Disclaimer and Notes: Xan and Alex are Rhiannon Shaw's characters, borrowed with her permission; Nina Williams (the minx!) is mine, and Connor is Panzer/Davis'. Plot bunny courtesy of an ICQ chat with Rhi…. Timeline note: this takes place some months after the Line War, after Connor's hand is healed, but I'm still assuming that it's 1998 for the simple sake of being able to calculate dates. Thanks to Rhi for the beta.
This story is rated NC-17.
by Raine Wynd
The whisper of incoming immortality brought Xan and Alex to their feet to look out the windows and check for anyone approaching the store. Xan had taken the windows over the back parking lot, but seeing no movement there, he quickly joined his lover at the windows that overlooked the street. A look down showed a slender, golden-skinned woman in a short, pale camel-hued leather jacket and an even shorter suede miniskirt who was moving towards the store at a steady pace. Her feet were encased in over-the-knee boots that matched the unusual color of her jacket perfectly. Waist-length, naturally wavy brunette hair hung free to flutter after her in the breeze her steps created, and she kept a firm grip on an oversized black leather bag as she walked. Just before reaching the door of the shop, she paused and looked upward. Her almond-shaped eyes narrowed, drawing thin eyebrows together over a pert nose, and her full lips pursed, before she smiled widely. Despite the fact that they were three stories up, both Xan and Alex recognized her. A look of wicked anticipation passed between the two lovers before they made their way downstairs to where they knew Connor was waiting.
When they arrived in the store, they found the female immortal kissing Connor in a way that left them with no doubt that she knew him well. Shorter than Connor by four, perhaps five, inches, she was not a woman who'd be considered strikingly attractive, but pretty in a wholesome, girl-next-door kind of way. Her shoulders were too broad to be feminine, her body a shade too rounded to be model-thin. At first glance, it looked as though she'd molded herself against the Highlander and wasn't going to let go. Then she did, releasing him, turning to face them, and then launching herself at the two older immortals with a delighted cry of “You! I thought it was you I sensed!”
Before they could respond, she hugged them, somehow managing to hug them simultaneously and insinuate herself between them. They grinned at her. There weren't too many women they knew who matched her enthusiasm for living; it was simply too infectious to ignore.
“Hello, Nina,” Xan said. “It's been a long time.”
“Too long,” she agreed. “I never did thank you formally for what you did.” Her voice held no regrets, though, and the look she shared with the two Greek immortals was filled with intimate knowledge. Almost as an afterthought, she took in their measure, presumably trying to find the subtle differences since their last meeting. Both men were of roughly the same height, but where Xan had a runner's build, classically Greek features, dark blond hair, a dark gold tan and deep brown eyes, Alex had a wrestler's build, curly black hair, and the definite coloring of a southern Greek.
“No,” Alex responded, a wicked light entering his black-hued eyes as he withstood the silent inspection. “But I think we got the message just the same.”
“How did you know it was us?” Xan interjected.
Nina shrugged. “I don't get the infamous, godawful headache quite like everyone else; it's this really strong package of scents to me. I'm not as bad as Kit O'Brady, though, but I've always thought he was more allergic to danger than immortals. Don't ask me to describe what you smell like; I'm better at describing how to turn a silk scarf into a rabbit.”
Alex chuckled. “I thought you said you were swearing off the magic tricks.”
“That was that century,” she told him, rolling her eyes. “Everyone was a charlatan back then; this is now. Besides, it's still fun.”
“You know each other?” Connor asked, surprised.
Nina smiled, the smile lighting her golden brown eyes and emphasizing the faint freckles on her cheeks. “Met them in Boston in 1905 when some fool male immortal was trying to convince me I should let him protect me. As if I was some dumb woman who didn't know how to swing a sword.” She shrugged easily. “Xan and Alex convinced him it was better if he went elsewhere.” She glanced around. “Speaking of elsewhere, is there somewhere we can go talk in private? Unless you still have to keep the shop open for a while?”
Connor reached for the “Closed” sign on the door, silently answering her question.
It didn't take long for them to head upstairs. “You staying a while in New York?” Alex asked her as they settled into various positions on the half-round sofa in Connor's living room. Nina hung her jacket on the coat hook by the elevator, revealing that she'd worn a denim tank top with leather laces up the front. She then took a seat to Xan's right, opposite Alex as the two Greeks flanked Connor, and set her bag on the floor at her feet.
Almost reflexively, Connor wondered where her sword was. Then he took a second look at the size of her bag, and realized it was big enough to hold a shortsword. It was either that or she had it tucked in one of her boots, and from the way the boots were hugging her calves, he doubted that.
“Just for the week,” Nina answered. “I'm supposed to be attending a seminar on—” she rustled through the oversize bag she'd brought up with her and dug out a crumpled agenda “—oh yes, 'Computing for the Managing Professional', but since it's been incredibly boring, I thought I'd come and say hello to Connor.”
“What are you managing?” Xan asked.
“The stage show at The Grand Illusion, one of the new hotels in Las Vegas,” Nina answered. “It's the brainchild of one of the grand master magicians, and he's convinced that a mere magician's assistant like me is clueless about computers. My teacher would be insulted if I didn't keep up with technology.” In perfect mimicry of an immortal thief all too well known to her companions, she quoted, “'All the better to steal pretty things, m'dear.'” She gave her three amused companions a wide-eyed innocent look. “Of course, I can't tell him that I've been around longer than he's been alive, or that I know just who defeated the Louvre's security system, now can I?”
“And the fact that it's a expenses-paid trip to New York is completely irrelevant?” Alex asked while his grin tried to split his face.
“Of course,” Nina replied. “As my teacher always said, a girl has to save her pennies for a rainy day.”
“You never did say who that was,” Connor noted. He had his suspicions that it had been Amanda, given some of the things Nina did and said, but he'd never been able to confirm that in the almost sixty years he'd known Nina. Thinking of those things made him remember exactly why he ought to be suspicious of Nina's appearance, but unlike Amanda did with Duncan, Nina had yet to come to him asking him to bail her out of trouble. Still, Connor knew Nina; trouble wouldn't be far behind her. He didn't need a bad habit, but she made him want one. His eyes narrowed.
“No, I didn't,” she answered with a smile, her expression clearly stating that she hadn't missed the speculation on his face. “But that's not important now. I came to celebrate.” So saying, she pulled a bottle of Scotch out of her bag, hastily stuffing a multicolored scarf back into it.
“Celebrate what?” Connor asked warily.
“My birthday,” she said cheerfully. “And no, I'm not going to tell you my age, other than I'm older than twenty-one and less than two hundred.”
“We couldn't coax you into telling us?” Alex wondered.
A wicked smile appeared on her lips. “You could try.”
Xan and Alex looked at each other, then at Connor. “Nina, would you excuse a moment?” Xan asked.
“Of course.” She rose, setting her purse down on the coffee table. “I'll just use the restroom while you three discuss whatever you're planning and then wait five more minutes after I'm finished.” So saying, she disappeared into the master bedroom.
“She's been here before, I take it?” Alex teased Connor.
To his surprise, Connor flushed. “Twice,” he admitted. “The last time I saw her was after I came back from Scotland, after Brenda died.” He paused. “Nina…had some ideas on how to cheer me up.”
Xan and Alex chuckled.
Connor glared at them. “She forgot to mention she was being hunted by another immortal, and somehow, I took a challenge meant for her.”
“Well, I'd never swear on the lady's honor,” Xan remarked, “but she's a lot of fun to be with, she's never betrayed us, and it is her birthday.”
“Besides,” Alex chimed in, “if she's here with us, she can't get you into any trouble. Get her relaxed enough, and maybe she'll even tell us what's going on.”
Connor couldn't argue with that kind of logic, as much as he wanted to do so.
******
Nina hesitated just outside the living area. She could hear the three men talking in low voices, and assumed they were still talking about her. She grinned to herself. She hadn't been lying when she'd said she'd come to see Connor, but finding him with two of her favorite lovers had been an unexpected bonus. She'd been wondering where Xan Morgan and Alex Daniels were; now, she didn't have to wonder. She'd never met a more striking pair of immortals: Xan had a profile that could've been stamped on coins while Alex had a more Mediterranean cast to his features. They'd saved her life, though it had been a few years before she'd learned just what Axel Whittaker did with the female immortals he “rescued”. Silently, she wished she had more time, but all of her calculations had been based on just finding Connor.
Oh well, she thought, if a girl's got just one night to live, better make sure it's one hell of a party before sunrise, especially if it's her birthday. She forced her shoulders straight, reminding herself that she was not going to involve anyone else in what she had to face in the morning, and walked into the sunken living room. “Miss me?” she teased.
Xan gave Alex a blank look. “Did you shoot at her?”
“Of course not,” Alex told him. “Besides, Walter's the one who can't aim, and I can't see Connor letting him in….”
Connor rolled his eyes and told Nina, “While they're arguing out that silliness, would you rather have a drink or dinner?”
“Well, I did bring the Scotch,” she reminded him gently. “Though dinner sounds lovely; I was out running –” for my life, she added mentally “– this morning and had to settle for the convention's idea of breakfast.” She shuddered delicately. “Homer Simpson I am not.”
Xan glanced up when he heard that. "Ah. Certainly. Dinner, then drinks, with backrub."
"And other aching parts as indicated," Alex added innocently.
She smiled, aware of the unspoken implication in his words. “I'll be sure to let you know,” she promised. “Though I'd hope that with all of your help, you wouldn't miss… anything.” Her meaningful gaze took in the three men.
“We won't let that happen,” Alex promised her. “Will we, Connor?”
Connor shook his head. “Not tonight,” he agreed, and had the satisfaction of watching Nina shiver.
Between the three men, dinner was quickly prepared. Nina was a little surprised at the intimate way they moved around each other, and it took her several minutes to realize that they were lovers. For a moment, she considered her plans, and then adjusted them accordingly. This, she told herself, was going to be one fun night, even if she didn't have the private time that she'd hoped to have with Connor.
*****
By the time dinner was finished, Nina was sure of one thing: she was a sheer novice at the art of flirtation. Every nerve in her body was aware of her companions; only years of performing on stage kept her from betraying just how much they affected her. As if he sensed her thoughts, Xan took her hand as he helped her out of her chair and escorted her into the bedroom. “Nothing will happen tonight that you don't want,” he assured her.
She laughed shakily, grateful for the proximity of the bed so she could lean against it and hide her trembling knees. “Oh, I definitely want all you want to give me,” she answered him. “Question is whether I'm trespassing on your relationship if I do take what you all seem to be offering.”
“And what do you think we're offering?” Connor asked her.
“More than a backrub,” she stated candidly. She drew in a deep breath, feeling as nervous as the first time she'd learned sex could be more than a one-sided affair.
Alex shook his head and the smile he gave her was more gentle than flirtatious. “Nina. It stops wherever you want it to stop. You certainly didn't disrupt anything the last time you went to bed with me and Xan.”
That stopped her. “I thought that was just for that night,” she said slowly. “You were just looking for something different and I happened to be available.” Hating the insecure way she sounded, she brought her chin up and met Alex's eyes. “I don't want any regrets in the morning.”
“Then there won't be,” he promised her. “Not from us, Nina. And we'll try not to leave any for you.”
She stared at him, and then looked at Xan and Connor. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, she reminded herself. Taking a deep breath, she stepped closer to Alex, and then kissed him. “Thank you,” she said quietly, stepping back. A smile played upon her lips as she put her hand on the laces of her tank top, partly to quell the butterflies dancing in her stomach. “So. Who gets the honor of doing the backrub?” she asked as she lay down on the bed.
“Close your eyes,” Xan suggested. “Try to guess.”
“You could've told me, 'Nina, it's a surprise,'” she retorted dryly as she felt the bed shift with the added weight of someone on both sides of her body. Still, she obeyed the suggestion. A strong, callused hand brushed her hair out of the way, then she heard/felt the zipper on the back of her tank top release, followed by the zipper on her skirt, then the zippers on her boots. Hands helped her out of the garments, lifting her so that the only thing touching her skin was the soft cotton of the bedspread and leaving her attired only in a pale yellow thong. Some part of her was glad that they'd all seen her body before; she hated having to explain the faint whip marks on her back and lower legs, marks that had come courtesy of her adoptive father prior to her first death. From the comments that were made as they performed the tasks, Nina realized that Connor was on her right, Xan on her left; Connor's oddly accented voice made him easy to distinguish from Xan's California-flavored baritone. Alex joined them after putting her clothes somewhere else, taking a position that cradled her head in his lap.
Keeping her eyes closed seemed altogether too simple, but the fingers stroking her head and her hair kept her from moving too much, and Nina found she didn't really want to move. Not when the talented hands stroking her body eased aches she hadn't realized she had. She was completely adrift in a wave of relaxed bliss when she felt someone press a series of kisses up her spine before turning her over on her side and heard Connor urge, “Open your eyes, Nina.”
Slowly, she did as he asked, and found him lying beside her, a question in his own eyes. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world to close what little space remained between them and kiss him deeply. Xan's breath was on her back as he used his mouth to trace seemingly random lines between the freckles that ran across the skin of her shoulder blades, occasionally dipping lower to trace the scars that immortal healing would never erase. Some part of Nina wasn't surprised that both men were naked beside her; she gave brief thought to wondering where Alex was, but then pushed it aside as Connor returned her kiss.
Her breathing was heavy by the time Connor released her mouth and Xan stopped his oral exploration. “Anything you want, Nina?” he asked huskily.
More turned on that she could remember being, she started to laugh, only to stop, halted by the seriousness in his expression. “I want to make love with all of you,” she declared, reaching back behind her to touch Xan. “Alex, too. Please.”
Connor smiled, then kissed her again, igniting a fire for him that was broken only when someone tapped on her shoulder, urging her to roll over and face Xan. As Xan took possession of her mouth, she felt Alex's hands stroke her legs. For a moment, she was lost in the past, the memory of the last kiss she'd shared with Xan flashing through her mind. She hadn't known that a kiss could ignite her internal fire the way that one had, could make her come so hard, and her lover hadn't even touched anything but her lips. She'd been a relatively na ve twenty-one-year-old back then, loving two immortals on the strength of sheer bravado and the need to have an alibi when the police came looking for a thief.
Then the insistent pressure of Xan's lips, combined with the caresses on her body by both Alex and Connor, brought her back into the present. Now the memory was sweeter, anticipation and experience making her attempt what she hadn't dared to try before as she gave herself freely to the passion of his kiss even as she coaxed and demanded a response from him. No memory could compare to the delicious sensations her lovers were arousing in her with their hands and their mouths. Nina felt as though she was being included in an incredible moment out of time where the only thing that mattered was how a touch here felt or how good a kiss there was, or if that spot would be better tasted than caressed. She could feel the love the three men shared; it surrounded her even as she was welcomed to revel and share in it, and she couldn't deny the depth of her own caring as she let her actions speak the words she would never be able to say.
It was a heady pleasure, knowing that they were so interested in her responses, and it almost seemed too much to try to concentrate on giving back as much as she was given. She wanted to touch them as much as they wanted to do the same to her, and she didn't want to neglect anyone. However, they seemed content to let her be the center of attention, bringing her to the edge of orgasm until she was shaking with the need for release, and then easing her over in a way that left her wanting more.
“Don't tease,” she begged breathlessly.
Connor smiled and rolled her to him. Without hesitation, Nina positioned herself so that he was sheathed within her, and groaned as he penetrated her deeply.
“Lean forward and then hold still,” Alex warned her, his voice husky with desire. The sound of it sent a shiver of wanting through Nina, and she saw its effect reflected in Connor's eyes.
Rolling her head back, she smiled up at Alex, suspecting what he was going to do, then did as he asked. She heard him grab the oil that they'd used for her massage from the nightstand, then felt the skin-warmed liquid touch her anus, rubbing gently but insistently. Instinctively, she arched towards the touch, needing it as much she needed the feeling of being part of a love that held no barriers, no reservations. A moment later, she felt his cock penetrate the tight passage, and she moaned at the fullness. Passion thundered through her blood, urging her to move, to rock her body, but she trusted Alex and Connor to know the best way to handle this, and so contented herself with squeezing her internal muscles and holding on to Connor. She was rewarded with a husky laugh.
“Not so fast, Nina,” Connor whispered in her ear, then licking it to make sure she listened. She trembled, too well aware that he knew that having her ear licked was a turn-on for her. He wrapped his hands around her hips, holding her still. “Wait.”
The bed shifted again, and she turned her head to find Xan crouched over Connor's head. Her senses reeled as if short-circuited as she realized what the Greek wanted. With a quick smile, she took Xan into her mouth as Alex began a gentle rhythm that Connor soon mimicked. The sensations heating her body defied words, and Nina surrendered to the pleasure, to the sheer ecstasy, losing herself in the love the three men granted her unconditionally. Tonight, she could forget there was a Game, and they made sure she thought of nothing but them as together they soared the heights of passion.
Eventually, they succumbed to the numbed sleep of satisfied lovers.
*****
As Nina had never been one to sleep for more than a few hours at a stretch, she woke before dawn. The temptation to stay put and while away the rest of the day was strong, but Nina believed in honoring her commitments, especially when it came to the Game. Today was as good of a day to die as any other, and if today was that day, at least she would die knowing that she'd been loved. In that respect, her plans for her birthday had been more successful than she had dared to dream.
Carefully, she extricated herself from the tangle of bodies, grateful that she'd managed to snag the outer side of the bed. A quick, amused smile crossed her lips as she realized that Alex and Xan had gravitated towards each other in sleep, and that Connor was sandwiched between them. For a long moment, she lingered, enjoying the sight of the three men wrapped around each other, memorizing the contrasts that marked them, taking strength from the love they radiated even in slumber. Then she exhaled slowly and turned away.
Glancing around, she saw that her clothes were piled on a chair near the door. Picking them up, she walked out of the bedroom, careful to shut the door quietly behind her, hoping to God that she hadn't woken any of them up, and then walked to where she'd left her bag. The tank top, skirt, and thong went into the bag, replaced by a more conventional bra, a black T-shirt, a new thong, and a pair of jeans, all of which she'd had rolled into almost-military-precision bundles. The boots went on over the jeans. Her hair was quickly braided and pinned. Then she checked her weapons: a boot dagger, which she'd stashed in the bottom of the tote rather than wear to Connor's, a pair of throwing knives in her jacket, and the broadsword that was her main weapon.
She almost made it out of the house without being noticed, but just as she reached the top of the stairs to take the elevator back down to the ground level, she saw Xan step out of the bedroom, his expression curious. Turning away, she raised the grate for the elevator, wondering if maybe the better solution to leaving would've been to take the fire escape.
All too quickly, Xan reached her. “Going so soon?” he asked her, reaching for her.
Deliberately, she stepped out of his reach. “I have an appointment.”
“With whom?”
“Oh, just someone who's mad at Flynn,” she said casually. “I told him to go looking for Flynn in Hawaii, but he seems to think I'm responsible as well.” She rolled her eyes, then planted a quick, devastatingly passionate kiss on Xan's lips. “It's been a blast as always, darling, but while you've shown me heaven, it's to the moon I must go.”
Stepping into the elevator, she blew Xan an air kiss while he tried to piece logic together from those words, then pulled the grate down before he could get in her way, and hit the down button.
By the time the Greek immortal put the puzzle together, Nina was already halfway to her destination.
*****
“What did she say?” Alex asked half an hour later as he sat on the couch, drinking coffee. Beside him, Connor lounged, but the Highlander held the apparently relaxed pose of a panther.
“She said she had an appointment with someone who was mad at Flynn. Who isn't or hasn't been? That man is a prankster and a practical joker.” Xan shrugged. “He's never upset me enough to want to literally kill him.”
“Well, someone does,” Alex pointed out. “What I don't understand is why Nina would take the challenge.”
“Maybe she owes Flynn for something,” Xan answered. Turning to Connor, he asked, “Is Sol awake now?”
Connor glanced at his watch. “No,” he said, reaching for the phone, and dialing a number he'd long ago memorized, back when he'd thought Sol was nothing more than a harmless old mortal and knew nothing of the Watchers. As much as Connor wanted to hate the idea that some organization was privy to his life, he couldn't bring himself to hate the people like Sol who were trying to do an often-dangerous job. Nor could Connor deny the value of the information the Watchers gathered, especially when a friend's life was on the line as it was now.
*****
“Nina.” Connor's voice held controlled anger and biting disappointment.
She didn't turn around, but kept her hands braced on the white-painted iron railing of the balcony of her hotel room. She'd known Connor was coming from the moment she'd scented his presence. What she couldn't figure out was how he'd known to find her in this particular hotel; she hadn't registered in her own name, and it was across the city from the hotel where the convention was being held. Then again, she reminded herself, anyone can find out anything if you're willing to pay for it, and Flynn had said there were Watchers among us.... What mattered more to her now, though, was reassuring Connor.
“I know what you're going to say. I should've told you, should've gotten you or Xan or Alex involved.” She turned then. “It was my fight to take. You're not the only one who has noble ideas, you know, and fighting Flynn O'Doherty's battles is something I've done off and on since he first taught me.”
With her back turned, she missed the startled look that crossed Connor's face as he realized she was line-kin, a look that was replaced by a secretive smile.
Chuckling wryly, she added, “People seem to want to take up a few issues with that damned scamp, and they seem to think I'm a handy target. Most days, I don't tell people Flynn taught me; it's hazardous to my health. Only reason Keith Moon found out was because he'd overheard me talking about Flynn at the conference; one of the presenters had mentioned a practical joke some physicist played on her, and I was curious enough to want to confirm that it had been Flynn who'd pulled it. It had sounded like it.” Shrugging awkwardly, she turned to face Connor and continued, “Keith wouldn't listen to me when I told him that if he had a problem with Flynn, he ought to go to Hawaii and take it up with him. That's where Flynn was when I talked to him last week.”
“From what I heard, you almost lost.”
She smiled, touched by his caring, and closed the distance between them. “You asked your local friendly spy-with-a-tattoo about me? Oh, Connor.” Kissing him lightly, she reminded him, “Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. I didn't get to a hundred and thirty without knowing how to recover after I slip on wet grass.” She ignored the small voice which reminded her that she'd gone into the fight believing that she would lose to her opponent, who'd been the bigger, stronger immortal, and the only thing that had saved her was the fact that Keith hadn't been expecting her to be armed with a boot knife. “I won, Connor; I'm alive, you're with me, and the bed in this hotel room could use a proper breaking in.” She paused. “Unless you think some people might get upset with me for monopolizing your time.”
He stared at her, then chuckled reluctantly. “They're as likely to be annoyed with me for not bringing you home.”
She laughed now. “Then you'll just have to bring me home afterwards, won't you?” She kissed him again, loving the way his nearness made her head spin, and not willing to share him with anyone else just yet. The day was beautiful, and she had a Quickening humming through her blood that would be settled so much more nicely once she had sex….
Connor chuckled. “We'll try to save a little energy for them. Later.” Then he kissed her again, and they dropped the argument to pick up other things.
***Finis ***
©2.14.01 Raine Wynd
Notes and Miscellany
I'm not sure why these disappeared off the page, but here they are, for those of you who have been confused:
As this is set in Rhi's universe, it's not a part of my regular HL universe. Some key tenets of Rhi's universe: season 6 of HLTS never happened; Richie's alive and well, Nick's in love with Amanda and isn't immortal, the students of an immortal are considered his/her family, and vampires exist. (There are more, but I'd highly recommend you read all of Rhi's work at the Eyrie, as this will make more sense then.)
Nina was taught by both Amanda and Flynn; Flynn is a student of Aidan Logan, who is line-sister to Connor.