The next day, the two Immortals walked silently side by side in the
sunshine. They headed toward the university to pick up the Scooby Gang
before going to Giles¹.

"So, what did you finally learn about these Watchers?" Sarah asked her
companion in order to break the silence.

"Not much," Methos had to answer. "Apparently they don't know anything about
us. Apart from some legends, fairy tales. Nothing certain, nor proved. And I
had never heard about vampires or slayers before yesterday. I do wonder how
I never came across one of them in those five millenia."

"So, you had not seen everything, nor done everything!" Sarah mocked him.

"Well now I have," Methos replied with a smile. "Anyway, I'll have to talk
to Joe about that."

"Your Watcher friend, right?"

"Yep. MacLeod's Watcher."

"When are you gonna introduce me to this attractive Scot of yours? I want to
know the man for whom you risked your head, wise one!"

"Measured risks, my young friend, measured," he replied on a lecturing tone.
"Anyhow, one day or another."

"You're afraid he'd steal me away?" she teased him. "Or you fear that I
would be seduced by some of his obsolete codes of honour?"

"Oh no, that I don't fear," Methos replied, laughing. "So, tell me, how is
it going with William?"

"Under those vampiric appearances, Spike is a real sweetheart," she replied
with a small smile. "Tell me, how was he when he was mortal?"

"He was a poet," Methos replied. "And a bad one at that. Well, not that bad,
but not good. He was deeply in love with this stupid girl, I never
understood why. Wrote her tons of poems. When I left London, she still did
not know he cared for her. Well, she must have suspected something, he was
not the discreet type."

"I can picture that quite well," Sarah said dreamily.

    The next few minutes were passed in silence. Sarah was lost in her
thoughts about the chipped vampire, whereas Methos was lost in the memories
of his time in London in the late 1870s. Finally, they arrived at the
university a little early.

"You know, if this place wasn't the Hellmouth, I'd gladly come and be a,
say, history teacher here," Methos said. "This town seems nice."

"Yes," Sarah replied sarcastically. "It would have nothing to do with a
certain little redhead, just with the nice town."

"Exactly," Methos confirmed, a hint of regret tainting his voice.

    Sarah would have asked him about that, but Buffy and Willow came walking
towards them. They saw Buffy giggle and Willow punch her in the stomach, and
both of them could guess that their subject of conversation had been the
same.

"Hey guys," Buffy welcomed them.

"How was patroling last night?" Sarah asked her with an amused smile.

"Awful," the blond answered. "Try fighting vamps and demons when you first
have to stop two people you care about from ripping each other's hearts
out."

"Here are Xander and Anya," Willow prompted, gesturing towards the couple.

"You already met, right?" Buffy asked.

"Yes, we did," Methos replied with a smile.

    The Immortals watched as Riley arrived, enfolding Buffy in a hug from
behind. She immediately turned around, then relaxed in his embrace. They
kissed quickly.

"Xander and I were wondering," Anya addressed Sarah, "do you two have sex?"

    Sarah's eyes met Methos', both of them very much amused by this
question.

"No, not anymore," Sarah replied, smiling.

"Ha!" Xander exclaimed. "You owe me ten bucks, An. But I still have to
reprimand you on the fact that you don't ask those sorts of questions to
people you barely know."

"It's alright, really," Sarah said, before turning to Willow. "Isn't Tara
coming?"

"No, she'll catch up with us later," the redhead answered, carefully
avoiding Methos' eyes.

"So we're all here," Buffy remarked. "Let's get going."

"Where to?" Methos asked her.

"To Giles, I guess. That's where we always go. We'll wait for Spike and
Angel over there."

    The group began walking to the Watcher's, taking the opportunity to get
to know each other better. Sarah and Willow found out they got on very well,
while Methos was entertaining the rest of the Scooby Gang.

"So, what's the deal with Adam?" Sarah asked the redhead out of the blue.

"What - I - nothing!" Willow blushed heavily.

"Yeah, right. Then why are you avoiding him?" Sarah asked.

"What did he tell you?" Willow eluded her question.

"Nothing," Sarah smiled reassuringly. "He's been a true gentleman," she
added quite ironically.

"I'm just drawn to him," Willow suddenly let out. "I can't do much about it.
I try to fight it, for Tara, but I'm not that good at fighting, you know. I
love Tara. That's why I won't, that's why I can't give in to this
attraction. It would not be right."

"Yes, I see what you..."

    The words died on Sarah's lips as she felt the buzz. She immediately
looked up at Methos, frowning. She could not believe Nicolas had found them.
She checked for her rapier in her coat, seeing Methos do the same with his
Ivanhoe.

"What's the matter?" Riley asked.

"An Immortal," Methos simply replied. "After my head."

    He saw Nicolas' figure at the end of the street. He then looked up at
Sarah and she nodded. He walked towards Nicolas.

"You have to let him handle this," the older woman seized Buffy's wrist as
she was about to follow him. "It's Immortal business."

"What if this guy defeats him? Are you just gonna stay here and let your
friend die?" Buffy asked, disengaging her wrist.

"I don't have the right to interfere in this duel," Sarah replied coldly.
"And I'm not worried for Adam. He'll be just fine."

"No matter what, I'm going," Buffy said, turning around.

"And unless you want to fight all of us, you'll let us go," Riley continued.

"Fine," Sarah muttered. "But you don't interfere."

"Whatever," Buffy grumbled as she walked towards the two men. "Where are
they going?"

"Somewhere there will be no witnesses," Sarah replied as she caught up with
the Slayer.

    The group walked in silence for a few minutes. Willow nervously bit on
her lower lip, debating with herself whether she really wanted to know the
answer to the question torturing her. Finally, she decided that she had
better know the truth.

"Why is this guy after Adam's head?"

"Some Immortals just want the Quickening of any other they can find," Sarah
lied.

"But Adam said he was after his head. Why him, and not you?" Willow
insisted.

    Sarah looked at the redhead, cursing silently the fact that she was not
stupid. She sighed, thinking she'd have to tell the truth. Well, a very
abridged summary of the truth.

"Revenge. He thinks Adam did something he didn¹t do," the Immortal replied
evasively.

    They kept following the two Immortal men in silence, until they had
found an old warehouse where they'd be alone to fight. The Scooby Gang,
minus Anya and Riley, grinned at the irony of it all. It was the factory
where Dru, Spike and Angelus had lived for a while.

next