AUTHOR: Tisienne Blue

E-MAIL: tisatko@msn.com

DISCLAIMER: I own Serena, but everyone else belongs to their respective companies/producers/creators...

RATING: I'm hoping for a hard R... eventually...*G*

PAIRINGS: W/Methos; W/A; Serena/Jarod...

NOTES: This fic is for Natty, for her birthday, and is an X-over between Buffy, Angel, Highlander, and Pretender... (Pretender is in there for me... Nat only asked for a Highlander
X-over...*giggle*) For my purposes, season 5 of Highlander never happened, because I honestly thought it sucked beyond bearing. Also, *****= change of scene/location, and ~~~~
indicates passage of time within a segment.

DISTRIBUTION: Charity can have it... (DUH...), as can list archives and anyone else I've said yes to before, otherwise, just ask, cuz I'll say yes...

FEEDBACK: Is good, and it gets you a dedi, too...

DEDICATIONS: Nat, of course, and Gems, Neva, and Mystra... thanks for the feedback... also, the CO in its entirety... rock on, chicas..

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

< Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington, DC >

The tall redhead had just started throwing a few of her favourite outfits into a smallish bag when the front door of her apartment opened. She glanced up from her packing, a pleased
smile crossing her lips when she saw who it was. "Jarod!" she cried happily, crossing the room with a few swift strides and throwing her arms around the even taller man, "You're back
early!" She pulled back slightly, grinning up into his deep brown eyes. "How'd it go?"

Jarod sighed, leaning his head on her shoulder for a moment. "Well, the boy is out of jail, but... I still can't believe that his own brother set him up like that..." He sighed again. Family
was supposed to be sacred, and yet the one brother had framed the other for murder... It just wasn't right. Sometimes he wondered if he was doing the right thing by searching so
desperately for the rest of his family, but then he thought of Major Charles and Emily, and... He was just glad that his family hadn't turned out to be like the one he'd had to deal with
in his latest Pretend. "It was just..."

"Hard," Serena finished for him. "I know what you mean, sweetheart."

Jarod nodded, stepping back. "Yes, I suppose you do, what with your history and all..." He shook his head, a bit angry with himself for speaking without thinking first. "I'm sorry, Ser... I
didn't mean..."

The redhead smiled wryly, returning to her earlier task of folding her clothes into her bag. "It's all right, J. It was along time ago... and honestly, I think it bothers you more than it does
me... I'm glad you're back," she said, changing the subject, "I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye, and a note just seems so impersonal." She grinned, her bright green eyes
twinkling in the subdued light.

He glanced quickly at the bag she was in the midst of packing. "So... where are you off to this time?" he asked, as he always did.

She sighed unhappily. "Paris. Again." She caught the bare edges of the amusement he was trying to hide, and pouted a bit. "Yeah, yeah, I know... the most romantic city in the world,
and I'm complaining. But it's just not any fun to be there alone!"

"So?" he said expectantly. He waited for a minute and finally burst out with "Aren't you even going to ask?"

Serena sighed and shook her head. "Why bother, Jarod?" she said, sounding defeated, "It's not like you ever say yes, anyway."

"Yeah, well," he said softly as he stepped up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders, "You never know... I just might surprise you..."

She stood there silently for a moment or two before finally responding in an equally soft voice. "Don't tease me, J... please..."

"I'm not," he murmured against her ear, "Ask me, Ser... see what I say."

She glanced down at her bag, her eyes tracing the jacquard pattern in her favourite silk shirt. "Come with me." she finally said.

Jarod chuckled softly and pulled her back against him. "Is that a request or a command, Serena?"

The redhead shivered, reacting to his closeness. "Which one's gonna get you on that plane with me?"

He pretended to think about it for a moment, but he already knew the answer to that question. "Either one," he finally said against the side of her neck, "Either one..."

Serena turned in his arms, her packing forgotten for the moment.

~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 hours later ~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Come on, Jarod!" the redhead called for what had to be the fifth time. "The cab's gonna be here any minute!" She breathed a huge sigh of relief when he finally appeared from the
bedroom doorway and started down the hall towards her. "I swear, J, I've never known a man to take so long to pack! And it's not like you even have a lot of clothes!"

"No," he chuckled when he reached her side, "But I have the laptop, and the portable printer, and... and you don't really care, do you..."

Serena laughed in turn. "I really don't, J... as long as you come with me, I don't care if you pack up the entire apartment, or bring nothing but the clothes on your back!"

"Hmmm... but if I didn't bring any clothes, what would I wear?" he teased, smirking slightly as he anticipated her response.

She knew what he was waiting to hear, so she didn't disappoint him. "Well, seeing as you won't be leaving the room much, maybe you should just bring a robe... in case you have to
answer the door or something."

He stepped in closer to her, his hands coming to rest lightly on her hips. "Sounds like quite a trip you've got planned..." he murmured, his eyes locked with hers.

"Doesn't it just," she purred back at him, her fingers threading through the hair at the nape of his neck, "Doesn't it just." She pulled away quickly at the sound of a car horn blowing
outside, and opened the door a crack. "That's our cab, J," she said, sounding almost as disappointed as she actually was. Then again, if it had arrived even five minutes later, she
would have been even more disappointed, so... "Let's go." She grinned as Jarod picked up her bag, as well as his own, and followed him out, locking up on the way. They had along
drive to the airport ahead of them, especially with the rush hour traffic on the Beltway, and an even longer flight... she was actually looking forward to it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

< Paris--- 10 am >

Willow jumped up from the couch when she heard the knocking at the front door. "Angel," she called out, "Adam's here..." She grinned at the speed with which he flew from his
bedroom, still buttoning his shirt, and she tried not to look, but for some reason, she couldn't help but gaze admiringly at the pale flesh that was slowly being hidden by the silk. It was
almost like watching a strip-tease in reverse, she thought, blushing at the images the thought created in her mind. Angel... Friend! she reminded herself sternly, turning with relief when
the knocking came again. She went to the door and turned the knob, opening it to find herself confronted by a very handsome cab driver holding a daisy. "C... come on in," she said,
stepping back to allow him entry.

Methos glanced inside cautiously before crossing the threshold. He wasn't entirely sure of how the redhead's friend would react to his presence, and he wasn't really itching for a fight
this early in the day, but... the vampire seemed to be reconciled to the fact that he'd be taking Willow out, so... "Willow," he said, as he stepped inside, "You look amazing!" And she
did, too! She was wearing some sort of green silk pants with a matching top, and she'd opted for sensible shoes instead of those spike-heeled monstrosities that most girls her age wore.
He didn't understand why so many otherwise reasonable young women deliberately chose to stagger about on them. He supposed they thought that it made them look sexy, or more
mature, or something, but on the cobblestone streets of Paris? It just made them look foolish. He realized that he'd been staring when the girl shifted uncomfortably, and shook his
head. "Sorry, Willow, I was thinking about something... Here. For you." he said, holding out the daisy he'd plucked on his way in. He smiled his little half-smile when she thanked him.
"It's nothing. You might want to bring a sweater, though... it can get a bit chilly in some of the galleries..."

Angel was doing his best not to glare at the man, but it was hard. He didn't trust him, and he didn't like him, either. How much of both of those feelings were based upon the fact that
the man was interested in his Willow wasn't really a question that he was prepared to face just yet. Besides, he'd promised the girl that he'd at least be civil, so... "Uh, OK... Adam...
You'll be sure to... watch out for her today, right?"

Methos was almost shocked that the vampire was speaking to him. He'd figured that he was in for the silent treatment from him. "Of course!" he replied, almost insulted by the question.
"I won't let anything bad happen to her."

Angel nodded, sure of that much based upon the other man's tone of voice. He still thought that he was up to something, but he didn't think it involved hurting Willow... or not
anymore, anyway. He had a feeling that whatever the man's initial plan had been, it had suffered a radical change when he'd met the girl. "Good." he said bluntly. He let silence
descend over them for a few minutes. "So," he said, turning to the couch and sitting down, "What can you recommend for us to do tonight? It's been a long time since I was in Paris
last... I'm probably a little out of touch."

The immortal sighed softly to himself. He had been expecting this, but that didn't mean that he wasn't disappointed that he'd have to share the girl with this Angel all night... but at
least she would be all his for the daylight hours... "There's a little place across town, it's called the China Club. If you like live Blues, it's the place to go. I was planning on taking Willow
there tonight, so... why don't you join us?"

Angel almost growled out loud. He'd known that the other man was trying to take the redhead away from him, and now he had his proof. Her nights were his, damn it, but this... prick!...
didn't seem to think anything of just jumping right in! Civil, he reminded himself, I promised I'd be civil... He wondered, for a moment, whether ripping the bastard's heart from his chest
would violate that promise, and decided, regretfully, that it would. "Great," he finally responded through gritted teeth, "I love the Blues."

Methos stared at the vampire, wondering just who he thought he was kidding, but he was at least making an effort to be polite, so... "Fine," he replied, "We'll call you with directions a
bit later on, then." He sat down for a moment in a nearby chair, and wondered what was taking Willow so long as the heavy silence descended over the room once again.

Willow had been looking for her black sweater for what felt like forever. She had managed to find the red one, and the purple one, but neither of them would go with her green outfit. It
was driving her crazy! She knew that she'd packed it before she'd left Sunnydale, so it had to be there somewhere, but... it wasn't! She sighed unhappily and walked out into the tense
quiet of the living room. At least they weren't fighting, she consoled herself. "Angel?" she said, looking quizzically at him, "Have you seen my black sweater, 'cause I can't find it
anywhere..."

"Sorry, sweetness," he said, standing up, "But hold on a minute..." He dashed into his room and was back in less than a moment with something in his hands. "Here," he said, passing
the roll of fabric to her, "Take one of mine until it turns up, OK?"

She smiled shyly, loving the idea of wearing something of his, especially in public. "Thanks, Angel," she said, standing on tip-toes to kiss his cheek. "I'll call you..." She turned and
smiled at Adam. "OK, I'm finally ready!"

He stood and took her hand, leading her from the apartment as he began to tell her about the first gallery they'd be going to.

Angel sighed, closing the door behind them, and decided to look for a phone book... he wanted to find out for himself exactly where this 'China Club' was, but first... he went into his
room and reached under the bed, pulling out the black sweater that Willow had been looking for. He looked around the room for a moment before finally opening the closet and
shoving it back into the far corner behind his suitcase. As long as the girl was wearing his sweater, that Adam would be reminded that he didn't have a clear field where Willow was
concerned... he just hoped that the redhead wouldn't find out about his little ploy.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

<George V, Paris-- 5 pm >

Serena smiled at Jarod while they waited for the desk clerk to bring them their key. It was a little early to be checking in, but the hotel was willing to make an exception for them,
considering how often the redhead stayed there. And it was a good thing, too, because Jarod had been driving her crazy with his little whispered comments during the flight over. She
glanced at her watch again, pleased to see that they'd have a good four or five hours to get settled in before she had to go meet Joe at the club. She sighed happily when the little
man finally came back with keys for them both, and thanked him profusely before turning and leading Jarod to the elevator. They'd even given her her favourite suite! That was why
she loved this hotel, after all... sure, it was expensive, but you got what you paid for.

They got off the elevator, and walked down the hall to their suite. She opened the door, waving Jarod in ahead of her... he'd never stayed here before, and she wanted to see his face
when he first saw the living room. She wasn't disappointed.

Jarod set their bags down carefully, staring at the main room of the suite. For some reason, he'd thought that hotels like this only existed in old Hollywood musicals, but... obviously,
he'd been wrong! "Serena..." he said softly, his eyes darting about the wonderfully appointed room, "You stay here all the time?" His lips stretched into a small smile when she
chuckled slightly. "Why do you ever go home?"

She slipped up behind him, her arms wrapping gently around his waist. "Because, my dear," she explained, resting her cheek against his shoulder blade, "You're there..."

He sighed happily, turning in her embrace and wrapping his own arms around her. "Good answer..." he said softly, his eyes meeting hers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 4 hours later ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You ready, J?" Serena called from the dressing room as she put the finishing touches on her hair. She stepped back and frowned at her image in the mirror. Something was missing,
and she wasn't sure of what it was, but she felt... naked. Her eyes raked over her reflection. Everything seemed to be in place... silk shirt, leather pants, low heeled mid-calf boots... She
scanned the items on the small table before her, her eyes sparkling when she realized what she'd forgotten. She picked up the long black and silver stick, twisting one end and pulling
the slim blade from its wood and metal sheath before sliding the subtle weapon back together and weaving it through the loose bun at the nape of her neck. She felt better
immediately, although she was a bit concerned that she'd almost forgotten it... oh, well, it was only a back-up, anyway.

She swept out into the main room, only to stop short at the sight of Jarod... her Jarod, looking casual-chic in a tight pair of black jeans and a deep red shirt. He had a leather jacket
hanging from one shoulder, and was wearing a tall pair of engineer boots. She stood there, staring, for almost an entire minute before rushing past him and opening the door. "Come
on, J," she said impatiently. "The sooner I take care of business, the sooner we can get back here..."

Jarod smirked to himself as he followed her out of the room, closing the door behind him. He'd thought that she'd like this outfit, and as he watched her hips swaying gently from side to
side as she walked down the hallway to the elevators, he found himself hoping that whatever business it was that she had to take care of wouldn't take too long...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It had been a horrible day. He'd been stuck there, in the apartment, with nothing to do but worry about the little witch. His mind had created fantastic scenarios in which she was hit by
a car... mugged... kidnapped... Of course, he'd been reasonably sure that none of those things would actually happen, but that didn't stop him from worrying about her. The only bright
spots in his miserable day had been her hourly phone calls, and he'd kept her on the line for as long as he could. He'd wanted nothing more than to order the girl home to him, but...
that wouldn't do, and he knew it! It had been shortly after one of those calls, during which he'd heard Adam's voice in the background saying something that had made her laugh, that
he realized... he DID want her for himself! He pushed aside all the questions he'd been asking himself since before they'd left LA, and admitted it. He wanted her for his own. Now, if
she only felt the same way. He wasn't sure of exactly where she stood with regards to him, though... in fact, the only thing he knew for certain was that she was home.

He was almost giddy as he waited for Willow to finish changing her clothes. He had thought, for some reason, that she was going to just stay out with Adam,and he'd have to meet
them at the club, but that wasn't the way it had worked out at all! Sure, she had spent the day with the other man, but she had insisted, around eight o'clock, by his reckoning, that he
take her home. Angel had heard her talking to him on the other side of the door, and she'd told him that she would be going to the club with him, not Adam! Of course, she'd said that
she'd see the other man there, but that didn't matter. He grinned broadly, remembering how she'd looked in his sweater when she'd finally come inside. He didn't know quite how to
explain it, but she'd apparently been born to wear his clothes... his sweater looked better on her than it ever had on him... as far as he was concerned, anyway.

He swallowed hard when she finally emerged from her bedroom. He'd never seen her looking so... "Wow..."

The redhead giggled, glancing down at her body-hugging sapphire blue dress and the strappy heels she wore with sheer black nylons. "Really?... Wow?"

"Oh, yeah," Angel purred, as he helped her on with her coat and took her elbow, "Definitely 'Wow'..." He kept his hand carefully on her arm as they went down the elevator, and
through the lobby of their building, and once he'd managed to flag down a taxi, he helped her in. Closing her door, he walked around to the other side, climbing into the back seat
beside her. "China Club," he told the driver, and agreed with him when he said that Angel was a very lucky man to have such a beautiful woman by his side... He only hoped that he
could keep her away from Adam for the rest of the night.

End-- Pt 4
 

next