"It is just amazing" Donna breathed as she looked over the man sitting next to her. "You don't need blood? Is there a synthetic, like in that cable show? Oh God! Please tell me you don't you sparkle like in those books?"

"No," Spike growled. "We don't bloody sparkle! That is just some teenage fantasy that some lonely bird made up. 'Do we bloody sparkle', good Christ; that woman should be staked for the fluff she has put out. We don't rip each other to pieces in order to kill another vamp. We cannot go out in direct sunlight. We don't moon over some girl because she smells good."

"Well, not all of you" Faith interjected earning herself a stern glare from Spike.

"The only thing that git got right is that we can survive on animal blood."

"Well, how close is the television show?"

"Now that bird actually got something right. Vamps like to play with their kills-"

"Yeah" Faith stated, "they are just like cuddly kittens."

Spike eyed the slayer while muttering under his breath and turning back to Donna. "We are very sexual creatures and we can go for hours –"

"Down boy" Faith warned.

"The only thing that Harris woman got wrong is how a vamp explodes when it's killed. We don't do that."

"No" Faith interrupted again. "When you kill a vamp, all you need is a dust buster."

"Fascinating" Donna breathed and settled back in her chair. "So the garlic and crucifix are wrong too?"

"Garlic is just irritating and unless it is an übervamp, you are good with a crucifix."

"Übervamp?"

"Another time" Faith stated as she rose to her feet to meet Abby coming down the hall. "What's the what Doc?"

"Your friend is stable and on her way to a room. Everything should heal nicely and Dr. Roberts did her best to minimize scaring. As long as infection doesn't set in, she should be fine. Sam has a couple of bruised ribs and a few stitches in his arm." Relief flooded everyone's faces and Donna immediately dialed her husband. "Sam will be released later tonight but Willow is going to have to remain for about a week."

"Not likely" Spike stated.

"Excuse me? She has suffered tremendous trauma and she will need to recuperate."

"If it was anyone but Red I would agree; but you don't know my bird, Doc" Spike replied as he confidently leaned back in his chair, his arms clasped behind his head. "She'll work her mojo and be out of here day after tomorrow latest. Did you call the book worm?"

"No answer," Faith answered, completely ignoring the astonishment on Abby's face. "We should leave tomorrow night or first thing the following morning; need to keep moving."

"Not bloody likely, unless you want to be sweeping me up off the floor."

"Chill Blondie; we'll find transportation."

"You are not taking this girl out this hospital until I think she is ready" Abby all but shouted, her frustration apparent at their lackadaisical attitude. "Do you not get that this girl almost died?"

"Yeah, lady, we get it" Faith hissed back, drawing Donna out of her chair. "What you don't get is that she is not going to need the R&R. All she needs is me and Spike and we will take care of her. She will be five by five."

"Because you two did so well back at the west wing? I don't recall either of you helping to stop her from bleeding out. As a matter of fact, the two of you took off and you came back injured!"

"I'm fine and Will will be too."

"Please, you are not fine; your shoulder has been dislocated and two fingers broken."

Faith's brown eyes pierced into Abby hazel ones before Faith rotated her shoulder back and forth. She then held up her right hand and wiggled all of her fingers before making and then releasing a fist. Abby stepped back, her eyes wide with shock.

"How?"

"Let's just say that my girls are special" Spike answered. "Faith can heal real quick-like. And Red? Well she is amazing. If I know my girl, she is healing faster than a bunny can reproduce."


Sam pushed the door with his uninjured arm and entered the cold room. His blue eyes focused on the red head asleep on the bed. He knew he shouldn't be here, should have gone home like Abby had instructed but he couldn't. Too much had happened; too much fantastical stuff had happened and he needed answers. Sam had determined that if he had to sit there all night he was going to get his answers.

"You do know it's rude to stare?"

"Sorry; I thought you were asleep."

"Refused the drugs so that's not going to happen anytime soon."

"How are you?"

"Thanks to you I'm going to be fine; just gotta heal now. You?"

"Same" he replied as he sat on the edge of her bed. "How long do you have to be here?"

"Well, Dr. Bartlett said at least a week but I think it's only going to a day or two."

"Really? Can you control your own body like you did the lightening?"

"How do you know that was me?"

"I realize that I am not the most intelligent person on the planet, but I am pretty smart and I don't usually have trouble figuring out the obvious" Sam replied, his blue eyes sparkling as he turned on his thousand watt smile. "I don't see how anyone could ignore what happened tonight."

"Really? Obviously, you have never been in Sunnydale."

"Sunnydale, California?"

"It's not there anymore. Official word is that a huge sinkhole swallowed the town but it was really a low down dirty fight between good and evil. We won, so…yea good" Willow sarcastically answered.

"Official word? You mean that statement the DOD made a few years ago?"

"The one and the same" Willow squinted her green eyes at him. "You know that really hurts us whenever we find a new slayer and have to convince them that the boogey man is real. Speaking of which, how come you aren't freaking out?"

"I was being briefed when all of this happened."

"By whom?"

"The President and several other high ranking officials."

"The same ones who said it was a sinkhole?"

"Point made" he replied with a chuckle. "I have some questions, if you feel up to it."

Willow held his gaze as she pondered what he would ask. She wasn't sure what he had already been told and how much he really needed to know. Then again, if she was in his shoes, she would want to know everything. Of course, she had been in his shoes. As soon as she had found out about Jessie all those years ago, she begged for information. It appeared to her that Sam Seaborn was currently walking in her size seven orange Keds.

Willow nodded her agreement and tried to pull herself up to a sitting position, Sam immediately jumping to his feet to help. The instant their flesh touched, he felt the electricity. Willow's eyes captured his, trying to gauge his reaction as she also tried to find an explanation. This immediate response was not something she was used to; something she had never experienced before. The second his hand had touched her arm, she felt the vibrations that had been there when she had drawn on his energy to kill the demons in the parking lot. Something very strange was happening and she wasn't sure what it meant.

"What is that? Every time we touch, I feel it. It is like some strange sensation running through my body. It got stronger when your friends touch me."

"It is energy; nature's energy. When I use magic, I have –"

"You are a witch!" he accused.

"Well you don't have to say it so mean" Willow gasped. "I thought you had already figured that out."

"I'm sorry; I apologize. I guess I had already figured it out but just don't believe…I mean, that stuff went out with the Middle Ages."

"What do you think now?"

"Another point" Sam answered sheepishly. "For the sake for this conversation, magic exists. Please, continue."

"When I use magic, I draw on nature to help power me up so to speak. If I need more energy, I draw from the people around me. Usually, just relying on Gaia is enough; but sometimes a spell requires something…darker. When I have to go there, I draw from people who won't let me fall under."

"Fall under what?"

"A darkness."

"What kind of darkness?"

"I'd rather not answer that" she whispered. Sam locked his eyes on her debating if he should press the issue while he tried to figure out what she meant. Even though he still wasn't sure there was such a thing as magic, an understanding dawned on him; she had fallen before.

"Was it bad?"

"I can't even describe it" she replied, her eyes watery green pools.

"Is that why you used me?"

"I was hurt; I couldn't concentrate on keeping myself grounded. Somehow, you grounded me which makes absolutely no sense; the grounder is usually someone who is experienced with some type of mystical force. I can't explain the hows and whys of it all but you kept me grounded. When Faith and Spike touched you, I was able to funnel their energy through you to have enough power to stop those demons and not loose myself."

"Amazing."

"Everyone who has not experienced the Darth Vader effect always says that" she sighed. "Magic is dangerous, more dangerous than anything on this earth. It is very basic, very black and white. It has the ability to give life but when it is misused, it is the most devastating power ever created. And that should not amaze you; it should scare the hell out of you."

"You don't have to lecture me" Sam smiled softly. "What I saw tonight was enough to have me running for the hills."

"But you aren't running, Sam" Willow stated, clasping his hand.

"No, I guess I'm not," he replied holding her green gaze. "I guess I just don't believe?"

"Even after what you have seen? Isn't that explanation enough?"

"You are talking about replacing thirty six years of a sensible Protestant education with something that lasted all of five minutes."

"But the proof was in the seeing" Willow continued. "Can you deny what you saw tonight?"

"No, I'm not naïve enough to believe that everything was just a trick of the eye" he replied, a small smile gracing his face. "Let's just say I'm open to the possibilities. What I want to know is why that strange…whatever you want to call it happened when I touched you."

"I believe I can answer that."

Sam looked over his shoulder, expecting to find Lord Marbury but instead he saw a tall, lean, salt and peppered haired man cleaning his glasses, while a muscular, bald, and goateed, man closed the door. Sam swore Willow heard him gulp.