Methos' Drunken Tales - Chapter 2 - The Gathering

This story includes -Methos, Daruis, Richie, Amanda, MacLeod, Marcus Constantine, Rebecca, Ceirdwyn, our favorite watcher Joe plus Lydia my original character. This story was written for enjoyment purpose only. It was not written for profit, and no copyright infringement is intended. Every chapter begins with a stanza from a poem, if that not your thing just skip over it. Special thanks to RJ Bingham and his help with this story. Please read his stories at .net/u/2428181/R_J_Bingham

I would like to especially thank my Beta reader/editor - Feritkid. I encourage everyone to read her fan-fictions at - .net/u/2825702/FerretKid


When We Two Are Parted - By Lord Byron

In secret we met

In silence I grieve

That thy heart could forget,

Thy spirit deceive.

If I should meet thee after long years,

How should I greet thee?

With silence and tears.

Methos was sure Byron was thinking of his day of drinking and mourning when the poet wrote "When We Two Are Parted." Methos felt the poem held a special insight into how he viewed the death of

Immortal friends. Lord Byron seemed to have seen directly into his teacher's heart and let him understand how Doc grieved in silence for his fallen comrades.


The Gathering

It was April 23, 2012 and a small group of friends were gathering to drink the annual toast to Rebecca Horne on the anniversary of her death. Amanda, who had been living in Paris for over ten years, was hosting the event at Sanctuary. Sanctuary was more than just a club or gambling establishment, it was holy ground and Amanda's home.

She had closed the bar early, keeping a skeleton staff she planned to send home before the toasting started. Methos was the first to arrive, showing up about 4:30 to share an early dinner with her. Richie showed up just in time to join them for dessert. Joe's class at the Watcher Academy had gotten out late, so he arrived after 6:00 when the Immortals were sharing a bottle Midleton Very Rare. At 202 Euros a bottle it was one pricey Irish whiskey that Joe couldn't afford to stock at Le Blues Bar and he wasn't going to pass up a chance to have some of the rare treat.

MacLeod was supposed show at seven, but he called and said he was going to be late. By nine pm, Methos was already drinking heavily and MacLoed still hadn't put in his appearance. The group was about to give up and toast without him when Amanda, Richie, and Methos looked around, feeling the familiar Buzz of an approaching Immortal.

To their surprise MacLeod was not alone. On his arm was tall, leggy brunet whom everyone but Richie recognized as Ceirdwyn. Joe noticed Methos didn't look her in the eye as Amanda greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. Mac then introduced Ceirdwyn to Richie who kissed her hand and gave her his trademark smile.

Ceirdwyn boldly sat down next to the old man himself and spoke to him without awaiting introduction.

"So old friend, what are you calling yourself these days?" She gave him a seductive smile before continuing. "I have nothing to hide in this group. Duncan and Amanda have known me for centuries."

Seeing that Methos was completely ignoring her, Ceirdwyn turned and offered her hand to Joe. "You must be Joe Dawson. Duncan has told me so much about you, I'm Ceirdwyn."

"Very nice to meet you. Mac has mentioned your name a few times." Joe chuckled as he gave Ceirdwyn one of his broadest smiles before kissing her hand as Richie had.

Methos rolled his eyes and started to leave. Ceirdwyn quickly grabbed his hand tightly, wrapping his fingers inside hers.

"Oh, I don't think you're going anywhere." She met his eyes with a cold stare.

"Ceirdwyn, good to see you again." Methos replied softly, returning her look with hazel eyes turned cool and strangely dark.

"Obviously you two know each other?" Joe was dying of curiosity, but he knew better than to ask direct questions yet.

"Marcus Constantine introduced us when I was visiting him in Rome. We all happened to be at the Coliseum the same day to watch Christians facing the lions." Ceirdwyn smiled at Joe as Methos frowned.

Not only did the group know he had told only half the story, now they also knew the other half. Methos hated sharing personal stories unless he was the one putting the spin on them. To top it off, with Ceridwyn providing new details, the group would have further reason to believe his stories were never straight and this irritated the old Immortal, worsening his growing bad mood.

"Our mutual friend here has told that story, but as usual he left the best part." MacLeod smiled while holding eye contact with Methos.

Methos quickly gathered himself and tried to change the subject. Glancing at MacLeod he began, "Duncan, always good to see you even when you've kept us waiting." Then Methos turned his attention back to the woman who was holding his hand captive. "Ceirdwyn, this is your first year coming to Rebecca's annual toast; I never realized you two were close."

"Well, since we haven't seen each other in over two hundred years I don't expect you to be up to date on my associations." Ceirdwyn shot back at the old Immortal.

"You might be surprised." A mischievous smile appeared on his lips and his eyes softened. "I kept tabs on you for a quite a while. I was happy to see you finally take my advice and marry a mortal man."

Ignoring the others in the room, their conversation continued and intensified.

"His name was Steven Jarmel and he was murdered in 1995. I remember teasing you about your mortal wives and how much their losses cost you. I didn't understand what you were trying to teach me back then. You were right, I would do it all over again even knowing how little time we would have and the pain I would go through, I'm sorry."

Methos took Ceirdwyn in his arms, comforting her as if Steven had died yesterday.

Releasing her, Methos stepped back to the bar and picked up his drink. "I should have been there for you Ceirdwyn. I wasn't on the continent most of the time, being a bit busy myself that year. You see there was this girl..."

Ceirdwyn interrupted Methos with amusement in her voice. "Every time we meet the first thing out of your mouth is "there was this girl." What is she like this time?"

"She died in '95 also and you would have liked her. Alexa never let me get away with sarcasm and bullshit. She was intelligent, strong spirited, and faced death better any of us ever will." Unconsciously, his voice softened, conveying the deep love he still felt for her.

"Sounds like Alexa would have reminded me of someone else you married - Lydia. You always went for those women who had honesty mixed with the ability to stand on their own. I was always a little jealous of you finding those Mortal women that didn't need you, just loved and wanted you."

"There was never anything to be jealous about, Ceirdwyn. You were always my warrior queen. Twenty years or two hundred years wouldn't change that." He considered what it would be like to kiss her again, but they weren't alone and Methos was not a man to entertain an audience. Besides, whatever they had shared was over hundreds of years ago.

Methos still hadn't given Ceirdwyn a name. A moment later she put an end to any speculation regarding whether or not she knew him as Methos.

"Methos, I know I crashed the party. I ran into Duncan tonight and he told me about the toast, so I asked to join the toast to a good friend. I'll even admit I hoped you would be here."

"Your good friend? Rebecca?"

"Well, like the gentleman you are, you apparently never told Rebecca and I about each other. But women aren't like men and when we get together we gossip. Once, while hiking in the Swiss Alps she and I compared notes about our Immortal lovers and to our amazement, we kept coming up with a man who had the same description. Tall thin, yet muscular with a large nose and a way with women. His name seemed to change from century to century, until we both realized what the scoundrel's true name was. Should I tell you that name, or do you want to guess?" Ceirdwyn gave Methos a wicked, sexy smile.

"Ceirdwyn, I don't know why women would spend so much time comparing notes on men that breezed in and out of their lives." Methos wanted to distract the others from this new revelation into his personal life and was about to change the subject when Ceirdwyn interrupted him with a protest.

"Methos, neither Rebecca or I ever considered your presence nothing more than a breeze. We considered you a significant force in our lives, one to be reckoned with."

Joe was paying extra close attention. Methos must have had a long love affair with Ceirdwyn, in addition to his well-documented and long-standing affair with Rebecca. Since he and Rebecca were both ancient Immortals it wasn't surprising, but this revelation with Ceirdwyn was out of the blue. A quick glance over to Mac showed Joe he was just as stunned - especially since he and Ceirdwyn had been lovers off and on for a few centuries themselves.

Amanda knew all too well about Methos' relationship with her teacher Rebecca. Her mind wandered back to that day only a few months after she had become a student…

ooo000ooo000ooo

850 AD, Rebecca's Abbey

Amanda innocently walked into the chambers she shared with Rebecca, and found her mistress and another Immortal lost to their lust and carnal desires. Funny that neither of the lovers were upset by the student's intrusion, but instead they smiled and laughed. Rebecca then asked Amanda to bring them some food and wine, informing her that she and her lover planned on spending the rest of the day in bed and Amanda could do as she wished after delivering the food.

The little thief couldn't help but linger a moment, watching the male Immortal and his sleek, muscular body continuing to caress her mistress until his voice startled her into remembering herself.

"Rebecca, who is this Immortal child that is such a voyeur?"

Rebecca laughed and answered him in her gentle manner. "Methos, this is Amanda, my new student.

"You have a new student? Oh, Rebecca when are you going to stop taking in lost strays?" He gently teased before focusing on Amanda and giving her more of an order than a request. "Girl, you seem to like what you see so I give you a choice. Stay and join us, or leave me and my lady in peace."

Amanda ran from the room as fast as she could as Methos laughed lustfully at her back.

ooo000ooo000ooo

2012 AD, Sanctuary.

Years later she regretted her flight because it was the one and only time she had been invited to Methos' bed. Other times, it was always Rebecca or MacLeod that stopped Amanda from trying to explore a romantic relationship with the oldest Immortal alive.

Methos, who's mind was firmly planted in 2012, redirected the evening back in the planned direction.

"We all came here to remember Rebecca, I think it's time to toast her." the oldest Immortal reminded the group.

Methos stepped to Joe's side and lifted the bottle of champagne that had been chilling all evening and popped the cork. Amanda set out the glasses so he could fill them. Ceirdwyn stayed just out of Methos' reach, hovering next to MacLeod.

The toast was raised, "To Rebecca, the First Lady, the Grand Dame, you are sorely missed." They all repeated the words, took their swallows, and then began sharing their memories of Rebecca.

As memories poured out, tears flowed, shed by everyone in the group - even Joe was caught up in the moment. Everyone save Methos who kept a stoic expression on his face. It was only April 23 and there were two more days of mourning and drinking until he would release his sorrow privately.

Amanda broke out another bottle of Midleton Very Rare and they all moved to sit around a single table and pour the sweet nectar, as Methos called it. Ceirdwyn stayed next to Duncan, much to Amanda's dismay. Joe, sitting across from her, remembered a name Ceirdwyn had mentioned.

"This Lydia you spoke of, did she live in the ninth century? By any chance did she have a lovely oval face with a button nose and hair that fell in ringlets and was the color of yellow silk?" Joe was sure asking was going to cause trouble but he wanted answers to questions that had nagged him for years.

"Why yes, Joe. How did you know?" Ceirdwyn knew that talking about Lydia was going to get her in trouble with Methos, but she didn't care. "Lydia was a beauty, but she was incredibly brave too. She was the daughter of a Duke, chaperoned by Daruis on the journey to wed a cruel and horrible man in a political marriage."

"That is enough of that, Ceirdwyn. Tonight is about Rebecca, we do not need to rehash of the past. Besides, it happened over 1200 years ago." Methos looked up from his glass of whiskey with more than a touch of irritation in his voice.

"Is Methos always so grumpy?" Ceirdwyn complained.

"Get used it Ceirdwyn, sometimes he's worse." Amanda chimed in, earning a piercing glare from the oldest Immortal.

"Most of the time he is much worse. And sarcastic too," added MacLeod.

Richie rolled his eyes in agreement, not intending to say anything, but he found himself talking anyway. Actually it was more like rambling "Yeah, like Methos is so old and wise. What do you always say? Oh yea I'm just a guy. Just a guy my ass!"

"No," Methos held his hands up in the air and tossing Richie an evil glare. He shook his head and mumbled "Kids" under his breath. "No really, I just prefer that my personal life not be dinner table conversation. Besides, Joe writes everything down in that bloody damn journal of his. Don't deny it, Joe!" Methos said before picking up gulping down the rest of the glass of whiskey as a shot.

Cierdwyn began in the tradition of bards of her tribe so long ago. "This is the tale of Lydia. It's a story of love, sex, romance, betrayal, a hero, and even an evil villain. There's a couple good sword fights and there was a point where Daruis, Methos, and I almost lost our heads, and of course, a Quickening in the end. There's even a surprise as to who help saves the day. If I wasn't there, I would say someone had made this up."

Everyone in the room - except Methos - desperately wanted her to continue the tale.

"You said it Ceirdwyn - betrayal! Are you sure you want this tale told?" Methos asked in his contemptuous way.

"Yes. You may have forgotten my old friend, above all it's about love triumphing over adversity. It's really about Lydia and the fact she never gave up, she never quit, and she never let go even when things looked as if all hope was lost. No matter what was thrown in her path, Lydia kept her faith even when you lost yours. It's her story, Methos, not yours. You were just the luckiest man on earth that she still loved you enough to forgive you and still wanted to become your wife." Ceirdwyn said with a clear, calm voice.

Methos bowed his head in silence for a moment before answering her, "Of course you're right, Ceirdwyn. She was an angel and I was a fool." Methos smiled, "Go ahead, tell them the story. Luckily this is holy ground or I think I would forced by sword point to retell the story after the build up you gave it.

"I don't know all of it Methos, so you will have to help me. But I know how to ensure that you tell truth, no lies. Swear on Lydia's grave."

"My warrior queen you drive a hard bargain, but since I have consumed too much whiskey to fight you, I swear on Lydia's grave to tell the truth. I will not forget this excursion in to my privacy and someday you will pay a price for this, Cierdwyn." The old man threatened the Celtic warrior.

"I understand your feelings Methos. You know I'm far from the hero in this tale. But I know how you can take that pound of flesh from me, and get revenge." Ceirdwyn smiled with a lift of her eyebrows as Methos gave her an ugly glare.

Joe couldn't believe his ears, Methos had sworn a vow on Lydia's grave not to lie, and that had to be a first!

The group was mesmerized. Amanda quickly poured Methos a fresh beer and he began to speak about a time long ago and far away.

End of chapter 2

Chapter 3 - The Duchess and the Rascal

We are transported back to 805 AD were a young women is caught up as a pawn in to the world of Immortals.

We meet the Priest Daruis, the Duchess du Lutetia Lydia and a rascal named Methos.