THE ELIZABETH SERIES
CHAPTER FIVE
UNION
by JoLayne
EnyaJo@aol.com

RATING: ADULT - If you're too young, hit the back button. You have
been warned. 

CHARACTERS: DM M J A Amy (OC) Kevin, Elizabeth, various others

SUMMARY: Amy's wedding.

~~~~~

SEPTEMBER 9, 2000 
NEW YORK CITY
ST. THOMAS CHURCH

Joe beamed as he sat in a wheelchair next to the front pew across the aisle
from Walter and Helen. His happiness wasn't only due to the fact that his
daughter was getting married to a good man, but that Amy had placed him,
in the center of it all. The program listed him as father of the bride, their
invitations listed him along with Walter and Helen, proudly presenting
their children for marriage. As he sat there, with the congregation around
him, the only thing that bothered him was that he couldn't walk her up the
aisle; he was trapped in this contraption. It had been five days since he was
shot and had gotten a replacement for his broken prosthetic left leg. He
could stand, move around, but he was unstable and could fall at any point
if he was too tired. The likelihood of it happening on their way up the aisle
was too much for Joe to even think about. When Duncan suggested a
wheelchair, Joe's first instinct was to bark at him and dismiss the idea;
then he realized it was a stable way for him to make sure he witnessed his
daughter's joy. 

Amy wanted him to 'wheel' her up the aisle, but he vetoed that. He told her
he wanted to see her walk up the aisle, for the people to be looking at her,
not him. Amanda rubbed Joe's shoulder and took his hand when the music
started, signaling the start of the procession. Duncan, next to Amanda,
winked at Kevin standing by the minster, gave a strength gesture and
smiled. Kevin looked as if he was on the verge of fainting, sweat was
visible on his forehead. 

The flutists and organist began playing and everyone turned when the
double doors at the end of the aisle opened. Rachel, in a soft pink off the
shoulder dress, and a flower clip in her short blond bob walked up the aisle
with Doug, Kevin's best friend from college. 

Out of sight from the gathered guests, Amy shifted her feet, making her
almost tip over. Methos grabbed her arm and hooked her hand at his
elbow. "You don't want to break your leg before the wedding night."

"Am I all hooked?" Amy fumbled with the skirt of the cream silhouette
dress, then with the short, soft veil that covered her head.

Elizabeth, wearing the same dress as Rachel, hurriedly checked her, even
though she'd been fussing over her for the last four hours. "You're all
hooked and look stunning." She kissed Amy on the cheek, careful not to
get lipstick on her. Elizabeth spied Adam out of the corner of her eye and
smiled, "You both look pretty good."

Methos puffed up his chest. It wasn't a daily event to wear a tuxedo, and he
thought he filled it out pretty nicely, too. That Elizabeth would comment,
made him even more pleased. The last couple days together had gone
better. The immortals around her seemed to calm her, not make her
nervous. Their conversations started to become more open, light, not a hint
of guilt or blame in sight.

Amy grabbed Elizabeth's hand and said, "Thank you both for being here
with me. But... I think I'm going to throw up."

Methos laughed. "It's just another day, Amy. Think about tomorrow."

That seemed to calm her, but she said, "I just know something's going to
go wrong. I just know it."

Elizabeth fussed with Amy's veil and her hair knowing it would calm Amy
to know she was taken care of. Methos said, "There is something very
wrong". Amy looked about ready to faint and her mind reeled thinking
what it could possibly be. He smiled and said, "The matron of honor and
the best man aren't walking down the aisle."

Elizabeth took that comment, coming from Adam, to mean that something
else was her fault. Chad tapped her on the shoulder, making her even more
embarrassed. Methos watched Elizabeth and Chad move to the door and
start up the aisle. Then he whispered to Amy, "You're radiant. There's
nothing to this. Believe me."

"Have you been down the aisle many times, Adam?"

"Once or twice." She was going to ask him more, but he leaned close and
said, "Just say 'I do' and don't drop the ring. Keep your knees bent."

"Why?"

"You won't pass out."

"Oh, great."

The music shifted to Ode to Joy. The congregation stood and looked back
at the door with agreeable and supporting smiles as Methos led Amy to the
door, proud of the honor of walking her down the aisle to her future. The
wedding was beautiful, perfect. Not a hitch, except Elizabeth dropped
Kevin's ring when the pastor asked for it. 

~~~~~

ST. REGIS SHERATON 

The smoked salmon was on the appetizer table, the specially flown in chicken was
tender, as it was meant to be. Only when Amy and Kevin danced their dance did she
finally relax and start to actually enjoy herself. At a table centered around the
wheelchair, Joe, Methos, Duncan, and Elizabeth toasted the new couple. "You did a
good job, there, Adam," Joe said. "I couldn't have walked Amy up the aisle any better
myself."

"It's not just anyone who can get me into a monkey suit, Joe."

"Hey," Elizabeth said, "You haven't known torture until you've put on an attendant's
dress." She thumbed the neckline of the soft pink dress she wore. "At least it's not
taffeta."

Methos thought it was beautiful. It was low on her shoulders and with her long hair up
and wearing makeup applied by a professional, who came to the apartment to
transform her, Amy, Helen, Amanda and Rachel for the evening, she was a looker. 

Amanda came from the ladies' room after fixing her makeup and bumped into a man
walking along the outskirts of the people on the dance floor. "Excuse me," she said,
then felt a prick on her shoulder again. She exclaimed at the pain and held her
shoulder, rubbing it. The man was gone. She moved her neckline over; there wasn't
any trace of a wound or scar. Amanda dismissed it as static electricity, but two
instances of a very intense shock in one week was strange.

As soon as she joined them at the table, Duncan stood, held his hand out to Amanda
and took her out to the dance floor. Methos was thinking of asking Elizabeth to dance
when Doug beat him to it. He was almost jealous when the good looking, single man
whispered in her ear and held out his hand. She smiled a nice smile at him and took
his hand, let him lead her to the dance floor. From their body language all day,
Methos knew they had known each other for a while.

Joe bopped Methos on the arm, "Why didn't you do that?"

"What? And leave you at the table alone?"

"I'm portable." he said, motioning to the wheelchair they rented. "In fact, I'm going to
leave you at the table. There's a nice looking lady over by the bar who can't stop
checking me out."

Methos looked over at the bar and saw the nicely dressed woman, blond with a trace
of gray, leaning against the bar, smiling in their direction. She looked in her early 50s.
The woman was petite and pretty in a soft lilac dress and wore a lot of shimmering
diamonds. "Onward, my friend," Methos said. "Don't let me stop you."

"You couldn't, even if you tried," Joe smiled and wheeled away. 

After taking a couple of sips from his beer and not enjoying the music in the least,
Methos was going to hit the road. His job was done. Amy was married. Joe was
healing. Elizabeth was going to leave town and everyone would be safe. He looked at
Joe and the very attractive woman that was talking to him. Methos didn't ever think of
his friend as smooth, a womanizer. Joe wheeled himself near a table and the woman
in lilac sat in a chair very close to his. They looked to be in the midst of an in-depth
conversation. 

Methos noticed Duncan and Amanda on the dance floor. Entwined together they
didn't have a clue there was anyone else on the planet. But she seemed unusually
heavy on her feet. Amy and Kevin were dancing with his parents, but kept their eyes
only on each other. Ah, young love, Methos smiled. It did sometimes warm his heart.
Elizabeth moved in perfect unison with Doug. Over the past couple of days, he
realized she was noone to be leery of. It was only who was after her. Logan wasn't
stupid enough to come back to the apartment, and since his failed ambush they didn't
leave it, except in groups. They even went together to the tux rental place for Kevin
and Walter and Methos to get their tuxes fitted. Methos knew they all had an eye and
an ear to the door during the wedding ceremony, especially on their way from the
church to the hotel. They hadn't heard or felt a peep from Logan for days. If the little
prick was smart enough, he would have left town. 

Methos gulped down the rest of his brew and walked onto the dance floor. He tapped
MacLeod on the shoulder. "May I?"

"Oh," Amanda smiled, feeling light headed, looking at Methos. "I'd be honored."

Duncan stepped back and Methos put his arm around Amanda's waist and swung
her around in time to the music, making her giggle, then dizzy. She stumbled. He
laughed at her. "Straighten up, you're making me look bad."

"Yeah, I have two left feet tonight. Maybe it's too much champagne."

He saw Elizabeth and the looker chatting each other up and laughing as they
danced. Methos moved Amanda across the dance floor making sure he bumped into
Doug's back. 

"Oh," Methos said. "Sorry. Hey... would you mind changing partners?"

Amanda looked at the tall dark stranger and said, "I wouldn't mind at all." Doug
smiled at Amanda and turned into her arms, swinging her away. 

Elizabeth thought Doug left awfully quick, but then again, she was no Amanda. Adam
wanted to dance with her? She stared at him. 

Methos smiled and held out his arms. Elizabeth walked into them and put her right
hand in his and her left arm on his shoulder. "Why didn't you just ask me earlier?"

He just shrugged. The roundabout way had been the method to his madness for
5000 years, why change now? Just as they got comfortable and actually started
dancing, the song was over. They clapped with everyone else. She was going to
walk back to the table, but Methos stopped her, spun her back into his grip. "I'm
asking you now."

She smiled, "There's no music."

"There will be."

There wasn't. Instead of starting a new song, the singer went to the microphone and
announced, "You've all been great, we're going to take a short 10 minute break."

"They'll be back in ten minutes," Methos said. "I can wait."

Elizabeth smiled, not recognizing Adam's manner. He was loose, seemingly feeling
good. "Are you drunk?"

"No. I don't get drunk," he was almost offended. They were the only ones on the
dance floor. Everyone else was standing around talking, at the bar, or sitting back at
tables. 

Elizabeth returned Methos' stare. "I feel ridiculous. We can dance later."

"Okay," he finally said, but didn't lose the smile. "Let's go get us a beer."

"I'd rather have a glass of wine."

"Coming right up."

They had to move and to do that they had to unclench themselves before they could
do anything. Elizabeth looked at Adam in that tux. She saw it on him in the store, in
the vestibule of the church, but in the lighting of the dance hall, he was almost
breathtaking. She didn't think he'd be so overwhelming. Adam was 'cute' in his jeans,
cords, over sized sweaters, T-shirts under unbuttoned shirts, but his aura glowed
when he put on that tux. Their eyes locked. When they finally did release themselves
from each other, they grinned. Elizabeth said, "I'm going to go to the powder room."

Methos kept his grip on her hand, "Why do they call it that?"

"We powder our noses in there?"

"Yeah, I do see a little shine there. You look a little flushed too. Am I too much for
you?"

She gave him the once over, he noticed and posed for her. "I'm not going to say
anything that would get me in trouble," she said, smiled, and walked away, but held
on to his hand until it was impossible to do so from a distance.

When Methos got to the table with a beer and a glass of wine, Duncan said, "It's
about time."

"For what?"

"You and Liz. You have a lot in common."

"Really? I don't see that."

"You both wanted to run. You both stayed in town for the wedding, you for Joe, Liz for
Amy."

Methos considered what he said. Wanted to run? How did Duncan know he was
going to take off. He didn't tell him, he figured that Joe had. Yes, they must have
talked a lot about him, but neither of them had let him in on the fact that they both
know the watchers knew who Methos was.

Duncan, not noticing Methos' look, commented, "Well, she is pretty. Looks nice all
fixed up."

"She looks nice all the time," Methos said into his glass of beer, before he drank.
When Duncan smiled, Methos turned his attention to his blabbermouth friend.
Blabbermouth except when it came to telling him, Methos, that his head could be on
the chopping block. "Joe actually got that woman to talk to him."

Duncan watched them as a waiter served them champagne. He smiled. "He's going
to be good as new, isn't he?"

"There's a lot of mileage on that body, Mac."

"You and Liz did nice work."

Methos hunched his upper body over the table to get closer to Duncan to say, "I've
known Joe for over 15 years. I knew him when he still had brown hair. I've seen him
in all sorts of situations, emotions, events... he's slowing down, MacLeod."

"Joe?" Duncan asked, looking at Joe smooth talking the woman that was the object
of his attention. "He's still got the fire, Adam."

"But how much can his body take?"

Amanda slid into the chair next to Duncan and kissed him, making Methos and
Elizabeth, who stood behind their display, raise an eyebrow. What were they?
Teenagers? "Here's the wine, as you ordered," Methos said, raising the glass of
wine. Elizabeth took it and thanked him. Drank it while Amanda still sucked on
Duncan, and he didn't appear to mind at all. 

"Now, she's drunk," Elizabeth pointed at Amanda. "She almost fell off the toilet in
there."

"Oo, too much information," Methos said. 

Elizabeth sat next to Adam and looked him up and down, exclaiming, "You look
handsome in a tux. You should wear suits more often."

"No," he grinned. "That's not my style."

"You like the grad look? I can't tell you apart from one of my students." The band set
up again. Elizabeth stood and said, "Ah, here's our chance."

The singer got to the mike and said, "It's time for the money dance."

Methos stood and was going to move her to the dance floor when Elizabeth
grumbled, "Oh," and sat back down.

Methos looked back at her. "What's the matter?"

"The Money Dance."

That didn't mean a thing to Methos who asked, "What's that?"

"You haven't been to many weddings, have you?"

"Not lately."

"The women dance with Kevin and the men dance with Amy and we give them
money for their trousseau."

Methos looked around the room. "That could take all night. There's a lot of people
here."

"We don't dance the whole song. Just a few twirls with them."

"Oh, okay. Come on," he said after he already had her on her feet and they were
making a beeline toward the bride and groom.

Elizabeth was deposited in the line that formed by Kevin and Methos cut into the line
that gathered in front of Amy, then he tapped the shoulder of the man in front of him,
"Hold my spot?" The guy nodded and went back to talking to the other guy in line. 

Methos walked back to Elizabeth and asked, "How much money do you give them?"

"Anything you want. Usually it's a five or ten or more."

A woman ahead of Elizabeth smiled and said, "The more the merrier."

Methos shrugged, whatever that meant. Mortals... a few drinks and they were under
the table. On his way back to the other line, he saw Amanda a couple of women
behind Elizabeth. She was acting like she was actually drunk, what was with her?
Duncan was a few men behind him and he motioned to Duncan as if to say, 'what the
hell is wrong with her?'

Duncan only shrugged keeping his eye on her. They slowly made there way up the
line. When it was Methos' turn with Amy, she smiled and hugged him extra long as
they swayed from side to side in a circle. "Thank you so much for being here, Adam.
I don't know what Dad and I would have done if you had taken off."

"There's a lot of talking going on behind my back, isn't there?"

"Only because we care, Adam. I want to thank you again for saving my life. I don't
know if I properly thanked you, you know, after Walker..."

"Don't mention it. You shouldn't have been involved in the first place."

"Morgan Walker..." Amy muttered, "What an asshole. Joshua Logan..." She
whispered into his ear, "Are there a lot of asshole immortals out there?"

"Unfortunately, yes. But you don't have to worry about them anymore." The next man
in line tapped Methos on the shoulder. Methos kissed Amy on the cheek and said,
"Good luck in your life." He stepped back from her, then said, "Oh, wait." He smiled
as he took Amy in his arms again and slipped a bill in her pouch. "I forgot the most
important part of this custom."

"Adam! Was that a hundred dollar bill?"

All he had in his wallet, hundreds. He whispered, "If Kevin does anything to make you
sad, mad, or indifferent, you give me a call."

"Thank you, Adam. You're the best. But, can I call if we're fine?"

"Absolutely."

"That means you'll have to tell me where you are."

"I'll work it out."

The man behind Methos was impatient, so he stepped back and presented Amy to
the next dancer and reached for Elizabeth's hand, pulling her away from Kevin.

After Methos directed Elizabeth off the dance floor and into the hallway, he pulled her
into a clench. "Now it's our turn," he said, just as the song ended making Methos and
Elizabeth laugh hysterically. 

'Living La Viva Loca' started. She groaned, "Oh, God... that song is never going to
die."

They slow danced to it anyway, which was difficult with the beat. People walking to
and from the bathroom smiled and moved past them. Being unable to take it any
longer, Elizabeth stretched up and kissed Adam, taking him by surprise. He held her
tighter, moved her against the wall. She was surprised by just how soft his lips were,
and that he actually kissed her back. She whispered, "I've wanted to do that for a
long time."

"Why didn't you?"

"I thought you'd bite my head off."

"No," he assured her with a deep, comforting voice that could be classified as
seductive. "I might bite something else, but not your head. I like it right there on your
shoulders. Let's get out of here." 

At that moment, if he wanted her to jump off the building, she'd ask him from which
floor. She almost fell, he seemed serious. Very serious. She wondered if he meant
what she thought he meant. He was the most astounding man she'd met, ever. Only
four days ago he was making sure she knew everything was all her fault. As he
stared at her with a hiked eyebrow, waiting for an answer or a move, anything to
make him know she heard him, she smiled, "We can't do that."

"Why not? You're not married any longer."

"It's protocol for the wedding party to stay until after the bride and groom leave for
their honeymoon."

Methos whispered, "Protocol is important to you?"

"Kinda," she moaned, swooned as his hand pressed the small of her back.

"You don't like bending the rules?"

"Sometimes."

"Now is the perfect opportunity."

She collapsed from the weight of the will power it took to hold him off. "I can't, Adam.
Amy would kill me, I'm matron of honor. I can only handle one death sentence at a
time. Don't you want to see them off?"

"Oh, yeah," he grimaced. "I live for that." Irony oozed making her add his wit to the
long list of positive attributes. His eyes, hands, neck, loyalty, height, accent, taste in
music, the ability to constantly amaze her, the list was endless.

They went back into the hall and joined their friends gathered at the table. Joe
introduced them to Caroline, saving the best for last, Joe said, "This is my very good
friend, Adam."

Methos eyed Joe and his youthful exuberance, then took Caroline's diamond
decorated hand, "Good to meet you." 

Caroline looked at the others around the table. Elizabeth offered her hand in a shake,
smiled, but couldn't really move since Amanda's head was resting on her shoulder,
having been placed there the moment she sat down. 

"I think I'm going to throw up," Amanda moaned when Elizabeth tapped her on the
cheek, wondering if she fell asleep or had passed out. Duncan pulled Amanda back
so he could see her face, trying to determine why she was acting like she never had
before. 

"Is she all right?" Caroline asked.

"Maybe too much champagne?" Elizabeth asked Duncan.

Methos said, "I've seen her put away two bottles and not act like that."

Duncan wondered when that was. Amanda said, "I think I should visit the ladies'
room again."

"Okay," Elizabeth lightly said to Amanda. "Let's go." Elizabeth stood and helped her,
but it wasn't enough. Caroline graciously stood and took Amanda's other arm. They
both talked to her as she stumbled toward the bathroom. Then Amanda hooked onto
Elizabeth. Caroline turned back toward the table. When she met Duncan's gaze, she
hiked a finger for him to come. He got up and went to 'rescue' Amanda. 

Methos turned to Joe, who's face was covered with a satisfied smile as he looked
down at his scotch and water. "Caroline's lovely, Joe."

Joe nodded, unable to comprehend his luck at finding her and spending time at the
table getting to know her. He lifted the drink to his lips, but Methos took it. When he
set it back on the table, he said, "How many have you had?"

"What? Drinks? Are you serious?"

"You're still being medicated, Joe."

"I'm a big boy, Adam. I think I can handle my liquor." 

"You just met Caroline. Who is she?"

"I'm not sure," Joe's eyes twinkled. "But I sure want to find out. Did you get a look at
her legs?"

Methos humpfed, "I couldn't get past the hardware around her neck, on her fingers,
her wrist... She could be married."

"She's divorced. She's an editor for Vanity Fair. She has three children. A grandchild.
A little girl."

"What does she want with you?"

Joe's eyes suddenly squinted, the humor gone, "Say what?"

"I didn't mean it like... you just met her. Just be careful, that's all I'm saying. Isn't she
the least little bit leery of you? She seems to have taken no time in wrangling you in."

"She's a fan. I found out she owns my CD. It just came out and she has it. And knows
the lyrics. She also told me she saw me perform last month. Any other questions?
Dad?"

Methos brought the beer to his lips and smiled, "Just making sure all you young
whipper snappers are taken care of before I hit the road."

"Adam," Joe said. "Thanks for sticking around. You don't have to leave New York. No
one is after you. I would never let you be in a vulnerable position. I didn't tell you
because there's nothing to worry about. Methos is so imbedded in the watcher
system that no one..."

"That's not all together true!" Joe had to sit back when Methos erupted. "A simple
search on Blair's laptop, and there it was, for anyone to find!"

"Calm down!" Joe shifted in his chair, waited for the stares to ebb before saying,
"Blair has certain clearance. He's not an ordinary watcher. He's got seniority. He can
be trusted."

"He may be, but he's awfully naive to just walk away from his laptop with an
information database up and running!"

"Do you really think I'd let you walk into trouble? Do you really think that?!!" Joe was
ready to wheel away, couldn't believe his friend's reaction. "You have to start trusting
the people who deserve your trust Adam, or you're going to walk into your own
danger."

The dancers on the floor parted as Duncan walked to the table with Amanda in his
arms, she was passed out. "I'll take her home. She can sleep it off."

Elizabeth straightened Amanda's coat over her and asked, "Do you need help?"

"No, he doesn't need help," Methos told her. "She's just drunk. Just stick her in a
corner and she'll heal." Duncan, Joe and Elizabeth were all surprised by his attitude.
Methos only stewed, suddenly in a very bad mood. Duncan asked Elizabeth to help
and they got Amanda to the door.

In the lobby, the doorman saw Duncan coming out of the ballroom and walking
toward the door with a woman in his arms. The doorman opened the door and asked,
"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Grab a taxi for us?"

"Yes, sir," He let Elizabeth take the door and he scurried to the curb, held out his
hand authoritatively toward the traffic and a cab came to a stop in front of him. The
doorman opened the back seat and stepped back.

Duncan deposited Amanda in the back seat, arranged her clothing and coat, then
reached into his pocket for a tip for the guy. Elizabeth tried to determine if Amanda
was still in the land of the living. She was completely out, but she had a pulse. It was
weak, but it was there. The cabbie looked at the sleeping Amanda and asked,
"Where to?"

Elizabeth told him, "6th Street." When she stood, she reached into her purse and
gave Duncan a spare key to her apartment. "I hope she feels better."

"She just needs to sleep it off." Duncan got into the other side of the back seat. As
soon as the door shut, the cabbie drove off.

She felt a buzz, her eyes darted around, she'd forgotten that there could also be
mortals with guns out there. She headed back to the door and saw Adam. She
relaxed, only to realize Adam was reacting to another buzz. They both looked in all
directions for Logan. What they found was a woman with short black hair, who's soul
attention was focused on watching the taxi with Duncan and Amanda drive down the
street. She then disappeared into the park. 

"Who was that," Elizabeth said. 

Methos didn't care and since she was gone, didn't give her a second thought, saying
as he joined her at the curb, "You can't help nursing people? I thought you were
going to get in that cab with them."

"Only if you did, too."

"Ah," he smiled. "I'm not the only one with a one track mind?"

"It depends on where that track is going."

"You know it's itinerary," he lead her inside. At the lobby, he stopped and said, "I
have to do something. I'll meet you back inside in a minute."

"Okay," Elizabeth was going to wait for him, but he flicked his hand the way he'd
done it over a hundred years before, motioning her back to the party and not focused
on him. As if that was an easy thing to do... When she was gone, he walked to the
desk.

Their table had been taken over by two other couples. She saw Caroline standing
next to the stage and then through the throng, she saw Joe take his place at the
mike. Elizabeth got a glass of wine from the bartender and was going to join Amy and
Kevin at their table, but they got up to dance yet again. Doug was sitting alone at a
table, but she didn't want to be talking with him when Adam came back. Elizabeth
leaned against the wall, sipped her wine and listened as Joe started "This is the Time
of Our Lives". A guy came over and asked if she wanted to dance. She politely
refused and after he left, she wondered what was taking Adam so long.

After the song, Amy went up to the stage and hugged her father long and hard.
Kissed him on the cheek. Kevin took the mike and thanked everyone for coming and
celebrating with them and then announced that they'd had it for the evening. They left
the stage and walked through the people, saying goodbye to the guests. They
stopped at Elizabeth, Amy didn't say a word, just grabbed her into a hug. "You enjoy
yourself, Amy," Elizabeth whispered to her. "You're the best friend I've ever had."

"We're sisters, Liz," Amy told her as she ended the embrace, but Elizabeth kept hold
of her. "Thank you for everything. I suppose you're leaving now."

Elizabeth nodded.

"You keep your head. Call me. You know where I'll be."

"I will," Elizabeth said as she kissed Kevin. "You take excellent care of her."

"That's my priority."

As soon as Kevin and Amy were ensconced in the limo it left the Waldorf , and
Elizabeth went to the coat check to get her coat, not knowing where in the world
Adam was. He probably came to his senses and skipped out on her, or maybe he
caught up with that female immortal outside. Or maybe he found Logan lurking
around. When she felt a buzz before even collecting her coat, she was definitely
worried. Adam appeared at her side, he already had his coat slung over his arm.
"Come on." 

As he led her across the lobby, she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Where were you? I thought you left."

"I've been here the whole time."

"Where are we going?"

He pushed the up button on the elevator and announced, "I got a suite."

"Oh, that's nice. So, you're not staying at my place tonight?"

"No."

"Okay, well..." she was more than disappointed.

"Neither are you."

Were her feet still planted on the floor? She couldn't tell, but she couldn't let him
know she was easy for God's sake. "That's a little forward, isn't it?"

"Do you want to go home, alone?"

"No."

"Okay, then. It's better you keep quiet."

"I should go get my coat," she said, pointing at the man still holding it at the coat
check counter.

"You can get it later."

When the elevator opened, they moved in. A couple jumped in before the doors
closed. The older woman saw Elizabeth's dress and commented, "The wedding was
lovely, don't you think?"

"Yes. Do you know the bride or the groom?"

"I'm Kevin's aunt, Dorothy. You're Elizabeth, the matron of honor, right?"

"Yes. Nice to meet you," she held out her hand and felt Adam's hand at her shoulder,
making it's way down her back.

Dorothy said, "This is Kevin's uncle, Ted."

Elizabeth smiled and shook hands with him. "Hi, Ted. I'm a friend of Amy's." She
giggled as Methos rubbed her butt. "This is Adam." She took his offending hand off
her bottom and held it out for them to shake.

"Oh, yes. You stood up for Amy. Wasn't she beautiful? And her father, Joseph, is a
wonderful man and what a singer. I almost cried when he sang."

"Joe sang?" Methos asked, but his attention was only on Elizabeth and her dress. 

The couple got out on the fourth floor. Elizabeth looked at the only other lighted
button. "Top floor. That must be pretty expensive."

"Obscenely," he moaned with his mouth at her ear. She grabbed his hands and
wrapped them around her front. He pressed his body against her back. His breaths in
her ear relaxed her apprehension perfectly. When his tongue tickled behind her ear
and licked at her hairline, goose bumps appeared on her bare shoulders. He rubbed
at her breasts through the silk dress and she leaned back against him, their
backward motion was stopped by the wall.

The doors opened and they rushed out. She asked, "What room?"

"This one," he said as he fumbled with the plastic key card in the lock, pulled it out,
nothing. "Damn it," he mumbled. "Modern crap! What's so bad about keys that we
have to deal with these insipid things?" He put the key back in slowly and slowly
pulled it out. Green light. He took Elizabeth's arm and pushed her into the room.
Methos took the 'Do Not Disturb' sign off the inside handle and placed it over the
outside handle and went inside, shutting the door behind them.

~~~~~

ROOM 1120 

The suite was nice: tastefully decorated with two bedrooms and a bath connected to
the great room, which contained a brocade couch and matching chairs in front of a
stone fireplace. Gold seemed to be the predominate color, and it gleamed when
Methos flipped on the light switch. 

Even though Elizabeth had never been in such luxury before, the suite didn't hold her
attention in the slightest. The man standing by the door, did. By the time she saw
him, Methos had shed his tux jacket and was trying to untie the bow tie that Duncan
had made for him earlier that evening. Elizabeth went to help him, hurry things along.
He pushed her hands away indicating he could do it himself, so she put her arms
around his waist and unsnapped the cummerbund. "So many layers to tuxes make it
sexier to undress," she said.

"Damn this tie!"

She unbuttoned his shirt from the second button down to his waist and hiked it out of
his pants, watching him yank at the tie. "I really think I can help. I can see the
problem, you can't." His response was to yank harder on it. "You're going to choke
yourself."

He took his hands away from the tie and rubbed her bare shoulders. She was having
trouble with it too, "Jeez, where did Duncan learn how to tie ties?" Using her
fingernails and teeth, she worked at the stubborn knot. While she was busy, Methos
moved his hands to the buttons on the back of her dress and undid one, then two,
then three. Even though he was unbuttoning fast, he wasn't making any headway. He
leaned over her shoulder and saw the reason. There had to be a million tiny buttons
confining her inside that dress.

She pulled off the tie, loosened his collar and was busy kissing his neck, smelling
him when she felt his hands yank at her dress. "Careful," she said. "I don't want to
ruin the dress."

Silk ripped and buttons bounced down her back. She pulled back, annoyed. Her
dress fell to her waist. Because the dress was designed with a built in bra he was
pleased, it was so easy to get to the cache. "That's more like it," he said, as he softly
took each breast in his hands.

She pulled her arms out of the dress, reached out and roughly pulled off his shirt,
sliding it down his shoulders. "Hey," he smiled. "This is a rental."

"So I have to be careful, unlike you with this dress, that I had to buy?"

"I'll buy you another one."

"Hm, a nice hotel room... you can buy a $1800 dress at the drop of a hat..."

"$1800? For that?" He looked down at the dress in a new light. Clothes...

"Yes."

"Well, it's coming off."

"If you say so," she grinned conceding. She wiggled her hips and it slid to the floor.
Then she kicked off her shoes for good measure. 

To give orders and have them obeyed... what an achievement. Methos smiled as he
looked at the garter belt and hose. He stepped closer. "I haven't fiddled with these in
a long time."

"I hate panty hose."

"Bless you for that." His head grazed her cheek as he expertly flipped the clips on the
back.

She knew at that moment she was in good hands. She unzipped his pants and was
pleased to feel he was hard as a rock. As he grabbed her ass and pulled her closer,
he kissed her deeply, felt her tremble at his touch. She smelled his aftershave and
moaned as he twirled his tongue around hers. She was all his. His fingers expertly
unsnapped the two hooks on the front of the garter, deftly caressing her inner thighs
before putting his hands in her underwear and rubbing. 

She wrapped her arms around his neck. When he lifted her up, she held on tight and
hooked her feet around his back. He blindly walked to one of the doors with her in his
arms, thinking a bed had to be around there somewhere. The door he found was to
the bathroom. "For future reference," he giggled. 

She laughed, then looked into the room, "Oh, a jacuzzi..."

He nibbled at her neck as he carried her across the living room to the other door.
She fondled his head and flicked her tongue in and out of his ear. She murmured
something he didn't catch, but words weren't foremost in his mind. 

When he finally got them to the bedroom, Methos dropped her on the end of the bed
and slid off her underwear, leaving the garter belt. Then pulled back. She was going
to complain, but discovered he move away only to drop his boxers. He was certainly
prepared, fully at attention. Falling to his knees between her legs, at the end of the
bed, he laid her flat on the bed, leaned over her, kissing her stomach, then flicking
his tongue in and around her navel. She spread her legs to give him more room,
welcoming him. 

Cupping his head in her hands, she had to hold back the dull roar that gathered in
her throat as he suckled one breast and fondled the other, brushing his finger over an
erect nipple. He made his way up her body past her neck, kissing her chin, mouth,
nose, eyes, forehead. Then continued lifting his body over and above her. 

She caressed his neck, chest, and kissed his solid stomach as he made his way up.
Reaching down his body, she softly rubbed his penis as it darted across her
stomach, then patted his balls. He put a knee on the edge of the bed, put his hands
under her arms and pulled her all the way up on the bed so her head was on the
pillow. They laughed as he reached under her for the bedspread and sheet and
pulled them down from underneath her as smoothly as someone stripping a table of
it's cloth without disturbing the place settings.

She grabbed at the headboard spikes as his mouth lingered at her waist. He reached
back up and took hold of her hand, adroitly spreading her legs with his other hand. 

She couldn't get enough of him, wondering if the evening, from the moment he broke
into dance with her, was all a dream. During the past week, they started out as
cautious enemies, moved on to cordial acquaintances, then became distant friends.
She had to caress his face, shoulder, back, as he moved on top of her, just to make
sure he was real. She squeezed his butt, waiting for him to enter her. She was
throbbing, itchy, the wait was killing her and she wondered where he got the will
power to hold off the inevitable. She was so wet. She wanted no part of waiting, it
was the hardest part... 

Methos was more than surprised with the night's turn of events. He only stayed in
town to make sure Joe survived, walk Amy down the aisle and grab a beer before
going on his way. He only delayed leaving, after the band started the reception, to
talk to MacLeod and Joe because he intended to be gone a long time. Then he saw
Elizabeth in the dim light as he'd never seen her before. He'd slept at her apartment,
felt her buzz at night, and it didn't stir him. She was too dangerous to be around. Not
that she would take his head when his back was turned, he knew that wasn't a
possibility, but there was a mad man after her. Was he insane? When he watched
her move with that man on the dance floor, all he wanted was to be the one she
rubbed against. For that night and the next day, he would be taken care of by that
woman, then he'd be off. 

Elizabeth surprised him by flipping them over as she fondled his penis, red and
ready. Crawling on top, she sat on him, hard. They both yelled as she encircled his
middle. She threw her head back as she wiggled, then rose and fell on his crotch. He
sat up and grabbed her head, his fingers searched for the pins that held her hair in
the chignon. When he yanked on a pin, she cringed, let her head fall back. 

"You're going to snarl it. Let me." She reached up and worked one pin out, then the
rest. He fluffed her hair over her shoulders, smelled it and kissed her shoulder. He
hiked them both up as he rocked, pushing his feet into the bed. She grabbed behind
him for the head board for support as he bucked himself in and out of her. 

She wasn't allowing him to get in as deep as he wanted, was going too fast for his
taste. He wanted to savor, spend time inside her, not jerk in and out, so he flipped
them over again taking control. His hot breath on her face meshed with her own. His
thrusts became deeper, softer, smoother, infinitely more satisfying. She lifted her
head to kiss him and had to grab the headboard spokes again to steady herself as
Methos enveloped her mouth, tongue exploring, overwhelming her at both ends. 

In her rapture, she clawed at him and scratched diagonally up across his back. He
lifted his head in pain but didn't, for one instant, stop his momentum. She screeched
as his thrusts became more powerful and faster as they neared climax. His sex
flowed into her and she wanted desperately to wrap herself around him, in that
instant wishing he'd stay forever, but she had the deep feeling that she couldn't trust
the reality of the situation. Adam was immortal and she had already learned her
lesson about lowering your guard to one; spending three days at the bottom of a river
back in 1920. She wondered if she would ever find anyone to give all of herself to
and wished that Adam would be the one... still, she couldn't tell. He'd been many
things since she met him. She laid her legs on the bed and grabbed again at the
spokes. He nudged her head with his nose and pulled her leg up getting back into the
momentum of things.

He made a final, deep thrust, pulled her hands from the headboard and laid their
clenched hands straight out, slipping his fingers through hers. When he kissed her
again, so deep her head pushed into the pillow, she put an arm around him. The blue
sparks took care of his back and she had to move her hand away from it. "I'm sorry."

He moaned, "My dear, you have nothing to be sorry for."

She embraced his face, surprised that he was still inside her, even though he was
finished and began to shrink. He stayed inside, swayed his hips from side to side
making her groan, involuntarily shake, even though there was no benefit for him in
that gesture. How did he do that? They studied each others faces, the expression of
satisfaction, how sex changed the way they looked, and how they looked at each
other.

Methos finally slid off of her. He pulled the covers over them and laid his head back
on her arm. He held her right hand. Straightening her fingers and holding them
between his own. She had long fingers, almost as long as his. There was a little scar
over the knuckle of her pointing finger. "What happened there?"

Elizabeth sleepily replied, "I broke a bottle in my tavern."

"You owned a tavern?" His interest was peeked once again.

"Yeah," she still had trouble evening out her breathing. "In Gettysburg." She looked at
her finger. "That was the last scar I got while mortal."

It had been awhile since he enjoyed a woman. Eons since he slept with an immortal.
They had more years of practice and peak years than mortals, he had forgotten that
after he became a hot property and shunned them. Elizabeth reiterated it for him big
time and he laid on his side studying her face and body language. Soft, comforting,
satisfied.

They waited for their breath to even out, both contented. As he looked at her, she
stared back into those eyes of his. Was she in a dream? Did she have anything to be
worried about from him? All sorts of questions. Then he promptly fell asleep.

~~~~~

A LITTLE EARLIER AT ELIZABETH'S APARTMENT 

Duncan carried Amanda into the apartment. When Amanda stirred in Duncan's arms
and told him she could walk herself, he let her down in the living room. She had to sit
down, too dizzy. Duncan laughed. "Did you have too much to drink?"

"I must have."

She laid down on the couch in her gown. Duncan got out of his tux and hung it up.
Amanda was sleeping when he got back to the living room. He looked at her for a
while, wondering if he should undress her. When he did, she didn't even stir. When
he lifted her up and carried her to the bedroom, she was limp. He felt her neck. She
had an uneven pulse, he couldn't remember how much she drank. He looked at her
for a while, but she was in a deep sleep. He soon joined her. 

Later, Amanda woke, sick to her stomach. Shaky. She was sweaty and the sheets
and her pillow were soaked. She reached out her hand and bonked Duncan on the
shoulder. "Are you sick? We didn't get food poisoning, did we? From the salmon?
How can I be this sick? I've never been sick before."

Duncan groaned, tired, but turned to look at her. She was quiet again, sweating
profusely. Duncan woke up. He was worried, also. Didn't know what was wrong. "Do
you have to throw up? Maybe you'll feel better."

"Yeah, but I can't move."

When he tipped her over, so her head hung over the side of the bed, he noticed the
moisture on the sheets. He was going to lift her to bring her into the bathroom, but
she shook and was foaming at the mouth. "Amanda!?"

She couldn't hear him. He turned her back onto the bed and sat over her, lifted open
one of her eyelids. There was solid white where her pupil and iris should have been.
"Hey!" Her buzz silenced. Amanda was dead. He was rubbing his hand against her
shoulder when he felt something, he pulled her Vera Wang designer creation to the
side and saw a big, purple scab. "What happened?"

He felt for a pulse. Nothing. "Amanda!" he screamed as he slapped her, tried to
awaken her. She was dead, so he sat back and waited.

She revived. Coughed out the foam and gunk from her lungs. Blue sparks took care
of her shoulder's scab and her internal organs that the poison had violated over the
course of the week. Soon, her head cleared. "What happened?"

"You died!"

Duncan's voice, and his face, right in hers, scared her for a second, "Why?"

"That's for you to tell me!" Duncan got on his knees and scrutinized Amanda. "Are
you on something? Are you taking drugs?"

"No!"

"What happened?"

"I don't know," she said, rubbing her stomach. "But I feel better."

"You look terrible."

"What a thing to say." Amanda sat up. She was confused. "I feel really good. The
dizziness I've felt all week is gone."

"You had something on your shoulder."

"Which one?"

He pointed, felt it. The scab was gone. She remembered the man at the dance. At
the same time Duncan was remembering the man on the street earlier in the week.
When they compared stories, they still came up with nothing. Except, they both
agreed that the first time, the poison wasn't enough to kill her, only make her dizzy.
This time it worked. But who could be after her? Duncan interrogated her and she
honestly said, "No one, MacLeod!" There wouldn't be anyone after her. So, maybe it
had to do with Logan, or Methos, or Duncan himself.

~~~~~

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2000
ST. REGIS ROOM 1120

Elizabeth woke up to the sight of Adam's back as he slept. There was a minuscule
scar on his left shoulder that she traced with her finger. When he stirred, she asked
where he got it.

"I don't know," he sleepily grumbled. "It was before I turned, obviously."

"How long ago was that?" Methos was silent.

Elizabeth asked, "You can't remember, or you're not going to tell me?"

Methos didn't want to answer such a question, tried to think of what would be a nice
time frame to tell her. He vividly remembered what he did 500 years before, a 1000
years, some times more, depending on where he was and what he was thinking
about. There was no way this woman could know he was Methos and he didn't want
her to think him an idiot for not remembering when he turned since most immortals
did by the sound of it.

"Fine," she said after a moment of silence from him, let down. She took the silent
treatment to mean he wasn't going to tell her. She had been right, she couldn't trust
him. She rolled over and looked at the clock. 4:20 am. The buses weren't running yet
and she decided to wait until at least daybreak before going home. Logan could be
out there so she wasn't going to walk. She turned on her side, away from him, and
tried to go back to sleep. Couldn't, so she looked at the dark wood night stand, the
gold lamp, the painting on the wall wondering if it was a real Renoir or not. How much
did this room, or rather, suite of rooms go for at the last minute?

Methos rolled over, looked at her side of the bed and noticed her defensive form
facing in the other direction. Okay, he'd have to go with that. There was no need, for
the few hours they had to spend together, to put himself in a vulnerable position. He
pulled the sheet down, exposing both of them to the chill of the air. She looked over
her shoulder at him, he'd surprised her, again. Before she could speak, he turned her
flat onto her stomach and hiked himself up on his elbow alongside of her. 

When he leaned over and kissed her shoulder, she asked, "What are you doing?"

He softly said, "Sh...," while pulling her long hair behind her head, exposing her ear
as her face was turned away from him. He leaned over and gently tickled her earlobe
with his tongue and nibbled at her ear, making her hike her shoulder up and letting a
soft giggle escape. He put his hand on her shoulder, rubbed the goose bumps away
with his hand, warming her. 

When she lifted her head to look at him, he turned her head and placed it back on the
bed, facing away from him. He rubbed his finger down her spine, starting at her neck
and softly traced it down her back. The sensation of his finger moving over her body
was wonderful and he saw her relax, heard her breath a little deeper. He moved his
hand around her waist and up to her breast. She lifted enough for him to take hold of
it. 

Mistakenly, she lifted her head again. He took his hand away. She smiled figuring out
his game, and laid her head back where it was, facing away from him. Closing her
eyes she felt his fingers starting on her back again, tracing up her spine, across her
shoulder, to her arm, which he pulled down to her side and massaged, and every
molecule of her body reacted obligingly. 

Methos wrapped a leg around hers and she moved herself closer to him. His fingers
were circling back up her arm, across her shoulder blade, and down her back again
stopping at her butt. He squeezed a cheek and moved his fingers down her crack,
just a ways, then back to her spine. His fingers were replaced by his full hand as he
deeply massaged her back and sides. Wanting to be connected to him, and needing
to hold onto something as her body felt like it would rumble off the bed, she reached
her other hand out and curled it around the arm he had bent by her shoulder. So
much muscle, so much power in this man. What his touch could do, when his words
couldn't. Methos smiled at the sight of the hairs standing up as he tapped along the
small of her back. 

"That feels good, Adam," she moaned. "This is a good way of not answering
questions, huh?"

"It works every time," he whispered in her ear. The surprise of his breath at her ear
made her forget about what he was doing to her crotch. His hand wasn't physically
there yet, but it would be and she was waiting for it. The waiting... it's the hardest
part. The man had the constitution of a tortoise. She'd always thought foreplay was
getting your clothes off as quickly as possible. No, she had a lot to learn from him.
Who he was and where he came from didn't matter in the least to her while his touch
was all she thought about.

Methos removed his arm from her grasp and she turned her head. She couldn't see
him, but the bed moved as he repositioned his weight at the end of it. Methos' rod
was enormous and he was ready, but he could wait. He simply rubbed it against her
inner leg. She lifted her butt as his fingers proceeded between her cheeks following
the line of her crack, then back out. He spread her legs and massaged the inside of
her thighs. She would scream if he stopped, or didn't take her immediately, so she
buried her face in the pillow, not wanting it to end. He laid his weight between her
legs spreading them farther, let his rod rub down. She lifted up, then he slipped his
rod into her anus, pumped a few times. 

Elizabeth's head slammed into the pillow with each thrust. She shook her head and
lifted her leg over his head and turned over. "Are you bi?"

Her motion and question took him by surprise. He repositioned himself between her
legs grimacing, shook his head, "Labels..."

"I don't like it that way. It only makes my ass hurt. Come on."

"Have you ever laid with women?"

"Twice. They don't do it for me."

"Do I?"

"You certainly do know what you're doing... come on, do it." He smiled, laid on top of
her and did.

~~~~~

6:30 AM 

Methos was sitting in the fired up jacuzzi, with his hands spreading the foam that the
jets created on the surface. "What's so interesting out there? Did you witness a
mugging or something?"

Elizabeth stood at the window wearing a hotel robe and looking down on the city as it
woke and started a new day. "I love this city. I hate to leave it."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know. But Joe's back in his apartment, Amy's off on her honeymoon. I have to
draw out Logan so I can take care of him once and for all."

Why did she have to bring that up so early in the morning and give him indigestion.
He was with an immortal. An immortal with a death sentence. He'd lost his mind, but
had enjoyed his time with her. And in a few hours, they'd both be on their separate
ways. "He may kill you for good next time."

"Yeah, he might. I'm tired of being scared and alone and hunted. And, for the first
time, Logan attacked twice in one year, he wants my head. I have to figure out a way
to challenge him fairly for me. Haven't you ever had anyone after you?"

Choosing to ignore that, he said, "Why borrow trouble? Go somewhere he can't find
you and live. Living is always the better alternative."

"But I've discovered that I'm not living. I've experienced more life with you in the last
ten hours than I have in a decade." 

Methos lifted his wet arms from the pool and set them on the edge, demanding, "You
can't say something like that and still stand on the other side of the room." She
turned and smiled. "You wanted me to start up this thing, the least you could do is
join me."

She climbed up the steps, over the edge and sat down on the other side. Methos
said, "Aren't you a little over-dressed?"

She looked at the wet robe. "It's not mine. What do I care?"

He lifted his foot and hooked his big toe under the belt and pulled, moving her toward
him. "You've tied quite a knot there."

"Think you'll have better luck with this one," she said rubbing up against him as she
floated between his legs.

He did and opened the robe, slipping it off her shoulders. She asked him, "What can I
do for you?"

"Anything you wish."

"One from column A, two from column B?"

"Sounds good," he smiled, licking at her neck. "Just stay away from the Chinese
water torture. I never liked that."

She was going to pry, not knowing if that remark was from personal experience, but
figured he wouldn't tell her anyway. "What do you like?"

"Anything you wish," he smiled as he wrapped his legs around her and squeezed. He
didn't want to give her information about himself, his life, but giving his body to her
was no problem. She asked him, "When are you going back to your apartment?"

"I'm not," he said, then buried his mouth on her neck.

"Why not?" 

"I've been in New York long enough. It time to think of a new place."

"You can come with me," she suggested.

Methos was silent. That did seem like a nice idea, but he didn't usually make himself
a moving target. So he just put his hands on her chest in lieu of a response.. 

Her offer was a big, uncomfortable balloon hanging out in the air... and he didn't grab
it. She removed his hands and asked, "What times check out?"

"Not for hours," he kissed her temple.

"Then what?"

"I guess we go home and pack up. We're both leaving. You don't know where you're
going to go?"

"I'm open to suggestions." Again, the silent treatment. 

With Logan on her trail, it would be impossible to be around her until she took care of
him, or Logan took care of her. He wasn't going to get caught in the middle, or in a
hail of bullets. When he still didn't say anything, she stood up and made her way to
the side of the jacuzzi.

She grabbed a towel and wiped herself off as she went into the living room to dress.
Methos came out of the bathroom and said, "Where are you going? You aren't on a
time table. I made special arrangements so we could have the room as long as we
want today. Logan isn't going to do anything here. He may be stupid but he can't be
an idiot. Do you want some breakfast?"

"No."

"What is the matter?"

"I usually don't have one night stands, and," she hiked a shoulder. "That's all this has
turned out to be." She slid the dress up her body and tried to button it. "I thought
there'd be a little more than that. I don't take on an immortal lightly." She got the top
two buttoned, but knew the rest were goners. "Where's my coat? Oh, shit, I didn't get
it last night."

He just stood there wondering how she could possibly consider leaving when he'd
arranged everything for them to have a nice day together before parting company. As
long as they weren't talking about how old he was or about Logan, they were perfect
together. When he walked toward her, she needed to get out of there as soon as
possible. Elizabeth grabbed Adam's tux jacket from the floor where they left it,
slipped into it to cover the ripped dress, grabbed her purse and walked out. 

Methos stood at the door naked watching her push the elevator button. "Liz, you don't
have to leave. And that's my jacket."

She pushed open the door to the stairs and was gone. He went back into the suite
and shut the door. As he dressed, he went over it all in his mind. She didn't have to
rush out. They had plenty of time to talk over what was going to happen. He was
going to tell her where he'd end up and she could come to him when she'd fulfilled
her destiny with death. Her base impulses were to run; that was something he could
get his head around. But she was running from him, not who she should be. He liked
how the evening progressed, how she reacted to him, how she made him feel. 

Then he came to his senses. Elizabeth Bennett was an immortal who had an
immortal after her. That was two strikes against her. As he was slipping on his pants,
his mind went back and forth, weighing all the options. That immortal had only one
leg and could easily be taken. That was a notch on her side. He didn't know how
good a fighter she was but figured she could take Logan with her eyes closed. But,
she hadn't been able to in over a hundred years because Logan usually came with
guns and shot first, hell he could be shot too if he was in her vicinity. Very much,
three strikes, she's out.

~~~~~

METHOS' APARTMENT 

Methos was being more than cautious when he crept into his building through the
back emergency door, a door that he'd finagled a key to when he first moved in. The
piece of paper he lodged between the door and frame was still in place. There
wouldn't be some gung ho watcher inside to blind side him, wanting a head on his
wall. He took his coat and silk shirt off and deposited them and the tie and
cummerbund on the couch. As he walked through the apartment on the way to the
shower, he took stock of what he was going to take with him on this journey that
would last for a very long time. 

Methos wondered if he should sublet the apartment or keep it. He didn't want to have
to worry about his stuff, put it in storage, or move it to one of the other properties he
owned in several countries. Stuff. Great to have, but a big fat nuisance. After heating
the water in the shower and stepping in, he weighed the options again. There were
two that were upper most in his mind. A) Go on his merry way and live his life, or B)
go to Elizabeth and protect her head and possibly lose his own. From a one-legged
immortal. How would that look in his chronicle? He slammed the shampoo bottle
down, breaking the shelf. His chronicle! He vigorously rubbed the shampoo into his
hair all the while stewing about the watchers knowing him as Methos. Worse yet, Joe
didn't tell him. Joe was one of only two people Methos considered he could
absolutely trust and he let him down. The only other person he trusted, was
MacLeod... did he also know and not tell him? Methos hated the fact that he suddenly
felt like he couldn't trust anyone in his world. He thought he had true friends. And Joe
belittled him telling him there was no threat. What did Joe know? He'd never been
hunted on a day to day basis. Everyone is suspect when you're an immortal; even
more when you're the oldest living immortal.

He had to make a new start, away from all things related to Adam Pierson. The first
thing he needed to do was change his name. Not go anywhere near anyone Adam
Pierson associated with. He should have done it years ago. But he'd be alone again.
He hated making new acquaintances. Then he realized he already had one,
Elizabeth Bennett was new in his life. He knew most everything about her from
reading her entry on the watchers database and listening to her and Amy all week.
She never once lied to him, he was sure of it. She was immortal, but she didn't go
after his head while he slept. She wouldn't do that, of that he was also sure. He'd
pissed her off all week and she didn't make a move to relieve his head from his
shoulders. 

To start over and not have to do it completely alone... That sounded really attractive
to Methos. All he had to do was get Elizabeth out of town without any watchers
knowing and then make themselves scarce. The prospect of spending time with a
woman again was something he hadn't considered since Alexa. There had been
times with her, when they had to make themselves scarce, when immortals invaded
their space. Alexa didn't understand the reasons for leaving so abruptly, but she
followed where he led. If it happened when he was with Elizabeth, she'd understand.
And she could fight herself. And, if he did this right, she would fight to defend him.

~~~~~

ELIZABETH'S APARTMENT BUILDING 

Duncan and Amanda emerged from the building just as Elizabeth showed up.
Amanda seemed to be more vibrant than she'd ever seen her and she asked, "How
are you feeling this morning?"

Amanda shrugged and smiled, "Better than I have in a long time. Duncan told me
how you helped me last night. Thanks." Amanda took note of the matron of honor
dress underneath the tuxedo jacket that Methos had worn. She looked around for the
man who rented it.

Duncan said, "What did happen last night, Amanda?"

Amanda said, "I have no idea. I've been feeling run down, sleepy for a while. For
about the last week. Since we got here as a matter of fact. I'm not suddenly allergic
to New York City, am I?"

"That can't be," Elizabeth said. "This is the greatest city on earth. It wouldn't have had
anything to do with Logan, would it?"

"I wouldn't think so," Duncan dismissed that thought. "Was he at the wedding?"

Amanda countered, "But I started feeling crappy before we met. It couldn't be Logan.
Just a flu thing? What is the flu? I've never been sick before."

Elizabeth laughed, "And I didn't think you could be. Are you sure you don't have an
enemy somewhere? Were you poisoned or something?"

"We can't be poisoned," Duncan stated.

"I really think there's something to that, Mac," Amanda said. "And it's not from an
enemy of mine, or Liz's and certainly not from Joe, Amy or Kevin. It has to be from
you or ..." she caught herself in front of Elizabeth. "Adam."

With the mention of Adam's name, Elizabeth was ready to split. "Well, I should get
inside."

"We should be going too," Duncan said. 

Amanda said, "Yeah, Duncan has a 'special out of the way' place he insists on taking
me to."

"It was really nice to meet you both," Elizabeth said. "And I'm sorry I screwed up your
trip to New York."

"It wasn't your fault," Duncan pulled her into a hug. "You take care of yourself."

"I'll try," Elizabeth sighed.

"Where's Adam," Amanda asked. 

"You got me." Elizabeth certainly didn't want to talk about it, thought that they'd know
soon enough. She would truly miss them, all of them. "I know it's an expression that's
overused and never followed up on, but 'let's keep in touch'. Okay?"

Duncan squeezed her shoulder, "You can count on it. You know where I live and my
phone numbers. Let us know where you end up. And good luck with Logan."

"Thank you so much. And I'm so sorry for what happened to Joe. Thank God you all
showed up."

"Don't mention it," Duncan said, looking again at the tuxedo jacket. "Where is
Adam?"

Elizabeth looked away, not knowing what to say and noticed a woman with short
black hair across the street staring at them, too far away for her buzz to be felt. She
pointed her out and asked, "Do you know her?"

Duncan and Amanda turned to see no one. "Who?"

"There was a woman there. She just took off when I pointed her out. I think that was
her we saw watching you leave the hotel last night."

Amanda was ready to run down the stairs after her, but Duncan held her back.
Amanda got her arm free, "That bitch had me poisoned!"

"We don't know who that bitch is," Duncan said, making sure Amanda didn't rush off
and lose her head. She didn't even have her sword with her, telling Duncan earlier
that his would be fine for both of them.

The woman in question ducked around the corner and pulled her long fingers through
her short black hair seething that the woman hadn't died. She had wondered, when it
took so long for her to react to the first injection of poison, but didn't know she was
immortal until that morning. Well, she'd have get rid of her the old fashioned way. 

~~~~~

Methos, carrying clothes wrapped on a hanger and covered with a plastic bag, picked
his way into Elizabeth's building. In her hallway, he found that her door was locked.
MacLeod had obviously left as there was no tell-tale sense of buzzes anywhere. He
jimmied the lock on Elizabeth's door and took inventory of the apartment. After
hanging her coat in the closet, he didn't see a sword in sight. There wasn't one in her
coat. How could she go out of the apartment without her sword last night? Because
Logan would shoot her first and she didn't see the purpose? Or because she knew
there would be other immortals there to lend her one if she did come up against him?
Or she didn't think Logan would try anything at the hotel? Still, she should carry a
sword, what kind of immortal was she?

There was an empty space in her clothes closet and what he figured was her
underwear drawer was sparse. There were no suitcases in the entire apartment.
She'd already left. His tuxedo jacket wasn't there, either. Wondering if she pitched it,
or returned it, he didn't know. It would be a reflection of the character of the woman to
see what she did with it. He called the rental place and asked if his jacket had been
returned. The guy laughed at the coincidence, "Yeah, she just left."

"Did she say where she was going?"

"No. Just dropped off the jacket and paid the cleaning charge to get the lipstick off
the shoulder. You must have had a good night, buddy. When are you going to return
the rest of it?"

"I'm on my way over."

~~~~~

When he dropped off the tux, Methos didn't get anymore from the guy behind the
counter. He did like the fact that Elizabeth had returned the jacket he was
responsible for, and wondered if she would have said goodbye to anyone. He didn't
know any of her friends but Amy and some ex-husband. It didn't sound like she'd
have anything more to do with him. Joe could be a possibility. Then wondering how
Joe got home last night he called him on his cell phone and asked. "Caroline drove
me," Joe explained, his voice was light, happy. "She just left for her place." 

"Ah, is she coming back?"

"Of course."

"You got shot five days ago and you were able?" Methos chuckled, maybe MacLeod
was right and there was hidden strength in that man.

"No, we talked."

Methos acknowledged that he had a better night than Joe, but had to concede that
Joe's morning was much better than his. "Have you seen or heard from Liz?"

"I did," Joe said. "She was here earlier. She made me some soup. How did it go last
night? She really didn't have much to say about it."

"Is she gone?"

"Yeah... I guess it didn't go well."

Methos, with the cell phone at his ear, turned the corner and almost crashed into an
large man with a shotgun on his shoulder. His nose was even with gun's barrel.
Methos ducked and the man turned at the same time. "Watch it!" the man said.

Methos took stock of the situation. A brink's truck was unloading a deposit to the
bank and the man with the gun was a security guard. And he was looking at Methos
intently. Methos smiled and put up his hand, "Sorry."

"Watch where you're going."

Joe's voice could be heard on the phone, "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Methos mumbled and waited as the load of cash bags on a dolly crossed
in front of him. 

"Well? What happened with Liz?"

Methos made his way down the sidewalk. "Last night was fine, this morning didn't go
so hot."

"She said she was leaving town and wanted to say goodbye and check on my wound
again."

"Did she say where she was going?"

"The airport."

"Which airport?"

"I don't know."

"Where was she flying to?"

"Colorado."

That wasn't the answer he wanted to hear. There was only one reason she would be
going to Colorado. Didn't she have a self-preservation bone in her body? "I'm off too,
Joe."

"Adam, you don't have to go anywhere."

"Yes, I do. I have to find someone."

"Who? An immortal?" Joe wondered what happened, who was after him so bad
Methos decided to take him out, actually challenge.

"Yes," Methos said. "Long chestnut hair. Pert nose. There's a one legged guy after
her. Talk me out of it, please."

Joe laughed, "Not me buddy. I've known her for three years. When she's in a
relationship, she treats them like kings. Just sit back and enjoy it. She'll only try to
make you happy."

That wasn't what Methos wanted to hear.

~~~~~

LAGUARDIA 

Methos walked into the terminal and looked at the departure board. A flight to Denver
would leave in forty minutes. The next was in three hours. They were probably
already boarding, so he ran to the gate. 

Elizabeth sat leafing through a Newsweek. Pre-boarding was happening, she shoved
her stuff out of the way when a man in a wheelchair, pushed by his wife, came by her
on their way to the ticket agent. She felt a buzz. Logan! How did he have the balls to
come after her there! An airport! An airport was unofficial holy ground for immortals.
They all knew that! Standing, she looked over the people in the area, ready to take
off for the nearest exit. Then saw Adam leaning against a pole, smiling in a most
arrogant way. "What are you doing here? You scared me half to death!"

Her reaction and tone of voice startled the other waiting passengers. Methos walked
to her and took her arm. After snatching her bag from the floor, he lead her away.
They hurried, then ran to the parking lot. Methos looked behind them the whole way
to see if anyone was following. All the way, Elizabeth asked what he was doing. He
only ran faster, pulling her behind him. 

When they got out of the stairwell, into the bottom floor of the parking ramp, Methos
positioned Elizabeth against a wall, in front of a car. "Stay there," he said, then
moved swiftly back to the stairwell. When the door opened, Darrell walked out,
looking over the lot in front of him. He didn't see the fist slam into his cheek, just fell
limp to the concrete. 

When Elizabeth got to Adam her mouth was hanging open and she was motioning at
her watcher, Methos said, "I thought I asked you to stay over there."

"No, you told me."

He took her bag and her hand and walked, "That should give us some time."

Elizabeth asked, looking back at Darrell. "What did you do that for?"

"I don't want this chronicled."

"Can you do that?" She sure had the urge to the other day.

"I just did," Methos stated as he took her hand and led her out of the lot before
anyone came.

"Well, what if you killed him?"

"I didn't kill him." They exited the lot and walked to the cab line. "So, you're going to
Colorado." He leaned close and whispered, "If you want to meet up with Logan, why
not stick your neck out right here?"

"I'm going to miss my plane."

"You already have. Come on." He moved up the line when a couple got into the cab.

"Why?" She jerked her arm back.

"Would you settle down? I just want to pack up some stuff at my place and I'll go with
you. But not to Colorado."

"Why?"

"Because you want me to."

"Just like that?"

"Oh, that answer wasn't good enough? Okay, because I want to."

"What makes you think I want to travel with you? I don't know the first thing about
you."

Methos put her and her bag in a cab and got in. "15 North Moore Street," he said to
the cabbie.

Elizabeth asked, "Just what do you think you're doing?"

Methos whispered to her, "I'm going to save your head. Is that all right? I wouldn't
look a gift horse in the mouth if I were you. In fact, keep talking. I'll change my mind.
This is insane."

With Adam's agitation showing, Elizabeth knew to keep quiet.

~~~~~

METHOS' APARTMENT 

While Methos packed up what he wanted to bring, such as clothes, his sword,
research notes for the textbook and his laptop, Elizabeth looked around the
apartment. There was no sign of traps for all the critters Adam said roamed the
place. No tenting over the furniture. No sign of a recent fumigation. What the hell was
he trying to pull? Did he had someone after him, too? That's all she needed. 

Then she really looked at his art, statues, the exotic simplicity of the architecture and
furnishings didn't seem to be piecemeal or thoughtlessly bought. They seemed
personal. When he came into the living room, she once again asked, "How old are
you?"

He already had it figured out. Older than Duncan, but not as old as Amanda, not a
trophy head that immortals over 1000 were apt to be. "800," he decided to tell her,
picking a number out of the air.

She was surprised he told her something, without hesitation. It came too easy. She
wondered whether or not to believe him. Too bad she did. "800? That makes the 13th
century when you were born... You'd know first hand about..." her head spun. She
picked the first thing she thought of. "Columbus discovering America."

"That was Amerigo Vespusi," he quickly said finding a notebook on the desk that he
needed.

"I know that. But, how did that all play out?"

"Columbus had the big bucks behind him," he plopped his backpack on the desk and
put the notebook in it. "Actually, the Native Americans were here first."

"I am a history professor, Adam."

"Then why did you ask?"

"For the personal angle. I know that's a hard concept for you to grasp."

"How do you know?" He punched some bills that he hadn't paid yet into his backpack
and was highly offended by that remark, "You know, you've been beating me up
verbally ever since I met you. Why?"

"Why? You looked at me with disgust at the beginning, then you blamed me for
everything, then you came on to me, then you figured I'd swoon and stay even
though there was no point, then you as much as tell me I'm on my own if I take care
of Logan. Then you come like a white knight and carry me back here? Why I'm
standing here is beyond me."

Methos zipped the backpack and walked to her. "I never looked at you with disgust. I
did blame you for Joe and I did want to spend the night and today with you. I don't
think you should go after Logan."

"I know why I'm leaving. Why are you?"

"I need a change of scenery."

"More lies," she grumbled.

"Don't you get wanderlust? Haven't you ever felt the need to just get away and start
over? Have you ever just gotten bored with your surroundings?" She had to agree
she had and nodded. "I've got it big time. Where are you going?"

"I called Wentworth's cell this morning. Logan went back to Colorado last Thursday.
So, I'm going to surprise him."

"Do you really think that would be a surprise? He wouldn't be expecting you?"

"Why would he? I've never gone after him before."

"Then why do it now? Why borrow trouble? I've made it possible for us to leave
without anyone, including your watcher, knowing where we went. Let's just go. Live."

Elizabeth stared at Adam, he held her arms. This was a different man from the one
who didn't want to talk about plans or travel itineraries just hours ago. "You really
surprise me."

He liked that. "In what way?"

"This morning, you didn't want anything to do with me, except have sex, and now,
you're willing to 'take me away from all this'? Why?"

"I like you. We're friends. Aren't we? Looks like you could use a friend. I know I
could."

"Friends?"

"Yes."

"Just friends?"

"Well, friends with an added bonus. But friends first. You have to admit, it sounds
good."

"But Logan is still out there."

"But he'll have no idea where you are. He'll never find you because we're going to
disappear. Together. That's what I'm offering. I don't take off with immortals... ever,
so you better take me up on it. What do you say? France? Spain? China? Chile?"

"My passport expired."

He dropped her arms and just looked at her. Could he have misread everything?
Made assumptions that she didn't want to have any part of? "You... do want to go
with me... don't you? Or am I wasting my time?"

She felt giddy with the turn of events finally believing that he would go away with her.
Why he didn't suggest it when she wanted him to was beyond her, but the
disappointment and the tinge of anger passed. "That's what I wanted this morning.
But you didn't. Why not? What's so scary about me? Logan? If you're right and we
leave together so Logan can't find us... why were you scared to answer me this
morning?"

"I wasn't scared. But you're immortal."

"So you think I want your head."

"No. It's a lot of work. Other immortals don't find a problem with it, but I can't help but
see problems before they happen."

"The only immortal after me is Logan. How many are after you?"

"You collect more and more as the years go on. The trick is to stay one step ahead of
them. We can discuss this later. Foley seems like an idiot, but... why test fate? If
you're leaving with me, we're leaving now before he can figure out where we are."

She smiled, the world was her oyster, where would they go? "Plane, train or bus?"

"Car. No trace that we left town. We'll switch rentals in Hartford, under another name.
I have old ID on me. Then we'll purchase new ID. New names. Then... leave... for
anywhere we want."

~~~~~

PHILADELPHIA 

Methos drove them straight to an old acquaintance of his who specialized in creative
identification. Hondo Miller was in his workshop on Federal Street working on drivers
licenses for two underage guys that Elizabeth wasn't comfortable being within such
close confines with. One of them had a tattoo on his shoulder that read, 'Satan's Son'
with a Gothic font. She whispered to Methos, "Why are we here again?"

"Hondo does fantastic work," Methos said enthusiastically, looking at the flawless
examples of Hondo's work on the walls. Drivers licenses, birth certificates, Social
Security cards, passports, student ID's. You name it, Hondo could do it, from any
state in the Union, even for some other countries. "You need a passport. We both
need new identities."

"Both of us?"

He nodded.

"Okay," she said, though not quite understanding why. "Why do you need that?"

Hondo saw Methos and said, "Adam! Haven't seen you in a long time. Or, you are
still Adam, right?"

Methos smiled and shook his hand. "It's David Sommers now."

"Birth date?"

"What's today? The 10th? Let's go with that. We'll also need a passport and drivers
license for Ms. Bennett here." Elizabeth had never possessed a driver's license.
Used NYU faculty ID when she needed identification and only had a couple of
instances where it proved to be a problem. Methos asked her, "What name did you
decide on?"

"I really didn't think about it."

Hondo looked at her, "How about Mary Anderson?"

"Why?" Elizabeth looked at herself. "Do I look like a Mary? 

"No," Hondo leered, "But the name's forgettable. Isn't that what you want?" Methos
nodded and smiled. You're always in good hands with Hondo. "Step over to the
studio, Ms. Anderson, and I'll get you all fixed up."

The 'studio' consisted of a stool in front of a white sheet hung up on the wall. While
he took her picture for the ID, Methos told Hondo, "We'll also need work Visas for
Spain."

Hondo took the picture and laughed, "You do know how to keep me hopping, Adam."

"David." Methos corrected him.

"You will be in a minute."

Methos had him on speed dial in case something came up that he needed the
paperwork for. Hondo looked at Elizabeth on the stool in front of the white sheet.
"Hold it," he said with his hand out to stop her. "She should have a different shirt on
for the drivers license. It would look pretty funny if you're wearing the same collar in
both the passport and license pictures." He took off his t-shirt and handed it to her.
"You can just go behind the sheet to change and can you change your hair a little?"

Elizabeth tried not to look at the tattoos on Hondo but wondered where his T-shirt
had been, still she smiled and said, "Thanks," disappearing behind the curtain.

Hondo put a different camera on the tripod and said, "Spain, huh?" Methos nodded.
"Madrid?" 

"Where else would you live in Spain?"

"That's where the Prado museum is, right?" When Methos nodded, Hondo laughed.
"I'm not going to find out you're an international art thief, am I?"

"No," Methos shook his head, laughed. "Not anymore."

Elizabeth came back wearing the t-shirt and sat on the stool again. Posed. Hondo
told her to hold down the smile, this is for a drivers license. "How does Maryland
sound?"

"Sure," Elizabeth didn't know. A fake was a fake was a fake. What did it matter ? She
certainly wasn't going to drive anyway.

~~~~~

In the car while Methos was driving, and they were singing along to the Who's
"Pinball Wizard" a commercial came on for Choc Full of Nuts candy bar, 'the candy
for the new millennium'. Elizabeth groaned and changed the station.

"Hey," Methos said. "That was the best station we've found so far."

"I'm so sick and tired of people thinking the new millennium is already here. It doesn't
happen for another three months. Can't people add? There are 1000 years in a
millennium, not 999 and there was no year zero. Aren't you tired of it? Or are you one
of them?"

Methos smiled. He'd seen the turn of four millenniums and every single time people
made the same mistake. "People like round numbers."
"Y2K I could understand. That had to do with computers and digits still, people were
idiots last December."

"We'll be sure to toast the true new millennium."

"Really?"

"On December 31, 2000. You got a date."

She couldn't get used to the fact that he wasn't going to take off on her. This was all
still a dream she was enjoying. And he was immortal. The only other immortal she
ever trusted screwed her, turned her over to Logan. When she was quiet, Methos
asked, "You're thinking of taking off on me?"

"You wish."

He laughed, "Why?"

"So you wouldn't be the bad guy in the breakup of our relationship."

"I wouldn't be sitting here with you if I didn't want to be . I didn't have to go to the
airport if I didn't want to."

"I know. But now you're in it and maybe you're having second thoughts."

"No. Are you?"

"Of course not. You're the best thing that's happened to me in years."

"And don't you forget it."

CONTINUED in Chapter Six - What's in a Name

    Source: geocities.com/enyajo/elizabeth

               ( geocities.com/enyajo)