Buffy groaned, opened her eyes and tried to sit up.

            "Just rest a bit more. You probably feel thoroughly pounded." The handsome man from the fight had an accent that sounded vaguely like Giles. She sat up suddenly and looked at him, "Weren't you shot in the chest?" she asked and he smiled as he handed her a cup of tea.

            Buffy made a face, but took a sip and leaned back. "I don't know what you thought but I wasna shot, only slightly wounded." Duncan lied blithely then looked at the pretty blonde on his couch.

            "I may be blond, but I'm not stupid. I saw him shoot you at point blank range with a 9mm. You were on your knees bleeding on the ground, dying, when I sliced off the fat guys head and he exploded with blue light." Her eyes were steady on his and she realized they were a dark velvety brown and very expressive. Right now they showed chagrin.

            Buffy set the tea down on a coaster, wrestled with her conscience and settled onto the couch more comfortably, "Tell you what. I have a feeling that you aren't what you appear to be. So I'll start first and maybe you can trust me." She smiled brightly and was awarded with a small smile from him. "You may go first then." He replied and she cocked her head, "You may want to sit down, it's a fairly long story."  She watched as he settled into an old rocker and smiled.

            "Do you believe in demons? Monsters?" She asked. Duncan paled slightly, "I've met a demon." He said. Buffy nodded, "This will be easier then. Have you ever heard of the Slayer?" Duncan frowned thoughtfully for a minute, "It was a story invented by the church to show that they were fighting the monsters."

            Buffy stood up and walked to the window, admiring the view of the ocean. "I wish. When I was 15 I was told that I was the Slayer. There would be only one Slayer at a time, activating only at the previous Slayer's death. My sole reason for existing was to kill vampires, demons and other assorted baddies and to keep the gates of hell closed. You might have heard of the earthquake several months ago in California?" She glanced at him and he nodded. "My watcher, my friend the witch and I decided to use the magic of an ancient weapon to activate all of the potential slayers worldwide. It worked, we destroyed the Hellmouth and most of us survived." She sighed and leaned against the glass, remembering Spike and Anya.

            Duncan thought carefully and then stood up to stand with her at the window, "My name is Duncan McLeod of the Clan McLeod. I was born in 1592 in the Highlands of Scotland. When I was about 27 I died in a fierce battle against a rival clan, only I came back to life, with my kinsman who had supposedly died a hundred years before by my side. Connor told me I was now an immortal and he would teach me what I needed to know. That's why I heal so quickly. " He waited silently as Buffy absorbed what he said.

"My first love was born in 1760 something, I must be an older guy magnet or something." She smiled wryly at the irony. Duncan took her by the shoulders and looked into her blue eyes, "Was he immortal?" His question was rewarded by a laugh, "Well yes and no. He's a vampire and technically immortal, but not like you and Connor."

            Duncan thought this over for a second, "A Slayer and a vampire, wasn't it forbidden?" Buffy laughed softly, "Love got in the way of the rules." Sensing that this was a subject for another time he asked, "What separates the new Slayers from other girls?" He asked curiously and she turned to face him, leaning on the windowsill.

            "Well, suddenly increased strength, sudden knowledge about fighting and weapons. Vampires attracted to you like bees to honey." She shrugged and Duncan smiled, "I can help you!" He walked over to an antique desk piled high with what looked like homework and shipping invoices. He grabbed a business card and gave it to her.

            "Black Tiger Dojo, Duncan McLeod." Buffy eyes met his, "Have you had new female students?" and watched him nod in the affirmative. Suddenly Buffy tensed, feeling something, and the door downstairs was shut with a bang and footsteps came running upstairs.

            "Mac! I'm home!" the voice announced the young man who burst into the room. Buffy looked him over and saw a tall, reddish curly haired man about Dawnie's age.

            Richie immediately put on his most charming smile and walked over, "Hello pretty lady!" he said and Buffy rolled her eyes at Duncan.

            "Richie, this is Buffy Summers. Buffy, this is my son Richie Ryan." Buffy shook his hand. She looked at him oddly for a moment and then looked at Duncan, "I can feel him. It's like a faint buzz in the back of my skull." She said and watched Duncan's eyes widen, "What about me?"

            Buffy concentrated and nodded, "The feeling from you has been there so it wasn't new. Is it something from the exploding fat guy?" she asked and Richie looked puzzled, "She's not, you know..?" and Duncan shook his head no, "No, she's not immortal."

            "What exploding fat guy?" Richie asked, then his eyes widened, "Did something happen? Did you take a head?" He only now realized that Duncan looked like he had been pulled through a knothole backwards.

Buffy looked at Duncan, "No that was me." She confessed.  Duncan made a face, "She took his head and I received his quickening." His voice was chagrined and Buffy laughed, "Hey, if I had only known I would've gone the other way." She said pretending to be sad but smirking slightly.

            Richie was shocked about how open Duncan was being with this total stranger. "What's going on?"

            Buffy smiled at Duncan, "Listen, I'll come to the dojo tomorrow and we can get started?" Duncan nodded, "Let me call you a cab." But Buffy shook her head, "I'm going to run, I'm only about 2 miles from here and I need to work out the kinks. Later!" She waved and the men could hear her running quickly down the stairs.

            Richie looked at Duncan thoughtfully, "Now can you tell me what's going on?"