5 times Methos surprised Joe, and one time Joe surprised the Old Man [PG | Highlander]
And a year later, I've another 5 times fic - this one is for orockthro... better late than never?
Title: 5 times Methos surprised Joe, and one time Joe surprised the Old Man
Fandoms: Highlander
Characters: Joe, Methos, Amanda
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 900
5 times Methos surprised Joe, and one time Joe surprised the Old Man
I
Joe stared at the blank screen, the cursor blinking ominously as if waiting for him to commit the day to words. He wondered how the hell he was going to break this to his fellow watchers. “Hey, guess what, guys? You know that kid we've got in research? The mild mannered student? Well, he sure the heck ain't Superman...?"
Joe let out a snort and finished off his glass.
Time to make a decision...time to re-examine that line in the sand?
Slowly - not quite believing he was doing what he was doing - Joe closed the laptop. If he was going to do what he was thinking of doing, there was no way in hell he was going to commit it to code. He poured himself another shot, gulped it down, and then pulled open the bottom drawer of his desk and found what he was looking for - an old moleskin notepad. He tore out the first few pages, which were scribbled with vague messages and a few phone numbers, and rooted around for a Biro as he mentally fumbled for the right words to use.
He eventually settled on the date and then...
Today I met a legend. It turns out I've known him for quite some time...his name is Methos.
II
Richie was dead, MacLeod was a walking shadow... and Methos?
Methos was gone.
Without a word, without a whisper, he had disappeared without a trace.
How many times had he read this scene in one of Methos's chronicles. How many times had he sniggered and shook his head, and thought, 'That's Methos for you.'
Funny how he'd never thought Methos would never do it to him.
Guess there's a sucker born every century.
III
“Why?” Joe asked, after the dust cleared, after they'd toasted Amy's rescue. He didn't have to explain, he knew Methos understood.
He gave Joe a narrow smile. “Because I was too late for MacLeod,” he said, “I didn't want to be too late for you too.”
Joe blinked, did Methos really blame himself for Richie's death? “But you couldn't have known,” he protested.
“Oh but I could - I did,” Methos said quietly. “After all, what was Kronos but a monster of my own making?”
Joe leaned back in his chair. “It wasn't Kronos, Methos,”
For a fleeting moment, a blink, Methos looked his age. “Close enough,” he said.
IV
There was only one thing noisier that a drunken immortal at your door.
And that was two drunken immortals at your door.
“Joe, Joe, let us in, or I'll huff and I'll puff...and...and...pick this rather ridiculous looking lock. I swear, Methos, practically anyone could break in. “
“Or they could just use the spare key he's not so craftily hidden...”
Joe narrowed his eyes as he heard the snick of a lock, and a very unladylike snigger emanating from Amanda's lips. They were already helping themselves to his scotch by the time he caught up with them. “This had better be good,” he growled.
Amanda giggled and struck a dramatic pose. “I'm drowning my sorrows!” she declared.
“I'm helping,” Methos supplied, from his position on the couch.
Joe snorted. “Helping yourself, is more like it,” he said. “And what do you mean, you're drowning your sorrows?”
“Duncan is married to another woman! An Immortal! Named Kate!”
“Amanda, you've been shacked up with Nick for the last half decade. I think it's fair to say you've both moved on.” For now, he added silently.
Amanda pouted. “Details, details...sing me the blues, Joe!”
Joe rubbed his eyes, before glaring at Methos. “This is all your fault!” he accused.
“Joe, Joe, are you saying I've a low boredom threshold?” he asked, before grinning. “Because that would be a completely accurate evaluation of the situation.”
V
“You and Rebecca...together?” Joe asked. “Really?
"Eighty years in Egypt, Second Dynasty, ” Methos said. “And it was Rikvah.”
“What?”
“She was Mycean, Joe, why in hell would you think she was born with a Hebrew name?”
Joe digested that. “Rikvah?”
“Of Jerash,” he said, with a nod.
Joe gave him a long look. “Why are you telling me this?”
“For the record, Joe,” Methos said softly, “Why else?”
And, in a blinding flash of realisation, Joe understood. Eighty years together; that had meant something.
He didn't want to be the only one left who knew her real name.
And
He was crouched over the bar, half perched on a stool, his eyes intent on the pages of the small moleskin notepad in his hand. Joe's mouth went dry as he recognised it. Guess he hadn't hid it as well as he thought he had.
Methos looked up, his eyes alien, his face impassive. “I'm sorry, Joe,” he said
Joe shrugged. He remembered the last entry in that notepad, written indelibly in his mind. He remembered throwing it into the bottom of his wardrobe. When Methos had come back, when Joe had eventually forgiven him, he had started a new notepad. A notepad that wasn't tainted by his name.
Ahriman.
“Don't,” Joe said. “Don't give him that power.”
Methos blinked and then slowly, deliberately, closed the notepad. “Wise words,” he murmured.
They left it at that.
FINIS
Title: 5 times Methos surprised Joe, and one time Joe surprised the Old Man
Fandoms: Highlander
Characters: Joe, Methos, Amanda
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 900
5 times Methos surprised Joe, and one time Joe surprised the Old Man
I
Joe stared at the blank screen, the cursor blinking ominously as if waiting for him to commit the day to words. He wondered how the hell he was going to break this to his fellow watchers. “Hey, guess what, guys? You know that kid we've got in research? The mild mannered student? Well, he sure the heck ain't Superman...?"
Joe let out a snort and finished off his glass.
Time to make a decision...time to re-examine that line in the sand?
Slowly - not quite believing he was doing what he was doing - Joe closed the laptop. If he was going to do what he was thinking of doing, there was no way in hell he was going to commit it to code. He poured himself another shot, gulped it down, and then pulled open the bottom drawer of his desk and found what he was looking for - an old moleskin notepad. He tore out the first few pages, which were scribbled with vague messages and a few phone numbers, and rooted around for a Biro as he mentally fumbled for the right words to use.
He eventually settled on the date and then...
Today I met a legend. It turns out I've known him for quite some time...his name is Methos.
II
Richie was dead, MacLeod was a walking shadow... and Methos?
Methos was gone.
Without a word, without a whisper, he had disappeared without a trace.
How many times had he read this scene in one of Methos's chronicles. How many times had he sniggered and shook his head, and thought, 'That's Methos for you.'
Funny how he'd never thought Methos would never do it to him.
Guess there's a sucker born every century.
III
“Why?” Joe asked, after the dust cleared, after they'd toasted Amy's rescue. He didn't have to explain, he knew Methos understood.
He gave Joe a narrow smile. “Because I was too late for MacLeod,” he said, “I didn't want to be too late for you too.”
Joe blinked, did Methos really blame himself for Richie's death? “But you couldn't have known,” he protested.
“Oh but I could - I did,” Methos said quietly. “After all, what was Kronos but a monster of my own making?”
Joe leaned back in his chair. “It wasn't Kronos, Methos,”
For a fleeting moment, a blink, Methos looked his age. “Close enough,” he said.
IV
There was only one thing noisier that a drunken immortal at your door.
And that was two drunken immortals at your door.
“Joe, Joe, let us in, or I'll huff and I'll puff...and...and...pick this rather ridiculous looking lock. I swear, Methos, practically anyone could break in. “
“Or they could just use the spare key he's not so craftily hidden...”
Joe narrowed his eyes as he heard the snick of a lock, and a very unladylike snigger emanating from Amanda's lips. They were already helping themselves to his scotch by the time he caught up with them. “This had better be good,” he growled.
Amanda giggled and struck a dramatic pose. “I'm drowning my sorrows!” she declared.
“I'm helping,” Methos supplied, from his position on the couch.
Joe snorted. “Helping yourself, is more like it,” he said. “And what do you mean, you're drowning your sorrows?”
“Duncan is married to another woman! An Immortal! Named Kate!”
“Amanda, you've been shacked up with Nick for the last half decade. I think it's fair to say you've both moved on.” For now, he added silently.
Amanda pouted. “Details, details...sing me the blues, Joe!”
Joe rubbed his eyes, before glaring at Methos. “This is all your fault!” he accused.
“Joe, Joe, are you saying I've a low boredom threshold?” he asked, before grinning. “Because that would be a completely accurate evaluation of the situation.”
V
“You and Rebecca...together?” Joe asked. “Really?
"Eighty years in Egypt, Second Dynasty, ” Methos said. “And it was Rikvah.”
“What?”
“She was Mycean, Joe, why in hell would you think she was born with a Hebrew name?”
Joe digested that. “Rikvah?”
“Of Jerash,” he said, with a nod.
Joe gave him a long look. “Why are you telling me this?”
“For the record, Joe,” Methos said softly, “Why else?”
And, in a blinding flash of realisation, Joe understood. Eighty years together; that had meant something.
He didn't want to be the only one left who knew her real name.
And
He was crouched over the bar, half perched on a stool, his eyes intent on the pages of the small moleskin notepad in his hand. Joe's mouth went dry as he recognised it. Guess he hadn't hid it as well as he thought he had.
Methos looked up, his eyes alien, his face impassive. “I'm sorry, Joe,” he said
Joe shrugged. He remembered the last entry in that notepad, written indelibly in his mind. He remembered throwing it into the bottom of his wardrobe. When Methos had come back, when Joe had eventually forgiven him, he had started a new notepad. A notepad that wasn't tainted by his name.
Ahriman.
“Don't,” Joe said. “Don't give him that power.”
Methos blinked and then slowly, deliberately, closed the notepad. “Wise words,” he murmured.
They left it at that.
FINIS