Chapter Nine

By the time that they were heading back to the states, Sam, Louise and Janet were all back asleep. Louise because she had been woken up at the ungodly hour of 0430 hours and she wasn't used to getting up at that hour, Sam as she was more tired than usual with the baby and all and Janet, well she just hadn't got much sleep for the past few nights.

Jack found himself distracted, as his eyes never left Janet's face as he watched her sleep, his thoughts kept running over the new found closeness he'd found easy to have with Janet. There was also the fact that he'd just found out that the woman he'd been attracted to for some time and always thought to be to young for anything to happen between them was actually older than him. After all what would she find attractive about an almost fifty year old greying Colonel when she could have the pick of any younger officer. Then to find out that she was actually older than he'd had ever imagined was just slightly overwhelming.

Adam and Duncan were once again going over all the information they'd managed to gather on whoever it was after Louise so they weren't paying much attention to what Jack or anyone else was doing.

That was pretty much how the entire flight went, only when the girls woke up did the plane become slightly more full with energy. They'd started a game of cards to try to keep themselves entertained on the long flight which Jack didn't have a problem joining in with when he got bored with his thoughts about his current situation.

It was late morning (Colorado time) by the time they finally arrived back in Colorado Springs. It was too late (England time) for them to stop by the base so Sam, Adam and Duncan decided to show Louise to Adams place where Duncan informed her that Richie would be along within a few hours, also telling her if she needed anything in the mean time just to call either himself or Adam.

All alone in the cabin Louise tried to relax while reading a book she'd found on one of book shelves, she'd decided to wait until Richie turned up before making anything to eat as no doubt he'd be hungry too from travelling.

Adam had lit the fire just before he left her alone, trying to warm the cabin up even though it had been quite comfortable when they'd arrived. After all she was used to the cold of England.

Before she realised it she'd drifted off to sleep with the heat in the cabin combined with the comfortable sofa, slouching on the sofa the book fell silently to the floor as her body surrendered to sleep.

When she awoke it was to the smell of food cooking and soft music drifting into the living room from the kitchen area. Sitting up she wiped the sleep from her eyes and looked around the room trying to get her bearings. The smell of the food got the better of her and she got up from the sofa and made her way to the kitchen.

As she entered the kitchen she saw a tall strawberry blond guy cooking away on the stove with his back to her but almost as if he sensed her standing there he turned around with a friendly smile on his face.

"Hi, I'm Richie… you must be Louise… sorry if I woke you."

"Hi… don't worry about it… I wasn't planning on sleeping anyway… guess the book was more boring than I first thought… So what are you cooking… and I hope there's enough for two because I'm starved." Louise smiled trying to look friendly although there was a part of her that was slight uneasy about this situation.

"Yes there's enough for two… I was planning on putting yours in the oven to keep it warm until you woke up but now I won't have too."

Louise smiled back and moved further into the room taking a seat at the kitchen table not taking her eyes off Richie while watching him cook.

Before long Richie was dishing up the dinner onto two large plates and bringing them over to the table, sitting one plate down in front of Louise then the other in front of an empty seat where he was going to sit. He turned back around and walked over to the fridge, retrieving two bottles of spring water, then walked back to the table and took his seat, putting the water on the table by some glasses he'd already set out on the table.

There was silence for a few minutes while they started their dinners but soon it turned awkward. They continued to eat, neither of them knowing what to say as they didn't really know each other, the only reason they were here together (alone) was because of Adam and MacLoed.

Before either of them knew it the food was all gone and they were sat at the table in silence drinking the water. Louise couldn't take it any longer, she just had to get out of this awkward situation so she stood up from the table.

"I'm going to go for a walk to get a bit of fresh air and see some of this nature… there's not a lot of nature to see in Leeds…"

"Well I'll come with you… it'll be nice to go for a walk…"

"No…" Louise almost snapped before realising it and received a puzzled look off Richie for her attempt. "Sorry… it's just… I need some time alone… I've had someone with me constantly for a little over two days now and it's getting kind of claustrophobic… I just need a bit of time alone."

"Ok… I can understand that, I'll give you some time… but if you're not back here within an hour I'm gonna come looking for you… Mac and Adam won't be happy if I let something happen to you."

Louise for the first time smiled a genuine smile happy that he understood how she felt even though a lot of people wouldn't, "Thank you."

Walking out of the kitchen, Louise went to the living room and sat on the sofa while she put on her boots, she didn't need to bother with a coat as it was still quite warm out by the looks of it. Once her boots were on she went out of the back door and disappeared into the trees that surrounded the cottage.

Richie waited for a few minutes before he too quickly pulled on his boots and followed her out the door and into the trees.

Louise had been walking for about fifteen minutes when she came across a clearing where there was a lake. Awe struck at the beauty of the natural world she very rarely got to see she stood there just looking out at the tranquil world.

"You know I could have shown you a lot more wonders than this if you'd have just come with me…" A kind voice came from the edge of the trees.

"Kenver what are you doing here?"

"Well… I heard you were in danger… you know I couldn't let anything happen to you… you mean too much to me for me to stand by and let you get hurt…"

Laughter filled the air as Kenver left the trees making himself visible to Louise. He was a very handsome dark haired, dark eyed looking male. He was well built and by the looks of the muscles you could see, which wasn't a lot as he was wearing a long light coloured raincoat he was well toned, more than likely because he worked out every day.

"What?… What's so funny?…" Kenver responded to Louise's laughter with a bright smile on his face that showed his own amusement.

"Oh nothing… I'd almost forgotten that you're such a big flirt…" Louise's eyes were now shinning with laughter, finally feeling completely safe for the first time in months knowing that he was there to watch over her.

Kenver was now standing in front of Louise who now had to tilt her head up to just look at him in the eyes. "Me… a flirt… you can't call me a 'flirt,'" he brought her into a hug, the heat off his body was easily transferred through the thin layers of clothes. "God… it's good to see you safe and well… I should never have left you alone after…"

"It's not your fault Kenver… it happened… there's nothing you or anyone else could have done to prevent it… hell nothing could have been done to even make it less serious… it happened I lived that's all that matters…"

"I know that deep down but I still feel like I should have known… Hell anyway it should be me that's getting the life experience not you… it's me that's a thousand years old and you who's only twenty four…"

Louise smiled again knowing he knew full well that he had more wisdom than he admitted having in that handsome head of his. "I've managed… and I seem to have managed to not get into as much trouble without you around…"

"Oh yeah… you've done a great job of keeping out of trouble… someone's out to kill you and you don't think that's serious…"

"What harm can…"

"Don't…do you really want to risk that?… Do you?" Kenver stopped Louise before she could even finish her sentence

Louise felt ashamed at that, she knew deep down that she couldn't go through that… she couldn't loose everything that she thought was special.

"Oh god… no I could never… it's just… god you try being stuck with a few immortals for a few days as they try to protect you… but what makes it worse is you can't tell them what you are because of what could happen if it gets out… I'm sure I'm going to go nuts if it's like this any longer… and now I'm stuck with an immortal that looks no older than twenty, who's trying to follow me around like a lost puppy… God I don't even need there protection but I can't tell them that and I know Joe would never leave me unprotected… I guess it's better having them where I know where they are rather than having them sneak around where they could stumble upon something they shouldn't know… How the hell would I be able to explain to them that I'd more than likely be able to take any of them on in a one on one fight… apart from Adam… I've got a feeling he's older than your ordinary immortal without explaining everything to them…"

"Who are they anyway… I saw you arrive with I think at least two immortals and now you have another one with you… who are they… and what are they trying to protect you from?"

Laughing at the irony of the situation Louise just couldn't believe her luck. "You're never going to believe this… can you remember me telling you that a friend of my fathers was a watcher… you know the group that keeps tabs on immortals… Well it turns out that someone's trying to get to him by going through me… God he doesn't even realise I know that the god damm watchers exist… So now the real reason I'm in danger from the watchers is not because they may find out what… No 'who' I am… it because I know someone who works for them… when I met you the first time I told you my life was royally screwed… well now you know how well and truly I was telling the truth…"

"Do you truly trust this friend… the one that's a watcher?"

"Yes… I've known him all my life, he's never put a foot out of line unless he truly believes in something enough to do so and he's hardly ever wrong when he does… Why?"

"Have you ever considered telling him the truth… maybe he'll understand… if not you could always come with me and we'll go see the world together… I'll show you all those wonders I was telling you about back then" Kenver could resist the smile at the thought of travelling the world with his friend.

"Kenver… I don't know… there'll be too many question… he hangs around with immortals for god sakes… there'll be question as to why I don't… no I don't think it'll work… hell I don't think he'll even believe me… who would, my whole life is crazy… beyond a nightmare…"

"Ok… but is there anything that I can do to help while I'm in town maybe even make your stay be a… little bit more pleasant."

"You could always come back with me to the cabin and protect me from the big bad evil…" Louise's smile grew mischievous at the thought, even if deep down she knew it was never going to happen.

"If only I could… but how would you explain to them that your friend who just happens to be an immortal and who just happens to be in town knows that you're in trouble…"

"I know… I know… a girl can dream though can't she…"

"Indeed she can… ok I think it's about time for you to head back, otherwise your lost puppy will come looking for you and then you'll have to explain why you're in the woods with a mysterious immortal man."

"You're right… thanks for the talk I really needed it… how can I get in touch with you?…"

"Here… this has my cell number on it and the address of the hotel I'm staying at for the next week or so… If you need anything or those immortals you've been friendly with start giving you hassle don't hesitate to call and I'll be there in a flash… plus I'll be keeping an eye out to make sure your ok."

"Thanks again… I feel a hell of a lot better now that I know I have you watching my back…"

With one final look at Kenver Louise turned and headed back towards the cabin, neither Kenver nor Louise noticed the shadowy figure walking back in the direction of the cabin as well, slightly out of range of Louise.


A/N: - Come on people only 1 review in 2 days, i just know you can do better then that.

General Mac: - Theres going to be more so please keep reading and reviewing... at least you review... Thank you. :D