There was a knock at the door at 6:30 the next morning.

"Joe, when'd you get here?" Duncan asked.

"Around an hour ago, I had to get on the next flight heading out to Miami and then there was a severe storm and the traffic was blocked on the way over and...I don't know...so how's the patient?"

"Heavily sedated it would seem," Amanda said.

"Where is he?" Joe asked.

"Upstairs, but I don't think he's going to wake up soon," Duncan said.

"Is he allright?"

"Aside from his problem that's lasted for two weeks, yeah he's great," Amanda said.

"Which room?" Joe asked.

"I'll show you," Duncan said.

"Methos...Methos...hey you old goat, can you hear me?"

Methos opened his eyes and saw Joe standing over him.

"What do you want?" Methos groaned.

Methos grunted and rolled over and went back to sleep, until Joe poked him with his cane.

"Ah!" Methos groaned, "Joe what the bloody hell do you want?"

Joe snagged Methos with the hook of his cane and brought him up in the bed so he could look him in the eyes, "I want to know what the hell is wrong with you."

"Nothing is wrong with me," Methos told him.

"If there's nothing wrong with you then why have you been spending the majority of the last two weeks in bed?"

"Can't a person be allowed to rest without there being a problem?"

"Not for two weeks Methos!"

"Look Joe."

Joe swung his cane around, resting the end of it just a few inches away from Methos' nose, "Now you look, I don't know what the hell's gotten into you but you better come off it before you make matters worse for yourself. Got it?"

"The only thing I get is that I'm stuck in a room with an ass. Now leave!"

Joe brought his cane up and hit Methos over the head with it.

"You think it'll do any good having Joe talk to him?" Amber asked Richie.

"Could be, he knew Methos before any of us did," Richie said.

"But he knew him as Adam Pierson for the most of it."

"So did I, what's your point?"

"I don't know..."

"What're you two doing?" Duncan asked.

"Waiting to see if Joe can do anything with Methos," Richie said.

"Do you think he can?" Amber asked.

"It's a possibility."

The door to Methos' bedroom opened and Joe came out shaking his head.

"Well?" Richie asked.

"How is he?" Amber asked.

"You couldn't crack this nut with a sledge hammer, I don't know what to do, Mac, he won't cooperate, he won't listen, half the time it's like he's not even there," Joe said.

"Shit," Amber said.

"Well thanks for trying anyway," Duncan said, "you don't have to go back to Seacouver anytime soon do you?"

"Na, not for a few days, why? You want me to stay?" Joe asked.

"Why the hell not? We've had just about everyone else come through this house," Amber said.

"Amber that's enough," Amanda said.

"Oh? The hot-blooded bitch Cassandra and the dozen classmates from the dorm, and Yvonne's second cousins with their baby and that Watcher from the funeral parlor we had stay here over the past five months weren't enough for your taste?" Amber asked.

"Enough!" Amanda said, "Joe did you bring any luggage with you?"

"Nothing I haven't already brought in," Joe said.

"Allright, come on Joe we'll get you settled in the guest room," Richie said.

"What guest room? I can stay on the couch."

"Never a guest in our home," Amanda said.

"Too true," Amber mumbled, "as many guests we've had stay here sometimes we've ended up sleeping on top of each other...Joe!"

"Yeah?"

"Was Methos awake when you left his room?"

"Hard to say, it looked like he was sleeping with his eyes open."

"Come on Joe, let's get you settled into your room."

Duncan and Joe headed downstairs, leaving Amanda, Richie and Amber alone upstairs.

"Just leave him alone for a while," Amanda said, "maybe if we stop coddling him he'll do something."

"Do something, like what exactly?" Richie asked, "Build a sailboat on the roof?"

"Maybe he'll come out of his bedroom for starters," Amanda said.

"If you think it'll help him," Amber said.

"We need to stop babying him and waiting for him to tell us what's wrong. If we leave him alone, he won't feel smothered by us and maybe he'll talk."

"Just as well I suppose," Amber said.

"Of course."

"This can't be...this is impossible," Methos said, "you're supposed to be dead!"

"Yes well, when was I ever what I should have been? You think people expected me to become what I did? What we were? You think people expected that of us? No. They had no expectations of us, what we would become, what we would do. For three years all of that was buried and forgotten. For three years I WAS dead, but now, I'm back. I must say, Brother, I'm surprised at you. Did you really think that the confinements of HELL could hold me?"

"Why are you back? For what reason?"

"You betrayed me, Brother, one time too many...Because of that, we have an old debt to settle. You and MacLeod took many things away from me...Life...Silas and Caspian, everything that I spent 2,000 years putting together...now in return, I'm taking away the one thing that's so precious and damn important in your life, aside from your head that is."

Methos was frozen in horror as he helplessly watched Kronos behead the Immortal beside them.

Amber shot up in bed when she heard it.

She was struggling to catch her breath, she couldn't place the noise that awoke her, but then she heard it again. It was someone in the bathroom. Amber looked over at Richie, he was still asleep, he didn't even seem to be disturbed in the least by the noise.

"Richie..." she said as she looked over at him, "Richie..."

Richie was still asleep, practically dead to the world. Amber slipped out of bed and headed over to him to wake him up when she heard it again. She went into the hall, and she heard the all too familiar sounds of someone gagging. She knew Duncan had a stronger stomach than that, leaving her with just one man. Taking that into consideration, she opened the door to Methos' bedroom and slipped in without making a sound. His bed was empty, but apparently had been slept in, the room was dark, and the noise came from beyond the next door. Amber walked in and what she saw horrified her. Methos was crying, leaning against the sink with his head barely over the counter as he vomited bloody mucus again, before he fell on the floor from exhaustion.

Amber helped him up just in time for him to be sick again, but this wasn't the noise that had disturbed her. She'd heard him call out a name, Kronos. Well after hearing about the old days and the Horsemen, Amber knew the thought of Kronos was enough to make anyone sick, but not particularly like this...especially not Methos, he put the Horsemen behind him. Amber held the limp figure in her arms as he leaned against her body and slid to the cool floor, slowly. Amber heard his pitiful cries and realized he'd been doing it for some time. Amber helped him down onto the floor, and realized he was flushed and covered in sweat. She removed his boots, and then his sweater, leaving him in a T-shirt and jeans. She saw that it was a pitiful sight, him sick as a dog, and looking vulnerable as a child.

My God, what must he be thinking? What must be going through his mind now? she thought.

Propping Methos' head against the tub, Amber turned on the faucet and splashed some cold water on his face and chest. Amber soaked a washcloth in the icy water and as she held Methos close to her from behind, she held the cloth to Methos' forehead as he pitifully writhed in her grasp.

Looks like we'll finally be getting that answer we were waiting for, she thought.

Methos slowly became conscious as he felt a breeze sweep over his body, and he felt the body-heat of a woman behind him.

"Amanda, you tramp," he laughed to himself.

Methos felt at the figure behind him and awoke altogether when he felt an all too familiar breast, that certainly didn't belong to Amanda. His eyes opened automatically and looked behind him. He let out an inhuman scream as he got on his feet and backed up. Amber slowly came around and saw that her friend was up and seemed well.

"Methos, what's going on?" she asked drowsily.

"That's what I'd like to know!" he said, "Do you remember what happened last night?"

"Yeah, sure..."

"What?"

"You were sick and crying, I came in here, you were throwing up blood in the sink, you were burning up so I...sounds stupid once you take it all into consideration," Amber said, "I was just worried about you."

"It wasn't necessary."

"Maybe not, but I thought it was," Amber said, "...Methos."

"What?"

"Isn't Kronos dead?"

"What?"

"Isn't Kronos dead?" Amber repeated.

"Yes, why?"

"You were calling him last night when you were sick, my guess would be delirium, but nonetheless, why would you be calling a thing like that if he's as horrible as you say?" Amber asked.

"I...it was a nightmare, a bloody nightmare...Kronos...he...made his way back from hell, he was standing right before me, looking me in the face and laughing," Methos said as he paced back and forth.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive, he was right in front of me, and he threatened to take away something that...until recently, I didn't know was even possible."

"What was it?"

It was night when Duncan came home and closed the door behind him, to see Amber and Methos in the living room, having drunk an entire bottle of scotch and a few beers. Methos sat on the couch, completely motionless, whereas Amber lay on his lap, looking as if she'd been crying for a long time.

"What's going on here?" Duncan asked, "Amber, are you allright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied. She added, "I better be going", and headed upstairs.

"Methos, what's wrong with her?" Duncan asked.

"Same thing that's wrong with me, only you can see it," Methos said.

"What happened?" Duncan asked as he plopped down on the couch beside him.

"MacLeod, there is something I have to tell you, something that even I still cannot believe, but...here it goes..."

"Wait a minute, is this the same thing that you've been keeping from us for two weeks?"

"Actually it's been longer than that, but yes..."

"RICHIE!"

Amber stormed into the bedroom to see Richie sitting on his bed, polishing a knife, "Amber, what's the matter? Are you allright?"

"Richie, I have to ask you a question," Amber said, "Remember when you said that Emily Ryan who you knew until you were four when she died, was your foster mother and you never knew who you were really related to?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, Richie, I got some news for you, and it ain't easy, even for me to tell," Amber said.

"What is it?" Richie asked.

"You know how Methos has been acting weird for the last couple of weeks?" Amber asked.

"Yeah, so?"

"Well actually it's been going on with him for a few months, it started when he was in Bora Bora, he received some papers from someone, including a long family tree. His family tree, and it has something in it that you won't believe."

"What?"

"It shows that he had a cousin who was the black sheep of the family then and about 4,960 years ago was supposed to have been stoned to death in a battle, but he survived. So he waited until everybody was gone, and he disappeared into a new town, going under a new name, met a woman, got married, had kids. And the members of that family kept getting passed down from generation to generation, now skip ahead a few thousand years. A member of that part of his family in 1969 married a woman who was in the Ryan family. The same Ryan family that you are a part of."

"WHAT!" Richie asked in complete disbelief, "Amber that's not possible. Emily Ryan was my foster mother."

"She was your aunt, Richie...she was the black sheep of the Ryan family so when she was a teenager, her father kicked her out and she started a whole new life, got a whole new identity, moved to another town where she passed herself off as being a distant member of the Ryan family who there was best known for two things, good cooking, and having more family members than they knew about. Anyway, your mother conceived you at a relatively young age; anyway, she and Emily had a bond that they kept with them even after Emily left. So around the beginning of her third trimester, she called up Emily, asked her to come up and see the both of you. The doctors told her that there might be some problems delivering you, and she told Emily that should anything happen to her, she wanted her to become your legal guardian. Unfortunately you came early and she didn't have time to make out her will. So by the time Emily got here, your mother had just enough time to explain that you would be leaving with her. So she took you back to Seacouver with her after a background check was done. When that happened they could only go by the new life she'd been leading, rather than the life she led in the Ryan family that despised her. So that's why she got the checks for taking care of you."

"Amber, even if I did believe this, it still doesn't make sense, she was married to Jack Ryan."

"I know, she met him and was very stubborn about keeping her name so when they got married, he changed his name, making him Jack Ryan...unfortunately he was too much like many other fathers and husbands and just couldn't handle the idea of being responsible for anymore people...but the point is Richie, you don't have to continue wondering who you're related to, now you know."

"You're telling me that I'm related to a man who you yourself described to be a Welsh fruitcake with a hook nose?" Richie asked.

"I know it sounds impossible Richie, but it's true, I saw the records for myself, the family tree, the birth certificates, the death certificates, there're even pictures of them. Richie, you can finally see what your real mother looked like, and your foster one as well. Now, we can't figure out who sent these documents to Methos, but it was addressed to Adam Pierson, turns out whoever did it believed that as time went by, his family's name changed from whatever it was then to Pierson. But ain't it great, Richie? Now you know who your family is."

"Oh my God," Richie laughed, "Oh—my—God...I don't believe this...I'm actually related to that thing?"

"Yeah, crazy ain't it?" Amber asked.

"Oh well I can only think of one thing to say," Richie said.

"What?" Amber asked as she walked over to him.

Richie hit Amber and it knocked her on the floor. She looked up and saw him hovering over her, with a glare in his eyes and looked pure evil.

"You know Amber, I've heard you tell some sick jokes before, all of which I was willing to overlook, until now. You have the gall to come in here and make up a story like that? Amber what the hell is the matter with you?" he asked.

"But Richie, it's true, I've seen the documents with my own eyes, if you want I'll show them to you."

"Amber, enough, I am not related to Methos, I can't be."

"Oh? Well then explain last night when Methos was haunted by a vision of Kronos making his way out of hell, and dragging down with him the last relative he has on this earth, who isn't buried by now. Explain that," Amber said.

"Bad Italian food, and potent liquor," Richie said.

"Richie!" Amber said, "I know it's a hard idea to grasp, but think of it this way, you're still you, still the person that you were, nothing's changed about that, it's just that now you know you're related to the most annoying man on the planet."

"Amber...enough, stop with the jokes will you?"

"Richie, whether you want to admit it or not, he's your cousin, possibly the only relative you have left, so I'd enjoy him if I were you," Amber said as she got back up.

"He can't be, he's a Welsh pinhead, I'm...okay so I don't know what I am, but I'm not English," Richie said.

"You don't understand, he was a cousin by marriage, the family never did like him...but still, there is a part of him in you, and you have to realize that," Amber said.

"And suppose I don't?"

"Then you're shutting out of your life the only living relative you may have left in this world," Amber said, "you've wondered for so long who your family is, now you know."

"Amber, enough already! I'm not taking anymore of this demented joke of yours!" Richie said.

"It's no joke Richie," Methos said as he walked in, "it's true."

"It can't be."

"It is, trust me."

"Trust you?"

"Richie, when I first found out, I couldn't believe it either, that's why I was gone so long. I wasn't sure I could stand coming back here and seeing you again, or anyone for that matter. MacLeod's seen you as his family for so long, we all know that...I wasn't sure what would happen if I came back."

"Then why did you?"

"To look after my family."

Richie stood in the middle of the room completely motionless, he was hardly even breathing. Methos went over to him and placed his hands on Richie's shoulders so he could look him in the eyes.

"Richie, you have to breathe, you're turning purple and I'm don't mean that as a compliment," Methos said.

Richie drew in a large breath before he nearly collapsed in Methos' arms as he cried. Methos held Richie closer to him and stroked his head, as he silently took pity on him, now going through the same raw feeling of being torn apart as he had. Amber went over to Richie and placed her hand on his shoulder, before he turned around and grabbed her, pressing down on her neck. Methos had to pull him off of her and held him tighter so he wouldn't break away. Amber ran out of the room and ran into Duncan and Amanda downstairs.

"Mac, I think you should know something," she gasped.

"I already told him," Amanda said.

"You? When did Methos tell you?" Amber asked.

"Yesterday," Amanda said.

"How's Richie taking it?" Duncan asked.

"Well...first he didn't believe me, then he hit me, then he was crying, and then he tried choking me...then I ran down here so I can't tell you anymore than that," Amber said.

"He'll get over it," Duncan said.

"What?" Amber asked.

"I didn't mean that, I meant he'll get over the shock. It's always the worst."

"How would you know? You never even knew your real family," Amber said.

Duncan and Amanda looked at her with an icy glare.

"I didn't mean it like that and you know it, but how would you know about shock?" Amber asked.

"When you live as long as I have, you encounter quite a bit of shock," Duncan said.

"So, speaking of shock...how are you taking this?" Amber asked.

"Huh?"

"Come off it, Duncan, everybody's known for years you think of Richie as your own son, now you find out that he's related to Methos, that's not something that you instantly accept," Amber said.

"I wasn't pleased with it at first," Duncan said.

"Well how do you think Methos felt? That's why he stayed out of the country so long, that's why he didn't come home. He wasn't sure he could stand to face Richie after finding this out. That explains everything, that's why he's been acting weird. He's known about this for several months, and these last two weeks have been the worst. That's why he hasn't been his regular self around him. He wasn't the regular old cynic that we know. Then last night, he dreams of Kronos breaking out of hell to take back with him the only living relative he has...how do you think he feels about all this?" Amber asked.

"I didn't know..."

"You wouldn't. He didn't want anyone to know, the reason I found out was because it'd made him sick, delirious, throwing up blood...if you think it's a shock to you, just try putting yourself in his place," Amber told him.

"I know, I know this is the worst on him."

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"Then get off his damn back, that's why he didn't want to tell anyone. He figured so long as he didn't tell anyone, no one would have to know, you wouldn't have to get your parental pride bruised, Richie wouldn't be pissed off at being related to a man who runs every time danger conjures up. He tried to protect you from the truth and he could've but he would've lost his marbles before someone took his head. Frankly, I'm glad he finally confessed, that's right, damn happy about it," Amber said.

"You're serious? This doesn't bother you?" Amanda asked.

"Not a chance in hell...it makes more sense to me that they ARE related. Speaking of which, I better get back to those two baboons before they kill each other."

Amber headed back up the stairs and now headed over to Methos' room and closed the door behind her, and she was surprised to see both of them still alive. Methos was propped up against the headboard of his bed, whereas Richie was on the floor on his knees with his upper body resting at the foot of the bed.

"Well, how's it going?" Amber asked.

Richie lifted his head and stood up and turned around to face her, his face stained with tears. "How do you think it's going? I go all my life, wondering who my family is, if I have any living relatives. Then I find out I'm related to THAT thing!" Richie pointed to Methos, who seemed unaffected by his comments. "Someone who runs every time danger strikes...how...how can I be expected to grasp this as reality, my remaining family? How?"

"Richie, take it easy, you're just getting yourself upset," Methos said.

"And what about you?" Richie turned around, "You mean to tell me that this doesn't affect you in any way? Well I guess not. You can't be depended on to stay in one place for two minutes, how can I depend on you to stay here now?"

From Amber's point of view, it looked as if he meant to attack Methos at any minute, so she jumped on him from behind and wrestled him to the ground, after a few minutes, Methos intervened and told Amber to get off Richie. He'd already been hurt enough for one night. Having a bloody nose and torn lip didn't help much either, Immortal healing or not. It made Richie's face seem more pathetic than before. Remaining on his back, Richie wiped at his nose with the back of his hand and snorted. Methos hovered over him from on the bed and offered a hand to help him up. Richie, having his pride hurt more than the rest of him, accepted the lift up.

"And how are you taking this?" she asked Methos.

"Better than expected I suppose, although the kid on the other hand I'm not so sure about."

They both looked over at Richie who was lying on the bed with his hand clamped over his nose, his breathing was rapid and he looked exhausted.

"Hey Richie..."

"Whud iz it, Ambur?" he asked.

"You think you'd rather sleep here with Methos tonight?"

"What?" Richie asked. He jumped off the bed and started towards her, "Amber are you crazy?"

"Don't get yourself so excited, your nasal membrane," Amber smirked and pointed to his bloody nose, "I mean...well let's face it, this is obviously a shock to you, and...I don't know, I guess if it were me I'd want to get to know the bum more...besides, as you are now you're probably still bound to try and kill him, so it'd be easier to watch both of you from the same room."

"So what're you saying?" Richie asked, "that it's three of us to a bed now?"

"I suppose so...at least until we can get our lives somewhat back in order..."

"I hate to say it but she has a point," Methos said, "we're all pretty much in the same boat."

Richie said nothing and sat at the foot of the bed, Methos faced him and said, "I'm sorry kid, if I change what happened I would...but I can't...I can't help who you're related to anymore than you can...I thought you'd be happy to at least know someone you're related to."

"I guess I am, but I...I mean..."

"You spent so many years trying to figure it out, that once you found out Emily wasn't your real mother, you just gave up, and now this whole thing is just one major shock to your system," Amber said.

"Yeah," Richie sighed.

"Look on the bright side, you still got Mac, you got Amanda, you got me...you're not in this alone," Amber said, "most people don't have anyone who cares about them, related or not. You on the other hand have us, Joe, Connor...when you think about it that way, you're blessed."

"When you think about it my way, you'd be better off going to the garage and hanging yourself," Richie said.

"My point is, we're all here for you," Amber told him.

"I'd like to believe that," Richie said.

"Well stop trying and get into bed," Methos said, "I haven't been able to get any rest for over a month, I'm exhausted."

"But..." Richie said.

"Don't argue with the man, you heard him, get into bed, I think we could all use some rest after today," Amber said.

"I guess you're right, I feel like crawling into bed and dying," Richie said.

"Well don't do that, brat," Methos smirked, "then we'd have no one in the family to torment."

"Fine, fine, Methos you take one end, Richie, you take the other end...me, I'll take the end in the middle," Amber said as they climbed into bed.

Methos turned off the light and after a few minutes of getting comfortable, the three of them finally fell asleep.

More or less, Richie was still awake in a sense, he had so much racing through his mind, the one thing that really got him was now, he was with family.

What do you know, mom? he thought, I'm part of the family again.

Richie grinned as he turned over and fell asleep, the next day he'd have to see those pictures of his mom, and his "aunt" Emily.

Something had awoken Duncan early the next day, he wasn't sure what it was, but it gave him a good idea of whom to check on. Once he got out in the hall, he realized there wasn't anybody in Richie's room, but there were three Immortals in Methos' room. Quietly slipping in, he saw a truly pitiful sight, Methos on the left side of the bed, Amber sprawled out in the middle and practically joined to Richie, who was out cold on the right and looked more peaceful asleep than he did awake.

Duncan, resisting the urge to guffaw at the sight, made his way around to Methos and lightly slapped his face to wake him up.

"What is it, MacLeod?" he asked.

Keeping his comment to himself, Duncan just grinned as he pulled on Methos' short hair, pulling him out of bed, and said, "come here," leading him into the bathroom.

"Would you care to explain what's going on?" Duncan asked.

"You suddenly go deaf, MacLeod?" Methos asked, "We had a long argument last night, it got late, we were exhausted, so we turned in..."

"In the same bed?" Duncan asked.

"You make it sound as if it's the Dollanganger children," Methos said.

"Methos, I just...I just can't figure out how someone like you could be related to..."

"To someone like Richie, nice, level-headed, Richie...whereas you have me, the world's oldest drunk, irresponsible, always jumping the gun, running away, how could two types like us have met and joined?" Methos said.

"That's not what I meant, I mean..."

"Well it makes sense to me, MacLeod, that would explain it, Richie's dishonesty, his perforation of beer to scotch, his rebellious past, seeing stealing as easier than working for a living, you on the other hand gave him charm, virtue...he got his ego from you, I'll say that much..."

"This is a shock to me, Methos. And Amber already nailed all that personal stuff into me last night so I don't need to hear it from you," Duncan said.

"I thought you'd be happy for the boy, he finally found his family...at least what's left of it," Methos said.

"I'm trying...this is going to take time for all of us to get adjusted to...you know that."

"Well," Methos said, "do you want to wake the children, or should I...darling?"

Duncan smirked at the comment and said, "Fine, be a comedian."

"It's what you wanted, isn't it?" he asked.

"Me, and everyone else."

Duncan headed back into the bedroom where the young Immortals lay, and said, "Allright you two, time to get up."

Amber and Richie practically jumped at hearing that, Amber turned over and said, "Hey Richie, when'd we get Jack Torrance as a father?"

"Very funny you two, get up, time to get up," Duncan, seeing Richie had fallen asleep again, went over to his side of the bed and started slapping him to get him up, "Hey, get up. Come on you bag of bones, you've been in bed long enough."

"What are you, my wife?" Richie asked, "Leave me alone."

"Come on Richie, get up, someone has to have the pleasure of giving Joe a coronary when he finds out what the hell is going on around here," Amber said.

"True..."

Richie swung his feet around to the floor and got up, "Hey Mac."

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

"For what?" Duncan asked.

"For not taking his head when you had the chance," Richie answered.

Richie headed out the door and downstairs and Amber followed behind him, leaving Duncan and Methos alone in the room.

"So, exactly how are you related to Richie?" he asked.

"We're related by marriage you could say, cousins..."

"These relatives of yours...do you think there's any direct relativity between them and Richie?"

"No...the relatives from my cousin's family married a cousin to that generation of the Ryans...There's none of me in him...at least not as far as I know...we never did find out who his father was. Her family never knew."

"Do you think you'll ever find out?" Duncan asked.

"Does it matter?" Methos asked, "at least now he knows that he IS with family. His family...like it or not, that's basically what we all are...at least he's alive and even has us...that's more than most people ever have. He's got someone keeping an eye on him, worrying about him."

"Do you think he'll last long this time?" Duncan asked.

"He's wiser now, I think he'll survive some time...he may live longer than us," Methos said.

"And if he doesn't?"

"If he doesn't, it won't really matter MacLeod, because by that time we'll probably both be dead. I say we know this now, so let's enjoy the time we have with the brat."