Chapter 1

Trixie, wake up! It's time for class!" Brigitte gently shook her roommate.

"Five more minutes Moms," Trixie murmured into her pillow.

Brigitte laughed, "I'm not your mother. I'm your roommate, and if you don't get up soon, you're going to miss a test!"

At that, Trixie suddenly shot up, "My test! Brigitte, thank you! Oh my goodness, I almost forgot about it!"

"Ah, my American friend is in love. She's forgetting about her tests already. A certain Welshman must be very special," Brigitte teased.

Trixie got out of her bed and grabbed her clothes and shower supplies, ignoring Brigitte. "Yeah, he's a real charmer. Lives forever. Kills people to stay alive. He sure beats the other guys I've dated." Trixie thought to herself.

At the same time at Watcher Headquarters in Paris

"You did WHAT!" Michael Fontaine yelled from across the table at Joe. Sitting next to him were four other high-level Watchers.

Joe sighed. He really, really hated needing to explain why he bent the rules again. "I told a Miss Beatrix Belden about the Watchers. She would be a great asset to us. She's intuitive, smart, capable. She seemed to accept the information about immortals much better than most people would."

"Joe! She's friends with immortals! How could you?" Fontaine continued, his face turning a bit purple.

Joe slipped his hand through his silver-gray hair for a moment before speaking, "Michael, you know as well as I do, that we need to begin training a new generation of Watchers. Connections to immortals these days are near impossible to avoid. We need to train them on how to be friends with their immortals without compromising our oath. I truly believe that Trixie can do this."

"Joe," Fontaine shook his head in frustration. "I don't know how it is that you think you can keep breaking the rules! Rules that we have held sacred for thousands of years!"

"Rules that were never meant to be," Dawson interrupted "We learned from Pierson that there wasn't always a surefire division between Watchers and immortals. The line has been crossed before and watchers have become friends with immortals. Now it's happening more frequently. We won't be able to stop it, but use it to create a strong bond and use it to our advantage."

"Be that as it may, Dawson, but our predecessors didn't live in the computer age. Even a hundred years ago, Watchers didn't know the locations of nearly every immortal on the planet," Thomas St. Claire said. "Think about what that knowledge has cost us. We've had several cases in the last 10 years where Watchers have used that knowledge to either help immortals or hunt them down. With the oath we are not allowed to contact immortals without severe penalty. What you are suggesting is preposterous. Watchers having contact with immortals? We wouldn't be able to control anything. We must not interfere in the Game."

"Yes, Thomas, I know that. But we have a chance to change how we operate. Yes, we still need Watchers that know where everyone is, but do the field Watchers really need to know the whereabouts of every immortal on the planet? Yes, we should warn them if a particularly ruthless immortal is traveling through, but this is our opportunity to truly record the immortal life and to fulfill our purpose."

"Joe, you are such an idealist. Even if we set everything you are asking us to do into place, we can still easily lose control. Take Miss Belden for example, while she may not know it, one of her best friends is training in sword fighting so that he can survive." Thomas continued "Can you honestly tell me that if she were a Watcher that she would never use her position to help save his life?"

Joe shrugged his shoulders, "I fully believe that Trixie is one of the most capable people I know of, that we can trust to get to know an immortal without breaking the essence of the oath. At least give her a chance. Meet her. See what she's capable of before passing any judgment."

Back at the university, a couple of hours later

"Trixie!" Carly shouted from down the hallway, "Wait up!" Carly raced across to meet up with her friend, "So how was it?" she asked slyly.

"The test? It went fine. I think I aced it!" Trixie responded, not realizing what Carly was asking about.

"Not the test, silly," the other girl gently pushed Trixie on the shoulder, "the date. With Mr. Tall, Welsh, and Handsome."

"And Mysterious," a second voice chimed in. The two girls turned to find Brigitte standing behind them. Brigitte winked at her friend, "I think the date went well. I wasn't even awake when she finally came home last night, and she almost overslept this morning!"

"Trixie!" Carly said clutching her collar with her right hand, feigning shock.

"It wasn't like that!" Trixie laughed. "It was a great date, but, um I don't know. We'll see what happens."

"Oh, what a shame. He is so handsome," Brigitte laughed.

"Well, if I wasn't interested in Richie, I'd sure go after him," Carly continued.

"Feel free," Trixie quietly responded. Brigitte and Carly both noticed Trixie's change in attitude and posture as she quietly walked away. Trixie, realizing she was ignoring her friends turned around, "Anyway, I've got stuff to do. I'll see you both later, right?"

"Yeah, see ya!" Carly responded. Brigitte waved her good-bye. As Trixie walked away, Carly turned to Brigitte and whispered, "What's up with her?"

Brigitte giggled, "I do not know, but as our dear friend would say, 'It's all so mysterious!'"

Trixie sighed as she unlocked her dorm room door, walked inside the room, threw her wallet and keys on her desk and laid down on her bed. "This is all so overwhelming! Poor Carly doesn't even know what she's getting herself into." she muttered to herself. As she laid there, attempting to figure out what she should do with her new found knowledge, the phone rang.

Trixie groaned, got up, and walked over, and picked up the phone, "Hello?"

"Trixie? It's Joe. Do you think you can come by the bar in a little while. I have some folks who'd like to meet you?" Joe spoke.

Trixie ran her hand through her curly, blonde hair. She stayed silent.

"Trixie? You there?" Joe asked, concerned showing though in his voice.

"Huh? Yeah, Joe, I'm here. Yes, I'll be by there as soon as I can." Trixie finally replied.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Joe asked.

"Don't ask me that, Joe. My whole life has been turned upside down. The shock's wearing off. Ask me again in a few days, ok?"

"I understand completely," Joe responded. "I'll see you soon. Bye."

"Bye, Joe."

Trixie hung up the phone, grabbed her wallet and keys and took off for the bar.

Trixie walked into the bar. Inside were three men and two women sitting around a table. Joe was walking from the bar area to the table and was about to sit back down. He looked up when Trixie walked in, "Trixie! Glad you're here," he smiled gently.

"Hi Joe," she stopped in front of the table, everyone stood up to greet her. "Hi everyone," she waved to the others.

"Hello Trixie. My name is Michael Fontaine. This is Thomas St. Claire, Monique Quebedeaux, Christina Acevedo and Seamus O'Connor." As he introduced each person, they nodded their hellos in Trixie's direction and sat down. "Please sit down, join us." Michael continued.

Trixie laughed as she sat. "Join you? Uh huh Is that supposed to be a pun?"

"Excuse me?" Michael looked at her, his confusion evident.

"I noticed your tattoos. I'm guessing this has to do with what Joe told me last night."

Thomas leaned forward, "Very good Trixie. Joe told us that you were extremely observant. Close your eyes." She obeyed. "Now, tell us what we are wearing."

Trixie grinned, "Oh. That's easy! Let's see. Joe's wearing his favorite green, long sleeves, collared shirt with dark slacks."

"Wait, how did you know this was my favorite shirt?" Joe asked.

"You were wearing it the night I met you and Adam said something about it," she replied.

"Oh. Good memory," Joe said. "Please continue."

"Ok. Michael Fontaine is wearing a three piece suit, gray with a rose colored tie. Thomas St. Claire is wearing a blue knit sweater and jeans."

"Thank you Trixie," Michael interrupted, "That was very enlightening."

"Enlightening? How?" Trixie asked.

"Joe said that you had an eye for detail. It's nice to know that he tells the truth at least some of the time." Michael chuckled at his last statement. Several of the others also joined in.

"Thank you Michael for you vote of confidence," Joe retorted.

"You're welcome. Now, Trixie, How much did he tell you about immortals and Watchers?"

Before answering, Trixie looked at Joe, and at his nod, told them about the events of the night before.

"Now what did Joe tell you about the oath?" Monique asked.

"Oath?" Trixie asked, clearly confused.

Michael sighed and then glared at Joe, "The oath is something all Watchers are supposed to abide by. We observe, record, but never, ever interfere. What happened last night is one example. Joe should never have approached you. He should have let Pierson handle explaining what you saw, on his own."

"Yeah, but if he hadn't have been there and stopped me. I would have called the police. You can't tell me that you want the police finding out about Immortals! There would be a witch hunt!"

Joe inhaled sharply as Trixie's voice raised, "Trixie," he said evenly, "Think about it."

Trixie focused on Joe for a moment. "Oh!" She replied suddenly. "You probably have Watchers on the police force. They intercept those calls." She paused, "But isn't that interfering?"

Michael responded immediately, "No, not really. Part of our mission is to keep the knowledge of immortals out of the hands of the general public. Otherwise, as you said, there would be a witch hunt."

"But that's interfering, with their lives," Trixie pointed out.

"In the game. We don't interfere in the game." Michael was clearly losing patience.

"Why? The game is apart of their lives. Aren't you then interferring with their lives?"

Christy spoke for the first time, "Where did immortals come from? We still don't know. Perhaps the winner has already been predestined. We can't give one immortal a better chance at survival. We have to refrain from interfering as much as possible. Who are we to determine the winner?"

"You were told of the prize, weren't you?" Thomas asked.

"Yes, Adam told me about it last night. Or should I say, rather what he knows. No one knows what it really is."

"That is correct," Thomas responded

Michael leaned forward, "Trixie if you become a Watcher you must understand that you cannot use any information gleaned to help any immortal survive. This includes Pierson, Duncan MacLeod and Richie Ryan."

"Will they be out of my life completely?" she asked quietly, her shoulders slumping slightly.

The head Watchers looked at each other for a moment before Joe finally answered her question for them, "Officially you can't have contact. Unofficially you may contact them as much as you wish. However, if you are ever found to have broken your oath and used your knowledge to interfere with a challenge, for example, you will be punished." Joe's voice broke on the last statement.

"Trixie we are interested in you joining. You will be put through several tests. The question remains, however, are you interested in joining the Watchers?" Michael asked.

Trixie sat in her chair for a few moments before finally speaking, "Can I have a few days to make my decision?" she asked quietly.

"Of course!" Monique said gently, "and here, take my phone number. Call me if you have any questions. If I can, I'll answer them."

"Thank you." Trixie stood and took the business card that read "Shakespeare Books" and tucked it into her jeans pocket. "I guess I should go now. Homework and stuff."

"Do you need a ride?" Thomas asked, standing up as well.

"That would be nice. Thank-you." Trixie followed him out of the bar.

The car was filled with silence on the drive back to the university. Finally Thomas spoke, "This was a long walk."

"Hmm?" Trixie asked, "Oh! Yes. I guess it could be considered far. I like walking. It clears the head."

"That it does." Thomas fell silent again. As he pulled the car up to the university, he waited for her to indicate where her dorm was.

"Turn left. I'm in the third dorm."

"Trixie," Thomas started, "I have a daughter about your age. I guess I want to make sure you understand the consequences if you take the oath and then break it."

He pulled the car up in front of her dorm.

Trixie smiled grimly, "No lightening, but the same result."

Thomas nodded at her statement, "Yes, unfortunately. Be safe."

"Thank-you." She got out of the car and walked into her dorm.