I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party
By ABs and Donna

The town of Edan was filled with the wonderful odors of all the things being prepared for the Thanksgiving feast. The men were putting the finishing touches on
the long tables where they would all sit, when the sound of a large amount of hooves caused them to look up. The royal delegation from Camelot had arrived! 

Crystal, who was fussing with the Four and the stage, immediately turned away from the sight of the large mass of royalty arriving. Hurrying toward Methos, she was all prepared to tell him his presence was needed immediately, but he already knew, and just touched her arm lightly in response to her advance. Then he pushed past, on his way to greet the delegation from Camelot. 

He was pleased to see that the royal couple themselves had made the journey. The obviously pregnant queen was sitting with several other ladies in an enclosed carriage, the men riding beside in on beautiful grey horses. One of the riders was one of Methos' look-alikes, Dr Giles Davies! 

His bride, the Lady Melissa, was inside the carriage with the Queen. Also inside was the two-month-old Melina, known to all as Honey. But it was clear her mother was having trouble keeping the tot in the carriage! Methos chuckled as Giles rode over to the window and caught his "daughter", who was trying to fly out! 

"Greetings, Sir Methos!" called out the King as he pulled up his mount. One of the knights immediately jumped off his horse to hold Arthur's while he dismounted. Other men had gone to help the ladies out. Duncan, who had walked beside Methos to greet the newcomers, gasped in surprise when he recognized one of the women stepping down from the carriage. 

It was Amanda, of course, and dressed like a lady of the court! All of the women were dressed wonderfully, with royal splendor, but to Duncan's eyes, none were as lovely as Amanda! 

She met his eyes, a rather smug look on her face as Sir Lancelot offered her his arm, and then made a point of leaning in and giving the knight a thank you kiss on the cheek. "Better lock up the family jewels," Duncan said in a low voice. 

"Unless she wants to go mining them in that outfit, we're safe," Methos said in the same tone. Then, looking up, he smiled his best diplomat's smile and said, "Ah, the Lady Guinevere!" 

The Queen smiled at him as she placed her hand on the back of her husband's. "Kind Sir," she said with a nod of her head. "It was a long journey, but we would not have missed this joyous occasion for anything. And we have not come empty handed." She motioned with her hand at a wagon that was being unloaded. Basket after basket of wonderfully prepared food dishes were being pulled off of it. 

Methos bowed to her, a beaming smile on his face as he thanked her for her generosity. Men and women of the town rushed to unload the wagon, while Methos asked if the travelers needed to rest up before the feast began. "You must be fatigued," he said. "Especially in your delicate condition." 

"My royal physician was there to make sure I journeyed safely," she reassured him. "Although, if there is a room in the inn, I would like to freshen up." 

"And rest," Giles growled. 

Methos agreed and, turning his head, he motioned to Crystal to escort the company to the hotel. Lupe showed up almost magically and took over the task, sending Crystal back to her band. "Of course," Methos said to Giles, "it seems that every woman in town is in the same condition as the Queen." 

"It does seem that way," the doctor chuckled as he saw one of his wife's *sisters* tackle Melissa joyfully. The woman was sporting a belly that made him think it could be any day for her. 

Methos saw what the doctor was looking at, and he grinned. "Fastest pregnancy on record for that one.  I wouldn't be surprised if she delivered before you left town. Yet it wasn't that long ago the woman was a virgin." 

"Amazing, isn't it?" Giles chuckled, bouncing his baby on his hip. "This is Honey. She is only two months old, but she is growing at a phenomenal rate!" 

The tot did look like she was twice the age she was. She was certainly much more alert than the usual two-month old! Looking at Methos, and then at her father, she seemed curious for a moment, and then she leaned out so the other man could take her from her father's hip. Methos was momentarily surprised and did not put his arms out fast enough, but amazingly, instead of falling, the baby sprouted little gold wings and buzzed over to the Immortal, like a honey bee! 

"Surprise, surprise," Giles chuckled. There was the sound of feminine squealing as the fae in town spotted the little girl. 

Methos just laughed as Honey buzzed into his arms. He didn't want to give her up, but her aunts invaded and took her off, leaving him laughing. "Come," he said to Giles, "you should get some rest, as well."

Things were just starting to settle down again after the arrival of the group from Camelot when yet another delegation arrived, this time from Esperanza! They had been transported downstream via several of the Fort's riverboats. Grayson led the way, with his wife Candi walking by his side. 

Again Methos went to greet them, though his eye was at the river to see if Faia had also come. Montoya, coming up behind the Mayor of Edan, greeted the couple as well, and then asked if Amethyst was in good health. A sly wink escaped his eye as he asked.  

Candi assured him that she was. Grayson nodded in agreement, and then excused himself when he saw one of the royal party. He walked up to the knight, and handed him a package. "Would you give this to Darius? It just some of the various blends of tea that we have been using up in Esperanza. I thought he might enjoy them." 

Sir Patrice nodded and assured him that the errand would be completed, once they arrived back in Camelot. "Will you be coming to the castle for Christmas?" he asked.

"Yes," Grayson nodded. "I was so pleased with all that Candi learned while we were in Camelot. She has come a long way from the smart mouthed street kid she used to be." He conveniently left out that the first time he saw her, Candi had been naked and scared half out of her wits. He looked over at his wife and smiled. She looked every bit the lady. 

"We are hoping everyone comes," the knight said politely.

Since the Esperanza crowd had come from a much shorter distance, they did not need as much rest, though people came in dribs and drabs, not all at once. Methos waited to see if Faia would come, and as he waited, he went and got Thoth, as if holding their son would somehow bring her to his side. And, after a while, it did!  

She came riding into town next to a man wearing a leather coat and a rather decrepit looking hat. Seeing Methos, she trotted her horse up to him and then vaulted off to claim a kiss from him and to take her son into her arms. "You must be Methos," the man said, offering his hand. "I'm Indy. Indiana Jones. Did my father and his friend make it safely on the riverboat?" 

Still watching the woman snuggle their child, Methos said, "I'm not exactly sure. We've had so many people arrive for the feast that it is difficult to keep an eye on them all." 

"I'll go hunt him down then," he said. Grinning at Phoenix, he told her he would see her later, and then left her alone with the father of her child. 

Methos moved up to her to talk, but she was too involved cuddling Thoth to notice Indy's departure or Methos' presence. Fortunately, the Immortal was a patient man, and he waited until she looked up. "So happy you came," he said.

Grinning, she looked at her son and said, "Me, too." 

Methos just laughed. Then he put an arm over her shoulder and they headed toward the main street, where all the tables were set up and full of food. The feast was about to begin!

***

The women had outdone themselves. There were at least five of those huge turkey like birds, courtesy of Mellors, who had been feeding them in such a way they were almost twice the size of their wild cousins. A whole hog had been roasted in a pit BBQ, and there were several large platters of smoked fish that had been brought into town by the residents of the Singing Creek Camp. 

And that was just the meat! The vegetables, fruits and pies were equally plentiful, and it was a good thing, because the place was quite overflowing with people! Methos stood at his place in the center of the table and looked around, astounded at the growth of the land. Beside him sat Crystal, who was carrying his child, and on the other side sat Faia, who was holding his son in her arms! Could anything be better than this? 

But the miracle was just beginning. For just as he was ready to address the multitude, the very pregnant Endora - the woman Methos and Giles had been discussing earlier - suddenly stood and announced, "It's time."

Everyone sitting around her gasped and stood up, reaching out to help her to her feet. Giles, the nearest doctor, elbowed his way in through the people circling her, but she just smiled at him, as if thinking him unbelievably naive to think she would deliver as a normal woman did. Then she raised her hands above her head, and a shower of sparkles - pixie dust? Could it really be? - came from her like a fountain. As everyone stood, stunned by this entertaining but unbelievable sight, there appeared a glowing golden cross that hovered above the pregnant fae. On the other side of her appeared a glowing golden crown.

The two objects fluttered above her head for a moment, and then split off in separate directions. The cross headed straight to the table where all the priests had
been sitting. The newcomer, an Irishman named Father Liam, jumped to his feet to try to catch the shimmering object at the same time Monica jumped up to do the same thing. The two touched the cross at the same moment, and in that moment the holy item transformed into the body of a girl child!

Father Liam ended up with both the infant and the angel (though he did not have a clue that she was one!) in his arms. "Now isn't this a wonder?" he said, shaking his head in awe. 

Meanwhile, the shimmering crown headed straight to the table where the royals were. Amanda jumped to try to catch it, but it slipped through her fingers. Lancelot saw her make the attempt, and seeing what had happened to the cross, he wondered what his lover would have done with a baby, had she caught the crown! Of course, a baby was the last thing she was thinking of. All she saw was something potentially worth a lot of
money! 

Seeing the crown brush by Amanda's fingers, Sir Lancelot reached up himself, and since he was considerably taller than her, he caught it easily. Bringing the crown down, Amanda reached out to take it from him but she squealed with surprise when it, too, changed into a perfectly formed baby girl! 

Meanwhile, Endora stood still, her shower of sparkles ending as her children appeared. Then she collapsed into Giles' arms!

As Monica and Amanda brought her twins over to her, Methos shook his head and smiled. Nothing he could say could top what had just happened! 

"She is beautiful," Monica said softly as she handed the infant she was holding to Endora. Father Liam was right beside her, his hand resting lightly on the angel's shoulder. “Do you have a name for her yet?" 

Looking up from the doctor's arms, Endora smiled, "Diana, the divine one. And that one is Rhiannon, the queen! Both goddesses of fertility, though sometimes I wonder if they are needed in this place at all!" And everyone laughed as they congratulated her.

“Damn!” Amanda gasped, looking at Lancelot like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. "Fertility?"