"I'm telling you Mac, she's not an immortal." Methos suppressed the urge to beat some sense into the Scot's thick, stubborn head.

"You said it yourself Methos, we both felt the buzz. How can she feel like an immortal, and not be an immortal?" He paused a moment. "Does it have to do with her being a slayer?"

"No," Methos said with a sigh. He looked around the empty bar where he, MacLeod and Joe Dawson sat the following day, trying desperately to come up with an explanation for the slayer's deceptive immortal buzz. Methos was happy that Anne had decided to stay back at his apartment while he called this impromptu meeting. Much as he thought she did deserve to know what their theories are, he did not want her to here them discussing the possibilities, lest some of them offend her. He glanced at MacLeod once more who was waiting for him to finish his statement. "I told you I've known slayers before. They don't have an immortal buzz."

"Well this one does." MacLeod frowned. "I don't like this at all."

"And what was it you said about this guy that attacked you?" Joe asked, opening one of his watcher diaries and absently flipping through it. "You said he wasn't entirely right?"

"I couldn't beat him." Methos admitted gritting his teeth. It was a hard truth for him, as despite his apparent cowardice towards immortal challenges, he knew himself to be an extremely formidable foe. "He was stronger, faster, better. I don't know how or....Anne seems to think that he was both Immortal and Vampire."

"That's not possible." Joe stated. Those few words were beginning to become very annoying to Methos.

"Why not?" Duncan wondered. "I don't know too much about vampires, but if they do exist, wouldn't they turn immortals into vampires just the same as people?"

"No, they stay away from immortals entirely." Methos replied, almost without thinking. "Our blood is poisonous to them. Kills them instantly. Vampires can sense who we are, but in a different way than we can sense immortals. They know not to bite us, almost instinctively. The younger ones who don't...well, they learn the hard way. Either way, an immortal vampire just can't happen."

"Well it seems like a lot of rules are being broken lately." Joe said stubbornly. "I don't know about you guys, but at this point I'm not willing to rule anything out."

"Have you found anything in the watcher chronicles?" Methos wondered. He knew he should be helping Joe with the research as that was his area, but thoughts of Anne's safety and mysterious trauma had occupied his mind of late. He desperately wanted to wash away that look of utter despair he would sometimes see cross her features, but he didn't know how. Somehow he would. He would not fail another slayer. Freud would have a field day with me, he thought bitterly.

"Yes and no," Joe replied hesitantly. "I haven't found anything in writing, but I remember back in the academy there was this legend that they told those of us who knew about the slayer branch. It had to do with the slayer being mistaken for an immortal and a foe she must fight, more dangerous to both worlds than could ever be imagined. I wrote it off as pure nonsense, but it looks like it might be more real than I thought. I've been looking through various journals trying to find reference to it in a more stable light, but so far nothing."

"Keep looking Joe," Duncan told him. "You'll find something."

"How is it I don't know this legend?" Methos wondered. After all the years he had spent in the council, he found it odd he had never encountered it.

"You're a researcher 'Adam'." Joe said sarcastically. "And you haven't been involved in the immortal branch very long. As far as their concerned you don't even know slayers exist. And you're supposed to be researching the legendary immortal Methos. How would you possibly come across the legend looking for him?"

"How indeed." Methos murmured to himself. "Look, until we find out who this guy is, we have to figure out a way to deal with this immortal/vampire...whatever he is. He nearly took us both out last night. I don't like those odds."

"I could start training her with a sword tonight." MacLeod offered. "Get her a little better prepared for him."

"No, she's not ready to pick up a sword." Methos replied, remembering the trembling slayer as she impaled the attacking immortal. "I had hoped she would be, but...whatever happened to her scarred her deeper than either of us imagined."

"We can't just wait around for him to attack again." MacLeod argued.

"She's not ready Mac," Methos insisted, his voice dropping to a dangerous level. "Leave it at that."

"I think you're becoming a little too protective of her Methos," MacLeod pushed. Methos felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up at the insinuation. "You're not her watcher."

"No, I'm not." He replied quietly. "But I flatter myself to think me her friend. You can't possibly understand..."

"Don't tell me I can't understand slayers and think that excuse will keep cutting it!" Duncan interrupted. "Maybe I don't know the nature of the slayer, but I do know people. That girl is a human being in pain. She is hiding from whatever it is that hurt her and normally that would be fine, but this is too dangerous. If she's half the warrior you say she is, we'll need her to fight."

"Do you think I don't know that?" Methos asked him. "I can see her struggling every second. But I'm telling you now MacLeod if I push her too far, she will run from us and we won't get her back. The girl is my business, you got that? Stay out of it."

"I hope you know what you're doing Methos." Duncan finally said in resignation. Methos didn't even look at him, but instead turned his attention to Joe.

"Is there anything you need me to do Joe? I have access to some of the research databanks that you don't. I can try to dig up this legend you mentioned."

"Yea, that would be helpful." Joe told him. He looked away from the two immortals, giving Methos the sinking feeling that there was more to this than he was letting on.

"Joe what is it?"

"This legend...if I'm right, then the girl will have to fight. And the thing she'll be fighting? Well, let's just say he's no walk in the park. I really hope I'm wrong about this."

"Yea me too." Methos said with a sigh. "I'm going to go back to my place. I'll do some research later and let you know what I find out."