Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All recognizable things belong to "Highlander: The Series". No harm is intended, and no profit is being made from this fic.

A/N: Hello again, everyone! This is the re-re-written chapter 2. I was quite displeased with the way this chapter had been, so I've gone back and basically scrapped the old chap. This new chapter flows a lot better, and keeps the same sort of pace I'd set in chapter one. I hope you enjoy it. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated. My thanks go out to stcobb, sophiedb, Cattibrie393, and RoughIslandSunrise for their support and encouragement. I promise to get chapter three out by the end of the week!

Reposted: September 27th, 2005

Chapter 2

"Is it just me or do these personnel files read just a bit too clean?"

Joe sighed. "You know, old man, I actually agree with you. Everything in these files seems just a bit too neat." He took a gulp of his scotch. "But what does it actually mean?"

Methos shrugged. "That's what I haven't figured out yet."

"Well," Duncan began, "at least we know that there is something more to Morningside than there appears to be." He sighed, lost in thought for a moment. "Maybe…"

"Mac?"

"Well, Joe… I mean, there's obviously something she's hiding… Maybe she'd be willing to talk to me about it."

"You really think she would?" Joe set his glass down on the table. "I mean, I'd hope that if she had something on her mind, or something she was hiding, that she'd come to me. I've known her since she was a kid, y'know? She's sort of like my own kid…" Methos snorted. "Hey! Watch it, old man."

"I didn't say anything!"

"Yeah, but you were thinking something."

"Joe," the ancient immortal grinned, "I'm always thinking something."

"And what are you thinking right now?"

"I'm thinking that she's not going to tell either of you anything." Methos folded his arms over his chest.

"Why do you say that, Methos?" Duncan turned to face his friend.

"MacLeod… if she wanted to talk, she'd have already talked to Joe about it. She barely knows you… she's not going to tell you anything."

The Highlander frowned. "I think she might, if I was able to spend some time alone with her."

Whatever smart-ass remark the older immortal was about to make was cut off by the door opening, and the impeccably timed arrival of Evelyn herself. "Speak of the devil," Methos muttered under his breath.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, minna-san." Eve gave them a neat bow.

Duncan grinned broadly as he stood and crossed to greet the young Watcher. He bowed to her, "Ohayo, Eve-san. Ogenki desu ka?"

She held out a hand to him, "Ee, genki desu." Joe used the momentary distraction to replace the Morningside personnel files with some of the files containing the more recent entries into Duncan's own chronicle. "And you, Mac? I didn't know you spoke Japanese."

Duncan led her to the table, holding out her chair and pushing it in for her before resuming his seat. "I spent some time in Japan."

"I've always wanted to go there… but, as Joe might have told you, this is the first time I've ever been outside the London headquarters."

"He might've mentioned it," Methos spoke up for the first time.

Eve turned to him, and Duncan noticed that her demeanor went from friendly to cold in the blink of an eye. "So, Pierson… what is the lead Methos researcher doing in Seacouver in a blues bar?"

"It's none of your business, Morningside." He sneered, then took a long pull from his beer bottle.

"Well, I'm making it my business, Pierson."

Joe stood as quickly as he could, "Hey now, let's play nice, kiddies." He headed back behind the bar. "You want something to drink, Evie?"

She smiled sweetly, "I'll have whatever you're having, Joseph, thank you."

"You sure?" He raised an eyebrow, and she nodded. "It's scotch on the rocks… it might be a bit strong…"

Methos snorted again, "Just let her have the drink, Joe. It'll be amusing to see how poorly she holds her liquor."

"Adam." Methos looked at the Highlander, a note of warning in his voice. "Behave, Adam."

"Excuse me, MacLeod, but I am not a lapdog for you to order around!"

Evelyn giggled as Joe brought her a glass of Glenmorangie. "Now I know why you're here, Pierson."

Methos glared. "Oh yeah? Why?"

"You're trying to worm your way into the Highlander's bed, aren't you, you cad!"

Duncan choked on the scotch he was drinking, and Joe burst out laughing.

Methos growled and stood, knocking his chair over. "That's it, Morningside! That's the last bloody straw, you stupid little bitch!" He lunged across the table, and was just barely stopped by Duncan, who grabbed him and held him back. Evelyn stood quickly and retreated to the area behind the bar, apparently wanting to put something a bit more solid than a MacLeod in between herself and her fellow Watcher.

"Hey!" Joe glared at his friends. "Eve! Adam! Quit provoking each other!" Evelyn sighed and nodded to Joe, looking contrite. Joe looked back to Methos, who had just been released by Duncan. "Adam? You going to lay off?"

Methos gave a long suffering sigh, then finally nodded. "Yeah, Joe. Sorry."

Joe crossed his arms over his chest. "It's not me you need to apologize to."

Evelyn reluctantly came out from behind the bar and walked to Methos. She held out her hand to him, biting her bottom lip. "Look, Pierson… I'm sorry. Really." The young woman sighed, "I guess I've just been upset that you were given the Methos chronicles, and I wasn't… I'd been studying them since I was a kid, you know? It was a stupid argument, and I'm sorry."

A moment passed before Methos took Eve's outstretched hand. "Yeah, well, I'm sorry I've been such a jerk. There was no need for it, really… I just felt a bit threatened, you know? You're a Watcher by blood, and I was just some sod lucky enough to get recruited."

Eve smiled softly before wrapping her arms around Methos, hugging him tightly. "We're quite a pair, eh Pierson?"

Methos chuckled, "Quite." They released each other and took a step back. Methos glanced at Duncan and Joe, who both had rather silly grins plastered on their faces. "What are you two staring at?"

"Nothin'." Joe continued to grin. "Just glad I don't have to worry about explaining to headquarters why two of their researchers killed each other in my bar."

Duncan laughed and grabbed Methos' arm. "Look, Joe… Adam and I've got a few errands to run, and then we'll be back at the dojo."

"Alright, guys. See you later?"

Methos shrugged, "If MacLeod doesn't kick my ass too badly, then sure."

"See you, Joe, Eve." Duncan walked out the bar, basically dragging Methos with him.

Evelyn turned to Joe, her eyebrow raised. Joe grinned. "Adam went to Mac a while back, said he wanted to learn how to defend himself. You should see their lessons – it's basically Mac wiping the mat with Adam."

"Really? That might be amusing to watch." Eve grinned.

"Oh, it's hilarious."

Eve walked over to Joe and kissed his cheek. "Well, Joseph, I've got a few things to do myself. I'll probably be back after opening tonight."

"Alright, darlin'. Keep yourself out of trouble!" Evelyn winked as she breezed out the door, leaving Joe to straighten his files and begin getting the bar ready for opening.

The buzz hit them as the elevator rose up towards the loft. Methos looked pointedly at Duncan, "Expecting someone, MacLeod?"

Duncan didn't reply. He simply drew his sword out of his coat and moved in front of Methos, instinctively protecting his friend, though he rationally knew Methos could take care of himself. The freight elevator arrived, and Duncan peered through the bars, seeing no one. He slowly raised the grate and peeked around the corner into the kitchen, only to come face to face with the one person he least expected it to be.

A dry, raspy chuckle greeted his shocked expression. "You were expecting someone else?"

Duncan set his sword down before grabbing his kinsman in an embrace. "Connor," he grinned, "what are you doing here?"

Connor MacLeod released his former student, smiling. "Head hunting," he said lightly.

"Connor!" Duncan frowned, "Who are you hunting?"

"Well, certainly not your skittish friend over there…"

Duncan turned to Methos, who was edging towards the door, having completely forgotten about his friend. "Adam! Come back here!"

Methos glared and marched over to the two Highlanders. He held out his hand to Connor, "I'm Adam Pierson."

"Connor MacLeod." The elder Highlander held Methos' hand in a firm grip, looking the ancient straight in the eye. A moment passed between them before Connor let go and turned back to Duncan. "And I'm not really head hunting… I'm actually just looking for someone."

The three made their way to the living room area by some unspoken consent. "Who are you looking for?" Methos inquired.

"Another of my kin," Connor replied, smirking.

Duncan paused, staring at Connor. "You mean… she's here?"

"Or she will be soon."

The younger Highlander broke out into a grin, looking at Methos. "This is great!"

Methos sprawled on one end of the couch, and regarded the Highlanders dubiously. "What's so great? I've already met Rachel MacLeod, remember?"

Connor chuckled, taking his coat off as he sat down on the other end of the couch. "Not Rachel MacLeod."

"Well then who?"

Duncan looked to Connor before turning back to Methos. "Jaina."

Methos looked wholly unimpressed. "Am I supposed to have heard of her, or something?"

"I'd be surprised if you had heard of her, actually." Connor smirked. "Jaina MacLeod, the eldest of the Highlanders."

Methos groaned, "You mean there's another Highlander out there?"

"Well, it's not like she's really a MacLeod."

"Duncan!" Connor glared at his young kinsman, "She's as much a MacLeod as you or I."

"Hang on a second," Methos sighed, "and let's just start at the beginning. Connor -- you tell the story." Duncan pouted slightly at that, which only made Methos smirk.

Connor grinned. "Nearly eight hundred years ago she came to Scotland, newly immortal… she wandered the Highlands, moving from clan to clan, until she came to the MacLeod's. She chose the MacLeod clan above all others to call her own. They accepted her as a part of the clan, and she was revered as a holy woman and a healer. They did not question the fact that she did not age, and did not die. Jaina stayed with the clan for nearly three hundred years, living in peace."

Methos sat up slightly, the story having caught his interest. "Why did she leave if she loved the clan so much?"

Duncan sighed. "Kanwulf."

"Kanwulf?" Methos repeated.

"Aye, Kanwulf." Connor shrugged. "It's almost amusing to see just how long he'd been terrorizing the clan…"

"So… you're saying that Kanwulf showed up, and a MacLeod took off? She just ran away from a fight?"

"Adam," Duncan started in a rather exasperated tone, "you have to remember that she'd been living in peace for centuries… she'd not seen another immortal for so long, and she felt that she had nothing to worry about."

"Jaina thought that if another immortal did show up, either the clan would protect her or she'd talk the other immortal out of fighting her."

Methos hmmm'ed his disapproval, but let the issue drop. "Alright, so there's yet another Highlander running around the place that I've got to worry about. Now, Connor," he turned to face the man full on, "how do you know that she's here, or will be coming here soon?"

Connor smirked, "I know her almost better than she knows herself, sometimes."

"Connor," Duncan chided softly, "that's not how you know."

"Heh heh, no, Duncan, it's not how I know." Connor looked back to Methos and winked, "I hack into her bank and credit card accounts every now and then, just to see what she's up to."

Methos grinned, "That's brilliant." He glanced at Duncan, "I think I like your clansman, Duncan. He reminds me a bit of me." Duncan merely rolled his eyes and offered to make dinner for his two friends, who quickly agreed.

A/N: And there is the re-re-written chapter two. I like it a lot. Heh. It's a bit shorter than I'd like it to be, but chapter three will probably be the longest chapter yet. Oh – and don't worry too much about the "truce" between Adam/Methos and Eve. That won't last. They'll be back to antagonizing each other before you know it! So, I hope you guys liked it… And see you next chapter!

Oh, really quick – Here's a translation of the Japanese used in this chapter!

Ohayo gozaimasu, minna-san – Good morning, everyone (or a very good morning).

Ogenki desu ka – How are you?

Ee, genki desu – I'm fine.