Title: The Question part III Author: Dani (meimei42) Fandom: Firefly Character: Kaylee Prompt: 3. Rule/Ruler Word Count: 646 Rating: M (just to be safe) Author's Notes: Not betaed. Okay folks, this isn’t what I could call a happy chapter. Remember this is for the 50_darkfics. ‘Dark’ being the operative word. Enjoy! And Tag xsoulquakex!

The Question The Question II

Kaylee searched for words, anything to make him stop what he was doing. She was ashamed to admit that if she had known where Simon and River were, she would have told him. “Please…please don’t,” she whispered. The man sighed and stood up. He paced back and forth, glancing at her for a moment before finally stopping in front of her again.

“Are you afraid of me, Kaylee?” he asked, his voice echoing just slightly in the large room.

“Y-yes,” she whispered. Her head still throbbed from…whatever that had been. The memory of it shook her to her core. “Please, I don’t know anything…”

“You know more than you think,” the man leaned close and whispered into her ear. “And I’m going to find out what that is.” Kaylee’s choked on a small sob at the implied threat. “Where are Simon and River Tam?”

“I don’t know,” Kaylee said firmly, despite her quivering lip.

“That isn’t what I want to hear,” the man shook his head. He walked over to a table that sat several metal instruments. “I understand your reluctance to give up that Tams, but I must tell you something, Kaylee. In this place, in this room, I can do anything to you. Anything that pleases me, anything I think will give me the results I want. Do you understand that?” he asked.

“Yes,” she whimpered out.

The man smiled warmly at her and came in front of her again. In his hands he held what looked like pliers to Kaylee. She swallowed and looked up at him uncertainly. He seemed to enjoy her discomfort. “You have a beautiful smile, Kaylee,” he said, his eyes running along her face for a moment. The mechanic was quiet, her eyes on the metal instrument in his hands. He turned back to his table and picked up another metal contraption Kaylee couldn’t make heads or tails of.

“What’re you doin’?” she asked, her voice cracking with nervousness.

“I don’t think you completely believe me, Miss Frye,” the man sighed. He almost looked distraught as he reached out and grabbed her jaw in his hand. “I think I need to show you, prove to you that in this room, I am your ruler, your savior; but I can also be your enemy Kaylee. I know you don’t want that, do you?” She shook her head frantically as his rubber gloved hands pried her mouth open. She dug her heels into the ground and attempted to jerk her head away from him but he managed to shove the metal device in her mouth, forcing her jaw wide open. He waved the pliers in front of her face and gave her a sad smile.

“No one is coming for you. By the time they have even figured out where we have taken you it will be too late. When you and I are finished today you will understand me more fully. You will understand this is not a game, this is very serious. “ He paused, looking at her face as a silent tears slipped down. "You really do have a beautiful smile, young lady; I would hate to ruin it. I will start with the back teeth I think.” Kaylee’s eyes went wide as he placed the pliers in her mouth and reached towards the back of her jaw. She could feel as the metal device clamped down on one of her wisdom teeth and he began to pull. A gurgled scream erupted out of Kaylee’s throat as the man pulled the first tooth free. He looked down at the bloody mess and then frowned.

“You really should have had these teeth pulled some time ago, Kaylee. I’m actually doing you a service here,” he said, ignoring her choked sobs and the bit of blood that was dribbling down her chin as he went in for the next tooth.