THE YOU'RE IN MY HEART SERIES CALIFORNIA DREAMING PART TWO by JoLayne and Susan Continued from Part One ~~~~~ The ruckus was beginning to draw the attention of those around them. Nasty looks and admonishment to be quiet were sent their way. Up on stage, John struggled to be heard over the increasing noise in the crowded room. "I'd watch what you say, buddy," Mike threatened, "unless you want your ass kicked." This is finally getting somewhere! Amanda brightened at the thought. Methos will only take so much before he gets really pissed. Maybe this night would be interesting after all. "Yeah? You and whose army?" Amanda challenged, confident in Methos' abilities to handle the brute. "I won't be needing an army to take care of that candy ass," Mike boasted as he reached out and kicked Methos' chair. "What's the matter? Afraid to fight me, asshole?" "Let's go, Amanda." Methos stood up after Amanda and rested his hand in the small of her back. "I was talking to you," Mike jerked Methos' arm. "Are you deaf or something?" The look on Methos' face indicated that he had been willing to ignore the idiot's behavior, but he'd just crossed the line. "Let go of my arm," Methos said with controlled building rage. Mike let go only to push Methos into a table of other patrons. "There. That better?" Amanda was too shocked to help, could have only watched it happen as she screamed, "Noah!"  Methos, sprawled on the toppled table on the foursome's laps, got to his feet and apologized to the people at the table that had broken his fall. "Get him! We'll help!" the two guys at the table announced, and got to their feet. Methos called them off, and he calmly took Amanda's arm. Amanda knew that Methos didn't like to fight ever since the Horace incident, but that bloke was pushing his luck. "Come on." Methos nearly pulled Amanda towards the door, having to pass Mike's bulk in the process. "Back for more? Well, here you go." Mike raised his fist to punch Methos, but the oldest man, who had partaken in many a fight over the years, sidestepped the blow and landed one of his own straight to Mike's nose. Amanda clapped her hands when Mike crashed to the floor. "Bravo, Noah! My hero! About friggin' time!" Methos smiled and bowed to the crowd, who Amanda only then realized was on their side. She turned back to Methos to give him the gift of a kiss for fighting for her honor when Trish decided to defend her fallen boyfriend. Amanda couldn't stop Trish's well-placed fist to Methos' groin. His smile quickly melted into a grimace of pain and shock. He dropped to his hands and knees as he tried to breathe. "Hey!" Amanda shouted at Trish as she jerked her shoulder back. "Keep your trashy paws to yourself." "Make me!" "You asked for it," Amanda growled as she took a fistful of Trish's orange-tinted blond hair that had to be the result of Sun-In. That spray-on blonding agent was the bane of wishful blondes the world over. Trish squealed from Amanda jerking her head back, and then fell silent with a punch to her stomach. Methos was still hunched over on the floor by Amanda's feet when Mike charged to her. "Oh, oh," Amanda murmured as she saw a look in Mike's eyes that indicated he didn't care she was a woman. He was going to fight her as well. She let Trish go, and Trish fell to the floor. Amanda skirted around a table and used a meek man whose legs were protecting his crotch on the chair, and his hands were protecting his beer on the table as an impediment to Mike reaching her. When Mike reached her, another guy threw a punch at him on Amanda's behalf, and Amanda smiled sweetly at him, but then ran to get out of Trish's way. The orange head growled as she charged Amanda, and they both landed on the stage at John's feet. Amanda could hear that the once staid beer garden had erupted into an all-out brawl as many others joined the punch party. She tried to get Trish's grubby hand out of her own hair, while fending off Trish's other hand squeezing her neck. Instead of doing the impossible, her hand reached for anything that could help her situation. She looked up to see John right before he splashed his glass of water on them. He handed her the glass, which Amanda used to break over Trish's head. Then the sound of breaking glass all over the room erupted. Amanda rolled Trish off of her and kicked her for good measure, and saw Methos had one little guy up above his head and was about to throw him at the barrels that held the various kinds of beer at the bar. John helped Amanda to her feet as there was a tremendous crash and sounds of splitting wood, and the flush of foam spurt out. The people in the room started to slip on the spilled beer as they punched each other and used furniture to block punches or destroy their opponents. Amanda realized that someone had her hand and was being led to the side of the stage. She turned to John and said, "I can't leave yet. This is fun!" "This way to the exit," he told her. "But I came with..." Amanda looked over the room from her position on the raised stage to scan the people standing against the wall to be out of the way and people fighting for Methos. She heard his growl of fury and saw him with two heads in his hands, slamming them together, knocking out his opponents. "Him." "The asshole?" John grimaced. "He's not... at least, not after you get to know him." She looked back to her man, and saw the look of ‘gotta get the hell out of here' on his face as he ran to her through the fights and people laying on the floor. John still had a hold of Amanda's hand, so when Methos grabbed her and headed out the door that John had opened, he came with. Methos obviously knew the layout of the building well, as he ran past the row of doors to the second to last one on the right, then through the store room to another door that led to a stairway, then out the exit door. When they reached the hot air outside, Methos collapsed against the wall of the building in a grassy area behind the Jupiter and laughed. "I haven't had so many opponents in a long time. It's still customary for fights to be one-on-one, right?" "Not bar fights," Amanda hollered, stoked by the events. His smile collapsed when he saw John Bowers standing there, still holding Amanda's hand. "Hey!" Methos took Amanda's hand away and said, "Get the hell out of here." "Thank you so much for destroying my poetry reading." "Oh, is that what you call it? I found it to be an incoherent jumble of one-syllable words." "You were talking throughout my reading!" John accused as he tried to place a punch at Methos' jaw. Methos had ducked, so Amanda got the full extent of John's anger, right on the side of her head. She felt a thud in her head and then her feet fell out from under her and all she could see was black. And stars. "I ink you oke my aw!" she screamed as arms held her to soften her fall to the ground. She knew she was in Methos' arms and in his lap as he tenderly caressed her cheek, but she couldn't see him. "I'm so sorry!" she heard John lament. "I was aiming for him!" She tried to work out her jaw, but it stung. Healing, take me away! She thought as Methos held her cheek protectively. She heard him holler back, "And why did you feel the need to punch me? You're the bad poet!" "You were talking too much, how would you know? I'll have you know that I've been published four times!" "On the back of a cereal box?" "Why you-" Amanda was tossed out of Methos' lap and she could hear the two men physically going at it. "-y id I e'en et out of ed?" she moaned as the healing process finally took over and soon she could move her jaw once again. She turned over on the ground and saw Methos hit John in the stomach. "There's no telling the taste of publishers. The masses have been inundated with twaddle for millennia." "And artists have had to put up with the likes of you!" John responded with a kick to Methos' leg. "Artist!" Methos laughed. "Full of yourself, aren't you?"  Amanda could still hear the chaos in the building, and a siren fainting in the distance, yet becoming louder as it unmistakenly neared. "Ah, fellas?" They were in the midst of wrestling, and had fallen to the ground to roll, pinch, and punch each other. "HEY!" she hollered, and got their attention. "If you don't want to spend the night in jail, I'd suggest we blow this popsicle stand." It didn't take telling Methos twice as he got himself free from John and stalked to the van. "He's not worth the trouble." When they reached the van, they could see that the fistfights had expanded to the parking lot. "At least I'm going to heal, he won't. The no-talent putz." Amanda wondered if Methos would ever return to the Jupiter, and didn't seem too upset that the establishment had obviously been damaged. He'll probably send money to cover it. He is richer than God. She got into the van as Methos revved the motor and put it into neutral. While the light in the van was on, she could see that his face was swollen and turning every color she could think of. "Oh, honey..." He knocked her hand away and squealed the tires as he reversed, then floored it to get out of there. "Now, that was fun!" "Fun? I'm not going to be able to go back there again. You happy?" "Me? What did I do?" "You had to make waves with Punch and Judy?" "You had to throw that guy into the barrels?" "You had to bring the wonder-poet to safety with us?" "You had to duck so I was the one who got hit in the head?" "You wanted me to get the brunt of his punch?" "You are a pain in my ass," Amanda yelled and then looked out the window at the passing buildings. She was irritable, but when Methos started chuckling, then out right laughing, she looked back at him and joined in. "What are we laughing about?" she asked through tears that flooded her eyes. "The night is dark. The wine is chilled." "All the makings of a romantic night," she said. "Too bad we couldn't hear the rest of it." "If rubbish such as that has been published, it only means I have to get back into the literary world more than just teaching Shakespeare." "Where do you teach Shakespeare?" "There," he said pointing at the University grounds they were passing. "I start up again next week." "You do? When were you going to tell me?" Methos shrugged. "It's not like it's a deep dark secret, Amanda. The topic just never came up." "I thought we were going to have a nice, relaxing time in California." "We are. We have a week." "I canceled my trip back to Paris because I thought we'd be lounging by a pool or the ocean. Your building doesn't even have a pool." "We did, but it was cemented over to make the parking lot. We have the ocean." She grumbled as she wasn't feeling quite as happy any longer. She had told Marcus that she wasn't going to join in on the stealing of the Ruby Star, which could have financed at least three years if she had taken part in it. "I teach two classes, Amanda. You can do without me for four hours out of the day. You can go shopping," he suggested. "I'm getting low again, are you going to foot the bill?" "I could. If you spend wisely." Amanda snorted. "As if that would happen." She thought about calling Marcus to see if it was too late to steal the ruby necklace from the feckless Marquis and his snobbish wife that needed to be taught a lesson. Methos wasn't the only one who could teach. He's teaching Shakespeare? Who would have thought that the meek poet would be taught at all, least of all in colleges. Now Christopher Marlowe. There was a poet. Smart, sexy, knew it. Who would have guessed that the son of a shoemaker could be so lyrical? Big brown eyes. Pert lips. Big hands. What a man. "Come live with me, and be my love; And we will all the pleasures prove that hills and valleys, dales and fields, woods or steepy mountain yields," Amanda recited from memory. "I'm teaching Shakespeare, not Marlow." Methos pulled out a bandana from his back pocket and wiped off his face. "Marlowe was killed in a bar brawl. It's wise not to indulge in them." "But it was fun, admit it. Got to let go once in a while." "Being around you, I have no choice but to let go," Methos shrugged his shoulders. "Life is all out when you're around." Amanda bristled. Methos had a way of making her feel like an inconvenience. "Just because you like living a dull, boring life doesn't mean that we all like to live like that." "Chill out, Amanda. I didn't say it was a bad thing, you assumed that's what I meant," Methos rationalized, "and you know what happens when you assume." "Yeah, yeah, I know. It makes an ass out of you and me," Amanda rolled her eyes. "You don't take me seriously." "Don't be ridiculous." He maneuvered the van into the parking lot of his building and shifted the transmission into park. "What brought that on?" "Nothing." Amanda reached for the door handle, but Methos' hand on her arm stopped her. "I don't want to sit out here all night, Methos." "Neither do I." His grasp on her remained firm. "You were having a perfectly good time and now you're pouting." "I am not!" "Are to." Amanda jerked her arm free and opened the door and stormed up the walk to the apartment entrance. "Shut up." "Hit a nerve, did I?" Methos jumped out of the van and hurried to catch up with her. "Slow down, Amanda. We're not running a foot race, you know." She whirled around and made an obscene gesture in his general direction, but didn't slow down. "Fine," Methos said, slowing down to a walk. "I've got the key, so you're huffing around for no reason." "Don't be so sure about that," Amanda yelled as she held a metal object up.  Methos watched the moonlight reflect off the object. He instinctively felt his pants pockets, only to find that his keys had disappeared. She must have gotten possession of the keys while they were arguing in the van. Despite their many years together, he never learned not to take his eyes off her nimble fingers. His hands rested on his hips as he regarded her retreating back. So many things about her never failed to surprise him. He supposed that was how she always seemed so fresh and new every time they renewed their loving relationship. His immense age meant there was little he hadn't seen or done, but Amanda never lost the ability to amaze him. A smile, a laugh, or the look she wore when he made love to her all held special places in his heart. His ever-changing minx. The full moon shone brightly illuminating the entire area around Amanda as she ascended the stairs to his apartment. A rush of lust for her lithe frame flooded him as he watched her hips sway enticingly. Thank the gods she didn't realize the effect she had on him. Woe to him if she ever did. Laughing at the thought, he bounded up the stairs and caught up with her in his hall. "Amanda." "Leave me alone, Noah!" "Aw, I'm sorry." "No, you're not. You like picking on me." Methos hurried ahead of her and blocked her advancing down the hall. "Oh, but I am." Amanda shoved him out of her way. "I don't believe you." "Would I lie to you?" Methos gave her puppy dog eyes. "Ok, I would, but not about this." "Why do you always make me feel like I'm in your way?" Amanda crossed her arms over her chest. "Like I'm a waste of your precious time." Methos stood stunned at her words. Did she really feel that way? Surely, she was overreacting. "Amanda, how can you even think that?" "See, you're doing it again!" She ran down the hall and slid the key into the lock. Without waiting for him, she slammed the door shut and bolted the lock. "Doing what?" Methos wondered aloud to the empty hall. Amanda had been acting very strange since her return to his apartment that afternoon. One minute she was happy go lucky and the next she was argumentative. Did she suspect him and Rebecca? He shook that thought off; Amanda would let him have it if she'd known he'd made love to them both in the same day. She was too jealous to let it slide. Perhaps she was just irritable from the long drive and needed some time to get her balance back. A good night's sleep would cure that or at least he hoped so. Despite what Amanda thought, he was truly looking forward to spending more time with her. He much preferred her in a good mood, though. "Let me in," he knocked softly on the door.  "Sleep in the van," her reply was muffled. "I'd rather sleep with you." He heard some sort of garbled response. "Be a love and open the door." He waited patiently for her to do as he requested.  Methos didn't wait long. He only waited long enough for her to feel she had exerted some power trip over him, then reached above the doorframe to retrieve the spare key he had hidden there for such purposes. When he entered the apartment and stalked to the bedroom, Amanda was already back to sleep. He thought that waking her twice in one night wasn't the right thing to do, and smelled the residue of cannabis in the air. She was out for the rest of the night, of that he was sure. It wasn't long after he stripped down to his boxers and climbed carefully into bed with her that he was asleep as well. ~~~~~ The ringing telephone was what woke the immortals in mid morning. Methos rolled over, and fell out of bed. He groaned and reached up to grab hold of the receiver. "Hey, matey. I forgot some things in Mandy's bag. Be a love and bring them over here?" "Who the hell is this?" "Fitz. You forgot me already?" Fitz laughed as he spoke. Methos sat against the night stand and wiped his eyes. "Why do I have to go there? You forgot it, you come here." "I forgot where you live. I'm sure Amanda has a better memory, as she dropped me off. Say, how about this? You both come this evening and take in the magnificent sunset." "I can see it from here." "I'll make food. A feast." "I can eat here." "I'll have beer." "Okay. Say eight?" "Sounds good, old chap." As Methos tried to hang up the phone above his head, Amanda's head appeared at the edge of the bed. "What was that all about?" She took the receiver to listen, but Fitz had already hung up. "Fitz forgot something in your bag. We're going to dinner and drop it off." "I wondered where that pipe came from. I thought it was yours." "I don't smoke from pipes. In fact, I don't smoke. Just pot, but that makes me sleepy, which isn't good for an immortal who should be on their toes at all times." "Mary Jane makes me hungry, and I'm starved!" Amanda jumped out of bed ready to start the day, and most likely forage for leftovers. All anger she had last night had disappeared, or so he hoped. She could get mad easier than a bull in Pamplona, and it was just as wise to avoid her in that mood as well. Before Methos even made it back to the bed for a few more hours of sleep, Amanda came in with the remnants of their salad from last night. He felt like throwing up as he watched her sit on the bed and eat the dressing soaked lettuce with her fingers. She must have noticed his squeamishness, as she set the bowl on the floor and curled up next to him. "So," she asked as she traced her finger along his chest. "What's on the agenda today?" "A day in bed?" Methos suggested lazily. "If you're up for it." Her smile lit up the room. "My thoughts exactly," she purred. ~~~~~ "I don't think they'll come," Rebecca repeated to Fitz as they set up the dinner on the beach. Fitz walked out of Gia's beach cottage with a tray of plates and glasses. "Of course they will." He indicated the cooler filled with ice and beer bottles by one of the sling back chairs at the table. "That will be Noah's seat, I'm sure. Does he really put away as much hops as I saw the three days driving out here?" "He can drink anyone under the table. Mortal or immortal," Rebecca said with a bit of pride. She didn't know why each of Methos' skills made her happy, no matter what they were, but they did. It was a joy being his friend. Sure there were times she wanted to throttle him, but those times were few and far between. Gia exited her cottage dressed in a long white gauze gown that hid nothing. The red and yellow flowered bikini underneath was the only thing keeping her from showing all her assets, which Rebecca had to admit, were abundant. Rebecca looked down at her white t-shirt, dark green khaki shorts, and sandals feeling extremely overdressed. Fitz was walking around shirtless with only paisley shorts and thongs on his feet. Fitz again suggested that she should put on her bathing suit, but she didn't want to wear one with a date coming. The young man she had met that afternoon at a bazaar held down the beach had been the first thing that had taken her mind off Thomas' vanishing act. He was so young, but his eyes twinkled. His smile was beatific and inviting. When they started talking about a leather bound volume of Romeo and Juliet one of the vendors had for sale, they soon got a cherry ice and sat on the sand discussing everything from forbidden love to the Beatles. He had asked for her phone number, but she said she was traveling, staying with a friend, but didn't know for how long. He gave her his phone number and had told her to call him if she stayed, or anytime she wanted someone to listen. He warmed her heart, as well as her loins, and she decided to stay, after talking with Gia and Fitz to see if it was alright. "I can get a hotel, or maybe rent a flat, if I'm in the way." "Don't be silly. I have plenty of room," Gia said in her heavily Italian-accented broken English. "As I told you before, Rebecca. I like you. You look just like my favorite cousin, Bianca." Rebecca smiled in return, thinking they had plenty of room in that cottage, but that didn't stop her having to hear their moans of passion all night. Rebecca was going to find a place, but thought that it might be possible that she'd be staying at the English Lit professor's that evening. One never knew. She was just play it all by ear. When she heard that Methos and Amanda were coming for dinner, she was nervous and excited. She wanted to spend time with Amanda, having only seen her for a few minutes, while wearing Methos' shirt. She hoped that they could catch up after Rebecca reassured her former student that sex with Methos was nothing personal. As much as she enjoyed being with Methos, she knew that Amanda's hold on him went deeper than hers. Truthfully, she wished the two of them would finally see that they were meant to be together, but they were either too blind or stubborn to see it. They were her two favorite people in the world and she wanted them to be happy. Fitz's merry laughter floated along ocean breeze. "Noah, Amanda!" Rebecca paused and let their presence settle over her. The older she got, the better she got at distinguishing the buzzes of other immortals. Perhaps it was her age, or maybe it was just her intense familiarity with those two. Amanda's quickening was light and energetic much like the woman herself. Methos' presence, on the other hand, had deep almost bass resonance that throbbed and pulsated over her in waves. She often wondered just how many Quickenings Methos had taken over his long life as he never wanted to talk about it. Although he downplayed his Game playing skills, Rebecca suspected that, given the right motivations, he could easily reenter the Game and swing it in his favor. Watching him and Amanda from across the patio, Rebecca let herself really see him. He was laughing at something Amanda had whispered in his ear. His tall frame slouched in his most non-threatening pose, his arm loosely slung around Amanda's waist. On the surface, he looked like any young man out with his favorite girl, but she knew otherwise. His acting was so superb that very rarely did anyone look beyond the surface, just as he planned. Looking closely, she saw past his cleverly innocent facade. Even in this friendly arena, she watched how his eyes shrewdly took in his surroundings, mapping several escape routes, no doubt. Dressed casually in a pair of Levis, a loose cotton shirt, and loafers, she knew more than likely a small arsenal of weapons was tucked away in his clothes. Underestimating the old man was a deadly mistake for anyone to make. "Rebecca!" Amanda's bright laughter shook her out of her deep thoughts. "Amanda, darling," Rebecca held her arms to Amanda, who rushed to be embraced. "You look wonderful." Amanda hugged her mentor tightly. "So do you." Before she let Amanda go, she whispered in her ear, "Everything ok?" "Of course," Amanda giggled. "Right as rain." "Good," Rebecca gestured to where Methos stood talking to Fitz. "He looks a bit ill at ease." "He just woke up from a nap," Amanda relayed. "A bit cranky, but he'll be fine soon." "Ah, crabby old man," Rebecca nodded. "Listen to us, talking about the oldest man like he's a child." "He's not?" Amanda dead panned.  Both women burst into laughter, which grabbed Methos' attention. He gave them a quizzical stare and excused himself from Fitz. Seeing Amanda and Rebecca together, smiling and laughing in his direction made him a tad bit uncomfortable. Better go and see what mischief they were up to before they got out of hand. On the way to them, he snagged a bottle of beer from a cooler. Expertly, he twisted the cap off and sent it sailing into the bushes. "What's so funny?" "You, darling," Amanda tiptoed up and kissed him on the cheek. "Glad you find me so amusing," Methos replied.  Rebecca kissed his other cheek, "It's like you always say, you have to find your amusement where you can." Amanda felt a hand on her arm, not Methos'. Much to her chagrin, Fitz seemed intent on steering her away from her current lover and her former teacher. Rebecca and Methos were her best friends in the world, but she certainly didn't want them to be alone together again. Still a smidgen insecure about how they spent yesterday afternoon, she kept watch on them as Fitz dragged her into Gia's cottage. "Are you insane? I want to get back out there," she yanked her arm free from his grasp.  "There's plenty of beer for everyone," Fitz ignored her attempts to return to the patio. "Even when one of the guests is Noah Michaels. I've never seen a bloke soak up so much beer in my life." "So he drinks a lot of beer, so what? You smoke too much." Amanda waved the air that was tainted with a fresh exhale from Fitz's pipe. "Did you bring my pipe?" Fitz brought up the reason for their visit. Amanda sifted through her huge straw bag with a big plastic yellow daisy attached to the side. "It's in here somewhere. You also forgot a silver chain and Stones t-shirt. I asked Noah, and they didn't belong to him." "Oh, good. That's where they are." She was having trouble finding the stuff, and Fitz exhaled from his pipe in her face as he was also trying to look in her bag. "How many pipes do you have? Noah was under the impression that it was life or death you got it back." "It is, love." Fitz took her bag from her and emptied it on the sofa under the bay window that had a to-die-for view of the Pacific. He found his Calabash Pipe and held it as if it was an artifact. "It's just a pipe, an ugly one at that, Fitz," Amanda jibed. "Take it easy." Fitz flared his eyes at Amanda and said, "I will forgive you for not knowing the masters because you're a chick, but I'll have you know that this pipe was on the lips of Sir Arthur himself." "Excuse me?" "Don't tell me you don't recognize it." Fitz carefully put the pipe between his lips and put on airs of being important. Amanda looked at him with more than a little confusion. "Sherlock Holmes. Don't you read?" Amanda jerked around and took umbrage; Fitz took the pipe out of his mouth and quickly added, "Of course, I wasn't wearing a cloak. But come on. You have to know the pipe. It was given to me by Sir Arthur himself, after a dinner party where I helped him come up with the plot of Hound of the Baskervilles." "Great, you have your pipe. Can I go now?"  She looked out to the three of them, standing around the table. Gia was bending over to get a beer for Methos from the cooler, and even from where she was standing, there was no earthly reason why Gia was wearing clothes. Rebecca was holding a glass of wine and caught Amanda staring at them. She smiled, lifted her eyes skyward, then looked down at her less than Gia-ample chest. Amanda had to giggle as Rebecca did. They all can't walk around with racks like Gia, although Amanda was sure that Methos and Fitz, and any other red-blooded male wouldn't mind enduring it. "Not so fast." Fitz chuckled as he led Amanda to the kitchen. "I was wondering if you think I should marinade the pork before putting it on the fire or baste it as it's roasting." "You're the cook, Fitz. What are you asking me for?" "You're right. You caught me. I know a lot more about cooking than you, Amanda. I wanted to ask you something. What do you think of Gia? Do you think she's a fascist?" "I'm sure fascists wear braziers. That's your first clue. Gotta go." "Amanda," Fitz said authoritatively.  "What?" Her mind was elsewhere, but that tone of voice from Fitz only meant that you should pay attention. "Do you like me?" "In what way?" She was a bit jarred, and wondered if the current "free love" philosophy was on his mind. "You don't seem to like me being around. I'm wondering what I did to annoy you." Amanda responded with a bit of annoyance, "What's in that pipe you're smoking?" "All the way back from Woodstock, you've acted like you'd rather I not have been there." "I would have." Seeing the hurt expression on Fitz's face, she explained, "I would have liked time alone with Noah. You have to admit there wasn't a lot of privacy in Yasgur's field, or in that van." "You turned down invitations to come for a meal I would prepare, and you know that I'm an excellent chef." "That wasn't because of you," Amanda said, looking wistfully toward the door to the outside, wondering what was going on out there. A three-way of Methos, Rebecca, and Gia came to mind, and it horrified her. "Is the way you're acting because of the acid?" "What acid? Fitz, I don't have time to reassure you. I like you. You're a great friend. Don't worry about it." She patted his hand and moved to the door. She stopped and slowly turned around to face him. "That's right, the acid. It was you! I missed Richie Havens because of you." "You actually took the acid tab from me, I didn't force it down your throat, and I didn't know that it was bad. I didn't hear the announcement that there was bad acid going around, I didn't even know who I got it from. Could have been me, you know?" Hugh Fitzcairn's wide, innocent eyes made her smile, then laugh. She pulled him into a warm embrace and said, "I like you a lot, Fitz, old chap. I know you would have taken that trip in my place if you could have." "No I wouldn't." She stared at him shocked. "You wouldn't?" "I'm not insane, Amanda." He snickered. "Not like you were under its influence." Amanda swatted his chest and said, "I'm going outside now. Is that all right with the chef Nazi?" "As long as we're still friends." "We're always going to be friends, Fitz," Amanda assured him.  Fitz got a look on his face as if he was suddenly covered by a dark cloud. He said softly, "At least until the gathering." "Oh, poo. Let's not think of such things now. I'm thirsty." Amanda kissed Fitz's cheek. She put her arm through his and walked him to the door. "Besides, you'd never take my head." "You think not?" "Not on your best day could you take me." "You think not?" Amanda sized him up. Since she had to look down at him, she was going to say he couldn't, but instead replied, "Of course not, I can run quite rapidly." To Amanda's immense relief, Methos and Rebecca were seated across the table from each other. The last thing she wanted to do was walk in on them in a clinch. She had to get what they had done, had done many times, out of her head if she was going to keep her sanity. They were her best friends, and as Rebecca said, it wasn't personal. She understood that. Many times she had used sex as something other than declaring love to a man. Sometimes to declare outright war. Amanda had to get over it, or she was going to have to leave Methos for the time being. As she saw him slouched in a lawn chair with a mug of beer in his soft, elegant hand, her heart fluttered, and knew that leaving-for the moment anyway-was the last thing she could do. Gia on the other hand, she was just down right annoying. She was bending over in front of Methos to get her a beer that Amanda had asked for just as she and Fitz joined the party. Wrong move. Methos was lapping up the sight of her. Amanda blocked his view and said, "That's all right, honey. I'll get my own," Amanda snipped. "Nessun problema," the well-endowed Italian said with a smile. "I'd hate for you to fall out or anything," Amanda said, indicating Gia's straining bikini top under her white gauze gown. "Fall out?" Gia asked, clearly not understanding. "Amanda doesn't want you to grace us with your ample assets," Fitz took her in his arms. As if he was marking his own territory, he gave Gia the most passionate kiss Amanda had ever seen him lay on a woman, and it's meaning hadn't escaped Methos' notice. Amanda shook her head at Rebecca and muttered, "Men," as she got herself a glass of the wine that Rebecca was drinking. "Can't live with them, can't take their head," Rebecca replied. Methos blew the foam from the head of his beer. "Which head are you talking about?" Rebecca smirked and asked, "Do you really want me to answer that?" "American humor...," Gia said as Fitz pulled out a chair for her. "I do not get it." "Well, that's fine, Gia," Amanda said condescendingly, "As there isn't one American at this table." Rebecca's eyes lit up and smiled at something behind Amanda's shoulder. She stood up and waved, causing Amanda to turn to see what had stolen Rebecca's attention. "There is now. John! You found us." Rebecca waved at a man walking up the beach. As Rebecca rushed off down the beach toward the man, Methos and Amanda gaped open mouthed at each other. The man looked very much like the poet they'd seen at the pub the night before. As he approached it became obvious that it was him. "Good gods!" Methos made an ugly face. "How in the hell does she know him?" Amanda, unlike Methos, was thrilled to see Rebecca running into John's arms. If Rebecca was preoccupied with him, she'd leave Methos alone. It wasn't a matter of Amanda keeping Methos occupied, but it never hurt to keep one's bases covered. Besides, she had enjoyed John's poetry despite Methos' outspoken dislike of it. Perhaps this dinner was a good idea after all. "Looks like she knows him pretty well," Amanda observed cheerfully. "They make an adorable couple." "Hmpf," Methos snorted.  "You're not jealous, are you?" She questioned in her most innocent manner. "Noah?" "No, I'm not jealous. I presumed Rebecca had better taste in companions," he commented. "She must not have heard his poetry yet." "Cynic." Amanda rested her hand on his leg. "He's a wonderful poet. Even though you have my full attention, I have to admit he does cut a romantic figure." She looked at Rebecca and the poet, whose dark, shoulder length, wild hair was now a bit tamer as if he had cleaned up for their date. He was wearing a beige cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, a tartan vest with all four buttons buttoned, khakis, and wing tip shoes. Amanda thought he looked quite handsome, if over dressed for a beach party. Either Rebecca hadn't told him what they would be doing, or he was usually dressed up for his date, or that was his normal attire. Amanda looked at how Methos was dressed, and thought John was sweet to make the attempt at looking fine for Rebecca. She had to think back if Methos had ever dressed up for her, and when he had proposed back in 1912 was the only instance she could remember. And look how that turned out... "Oh, please, Amanda." Methos produced a look on his face as if he had just eaten bad clams.  "Knock it off." Amanda painted on a smile and said through clenched teeth. "They're coming this way." Methos moved to stand up, but Amanda quickly jumped from her chair into his lap. "No way, Jose. You're not leaving me alone." "I need a beer, Amanda, if I have to put up with the Bard of Elementary Quatrain." Amanda grabbed his half full bottle, "Uh, no you don't, darling." "It's almost empty," Methos scowled at her.  "You're such a pessimist," Amanda grinned. "It's almost full." Methos tried in vain to eject Amanda from his lap, but Amanda refused to budge. All her squirming around had not only irritated him, but it had aroused him as well. Damn her! His jeans were suddenly tighter than they'd been just a few minutes ago and he knew full well she'd planned this from the moment her cute little bum had come in contact with his lap. Gia might not have a problem with showing off her assets, but he'd rather keep his under wraps. "You will pay for this, Amanda," Methos pulled her close and whispered in her ear. "Don't think you won't." Amanda ran her finger along his jaw line. "Oh, the things you promise me." Fitz pulled himself away from Gia's lips. "What's all the racket about, Amanda?" Amanda squirmed not so subtly in Methos' lap. "Nothing at all, Fitz darling. Rebecca's friend just arrived." "The more the merrier," Fitz waved at the couple approaching them. Rebecca graciously led her date to the group, her hand hooked on the crook of John's elbow and a rosy blush on her cheeks. "John, this is Hugh Fitzcairn," she started to introduce her friends. Fitz walked to John with his hand extended. "But friends call me Fitz. Pleased to meet you, matey. This is Gia, she doesn't understand much English, so you might have to pantomime. Unless you know Italian." "I know a few phrases," John replied and platonically shook Gia's hand. Amanda noticed that John had trouble not concentrating on Gia's chest as he said, "Ciao. So nice to meet you," in Italian. Gia's smile was bright and welcoming as she responded, "Grazie, signore. Welcome. Would you care for beer or wine?" "Vino, naturalmente. Grazie." Gia uttered more Italian and then disappeared into her cottage. John told them, "She'll get me another glass." Methos sneered, "You're not a beer man, huh?" John's sneer when he recognized her and Methos from the night before appeared for just an instant, then was covered by a somewhat surprised smile. Amanda stood up and shook his hand. "Amanda Sinclair, and this is Noah Michaels. It's nice to properly meet you, John." "You know each other?" Rebecca asked a bit back on her heels from surprise. "Oh yessss," Methos answered. If it were possible for Methos to look down his considerable nose at someone while still looking up at them from his seated position, Methos was the master. "Rebecca is a good friend, and I hope that last night can be forgotten, and we can start all over again." Amanda slapped Methos across the back of his head when he hadn't even stood to greet Rebecca's date. "Isn't that right, Noah?" "You can try, " was his only response. Methos did stand up, but only to walk past John to get to the cooler with his mug and refill it with a cold one. "Well, since we all know each other...," Rebecca said before she seemed a bit lost. Amanda pulled out the chairs she and Methos were sitting on for them. "Here, sit. Enjoy. I'm going to help Gia with the wine, and Noah is going to help me. Aren't you, Noah?" Methos had been hunched over pouring the beer into the mug by the cooler when Amanda grabbed his arm in order to pull him into the cottage. "Since when does Gia need help getting a glass?" he asked and tossed the beer bottle in the trash can. Gia returned with not only a wine glass but a tray of oysters as well. Methos shoved his mug into Amanda's hand and took the tray from Gia, once again, saying in Italian, "Here. Let me help you. This looks heavy." "Grazie!" Gia smiled her winning smile to him and walked back to the table.  Methos said out the corner of his mouth, "Poet Laureate over there isn't the only one who speaks Italian." Then he added pompously, "I was there when the language was invented." "Oh, knock it off." Amanda groaned and put his mug on the side of the pile of hot, steamy oysters on the tray. "Think back to Woodstock. Peace. Understanding. Love one another. Please? Play nice for Rebecca." "And you?" "Me? I couldn't care less, but he's Rebecca's date, so she must like him." Amanda hoped so anyway. She knew Methos would be refined for Rebecca's sake if she asked, and still didn't know what she felt about that. Maybe it was too soon for the three of them to be together. All thoughts of jealousy and helplessness about the situation crept back to mind, but then she turned back to the table. She could have jumped to the moon with happiness when she saw Rebecca and John holding hands. She heard John tell her, "You look beautiful," right before giving her a light kiss on the lips. Rebecca's reaction was to stare deeply into John's eyes. Amanda glanced at Methos' face as he walked the tray to the table indicating it was hot as he set it down, and there wasn't a reaction to their tenderness at all. It was as if he didn't care in the least. Amanda chuckled to herself and realized that she was probably the only one still thinking about it. Just like always, Methos and Rebecca were back to friends. Amanda and Methos had sort of the same relationship, being intense lovers one year, mild acquaintances the next time they met if there was another person in the other's life. They hated to even suggest to the other partner that they even knew each other. From Amanda's side, she did it to cover the deep lust she had for the oldest immortal. She wondered what Methos' reason for it was. ~~~~~ Appetizers, drinks, and pleasant chatter brought the sextet to dinner, and then after dinner brandy. All had moved from the porch to the shore and were all watching the waves crash at their feet. Methos leaned to Amanda sitting next to him and took her hand. "Was I pleasant enough for you? Did I pass the mustard?" he whispered. "You done good," she replied and kissed his ear. After the oysters and having to play at liking John, Methos was ready for bed, especially after Amanda's warm breath caressed his ear and neck. He wrapped his arm around her and was going to mention it was probably time to shove off, but he was too content at the moment. Holding Amanda, watching, hearing, and feeling the power of the ocean before him, and the warmth of great food in his gullet made him stay right where he was. Fitz's knee knocked against his and he looked over to see Fitz and Gia at the onset of recreating Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr's romp on the beach. He looked over at Rebecca and John sitting together with their hands clasped, whispering. Methos was chagrined by the fact that John had been fair to middling over dinner. Methos hated that. He wanted to continue to despise him. John Bowers hadn't tried to spout his bad poetry, that was a good thing. He was well-educated, and grew up in a small village in northern England that Methos had spent time in himself. He had to stop himself from saying so, which was a good thing. He couldn't tell the mortal that the last time he was in Cumbria was when he went on a solitary walking trek through Britain in 1859. John had gone to Oxford. Methos didn't know if he should be impressed by the young mortal's eagerness for literature, or if he was let down by what he was doing with it. Amanda had told him that they hadn't heard the whole poem because the fight broke out. "Maybe it gets better at the end," she had told him. Amanda always did look on the bright side of mortals, until it was too late. Methos didn't know if he should be happy for her as she would keep experiencing new people and enjoying life, or if he knew deep down that her easy acceptance of strangers would lead to her down fall. What needled him the most was wondering if he wanted to be present when it would eventually happen. What if he couldn't do anything to save her? He would be devastated, of course. He had loved and lost so many over his 5,000 years, could he deal with losing Amanda? Or Rebecca? For the past 1,500 years, Rebecca had been a light constant in his life; for the past 1,200 years, Amanda had been the fire that kept his carnal lust stoked. There were times when he wished things would have worked out better in 1912 when he had proposed to her. There were times when Methos could picture being married to Amanda, and they would live their lives together for as long as their heads remained on their shoulders. There were other times when the deep sense of relief washed over him as he wouldn't have to deal with all that came with Amanda. She didn't like to admit it, but she was definitely a Type A personality, who trusted people that could very well be threats. No, he didn't need that at all on a day-to-day basis. Amanda was cuddled under his arm, her hand resting against his chest. She had been quiet for a while, which only meant she was asleep. After the feast of oysters, fondue, fruits and roasted vegetables, and four bottles of wine, he could join her. Just as he shut his eyes and leaned his head over Amanda's, a nude Gia rolled on his hip and leg. Fitz's curly head came with her. Amanda's head popped up and she gasped from having been woken up as Methos shoved them. "There's a whole beach. Go use it," he told the English immortal and his Mediterranean lover. They didn't even react to him, just went with the momentum of his push and were totally into only each other. As they rolled into the water, the rushing waves probably only helped their concupiscence increase. Methos and Amanda locked eyes, then kissed. "I want to do what they're doing," Amanda whispered in his ear. "Your wish is my command." He peppered her neck with kisses as his hands rubbed up her stomach and he laid them down on the sand. "But not here," she softly protested. "I don't want sand up my ass." "You sure know how to spoil a moment." "Years of practice, darling." She kissed him just before she stood up and offered her hand to him. He took it and she hauled him to his feet. She pulled him close and said, "Just don't lose that thought," as she rubbed his jeans. "He has a one-track mind." "My kind of body appendage." She called to the other couple, "Rebecca, we're leaving now." Rebecca was too busy giggling over what the word maestro had said, so Methos bonked his hand against John's head to get their attention. "We're leaving now," Methos repeated but with authority. "Delightful to meet you properly, Amanda," John said boldly as he stood up to shake Amanda's hand. He sneered to Methos. "Noah." "You can remember names. Very good." Methos pecked Rebecca on the cheek and asked, "You're staying in the area for a while longer?" "I think so." Rebecca smiled demurely at her suitor and kissed him and Amanda goodbye. Soon, she and John were back at their places on the beach as if they were never disturbed. Lips that he had kissed were soon to be John's. Well, Rebecca can have her dalliances, it couldn't possibly last long. They didn't even bother letting Fitz and Gia know they were leaving. They'll figure it out, and Methos figured they wouldn't care in the least anyway. For now, he had his paramour on his arm and escorted her back to the van. Methos even opened the passenger side door for Amanda, but she walked around to the driver's side and said, "Gimme the keys." Not wanting a spot of an argument, Methos tossed the ring to her and sunk his body into the passenger seat thinking he could take a cat nap on the way back to his flat. Just as he was shutting the door, he felt the tell-tale, but fleeting, sensation of an immortal. He looked toward the shore to see the four of them still in their places. Only Rebecca and John were in a clinch. Eh, gods, her taste, Methos thought as he did a quick scan of the area as Amanda gunned the van's motor. "Do you feel that?" "The roar of power under you, you mean?" She smiled as she gunned the motor again. "No, immortal." She took her foot off the accelerator and paused to feel for herself. "No. It's probably me. I feel you." She leaned over to kiss him. "And you feel mighty good." Methos was thinking he would take a quick look around the area, but that might entail getting into a challenge, and getting the hell out of there, into bed with Amanda, took precedence. He fingered the back of Amanda's neck. "Where to James?" "To bed, luv." She roared the engine again. "Straight to the bed chamber!" And they were off. ~~~~~ Once again, the phone ringing woke the immortals up from a deep sleep after a night of food, wine, beer, and passion. Amanda turned over, a trick since Methos was laying half on top of her, and tried to focus. The sun wasn't up yet. "Who the hell is bothering us now?" Methos just grumbled. He obviously didn't care in the least. She searched the room by moonlight from where she laid and knew that the telephone was on his side of the bed. The annoying ring wafted through the air again and she whacked Methos' butt. "Get that. Stop that galling noise." She turned over as she felt Methos lift up. "I don't care who it is. They'll go away." She heard him punch his pillow and felt chilled after he turned over on his side of the bed. She nudged back until she felt him and covered up with the sheet and blanket. The phone's ringing didn't stop. She groaned and waited. Fifteen rings later, Methos growled and fumbled for the phone. "This better be bloody important!" Amanda waited for an indication of who it was as Methos just held the receiver to his ear. After what seemed like an eternity, he answered softly, "How?" After a bit, he said, "Gods, Fitz. I'm sorry. We'll be right there." As he hung up, Amanda asked what happened. Methos' expression wasn't of irritation; it was as if he was at once stunned and sorry. "What?" "She's dead," he said stonily. "What?!" Amanda sat up and prodded, "Who? Not Rebecca!" Methos got out of bed and started to dress as Amanda demanded, "Methos?! What? Who?" ~~~~~ Fitz hung up the phone and looked up at the bed. He was huddled in the corner with the phone in his hands. One hand rubbing the dried blood on his chest. He had called the only people he knew the phone number to: Noah and Amanda. Fitz needed to see Rebecca, but she took off with that guy that Fitz couldn't even remember the name of and didn't know where she was. He needed to have someone tell him this wasn't happening! The white satin sheets were stained red. Gia's arm hung over the side and blood made a trail from her body to the floor, using her arm as a highway. "Oh God!" he wailed again. This had to be a nightmare. He would wake up and none of this would be true. It had to be. His vision was blurred from the tears that welled up in his eyes. They stung. He clamped his eyes shut and tried to think that it was all a terrible nightmare. He would wake up and none of this would be real. Earlier in the night, just after Fitz and Gia had retired to their bed after indulgence in the surf and a last farewell drink with Rebecca and Bowers, Fitz woke up to the sensation of an immortal. Thinking it was just Rebecca, Amanda, or Noah, having forgotten something, he hadn't reached for his sword in its scabbard by the door. Before he even got out of bed to open the door to what he assumed would be a friend, Fitz was shot and fell back crosswise on the bed.   He had woken up to feel wetness all around him. He lifted his hand to see blood. While his body was healing, he looked at the bed around him, and saw nothing but pooled blood. Sure, he had been shot, but to lose that much blood? He had looked for Gia, to see if she had witnessed his revival, or worse death, and hadn't had to search far. She was nude, laying on her back, on the other side of the bed. Her arm hanging over the edge. Blood made horrifying treks all over her body as gravity had taken over. Her perfect body had to have been hacked at least ten times from what Fitz could tell before he wailed and covered her body with his own. His mind raced wondering who the hell could have been so savage. He thought of every enemy he had made over his years on earth. The irritated husbands alone were far too many to count at such a time. Fitz was still sitting in the corner of the room, almost in a trance, when he heard a heavy vehicle drive up to Gia's cottage and headlights flooded the bedroom. He couldn't move for fear of the intruder being another cold-blooded murderer. The door opened and Noah, then Amanda, walked in. "Christ," Methos murmured as he took in the grisly sight before him. Not since his days with the Horsemen had he seen such savagery, but then, he only saw it while leaving, not in the silent moments after the event. Amanda gasped at the sight, then saw Fitz huddled in the corner of the bedroom. She rushed to comfort him. "Oh, darling, I'm so sorry." Fitz let Amanda's arms go around him. "This cannot be happening. It can't!" "Tell me again what happened," Methos skirted around the bed with Gia's body upon it and surveyed the scene for any clues as to what had transpired. "We went to bed, and then I woke up to this." Fitz gestured weakly around him. "Apparently, who ever did this shot me and-" Emotion overtook him and his shoulders slumped. "Hey," Amanda hugged him again.  All three immortals forgot the situation at hand when the presence of another of their kind slid over them. Methos jerked Amanda out of Fitz's embrace and pulled her behind him. Within seconds, his Ivanhoe was firmly in his grasp. Fitz had scrambled across the room to retrieve his own sword. The two men stood with Amanda behind them ready to have a go with whoever was about to come through the door. Methos held his finger over his lips, indicating for the others to remain silent. He gestured for Fitz to cover Amanda while he crept a couple of steps closer to the door. Amanda waved her hands for him to come back, but he shook his head. Amanda's eyes widened as the unidentified immortal moved through the house closer to the bedroom they now occupied. "I thought the party was over," a female voice announced from the living room. "Rebecca!" Amanda shouted as they collectively sighed in relief. "We're in the bedroom!" "What kind of kinky things are you doing in there?" Rebecca teased as she crossed the threshold into the room. The carnage that greeted her caused her to nearly stumble and clutch the doorframe. "Goddess!" Fitz fell into Rebecca's arms when she entered, holding them wide to him, and as Amanda quickly caught her up to speed. Rebecca had questions that Fitz tried to answer. He was slowly regaining his composure during the process, but basically, he didn't have a clue as to who did this to his Gia. He called her ‘my Gia', even though they hadn't been together long. Fitz was one who put everything he had into his current love, and both women tried to comfort him when he saw Gia once again and howled with pain. Methos had remained silent through their explanations, only took time to search the door to the bedroom. That and the living room door had to have been picked, as there weren't any indications of a forced entry. If the cops got hold of this, Fitz would be their first suspect. The ingrained need for survival and blending in made him clear his throat and announce to the others, "We need to get out of here." "But-" Amanda protested.  "But what, Amanda?" Methos fixed his eyes on her. "Gia's dead. There's nothing we can do about that. Unless, of course, you care to explain this to the police. I suggest we get the hell out of here." "Noah's right," Fitz agreed. His hysteria from earlier had faded. "None of us can afford to be questioned by the fuzz." "They're right, Amanda," Rebecca chimed in. "They'll ask too many questions that we can't possibly answer." "Well, let's stop standing here, then," Amanda relented. "We need to get rid of any trace we were here. Fitz, get your stuff and don't forget a thing. Rebecca, you have things to get as well, don't leave anything. Noah, make sure there aren't any of our fingerprints around." "That's my girl," Methos kissed her on the cheek. "But what are you going to do?" "Make sure you're all thorough and start the van. Come on, let's move it." The drive to Methos' apartment was silent. Rebecca sat in the back with her arm around Fitz, listening to his murmurs about his girlfriend's death. "Could it have been political?" he asked. "Her family is... well, I don't know how to say it tactfully..." Amanda spun around, interested, and asked, "Mafioso?" "To put it lightly. They've been making sure their guys have gotten elected for the past two decades. Could it have been someone that her family pissed off?" "Why would they come from Italy to kill someone?" Rebecca asked. "The mob is far and wide, Rebecca. Nasty people." Fitz reacted as if he had just taken a bite out of a lemon. "I hate to say it, Fitz. But, what if she was murdered because of you?" "Me?" Fitz put his hands to his chest, his eyes as wide as possible. "Just what are you implying?" "Do you have any enemies?" "None that would fly off the handle to such a degree." Fitz looked to Rebecca, who had been staying with Gia and Fitz. "How about you? Maybe they thought Gia was you. In the moonlight..." then he shook his head. "Nah, you don't have an enemy in this world, Rebecca." "You would be surprised, Fitz. And Gia and I look nothing alike." She looked down at her chest. "In more ways than one." "Rebecca," Amanda asked. "Why did you come back to Fitz's? He said he couldn't get a hold of you." Rebecca smoothed her dress and sighed. "John and I had a little... argument." Methos laughed. "About what?" "None of your business," she declared and changed the subject. "I wonder if we should all just leave the country. You are all welcome at the Abbey." "I start teaching next week," Methos said as he parked the van in the parking lot of his building. "I want to stay here. You all can go wherever you want." Amanda looked at him and he pulled her into a kiss. "Except you, of course." "Where and what are you teaching?" "Shakespeare 201 at Berkeley." "When were you going to mention this?" "When did you ask?" Rebecca chuckled. "You have to keep your ‘man of mystery tag' alive and well." Methos shrugged and got out of the van. Rebecca said, "He will never, ever change." The back door of the van opened and Methos said, "I'm the only one here with a job; leave me alone," and walked to the door of the building. They all piled out of the van and followed him. By the light of day, Fitz saw that he had blood on him. Gia's blood. Just as he was going to collapse with grief again, Amanda and Rebecca took each of his arms and helped him inside. "He needs to shower and change, Noah," Amanda called into the apartment when they entered. "Get him some clothes." Methos came out of his bedroom and said, "I'm one step ahead of you." He tossed a pair of jeans and a tie-dyed t-shirt at Fitz. A sweep of his hand indicated where the bathroom was. Fitz walked to the bathroom door holding the clothes and turned to his friends with a grateful look on his face. "Thanks, guys. You don't know how much this means to me. The greatest gift is friendship." "Go," Amanda ordered. "Before you wax poetic, and I weep like a baby." After Fitz's shower and change of clothes, he was still musing about the what might have beens with Gia, but taking her death a lot better. A half bottle of Chianti helped, and he was far into the guessing game of who could have been the culprit. Mostly, he was thanking the three immortals for being such good friends. Methos had been listening to his theories of who could have killed Gia, and couldn't help but think that Fitz could have been the target. That he wasn't beheaded, and the murderer had used a big knife, was telling. And that Fitz was shot, but Gia was stabbed. Perplexing. Fitz's theories ranged from Counts from the eighteenth century whose wives or mistresses he had dalliances with, some gamblers from the nineteenth century, and of course, Gia's family with mob ties. When he kept coming back to Gia's murder having Mafia written all over it, Rebecca finally told him, "Fitz. I hate to say it, but the murderer had to be someone who knew you or Gia, or both of you." "Well, I can't for the life of me think of who could be so dastardly," Fitz said as he got another bottle of wine out of the rack over Methos' fridge. Just as he was opening it with a corkscrew, there was a knock on the door. All immortals froze, but hadn't felt an immortal sensation. Methos walked to the living room door and looked out the peephole. He sighed and then asked the others in the dining area, "What are cops doing at my door?" Rebecca and Amanda rushed to either side of Methos and Rebecca peeked out first. "Cops? They aren't wearing uniforms." Amanda looked through the peephole. She stepped back and grimaced. "Oh yeah, they're cops." Rebecca looked through the peephole again thinking they were crazy as Fitz was about to come unglued. Amanda had to rush to him and steer him into the kitchen to tell him to relax. "Relax?" Fitz paced in the small area between the two counters that lined each narrow wall. "A woman was murdered and I woke up next to her. What are they doing here?" "They might be here for something Noah did. I wouldn't put it past him." Only that made Fitz calm down. They peered into the living room as there was another knock on the door. Methos looked to see if everyone was calm before opening the door. "Hello," he said cheerily. One of the two police officers walked into the room, the shorter one hovered in the hall. "Noah Michaels?" the taller one asked as he took stock of all four of them. "Yes." Methos acted as if having cops in his living space was an everyday occurrence, and was completely cordial. "Detective Wilkins." He took a small note pad out of his suede suit jacket pocket and a dull pointed lead pencil out of his white shirt breast pocket. "This is my partner, Detective Gaffney. May I ask who you all are?" Before anyone else could open their mouths to reply, Methos took control of the situation. The last thing he needed was for the others revealing too much information. "Is there something I could help you with, officer?" "I have a few questions," Detective Wilkins pushed ahead. "Beginning with your names, sir." Methos continued to smile, but he wasn't stupid enough to volunteer information without needing to. "And this is regarding?" This time Detective Gaffney spoke. "Your whereabouts last night." "Last night," Methos cocked his head to the side and pretended to ponder. "Let's see. Well, my friends and I were at a friend's house for dinner." He didn't turn around to look at the others, but he hoped they were reacting appropriately. "Then we came back early, because my sister," he gestured to Rebecca, "wasn't feeling well." The detectives looked to the red head. Rebecca stepped forward and held out her hand, "Rebecca Michaels." She rested her hand on Methos' arm. "I must have eaten something that didn't agree with me. I told the others to stay-" "Nonsense, darling," Fitz caught onto the act and decided to join in. He slipped his arm around her narrow waist. "The evening would've been a complete bore without you." "This friend," Detective Wilkins broke in, "wouldn't happen to be a Miss Gia Romero?" "That's it," Amanda piped in. "Fantastic hostess. The best antipasto this side of Rome." "Ms. Gia was murdered last night," Detective Gaffney informed them bluntly.  The three immortals fell right into line of covering up by gasping audibly. Fitz's bottom lip quivered and Rebecca could see the start of a tear in his eye. She put her arm around him as Amanda asked, "What in the world are you talking about? Murdered?" she pronounced the word as if it were abhorrent, which it was. "You must be joking!" "Miss? I would never joke about such a savage death," the detective intoned. Continued on Part Three