XOVER: Changing of the Guard 4: The Road To Hammelcar [PG13] 15/19

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Notes and disclaimers in part 0/19

Chapter 15

As the rest of the strike force strategically arrayed themselves around the
room, Amanda turned to Carter.

"So, what's with the handcuffs?" she asked as the bride and groom made a
circuit of the Great Hall, viewing the wedding gifts and accepting good
wishes.

"I'm not sure, but they can't be locked together permanently."

"It's some sort of device that seems to require them to join their
Quickenings," Daniel murmured from behind and the women turned to stare at
him.

"That's impossible," Amanda insisted.

"Not according to Methos," MacLeod told her quietly as he joined them.

Amanda raised an eyebrow. "I want to hear the whole thing, but later. How do
we get it off him?"

Carter looked at Daniel, who blushed, fidgeting uncomfortably with his
collar. "We don't. They do."

"How?"

"They have to... You know..." he shrugged. "Join their energies as
they...consummate."

MacLeod laughed as Amanda turned to stare after the couple. "He doesn't look
very happy about it," she commented softly. But then who would at this space
age equivalent of a shotgun wedding? Amanda thought wryly. "He looks like a
warrior going to a fate worse than death. Quinta isn't that bad to look at."
The dichotomy confused her. After all, the ancient Immortal had undoubtedly
tumbled his fair share of women, reluctant or not. Bedding Quinta shouldn't
be that onerous a duty.

"Seems fitting," MacLeod chuckled.

"You really want to be quiet now, bog boy," O'Neill warned dangerously as he
came over. Wisely, MacLeod said nothing.

"Daniel," Amanda asked, very deliberately taking his arm and leading him
toward one of the gift displays. "What's really going on?"

"Really going on?" he asked innocently.

She gave him a cool, assessing stare. "I make my living estimating the odds,
kid. I scope out the situation, figure out who the players are, what they
have to gain and what I need to do in order to get it away from them."

"Sounds like that would be helpful given your...uh...profession."

"Something like that," she grinned. "And right now, Methos isn't behaving
naturally."

"How should he be behaving?" Daniel asked warily.

Amanda smiled. "You tell me, kid. He looks relaxed, but his body language
screams 'help me'."

Daniel glanced at his friend and silently had to agree.

"He isn't physically revolted by her," Amanda went on. "See how she just
leaned against him? Methos didn't lean away. In fact, he moved his arm
against her back. Tentative, but familiar. Part of him wants to be where he
is. The other... Ah, there it is," she frowned, looking puzzled. "She kissed
him, and for just an instant he looked...sickened. But not by Quinta," she
added thoughtfully, still watching the pair. "And I think I know Methos well
enough to say that he would never be revolted by kissing any girl that
pretty, or so obviously willing. Now, what gives, Danny? Who is Quinta and
what does she mean to him?"

Daniel stared at the floor for a long moment, then glanced around the room
nervously. Finally, he looked at Amanda and shrugged. "Apparently, she's his
sister."

***

"Colonel, a moment of your time. Please," Amanda smiled sweetly, accepting a
glass of something from a passing servant.

"Now's not a good time, Airman," he told her sharply, trying to keep an eye
on both Methos, Bear's team and Quinta's guards.

"Look happy," Amanda said, linking arms with him as she nodded at Methos,
who flashed her a small grin. "Didn't your mother ever tell you frowning
like that would give you wrinkles?"

"Meaning...?" he asked with sarcastic annoyance.

Amanda pursed her lips. "Meaning smile while you plot those dastardly deeds,
darling!" She laughed airily as if he'd just told her something funny, then
led him along for a turn around the hall.

He glanced back at Methos then turned his attention to Amanda. "So exactly
how long have you known Pierson?" Jack finally asked as he strolled beside
her.

"Long enough to know we have to get him the hell out of here -- before he
does something he'll regret for far too many years. And you know what I
mean."

O'Neill fixed his gaze on her, frowning deeply. "Daniel's got a big mouth."

She waved a hand in dismissal. "I'd have figured it out in another few
minutes. He only saved me the effort of adding and subtracting all the
pieces."

Couldn't bring himself to tell Hammond, O'Neill thought disgustedly. Didn't
want to risk embarrassing his friend with the taint of incest -- especially
when it might have given the general the needed impetus to come up with a
better plan than this. But he'd blab it to Amanda on the off chance she just
might have guessed it! Sometimes, he could just strangle Jackson!

"Okay," O'Neill cocked his head. "I agree. We have to get him out of
here--and quickly. So what's your plan?"

"I say we kill the crazy bitch and run for it."

"Well, duh!" O'Neill rolled his eyes. "I already came up with that part.
Twelve centuries of fighting experience and you can't do better than me?"

"I'm a thief, not a tactician!" Amanda retorted sharply. "You want a better
plan, go talk to Alex, who, by the way, came up with this charming little
scheme!

O'Neill sighed despairingly. "And what's MacLeod's take on all this?" he
asked, having seen the pair of them with Daniel.

"He doesn't know. Neither do the others," she admitted. "Most of them
wouldn't understand about Methos' past. They grew up in nice homes, with
nice parents. I didn't. I'm afraid of what they might think of Methos for
taking it this far. Let alone how indignant they're going to become if they
realize what Methos thinks he's willing to do to get out of it."

"Yeah," Jack nodded, liking Amanda a little more for her insightful
evaluation of the problem. "Pierson thinks he can do this and leave, but...
It'll seriously screw with his head."

"Badly," Amanda agreed. "And that's the last thing he needs after..."

"Inanna?"

Amanda nodded. "And don't blame Daniel. I figured that out on my own from
something Mac told me a while ago."

"Okay, so you're one smart lady," O'Neill remarked dryly. "But that doesn't
help us get him out of here."

"No, it doesn't," she admitted. "But it does make one thing clear."

"Which is?"

"In order to save Methos from himself, we're both prepared to go to the same
extreme."


Chapter 16

The plate of food in front of Methos was just as full as it had been when
he'd first been served. Only now, the neatly arranged, prettily garnished
cuisine was a morass of meat and vegetables swimming messily in a pool of
colored sauces. The sight of the food he'd been pushing around for the past
quarter of an hour finally disgusted him and Methos gestured to a servant to
take it away.

"You are not hungry?" Quinta asked politely.

"I prefer to eat light in the evening," he lied as his stomach twisted a
notch tighter in his belly.

"Father was like that," she smiled happily and went on eating.

God! he thought, suddenly desperate to leave. Did she have to keep saying
things like that? Denial was a wonderful thing, he told himself
sardonically. And with each little reminder, Methos came closer and closer
to fleeing the table screaming. Her right hand shifted as she absently
adjusted something and the tug against his wrist became an even more
poignant reminder of why he couldn't. Worse was the knowledge of what he
needed to do in order to be released.

If only he were stronger, he thought, or if Quinta was willing to try it,
maybe they could somehow combine their Quickenings as Tok'ra had shown him.
But that was no good either, because he didn't really want her in his head
knowing everything about him, now did he?

Ah, just kill her and be done with it, the part of him that was Death
quietly whispered. With an angry grimace he silenced the beast. There was no
need for that when he had a perfectly good plan in place, if he could only
find it within himself to do the deed.

"Is something wrong, husband?" Quinta asked nervously. "We can leave now if
you desire it."

She was so eager to please it was heart wrenching.

To hell with it! he thought despairingly. Let's get this over with.

"Yes," he smiled, lifting their bound wrists and gently placing a kiss on
her hand. "Let's retire and leave them to their revelry."

With a breathless laugh she hurriedly signaled her women. As they rose, the
entire hall grew silent. Quinta looked at him expectantly and from somewhere
within his memories Methos pulled up the appropriate phrasing. "My wife and
I bid you good evening and joyous merry making."

There was deafening applause, but none of the ribald, familiar comments
about the merry they'd be making. That, he recalled, was usually done by the
groom's friends and family. He glanced at O'Neill, who'd risen as well,
along with the rest of the team. And as they stepped from the dais, the
strike force moved to flank the pair, matching Quinta's guards stride for
stride as they departed through the rear of the Great Hall.

Behind it lay a series of corridors leading to the royal chambers, and Jack
fell into step beside Methos as they reached Quinta's suite.

"Don't," Methos told him quietly. "You don't need to do this."

"Neither do you," O'Neill responded calmly.

"Husband?" Quinta interrupted, not understanding their speech. "Your friends
are, of course, welcome to accompany you, as my women do me."

Methos silently groaned as she invoked the ancient ritual of putting the
bride and groom to bed.

"Only one attendant will be necessary," he muttered, trying not to see the
laughter in the other Immortals' eyes.

"Gotta make sure everything's done properly, right?" O'Neill grinned
tightly. But first," he added hurriedly. "My people need to do...something
over the bracelets. That okay?"

Quinta looked a little surprised but nodded.

O'Neill turned to Carter and Amanda, whispering quietly. "You two have a
look at those things. See if you can figure out how to get 'em off
without... You know... Consummating!"

"We'll need more than a minute for that," Amanda complained.

"Well, I don't know. Think of something. Maybe Daniel can pretend to pray
over the damn things!"

The two women stepped forward, and though Carter seemed a bit flustered, she
also looked fascinated as she touched the bracelets while Amanda examined
the locking mechanism.

"We just need to make sure these are safe," she explained to Quinta, who
smiled her permission sweetly as Daniel translated.

"A little late for that," Methos snorted.

Both Carter and Amanda ignored him while Methos did his best to divorce
himself from the whole insane situation. Then Daniel began to chant the Hymn
to Ninkasi -- in Yiddish of all things!

After several minutes of this nonsense Methos finally put an end to it,
pulling their hands away.

"Yes. Thanks. All of you. And I am the walrus, ku ku ku ju! Now, may I
please have my humiliation in peace?!"

"Geez," O'Neill muttered as he followed Methos inside, leaving the others to
stand guard with Quinta's people. "Try and do a guy a favor!"

"Don't you get it, Jack? Short of electrocuting us with a massive charge,
the only way this thing is coming off is the old fashion way. We have to
earn it."

"How massive?"

"Enough to black out half of New York City," Methos explained tersely as
Quinta politely ignored their hushed conversation and stepped behind a heavy
screen with her women. Methos rested their wrists on a ledge that looked as
though it had been recently cut for the purpose and stripped off the head
dress, tossing it into a corner.

"Listen," he went on a little more calmly. "Quickening energy is similar
enough to electrical energy to be mistaken for an electrical storm. But even
then it might not work, because if I recall correctly the bracelets are
keyed to the individuals wearing them. It searches for the energy signature
of its particular bearer and fixes on it, permanently. The locks only open
when the bracelets are fed two signatures and enough power to make them
minimally sentient. Meaning, they unlock, but don't come off until one of us
is dead and the energy stops coming."

O'Neill paled as he realized what that meant. "So... You won't... What? Be
able to get a divorce?"

"No," Methos sighed, stretching his neck uncomfortably as he tried to remove
one of the heavy pendants.

"Here," O'Neill offered softly. "Let me help."

"Look, when we get back to the SGC Carter and her friends can take all the
time they like to examine this thing and find a way to get it off me. But
first, we've got to get out of here. And there's only one way I can see that
happening."

Two ways, Jack thought as he helped Methos remove the rest of the heavy
ensemble, but he wasn't saying anything. He found a thin cloak, which had to
be a robe, laid out neatly on the bedding and helped him into it.

"Okay," he finally agreed when Methos didn't suggest an alternative -- but
then, considering the circumstances, O'Neill hadn't really expected it. Even
warped as she was, Quinta was still Methos' only family and something inside
the ancient Immortal obviously couldn't bear to lose that last link. "She's
all yours," O'Neill told him quietly.

Methos swallowed hard and looked away. "I can do this, Jack. I promise."

That's what I'm afraid of, O'Neill despaired silently as he turned and
walked away.

***

Sergeant Bear raised a brow as O'Neill followed the women out of the room to
stand at parade rest, blocking the door. Jack gave a tiny head shake to
indicate he wasn't yet ready to storm the room then nodded politely to the
Ishri captain in command of Quinta's guards. He noted almost absently that
Bear had everything under control out here. Both their teams conveniently
positioned to take the guards down quickly and silently if necessary.

"Colonel," Major Carter began quietly as she left her place. "I think I've
figured out how to unlock those bracelets."

"Yeah?" Jack asked eagerly.

"With a large enough electrical charge we might be able to confuse the
locking mechanism enough to get it to open."

"How large, Major?" O'Neill asked with a sigh.

"Well, I'm not sure, sir, but..."

O'Neill shook his head. "Massive," he supplied. "Enough to black out a small
city according to Pierson."

Carter looked stunned then nodded. "He's right. The charge would have to be
at least equivalent to, if not greater than, their combined energy."

"Yeah," Jack agreed.

"But, sir," she argued. "It wouldn't necessarily kill him."

Bear cleared his throat as he watched O'Neill's cool expression suddenly
change dramatically. "I thought you wanted to save Methos, not turn him into
crispy critter meat? Or am I missing something, Major?"

"No, Sergeant," Carter told him, faintly embarrassed, and took that as her
cue to move back into place.

The sergeant nodded slowly as O'Neill looked relieved.

"You don't think your man can do what he needs?" Bear asked softly.

O'Neill chose his words carefully. "He thinks he can, but... It's a moral
thing." The sergeant nodded, understanding the concept if not the reason.

"So, we go in?"

"Let's give him a minute," Jack told him quietly. "He needs time to figure
out a few things."

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