A/N: I got some really nice reviews so I'm updated early as promised. Although...Elena called me heartless & evil, not sure if that can be consided a "nice review" lol! I'm gonna be evil about who Warrick's Watcher is for one more chapter.
oh BTW, Mac & Duncan are one in the same person. Mac is a nickname, a shortened version of MacLeod. Sorry for any confusion.
Disclaimer: Still waiting for Joy to give me that certificate fo ownership of Warrick. Until then, I don't own them. :)
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Sara knew where Warrick's hideout was. She didn't bother to attempt to follow him as he left the lab. He was too suspicious and jumpy today. Therefore, she just gave him a wave goodbye and drove away. She didn't need to follow him to where he would abandon his car and jump a bus. She already knew that after the bus, he would hail a cab to another bus then walk the last six blocks to his hideout. He had had the same routine for a long time now; she didn't need to follow him.
It was all due to the simple fact that she already knew where he was heading. She knew this because she had already followed Warrick, years ago. She'd followed him after Grissom had failed to fire him once again. She had followed him several times, hoping to catch him in something that Grissom could not ignore.
All she had managed to find was that he liked to hang out in an old abandoned building. She'd looked into the building. A dummy corporation, paid for by a Swiss bank account, owned it. There was nothing she could pin on Warrick. There was nothing, except that he used it as his own personal playhouse.
She'd managed to get upstairs once and had found his secret. He had his own gym. It was a home away from home, except this home was more expensive then the one he normally invited his friends to. The place was decorated in antiques, not fakes, but real antiques. Sara knew enough to be able to tell the difference. She'd done her research too, nothing had been reported stolen.
Although Sara had wanted to question Warrick about the place, she knew better. She had butted heads with Warrick before and had come out the loser. She'd investigated him before, on request of Grissom, and had looked like an ass. She'd felt like an even bigger one. No, Sara Sidle would not make that mistake again.
She'd followed Warrick there several times over the years, so she knew that he still went there. That was where he had stashed Nick, she would bet on that. There was only one question, was Nick there willingly?
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"There are rules that we must follow, as Immortals." Adam leaned back on the couch, beer in hand.
"Okay. I'm good with rules." Nick winced as he pushed himself upright against the headboard.
"Yeah, Nick always follows the rules. He was a boy scout." Greg chuckled, pouncing down on the couch beside Adam. Adam sent a killing glare as his beer sloshed onto his pants. "And I'm guessing, if Warrick can follow the rules, so can I."
"The rules are simple." Mac joined the group, pulling a chair up backwards to straddle. "Number one: Never fight on Holy Ground."
"Holy Ground?" Greg frowned. "What's that mean?"
"Churches. Graveyards." Nick supplied.
"Temples, "Adam nodded, adding. "Any place that is Sacred or blessed. We're safe from each other on Holy Ground."
"That's a rule?" Greg questioned. "That's simple enough. I have no desire to hang out in a graveyard. What's rule number 2?"
"Never interfere with another's fight. One on one is the only way to do it. Never two against one." Adam continued. "It has to be a fair fight."
"Except when one chooses to cheat." Richie interrupted, pulling another chair close with one hand while holding a beer in the other. With the beer-hand, he pointed at Greg. "They fight dirty. It's survival, ya know. Sometimes you use what you have, whatever's available."
"But, that's just the evil ones, right?"
"It's not all black and white." Mac shook his head. "We all have the capabilities to be good just as we can be evil."
"Just like normal people." Adam added sagely. "In that sense, we are no different from humans. There are neither Angels nor Devils, just men….and Immortals. We are all trying to make it through life….the best we can. I've done evil, so has Mac. What makes us different is that we are willing to change for the better, we come back from it."
"What about you, Richie? Have you ever been evil?" Greg teased with a grin.
"No. I don't think I have actually been evil, just stupid at times. I've done things that I wish I could undo, but each time, I thought it was the right thing to do."
"I wouldn't call it stupid, Rich." Joe' hobbled over to pat the young Immortal's shoulder. "Perhaps gullible, but not stupid."
"Ritchie's a sucker for a pretty face." Mac snickered. "Doesn't matter if the face belongs for a mortal or immortal, he'll fall for it every time."
"Ha-ha, Mac." Richie sneered at his friend a moment before reaching for his sword. The other two Immortals did the same.
"Warrick's home?" Greg stated hopefully as the men approached the elevator.
"Let's hope so. Rich, stay with them." Mac ordered. With a nod, Richie positioned himself between the elevator and Nick's bed, his sword gripped firmly in hand. Should one of the others be challenged by this intruder, he would get Greg and Nick out of here while the intruder was engaged in battle. He wouldn't interfere with the battle. Everyone stood, tense and waiting. The deafening silence was interrupted by Mac's phone ringing from where it lay on the coffee table. Joe reached over and read the display.
"It's Warrick." He announced as he answered it. He didn't say a word, only listened for a moment and then hung up. "He says to relax; he's on his way up."
The three immortals relaxed, going back to where they had been sitting. A few moments later, the creaking of the elevator announced the arrival of Warrick. He stepped into the room, giving the men a look of annoyance.
"You guys look real busy." He snorted. "I work all day, bring home food and you guys are sitting on your butts drinking beer? I definitely got the raw end of this deal."
"They were just explaining some of the rules." Joe supplied as Warrick set the take out on the coffee table. "Greg has been training most of the day. He seems to be doing pretty well."
"And you would know….how?" Warrick snarled, his dislike for the man evident once again.
"For the simple reason that I've witnessed more Quickenings than you've thought of." Joe countered, equally as hateful.
"Guys, cool it." Richie rolled his eyes. "Warrick, Joe is cool. Trust us. Trust him."
"I don't know if I can trust anyone who is basically a stalker!" Warrick thundered.
"Stalker? What?" Nick looked nervously from one man to another. Just the mention of the word caused a shiver to run through him.
"Warrick's having problems with Joe being a Watcher." Greg explained simply. Nick frowned, unsure of what to make of that statement.
"What exactly is a Watcher?" He frowned, not liking the impression that he was getting. This immortality business was getting even less desirable than he's originally thought.
"We observe the Immortals; we keep track of who fights and who goes on to fight another battle. I am MacLeod's Watcher." Joe explained. "I don't do anything to interfere or cause him any harm. I just watch….chronicle his history."
"I don't think I like that idea!" Nick shivered visibly. "Do you watch me?"
"No, you don't have a watcher until you are officially an Immortal. I can only watch one at a time, so you'll have your own watcher as soon as you enter the game."
"So, Warrick has someone watching him?" Nick grimaced. "I don't like the idea…I've had that before and I don't feel comfortable with someone….watching me."
"Neither do I!" Warrick flared. "I plan on putting a stop to it as soon as I find out who the hell it is!"
"Warrick, chill." Greg put a hand out, as if to stop the man. "I know who your watcher is, and it's cool."
"You know?" Adam looked shocked. "How? Joe, did you tell him?"
"No, I haven't even met with the man yet. I wouldn't give the person's identity out. It's not safe. It's not safe for something like that to come out, especially when the Immortal in question has issues with it. We've lost too many good men to angry Immortals." Joe was studying the young man intently. He couldn't figure out how the kid could know who it was. "Well Sanders? What makes you think that you know who it is?"
Greg felt all eyes on him, he felt somewhat powerful, knowing what no one else did. He gave them a smile. "Ya know, I keep telling you guys….I'm not just a pretty face. I was made a CSI cuz I'm pretty smart. I notice things. I'm observant. I am not a CSI on my looks alone. I realize, that it helps, but that's not why-"
"Greg!" Warrick roared, causing the younger man to jerk to attention. "Just tell me what you think you know!"
"Well, I just noticed something…..about Joe. Something that I have seen somewhere else. Adam has it too, which he told me was because he pretended to be a Watcher for a while." Greg stammered nervously. No one had made him this nervous except Grissom, and he didn't like the fact that his friend was causing his nerves to jumble. "Geez, Warrick! Stop glaring at me like that or I won't tell you a thing."
"Greg." Warrick warned softly which was even worse than having yelled. It was when Warrick was quiet that he was most dangerous, like a cat about to pounce.
"The tattoo! Okay, Joe and Adam have a tattoo on their wrist. Your Watcher has the same tattoo! I've noticed it." Greg blurted out.
Warrick looked to Adam and Joe for confirmation. Adam held out his wrist for display. Warrick frowned, not recognizing it. With a sigh, Joe pulled his sleeve back and let Warrick look at his tattoo.
"Is he right?" Warrick questioned in that sinisterly soft voice.
"Yes, it's the symbol of a Watcher." Joe admitted. "It's how we recognize one another. There are so many in our society that we don't always know who is a member and who is not."
"Warrick, calm yourself. This guy has done you no harm." Mac cut in. "He's just hanging around for prosperities sake. I admit I had a problem with this when I found out, but I've learned that these guys really don't mean any harm."
Warrick acted as if he hadn't heard his elder. Greg regretted his big mouth. He wished he had not felt the need to gloat about how smart he was. He liked the person in question and he was not sure what Warrick would do when he found out how badly he had been betrayed. Warrick was glowering down at Greg, who winced. "Greg! Tell me now! Who is my Watcher?"
hmmmm...tbc
