Set during 'The Prom'
Mayor Richard Wilkins the Third (and second, and first) swivelled in his chair. "See! Do you hear that?" He asked the vampire guard who was currently in his room.
"Hear what sir?" The vampire asked his boss.
"That squeak." Wilkins complained like a child as he raised his arms and twisted his lower half, causing the chair to swivel back and forth.
"No sir," the vampire replied and not for the first time wondered how he ended up working for someone like the sorcerer before him. Then he remembered that after the departure of the Order of Aurelius and their successors, the sorcerer filled the power vacuum left behind, allowing the politician to assume control of the majority of Sunnydale's vampire population. He was certainly kinder to his employees than Angelus ever was.
"Shh!" the mayor said, and for a minute he simply swivelled back and forth. "I could have sworn I heard it. Now it's going to drive me crazy until I find it again." He sighed, then gave up and turned to his vampire assistant. "Now, where were we?"
The vampire glanced at his checklist. "It appears that you have a request for a meeting one Josiah…" he trailed off looking a second name, but the mayor cut him off.
"Ah excellent!" The mayor beamed. "Always nice to see an old friend. Arrange a meeting for later this morning and make sure Faith is present these immortals have a habit of becoming different animal as the decades clock up so one can never can be too careful."
"Uh...yes sir. Also, your lunchtime sacrifice is prepared and ready at your convenience."
"Very good, very good. Quick sacrifice and then arrange nice little place for some actual lunch will you please," he ordered. "I like somewhere warm and welcoming while I go over the quarterly reports."
XXXXXXXXX
Outside Sunnydale High School, Alexander Harris, Xander to his friends and an immortal for less than a year was walking up the steps, with the knowledge that he would, for once, be on time to class. Behind him, Anya, a recently human girl, was following, intent upon asking him a very important question. Directly in front of her, however, she saw a young woman in tears smack her boyfriend and run away. Anya paused, thought better of her question, and proceeded to her class, asking Xander nothing. Later Xander and his friends were in between classes chilling by their favourite picnic table discussing the up-and-coming high school Prom. "So, dateless, huh?" Oz asked, as the group sat around a picnic table at lunch. "It's a valid choice."
"Choice is kind of a broad term for my situation," Xander replied to the werewolf. "I was considering going with the sock puppet o' love, but intuition tells me that will draw more looks than it's worth. It's not like I had a large amount of offers from a wide range of interested parties."
"Well, I'm sure you'll have a good time anyway. So, what if you're going alone? It's better than going with the wrong person," Willow said offering some sympathy to her oldest friend.
Xander smiled in appreciation at the gesture. The pair were still trying to recover their friendship after the events of the last month. "Besides which I don't think I would be much fun. Brooding over my fake uncle leaving probably not the greatest turn on."
"Still no word for him?" Buffy asked causing Xander to shake his head.
"No nothing," he replied bitterly. "I guess he wasn't the guy I thought he was. Just a simple cold-blooded coward."
"I'm sorry Xander," Willow offered. "I'm sure it's a lot to deal with."
"How would you know?" Xander muttered. "It's not like you were being trained with him." Willow glared at Xander closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't mean that. It's just… I can't believe he just left." She gave him a look of slight annoyance but didn't say anything further. Things had been strained between them. To Xander, it felt like they might never really recovered their previous close friendship. Ever since their kissing or possibly before their had been a growing distance between them as his Willow became less his Willow and simply… Willow. A brilliant, powerful, super smart, and strong young woman. It wasn't that they weren't friends, or even that they weren't best friends. They were. They just weren't the same kinds of best friends they had been a year ago. They weren't Xander and Willow. They were...They were just best friends. Sigh… Xander considered another issue for another time.
"No sign of the other immortals he mentioned?" Oz enquired.
"None," Xander replied. "Which means they are either laying low planning their next move or maybe something that Methos just made up… I don't know."
Buffy felt sympathy as she knew what it was like to deal with adults letting her down. Xander it would seemed was still learning that sadly no one is perfect. He always tended to wear his heart on his sleeve hence why it got broken so often. "At least the Prom will give you something to focus on," she said trying to cheer him up. "Well, at least we've all got our plans set. Some of us… okay me, are going with demons, but I think it's a valid lifestyle choice. More importantly, I have the kick dress."
"Ooh, the pink one?" Willow asked.
Buffy smiled. "Angel's gonna lose it. But not his soul. He's gonna lose it. His it."
A few more words were exchanged between the group before Oz and Willow gathered their things and headed to class. Buffy made a move to go but noted that Xander was not doing anything to get up from the bench. "Hey are you okay?" She asked him. "Class begins in like a few minutes."
"I just… I can't believe he split like that," Xander offered sullenly. After spending nearly, a year in the presence of Methos and gaining what he thought was a friend along with a teacher he was still getting over the fact that the elder immortal had simply walked out on him. He really thought that Methos was going to be a constant figure in his life for some time given the fact that he was immortal but alas it would seem that nothing was to be taken for granted. "For all his words he was just a plain coward."
"I ran out on my destiny after sending Angel to help do you think of me as a coward?" Buffy asked him and he grumbled he hated when Buffy had a point that he didn't agree with. "Methos might not be the person you thought he was but that doesn't mean that time you shared with him isn't any less real. He trained you to survived, taught you the rules of the game when he didn't have to. When I found out about Giles and the Watcher's test," Buffy said referring to the Tento di Cruciamentum that she faced earlier in the year. "I wanted to hate him for what he had done, for betraying me and offering me up on a plate like that. But when that prick Travers was standing there all proper and false gratitude, I realised what Giles has sacrificed for me and…" she shifted uncomfortably before adding, "how much he cared for me."
"Despite all the grief that you have given him over the last couple of years," Xander quipped causing her to smile a little. Always like Xander to get her to smile.
"As many mistakes as the Watchers Council made, they got it so right when they chose him to train me," Buffy stated. "We all lucked out big time. If we never had him..."
"I know," Xander replied with an understanding. With all that had happened within the first two years of Buffy's arrival in Sunnydale, even someone as clueless as him knew it was quite possible, they wouldn't even be alive today if anyone other than Rupert Giles had been sent to the States. "Methos killed for me," he confessed causing Buffy to look at him. "There was an immortal in town, a head-hunter just passing by, but we bumped into me. Well, you know me I never make the best first impression, so he decided to kill me." Xander turned away almost ashamed. "I wanted to tell you all. Confess everything and get you to take on this guy. I wasn't ready for anything not the fighting, not the killing nothing of it. Methos understood so he fought the guy in my place and beat him. If he hadn't done that… I would be dead."
Buffy clasped his hand understanding that he feeling conflicted about the whole situation. "Then who would be the one to annoy Giles the most." Buffy stated causing Xander to grin.
"Winner and still champion," he replied.
XXXXXXXX
"Pleasure to see you again Mr Wilkins," Josiah smiled warmly as he, Karios and Nort stepped into the office where Wilkins sat behind his desk and Faith, the rogue slayer stood behind them.
"It's Mayor Wilkins now my dear Josiah," the sorcerer replied with pride. "I've been very busy since you and I met. Founding this town, building it from nothing and running a successful campaign to get myself re-elected."
"Wait you two know each other?" enquired Karios looking back at the two men. Josiah had never mentioned this nor been forthcoming about why it was important to arrange a meeting with the mayor of this little town.
"Oh, the Mayor and I go back several decades," Josiah explained to his man. "Both of us simple men in search for our destinies," he then nodded to one or two vampire guards into the room and the oak desk that the Mayor was sitting behind. "I see that you found yours."
"It's a little doozy too," The Mayor grinned back at his old friend with a wide grin. "When I found the Hellmouth back in the late 1800s it was infested with demons each trying topple over each other like gems on a bad infection," he said with a shiver and a look of disgust. "They had no vision! No plans! No idea of the potential of the land they occupied! So, I decided to approach them with a plan, and we made a pact. I agreed to build a town on the Hellmouth where demons could freely feed on the inhabitants of the town."
"Late 1800s?" Nort repeated before looking the man up and down. "You are not one of us!" He hadn't felt the buzz one would associate with a fellow immortal.
"Oh no quite right sir! I was simply a mere mortal but in returned and appreciation of my smooth running some rather powerful demons granted me immortality." Explained the Mayor. "Wanted to me to continue running this town for much longer term than my original life span. I became an immortal much more easily than say any of yourselves. All that blood and first death," he shivered again like there was a foul taste in his mouth.
"Magic," mused Karios. "I have heard rumours of its existence in certain circles I never thought for a second I would meet a real mage." Nort just looked uninterested in this whole conversation not understanding how meeting some Mayor in a city would lead to more killing.
"So, how long do you think you'll be in town?" Mayor Wilkins asked Josiah.
"I have some unfinished business with a fellow immortal known as Methos," Josiah stated.
"Ah a business trip, how nice," The Mayor beamed at the immortal. "Well, be sure to let one of my assistant's here know if there's anything you need."
"There whereabouts of him would be *nice*," Josiah replied.
"Alas I must confess that I might struggle with that one," Mayor replied. "I am still bedding in my new assistant after the murder of my old one Allan." He looked sad for a moment but then leaned back on his chair. "But I think I can still help you in another way."
"How so?" Josiah enquired.
"His student," the mayor replied nodding to his assistant who handed him a file. "I have kept detailed files on all the Slayer's known associates, and he is one of them, an original one in fact."
Faith's expression that had ranged from bored to sizing up the immortals went wide when she saw the photograph that was enclosed with the file. It was one of Alexander Harris. The slacker, loser she had a one-night stand with. "Him! Harris?!" she said in disbelief. "That can't be right I killed him a couple of weeks ago."
"I am afraid my dear he is quite alive," The Mayor corrected her. "He is one of Josiah's kind. An immortal now cursed to think in the game attacking each other with swords until there is only one unless there has been a change on the matter?" He turned to Josiah for confirmation who shook his head.
"Then why didn't you tell me?!" Faith growled at the mayor.
"Well naturally I didn't want you to feel upset and lose confidence in your abilities," he replied in a warm tone but despite this the rogue slayer rolled her eyes.
"Let me guess," Josiah said causing the two to look over and face him. "I take it Methos has disappeared, and your people can no longer find him?" The mayor looked a little sheepish and the immortal merely expended his hand for the file which the sorcerer passed over to him. "I trust you will be happy to stay out of my way while we take care of this matter?"
"Of course, my friend," Mayor Wilkins replied. "I'll be happy to help in any way I can. Although, there is one little thing you could do for me."
"What's that?" Josiah asked.
"My Ascension is just days again and I have worked hard, sacrificing much to ensure my transformation into an Old One will run smoothly and free from interference," he looked pointedly at Josiah who merely smiled back.
"Of course not," Josiah replied with a winning smile. "In fact, consider myself and my men at your disposal. We want you to make a great success of your Ascension." The mayor smiled back and the two exchanged handshakes before the three immortals left the office, and they made their way out of the building.
"So now we work for that glorified car salesman?" Nort replied in anger. This crusade had become something very different to what he had signed up for. "What is the cause in which we might die from? His or ours?"
Karios chuckled. "What's wrong Nort? Scared? When went you go on a campaign all those centuries ago, did your King give his reasons? He probably just said, Nort kill!' and you killed."
Nort shrugged. "Oh, I did of course!" he stated as a matter of fact.
"Then let's go and be killed where we're told to!" Karios replied casually. "Is life worth so many questions?"
"Why are you so chipper?" Nort questioned his fellow immortal.
"The chance to see something mythical such as the old one like that sorcerer is boasting it will be a great opportunity," Karios stated.
"That's the way to think Karios!" Josiah approved. "Gentleman the man in that building is simply the vessel to our new world order. This will lead us to victory!"
XXXXXXXX
Xander was reeling a little as he wandered down the main streets. It would seem that some student was breeding some rapid hell dog demons but worse than that he had learned some interesting information on a certain Cordelia Chase. It would seem that his one-time girlfriend, long-time nemesis, and verbal sparring partner was now penniless thanks to her daddy's abuse on the family's accounts. It was so strange to think her family estate, car, maids and all her clothes were now gone. Many a time he had wanted to see her beaten or at least suffer from the same issue that had plagued his family for seemingly ever namely the lack of money but still to hear her plight was one of mixed feelings. He suddenly didn't feel like gloating or being smug but rather sympathy. He had often regarded his breakup with Cordelia as one of his biggest regrets. Despite the returning her taunts with his own deep down he couldn't blame her for being angry and spitting poison at him. He would do the same no doubt in her position. But still he felt bad for what happened hence
Alas his reflection on his former girlfriend was cut short when he felt a buzz warning him that an immortal was nearby. At first, he thought it was Methos, his teacher but then scoff at that notion. Methos, the coward was probably off on some scheduled beach somewhere sipping on a cocktail. No this was someone else he decided as his eyes scanned the people wandering around going about their daily lives. His eyes came to an older gentleman sitting at the coffee shop. He looked all slick, powerful, bond villain vibe going on. He was in his forties, but Xander knew that he was probably far older than that. With slick black hair and a neat goatee. Yep, no doubt about it he was villain for sure Xander thought a he reluctantly walked towards the table.
"Staying in a populated area, out in the open not against the wall and in broad daylight," Josiah summarised smiling confidently. "Methos has taught you well."
Sometimes life could really crap on you, and then crap on you some more. "Who are you?" Xander demanded getting straight to business. He was in mood for the usual bad guy banter. He briefly wondered if being immortal meant one grew to enjoying the sound of one's voice.
"My name is Josiah," the immortal replied as Xander took a seat opposite him. "Just Josiah as I am in between my last name. You will learn that reinventing oneself over time is hard work. It's almost becomes a job to keep track of different names and aliases one has used over time." He then regarded Xander for a moment. "Not what I expected when I think of a student of Methos," he said looking at the far younger immortal.
Oh great, thought Xander, he's one of those super-confident James Bond type supervillains. Xander hated that kind of villain, much preferring the cackling sadist type of...waitasecond, no! He preferred the "dead, staked and preferably sprinkled with holy water" type of supervillain. He wasn't sure whether he should be proud of his life or deeply depressed by the fact that he actually had a preference in what kind of evil killer he'd rather face off against. "Sorry to disappoint you," the young immortal said in an even tone.
"Oh, you don't worry you don't," Josiah stated bored. "I have seen enough to know that some things are not what they seem. Consider Methos for example when you think of the oldest immortal you think of some grey-haired warrior and not some young guy who disappears when the going gets tough. I take it he didn't even leave you a note." He smiled when he saw Xander's jaw clench. "Just like him. Kronos, my teacher considered him the greatest tactical mind the world ever seen when he wasn't hiding or running away that is."
If he's going to gloat some more, Xander swore under his breath he'll be eating that chair he's sitting on. "Is that why you came to talk to me? So, we can chat about Methos?" he enquired.
Josiah laughed. "No! I don't think we can both stomach it frankly! I am offering you a chance to live."
"Really?" Xander retorted.
"Join with me and I will train you, teach you, educated you in how to survive this game," Josiah explained. "You are what a few months old? Easy pickings for anyone but with me you will live a little longer. Oh yes sure I might one day take your head after all who can predict the future. Besides for all we know Methos might have simply left because he couldn't tolerate you anymore who knows but at least this way you might at reach triple digits on your life span."
Typical. Since fighting alongside Buffy Xander's seen many a bad guy confident, cocky, and powerful. This latest one is no different. "You are acting like you have already won."
"Haven't I?" Josiah held up his hands. "Like I said you are what a few months old in the game whereas I have many more centuries on you but by all means if you fancy your chances then I am sure there is an abandoned warehouse somewhere." Xander held firm but move. "I didn't think so," grinned the elder immortal. "All I plan on doing is letting the mayor achieve his ascension and then watching the world burn. It will be glorious as all the rules go out of the window. So, I would join with me now otherwise you are going to spend a very short time hiding under a rock before I step on you."
"I have heard that some many other villains and monsters that I have lost count and guess what grandpa they are dead or worse!" Anger swelled within his chest as Xander lashed out. "You are just like all the rest. Some wannabe tough guy who has come into town and acting like the big shot. You might have convinced Methos, but you haven't impressed me. We have buried so many like you."
A matching anger glared back at Xander from across the table. Josiah was furious. You wouldn't know from looking at him, as he always made certain that he kept his emotions beneath the surface. Inwardly however, he was a raging inferno of anger "You mean you and your mortal friends? Each of them is simply counting down the days until they die even if they haven't worked that one out." He leaned forward with his hands on the table. "There can be only one Xander. The winner."
"That would be the mayor if things go your way not you." Xander pointed out to the elder immortal. "I doubt he will allow some immortal lackey to take the winner's trophy and claim it as your own."
A note of worry flashed across Josiah's face before he recovered. "We'll see. Rest assured that Wilkins will be dealt with when the time comes not that you will be allowed to see that. After serving in the Germany army during the second World War I realised that man would not bring about apocalypse. There would always be something be it a side of good, a coward at the controls at the bomb or simply life getting int the way. So, I went off and started looking at the old ways. The myths and legends for the answers and I kept finding myself stumbling across this place," he gestured around. "The hellmouth. It's a nuclear bomb underneath a quaint little town, just ticking over with the power to reshape the world. All I have to do is arm it and let it explode. But in order to do that I need space to work which is where the mayor comes into play. He wipes out the slayer and any other opposition and I get to work." Josiah concluded with a small smile, leaning back in his chair not caring if he was revealing his ambitions as it was only to a boy like Xander.
"You were dropped as a child by your mother when you were a baby weren't you?" Xander snorted having listened to all the man had to say and come to the conclusion that he was as mad as they come. "And you really think that you can A) do all that and B) end up the king of the castle when the dust settles?" he questioned.
"I don't see anyone around who realistically stop me?" Josiah mocked.
"Oh, I will stop you trust me!" Xander warned the man only to be rewarded by the man's laughter again.
"Please try to understand boy the only reason I don't take your head right now is so you can bring your teacher here so I can take his!" Josiah snarled at him. "So run along now and call him, beg him, cry to him to return to save you. Otherwise, you will remain useless, and I tend to disregard useless things." The man got up regarding Xander as one would left overtake out. "Either run or stay but I want Methos. Otherwise, I will see to it that each one of your friends is killed in various painful way and I will bury everyone of them until I bury you."
With that and a very villain like swoosh of his long flowing jacket he departed leaving Xander to consider his options. They were as his usual luck limited. He was Josiah repeatedly pointed out a newbie as an immortal with Josiah likely way out of his league. He would he decided naturally inform the gang but all that meant was that they would have another villain to worry about. Plus, Xander had no idea where Methos really was to even give into Josiah's demands. Life at the moment was very much against them
XXXXXXXX
Would you like something to drink, Monsieur?"
Startled, Methos glanced up at the waiter. "Oui," he answered and asked the waiter for a simple beer. The waiter went to get the order returning a few moments later with the beverage. Methos smiled politely as the waiter poured the alcohol into his glass. After the waiter left, the immortal went back to staring out at the Seine. In the distance, he could see the bell towers of Notre Dame peeking up behind residences and other buildings on the Ile de la Citée, the Island of the City. From his vantage point, while sitting at an outside table at a French café, gave him a decent view of the barges and other boats that passed by on their way through Paris. Like all cities Paris has changed so much several times over in the all the years Methos has been alive. It almost amused him at times that mortals would take such care in old buildings and artifacts while embracing modern technologies. He imagined that if mortals knew the truth about immortals that he as the oldest living immortal would more likely find himself trapped in a museum than some laboratory in a secret bunker.
Feeling the Buzz, he tensed and glanced around for the source. Paris, he knew from experience, was a hotspot for Immortal activity, no matter what century it was. He looked to his left and saw the source of the buzz. A man approaching him. He had a large, muscular body structure, dark skin from much time spent in the sun, and dark hair. "Methos," he said.
"Macleod," Methos nodded getting up and smiling at the young Highlander. "Nice place," he said nodding to the surroundings.
"Yeah, they do nice coffee here," Duncan said taking a seat. "So how long are you town for?" Methos always tended to appear and disappear without warning and Macleod was curious to see how the elder immortal was in town for this time.
"Oh, just passing visit I think," Methos replied casually but that didn't impress or convince Macleod.
"Joe seemed to imply that you were settling down in California," he said pointedly eyeing for Methos any flicker or sign for a tell or a glimpse of anything.
"I didn't realise you and Joe were still chatting the nights away," Methos commented referring to the complex friendship between Macleod and Dawson. A friendship that broke all the rules and oath a watcher like Joe swore by.
"He is no longer, and a watcher and you are avoiding the subject," the Highlander snorted. "What happened in Sunnydale? Joe told me you picked up a student."
"That I did and now I don't," replied Methos as a matter of fact.
"That simple huh?" Duncan asked not buying a word of what the elder statesman was referring to. "Just one day decided the student had become the master?" He asked sarcastically.
"Wasn't there a day when Richie was sent out into the world without so much a pat on the back and a smile," Methos commented causing Duncan Macleod glare at him.
"Take care what you say Methos," the Highlander warned the shorter man who bowed his head slightly taking a statement back. Macleod started up again. "I spent several lifetimes learning from others no matter how old I was, one can always learn a new skill… I doubt very much that after a few months of your training with make him the perfect immortal so why did you leave him?"
"Complications which are none of your concern," Methos countered.
"Let me guess," Duncan began. "An immortal rolled into town, and you ran off." Duncan shook his head, but he knew this was Metho's way.
Metho finished his drink and motioned to the waiter for another. He took a deep breath before speaking again. "It was a former student of Kronos."
Macleod's head turn to look at Methos at the mention of that immortal. While Macleod first encountered Kronos who was going by the alias Melvin Koren in the 19th century USA, he had come to learn his true identity as Kronos the leader of the four horsemen of apocalypse. "I take it he is following in his teacher's footsteps?" Methos merely nodded. "So, what you just left your student there to face those immortals all by himself?" MacLeod asked in disbelief. It sounded like leaving a lamb to the slaughtered.
"Even children must learn hard lessons sometimes Macleod," Methos replied simply but Duncan didn't for one moment believe it.
"Who you trying to convince me or you?" he fired back causing Methos to say nothing instead he sighed staring down at his new beer. Life used to be so much simpler. Much of his early life has become a blur but he can still remember a desert. Hot and wild and endless. An old world, a different world; one with ancient air and ancient earth, and stars long dead and dying. He has been so many different things. He have been a god, a king, and a healer. He has been a priest and a slave, a harbinger, and a horseman. Some historians will call him a god, and scripture will say that you were otherworldly and divine. But really, nowadays, he just a guy. Time and time again he has got up back up and carried on living. Time and time again, and again. live. live. live. grow stronger and fight another day. In order to do that he didn't engage in every sword fight that was offered in every street corner but rather disappear from time to time. It meant that he had to accept that everything will end at some point. Friends would die, people he cared about would be far and few between, events would pass him by, and he had to get use to being on his own.
"Face facts Methos!" Macleod all but shouted in his face getting him to focus back to the present. "You could have gone anywhere to disappear, but you came here! Why? Because you knew I would be here, and you knew that I would talk some sense into you!"
"Don't flatter yourself Macleod!" Methos snorted. He had often found himself frustrated with Duncan Macleod's almost famous rigid sense of honour and now it was finding himself frustrated by Macleod's sense of humour.
"It's true!" Duncan stated. "Why else would you be here if not to have me give you the kick in the ass! Methos he is your student, fool or not, stubborn, or not and there he is your responsibility! You have to go back and teach him, guide him, and look after him!"
"For how long?! A hundred years!? A thousand years!?" Methos barked.
"For however long it takes!" Macleod replied evenly. "One thing I have learnt on my time in this earth is that you are never too old to learn new skills or beliefs. Look at me I am over 400 hundred years old, but I still have learnt many lessons from Darius, Sean Burns, May-Ling, Connor and even you Methos! You have taught me that life is not about rigidity and stern morality! I may never look at the world as you do but I do not judge it in the same way I did when I first met you. Teaching and learning is not something I think that either of us take for granted and yet you have thrown away a chance to do so. This student is your responsibility now so take some responsibility stop feeling sorry for yourself and get back there and help him before it's too late!" The highlander urged the older immortal.
Methos looked uncomfortable as he considered Macleod's words. Methos always did believe that Macleod was a rock and a guide, as he himself had seldom seen an Immortal of Duncan's resolve, humanity, and charity. "Maybe you are right," he grumbled. "I guess you expect me to fly back as soon as possible."
"That would be good and to help you I will pay for the drinks," Macleod said putting a few notes down on the table. "I will drive you to the airport," he stated grabbing the reluctant Methos to his feet by the arm.
"Hey wait!" Methos protested. "I am only doing this if you are coming with me!"
"Me?!" Duncan barked. "As far as I know I don't know this student! This has nothing to do with me!"
"Ah but that is where you are wrong because this immortal Josiah is after the killer of Kronos and that my friend is you," Methos pointed out. "Besides you my friend have been raised to be a chieftain of your clan, and that fact influenced your personality. You always did have a strong moral conscience and a sense of nobility; you protect the weak and innocent. Well, Xander might not be so innocent, but he is weak, so I need help to protect him."
Macleod's jaw tightened as he regarded Methos before finally saying. "Fine, I will come with you!" No doubt he would regret this. "We'll have to stop by the barge so I can pick up some things."
Methos smiled a little. "Too easy."
Duncan looked at the man for a moment. "You never were trying to hide out here!" he accused the elder man. "You came here to manipulate me to get me to come back with you! You little sneak!" He growled at the shorter immortal.
"I never said I was a good man Macleod whereas you are and more to the point you are a man of your word Macleod, and you just gave your word that you would help me!" Methos grinned at the immortal he considered a 'boy scout'.
