Disclaimer: The world and characters of Highlander to not belong to me. I just want to play with them. Not making any money here.
Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long, paper season and exams attacked me. There will be at least one more chapter. Three may be more after that, it all depends on what my muses tell me.
Duncan MacLeod was roused by the combination of the immortal buzz and someone banging on his door. Part of the buzz was expected as Amanda had been sleeping next to him, but there was more coming from the barge's door. It felt old and powerful, but he ruled out Methos as he groggily climbed out of bed and grabbed some clothes. Methos wouldn't have bothered knocking, he had a key, though Duncan had no idea where he's gotten it since he had changed to locks a few months ago and never actually gotten around to giving a copy to the world's oldest man. Amanda burrowed under the covers as Duncan dragged on a pair of pants.
It might have been Cassandra, but last he had heard she had been in Africa and planning to stay there for a while. His tired brain refused to supply any other possibilities even as Duncan approached the door, grabbing his sword on the way.
"Who is it?" he called, unwilling to open the door until he knew whoever was on the other side was friendly.
"It's Petra," came the reply. "Who else is here?"
Duncan slipped his sword into the place and opened the door to the 4000 year old Egyptian. "Amanda's here." Duncan answered, uncharacteristically short, but he'd beheaded someone very late last night and was still mentally exhausted.
"Hades is in town," Petra informed him, moving past him and dropping onto the couch. She scowled at something Duncan couldn't see as he tried to remember who Hades was and why this mattered.
"Do you want some coffee?" he asked, as he worked on it. Petra nodded and Duncan moved into the kitchen. Amanda appeared as the smell of coffee began to permeate the barge, apparently deciding that if Mac was making coffee it must be safe.
As Duncan pulled milk from the fridge and sugar from the cupboard, something finally clicked and he nearly dropped the bowl. "Hades!" he said.
Petra frowned at him from the couch. "That's what I said!" she replied crossly. Amanda raised a questioning eyebrow at Duncan from behind Petra. "He's hiding on Holy Ground. How am I supposed to kill him if he's always on Holy Ground?" Petra continued, frustration in her voice.
Amanda glanced at her and then back at Duncan. "Who's Hades?" she asked pointedly as Duncan poured coffee into three mugs, automatically adding sugar and cream exactly as each woman liked it.
Before Duncan could answer her question, Petra turned to face Amanda. "He's a monster who needs to die." She turned back to Duncan. "You have to help me! He knows I'm here! I need your help to get him in the open where I can kill him!"
Duncan didn't answer as he delivered the coffee and sat down in a chair facing the couch. Amanda was watching him with a mildly annoyed expression on her face, clearly waiting for a better explanation of Hades' identity. Petra was scowling into her coffee, as though holding it responsible for her inability to actually catch Hades. Duncan was unwilling to give Amanda the answers she wanted with Petra sitting right there since he wasn't sure how she'd react, and he had no idea what answer to give Petra.
"Do you know anything more specific about where he is?" Duncan asked to buy himself some time. "Paris is a big city."
"My student is following him" Petra replied. "He's been spending all his time in a small church near the river." Duncan stared at her for a moment, shocked that she would allow a student to follow an immortal like Hades. As though reading these thoughts, Petra hastened to add, "An old student. He's almost 80 years old now. I told him what Hades is and agreed to help me hunt him." Duncan nodded in relief.
"He arrived in town two days ago, and he went right to the church and he's been sleeping there!" Petra informed Duncan, leaning forward urgently. "We have to find someway to lure him out without alerting him that we're here." She leaned back against the couch, rubbing her temple with one hand.
"You don't think he'll have noticed an immortal following him."
Petra shook her head impatiently. "George knows enough to keep his distance. We lose him a lot, but never for long." Petra set her coffee aside and leaned forward again. "And I think there's someone else here who's hunting him."
"Who?"
Petra shrugged and sat back. "I don't know, but George said that he saw someone go into the church yesterday and that he was only in there a few minutes but when he came out he was talking to someone inside and George is sure that no one else was inside but Hades."
"It could have been a mortal who was being friendly," Amanda commented.
Petra shook her head again. "George said he looked upset. He was too far away to feel the buzz, but he's sure it was an immortal." Amanda raised a sceptical eyebrow, which was how Duncan felt himself, but didn't want to upset Petra anymore; she could be unpredictable.
"Even if it is another immortal hunting him," he answered, "he's probably having as much trouble as you are getting him away fro Holy Ground."
Petra nodded. "True," she murmured. A silence fell between the three immortals, during which they sipped their coffee and Amanda kept shooting looks at Duncan that let him know he was going to have to give her a more detailed explanation of what was going very soon.
The silence was broken by a phone ringing. Petra pulled her cell from her pocket and answered breathlessly. She listened for a moment then abruptly hung up as she scrambled to her feet. "He's leaving the church!" she said, her eyes alight with expectation. "But the other immortal is there too, I have to go!" Petra took off and Duncan raced after her, Amanda on his heels.
"Petra, wait!" Duncan called as she slid into a small red car and sped off. Swearing, Duncan threw imself into his own car and revved the engine as Amanda slid in neatly. Before Amanda's door was shut, Duncan hit the gas pedal and took off in pursuit.
Methos had returned to the small church Tristan was hiding in and the two ancient men sat side by side, staring at the stained glass windows in silence. It was early morning and the rising sun was just starting to peek through the eastern windows.
"It's beautiful," Tristan commented softly. "I don't deserve it."
Methos didn't answer. He'd already tried convincing Tristan to leave town, get away from Petra. A quick check of the watcher's database while Joe had been busy with the bar had turned up the fact that Petra had brought a student with her on her hunt, putting Tristan in even more danger, because the 78 year old immortal was good, a threat even to immortals who carried swords, and Tristan still refused.
Nearly another hour passed in silence before either man spoke again. "Penelope died a few years ago," Tristan said quietly. "She's burred her in Paris."
"I know," Methos answered, his voice betraying nothing of his emotions.
"I feel like I should do something," Tristan continued a moment later, anguish in his voice. "But what? I made her immortal in the worst possible way and decimated her entire village, leaving flowers seems rather crass." He laughed without humour and dropped his head into his hands, sobbing into them.
Methos didn't say anything for a moment. Finally, without looking at the man beside him he began to speak very softly, forcing Tristan to be quiet to hear him. "About once a century, I return to the areas I terrorized as a horseman and meditate. I will always remember and always regret that time. I renew my vow to never again become Death. You cannot change the past, Tristan, you can only learn from it." Methos rose and moved towards the door. He paused when he heard Tristan move behind him.
"I swear to you, Methos, that I will never again take a life." Methos turned to look at him. He face was washed with tears and his eyes were red and puffy. Methos tended to phrase his vow as not taking innocent lives since he did have to defend himself after all, but that would do from Tristan. He nodded his acceptance and waited while Tristan joined him by the door. "I will tell Penelope and then I will leave Paris as you suggest."
Methos nodded and led the way out of the church. They had just reached the bottom of the steps when they sensed another immortal. It didn't feel very old, and Methos suspected it was Petra's student, George.
Methos drew his sword and glanced over his shoulder. "Get back inside Tristan, I'll call you when it's safe." Tristan didn't move but George stepped into view at this point and Methos focussed his attention on the young immortal.
"Stand aside," George told Methos, levelling his sword at Tristan. "I have no argument with you, only him. Do not interfere."
Methos shifted so that he was more squarely between George and his target. "If you wish to kill Tristan, you do have an argument with me."
George's face darkened at he shot a murderous look at Tristan before replying. "His name is not Tristan, it is Hades. Stand aside, you don't know what you're protecting."
"I know a great deal more about him than you ever will," Methos answered coolly.
"Get out of the way." George said angrily. "I will kill you to get to him!" Without further warning he lunged, his sword driving into Methos' gut. Methos reacted with reflexes born of 5000 years of experience and managed to plunge his sword through the younger man's leg. George pitched over, smashing his head on the cement walls around the church's small yard. For good measure Methos drove his sword into his heart and left it there for a few moments. His free hand was clutched to his bleeding side but he could feel the wounds healing already. With luck, he just might heal fast enough not to bleed to death since George seemed to have missed all the major organs.
Tristan had not moved. "You should have let him…" he began but Methos cut him off.
"He's probably called Petra, get out of here…NOW!" Tristan hesitated a moment, but Tristan's desire to live finally won out and he fled. Methos sighed and wrenched his sword from George's chest and slid down the wall to sit next to him. Tristan's buzz vanished. A moment later the immortal buzz returned, this time announcing the arrival of Petra. He was surprised and alarmed when he felt two others arriving with her. The bleeding stopped as Methos heaved himself to his feet, though there was still a hole in his side.
Petra felt Duncan and Amanda behind her but paid no attention to them as she raced from the street to the church. She rounded the corner and stopped short.
Duncan and Amanda both detected only one old immortal presence besides Petra's as they joined her Duncan expected to find Tristan standing over George's headless body. The sight that greeted him when he rounded the corner just a moment behind Petra nearly made him sit down. Methos stood over a bloody body, head still attached, holding an equally bloody sword. There was a large hole in his sweater and a lot of blood that seemed to be his.
"No!" Petra screamed. She made to attack Methos but Duncan grabbed her arm.
"George must have gotten mixed up!" Duncan said urgently. "He's not dead, not permanently. He must have just attacked to wrong person." He wondered distractedly whether Methos and Petra had ever met, they were relatively close in age.
"Are you all right Adam?" Amanda asked, moving past Duncan and Petra, a worried look on her face. He nodded without looking at her, his eyes locked on Petra.
"His name's not Adam, it's Methos!" Petra shouted, answering Duncan's question. She continued trying to get at Methos.
"Adam or Methos, it doesn't matter," Duncan grunted, digging in his heels. "He didn't take George's head! This is just a misunderstanding!"
Petra stopped struggling and Duncan warily let go, remaining on guard in case it was a ruse.
Duncan glanced at George, still at Methos' feet, who was beginning to revive. "Perhaps we should take this elsewhere before someone comes," he suggested. Amanda nodded in agreement and leaned down to help the newly awaken George to his feet. Neither Petra nor Methos acknowledged the suggestion.
George looked around as Amanda tried to guide him across the small yard. "Petra!" he cried when he saw her. "He was here! Hades was here! And he," George pointed to Methos, "he stopped me from killing him!"
"Of course he did, he always does!" Petra said, almost sobbing. She turned to Methos. "Why do you keep protecting him!"
"You know why," Methos answered coldly.
"He murdered your family! He tortured you for over 500 years! Why do you protect him!" Petra shrieked.
For several moments everything froze, even the cold breeze seemed to stop blowing and the chilly stones seemed to be listening for Methos' answer.
"People change Petra," he answered at last. Without looking at either Duncan or Amanda he turned and disappeared into the church.
Petra dropped to her knees with a sob. Duncan crouched down next to her, trying to sort out what had just happened.
Amanda and George joined Duncan and Petra and George wrapped his arms around his old teacher. Duncan leaned towards Amanda. "Can you get them back to the barge?" he asked quietly. "I'm going to go talk to Methos." Amanda gave him a sideways look but nodded. "Thanks," Duncan murmured before getting up and heading for the church.
Amanda watched him go inside then shook her head. She was rather glad she wasn't going to witness this conversation. Duncan had told her why Petra hated Hades, and she had already found out about Methos' past, which still caused tension between the two immortals. This was going to bring all that up again.
"Come on," Amanda encouraged gently, "let's go."
Methos slouched in the pew, his eyes closed as he waited. Finally, three immortal presences receded and one entered the church.
"Hello MacLead," Methos said without turning.
"What's going on Methos?" he asked, trying to keep his voice neutral, though inside he was screaming in frustration.
"Just one monster protecting another," Methos answered flatly.
Duncan ground his teeth. "Don't give me that Methos. You let me kill Kronos and Caspian, you arranged it! You killed Silas yourself, to save a woman who wanted to kill you. Your brothers and your student, but you protect Hades…"
He would have continued but Methos had turned around suddenly. "Who told you Silas was my student?" he demanded.
Duncan glared at him. "Cassandra told me. And don't change the subject , we're talking about why you're protecting Hades." He paused. "Is what she said true?" he asked after a moment. "Did Hades really kill your family?"
Methos stood abruptly. "Yes, he did. I was 1000 years old and she was my 12 wife. Want to know the worst part? I don't even remember her name. I know she was a widow, and there were at least 8 children, but I don't remember any of their names." he broke off and Duncan saw tears on his face. "All I remember is the taste of…." he stopped again and shook his head. Suddenly the cold mask snapped back into place. "It doesn't matter what he did. He isn't Hades anymore, he is Tristan."
"Methos," Duncan began but Methos was already moving through the door. "Methos, wait!" he called, scrambling to follow.
"Let it be Duncan," Methos told him as he got into his car a moment later and Duncan caught up to him. Methos met Duncan's gaze for the briefest moment and Duncan was struck, as he rarely was, by how old Methos looked. Then Methos was pulling away leaving Duncan just as confused and frustrated as he had been a few minutes before.
Many thanks to my dear reviewers.
King Henry: Ask and you shall receive. More immortals who want Tristan's head to come!
wajag: Glad you liked it
LightYears: Thank you very much, I'm flattered.
tvnerdgirl: Good, glad you liked the beginning, thanks for beta-ing that chapter. I'd have asked you to beta this one, but you shipped off to California on me ;-)