It was party day in the CDC compound. The neighbors had seen it coming over the last week or so � a woman wearing a rather battered halo had been kind enough to keep up a warning countdown and their preparations had all been made in time for once. All windows had been soundproofed and reinforced. Guard dogs had been purchased and special motion sensor alarm systems installed. Those that were wiser had taken steps to be out of their houses that night, no matter what hideous lengths they had to go to (for example one family had been forced to wangle a visit to their mad aunt who kept wasps and drank mint juleps near constantly). Of course, the truly wise had simply moved house (and in some cases, continents).

And in the compound, sinister plans were afoot�

Moving as quietly as possible, careful to stay away from the windows, Rich snuck through the apparently deserted house. Sidling into the kitchen, he quickly hid behind the counter. Just as he sank down on the floor, a hand touched his shoulder and the young immortal managed to levitate around three feet back into the air in shock.

"Jeeeesus Mac" he hissed. "Can we die of heart attacks? 'Cause you just nearly gave me one!"

"For God�s sake, keep it down! We don�t want to attract any attention." returned Duncan in a whisper.

"All right, all right. Quiet as a mouse over here. So did you get it?"

"Yeah it came in last night. The lady dragon got it into the compound and we put it in Ennaj�s garage for safekeeping."

The incredulous look on Rich�s face at this remark would have spoken volumes to a casual observer but he was unable to resist a comment. "That�s your idea of safekeeping? Are you nuts?"

"It�s a perfect hiding place" Duncan said defensively. "You know no one else ever goes in there apart from k�lynn."

"Yeah, must be something about all the explosions that put people off! How are we going to get it *back* brainbox?"

"There�s no need to be sarcastic." Duncan reproved. "Connor is taking care of that right now, he should be here any time."

The two leant back against the counter again, Rich with a rather dubious expression and Duncan still looking slightly offended over the brainbox crack. They waited. And waited.

"Any time now." Duncan repeated anxiously, just as footsteps were heard outside. Exchanging a panicked glance with Rich, he jumped up to check the door.

"It�s OK, it�s Connor."

They both sagged in relief, then jumped up as the elder Highlander entered and spoke nearly simultaneously.

"Where the hell have you been?!"

Connor raised an eyebrow. "Negotiating." he replied dryly, dropping the large box he had been carrying to the floor. "Ennaj wanted to keep this, I had to promise her a bubble gun, a set of glow in the dark paints and some time with Lahoffy�s halo before she�d let me have it."

"So why�d it take so long? That sounds pretty resonable." asked Rich, confused.

"She started off wanting a tank and an anti-aircraft gun. We have *got* to stop letting her watch those WW2 films. So, where is he?"

Duncan crept over to the window and cautiously took a peep. "Still in the garden. I guess now is as good a time as any to get started. This could take a while after all, and we need to get it done before the party begins."

Connor nodded. "You�re right." The Scots studied each other for a second then, decision made, turned to the redhead. "Rich. You�re up. Good luck."

"WHAT? Why me?"

"Because you�re cute and persuasive and we said so."

"But, but� I don�t have all the experience you guys do, and you know he never really listens to me! Connor, you should do it. You can give him that stare thing that you just did to me�"

Connor shook his head. "Too risky. If it didn�t work, we wouldn�t have anything in reserve." Duncan started backing up, 400 years of survival instincts giving him a pretty good idea what was coming next. "Duncan, you have to do it."

As usual, his instincts had been spot on. "Wait a minute, what makes you think he�ll listen to me?" he protested.

"He likes you better than us."

"What on earth gave you that idea?"

"Well, it could be all that 'You�re too important to lose' crap he�s always spouting around you." retorted Rich.

"And the way he follows you about trying to keep you out of trouble like an exasperated sheep-dog with a particularly dimwitted sheep, heh heh" Connor chuckled as Duncan rolled his eyes in disgust and Rich sniggered.

"I thought we agreed on no more sheep remarks?"

"Look, I don�t see the problem. You got him to help matchmake Gina and Robert all right didn�t you?"

"I had to give him the barge! And bat my eyelashes for God�s sake!"

"So do it again!"

Duncan gave up. When Connor got that implacable look, there was just no point in arguing. "All right, all right, I�ll do it. But you�d better come and help me!"

"I�ll be there" Connor soothed. "Just try and soften him up a bit first and then we�ll gang up on him."

Still grumbling slightly, Duncan picked up the box and strode out of the kitchen. Now it was Connor�s turn to wait with Rich. Luckily for everyone�s nerves, this wait was short.

A few minutes after Duncan�s departure, the peaceful silence of the house was shattered by furious, though unintelligible, shouts from the garden. The pair in the kitchen winced, only too able to imagine the tirade their comrade was being subjected to.

"Guess you should go help," Rich said after a particularly loud yell. There was a pause.

"Yeah." Connor eventually conceded and made his reluctant way out of the comparative safety of the house.

Following the sounds of swearing, Connor entered the garden and soon found his kinsman facing a furious looking Methos with the box between them. After a quick consideration of all the angles he moved into position so that he and Duncan cut off the wily old man�s escape routes, earning a ferocious glare from now trapped Immortal.

"Problem?" he enquired mildly.

"I�m not doing it!" Methos snapped. Duncan groaned in frustration.

"Doing what?"

"That!" he yelled pointing at the box.

"Ah. The party props." Connor nodded knowingly. "Why not?"

"Have you seen what�s in that box? There is no power on this planet that will get me to go along with this!"

"Oh come on" Duncan coaxed. "It�s not that bad."

"No. No no no no no no. N � O spells no. NO! Or is that too complicated for you sheepshagging barbarians to comprehend?"

"I just knew we would get back to sheep�"

Connor quickly cut Duncan off before they could go off on a tangent. "Look, it�s quite easy really, we�ll help you with it�"

"You stay away from me! I will not, repeat, WILL NOT do this!"

"Okay. We got it." Connor backed off sensibly. "But she�ll be so disappointed�" Duncan sighed in agreement as they both did their best to look despondent.

Methos stopped short and stared at them suspiciously. "Who�ll be disappointed?"

"Janne. It was her special request for the induction party�" began Connor.

"And we thought it wouldn�t be too much hardship for you to make it happen, seeing as she�s having to stay up so late to be here and everything." Duncan finished smoothly, turning up the guilt and batting his long lashes for good measure.

Methos hesitated for an instant then rallied. "Oh, no, you�re not going to get me like that. I�m not doing it and that�s that."

"And it won�t just be Janne who�s disappointed. Hayden and pacem will be too, in fact they all will, you know they�d all love this."

"Yes, but� but� these things are dangerous. There�s no protection! Anything can happen!"

"We�ve both done it and survived." Connor pointed out. "And we�ll be doing it again tonight to keep you company."

"I don�t care! It is not going to happen!"

The highlanders looked at each other. He was still digging in his heels. Time to pull out the big guns. Connor smirked at his kinsman and kicked it off.

"Of course if you don�t think you can handle it�"

Duncan joined in. "You know, you�d think the man who used to be Death would be well able to cope with this."

"Sad isn�t it?"

"Yeah. He can terrorize the known word for a few millennia but he�s not brave enough to do a simple favor for a friend."

"Guess he�s just not tough enough anymore. Gone soft."

By this point Methos was almost sputtering with indignation to his taunters� satisfaction.

"I know what you�re doing you know." Taking a deep breath, he gave in with as much dignity as he could in the face of those impudent grins. "I will do it, not because of your amateur goading but because I wouldn�t want to spoil the induction proceedings for anyone. But only for a short time, and if anyone," he glared, deadly serious...

"...ANYONE laughs, I will kill them. Permanently."

Picking up the box from the path, he stalked off inside the house.

"Do you think he means it?" asked Duncan, looking worried.

"Yes."

"You don�t think there was a twinkle in his eye?"

"No Duncan, I do not think there was a twinkle in his eye."

"This could be tough."

"We�ve coped with tougher. Better get Rich to stay out the way though."

"Good idea. What about the ladies?"

"They�ll be too busy swooning and drooling to laugh� I hope."

Finally, the time drew near. All the decorations were up, the food was all prepared and there was feeling of anticipation in the air. What there wasn�t was any sign of Methos. Checking the clock, Duncan decided it was time to do something about it.

"Methos!" he yelled. "Come on out, it�s nearly time!" He really couldn�t wait to see this�

"And try and smile! You�re supposed to be having fun!" put in Connor.

There was a long pause...

*

*

*

*

*

*

But finally, he did appear...

JanneCDC
June 15th, 2002

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