A contiuation of my Jaylee story originally written for the lyric_ficathon on LJ. Prompt suggested by artemis_prime. The time to wrestle the angel is here and the night is quickly passing - from Jeffrey Foucault’s Thistledown Tears.

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The scream of the overloaded engine echoed in Kaylee’s ears as she hastily tightened bolts.

“Dan!” Monty’s voice yelled over the comm. “We need more power.”

Kaylee’s hand tightened on the wrench as she stepped carefully over Dan’s bleedin’ body to reach the grav boot.

She shook her head to clear the tears from her eyes, wishin’ she could go help her friend. But she had to hold the engine together first. If she didn’t they’d all be dead and she’d never see Jayne and the others again.

“Divin’!” the warnin’ shout bellowed even as The Falcon started tiltin’ worse than before. Kaylee quickly sat down and grabbin’ Dan’s shirt by the collar, wrapped her arm round the stanchion just in time.

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“Don’t see why Kaylee had to go with Monty.” Mal grumbled, helping Zoë with the crate. “There’s things she could be doing here.”

He couldn’t see why either, Jayne thought as he pushed his crate into place.

“It isn’t often she gets to talk to other mechanics sir.”

Or do other things. They all knew little Kaylee, engines and good-lookin’ men.

“She can talk to him when they’re here, can’t she?”

In plain sight. Where the hun dan wouldn’t be touchin’ her, Jayne’s hands clenched around the next crate.

“Getting her hands on another engine is always a drawcard for Kaylee.” Zoë smiled sardonically at the Captain, “and she likes to learn more how to keep Serenity flying.”

Kaylee liked to learn ‘bout fellas too, and they liked to learn ‘bout her. ‘Course that he could understand, who wouldn’t want her?

“If it helps Serenity and makes her happy.” Mal conceded. “She seem down to you lately?”

Jayne flushed guiltily and gorram near dropped the box he was carrying.

“Maybe,” Zoë was non-committal, watching Jayne from the corner of her eye.

“A bit of flirting with Dan ought to help that out.”

It would make Kaylee happy, make her smile. Leave him out in the cold again. Jayne slammed his last crate onto the pile and stomped off.

Mal watched his mercenary storm off, “what’s the matter with him?”

“No idea sir.” Zoe replied, deciding to go talk to the Shepherd. She thought Jayne might be needing someone to talk to.

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Kaylee awoke to silence. There was no engine whirrin’, no clankin’ of metal as the ship flew through the black.

Groanin’ she opened her eyes, and looked round the wreckage of the engine room. They must have crashed she thought hazily. Lettin’ out her breath slowly, she checked over her body. Lots of bruises and little cuts, a bump on the head but basically fine she thought with relief.

That done she crawled over to check on Dan, He was still breathin’ and the bleedin’ had stopped. But there was a big pool of blood under him and he was so pale it terrified her.

With shakin’ hands Kaylee peeled away his shirt to look at the wound beneath. It was way beyond her little first aid skills.

Forcin’ herself to her feet she leant on the comm button, tryin’ again and again when she got no reply. It was no use; she were goin’ to have to go look for the medic and other crew members.

Before leavin’ though, she needed to help Dan a mite.

She’d been in Dan’s engine room often enough to know where the first aid kit and rag box were. Rippin’ up some of the clean rags, Kaylee used them to bind up the gapin’ hole in Dan’s side and for the first time in her life gave someone a smoother for the pain.

Castin’ a last nervous glance at Dan, Kaylee left to find the others.

The ship was tilted at a crazy angle and she had to hang on tight to the handrail so she wouldn’t fall. She found Vic the mercenary crumpled up against the catwalk rails where she’d obviously fallen.

The woman was groanin’ her way to consciousness as Kaylee approached. Both her legs were bent at awkward angles and the girl rushed forward to stop her movin’ and hurtin’ herself more.

“Monty?” Vic jerked out, stoppin’ her movement as she woke and heard the girl’s words of caution.

Kaylee shook her head. “I don’t know. Can’t raise anyone on the comm; Dan’s hurt real bad too. Can ya stay here while I go look?”

“Gonna have to ain’t I?” Vic retorted. “Ya go see if there’s anyone else hurt. I’ll be alright here awhile.”

Kaylee gave her a doubtful look. Vic’s legs must be painin’ her somethin’ awful, but at least she were awake and talkin’, it was good to hear someone else’s voice.

“Go on girl.” The older woman ordered firmly. “We need to see how bad things are.”

Kaylee nodded and continued to make her way forward.

She found Tony the medic in the infirmary dead, his head crushed from hittin’ the med bed, and finally located Monty on the bridge.

He’d also hit his head on somethin’, there was blood cakin’ his face, and he was out of it. The pilot Bob, still in his seat was dead like Tony, shards of glass stickin’ outta his throat.

Kaylee closed her eyes for a moment at the horror and swallowed the bile in her throat. She didn’t have time to be sick she told herself savagely. She were the only one at the moment capable of doin’ anythin’ and time was passin’ quickly.

Her first job would be to help the crew who were still alive. She had no idea where to start, Kaylee thought in panic. But she were goin’ to try. Then she could start workin’ on the communications so she could signal Serenity.

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Mal stood at the edge of the ramp watching his mercenary and the Shepherd do some shooting practice.

“How long?” he asked, trying fruitlessly to stop scanning the Falcon’s landing space.

“Six hours now sir, no answer to our calls,” Zoë answered.

“They’re in trouble then.”