Disclaimer:I don't own it. Wish I did.

Chapter 4- If you could only see

"I'm sorry that I kissed Richie. I didn't-I'm sorry. It was just to make her stop being jealous. Not anything else." I told him.

"Its fine." We looked into each other's eyes. Really looked-for the first time in a long time. His lips drew closer and closer-

Methos's P.O.V.

Methos tried to resist kissing her, but he couldn't. Their lips were millimeters apart. She fell. "Elena?" He watched as she fell down. There stood another immortal-they had been so wrapped up in each other they hadn't sensed him. "Artus Kemp." Methos deduced.

"Very good. Who are you?" Artus asked.

"Adam Pierson." Methos said. As he went for his sword, Kemp pulled out a gun and shot Methos in the heart. He passed out.

Iliana's P.O.V.

I woke up in strange surroundings...what happened? The last I remember was Methos' lips getting closer-then nothing. I looked about the room, sitting up on the table. There were wine bottles and various other liquors in the small room. I called out, "Hello?" A door opened across from me and Richie walked in.

"You're up!" He exclaimed and walked me. He gave me a tight hug and I returned it.

"What happened?" I asked him. His blue eyes looked at the door then back at me, nervously.

"Kemp attacked, sorta. We think he was trying to kidnap you, but Duncan came out just as he shot Methos." He explained.

"Shot?" I asked in disbelief. The young immortal just shrugged and nodded. "Help me off this table, Richie." He did as he was told and picked me up off of the table, no wonder no feared me when they should. Or feared me when they shouldn't. Walking out of the room, I realized that we were in the supply closet of Joe's pub. Joe was in front of us, behind the counter. Methos was at a table, nursing a long neck beer. Melanie sat beside him, looking positively furious and confused. Duncan and Amanda sat at the bar, discussing something. When Duncan saw me, he stood and walked over to me.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. I shrugged.

"Perfectly perfect. All bruises are healed now, at least." He smiled and hugged me. Amanda followed suit. Richie stayed close at my side as Melanie stood and walked over to me. She slapped me as hard as she could, and my head jerked to the side with a snap. You'd think that she'd have learned the first time. Methos stood, but was frozen in spot. I turned killer's eyes to the woman.

"Melanie!" Methos yelled.

She ignored him and glared at me, seemingly unafraid of the look I gave her. "You lying little bitch." She said.

"What, pray tell, did I lie about?" I asked in a flat tone. Duncan, Amanda, Joe, and Richie moved back, whereas Methos took a step forward. He knew that I wasn't happy.

"You told me that there was nothing between you and Adam. He just told me everything." I looked at Methos.

"Everything?" I said cocking an eyebrow at Methos. He shook his head and said,

"Not everything." That got Melanie's attention. She faced him, turning her back to me.

"What did you leave out?" She questioned.

"I'd like to know that as well, Adam." I put emphasis on his alias. He shook his head, answering the unspoken question. He didn't tell her that he was Death. Then, I noticed something on her wrist that I hadn't before-she was a watcher. Her tattoo was there, plan as day, just as I, Methos, and Joe had one.

"Things that you couldn't ever possibly understand, Mel." I turned the child to face me.

"You're a watcher-so you know about them?" I asked. She looked at me in shock, then I pulled up the sleeve on my right side and revealed my tattoo. She nodded.

"I didn't know that my boyfriend was one and a watcher-I didn't know that you were either." She said honestly.

"I had no idea that you were a watcher-but then again, I hadn't known that Adam was a watcher until about a week ago."

Methos came up to us both. The evil look was gone, but I was still ready to strike and he knew it. But the look wasn't that of hatred at my dark side coming out, it was of understanding. He knew how I felt and with his movements, he showed me that it was alright. "So, how old are you?" Melanie asked me.

I couldn't tell the truth, so I lied, "700." I told her. She looked at Methos and said,

"She's older than you, but she looks so much younger-"

"Our age isn't determined by our appearance, Mel. Its just a number and the knowledge you carry. You must not tell anyone about either of us." She nodded at his request but turned back to me.

"You were together?" She asked, her voice held jealousy but an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.

"Centuries ago. What I told you was true, Melanie, I no longer love Adam the way I did. We're truly just friends." The look that Methos gave me said that that was the furthest thing from the truth that was possible. He still loved me and I him. If we hadn't been so blind through the centuries, we may have remained lovers. My heart ached as he led Melanie away and out to the car. I turned to Duncan and the others. Richie placed his arm around my shoulders, but I shrugged him off. I didn't need comfort, I didn't want to cry. But even as I thought it, the tears welled up into my eyes. Duncan came to me and encircled me in his arms and I cried into his shoulder. I knew that this wasn't Duncan's thoughts-he didn't hold me the way you hold a friend, he held me the way you hold a lover. The other Highlander that resided in Duncan's soul was coming to the surface. Connor. "Shh...I'm here, Ana." Connor's voice rang from Duncan's mouth. The same raspy voice that I'd fallen in love with. I squeezed Duncan.

Flashback: Santa Helena, California. 1840

"Marta, if you'll excuse me, I have business with the Colonel in town. Do you think your mistress would mind if I borrowed a horse?" I asked the gypsy.

"No, Ms. Elaina. Would you like me to have Hernando hook up the carriage?" She asked me. I shook my head.

"The horse is fine, just have him saddle it for me." I went to go get my riding bonnet and sword. I would be meeting Kronos and I knew that we'd end up fighting. I rode the horse into the small town of Santa Helena. It reminded me of the villages centuries ago. You didn't see small towns like this any longer, unless you were in the New World. I tied the horse to the post in front of the governor's house at the center of the town. Before I even entered the building I felt the presence of an immortal behind me. I turned, thinking that it was Kronos. It wasn't. I drew my sword as I faced Methos. He looked just as he had that night in Rome over a century earlier. His sword mimicked my own.

"What are you doing here?" He growled at me, fury in his eyes.

"Taking care of business. You?" I said it in a wistful tone, as if we weren't standing in the middle of town with swords ready to strike.

"Same. Come to meet an old lover?" He asked. His eyes held rage in them now.

"I hadn't known that you'd be here."

"I didn't mean me, Iliana." Someone laughed behind us. An evil chuckle. Kronos walked up to us, placed a hand on the hilt of both swords and lowered them. Surprisingly, we let him.

"Lady Kyrie, I had not known that you've met our extinguished Doctor Helm before." He lied through his fake accent.

"Lady Kyrie?" Methos asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Doctor Helm?" I mimicked as I placed my sword in the sheath. I turned to Kronos. "We have business to discuss, Luis. The doctor may join if he pleases." I said walking towards the house. Methos and Kronos followed.

When we reached the office, Kronos sat down behind his desk and looked at us. "Where is your MacLeod, Iliana?" Kronos questioned, the accent gone.

"On business in the Indian Territories. Your men attacked a village belonging to his clansmen." I told him.

"How do you know if it was my men?"

"Because your the only person in this country that would order such an attack on innocent people." I said angrily. Methos huffed. "What?" I growled at him.

"Nothing, Iliana. Absolutely nothing."

"You came here for a reason, Iliana. The attack is insignificant." Kronos blew off the whole incident. I glared at him.

"Very well-I know that you killed the Alvarado girl's father, Kronos. I know that you are pulling this village into your web and I am here to stop you-"

"You talk big, Iliana, but I know that you haven't taken a life-let alone a head-in nearly 300 years. I do not believe that you would take mine." Methos made a coughing sound from the corner and we both looked at him.

"So, you haven't told your old lover that you killed a man in Rome over 100 years ago, did you? She's not changed, Kronos, no more than you have." Kronos looked at me as though he were shocked.

"You no nothing of which you speak, Methos-Kronos has talked to my priest and knows the truth of it." Kronos gave me a shocked look. "Did you not think that Brother Darius would tell me that you came poking around after seeing us at the Don's hacienda? You didn't question him under the sanctity of the confessional, he spilled the beans about one of the most evil immortals ever created asking questions. Which brings me to my threat, which isn't idol, you don't stop this scheme and I will take your head, and if I cannot, the Highlander will." I didn't take my eyes off of the man. He knew I was dead serious, but he didn't care. He threw up his hands and said,

"Bring it on, Iliana."

Present

"So, Kronos and Methos were just living in the exact same village together for years and never crossed swords?" Richie asked in disbelief. We were at the flat, talking in the living room. Duncan and Richie were both finishing up their beers, Amanda sat with me, her arm around my shoulders, in comfort as I recounted our time in Santa Helena. I nodded.

"He failed to mention that." Duncan said in a not so friendly voice.

"Don't blame him, MacLeod. He couldn't do anything as long as the Queen of Swords was around. I had assumed that she was immortal, but when I learned her identity, I knew why Methos never stepped in. If he had, it would reveal their past together and the whole of the village would find out. They were on thin ice as it was. The Queen would think that she took care of it, then he would move on. Kronos was behind the attack on your tribe, Duncan. Of that much I can assure you." I said looking at the Highlander.

"I took care of him."

Cliffhanger absolved! I know, I know, it took me forever and you were all in suspense. haha. Remember to review!