Duncan was stunned, as was Methos. Several people crowded around offering advice, but Methos ignored them all and collected the fallen woman in his arms and carried her to the office where he laid her on the couch with her feet on the raised arm and her head flat on the seat cushions. Duncan followed, concern showing on his face and Joe was also soon in the doorway.
"Is she OK?" Joe asked anxiously.
"Her pulse is a little thready and she's somewhat clammy but she's breathing and starting to come out of it," Methos announced.
Indeed Catriona's pale face began to flush with colour again as she stirred and her eyes fluttered. Methos was still holding her wrist, monitoring her pulse, as she came fully around. She noticed his touch at once and made to jerk her arm away, her eyes widening in alarm.
"Please don't," she said.
Methos let go of her arm and looked at her curiously. "Did I hurt you?" he queried, frowning slightly.
"No, no," she murmured, then she groaned and covered her eyes with her hands before taking in a deep breath . "Oh God!" she moaned. "How could I have been so stupid?" She looked at Methos sorrowfully and said; "I am so sorry, I didn't mean to do that, can you forgive me?"
"Forgive you for fainting, or for asking me to let go of your wrist?" Methos inquired, one eyebrow raised.
"Oh no, no, it's much worse than that," Catriona moaned. "Forgive me for invading your privacy, if you can."
She tried to sit up but Methos gestured to her to stay where she was.
"Hey take it easy for a while, your system's had quite a shake up." He looked at Joe. "Any brandy available?"
Joe went to fetch the bottle and a glass whilst Duncan and Methos sat opposite Catriona. Both men looked worried and puzzled by what had happened and by what Catriona had said. Duncan was beginning to wonder if his 'cousin' was ill. Methos looked curiously at Catriona and then asked her. "How do you think you invaded my privacy?"
"I.....I, Oh God!......" faltered Catriona.
At that moment Joe came back with the brandy and would allow no further discussion until Catriona had drunk some and he was sure she wasn't likely to faint again. Having complied with Joe's commandment Catriona sat up more fully, still feeling weak and jittery but more fully conscious, she began to answer - searching for a way to explain.
"I'll tell you how I invaded your privacy," she said swallowing hard, " but I'm not sure how much you'll believe or even if this is the right place to do it." She looked at Duncan and Joe and then at the open office door. She was having trouble meeting Methos' gaze and she looked as though she wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole.
"Well, I guess we have time to do this later," said Methos, reaching to take her hand, trying to calm her.
Instead, Catriona squeaked and folded her arms. She lowered her head and almost whispered "Please don't, don't touch me. Not yet, I need to be ready."
Methos looked as if he'd been struck. He couldn't quite make this woman out. He did know, however, that she needed some time to calm down and that she might be more comfortable away from the bar.
"Why don't we go back to your place Mac?" he suggested. "Then we can get settled and Catriona can tell us what's bothering her."
Duncan nodded at that and asked Catriona if she needed any help.
"No thank you Duncan, I can manage. God Joe, I'm so sorry," she said looking remorsefully at him, " I didn't mean to cause a scene and disrupt your set."
Joe just smiled at her and said "No harm done as long as you're OK. Would you mind if I called round later to check on that?" He glanced at Catriona and at Duncan who both nodded their agreement.
Methos and Duncan followed Catriona out to the car and they all three rode in silence back to the dojo. Duncan made coffee and then he and Methos settled to wait for Catriona to explain
. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat for a few minutes and then looked at Methos. Her face held the expression of someone who had mortally wounded a helpless creature. She cleared her throat and put down her coffee, ran her fingers through her hair and then looked again at Methos. 'I can't believe I'm having to do this again so soon,' she thought.
"I don't know of any way to do this and make it easy so I'll just start and if you want me to explain anything just ask and stop me anytime OK?"
She looked at both men, sitting on the edge of the seat nearest the door and facing them sat on the couch she suddenly felt rather like a bug under a microscope. 'Your own fault Catriona, you should just learn to stay away from people when you are so vulnerable, then you could avoid all unnecessary scenes.' As neither man offered anything other than encouraging looks to her she continued.
"I was telling Duncan some of this before we came to the bar," she began, looking to him for support. She found some in his steady gaze and felt reassured. "I am what is known as an Ollamh, a master Druid," she began again, "and I have the gift, or curse - depending on your point of view, of the sight. By which I mean that I can see others' thoughts at times, also past and future events." She looked again at Methos to see how he was taking this news.
He was nodding, this was not quite such a surprise to him. He had met others so gifted in his five thousand years. He was not even surprised at a twentieth century Druid. He'd been a Druid himself once he remembered and suddenly he gasped. He shot Catriona a look of understanding.
"You don't have to do this Catriona," he said, " I think I know how you 'invaded my privacy', and I know that it was totally unconscious on your part. In fact I'm not surprised you fainted after such an experience."
"No Methos, that is the name you use isn't it?" she queried.
Both men stared hard at her as she said those words. Duncan took a sharp breath.
"His name is Adam Pierson," he said. "Why did you call him that?'
"Oh Duncan, please, give me a little credit here. I know as well as you do that Adam is as much his name as yours is Genghis Khan, he has been known as Methos for far longer than any other identity. I have seen his memories and this truth cannot be denied." She looked again at Methos.
"I shall call you Methos for now as you use that name, though I'll not use it in public. I need to explain this please, it is important to me. I shall not say or do anything to harm you and if I trespass again on private territory you must tell me. "She waited for him to make his decision.
Methos looked at her, curious to find out what she knew and suddenly a little afraid, his mouth was dry as he spoke again.
"OK, that's how we'll play it," he agreed, "but I have a question."
"Yes?" said Catriona.
"You said something about my name that I'm not sure I understand." He looked at her questioningly.
"Methos? Yes. I said it was the name you use, it is to those few whom you trust and it has been yours for a long time has it not?"
"It is my name. Why wouldn't I use it?" he asked.
"Ah, I understand, I think." said Catriona. "You have a few memory blocks don't you?"
"A few," agreed Methos.
"When we were introduced I was caught off guard. As a result I made full contact with your past memories. Even those it would appear you have since forgotten. I know everything that ever occurred in your life, from birth to the present day. I could tell you what time you got up and what you ate for your first meal this morning....you could hardly call it breakfast."
She paused for a moment looking at him carefully. He was sitting rigidly on the couch looking even more nervous than she had felt when she began her recitation. If anything he was also paler now than he was normally. She realised she had hit a raw nerve and sought to reassure him again.
"I will make you a promise never to speak of this, or of what I know, to anyone. If you want me to tell you what I know I shall do so, but I shall keep my counsel if you prefer not to discuss this. It is your life and your decision. Whatever you decide will bind me to a promise and the only one who can change that decision will be you."
She looked earnestly at him, making sure he understood that this was a solemn vow she was making, and was relieved to see him relax and smile shyly at her.
"Then I decide to maintain the status quo, at least for now," he said. He stood as if he were about to leave.
"Please, don't go yet, there is one more thing I need to explain," she said.
"Don't worry I am not leaving, I just feel in need of something a little stronger than coffee, you do have some beer in the fridge MacLeod?"
Duncan nodded and looked pensively at Catriona as Methos went to fetch his beer. He was about to speak when the elevator jerked into motion. Catriona jumped, still feeling edgy.
"Don't worry, it'll be Joe." Duncan said. "Might as well wait till he's here before you go any further."
"You think I should tell Joe?" Catriona was surprised. She looked at Methos who simply nodded.
"Joe knows who I am, he is no danger to me." he said.
Duncan rose to fetch Joe a drink and then everyone sat waiting for Catriona to continue.
'Oh God, what a nightmare,' she thought. Putting aside her fears, however she focused on the three men and began again to tell the story of the vision she'd had. "I recognised Duncan and Connor immediately," she said, "but until now I had no idea who the third man was."
Methos' eyes widened, suddenly realising the implications. "It was me." he whispered.
"Yes," Catriona confirmed. "So when I met you at Joe's , there were two elements that threw me off balance. First I was overtired, I had relaxed and all my controls had slipped - for want of a better explanation - I saw your face from the vision over your actual face which rather shook me. Second as we shook hands I felt the whole of your life wash over me and it rather overwhelmed me which was why I fainted," she said ruefully. "I've never had to deal with so much history at one fell swoop before, and especially not when I wasn't expecting it and had therefore not taken the appropriate precautions." She looked at the floor again and swallowed, wondering what the outcome of this evening of unpleasant occurrences would be.
Rising from his perch on the edge of the couch, Methos began pacing around the room. The others watched him warily, waiting to see what he would do next. To Catriona it seemed as if all of them but Methos had stopped breathing and were awaiting his permission before beginning again. Finally he stopped beside Catriona's chair. When he spoke his voice was not hard or judgmental but merely matter of fact.
"So, Catriona, you now have all of my past in your head?"
Catriona nodded.
"And you would normally not go around pulling information from people just for the heck of it?"
"God no!" she exclaimed, paling again. "I don't do that. I've never done it before and I wish to God I hadn't done it then."
"Because of what you now know about me?" asked Methos.
"No," she sighed, "not because of that, I can't judge you for your past... because it was unasked for, because such behaviour is unacceptable and because I feel as if I have violated your soul."
She looked at Methos and waited for his judgment.
Methos looked at her carefully, she felt as if he was seeing into the very essence of her being, and she squirmed slightly under his regard. His gaze softened and he spoke to her reassuringly.
"Well Catriona, it seems you know more about me than I do, you appear to have done the equivalent of taking my quickening without me actually losing it, or my head. In fact it's hardly surprising you fainted. How do you feel now?" he asked, solicitously.
"Apart from being a little shaken, tired and jet lagged I'm fine," Catriona answered. "And you?"
"Well I'm fine too," smiled Methos. " No harm done to me. However if you have any problems with my memories you'd best let me know."
He moved off to the bathroom, and closed the door behind him, leaving Catriona Joe and Duncan sitting in subdued silence for a few moments.
Duncan cleared his throat. "Well, this is all fine and dandy, but I think someone forgot something." He looked directly at Catriona, his open stare causing her to lower her eyes to the floor once more. "If you know everything about Methos don't you think you owe it to him to tell him about the gaps in his memory?"
Catriona sighed heavily. "Duncan , I thought we'd covered that ground just now," she said. " If Methos wants to know anything I'll tell him, it's his memory after all. On the other hand it is also his decision and not mine, I'll not foist it on him unwanted and unasked."
Duncan looked at her in disbelief. "For God's sake. They are his memories isn't he entitled to know about them?" he stormed.
"Oh Duncan! I think that's up to Methos to decide don't you? Catriona replied quietly. "Just think about this for a minute, there's usually a very good reason why the mind cuts itself off from memories."
"Such as what?" countered Duncan.
"Trauma, pain, things best forgotten," Joe said. "She's right Mac. After Vietnam many of my friends did their best to forget some of the things they saw and did, hell even I wish I didn't remember a lot of it."
"So you'll just leave him in his ignorance then?" Duncan said angrily.
"I'm too tired to argue with you Duncan." Catriona said, suddenly she couldn't take the feeling of being smothered in Duncan's anger and she couldn't face any more questions. She knew it was cowardly, but self preservation was a strong instinct and it was taking over now.
"Give Methos, Adam...give Adam my address. If he wants me to tell him what I know I will. I will not. however, discuss this with anyone else. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I've done more than enough damage for one evening. Thank you for dinner, I'll probably see you sometime at the faculty building Duncan." She turned to leave, then turned back again to Joe. " I'm sorry for the disturbance Joe. It was nice meeting you. You did a great version of 'Smokestack Lightning'." Then she entered the elevator and pressed for down.
Duncan stood staring at her in disbelief as the engine whirred into life.