Part 4

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Now that the ship was ready with the help of Inara’s whorin’ money (which Jayne liked to call it) they could head out. The ship was quite scary looking. Red paint that looked like blood was added. Kaylee and Wash messed with the engine so it would run funny like the other Reaver ships. Jayne even added a cannon to the top of it. It was the spittin’ image of all the other Reaver ships they had ever seen, and it kind of gave them all the creeps just by looking at it. They were on their way.

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It was nighttime and Jayne was unable to sleep. He had never been a big fan of the Reavers. They were the only things he ever remembered being afraid of. Sleeping in Reaver territory was something he was certainly unable to do. He just sat in the cargo area lifting weights trying to get his mind off of the fact that he was terrified as hell. He was still lifting when he heard one of the saddest sounds ever made. He walked towards the extra rooms and opened the door where the noise was coming from. It was River. She was sitting on the floor crying hysterically. Simon was in Kaylee’s bunk or he would have been in there tendin’ to her. Jayne was unsure as to what to do.

“Hey, girl,” he whispered.

She looked up at him tears rolling down her face.

“They’re screaming,” she sobbed.

He looked around. “I don’t hear anything.”

“I’m scared. It hurts. I don’t know…what…”

Jayne sat down next to the girl. “Would it make you feel safer if we stick together? I could stay here tonight if you want.”

“You’re scared too.”

He took this as a question rather than a statement. “Heck no, girl. I just want you to feel safe.”

She didn’t ask or state anything else. Instead he held her and she stopped crying. They awoke the next morning on her bed fully clothed but with an angry brother standing over them.

“What the hell are you doing?!?!”

“Hey, doc, what’s going on?”

“Get out of here, now!!!”

Jayne got up, stood up in front of Simon. He was a full head taller than Simon and it seemed as though Simon just realized that fact. Jayne continued to stare him down until the doctor broke eye contact, and then he left the room. River just smiled and Simon was clearly upset, but knew better than to do anything about it.

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They arrived at Miranda without a hitch. It was the creepiest thing they ever saw. Everyone dead. It was just as Ella said. Everyone except River and Inara went out. It was Jayne’s idea that River stay behind, he didn’t want her to get more upset and Inara offered to stay with her. Everything went too smoothly. Ella still hadn’t figured out how the Captain got everyone to agree to doing this. But she didn’t really care, they were going to save Wash and that was all that mattered. They found the hologram, just as Ella knew they would. The image was more terrifying than any of them could have imagined. A woman telling the story about the Pax, she was in tears, practically hysterical. The hologram ended with the Reaver’s attacking her right there. When it ended everyone was speechless.

“Let’s go, this place gives me the creeps,” Mal said, grabbing the hologram projector.

They boarded and started to take off towards Mr. Universe’s planet.

“Go se,” Wash muttered.

“What’s wrong?” Mal asked.

“It’s the Reaver ships. They seem unusually interested in us.”

“But why?”

“I don’t know, they’re crazy men! How can I understand why they are doing what they are doing?”

“I don’t know, just figure out how to get them off of our tail!”

Mal grabbed the com and yelled over the speakers, “The Reavers are unusually interested in us. Keep strapped in. We might get eaten.”

Wash was flying as good as he could but it seemed the more they tried to get away the more they followed. It was like they could smell their fear. Ella just sat there, fearing all of the work she had gone to was just going to make things worse. She unbuckled and headed to the unused shuttle.

“Please, God, just let this work,” Ella prayed.

She strapped into the shuttle. She knew how to fly it, heck, she could fly Serenity if she had to. The Reavers were still coming strong. She took off.

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“I’m gonna use the cannon!” Jayne yelled.

He got into a space suit and out onto the ship.

“Come on you gorram Reavers!”

He shot a few times and then they all seemed to just turn around.

“Yeah, you better run away you sonofabitches! WOOHOOO!!!”

Just then Jayne noticed they were chasing, not running. Someone took one of the shuttles as a type of diversion. Jayne got back on board as they were getting ready to land. It seemed as if he were the only one who noticed one of the shuttles were out.

“Good job, Jayne!!! You did real good,” Mal welcomed him.

“Mal, it wasn’t me. Someone took one of the shuttles. Who ain’t here?”

It seemed that everyone was there.

“Ella!” Mal ran to the bridge. **************************

She couldn’t let everything she’d worked so hard for go to waste. They had to live. All of them. The Reavers were all on her now, hot on he trail too. She fiddled with her bracelet, hopefully she’d get all of the info in in time…just a little more. *CRASH* A harpoon shattered the glass. Everything inside the shuttle was sucked out and the Reavers stopped chasing.

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The message was sent out. Everyone found out the truth. The truth about the Reavers and the Alliance. When they finally retrieved the shuttle everything that was once in it was gone, including Ella. Everyone cried for the girl they barely knew. Wash and Zoe stayed in their bunk and wept together. Kaylee and Simon comforted each other. It was weird how someone they never even knew ended up touching them all. * “That’s strange…” Wash muttered under his breath.

“What is it, dear?”

“There’s a transmission in, but it’s all weird.”

“Can you bring it up?”

“I can try.”

It was all fuzzed up. But it still came in. It was Ella. Right before…it happened. Why it took so long to come in was mystery, they figured it was because when she sent the reception was so bad or something. All it said was this:

“It’ll be okay. I’ll be fine. I look forward to seeing all of you again.”

Everyone watched the message, until they finally figured it out. The bracelet got her back. Everything would be okay. After the transmission was over, Zoe and Wash went to their bunk (probably to make Ella J) and Kaylee and Simon went to her bunk. This left Inara, Mal, River, and Jayne. Jayne went to the cargo area and River followed.

“You did real well. Shooting.”

“Thanks, darlin’”

Their bond was definitely growing, no doubt on that. Jayne just felt the need to take care of her, and it made it a lot easier now that she wasn’t tryin’ to cut on him anymore.

Inara was on her way to her shuttle when a strong hand stopped her.

“Have you thought about my offer?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“And..?”

“I don’t know.”

“Good enough, for now. But eventually I’ll want a real answer.”

She walked up to him and kissed him.

“How’s that for a real answer?”

He proceeded to follow her to her shuttle.

*END*