Chapter 21

Methos wouldn't say a word to Joe. All he did was have a shocked and amazed look on his face. When they got back to Joe's, Methos helped Joe out of the car and over to his own vehicle. Finally speaking, he asked Joe, "Do you want to go to your place or mine?"

Joe answered, "Mine since it would be easier for me there. I need to get my legs off and rest my stumps, plus my chair is there. They are really hurting me tonight after being on them all day."

"Okay, when we get there, I'll fix a pot of coffee or tea while you get comfortable and then I'll explained everything to you."

The rest of the ride went in silence. Joe kept looking at Methos trying to figure out what was on his mind. As soon as they got to Joe's, Methos still looking bemused, got out and ran around to the passenger's side of the vehicle to help Joe. Methos kept his hand on Joe's arm like he was escorting a date up to the door.

Once inside, Methos turned to Joe and said, "Go get comfortable. Get your prosthetics off and get in your chair. When you are comfortable, come back out to the kitchen and I'll have coffee for you and tea for me. Then we'll talk."

Before Joe turned to walk into the bathroom, Methos gave him a hug. Methos hung onto him for a bit then he gave Joe a deep kiss which Joe returned. Then Methos let him go. Joe went into the bathroom and started the shower. His shower was handicap accessible so he could get in and out of the shower by himself. Once the water was warm enough for a shower, he sat down in his chair and took his prosthesis off and rolled over to the shower. He opened the shower door, grabbed the bars inside and swung himself to the seat, then closed the door. Joe hurried with his shower so he could get back out to Methos and find out what was going on. He knew something was wrong or going to happen because of the way Methos was reacting. He was in a hurry to find out what he knew and what was going on.

As soon as he got his T-shirt and boxers on, he grabbed a robe and settled himself in his wheelchair. He rolled out to the table where Methos already had a cup of coffee sitting on it for Joe. He also had a glass and a bottle of scotch sitting on the counter. Methos sat down with a cup of tea. He just sat looking into his cup of tea for a while. Then looked up at Joe. He had a smile on his face that made Joe wonder what was going on. He looked very pleased with himself, at least that's what Joe thought.

"To start with, I found out why we felt like we got shocked when we made love. When talking to my friends, they told me when we find our soul mate, we exchange quickenings. Apparently mortals have a weak quickening or we wouldn't have been about to exchange with each other. They said this was the first time they heard of it with an Immortal and a mortal. There were a few other soul mates that they knew of, both Immortal but only one other couple is still alive. There could be more because that is something that isn't advertised or talked about. So that means we are soul mates, which I already knew. Do you have any questions so far?"

"No, but that doesn't explain what happened to you tonight," replied Joe.

Methos just smiled and got up to fix himself another cup of tea.

"Are you going to keep me in the dark on what's going on with you?"

Methos came back to the table with the tea. Before sitting down, he poured some scotch into a glass. Coming back to the table, he put the shot in the middle of the table and then sat down. "I'm glad I don't have to tell you to sit down because what I'm about to tell you will knock your socks off. So be glad you already have them on your feet in the other room. Well, here goes." Methos draws in a deep breath. "Joe, you are going to be a father."

Joe sat there looking at him with his mouth wide open for a bit. Then he tried to talk, but nothing came out. Finally he was able to ask, "What are you talking about? I haven't been with any woman since Becky about 2 years ago. Not only that, you are the only person I've had sex with in 2 years. So there is no way I am going to be a father."

Methos started laughing, "Joe, I'm not lying to you. You ARE going to be a father." Then sat back and watched the expressions chasing each other on Joe's face. First there was confusion, then disbelief and then total shock.

Joe asked, "How is that possible? I really don't understand."

Methos moved over beside Joe and took his hand, "Remember Mac telling us my quickening felt different. He's been able to recognize me since Bordeaux so that should tell you something. It helped convince me Gregor was telling the truth. Joe we are going to be parents. I don't know how it happened, but I saw the ultra sound and saw it with my own eyes."

"But how?" asked Joe. "Men can't get pregnant, can they?"

"I'm a hermaphrodite but never worried about it since I'm an Immortal and Immortals are suppose to be sterile. The only thing I can figure out is when your system gave me back my quickening, it provided the energy it needed to fertilize an egg," Methos stated. "So that is probably how. Gregor told me that I have an opening inside my rectum that leads to a uterus and that's the way it happened. Joe, just imagine. We are going to be parents. After 5000 years of knowing I can't have any children, the doctor finds out I'm pregnant."

Joe sat and looked at Methos for the longest time. Then finally asked, "You are really pregnant and we are going to be parents? I'm in shock here. How do you feel?"

"Now that I'm no longer in shock, I couldn't be more thrilled. I'm going to be a father or is it a mother. Who cares? It's something I've always wanted but never expected. There will be a problem though. This is something that can't get out at all, so I'm going to have to go into hiding until the baby is born. If other Immortals knew about this, I would be in more danger than ever. They would think since I could have children, they would be able to have the children they wanted through me. But I have a feeling it doesn't work that way. If that was the case, I would have had a lot more children over the years than the one that's on the way."

Joe then grabbed the shot and drank the scotch in one gulp. The turned to Methos and asked, "What are we going to do? If you go into hiding, then what about us? And before you say anything, I agree that you have to go into hiding to protect yourself and our child. It's just that I missed out on Amy's childhood, I don't want to miss out on our baby's childhood."

Methos put his arm around Joe, "Don't worry about it right now. I want you to go with me to see Gregor in the morning and then we are going to talk to MacLeod. Let's go to bed, Joe. I feel the need to hold you in my arms and maybe talk about what ever pops up."