A/N: It's been awhile since I've worked on this storyline, but I got more ideas. Disregaurd the other chapter 2, I've kinda assimilated it. I think I may have a real plot flowing for this now. If you missed the first installment find it here: http://www.fireflyfans.net/bluesun.aspx?bid=9780 *****

Wash wanted desperately to rejoin his wife in their bunk, but of course disaster hit. It always happened just this way: everyone safely asleep; Wash groggy at the controls; proximity alarm.

He blinked his eyes and flipped a few switches to bring up a visual.

"Ai ya!" He immediately flipped the alarm onto all circuits and buzzed the captain's bunk.

"What the hell's goin' on up there?" Mal sounded as if he hadn't been sleeping.

"Mal, we've got Alliance bearing down on us. They mean business."

"Whadda they have to say."

"Not a thing, Cap'n. Just big guns pointed our way."

"Full burn? Outrun 'em?"

"Not so much, Cap'n, They've got us surrounded."

"What?"

"You know, like they're all around us. If I run, I run into more Feds."

"I'm comin' up."

"Oh, good."

By this time Zoe was already on deck. It was hard for Wash to know if she'd been sleeping or not. She had a way of being instantly awake at any necessary moment.

"Trouble?"

"Oh yes, heaps." He answered, not taking his eyes off the armed vessels.

________________________

Something irked Jayne. That in and of itself wasn't so unusual, only this time it had nothing to do with a prissy doc, a crazy girl, a mouthy pilot or a bossy captain. What irked him was that he was landbound. It was unusual to yearn for the Black. One reason for the unusualness was that he'd so seldom had the chance to yearn. The other reason was that he never before had realized that he liked it so much.

Jayne had bullied his way onto a transport, but had only gotten as far as the other side of the planet.

No one at the shipyard seemed to be hiring. Maybe he was carrying too many guns. Naw, had to be something else.

So he trudged. It was a rather sad sight to see a huge man with many business-type implements trudging in the dust. A trudge denotes dejected and downtrodden demeanor. Alliteration aside, it was a paradox. Yet still he trudged.

More than being just landbound was on Jayne's mind. That was another unusual thing. He was holding several thoughts at once. This one was one of mild regret. It was mixed with anger though. He knew that if he let his anger get out of hand his greed would outweigh the regret. For some reason he found himself holding back; stopping himself from doing what he'd always done. _______________________________

River was not asleep. He could feel the slumber of the others, though, right up until the klaxons woke them. Zoe had been sleeping as she always did, with her senses barely relaxed. Mal had been staring at his darkened ceiling and cursing. Simon was sleeping like a small child and had nearly fallen out of bed at the noise. Book had been snoring loudly from his room near River. She could hear him with her own two ears. Kaylee had been dreaming a peaceful dream. It was full of shining fruit, greasy engines and River's brother.

But now the silence was broken and River lay still as the others rushed about in confusion and fear.

She smiled to herself. Foolish children. Nothing is amiss. Nothing yet.

____________________________

"Why's it assumed guilty unless proven innocent?"

"Um, cuz we are guilty?" Wash ventured.

"Well, yeah, but they can't prove what we're guilty of!" Mal was indignant. He could think of nothing as he stared at the three Alliance cruisers and their myriad deployed patrols.

"There's no way they came on us by accident." Zoe said quietly from her place behind Wash. "Had to've known our course."

Mal nodded grimly.

"So he did it." Simon piped up. "He called the Alliance on us." Everyone knew he was talking about Jayne.

Mal just rolled his eyes. "If he called the Feds he'd be dead too. He's really not that dumb." Simon could think of no retort, though he was trying. Mal continued. "It's true he knows a mite too much on our situation. And it's true he'd enjoy any reward. However, he's been down that road before if you recall." Mal suddenly realized he'd said several sentences in a row about Jayne and stopped himself.

"I think he's set on lying low about now." Zoe agreed.

Kaylee asked softly. "The 'Liance knowed we'd be here, it's plain to see. Who told 'em?"

"That, lil Kaylee, really is the question." ____________________________

Jayne was just about to revisit the local tavern when he realized that there was a rather large man lurking in the shadows near the door. Jayne paused, remaining casual, and peered into the shadow.

"No use trying to jump me." He said to the hidden figure. "I got more'n one loaded gun here."

The man moved slowly into the light toward Jayne, behind him stepped another. Both wore Alliance uniforms. Jayne gripped his gun tighter, knowing it was ready for immediate use.

"You won't be needing those weapons, Mr. Cobb." A low, almost soothing voice came from behind Jayne and he whipped his head around.

He could see no one. But he took his eyes off the Feds and even in that brief spell they'd drawn their weapons and stepped into strategic stances.

Jayne sighed and lowered his guns. No fight this time.