Methos awoke the next morning when he realized the massive weight on top of his body. He looked up and saw Amber had fallen asleep on top of him. He slipped out from underneath her and got out of bed and headed over to his closet to get dressed. Amber woke up and got a good look at Methos from the back.

"Nice view," she said.

Methos jumped around when he heard her, then headed into his closet to continue getting dressed.

"So I guess it's safe to say we made it through another night without Medusa coming in," Amber said.

"Apparently so," Methos replied from the closet.

"How are you this morning?"

"Don't ask...and you?"

"Great, just great, I just wish Cassandra could've kept her opinions to herself," Amber replied.

"Oh? Why?" Methos asked as he came out of the closet, fully dressed.

"I fell asleep while I was on guard duty last night and no thanks to Cassandra striking up the past, I dreamt about the night Mario dragged me behind that building and had me pinned to the street for 2 hours," she explained.

"I'm sorry to hear about that, kid."

"Now, I imagine that you were a regular pain in the ass to her back during the Bronze Age," Amber started.

"More ways than one."

"But as much complaining as she does about you, I really wish she would've known Mario. Then she wouldn't be able to complain, she'd be dead."

"Kid..."

"I'm not wishing it on her, so don't go down my throat for that, I'm saying, if she knew him, she wouldn't think anything of you."

"You don't know that, I told you, if you knew me back then, you'd want me dead now as well," Methos told her.

"I don't know that and neither do you, you're just going on what one person remembers."

"Yes, the ONLY one who survived that era and is alive to this day besides me. I was there, I think I know how horrible it got."

"You don't get it, do you?" Amber asked, "I don't care what Cassandra says, I don't care what you say, nothing you did to her could be as bad as what Mario Venvetta did to me, and if Cassandra ever knew him like I did, she would regret the day she came to pick a fight with you...and if she ever tries that again, I will murder her with my own two hands if I have to."

"You'll never understand, will you, kid?" Methos asked.

"Probably not."

"You'll be lucky if you don't," Methos said.

"That would probably be the only good thing to come from this."

For the first time in almost 2 days, Methos laughed, "Now I know why I never wanted to be a father. You can never accomplish anything when you pick a fight with a kid, it never gets you anywhere, nothing is ever gained and on top of it, they're always the ones who're right."

"Well," Amber said, "if all that's true, that means you'd either be a real crappy father, or a pretty damn good one. So now, we have two arch nemesis' living in the same home who can't be set within three feet of each other, and one is expected to stay for a whole week. What're we going to do?"

"Don't look at me," Methos said, "for the first time in over 2,000 years, I am NOT the one with the plan. And I'm damn glad about it."

"So Mac, did you sleep last night or did you just wait up expecting for the power to go out and the windows to smash?" Richie asked.

"Actually I slept rather well last night, although I'm not sure why," Duncan said.

"I can vouch for that, he never moved," Amanda added.

"And you?" Duncan asked.

"Just fine, now about Cassandra," Amanda said.

"Amanda!"

"I don't think she'll be any trouble now, I had a woman-to-woman talk with her last night and explained to her how important he is to us. She didn't really say anything afterwards, but I think she got the point."

"Are you sure?"

"Well believe me, Duncan, after a thousand years I've learned how to get a point across to people."

"Well that's good, the last thing we need is those two going at each other's throats in the middle of the night," Richie said.

"Are you allright, Richie? You seem a bit weird this morning," Amanda said.

"I'm fine, just fine, I just keep getting the feeling I forgot something."

"What was it?" Duncan asked.

"I don't know, I forgot."

"Well try and remember," Cassandra said as she entered the kitchen.

"And how are you today, Cassandra?" Duncan asked.

Cassandra looked over at Amanda and said, "slept like the dead."

Cassandra got over to the sink when she saw Richie, "Whoa, Richie, are you allright? You look like crap."

"Thank you Cassandra, you're looking rather well yourself," Richie said.

"I mean it, are you getting any sleep?"

"Not yet."

"What about Amber? Did she stay up all night hitting the books too?" Cassandra asked.

"How do I know? She wasn't with me," Richie said.

"Well then were was she?" Cassandra asked.

"I'll give you a guess," Methos said as he entered the kitchen.

"Well," Cassandra said, "where is she?"

"In bed."

"Whose?"

"Ulysses Grant's bed," Methos said, "Whose do you think? She's in mine."

"What?"

"She didn't get any sleep last night, she was walking around the entire bloody time, complaining about some noise. Said she didn't want to wake anyone else up so, naturally she came to my room."

"You expect us to believe that?" Cassandra asked.

"Well it might help if you dug your head out of the gutter, Cassandra," Methos said.

Cassandra looked over at Amanda who ran her hand across her throat as a brief idea of what was to come if she didn't settle down.

Richie pulled up his sleeve and looked at his watch, "Would you look at the time? And Joe's still asleep? Oh boy, I'm gonna go give him a wakeup call."

Richie picked up a heavy pot and a metal spoon and headed towards Joe's bedroom.

"Richie!" Duncan bellowed.

"Never mind, I'll go stop him," Amanda said, "You just keep your eye on Click and Clack. Make sure they don't kill each other."

Amanda went after Richie, leaving Duncan, Cassandra and Methos alone in the kitchen.

"Well..." Cassandra said.

"Well what? You got something to say, then say it, if not, then keep your mouth shut," Methos said.

"And have you anything to say?" Cassandra returned.

"If you expect me to beg for my life, then you'll be waiting for a long time," Methos told her.

"How long?" Cassandra asked.

"Allright you two," Duncan said, "Cassandra, I don't want you giving Methos any trouble and Methos"

"What?"

"Stay away from Cassandra for the rest of the day," Duncan said.

"A pleasure," Methos replied.

"You don't need to worry about me," Cassandra said, "I'll be happy to keep my distance from him."

"Good, now that that's settled..."

"MacLeod..."

"Yes Methos?"

"What time is it?"

"It's time..." Duncan stopped as he gazed at his watch, "time we went to work...Cassandra, are you going to be allright being here while we're gone?"

"What've I to worry about? I'll be here alone with the kids and Aman..."

"No you won't, the kids are coming with us," Methos said.

Then I'll be here alone with Amanda! Cassandra thought.

"Oh you know what? I just remembered, I never officially checked out of the hotel, I have to go back there, check out, and after that I think I'll just see what you find so attractive about Tampa," Cassandra quickly said.

"Suit yourself," Duncan said.

"Richie!" Methos called, "Get that good for nothing bundle of steel out of bed, and get down here!"

"Okay!" Richie replied.

"Well, we must be going, Amanda!" Duncan called.

"Is everyone deaf around here?" Cassandra asked.

"Not yet, but we're trying," Amanda laughed, "what is it, Duncan?"

"We have to be leaving, so while we're gone, show Cassandra a good time when she gets back," Duncan said.

"Where's she going?" Amanda asked.

"To check out of her hotel room," Methos answered.

"Well don't worry, I'll make her feel right at home," Amanda said.

Cassandra saw the way Amanda glared at her, it was the same look she had on her face last night when she told Cassandra she'd kill her if anything happened to Methos. Cassandra didn't like this, she had to get away from Amanda until Duncan returned that afternoon.

"Well I better be going," Cassandra said.

"Us too," Duncan said.

Richie and Amber came running down the front stairs and were out the door just a few seconds before Duncan and Methos left as well.

"Well?" Amanda asked.

"Well what?" Cassandra asked.

"You got anything to say?"

"Yes...goodbye."

Cassandra threw on her coat and walked out the door.

"Now Mister..."

"MacLeod."

"MacLeod, I don't understand this, you were doing so well in our two courses last semester, why do you want to transfer to teaching elsewhere in the university now?" Dean Rooney asked.

"Call it a parental instinct, I like to keep an eye on the two kids I have living with us," Duncan said.

"I guess that's understandable...that's Richie Ryan and..."

"Amber Jenzon."

"Oh yes, those two."

"Dean, what problems could you have with my kids? They're perfect angels."

Okay, Duncan thought, they're more like the Hell's Angels...but he didn't need to know that.

"Well Mister MacLeod, I don't want to sound as if I have anything against them..."

"Too late."

"But they don't seem to be as willing to cooperate with us now as they were last semester, I don't understand, they have no thrive now, no reason to continue with their education."

"How long has this been going on?"

Well it really started the day after the semester started, but it's gotten worse in the last couple of days."

"Well the last couple of days we've had a problem in the family. I'm sure they're just having trouble concentrating."

"Is it anything serious?"

"No, not now anyway."

"Well if they want to pass this semester, they better get their act together," he said.

"Give them a break, they're fresh back to the university, a few days of less than perfect work isn't going to hurt them."

"More like less than acceptable. Your son has been dozing off in all his classes, and that girl acts like she's left her body completely. They pay little to no attention whatsoever to their instructors."

"Dean, do you have kids?"

"No, and I'm glad of it."

"Well I have 2, and I'll tell you I'm damn proud of both of them, I don't care how well they do or how terrible they do, I don't care whether or not they pay attention because I'm sure they have a pretty damn good reason to ignore some of their instructors," Duncan said.

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"Very well, follow me."

"Where are we going?" Duncan asked.

"You are going to get a brief look at just what these two are doing, first stop, Philosophy," Dean Rooney said.

Duncan followed the dean up the stairs and over to the Philosophy classroom. They watched from outside the doorway. While the instructor scribbled on the blackboard, most of the students seemed distracted, others were writing in their notebooks. Duncan noticed Richie had his head resting on his arms on his desk in the back of the room, while Amber stared at the wall ahead of her, not moving a muscle, not even blinking.

"Now, before this semester is over, I'm sure you'll understand my passion for the work of the greats, like Mark Humphrys. And like him, share my passion for science, and not religious beliefs. Most religion has been separated from my scientific teachings, and with good and proper reasoning; unfortunately, some of it still remains mandatory. It's truly pathetic that this is necessary, since religions only prove people do not examine the evidence as to whether it is true or not. My 'religious' belief is that we are the only beings that exist, who are alone, but don't worry, it's not the end of the world. We can still do something with this universe if we put our minds to it," Jonathan Hale, the Philosophy teacher said.

"This is the way he talks to the class?" Duncan asked the dean, "I can see why they're not paying attention!"

Richie snorted in his sleep a few times before the quarterback beside him elbowed him in the ribs. Richie snorted louder as he woke up, "Wha...what is it?"

"Please pay attention, Mister Ryan, what I'm trying to teach you is very critical," Mr. Hale said.

"Bullshit," Amber coughed into her fist.

"Mister Humphrys once said "I don't believe in the existence of God, devils or Satan, angels, demons, or heaven or hell. These things are only inventions of our imaginations, and do not exist in reality. I don't believe in human souls or spirits, or life after death. I don't believe in the existence of any kind of spiritual world or supernatural world. These are all inventions of the human imagination and have no basis in reality." What does this tell us?" Mr. Hale smirked.

A young woman in the front row answered, "Basically the idea of the Savior and the Messiah are just images made up, in the hopes that there actually being a Heaven would ease a dying person so they wouldn't go crazy. And over the years, these kinds of ideas have plagued mankind so there is religion just about everywhere you look. When in fact, there's no reward or punishment after death."

"Very good, Christine," Mr. Hale grinned as he adjusted his horn-rimmed glasses, "now, one major existing problem today seems to do with all the different religions: Catholic, Hinduism, Jewish, Baptist, Wicca, Jehovah's Witness, Mason, Lutheran, Buddhism, Islamic, Scientology, Mormon, Methodist. What seems to be the problem here?"

"Oooh!" Amber barked as she raised her hand, "Oooh! Oooh! Oooh! Oooh!"

"Yes, Miss Jenzon?"

"A lot of people feel threatened by there being many different religions. Some of which are cults disguised as religions, and then the real religions themselves. Some people would like for there to be one existing religion or none at all. I can't say I'd want everyone to have the exact same beliefs, so if something of the sort were to happen, I'd go with no religion because religion is not actually necessary to worship God. As been said in the past regarding the Catholics, religion can't save, only God can."

"Young lady, have you even been paying attention to anything I've been saying?" Mr. Hale asked.

"No, I've been listening to what you've had to say for the last five days and I have to tell you, you're full of more malarkey than the deli," Amber said.

"Are you calling me a liar?" Mr. Hale asked.

"No, I'm just saying you seem to worship this Mark Humphrys more than a fool of romance worships the ground his lady walks on, not to mention the feet that do the walking," Amber said.

A few students up back laughed, but Mr. Hale was not amused, and neither was Duncan.

"What's the matter with him?" Duncan asked.

"There is nothing wrong with Mr. Hale, he is perfectly fine," Dean Rooney said.

"If there's nothing wrong with him, why's he shoving his atheistic beliefs down their throats?" Duncan asked.

"Now," Mr. Hale said, "on the blackboard is what Humphrys described as his 'Universe'. I want you to examine the list slowly, you'll be tested on it later."

The students gazed at the writing on the blackboard:

"I. I don't believe in a creator or act of creation. There is no evidence that the universe was made or created by anybody.

II. I don't believe in any of the miracles or supernatural events described in the Old or New Testament. These are just stories.

III. I don't believe that any successful prophecies have ever occurred in human history.

IV. I don't believe that any miraculous cures have ever taken place in all of history.

V. I don't believe in possession, witches, wizards, magic, spells, signs, visions, ghosts, or any supernatural or spiritual events, world, or beings. None of these things exist.

VI. I don't believe that any prayer has ever been answered in all of history.

VII. I don't believe that any god has ever spoken to humanity through any medium in all of history.

VIII. I don't believe that such a thing as a first human existed, nor do I believe in original sin. I don't believe in the Garden of Eden, the Fall of Man, the Flood, the Tower of Babel, or the Exodus. These are just stories.

IX. I don't believe in the divinity of Christ. He was just a man like me. He never said anything that any ordinary man at the time could not have said.

X. I don't believe in the virgin birth, the immaculate conception, the Ascension, the Assumption, the resurrection, or any of Christ's alleged miracles. All of these things are just stories, inventions of the human imagination. None of these things actually happened in reality."

"I want you to study them closely and..." Mr. Hale said, "yes Miss Jenzon? Something you want?"

"Yes, you need to learn proper grammar and punctuation, Immaculate Conception is capitalized, so is Resurrection, and is Virgin, and I'm not certain, but I'm pretty sure Creator is too."

Mr. Hale laughed, "Ms. Jenzon, unless you have anything relevant to say regarding the list..." Amber raised her hand, "yes? What is it?"

"I've seen ghosts," Amber said.

"Oh have you?" Mr. Hale exhaled.

"Yes. Down at the cemetery, the railroad tracks, and in our bathroom," Amber said.

The class laughed at the latter part of the response.

"Really Miss Jenzon, I don't..."

"Also, I once saw a man come back to life after a spell was cast," Amber said.

"You did not," Mr. Hale told her.

"Yes I did, he's right here in this room," Amber said.

All the students glanced at one another in confusion.

"Miss Jenzon!"

"I have to comment on this," Richie stood up, "I too have to disagree here."

"Do you?" Mr. Hale hissed, "and what do you wish to argue with?"

"Well, there's no evidence on how the universe was created because it was thousands of years ago, but around the time it was created, there might have been some evidence. But you wouldn't know that because you weren't there at the time," Richie said.

"Oh please, Mister Ryan!"

A blonde girl in a large purple sweatshirt raised her hand before standing up, "Actually, they're right, I'm hereditarily psychic, I've had visions for the last 6 years from time to time."

"Hallucinations, Miss Banks, pure imagination."

"Oh yeah?" another woman asked, "Explain me."

"I beg your pardon?" Mr. Hale asked.

"You believe Humphrys' Universe and expect us to believe it too. In it he states that he doesn't believe any miraculous cures ever took place. When I was 16, someone shot me and the bullet just missed my heart, that's not luck, that's a miracle."

"Also," Amber chimed in, "if there's no such thing as a first human, where'd all of us come from? We didn't just drop out of the sky."

"That will be explained in science when we discuss evolution."

"Evolution has more holes in it than Swiss cheese," Amber said, "we didn't come from a 3-foot tall chimpanzee. God created us; He created the universe, the planets, and the humans. He brought you into this world, He'll take you out when He's ready."

"Do you have any proof that God even exists?"

"Yes, I'm living proof, after all the stuff I've done in life, I should be dead and decayed in a pine box by now, but I'm still here. That's not luck and that's not coincidence. He must be good if He's letting me still be here. It's because of Him that I'm even standing here having this argument with you," Amber said, "And until you can prove that none of it is real, don't tell me what's true and what's imagination. You refuse to admit that you're wrong."

"There's just one problem with that Miss Jenzon, you won't admit that you could be wrong, either," Mr. Hale said.

"That's because I'm not, and if you don't believe me, then remember what I'm telling you, when you die," Amber said.

"And what is that?" Mr. Hale asked.

"Science can't prove where we started, Humphrys can't prove where we started. God on the other hand is where we started and why we were even created to begin with. This didn't happen by accident, the universe wasn't just here. It HAD to be created. Plants come from seeds, firewood comes from trees, birds come from eggs, the water in the ocean and river came from the sky, babies started from a sperm and an egg. Everything started somewhere, and Someone had to be there to get it started. So, if you're still certain that this malarkey is true, then you can do it without me!" Amber said as she walked towards the door.

"Me too," Richie said as he followed her.

A few other students followed them out, and the first thing Richie and Amber saw when they left the room was Duncan and the dean.

"Well, what have we here? The next two valedictorians?" Duncan asked.

"Very funny, Mac, I don't care what you say, you can scream, you can spit, you can throw us again the wall, but I'm not going back there," Richie told him.

"Good," Duncan said.

"And another thing!" Amber said, "What?"

"The dean had a few complaints about you two, but now that I've seen this course and this 'professor' with my own eyes, I don't see anything to worry about as far as your well being is concerned," Duncan said.

"What are you saying?" Richie asked.

"I'm saying the exact same thing I said to him," Duncan pointed to the dean, "I'm proud of both of you regardless of what you do."

"Yeah, just cuz you know that we wouldn't buy this philosophy crap," Amber said.

"No Amber, I was proud of you two before I even knew about this."

"Well that's new to me," Amber said, "I thought you hated me."

"Who does he hate?" Methos asked as he entered the hallway.

"No one, what're you doing here?" Duncan asked.

"The fire alarm went off in my class and all the students ran out happy as a clam, now I don't know where they went," Methos said, "what's going on here?"

"Nothing, we're heading to World Geography now, later Mac," Richie called as they ran off.

"What was that about?" Methos asked Duncan.

"What's this about?" Cassandra asked Amanda, "I didn't do anything, I haven't even gone near him."

"I just want to make sure that we have an understanding here, if you even try to do anything to Methos, I'll kill you," Amanda said.

"Give me a break, I'm a little older than you, I think I could take you," Cassandra said.

"And Methos is over 4,600 years older than Duncan, but Methos didn't kill him," Amanda said.

"Because he is a coward," Cassandra said.

"The night they met, he offered his head to Duncan and he didn't take it, what's that tell you?" Amanda asked.

"That Duncan is foolish and naïve," Cassandra said.

"I didn't marry a naïve man," Amanda said, "Duncan knows better than to just flat out kill someone who is not what they were 2,000 years ago."

"Maybe not to him, Duncan wasn't his slave, Duncan wasn't assaulted by Kronos while Methos just stood by and watched."

"And you think Methos wasn't used as one of Kronos' 'objects' himself? Methos might have been older than Kronos but you're forgetting something. Methos doesn't like to fight, which is why he joined with Kronos, to stay alive. He didn't want to die, but he knew it was useless to fight Kronos either. Then one day he got out of it, and went on his way the way he is today, an intelligent, compassionate, pacifistic for the most of it, sincere man," Amanda said.

"Compassionate, sincere, bah!" Cassandra replied, "The day that thing does anything sincere..."

"He already has," Amanda said, "he offered Duncan his head so he would be powerful enough to destroy Kalas, he took Kristen's head so she wouldn't kill Duncan or Richie, he helped Joe save his daughter, a Watcher from her own assignment. What does that tell you?"

"Nothing."

Amanda got up from the couch to get her sword, before she grabbed it, Cassandra said, "It doesn't change anything for me about him, but obviously he's shown a different side of himself to everyone else here."

"Yes, the real Methos."

"It doesn't change the way I feel about him, I still wish someone would take his head, but obviously it's not going to be me. So for the rest of the week I'm just going to keep my mouth shut and be the nicest rival he ever had," Cassandra said.

"You better."

The front door swung open and the four Immortals came rushing in.

"What's going on?" Amanda asked.

"Say hello to two of the smartest kids in the entire college," Duncan said, "they know more than their instructor."

"You don't say," Amanda laughed, "so I guess this makes you the top-students."

"No, it makes us transferring to a new course," Richie said.

"What?" Amanda asked.

"They told off their philosophy teacher and the dean told them they had to take another course if they plan to pass this semester," Methos explained.

"I don't believe it," Amanda said.

"Here's what you'll probably believe, they're in one of my classes," Methos said.

"I believe it," Cassandra groaned.

Amanda turned her head and looked at Cassandra, Cassandra raised one end of her mouth into a smile.

"What is it?" Amanda asked.

"History," Richie said.

"I should've guessed," Amanda said.

"Well, I think I'll be heading out now," Methos said.

"Why? You just got back," Amanda said.

"Yes I'm aware of that, but someone else is here," Methos said.

"Don't bother," Cassandra said, "I'm not in the mood to fight you."

"MacLeod, I'm worried," Methos said, "it looks like Immortals do get sick."

"I'm going to go back to my room and lay down for a while," Cassandra said.

"Anything you need?" Duncan asked.

"Just a large bottle of scotch," Cassandra said.

"What century?" Amber asked.

"Amanda, what just happened here?" Methos asked.

"The start of a new beginning. You won't have to worry about Cassandra coming after you anymore."

"Can you guarantee that?"

"Yes. Now what do you have to say?"

Methos picked up two glass ashtrays and smashed them on the coffee table, "Hallelujah, hallelujah, the prophecy has prevailed," he laughed as he headed into the kitchen.

"Well what's gotten into him?" Duncan asked.

"Nothing, he's just happy to be alive and know that his worst enemy who is alive can't get to him now," Amanda said.

"What'd you tell Cassandra?" Richie asked.

"That if she tried anything with Methos, I'd kill her," Amanda said.

"Now I know why women are the stronger sex," Richie said.

"Why?"

"Because they control everyone, they control men, they control the other women," Richie said.

"Yeah well I'd love to stay here and listening to this flattery of the other sex, but I got a report due in Japanese," Amber said.

"And I got work in Government that I gotta get done by Monday," Richie said.

They headed upstairs and Cassandra headed over to her room, leaving Duncan and Amanda alone in the living room.

"Well this is interesting," Duncan said.

"Yeah, the first time we're actually by ourselves in the daytime...who would of thought that two kids in college, and two old rivals coming together would change our lives so much?" Amanda laughed.

"Well they're not here right now," Duncan said, "so..."

Duncan leaned into Amanda to kiss her, he firmly kissed her red lips, then moved down towards her neck...at the moment, Methos came out of the kitchen and broke it up, "Knock it off, will you? The kids will see you."

Amanda and Duncan stood side by side and nervously laughed as Methos headed back into the kitchen.

"He sure can be a pain in the ass," Amanda said.

"Yes he can, and I'm glad we'll be having him around for a few more centuries."