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Author's Notes: this is the first in a series of Interludes with Fiona and Joe. It takes place immediately following the initial story, "Fiona". Other future interludes will fit into the continuing saga of Fiona and her life with Joe.
Joe was worried, he hadn't seen Fiona since Yule. She had told him when he left the following morning that she was going to be doing some shopping since Christmas was in a couple of days. She wanted to buy gifts for everyone. Eventhough she wasn't Christian, she still liked to celebrate the season, and one of her greatest joys was giving gifts. But none of that explained why he hadn't heard from her in two days.
They had just celebrated Yule together a few days ago and now they would celebrate Christmas with all their friends. He also knew that Fiona planned to go to the Womans Shelter to help out there and bring the Christmas cheer to the women and children there. He hadn't spoken to or seen her since and that was what worried him most, it wasn't like her.
They had only been together a couple of weeks and were still in that tentative stage of their relationship; trying to figure out who's place to stay over-night at and what each others habits and routines were. He was still a little insecure about her feelings. Although she told him frequently that she loved him, he still wondered how Methos fit into the scheme of things. Fiona and Methos had been lovers for so long that he sometimes watched them together and wondered if he and Fiona would have the same sense of ease as she and Methos.
Methos walked in at noon on Christmas Eve and found Joe fretting around the bar.
"Joe, what's wrong?"
"Fiona," Joe answered as he continued to organize the bottles on the shelf yet again.
Methos was immediately worried for his friend, "What do you mean, Joe. What's happened?"
"I..., oh hell. I haven't talked to her for two days and I'm worried," Joe admitted.
"About her or you and her?"
"Both, I guess."
"So go over and see her. I saw her last night and she said she'd been having some headaches and was sleeping a lot."
"You saw her?" Joe asked, surprised.
"Yeah, stopped by last night to ask her a question."
"Headaches! I didn't realize you guys got headaches?" Joe shook his head.
"Not very often, but for some reason Fee gets them more frequently and they tend to last longer with her. Immortality may allow us to heal faster but if the cause of the pain keeps coming back then so does the pain. Joe, go see her," Methos recommended.
Joe took his friend's advice and turned the bar over to Mike before heading to Fiona's; stopping at home first to grab a shopping bag full of gifts for her.
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Joe left the morning after her solstice celebration and she'd gone shopping for Christmas gifts for everyone. She'd made the yule gifts she'd given out the night before. The malls were packed, as were the boutiques. She managed to find some obscure shops to buy special gifts for her friends. The rare bookstore had some old texts on Greek history that she knew Methos would love. And for Joe, she found some old original recordings of blues artists and some other more personal items. Duncan was a little harder to shop for; although it was getting better, there was still a little strain in their friendship. For him, she had Connor do some checking on a piece of Japanese art that she remembered him mentioning once and had it shipped to her. Richie was a little more difficult to buy for but she found a music store that carried a selection of music she knew he'd like so she walked out with a dozen CDs for her young friend. She also spent some time buying gifts for the women and children at the shelter she'd visit on Christmas day.
The shopping had left her drained and she headed home. By the time she got home she had a headache that she couldn't chase away even after some rosemary tea. So she headed off to bed without even checking her messages. The headache came and went all the next day leaving her exhausted. She made herself a cup of herb tea with a relaxant in it and headed to bed early, turning off her answering machine as to not be disturbed. Methos had stopped by briefly before she went to sleep but didn't stay long when he saw the pains she was in from the migraine.
Christmas Eve morning brought only a trace of the headaches that had plagued her the day before. She really wished her immortal healing abilities would take care of her migraines, she must be the only immortal to suffer from them. Having made a cup of coffee, she sat looking at the small Christmas tree sitting in the corner of her home. She thought of Joe and missed him. He must be worried sick, since she hadn't talked to him for a couple days. This would be their first Christmas together and she wanted to make it special for them.
Fiona started the stew and the bread for their dinner then went to get cleaned up, turning her machine back on as she went by. She'd spent most of the last two days in bed. All she wanted now was a long soak before she called Joe. Then she needed to clean up her apartment, there were still traces of the solstice party she'd had a few days ago.
Fiona soaked in a tub full of bubbles thinking about Joe and, inadvertently, Methos. It amazed her that the two most important men in her life were friends when they by all rights shouldn't be. She knew Joe had some insecurities about herself and Methos. It was natural since she and Methos had been lovers again less than a year ago, not to mention he fact that she and Methos were technically married. She was determined, however, to show him he had nothing to worry about. He was the one that she wanted to spend the next fifty years or so with.
Half an hour later Fiona emerged from the tub and lay down on the bed to air dry in the warm air of her small apartment before dressing.
That was where Joe found her two hours later... Joe walked into Fiona's apartment and looked around. Traces of their celebration a few days earlier littered the room; candles still sat on every available surface space for her ritual of light to welcome in the Sun God, her robes laid where he'd stripped them off her and tossed them aside. He found her sound asleep sprawled across her bed, stark naked. She looked so peaceful and extremely sexy, all he could do was smile. This woman loved him, he still found it amazing and figured he would for a long time to come. He walked over to the side of the bed and gently sat down as to not wake her.
Joe ran his hand down her leg, pulling back as she stirred, repeating his action on the other leg, again pulling back as she moved. He kept running his fingers down different parts of her body and retreating when she moved. She began to wiggle and as he caressed her side, gently rubbing the side of her breast and she murmured in her sleep, "Joe".
Right answer, my love, he thought. He leaned down and kissed her gently, once, twice and on the third time she responded.
"Mmmmm, I've missed you." She murmured under the kiss.
"I missed you, too."
Joe sat up and watched as Fiona stretched.
Fiona reached up to caress his cheek as he sat watching her.
"I was worried about you," he said quietly.
"I'm sorry, I didn't think to call, my head ached off and on for the better part of yesterday and the day before, all I wanted to do was sleep."
"Are you okay now?"
"My head feels better, and the rest of me would feel a whole lot better if you'd come closer." She reached for him.
Joe smiled as he leaned down and into her waiting arms. Their mouths met in a gentle kiss that quickly turned passionate.
Fiona broke the kiss, pushing him away, "You have entirely to many clothes on."
"You wanna do something about it?"
Fiona smiled. Sitting up, she ran her hands down his chest to his waist. She grabbed the hem of his black sweater and pulled it over his head. She rapidly did the same with the black turtleneck he wore underneath, both were tossed carelessly aside. She ran her hands down his chest, running her fingers through his chest hair as she searched for his nipples.
Joe groaned as she began to tease him, running her fingers across his chest, barely touching his more sensitive areas. His erection already strained against his jeans.
Fiona leaned in and ran her tongue across the tip of one nipple before pulling it into her mouth. He groaned again as his breath grew ragged. She ran her hands down his sides, touching the front of his jeans she touched him gently. He gasp and pushed into her caress. She released his nipple and moved her hands to his belt, slowly releasing the silver buckle. As she started for the button he stopped her hands. She looked up at him, waiting.
"Fiona."
She watched as emotions ran across his face. He only called her that when he wanted to say something important. She waited for him to continue.
"The past few days... I've been worried and scared," he said quietly, "worried that something happened to you, scared that I'd lose you, when I'd really only just found you. I haven't exactly had the best track record keeping women in the recent years and I couldn't bear it if I'd lost you."
Fiona watched as he spoke, seeing the raw emotion in his eyes and hearing it in his voice. She loved him more at that moment than she'd ever thought she could love a man. It was unusual for a man to show the kind of vulnerability he was showing her at that moment. She reached out to touch his face, but he intercepted her hand, clutching it close to his heart.
"I'm sorry I worried you. I guess I need to get used to the fact that there is someone to worry about me. It's been so long and I'm so used to being on my own, I didn't think. Can you forgive me?"
"God, yes!" he exclaimed, his voice ragged.
He pulled her tight against him, holding her as if his life depended on her being there and in some way it did. He'd never felt a love like he felt for Fiona. He'd loved other women and God knows he loved Lauren but this was different.
He began to move his hands in almost a frantic fashion, trying to feel every inch of her at once. They ran up and down her back, pressing her to him, along her sides, caressing the tender sides of her breasts. His mouth captured hers in a savage kiss.
Fiona, caught in the wave of emotion he was stirring, began her own explorations of his back. She pushed him away so she could reach the buttons to his jeans once again. Unbuttoning them and freeing his erection, she began to caress him in time with his hands as he stroked her back, feeling every inch of it.
Joe growled under their kiss and stopped their movements, releasing her from his embrace. Pushing her away from him, he tried to stand but wasn't steady on his feet. Fiona moved to stand beside him for support as he pushed his jeans over his hips. Once he could sit back down he allowed Fiona to finish removing his jeans. She moved them down his legs and pulled them free of his feet. She ran her hands back up his legs until she encountered the ridge where the prostheses ended and his own thighs began. If he closed his eyes he could almost imagine what her hands would feel like as she touched him. His mind remembered what it felt like to have hands on his calves, on his knees and it was that memory that gave Fiona's touch life to him.
She leaned close and rained kisses along that line before looking up at him. Joe sat there with his eyes closed, concentrating on the feel of her kisses.
"Joe?" she asked.
"Yes?"
"Do you want me to take them off?"
"No leave them on and come here." He pulled her up to stand in front of him. He held her close for a moment before lying back in bed. Drawing her back against him once he was settled, he felt her twining her legs around his artificial ones as she laid on top of him.
She slowly began to caress his body, paying special attention to his chest as she kissed a path through the silver hair sprinkled there. She slowly began to caress and kiss her way down his body.
Joe moved his one hand down her side, across her stomach and up to glance the side of her breasts; barely touching her. They weren't in a hurry, despite their earlier frenzy.
"Ignore it," she whispered against his abdomen as the phone began to ring.
He chuckled, but made no move to even acknowledge the phone, or the muffled message being left.
Her path continued downward until she reached his erection. She continued to work her magic on him with her hands and her mouth until he was close to the edge. Joe pulled her away from him and up his body so she was lying on top of him. He held her tight and claimed her lips.
"You drive me to distraction," he told her, breaking the kiss.
"I'm glad," she whispered against his neck.
He ran his fingers down her back again as she lay kissing his neck.
She sat up and straddled him as he slipped into her warm depths. She rocked back and forth a few times teasing him. Joe closed his eyes, letting the feel of her spread through him. She felt so good. Opening his eyes her saw her rocking slightly on him. He reached up to caress her breasts and rolled her nipples between his fingers. As he felt his arousal building, he moved one hand away from her breast to the apex of her legs and slowly began to stroke the nub of nerves found there. She moaned as he quickened his caress. Their pleasure was interrupted again by the phone ringing. The answering machine clicked on allowing them to hear the message, ' Fee, has Joe found you? He was rather upset at the bar this morning. Call him if you haven't heard from him... Oh and what time tonight?'
Fiona shook her head as they listened to Methos's message. She looked at him questionably as she heard what Methos said. Joe just shrugged. Neither said a word as she continued to move on him.
He felt the edge coming closer and he didn't want to reach it alone. He continued his playing until they were soaring together. Fiona came to rest on his chest and the let the waves wash over, through and around them. They lay intertwined together, feeling the warmth and love that bound them getting stronger.
The phone rang yet again. 'Fee it's me again. Call me.'
This time they both broke out laughing.
"Damn, the things you have to go through when trying to make love in the afternoon." Joe said chuckling, "honey, next time turn the damn phone off and unplug the machine."
Fiona never answered, she just rubbed his chest and they both fell asleep.
The feeling of another immortal woke Fiona from a sound sleep. She looked up, seeing that day had become night. She untangled herself from Joe's arms and slipped from the bed. Grabbing her silk robe off the chest at the foot of the bed, she moved to the door to await the arrival of the other immortal. Her sword within reach if she needed it. She found out she had no need for it.
Methos appeared at her door moments later.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Well it's Christmas Eve and I thought we were all getting together later tonight. I came by early to see if you needed help and to ask if you'd called Joe since you haven't been returning your calls on the answering your machine."
A voice from across the room gave Methos the answer to one of his questions. He didn't have to worry about her talking to Joe, he was there already.
"Fee?"
Fiona moved away from Methos and back to the bed, plucking a gift box from under the tree as she went past. She knew she should be embarrassed for forgetting about the get-together, but she was too content from her afternoon with Joe. She slid the box across the bed to him as he looked up and realized they weren't alone.
"Damn." he said under his breath.
He looked at the box she'd given him and raised an eyebrow at her, then proceeded to open it. Inside was a beautiful wine-colored silk robe. He nodded and slipped it on as he maneuvered from the bed, glad for the first time he'd lain down and made love with the artificial legs on.
Methos discreetly plopped himself down on the sofa, looking away as Joe got up and gathered his clothes from where they were strewen across the floor before slipping into the bathroom. Fiona came back and sat on the edge of the table in front of him and shook her head.
"Sorry I interrupted," he told her.
"You didn't really, we just fell asleep. Now if you are apologizing for all the phone calls, then, apology accepted." She hesitated before continuing, "Was he really upset this morning?"
Methos, leaning forward, placed his hands on her knee and began to gently rub it, "Yes, my dear, he was. He is very much in love with you and he was concerned and maybe even a little scared about your relationship."
She was perplexed, "Why was he scared about his and my relationship?"
"Fee, he is a mortal man, you are a beautiful immortal woman, and your ex-lover and husband happens to be his friend and is living in the same town. Can you see why he might be scared?"
"Yeah, I guess I can. I'm just going to have to work extra to show him he has nothing to worry about."
"Just love him, Fee."
"I already do Methos, I already do."
"I know, Irish."
Joe stood quietly in the door listening to their conversation. He felt a momentary pang of jealously as he watched them sitting there together; their words, however, told him his fear was fruitless. He continued across the room and watched Fiona's face as he drew near. He couldn't read her expression until he saw her lookup at him. He then knew there was really nothing to worry about, he could see the love she had for him shining in her eyes.
She walked away from Methos as she saw Joe come closer. She headed straight into his waiting arms. And that was where she was when Duncan and Richie arrived.
Fiona showered quickly and pulled a sweater on over a pair of leggings, then joined the men as they decorated the small tree that set in the corner. Methos and Joe removed most of her candles, salvaging a few to use to light the room tonight. Later that evening when the lights were dimmed and the gifts opened, Fiona sat wrapped in Joe's arms and though about the wonderful night she'd spent with her friends.
finis
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