Methos watched as the last waitress left the bar before turning on his stool to face Joe who sat behind the bar, tired but obviously rejuvenated by his performance. Buffy and Richie sat at a far table in the corner playing cards and Duncan headed over towards them, clearly sensing that something was up with Joe and Methos.

"Now's as good a time as any Joe," Methos said to him with a sigh as he reached for another beer. "What do you know?"

"This is about the quickening then?" Duncan echoed. "You've found something out?"

"It took me a bit to translate the text book Craig had on him." Joe told them in a resigned tone of voice. "But it seems we know more than we did anyways."

"What do you mean?" Methos wondered. He had abandoned his watch on Buffy and Richie, choosing instead to meet the watcher's eyes and attempt to search out the truth within them. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. Methos felt a small shiver run up his back at the thought of what it might be. Duncan looked uneasy, but didn't seem to feel the same dread. Of course, Methos thought, he doesn't feel…

"Well, according to the book, there are three things that could definitely happen to the slayer if she wins the fight. The book doesn't know for sure which one it will be, but it will be one."

"Doesn't know for sure?" Methos echoed, feeling a sudden anger strike him. "I don't need maybe's Joe, I need answers. This is too important for…"

"There are no certainties Methos." Joe told him firmly. "This has never happened before, and most likely never will again. All of it has been speculation man, all of it. All we know for sure is that one of these three things will happen. That's all I can do."

"You looked in one book," Methos argued quietly. "How can you be so certain that…"

"What are they Joe?" Duncan interrupted gently, shooting a look in Methos' direction that told him to wait until after Joe had given them the information.

Joe drew a deep breath and bent down to look at the piece of paper he held in his hands. He seemed to read it carefully before looking back up at them.

"If she manages to take Klossen's head, there could be three outcomes. The first one is actually the best we can hope for. She'd take the quickening, as we would. That would mean taking all of Klossen's power into her at once, but there is a possibility it wouldn't destroy her, that she could somehow suppress it and turn it inwards."

"What do you mean suppress it?" Duncan questioned.

"The thing is, she's still mortal." Joe told them, "whatever else she may be, whatever other powers she may have, she's not an immortal and she's not supposed to take immortal quickenings."

"But Klossen isn't like other immortals," Methos pointed out. Joe nodded.

"That's actually what might make the first possibility possible." Joe said with a ghost of a smile. "Ironically, if she were to take your head Methos, or Duncan's or Richie's, the quickening would likely destroy her. She couldn't handle it because you possess only the one essence…the essence of the immortal. But Klossen, he has both vampire and immortal within him. And Buffy has been through death, so she…"

"We know this already Joe. She possesses the essence of immortals because she's been through death." Methos said impatiently. He was getting tired of Joe's beating around the bush.

"Right," Joe continued, ignoring Methos' outburst. "Which means that if she did survive a quickening it would only be from an immortal who possessed the essence of a vampire. She's meant to fight them you see. It's her calling. And it could be her salvation. Her nature as the slayer could be the part of her that reacts to the quickening and if that happens…if it's strong enough, she could suppress the power…hide it within herself so that it doesn't destroy her."

"What else could happen?" Methos asked, ignoring the hope the was suddenly kindled within him. His belief in the slayer's power could not be allowed to blind him to the possibility that she might not be able to defeat him. He had to know all the options.

"Well, she could die." Joe said bluntly. "There's a very real possibility, that Buffy will not be able to handle the quickening, slayer or no. The book acknowledged that it could have been completely wrong about the essences having a say in the end result. It could simply kill her."

"And the third option?" Duncan wondered, before Methos could argue as it looked like he were about to do.

"The third option is the most troubling." Joe admitted. "And this ties into the first option. If the essence does affect her, but she's not powerful enough to control it, it could take over completely. Just as the slayer's quickening would grant immense power to Klossen, so to could his quickening to the slayer, only it could corrupt not only her body, but her heart as well. She wouldn't die, but she would lose her soul like a vampire would after the change…and if that happened, she'd be nearly unstoppable, and there would be no other slayer to take her place."

"It's the first or the second option then." Methos decided firmly, but with a look that challenged the others to argue with him. "If there is any way of her taking this quickening into her, she'll do it. She's strong enough."

"What if that doesn't matter?" Duncan asked gently, not wanting to upset Methos, but needing to consider all the facts. "Third option aside, it could still kill her. Are we really going to ask her to take that risk?"

"She's a slayer." Joe reminded them firmly, but with a hint of regret in his voice. "She takes that risk every night."

"She does," Methos agreed, "but she knows what it is she's up against. This isn't enough Joe. I want more. I want guarantees."

"I can't give you that old man." Joe said wearily. "Nobody can. When she faces this guy she will either take the quickening, die trying…or become the worst enemy we've ever faced. That's all we can know."

"We have to tell her." Duncan decided firmly. Methos was about to argue, but he was cut off before he could do so.

"Don't worry," a cool voice said from behind. Methos hadn't even seen her leave the table she'd been at with Richie, but she clearly had and not only that had heard everything they had said. "She already knows."

"We were going to tell you," Duncan told her in what he hoped sounded like a sincere tone of voice. "We just wanted to be sure."

"And are you?" She asked, her voice steady and calm. It was a deception however, for Methos could see the glint of terror that hid behind her light green eyes. He longed to erase it, but was aware that his words were useless. "Cause it sounds to me like you know what could happen to me, but don't want to tell me. Sounds pretty sure to me."

"Buffy…" He started to speak, but was stopped in mid sentence as the slayer rounded on him, eyes glittering with tears and anger.

"Did you know about this too Methos? Did you know what could happen?"

"I didn't know what exactly," he admitted. "We wanted to know before you went up against him. I wanted to tell you, but I needed to be sure…"

"You're just like him you know that?" She had grown quiet now, her entire form seemed to shrink from that of a confrontational slayer to a frightened little girl in mere seconds. "This happened before. Giles…he knew I was going to die and he didn't tell me. He waited. I overheard he and Angel…it was like they were discussing the morning paper, what was in the news, last night's episode of NYPD Blue, anything but the fact that I was going to die!"

"Buffy…" It was Joe this time that tried to interject, but she would have none of it.

"What is it with you watchers? Do they just remove your soul as part of the deal?" Methos moved towards her, trying to take her hand, to offer her some comfort, but she recoiled as if it would burn her to touch him. "Don't. You stay away from me. I trusted you. I thought you would…I thought you were different, that you wanted me to….you just wanted me to fight. Just like the others. You were just doing your duty, weren't you?"

"None of this was duty to me slayer." Methos told her, pleading with his eyes for her to understand. "That you can believe, if nothing else."

"How?" She demanded. "Even now you call me slayer instead of my name. It's like I'm not even human to you!"

"Buffy…" Richie had approached upon hearing her raised voice, worry clear in his voice. "You OK?"

"Do you trust the watchers Richie?" She asked him, throwing him completely off guard. He blinked a moment or so before answering.

"I trust Joe." He finally said. Then smirked as he looked at Methos. "And I trust the old man's reluctance not to do too much that requires effort. I don't trust the council itself."

"I have to get away from here." She finally said, shaking her head gently. "Richie, will you let me stay at your place for the night?"

"Yea, I guess," Richie cast an uncertain look in Methos' direction as if asking permission. Methos nodded slightly, realizing that forcing her to come back to his place would not help to repair the damage that had now been done. Shoulders slumping in defeat, he watched as Buffy and Ritchie left the bar.