Adam hits play and "Smuggler's Blues" by Glenn Frey starts with Adam singing along subtly changing the words.

"There's trouble on the streets tonight
I can feel it in my bones
I had a premonition
That she should not go alone

I knew the gun was loaded
But I didn't think she'd kill
Everything exploded
And the blood began to spill

….."

Olivia turns it off. "I can't believe I thought you were boring. Now we're driving with my friend's body in the trunk, I've left the scene of a shooting without even reporting it, and I'm trusting you that Alex will spring back to life."

Adam nods.

"When you asked Kyra if she was sure…you disagreed with what she was doing…you wanted her to change her mind."

Adam nods.

"Why?"

"From what I know of Alex through Melinda, I knew it would be a hard thing for Alex. It is a hard life for any of us…and it isn't getting any easier. It used to be if you traveled a hundred miles and made up a new name… It used to be easy to carry… For Alex, she is used to working within a legal framework. She's going to need her friends in new ways, but the number that she can go to you can count on one hand... I would not have done what Kyra did. I would not have let that guy leave with her alive…beyond that…"

"You act casual about a lot of things… It's just an act…"

Adam nods.

"I will never understand you…will I?"

Adam shrugs. "When we get to Duncan's shop, we'll have to get her out of the trunk and 'walk' her in so nobody notices…sort of like that movie."

"Weekend at Bernie's?" Olivia asks and Adam smiles with a nod.

As they get close to the shop, Adam says "You may not be one of us, but you have an old soul. It may be that you won't ever understand me. But that may speak better of you than if you did." After a long pause he adds "I may never understand you either. I don't remember being mortal."

"Alex has a lot of friends."

"Olivia, she has you, Elliott, the Captain, that Munch guy, and the doctor."

"She also has you, Duncan, Melinda…I suppose Kyra…"

Adam shakes his head. "We can be friendly with each other, but underneath is the knowledge that we may one day need to fight to the death. We can be friendly with mortals, but we also need to keep what we are hidden. We have to move on every ten to twenty years to hide that we don't age."

"After we get her inside, you and Melinda will clean her up, then we'll take shifts to watch over her. It will take a while…if she truly just had her first death…"

"Wait, wait, wait. You said she's like you."

"She is. The question is whether or not this was the first. Some immortals try to hide their level of experience…to surprise those they plan to attack. I'll take the first shift."

"Why?"

"If she recovers that soon…I'll decide."

"Decide what?"

"Whether or not to take her head." Adam says grimly. Olivia gasps. "It is unlikely. But it is something to be guarded against and even Duncan has been taken in by similar situations."

It seems unreal, but soon they 'walk' Alex in with Melinda and Duncan's help. Adam and Duncan support the body from her elbows keeping them tight to her sides while walking beside her bumping Alex's feet on the pavement as Melinda and Olivia walk in front and back. As casual look would see a group of people walking into the shop.

Soon they have her in a tub. Melinda does most of the work of cutting Alex's bloody clothes off and preserving those that aren't too bad. Olivia bags the damaged clothing. A section of bone falls out of the blouse. Olivia's jaw drops and she points at it. Melinda glances over and says "Vertebra. Stick it back in. She'll recover faster if she doesn't have to grow a new one." Melinda pulls off Alexa's shoes. "Go ahead…she can't feel it." But seeing the whites of Olivia's eyes all the way around, she takes the bone places on top of the exit wound and drives it back in with a smack of her fist.

Melinda rinses the body clean as Olivia watches. They get Alex bandaged to control the blood still seeping from the wounds and get her into a heavy bathrobe. Duncan carries her to a bed. Adam stays with her.

Melinda takes Olivia to the trophy room which Olivia recognizes from Alexa's description. Olivia asks "Is this Alexa's first time?" Melinda smiles. "Adam told you of his concerns... Yes, it is her first. The sensation we get when we meet one another feels like a sudden dread...even terror. There are certain involuntary physiological reactions that we can't help having. We don't get that sensation until after our first death and Alexa never reacted."

Olivia walks nervously about the circular room as Melinda sits and watches. "I left the scene. There is a body back in that alley. I'm a cop. You are a are a Medical Examiner. There is a body, drag marks…with a second blood type…brass…tire tracks, hand prints…lord knows what else."

Melinda nods. "First time on this side of the fence huh?" Olivia nods. "Like this. I've certainly bent my share of rules but…"

"Well, you've never 'lost' a 'body' that walked out of the morgue. I've covered up evidence in several decapitations turning my term. But I've never strayed from my duty where mortals are involved."

"Adam told me what happened to you… Your first death… He told me he went back and killed the guy…perhaps. Did he? He said he'd tell me the truth if I could tell him if I'd want him to do that for me."

Melinda shrugs. "I don't know. He says one thing but does another… He says not to take risks for others, but then he does… He's pragmatic as hell…in theory. I know what he would say, but what he would do…" Melinda shakes her head.

"What would he say?"

"He would say that there is no margin in revenge." Then Melinda's face hardens as she adds "But if someone threatened you…they should make sure their will is up to date. Threatening you…it is a death sentence."

Olivia's stomach tightens.

Melinda changes the subject "I'll take the second shift; it will take longer than that... Alex should recover with you. You know what to do with victims. Her life has been turned upside down and it is not at all something she would have expected. At least she knows something about us, but that may only make it worse."

"What will she feel?"

"The first time?" Melinda asks and Olivia nods. "The first time is the worst. To her, no time has past by. She will recall looking down the barrel of Kyra's gun, the sound of the shot, the impact and pain of the impact, the numbness of her lower body from her severed spine as she fell, the loss of consciousness as her blood pressure dropped to zero… She will have felt herself die…by her reckoning, seconds ago…"

Olivia's jaw drops as she processes this information.

Melinda continues "She'll be reborn into a world where she may have to fight for her life…to kill. You were trained. She wasn't… But she will be." Melinda wipes away a tear. "She will be." She repeats to herself with grim determination.

Olivia wanders about the room and then says "I should call Elliott." Melinda's head snaps to Olivia. "No." She cautions.

"He should be here." Olivia says as she reaches for her phone. "No."

"Oh no." Olivia says. "Right" Melinda agrees.

"No. Oh no." Olivia stammers. "Right" Melinda repeats.

"No my phone is in the back seat. I've got to go get it."

Melinda grimaces. "What?" Olivia asks.

"Duncan took the car to dump it when we were cleaning Alex."