Honor Among Thieves (Methos, PG)
Title: Honor Among Thieves
Author: Kijikun
Rating: PG
Characters: Methos, Joe
A/N: Written several years ago, this story has recently been re-worked in places.
Summary: Methos is staying on the barge in Duncan’s absence when someone breaks in. And it isn’t Amanda.
Methos hated boats. Yet here he was on Duncan's barge trying to sleep. He stared at the darkened ceiling in frustration. If Duncan had been home, sleep would have been easy to find, but somehow, in the empty barge it was hard.
That thought in its self was disturbing, that if Duncan were home that he’d be asleep. Methos sighed punching the pillow under his head, trying to get comfortable. He was getting way to comfortable around Mr. Chivalry.
As he laid there in the darkness, a slight sound caught his attention. Moving swiftly to his feet, he fetched his sword from its resting place under the couch. The sound was coming from Duncan's bedroom, and in the half-light, Methos saw someone going through Mac's things. To his surprise, he saw it was a child.
"I don't think those belong to you," he said, not setting his sword aside. He could feel the pre-immortal buzz from the young thief. If there had been another immortal around, he wouldn’t have been able to tell her from a mortal. She certainly wasn’t a very good thief with all the noise she’d been making.
The girl yelped softly, turning on her heels, Methos swore he could hear her gulp. "Are you going to call the police?" she asked in French, taking a step back towards the porthole. She was close enough to it to escape if she wanted.
"No, I don't think so." Methos answered, watching her watch him. "Would you like some eggs?" He flicked on the lights to get a better look.
Brown eyes blinked rapidly, adjusting to the light. "Eggs?" she asked suspiciously. Whatever she had been expecting his comment, not to mention he, wasn’t it.
Methos smiled gesturing towards the kitchen. "Yes, eggs. Perhaps scrambled, with some ham, if you'd like." The girl looked like she could use a good meal and a bath.
The idea of food seemed to tempt her as she took a tentative step forward. "What do I have to do for it?"
Hand tightening around the hilt of his sword at those words, Methos tried not to remember a time when he'd been the one asking such a question. The question was, what was her purpose asking it. "You can help wash the dishes," he suggested to her. He set aside his sword, wanting to seem none threatening.
She seemed to weigh his words, hunger finally wining out over wariness. "Okay I guess. Do you always go after burglars with swords?"
Methos chuckled, walking towards the kitchen figuring she’d either follow or take off. "Only the cute ones." He told her, and from the soft giggle, he could tell she was behind him.
The girl stood in the entry of the kitchen, watching him get out the eggs and ham. Methos didn't stop to wonder why he was doing this for this strange girl. Perhaps some of the Highlander's nobility was rubbing off on him, or perhaps she reminded him of himself. Methos poured a glass of orange juice and sat it on the counter. "Sit down, I won't bite."
After a moment or two more, she climbed on to one of the stools. She was watching him careful as he fixed the eggs, as if checking for poison or foreign objects. Reaching for the orange juice, she drank it down in a few short gulps. "That's good."
"I should think so; it's some fresh squeezed all natural stuff." Methos said with a half smile. "My name is Adam, by the way." He poured her another glass of juice.
She drank the second glass down as quickly as the first, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. The way she looked at the cooking food reminded him of the dogs that circle outside of camps, fighting over scraps.
"Do you have a name?" Methos asked her. The eggs in the pan sizzled as they cooked.
She snorted, looking down her little upturned nose at him. "Duh, everyone as a name. It's Sasha now."
“Sasha. That’s a very Russian name from a French girl.” Methos said off-handedly, dishing her up a plate of eggs. “What was it before?”
Sasha shrugged, digging into the food as if she hadn’t eaten for days. Methos figured she probably hadn’t, as he watched her take one huge mouth full after another. Perhaps if he offered her another meal like this, he could get her back to the barge the next day. “Henri named me that, said it was a better name.” She said between mouths full of food. “Adam isn’t very French either.”
“Does Henri know you steal things?” Methos asked her gentle, not expecting her to answer. The girl had the ear marks of bait, but he had the feeling she was on her own tonight.
She looked down at her food, finishing eating the eggs. Her lack of answer was answer enough for him. Methos watched Sasha climb down from the stool and start to wash the plate and fork. This wasn’t like him, wanting to help the kid. That was Duncan’s line of work, not his.
Methos scrawled his number on a piece of paper, along with his name. “Sasha, would you like eggs again tomorrow?” He asked. Through the porthole windows, he could see the sun coming up.
Her lips thinned in to a frown as she considered. “I guess so.”
Methos handed her the paper. “This is my number. If you ever get in trouble, give me a call, okay?” He told her, watching as she shoved it into one of her many pockets. “And you can keep that trinket you stole?”
“How’d you know I stole it?” she asked eyes wide, then frowned. “It isn’t even yours.”
Methos favored her with a smile. “Takes a thief to know a thief.” Not that he’d ever tell Amanda that, she’d want details.
Sasha’s mouth curved up in a bit of a smile, as she followed Methos to the door. “Should I knock next time then?” she asked, looking at him innocently.
“That would be a good idea.” Methos told her, watching her as climbed off the barge and down onto the street. Shaking his head he wandered back into the barge, he must be out of his mind. Lack of sleep, yes that was it, and it wasn't as if she'd be back.
Hell, who was he kidding, she’d be back. Either because she figured him for an easy mark or because she wanted more free food.
The next morning found Methos awake and drinking coffee in the kitchen pretending to be a morning person. He told himself he wasn't waiting to see if the girl would take him up on his offer of another free meal. She wasn't his problem after all. It was more Duncan's role to worry over every pre-immortal child that crossed his path.
Still he couldn't help but be pleased when the soft knock came. He let Sasha in, watching as the girl glance nervously over her shoulder. The clothes she wore looked more over-sized and dirty than they had the morning before. "You hungry?" He asked her, keeping his tone light.
Sasha nodded, following him like a puppy into the kitchen. Her eyes darted this way and that as if taking the place in fully for the first time. She'd probably been too frightened the last time.
Methos went about making the scrambled eggs again, making sure she had a glass of orange juice first. He wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't suffering from malnutrition. Sasha drank it slowly this time, watching him as if he was a puzzle she hadn't figured out yet.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" Sasha asked sitting her glass down.
He wondered that himself. "It's nice to have breakfast with someone don't you agree?" he asked her half avoiding her question.
She shrugged. "I guess. Having breakfast at all is nice." She bit her lip after she said the words, as if she hadn't meant to say them. “Anna forgets sometimes to fix breakfast.” Then added quickly, “She doesn’t mean too.”
Methos glanced up at her, trying to keep a friendly smile on his face. There was no sense in scaring the girl just because he wanted to wring this Henri's neck. "Shouldn't you be in school Sasha? You're what, nine or ten?"
Sasha shrugged again. "I'm eight and half." She told him. "And Anna teaches me at home, so I don't have to go to school. I wouldn't have time anyways, we move too much." Her eyes were on the cooking eggs.
"Who's Anna? Henri’s girlfriend?" he asked her, with a smile. As if, he was inviting her to share a private joke. He felt slightly guilty manipulating her, but the guilt didn't last long. He'd been doing this too long, getting others to say what they'd rather not.
Another little shrug, he was beginning to think it was some child language he didn't know. "I think so. She's supposed to watch him or something. But she doesn't do it very well, she doesn't know where he is most of them time. She doesn't do much of anything." Sasha said in disgust. "She acts like because she can get those print outs of names for Henri, that she's some big shot. But she’s not."
"Not a very good thief?" He asked with a chuckle, putting a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of her. Methos tried not to dwell on what her words could mean. It was common for some immortals to 'adopt' pre-immortals, but an immortal with a watcher in his pocket could mean trouble. He almost laughed at himself for that thought, what was he thinking? Didn't he and Duncan have a watcher in their back pockets?
Chewing on her bacon, Sasha shook her head. "She can't even pick a simple lock." Well that explained how she got in through a locked window. "Henri can steal anything from anybody, but he only goes after the people on Anna's lists. Says their special, like him."
Methos leaned on the counter watching her eat. "If he's so good why do you steal?"
"I wanted to prove that I can help more. I'm getting better at it." She bit her lip. "You won't tell anybody will you?" she asked with the tone of one that had said too much.
"Betray a fellow thief? Of course not, haven't you heard of honor among thieves?" he asked her, not liking the terror he read in her eyes.
She shook her head as she took another bite of food.
He smiled, and took a sip of coffee. "It basically means that I won't rat you out if you don't rat me out."
Sasha giggled. "But you haven't done anything for me to rat on you 'bout." She pointed out.
"You sure?" he asked her with a smirk.
Sasha finished eating in silence.
"You're welcome back tomorrow." Methos told her.
She shrugged and waved as she climbed down in the street. As he watched the young girl walk down the street, he wondered if it was the last he'd seen of her.
By the next evening he was half-sure he had. Methos had, despite himself, waited most of the day for his brown eyes breakfast companion. He'd finally given up and headed over to Joe's for a drink. A new band was playing and it should have distracted him, but his mind kept turning over all the things that could be-fall a young pre-immortal.
"Adam."
Methos didn't think the world could handle another child immortal like Kenny. What was he thinking anyways? She was probably fine, besides she wasn't his responsibility. She was his concern.
"Adam?" Joe's voice broke through his thoughts.
Methos blinked and looked at the watcher. "Sorry, Joe. What did you say?"
"Asked if you're okay, Adam. You've been holding the same beer for an hour." Joe pointed out with a chuckle.
Methos laughed. "You're imagining things, Joe. Hey look I'm going to head out, I'll see you tomorrow."
Joe gave his immortal friend a look. "You sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine, Joe, just a lot on my mind." He told Joe, before he left the bar. He wasn't worried about the kid, he told himself. If she were hungry, she'd show up the next day.
When the next morning came, Sasha was a no show. There was just a wrapped bundle by the door of the barge. Curious Methos brought it in and unwrapped the bundle. The necklace that Sasha had stolen glittered in the morning light. It had been wrapped around a note written in a child's hand.
'Thank you, Adam', was all it read.
Methos tried not to think about how empty the barge seemed as he ate his breakfast alone.
It was sometime after midnight when a soft knock came at the door. Methos didn't hear it at first, until a voice calling 'Adam' pulled him from his sleep. Half asleep, he opened the door, to find Sasha standing there.
"Hello.” He smiled at her, easing his hand away from the sword by the door.
She looked up at him, sporting a black eye. "Didn't mean to wake you." Her voice was shaky.
Methos had to push down the urge to demand who'd hit her, so he could go show them what he thought of men that hit children. "It's alright Sasha. Come on in, would you like some food?"
Sasha nodded slowly, following him inside. "I couldn't let them sell the necklace. It was special to someone," she told him, as he opened the freezer.
Methos looked over at her, as he wrapped some ice in a towel. The necklace probably was, but he hadn't expected her to care about that. "Put this over your eye." He told her.
The girl didn't argue and winced softly as the towel wrapped ice met her bruised flesh.
"Who hit you, Sasha?" Methos asked quietly, as he made her a sandwich.
“Anna did…but I deserved it. I made her mad.” She pursued her lips together. In the distance thunder rolled, warning of a coming storm. "They took me in when no one else would. She’s better when Henri’s home."
Methos felt his shoulders shag slightly. These people didn't feed her, gave her black eyes and who knows what else; and she was protecting them. They deserved her loyalty as much as he deserved Duncan's, and that wasn't saying much. "You can crash here tonight, Sasha. It already late and you shouldn’t go out in the storm."
The sound of rain hitting the deck and porthole windows, followed by a rumble of thunder seemed to prove his point. Taking a deep break Methos tried to calm himself down. He wasn't doing the kid any favors by losing him temper. Damn-it this wasn't his responsibility. He neither wanted, nor needed this girl in his head.
He glanced over at Sasha, and couldn't help but smile at the sight she made. Sandwich in one hand as she ate steak in the other held to her eye. She finished her sandwich, before glancing at him with her good eye. "Just tonight." She agreed.
It took him a moment to remember his offer. "I won't make you stay if you don't want to," Methos told her quietly. "But you don't have to go back to them."
He was still wondering why he'd told her that, an hour later. Methos had managed to find a shirt of Duncan's that would fit her like a nightgown, and convinced her to use the shower to clean up. It had taken him putting a chair under the doorknob and locking the door, for her to agree. Staring out into the rain, he'd refused to think about the implications of that. From the look of her when she came out, he knew he'd been right to think it been awhile since her last bath.
Now she was fast asleep in Duncan's bed, while he tried to figure out why he just didn't make an anonymous report to child services. The rocking of the barge might have lured Sasha to sleep, but it just made him slightly nauseated.
He should do anything but get more involved than he already was, he thought. It hit him then, as he stared at the ceiling, he wanted to raise her. He had to be going crazy to even think that, Duncan was the one that took in strays, not him.
The next morning when he went to check on her, he found the bed empty. It hurt. It shouldn’t hurt, he’d told her he wouldn’t keep her against her will; but he hadn’t expected her to leave. And he certainly hadn’t expected it to hurt.
Methos frowned at himself; it wasn’t as if he couldn’t check up on her though. Even if he just did some checking to see if there was a watcher named Anna in Paris. All watchers had to check in with Joe when they came into the area, so it should be a relatively easy thing to find out.
Of course that would also require him to tell Joe about his little morning visitor. Methos turned the idea over in his head. Joe would probably be a bit upset he let the kid go, but would more than likely be willing to help.
Looking out into the rain street, Methos sighed. This would have been much easier before he’d become friends with Joe and Duncan, but then he wouldn’t have been in this situation. Damn brat was wrecking havoc with his life. He stared out into rain, trying to convince himself that the best thing to do that day was to curl up with a book.
Two hours later found Methos, entering Joe’s office in the back of the bar. The cold rain had done nothing for his mood. “Hey Joe.”
Joe looked up from the old books he was going through and smiled at the old immortal. “Hey Adam, what brings you out into this weather?”
“Nothing good I’m afraid.” Methos told him wearily, sprawling in a chair. “I need to know about a watcher that just came into town.”
Joe eyed him suspiciously. “You going to tell me what this is about? You know I can’t just give out the identities of watchers.”
Methos stared at the ceiling for a moment before looking at Joe. “I’d be more concerned about the fact this watcher might be in bed, so to speak, with her immortal, Joe.”
“And are you going to tell me how you came across this information?” Joe asked, with a cough.
“My source is about eight years old, caught her trying to make off with some of Duncan valuables. A very thin, dirty, uncared for pre-immortal, Joe.” The words almost came out a snarl. “The watchers name should be Anna and the immortal is Henry.”
Joe was quite for a long moment, as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Where’s the kid now?” he asked, over the sound of thunder.
Methos launched himself to his feet. “I don’t know. She took off this morning, bastard gave her a black eye and she runs back to them.” He snapped, then sighed shoulders shagging.
“It’s been awhile since a kid’s gotten to you, hasn’t it?” Joe asked after a moment. The rain on the roof almost drowned out his words. “I’ll see what I can find out about Anna, see if I have a location on her in Paris.”
Methos nodded. “Thanks Joe.” He turned towards the door, he’d let Joe check his way but he’d do some checking on his own. Even if it meant going back in the rain, sure rain came in handy at time, but for the most part, it was annoyance to him now.
“You plan on challenging this guy?” Joe called after him.
Methos froze looking back at Joe. “Would you believe I haven’t thought that far ahead?” He lied, before walking on to the front door. He grimaced at the rain; leave it to Joe to ask the questions Methos didn’t want to answer.
He was about to plunge back into the rain, when Joe’s voice call him back. “Adam, I’ve found something.”
Methos was quick to head back to the office, part of his very glad to avoid going back into the rain just yet. “What did you find Joe?”
Joe gestured the screen, a picture of a red head woman and text showed on the screen. “Anna Devo. Just got the file yesterday, but it seems she’s been in Paris for a few months now.”
Methos leaned over Joe’s chair, reading over the other man’s shoulder. “Her immortal’s Henry Navarre,” he said half to himself as Joe scrolled through the recent entries.
“Is this the girl?” Joe asked, bringing up a picture of Sasha. She looked cleaner but just as thin; she was looking suspiciously at the camera. “Has her name down as Marie Rahr, but notes she’s now called Sasha Navarre.”
“That’s Sash. I wouldn’t be surprised if we did some digging that Anna hasn’t been going around as Anna Navarre. From what Sasha said, Anna supplies Henry with list of local immortals.” Methos said grimly.
Joe opened up a new page on the computer with a frown. “Look at this, until 30 years ago Henry had a partner named Sasha.” Joe read a bit more a grimaced. “Ah hell, he took her head too.”
The picture slowly loaded of the dead immortal Sasha. She was a pretty woman that looked to have been in her twenties when she died, she had big brown eyes and long black hair. “Shit, he’s trying to train himself a new partner.”
"That's just speculation, Methos." Joe pointed out, already planning in his head the calls he was going to have to make. "It could be coincidence that they look alike."
Methos shook his head, mouth set in a grime line. "Too much of one. He beheads his last partner, and then finds himself a pre-immortal that fits the description. Children are easy to manipulate, she already operates in terms of what well get her Henry's attention. By the time she became immortal her whole thought process would be wrapped up around him." It made Anna’s blatant neglect for the child make more sense as well.
Joe looked sideways at his immortal friend but didn't comment on the certainness in Methos' voice. "I'm going to do some more checking and make some calls. See if I can't get an exact location on Anna." The dampness from the rain was making him ache with phantom pain. "Stay, have a beer. There's nothing you can do right now."
Methos glanced out the window into the driving rain. Joe was right; there was nothing he could do right now. "Is it on the house?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I give you one on the house and you'll expect them all that way." Joe complained jokingly.
----------------------------------
Anna frowned down at the water logged pre-immortal standing on the doorstep. The rain was still coming down in torrents, splashing off Sasha's soaked clothing, droplets landing on Anna's suede boots. The watcher's frown deepened, never mind that she was half-relieved to see the child again. Henry would have been in a state had the girl disappeared while he’d been away.
"Where have you been?" Anna demanded, grabbing the child's arm and pulling her into the apartment.
“No where,” Sasha said, frowning. Her chin went up slightly as she pulled her arm away from Anna.
Anna glared at the child, before grabbing her arm again. “You’re dripping on the carpet, get in the bathroom and dry off.” Henry would be most upset if his precious brat got sick. “Now where were you? Gone almost two days, did you even manage to bring back anything? Or were you just out having fun?” She had dragged the child to the bathroom and pushed her inside.
“I wasn’t any place! Honest, Anna!” Sasha protested, striping off her wet things.
Anna leveled a cold suspicious look at the child. “Then where did the necklace go?” Anna wouldn’t put it past Sasha to try to take Anna’s place with Henry.
Sasha’s eyes got wide. “What necklace, Anna?” She shivered in her wet things, drops of water falling to the floor.
“You know damn well which one I mean. You gave it back didn’t you? Found yourself another immortal meal ticket, huh? Well you’d better not breathe one word about me and Henri to anyone or...” Anna threatened.
“You won’t do anything to me. Henri would get mad at you.” Sasha said. “He only keeps you around because you can get him that list of names. I’ll tell him what you do when he isn’t here, and we’ll see how long you last,” she taunted in a sing-song voice. The effect was slightly diminished by the wet rat look her wet t-shirt and hair gave her.
Anna froze for a moment. “You do, Sasha, and you’ll be the youngest immortal ever,” she hissed at the child.
“Henri...Henri would protect me.” Sasha whispered, feet sliding on the wet tile floor as she backed up.
Anna smiled coldly. "Oh he might for a while, but he'd get tired of it real quick. And then it’d be bye-bye Sasha." She drew her finger across her neck. "Now clean up that water and get to your room."
"I don't have a dry shirt." Sasha said looking down at her bare feet.
"You'll make it to your room fine without one." Anna told her. "And I don't want to hear a peep from you, until Henri comes back tomorrow. No dinner either, maybe you'll learn not to run off."
Sasha nodded slowly, looking at the water on the floor. Her stomach rumbled slightly, as she picked up her wet things. Out of her soaked jeans she pulled out a water-logged piece of paper, the number barely visible on it. The barge seemed like a very faraway place now.
Even if Adam hadn’t been the MacLeod she’d read about in Anna’s files, she should have stayed there. Maybe Henri wouldn’t have bothered to look for her this time.
It was still raining the next day, as Methos settled down with a book. It was late afternoon and he’d given up on hearing from Joe that day. As for the young thief, he was trying to put her out of his mind.
Joe seemed to think she was an innocent pawn, but Methos was too sure. It was too much of a coincidence for her to have stumbled across the barge of an immortal and to be ‘caught’ while trying to rob something. Methos frowned at his book, Sasha was still a child no matter how much she played along with whatever game the Navarre’s had her playing.
The hunger he’d seen in her eyes hadn’t been a game. Methos had seen that look too many times to think it could be faked. The hunger for more than food. It was the look of the little girl Silas had been wanted to keep once; she’d clung to the big immortal with desperation. She’d probably died with that look when Kronos had gotten tired of Silas’s distraction with her. Silas would like Sasha.
Methos clenched his hands around the book in the urge to throw it at something. Damnit he didn’t want these thoughts.
“All MacLeod’s fault.” Methos muttered to himself.
Outside in the rain a small figure approached the barge. Sasha stood on one side of the street, rain dripping off her nose. After a long pause, she started to cross, when a female hand clamped down on her shoulder.
It was almost midnight when Methos' cell phone began to ring. Groggily he fumbled for the phone. “Pierson. This better be good.”
“Adam?” Sasha shaky voice came over the line.
Methos was wide-awake in a moment, sitting up. “Sasha? What’s wrong?” He hadn’t thought the kid would use the number even thought he’d given it to her.
“I-I’m in trouble…I…can you come get me. Please?” The urgency in her voice made Methos back tense. “
“What sort of trouble Sasha?” Methos asked, keeping his voice calm.
There was a pause on the line, just the sound of shaky breathing and rain. A phone booth, he thought. “Please….you have to come get me. I’m at the old Sela ceramic factory. Please, I’m scared.”The words sounded rehearsed as if Sasha had said them over and over again.
Methos gut tightened. “I’ll be there as soon as I can Sasha.” He told her, running a hand through his hair.
The line went dead.
Methos started at the phone for a moment, before dialing Joe. It took almost ten rings before the watcher picked up.
“Dawson here.” The noise of the bar was audible in the background.
“Joe, its Adam. I just got a call from Sasha; she needs me to get her from the Sela ceramic factory,” Methos told the watcher.
There was a pause and the bar sounds dimmed. “You’re going to be walking into a trap,” Joe told him.
“That goes without saying. Since Anna is a watcher, I thought you’d like to know,” Methos told him as he dressed. “In case there are…complications.
“Be careful, Adam.” Joe told him.
Methos chuckled. “I’m always careful.” He strapped on the holster as he hung up. Sliding the Glock in place, Methos wondered when he started riding to the rescue.
Twenty minutes later, he was pulling up in front of the factory. He felt the presence of an immortal before he saw Sasha’s slight form. In front of the open doors, stood Sasha, looking soaked to the bone. When she saw Adam, she nodded sadly.
“Hoped you wouldn’t come. I’m sorry” She whispered, then her eyes lit up. “But you knew it was a trap.”
Methos smiled reassuringly at her. “Smart girl.”
From the darkness of the factory, a large hand came to rest on Sasha’s shoulder. “She should be.” Henri Navarre stepped into the rain pulling Sasha closer.
“You must be Navarre.” Methos said pleasantly, as if he was meeting the other immortal in a park on a sunny day.
Henri inclined his head slightly then thrust Sasha towards a slim, nervous looking mortal in the doorway. “I am, but you have me at a disadvantage. I was expecting MacLeod.” The man’s gray eyes darted toward Anna disapprovingly. The woman shrunk back more.
“Told you so.” Sasha muttered, trying to look and sound brave.
“He couldn’t make it.” Methos said with a smile. “If you’re going to keep around pre-immortal children, you should feed and clothe them better.”
Henri scowled glancing at Anna, drawing his sword, a broadsword he’d probably stolen. “I will be rectifying some of that, but don’t worry, she won’t be a concern to you for long.” Henri mocked. “Don’t feel bad either you’re not the first immortal she’s lured to me.”
Methos laughed, lazily drawing Ivanhoe. “I’d think having a pet watcher would be advantage enough.”
Anna dragged Sasha into the factory. “You almost blew it all, you little brat.” She hissed at the child.
Sasha glared up at Anna. “I don’t care. I told Adam about your lists, and...and he used to be a watcher. Your lists said so!” She balled her fists. “I hate you! I hope Henri kills you!”
Anna took another step back. “That’s…fuck! That’s why Joe Dawson wanted to know where I was?” She drew her hand back in rage, striking Sasha across the face. Outside the sound of rain mixed with metal striking metal. “Sasha, when Henri finds out you told…” she hissed
Sasha stumbled back. “I don’t care! Adam was nice to me! Adam cared more about me then you do. You said you were going to be my mother, you promised!” She yelled back angrily, turning on her heel and running out into the rain.
Anna just stood there, watching her go; her arms limp at her sides.
Methos had knocked away Henri’s sword and forced the man to his knees. Sasha eyes went wide. “NO!”
Both men’s eyes flickered towards the girl as she ran between them, her arms wrapping around Adam. “Don’t kill Henri! Please don’t kill him, he’s still my papa.” Her words sounded less like commands, and more like half-sobbing pleas.
Methos put an arm around her shoulders, turning her to look at Henry. “Sasha, do you want him to live?”
“I want him to live.” Sasha said softly.
Henri looked at Methos in disbelief. “You’re going to let me walk away?”
“If I hear about you in Paris again, or you using her to lure out immortals…next time I won’t.” Methos said, his voice causing Henri to wince in fear.
Getting to his feet, Henry held a hand out to Sasha. “Come on Sasha. It’ll just be me and you again, like before Anna.”
Sasha looked at Henry, then at Adam, then back at Henri again. “I love you papa.”
Henri tried to smile but the rage was there just under the surface. “I know you do girl, now come on. Take my hand.” The rain had started to let up.
A shaky small hand started to reach for Henri’s then drew back. “No, I want to stay with Adam.” She looked up at the immortal whose arm was still around her. His body shielded hers from wind and rain. “Can I?”
Methos felt a thread of uncertainty as he stared into those brown eyes. “I already told you could. We thieves have to stick together.” He felt the ebb of Henri presence even before Sasha looked back to where the man had been.
“He...he left.” She whispered. “He just left.” Behind them the sound of a car drawing closer caught Methos attention. He sheathed his sword, leading Sasha over to his truck.
Joe climbed out of his car, looking towards Methos. “I miss the excitement?” He asked curiously as he leaned on his cane.
Methos smiled slightly. “Not really. I let Henri go, and Sasha’s staying here.” He said as if that explained everything. With any luck Henri would be out of Paris before the next day.
Joe sighed; he’d get the full story when the old man wasn’t so concerned with getting Sasha into the truck. “Where’s Anna?”
“Who are you?” Sasha piped up, eyeing him suspiciously.
“I’m Joe, a friend of Adam’s,” he told her. “We’d better kid the kid out of this weather, Adam.”
Methos rubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t know.” He looked down at Sasha. “Joe I’m going to get her back to the barge. We’ll meet you back there.” Methos told the watcher climbing into the driver’s seat of the truck.
Joe nodded heading back for his car, as Methos turned his young passenger. “You okay?”
She started to nod then shook her head. “Henri wasn’t very good was he? That’s why he had to fight dirty, right?”
Starting the truck and flipping on the lights Methos chuckled. “You can be good and fight dirty all at the same time. Remind me to teach you when your older.”
Sasha looked at him curiously then looked out the window back at the factory. She was quiet for most of the ride back to the barge.
Methos was lost in his own thoughts. A thousand years since he last raised a kid. He had to be out of his mind.
“Adam? Would you have taken his head if I’d have asked?” Sasha asked softly.
Methos eyes were on the road as he answered. “No, I would have handed the sword to you.”
Author: Kijikun
Rating: PG
Characters: Methos, Joe
A/N: Written several years ago, this story has recently been re-worked in places.
Summary: Methos is staying on the barge in Duncan’s absence when someone breaks in. And it isn’t Amanda.
Methos hated boats. Yet here he was on Duncan's barge trying to sleep. He stared at the darkened ceiling in frustration. If Duncan had been home, sleep would have been easy to find, but somehow, in the empty barge it was hard.
That thought in its self was disturbing, that if Duncan were home that he’d be asleep. Methos sighed punching the pillow under his head, trying to get comfortable. He was getting way to comfortable around Mr. Chivalry.
As he laid there in the darkness, a slight sound caught his attention. Moving swiftly to his feet, he fetched his sword from its resting place under the couch. The sound was coming from Duncan's bedroom, and in the half-light, Methos saw someone going through Mac's things. To his surprise, he saw it was a child.
"I don't think those belong to you," he said, not setting his sword aside. He could feel the pre-immortal buzz from the young thief. If there had been another immortal around, he wouldn’t have been able to tell her from a mortal. She certainly wasn’t a very good thief with all the noise she’d been making.
The girl yelped softly, turning on her heels, Methos swore he could hear her gulp. "Are you going to call the police?" she asked in French, taking a step back towards the porthole. She was close enough to it to escape if she wanted.
"No, I don't think so." Methos answered, watching her watch him. "Would you like some eggs?" He flicked on the lights to get a better look.
Brown eyes blinked rapidly, adjusting to the light. "Eggs?" she asked suspiciously. Whatever she had been expecting his comment, not to mention he, wasn’t it.
Methos smiled gesturing towards the kitchen. "Yes, eggs. Perhaps scrambled, with some ham, if you'd like." The girl looked like she could use a good meal and a bath.
The idea of food seemed to tempt her as she took a tentative step forward. "What do I have to do for it?"
Hand tightening around the hilt of his sword at those words, Methos tried not to remember a time when he'd been the one asking such a question. The question was, what was her purpose asking it. "You can help wash the dishes," he suggested to her. He set aside his sword, wanting to seem none threatening.
She seemed to weigh his words, hunger finally wining out over wariness. "Okay I guess. Do you always go after burglars with swords?"
Methos chuckled, walking towards the kitchen figuring she’d either follow or take off. "Only the cute ones." He told her, and from the soft giggle, he could tell she was behind him.
The girl stood in the entry of the kitchen, watching him get out the eggs and ham. Methos didn't stop to wonder why he was doing this for this strange girl. Perhaps some of the Highlander's nobility was rubbing off on him, or perhaps she reminded him of himself. Methos poured a glass of orange juice and sat it on the counter. "Sit down, I won't bite."
After a moment or two more, she climbed on to one of the stools. She was watching him careful as he fixed the eggs, as if checking for poison or foreign objects. Reaching for the orange juice, she drank it down in a few short gulps. "That's good."
"I should think so; it's some fresh squeezed all natural stuff." Methos said with a half smile. "My name is Adam, by the way." He poured her another glass of juice.
She drank the second glass down as quickly as the first, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. The way she looked at the cooking food reminded him of the dogs that circle outside of camps, fighting over scraps.
"Do you have a name?" Methos asked her. The eggs in the pan sizzled as they cooked.
She snorted, looking down her little upturned nose at him. "Duh, everyone as a name. It's Sasha now."
“Sasha. That’s a very Russian name from a French girl.” Methos said off-handedly, dishing her up a plate of eggs. “What was it before?”
Sasha shrugged, digging into the food as if she hadn’t eaten for days. Methos figured she probably hadn’t, as he watched her take one huge mouth full after another. Perhaps if he offered her another meal like this, he could get her back to the barge the next day. “Henri named me that, said it was a better name.” She said between mouths full of food. “Adam isn’t very French either.”
“Does Henri know you steal things?” Methos asked her gentle, not expecting her to answer. The girl had the ear marks of bait, but he had the feeling she was on her own tonight.
She looked down at her food, finishing eating the eggs. Her lack of answer was answer enough for him. Methos watched Sasha climb down from the stool and start to wash the plate and fork. This wasn’t like him, wanting to help the kid. That was Duncan’s line of work, not his.
Methos scrawled his number on a piece of paper, along with his name. “Sasha, would you like eggs again tomorrow?” He asked. Through the porthole windows, he could see the sun coming up.
Her lips thinned in to a frown as she considered. “I guess so.”
Methos handed her the paper. “This is my number. If you ever get in trouble, give me a call, okay?” He told her, watching as she shoved it into one of her many pockets. “And you can keep that trinket you stole?”
“How’d you know I stole it?” she asked eyes wide, then frowned. “It isn’t even yours.”
Methos favored her with a smile. “Takes a thief to know a thief.” Not that he’d ever tell Amanda that, she’d want details.
Sasha’s mouth curved up in a bit of a smile, as she followed Methos to the door. “Should I knock next time then?” she asked, looking at him innocently.
“That would be a good idea.” Methos told her, watching her as climbed off the barge and down onto the street. Shaking his head he wandered back into the barge, he must be out of his mind. Lack of sleep, yes that was it, and it wasn't as if she'd be back.
Hell, who was he kidding, she’d be back. Either because she figured him for an easy mark or because she wanted more free food.
The next morning found Methos awake and drinking coffee in the kitchen pretending to be a morning person. He told himself he wasn't waiting to see if the girl would take him up on his offer of another free meal. She wasn't his problem after all. It was more Duncan's role to worry over every pre-immortal child that crossed his path.
Still he couldn't help but be pleased when the soft knock came. He let Sasha in, watching as the girl glance nervously over her shoulder. The clothes she wore looked more over-sized and dirty than they had the morning before. "You hungry?" He asked her, keeping his tone light.
Sasha nodded, following him like a puppy into the kitchen. Her eyes darted this way and that as if taking the place in fully for the first time. She'd probably been too frightened the last time.
Methos went about making the scrambled eggs again, making sure she had a glass of orange juice first. He wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't suffering from malnutrition. Sasha drank it slowly this time, watching him as if he was a puzzle she hadn't figured out yet.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" Sasha asked sitting her glass down.
He wondered that himself. "It's nice to have breakfast with someone don't you agree?" he asked her half avoiding her question.
She shrugged. "I guess. Having breakfast at all is nice." She bit her lip after she said the words, as if she hadn't meant to say them. “Anna forgets sometimes to fix breakfast.” Then added quickly, “She doesn’t mean too.”
Methos glanced up at her, trying to keep a friendly smile on his face. There was no sense in scaring the girl just because he wanted to wring this Henri's neck. "Shouldn't you be in school Sasha? You're what, nine or ten?"
Sasha shrugged again. "I'm eight and half." She told him. "And Anna teaches me at home, so I don't have to go to school. I wouldn't have time anyways, we move too much." Her eyes were on the cooking eggs.
"Who's Anna? Henri’s girlfriend?" he asked her, with a smile. As if, he was inviting her to share a private joke. He felt slightly guilty manipulating her, but the guilt didn't last long. He'd been doing this too long, getting others to say what they'd rather not.
Another little shrug, he was beginning to think it was some child language he didn't know. "I think so. She's supposed to watch him or something. But she doesn't do it very well, she doesn't know where he is most of them time. She doesn't do much of anything." Sasha said in disgust. "She acts like because she can get those print outs of names for Henri, that she's some big shot. But she’s not."
"Not a very good thief?" He asked with a chuckle, putting a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of her. Methos tried not to dwell on what her words could mean. It was common for some immortals to 'adopt' pre-immortals, but an immortal with a watcher in his pocket could mean trouble. He almost laughed at himself for that thought, what was he thinking? Didn't he and Duncan have a watcher in their back pockets?
Chewing on her bacon, Sasha shook her head. "She can't even pick a simple lock." Well that explained how she got in through a locked window. "Henri can steal anything from anybody, but he only goes after the people on Anna's lists. Says their special, like him."
Methos leaned on the counter watching her eat. "If he's so good why do you steal?"
"I wanted to prove that I can help more. I'm getting better at it." She bit her lip. "You won't tell anybody will you?" she asked with the tone of one that had said too much.
"Betray a fellow thief? Of course not, haven't you heard of honor among thieves?" he asked her, not liking the terror he read in her eyes.
She shook her head as she took another bite of food.
He smiled, and took a sip of coffee. "It basically means that I won't rat you out if you don't rat me out."
Sasha giggled. "But you haven't done anything for me to rat on you 'bout." She pointed out.
"You sure?" he asked her with a smirk.
Sasha finished eating in silence.
"You're welcome back tomorrow." Methos told her.
She shrugged and waved as she climbed down in the street. As he watched the young girl walk down the street, he wondered if it was the last he'd seen of her.
By the next evening he was half-sure he had. Methos had, despite himself, waited most of the day for his brown eyes breakfast companion. He'd finally given up and headed over to Joe's for a drink. A new band was playing and it should have distracted him, but his mind kept turning over all the things that could be-fall a young pre-immortal.
"Adam."
Methos didn't think the world could handle another child immortal like Kenny. What was he thinking anyways? She was probably fine, besides she wasn't his responsibility. She was his concern.
"Adam?" Joe's voice broke through his thoughts.
Methos blinked and looked at the watcher. "Sorry, Joe. What did you say?"
"Asked if you're okay, Adam. You've been holding the same beer for an hour." Joe pointed out with a chuckle.
Methos laughed. "You're imagining things, Joe. Hey look I'm going to head out, I'll see you tomorrow."
Joe gave his immortal friend a look. "You sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine, Joe, just a lot on my mind." He told Joe, before he left the bar. He wasn't worried about the kid, he told himself. If she were hungry, she'd show up the next day.
When the next morning came, Sasha was a no show. There was just a wrapped bundle by the door of the barge. Curious Methos brought it in and unwrapped the bundle. The necklace that Sasha had stolen glittered in the morning light. It had been wrapped around a note written in a child's hand.
'Thank you, Adam', was all it read.
Methos tried not to think about how empty the barge seemed as he ate his breakfast alone.
It was sometime after midnight when a soft knock came at the door. Methos didn't hear it at first, until a voice calling 'Adam' pulled him from his sleep. Half asleep, he opened the door, to find Sasha standing there.
"Hello.” He smiled at her, easing his hand away from the sword by the door.
She looked up at him, sporting a black eye. "Didn't mean to wake you." Her voice was shaky.
Methos had to push down the urge to demand who'd hit her, so he could go show them what he thought of men that hit children. "It's alright Sasha. Come on in, would you like some food?"
Sasha nodded slowly, following him inside. "I couldn't let them sell the necklace. It was special to someone," she told him, as he opened the freezer.
Methos looked over at her, as he wrapped some ice in a towel. The necklace probably was, but he hadn't expected her to care about that. "Put this over your eye." He told her.
The girl didn't argue and winced softly as the towel wrapped ice met her bruised flesh.
"Who hit you, Sasha?" Methos asked quietly, as he made her a sandwich.
“Anna did…but I deserved it. I made her mad.” She pursued her lips together. In the distance thunder rolled, warning of a coming storm. "They took me in when no one else would. She’s better when Henri’s home."
Methos felt his shoulders shag slightly. These people didn't feed her, gave her black eyes and who knows what else; and she was protecting them. They deserved her loyalty as much as he deserved Duncan's, and that wasn't saying much. "You can crash here tonight, Sasha. It already late and you shouldn’t go out in the storm."
The sound of rain hitting the deck and porthole windows, followed by a rumble of thunder seemed to prove his point. Taking a deep break Methos tried to calm himself down. He wasn't doing the kid any favors by losing him temper. Damn-it this wasn't his responsibility. He neither wanted, nor needed this girl in his head.
He glanced over at Sasha, and couldn't help but smile at the sight she made. Sandwich in one hand as she ate steak in the other held to her eye. She finished her sandwich, before glancing at him with her good eye. "Just tonight." She agreed.
It took him a moment to remember his offer. "I won't make you stay if you don't want to," Methos told her quietly. "But you don't have to go back to them."
He was still wondering why he'd told her that, an hour later. Methos had managed to find a shirt of Duncan's that would fit her like a nightgown, and convinced her to use the shower to clean up. It had taken him putting a chair under the doorknob and locking the door, for her to agree. Staring out into the rain, he'd refused to think about the implications of that. From the look of her when she came out, he knew he'd been right to think it been awhile since her last bath.
Now she was fast asleep in Duncan's bed, while he tried to figure out why he just didn't make an anonymous report to child services. The rocking of the barge might have lured Sasha to sleep, but it just made him slightly nauseated.
He should do anything but get more involved than he already was, he thought. It hit him then, as he stared at the ceiling, he wanted to raise her. He had to be going crazy to even think that, Duncan was the one that took in strays, not him.
The next morning when he went to check on her, he found the bed empty. It hurt. It shouldn’t hurt, he’d told her he wouldn’t keep her against her will; but he hadn’t expected her to leave. And he certainly hadn’t expected it to hurt.
Methos frowned at himself; it wasn’t as if he couldn’t check up on her though. Even if he just did some checking to see if there was a watcher named Anna in Paris. All watchers had to check in with Joe when they came into the area, so it should be a relatively easy thing to find out.
Of course that would also require him to tell Joe about his little morning visitor. Methos turned the idea over in his head. Joe would probably be a bit upset he let the kid go, but would more than likely be willing to help.
Looking out into the rain street, Methos sighed. This would have been much easier before he’d become friends with Joe and Duncan, but then he wouldn’t have been in this situation. Damn brat was wrecking havoc with his life. He stared out into rain, trying to convince himself that the best thing to do that day was to curl up with a book.
Two hours later found Methos, entering Joe’s office in the back of the bar. The cold rain had done nothing for his mood. “Hey Joe.”
Joe looked up from the old books he was going through and smiled at the old immortal. “Hey Adam, what brings you out into this weather?”
“Nothing good I’m afraid.” Methos told him wearily, sprawling in a chair. “I need to know about a watcher that just came into town.”
Joe eyed him suspiciously. “You going to tell me what this is about? You know I can’t just give out the identities of watchers.”
Methos stared at the ceiling for a moment before looking at Joe. “I’d be more concerned about the fact this watcher might be in bed, so to speak, with her immortal, Joe.”
“And are you going to tell me how you came across this information?” Joe asked, with a cough.
“My source is about eight years old, caught her trying to make off with some of Duncan valuables. A very thin, dirty, uncared for pre-immortal, Joe.” The words almost came out a snarl. “The watchers name should be Anna and the immortal is Henry.”
Joe was quite for a long moment, as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Where’s the kid now?” he asked, over the sound of thunder.
Methos launched himself to his feet. “I don’t know. She took off this morning, bastard gave her a black eye and she runs back to them.” He snapped, then sighed shoulders shagging.
“It’s been awhile since a kid’s gotten to you, hasn’t it?” Joe asked after a moment. The rain on the roof almost drowned out his words. “I’ll see what I can find out about Anna, see if I have a location on her in Paris.”
Methos nodded. “Thanks Joe.” He turned towards the door, he’d let Joe check his way but he’d do some checking on his own. Even if it meant going back in the rain, sure rain came in handy at time, but for the most part, it was annoyance to him now.
“You plan on challenging this guy?” Joe called after him.
Methos froze looking back at Joe. “Would you believe I haven’t thought that far ahead?” He lied, before walking on to the front door. He grimaced at the rain; leave it to Joe to ask the questions Methos didn’t want to answer.
He was about to plunge back into the rain, when Joe’s voice call him back. “Adam, I’ve found something.”
Methos was quick to head back to the office, part of his very glad to avoid going back into the rain just yet. “What did you find Joe?”
Joe gestured the screen, a picture of a red head woman and text showed on the screen. “Anna Devo. Just got the file yesterday, but it seems she’s been in Paris for a few months now.”
Methos leaned over Joe’s chair, reading over the other man’s shoulder. “Her immortal’s Henry Navarre,” he said half to himself as Joe scrolled through the recent entries.
“Is this the girl?” Joe asked, bringing up a picture of Sasha. She looked cleaner but just as thin; she was looking suspiciously at the camera. “Has her name down as Marie Rahr, but notes she’s now called Sasha Navarre.”
“That’s Sash. I wouldn’t be surprised if we did some digging that Anna hasn’t been going around as Anna Navarre. From what Sasha said, Anna supplies Henry with list of local immortals.” Methos said grimly.
Joe opened up a new page on the computer with a frown. “Look at this, until 30 years ago Henry had a partner named Sasha.” Joe read a bit more a grimaced. “Ah hell, he took her head too.”
The picture slowly loaded of the dead immortal Sasha. She was a pretty woman that looked to have been in her twenties when she died, she had big brown eyes and long black hair. “Shit, he’s trying to train himself a new partner.”
"That's just speculation, Methos." Joe pointed out, already planning in his head the calls he was going to have to make. "It could be coincidence that they look alike."
Methos shook his head, mouth set in a grime line. "Too much of one. He beheads his last partner, and then finds himself a pre-immortal that fits the description. Children are easy to manipulate, she already operates in terms of what well get her Henry's attention. By the time she became immortal her whole thought process would be wrapped up around him." It made Anna’s blatant neglect for the child make more sense as well.
Joe looked sideways at his immortal friend but didn't comment on the certainness in Methos' voice. "I'm going to do some more checking and make some calls. See if I can't get an exact location on Anna." The dampness from the rain was making him ache with phantom pain. "Stay, have a beer. There's nothing you can do right now."
Methos glanced out the window into the driving rain. Joe was right; there was nothing he could do right now. "Is it on the house?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I give you one on the house and you'll expect them all that way." Joe complained jokingly.
----------------------------------
Anna frowned down at the water logged pre-immortal standing on the doorstep. The rain was still coming down in torrents, splashing off Sasha's soaked clothing, droplets landing on Anna's suede boots. The watcher's frown deepened, never mind that she was half-relieved to see the child again. Henry would have been in a state had the girl disappeared while he’d been away.
"Where have you been?" Anna demanded, grabbing the child's arm and pulling her into the apartment.
“No where,” Sasha said, frowning. Her chin went up slightly as she pulled her arm away from Anna.
Anna glared at the child, before grabbing her arm again. “You’re dripping on the carpet, get in the bathroom and dry off.” Henry would be most upset if his precious brat got sick. “Now where were you? Gone almost two days, did you even manage to bring back anything? Or were you just out having fun?” She had dragged the child to the bathroom and pushed her inside.
“I wasn’t any place! Honest, Anna!” Sasha protested, striping off her wet things.
Anna leveled a cold suspicious look at the child. “Then where did the necklace go?” Anna wouldn’t put it past Sasha to try to take Anna’s place with Henry.
Sasha’s eyes got wide. “What necklace, Anna?” She shivered in her wet things, drops of water falling to the floor.
“You know damn well which one I mean. You gave it back didn’t you? Found yourself another immortal meal ticket, huh? Well you’d better not breathe one word about me and Henri to anyone or...” Anna threatened.
“You won’t do anything to me. Henri would get mad at you.” Sasha said. “He only keeps you around because you can get him that list of names. I’ll tell him what you do when he isn’t here, and we’ll see how long you last,” she taunted in a sing-song voice. The effect was slightly diminished by the wet rat look her wet t-shirt and hair gave her.
Anna froze for a moment. “You do, Sasha, and you’ll be the youngest immortal ever,” she hissed at the child.
“Henri...Henri would protect me.” Sasha whispered, feet sliding on the wet tile floor as she backed up.
Anna smiled coldly. "Oh he might for a while, but he'd get tired of it real quick. And then it’d be bye-bye Sasha." She drew her finger across her neck. "Now clean up that water and get to your room."
"I don't have a dry shirt." Sasha said looking down at her bare feet.
"You'll make it to your room fine without one." Anna told her. "And I don't want to hear a peep from you, until Henri comes back tomorrow. No dinner either, maybe you'll learn not to run off."
Sasha nodded slowly, looking at the water on the floor. Her stomach rumbled slightly, as she picked up her wet things. Out of her soaked jeans she pulled out a water-logged piece of paper, the number barely visible on it. The barge seemed like a very faraway place now.
Even if Adam hadn’t been the MacLeod she’d read about in Anna’s files, she should have stayed there. Maybe Henri wouldn’t have bothered to look for her this time.
It was still raining the next day, as Methos settled down with a book. It was late afternoon and he’d given up on hearing from Joe that day. As for the young thief, he was trying to put her out of his mind.
Joe seemed to think she was an innocent pawn, but Methos was too sure. It was too much of a coincidence for her to have stumbled across the barge of an immortal and to be ‘caught’ while trying to rob something. Methos frowned at his book, Sasha was still a child no matter how much she played along with whatever game the Navarre’s had her playing.
The hunger he’d seen in her eyes hadn’t been a game. Methos had seen that look too many times to think it could be faked. The hunger for more than food. It was the look of the little girl Silas had been wanted to keep once; she’d clung to the big immortal with desperation. She’d probably died with that look when Kronos had gotten tired of Silas’s distraction with her. Silas would like Sasha.
Methos clenched his hands around the book in the urge to throw it at something. Damnit he didn’t want these thoughts.
“All MacLeod’s fault.” Methos muttered to himself.
Outside in the rain a small figure approached the barge. Sasha stood on one side of the street, rain dripping off her nose. After a long pause, she started to cross, when a female hand clamped down on her shoulder.
It was almost midnight when Methos' cell phone began to ring. Groggily he fumbled for the phone. “Pierson. This better be good.”
“Adam?” Sasha shaky voice came over the line.
Methos was wide-awake in a moment, sitting up. “Sasha? What’s wrong?” He hadn’t thought the kid would use the number even thought he’d given it to her.
“I-I’m in trouble…I…can you come get me. Please?” The urgency in her voice made Methos back tense. “
“What sort of trouble Sasha?” Methos asked, keeping his voice calm.
There was a pause on the line, just the sound of shaky breathing and rain. A phone booth, he thought. “Please….you have to come get me. I’m at the old Sela ceramic factory. Please, I’m scared.”The words sounded rehearsed as if Sasha had said them over and over again.
Methos gut tightened. “I’ll be there as soon as I can Sasha.” He told her, running a hand through his hair.
The line went dead.
Methos started at the phone for a moment, before dialing Joe. It took almost ten rings before the watcher picked up.
“Dawson here.” The noise of the bar was audible in the background.
“Joe, its Adam. I just got a call from Sasha; she needs me to get her from the Sela ceramic factory,” Methos told the watcher.
There was a pause and the bar sounds dimmed. “You’re going to be walking into a trap,” Joe told him.
“That goes without saying. Since Anna is a watcher, I thought you’d like to know,” Methos told him as he dressed. “In case there are…complications.
“Be careful, Adam.” Joe told him.
Methos chuckled. “I’m always careful.” He strapped on the holster as he hung up. Sliding the Glock in place, Methos wondered when he started riding to the rescue.
Twenty minutes later, he was pulling up in front of the factory. He felt the presence of an immortal before he saw Sasha’s slight form. In front of the open doors, stood Sasha, looking soaked to the bone. When she saw Adam, she nodded sadly.
“Hoped you wouldn’t come. I’m sorry” She whispered, then her eyes lit up. “But you knew it was a trap.”
Methos smiled reassuringly at her. “Smart girl.”
From the darkness of the factory, a large hand came to rest on Sasha’s shoulder. “She should be.” Henri Navarre stepped into the rain pulling Sasha closer.
“You must be Navarre.” Methos said pleasantly, as if he was meeting the other immortal in a park on a sunny day.
Henri inclined his head slightly then thrust Sasha towards a slim, nervous looking mortal in the doorway. “I am, but you have me at a disadvantage. I was expecting MacLeod.” The man’s gray eyes darted toward Anna disapprovingly. The woman shrunk back more.
“Told you so.” Sasha muttered, trying to look and sound brave.
“He couldn’t make it.” Methos said with a smile. “If you’re going to keep around pre-immortal children, you should feed and clothe them better.”
Henri scowled glancing at Anna, drawing his sword, a broadsword he’d probably stolen. “I will be rectifying some of that, but don’t worry, she won’t be a concern to you for long.” Henri mocked. “Don’t feel bad either you’re not the first immortal she’s lured to me.”
Methos laughed, lazily drawing Ivanhoe. “I’d think having a pet watcher would be advantage enough.”
Anna dragged Sasha into the factory. “You almost blew it all, you little brat.” She hissed at the child.
Sasha glared up at Anna. “I don’t care. I told Adam about your lists, and...and he used to be a watcher. Your lists said so!” She balled her fists. “I hate you! I hope Henri kills you!”
Anna took another step back. “That’s…fuck! That’s why Joe Dawson wanted to know where I was?” She drew her hand back in rage, striking Sasha across the face. Outside the sound of rain mixed with metal striking metal. “Sasha, when Henri finds out you told…” she hissed
Sasha stumbled back. “I don’t care! Adam was nice to me! Adam cared more about me then you do. You said you were going to be my mother, you promised!” She yelled back angrily, turning on her heel and running out into the rain.
Anna just stood there, watching her go; her arms limp at her sides.
Methos had knocked away Henri’s sword and forced the man to his knees. Sasha eyes went wide. “NO!”
Both men’s eyes flickered towards the girl as she ran between them, her arms wrapping around Adam. “Don’t kill Henri! Please don’t kill him, he’s still my papa.” Her words sounded less like commands, and more like half-sobbing pleas.
Methos put an arm around her shoulders, turning her to look at Henry. “Sasha, do you want him to live?”
“I want him to live.” Sasha said softly.
Henri looked at Methos in disbelief. “You’re going to let me walk away?”
“If I hear about you in Paris again, or you using her to lure out immortals…next time I won’t.” Methos said, his voice causing Henri to wince in fear.
Getting to his feet, Henry held a hand out to Sasha. “Come on Sasha. It’ll just be me and you again, like before Anna.”
Sasha looked at Henry, then at Adam, then back at Henri again. “I love you papa.”
Henri tried to smile but the rage was there just under the surface. “I know you do girl, now come on. Take my hand.” The rain had started to let up.
A shaky small hand started to reach for Henri’s then drew back. “No, I want to stay with Adam.” She looked up at the immortal whose arm was still around her. His body shielded hers from wind and rain. “Can I?”
Methos felt a thread of uncertainty as he stared into those brown eyes. “I already told you could. We thieves have to stick together.” He felt the ebb of Henri presence even before Sasha looked back to where the man had been.
“He...he left.” She whispered. “He just left.” Behind them the sound of a car drawing closer caught Methos attention. He sheathed his sword, leading Sasha over to his truck.
Joe climbed out of his car, looking towards Methos. “I miss the excitement?” He asked curiously as he leaned on his cane.
Methos smiled slightly. “Not really. I let Henri go, and Sasha’s staying here.” He said as if that explained everything. With any luck Henri would be out of Paris before the next day.
Joe sighed; he’d get the full story when the old man wasn’t so concerned with getting Sasha into the truck. “Where’s Anna?”
“Who are you?” Sasha piped up, eyeing him suspiciously.
“I’m Joe, a friend of Adam’s,” he told her. “We’d better kid the kid out of this weather, Adam.”
Methos rubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t know.” He looked down at Sasha. “Joe I’m going to get her back to the barge. We’ll meet you back there.” Methos told the watcher climbing into the driver’s seat of the truck.
Joe nodded heading back for his car, as Methos turned his young passenger. “You okay?”
She started to nod then shook her head. “Henri wasn’t very good was he? That’s why he had to fight dirty, right?”
Starting the truck and flipping on the lights Methos chuckled. “You can be good and fight dirty all at the same time. Remind me to teach you when your older.”
Sasha looked at him curiously then looked out the window back at the factory. She was quiet for most of the ride back to the barge.
Methos was lost in his own thoughts. A thousand years since he last raised a kid. He had to be out of his mind.
“Adam? Would you have taken his head if I’d have asked?” Sasha asked softly.
Methos eyes were on the road as he answered. “No, I would have handed the sword to you.”