Now Methos was really afraid, his eyes flickering around the tunnel as if he would suddenly be able to see in the dark. Silently, he pulled his sword from its sheath, even as he called out, "I'm not here for a fight!"

It was a woman's voice that answered, calm and powerful. "Good, because then I wouldn't help you."

Not putting away his sword yet, Methos finally stepped into the light, a wider portion of the cave filled with any number of odd and macabre objects: black and red candles, herbs hanging from the ceiling, animal skulls, jars of coins.

She was dark and foreboding. Dark eyes outlined in kohl, dark hair swept over her shoulder, a long dark dress on that revealed the curves of her body.

"My name is Methos and I came because…"

"I know why you came," she interrupted. "Your lover, Duncan, has fallen under a spell."

Dumbfounded, Methos nodded mutely.

"And you need my help to reverse it, which I will gladly do, but…there is a price."

Again Methos nodded, before attempting to find his voice. "Name it," he said.

She smiled then at his eagerness, his recklessness. "Your voice."

Methos gaped, startled by her request. "Is that all?" he finally croaked.

He had been certain that she would ask for something else, something more, his immortality, his life, an arm or a leg. Losing his voice wouldn't be so bad.

But her smile unnerved him. Still, there was no other choice, he had no other options to help Duncan.

"Your voice." She repeated.

"Yes."

His answer was a binding agreement and before Methos even knew what was happening, a mist began to swirl around his feet. The mist wasn't wet, it was dry, seemingly sparking with electricity. It coalesced and twisted itself around him.

He screamed when he felt like it was shocking his throat, but the sound was carried away from him, until though his mouth was still open, no sound was coming out. The sound of his screams was instead echoing around the room from the smoke.

The witch caught the sound in a plain looking jar.

Closing his mouth, Methos didn't know what to do. It was done, his voice gone. Could he leave now?

The witch laughed, an eerie sound. Then she spoke.

"Better hurry back to your lover. You never know how long either of you will live."

He ran back out the tunnel, the sound of her laughter following him.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Connor entered his cousin's estate feeling bewildered. Kronos and his lackey, Silas, had not been at their estate. It made him very suspicious indeed.

He had barely entered the house, when he heard shouting. Moving quickly but not outright running, he recognized Methos' voice for help…from the library.

Connor didn't think a thing of it when he felt the immortal presence, didn't notice anything was wrong until he was bashed in the back of his head as he entered the doorway.

Duncan awoke to an empty bedchamber and the sound of shouting. Disoriented he scrambled immediately around the room for his sword, fortunately finding it propped against the wall to the side of the bed.

He had just drawn the katana when Kronos stepped into the room, sneering.

Kronos opened his mouth, expected challenging words falling from his lips.

"Duncan MacLeod…we meet again. I've come to take back what is mine, piece by piece if necessary."

But it wasn't Kronos' voice that Duncan heard. It was Methos'. Even more confused now and worried for what could have befallen his lover, Duncan moved forward.

"What did you do?"

Kronos laughed. "Come out here and see."

Cautiously, Duncan followed Kronos out the door, down the stairs into the foyer. It was there that he saw both his cousin and Joseph unconscious and tied to chairs, Silas standing over them with his battle-ax at the ready. Methos was nowhere in sight.

Kronos watched Duncan's expression with shrewd and arrogant eyes.

"Lay down your sword, or your cousin and Watcher die."

Duncan gasped. Sacrifice himself or watch his kinsman die? It was an impossible choice.

Just then Methos burst into the front room, panting heavily as he had run back to the house from the stable.

Duncan almost collapsed from relief at seeing his lover alive still. It was Kronos who spoke first though.

"Ah, brother. Just in time to watch your lover die. I'll deal with you in a minute."

Methos took in the scene before him. Kronos was obviously challenging Duncan, but Silas was standing over the incapacitated Connor. Silas looked ready to strike without giving the other immortal a fighting chance.

Slowly Methos drew his own broadsword.

"What are you doing, brother?" Silas queried, in his slow caring voice.

"I am not your brother," Methos yelled just before attacking the larger immortal.

Duncan and Kronos, not to mention Silas himself, were stunned. Duncan no longer had any choice, he had to fight and pray that Connor had taught Methos enough that his lover had a fighting chance.

He fought with everything that he had, ignoring Kronos' taunts still in Methos' voice. He did, however, occasionally look to Methos' fight with Silas. Duncan had never actually seen Methos fight before, but Methos was so new and inexperienced. Silas was so much bigger and stronger.

He was surprised to find Methos holding his own. The leaner immortal was faster, smarter, and more flexible.

It was a hard fight, Kronos was a skilled swordsman despite his reliance on schemes. But just as Caspian had been, he was overconfident. Duncan landed the killing blow.

Duncan was looking for Methos even before the head had hit the ground. Shock was not the word as he watched Silas' head fall at the same time.

Methos turned to him with wide panicked eyes. But Duncan had no time to reassure the new immortal. The mist rose around both lovers, even mixing together. And when the quickening hit, it attacked them both. For a moment, they were connected, not only by the quickening of the immortals that had fallen, but connected by their own quickenings too.

Methos stayed on his knees as the quickening finished. The tears started immediately, tears of relief that he and Duncan and Connor and Joe were all alive, tears of grief that he had been forced to take the life of the brother that had been kind to him.

Duncan lifted his own head to see Connor staring at him, having regained consciousness sometime during the battle. He cut his cousin loose quickly before going to his lovers' side. Methos turned his face to Duncan's shoulder, surprising them all when he said, "But I liked Silas."

The spell had been broken. Duncan would have to ask what exactly had gone on since the play but right then he simply held his lover tight. Methos understood now exactly what it meant to be an immortal and for that Duncan was very sorry.

But now they were connected, by more than love. Their quickenings had mixed and though Duncan was not at all sure what that meant, he was more than happy to share everything of himself with Methos. And hopefully they would have a good long time to be happy together.

Hah, it's done. See I really do mean it when I say that I will finish all of my stories eventually. Hopefully the end didn't suck.