Disclaimer: It's been five parts, lets do it again. I don't own them, and I'm not sure anyone does. I promise that I won't mangle them much and I'll return them in better condition.
Other Info: Thanks again to my betas: TAE, Nickerbits, and Gabrielle B. I think this is where they bought the stock in Bayer Aspirin...
part 6
At the sound of Jim's anguished voice, Blair looked over to the sitting area. The two men watched in horror as Detective Dakota shot Nash first, then Pierson, and then turned the gun towards herself. Jim had stepped up, grabbing the pistol and her hand, and Blair stared on, amazed, as the two struggled for control of the weapon.
Jim felt the strength in her forearms, twisting the gun about between them. In one last attempt to break her hold, the large man pressed his fingers tightly into the soft tissue of her wrists. He had to admit, she was a lot stronger than she appeared. Her balance, too, was well honed. Each time Jim shifted his body, she countered.
"Nikya...don't - fight -"
The gun went off.
Ellison could swear she'd smiled as the gun had fired, sending the bullet full into her chest. The blast pushed her backwards, forcing him to pull her forward and wrap an arm about her. Lowering the body carefully to the floor, Jim's sensitive fingers fought nervous tremors just to feel the damage. The blood on his hand didn't help Jim any. "SANDBURG!" He yelled, but Blair was already next to him, phone in hand.
"I'm calling an ambulance..."
"Don't bother." Distressed, blue eyes looked up at the younger man. "She's gone. They're all gone." His hearing had kicked in automatically, noting two lonely heartbeats in the room, and a literal dead silence from their three companions. Jim looked down at her face, then to his hand where it sat atop the entrance wound. The gun had been angled up, allowing the bullet to rip through her heart and one lung before exiting the left side of her back. "What the HELL were you thinking?" Jim heard himself ask the woman quietly. "Dammit! If you needed help..."
Pain permeated his partner's voice. As Blair knelt next to the man, he set a comforting hand on the slumped shoulder. "Maybe she was a lot more upset than we figured. Don't beat yourself up over this, Jim. You did the best you could. She just wouldn't give up." Pushing his hair back with one hand, Blair asked quietly, "Was it a suicide pact, maybe?"
Ellison looked from her body, to Nash, whose face was frozen in shocked disbelief. Pierson's face mimicked the first man's, and Jim found it hard but necessary to look back down at Dakota. "No, she did this on her own. The other two had no idea - Dakota took them by surprise." He sighed and sat back on the floor, arms wresting on bent knees. "Better call Simon, Chief. I.A. is gonna love this one." He shook his head at the sight of his .45 still grasped in Nikya's hand.
Blair couldn't seem to NOT look at the young woman on the floor. He'd only just met her, yet he felt something in his gut twisting around and making him want to break every glass case in the room. Maybe it was the wine, but his normally queasy stomach was rolling with bitterness not bile. Sandburg looked absently at his wrist searching for the spot Nik had touched before. His gaze traveled up an inch or so to the phone in his hand as he prepared to dial Captain Banks' number, but then things started to go strangely fuzzy.
The buzzing coursed through his head, doubling Jim over with its intensity. He had a second to look over and realize his partner was in the same condition. *What the HELL is going on?* came the brief thought before the buzzing spiked them into momentary blackness.
Taking a sudden and deep breath, hands grasping sofa cushions and eyes staring about wildly, Adam voiced his immediate resentment to Nik's actions. "DAMN, I hate it when she does that."
At the sound of the voice, Blair looked over his shoulder directly into Adam's face. The Watcher smiled as the spooked anthropologist scurried backwards into his partner. "JIM! J_I_M!!! Oh MAN!!! l..L...loooook."
"Whoa! PSHPZZZPHBT! What the HELL is going on?" Jim exclaimed and pushed Sandburg behind him as he saw Adam sit forward on the sofa. There was more buzzing, of lesser intensity, and their attention was drawn to the other couch where Nash was coming around. Strangely unafraid, Jim lunged foward to where Nikya lay. Ripping open her suit jacket, his hands went to the bloodied spot on her camisole. His eyes immediately sighted through the hole made by the bullet and were happy to find the wound healing. Jim's hand reached out, needing to touch her. In addition to a pulse, he registered an incredible amount of energy.
His smile was the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes. For all her years, Nik thought it was one of the most beautiful things God ever created. "Jim..." she said weakly, her hand searching the front of her shirt. She smiled as her fingers encountered the detective's hand.
He recognized the look on her face and figured he'd better stop it while he could. "Don't say it, Nik. I don't need I told you so's." That said, Jim wrapped his arm around her waist again and helped her off the floor.
~~~~~~
"You owe me a new shirt, Shorty."
Nix gave Adam a dirty look. "I'll take it off what you owe me, Old man..." To let him know that the "Shorty" comment hadn't gone unnoted, she stuck her tongue out at him.
Adam laughed, then turned to face two slightly confused mortals. "She cheats... wickedly."
"Some ancient game?" questioned an eager anthropologist. His academic nature had taken control of him as the three Immortals had revived. Now, though, he had an insatiable desire to know everything he could. He expanded then repeated his question. "Really, you must know so many lost games. So, which one?"
"Gin Rummy." Nash supplied, and the two men laughed. Nik's blushing made them laugh harder.
Nixia carefully slipped an oxford on over her tee, watching as her Immortal companions changed their ruined shirts for a couple of her clean ones. Some residual pain in her chest made her wince as she fought the shirt. Her one sleeve was twisted, and once again Mr. Chivalry helped her. "You make me think there's hope for men. I GOTTA meet your mother..."
"Oh," Jim started, still a little in shock. "That'd be good. I can just see Naomi with that one. Don't get me wrong, Chief, but your mom would probably have her burning sage and hanging out with Baba Tenaka before too long."
"Not a chance." Nik said, watching her champion's smile wither. Placing a hand on his cheek, she finished her thought. "I already had someone come in and perform a Feng-Shui allignment and cleansing. I'm not fond of the smell of burning sage. And no reflection on Tenaka, but I'd rather hang out with the Dalai Lama. I prefer old souls..."
Jim put his open hand up to Sandburg's face, successfully stopping the remark forming on the kid's lips. "I need some coffee..." looking around at the faces, he finished. "And some more information."
Blair made the coffee while Jim questioned the three Immortals about who they were, and why they were there.
"I really am a transfer from L.A." Nik began as they once again sat in the sitting area. "My partner...died...and I had to get out of there..." She said quickly to Jim and Blair. She didn't elaborate, just caught her breath and sipped her coffee. Swallowing hard, she continued her story.
After her partner's death, she'd taken an immediate leave of absence while debating a transfer to somewhere more quiet. Nik had contacted Elise and Haverford, letting them persuade her Cascade was a good next stop. It wasn't until AFTER she'd gotten to the city, though, that Elise had told her of the murders.
Dakota had then called for support, but they'd arrived just one day too late.
"Support?" Questioned Jim. "You mean Nash and Pierson?"
"It's Connor, actually." Nash said. "Conner MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod. Born in Scotland on the shores of Lock Sheil."
"And when was that?" Blair said with genuine interest.
"1518. That's A.D." he said casting a raised eyebrow to Nix. "I just passed the big four eight oh!" Connor's voice lifted a bit at the announcement.
"So, you're younger than Nikya?"
"Do the math, junior." Jim said through a smirk. "He's not even in her range - but he's a lot closer than you." The detective turned his gaze on the third Immortal. "What about you? I thought you were a Watcher...and they're supposed to be ...uh... mortals..."
"Extenuating circumstances. Being a Watcher seemed a good cover... amusingly enough, I was supposed to be collecting information on myself. I could tell you-"
"OH, please. Another time with the stories." Nix said, meeting his amused eyes. "Name's Methos, and don't get him started." Before Blair could ask, Nixia held up her hand. "Don't ask him how old he is...he's a little touchy about his age. You pass a millennium or two or three and you get crotchety."
"Very funny." Adam said and threw a pillow at her laughing face. "You've got no room to talk about passing millennia. Besides - You only THINK you know how old I am..."
Her accent mocked him. "I forgot - you're like the eighth wonder of the world..."
"Excuse me." came Jim's slightly annoyed voice. "You can debate later. I've got more important matters. Like, obviously all the deaths are related to your kind. So, do you know who the HELL our Samurai is?"
It was obvious by the sudden and complete silence that at least one of the three did.
~~~~~
Nik poured the last of the coffee from the pot and took it back to the kitchen. They'd been sitting there discussing the deaths - and the man responsible for them. All of the victims, all four women, had been close to the man. It was a tangible connection. The only problem was WHEN the women had known the man - over a matter of centuries. Further complicating the matter was the idea that as an Immortal, he needed to be dealt with according to the Immortals' rules.
"Do you have any proof?" Jim asked. "Besides the fact that you personally know all the parties involved. Anything I can take to Simon?"
"Whoa, cowboy." Nik replied with a sharp look at the detective. "Don't go getting any ideas. This is still MY case, remember? Sandburg and I are the primary team."
A quick glance to the anthropologist, found him falling asleep on the couch. *No help there.* Taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, Nixia ran a hand through her hair and smiled. "It's late. I may be Immortal, but I'm also human - well, sort of. We're all tired..." She was rewarded with smiles from the three conscious men.
"I'm not dropping this, Dakota. Something has to be done." Jim said, and nudged his partner, who promptly fell sideways into a throw-pillow.
She smiled, once again running a hand through her curls. "Wanna call a cab or crash here?"
Even though it was late, Jim knew he and Blair needed to go home. He knew he wouldn't sleep much that night - once something got hold of him, it just didn't let go. And Jim felt certain that pacing around her place would be like getting locked in the University's Museum. "Cab." he said pulling his cell phone and dialing.
They let Sandburg sleep while the four cleaned up the coffee and glasses. For the most part, it was casual conversation, nothing more about the case. The cab was there in fifteen minutes, and Nikya roused Blair enough to get the kid down the stairs without tripping himself or his friend. Jim paused at the door, letting Blair lean on the landing railing while he spoke. "We'll see you in the morning. You bring what you have and we'll work through it..." That said, he handed her the truck keys and helped Blair down the stairs.
As Nix shut the door and turned to her guests, she noticed their questioning faces. "Yeah, yeah. You can stay. Don't know why you need to bunk with me..." came her mumbles as she walked to the hall closet for some linens. "Got more money between the two of you than Rockefeller or Vanderbilt ...but noooooo... gotta stay with me to save yourselves a couple bucks...just wanna stay where you can keep an eye on me... just cause I'm a giiiirrrrll... gotta make sure I don't go after the bastard myself...Well, I think - no, I KNOW I can take care of myself...."
A hand settled on her shoulder, causing Nixia to turn and stare into her guest's face. "I miss them as well, Nixia." Methos said quietly, his voice tinged with the sorrow he held in his heart. They were, after all, his brethren. And his friends. "And as much as I'd love to avenge Cassandra myself - or Elise or Ginna or Moira, for that matter - I think we need to stick together." He gave her a tight hug and kissed her forehead, then grabbed the linens, pushing Connor and a bundle of sheets through one bedroom door and heading towards the other guest room.
"Sleep well, my friends." Nix said with a sad smile, watching the two men fighting with the bed covers, their coordination slightly hampered. Sighing deeply, she whispered the rest of her thought to herself. "Someone has to..."
~~~~~
He put his head in his hands and sighed softly, one hand attempting to run through his curls. Blair knew he was doomed either way he wore his hair. Pulled back it seemed to take the skin from his face and split it in two down the middle. If he let it loose, the weight added some 10 pounds of pressure, or so it seemed.
*Maybe if I press lightly .....riiiiiiiight .....heeeeerrrrreee.* he thought as his fingers gently rubbed small circles into his temples. "Owwwwww." he moaned.
"I'm with you, Chief." Jim said, gently taking the seat at his desk and staring over to his partner. It even hurt to sit. *Sandburg would say it has something to do with my senses and altitude... It's that bad that I'm thinking like the kid.* The thoughts went no further. The pain wasn't worth it. A shadow seemed to give a brief reprieve from the pain of the fluorescent lights.
"Forensics on your marshmallow skewer..." Rafe said in full voice.
The slap of the folder on the desk in front of him made Jim twitch slightly. Carefully opening it, he read over the standard information. It was a sword. A very nice sword. Very old, somewhat nicked from fighting, a bit of blood on the tip, and Elise D'Ornier's fingerprints all over it. Some latex residue, but they knew that was from the gloves. "It's a sword."
"A bit more than JUST a sword, Jim." Rafe said, screetching the chair out next to Ellison's desk. "Mid 15th century, intricate guilding, hand engraving, and a 15 carat hand-cut Golden Topaz set into the handle."
"Whowhat?" Blair said, immediately regretting the raise in his own voice. "A Topaz? As in the gemstone?" He immediately examined the folder as Jim handed it to him. "A rare specimen of exceptional color, clarity, and cut." the handwritten note stated.
"Serena said Dr. Franklin, our armoury specialist, VOLUNTEERED to look into the stone a bit more. He seemed to remember a story about five matching swords and five matching gems."
If Blair had been working on full power, he might have been more interested. But the moan that issued forth from his mouth clued his partner and their friend that he just wasn't up to academics at the moment.
"You need to take it a little easier, Sandburg." Rafe said as he stood. "Looks like time is catching up with you, kid." That said, the young detective patted his friend on the shoulder then headed off to his own desk tapping on everything in his path. A quick glance to Sandburg as he sat down, and Rafe was smiling.
Ellison shook his head very carefully, placing it once more into his hands. He'd had his share of hangovers before, but this was more a problem with fatigue. He hadn't slept well after he'd gotten home, neither had Sandburg. But Sandburg had had too much wine and too little coffee. Jim just had too much to think about and not enough time.
That and that damned headache...
"Hey, Jim?" Came Sandburg's softer-than-usual-Sentinel-level voice. "Remind me to do something juvenile to Rafe's locker later."
Withstanding the pain of smiling, Ellison responded lightly. "One step ahead of you, Chief."
"Poor guys..." came the whisper from the doorway behind Jim. His hearing had kicked in automatically. Oddly enough, so had his smell. And he was almost enjoying her perfume - or something she had on her. Before he could sit back and turn to see her, there was a sudden series of touches across his shoulders. The after-effect left him slightly fuzzy, making it hard to move for a moment or two. When Ellison came back to full power, he found Sandburg slumped over on the desk. He took an immediate step towards his friend, his senses reaching out first. In the midst of his sensory checklist, Jim noticed most of his discomfort was gone.
Blair's voice was the embodiment of the relief he felt. "Aaaaaahhhhhhh. You're wonderful."
"Thank you." And she walked to the desk a few feet away.
Jim noticed that Nikya was her normal energetic self. As soon as he'd heard Blair's voice, his attention had reverted to the woman. Whatever she'd done to them, she'd obviously done to herself. How else could she be so...alive? Jim swallowed hard and smiled at that word. Yes. She was certainly ALIVE. In a couple strides, the large man was by her side, placing one hand on the woman's back. Fingers, of their own will, seeking and finding her strong pulse.
"You're just full of amazements."
She couldn't answer. The feel of his hand on her back was too distracting.
"How are YOU feeling, this morning?" Blair asked taking the chair next to her desk.
"I'm feeling wonderful..." And she really was - Jim was still rubbing her back.
"Adam knows accupressure as well?"
She smiled. "Not really." Nik wet her lips and explained one of the benefits of Immortality. "It's kinda like a reset button. When you revive, you're completely renewed. It's as if I hadn't had a drop of wine all night. And while I had a lot of things on my mind last night, I was simply exausted."
"So," Jim said slowly. "You're absolutely fine?"
She nodded slowly, enjoying Jim's hand on her back.
Blair's voice summed up his and Jim's feelings. "That sucks." He looked up at the big guy who was smirking, then over to Nik who just shrugged.
"Excuse me?" Captain Banks said as he stepped up to the group. "Are you the same three investigators that left here at each other's throats the other day? Uh... Detective...Ellison?" And the men exchanged gazes, Simon dipping his eyes to where Jim's hand rested, then lifting back with some disapproval. In a voice low enough for only the Sentinel to hear, Simon made his opinion clear. "You want me to remove that hand from the elbow down? I'll do it - and take your badge with it."
Nik cast an evil look up at Simon, knowing instinctively he was the reason Jim had taken a seat on the edge of her desk and crossed his arms over his chest. She mumbled her disapproval. "I'd like to move your rasafrasa migglefrick...."
Jim couldn't help the smile and light chuckle, which drew odd looks from his three companions. He'd have to tell Blair later. *What IS a rasafrasa migglefrick anyway?* his mind questioned.
"Okay." Simon started. "Since we're all in an agreeable mood - maybe you wanna give me an update on the case? How did the funeral go? I take it you've already shared the information with Detective Dakota?"
Three grins exchanged then were quickly muted.
Jim spoke for them all. "We have yet to pool ALL our information." The other two nodded in agreement, casting looks up to the captain.
"We had a chance to speak with a couple of the victim's oldest friends." Blair said. "And a few acquaintences in from out of town."
Jim added "Their information was very enlightening."
"Well, then." Simon said gesturing towards a conference room. "Get to it. I'm certain Dakota doesn't want to be left out. Go on."
Before Simon could get another word in, Nik picked up her files and headed for a room. Jim and Blair followed, hands in air as if in surrender. Once the door was shut, the Captain went back to his own office, shaking his head in disbelief.
*That was TOO easy... They never do what I want em to...*
~~~~~