Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on characters and situations from Highlander: The Series, which is owned by Panzer/Davis, Gaumont and Rysher Entertainment. The character of Johnny Utah is based on the movie Point Break with the exception of changing the time period. Those events documented in the movie as happening 1990-91, I have placed as happening in 1945. For those of you who worry about the discrepancies this causes, let's say the movie was an updated version of the 'real' events. These events and characters are owned by Twentieth Century Fox and James Cameron. No infringement of copyright is intended, and no monetary gain is expected from this work. The character of Gwena aka Gwennolaik/Gwendolyn belongs to StarDancing. Please get her permission before borrowing this character. The character of Mistglow belongs to D.J. Wolf and is used with permission. Please get her permission before using this character. Thank you to her for her assistance. If you are interested in knowing more about werecreatures according to our rules see D. J. Wolf's Werewolves Thank you to Raine for beta work. She did her best with my mess.

Copyright 1999.

Seattle, Washington; December, 1949

Johnny was still out when they reached their rental house. Glow carried him into the back door, down the hall and into the spare room. Gwena yanked the covers back and Glow put Johnny on the bed, while Cassandra went to get some bandages. Not having a need for any themselves, she resorted to tearing up a sheet. In the bedroom Gwena, too impatient to wait for scissors, extruded a claw on her left forefinger and used it to cut off Johnny's torn, bloody shirt. Another of the benefits of bonding with Glow meant her druidic shapechanging abilities now included partial changes of her wolf form. ~~This talent certainly comes in handy at times.~~ Gwena mused to herself.

Glow had gone into the kitchen and followed Cassandra back into the room with a pan of hot water. "I like modern conveniences at times like this. Much faster than boiling water." Glow grinned at the women as he put the pan down on the bedside table. Cassandra chuckled and shook her head. She soaked a washcloth in the water and began to clean the blood from the unconcious man's chest. The werepanther's claw marks hadn't begun to heal yet. They weren't extremely deep, but continued to bleed sluggishly. As she gently washed out the cuts, she tried to focus on her work and not the sight and feel of his leanly muscled body. ~~I can see why the Old Woman was attracted to him. If he's half as sexy in attitude as body, he's a real charmer.~~

Gwena snorted at Glow's comment. "Hmpf, now is not a time for humor, Glow."

"Why not? There's nothing we can do to change what's happened. Besides, a sense of humor is invaluable while training a new shapeshifter." Glow was unrepentant in the face of Gwena's glower.

"We just ruined this young man's life! He didn't choose this! I should have left the minute I realized why he was there. This is my fault." Gwena paced over to the window.

Cassandra's eyes met Glow's over Johnny's prone body. She shook her head. ::Just let her be. She will have to work this through herself. You know how stubborn she is.:: Glow nodded.

Johnny moaned and turned his head restlessly on the pillow. Gwena swiftly crossed the room to the side of the bed. When Johnny opened his eyes, Gwena soothed, "It's okay. You are safe here. This is my sister, Cassandra and her husband, Thomas Standish."

Johnny groaned and tried to sit up. Gwena and Cassandra both put their hands on him to keep him down. His skin already felt slightly feverish, a sure portent of the change to come. Cassandra said, "Don't get up. You were injured, but you'll be fine. You need to rest."

Johnny grumbled, "What the hell happened? I had the strangest dream while I was out. Was I hurt in the fire?" He looked at his chest which Cassandra had been rapidly bandaging as he spoke. They didn't want him to see the wounds until they could thoroughly explain them. He glanced back up at Cassandra's face, then to Gwena. "Wait a minute. Black didn't say anything about a sister."

Gwena's eyes met Glow's across the bed as Cassandra raised her head to gaze at Gwena questioningly. ::I know, I know! I'll be the one to tell him.::

She sat on the bed next to Johnny and steeled herself for what came next. "First, Black is not my stepbrother. He lied to you, as I said before. He did it to get to me and, through me, to Thomas. I've never seen that man before tonite."

"Hey, I verified his story before I started looking for you. Everything checked out." Johnny shook his head slightly. They knew the virus from Black, which would change him to a werepanther, was causing him to feel light-headed and dizzy.

"I know that's how it appeared, but he is apparently very good at cover stories. We aren't the first people he's done this to." Gwena watched Johnny closely as she spoke.

"Why am I not at a hospital? Why did you bring me here?" Johnny rubbed his left arm irritably. That irritation was reflected in his voice.

"Because it wasn't safe." Glow interjected. He and Cassandra had been scrutinizing Johnny as he showed more and more indications of the virus' progression. He knew Johnny was feeling an itchy tingle under his skin as the virus went about its business of altering his DNA. Glow also knew it would get much worse before it got better.

"Wasn't safe? Just what the hell are you people involved with anyway?!," Johnny demanded. He sat up before any of them could stop him. He swayed and slipped sideways toward Gwena. She caught him and, with Cassandra's help, pushed him back onto the pillows. "What's the matter with me?" Johnny groaned.

Cassandra got up and let Glow take her place beside Johnny. She began to clean up the first aid debris as Glow started to speak.

"This will be hard to believe and may take a while to explain. Black's blood carries a virus. You were infected by that virus when his blood got into the wounds on your chest." Glow calmly stared into Johnny's eyes intently.

"Virus? Isn't that what they say causes colds and influenza? Are you telling me Black gave me the flu? Great, no wonder I feel so dizzy and hot. But, I thought the docs said it takes a couple of days to get sick once you're exposed?" Johnny scratched distractedly at his midriff just below the bandages and grimaced.

Gwena and Glow glanced at each other. He nodded slightly. She replied gently, "Johnny, this isn't the flu. It's something the scientists don't know about."

Johnny's eyes widened in alarm and she hurried to continue. "It's not going to kill you, believe me. You are in *no* danger of dying." Johnny's body, which had tensed considerably, now relaxed fractionally. Before he could respond, he shivered violently.

As Cassandra reentered the room, she grabbed the quilt from the end of the bed. Glow and Gwena stood up and the women tucked the still shivering Johnny into the cover. Gwena leaned over Johnny to secure it around his shoulders, her hair brushing his face. He stared up at her, teeth clenched against the chills racking his body.

She smiled reassuringly at him and said, "This is going to be hard, but please trust me. We will take care of you. One of us will always be with you until you feel better." Gwena gently stroked his cheek with the backside of her fingers. "Do you trust me, Johnny?"

In the last few rational seconds he would have for the next couple of days, Johnny studied her beautiful face. A feeling of being safe and secure swept over him. "Yes. I maybe as crazy as the rest of you, but I do trust you," he said through gritted teeth. The room spun crazily and the world turned black.

* * * * * *

Over the next two days Gwena, Cassandra and Glow nursed Johnny through the worst of the virus' effects, one of them staying with him at all times.

During that first night, Gwena refused to leave Johnny's side. Cassandra and Glow decided to humor her, for now. They had found, over the years, that there were herbs that could help ease him through this. Once they had administered them, Cass and Glow went to bed.

Gwena sat, keeping watch and cooling Johnny's face with a damp cloth. He thrashed around wildly at times, muttering incoherently. At one time he yelled out, "Tyler! No, Bodhi, let her go!" She wondered if he was dreaming of family. There could be people, even a wife, frantically waiting for him to return. He wasn't wearing a ring, but that wasn't a sure sign. She murmured soothing nonsense, stroking his forehead till he calmed. They had to wait until morning to see what they could find out about their visitor.

She knew it was selfish of her to hope he didn't have a woman waiting for him. The truth was it *would* be easier for him if he didn't have any close ties. Trying to explain this was going be hard enough for him to accept. Trying to explain it to a wife and children would be a nightmare.

Around dawn, Glow came in to check on Johnny. Gwena was asleep in the chair. Her head rested on her folded arms on the edge of the bed, one hand holding the detective's. Glow picked her up without waking her. He deposited her on their bed with Cass, the two of them snuggling up together in sleep. He covered them with another quilt.

When he re-entered the spare room, Johnny was looking around groggily. Glow moved quickly to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Where am I?" Johnny's eyes weren't focusing. Glow knew he wasn't coherent. He spoke soothingly. "You're safe. Why don't you try to drink some of this?" Glow held a glass of water to Johnny's cracked lips. After finishing all of the glass, he fell back onto the pillows. Glow decided to take advantage of this brief period of semi-lucidity. He managed to get the bigger man into some clean pajamas and get clean sheets on the bed before Johnny deteriorated into delerium again.

When Cassandra woke, she fixed breakfast for them. Later, she took over for Glow while he ran some errands. Shortly after he'd returned, Gwena awoke. For the rest of the day and into the next, the three of them took turns nursing him.

Late in the next day, Johnny sat up and looked around the room. When Cassandra got up from the chair to check him, his eyes were clear. "Hi, how you feeling? Are you hungry?" As she questioned him, she was feeling for a fever.

"I feel great. Actually, I am hungry. Um, what was your name, again?" He looked up at the tall, exotic, dark-haired beauty.

Her green eyes sparkled merrily as she laughed. "I'm Cassandra. I'll go finish supper and let Gwena and Thomas know you're up." As she spoke, Johnny started to get out of bed.

Having heard the voices, Gwena and Glow entered the room just as Cass reached the door. She said, "His temp *is* up, but it's not a true fever. Sorry, sis." Glow smiled impishly as Gwena grimaced defeatedly. Even in the face of all the evidence, she'd held onto a vain hope he'd wake up normal. She moved on into the room, smiling determinedly. "Glad you're feeling better. Why don't you go shower while we get supper ready?" She handed him some clothes. One of Glow's errands had been to acquire suitable clothing. The 6'1" detective was far too tall to fit into the werewolf's jeans.

Johnny took the pile from Gwendolyn with a grateful smile. "Thanks. Oh, and I'm really looking forward to some answers." He quirked an eyebrow at her before bounding into the bathroom, whistling. This part of the virus' effect gave him an incredible feeling of energy and a sense of well-being. It was another sign to the Druidess that he had been Changed.

Gwena stripped the bed and remade it with fresh sheets. She went to pace the kitchen nervously. Glow sat at the kitchen table, grinning. Cassandra finally snapped, "Will you please sit down? Making *me* nuts isn't going to make it easier to explain that he's a werepanther and will descend into madness every full moon." Gwena glared at her, stalked over to the table, yanked out a chair and plopped down angrily.

Glow reached over and patted her hand. "Honey, it's going to be all right. I checked him out. A man like him will be able to handle this."

Gwena sighed and rested her forehead on her fists. "He's never going to forgive me for doing this to him."

Cassandra snorted exasperatedly, "Gwena, this is *not* your fault! You didn't do this to him."

They heard the bathroom door open and fell silent. Johnny strode into the room, nearly bouncing with energy.

Glow stood up and shook Johnny's hand. "You might not remember, but I'm Thomas, Cassandra's husband."

As Johnny took the shorter man's hand, he sized him up. He seemed to be no taller than 5'4" or 5'5", fit without being bulky. His fine, white-blond hair reached to his shoulders with a slight curl. His brown eyes were warm and smile confident. He carried himself with assurance.

Glow continued, "I hear you have questions. I have answers. Have a seat."

Johnny took the place indicated. He looked at Gwena, with a nervous smile. He noticed, with a sinking feeling, that she wouldn't meet his gaze.

Cassandra offered him coffee, which he gratefully accepted. As she placed a cup in front of him, she said, "Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes. I hope you like it. Gwena made meatloaf. We're just waiting on the potatoes. Would you like some salad to start?"

"Yes, that would be wonderful. Thank you." Johnny grinned at her, then turned to Glow. "You mentioned a virus before. Would you please explain?"

Gwena was quietly shredding a napkin into confetti. She had not looked at Johnny since he'd entered the room. At his question, her nervousness grew.

"It's nothing you've ever heard of. It's nothing the scientists know about. We don't tell many people about it." Glow paused to gauge Johnny's reaction.

Cassandra set a big bowl of salad on the table with a stack of smaller ones. Johnny helped himself to a liberal portion. He chewed a couple of bites, thoughtfully. "If it was just the flu, this would be no big deal. So what does this thing do?"

"It causes permanent physical changes. I also have this virus." Glow watched Johnny out of the corner of his eye as he helped himself to salad.

Gwena had already served herself, and was now studiously sorting her salad. Piled vegetables sat in little mounds in her bowl.

"I *feel* great. What kind of physical changes are you talking about?" Johnny's voice was dubious.

"Well, your body temperature for one." Glow took another bite of salad and looked at Johnny calmly.

Cassandra moved to the table and set a platter of meatloaf in the center. She quickly added a bowl of creamed baby potatoes and pearl onions, followed by a loaf of freshly baked bread. They all dug in. Johnny, ravenously.

After assauging the worst of his hunger, Johnny said to Glow, "What do you mean, my body temperature? I don't feel any different."

"Gwena, dear, can you get the thermometer?" Glow continued to eat.

Gwena looked up from pushing her food around her plate, glared at Glow for drawing attention to her, and left to retrieve the item.

Johnny watched her walk out of the room. Realizing that both Cassandra and Glow noticed his attention, he smiled weakly and quickly returned to his meal. Once Johnny's head was bowed, Cassandra and Glow shared a knowing grin.

Gwena returned with the requested thermometer and handed it to Glow. Reseated, she picked up a forkful of meatloaf and contemplated launching it toward Glow's blond head. After a few seconds of internal debate, she lowered the fork and got up to refill coffee cups instead.

Glow handed the thermometer to Johnny. "You'll only believe if you see it."

Johnny felt a little silly taking his temperature while the others continued to eat. Gwena came around the table with the coffeepot. As she leaned over to pour the coffee, Johnny hurried to raise his cup, nearly causing her to splash coffee on the table. He grinned at her sheepishly around the thermometer as she stammered out an apology. Glow choked on a bite, trying desperately not to bust out laughing. Cassandra hid her amusement by jumping up for a glass of water for him.

After a couple of minutes, Johnny yanked the thermometer out and stared at it disbelievingly. "100.4! That can't be right!"

"No, that's just about what we expected." Glow watched him, still amused. Gwena stood at the counter by the stove.

"Okay, I can live with that. What other changes are we talking about?" Johnny frowned at the reading one more time, then put it down.

"Well, you don't have to worry about diseases. You're not likely to ever be poisoned. Don't have to worry about grey hair. You'll never lose your youthful good looks." Glow ticked off each comment on his fingers, then cocked his head to one side. "Of course, there are some drawbacks."

"Of course. Drawbacks. And those would be ... ?" Johnny quirked one eyebrow.

"Well, a raised metabolism means you'll have to eat more. You'll have to learn to get fur out of everything. And full moons will be a real problem for awhile." Glow watched Johnny intently.

Johnny sat quietly for a moment. He looked over at Cassandra, who returned his gaze serenely. When he glanced behind himself at Gwena, she still refused to meet his eyes.

"Okay, I think I've heard enough. Ha, ha. Big laugh, trick thermometer. You guys have had your fun. Thanks for the meal. It was great," Johnny responded with a flat, unhumored tone. Standing up, he searched around for his coat before remembering it had been lost in the fire.

"Wait, Johnny, this isn't a joke." Gwena grabbed his arm, intent on stopping him whatever the personal cost. He turned to face her.

Glow joined them. "I have proof, but you need to sit down."

"Please, listen to him. If you don't believe us after Thomas shows you his proof, you can leave with no interference." Gwena held her breath, waiting for his decision.

Johnny scrutinized her beautiful face, looking for any trace of deceit. Finding only worry and concern, he turned and sat down. "Fine, but after this, I'm outta here."

The other three heaved a silent sigh of relief. Cassandra had watched the whole scene from her place at the table, forgotten plates shoved aside. Gwena moved to stand by her.

Glow crouched next to Johnny. "Put your hand on my head." As Johnny hesitated, he said, "Just humor me. Put your hand on my head."

Johnny tentatively put his hand on Glow's fair head. Slowly, Glow began to shapeshift, allowing him to feel the bones and skin move, hair shorten and coarsen into fur.

Johnny jumped up with a curse, knocking his chair over. "What the hell are you?"

Glow was now fully in wolf form. Gwena answered, "He is a werewolf, Johnny."

"So you expect me to believe I'm a werewolf?" His voice was nearly an octave above normal, eyes wide.

Cassandra interjected with amusement, "Actually, you're a werepanther, not a wolf."

He turned to her in total disbelief. "A werepanther. Right. Sure."

Glow barked, "Woof!" Johnny turned back to him. "What? Oh, man, I can't believe I'm talking to a dog. This is not happening."

Glow changed back to human in the blink of an eye. Johnny sat down suddenly, missing his chair completely. Glow leaned over to give him a hand up and said, "Bow wow."

Cassandra burst out in laughter, nearly falling out of her own chair. Gwena smacked her in the back of the head. "Cass, cut it out. Give the poor man a break."

Johnny stared at the proffered hand, dumbfoundedly, for a moment. Taking it, he stood up, righted his chair, and promptly sat down, never taking his eyes from Glow.

Glow sat back down, picked up his fork and resumed eating. Cassandra was still chuckling, outbursts prompted by glimpses of Gwena's outraged expression.

Very quietly Johnny said, "Is there any cure?"

Glow looked up, his expression serious, "No. Barring a violent death, your expected life-span is thousands of years." Glow forked another piece of meatloaf onto a slice of bread and began to munch.

"Oh." Sitting quietly, thoughtful for a moment, Johnny turned to study the two women. "So, are you both werewolves, too?"

Glow looked up, "No." He made another meatloaf sandwich and handed it to Johnny. "Eat."

Taking the sandwich, he ate somberly, staring at Glow the whole time.

Cassandra started clearing up and putting away the leftovers. Glow stopped her from taking the meatloaf and bread, knowing Johnny would need all he could get. Gwena busied herself making more coffee.

After swallowing the last bite, Johnny said, "So, to get this all straight, I'm going to live for thousands of years, eat constantly and turn into a cat once a month?"

"That's close, but it can be more than once a month, depending on what you want." Glow took another bite of his sandwich.

"Thomas, you are being deliberately obtuse. He doesn't even know what questions to ask!" Gwena glared at him, furious with the nonchalant way he was dealing with the young detective. She punctuated her verbal outburst with a mental jab through their link, causing Cassandra to wince also.

Glow gave her a sheepish look, "I know, but there is no way I can teach him everything now. He has to accept this first."

Johnny cleared his throat, "Excuse me, but I am in the room. Mind not talking about me as if I'm not even here? Hey, um, Tom, could I get another sandwich, please?"

"Sure, help yourself. Eat as much as you want." Glow pushed the platter of meat and the bread toward him.

They munched companionably for a few minutes, while Gwena and Cassandra finished putting the kitchen to rights. Johnny watched the women working, occasionally glancing sideways at Glow. After they had all settled down with more coffee, Johnny finally spoke up. "You mentioned not being able to teach me everything now. Does that mean you are willing to teach me? And...what does that entail?"

"Yes, I will teach you. You need to learn to control your change. And there are other things that will help you."

"There are ... myths about werewolves. Am I going to go on an uncontrollable killing spree every month?" Johnny swallowed heavily, the food suddenly not sitting well.

Glow glanced at Gwena, who stared into her cup. "Well, not if I can help it."

Catching the look, Johnny wondered if Gwena was against her brother-in-law helping him. Was there some risk to Thomas that would lead her to protect him? "Is helping me going to be dangerous for you?"

Cassandra decided to interject. "It's not dangerous. It's just that we *all* have to agree. We are all involved. Not just Thomas."

Glow added, "Usually, before a werewolf is brought across, they get trained. We teach them skills that will make their lives easier. Techniques that help them control the change. You have a lot to learn."

"You mean some people *choose* to do this?! On purpose?!"

"Yes. Most do. I did." Glow made another sandwich.

"Why?" Johnny reached for the meat and bread for himself.

"Most of my family were. And there is a freedom to changing shape."

Gwena snickered. Johnny and Cassandra both looked at her. "Sorry. Just struck me funny for a minute." Cassandra chuckled at that, knowing her sister was thinking of their own abilities. She shrugged when Johnny turned to her.

::Tone it down! You're scaring him.:: Glow was concerned the intrepid detective might have hit his limit for the day.

Only slightly mollified by the apology, Johnny went back to questioning Glow. "So far, the only thing I don't think I can stand dealing with is the idea of wanton killing. You said you might be able to help me with that. What could you do?"

"Oh, you'll have to worry about silver, too. Otherwise, one of two things. Teach you how to make yourself safe for others. Or bring you into the bond that we three share." Gwena had removed all of her silver jewelry while they were waiting for Johnny to wake up. She felt naked and vulnerable without it; the items being amulets of power, magical talismans, some even containing helpful spirits. But she knew she couldn't take any chance of hurting him, even accidentally. He could be badly burned by a tiny brush against the silver. Even the smell could make him sick. She was able to wear it around Glow, because he was nearly 2,000 years old. Her guilt over this situation may have been illogical, but she still felt she'd let her attraction for Johnny overcome her good sense. If she'd only left the moment she suspected his reasons for being there, Black would never have clawed him. If she hadn't cut the werepanther's throat, he wouldn't have bled into the slashes. She tore herself away from the 'if only's' to hear Johnny's response.

"Bond? You mean like an oath or promise? How can that help?" He was confused how a promise from two women could stop a werewolf's rampage.

"It's not a promise. It's much *more* than a promise." Cassandra tried to simplify the situation and ended up confusing him even more.

At Glow's nod, Gwena said, "Johnny, I think right now all you need to know is, there are options. But you have had a lot to absorb and come to terms with tonite. I think anything more should wait for tomorrow, at least. Right now you should just rest. Go to sleep and when you wake, you'll be much stronger." As Gwena spoke, Johnny found himself realizing how tired he was. He was so tired he didn't notice Gwena and Cassandra were staring very intently at him.

After Johnny stumbled off to bed and dropped into a deep, dreamless sleep, the three bondmates discussed his reaction. Cassandra was pleased. "Well, that went quite well, all things considered."

Glow agreed, adding, "Now the important part is how he reacts in the morning. Worst case, he'll totally block everything out and we are back to square one."

"What about telling him about the bond? And explaining about immortals . . . and witches . . . and druids? You know, if I hadn't lived with all of this, I don't know that I could take everything at one time!" Gwena was just getting started. "Are you both sure about offering to include him in our bond? When we did this 350 years ago, we didn't know the full extent of what we were getting into. And we, at least, knew and loved each other before we bonded. None of us even know him! Even though the bond is periodically renewable, if we start this, we have to be willing to do this for life. And with us, life is an incredibly long time!" Gwena got up from the table in frustration. She paced over to peer out the kitchen window into the darkness.

"That's a very good point, dear heart. What do you think? How do you feel?" Glow was very calm, unconcerned, even.

Gwena whirled around and advanced angrily, "Why can't you just answer the question? You turn it around on me. Ducking around it won't work. If we aren't all behind this 100%, it'll tear us apart. Don't you worry about how it might affect the three of us?" Her fear and uncertainty practically radiated off her.

Cassandra watched the situation warily. It wasn't like Gwena to actually challenge Glow so blatantly.

Mistglow became very serious. "I do worry about how it affects the three of us. I don't know him. I think he's cute."

"So you are willing to share everything you are with him because he's *cute*?"

"I *said* I don't know him. I'm willing to take the chance."

Chastised, Gwena turned to Cassandra, "Are you willing to do this? Are you sure?"

Cass got up and hugged her. "Anamchara, it's going on twelve centuries since we bonded. It was 350 years ago that Glow came into our lives and we became three. I don't regret even one minute of that time. Even the arguments and the tears. I have a very good feeling about this man. We need to do this. I know why you're afraid. You love with all your heart and all your soul. You love too much and you're afraid of being hurt. But you are the one who taught me; don't fear, just love."

Glow walked over to the women and wrapped his warm arms around both of them. Gwena sighed and rested her head on his chest. ::I love you, you know. I'm sorry for being so petulant.::

::That's okay. We love you anyway.:: He grinned and kissed the top of her head.

::I think we all need to go to bed. None of us has gotten much rest the last few days. All this stress and worry has frazzled our nerves. We need to be at our best to help Johnny deal with the change.:: Cassandra moved off toward the bedroom, glancing over her shoulder with a beckoning smile.

Glow grinned back at her, grabbed Gwena, scooped her up in his arms and headed after the witch.

End Chapter Two

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