The petite immortal snagged a piece of fruit from the welcome basket as she made her way into the small bathroom and started to fill the tub with hot water. While she waited for it to fill, she rummaged through all the cabinets, curious to see what was in them. The room had obviously been set up with her in mind. All the clothing and toiletries she would need were there waiting for her. She did notice that there were no male items of clothing or other things on any of the shelves or in the wardrobe, although she did find a carry bag in the corner of the bedroom with the initials CM on it.

Finding some floral scented bath soaps she tossed some of them in the steaming water before gingerly lowering herself into it, sighing deeply in pleasure. She stayed in the tub for quite a while, fully relaxed and humming songs to herself as she carefully considered all the days events. After some time the water cooled enough to encourage her to vacate the tub and she pulled the plug. The plush towel hanging on a nearby rack well felt soft and luxurious on her slender body as she dried herself off.

She went back into the bedroom and picked up the nearly transparent lace underwear that Connor had picked out for her to wear. She shook her head in amusement at his choice. She quickly donned them as well as the silk stockings and garters he had left and crossed over to look in the full length mirror that stood next to the wardrobe. Looking back at her was a sexy little hoyden barely 5' tall and maybe 100 pounds soaking wet. She ran her fingers through the soft waves of her golden hair and her blue eyes twinkled in merriment as she noticed the bra made her appear to have a great deal more cleavage then she actually had. It had been a long time she had dressed in anything this seductive and it made her feel both good and slightly self conscious at the same time. She giggled and stuck out her tongue at the girl in the mirror.

Katherine put on the ivory colored high necked blouse and buttoned it all the way up and adjusted the full sleeves, noticing the thin material and lace panels did not hide much even though it technically covered her completely. She then slid into the forest green skirt and buttoned it up. It accented her tiny waist nicely and hugged her tightly across the belly and hips before falling in graceful folds to just above her ankles. She then put on the boots and looked at herself again. Instead of the seductive little siren, a prim and proper young lady now stood there, but a mischievous look still glimmered in her eyes. She was quite pleased with the overall impression of the outfit but made a mental note that she should start growing her hair long again now that she didn't have to mess with a veil.

Katherine then opened to door she had seen Connor leave through and was surprised to find a neatly furnished sitting room on the other side. There was a bookshelf filled with an assortment of classic novels and a small writing desk with a small computer on it. She liked the room immediately, it suited her small needs completely. Pausing to smell a bouquet of colorful flowers on the coffee table she crossed the room and opened the door on the other side of the room and peered out into the hallway.

She was surprised to see another Connor look alike standing outside her door with tousled hair and an impish grin as he stood there fidgeting. He had been trying to get up the nerve to knock on the heavy wooden door of her room.

"Can I help you?" Katherine asked, smiling sweetly at him as he stood there nervously, wringing his hands. She could read enough of him to know he was a bit of a rascal, but there was something very appealing about him at the same time..

He gulped and stared open mouthed at her. She looked so young!! Surely she couldn't be the 400 year old teacher/midwife he heard was coming to stay on the island! "Are you the Lady Katherine?" he asked hesitantly.

"I am", she said softly, nodding her head in a stately manner. "And you are?" she inquired, curious about her visitor.

"Dani. My name is Dani Servigo", he said as he blushed and ducked his head in embarrassment. He then tried to explain why he is hanging around her door, stumbling over the words. "I heard you are a teacher, and I, ummm, I was wondering", he took a deep breath and blurted out, "Could you possibly teach me how to read?"

Katherine's face brightening into a radiant smile that caused his heart to skip a beat. "Of course! I am always willing to teach someone who really wants to learn." She stepped out into the hall and smiled encouragingly at him before looking up and down the hall way, distracted for a moment as she wondered where Connor was and when he was going to come back like he promised. "You haven't seen Connor MacLeod, have you?" she asked. Dani suddenly looked a little forlorn. He hadn't figured on having to compete with the Highlander for this new lady's attentions and it threw him off track for a moment. Especially after he'd just told her one of his deepest secrets and she seemed far more interested in finding who he assumed was her lover than in reacting to his admission.

"No," Dani said quietly, feeling slighted. His look was intense as he grumbled. "Haven't seen him all morning. But Connor is like that, no? Independent."

Katherine chuckled to herself at the comment. "He is that! No matter. It was just that he said he would come back and show me around after he had taken care of some business." She had picked up immediately on the brief flare of jealousy coming from her new acquaintance and sought to smooth the waters. "Maybe you can show me around a bit instead? Help me get orientated?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes before continuing. "One moment I was in that portal room and the next *poof* I was here! So I have no idea where I am or where anything is."

Dani tried to swallow his hurt feelings and put on a brave smile. "Sure, I can do that! Basically it's just a big square so you can never really get lost. And as more and more people come and settle in, doors are being marked with personal decorations and designs, and if you need information quickly, you can always go to the Library. It's the big room on the ground floor directly to your left as you enter through the main doors into the Main Hall. Just go through the big double doors. There's a map back inside that is constantly being updated that shows both the inside of the castle and the surrounding landmarks outside. There's also another map on the wall showing where the private homes of the Council members and other prominent groups on the island live. How about I take you to the Library first? I don't use it much, of course, but I know where it is." Dani hoped the disappointment and sarcasm in his voice wasn't as recognizable to Katherine as it sounded to him. He had no idea she was an empath and was very aware of everything he was feeling.
Katherine cocked her head slightly to one side and smiled softly at him, watching him as his emotions ran from extreme to another. It was obvious to her that Dani was almost as attracted to her as a woman as he was to her being a teacher. The whole thing was beginning to be a little amusing, she thought, as she tried to remember the last time a man had flirted with her. Her face brightened into another smile and she exclaimed excitingly, " The library would be a grand place to go!!" Katherine glided gracefully across the hallway right next to Dani and place her delicate hand on his left elbow, her face glowing with anticipation.
Dani, unable to resist the beautiful petite woman's glorious smile, offered his arm in a gallant fashion and escorted her down the stairs to the second largest room in the castle. Only the Grand Ballroom was larger than New Camelot's library. Walking beside Lady Katherine with her arm in his somehow managed to make him feel like he was someone very important and he could not help but beam with pride when he felt the eye's of everyone they passed gaze upon them, often in frank admiration.

Katherine was very impressed with the huge library, twirling around to see it all with her face lit up likes a child's in a toy store. "This is absolutely wonderful!!! Oh Dani! There are worlds unimaginable just available here for the taking once you learn to read!" Her excitement was contagious and Dani felt himself wanting with his whole heart to explore the worlds she was speaking of. He walked with her as she wandered around the library, pulling books out every now and then and opening them up to read to him a portion of them, giving him little flashing visions of what she was talking about. She pulled one out and after glancing it over briefly carried it to a huge table set in the middle of the room and sat down, patting the chair beside her invitingly as she motioned for Dani to come and sit beside her.

He hesitated just a moment before taking the chair she directed to him. Was she actually going to teach him right here, right now, out in public?! He tried to cover up his moment of panic by commenting on the books in the library. "I hear most of this is Lilly's doing. She collects books. There's all kinds of languages here... some even ancient. Methos donated some papyrus rolls, too. He always has to outdo everyone." Katherine looked up, surprised to hear the name of Methos, then composed herself quickly as Dani sat grinning good-naturedly at her. He could not help but wonder why she blushed at the mention of the ancient immortal's name.

Katherine opened up the book she had brought to the table moved close to Dani, causing his heart to skip another beat. Placing it before him as she leaned against his side, she then began to read out loud to him. It was a simple little poem full of wonderful images that painted a picture in his mind as the words were spoken outsold. He tried to follow along with what she was reading as her finger lightly ran along the line of words but he was unable to do so. It was as if something truly marvelous was hanging just out of his reach and it tormented him.

Katherine's voice was low and had a musical quality to it as she read to him, weaving a magical story with a combination of the words and the inflection of her voice. Dani gave up trying to follow the words on paper and closed his eyes, watching the parade of images flash by as Katherine continued to read. He was so caught up in the story that it took him a few moments before he realized she had stopped. She was looking at him intently, a radiant smile on her face. "This and more is waiting for you in the wonderful world of books. I would be honored to lead you along your journey into this world. Just as you are guiding me around in the new world I am in now."

Dani flushed with wonder at the mystical woman sitting so close to him. She smelled of fresh rain and forest flowers, and her sweet round lips seem to call to him to kiss her. He licked his own lips, trying to imagine what she taste like, what it would feel like to have the slender body of this wonderful lady pressed tightly up against his. Before he realized what he was doing, Dani leaned over and pressed his lips ever so gently upon Katherine's.

Katherine was caught completely off guard by his spontaneous reaction and reacted with startled and wide open eyes. It had been such a long time since she has been kissed by a man. She allowed him to deepen the kiss for a moment and then trembling she pulled back slightly, placing her hand on his mouth. She blushed deeply, a look of regret on her face. "I'm sorry, Dani. It's just that it has been a long time. All this is just going to take some getting use to." Her fingers tenderly stroked the side of his face. Something in the way she looked at him suggested that she was not entirely unhappy having been kissed by him.

Dani blushed crimson. "I'm sorry. I beg your pardon, please," he stammered quickly. "I.. I lost my head. You are very.... special. I don't know how else to describe it. I feel I have frightened you. Please, I would never hurt you. Please Katherine, ask anyone that knows me. I am a fool, a clown, totally harmless." Dani actually hung his head in shame. "I suppose now it would be out of the question for you to teach me how to read?" He glanced up at her with a look that told her he was hoping against hope she would forgive him this little trespass and go on. "I promise, I will be on my best behavior from now on." He crossed his heart and gave her his most charming smile, but then it faded under the intense look she was giving him as she listened to what he was saying.

"I just wanted to know how to spell my own name," he said softly, the longing in his heart painful to hear. He looked down at his hands that he'd slid into his lap. He was closing himself off from her as he'd done with most people since coming to the island. It was easier to play the devil-may-care fool than to admit he had real needs, real desires, and real dreams.

Katherine chuckled quietly, deciding she really liked this appealing scoundrel. She leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek. "It's OK. It really is. And for your information, I didn't let Connor kiss me either", she said with a wicked grin crossing her face. "But once I get used to the idea I am not a nun anymore, I would like to try that kiss again!" Her eyes sparkled with an impish light that just about made him want to shout with joy. Then it dawned on him that she had just told him she had been a nun before coming here to the island.

"You were a nun?!" Dani gasped. "I'm sorry. I mean I would never have..." Suddenly visions of Sr. Mary Paul rapping his knuckles with a ruler because he kept reading the numbers in his math book backwards attacked his memory and he flinched involuntarily. "You are too beautiful to be a nun," he told Katherine, hoping to in some way explain his forwardness towards her.

"I have been released from my vows, Dani. Once I adjust to all these changes, then...." her voice trailed off, but her eyes held a promise in them. Leaving it at that, she turned back to the book and pointed out the word *dance* and said it slowly to him, sounding out each of the letters as she did so. She then slowly then doing the same to the sounds in his name *dani*. A light starts to turn on in his head as he struggled to make the connection between the two words.

Dani gasped and looked up at her, finding that she was continuing to smile at him. Dani blushed again under her steady but encouraging gaze and glanced back at the word in the book. "So that's the first part of my name?" he asked, pointing to the first three letters. Katherine gave him a quick peck on the cheek to let him know he was correct.

"Let me see if I can write it", he said eagerly as he reached for a pad of paper and pencil that was sitting in the middle of the table. Katherine put he hand on his and helped him form each letter. Grinning broadly he wrote the first three letters of his name. Then he tried it repeatedly on his own with her quiet encouragement until he stopped trying to write the *d* as a *b*.

Katherine's radiant smile was more that enough reward for his labor. He could not help but wish that the few teachers he did have when he was young had been this nice. Maybe he would have actually learned something instead of sitting daydreaming in their classes. She sounded out the word *Dan* that he had just written and he repeated the sounds of each letter, his face beaming. She then explained to him there were several ways to write the last sound of his name and asked if Dani was a nickname for Daniel. He told her no and then she demonstrated how to write the letter *i*, telling him it made the *e* sound when it was placed on the end of a word. He gleefully set about copying it and then adding it to the rest of his name.

Katherine then took that paper away and gave him a clean sheet and he carefully wrote it out again. Dani sat quietly looking at his name. It was the first time in his life that he had written it all by himself, and the first time that he had actually recognized it. ~ I have done this! ~, he told himself with utter amazement, ~ I have written my own name! ~

Dani looked over at Katherine with tears in his eyes. "I feel like I've just become a real human being," he whispered to her. "I don't know how to thank you." Looking down at his name again, he ran his fingertips in an almost reverent manner over the letters he'd just written. "I'm a man. A man with a name," he said as if he'd just come to a realization of his inner self. The awe in his voice brought tears to Kate's eyes, too. It was moments like that which made teaching someone really worthwhile.

Katherine reached over and gave him a tender hug and he clung to her like she was an anchor in a storm. "This is just the start, Dani!! There are many wonderful stories of places and people just waiting for you." she reached out with her mind and broadcasted her pride at his accomplishment and it gave him the encouragement to continue on. "If you would like we can have these lessons everyday while I am here. I will be going to stay at Ev's place shortly so I can be there to help her when she has her babies. Do you think she would mind if you came along?"

Dani's eyes grew wide. "I...ahhh, I don't know. I mean," he faltered, not knowing how to tell his teacher that he was ashamed of his illiteracy and was a master at keeping it a secret from people. "I mean, do you know if there's someplace private at Ev's where we could go for the lessons? Someplace no one could find us?" He looked embarrassed, glancing at Katherine as he tried to read her expression. Pulling and twisting on a piece of his ruffled hair, Dani nervously got up from his chair. "Maybe I should just try to learn as much as I can while you're here and then... " the rest of the sentence faded away as he stood there fidgeting in front of her. To finally find a teacher like Lady Katherine to make his lifelong dream of reading come true was a miracle to Dani. After he and his brother had been left to survive on their own after the death of their parents, school had never been an option. This was the first real opportunity he'd ever had to rectify the great loss he'd suffered so long ago. He drug his hand through his hair, making it even more rumpled than before, then proceeded to chew on his thumbnail, trying to think of something clever to say that would release him from this embarrassing situation.

"I'm sure we can find a place where no one will bother us during our lessons, Dani." she was very aware of the shame and embarrassment he was feeling. "And nobody has to know about it until you are ready to tell them." She got up and walked over to him and took his hand in hers, smiling conspiratorially. He looked down at the petite woman whose clear sky blue eyes sparkled with an inner light as she looked up at him. As she held his hand tight in hers, he could feel her inner strength reaching out to give him courage and it left him even more in awe of her.

"You *are* special, aren't you," he whispered as he lost himself in her eyes. Somehow he just knew that she understood what he'd been through and that he could trust her completely. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be a big baby about this. I just..." he shrugged and squeezed her hands. "Okay!" he beamed his biggest smile. "So now I have a teacher and soon we'll be traveling to live with a god! Not a bad lifestyle, I'm sure," he teased. "And don't think I will forget what you said about trying out some kissing again either. I may not be able to read, but I have a *very* long memory."

Katherine giggled at him, squeezing his hand tightly. "I might have a few other surprises in store for you on that day. Till then..." she let her words trail off, leaving his imagination to fill in the details. She looked longingly around the room, delighting in the treasure store of books. "I could stay in here forever, but there is something I really need to do. Darius and Father Alec mentioned a chapel. Would you mind taking me there?"

Dani blinked. "Ahhh, well, let's just go over to the map and see exactly where that would be," he hedged. Katherine stood close by him as the two of them looked over the map and he pointed out where everything was. She was becoming very acutely aware of his male presence and feelings she had kept firmly under control all the time she was in the convent started to make their way to the surface. But before she could allow herself to release those feelings she first needed to go get some things straight in her mind and heart. After that she would then be truly free to enjoy herself her on VIsland.