Chris's Chronicles Book 3: Part 5:
For the Price of Love...
A month later- Arizona
"I miss you too, Cat. I know Joe has to be upset, but please, do not tell him where I am. It will only put him in danger." Chris said to the phone as she sat on the couch. When she had left Seacouver that day and got on the first plane out of there, her first instinct told her to go to Mexico, but she decided Arizona would be a better choice. When she got there, the house had been broken into and torn apart. It took her two days before she could even clear a pathway to walk between rooms. "I will be back soon, just tell him that and I love him. Ok, ok... I will. You too, bye."
She put the phone down and sighed. Cat had waited until things had calmed down in Seacouver before calling Chris, and the tone in the young Immortals voice let Chris know that leaving was the best thing to do. They broke into her apartment a week after she left, and Joe and Rick had planned it out to make it look like she had been beheaded. Now she just had to wait a little while longer before things settled down before she could go home.
She walked over to the bookcase and pulled down one of her Chronicles and started to write in it. She had been writing for over an hour when the buzz hit. "Damn it Methos, come in." She said not even moving.
Methos walked in and smiled. "I didn't know Arizona had tornadoes that came inside of houses." He said, as he laughed looking at the mess that Chris had yet to touch.
"It is not a good idea for you to be here, I just got off the phone with Cat. She told me what happened."
"Who ever took your head got one hell of a headache by the looks of how Joe and Rick did the place up."
"What is the story with Rick anyway? Is he real?"
Methos nodded. "As real as you and I, only he's not one of us. He really did save your life, the Hunters aren't after you anymore."
"Does he know all of it?" Methos nodded. "God, what if that information got out. If any of the other Watcher's found out who I was, they may be able to link you to me and that would put us both in danger."
"Don't worry, he won't tell. He knows how to keep a secret, he use to be an undercover cop."
"Oh great, how did he find out about us then?"
"One of the guys that he killed was one of us. He saw him come back from the dead. Rick got shot up pretty good in that stakeout and he saw the guy come back before he passed out. He thought it was because he was dying."
"Sounds like how Joe became a Watcher. How is he?"
"Hanging in there. By the way, I have a surprise for you. You left before we could cut your cake." He said as he helped her off the couch and to the front door. Outside layed a cake big enough to fit an army in.
"Did you have to put so many candles on it? Hell Methos, you are going to start a wildfire."
He grinned. "Then blow them out before it starts. And don't forget to make a wish."
Chris noted the grin on Methos' face and wondered what he had up his sleeve. Chris closed her eyes for a moment, made her wish, smiled, and blew out the candles. When she opened her eyes, Joe was standing in front of her.
"Wish come true?" he asked as he kissed her.
"Joe!?" she wasn't sure whether to slap or kiss him. "You should not be here. Neither of you should. You are putting both of your lives in danger."
Chris helped him out of the cake, and he hugged her. "As long as I'm with you, I don't care what happens."
Methos smiled when he saw Chris smile. She had been through so much pain in her lifetime because she lost men, and only Methos knew how she truly felt about Joe. He had to make her happy somehow. After all, Joe was threatening to take his head if he didn't tell where she was. "I guess I'll be leaving now." He said as he walked to them. "Take care you two."
Chris followed Methos to his car and took his hand as he went to open the car door. "You should not have brought him here, he is in danger."
"Chris, do you love him?"
"You know I do."
"If you were in his shoes, would you be able to stay away?" she shook her head. "That's why I brought him. You don't need to be alone right now, and he wanted to be with you. Take care of him."
"You are welcome to stay, you know there is more than enough room for you and you are welcome."
He shook his head. "It would be too weird for me and I need to go home in case there's any news. I'll call you." She nodded and he kissed her forehead. "You know I love you."
"I love you too Methos, and thank you. Thank you for everything."
"Just be happy and make sure he's ok. Don't let anything happen to him. You may not be out of the woods yet."
"You know I will." She said letting go of his hand as he got into the car and shut the door. She walked back to the porch, and Joe placed his arm around her as they watched him drive off.
"So, this is the great Renwyck-Vincente ranch I've heard about." Joe said as he kissed her. "Are you going to take me on the grand tour, or just the sidetrack tour?"
Chris smiled and walked with him into the house.
Joe and Chris spent the next week together making up for lost time. Chris truly loved Joe, but being there in the house that she and Will had made, with Joe was to awkward. She realized Joe felt the same way one night after they had made love on Valentine's Day.
"Chris?" he asked as he turned on his side and looked at her. She looked so beautiful there with her eyes shut and her long auburn hair over her shoulders and covering her bare breasts. She rarely wore it down, but he had pulled out the ribbon she had it tied back with out while they were making love.
"Yes?" she asked as she opened her eyes and looked at him.
"That drawing on the wall, is it from your wedding day with Will?"
Chris turned to where her back was pressed up against Joe's chest and looked at the drawing. "He drew it on our wedding night. Since cameras were not around at the time, he wanted to capture the event so we would always remember it if something were to happen to one of us. Does it bother you?"
"No, you look so beautiful in that dress. Will was really lucky to have you for two hundred years." He said as he played with a lock of her long wavy hair.
"I was lucky to have him. He taught me a lot about life and love, and I believe if it were not for him, you and I would not be having this conversation."
"What was it like? I mean spending that long of time with someone knowing one day one of you would come home and not come back."
Chris turned back around and looked at Joe. He kept looking at the painting and she raised a finger to his chin and slowly slid his face downward to her eye level. "I knew the time would come eventually that I would loose him, but I really never thought about it much. One of the things Will taught me was to live for the day, and not worry about tomorrow. I think that may have been the reason why his death hit me so hard."
Joe nodded and kissed her. "I love you." Joe sighed and ran his fingers through her hair. "Chris, will you marry me?"
Chris looked at him in surprise. "Marry you?" he nodded. "I do not know what to say."
"Say yes. Chris, ever since the day I first met you, I knew you were special. When I figured out that you were Immortal, I should have been furious, but I wasn't. It didn't matter to me. When Methos told me that you two had once been lovers, I was jealous, and then, when Rick told me that you were in danger, all I could think about was what would happen if I lost you. I know one day I will, but until then, I want to spend the rest of our time together."
"We do not have to get married to do that." She said as she sat up and put her feet on the floor. She ran her fingers through her hair, then separated it and started to braid it.
"I understand." Joe said as he turned away from her. He couldn't look at her.
"No Joe, you do not understand. I love you and that is why I do not want to marry you. You know just as much about me as I do, so you should know what happens with me when it comes to marriage. It is almost like why Duncan will not marry Anne. Joe, you being here is already put you in danger, and if anything were to happen to you..."
"I can take care of myself, I don't need you or anyone else to do it for me." He said as he started to get up. The phone rang and he answered it. "It's Adam." Joe said as he handed her the phone.
"Hello?" she said as she answered the phone. "When? Ok, we will get back as soon as we can." She said. She hung the phone up and looked at Joe. "Rick is in the hospital. He collapsed this morning at the dojo. They want us to come home."