Ev, Rayden and Father Alec were waiting with Connor in the portal room for the arrival of Darius. Connor prowled around the room like a caged cat, restless and unable to sit down. Ev was resting in a chair but was obviously a little nervous too, while Rayden maintained that maddening kind of calm that he usually had. Father Alec was a little on edge himself as he tried to get Connor to calm down. He was not having a lot of luck, though, and he wished Darius would hurry up and get there.

Just then Darius breezed into the room, smiled brightly and said, "What's going on? I just got told I had to come down here quick." Father Alec was relieved that his friend Darius was finally there. "We're about to bring a friend of Connor's here and he's nervous she'll be very angry with him." He grinned. "She's an Immortal and at the moment, a nun, he's hoping we can calm her down once she comes though."

Ev chimed in, "She's also a midwife and loves children. Connor and I got to talking and we are hoping she'd like it here enough to want to stay."

Darius chuckled and said, "Oh, I see. May I ask her name?"

Connor looked up from his restless pacing and growled, "Katherine. Her name is Katherine Dixon. I have no idea what she has been going by lately though. Sister Mary something or another."

When he heard that Darius threw back his head back and laughed outrageously while the others look as him strangely, wondering if he had lost his mind. "I'm sorry", he said, when he managed to get himself under control. "It's just that Katherine and I have met before."

Rayden moved over to his mate's side and cuddled against her. "She sounds like a very interesting person. I hope she decides to make this place her home. Ev has been getting very nervous about the birth. I can't do everything", he said with an almost apologetic tone of voice to her. Ev grinned up and him and leaned her head against his hip. Darius walked over to them and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Katherine is just the right person to bring here to help you then. She is very special lady", the immortal priest said as he smiled at the extremely pregnant woman.

Father Alec could not help but ask, "I take it she's not always been a nun?"

Darius turned to Father Alec and said, "Good heavens no. She has been one off and on though over the last 400 years, especially when the situation called for it. She was a cabaret singer in Paris when I knew her and she attended my chapel services regularly. The little stinker would come by on occasion to give me a good dose of humility by soundly beating me in a game of chess." His eyes twinkled as he remembered their extremely competitive matches.

Father Alec chuckled. "She does sounds very interesting! I've met a lot of interesting people here in the last year or so. It sounds like she will fit right in. So could someone explain to me what the plan is?"

Rayden gave Ev a kiss on the forehead. "I'll talk, you just sit here and rest." Then he turned to the others. "Well.... The idea is that she'll probably be kind of upset at being uprooted without warning when she first comes through the portal.

"Hmmm. Knowing Katherine like I do, that will be a given!", Darius chuckled, recalling the few times he had seen her get irritated at various people, including himself.

Rayden grinned at Darius, and continued "So, first just Ev and you will be in the room. She'll respect you and Connor says she loves being a midwife, so Ev's obvious condition should be able to get her interested in talking about that. Then you, Alec, will come in and we'll introduce the idea about so many people with Connor's face living around here. Darius nodded his head and grinned at his fellow priest, thinking that would be good strategy. He couldn't help but chuckle again as he looked around the room at the three men, all with the same face.

"Then I'll come in and we'll see if she's getting used to the idea and whether she likes it or not. Connor will be last to come into the room" Rayden said as he chuckled along with Darius. "Don't worry, we won't call you until its safe."

Connor had a sour look on his face. "Easy enough for you to say. I've faced Katherine before when she is pissed at me. And I will tell you this for nothing - I would rather have someone with a sword come at me any day of the week."

Ev started to giggle, holding her tummy as she did so. "That's so CUTE, Connor!"

That was when Darius looked point blank at Connor. "I take it you would like to resume your previous relationship with her", he asked bluntly. Connor ducked his head and fidgeted for a moment before answering, "Yes, I would", in a strong tone daring anyone to make anything of it. Darius just nodded. He was well aware of the off and on again involvement over the centuries between the two Scots.

Rayden looked around at everyone, that maddening calm grin still on his face. "Are we ready? Or should we go over anything first?"

Connor thought for a moment before speaking up. "I just thought of something else. Katherine is a very strong empath.. Going from one emotional climate to another might be pretty unsettling for her both physically and mentally as well. It wouldn't hurt to have Doc Adams on standby just in case", he said before adding. "Preferably with a very strong sedative."

"An empath?" Rayden's eyebrows went up. He hadn't met many people with than ability. "I will bring Doc here, then", he said before questioning the last part of Connor's comment. "Strong sedative?"

"It just might keep my hide in one piece for a change", Connor grumbled under his breath. Ev got the giggles again at Connor's comment.

Rayden gave him a smirk. "I take it there has been times when it hasn't been?" Grinning broadly at the pained look on Connor's face he continued. "You should have some interesting stories then. Maybe you will share them with us sometime. I'll have Doc here in a moment." He got a sort of faraway look on his face for a few moments, then grinned, and everyone stepped back, a bit startled, as a column of electricity suddenly appeared in the room, transforming into Doc, who had to quickly adjust certain pieces of his clothing.

Doc Adams responded politely to his being yanked from his room by yelling at the top of his lungs, "What the hell is going on?!!!" The situation then had to be explained once again in total to him. He grumbled to himself at the end about next time would they please at least give him a little warning.

Rayden couldn't help but chuckle again. He was having a lot of fun with the whole situation. Ev dug an elbow into his ribs. "Hey you! Behave yourself!"

Darius smiled, amused by what was going on himself. "Well, lets get this show on the road then!" He, Ev and Doc stayed where they were while the others stepped out into the hallway. Rayden blew a kiss to Ev on his way out of the room and sent a mental message to Lilly that they were ready for the portal to be activated. Darius placed his hand reassuringly on Ev's shoulder as they turned their attention to the portal and waited for the arrival of Connor MacLeod's old friend. Doc Adams leaned his lanky frame against the wall with his arms folded across his chest still mumbling under his breath he had better not have been brought there for nothing.

The air around them began to move as the room filled with soft breezes that began to gather into a more focused whirlwind some yards away from the three of them. A distant roar of thunder could be heard as a swirling light formed into a tunnel in front of them. As they watched the faint image of a slender young woman dressed in a simple black jumper and white blouse appeared, quickly coming into focus as she was dropped at the edge of the portal. She stumbled and fell forward onto her knees as the portal closed and disappeared behind her, the short black veil that covered her golden blonde hair falling over her face. She looked up, a mixture of fear, confusion, astonishment and even anger crossing her face. Sensing the presence of the other two immortals in the room but not really seeing them, she staggered quickly to her feet. The room immediately started to spin around her and all color completely drained from her face. Katherine's legs then went limp under her and she collapsed face first onto the floor unconscious.

Doc jumped into action before she even hit the floor, racing across the room to her side. He turned her gently over, his hand at her throat feeling her weak and rapid pulse. As he looked into her ghostly white face he gasped, "Oh my God! Sarah??"

Ev raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Do all of you know each other? This is getting like a soap opera!" She looked across at Katherine's limp form stretched out on the floor and asked in a concerned voice, "Is she ok?"

Doc shoot her an irritated look. "Yeah, we met before. We had a minor difference of opinion and I ended up with a bloody nose because of it." Ev covered her face with her hand giggling as she pictured that in her mind. As she watched, the color on the girl's face started to return to normal and her breathing became more steady. "She should be coming around in a second", Doc said, as he checked her pulse again.

With that Katherine's eyes fluttered and she revived, a confused look on her face. "Where am I?" she said in a quiet, lost voice. Ev had an impulse to try to get up to go to her where she lay on the floor, but she found herself having difficulty rising from the chair.

Darius gently pushed her back down and told her to stay there, and he crossed the room to kneel on the other side of Katherine from Doc Adams.

Ev called out from her chair to the new arrival. "You're on VIsland. I'm sorry its such a shock, but we didn't have any way to get in touch with you ahead of time. I'm really glad to meet you, Katherine. I'm Ev, and I believe you know these two", she said as Doc and Darius helped Katherine to sit up, her face still on the pale side and looking a little green around the gills. She turned first to the good doctor and when she focused on his face and recognized him, a frown crossed her face and she said a very un-nun like bad word.

She then turned her head and locked eye contact with Darius, recognizing him as well. "Darius!!! What in the blue blazes is going on! Why am I here? Where am I?" she said with an edge of panic in her voice.

Ev sighed and tried to choose her next words very carefully. "I'm afraid its kind of my fault. You see, I'm very pregnant and I was talking to a good friend of mine about it and...... well..... your name came up in conversation. He said you're a very good midwife and that you really love children. I..... no......we...... were hoping you might like to help me. And this is really a great place to live, if you'd like."

Katherine turned and looked across the room at Ev, her clear blue eyes focusing on her for the first time. Her face softened as she looks at Ev's large belly and a smile spread across her face. "Twins?" she asked, making a quick appraisal in her mind about how far along she thought she was.

Ev patted her belly, grunting a little as one of them kicked her again in an already sore spot. "Yes. I'm really getting a little scared. When I heard about you, I was hoping...... Its a long story. I really don't know what to expect, considering who their father is", she said, chuckling to herself.

Katherine was struggling to get up, but her legs were still unsteady. She had to fight waves of nausea as she slowly acclimatized to her new surroundings. Darius and Doc helped to her feet and held her up on each side as she searched for her inner balance.

"A friend?" she asked, looking at Darius in confusion, not knowing whether or not he knew she was a midwife.

Darius smiled down at her, making sure he had a firm grip on her as she swayed unsteadily even with their support. "Connor MacLeod is the one who wanted you here, little sister", he said gently.

Katherine's face paled again and she would have collapsed again if it weren't for the two strong men holding her up. Connor???"

Ev smiled encouragingly from across the room. "He's such a sweet man. He thinks very highly of you. I've only known him for a short time, but there aren't many people who can make his eyes light up that way", she said as the two men guided Katherine to a chair beside her.

Katherine's slight body was still trembling in shock and the world was wobbling around her. She swallowed hard and struggled to push back the blackness that threatened to overtake her again.

Doc looked at her in concern, not liked the cold clammy feeling of her skin. He decide that she was having a very bad reaction to her transport through the portal to VIsland and chose to give her a mild sedative to see if it would relieve her symptoms. He opened up his black doctors bag that Rayden had transported with him to the portal room and prepared the injection. Seeing what he was doing, Darius pushed up the sleeve on one of her slender arms.

"What is that?" she asked, a touch of fear reflected on her face.

Doc explained to her it is just something to help ease the transition and to calm her down but she started to struggle weakly while Darius held her arm tight across his chest to keep her from moving it as Doc carefully inserted the needle directly into a vein in her arm and injected the contents. It took just a few moments before the drug started to take effect, and she visibly relaxed.

"I wish we could have done this in a less drastic way." Ev reached out to take Katherine's small hand in hers. "There are some things about this place we really should tell you before we go on. I hope I can present this without upsetting you too much. Maybe you can help with this, Darius?"

Darius cupped her chin in his hand, tilting her head up to look at him. "There are some people here that you have never met before, little sister. but they all share something in common. They all look like your friend Connor, but they are all very different individuals", he said quietly. She had a confused look on her face, not really understanding what he was saying. Darius stood up and called out.

"Father Alec, would you come in please?"

Father Alec walked in through the door, smiling in greeting to Katherine as he knelt on one knee on the floor in front of her. "Hello, Katherine. I'm Father Alec. I'm so glad to meet you." He gently reached out to squeeze her hand briefly, seeing the look of surprise and disbelief on her face. "I had a hard time getting used to seeing so many people who look like me at first. It just takes a little time."

Katherine stared in amazement at the young priest for a moment before breaking out in almost hysterical giggles and saying, " This has to be the craziest dream I have ever had!" Darius gently stroked her face and told her it was not a dream, it is very real. Katherine took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment striving to regain her focus and balance by reaching out and *listening* with her mind. Her feather light mental touch caressed each person in the room and extended to those waiting outside the door. Rayden cocked his head in mild surprise when he felt her brief presence in his mind and the look on Connor's face told him that the highlander had felt her touch his as well.

Ev smiled at Katherine as she shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "Do you think you would like to meet another person who looks like Connor? Rayden is out there waiting to meet you. He's a little different." She smiled fondly. "He's the twin's father."

Katherine shrugged and nodded slightly in response as her mind continued to explore further and further, till she had touched the minds of everyone in the whole castle. A calm serene expression spread over her face as balance was restored and the new world around her came into sharp focus. She now knew Connor was outside the door, fretting as he waited, and a slight smile curled on her lips.

Ev called to Rayden with her mind and he entered the room. He was wearing all white that morning and a beam of sunshine happens to fall on him as he closed the door. It made him glow. Ev couldn't help smirking. She knew he was flirting with the new arrival in his own way, and he was looking every bit the god he was. Rayden grinned at Katherine and lifted Ev up and sat down in the chair, drawing her into his lap and wrapping his arms around her as . "Hello. I'm very glad you meet you."

Katherine's eyes flew open wide in amazement as she looked at him. His aura was so overpowering to her that she had hastily thrown up a few mental barriers. Looking back and forth between him and then Father Alec, she finally broke down and started to chuckle. "This might be an interesting place after all.", she said to herself.

Rayden smiled one his radiant grins at her, while he hugged Ev. "It is definitely an interesting place. Getting more interesting all the time. For a lot of reasons." He lets his hands drift down to rest on Ev's large belly.

Father Alec gave Rayden a look and rolled his eyes. "She just got here, Rayden. Go easy on her, all right?"

Katherine smiled softly at Ev, ignoring the not so subtle flirting from Rayden for the time being. She then sighed deeply as she reached a decision in her mind. She turned and looked at Darius and Father Alec. "Well, if I'm going to stay here I will probably need to be released from my vows, won't I?"

Darius nodded at her, squeezing her hand in understanding and glanced at Father Alec. The young priest took her other hand in his and said, "If that is what you really want." She nodded her head, her eyes glistening with emotion. The decision to make the transition back and forth from the church and secular life had never been a easy one for her, but once she made it, there was usually no turning back. Ev and Rayden held each other and projected silent acceptance and support to her as Father Alec gave her the release she was asking for. He told her that he would be available to hear her confession later if she wished. A single tear rolled down her check as she closed the door firmly on yet another chapter in her life.

Ev reached out to touch her hand again. "Whatever you need, we'll be right here. I'm really looking forward to getting to know you. I hope you like it here as much as we do." Rayden kisses her cheek. "Don't mind this guy. He's mostly harmless. A big tease. But he's so cute, I can't get mad at him."

Katherine looked up at him, raising an eyebrow as she studied his face. Then she sat up straight, her demeanor changing suddenly before them all as she called out "Connor MacLeod!! Get your butt in here now!"

Ev giggled at the strict school marm tone in the petite woman's voice and all of them in the room exchanged glances as they waited for Connor's entrance. Connor hesitantly stuck his head in the door and cringed at the stern look on his little friends face. "You are in big trouble now Captain!" she growled at him.

Rayden grinned at Connor as Ev chuckled in delight on his lap. "Well, we *thought* it was safe", he said.

Connor just shrugged and said dryly, "I learned a long time ago never to assume that when it comes to herself." Entering the room, he crossed it slowly and knelt before Katherine, taking her hands in his; a wistful, little-boy-lost expression on his face. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I would have warned you if it had been at all possible. Would you please find it in your heart to forgive me??" he pleaded, his expressive eyes trying to milk all the sympathy they could from her.

Katherine glared at him fiercely , not buying his contrite act for a moment. She took one hand out of his grasp and reached out and gives to give his face a firm tap that was just short of being a hard slap. "Of course! I am always willing to forgive", she said lightly before continuing with a slightly dangerous edge to her voice. "Forget is another story." With that she leaned down and threw her arms around his neck and embracing him tightly as he drew her into his arms, tears of joy in both of their eyes.