Author's notes: Thanks for all the reviews. They are what keep me writing!

Chapter 7

California, August 12, 2102

Spike watched in awe as the wounds of the man in front of him began to heal. There were little sparks of electricity shooting across each cut. Then he tried to comprehend how the guy, who should either be dead or about 120 years old could still look 20. "Harris, what sort of demon are you. Here I left you Scooby freaks a hundred years ago an' now you're back 'ere haunting me."

"Well Spike, it's nice to see you too. Still got the chip in your head? Shame you can't bite anybody." The One glared at the old nemesis. It was odd hearing his last name. He hadn't heard it in years.

"Yeah, this freakin' chip is still here, an' I still fight the baddies because of it. But what of you? Are you a baddie, 'cause you're certainly not human anymore." Spike glared back. Seeing Harris was drawing up memories of a time and place he had worked hard to forget. Memories of a person he didn't even want to think about.

"If you must know, I'm immortal. Can't die, can't age, cut people's heads off with a sword, and I fight demons and vamps on the side," Harris smirked at Spike. "Oh, one more thing, I'm also a slayer." He would never forget the look on Spike's face just then, it was priceless.

"The bloody zeppo is an immortal slayer? Hell musta froze over sometime and I didn't get the memo. How did all that 'appen?"

"First, why did you leave Sunnydale? Was it because of Buffy? Because you loved her?" Xander waited for the answer he had wanted to hear for a hundred years.

Spike was about ready to take a swing at the man in front of him. He had never let anyone but Buffy and Angel know his feelings and he wasn't about to start blabbing 'em to anyone else. Especially Harris. But something inside of him gave. Maybe it was his need for closure, his need to know what had happened with the others in Sunnydale. "Yeah I, William the Bloody, I, Spike, the evil, mean, bloodsucking vampire bloody loved the Slayer. When she died, I wanted to too. Instead, I left. Figured you lot didn't need another broodin' poof to add to the collection. Now, what 'appened to you?"

"Well…" Xander Harris emerged briefly in the One as he told Spike what all happened in Sunnydale and what happened on Christmas day in 2002.

Sunnydale, Christmas Eve, 2002

Xander stared at the newcomer waiting for Richie to answer his question. This guy knew what slayers and he knew Richie, so Xander wanted to know what his friend was evidently hiding from all of them.

"Um Xander, gang," Richie stumbled looking for what to say, "this is my friend Adam Pierson." It was going to be a long night. "How about we all sit down and talk this out?" He looked at the old immortal standing next to him. "I think some explanations are in order."

All agreed and sat down to an uncomfortable silence, before Richie cleared his throat. "I haven't really told you all about myself, and I think that it's time that I did." Richie paused searching for the right words. "I guess I'll start with my age. I'm not 20 years old, I'm actually 28 years old. I still look like I did when I was 18, when I died for the first time." Richie stopped and looked around at his friends hoping they would still accept him.

"But you're not a vampire! How is this possible?" Willow reached for Oz, who held onto her to protect her. "What are you?" Xander looked at his 'friend'; he always knew there was something a little off about Richie. Giles sat contemplating. He had always heard rumors through the council and now he was inclined to believe them. Richie was about to confirm all the rumors about the mysterious sub branch of the Watcher Council, the immortal branch.

Richie looked to Adam for support. He wasn't sure if the old man wanted his immortality known and he wasn't sure to what extent he wanted to tell them about immortals.

Adam glanced at Richie and saw he struggling with what to say and decided he would take matters into his own hands. "Well, how about we start with what you already know." Adam looked over at Giles and knew the former watcher was already thinking about what was happening. "You all know that it is the duty of the Watcher Council to track the slayers, train them, and keep balances over the demon and vampire worlds." He saw confirmative nods and puzzled looks as to how this strange man knew about the watchers. "Well, it is only known as a rumor among the watchers that a sub branch exists, a branch that keeps record of a race of people. Mr. Giles here should be able to confirm that rumor." Giles nodded in agreement eager to hear what was to follow. "The race these watchers watch are the immortals. They have been around for thousands of years. They age normally as a mortal until they die for the first time. Then their aging stops and they cannot die permanently. The watchers discovered that the immortals can sense each other and they all participate is what is known as the Game. It is said amongst their kind that in the end, there can be only one, and that one will receive all the power and knowledge of all the immortals that ever existed. So the immortals wage battles amongst themselves, killing each other and gaining knowledge from their victims and their victims' victims." Adam paused to let everyone digest the information he had given and he waited for the inevitable question.

"But if they're immortal, then they shouldn't be able to be killed. Right?" Willow asked the obvious question from this new information that had just been presented.

Adam smiled at the young witch, "Very true, but there is one way for them to die. If their head is cut off, they die permanently. Their body also releases their essence, or quickening as they call it. The other immortal receives this quickening which includes the experiences of that immortal and all the quickenings that they have taken."

"So the last immortal will essentially have all the quickenings of all the immortals that ever existed." Willow stated the realization she made.

"Yes. The immortals fight according to a set of rules that have been passed down over the millennia. When a battle is drawn, there can be no outside interference. It is between the two immortals. They fight with swords normally, and fight to the end. Holy ground is sanctuary; no immortal will fight another there. Most immortals only fight if they are challenged or if they have a grievance with the other. There are some that let the power go to their heads and they hunt and kill other immortals until they are stopped. In general, the immortals are just like humans, there are good ones, bad ones, and the ones who have no clue." Adam took a breath and looked to see what impact his words had on those sitting in the room.

Xander processed the new information and it still didn't answer the question he had. "How do you know all of this Adam, how do you know about slayers, and Richie, are you an immortal then, and how do you know Adam?"

Adam looked at the young man with all the questions. He was the special one. The one he had heard about a long time ago. "Well, Mr. Harris, I am a member of that group of watchers. I'm a researcher assigned to track the myth of the oldest known immortal. That job allows me access to the information contained by both branches of the watchers. So I know about slayers, vampires, demons, and immortals." Adam hoped that that would satisfy them and that they would not need to know about his own immortality. He just hoped that Richie wouldn't let it slip.

"And Adam knows me, because some immortals have discovered the existence of watchers. Until recently, watchers worked in secret and kept their presence hidden from immortals. But a few years ago, a faction of the watchers broke off and formed a group known as the hunters. This group saw immortals as a threat to humanity and tried to rid the world of them. This is how some immortals found out about the existence of the watchers and gained friends in some and enemies in others. Adam knows me because he is a friendly watcher and I am a friendly immortal." Richie waited for the impact of his words to be seen in his friends.