Buffy watched Duncan go and sighed as she shut the door. Adam was staring at her curiously, but said nothing.

"He always that opinionated about people he doesn't know?" She finally asked him. Adam smirked slightly.

"Mac likes to think he knows everything about everyone in the universe. He means well, he just doesn't always go about things the right way." Adam shrugged. "He's young. He'll learn."

"So you really didn't tell him to come here and talk to me?" She was still a little wary. Adam shook his head.

"I actually requested he stay away." Adam admitted. "I was afraid if he started pushing too hard, you would…"

"What?" She interrupted, feeling her stomach drop slightly as she suddenly realized what Adam must think of her. "That I'd run? Get freaked out and take off?"

"Well, yes." He said, rather sheepishly to his credit. "Is there any reason I shouldn't think that way?"

She was prepared to tell him off, to give him a blistering lecture about how he should know her better, but then she realized he was right. He didn't know her. She had only known him a short while and nothing in her actions contrasted that opinion. Hell, she couldn't contrast it. She was a coward. Still, for some reason running was the last thing on her mind. She couldn't understand why, but she felt the need to prove herself to Adam, to show him she was someone to be counted on, despite her unwillingness to fight.

"I guess not." She admitted. "But it's going to take a little more than a well meaning immortal to make me take off."

"That I do believe." Adam said with a smile. "Hey, look it's been a rough few days. Why don't we just forget everything and hang out for a while? We could go to a movie, or have dinner. Anything to get our minds off of immortals, slayers, vampires, fighting and other general unpleasantries."

"Sounds good." She told him. He nodded and went to check the internet for movie times while she found her coat and made sure there was a spare stake inside. Old habits die hard, even for retirees.

They saw a comedy, which relieved Buffy as she didn't feel like seeing anything heavy, or with excess tragedy in it. She needed something purely escapist and Adam seemed to understand that, as he sat through an entire chick flick with her, admirably pretending it wasn't boring him to tears.

She found herself enjoying his company in a social scenario. He was light and easy to talk to. His sense of humour leaned towards a dry wickedness that she found oddly enjoyable. She had always pictured watchers as stuffy and unable to let loose, but Adam seemed to contradict both of those stereotypes admirably. And despite the fact that she knew he was older than he seemed he didn't look at her with that same condescension that she saw in Duncan MacLeod's eyes that seemed to suggest she knew nothing and he knew everything. She knew Adam didn't agree with her not wanting to fight, but he respected her reasons and knew her pain was genuine.

She felt comfortable with him in a way that she hadn't felt since…well, since Angel. She immediately mentally kicked herself for allowing her thoughts to drift that way. Whenever she thought about Adam and Angel in the same context the guilt would immediately surface. She wasn't even sure why.

She wasn't interested in Adam romantically. She was grateful for him, in a way that she couldn't define, but her heart still belonged completely and totally to Angel. She suspected it always would. So why did she feel guilty for enjoying Adam's company? Why did she feel that every time she looked at Adam, Angel's accusing eyes would look back?

"What are you thinking about?" Adam was asking gently. She turned and attempted a smile.

"Just…home." She knew it was vague, but couldn't give him an answer beyond that.

"You miss you're old life." He kicked a stone in front of him as they walked. "It's natural."

"I miss my friends. I miss my mom and my watcher…" she trailed off, finding it painful to think of their smiling faced worrying to death over what had become of her. "I don't miss my old life."

"The slayer parts you mean." He clarified. She nodded, but said nothing. "What were they like? You're friends and watcher?"

"They are the most amazing people I've ever known." She replied honestly. "They found out about my being the slayer and stuck by me. They even helped me fight. I know it's against the rules, and the slayer should fight alone, but honestly without them I don't know that I could have done it."

"Everyone needs a support system." Adam agreed, no condemnation in his tone in regards to her unique slaying situation. Then again, if there were, it would make him an extreme hypocrite as he too had broken the rules, falling in love with his slayer.

"They were the best." She replied whole heartedly. "One of my biggest regrets about leaving is not telling them I'm OK. They must be so worried about me. Willow especially. She's my best friend in the whole world. And Xander…God I miss Xander. He's a bit like Richie in a lot of ways."

"And you still miss him?" Adam's eyes twinkled and she laughed.

"Yea." She shook her head. "I can't believe it, but I even miss Cordelia. And Giles…he was my watcher. I just know he's beside himself with worry. Ever since my father walked out on us, he's been…well Giles has been like a father to me. And I know I've disappointed him."

"I wish I could tell you that you haven't," Adam said regretfully. "But anybody who loves you would be all those things…worried, disappointed, and scared. Do they know why you ran?"

"Giles and my friends probably do by now," she replied, biting her lip. "My mom…well, she had just found out I was the slayer. She didn't really have time to process everything. I don't think she knows why. I just wish I could go back…"

"We can only go forward," Adam said firmly. "And that means if you don't want to fight, you better think of some way of staying away from trouble and moving past whatever it is that is keeping you tied to that pain."

"It's not as easy as all that." She told him, a lump forming in her throat as she remembered Angel's strong arms around her. She shivered. "What I did…can't be forgiven, and I don't know how I could ever forget it."

"Take it from me Anne, when I say that time has incredible healing powers. If it didn't, I would never have lived this long."

"How old are you? Really?" She wondered, curiosity getting the better of her. "And what's your real name? I know it's not Adam Pierson."

"Oh no, now we're getting into the realm of the personal." He clucked his tongue in a teasing manner. "I could say the same thing of you 'Anne Sommerville'. You want to tell me who you really are? I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

"I withdraw the question." She said wryly. She should have known he wouldn't buy her phoney name. He read people far too well to be put off by that. "And if you knew that wasn't my real name, why didn't you just look it up in the watcher's databanks? I'm sure I'm on file there."

"Because I'm not going to push." He told her gently. "If you want to tell me who you are, you will. If you don't, that's fine too. It's none of my business who you are, or what you've done. I know all too well that projecting too much onto others, can only disappoint them. One day I hope you will trust me enough to tell me your secrets. Until then, I can wait."

"Well you never know, someday I might." She frowned. "You make me want to let my guard down."

"And that's bad?" His tone was light, but serious.

"It is when you know what I've…" She trailed off and noticed they were at his doorstep. "Trusting people too easily only leads to badness. I learned that the hard way."

"Most of the important lessons are learned that way." He said ruefully. They were inside the apartment now and Buffy found herself yawning despite her wish to continue talking to Adam.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" She found herself asking.

"Thought I would head over to Joe's and see if he knows any more about that guy who attacked you, or why you have an immortal's buzz. Did you want to come?"

"No," she replied thoughtfully. "I think maybe I'd like to pay a visit to Duncan. There are some things I would like to ask him."

"Yea?" His tone was casual, but she could tell he didn't like the idea. She wondered why, but didn't dwell on it.

"Yea, it's kind of personal." She told him, feeling oddly guilty, though she couldn't for the life of her think why. "Can you write down his address for me?"

"Yea," Adam replied softly. "Sure."