Buffy and Spike stared up at the gun Mal held. Mal looked like he could spit nails. "Put it down." Spike coaxed.
"See, there you go again. This is where we have a problem." Mal said explaining. "This is my ship; I have a gun on you. You are in no position to be givin' orders. I want answers and I want 'em now."
Buffy's hands quickly felt their way to her shirt and she fumbled to button it quickly. Her eyes were still full of tears. Spike looked at Buffy. Then to the gun, horrified. Mal easily read Spike's face and shifted his aim to the girl. "Ask the questions then." Spike said resigning, beginning to stand, positioning himself in front of Buffy.
"Who are you?" Mal asked taking a step back as Spike rose.
"Name's Will." Spike said without thought, and Buffy stood up behind him. She had a look of confusion, Spike either sensed this or expected it, because he changed his answer quickly, "Spike."
"So which is it? Will or Spike?" Mal asked, hand not wavering.
"Spike." He said trying to keep Buffy hidden, answering his questions.
"Spike's a nick-name." Mal thought aloud.
Spike nodded, resisting the urge to say how bright the captain was.
"What are you?" Mal asked finally getting to the question he wanted.
"Wouldn't believe me if I told you." Spike said calmly.
"Reaver?" He asked as if that was the answer he expected.
Spike scoffed, "Not even human." He said in the same tone. "Vampire."
Zo' finally spoke up from beside Mal, "Sir," she said to get his attention. Book was coming to.
Mal looked down, "You two, over there." He said ushering them into a back corner with his gun. Mal walked to the doorway and pushed a button, "Simon, we need you." He said calmly, "Just you."
Wash replied. His voice quavered, he had obviously been told about the going ons. "On his way."
Zo' helped Book to a chair, in the far corner from the 'vampire'.
"You're hurt." Buffy whispered from behind Spike.
"It'll heal." He replied watching Mal turn back.
Zo' was talking to Book, checking to see if he was badly injured. They carried a small conversation as Mal returned to his questions. "What is that?" He asked without much interest.
"Does it matter?" Spike asked frustrated.
Buffy stepped in front of Spike, "You don't know what a vampire is?" She asked in astonishment.
"Never heard of one." Mal retorted. "You one too?" His voice wasn't fearful, but filled with concern of his crew.
"No." She said still in awe. Spike put a hand on Buffy's shoulders, ready to throw her out of the way. She rolled her shoulders letting him know it wasn't needed.
"Buffy," Spike started, removing his hands. There really wasn't more to the sentence, but she looked up at him waiting for it anyway.
"You're human right?" She asked Mal finally trying to get some of her answers.
"No, I'm a 'vampire', too." He said sarcastically.
Book stood up and held his Bible tightly, as he walked toward Mal. "I've heard of them at the Abby." He said talking to Mal but looking at the two in the corner. "Demons."
"Demons," Mal repeated disbelieving. "This is a waste of my time."
Simon entered the room, all eyes turned to him. "Fix up the preacher." Mal said, facing Buffy and Spike again. "You two, and me, are gonna have a chat. Zo', stay here." With his gun he again ushered the two. This time out of the room and into the lounge.
With Mal, Buffy, and Spike sitting in the chairs, they could see the infirmary through a window. Buffy was the first to speak, "Are you Malcolm Reynolds?"
"Why?" Came the reply.
"I need to know if I'm in the right place." She said anticipating an answer.
"How did you get here?" Spike asked turning his upper body and wincing at the pain.
"Spike," Buffy said concerned, "You're shot, the skin's closing."
Mal interrupted the two, "I'm him. And I want to know why you're here." He said pointing to Buffy.
Buffy's eyes shifted, "Help him first." This was more a plea than a demand.
"Nothin' to be done." Mal said heartlessly, "Attacked on of mine. No power in this 'verse can save him, that bullet went straight into his back. He'll be dead soon enough."
Buffy spoke before Spike could, "Bullets can't kill vampires."
Spike sighed, "If you could just get Doc, in there, to pull it out. I don't want to walk around with a bullet lodged under my skin."
"Again with this 'vampire' nonsense." Mal stood in rage, "You'll tell me what I want to know, then I'll have your friend looked at." He pointed the gun at Buffy. "Will this kill you?"
Buffy's eyes pleaded up at him, "Yes." She said closing her eyes.
"Then you better answer me my questions. Why are you here?" Spike stood up, as Mal spoke, but Buffy pushed him down.
"Put the gun down." She said.
"No."
Spike sat, ready to throw himself in front of Buffy to take the bullet, but Buffy reached up a hand with lightening quick reflexes and grabbed the gun. "These." She said holding the gun tip, "Don't solve anything." With that she pinched her fist, caving the tip in.
Mal's eyes were wide, he was about to call Zo' in when Buffy continued, "Sit, and I'll tell you."
Spike relaxed, but not much. This was his slayer, in control. He waited to here Buffy's story. Mal sat down, anger and hate filling his eyes. "Where do I start?" She resigned to knowing that at any moment Mal could holler and the rest of the crew would come in heavily armed. She couldn't take on that many guns.
"Start with why you were mailed to me." Mal spat, angered at losing control. Even more angered that Buffy was trying to act like she didn't have it.
"I was at some place. I was only there for a few days, but it was awful, it was like the initiative."
"Initiative?" Mal and Spike both asked, but in very different tones.
"They had, things. They knew things. They were experimenting, I think." She said, her eyes going blank seeing everything as she spoke. "They had me tied down, and they" She didn't finish her sentence, and instead moved to a new one. "These guys, came in and the whole place was havoc. I didn't know who they were, but they saved me." She admitted, "I've never had to been rescued, not like that. But I couldn't do anything.
"They, the good guys, they told me they'd been working on helping the people escape, and that one of their successful missions had ended up with you." Her eyes pulled up to look at Mal,
"River." Mal said confirming in thought. Spike stayed silent, remembering his time in the initiative and knowing what Buffy must have gone through.
"They just said they were helping, and I let them inject me with something, saying it'd help me pass through unnoticed. I felt woozy and then I woke up here." She finished hoping Mal would fill in some details.
Mal walked away, "Stay here." He told them as he walked into the infirmary. Buffy and Spike watched him through the window, talking to Zo'.
Spike moved to better face Buffy. "How'd you get there?" He asked painfully.
"I don't know." Buffy replied, beginning to tear again.
"How are you still alive?" He continued questioning, astonished, wiping her tears away.
"Me?" She asked confused, "What about you? I thought you were dead, I saw youÉYou saved the world." She took in a deep breath, holding back tears.
"That was over 500 years ago." Spike said not understanding. "You haven't changed."
"What do you mean 500 years?" Buffy asked wondering what Spike was thinking. "That was less than a year ago."
Buffy and Spike stared at each other. Both trying to figure out what the other one was saying. "I was in Italy." She continued, tears gone, staring blankly at Spike. "It was less than a year ago." She repeated.
Spike stared, his daze continuing. He shook his head. "Last I hear about you in Italy, was from Andrew-"
Buffy cut spike off, "Oh, my god. Andrew! Is he okay? What about Dawn, and Willow, and Xander?" She stared into Spike's eyes, "Giles?" She knew what he was about to say.
"Buffy, they're dead. They searched for you, we all did. But that was a long time ago."
Buffy stared wildly, shaking her head, "No." She said not wanting to believe, "No." She repeated, tears falling again, but these were different tears. They burned as they rolled down her face. "It was only a week ago. I saw them only a week ago." She said frantically. "It was a week ago."
"What have they done to you?" Spike asked worried.
"Where's Dawn?" She repeated, waiting for an answer she wanted to hear.
"Earth's gone." Spike told her, concerned about her sanity. "Long ago."
"Stop saying that!" She screamed, standing up. Mal, Zo', Book, and Simon walked into the lounge. All looked confused.
"Zo', you go in with Simon and make sure Spike, here, don't try anything while he's being checked up." He looked to Buffy. "I'm a man of my word. You answered me, he'll be looked at."
"I need to be alone." Buffy said showing no emotion.
"You got Simon's room for now. This way." He said pointing the way, Buffy followed his direction. Mal looked back to Simon. "Shepherd, you go onto bed yourself."
Book began to protest, "I think I should stay-"
Mal cut him off, "Zo' can handle it." He said, making sure Book followed him and Buffy away. "Simon, just take the bullet out."
Simon nodded, walking back into the infirmary. Spike rose from the now bloodstained chair and followed Simon. Zo' followed the two.
"Where'd the bullet enter?" Simon asked Spike. Zo' stood a few feet off, hand on her holstered gun. Simon held a long tweezer like instrument.
"Right in the middle." Spike said putting a hand on his back.
"Remove your shirt and lie face down." He said pointing to the table. Spike did. Simon moved in closer to Spike's bare back. "Where?" He asked again, completely confused.
Spike's voice came up from the table, "In the middle."
"There's no bullet wound, are you sure you were hit?" Simon asked baffled. Zo' picked up Spike's shirt as Simon spoke.
"Well, the blinding pain kind of gave it away." Spike retorted sarcastically.
Simon just gave a bewildered stare to Zo', Zo' held out the shirt. "It's covered in blood, and there's a hole in the shirt." She said, matching his confusion.
"Is it his blood?" Simon whispered in question.
"Doc?" Spike asked, turning to look up, "Is there a problem?" He wondered why the bullet was still in his back.
"You-you have no bullet entry in your back." Simon explained in a frantic tone.
Spike groaned. He shouted something out in Chinese. Zo' stared at him, "The skin's healed." He explained, a bit angry.
"The what, what?" Simon asked aloud, Zo' asking in glance.
"The skin," Spike said slowly as if explaining to a child, "Has healed."
"It's only been less than an hour." Simon told Spike, "Skin can't heal that fast, especially from a bullet wound."
"Yeah. It really can." Spike said, "At least mine can. Just cut me open and pull it out."
Simon laughed nervously, "Cut where?"
Spike shifted, feeling the bullet under the skin. He fumbled trying to touch the spot on his back with his hand, "'Bout there." He said, his arm moving back, not meant to move that far.
Simon took a deep breath, Zo' watched interestedly. Simon grabbed a knife and placed it softly on the skin, "Here?"
"Bit to the left." Spike said, lying flat on his chest and bracing himself for the cut. Simon moved the knife to the left, "There, stop." Spike told him.
Simon cut a deep gash into the skin, blood oozing from the gash. The lights on the ceiling caught a shimmer of silver. Amazed he grabbed the tweezers and delicately pulled out the bullet. Both he and Zo' cringed, more so than Spike did under the knife. "It's out." Simon said breathing again. He grabbed a towel and sopped up the blood. Spike didn't move. He put two fingers on Spike's neck and felt for a pulse. He looked up at Zo', "He's dead." He said simply, shocked that at after all that, he lost his first patient on the ship.
"Well yeah." Came Spike's voice, muffled from being pressed on the table. Both Simon and Zo' jumped. Simon's instruments clattered to the floor with a loud tinkering sound.
Simon backed up a few steps. "You gonna stitch me up, or do I have to wait 'till it heals again?" Spike asked impatient.
"Uhhh" Simon muttered not knowing what to say, and scrambled and made a few stitches. He quickly sewed the skin shut, cutting off the blood flow, which had already started to slow. Zo' was speechless throughout the whole operation. "There." Simon gasped, "You, your set."
"Great then." Spike said, turning and sitting up.
"You were dead." Simon said still in utter amazement.
"Since the 19th century." Spike stated carelessly. Then off their still bewildered stares continued, "You people sure have a hard time understanding the phrase 'vampire', don't you?"