Mal had walked Buffy to Simon's room. She didn't talk, but Mal didn't much care. He believed Buffy's story. Just the way she looked when she said it, you can't pretend you went through something like that. He wanted to know what she wasn't telling him, though.
Spike was an odd character. He still didn't trust him, but he didn't think he'd try anything; he seemed to care too much for the girl to risk anything happening to her.
Book knew something about what was going on. But Mal wouldn't stand for it, religion. There were no demons, there couldn't be if there was no god. Or maybe there was a god, but he stood for the alliance, if that was the case, Mal didn't much care for him either.
As Mal entered the bridge, all eyes turned to him. Kaylee was standing with her arms crossed, not out of anger, more out of discontent. Wash sat attending to the ship's vitals. River was walking around staring at the buttons that controlled this ship. Inara sat looking as elegant as ever.
Wash was the first to break the hush, "What's going on?"
Mal thought a moment, trying to figure out how to put it, "The girl we picked up, her name's Buffy. The guy, Spike, they know each other."
Inara stood up and approached Mal, "Don't sugar coat it." She told him, "We're on the ship; we deserve to know what is really going on." The rest of the crew stared at him in agreement.
"Buffy was sent from the 'academy' that had River." He continued, as River glanced at him at these words, "Apparently the same people that helped River are taking a bit more action. They went to her and broke her out, sent her to us." There was a chill of silence, "Spike claims to be a something called 'vampire' and think the bullet lodged in his back won't kill him."
Somebody gasped at these words, but Mal ignored it and went on, "She's in Simon's room and he's getting checked up by the Doc." His brow furrowed, "There's somethin' about him, I don't like."
"Like the fact that he jumped over the ramp and his face can change?" Kaylee asked letting the other crew know what she had seen.
Mal nodded, "There's something more about the girl, I just don't get." He said in thought. "She took him on in hand-to-hand when I couldn't even match his strength, and she's a might smaller than me."
"In every generation," River said suddenly. Everybody looked to her, wondering what she was about to say. She stared back at them before continuing, feeling out of place. "There is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the slayer."
"Slayer?" Wash repeated, frantic, "Slayer of what?"
"She didn't look like a killer." Kaylee said quickly, trying to find a silver lining.
"So far she hasn't attacked any one of us, so it's not us." Mal answered, then half laughing continued, "Apparently not of 'vampires' either."
River looked down and continued running her hands across the buttons vigilantly. "Are we safe with them on the ship?" Inara asked half worried.
"We've had worse." Mal said almost sure. He looked around the room, "Where's Jayne?"
They all looked to one another, "Jayne wasn't with you?" Kaylee asked.
Mal shook his head, looking at everyone's blank stares.
Jayne emerged from his room carrying a large shot gun. It had taken him a moment to find his weapon of choice, but feeling it in his grasp he felt invincible. He walked slowly and quietly back toward the infirmary, stopping for a bit to gather his wits.
The guy hadn't been fazed by a bullet, but this baby had to do the trick. He remember what he saw when he left the infirmary, Mal pinned down. He took a deep breath and continued on, stopping, seeing the open engine room.
Cautiously he stepped inside, empty. He lowered the weapon he had ready to fire, he was a bit paranoid. This guy scared him a bit more than a reaver, he seemed more intelligent. Jayne shook it off and turned back toward the infirmary.
Peering through the window he no longer saw the girl; it was just Zo', Simon and the man. Simon and Zo' both looked terrified. Jayne burst through the doors and met the man's gaze holding his weapon ready. "Not so tough now, are we?" Jayne shouted taunting.
"At ease!" Zo' shouted, "Put it down."
Jayne took his eye off the sight, and looked up at the three, all now terrified. "But I'm saving you." He explained discouraged.
Simon stared at Jayne, and the large gun, "Thanks." Was all he could muster to say.
"Can we not point the gun?" Spike asked, "Already been shot once. I'm good, thanks."
Jayne lowered the gun, "Where's Mal?"
"He took the girl to lie down." Zo' told him, still watching the gun.
"Oh." Jayne replied taking a deep breath. "All right then."
All stared at Jayne, looking ridiculous barging in with a firearm at the ready. He had good intentions, but was a little late on the draw. "We gonna kill him?" Jayne asked pointing to Spike with the gun.
Spike's eyes went wide, but Simon answered before he could say anything, "He's already dead."
"Don't look dead to me." Jayne countered.
"Sittin' right here." Spike interjected.
"No" Simon said ignoring Spike, "But he hasn't got a pulse."
Zo' cut in, "What could cause that?"
"Death." Simon answered, not able to come up with anything else.
"But he's not dead." Jayne said circling his conversation.
"I know." Simon replied.
"Let's all have a round of 'Ignore the Spike', shall we?" Spike said knowing nobody would acknowledge his words.
"So how's he dead?" Jayne asked, neglecting Spike's words.
"I don't know." Simon shrugged.
"Take a look at this." Zo' said throwing Jayne Spike's bloodied shirt.
Jayne caught it, almost dropping his gun. He turned the shirt over a few times, "Huh." Jayne said in feign wonderment, "He's not dead."
"I know." Simon repeated, not knowing what to believe, his medical training, or his eyes.
"Sure you did it right?" Jayne said casually.
"Yeah." Simon nodded, "Pulse is pretty standard."
Spike just stared at the two's banter as did Zo'.
"Did you use your thumb?" Jayne asked, "I heard that can send a fake pulse."
"There was no pulse, if I used my thumb, I'm dead too." Simon countered.
"You don't look dead either." Jayne retorted.
"I'm not." Simon answered.
"So, did you use your thumb?" Jayne repeated.
Simon resigned, "No, I didn't use my thumb."
"Then you should check again." Jayne said stepping toward Spike, two fingers outstretched.
Spike slipped off the table, "Trigger Happy," He said to Jayne, "Let's leave that to the Doc, yeah?"
"He's doin' it wrong." Jayne told him.
"I am not." Simon said disbelieving Jayne's audacity.
"Don't know about that." Spike said before another spat continued, "But he's right, no pulse."
"So you're dead." Jayne said waiting for confirmation.
"Yeah, well, undead is the technical term." Spike shrugged.
"Don't use all them fancy schoolin' words on me." Jayne said angry. "I'm the one with the gun."
Zo' scolded, "Jayne," and threw him a glance.
"Well, I am." Jayne said casting a glance sideways.
"I'm just gonna go check on Buffy." Spike said taking a step to leave.
"You're not going anywhere." Zo' said promptly. "You wait until Mal returns, see what he says."
"And then what?" Spike asked a bit angered, "Wait for my death march, I don't think so." He took a few more steps toward the door, but Jayne held out his gun as a block. Spike just rolled his eyes.
"You'll wait." Jayne said menacingly.
"Go ahead and roam about the ship." Mal told the bridge, "I just don't want you guys to get by yourself with one of them. I'm gonna go lookin' for Jayne."
Mal walked off the bridge and stopped outside Jayne's room. He kicked open the hatch and shouted down, "Jayne? You down there?" After a few seconds of no answer he pulled it shut and continued down the hall. Kaylee had walked past him and into her room, silent.
River skipped by, probably off to her room, Mal guessed. Inara walked by him and fell in step. "Got somethin' to say?" He asked, continuing his walk.
"If we're safe, why are you worried about Jayne?" She asked in a whisper as though the crew could here from their respective places and might become alarmed.
"It's not Jayne I'm worried about."
Inara wasn't convinced, "You're worried about the guy that tackled you in the infirmary." She said sarcastically.
"The girl." He answered simply.
"Right." Inara argued. "Can we not do this?" She asked.
"Do what?" He said not faltering in his steps.
She walked a step in front of him and stopped, making him stop. "Acting like you can ignore it and make it go away."
He finally looked to her while speaking, "Doesn't matter if I ignore it, does it?" He asked, "Still goin' away." Inara looked at him, hurt and turned walking away.
Mal took a deep breath and continued on, watching Inara walk farther away. He walked into the lounge, looking for Jayne, not glancing through the windows, at least until he heard Jayne speak, "You'll wait."
"Gorramit, I was lookin' for you." Mal said entering the infirmary.
The four glanced at Mal. "Can I go then?" Spike asked, frustrated.
Once again he was ignored, "Where'd you run off to?" Mal asked Jayne, staring at his gun.
"Came to save you." Jayne answered.
Spike groaned and sat down on the table.
"Sir." Zo' began, "I think we need to talk."
"Yeah." Jayne said quickly, "He's dead." He pointed to Spike over his shoulder.
"He's what?" Mal asked looking to Simon.
Simon nodded, "I think."
"You think?" Mal asked exasperated.
Simon shrugged, not really knowing what to say, but took a stab at it anyway. "He hasn't got a pulse."
"We covered that, Braniac." Jayne said glancing to him. "What we didn't cover is how he's walkin' 'round and such."
Finally the four turned to Spike waiting for his answers. "Now you wanna hear what I got to say." Spike said in mock understanding.
"We heard the girl's story." Mal said. "Now let's hear yours."
"Not much to tell." He said stretching his arms behind his back, "Vampire. Not of the living, not of the dead, blah, blah, blah. Walk the earth, well, when there was one to walk, and drink the blood of innocent victims."
They all stared at him, dubiously.
"So, vampires, drink blood." Mal said about to disprove Spike's story, "Don't see much of that going on."
"Yeah, well, I got me a soul, don't I?" Spike countered, "Don't do the mass murder anymore."
"Anymore?" Mal asked wondering what he meant.
"Did. A long while back." Spike answered, Mal looked unsettled. "Well, I didn't have a soul then, I was evil, okay?" He said as if this was an excuse they would take.
"And that makes it okay?" Mal asked with a weak chuckle. "What kind of line are you trying to feed me? If you're going to be lying, least you can do is try to make me not want to shoot you again."
"All right then, how about I tell you the story about how I saved the world." Spike said carelessly, they weren't going to believe whatever truths he told, it didn't matter.
"What world we talkin' about?" Mal asked playing along, but showing no interest.
"Doesn't seem like you care." Spike said, "And I'd really like to see if Buffy's all right."
"I don't, and it seems that Buffy don't want your company." Mal threw back.
"You don't know her like I do. Alone means she needs someone to talk to."
Mal just looked at Spike. Then shook his head. "I don't know where to put you until we land."