The Question part V Title: The Question part V of V Author: Dani (meimei42) Fandom: Firefly Character: Kaylee Prompt: 5. Lost Haven Word Count: 1186 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! ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kaylee sobbed when the realization hit her, she was saved. She would be hard pressed to say how long she had been here if anyone asked, time didn’t have any meaning in this place--only pain.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” Simon tried to sooth. Kaylee hiccupped and attempted to control her crying. “You’re safe now,” he assured. The mechanic might have tried to talk if it hadn’t been for the gauze in her mouth.

There was a noise outside and Kaylee’s eyes widened. No, no, no…they couldn’t find her again, they had to leave, they had to get out. She felt herself hyper ventilating, Simon was doing what he could to calm her down; there just wasn’t much that he could do. “Don’t let them take me,” she pleaded, though her words were lost through the gauze.

“We should go,” Jayne growled. Mal nodded towards the doctor who helped Kaylee to her feet. The run spun around her and she nearly fell to the ground.

“Jayne, carry her,” Mal ordered. “We don’t got time to be lagged down ‘cause she can’t walk on her own.” Jayne slung Vera over his shoulder and grabbed Kaylee up like a rag doll. Everyone drew their guns and waited for Mal’s signal. Kaylee squeezed her eyes shut, taking comfort in the familiarity of the people around her. They wouldn’t let them take her back.

Mal opened the door and went out first followed by Zoe and then Simon. Jayne was the last to go out, she could sense he was upset about not having a gun drawn. The hallway was empty as they moved, Kaylee tried to remember which way she had come from, though it didn’t much matter because she didn’t know the way out.

“Put her down,” Mal ordered from ahead. Jayne carefully set her on her feet and Simon was instantly at her side. She leaned on the doctor for support while Jayne joined Mal and Zoe to check out the landscape. It was hard to make out what they were saying, though Kaylee was fairly certain it was an escape plan.

“That’s them there! I want the girl and the boy, kill the rest!” a voice shouted through the corridor. Kaylee turned to see the two doctors in the black lab coats approaching along with several armed guards. She froze, still with fear. She felt Simon pull her but that only caused her to stumble to the ground and fall. Jayne, Mal and Zoe opened fire on the guards, taking out a few immediately. Kaylee couldn’t bring herself to look away from the man in the black coat who had hurt her. His eyes were transfixed on hers as well. He smiled sinisterly before ducking down one of the side corridors and out of the firefight. Kaylee was hauled to her feet by Simon and Jayne. They pulled her around the corner and set her up against the wall. Jayne hurried back to the line as Simon crouched in front on her.

“Stay with me Kaylee,” the doctor pleaded. He reached and took the blood soaked gauze out of her mouth. Her jaw was still sore, but at least she could talk.

“It’s him,” she tried to explain as tears exploded from her eyes. “The doctor in the black coat.”

“The one who hurt you is in a black coat?” Simon asked, Kaylee nodded.

“Which one, there were two, Kaylee, which one?” Simon asked.

“Tall one,” she whispered, grimacing at the pain that flooded her mouth every time she talked. Simon nodded and stood up, leaving her up against the wall by herself. Kaylee squeezed her eyes closed, trying to make this all go away, will herself back to Serenity.

“I got him!” Mal yelled and Kaylee’s eyes popped open the words. She looked around, Jayne’s arm was bleeding and Zoe looked like she might have been hurt as well. Neither was showing much pain though. Here Kaylee had gotten a little tooth pulled and she was acting all crazy like but Zoe and Jayne get shot and it doesn’t even phase them. ‘Whimp’ was the operative word that came to Kaylee’s mind. Mal rounded the corner, the man in the black coat being held at gun point.

“Is this him?” Simon asked. Kaylee was still for a long moment before finally nodding. She would remember that face forever. Mal shoved him back against the wall and all four of them unloaded bullets into him, his black coat darkening in spots with blood. Kaylee whimpered and turned away until the shots finally stopped, she couldn’t watch anymore. Two hands reached out and pulled her to her feet. Before she could protest Jayne had her in his arms again and they were running down the hallway. Kaylee could see Josiah up ahead holding a door open.

“The freight elevator will take you to the basement, once you get there, you take two lefts and there is an under ground passage that leads to the several buildings that surround the main building. Take the second exit and you will be at the main storage unit. It should be relatively unmanned. Now hurry, no alarms have been sounded yet, but it wont be long before they discover those bodies,” Josiah said as he handed them an identity card. Mal took it and nodded quickly to the man as he motioned his crew to go. “This place,” Josiah continued, “only the upper levels are high level security. Once you reach the first floor you should be good to go.” Mal nodded and thanked the man with a pat on the shoulder.

Kaylee felt dizzy, even in Jayne’s arms she felt black pressing into her. The elevator and people surrounding her phased in and out of focus. It was black and then suddenly it was white. Pure white. No. No, no, no, no, no. “Jayne?” she breathed out.

“Jayne? Jayne Cobb? The mercenary on Serenity. We are gtting somewhere now. You passed out from the pain my dear, but I knew you wouldn’t be out for long. You had me worried for a moment though.” Kaylee blinked as the man in the black coat came in and out of focus. She whimpered as the pain in her jaw refocused, the metal device still keeping her mouth pried open.

“Three teeth, that is enough for today, no?” the man asked. Kaylee nodded her head slowly and the man seemed please. He took the metal device out of her mouth and looked at her for a long moment. “You rest, tomorrow we will resume. You will answer tell me where River and Simon Tam are, Kaylee. You will tell me about Jayne as well. Why do you call out his name? You will tell me and then the pain will stop. No one is going to save you here.” Kaylee sniffled, her eyes dropping to the floor as the man peeled his rubber gloves off and tossed them to the floor. He walked out the door without another word leaving Kaylee still strapped to the cold metal chair in the brightly lit, white room.

Author’s note: Now before you start throwing things at me, these are the fifty DARKFICS. Meaning they might not go to fluffy happy places. I’m sorry if you are disappointed in the ending, but xsoulquakex ends the next one and maybe she’ll be nicer than me.