Spilling the Beans {for im_gavin_elliot}

[broadsword_babe]

December 15, 2007
Boston, MA

Continued from here.

I was proud of myself. It'd been years since I'd consumed so much alcohol, but I still managed to walk a straight line. Better yet, I'd been able to keep down every drop. I knew my liver was working overtime, but I didn't care. Wasn't like it was going to give out or anything. I pretended to fumble with the key card to give the illusion I was feeling tipsier than I was. I finally managed to get the door open and stumbled inside, Gavin not far behind.

"Dunna worry abou' me," I joked. "S'only m'first day walkin." I couldn't help grinning as I turned to him, tossing my jacket on a chair. "Now, jes how adventurous were y'feelin?"

Comments

[im-gavin-elliot.livejournal.com]

Gavin could feel the alcohol coursing in his veins. But he was a Scot - he knew how to handle his liquor. He just became a little more outgoing and flirtatious when half of his blood content was something other than plasma and hemoglobin.

At Quinn's question, Gavin perked his eyebrows and removed his leather jacket. He gripped it in his hands, then followed her lead and tossed it on top of hers on the chair. Canting his head to the side, he took a few steps forward, his expression an unknown mixture of emotions.

"I, uh, dunno. How adventurous were you hopin' I was feelin'?" He didn't want her to make decision she would only regret the following morning.

Gavin lived by a philosophy that there were no regrets in life - at one point in time, he was doing exactly what he wanted, even if it wasn't the most intelligent of decisions. But he tried to live without wishing he'd done something different. But from his past experiences with women, and drunken women at that, he knew that he was always the mistake they regretted the next day. He was the story that she told her girlfriends, the "guy I shouldn't have slept with, but couldn't help it." And most of the time, he didn't care. He didn't really care about those girls any more than just if they made it home alright and that they wore protection and she didn't end up pregnant. But Gav actually cared about Quinn. He didn't want her to regret their actions in a few hours' time.

Taking another few steps towards her, he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Quinn," he started, his voice soft. "Y'don't hafta do anythin' that you don't wanna do, y'know."

[broadsword-babe.livejournal.com]

Gods, he reminded me so much of Wade! Part of me wanted that closeness back, but Gavin didn't deserve to be used like that. I had always kicked myself for never telling my former husband about being an Immortal, and look what happened. My daughter was gone, Wade and Scot had lost both their mother and their daughter/sister in less than a month. Maybe if I'd told them, things would be different. In the short time between leaving Doc's and getting to the hotel, my buzz was gone and I was as clearheaded now as I had been when I left for the bar earlier that evening.

I'd always been a good one for reading people, and the look in Gavin's eyes spoke volumes. Unless I missed my guess, he'd been on the receiving end of too many regrets, but this was no "coyote ugly" situation, at least not on my part. He was a sweet, cute, funny guy who deserved the best in life.

"I've got somethin' t'show ye," I replied with a soft smile. "Then maybe we could have that talk you mentioned at the bar."

[im-gavin-elliot.livejournal.com]

Gavin tried to gauge Quinn's expression and intentions. He didn't see anything malicious in her eyes, nor did he think she was really capable of doing anything like that. At least, not at the moment and not with him.

At Quinn's proposition, his eyebrows perked up curiously. Tilting his head to the side as he had done before, his brows went from peaked to furrowed as he tried to figure things out. He liked surprises, but at the same time, he was a snoopy bastard - he liked figuring things out before the surprise could even take place. But he'd mastered the art of acting surprised. But he couldn't figure it out with Quinn.

He withdrew his hand from her shoulder, sliding it into his pocket.

"Oh, ehm .. y'do? What is it?" he asked, his eyes staying intent upon her.

[broadsword-babe.livejournal.com]

I couldn't help but smile. Gavin cute when he was confused. To be fair, Gavin was cute, period. Throw in a bit of confidence and he would be downright sexy.

Did I really want to do this? Did I really want to let him in on a 2,000 year old secret? The cynical side of my brain screamed in protest that things could only end badly. Another part of me warned that things already had. I wanted him in my life, but he had to understand the risks and make the choice himself.

"Since it's a surprise, close your eyes and hold out your hands."

[im-gavin-elliot.livejournal.com]

'Fuck.' If there was anything Gavin disliked more than being unable to decode a surprise, it was having to close his eyes and wait for something to happen. He'd never done well with that sort of thing.

His dad used to bring home surprises for he and his siblings every time he took a business trip. And every time he came home, he made them close their eyes and hold out their hands. Gavin always appreciated the gift, but he always got something so much less interesting than his siblings. One time, Teva got this beautiful necklace .. not that Gavin wanted jewelry, but Brody got a pair of action figures that Gavin had been coveting for months. And what did Gavin get? A snowglobe. A snowglobe. Gavin smiled and thanked his Dad for the gift, but inside, he was burning with jealousy.

Then again, the last time his parents had told the three Elliot children to close their eyes and hold out their hands, they got a puppy for Christmas. Maybe this wasn't such a bad thing after all.

After a few seconds of recalling the memories, he blinked the thoughts away and looked to her. Playfully, he put his hands on his waist and threw her a protesting look. He relented a few seconds later, pretending to sigh with frustration, and complied.

Eyes closed, hands out. Just as she asked.

[broadsword-babe.livejournal.com]

I couldn't help chuckling at Gavin's pout. I wondered what in the world he was doing as a sales rep when he really should be an actor. He had a talent, that one.

Once his eyes were closed, I reached under the bed where I kept Bragloré. No one outside of the few friends I had, as an Immortal, had ever seen the sword. She was a perfectly balanced, hand-and-a-half broadsword (http://www.armor.com/sword089.html), with a black leather wrapped grip. Even still in the scabbard, she was impressive. No one else had even touched the sword in at least a hundred years. I gently laid Bragloré across Gavin's outstretched hands.

[im-gavin-elliot.livejournal.com]

At the weight of the elongated object in his hands, his brows furrowed, though he hesitated in opening his eyes. Thoughts ran through his head before he broke the seal between his lids. What was it? Or, more importantly, what did she want him to do with it?

A few seconds later, he cracked one eye open and saw the sword laying in his hands. The other eye followed suit until his sight fully focused on the sword. Even without Quinn telling him anything, he could see how impressive and fragile the sword was.

Carefully, he adjusted his hands on the weapon, staying conscious on the amount of pressure with which he held it. His eyes flickered up to Quinn, who was just watching him and his reaction. Bringing his gaze back to the sword, he slowly removed it from its sheath, his fingers curled around the hilt. He could feel the weight and the grandure of it against his skin. His eyes travelled from tip to hilt and up again.

Looking to Quinn, he scoffed a bit with disbelief.

"This is impressive, Quinn," he said, holding it horizontally and resting the blade upon the open palm of his other hand. "My dad taught me a wee bit about swords growin' up, an' I know that this is an antique, this is." His eyes sparkled up at Quinn, full of curiosity. "How'd you get a hold of this? I remember seein' somethin' almost identical when my dad took me to the museum in Glasgow on a trip home once, back when I was a bairn."

[broadsword-babe.livejournal.com]

"Careful with the blade, Gav," I warned. "It's treated with a special oil. One nick and you'll be howling."

I sighed. He was right that it was an old sword, older than he realized. It had been a gift from Arthur himself; a lighter, more agile version of his beloved Excalibur. Gavin wouldn't believe that in a million years.

"As for how I came by it, that's kinda what I wanted t'talk t'ye about."

[im-gavin-elliot.livejournal.com]

"Aye. Didn't plan on choppin' my hand off any time soon. I sorta need it," Gavin teased, grinning. He placed the blade back into its sheath, giving it another look. Shaking his head, he handed it back over to her carefully. Wiping his hands on the sides of his thighs, he slowly raised his eyes to meet her gaze.

Curiously, Gavin walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. Out of habit, his head tilted to the side as he watched her.

"Oh, yeh? Well, what's goin' on? Y'know you can tell me whatever you're comfortable with."

[broadsword-babe.livejournal.com]

I took Bragloré from him and slipped her back under the bed before sitting down next to him. I stared at my fingers trying to come up with a good place to start, as well as give myself one last chance to chicken out of telling him. With a sigh, I plunged in with both feet.

"Gaivn, yer gonna think I'm absolutely mental," I started. "But both Bragloré and I are much, much older than you think. There's no easy way to say this. Truth bein', I've never had to, but with everything that's been happening lately, I've become a dangerous person to know. And I can't explain that without telling you what I am and who I've been. It'll take a bit t'tell, but after that, I'll leave it up to you. Agreed?"

[im-gavin-elliot.livejournal.com]

While Quinn spoke, Gavin was both trying to process her words, as well as come up with something with which to respond. He had managed to do the first well; he'd always prided himself on his listening ability and retention, but the latter was a bit more difficult for him.

After she stopped speaking, he caught sight of her gaze. He could see something flickering behind the veil she tried to hide behind; something concerned, something pleading, something determined. Gavin kept his eyes intent upon her for a few seconds, his tongue and mouth reluctant to move. But, finally, they did.

".. Aye, Quinn," he responded somewhat hesitantly. What could she possibly have to tell him? A pause and then a delayed response of, "What d'you mean who you've been? You haven't always been Quinn?"

[broadsword-babe.livejournal.com]

This was the conversation I should've had with Wade all those years ago. Maybe if I had, Erin would still be alive. Something told me to trust Gavin, and that feeling had never once led me wrong. Of course, I had done my homework before ever leaving the house on Orkney. Gavin was exactly who, and what, he said. Murph and Connor could take care of themselves, but I wanted Gavin to know what he was getting into. It would ultimately be his decision.

"No, Gavin," I replied, placing my hand on his. "I haven't always been Quinn, I haven't always been an archaeologist, nor have I always been Scottish. I was actually raised on the west coast of Norway, but I have no clue where I was born."

[im-gavin-elliot.livejournal.com]

Gavin's brows could do nothing but furrow at her explanation. Or what he assumed was her explanation. A part of it, at least. He was hoping that it didn't just end there, and he would be left to figure out all the rest on his own. But after the night they just shared at Murph and Connor's, Gavin was pretty sure that anything was possible and anything went.

His head tilted to the side as he mind tried to make sense of it. Ignorantly and somewhat naively, he shrugged.

"That's nothin' t'be ashamed of .. ev'ryone makes .. career changes an' I've got plenty of friends who are adopted whose birth records are all fucked up an' whatever. It's nothin' serious or anythin'."

[broadsword-babe.livejournal.com]

I couldn't help but smile at Gav's confusion. Gods knew this was a lot to take in. If I hadn't gone through all of it myself, I'd find it hard to believe as well.

"Career changes are the least of it," I replied dryly. "I've had to change my entire life more than once. Rather like that witness protection program you always hear about on tele, but not really. The reason why I've had to change lives is because I have a rather difficult time dying, or staying dead for that matter. And before you ask, no, I'm not a vampire."

[im-gavin-elliot.livejournal.com]

Well, that was certainly interesting. Gavin had met supposed vampires before. In fact, he was friends with one of them. Well, he had become friends with her after she had promised not to suck every ounce of blood from his body. With that promise out of the way, though, he had little trouble over-looking the fact that she went around sticking her pointy teeth into people's juglars whenever she got hungry.

He hadn't expected this sort of thing from Quinn, though. What confused him more was the fact that she wasn't a vampire. He had finally managed to wrap his head around that sort of thing, but now this was a new situation to which he had to adapt.

Rubbing his chin, he tried to soak all of it in. Every so often, his mouth would open to speak, only to end up shut again. Biting his lips in thought, he squinted his eyes at her as his mind worked overtime.

"So. Wait. If you're not a vampire, then, what are you?"

[broadsword-babe.livejournal.com]

Three words. That's all I had to say. Just three simple words. Would he believe me? Was I absolutely daft for telling him? I could just see the look on Cassandra's face. She had it easy. She had Connor to confide in. Sure Michael was my best friend, but that's as far as it could go.

"I'm no werewolf, either, so no worries there," I said jokingly. "I… I'm…" Oh, just fucking say it, Freyja. "I'm an Immortal."

[im-gavin-elliot.livejournal.com]

So, he was still in the dark. And her explanation didn't really click in his mind, or make any light bulbs of understanding go off. His brows furrowed again, this time with less concern and more confusion, if possible. Without saying anything, his eyes began to survey the room, as if he would find an answer laying about with the furniture. Scratching his head, he then tapped his finger on his mouth, still trying to figure it out.

"An .. Immortal, was it?" Gavin asked, turning his head towards her, his expression the same as before. "That, uh .. that still doesn't .. I still don't .." He paused. "Huh?"

[broadsword-babe.livejournal.com]

I knew it was asking a lot for him to believe me, especially since there wasn't a lot known about Immortals to begin with. I sighed.

"Yes, Immortal," I replied. "Simply put, I can survive damn near anything, save maybe being drawn and quartered and/or being beheaded. I can still get hurt, die even, but I heal extremely quickly. If you've heard of the X-Men, I guess I'm rather like Wolverine, just without the claws."

[im-gavin-elliot.livejournal.com]

"Oh, yeh?" Gavin asked, glancing down at her hands. He picked one of hers up, studying the back of it. "Yeh, guess you're right. Then again, he could retract his. Y'sure you're not just doin' the same an' lyin' to me?" He glanced up at her with the glimmer of a smirk, placing her hand back on her lap. Shaking his head, he cleared his throat apologetically. "Sorry. I just .. I dunno how to react with these sortsa things. Except to make jokes. It's a fault of bein' a guy an' havin' a bawbag."

He rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to think of something more .. appropriate to say. He was a fairly sensitive and in-touch guy, but for whatever reason, all of that was failing him.

"I .. dunno, Quinn. I mean, am I 'sposed to freak out an' go mental or somethin'? Why does it make you a dangerous person to be around? I reckon you've made a good number of enemies who'd like nothin' more'an t'have a square-go with you. Is that why?"

[broadsword-babe.livejournal.com]

"A square-go is definitely the way to put it," I replied. "And you're right about enemies. There's this asinine game Immortals play where we fight in single combat trying to lob off the other's head. It's the only way we can truly stay dead. There's also a fanatical bunch of asshats who think Immortals are unnatural, and so they've been trying to kill us off for years. That's what happened to those two mates of mine in New York, and... and my adopted daughter. She was killed the same day in those Colorado church shootings you may have heard about. They killed her just to prove a point that they knew who I was and didn't give a good damn about the holy ground rule. Problem was, I'd already left that life less than a month before."

I knew I wasn't making a five-pound-note's worth of cents sense. It just felt good to finally say something about it. And if Gavin wanted proof, couldn't say I blamed him. The gods knew I probably wouldn't believe it unless I saw it with my own two eyes.

I stood up and retrieved my Bowie knife (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowie_knife) from my suitcase. I sat back down by Gavin, pushed up the sleeve on my left arm, pulled the knife out of the sheath and drew the blade down my arm. Yes, it hurt like hell. Yes, there was blood. But after a few seconds, the cut was healed as though I'd never been hurt.

"Sorry for bein' a bit dramatic, but that's as good as I can do for proof."

[im-gavin-elliot.livejournal.com]

Gavin could do nothing but give her back a gentle, soothing pat when she talked about her adopted daughter. He could see, just by the way her eyes flickered with pain, just how deep the hurt went inside of her. She may have been immortal, but she wasn't incapable of emotion.

"Y'know, those people sound a whole like lot the British," Gavin said, light-heartedly. "Goin' in, tryin' to prove their point .. killin' off whoever doesn't fit their standards. God, I hate the fuckin' lot already."

Gavin watched her carefully when she retrieved her Bowie knife. A bit unsure of what she was going to do, he felt his muscles tense without his knowing. He felt his fists clench up when she slid the blade through her skin as if it was nothing. Wincing a bit, he watched the blood trickle down her arm, then slowly disappear.

Blinking, Gavin reached out and touched her arm where the cut had once been. Poking it a few times, he looked up to her with a mixture of amazement and confusion.

"Fuck me," Gavin muttered. "That's fuckin' barmy."

[broadsword-babe.livejournal.com]

I smiled wryly. Barmy was definitely the word for it.

"Yer right, they do sound like a bloody bunch of sassenachs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassenach). Come t'think on it, I might've heard somewhere that the bloke that started the Hunters was a Brit. I'd haveta ask though," I replied. "He got his in the end anyway. Got killed by a MacLeod. Poetic justice, that."

I put the knife on the bedside table, and turned to Gavin. I had to stress how serious the Hunter threat was. I certainly hoped it wouldn't spill over into his life, but better to be prudent than dead.

"Look, Gav, these Hunters are a dead set," I warned. "They have no problems killing anyone who gets close to one of us. Wes and Aidan weren't just friends, they were married. And Erin. She was innocently attending church, trying to come to terms with my leaving, and they gunned her down, shot my former husband and my adopted son all to make a point.

"I want you to understand all that before you decide if you want me in your life," I continued. "I obviously want you in mine, or else I wouldn't have trusted you with all this. I'm not the kind to take romances lightly. There's one other thing you should know, though, about my being Immortal."

I knew this would be a bit of a blow. I'd read most of Gavin's blog and knew that he was one who wanted to settle down and have bairns of his own. Aside from having to bury mortal friends, this was one of the worst things about being Immortal.

"As far as I know, there is no possible way I can ever have kids," I said softly. "That's not to say I can't have fun tryin'. It's just that no one knows why we're barren."

[im-gavin-elliot.livejournal.com]

"Poetic justice at its best," Gavin replied, somewhat quietly. As Quinn continued to elaborate, he finally began to understand the seriousness of what was going on. It was a lot to take in at one point, especially for Gavin. Though he had been through quite a lot in his thirty-four years of life, all of it collectively barely even stood up to one of the things that Quinn had been through. And, on top of all of it, she had these .. things on her tail, constantly threatening her happiness and way of life. And that of those close to her.

It was a big choice for Gavin to make. Bigger than anything he'd ever decided before. Rubbing his face with his hand, he diverted his eyes away from hers to focus his gaze on the floor.

A million thoughts coursed through his mind.

"Quinn, I dunno what to say .. or what you want me to say .. or what I should say. If there's anythin' to say." Gavin's hand migrated from his chin to the back of his neck as he rested his other arm on his bent legs. "I'm gonna need time to sorta just .. absorb ev'rythin' .. y'know? Figure out what the hell I just heard, an' what it means for me. An' what it means for us." He raised his softened gaze to her. "I .. I hope y'don't mind."

[broadsword-babe.livejournal.com]

I watched as different emotions crossed his face. What I'd just said would give any sane person pause. That's why I felt he had to know. He had to be given a choice.

"Mind? Gods no," I replied. "Of course I don't mind. It's a rather big pill to swallow. I just wanted you to know all this before things went further. Just realize that you're one of only five people I can trust. If that's a bit much for you to deal with right now, I understand completely. As long as I'm being honest, I have to tell you that I never said a word of this to my former husband and we were married twenty-some-odd years. I'd just been hoping that Cripple Creek, Colorado, was way off the Hunter radar. The same goes for Orkney."

[im-gavin-elliot.livejournal.com]

Gavin raised his eyes to her, a faint smile peering through on his face. Placing a firm but soft hand on her back, he nodded to her.

"I just hafta re-evaluate .. ev'rythin'. What I'm doin' with my life. What this means for me an' for you. Y'know .. stuff I haven't really thought about but should've thought about a while ago." Gavin offered a lopsided smile then folded his hands in front of him as his arms rested on his legs. "Not t'sound completely selfish, but .. knowin' what I know now, how much danger d'you think I'm in? Honestly, I mean .. don't sugar coat it because of what my reaction might be."

[broadsword-babe.livejournal.com]

His hand on my back was a welcome comfort that I truly appreciated. Granted, I hadn't expected him to fly off the handle or anything, but he was certainly taking this better than I expected.

"I don't think you're being selfish at all," I said honestly. "And you don't haveta go re-evaluating everything. I'm not expecting you to go rearranging everything on account of me. I just wanted you to know what's what before you got hurt.

"As to that," I continued. "I honestly don't know. The Hunters are sneaky buggers, but I'll promise you this, I'll do what I can to keep this from spilling over into your life. And I'm not one for making idle promises."