Jack's Immortal 11 by Admiral Q O

 

Jack's Immortal 11

Allegiances

by Admiral Q O 

 

It was the perfect start to a wonderful week off, or so Jack was hoping was the case. He was lying in his bed, spooned in tightly behind Methos, as the alarm clock was about to sound and Jack was sporting an early morning hard-on, most likely from having dreamed about Methos overnight, although he couldn't remember for certain. Jack never had been able to recall even half of his dreams. His ex-wife, Sarah, had told him once that he spoke in his sleep, on occasion, that he would be dreaming and would vocalize his thoughts, but she'd assured him that they'd never been related to work, only to sex, so he hadn't bothered to investigate the matter. One of the last things Jack needed was for those in command to find out that he talked in his sleep at all. That was the kind of thing that got guys transferred out of Special Ops without any hesitation or appeal, and while with Sarah, Jack had cherished his career too much to ever want that to happen.

Now, Jack's priorities were different. If for some reason his marriage to Methos were discovered, Jack would take the discharge and resign his commission without remonstration. As much as he loved his career and fought to keep it by concealing their relationship, Jack loved Methos even more, and that was saying a hell of a lot. There were others who had won Jack's heart, but he hadn't been willing to sacrifice or even risk his career for them. And Jack had made certain that Methos knew the identity of each of those people, including the most recent, Major Samantha Carter, Jack's current second-in-command for SG-1.

Methos exercised a huge degree of trust concerning her being out in the field with Jack, sometimes for days untold, sharing the same sleeping quarters on occasion, and Jack appreciated that more than anyone else could ever understand. Then again, Jack had seriously considered the prospect of pursuing Sam and dismissed the notion long before he'd met Methos. He'd assessed the risks at their first meeting, when Sam had been seated across the conference table from him, before they'd gone off to Abydos and retrieved Daniel. That was so long ago now...years had passed, and Jack's feelings for Sam had evolved from an instant lust to a deep, caring friendship. He would give his life for her in a heartbeat, he would never leave her behind, he'd rather die with her, and the moment he'd realized that, he'd immediately told Methos.

Fortunately, Methos hadn't stormed out on him again, as he had after Jack's indiscretion with Lara during the time he'd been stranded off world for over three months. Jack's open and honest approach in dealing with the 'Carter situation' had worked. Methos had accepted Jack's feelings for Sam. Naturally, Methos preferred that said feelings didn't exist, but the process had begun before Methos had entered Jack's life and there was nothing that could be done to change them given that they had developed over the course of years that Jack and Sam had worked together. Jack had been pleasantly surprised by Methos' reaction, after enduring a long ten minutes of silence from him, and more than a little relieved at Methos' unique take on the situation:

"If one wishes to survive he must choose his allegiances wisely. You instinctively chose to give your allegiance to Sam. I trust your instincts, my love, and I trust you."

Jack still wasn't positive that he completely understood what Methos had meant when he'd said that, but he'd immediately followed it with a deep, passionate kiss that had conveyed to Jack anew the depths of Methos' love for him. Love and trust – Jack couldn't ask Methos for more than that.

That was all in the past now. Jack and Methos had a stronger bond than ever before and their love for one another only grew with the passing of time. Duncan and Joe had noticed it and commented, as if either Jack or Methos couldn't have figured it out on his own. They'd meant well...that was what friends were for, and since they were the only two, other than the Asgard, who knew Jack and Methos were married, an open discussion with them about such was welcomed. At times, Jack wished that circumstances were different and that he could tell his team the truth, tell them how happy he was, how he had a real life waiting for him when he left the Mountain, but they couldn't be told – not now, maybe not ever, the damn antiquated Air Force regulations being what they were.

"It's a work day," Methos mumbled under his breath, breaking Jack's train of thought.

"Not for me," Jack said playfully as he rubbed his arousal against Methos' ass, flesh on flesh, since they rarely bothered with clothing when sleeping together.

"Well, it is for me." Methos squinted at the alarm clock and checked the time. "I have six more minutes to try to sleep."

Jack reached over Methos and turned the switch on the clock off the alarm setting, keeping his arousal pressed firmly against Methos' back as he rolled him over so that he could reach that far. Jack then kept Methos on his belly and rubbed his arousal along his lower back, tempting him.

"No, Jack," Methos said with determination in his voice then he lifted up slightly. "Let me go or I'll piss the bed and you get to clean it," he threatened.

"So much for romance," Jack sighed as he rolled back to his side of the bed, letting Methos get up.

"Romance has nothing to do with your current condition," Methos said knowingly then he padded off to the bathroom without hesitation, keeping the door open a crack so they could still talk. "You fell asleep horny, you woke up horny. I sympathize, my love, but we have the 'no sex on a work night' rule in place for good reason. I cannot possibly recover from the Aftershocks and function properly at work today."

"I know," Jack said with a sigh of frustration as he threw his feet over the side of the bed. "About that..." he began then he silenced as Methos walked through the bedroom and out into the hallway with a purposeful stride, completely ignoring him. He was going to get their morning coffee, which brewed automatically so that the pot was ready just before the alarm clock was set to sound. All further discussion would now have to wait until they'd partaken of some. It was a bit annoying, but as he thought about it, Jack realized it would probably be best to shelf what he was about to say until Methos had a nice, hot cup of coffee inside him. He would wait, as if he really had a choice.

Methos grabbed two mugs of coffee – black, and then wandered back to the bedroom on autopilot. As he walked through the entry, he saw Jack stretching, his penis still semi-erect and his heart went out to him. He would love to be able to make love to Jack just now, keep him in bed all day long, but he couldn't. He had responsibilities. Another day he would make it up to him properly, but perhaps he could placate him for the time being.

"Here," Methos said casually as he handed over Jack's mug and came to a standstill just to his left.

"Thanks," Jack said with a tiny smile then he took a long drink from his mug while Methos did the same. Damn that was hot...wonderful, but hot, and Jack could feel that he'd burned his tongue yet again.

"Burn your tongue?" Methos asked gently, knowing the expression on Jack's face far too well by now. And Jack had the nerve to call Daniel impulsive and impatient. At least Daniel let his coffee cool a tiny bit before he started slamming it down.

"Uh-huh," Jack mumbled then he took a quick breath as Methos was suddenly directly in front of him, their lips nearly touching. "Methos?"

"As long as you keep control...no Aftershock..." Methos whispered, letting his voice trail off as he leaned in and gave Jack a tender kiss on the lips. "Will that be enough?" he asked as he ended the kiss.

"For now," Jack said with a widening grin then he ran his left hand along the side of Methos' head. "I'll give you a thorough scrubbing in the shower...if I get too far, hit the cold water."

"Agreed," Methos said, mirroring Jack's smile then he gave him another tiny kiss before he turned toward the bathroom, and then finished off his mug of coffee as he made for the shower.

Jack walked slowly behind Methos, keeping a good distance so he could fully enjoy the view of Methos' ass bouncing as he walked. He had that little wiggle going, as he usually did when he was anticipating having sex, and it was a pure delight to behold. He waited patiently while Methos turned on the shower and adjusted the water temperature then while Methos was getting in Jack polished off his coffee and placed his mug on the back of the toilet beside Methos'.

"Do my hair today?" Methos asked as he picked up the bottle of shampoo.

"Save it for last," Jack said then he took the bottle from Methos' hands and placed it back on its shelf in the back corner nearest the showerhead. "Wet down for me," he whispered then he licked his lips while Methos tossed his head back and took one tiny step backwards to get his entire body underneath the water stream.

Jack let out a sigh of appreciation as the water trickled over Methos' firmly chiseled torso and felt his cock twitch in response. He was hardening again, not that he'd actually gone completely flaccid, mind you. He took up the soap and ran one end of the bar across his slit, jamming the edge of the bar in slightly and feeling a tiny sting. There – that would buy him more time, calm his arousal, while his body recovered from the tiny shock.

Methos smiled at Jack as he stood fully upright and moved out from under the water, until it was hitting only against his backside then he gave Jack another tender kiss on the lips. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," Jack whispered back as he finished building a lather of soap on his hands then he placed the soap back on its shelf before he moved his hands to Methos' shoulders.

Methos then closed his eyes, focusing his full attention on Jack's hands as they ran over him, cleaning and massaging at the same time. First, Jack did his shoulders then his chest then his ribs then he gave a brief pass to Methos' genitals, waking his manhood and Methos let out a tiny sigh. "Exquisite," he whispered. Jack was coming at him slowly, near tortuously so, and Methos felt himself hardening at an exponential rate as he realized what Jack was up to. Jack was spoiling him and savoring every touch as he continued to clean Methos' front. It was a most wonderful way for Methos to start his day.

Jack heard a tiny moan escape through Methos' lips and smiled then he ran his hands up the length of Methos' torso, stopping and hovering on his pectoral muscles. All those workouts with Teal'c at the base and with Duncan and Jack in Methos' private studio had him in even finer condition than when Jack had first laid eyes upon him. Methos' physique had always been superior, but now it was nothing short of stupendous – near perfection with a minimal amount of body fat. Sometimes it was so disgusting that Jack was nearly tempted to shoot him out of envy.

"Rinse," Jack gently ordered then as soon as Methos was turned away, he pinched the tip of his arousal to ease it. Luckily, he didn't get off on pain or these techniques to keep his arousal in check would never work.

Once Methos had the soap rinsed off his front, he began to turn, but stopped as he felt the palm of Jack's right hand pressing against his lower back. The mere touch caused Methos' arousal to jerk and sent a shiver coursing down his spine. There had always been a chemistry between him and Jack, ever since their first night together, and the sensation now inching through Methos' body was every bit as exciting and invigorating as then, even more so. No doubt about it – he was positively spoiled rotten by having Jack for his husband.

Jack kept his right hand in place while he refreshed the soap in his left hand then he put the soap down and used his left hand to clean and rub Methos' left arm from behind. Once that one was thoroughly tended to, he switched off hands and used his right to give equal attention to Methos' right arm, taking time to appreciate his firm biceps and triceps – arm strength that could snap a man's neck if need be or could carry an injured person to safety. Thankfully, Methos' inclination leaned toward the latter or he'd need to be registered as a lethal weapon in certain local jurisdictions.

As Jack's hands finally left him, Methos let out a tiny sigh while Jack reached beyond him and rinsed his hands then he leaned forward slightly to rinse his arms as Jack backed up a tiny bit, giving him room to maneuver. Methos had barely gotten the soap rinsed off his arms when he had to suddenly brace himself with his left hand against the rear wall of the shower, as Jack was nudging his legs apart.

"Not washing my back?" Methos asked curiously. He didn't mind Jack jumping ahead, but he typically washed Methos in a set, methodical order and his back should have been next on the list. Jack then reached up between Methos' legs and fondled his balls, causing Methos to take a quick breath. "No more washing?"

"I won't last if we do," Jack whispered then he lowered his body and gave a tiny bite to Methos' right hip before he turned him around.

Methos then placed his hands on Jack's shoulders and took a step forward as Jack grabbed hold of his ass with both hands and squeezed. The next moment, Jack was taking his arousal into his mouth, enveloping Methos in wet warmth and sending another shiver rippling down his spine. Jack's tongue and lips then worked their magic on him, sending Methos into a state of bliss. His eyes closed, his jaw dropped open, and soft moans came out of him of their own accord as Jack took him on a steady, determined, one-way trip to the edge and then over it.

"Damn...Jack," Methos panted as his orgasm ripped violently from him.

Jack grinned and relaxed his throat while he took his release then he made a quick swipe at his own arousal, smacking the tip of it to get it to ease off. He'd nearly lost control and come with Methos, but fortunately he'd been able to finish him off in time. He gave one last long, hard suck to Methos then he let his softening cock slip out of his mouth before he rose up to stand in front of him.

"Switch," Jack said with a sense of urgency in his tone and Methos moved quickly out of his way. Once under the water, Jack turn the tap to full cold and let out a tiny yelp as the water turned suddenly icy.

"That close?" Methos asked as he noticed Jack was dowsing his groin with cold water and a healthy dose of soap.

"Oh, yeah," Jack sighed then he finished with his immediate problem and then adjusted the water back to a more comfortable temperature. "But well worth it," he said with a smile as he turned to face Methos. He then cradled Methos' left cheek with his right hand and drew him in for a deep, lingering kiss letting Methos taste his cum that still remained in his mouth.

As Jack ended their kiss, Methos reached up and tugged playfully at Jack's chin with his right thumb and forefinger. "You are such a little imp at times," he said teasingly.

"And you love every second," Jack said then he laughed as Methos did the same.

"Hurry up and clean so I can get finished and out of here," Methos said as he peered out the shower door at the clock. "Shit. I'll be late. Come on, get moving," he ordered in a no-nonsense tone of voice. So much for washing his hair, he no longer had the time.

"Yeah, alright," Jack said with a sigh and held his tongue as he hurriedly soaped down then he quickly rinsed off before he jumped out of the shower, giving Methos room to do likewise. Jack had plans for them...plans that had absolutely nothing to do with the S.G.C. and it was time to surprise Methos with them. Ever since Methos had returned from his little trip into space with Thor, he'd been dropping hints to Jack that he wanted to take a vacation at the fishing cabin. Now, with a week's leave facing him, Jack planned to grant Methos his wish. As Methos turned off the water, Jack finished drying off then took up Methos' towel and held it out for him as he slid the shower door open.

"What?" Methos asked as he stepped out of the shower and saw the look on Jack's face. He had something to say and Methos wanted to hear it, but Jack was going to have to be to the point in this instance. The clock was ticking and Methos had to get on the road before the commute traffic he detested made travel to the Mountain a long, arduous journey.

"So, I'm heading off to the cabin today," Jack purred while putting the towel up to Methos' front. "Clear your calendar and join me," he said, as he locked eyes with Methos.

"Tempting offer, my love, but I can't," Methos said with his disappointment clearly evident as he ran his fingers through Jack's hair. He'd just recently gotten a haircut and Methos found the shorter length most appealing.

"You can't?" Jack asked incredulously, as Methos took the towel away from him and began to dry off. "You've been wanting to go on a drive cross country since you got back from your little trip to the Lauries with Thor."

"The Lorig," Methos said while rolling his eyes. Did Jack purposely say the name of the alien peoples incorrectly? It didn't matter just now. Methos had to get ready for work. "Daniel is still on sick leave, even if he is at the base, and there is a translation that must be completed without delay."

"Have Nyan do it," Jack said with a shrug. "He's Daniel's assistant."

"Research assistant," Methos shook his head, "...he catalogs alien artifacts. Translation is my job."

"He's been working with you for a while now, and he's a scientist...he's a bright guy. Show him what to do, get him started, and then we can go," Jack said matter-of-factly with a touch of pride in his tone. See a problem, come up with a solution – it was what Jack did nearly every day as part of his job, and he was damn good at it, as his full-bird colonel insignia readily testified.

"No," Methos said emphatically then he walked into the bedroom and started to get dressed.

"Methos," Jack called out in frustration, letting the final 's' of his name linger. He waited a moment then when Methos continued to dress without acknowledging him Jack briefly took hold of his left arm to get him to stop. "Methos, this is our chance to get away together, make love out under the stars at the water's edge," he whispered, turning on his charm, but he could see by the near glare in Methos' eyes that the tactic wasn't working.

"Jack," Methos began, consciously restraining his temper. "I know you mean well, and a romantic interlude is something I would customarily welcome after our hectic schedules of late, but I have an obligation that I simply cannot walk away from."

"But you have Nyan to help pick up the slack while Daniel recovers from his appendectomy. That was part of the deal he made when we brought him back with us from Bedrosia and the Air Force granted him asylum on Earth," Jack said, trying yet again to reason with Methos.

"Jonathan O'Neill, you may understand the proper chain of command, but you are clueless concerning the subtle nuances of academia," Methos said with his frustration coming through in his voice.

"Meaning what? You guys have color-coded lab coats or something?" Methos only called Jack by his full given name when he was upset with him. Jack was doing his best to be romantic and whisk Methos away for a few days alone in relative isolation from the world and its concerns and he was responding like this? Did he want to start a fight? He certainly seemed to be launching the opening salvo. Jack shook his head, not wanting to go there and gave Methos a tiny smile as he gently took hold of his shoulders and started to rub them. "Fine...I don't know squat about the subtle nuances of academia. Come fishing with me and I'll let you explain them to me in detail while we give each other a rubdown."

"No." Which part of that concept was Jack incapable of comprehending this morning? "This translation needs to be done for the Joint Chiefs and The President and they will not wait for Daniel to recover fully from his surgery while there is someone else capable of accomplishing the task."

"You," Jack said as he let go of Methos' shoulders. What was the point of rubbing them anymore? The act of affection wasn't softening Methos' resolve the slightest bit.

"Yes. If I were to allow Nyan to even attempt the task, I would end up with emendation after emendation confronting me when General Hammond called me back to the base to do the job I should be doing in the first place," Methos said, waving his hands in the air.

"Emendations...nasty critters..." Jack said with a tiny shudder. He wasn't as stupid as he let on most of the time, but his vocabulary wasn't as large as Methos' and this was one of those times when he didn't have a clue what the hell his husband was saying.

"Emendation...a term which means a correction or change of text," Methos said in explanation.

"I knew that," Jack said automatically with a casual wave of his right hand indiscriminately in the air.

"Right," Methos sighed as he finished putting on his socks.

"So...can't you create a key and show it to Nyan," Jack paused for a beat as Methos glared at him then he continued, "or to whomever; set them up with the tools they need then leave them to do it?"

"No," Methos said, shaking his head as he buttoned his shirt. "It is not that simple. Once it is translated into English, it requires further work," he explained as he slipped on his slacks.

"What? It's encrypted?" Jack asked with a tiny shrug.

"In a manner of speaking. They use metaphor and analogy at a ratio far higher than most Earth cultures. You must have at the very least a rudimentary understanding of their culture to comprehend what they wish to convey," Methos said as he sat to put on his black walking boots. He loved these new boots. They were comfortable, versatile and looked acceptably dressy under his slacks.

"And you can't walk away from the challenge," Jack said in an accusatory tone of voice.

"This is not a matter of pride, Jack," Methos said, automatically taking a defensive posture as he rose to his feet.

"The hell it's not," Jack said with a glare as the volume of his voice increased and his anger mounted. Methos could drop things at a moment's notice anytime he damn well wanted to – he'd proven so time and time again, but this time...no. He had to work, instead of having a romantic interlude with Jack? If he didn't know better, Jack would suspect that Methos was cheating on him. Maybe he was in a way...giving his own ego preference over his husband. "Okay, fine, do your translation. I'll find someone else to go fishing with me."

"Fine," Methos snapped in response to Jack's snide tone.

"Fine," Jack snapped back. "I'll ask Teal'c to come with me," he said, bluffing since he knew that Teal'c was already off world visiting with family. Methos however didn't bite. He simply finished tying his boots, and Jack's anger grew even more. "Or maybe I should ask Carter," he said and instantly received Methos' full attention. That was more like it.

"That's a good idea," Methos said calmly – far too calmly for Jack's comfort. "You should ask her straight away. She could use some time away from the Mountain."

"What?" Jack asked, dumbfounded by Methos' response. "You can't be serious."

"Yes, I can," Methos said thoughtfully, his Welsh accent pronounced, a sure tell that he was pissed off. "Half the base thinks she's sleeping with me, the other half thinks she's sleeping with you. If you take her fishing it will get them off of me for a while," he said while holding back his anger as best he could then he locked eyes with Jack. Two could play the bluffing game. Now, was the test of wills: who would flinch first? Methos didn't really have time for this bullshit this morning, but he was not going to let Jack win this time. He already submitted to his wishes more often than he ever had with anyone else in his thousands of years on Earth. This time he was drawing the line. Greater things were at stake than Jack's desire to get laid, and he had to be made to realize that.

Jack searched deep into Methos' eyes for any sign of weakening, but saw none, so he opted to cut his losses. "I'll see you in a week," he said with forcefulness in his tone, daring Methos to challenge his statement.

"In a week," Methos said as he broke their eye contact then he took up his coat with his sword concealed inside it and stopped just long enough in the guest room to grab his briefcase then he went outside and down the block, heading for his house, roughly a mile away, where he left his car parked so it wouldn't be seen at Jack's. As he reached the end of the block, he glanced back over his left shoulder, checking to see if Jack had come out after him. He hadn't.

"Fine, stubborn-ass mule," Methos grumbled as he resumed walking, his pace increasing out of both anger and necessity. "Both of us," he sighed, as he reached the end of the next block, admitting to himself that he'd been every bit as irrational the past few minutes as had Jack. He hadn't needed to lose his temper, and maybe he could have found someone else to do the translation? Oh well, it was too late now to turn back and change things. He decided to call Jack at lunchtime on his cell phone, once they'd both had time to calm down then he switched his train of thought to the day ahead and the translation that sat in his office awaiting his attention.

~ ~ ~

Methos stood at the chalkboard in the office he shared with Daniel and stared at the current section of the text he was working on. The culture that produced this trade document was decidedly different from that of home. For one thing, their society was matriarchal, meaning that Sam had taken the lead in negotiating with them during SG-1's first contact mission.

Jack had told Methos in private after they'd returned from the mission how proud he'd been of her, how she'd stood to the fore and taken charge the moment she'd realized the structure of the alien society. At the time, though, Jack had instantly thought her tone insubordinate, but he'd figured out what was up quickly enough to not cause too much of a stir, and then Daniel had whispered in his ear, confirming his read on the situation. So far as Daniel was concerned though, he'd pointed out the sensitivity of the culture to Jack, and had said so in his report, which Methos had peered at prior to its delivery to Hammond. This was why the field C.O.'s didn't get to read their underlings' reports, so that the higher ups would get a honest, open perspective of the C.O.'s actions in the field, whether they were accurate or not.

Methos had thought at the time of speaking with Hammond concerning Daniel's misreading of Jack, or possibly to mention it to Jack, but he'd opted to do neither. No one knew he was hacking into Daniel's computer and reading his reports, and Methos wanted to keep it that way. It gave him a slight edge in the world of Stargate Command, and he seized every such opportunity that presented itself. Acquiring such an edge was part of how he had survived for as long as he had. Still, the tone of Daniel's reports had altered recently, ever since Jack had feigned his resignation so that he could infiltrate the rogue N.I.D. operation and expose it, sufficiently hampering their efforts for the near future, at the very least.

He shook his head, trying to focus on the text before him, rather than on Daniel, and succeeded for a long moment. Then Methos took a sip of coffee from his thermal mug, the one that Daniel had given him as a welcoming gift when he'd come to work as a part time consultant at the S.G.C., the gift that had been the catalyst for Methos' first fight with Jack, and, suddenly, Methos' mind was back on his husband and Daniel and the seemingly fractured relationship between them.

"Focus," Methos said under his breath, trying to force his mind to the text, but he couldn't. Phrases from Daniel's reports kept surfacing in his mind, small, off hand comments that painted a picture of Jack as being all gung-ho, shoot first, screw cultural exchange, just take what the planet had to offer and then go home. To a degree, Daniel was correct. Jack was primarily concerned with appropriating information and materials that would aid Earth in the fight against the Goa'uld. That was the primary reason for going through the Stargate at all, the standing orders of the entire S.G.C., but the Pentagon had agreed to allow for cultural exchange as well when it was possible, and Jack followed that set of orders as well. And yet, it didn't seem to be enough for Daniel, and he appeared to be acting out his frustrations over the point in the subtext of his reports.

"Doctor Jackson," Nyan said as he entered the room with a tray of fruit, cheese and crackers. "Oh, sorry, Doctor Pierson, I did it again," he said with a tiny sigh as he placed the tray on the counter beside the sink, the only surface in the entire room that was cleared enough for the tray to fit.

"Yes," Methos said with a tiny glance in Nyan's direction. He noted the tray, accepted the gesture internally, and then returned his focus to the chalkboard. Nyan had broken his tangential train of thought and now his mind was back to where it needed to be. If it wouldn't take so bloody long to explain to Nyan what he'd done to help, Methos would have expressed his gratitude for the young man's assistance. Instead, he simply fell silent and continued to work.

"I brought a snack tray," Nyan said as if it hadn't been seen.

"Yes, thank you," Methos said noncommittally, keeping his eyes on the chalkboard as he felt Nyan coming toward him. He stopped just to Methos' left and looked at the board with fascination in his eyes. He was always doing that – taking in new things with a wide-eyed wonder. It was refreshing to see, heartwarming even, and Methos enjoyed explaining new bits of Earth's culture to him on occasion, but now was not one of those times.

"You're working on a translation?" Nyan asked the obvious.

"Yes," Methos said plainly without further comment. People, regardless of where they were born in the universe seemed to have the natural instinct to ask the obvious at times. Or was this an idiosyncrasy that Nyan had acquired since coming to live on Earth? Perhaps it was the result of too many hours of cable television viewing when he would have been better off reading in the base library. Methos made a mental note to inquire about that later, when he had more time for such side projects, as assisting Nyan in his acclimation to Earth had become.

"I see," Nyan said as he stared at the board. "This must be that trade for naquadah agreement that was delivered yesterday. Too bad those women don't write with English letters...I mean they speak a variant of English, right?" he asked with a hopeful look at Methos.

"Similar to Middle English, yes," Methos said curtly and then bit his lower lip to keep from saying something rude. Going through this document was actually quite odd for Methos, in a way a return to his younger years when Middle English had first been developed, almost as if he were revisiting the time period as he recalled random images triggered by certain words and phrases.

"Middle English," Nyan said with a nod then his expression went blank. "I am not familiar with that variant, am I?"

"Nyan, I really need to get this done as soon as possible," Methos said with a tiny smile. The young man was correct and his observations were exemplary as usual, but now was not the time for patting him on the back and encouraging a dialogue. "Please, this requires a great deal of concentration..." he said, letting his voice trail off rather than telling the younger man to cease his blabbering and leave him alone.

"Yes, I guess even more so without Doctor Jackson here. Maybe he's well enough to leave the infirmary today. I could use one of the chairs with wheels and escort..."

"No," Methos said, cutting Nyan off. He didn't require Daniel to be brought up in a wheelchair and forced to work on this translation. The last Methos had heard Janet had Daniel on bed rest for the next week. "He requires rest. I will tend to this on my own," he said, his Welsh accent beginning to surface as his irritation with Nyan was increasing.

"My apologies, Doctor Pierson," Nyan said, hanging his head in submission to the other man's authority. He knew that tone in his voice. "I have offended you," he added then he turned to leave.

"Don't," Methos said as he laid the chalk down on its tray and turned to face Nyan. "You meant well...you always mean well..."

"But my sense of timing still requires further adjustment," Nyan said with a tiny smile as he finished the statement that he had heard from his colleague numerous times before.

"Yes," Methos said, returning his smile. "Thanks for the snacks. I'll get round to them after I've finished this section," he said with a tiny wave of his right hand toward the tray on the counter.

"You are welcome," Nyan said then he gave a tiny bow of his head and left the room.

"Ah, youth," Methos quietly sighed then he took up his chalk once more and returned to his translation.

As Methos was deep into his translation, making steady progress, the base alarm sounded and he winced. He listened carefully for any sort of instructions then not hearing any directed toward him, he resumed working, staying in his office as he was supposed to, staying out of the way while the military personnel dealt with whatever situation had caused the alarm to be sounded. He made it through the section before him, finally reaching the end of it, marking the English down on the board beneath the appropriate text then he placed the chalk back in its tray and heard someone clearing his throat...it was Jack. He knew every sound his husband made by heart.

Methos spun around, hoping that Jack was taking the initiative to reach out first, that they would have a discussion, make their apologies, and then their argument from earlier that morning would be over, put behind them. Instead, he saw a blurred, see-through image of Jack on the far side of the room...Asgard technology? It looked like that which Methos had observed while traveling on Thor's ship.

"Adam...I hope you can hear me. Thor says this will only work one way this time," Jack said as he waved his right hand in the air. "If not, you'll find out from Carter or Hammond, but I wanted to try to tell you myself. I'm on Thor's ship. He's in bad shape. He needs my help to blow the thing up before the bugs take over...ugly metal sons-a-bitches..." Jack paused a moment as his image faded slightly then returned. "I love you," he said, not caring at this point if anyone heard him then suddenly sparks flew out from in front of him and his image disappeared.

"Jack?" Methos called out. What the hell was going on? "What bugs? Jack?" he cried out and shook his head. Jack had an insane aversion to bugs...why the hell would he be anywhere near a ship containing them? Methos stared across the room for a long moment, hoping Jack's image would return, but it didn't, so he quickly recorded his newest portion of the translation into his computer, and then placed it into standby mode before he left the room.

Methos licked his lips, checking the corridor as he entered it. No one had passed by while Jack had made his brief appearance in his office, so odds were that no one was aware it had happened. To be safe, Methos would swing by security and check the video and audio feeds, make positive that nothing incriminating was on them, but for the meantime, he needed a better handle on what was going on so he made for the elevator. Jack had said that Sam or Hammond would tell him what had happened, so Jack must have already spoken with them prior to his message to Methos. He would go to Hammond's office, formulate an excuse to be there along the way, and devise a means to guide the conversation so that he could discretely find out what the hell was going on.

~ ~ ~

I close my eyes
Only for a moment, then the moment's gone
All my dreams
Pass before my eyes, a curiosity
Dust in the wind
All they are is dust in the wind
Same old song
Just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do
Crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind, ohh
Now, don't hang on
Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away
And all your money won't another minute buy
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
Dust in the wind
Everything is dust in the wind
Everything is dust in the wind
The wind

"Jack!" Methos woke with a start as the image of Jack shattering into a billion particles of space dust invaded his dreams while that damn persistent song kept echoing in his mind, allowing him no peace. He took a few deep breaths then sensed another immortal coming near and automatically reached for his sword.

"What the hell?" Duncan asked as he barged into Methos' bedroom with his sword in hand, just in case. "You want to wake the whole bloody neighborhood?" he asked in frustration. He watched as Methos dropped his sword to the floor beside the bed then he saw tears streaming down Methos' cheeks and gently moved toward him. Methos rarely let his emotions show like this. Something was seriously wrong. "What happened?" he asked as he dared to sit down on the near side of the bed just to Methos' right.

"Bad dream," Methos whispered, wishing he could talk about his fears openly with Duncan. They were very close friends, hell, they shared the house wherein they now sat, but Duncan wasn't privy to the Stargate Program and Methos couldn't tell him about it. And that wasn't just because of the non-disclosure agreement he'd signed when joining, although the penalty for treason was one that Methos would rather not endure, even if he was guaranteed of coming back. He simply couldn't let Duncan find out about the threat posed to Earth by the Goa'uld. Knowing Duncan, he'd run right out and find a way to enlist his services, join in the fight. You could take the Highlander out of Scotland, but you could never take the Highlander out of the man. Duncan was born a warrior and he would be at his core until the day he lost his head.

"Hell of a lot more than that," Duncan said while giving Methos a tiny glare. He received one in return and threw his left hand up as if in defeat, knowing he wasn't going to get the full details from Methos. He wasn't going to waste energy trying, but he wasn't going to leave him be either. "Fine, don't tell me. It's got something to do with work, right?"

"Work is fine," Methos shook his head and ran his right hand across first one cheek then the other, wiping away his tears. This was bloody embarrassing – an emotional outburst in front of a young busybody such as Duncan. Methos was the one who was supposed to be counseling him, not the other way around. And from the look Duncan was giving him, it was obvious that he wasn't accepting Methos' words. "I've been working extra hours with Daniel laid-up. It will pass. I'll be fine," Methos added, giving what seemed a logical, acceptable explanation. Naturally though, Duncan saw straight through it. He knew Methos far too well, better than anyone else save Jack.

"And you're sleeping here instead of with Jack," Duncan said thoughtfully then he gave Methos a look of disdain. "Did you two have another fight?"

"Yes...no..." Methos said, catching himself. "It was a tiny argument. It's not why I'm here tonight."

"Then why are you here tonight?" Duncan asked, not giving Methos an inch of wiggle room. He hadn't questioned him when he'd shown up from work and stayed for dinner, thinking that maybe Jack was working late. And he hadn't bothered to press him later at bedtime either, since Methos had slipped into his bedroom while Duncan had been busy taking a shower. But now, he wanted to know why Methos wasn't spending the night at Jack's house, and he wasn't leaving the room until Methos told him.

"Jack's gone missing," Methos said with a tiny sigh. He could divulge that much without fear of reprisal.

"Again? I'm sorry, I had no idea," Duncan said, his tone suddenly softened and consoling.

"I know...and I didn't tell you," Methos said, giving Duncan an 'or else' glare. Before, when Jack had been missing for months, both Duncan and Joe had suspected that Jack was M.I.A., and Methos had confirmed their suspicions when they'd inquired of him, but as a general rule that part of Jack's job wasn't discussed. Hell, the very nature of first contact missions virtually guaranteed that Jack would be missing from time to time as par for the course.

"Of course you didn't," Duncan said with a nod then he bit his lower lip to keep from asking the multitude of questions that were flooding his mind. Methos wouldn't answer them, couldn't answer them, so what was the point in asking?

A silence then fell over the room as each man sat adrift, lost in his own thoughts concerning Jack. For Duncan, it was a hodgepodge of possibilities – everything from a plane crash to a special op in a jungle somewhere. But for Methos, it was the expression on Daniel's face when he'd told him how the Stargate had disappeared from the base. The assumption was that Jack, Sam and Teal'c had taken the Stargate on board Thor's ship and used it to escape before the ship had disintegrated in Earth's atmosphere. Daniel was certain that was the only plausible explanation, but no one – not Daniel, not Hammond, and most definitely not Methos could say beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jack and the others had indeed gotten off the ship in time. There was simply no way to know for certain until the other Gate was up and operational, which would allow Jack and the others to dial in and come home. Until then, all there was to hold onto was hope.

"Have you talked with anyone?" Duncan asked quietly, his concern being primarily for Methos' well-being at the moment. There wasn't a bloody thing he could do to help Jack that much he knew instinctively.

"Who would I talk to?" Methos asked with a tiny snort. "I cannot let the depth of my concern be known at the base. It would raise suspicion."

"Not if you approach the right person," Duncan said with a smile crossing his face. "You could speak with Daniel. He knows you and Jack are close...just not exactly how close..."

"I suppose," Methos said with a sigh. It wasn't like he hadn't considered speaking with Daniel. After all, Daniel was Jack's best friend, or at least he used to be. Methos shook his head before his mind went wandering off onto the schism that had developed between Jack and Daniel. It was their problem and they should be left to deal with it without any interference from him. Then again, Jack hadn't said a word about Daniel's behavior lately. Maybe he was being dense and hadn't noticed?

"Talk with him in the morning...promise me," Duncan said, looking Methos directly in the eyes.

"I promise, father," Methos said sarcastically then he threw up his left arm to block Duncan from smacking him upside the head. "Too slow," he chuckled.

"Am I?" Duncan asked playfully then he spun around and flipped over the bed, grabbing the pillow on the far side and then put his sword on the floor beside Methos'.

"I am too old for pillow fights," Methos said, shaking his head in disbelief at the sight before him – Duncan, a man over 400 years old, holding a pillow in his hands at the ready.

"Fine," Duncan said with a tiny smirk then he swung the pillow at Methos, letting go of it with as much force as he could.

Methos threw up both hands and batted away the pillow then he stared at Duncan and the two broke out in laughter. The whole scene was absurd, men their age behaving like a couple of teenagers. Then Methos thought of Jack, his little imp, who played jokes on him from time to time, tickled him, things like that, and his expression grew solemn. He'd give anything at the moment to see Jack's smile, or to hear his voice, even if it was from another planet, light years away.

"Where are you going?" Duncan asked as he saw Methos getting out of the bed.

"Out," Methos said with a tiny sigh as he threw on his pants. "I cannot sleep, there's no point in lying here pretending that I can," he said as he grabbed the nearest shirt and pulled it on over his head.

"Me neither," Duncan said since his mind was racing, wondering where Jack might be.

"Sorry," Methos said as he sat to put on his socks and boots. He hadn't meant to wake Duncan, let alone tell him about Jack. He would now worry until Methos assured him that Jack was safe and sound. It was the way of Duncan MacLeod when it came to his friends and family, which Jack was in an adopted sense of the word.

"Don't be," Duncan said then he ran his right hand along the length of his face and let out a tiny sigh. "Before I forget again, the electric bill arrived."

"Ah," Methos said with a nod as he rose to his feet. "Just leave my half on a piece of paper and I'll write you a check next time I'm here."

"No," Duncan said then he bit his lower lip briefly.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" Methos asked while raising his eyebrows at him. Why were they having this discussion in the middle of the night? Did Duncan think if he brought this up now that Methos would be too fatigued to argue the matter?

"Listen, you already compensate me for my half of the mortgage payment. I don't feel right staying here without putting in my fair share," Duncan said, expressing his sentiments on the matter yet again. "And this time I'm putting my foot down. You let me pay the utilities in total in addition to supplying my own food and such. As it stands, I feel like I'm freeloading," he said with a tiny sigh. "I hate that."

"Fine," Methos said with a tiny chuckle. He'd never had anyone so insistent on spending their money when it wasn't required of them. Duncan was Methos' alibi, his cover story, so that he could live with Jack, while everyone thought he was living with Duncan. For that, Methos would pay all the bills and let Duncan stay at the house, and consider things to be an even trade, but if Duncan wouldn't accept that then Methos was going to give in to his wishes. He was plain tired of debating with him about it every month when the regular bills came in the post.

"Good," Duncan said with a tiny nod then he followed Methos out to the front door and watched while Methos put his sword inside his trench coat and slipped it on, and then took up his briefcase. "He'll come back," Duncan said as Methos opened the door.

"I hope you're right," Methos said and shared a tiny glance with Duncan before he stepped out into the moonlight. As the door closed behind him, Methos felt a tiny breeze brush against his cheeks and let out a heavy sigh.

If only he'd gone fishing with Jack as he'd wanted then Jack wouldn't have come to the base looking for someone else to join him, and Thor wouldn't have taken him from there and Jack wouldn't be missing. Now, Methos had to wait with the burden of guilt that hung over him for his behavior when he and Jack had last been together. He had to wait and hope that Fate would allow him the opportunity to make amends. That was why this situation troubled him so, not the fact that Jack was out of contact. Hell...that seemed to happen during every other mission, but Jack and his team always managed to get back home. This time things were different. Methos couldn't draw on his experience to calm him, not when he and Jack had parted on such negative terms.

"Come back to me, my love. Come home," Methos whispered to the heavens then he walked down the driveway, past his car and kept on going, letting his feet take him wherever Fate would have him go.

~ ~ ~

Daniel stirred a tiny bit, but didn't open his eyes so Methos remained silent, keeping his watch on the young man, who was still lying in the infirmary. He'd been out of bed for a brief time the day before, but then ordered back by both Hammond and Janet, who as Chief Medical Officer, had enough authority on her own without the base commander having to back her up, as he had without being asked. Once Daniel had settled in, Methos had bid him farewell and left. Now, it was just after sunrise and he was back, sitting in the chair to Daniel's left, the chair Jack sat in when he watched over injured members of his team. Somehow, with Jack gone, Methos felt it was his duty as Jack's husband to take over in his stead even though he couldn't possibly explain that to anyone, let alone why he felt it was the case.

"Jack?" Daniel asked sleepily as he peeked over to his side, sensing that someone was near him.

"No, still no word," Methos said gently with a tiny smile as Daniel opened his eyes more fully and focused in on his face. The disappointment in Daniel's eyes was understandable, but of a greater intensity than Methos would have expected...odd.

"Did you stay here last night?" Daniel asked curiously as he rubbed at his eyes.

"No," Methos said automatically, wondering what had prompted the question. He then noticed that Daniel's eyes were focused on his shirt and glanced down at it. He'd thrown on the same Polo he'd worn yesterday. As Methos thought about it, he realized that all his clothes were the same ones he'd worn the day before. His mind had been so preoccupied when he'd dressed in the middle of the night that he'd simply grabbed all the clothes he'd taken off and left beside his bed when he'd crawled into it earlier.

"I don't smell, do I?" Methos asked, dreading the answer, as he sniffed at his right underarm. He'd worked up quite a sweat during his two plus hours of walking around town. Eventually, he'd headed home and retrieved his car prior to coming to the base, but it was now obvious that he should have stopped inside the house and taken a shower.

"We'll get you some BDUs," Daniel said gently then he gave a mischievous grin. "What's her name?"

"Pardon?" Methos asked, giving Daniel a dazed look.

"A man shows up to work wearing the same clothes two days in a row," Daniel licked his lips, "usually that means he had a hot date the night in between," he said with a tiny chuckle as he slowly sat up in bed and then put his feet over the edge.

"No one you would know," Methos said with a tiny chuckle of his own. His heterosexual credentials were firmly ensconced in Daniel's mind; so he might as well reinforce the notion and play along; let Daniel believe what he wanted. "Are you hungry? Can I bring you something from the commissary?" he asked, changing the subject before Daniel could press him for details concerning his supposed date.

"No," Daniel said, shaking his head. "We'll go get two sets of BDUs...blue for me and green for you, and then we'll go to the commissary together for breakfast," he said while he carefully slid his rear end to the edge of the bed and prepared to stand. He took a deep breath and held it then attempted to stand, but pain shot through his abdomen, keeping him in place and causing him to reach instinctively for the bandages he still wore from his surgery.

"Daniel," Methos said with a distinct tone of disapproval as he lunged forward and reached out to catch him if need be. "Are you trying to fall on your stubborn ass?"

"I'd rather have it on the floor than in this bed for another day," Daniel said with a sigh as his body recovered and the pain subsided.

"Janet says you're to stay put for the rest of the week," Methos said while staying forward in his chair, just in case Daniel was foolish enough to try standing on his own again. Why was it the young always had to behave as if they were indestructible?

"I'm going stir crazy, Adam," Daniel said, looking into his eyes. "If I don't get out of here and back to work, I'm going to mug an SF for his gun and start shooting people."

"And if I allow you to return to work, I'll be on the receiving end of a very long and painful needle," Methos said, returning Daniel's glare in kind. "I like you Daniel, but not that much. Besides, you need to rest. The matter is not open for debate," he said with a silent 'or else' evident from his tone.

"Fine, but do I have to rest here?" Daniel asked in frustration. "Janet likes you. Can't you charm her into letting me rest at home?" he asked, unconsciously giving his best puppy dog eyes while doing so.

"And who guarantees that you do that? I cannot take the time to sit with you in your apartment," Methos scoffed. "Besides, what's wrong with being in here, being waited on hand and foot?"

"Precisely that," Daniel said through gritted teeth then he leaned forward slightly. "The nurses are smothering me...like I'm some baby or something," he whispered, not wanting any of them to overhear him.

"Ah, I see," Methos said with a nod then he laughed. He couldn't help it. Daniel was quite the pretty boy and he could easily see the nursing staff fussing over him like a bunch of mother hens.

"I'm glad you find my suffering amusing," Daniel said sarcastically.

"I'll have a word with Janet, but only to get you moved to your quarters here on base where Nyan can keep an eye on you and insure that you rest," Methos said, making his one and final offer.

"Thanks, Adam...you're a true friend," Daniel said with a tiny smile. "So, how's the translation coming along?"

"No shop talk," Methos said as he rose to his feet and took charge. "I am going to shower and slip into some BDUs then I will return with a set for you and a wheelchair, so we can go to the commissary for breakfast together. If you behave and do as you're told, I might see my way to filling you in on the translation...maybe."

"Yes, father," Daniel said sarcastically with a tiny laugh.

"I'll be back soon as I can," Methos said then he gave a tiny wave to Daniel before he headed toward the elevator. Halfway there, Daniel's words struck him and reminded him of his promise made to Duncan about speaking with Daniel concerning the situation with Jack. He pondered the matter until he reached the elevator and decided that he would broach the subject with Daniel after breakfast when he took him to his base quarters rather than return him to the infirmary. Oy...it was going to be a long day.

By the time Methos was wheeling Daniel into his quarters, he had a true appreciation for just how incredibly long his day was going to be. Every step of his journey that morning had taken astronomically longer than it should have. First, there had been a line for the shower. Then when he'd returned to the infirmary to pick up Daniel, he'd just gotten him dressed when Janet walked in early for her shift, necessitating that Methos speak with her then concerning Daniel's relocation rather than after breakfast as he'd originally planned.

And last, but certainly not least, there had been an evacuation drill just as Daniel and Methos had reached the commissary, before they'd even managed to grab a cup of coffee. That had been a royal pain in the ass because of the standard procedure for wheelchairs during an emergency – leave the chair and carry the occupant to safety. Fortunately, Daniel had been ambulatory, but their progress had been slow to avoid loosening Daniel's stitches, and with Methos holding onto Daniel's right arm to steady him as required periodically. Now, as they entered the room and Methos closed the door behind them, he wasn't sure who was happier to see Daniel's bed – him or Daniel.

"That was an adventure," Daniel said with a tiny cringe as he got out of the wheelchair. "I've never gone through so much hassle to get waffles and coffee in my life."

"Yes, uh, take it easy," Methos said as he reached out with his left hand, placing it gently on Daniel's left shoulder.

"I've got it," Daniel said, shaking his hand away then he took a deep breath and walked over to his bed. Once there he took another deep breath then he turned around and sat on the edge of the bed, all without any assistance. It was the first time he'd been allowed to do such in days and it felt good – damn good.

"Bravo," Methos said with genuine pride in his tone while he moved the wheelchair to one side of the room, out of the way.

"Thanks," Daniel said with a smile. "Funny how we take such a little thing as walking across the room for granted..." he said, letting his voice drift as his mind did the same.

"What's wrong, Daniel?" Methos asked as he sat down alongside him, just to his left. Methos had intended to use this time to speak in generalities concerning what was troubling him at the moment, but it seemed that Daniel needed to talk with someone even more.

"Remember when Jack supposedly resigned a while back...when you were off visiting the Lorig?" Daniel asked while turning his body slightly to face his friend as he spoke with him.

"Did something happen between you and Jack while I was away?" Methos asked, finally voicing the question to one of them. Daniel and Jack were both grown men, who didn't need anyone prying into places that were private between them. And that went for Methos, as well. He had no business questioning Jack about his friendships unless they interfered in some way with their marriage. The current situation with Daniel hadn't fallen into that category, thus Methos had refrained from inquiring concerning it.

"I went to visit him at home." Daniel paused for a beat to take a quick breath then he let his soul pour forth. "He sat in his damn chair and told me that all these years, all this time we've invested in developing a friendship had all been built on lies. He told me that I didn't know him, that we didn't have a real friendship. It hurt, Adam! Then he came back after his assignment and told me that the place had been bugged and I accepted his apology, but I didn't...not really. He was so cold, so callous...able to act so convincingly that I didn't recognize him. He became a stranger...in a way he still is..."

"Daniel," Methos said as he gently rubbed Daniel's left shoulder. "Jack is still the same man he has always been."

"I know!" Daniel waved his hands in the air, causing Methos to back off slightly, as Daniel's hands continued to flail as he spoke. "That's what I mean...I had him wrong before...projected what I wanted to see..." he shook his head, "I thought he was cold, get the job done even if it meant stretching the truth, but at least honest with his team...with me. Then I saw how deceitful he could be, even to his closest friends. I started to doubt everything he said, questioned what was truth and what was another convenient faηade in the line of duty. I did the same thing with General Hammond until that crystal skull put me out of phase. That's when I got to hear what the General and Jack really think of me," Daniel paused for another deep breath, "they care about me...they're my friends..."

"Okay...and so the problem is?" Methos asked with a slight nudge in his voice. He wasn't following. What the hell did Hammond have to do with Daniel's friendship with Jack?

"I haven't told either of them what I heard. I mean, General Hammond probably figured out I heard what he said since he knows I heard another part of that same conversation with his granddaughter, but Jack...he has no clue. I haven't forgiven him, Adam. I haven't told him how I feel, how much he hurt me that day, how much anger I've carried around because of it. I should have told him, I should have set things right between us, let him know he's regained my trust, but I couldn't say the words...I tried, but I couldn't and now I'm not sure I can..."

"He'll be back," Methos said calmly, wanting to reassure himself every bit as much as Daniel. "We have to keep that hope alive," he said with a gentle smile.

"Even assuming that he does, I don't know if I can tell him I trust him. With my life? Yes. It's his job to protect me out on a mission and I trust him to do his job, but other things...little things?" Daniel shook his head. "Shortly before Thor beamed him off the base, Jack came to visit me in the infirmary. He asked if he could see my scar and I said no. Why? He's seen me in the locker room how many times? And yet the act of pulling up my shirt and letting him peer under my bandages scared me. There's no logical reason for my behavior, but I did it and now I wish to hell I could take it all back. I want to trust him implicitly, Adam. I used to...but now...and I'm not sure why, let alone how to fix it."

Methos sat in a stunned silence as he digested Daniel's words, his slightly shaking body, and the tiny welling of tears in his eyes, and nearly pulled him in for a hug, but thought better of it.

"I'm sorry," Daniel said gently. "I shouldn't bother you with this. You have work to do. I've kept you from it far too long already."

"It's okay," Methos said with a smile. "You and I have both given our friendship to Jack. He's a bond between us. Perhaps I saw him more clearly for who he is than you did at first, or perhaps not. You've known him longer than I. People change. Our friendships with them change with the passing of time, but the core reasons that Fate brought us together never change. Search within, Daniel, and find what that core is for you and Jack. Once you see that it is still solid, you'll be able to speak with him to work out the rest," Methos said tenderly, hoping Daniel would take his words to heart.

"Yeah...too bad Teal'c isn't here." Daniel sniffed. "I'd join him for kel-no-rim."

"When I finish work today, I will join you for it...make an evening of it," Methos said as he rose to his feet. "I've been meaning to learn the fundamentals. I'll come get you for dinner at 19:00?" he asked while raising his eyebrows at Daniel.

"Okay," Daniel said with a broad smile. "Thanks again, Adam...for everything."

"You're welcome," Methos said then he walked out the door and let out a heavy sigh. Poor Jack. He wasn't good at dealing with all this emotional stuff and he was going to have his hands full with Daniel once he got home. But at least he'd be home...and Methos would be there to help him through.

~ ~ ~

Methos stepped off the elevator and headed toward Daniel's quarters with a tiny smile on his face and a touch of sweet anticipation in his stride, as he thought of the evening he had planned. The week had gone by quickly, his translation had been completed and sent off to Washington, and today he'd been able to actually work through his backlog of messages at the university remotely via his laptop. He could have physically gone to Denver that morning, but had opted to stay at the base for one more day so he could have one more evening with Daniel.

Their little get-togethers the past few days had been beneficial for both Daniel and Methos, therapeutic even. They hadn't discussed anything specifically concerning Jack, not since Daniel had voiced his emotions the other morning, but they had chatted in general about stress at the S.G.C., which had given Methos the opportunity to vent concerning Jack's current predicament without sounding like more than a worried friend, as Daniel was one as well. As they'd left off the evening prior, Daniel still hadn't decided if it was worse to be waiting behind for the others to return, or if it would be worse to be stuck off world with them and no way home.

Methos, on the other hand, had already known his answer to that question before Daniel had posed it. Simply put – both scenarios were equally undesirable for him. Methos abhorred waiting, even more so when it was coupled with an inability to take action to get a matter resolved. It annoyed him that the technicians couldn't get the other Gate up and operational. They were running into difficulty after difficulty and their frustration was filtering throughout the base, all the way from Hammond at the top down to the lowest member of the janitorial staff. Something or someone was going to blow if operations didn't get back online soon and Methos could only hope that he wasn't around to get caught up in the fallout.

He stopped just outside Daniel's quarters and knocked on the door out of courtesy, and then entered and shut the door behind him once he'd heard Daniel acknowledge his arrival. He was sitting in his wheelchair and ready to go with an eager puppy look on his face that made Methos smile. He was clearly expecting Methos to wheel him to the commissary for dinner, as had become their routine, but tonight however Methos had other plans in mind for his young friend.

"Out of the chair, we won't be using it this evening," Methos said with a grin on his face.

"I get to walk?" Daniel asked as he stood. "Janet won't get angry? Or you sent her away so she won't find out?" he asked playfully, sensing that something was up.

"She has agreed to let me take you on a field trip," Methos said with a tiny chuckle. "Just don't ask what it's costing me." He couldn't begin to explain to Daniel that he'd agreed to allow Janet to run a new test on him as part of her secret research on immortals. Janet knew Methos was an immortal, but Daniel did not, and it was going to stay that way.

"I can imagine," Daniel said with a tiny chuckle. "So, where to?"

"Joe's tavern. He's playing a new set tonight. We can have dinner and visit with him," Methos said with a tiny smile. "You should probably change into more appropriate attire," he said with a wave of his hand. Methos was dressed in his usual slacks and casual shirt, but Daniel was wearing a set of BDUs, as he typically did while on base.

"Right," Daniel said with a tiny sigh. "We can stop in the locker room? I left my clothes there when I came in to work last...before all hell broke loose inside my gut."

"Will those clothes be okay? If you need, we can drop by your apartment," Methos offered, thinking of how said clothes had been shut away in Daniel's locker for well over a week by now.

"I have an air freshener in there. Not to worry. They'll be fine," Daniel said as stepped over to the door. "Let's go before Janet changes her mind."

"My sentiments, exactly," Methos said with a tiny laugh then he followed Daniel out of the room and down the corridor.

Daniel then set a new record for changing his clothes and getting off the base, glad to be outside the gates after being confined inside for so many days in a row. He'd been there for that long before, longer even, but with his team, not alone. While it was true that he'd been around other people, Daniel had still felt all alone most of the time. His team had gone on a mission without him and the whole situation was still a bit surreal to him.

"Here we are," Methos said as he parked his car around back of Joe's tavern.

"Ashamed to take me in the front door?" Daniel asked teasingly as they got out of the car.

"No," Methos said, shaking his head then he quickly retrieved his trench coat and sword from the back seat. "We'll go in 'round front. I simply prefer to park back here," he said nonchalantly as he strolled around the front of the car to join Daniel on the sidewalk. It made for an easier getaway should such be necessary.

Methos then fell into step at Daniel's left and the two traveled around the block with a comfortable silence falling over them then Methos opened the front door of the tavern for Daniel out of courtesy, standing slightly off to the side. As Daniel walked through, Methos appreciated the view of his ass in his tight blue jeans ever so briefly. He simply couldn't resist the opportunity and there was no harm in merely looking, especially when he had no intention of even trying to touch. Daniel would never be receptive anyways, even if Methos were free to touch, so what was the point of even considering such?

"Daniel Jackson, you're still alive," Joe called out from behind the bar as he saw Daniel and Methos entering. "And here we thought the Mountain had swallowed you up forever," he said teasingly.

"It feels that way at times," Daniel said with a tiny smile as he crossed the room. "Good to see you, Joe," he said as he reached over the bar and shook Joe's hand in greeting. "Nice place you've got here."

"Yeah, it's not as big as the one I had in New York, but it works," Joe said with a tiny chuckle then he glanced at Methos, who was reaching over the bar and helping himself to the Scotch, as usual. "Mind taking it easy on that? It's the expensive stuff," he said with a touch of annoyance in his voice.

"I know. I wouldn't drink it otherwise," Methos said calmly as he poured out a double then he placed the bottle back in its place.

"Of course you wouldn't," Joe said with a shake of his head. "So, guys, how's Jack doing? He hasn't so much as told me to drop dead in over a month. Is he gonna make it tonight?"

"No, he's busy," Methos automatically answered then he drank down half of his Scotch in one swallow.

"Too bad," Joe said then he smiled at Daniel. "How about Major Carter? How's she doing?"

"She's busy, too," Daniel said quietly, wishing he drank so he could take a good, hard swallow of something. "Coffee ready yet?" he asked, looking for any reason to get off the subject of his missing teammates.

"No. I need to put it on," Joe said then he glanced at Methos. "Come in the back and help me."

"To put on coffee?" Methos scoffed then he saw a sense of urgency in Joe's eyes and sat his glass down on the bar.

"I need to get it down from the shelf," Joe said with a tiny glare at Methos then he looked at Daniel. "We'll be back in a few."

"I'll be here," Daniel said with a tiny wave of his right hand then he watched as the two men walked off together towards the back of the building. It always amazed him how well Joe got around with a cane and two prosthetic legs. He smiled, once again impressed by the older man's strength then he reached over the bar to get a glass, but felt a tug at his abdomen as he did, so he stopped before he hurt himself. "Walk around," he whispered in frustration then he got off the bar stool and inched his way around the bar so he could get a glass of water.

"What's up, Joe?" Methos asked once they were alone in the back. It was obviously something that Joe didn't want to discuss in front of Daniel.

"Duncan...he's not gonna make it tonight...trouble rolled into town this afternoon and he's gonna be in a hotel for a few days so he doesn't lead it to your doorstep," Joe said as he easily retrieved an unopened bag of coffee from storage.

"Does trouble have a name?" Methos asked, understanding that they were speaking of another immortal being in town.

"I'm sure he does, but Duncan wouldn't tell me that much," Joe said with a tiny sigh of frustration. "Damn, stubborn idiot...I'm gonna find out who it is eventually...I'm his Watcher, but he acted as if I wasn't."

"Yes, well, he wouldn't want to make your job of chronicling his life any easier, now would he?" Methos asked, trying to interject a bit of lightheartedness to the conversation. Unfortunately, it didn't work and Joe continued to brood.

"Methos..." Joe said through gritted teeth. "That's not what I'm gettin' at and you damn well know it!"

"Joe," Methos said as he placed his hands on his shoulders. "Duncan knows he can rely on you for assistance, but he didn't ask for it. Stay in the background, observe and record, don't interfere, you know...keep your Watcher oath this time and stay out of it."

"What if he can't take this one?" Joe asked with fear in his eyes.

"Then he loses his head," Methos said matter-of-factly. "He's at the top of his game...he'll be fine. He's been working out regularly. I wouldn't worry about him."

"He seemed off when he phoned me...like his mind was elsewhere," Joe said, shaking his head. "If he's distracted when this other immortal challenges him," he let out a sigh, "let's hope he isn't." Joe then shook loose of Methos' touch and walked toward the door.

Methos though remained where he stood and stared at the far wall. What if Duncan was distracted because he was worried about Jack? Damn it! For centuries, Methos had lived without guilt and without his conscience bothering him, but now between Jack and Duncan, he had his mind so weighted down that he was ready to go shooting at the S.G.C.'s target range just to blow off some of his anxiety. So much for all the progress he'd made with Daniel during the week. He was now essentially back to Square One or at least Square Two or Three. He doubted he'd lose any sleep over Duncan as he had over Jack.

"Joe," Methos said, catching him just as he was opening the door.

"Yeah?" Joe sighed while glancing back at him.

"Keep me apprised of anything you find..." Methos said with his concern evident in his tone.

"Will do," Joe said with a tiny nod. "We'd better get back out to Daniel."

"Right," Methos said then he put on his best poker face and followed Joe back out to the bar.

~ ~ ~

Jack stepped through the event horizon and strolled down the ramp, instantly scanning the Gateroom, checking it and everyone in it. The standard compliment of SFs was there, Daniel and Hammond were standing near the bottom of the ramp – all looked normal. Jack made a joke, reported in as usual and was quickly dismissed so he could take a sorely needed shower. He, Sam and Teal'c had been stranded for over a week and had found a water source to sustain them, but nothing that would pass for soap. All they had been able to manage during their time away was the most basic of survival hygiene and that had only been enough to prevent them contracting disease; it hadn't done squat to keep them from smelling like a small herd of wild pigs by the time they arrived back on Earth.

Before leaving the room, Jack made one more sweep of it with his eyes, being sure he rechecked all the windows above him, looking to see if Methos might be peering down at him. He didn't make a habit of being in the conference room when Jack came through the Gate, but he would be there sometimes, make eye contact, give Jack a tiny smile, and then he would disappear like a well-trained member of special ops. He would probably say Jack was crazy to think such a thing, but in his opinion Methos would make an excellent sniper if he ever had the inkling to follow that career path.

Jack chuckled quietly at that thought as he left the room then he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. With all he'd been through, it had managed to survive intact. He'd had it in his pants pocket when Thor had beamed him up then he'd stowed it with his gear once Sam and Teal'c had joined him on Thor's ship. Now, he wondered if it would have enough juice in it for one more phone call. Had he charged it the night before all hell broke loose? He'd been about to go out of town the next morning, so he should have, but at the moment his mind was a bit blurred so he couldn't quite remember for sure. He turned it on, waited a long moment, and then smiled as the display lit up in its entirety. It still had a full charge. Hot damn!

He put the phone away and waited until he got to the locker room before he brought it back out then he laid it in his locker and prepared for his shower, taking his time, stalling. Once Teal'c was off in the shower ahead of him and out of easy hearing range, Jack picked up his phone and sat on the bench in the center of the room with just a towel wrapped around him then he pressed speed dial for Methos' cell.

"Jack?" Methos answered on the second ring, as he saw who was phoning on his caller ID. His heart skipped a beat with excitement and he smiled. The effect Jack had on him was so strong, so wonderful – suddenly he felt like a young man receiving a call from his first love, almost giddy.

"Who else?" Jack said with a tiny laugh. Methos sounded anxious. "I missed you guys, too," he said, using the plural in case anyone might overhear his end of the conversation.

"When did you get back?" Methos asked curiously as he leaned back in his chair behind his desk. Damn, it was wonderful to hear Jack's voice. He could listen to him speak all day and just drink it in. He'd missed him so much this time while they'd been apart.

"Little bit ago...need a shower then we debrief then I'm off to the cabin," Jack waited for a beat, "Join me?"

"I'll meet you at your house," Methos said without hesitation then he nearly apologized for his poor behavior when he and Jack had last seen each other, but he held his tongue. This was one apology best made in person – preferably over a nice bottle of champagne and nestled between satin sheets.

"Good," Jack said with a beaming smile, hoping that no one walked in and noticed the tiny bulge forming underneath his towel. The thought of being alone with Methos, making love to him out under the stars; it was all Jack had dreamed of every night while he'd been off world.

"You haven't tried to phone Duncan have you?" Methos asked cautiously. He didn't want Jack accidentally walking into a hornet's nest of trouble.

"No. What's up?" Jack asked with a serious expression crossing his face, as Methos' tone of voice had abruptly changed to a more professional one.

"He has a visitor in town...trouble." Methos double-checked that he was alone with no one hovering nearby his office door. "There's another immortal in Colorado Springs...showed up while you were gone."

"After you?" Jack whispered, hoping that wasn't the case.

"He doesn't appear to know about me and I've been staying in Denver the past few days, just to play it safe. Duncan's been staying in a hotel to keep from being followed to my house, or at least he was..." Methos let out a tiny sigh as his mind drifted with worry over Duncan. Damn him. Life had been far less complicated before Duncan had reacquainted Methos with his conscience.

"Where is he now?" Jack asked with concern evident in his tone. Duncan was his friend too, so Jack felt a touch of anxiousness creep over him; he couldn't help it.

"Duncan? We have no clue. Joe's Watcher buddies lost him three days ago. Our visitor, they have in their sights. He's staying at one of the finer hotels downtown. He seems to be conducting some sort of business transaction, international trade or something. Joe wouldn't tell me much, not even the bastard's name, only that Duncan had good reason to avoid the guy. Apparently, according to the Watcher Chronicles, they were involved on opposite sides of a particularly nasty family feud over water rights back in the 1800s and this guy is not one to forget such things." Of course, neither was Duncan, but he did know when it was time to move on with his life and let go of certain battles. All the other participants on both sides of the dispute were long dead and buried, and their descendants were for the most part blissfully unaware that the feud had ever taken place.

"And I thought you had a temper," Jack said with a tiny sigh. "You can tell me about it at the cabin."

"Not much more to tell," Methos said with a tiny sigh of his own. "But I'll check with Joe on my way driving back, see what the latest is before we head out of town." Hopefully, Joe would be more forthcoming this time with information. Methos had practically dragged what little he'd gotten out of him when they'd last spoken. At the time, Joe was probably still pissed that Methos had told him to stay out of this one, to simply sit on the sidelines and record the events as they unfolded. Joe hated waiting around and feeling helpless nearly as much as Methos did. How he'd come to choose to be a Watcher was beyond Methos' comprehension at times. Joe was far too hands on for the job most days, interfering where he wasn't supposed to, but always for a noble cause. Ha...noble causes...the number one killer of a certain younger demographic.

"Sounds good," Jack said with his smile returning as he envisioned Methos lying naked by the fishing pond, just waiting for Jack to take him, the moonlight shimmering off his dripping wet skin.

"I should go...I'm at the university and need to get things squared away before I drive down..." Methos said, his voice trailing off as he quickly compiled a mental list of what he absolutely had to do before he could leave. The rest could wait. Spending time with Jack was of far greater importance, especially in light of recent events.

"See ya," Jack said with a tiny laugh. Methos was dismissing him, lovingly, of course, but dismissing him nonetheless.

"Good bye," Methos said and hung up so he could get to what was required of him as quickly as possible so it would be over with.

Jack turned off his phone while carrying it to his locker then he placed it on the shelf and shut the door. Damn. He hadn't said he was sorry for being such a jerk toward Methos the morning they'd last been together. He hadn't needed to be quite as snippy as he had been. He considered ringing Methos again to make his apology, but decided not to bother him. Methos had numerous items on his agenda that needed tending to prior to leaving with Jack for their romantic getaway, of that Jack was certain. Oh well, he could apologize later, and in private where he could give Methos a juicy make-up kiss as part of the deal. Maybe they could even squeeze in some make-up sex before they headed off to the cabin.

He could nearly taste Methos' lips already, smell his scent, sweet and musky, taste his cum on his tongue as he sucked him dry...Jack's manhood jerked to attention at the mere thought. Yes, they definitely had to have sex before leaving town. There was no way Jack could make the drive to Minnesota with Methos sitting beside him if he didn't make love to him first. If he tried, they'd end up in a motel along the way, some cheap place that Methos would hate, one with a bed that vibrated for a quarter. Jack then pictured Methos lying on the bed with his naked body spread out for Jack's viewing pleasure, his cock shaking as the bed vibrated....

"Crap," Jack muttered under his breath as he realized he was losing control and slipping into full fantasy mode. He was in the middle of the S.G.C.! What the hell was he thinking? He hurriedly focused his mind elsewhere, on Daniel's last lecture that had masqueraded as a briefing. There, that would quell his manhood. He leaned against his locker until he felt his control return then he let out a sigh of relief and moved toward the showers. Teal'c was still in there and he didn't want to join him sporting even a semi-hardened penis...it was something he simply would rather not have to explain.

~ ~ ~

Any notion of having a romantic dinner followed by steaming hot make-up sex was long gone – now, virtually guaranteed to not happen any time soon. The champagne was chilled and would remain that way. The steaks were seasoned, but would sit in the refrigerator until tomorrow. Methos simply had no desire to grill them, not given that he had no clue when Jack might make it home. Hopefully, he would return before the lettuce for the salad started to turn.

And so Methos sat on the sofa in Jack's living room and flipped through station after station, finding positively nothing that grabbed his attention. What else was new? Television had never offered much of interest to Methos, so he'd rarely ever watched it until he'd married Jack. Once they'd begun living together, the television had come along as part of the deal, and Methos had quickly become accustomed to the background noise it provided. Just so long as neither Jack nor Methos morphed into a couch potato because of the damn thing, Methos could live with its mindless drivel since it seemed to help Jack unwind after work.

Unfortunately, it didn't have the same effect on Methos, though at the moment he wished like hell it did. He was still feeling anxious concerning Duncan, so much so that he was beginning to get angry with himself for having allowed the current situation to develop. All day now Methos had tried unsuccessfully to get word to Duncan that Jack was alive and well, no longer on the missing list, and that annoying feeling of helplessness was threatening to creep over him again. Hell, he hadn't even been able to reach Joe, who had yet to respond to the message Methos had left on his cell phone.

Maybe Methos' anxiety wouldn't have reached this level if Jack had gotten out of the base before the Pentagon liaison had arrived earlier that day. Then Methos and Jack would have been able to leave for the fishing cabin and Methos could have left his concern for Duncan behind them. No. Who was he trying to fool? Hammond would have called Jack back, they would have never made it to the cabin, and even if they had, Methos would have still carried his worry for Duncan along with him anyway.

In an odd way, it was actually better that Jack was off on some assignment as he was. It gave Methos time to make contact with Duncan and to make sure for his own peace of mind that Duncan was going into battle with a clear head. That was, assuming that he was challenged by this other immortal. If he wasn't, things would return to normal in a few more days and all Methos' worry would have been for naught. He could live with that, especially since he was the only one who knew about the knot in his stomach over the matter.

Methos yawned and stretched a bit then he heard his cell phone ring so he turned off the TV and traded the remote control for his phone, which he'd laid on the coffee table in front of him. The caller ID showed it was Joe.

"It's about bloody time you called back," Methos said, nearly barking out the words.

"Some of us work full time for a living," Joe snapped back, dishing Methos' attitude right back at him.

"Where is Duncan?" Methos asked as he sat forward on the edge of the sofa.

"He's alive," Joe said then he fell silent.

"Joseph Dawson, now is not the time to be holding back on me," Methos said with a distinctly threatening tone in his voice.

"My guys didn't hear everything...Duncan met up with Mr. Trouble on Holy Ground and they set up a time and place for later tonight," Joe said, wishing he knew more details of the conversation. Thankfully, his guys had managed to hear the most critical portion.

Methos pursed his lips for a brief moment. At least in this instance, this other immortal had observed the most basic of rules: immortals were not to attack one another while on Holy Ground. Perhaps that meant he wasn't as much trouble as Methos and Joe feared. Then again, he was carrying around an irrational grudge that was nearly 200 years old, so Methos was still wary of the man's temperament, not to mention his mental stability.

"Where is Duncan now?" Methos asked, repeating his question, which Joe had just so skillfully dodged. If the fight wasn't set until later that night then Methos had more than sufficient time to speak with Duncan and then get the hell out the way without the other immortal ever knowing that he existed. But he couldn't do that if he didn't know where to go.

"I don't know," Joe sighed. He hated admitting such, but it was the truth. "He ditched three of my best guys."

"Damn it, Joe! What sort of incompetent morons are coming out of the Watcher Academy these days?" Methos asked with his frustration coming through loud and clear. When Methos had posed as his own Watcher for a time, he'd seen the operations of the organization up close and personal. They had strict standards for their recruits, or at least they used to. Such structured training was necessary because a sloppy Watcher was quite often a dead Watcher soon after entering the field. Most immortals did not take kindly to being shadowed and responded poorly when discovering that someone was recording their every move.

"They are not incompetent," Joe said with a defensive tone in his voice. "Duncan happens to know we're out there, remember? That makes our job more difficult with him."

"If not impossible," Methos sighed. He knew that Duncan cooperated with the Watchers in general, that he allowed his movements to be observed under everyday circumstances. Duncan, like Methos, understood that the Watchers' purpose was worthwhile, that future generations could possibly learn from the lives of immortals in that their experiences over the course of several centuries gave a view of history unobtainable by mortals. Yet, there were times when Duncan wanted to be on his own for one reason or another. If he was purposely evading the Watchers in this case, there was only one valid reason that Methos could think of – Duncan feared they would become collateral damage.

"You still there?" Joe asked since he could only barely hear Methos breathing on the other end of the line. He was at work, running his business, damn it. He didn't have time to sit through agonizingly long moments of silence.

"Tell me more about this other immortal," Methos said contemplatively as his mind focused in more intensely on Duncan.

"No," Joe said quietly. "You're the one who said we should stay out of this...not interfere..."

"Tell me about him and then tell me where and when he and MacLeod are to meet," Methos said with his Welsh accent suddenly very pronounced, as he cut Joe off. "Don't dick around with me, Joe, I'm not in the mood for it," he added to emphasize that he was not taking no for an answer this time.

"Dick around?" Joe laughed. "You have been around Jack too long."

"Yes, and I have access to all his weapons, so don't force me to use them," Methos said with a grin creeping onto his face. "Please, Joe. This one doesn't feel right, you know that as well as I."

"Alright," Joe sighed, acquiescing to Methos' request. "But not on the phone; come to the bar. I'll leave be in my office," Joe said as one of his staff came within hearing range of his door. None of Joe's staff knew about either immortals or those who watched them, so Joe was careful to not openly discuss anything concerning either group in front of them.

"I'll be there straight away," Methos said then he hung up and quickly prepared to leave, changing his clothes and making a cursory check of the house to be certain that all was in order.

Once the house was secured, Methos took up his coat and sword and headed for his car, which he'd left parked down the street. As he sat down behind the steering wheel, he laid his coat on the passenger seat and placed his sword on the floor within easy reach then he stared at his reflection in the rearview mirror for a long moment while debating his next move. He hated phoning Jack when he was working. Odds were that he was out in the field and that his cell phone was turned off and tucked safely away in his locker anyway, but it was imperative that Methos make this call.

He took a deep breath as he retrieved his cell phone from his coat pocket and formulated his message in his mind. Once ready, he pressed speed dial for Jack's cell and as expected his call rolled directly into voice mail.

"Jack, it's me," Methos began then he closed his eyes and pictured Jack's handsome face in his mind as he continued, "I have something that requires my attention. I'll be back to meet you as soon as I can. I'm sorry I couldn't accept your first invitation to go fishing. My behavior was deplorable when I declined. Please forgive me." He paused for a heartbeat. "I'll be in touch."

Methos opened his eyes as he turned off his phone then he put it in the glove box. He wouldn't be using it again until the situation with Duncan was resolved. Then Methos took out his black leather gloves from his coat pocket and slowly slipped them on, taking time to run his hands together, feeling over each of his fingers to be sure that the fit was snug, but not restricting. These were his fighting gloves, the ones he used with his sword, the thin connection between its handle and his hand, making his sword an extension of his body.

"I love you, Jack," Methos whispered as he started his car then he began to systematically shut out all thoughts of Jack, Daniel, the entire S.G.C., and all else from his mind until he was free of any possible distraction. They would all have to worry about each other for the next few hours while Methos focused on what lie ahead of him. Hopefully, he wouldn't be fighting tonight. He preferred that he not even encounter this other immortal, but if he did, and he was forced to fight, Methos was damn sure going to be ready.

~ ~ ~

Jack entered the elevator, heading on a one-way express trip to the surface. As second-in-command, he had the perk of a security card that would allow for such, and he took full advantage of it when he or his group was alone upon entering the elevator. Any personnel stuck waiting for the elevator while it passed them up and then came back down would simply have to wait. Patience was something that everyone at the S.G.C. could use in abundance, so in a way Jack was merely assisting those personnel affected in practicing a valuable asset. And he didn't feel even the slightest ounce of guilt in doing so, despite the various times that Daniel had tried to convince him that he should.

He pulled out his cell phone and turned it on then waited for a long moment while it powered up. Jack had been lucky. He and Teal'c had been transported to Thor's ship from the Russian sub where they'd been under attack from Replicators, and then Thor had dropped them off, along with Sam, back at the S.G.C. Poor Daniel and the others were all stuck having to schlep back from California by plane. They had military transportation at their disposal, naturally, but still, Jack was now cleaned up, debriefed, and heading for home, while none of them had reached the base yet.

Jack saw he had one new message in voice mail, so he played it then he played it again, thinking he must have heard it wrong the first time. He listened carefully to each word Methos had said, trying to discern any hidden meaning behind his words, but got nothing other than the 'I love you' that was purposely omitted from near the end. The tiny pause before his very last phrase was a method that Methos had used numerous times before to convey such, just in case anyone should somehow gain access to Jack's messages.

Why the hell was Methos leaving an apology in voice mail? That wasn't his style – not even remotely close. Something was wrong. As he exited the elevator and made his way past security, Jack had a feeling of dread creep over him, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to rise to attention. He started across the parking lot on foot, following the lighted path to his usual parking area and once he was out of hearing range of anyone, he pressed speed dial for Methos' cell phone.

"Damn it," Jack grumbled as his call rolled automatically into voice mail. He hung up without leaving a message then he tried phoning Methos' office then his apartment then his house, and then lastly Jack even tried phoning his own house, but reached nothing but one automated message after another. "Shit," he mumbled as he reached his truck then he saw someone slowly running toward him and glanced in that direction.

"Jack!" Daniel called out while waving his right hand in the air. "Wait up!"

"I don't need this," Jack muttered under his breath as he watched Daniel close the distance between them. Why couldn't he have gotten off the base just five minutes sooner? "What, Daniel?" he asked as the younger man came to stand in front of him.

"Can we talk for a moment?" Daniel asked with pleading eyes as he caught his breath. He wasn't supposed to be exerting himself like this. He was under orders from Janet to take it easy for at least another week, if not two, but he had to speak with Jack before he left on his vacation. He couldn't stand the thought of waiting until after Jack's leave to resolve the matter that had been festering inside of him for far too long, not after nearly losing both Jack and Teal'c earlier that day. Seated in the makeshift command center, Daniel had watched the monitor in absolute horror, while his friends had been nearly eaten alive. At that moment it had struck him afresh – clearly and painfully – just how short and fleeting life was. He couldn't allow for the fissure between him and Jack to remain for even so much as one more day.

"Sure," Jack sighed, seeing that Daniel needed to speak his mind. "What's up?" he asked with a nudge in his voice to speed the process along.

"Could we sit in the truck?" Daniel asked then he walked around to the passenger side door without waiting for Jack to answer.

Jack rolled his eyes while opening his door then he hit the power door locks, allowing for Daniel to open the other side. Daniel's timing was utterly inconvenient, as was so often the case, and Jack was sorely tempted to send him away, but he couldn't. Daniel was his friend, his best friend aside from Methos and Jack couldn't deny his request for a chat, not with the look of need he'd seen in his eyes. He settled into the driver's seat and waited until Daniel was seated beside him and both doors were shut then he cleared his throat.

"Yes, Daniel?" Jack said while raising his eyebrows at him.

"I want to show you my scar," Daniel said matter-of-factly while he turned on the map light, illuminating the cab of the truck then he un-tucked his t-shirt from his BDU pants.

"Now?" Jack asked, giving Daniel an incredulous look. Had he been drinking? Jack sniffed in his direction. There was no discernable smell of alcohol, not from this distance at least. Maybe the combination of his pain meds and the altitude of the flight back from California had made Daniel a little loopy? No, as Jack checked Daniel's eyes, he saw that he was sober. This was just Daniel being Daniel.

"Yes, now," Daniel said with a nod as he pushed down slightly on the top of his pants. "Pull up my shirt and look."

"Daniel," Jack said as he raised his left hand to his forehead and then rubbed it with his fingertips.

"Please, Jack. This is important to me," Daniel said most seriously as he looked directly at him.

"Fine," Jack said then he reached over with his right hand and lifted Daniel's shirt. "Not a Z like Zorro?" he joked, hoping to lighten the air, which had gotten rather heavy from Daniel's tone of voice.

"No," Daniel said with a smile as Jack moved his hand away. He hadn't been the least bit apprehensive about Jack lifting his shirt. This was good...very good.

"What's all this about, Daniel?" Jack asked, knowing that there had to be some underlying reason for Daniel's sudden desire to have Jack peek under his shirt. And it sure as hell wasn't any kind of come on or anything even remotely resembling foreplay – not coming from Daniel.

"That day at your house when you said our friendship didn't have much of a foundation..." Daniel began, but was quickly cut off.

"For cryin' out loud, Daniel, the place was bugged. I told you that," Jack blurted out. "I thought you understood that I said those things as a part of my cover." Why was Daniel now bringing up what Jack considered to be ancient history? Damn it. He'd thought this whole episode was behind them, but apparently it wasn't, not on Daniel's end at any rate.

"Yes," Daniel said with a nod. "But it still hurt...and since then," he adjusted his glasses, "I haven't been able to trust you like I once did." There, he'd said it out loud and instantly felt a weight lifting off him. He should have told Jack long before now.

"Do you want off the team, Daniel? Is that it?" Jack asked while looking Daniel in the eyes. "Say the word, and I'll have you transferred wherever you like."

"No," Daniel shook his head. "It's all okay now. I'm fine. I just needed to know for sure...needed to let you know what had happened. I've been distancing myself from you lately..."

"I know," Jack said then he pursed his lips. He knew something had been bothering Daniel, that it had been for a while now, but he also knew that Daniel would voice his concerns when he was ready to do so and not before, so Jack had ignored his behavior as much as possible, simply noting it mentally without comment to anyone. He took a long moment to search Daniel's deep blue eyes, and could tell there was more Daniel had to say, so Jack remained silent and waved his right hand in the air, signaling for Daniel to continue.

"You were right about one thing that day, Jack. I didn't know you as well I thought I did. I never realized you could sit there and say such hurtful things, lying to my face like that, so cold, so calculating..."

"It ate me up inside saying those things," Jack said and noticed an instant surprise in Daniel's eyes. "And I'm not just saying that..."

"No, you're not," Daniel said as he recognized the open honesty in Jack's eyes. He was allowing Daniel one of those rare glimpses into his soul, which Jack kept carefully concealed as a general rule. "Thank you, Jack, for telling me that."

"Just don't spread it around," Jack said quietly as his eyes drifted to his instrument panel. "Listen, not to be rude, but you need to report in and I need to get somewhere," he said, wanting Daniel to get out of the truck.

"Right," Daniel said with a nod then he opened the passenger door. Jack had never been one for emotional displays. Of that much, Daniel was positive. "Finally going fishing?"

"I'm still trying," Jack said with a tiny smirk. He watched as Daniel got out and closed the door then he waited until he had walked a safe distance away before he pulled out of his parking spot. By the time he reached the front gate, Jack had his hands-free set in place for his cell phone then once he was through and out on the open road he dialed the number for Joe's cell phone.

"Dawson," Joe answered, sounding obviously distracted.

"Joe, it's Jack. Any idea where my other half is?" Jack asked, knowing that their connection was secure since he'd given Joe the phone he was using.

"Where are you?" Joe asked while he stepped to the far end of the bar, away from curious ears.

"Just left the Mountain. Joe, what's going on? Is he in some sort of danger?" Jack asked, having noticed the anxiousness in Joe's tone of voice.

"I hope not," Joe sighed. "Come to the bar, park in back, I'll meet you there," he said as the bartender came up behind him. "I've got someone going off shift. I'll be settled with him by the time you get here."

"Be there soon," Jack said then he hung up and let out a tiny sigh. "What the hell have you gotten dragged into this time?" he asked out loud, although Methos couldn't possibly hear him. He shook his head while turning right at the next signal then he pressed down on the accelerator, pushing the speed limit as much as he dared.

~ ~ ~

Methos waited, comfortably nestled in the shadow of a tiny alcove, grateful that he'd worn a long-sleeve shirt under his coat. It hadn't gotten too cold, but as the evening had passed away and the darkness of night had crept in, a slight chill had filled the air. He had considered wearing a sweater and now was wondering if he should have, but came again to the same conclusion – no. Fighting would be easier without the cumbersome weight of the unnecessary garment, and it was always wise to wear tight-fitting clothing that an opponent couldn't readily grab hold of. Besides, it was too late to dart home and change now.

Duncan would be arriving at any moment. He should have arrived already. Where the hell was he? Showing up early for a challenge and scoping out the area was basic common sense. This wasn't even Methos' fight and he'd taken the time while waiting to get the lay of the land, just in case. He'd expected Duncan to do the same, but he'd been waiting now for over an hour without any sign of either Duncan or his opponent. Young idiots. Didn't they know any better than to show up at the last moment for one of these things? To do so was nothing short of naοve in Methos' experience. If you had the opportunity to prepare more fully for a fight, you should always take advantage of it. Many times such actions could quite easily save you from losing your head.

The area was quiet, the street lit but abandoned during the night hours, given there were no homes or open businesses nearby. The building chosen for the challenge was ideal for such an event. It was unguarded and easy to break into. Whatever was stored here was of little consequence to its owner since it appeared to only be visited periodically by a passing security vehicle. Methos had happened to see the private security roll by slowly shortly after his arrival, but they hadn't bothered to even stop the car, let alone go inside and physically check the interior of the building. Hopefully, the owner of the warehouse wasn't paying much for their services, or he was getting royally screwed.

Methos glanced up at the moon and stars and let out a tiny sigh of frustration then his entire body rose to attention and he drew his sword as he felt the approach of another immortal. His senses instinctively went into full-alert status as he first peered out to his right, making sure that his planned escape route remained unblocked. With that confirmed, Methos went flush with his back against the opposite wall of the alcove. He tested his grip on his sword handle and took a deep, steadying breath while listening acutely for any movement. He heard silence then a tiny splash...the puddle only three feet away.... He adjusted his grip, and then swung around the corner with his sword held neck high and came face to face with Duncan, who was holding his sword in a similarly defensive fashion.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Duncan asked as he lowered his sword, and then put it away inside his coat.

"Looking for you, you're late," Methos said in a snide tone of voice while scrunching his nose. "You hide incredibly well," he said as he put his sword away as well.

"Is that a compliment? I'm touched," Duncan said with a tiny chuckle. "What do you mean I'm late?"

"To get a feel for the place," Methos said with a tiny sigh. "I can outline it for you..."

"No need," Duncan said while raising his right hand to silence Methos. "I came by late this afternoon...when it was easier to see things."

"Fine," Methos grumbled as he smacked Duncan playfully upside his head. You tried to help some people and all you got for your trouble was a smartass comeback.

"What the..." Duncan stopped short of finishing his question. If he asked why Methos had hit him, he'd only do it again and Duncan wasn't falling for the old trick this time. "Why are you here?" he asked, opting for a safer question.

"I came to tell you that Jack made it back safely," Methos said, getting to the purpose of his visit.

"What?" Duncan said automatically in response then he nodded as he pursed his lips briefly. "Oh, right, good news. I kind of forgot about Jack being missing. Sorry, but my mind has been on Kruise," he said, referring to the immortal who had challenged him.

Methos stood stunned. He'd gone through all the nuisance of tracking Duncan down, worried for days now that Duncan was distracted by concern over Jack's well-being, and it had all been for nothing. Methos was going to shoot Joe – pure and simple.

"Who dressed you? Amanda?" Duncan asked as he got a better look at Methos' attire. He was all in black, just like Amanda dressed when she was about to perpetrate a breaking and entering. "You're not taking up a life of thievery now as a new career option, are you? I hope Jack can afford your bail," he said with a tiny laugh. Duncan just had to tease Methos at the moment. The opportunity was too sweet to let pass by.

"Funny," Methos said dryly with a tiny glare. "I came to tell you about Jack. Now that's done, I'm leaving."

"Whatever," Duncan said while shaking his head. He'd given up long ago attempting to make sense of Methos' actions. Sometimes, it wasn't possible no matter how hard Duncan tried.

"Good luck. Beware of the wet terrain on this side...the sprinklers ran about half an hour ago," Methos said, pointing the fact out since the wet patches were what had given Duncan's location away as he had otherwise silently approached.

"Thanks," Duncan said with a tiny smile as he patted Methos' shoulder. "I appreciate you came to tell me about Jack. It's good to hear he's okay."

"Right," Methos said with a nod. "Now, focus. I'll see you later," he said then his eyes grew wide as did Duncan's. Another immortal was approaching, presumably Duncan's challenger.

"Go," Duncan said, knowing that this fight had nothing whatsoever to do with Methos. He took his sword out as he stepped past Methos then he stealthily made his way along the outside of the building, and then in through the nearest entrance.

Methos waited until Duncan was inside then he turned to leave but heard gunfire and cringed. "Damn cheating bastard," Methos grumbled. After reading the Watcher file on this Kruise character, Methos had suspected he might try to circumvent the rules of engagement. The Game didn't allow for any weapons other than an immortal's sword or in some cases daggers or axes were used, though two-handed combat was becoming a rare and lost art in the modern era. The rules also didn't allow for interference from anyone, either mortal or immortal, but if Kruise was going to shoot at Duncan then he'd broken the rules first, hadn't he?

Sword in hand and at the ready, Methos inched his way silently alongside the building then in and heard two more shots ring out, making a total now of five. Depending on the gun Kruise was using, he was anywhere was halfway to completely out of bullets. If the Watchers' records were correct and Kruise remained true to form, he was using a dual-action revolver, which would hold only six rounds, but could be easily reloaded since it had a swing out cylinder with simultaneous ejection. The trick was to catch the shooter just after the sixth round, before he could swing out the cylinder and then reload. As with so much of life, it all boiled down to a matter of proper timing.

Methos dropped his coat off, leaving it on the ground just inside the entry then he silently made his approach, hoping to catch Kruise by surprise. He inched in slowly and cringed inside as he saw Duncan lying still, facedown on the concrete floor just beyond a tall stack of crates. He'd most likely been using the various stacks for cover and had been hit by gunfire while attempting to cross between them. Naturally, he wasn't dead for good since head was still attached, but he was seemingly out cold and quite probably dying if not already dead from the wounds he'd sustained. Either way, he was in no position to mount a defense, let alone an offense, and wouldn't be for some time while he recovered.

Kruise put his gun away in his left hand coat pocket and drew his sword with his right hand then he sensed something was amiss. Earlier in the day when he'd met with Duncan, he hadn't felt his presence as strongly as he was now. There was either another immortal nearby or Duncan had taken a head since their earlier meeting. Kruise seriously doubted that the latter was the case, so he held his sword cautiously in front of him, keeping it at the ready to go for either the kill-blow, taking Duncan's head, or for a defensive counterstrike if it was required. If he took Duncan's Quickening then had another immortal attack before he'd recovered, Kruise was as good as dead. He had to wait until he could be positive that he and Duncan were alone.

"Show yourself!" Kruise called out in an angry tone of voice, in part to intimidate whoever might hear him and in part to simply vent his frustration at having his planned execution interrupted.

"If you insist," Methos said dryly as he pressed the sharp edge of his cold steel against the right side of Kruise's neck. The urge to slice through his neck right then was strong, but that would hardly be sporting, so Methos resisted it, hoping he wouldn't regret his decision later.

"No interference is allowed," Kruise said as he slowly pulled his sword more closely to his body. One wrong move and his head would be lost and he knew it.

"Shooting one's opponent isn't allowed either," Methos said in a condescending tone as he took Kruise's gun from his coat and unloaded it – a Ruger revolver with one remaining cartridge, just as Methos had expected.

"You should have stayed out of this," Kruise said through gritted teeth as he tightened his grip on his sword.

"You should have used a silencer, you arrogant bastard," Methos snapped back as he tossed the gun upwards, above his head, onto the top of the nearest stack of crates. Theoretically, Kruise could make for the gun and retrieve it, but the odds were in Methos' favor that he could take him first, given that Kruise was of a slightly smaller stature with an inferior physique. "I'm going to enjoy killing you," he said snidely.

Kruise took a quick swallow then he fell left, holding his sword up close to his front and swung his left leg backwards, just missing Methos, who had jumped back.

"Who are you?" Kruise asked, his tone demanding.

"A man who chooses his allegiances wisely and fights to preserve them," Methos said with a cavalier tone and a subtle wave of his sword in Duncan's direction. "You've cheated one time too many," he said then he kicked out his right foot and lunged forward, beginning his attack.

Meanwhile, Jack and Joe pulled up outside the warehouse in Jack's truck. They'd spotted both Duncan's and Methos' cars within easy walking distance, parked almost directly across from one another. They'd both made it this far safely, or so it seemed anyway. Jack turned off the ignition and the headlights then he slipped his keys into his jacket pocket and pursed his lips.

Jack had picked up Joe at the tavern and he'd been briefed along the way with all that Joe knew of the current situation, but now that they'd arrived at the place, Jack wasn't sure quite what to do. Hell, he and Joe still hadn't figured out what Methos had planned to do once he got here. All he'd told Joe was that he needed to speak with Duncan before he went up against Kruise; that he had to share something important with him. Now, Duncan was presumably inside fighting Kruise and Methos was somewhere nearby?

"Knowing Methos' well-honed sense of self-preservation, I say he's doubled-backed to his car by now," Joe said, wanting to put Jack's mind at ease. He checked his watch and licked his lips. "The challenge should be underway. Immortals are predictably punctual about these things," he said knowingly, based on his years of experience as a Watcher.

"Let me try his cell," Jack said, as he pulled his phone out of its travel cradle and disconnected the hands-free set up. He knew that Methos wouldn't have his phone turned on if he were anywhere in the vicinity of the fight, lest he give away his position. If he answered Jack's call that would confirm that he was safely out of harm's reach.

"No answer?" Joe asked as a grimace crossed Jack's face.

"No," Jack said as he turned off his phone and then slipped it into his jacket pocket. His call had rolled instantly into voice mail, just as it had earlier. That meant that Methos still had his phone turned off and Jack's worry grew as he wondered why.

Jack's attention, as well as Joe's, was then caught by a flash of light behind one of the building's windows. It was followed by a series of smaller flashes then a larger one that hit the window like a bolt of lightening and sent its glass shattering out onto the street.

"Wait," Joe said, holding Jack's right arm to keep him from exiting the truck.

"What? That was the Quickening, right?" Jack asked with a shrug. "It's over. I want to see if Duncan won," he said as he took his gun from under the driver's seat and placed it in his ankle holster.

"In a moment...when it's clear," Joe said while he carefully monitored the street. Within a few moments, two tall, dark figures emerged from the far end of the building and then disappeared into the darkness. "Those would be my guys. We can go in now," he said as he let go of Jack's arm.

"Right," Jack said with a nod. He'd momentarily forgotten about the other Watchers who'd been assigned to witness the fight.

"Duncan will be a little out of it," Joe said as he closed the passenger side door, hoping that he was correct in his assumption that Duncan had taken Kruise's head and not the other way around.

"I know. I saw him post fight before," Jack said matter-of-factly then he closed his door and walked around the front of the truck to join Joe on the sidewalk.

"Right...with Amanda," Joe said with a nod. How could he ever forget that night in New York when Jack had been taken hostage by an immortal who had mistaken him for being Amanda's lover? Methos had nearly taken Amanda's head over that little fiasco.

"Let's go help him out," Jack said with a tiny grin then he started walking, but stopped after two steps to reach out and grab Joe's arm as he nearly fell. "Careful."

"Damn, puddles," Joe grumbled. He hated to be assisted with his walking. He'd worked long and hard to regain his independence after losing both his legs in Vietnam.

"The ground's all wet," Jack said, squinting slightly. The street was lighted, but with the nature of water and shadows, a standing puddle could easily be missed in the dark of night.

"Maybe I'll hold your arm...just this once?" Joe asked hesitantly.

"Only if you don't tell my husband," Jack said jokingly, wanting Joe to be more comfortable.

"Deal," Joe chuckled then he let out a tiny sigh as they walked toward the nearest entry.

"Someone's gone in this way," Jack said as they reached the door and he noticed it had been forced open. He then opened the door and the sight of Methos' trench coat on the floor made his throat go dry.

"It's dry from here. Go," Joe said with a wave of his hand as he let go of Jack's arm.

Jack picked up Methos' coat and handed it to Joe then he brought out his gun, feeling safer with it at the ready. He then carefully entered the large, main room of the warehouse, slowly inching along, checking behind each stack of crates and searching for any sign of an ambush. Fortunately, he found none, but what he did find was disturbing enough. He glanced back and gave an all clear signal to Joe, who being ex-Army understood hand signals, then Jack moved over to Duncan's motionless body and squatted beside him. He felt for a pulse. There was none.

"He's been shot," Jack called out to Joe. "But his head's still here..." He stopped as he heard the sound of broken glass falling and aimed his gun in the direction the noise had come from while he rose to his feet. On the upper half of the far wall to his right was a bank of windows with the glass and parts of the wooden frames blown out, shattered and on the floor. The Quickening, it seemed had occurred in the next room over, and the victor was still in there.

Jack motioned for Joe to stay with Duncan then he took a deep swallow and licked his lips as he stepped toward the far corner of the room where the doorway to the next room was located. As he neared it, he saw the door and a good portion of the frame had been knocked down. The fight had begun in this room and ended in the other one. Jack then got to the remains of the door frame and saw fresh blood. His heart beat faster and his throat became even drier. He took a deep breath then heard a tiny moan. He knew it in an instant – Methos.

"It's Methos," Jack called back to Joe. "He's alive," he added as he put his gun away then he went into the other room and cringed at the sight of Kruise's decapitated body lying in a pool of blood near the center of the room.

"Jack?" Methos called out weakly. His vision was still blurry. Kruise had slammed his head into the wall at least twice and Methos was certain he had a concussion on top of being drained from receiving the Quickening.

"I'm here," Jack said as he rushed to Methos' side.

"No..." Methos tried to stop Jack's approach, recalling how Jack had been knocked back when he'd touched Duncan after a Quickening, but Jack didn't stop. He reached Methos' side and gave him a tender smile then as soon as his hand touched Methos' shoulder an electrical surge shot through both of them, sending Jack flying across the room and leaving both him and Methos unconscious.

Joe saw the flash of light that accompanied the electrical surge and heard something crash so he ducked, thinking that some sort of transformer might have blown in the other room. As he hovered over Duncan's head, shielding it in case debris came in their direction, Duncan suddenly revived and grabbed hold of Joe's left arm, nearly knocking him off balance.

"Easy, Duncan, it's me, Joe," he whispered, wanting to get Duncan focused.

"The son-of-a-bitch shot me!" Duncan shouted as he sat upright. "Where's my sword? I'm..." He stopped as he saw Joe staring at the other room. "What?" he asked then he caught a tiny glimpse of light as it dissipated from the other side of the half wall.

"Did you see that?" Joe asked. "First a flash of light like lightning then something like beam me up, Scotty," he said in disbelief.

"I saw something. Where's Kruise?" Duncan asked as he got to his feet and helped Joe to stand.

"In there with Methos and Jack, I guess," Joe said with a shrug then he started walking in the direction of the doorway. His curiosity had to be satisfied, regardless any potential danger.

"Methos and Jack?" Duncan asked while retrieving his sword from behind a fallen crate. "What are they doing here?" he asked as he put his sword away and then fell into step behind Joe.

Joe ignored Duncan's question, his sole focus on getting to the other room. He reached the doorway and then went inside, being careful to not get close enough to Kruise that he ended up with blood on his cane or shoes. "Jack?" he called out, not seeing him.

"Methos? Jack?" Duncan called out, projecting his voice farther than Joe could. "You're certain they were in here?"

"They were before all the flashes of light...and Methos sword is still here," Joe said in bewilderment as he stared at it on the floor. "What the hell happened?" Immortals didn't take off without their sword unless left with no other option.

"I have no idea," Duncan said as he picked up Methos' sword. "But they seem to be gone and we need to get out of here before someone shows up and sees the mess."

"Right," Joe said with a nod, knowing that Duncan was correct. No one stayed around at the scene of a challenge unless he was a masochist who enjoyed being interrogated by the police. "What about Jack and Methos?"

"They'll have to look after each other," Duncan said then he took hold of Joe's arm and started guiding him to the nearest exit.

"Methos' car is parked across from yours...Jack's truck is parked outside...it's how I got here," Joe said as his mind raced with thoughts of damage control.

"I'll hotwire the truck and we'll use it to get you home. They can use Methos' car," Duncan said with a sigh of frustration. He had a pounding headache accompanied by more muscle aches than he could readily count. "Let's just go," he said forcefully then he nearly dragged Joe to get him to move out of the building and onto the street.

~ ~ ~

Jack regained consciousness, but kept his eyes closed as he sensed a bright light was shining down on him. He'd woken up enough times in the base infirmary to know the warmth and glow of a light directly over him without having to open his eyes to the glare to confirm it was there. Was that where he was now? All he could remember was seeing Methos lying on his side on the concrete floor of the warehouse with blood on the right side of his head.

"He's coming 'round," Methos said gently as he took hold of Jack's left hand with his.

"Methos?" Jack whispered as he opened his eyes and looked to his left where Methos was standing beside him. "What happened? Where are we?" He was lying on a hard, cold table, definitely not a hospital bed.

"With Thor," Methos said with a smile as he helped Jack to sit up with his legs over the side of the table. "Easy...your head..."

"...hurts like hell," Jack grumbled while rubbing the back of his neck with his right hand.

"It will pass," Methos said tenderly then he cupped Jack's chin with his right hand. "My dearest love," he whispered then he drew Jack in for a sweet, passionate kiss, as his emotion poured out. If they'd been alone, Methos would have made love to him, but for the meantime, a kiss would have to suffice.

Jack went with the kiss, cherishing the feel of Methos' lips pressed to his then he heard someone coming to stand beside them and reluctantly ended it. He glanced to his right then down until he was gazing into Thor's large eyes.

"Changed your mind about fishing?" Jack asked, making a joke then he looked to Methos. "I invited him to come along before he dropped me off at the base earlier," he said, explaining the context of his question in brief to Methos, while noting that the wound on Methos' head had healed. All that remained was a bit of dried blood in his hair. Jack had obviously been knocked out for a fair amount of time.

"Apologies, Colonel O'Neill, but I have not been granted time for social activities," Thor said matter-of-factly, officially declining Jack's invitation rather than simply ignoring it as he had previously.

"Right," Jack said as he shifted his jaw to one side. "So, which of you is going to tell me what happened?" he asked while glancing between Methos and Thor.

"Prior to embarking on my journey with Major Carter, I was granted forty-eight Earth hours post-assignment for study of you and Doctor O'Neill," Thor said, beginning with information that he hoped would keep Jack from asking too many questions. In Thor's limited experience with humans, he had found that a certain degree of background was necessary for them to more easily comprehend the substance of what he had to convey.

"Provided he survived said assignment," Methos added, having heard this portion already. He'd woken a good half hour before Jack, so he knew the basics of how it was that Thor just happened to be in Earth's orbit.

"Okay...so what happened? What knocked me out?" Jack asked while raising his eyebrows.

"Of this we are uncertain," Thor said then blinked. "The data will require further study before an adequate explanation of the events transpired can be given."

"Any guess?" Jack asked with a nudge in his voice.

"Apparently, when you touched me, part of the Quickening I had received from Kruise shot through the both of us," Methos said, giving his best interpretation of the data.

"You were both reading normally then Doctor O'Neill's life sign was subjected to a large energy surge," Thor said with a blink at Jack. "When your life sign came into proximity of Doctor O'Neill's the surge had not yet been fully absorbed by his body. It for some reason engulfed your body as well. Both of your life signs became unstable as a result so I transported you on board to render medical assistance."

"And for that we are most grateful," Methos said with a tiny smile, giving Jack a moment to digest what he was being told.

"So, I ended up receiving part of the Quickening?" Jack asked, as his mind worked through the possible ramifications.

"Your body shows no residual from the energy surge and your life sign now reads as normal on the sensors however you did undoubtedly absorb a portion, yes," Thor said then he blinked very slowly while waiting for Jack to respond. After speaking with Methos concerning the Quickening and having his interpretation of the data added to his own, Thor had gained substantial knowledge about immortals. His superiors in the science arena would be very pleased by his new findings and hopefully they would prove of use to the Asgard one day.

"Our nervous systems were overloaded, but Thor was able to stabilize our synaptic pathways with little difficulty," Methos said as he placed his right hand on Jack's left shoulder. "I tried to keep you away from me...after what had happened with Duncan..."

"Oh," Jack said with a tiny lifting of his chin. He'd forgotten all about the shock he'd received from Duncan after he'd taken a Quickening. As Jack had approached Methos in the warehouse, his mind had been focused only on caring for him. "But Duncan didn't knock me out when he zapped me," he said, a bit confused.

"The reason for such a violent reaction in this case is not yet evident," Thor said then he walked over to a control panel at the far side of the room. "Doctor O'Neill, you are certain you wish to take the data with you in this form?" he asked as he retrieved a copy of the material, which he had placed in an Asgard storage device – one of 'the stones' as Jack referred to them.

"Yes, that will be fine," Methos said and began to follow Thor, but was held back by Jack. "What, my love?"

"You're taking the data?" Jack asked curiously as he rose to his feet.

"Yes," Methos said with a nod. "Thor has the data from his previous observations with him on mini-discs as he has done in the past. He had intended on giving those to us during his visit. Now, he's giving me the data he collected tonight as well."

"How'd you manage that?" Jack asked, sounding impressed. Thor had been very strict in the past about not handing over any data he'd collected until it had been reviewed and quite probably edited by his peers.

"He required my assistance in understanding the basics of what occurred," Methos whispered. "He needed me to tell him more about the Quickening...that sort of thing...otherwise he wasn't able to interpret the data. So...I struck a deal," he said with a tiny wink.

"Sweet," Jack said with a broad grin crossing his face then he started to follow Methos over to the control panel where Thor was standing, but stopped as his cell phone fell out of his jacket pocket. He bent down and cringed as he picked it up. It was all charred on the outside. "Damn...my phone's fried," he grumbled as he walked over to Methos' right side.

"So it is," Methos said with a slight scrunch of his nose. "Good thing I left mine in the car," he said with a tiny chuckle.

"Not funny," Jack said in protest. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to program all the damn numbers into speed dial?" He'd traveled light years through the Stargate with the damn thing and back to Earth without so much as losing an ounce of its battery power, and now it was quite literally toasted!

"I'll program your new phone if you like," Methos said then he gave Jack a tiny peck on his left cheek. "Your gun's fine...checked it earlier," he said with a tiny wink.

Jack then reached down and pulled up his right pants leg to look for himself. There was a tiny black mark on his brown ankle holster, but otherwise it appeared unaffected by the electrical surge.

"You can give me something to read this on, right?" Methos asked as he took the stone from Thor and regained Jack's attention, causing him to quickly fix his pants leg and then stand up tall once again.

"No. I am not at liberty to share Asgard technology with you," Thor said and raised his right index finger to keep Methos and Jack from voicing any protest. "I can however provide schematics for you to build a crude interface from materials available on Earth."

"You can?" Jack asked in shock. He'd been given the flat-out-absolutely-not-under-any-circumstances routine so often from advanced cultures that he could barely believe what his ears were hearing.

"You are of the house of Thor. As such you are at liberty to peruse our family chronicles. I have made an entry in them, providing the necessary information," Thor said as he pulled up a diagram on his screen. "I can transmit just this image to your Stargate Command, for your eyes only, Colonel O'Neill."

"We'll have to explain it to General Hammond somehow," Methos said then bit his lower lip.

"I'll handle him," Jack said with a nod while he slipped his dead phone back into his pocket. "Send it, but not until tomorrow. I don't want Hammond calling me tonight." How exactly Jack was going to handle Hammond, he wasn't sure, but he was certain he'd come up with something by the time he came face to face with his commanding officer.

"As you wish, Colonel O'Neill," Thor said with a tiny nod then he scheduled the transmission into the computer so that it would automatically go out at the time requested.

"So, Thor, old buddy, you found another loophole, huh? You're gettin' pretty darn good at those," Jack said with a tiny chuckle.

"Perhaps from being around you so often," Methos said teasingly as he took hold of Jack's left hand with his right. "I suppose we need to be going?"

"Yes," Thor said with a nod. "I shall continue to monitor you until my allotted time is completed and provide you with the additional data at our next meeting."

"So, we're both okay now?" Jack asked cautiously. "No side effects to be concerned about?"

"None are readily apparent," Thor said then he slowly blinked once again. "Be well, O'Neills," he said then he transported them to the surface.

Jack and Methos materialized in Jack's living room and shared a tender smile as they realized where they were, and more importantly that they were alone.

"I'm sorry about that morning," Jack said quietly while he ran the back of his right hand along Methos' left cheek.

"Me, too. Let's forget it," Methos whispered as he leaned into Jack's touch.

"Carter turned me down, too," Jack said, needing to tell Methos that he had actually invited her to join him on his fishing trip. "We knew she would..."

"And if she hadn't, I know you would have remained strictly platonic while away with her," Methos said as he pulled Jack into a warm embrace. "I trust you, Jack," he whispered into his ear.

"I trust you, too," Jack said in response since it was true and seemed appropriate. He then leaned in more closely and pressed his lips to Methos' for a tiny kiss.

Methos tossed the stone Thor had given him down onto the sofa, letting it bounce on the cushion then he pushed Jack's jacket off his shoulders and took it off him, tossing it down on top of the stone. He then took total control of the action and continued undressing Jack as he pushed his tongue deep into his mouth. He loosened Jack's shirt and felt him doing the same to his in response so Methos separated from him long enough for them to shed their shirts and drop them to the floor.

"Let me make love to you?" Methos asked, knowing he wanted Jack to bottom this time.

Jack smiled and nodded then he pulled Methos back to him and they wrapped their arms around one another, pressing in as tightly as they could as they resumed kissing. Methos slowly guided them toward the edge of the living room, keeping his smooth skin in contact with Jack's wiry chest hairs, savoring the touch as much as their kisses then he carefully took them up the stairs and into the entryway, past the front door, to the edge of the hallway then he sensed an immortal was approaching and he abruptly ended their kiss.

"Company," Methos whispered as he glanced at the front door.

"I know," Jack said, purposely remaining calm. "You don't have your sword," he said as he suddenly realized it wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Thor didn't transport it up with us," Methos said as he thought of a way to avoid losing his head.

"I'll stall whoever it is," Jack said while making for his gun. He held it out at the ready, putting himself between Methos and the door then waited. A moment later the door opened and Jack and Methos both gave a sigh of relief as they saw it was Duncan.

"Hello?" Duncan called out while he cautiously entered the house then he saw Methos and relaxed his posture. "There you two are. You nearly gave Joe a heart attack with your disappearing act," he said, scolding them as he shut the door behind him.

"Good to see you up and alive again," Jack said nonchalantly while he walked over to the dining table.

"Where did you guys go?" Duncan asked while he watched Jack take off his ankle holster and then put his gun in it before putting them both down on the table.

"There was an explosion. We ducked out in the other direction," Methos said calmly as Jack returned to stand beside him.

"How?" Duncan asked curiously.

"You plan on giving my sword back?" Methos asked with a wave of his hand toward it. "You can just leave it on the table," he said with a tiny glare, daring Duncan to push for an answer to his question. With all Methos had been through in the past few hours, he wasn't in the mood to play Q&A with Duncan or anyone else.

"Here," Duncan said as he placed Methos' sword on the dining table beside Jack's gun. He knew the look Methos was giving him – the 'shut up or else' glare. By the time he'd turned back to face them, Jack was wrapped around Methos from behind and resting his chin on Methos' right shoulder. "And here's the keys to your truck; it's parked in the driveway," Duncan said while tossing them onto the table as well. "Joe didn't want it left at the warehouse for the police to see."

"Good thinking," Methos said then he took a quick swallow as Jack's hands slid down to his hips. "Those are the hide-a-keys?"

"Yes. But I would have hotwired the damn thing if need be," Duncan snapped as he was becoming uncomfortable given Jack's open acts of affection. If he reached for Methos' crotch, Duncan was going to be out of there without another word. "How'd you get here? Your car was still parked when I went to retrieve mine," he said, looking directly at Methos. He just had to ask the one more question since it had been bugging him for well over an hour.

"We got a ride from a friend," Jack said instantly then he nibbled slightly on Methos' shoulder.

"Thanks, Duncan, we appreciate your assistance," Methos said with a nudge in his voice, essentially dismissing him. At the rate Jack was moving, Duncan either had to leave or prepare to watch them make love, which Methos seriously doubted Duncan would want to do.

"You're welcome," Duncan said with a smile. "And, thanks for being there, Methos," he added, knowing he would have lost his head if Methos hadn't intervened.

"Glad I was," Methos said quietly then he gave Duncan a tiny wave with his right hand.

"Later, guys," Duncan chuckled then he opened the door and started out.

"Later!" Jack called out just before the door closed. "I thought he'd never leave," he whispered in Methos' ear as the door finally shut.

"You sensed him when he arrived?" Methos asked curiously as he turned around in Jack's arms. He thought Jack had, but he wanted to be certain.

"Yep," Jack said casually then he placed a tiny kiss on the tip of Methos' nose.

"Do you sense me?" Methos asked curiously.

"I think so." Jack nibbled briefly at Methos' chin. "Probably why my head hurt so badly when I came to. It still tingles a bit, but it was stronger with Duncan nearby."

"Possible side effect? We should take some readings," Methos said, but then was silenced by Jack's fingers on his lips.

"Later. Whatever happened is done. We can't change it," Jack said while moving his fingers along Methos' jaw line. "Make love to me," he whispered then he drew Methos in for a deep, lingering kiss.

Methos kept them still for a long moment then he started them moving again, down the hall and into the master bedroom. He broke away from Jack so he could close the door and when he turned back, he saw Jack was taking off his boots and socks, so Methos did the same before he stepped over and took hold of Jack's belt.

"I'm getting to that," Jack said playfully as Methos undid the belt and then his pants.

"Move faster," Methos whispered playfully in return then he let go of Jack and finished undressing himself while Jack quickly did the same.

Once both were naked, they took the briefest of moments to ogle one another before Methos practically tackled Jack down onto the bed. They shared a laugh as they wrestled and wiggled, getting into a good position in the center of the bed then Methos quieted and licked his lips while he traced Jack's lips with his fingertips.

Jack drew Methos' fingertips into his mouth and gently sucked at them then he let out a tiny sigh as Methos rubbed their hardening cocks together, making them even fuller and harder. He cherished the times when Methos was on top and made love to him, which were not as often as either would like. The unfortunate reality was that Jack's rear didn't heal as quickly from the intrusion as Methos' did and he couldn't risk having Air Force medical personnel noticing that he'd been engaged in forbidden activity.

Methos slid to Jack's right side and reached over to the nightstand, retrieving the lube from the drawer while Jack nibbled on his torso, tiny bites, tongue swirls that caused Methos to take longer than needed to get the lube since he was enjoying Jack's attentions so very much. No doubt about it – his husband had near lethal lips and tongue.

As Jack eased up to get a bit of air, Methos slid down the bed, taking his abs away from Jack's face then he put a little of the lube on his fingers before he tossed the tube out of the way. Jack blew him a tiny kiss and gave him a smirk then he shifted his hips slightly and shoved a pillow underneath his lower back, allowing more room for Methos to work with. Methos then kissed Jack's navel, teasing it with his tongue as he gently shoved his middle finger inside Jack's entrance and began to prepare him.

Jack relaxed his body, savoring Methos' touches, his fingers first one then two then three up his ass, while he nibbled at Jack's torso and teased his nipples with his tongue. It was wonderful, stimulating as hell; and Jack wanted Methos to continue for a long, long time, but he wanted to feel Methos' cock pounding inside him even more. He opened his eyes and smiled then he moved his right hand away from Methos' back and went in search of the lube. Where the hell had Methos tossed it this time?

Methos instantly missed the warmth of Jack's hand on his back and knew it was a signal to move on. He'd gotten so lost in Jack's chest hairs that he'd tuned out his breathing. If he'd been monitoring it, he would have caught on sooner that Jack was ready for him to slip inside.

"Lube?" Jack whispered as his fingers finally located the tube and he took hold of it.

"Yes, I think you're more than ready," Methos purred as he slowly removed his fingers from Jack's entrance then he shifted to his knees at Jack's right side and relaxed while Jack slicked his arousal with lube, stroking Methos until he was well-coated and more than ready as well.

"Hard and fast," Jack whispered as he tossed the lube to the floor then he wiped his hand off on the sheet while Methos moved into position between his legs.

Methos teased Jack's entrance with the tip of his arousal then he slipped inside and stopped just after breaching the first ring of muscle. He took a deep breath, caressing Jack's hips for a moment then he went in more until he was about halfway then stilled, enjoying the connection while he waited for Jack to signal that he was ready for more.

Jack took a deep breath as he felt the burn caused by Methos' intrusion then his body adjusted and he blew a tiny kiss to Methos, letting him know he could move again. The next moment, Methos was fully sheathed with his cock hitting Jack's prostate and they let out a shared moan.

"Bingo," Jack said as a tiny tear streamed along his right cheek then he moaned again as Methos made a tiny thrust, slamming once more into his prostate.

Methos made a couple more slow passes, making sure that Jack was blissfully lost in pleasure before he picked up the tempo. Methos then closed his eyes, held onto Jack's hips and thrust as hard and fast as he could, feeling the heat, the tightness, the delicious friction. He slowed a bit at one point so he could last longer then he resumed the quicker pace, taking them both steadily to orgasm.

Jack felt Methos erupt inside him and the sensation caused his erection to tremble and burst forth with cum as well. They took a deep breath together then Jack held Methos close and still while the Aftershock coursed through them and they cried out in pleasure.

"Damn," Jack sighed as the sensation passed. "That was a strong one."

"Yes, quite," Methos said while catching his breath then he carefully slipped out of Jack and rolled off to snuggle at his right side. "Wonder if they will be stronger from now on," he said thoughtfully while he ran his fingers through Jack's chest hairs.

"Another side effect of the Quickening?" Jack asked, his mind also wandering as he ran his hands over Methos' soft, sweaty skin.

"Guess we'll find out...later," Methos said with a tiny smirk then he rolled in even closer to Jack and pressed their lips together for a warm, lingering kiss while their bodies recovered. In the days ahead they would test and see what other side effects there might be as a result of their experience, but for now, Methos told his inner scientist to take a flying leap off a cliff somewhere. Tonight, all he wanted was to love Jack and to be loved in return.

~ ~ ~

Jack parked his truck down the street from Joe's tavern and honked his horn as he saw Daniel was exiting his car a few spots ahead of him. Daniel waved in response then locked his car and waited for Jack to join him, feeling a welcome sense of anticipation. He and Jack simply didn't interact enough in a social setting, not recently, and Daniel hadn't realized until now just how much he'd missed spending time with Jack away from work.

As Jack hit the sidewalk, he noticed Daniel was smiling at him, so he smiled in return. Perhaps Daniel had enjoyed this past week off, ceased with his grumblings about being on forced leave and actually embraced the opportunity as Jack had. Jack's week off had been wonderful, but now it was coming to an end. SG-1 was scheduled to resume regular duties in the morning now that Daniel was cleared for active field duty, and if all went according to plan, they'd be gating out in the early afternoon.

This evening, though, Joe had invited Jack and Daniel to come hear a new local talent who was playing the early set at the tavern and they'd each accepted. Joe had also invited Sam, but she'd declined the offer, which hadn't surprised Jack in the least. She was a bigger workaholic than anyone else Jack had ever known.

Before Jack and Methos had left town, Jack had been called into the base, as expected, so he could receive the 'eyes only' message sent by Thor. Jack had explained it with a shrug, telling Hammond that it must have been a thank you gift for their assistance. The moment Sam had seen the diagram, she'd begun salivating and so far as Jack knew, she'd been working on building a prototype during their entire leave. He'd know for certain in the morning when he dropped by her lab to make sure she'd eaten breakfast. There were few things worse than dealing with Sam on an empty stomach when off on a mission.

"How was fishing?" Daniel asked as Jack came to stand at his left side.

"Good...relaxing," Jack said with a tiny grin then he headed for the front door of the tavern with Daniel falling into step beside him.

Truth be told, Jack's trip had been very good, relaxing, and most productive, but it could hardly be classified as a fishing trip even though he had stayed at his fishing cabin. He'd been too busy having sex and running various tests with Methos to have squeezed in much time at the water's edge with his rod and reel. After Jack had settled things with Hammond at the base, he'd finally been allowed to take his postponed leave and he'd gone straight to pick up Methos then they'd headed out of town.

First, they had stopped in Denver so Methos could take new readings of both Jack and himself then Jack had given over the keys to his truck and settled in on the passenger side for a change, letting Methos drive them to Minnesota where they'd spent the rest of their time off in relative seclusion. They'd made love under the stars, in the bedroom, in the kitchen, on the front porch, out back against a tree, and a few other places that they could think of, and time after time the Aftershocks had remained at their new, stronger level. By the time they were heading home, Jack and Methos had concluded that this new intensity was now the established norm and given they'd observed nothing detrimental as a result, they'd agreed that Jack's receiving of a portion of Kruise's Quickening had been a positive thing.

"Sorry I couldn't go with you," Daniel said as they reached the front door. He would have tried if the drive hadn't been so long. Simply put, Daniel would have been fine sitting by the water once he'd gotten there, but he would have been as uncomfortable as hell riding in Jack's truck for that many miles.

"It's okay," Jack said gently, sounding disappointed. In a way he was because it would have been nice to spend quiet time alone with Daniel, especially after their recent conversation about trust, but, naturally, spending time alone with Methos had been Jack's preference.

"Yeah," Daniel said with a smile. "Thanks," he said as Jack held the door open then he walked inside.

While Daniel crossed the threshold, Jack took a brief moment to appreciate the way his jeans hugged his gorgeous ass. He didn't make a habit of ogling Daniel's posterior, but when he wore jeans, the feast for the eyes was irresistible. Jack took a calming breath to stifle a tiny sigh then he stepped inside behind Daniel and sensed a presence. There was an immortal around, but not Methos. Jack now knew his husband's formidable presence in an instant having practiced his new detection ability with him while they'd been away. This was someone of a lesser presence.

Jack scanned the room and smiled as he saw Duncan seated at the bar, chatting with Joe. He'd been hoping that Duncan would be here just so he could try out his new skill, and it had worked like a charm. Duncan apparently hadn't even noticed that Jack and Daniel had entered the room; he hadn't bothered to glance toward him. Apparently, Jack could sense his presence and pinpoint him in the room without any reciprocal detection. This was perfect, if only he could have the same kind of warning system when it came to the Goa'uld.

"Jack! Daniel!" Joe called out, causing Duncan to turn around as they crossed the room. "Glad you could make it. Where's Adam?"

"He was finishing up something at the office. Said he'd be right behind me," Daniel said as he sat on the stool to the left of Duncan.

"You know those bookworms, Joe," Jack said, shaking his head as he took the stool on the other side of Duncan and reached behind the bar to help himself to the Scotch. Unlike Methos, he was merciful and chose a moderately priced brand so that Joe wouldn't whine at him. "You want a topper?" he asked Duncan as he retrieved a glass.

"Not yet," Duncan said then he and Daniel fell into a pleasant conversation since they hadn't seen each other in quite some time.

Jack finished pouring his drink and put the bottle back then he took a long sip and watched as Daniel chatted with Duncan and then with Joe as well, the three of them falling into an easy flowing discussion of life in general and current events. After a few minutes, Jack could sense Methos was approaching so he took a purposeful sip from his glass to keep from looking at the door, while Duncan reflexively checked it with his eyes. Once Methos was inside, Duncan relaxed again, and no one other than Joe and Jack seemed to have realized that he'd gone on alert for the brief time that he had.

"Sorry I'm late," Methos said as he hung his coat on the rack beside Duncan's then he walked over to the bar and sat down at Daniel's left, flanking the one end of the group while Jack remained in a similar position at the opposite end.

"Scotch?" Jack asked while taking up the bottle once again from behind the bar.

"Yes, but the one to the right," Methos said, directing Jack to the more expensive brand, which he preferred. Jack knew better than to offer him the inferior brand, but perhaps he'd done so for Daniel's benefit?

"I'm starting a tab for you this time," Joe said, shaking his head as he made a note on a pad of paper he kept on hand. Methos was a multi-billionaire if he liquidated all his assets, and it was about damn time he started paying once in a while for his drinks.

"Add my coffee to it," Daniel said, drawing his friends' attention. "He owes me for drinking the last of my office coffee reserve while I was laid up.

"You see the slave driver I work for?" Methos said instantly, feigning great distress and offense at Daniel's words.

Jack, Joe and Duncan then laughed as Methos gave Daniel a playful pout and launched into his 'woe is me' routine, which had Daniel laughing as well by the time he'd finished.

Once done with his performance, Methos downed what remained of his Scotch then excused himself and walked away. Jack watched from the corner of his eye and waited until Methos was no longer in sight then he rose from his stool.

"He's got a good idea...make room for dinner," Jack said as he walked behind Duncan and Daniel. "But don't you dare tell him I said that," he added with a tiny touch to Daniel's left shoulder.

"It'll cost you a pound of my favorite coffee," Daniel said teasingly.

"Too cheap, make it two pounds," Duncan said, joining in Daniel's play.

"Fine, team up on me, why don't you?" Jack said with a tiny harrumph and a wave of his right hand then he walked away, leaving Daniel and Duncan to joke with each other, their laughter carrying halfway across the room.

"Is that at your expense or mine?" Methos asked with a tiny wave of his hand toward the bar as Jack got within hearing distance.

"Doesn't matter," Jack said as he turned into the back corridor. "Daniel's relaxed and having a good time...doesn't happen often enough."

"Good point," Methos said then he led Jack into the storeroom and waited until he was inside with the door closed. "So, how'd the test go? I told Duncan to be early since I was going to be late."

"You told him to be here?" Jack asked with a tiny sigh. "Damn, I thought I was on a lucky streak...was gonna buy a lotto ticket later, but screw that now...."

"Jack," Methos drawled. "Did you sense him when you arrived?"

"Yep, and he didn't sense me," Jack said with a grin. "I can sneak up on him just like you...no more hiding from me," he said with a playful kiss to the tip of Methos' nose. "Have you told him about this?"

"No." Methos shook his head. "This is our secret – period. We might need to tell Janet at some point given your slightly elevated brain activity, but no one else ever need know so far as I'm concerned."

"I can go along with that." Jack then gave Methos a brief kiss on the lips. "We should get to the bathroom before someone comes looking for us there."

"Go ahead. I'll be there presently," Methos said then he watched Jack leave the room before he began a silent countdown from thirty.

Fate had reared her head once again, intervening in Jack's and Methos' lives, and Methos took a moment to give her a silent thank you. Methos was convinced that Fate had brought Kruise to Colorado Springs on business so that he and Duncan would cross paths downtown and set into motion the chain of events that had ended with Jack receiving his new gift.

"What next?" Methos whispered into the air. Only time would tell. He smiled as his internal countdown reached zero then he left the room, pondering the new possibilities that now lie ahead for him and Jack.

FIN