Author's Note: Thank you SO much for everyone who has reviewed so far! You guys have really made me want to finish this sooner than I thought I would.

Duncan MacLeod knocked on the door to Methos' apartment, secretly hoping the immortal wasn't home. He wanted to talk to Anne, and wanted to do so without the presence of the old man to influence her judgment. While it was true he didn't know the girl personally the very fact that there might be an immortal/vampire out there who could defeat Methos so easily worried him greatly. If she was their only hope of defeating him, then Duncan was determined to get her to see reason. It seemed that Duncan and Methos' positions had shifted. Now it seemed to be Methos who was coddling the girl and Duncan who wanted to be tougher on her.

The door was answered warily by Anne, who looked past him to make sure nobody else was in the hallway. She eyed him suspiciously when she realized it was just him.

"Duncan right?" She didn't offer a smile. Duncan however did so, in an attempt to relax her.

"Is Adam here?" He figured it would be a better idea to make it seem as if he were attempting to talk to Methos, rather than to her.

"He went out to get some research stuff from Council headquarters. I'll tell him you were here." She went to shut the door, but Duncan stopped her.

"Look I'll be honest Anne, I really want to talk to you", it looked like the pretext of needing to talk to Methos was going to work for him. Best to just come out with it. "I think I can help you."

"How did you get in the building?" She wondered, ignoring his statement completely. Duncan blinked.

"Adam gave me a key."

"So, if I close the door and lock it, it won't do any good, right?" There was no disguising the annoyance in her tone. Clearly she wanted to be alone for whatever reasons and he was disturbing that. Still, this was too important to worry about what she thought of him.

"Pretty much." He replied with a shrug. She sighed and opened the door, stepping back and waiting for him to enter.

He did so, smiling tentatively and hoping she would drop her guard at least somewhat so that he could talk to her on a more personal level.

"What is it you want?" She asked bluntly. He smiled again in an attempt to re-establish the friendliness that she seemed to show him, however briefly at Joe's.

"I heard about what happened with that immortal attacking you and Adam the other night. I was just worried."

"About what?" She seemed genuinely curious now, which was a good thing.

"Well, for one thing I was worried he may have come back."

"I can take care of myself," she said coolly. "Besides, unlike immortals with keys, vampires can't get into a house unless they're invited."

So that's why she didn't verbally invite me, Duncan thought to himself. Smart girl.

"I wasn't doubting your ability to handle yourself." Duncan assured her. "Adam tells me you are quite able as a slayer. I'll admit to not knowing much about slayers, or vampires for that matter. Still, I was under the impression that vampires couldn't be immortal."

"Where'd you hear that? Adam?" Buffy scrunched her nose up when he nodded. "Well between you, me, and the fencepost, I think he's short a few screws. He hasn't exactly been Mr. knowledgeable. First he tells me I'm immortal, then he tells me I'm not, then he tells me that that thing that attacked wasn't, and can't have been a vampire. I don't know much about immortals, but I do know vampires. Believe me when I say that was a vampire."

"I believe you." Duncan replied. And he did. "Adam tells me you couldn't defeat it. How is that? I was under the impression that slayers were stronger than vampires."

"Normally we are," she said ruefully. "That was no normal vampire. It had what you immortals call the 'buzz', yet it looked like a vampire, only ten times as strong. It's dangerous. Really dangerous. I'm in no hurry to meet up with that guy again."

"He seemed pretty fixated on you according to Adam." Duncan spoke casually, but he was getting closer to the subject matter at hand.

"Yea well most vampires are." She shrugged. "It's a male testosterone thing that I think just gets heightened when they become vamps. I mean, what's the best way to prove you're cock of the walk? Take down a slayer. Only usually they're too stupid to accomplish it. That guy…he came close."

"Look, I don't want that to happen again. I can help you Anne, if you'll let me." Duncan took a step towards her, but the suspicious look was back on her face.

"Help me how?"

"I can train you to use a sword." He offered, adding in a rush before she could deny him. "I know you've had some training already, and that's fine, but it's not nearly enough. This vampire/immortal is an anomaly, but there will be centuries old immortals that will want to fight you as well and if they do challenge you…"

"I'll deal with it." She said firmly. "I won't pick up a sword. I've already said that."

"You really think you're that tough?" He glared at her. "Are you on a suicide mission?"

"I don't want to fight and I don't want to die and I'm sick of having to explain that to you people. I just want to be left alone." She sighed heavily. "Look I know I can't stop you from coming and going, but would you please leave?"

"Anne, you can't keep…"

"Are you going to give me the 'you can't keep running' speech again? Don't worry about it, I have it on repeat in my head." She stood her ground. "I'm a big girl. I can make my own decisions."

"You seem like an intelligent girl too." Duncan told her, shaking his head in confusion. "I can't understand it."

"Calling me stupid won't get me to allow you to teach me Mr. MacLeod."

"My name is Duncan."

"Whatever it is, if your reason for coming here was to train with you, you're wasting your time. Stay or go, I don't care. I'm not talking about this anymore." She turned away from him and headed towards the kitchen.

"Anne…" Duncan began to protest.

"Mac?" Methos sounded surprised to see him standing in his living room. "What are you doing here?"

"Your buddy here thought I might sing a different tune if I heard it from another instrument I think." Anne said with a wry grin directed at Methos. "It was a good try Adam, but the answer is still no."

"I didn't send him." Methos replied, glaring at Duncan. He suddenly felt very foolish for thinking he could persuade her where Methos couldn't. She clearly had a rapport with Methos that didn't even begin to touch the tenuous civility she possessed towards him. She had called him Mr. MacLeod for crying out loud! Sheepishly he looked over at Methos.

"I came on my own. I thought I'd ask her to train."

"Didn't go too well, did it?" Methos shot him an annoying 'I told you so' look. Duncan gritted his teeth.

"Her level of blind stubbornness is nothing to be proud of Adam," Duncan said sarcastically.

"Hello, I'm in the room!" Anne exclaimed angrily. Duncan shot her an apologetic look.

"Sorry about that. Look, I'm going to go. It's obvious I overstepped my bounds by coming here."

"Yea, I think you did." The slayer agreed, but the accusation and anger had gone from her eyes. "Thanks for the concern though."

"I hope to see you again Ms. Sommerville." Duncan told her, hoping to assuage her hostility by reverting to the politeness she had used on him. Instead, she shrugged and smiled slightly, a rare thing where she was concerned.

"It's Anne." She told him quietly. "You can call me Anne."