5. She’s a Rebel

She’d been sitting on her bunk when the blow fell. Knock at the door, and the Captain, dropping the wreck of her hopes onto the end of the bed.

He’s split a dozen bars, found a prize in most. Ivoprovalyn, dyroximol, strepamine, alprazoline...recognises some of the names. Antibiotics, insulin, immuno-boosters - there’s a whole pharmacy tucked away. Now he’s facing an angry, frightened woman.

“You’re a mule for Badger.” He’s strangely disappointed.

“Hardly. I bought the cargo.”

“You plannin’ on opening a clinic?”

“I’m supplying one, actually.” Words are bitten off, crisp and cool. “I didn’t lie to Patrick - I just omitted a page of the manifest, as it were.”

“So what do you make on the deal, Ms Donovan?”

“Oh, I get to travel with nice folks like you.” Folds her arms. “Toss my room if you care to - won’t find a credit more than I paid you.”

That’s because it’s hidden down her boot. All she has. Anyone takes it off her, it’s because she won’t be needing it anymore.

“And I’m guessing you weren’t planning on telling us about this?”

“Got on a boat with a bunch of people I didn’t know, introduced by a man who runs a criminal syndicate? That would be a big ‘no‘, Captain. Things had gone as planned, me and the soap would be getting off, and no-one would have known.”

“Instead of which, we got ourselves a situation.”

“I’m at your mercy, Captain.”

He looks at her. Still the same small, neat, unlikely woman who calmly offered him her hand at Eavesdown. The same woman who casually faced down Alliance Customs. Central Planets born and bred, educated, respectable...and a smuggler of black market medicines. Fear in her green eyes, and a deal of temper. But no weakness.

“You’re a long way from where you began.”

“Aren’t we all?”

A beat of time.

This time he offers his hand first.

“It’s a pleasure doing business with you, Ms Donovan.”

She smiles, a genuine and relieved smile, that makes him realise the difference when she’s just being polite.

“You’ll tell your crew? Because I don’t mind telling Mr Cobb, but I’m rather afraid your First Mate might shoot me for pulling a fast one.” Eyes widen, and he knows she’s making fun. “I wouldn’t like to think that you were doing anything illegal against your will, and all.”

“Now, Ms Donovan. This is a respectable craft.” Pause. “Badger told you about the cows, didn‘t he?”

“He did.”

0000

Mal calls a crew meeting, lays it out for them.

“So...there’s a small fortune tucked away in them crates?” Jayne asks, slowly. Everyone watches, waits, can feel it building...”Gorram!” He’s laughing. “Woman’s one of us.”

He can’t believe he ever thought she was nothing special. Smuggling medicine in bars of soap.

“Cargo’s already marked for folks that need it, so we will not be dipping into it, dong ma? Got our cut.”

Mal don’t need to be glaring at him like that; he’s got the message. Jayne wonders a little wistfully if she’d give thought to striking out with him, and splitting the proceeds, but lets that idea go. She’s good people. Catches River looking at him, hunches a shoulder.

Zoe’s less amused, but has a grudging admiration. Wouldn’t want to play poker ‘gainst someone could coolly face down Alliance like that.

Simon wants to know the provenance of the medication. Kaylee thinks it’s downright decent to be helping folks like that. River knows that Ilargia is happy that she’s going to be getting off at the other end of this trip without losing her cargo, and equally happy that Jayne thinks it’s funny.

She’s well aware of how things could have gone. A smuggling ship on the very edge of space. Big men with guns are not on board to ask nicely.

“I hope that’s the last surprise you got in store for us, Ms Donovan.”

A small, tired woman, now the fear and bravado have died away.

“What you see is what you get, Captain.” Rests her chin in her hands, looks at him. “I don’t run arms or narcotics, I just try and get people a better standard of life. Still burns me that something I could buy in a store growing up has to be fought over out here.”

Seems Jayne was right about her; she is a real nice little woman.

“Why the soap?”

“Because it’s unlikely. Because it fits the image of a struggling colony of dispossessed Core folk, clinging to their civilized past. Most of it really is destined for a bath-house. People find toilet paper amusing rather than threatening - need to be a damn good reason to stop and search it. Patrick, as you may have noticed, thinks it‘s downright hilarious. Which is why I try and time my runs for when he‘s on this route.”

It’s a damn clever idea. And it would have worked without their prodigy. Thought makes him look to River, where she and Simon are examining one of the vials. Ilargia follows his gaze.

“They are the Tams, aren’t they?” Doesn’t sound anything more than mildly interested. Shakes her head. “I mean, what did the poor child do, steal somebody’s sweets? They’re just a pair of kids.”

“Alliance just rolls right over people, an’ it don’t care who they are.” He’s shaken by the idea of River as a child; forgets, sometimes. Strange to meet someone who stands outside their memories of her.

0000

Jayne stands behind her chair. ‘Course he understands why she didn’t tell them; hell, you’d have to be crazier than River to shoot your mouth off about that kinda deal.

“So...you’re one of us, then?”

She looks up at him.

“Yeah. Bona fida bad girl.” She pulls a face. “I’m crap at it, got myself busted.”

“Weren’t your fault. Real clever idea, the soap an’ all.” He grins, hopefully. “I kinda like the idea of you bein’ a bad girl, Ms Donovan.”

“Why, Mr Cobb,” opens her eyes wide, grins back, “I would certainly hope so.”

If they don’t get dirtside soon, where Mal can’t threaten him, he’s gonna explode.

“You ever gonna call me by my name?”

“Only if you use mine.”

“‘Larji.” Been calling her that in his mind a while; just slips out before he can haul it back.

“’Larji?” Smiles up at him, no longer teasing, sweet and surprised. “I like that...Jayne.”

Big, tough mercenary scuffing his feet, an’ both of them smiling at each other.

0000

“Watching Jayne having to pass up the chance to steal a fortune? That was amusing.”

“Wouldn’t have done it.”

“Oh, come on, River. The man thinks ethics is a town on Dyton.”

“Wanted to. But wants Ilargia more.”

0000

Mal folds his arms, looks at Jayne.

“Your ‘nice little woman’ is a smuggler.”

“Yeah. Ain’t that something?” Jayne’s grinning proudly. Mal gives up.