Chapter 4: Blast from the Past

Beaumonde, December 2519

The crew had taken the revelation of vampires well, all things considered. Book had gained her trust completely over the months on board. A goodly bit of that trust had been earned by the fact that he hadn't outed the Slayer thing to the crew. Lacey still hadn't told them her real name. She wasn't sure why, but Rachel Jenkins was who she wanted to be right now. Her role changed as needed. Most of the time she was muscle, mostly because nobody expected it by looking at her, sometimes she was the pilot, and other times she helped Kaylee with engine or cooked. But she'd found a comfort in Serenity she hadn't felt in longer than she could remember. Something about it, and its crew, felt like home.

Jobs had been coming in steady enough that they decided to take and easy job over the holidays. An old friend of Jayne's had set up a bar on Beaumonde and had taken to hiring extra security around Christmas to account for rowdy Rim folk coming in to visit kin. It was steady work, decent enough pay, and let them stay planetside longer than they'd been all year.

Dawn pitched a fit for the ages when Legacy had waved back to the ranch to say she wouldn't be coming back for the holidays. She hadn't calmed down until Willow had pulled her off screen and made her take a look at the happiness on Lacey's face that hadn't been there since she'd lost Xander. Dawn had come back to the screen with tears in her eyes, telling Lacey she damn well better not try to pull this stunt two years in a row.

Christmas Eve was the busiest the bar had been since the Serenity crew had landed at the beginning of the month. Everyone) was working in some capacity tonight. Inara was watching River, who had happily been occupying the dance floor all night. Lacey was bar tending, using her vantage point to predict possible fights. Mal, Zoe, and Jayne were serving as bouncers. Book, Simon, and Kaylee were doing their best to get those who had too much to drink home instead of passed out in the cold streets.

Lacey smiled as she watched Jayne gleefully throw some trouble maker out the front door. She poured him a beer as he made his way to the bar, a goofy grin on his face. He gave her a mock salute with the mug before taking a long swallow. A hand landed on Jayne's shoulder and Jayne spun to face whoever dared interrupt his well-earned drink.

"What the bloody hell, mate? Why'd ya hafta throw that poncy bugger out? I was lookin' ta have a right nice fight." A very familiar English accent berated Jayne.

Lacey launched herself over the bar and placed herself in front of a protesting Jayne and punched Spike squarely in the mouth before he had a chance to recognize her. A satisfied smirk crept onto her face as he landed hard on his ass. He was back up lightning fast, but she was ready. She grabbed him by the arm with one hand and by the neck with other and spun quickly so his back was pinned to the bar.

"I'm up for a good tussle if you are." Lacey said cheerily, "Though if I remember right, I kicked your ass last time."

It took Spike all of half a second to focus his eyes and recognize her. As soon as he started laughing, she released her grip on him. Before she could fully release her grip on his arm, he pulled her into a bruisingly tight embrace, which she happily returned full force.

Releasing her, Spike seemed to regain his ability to speak, "You couldn't kick my ass if you wanted to, bǎobèi, but I'll sure go a round with ya if I need ta prove it."

Lacey laughed, "It's damn good to see you, Spike."

"Uh… take it ya know this fella?" Jayne asked.

Lacey turned to the big merc, "Yeah. We're good here."

Jayne nodded and wandered off in search of another fight.

Lacey turned back to Spike, "Help me tend the bar 'til closing, then we'll catch up."

She was a little surprised when he didn't argue.

Mal sauntered over toward the bar after locking up the front and Legacy suddenly found herself pushed against the back wall. Spike was fully vamped out standing in front of her in a manner that could only be described as protective. However, she was too confused to feel touched by the gesture.

Suddenly River was between Spike and Mal. Legacy shoved out from behind Spike to get a better view of whatever the hell was going on.

River stepped forward and put a hand gently on Spike's face, "Not him. Genetics repeat at intervals along time. The darkness is not in him. Banished."

Spike growled in response, though it was clearly aimed toward Mal, and not the girl in front of him. The niggling sense of familiarity Lacey had felt the first time she saw Mal came back, and this time she opened herself to it, gasping when the memory hit her. River stepped aside as Legacy threw herself between the vampire and her captain.

She grabbed Spike by the shoulders before he could lunge at Mal and shook him until he reluctantly turned his attention to her, yellow eyes gleaming, "Spike, he's not Caleb."

"Sure looks like him." Spike snarled back.

"Listen to what River said. Repeating genetics. It's been 500 years. This isn't the first time we've come across someone who looks like someone else we used to know. This one just hits a bit closer to home."

Spike slowly devamped.

Lacey raised a hand gently to his face, forcing him to meet her eyes, and repeated emphatically, "He is not Caleb."

"Split in half, brittle bones to dust in the wind on the world that is no more." River intoned.

The crew settled down for a much needed drink after that odd exchange. The only three who seemed to understand it were Lacey, Spike, and River, and none of them seemed inclined to explain. Simon and Kaylee were nestled into one big chair. River was perched on the back of Lacey's chair with Lacey leaning back against the girl's legs. Lacey had her own feet propped up in Spike's lap. Mal, Zoe, Jayne, Book, and Inara all occupied their own seats, but Mal and Inara's chairs were suspiciously close to one another. Spike was still eyeing Mal warily. Zoe kept shooting odd glances toward Spike.

"Zoe, everything alright?" Lacey inquired.

Zoe shook her head briefly, seeming to snap out of her thoughts, and looked back and forth between Spike and Lacey.

River giggled, "Knight in shining fangs."

Zoe and Spike's gazes both snapped to River.

Understanding dawned on Lacey, "You said a vampire saved you from another vampire before the War. It was Spike, wasn't it?"

Zoe nodded, still a little wide-eyed.

"I suspected as much." Lacey smiled a little as Spike examined Zoe.

Finally he grinned, "I remember you, pet. You grew up right nice."

Spike's leer seemed to snap Zoe back in to herself and she raised an eyebrow sardonically, "Much as I appreciate your help back then, don't push your luck now."

Spike raised his hands in surrender.

"Why'd you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Save me. Rachel said, as a rule, vampires were evil. Was a bit evasive as to why one would bother saving a human."

River cocked her head curiously toward Spike, "Light shines bright, but doesn't burn anymore."

"Rachel?" Spike asked quizzically.

Lacey kicked him under the table.

Spike grimaced as Lacey then smiled genuinely at Zoe, ignoring River with the practice of someone used to nonsensical babble, "Ah, that's just one 'a my girls thinkin' she's protecting me." he ignored Lacey's scoff, "See, I'm a one of a kind. I've got a soul. Killin' innocents just don't sit right with that."

Lacey scoffed again, "One of a kind my ass."

Spike raised an eyebrow, "You seen Tall, Dark, and Broody the past few centuries?"

Lacey just glared in response. Spike turned his gaze back up to River.

"You ever try namin' all the stars, little one?" the vampire asked the reader.

River's eyes narrowed, "That would be illogical."

Lacey kicked Spike, "If you start comparing her to Dru, I will stake you. No one in the 'Verse is that crazy."

"Ow." Spike rubbed his leg ruefully.

"You mean there's someone crazier than Moonbrain?" Jayne slurred.

Lacey ignored him in favor of continuing to glare at Spike, until he had the grace to start fidgeting a bit.

The Black, January 2520

No one remembered precisely how it had been decided he was coming along, but Spike was in a passenger dorm when they left Beaumonde. Christmas morning Mal had cornered Lacey while the rest of the crew was still sleeping off the night before.

"What the hell was that last night?" he asked harshly.

Lacey sighed, knowing he deserved an explanation, "Spike is old. He was old before Earth ended. The Slayers were almost destroyed by The First Evil. The First just so happened to wear the face of a preacher named Caleb who looked a mite disturbingly exactly like you."

Mal gave her a curious look then, "You say that like you saw him yourself."

Lacey chose to laugh instead of answer. In truth, she was getting really tired of the half-truths and omissions. It wasn't that she didn't trust the crew enough to tell them the truth, but she didn't know how they would take it. She'd come to think of them as a second family, and she didn't think she could handle it if they turned away from her.

Mal was still looking at her expectantly, waiting for some kind of answer, but she was saved by a very cheery Kaylee entering and babbling excitedly about presents.

Setting course toward Persephone, Lacey couldn't help but wonder if there was some greater purpose for Spike showing up now. After all, it had been almost 100 years since any of the Slayers or Watchers had seen him last. She knew it wouldn't be much longer before she had to sit the crew down and explain exactly who she was.

Translations

bǎobèi – baby/general endearment