"So why do you think it was a mistake to ask her to marry you?"

"You should have seen her face, she couldn't get away from me fast enough. I moved too fast, asked for more than she wants to give. It'll probably be decades before I see her again, and she won't stick around for very long when she does show up. Eventually, if I do nothing to scare her, she will start relaxing around me again, and we may be able to get back to where we were. Right now, she's scared."

The two men sat and contemplated the woman they were discussing. Eventually Methos broke the mutual silence.

"In your village, what was life like for the women? What was it like for those who didn't have children, and those who didn't get married? What roles were they given or allowed?", he paused giving time for Duncan to think, then continued, "You've travelled widely, compare that with what you have seen through most of your life. I know you have a respect for woman, but what were other men's attitudes, what were society's norms. Now consider the history you have learned, go back another 800 years, what would the situation have been then? Can you imagine what life must have been like for an immortal woman? An eternally young and beautiful woman. Imagine the jealousy, the number of times they would be called witch, and run out of town, if not killed. Even in those eras where women had some power, when they could inherit, they had to rely on their knights to lead their armies into battle. Imagine travelling in times when no "decent" woman was allowed to travel alone. Imagine when being able to read and write was actually a danger, because no "good" woman had an education. And the excuse that you had learned several hundred years before it became wrong would only have got you condemned as a witch instead. Imagine the times when the only suitable roles would be wife and mother or servant. Now imagine Amanda fitting into those societies. Everything she is good at was frowned upon, things she couldn't do were demanded. She has had to fight for everything she has and everything she is."

He left it there, focussing his gaze on the bookcase, leaving Duncan to consider. Getting them both another beer a while later, he passed one over to the quiet Highlander, and moved on.

"Why do you think she comes to you when she is in trouble?"

"Because she knows I will help."

"True, now, do you think she needs your help?"

Methos saw Duncan's expression turn thoughtful, and smiled slightly, amused at the expressions flitting across the dark face.

"This is a woman who is as good at getting out of trouble as she is at getting into it. A woman who survived 800 years before you even came along, never mind the decades in between meetings."

Duncan grinned as he thought back over some of Amanda's exploits. "I guess I don't always think about it, but I know she is quite capable of looking after herself. Not that it will stop me from helping."

"Of course not, what I want you to consider is why she comes to you."

"To irritate me?"

"Quite possibly that plays a part!" Adam's lips twitched, "Probably a rather large part, but underneath all that, she is showing you that she trusts you."

"I'm not entirely sure I follow your reasoning there, old man."

"She gives you the opportunity to do for her what she is quite capable of doing for herself, because she trusts you, because she knows looking after others is an important part of who you are, so she lets you do it for her. She has had to use every trick, every ruse to survive, even feigning weakness to manipulate situations to her advantage. With you it is different, she trusts you not to take advantage, so she can allow herself to be weak sometimes because she knows you will never use that to hurt her."

Duncan turned and moved to the window, staring out blankly as he processed everything Methos had said. It made a lot of sense, he just needed some time to let it all sink in. There was a warm glow in his chest at the thought that she trusted him, and considering history from the angle Methos described had given him a greater appreciation of what she might have been through. Even as he mulled it over though, he could feel the depression he had been pushing aside all these weeks, rising inexorably. Everything Methos had said, just meant that he would still have to wait this out, and that the future he had dreamt of may still be just that, a dream. He battled against the rising tide, knowing he couldn't give in to it, not now, not until he was alone.

Forcing himself to remain calm, he faced Methos again.

"Thanks Methos, for everything. You have given me a lot to think about. I think I need some time alone now, if you don't mind."

The Highlander seemed calm enough, but Methos had the feeling he was holding himself under very strict control. Realising though, that there was little more he could do today, he said his farewells and made his way to Joe's for his next chore.

Duncan breathed a sigh of relief at being alone with his thoughts again. He came to a decision, it was time to go out to the island. He could fight this there without worrying his friends, and the hard physical work would be a good antidote. Then, he could return and face whatever the future had to offer.

Duncan headed over to the bedroom to start packing, might as well get started immediately.