4.

U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701

Buffy sat back after her meal. He may have funny hair, but she had to admit that Captain Pike could cook. She felt bad that she couldn't answer more of his questions, but standing orders were "If they don't know, then don't tell them." Buffy heard a familiar chirp. She wiped her hand off on a napkin and flipped open her communicator, "Summers here."

"Captain, we just recorded a high frequency subspace burst come from the Enterprise. We're trying to decode it, but be careful. We may have company soon."

Buffy scowled, "Understood. Watcher code alpha."

"Aye Captain, Sunnydale out."

Pike looked at the blonde, "I don't think I like the sound of that." Dawn stood from her seat, "You shouldn't. I'll get started in sickbay; Buff you know where to go. Thank you for Dinner Captain." Dawn quickly excused herself and made for the door. Pike looked at the remaining person, "Your doctor calls you Buff?" She shrugged, "She gets a pass for the most part being my little sister an all." Pike collected the dishes and placed them in the sink, "So is there something I should know?"

Buffy looked up at the man, "Officially, no. However I will say that we've noticed a new trend. When these stowaways are close to being caught they send out a burst transmission. We don't know to where or whom, but they tend to call a massive ship that has a tendency to leave no survivors. That's part of the reason we try to keep our activities on the down low." Pike thought about it, "Your arrival must have spooked our guest then. Who are you?" Buffy finished her drink and passed the glass back to the captain, "I'm the boogeyman that the boogeymen are afraid of." She stood up, "But Dawn is right. We need to get to work and do it quickly. What's the quickest way to access the maintenance decks?"

Dawn entered sickbay to find the doctor organizing what she assumed to be medical samples with a platinum haired nurse. As soon as the doors closed they both turned towards the newcomer. "Hi, I'm Doctor Dawn Summers. I'm here for the evaluation." The Large dark skinned man rose and strode to the brunette offering his hand to shake, "I'm Doctor M'benga and this is Nurse Chapel, and no doctor, you are not." Dawn felt her eyes widen as she tried to make sounds, but nothing came out. "He won't turn," Nurse Chapel commented with as much enthusiasm as one would use to comment on the weather.

Dawn looked at the pair, "How do you…? What do you...? Why?" Doctor M'benga chuckled, "All very valid questions. Come; sit Doctor Dawn Summers of the Interstellar Watcher's Council." Dawn was absolutely gob smacked. She put up no resistance as M'benga led her to an open stool at their table. "There, now isn't that better?" he asked in his doctor voice. The cobwebs were starting to clear from Dawn's head as she really took the two of them in. She saw them in a new light. Yes they were medical professionals, but she saw something in them that could also be dangerous if let out to play. "During the war it wasn't uncommon to find vampires playing dead on the battlefield," M'benga began. Chapel pulled down the collar of her jumpsuit showing a faded bite scar, "They would hide in the dead and injured. When is unsuspecting person bent down to check them, they would latch on for a free meal."

Dawn shook her head, "We never got word of that. I know we were pretty insulated from the war, but we should have been informed."

"Even the watchers can't be everywhere, and do you know what the jarhead commanders would do if they knew that they had slayers and witches in the ranks?" M'benga said as he held a PADD out to Dawn. She looked at it and sure enough there was no evidence of turning. She also noticed the sliver of wood M'benga inserted into the dead crewman's heart as a just in case. "Okay, fine, but how did you know about the council and that I work for them?"

M'benga steepled his fingers, "I had an ancestor who was a slayer, Charity Carpenter."

Dawn gasped in horror; Charity had been one of her slayers. During World War Three Buffy had ordered the council to spread out and help survivors where they could. The demons and vampires who hadn't left the dimension has signed on to work for whatever government would offer them safe haven and had a penchant for picking off civilians. Of all things to kill a slayer it had been a stray bullet that had killed her. Charity had bled out in Dawn's arms as she desperately tried to stem the flow of blood and save her. She had failed, and after the heartbreaking trip to tell her family and return the fallen slayer's personal effects Dawn had decided to never be put in that situation again. That was the moment Dawn decided she would become a doctor.

M'benga noted the reaction and continued, "Her watcher was so heartbroken about failing her that she changed her entire outlook and went from just protecting life to actively saving it. Am I right?"

By now Dawn's eyes were red and puffy ad tears forced their way out, "I'm sorry," she said meekly, "I was desperate to save her, and I failed. Your family must think me a monster for dragging her through that." M'benga took her hand in his, "No… In fact we were all greatly moved. The strength it must have taken to handle the situation personally showed great character, and the fact that her death spurred you to become more than just a protector proves it."

"Oh shit," Chapel said in shock, "She's that Dawn? But how?" he nodded, "It was well known in that circle that she and her sister were different; that they would live for a very long time."

"Does the captain know?" Dawn asked as she put herself back together. M'benga shook his head, "I don't see the need to burden him with this sort of knowledge unless it becomes absolutely necessary."

Maintenance deck

Buffy dropped down into the lowest maintenance deck on the ship. She had spent the last three hours climbing through Jeffries tubes and repair corridors. This was the last one and she hoped the vamp wasn't smart enough to keep her moving. As she ducked under conduits and around bulkhead supports that supported the inner hull she hit pay dirt. There were PADDs and portable consoles that were tapped into communications, and sensors to monitor the ship. She had found where it nested.

"That's great and all, but where are you?" she asked to herself. With a sudden tingle she dodged left as a pipe came down smashing one of the portable consoles, "Slayer," he said as a greeting. Buffy looked at the vamp, he was tall, broad shouldered, and Vulcan? That was a new one. Most vamps did not like their copper based blood. "Nice try pointy," she quipped, "Even with Vulcan strength, I'm still stronger."

The vampire raised an eyebrow. "It was not my intention to draw attention to myself. The death was an accident." He swung the pipe again which Buffy dodged, but doing so again would be difficult in the cramped corridors. "No it wasn't," She answered, "It was a frenzy and hunger will do that to anybody, even the most logical. You tore that poor crewman's throat out." The vampire put on a very un-Vulcan smirk, "You are right of course." He then threw the pipe and caught her in the face knocking her down before taking off down the corridor. Buffy quickly scrambles to her feet and grabbed a small wooden dagger from behind her back. She threw the dagger and hit a bulls eye in his back, but all it did was cause a scream of pain as he kept running.

"Stupid," Buffy yelled at herself as she took off after him, "Vulcans keep their hearts in a different place." She chased him through the maintenance deck and up a ladder into Main Engineering where she saw him throw off a large Aenar before pulling out a small hand phaser and shooting the main EPS control module. The ship descended into darkness as alarms klaxons began blaring. As the emergency lights began coming on Buffy continued her pursuit snagging another wooden dagger from behind her back.

Renewing her pace she chased him out into a corridor where he was making for a turbolift. He was just getting to the turbolift doors when he felt the dagger pierce his skin. This time it had hit the mark just as the doors were opening leaving a shocked Una and La'an staring as the Vulcan turned to dust in front of a gasping and judging from the blood injured Captain Summers.

Sickbay

Buffy sat on the biobed as Dawn set her nose and repaired the cartilage, "Well you got him," Dawn said to her older sister, "But you made a mess in doing so." Buffy grunted as Dawn set the final piece of cartilage, "You know me, "She said through the stinging pain, "I like to put on a show."

M'benga came into the room, "I take it you killed the vampire?" he asked which caused a bit of shock to Buffy. "I made a mess?" she asked in an accusatory tone to Dawn. Dawn shook her head, "He already knew. Charity Carpenter was his ancestor."

Buffy's eyes immediately went to the floor. She had felt almost as bad as Dawn had for that woman's death. They were on that battlefield under her orders.

"Pike to Summers. Sensors are detecting a large vessel inbound, and our power systems are still down."

"Crap," Buffy said aloud, "I think we're going to solve case X by accident."

M'Benga looked at the sisters, "I think it's time to tell the captain what's really going on."

A/N: This one was fun to write. I feel like it's starting to come back to me. Hopefully as it does the quality will go up. Reviews are appreciated.