Chapter 4

Spike stood looking expectantly at Mal and Jayne. He could feel the anger coming off the smaller man. Threatened and confused, Mal would attack.

Mal grabbed the gun from Jayne's limp grasp and hefted it in the direction of Spike's head.

'Put the sword down or I swear I will shoot you dead. You god damn hwoon dahn!'

The lack of reponse from the blonde man was not appropriate. Mal began his thumping descent down the stairs to the cargo bay, anger seething.

'Now I ain't pretending to know what this is, but I do know I ain't a patient man. You are gonna 'plain to me just what in god damn you are doing on my boat and you are gonna start by lowerin' your weapon or so help me, I will rain all manner o' pain upon you.'

Mal watched as Spike casually relaxed his position. He had expected the women to move away once released from his hold, but rather they drew closer to Spike as he took up a defensive stance in front of them. Protecting them. From Mal.

Surprised, Mal faltered. He had no idea what was going on. All he knew was that these people were a potential threat to him and his crew. He was trying to face down three people, all still holding swords, all alone…. Hang on, where was Jayne?

Weapon still levelled at Spike, Mal tilted his head slightly,

'Jayne, you still there?'

A pause

'Yeah Mal.' His voice sounded quiet, confused, but he was answering.

'You go get Vera and some friends. Do it quick.' He waited a few seconds til he heard the stomp of Jayne's boots retreat before turning his attention fully on the three beings in front of him.

'Captain, we can explain this, there's no need for guns here.' The blonde woman attempted.

'How about you put your weapons down and then we can start a conversation.' He demanded.

Slowly Buffy reached out her weapon hand, blade pointing to the floor she slid the sword to the ground, the metal singing as it slipped along the steel cargo floor. She smiled then.

'Spike, Faith, you wanna do the same?' she urged her companions. Buffy knew from the years spent with Faith, and more particularly Spike, that so long as someone held a gun near her they would do anything to defend her. She took a look a Mal. His face was tight with anger. A simple glance and he looked in control pointing a weapon in the face of a man, but she was not fooled. His shoulders were rigid, neck too tight, white knuckles wrapped around the butt of the gun, this man was scared and scared men were rash. Adopting a wider, more beguiling smile, Buffy stepped out of behind Spike, a gentle touch to his shoulder letting him know her intentions.

'Mal. If you would lower your gun both Spike and Faith will gladly put their swords down. Then we can do all the talking you want.'

As she spoke she started towards him slowly, hands raised in supplication. Keeping her tone light she attempted to assure him,

'There is an explanation to this and it's a goodie, you'll enjoy it. We're not what you fear we are. Believe me. We mean no harm to you or your crew.' Mal was tolerating her steady approach, considering his next move.

'Mal. Please. You only have two choices. Put the gun down and we can start with the talking. Or shoot. But I can promise you that Spike will unarm you before you can even pull the trigger.'

It was the absolute assurance in her tone that made the gun droop in Mal's hand. He wasn't a stupid man, he had seen the way the bleached blonde moved in the fight earlier. He was fast, might even be fast enough to dodge a bullet. Question was, is it worth it?

With a sigh of resignation Mal lowered the gun fully as Jayne came thundering back into the bay. Despite the situation, Mal found it difficult to repress a smile. Jayne was loaded down with weapons. Multiple guns hung from various limbs and across his torso. He had 3 strapped to his legs. A grenade belt slung low on his hips, intersecting a knife belt which held several glistening blades. The man looked set for a war, all of him, except his face, which betrayed his total loss of understanding. Clearly his time away from the bay hadn't improved his grasp on the situation and he had dealt with that the only way he knew how, he had packed himself heavy for fighting.

'You good Mal?' He noticed that Mal was no longer threatening the trio with gun play and was even more bemused. The blonde woman was standing a few feet in front of Mal. Over her shoulder, Jayne could see Faith and Spike slowly letting their swords down to the floor, eyes remained fixed on Mal and now Jayne. Jayne could tell he had missed something, but he imagined Mal had it more sussed than him. 'Sides, not a complete waste' he thought, now Faith could see him at his very finest, dressed up in his girls.

'You find out if their freaks?'

Mal cringed. Jayne could certainly be relied upon to ask the one question everyone thought but seldom asked. Usually this trait infuriated Mal, but today Jayne's frankness was the device they needed to get everyone talking at the same level.

'Not yet. Let's hear what you got then…' As Mal spoke he moved over to perch on the edge of a crate which had been cleared to the side of the cargo bay. He wanted to appear relaxed, ready for whatever it was the explanation was. Jayne and his weaponry came to his side, although the big man was satisfied with standing.

Buffy's blonde hair shook as she snatched a quick confidence building look at Spike and Faith. Both were casually stood, expectantly watching as they allowed her to lead off with the explanations.

'Cool. So, I guess your wondering why we were fighting and you're probably wondering about the shiny swords. We, I mean me, spike and faith, are martial arts experts. You know we picked the swords up back on planet, you were there, you saw the fighting and then the winning. Yay us don't you think? I was all with the rescuing them from the guy that stole them, although he totally made me run for them, which, by the way, I didn't have the shoes for cos I wasn't...'

A cough from behind her interrupted her flow.

'Buffy luv – man with gun doesn't want to hear about your shoes pet.' Spike smirked.

'Oh, sorry.' She grimaced in apology, 'Anywho, so martial arts, practicing in the hold, hope you don't mind.' She beamed hopefully at Mal.

'Go hwong-tong!' Standing, Mal shouted. 'You expect me to believe that you are three wandering martial arts experts who just happen to be collecting swords from around the verse and that… that spectacle we were witness to afore, that was what? A trick of the light?' Mal snorted.

"Yeah I aint ne'er seen no man move like that… or woman.' Jayne added

'You want me to believe that you is no threat to me and mine, yet you wont credit me with the sense to know what I seen and what your sayin is opposites. Now unless you want to be swimming in the black sometime soon, you had best start telling some truths. Like how come you ladies are so crazy strong? How can you use a sword like it's a part of ya? And how that man,' his hand pointed to Spike 'can move so fast I couldn't even see him.' As his ire rose, so did his voice until Mal was screaming at Buffy.

Spike stepped past Buffy pushing her back as he did so.

'Listen mate. No one is trying to pull the wool. We really are fight teachers. Got our own school and everything back on Linden where we hail from.' Spike kept his tone light but firm. Amused as he had been by Mal's initial reaction, his entertainment had lessened with the Captains threatening behaviour towards Buffy.

'Tell him.'

Spike heard Faith. It wasn't often she jumped in to sort out a situation, being happy as she was to resolve most problems with fists or … well, other means, but like Spike, Faith was an instinctive creature, her responses driven more by gut feel than logical thought. Whilst Buffy could be guilty of dismissing Faith's opinions sometimes, Spike had come to recognise that Faith often had a better grasp on people than even he did. Her own unusual experiences enabling her to be more accepting of others, seeing them a little clearer than he or Buffy did. More importantly, Spike trusted her implicitly.

'Tell him the truth. He will understand better. 'Sides im getting muscle sore and wanna go to bed without having to watch my back all night.' she continued.

'You sure girls? Cant take it back once its said…' two nods were all the go ahead he needed.

'You believe in destiny?' Spike asked Mal and Jayne, smiling a little at their confused expressions. 'Ok lets start with something a little easier. You believe in a god or higher beings, deities or holiness, mother nature, chaos?'

The frown on Jayne's face grew, 'Is this gonna be bout religion cos I aint lookin to join no cult.'

Laughing Spike shook his head 'Nah mate, just trying to see whether you understand the concept.' Spike inhaled deeply.

'For the sake of argument lets say that good and evil exist and they have representatives that do their bidding. On the one hand you got goodness, angels, cherubs, fates etc all trying to make the world a better place. Then on the other, is evil, demons, devils, badness trying to take the world into darkness. Theologically, philosophically these represent the two sides of every person, every animal, of everything in the whole verse. We are ruled by them both to differing degrees. Some of us more light than dark or the other way round.' Spike took a slow breath.

Mal and Jaynewere still,watching him attentively, waiting for the big revelation. The pressure manifested as Spike began to pace the hold of the ship.

'We are all born into the verse lookin at it from a certain angle. Seeing the world a certain way and for most good folks, that is all you will ever see, but for some, events or meetings happen which cause them to be knocked sideways a little, giving them a glimpse of the world from a different angle, giving them a view of things that most goods folks like you never see and if you're lucky, it should stay that way. What does that different angle show? A world of demons and danger, where killing and mayhem is normal and bravery fights daily for the safety of us all - even though the world never knows to whom they owe their lives.'

As he spoke, Spike walked the length of the cargo bay shooting looks at Faith and Buffy. His black booted feet sounding out against the hard metal flooring emphasising the silence that enraptured the room as he struggled to find the best way to express this tale.

'So both sides have warriors. Dark and light, fighting against each other til only one is left standing. Now it happens that by some strange fate that some are chosen to fight. Destined to be the ones who battle for light or darkness. Some are chosen, others fall into it and end up getting chosen, but let us be clear on this. Once you've been hit off your happy axis of daily normal, you can never go back to it. Cant unlearn what you know, cant unsee it, cant unfeel it.' Spike stopped to look directly at Jayne and Mal.

'I can stop now and you will remain happily on your angle. You can accept that we mean you no harm and leave us off at our destination and not look back. Or I can tell the truth and your worlds will change forever. But be certain that you want to know, as knowing means you will be different. You will have to accept things you don't understand without question and most importantly, you will have trust us to remain on your ship, just as we will have to trust you with our secrets.

Before you decide. Let me also warn you. I will kill anyone who lays a harmful hand on my ladies.' The last words finished with an almost inhuman growl which caused the hairs on Mals neck to rise.

'Tell us.' Jayne said, answering with the only response he could imagine.