Duncan sighed and looked at Anne, and said, "Thank you very much for coming, Anne. If I had my way, you would never have been dragged into this. I didn't want to take you away from your family, even for a little bit. But I had to. You are a physician, you know about us, and you are my friend. Because of those things, you are uniquely qualified to help out with the situation that's come up..."

"I thought Immortals couldn't get pregnant, Duncan," Anne said, one eyebrow up. I mean, you told me on the phone, but I thought that was some sort of code for what was REALLY going on. But you weren't kidding, were you?"

"No, I wasn't," Duncan affirmed.

"How?"

Duncan paused. Was the minutia of Immortal esoterica really necessary? He supposed he had to try.

"The..force that all of us carry a portion of, that makes us what we are...wait, let me start over. The fight we all fight, the Game we all play, has a referees, or several. And parts of that force that have gone unclaimed, the refs want back in the Game. And they are going to do it through Amanda."

Ann let that sink in, then asked haltingly, "Wait...you mean, this child is meant to die?"

Duncan looked over to Ritchie, who shrugged his shoulders, "We don't know. All I do know is Amanda needs some sort of professional help to get through this part. And you're all I..we...have."

Ann sighed and looked out the window at the passing city... How could the world look so normal? How could all this be going on and no one know? How strange the world really was

Being the practical woman that she has always been, she stopped her wool gathering and ruminating and flatly stated, " So, now, we go to Amanda."

Duncan made a left hand turn and glanced at her, " yes, we're almost there."

They pulled up to the building. As they were walking to the front door, Ann saw both immortals stiffen and look around. She glanced around and questioned Duncan, "Others?"

He half shrugged and half sighed, " It's hard to tell, Amanda's baby is putting out such a buzz that it's hard to feel anything over it, But I get the feeling that there are several in the immediate area. "

Bringing up the rear Ritchie commented, " It could just be Methos and Fitz...or not."

Duncan nodded and opened the door to the building for Anne.

As they exited the elevator the power hit the two immortals. They locked eyes and hurried down the hall. As they approached Amanda's door the feeling seemed to overwhelm them.

Duncan knocked on the door. Methos answered, "About time"

Fitz was sitting on the couch massaging Amanda's feet. Amanda was clearly showing now. She has all the appearances of being at least seven or even eight months pregnant. She was fussing at Fitz. Complaining that she was uncomfortable. She balanced a heavy glass bowl of grapes on her stomach and popped them into her mouth one at a time.

Anne stepped from behind Duncan, her eyes widened and she quizzically said, "Hi?" She then locked in on Amanda, and breathed, "How long has she been pregnant?"

"Maybe three days," Duncan answered.

"Three days?!?" Anne repeated, making a beeline for Amanda.

Methos gracefully stepped out of her way.

"My Lady..." Fitz began, as he made a move to remove Amanda's feet from his lap, stand and bow. But Amanda's hand immediately gripped his shirt. She growled, "You're not done, Buster. Unless Duncan's taking over..."

"Amanda, I live to serve, but I am needed in so many ways, in so many places..." he said, eyeing Anne. When he saw Duncan's warning look, he added "...but nowhere more than now, here...Ritchie, be a good lad and fetch our new guest a spot of tea...?"

Amanda looked at Anne, her expression unreadable; she turned to Duncan, one eyebrow going up. Anne didn't notice, as she took a closer look, her analytical mind taking in all the information in an attempt to make sense of it.

Fitz reseated himself and began to rub the bottom of Amanda's right foot. His hands moved to her calf and began to rub the knots out. He frowned and without thinking said, " Amanda, dear, you need to shave, getting a little prickly ". Amanda picked up the heavy bowl of grapes and bounced it off the side of Fitz's head. He went down like a sack of potatoes. Grapes rolled everywhere.

Ann gasped, " AMANDA.... you could have killed him!"

Amanda sneered and said " So what? He'd get over it and be back to annoy me. You don't understand I hurt all over; it's been centuries since I hurt! And you don't
think I don't know that my legs look like a tarantella." She wailed, " I can't reach them!"

Anne smiled and said, "I remember".

Amanda's eyes blazed... "It's different!"

Anne grinned and said," I'm sure you feel that way, but it's really not."

Amanda jutted out her chin and defiantly stated," Yes it is, this time it's ME!"

Ann smiled gently. She remembered the mood swings and the pain of having her body stretched out of recognizable shape. She also realized that it had taken her eight months to reach the same point that Amanda had reached it just three short days. She figured that Amanda was probably right... she was in pain. Pain can make even the nicest girl mean. And Amanda had never struck Anne as one of the nicest.

Anne put on her, difficult patient, Doctor face and told Amanda to get up and come into the bedroom with her so that she could examine her.

Amanda glared at Anne through slit eyes.

Duncan watch Anne go to work, noting despite the strangeness of the situation, Anne settled into things like a professional in her element. He nodded to himself; sure he had made the correct decision to bring her into this.

He saw Ritchie shrug and head into the kitchen, and then he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Methos. Methos gave a "Come here," gesture with his head, and led Duncan into the nearby hallway.

"Duncan, just to let you know, I've been out and about in the city, and I've been seeing and hearing some things..."

"Yeah, and thanks for that," Duncan nodded, with a wry smile.

"No problem. But Kalas isn't the only one here. Immortals have been steadily gathering in Paris. There are three times as many as there were, that many days ago. And they are still coming. And the Watchers are observing this. It can only be a matter of time before the Horton faction is stirred up. This may get ugly in a hurry."

"Well, everything seems to be happening in a hurry," Duncan said. "We just have to stay on top of it."

Methos nodded, then said, "After the child is born, I think you may want Anne out of Paris right after. A mortal can easily become a pawn. Once the child is born, get her on a plane out of here. No one will come after her back home, as she knows nothing of consequence, and the point of interest will still be here."

"That's the plan," Duncan confirmed.

Amanda held out her hand to Anne, She struggled to sit up first and then with great effort and Anne's help pulled herself off of the couch. She stepped on Fitz's prone and groaning form and led the way to her bedroom.

Anne stifled a laugh and followed.

Once the door was closes, Amanda sat quietly on the end of her bed. Anne couldn't quite read her. She wasn't sure if Amanda was scared, angry or confused by what was happening.

Anne squatted if front of Amanda and looked into the immortal woman's eyes. Anne wondered just how old she really was? Before she even realized it, she had asked the question out loud.

Amanda looked puzzled, "Why, what does it matter?"

Anne shrugged and said "I guess it doesn't †I was just struck by the enormity of how long your lives are and how quickly this has all happened to you. It made me wonder about you ability to cope with all the sudden change."

Amanda looked confused†she started to speak then stopped and started again. "Anneâ€. I'm lost in this†I don't know what to think or what to do†I'm scared and confused and angry and well just everything all at once."

Anne moved from a squat to sitting cross-legged on the floor, "That's normal."

Amanda looked at Anne and whispered pensively, "Really?"

Ann laughed," Sure. All the things that you are feeling†every woman feels them."

"Really?"

"Sure, now lets have a look at you and see if you need me here at all?" Anne reached for her black medical bag that she had carried all the way from home.

Fitz sat up, wondering where the heck that came from? Ah, the fiery Amanda...ok, the leg editorial may have been wanting in it's timing, not that a little hirsuteness is in any way a barrier to the natural sexiness of Amanda's legs...

"Ah, Ritchie, good lad," Fitz enthused when the younger Immortal arrived with the tea, "Just when you're needed. Duncan has always said you have impeccable timing..."

Fitz gulped the tea down and then said, "Amanda has a respectable cabinet of spirits, see what you can do about hunting that down..."

Ritchie muttered something about "Damn butler...", then stopped when Fitz's hand snagged him.

"Tell me, lad, where did the lovely healer and Amanda step off to?"

"Anne's checking out Amanda in her bedroom," Ritchie said.

"Then I shall properly check out Anne," Fitz said. "I shall return..."