow, he had learned to harness his power, to awaken barren women. I suspect he did not actually impregnate them. He instead used his Quickening to render them naturally fertile. They went and actually got themselves pregnant later, and gave him the credit."
"But he couldn't do that for Immortal women," Duncan said.
"No, he couldn't," Methos affirmed. "They were rather furious about that, too."
Duncan related the best he could Amanda's story about her encounter, shrugging helplessly at the end.
Methos and Joe looked at him sympathetically. Joe mused, "First Methos' tale, and now you blow him out of the water with yours. Amanda had an encounter with a Ref of the Game. I definitely have never heard of anything like that."
Methos confessed he hadn't either.
"I can't stand feeling this helpless," Duncan fumed. "But I don't know what to do."
Joe said, "Mac, you're her friend. She knows she can go to you. She knows she can rely on you. She's gonna need you, buddy. Be there for her, however this goes. And we'll be here for you."
"Indeed, Duncan," Methos agreed.
Suddenly, Duncan and Methos felt the presence of a relatively young Quickening. Joe looked around to see what had gotten the attention of the Immortals he was with. There, coming thru the door, was Ritchie Ryan, all grins...which faded somewhat, seeing the expressions on the faces of his friends...
"Uh, I didn't do it..?", he said, hoping to lighten the mood....