The traditional obligatory offering to Boss Joss. Love the work, got bored, and decided to to run with it!

This is a story co-written with a very good friend of mine, aka DeanWinchester here on FF.net. Action, adventure, drama, sweet Kaylee/Simon stuff, and BIG DAMN hints of Mal/Inara.

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There was no time to react, not as everything still whirled around them in a storm of violence and gunfire.

Tearing away from Mal, Inara lifted her pistol, taking a stray shot at Draedon and hitting him in the shoulder. The commander dropped his pistol in shock, knocked sideways to the ground.

The thug bursting towards Mal was met with a flying fist strike to the face by Inara, who’s sprinted forward to cut him off. The lumbering man recovered quickly, taking a thick swing at the Companion’s face.

She broke the blow defensively, trapping his wrist between her own as she twisted her arms together. Inara lifted a knee up abruptly, striking the man square between the eyes, and then punched him in the face, effectively knocking him out.

She winced as the skin on her knuckled split at the impact against the thug’s nose, but she paid little mind to it as she sprinted back towards Mal’s fallen body.

“Mal!” She called out, panic-stricken. She stumbled to the ground, gently rubbing a hand on Mal’s back. She carefully turned Mal around onto his back, and she saw the two bullet holes, blood pouring forth from each wound.

“Oh God…” This wasn’t happening, she though in a rush of dread. She pressed her hands into the bullet wounds, applying as much pressure as she could, but the blood was pumping out of him too strongly. He was going to bleed out. “Wuh do tyen,” she let out in a sob, “Mal? Mal!”

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Kaylee’s voice whipped her back into attention, and as she lifted her head, she caught the last glimpse of Mal taking several shots directly to the stomach. “Cap’n!” She screamed out in horror as he hit the ground hard.

Simon put his arm out ready to fire at one of the thugs coming towards him. Simon finally focused his eyes on Kaylee and the idiot again. He was taking off with his girlfriend. Racing after him he put the gun in his waist band. He threw his body out tackling the man to the dirt. He threw a fist as soon as he could.

Kaylee yelped out in pain as the thug holding her began pulling her away from the fighting. It took her longer than Simon to register what this man intended to do. “Get offa me, you son of a-” She was thrown to the ground as Simon suddenly dove in from behind, and they both sailed into the dirt. She slowly lifted herself up on her hands, crawling away in a panic away from the brawl between the mercenary and the young doctor. Suddenly, the piercing crack of gunfire lifted Kaylee’s gaze back toward Mal,

Simon who had hit the ground with the larger man was trying his best. The larger man put his feet under him and kicked Simon through the air like a rag doll. Flailing he landed with a thump in the dirt. Sitting up he was about to get up, but instead he got a hit to the face and a boot in his chest holding him down. Squirming and fighting the hold he couldn't make the larger man leave.

"Run! Kaylee!" He barely breathed out. He did however retrieve his weapon from his waist band and shoot the much larger man in the leg. He growled and fell backwards. Simon stepped over and slugged him in the face knocking him out. Standing rather shakily he fixed his shirt some and held his head higher.

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Mal was beginning to lose feeling below his waist and it certainly was not a fun feeling. He lay on his stomach arm slumped out under him weapon hanging helplessly. He couldn't do much right now. He was pretty out of it when Inara took out the other thug. He felt her rolling him over and that was about it. He didn't much feel her hands pressing on his wounds, but he was in a certain amount of pain. Mal nodded and clenched his lips closed. Squirming some he tried to look back behind him.

"Fine Inara.." Was all he could manage to say. Mal put his hands down over his wounds now holding them over Inara's very own hands. "Kao!" He whispered looking up at her. "I'm gonna bleed out in a sun dress." A hint of a smile appeared on his face teeth stained red.

Her hands almost went limp as Mal’s covered the top of them. He was fading fast. Tears falling free from her face, Inara tapped the captain’s face, trying to keep him conscious.

“No no no no no no don’t say that…Mal? Mal, you need to look at me…look at me, dammit!” She suddenly found herself yelling at the man, her hands drenched in his blood, her voice breaking uncontrollably.

“You can’t let go, Mal. You can’t. Hold on!” She looked up at the chaos around them. Five of Draedon’s men lay dead in the dust, the sixth and last one still duking it out with Simon. She didn’t notice the movement behind them as Draedon groaned to his knees, crawling across the ground for his pistol. Her panicked commands faded into desperate pleas,

“I didn’t stay for this, Mal,” she muttered softly as she leaned forward, gently resting her forehead against his own. “I didn’t stay for you to go. You can’t leave, not now…” Her words faded into sobs as she raked her hand gently into Mal’s hair. Her other pressed even firmer into his wound than before. The side of Inara’s cheek rested against the bleeding man’s face. “…I stayed for you…”

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Kaylee watched in frozen fear as Simon brawled with the much larger mercenary. Fists were thrown, and as the doctor yelled at her to run, she nodded hurriedly, spinning on her heal and running towards Mal’s crumpled body, Inara hovering over him. By the expression on her face, Kaylee could do nothing but fear the worst.

“Inara! Is he ok? What…”

Cutting off her words, Draedon had just regained his balance on two feet, and grabbed her roughly as she was mid-run. Dragging her to the center of the scene, he looked out at the devastation. His men were dead. Malcolm Reynolds, though now lying there, dying, had beaten him. No, not beaten him. It would not end like this. He spun around to face the bleeding body of the Independent, and wrung Kaylee’s waist, pressing against the agonizingly painful broken rib underneath.

“You’re not getting out of this unscathed,” he spat at Inara, cocking back his pistol as he dug it into Kaylee’s neck, piercing skin and drawing a stream of blood. Kaylee screamed out harshly. Inara, shaken from her attention on Mal, cried out the young mechanic’s name, struggling to slowly lift herself up to intercept Draedon before he pulled the trigger.

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Back on the Moriarty, Jayne and Zoe stood in silence waiting on River to finish cleaning house. Finally when the shots stopped firing and they could hear her just breathing they peeked out. It was clear. Jayne stepped in behind her as did Zoe. They checked their weapons reloading. They didn't want any surprises.

"Now under different circumstances I would have to say that was about as creepy as it gets but under these I say good job." Zoe said nodding.

She looked to Jayne who was checking Vera for any injuries. "Jayne it's a weapon." Jayne sneered and Zoe looked up. "Anyone else living on this boat?" She asked softly.

River mostly ignored Zoe and Jayne comments, still standing there eerily still on the bridge. “I’m hungry,” she let out randomly. Tossing her extra handgun on the ground, and letting the other slump to her side, the girl looked back down the hallway where they’d come in from. “Food back in storage…” River revealed, stepping out of the bridge and leaving Zoe and Jayne to their own devices.

Jayne gave River a strange look. "Well, she read my mind." He said shrugging. Zoe simply shook her head following the mercenary and River.

Just before she passed the doorway, she paused. Suddenly, a tremor shook through her entire body and mind, a phantom pain coursing through her stomach. Grasping at her waist, she stumbled against a wall, screaming out in horrific pain.

“Mal…” she groaned out, trying her best to remain standing at the shock. Something had happened. The others were in grave danger.

It was then they noticed her barely holding herself up screaming.

"Jayne." Zoe said sternly.

"On it." He said stepping to River.

Jayne put his hand on her shoulder and put her arm around his neck. "Let's get you to the ship." He said moving towards the exit. Stepping over bodies in the process.

Zoe went back to the bridge. Reaching behind her to a strap she grabbed a mine and slapped it agains the wall. Hitting the button she set it up. She went down another corridor setting another. Pressing a button on it she headed towards one last hallway. Setting another mine she hit the button setting it. Going to the exit, which Jayne was just getting through back onto their ship, she set one last one against the wall. Stepping onto their craft, she went to the console and shut the doors. Jayne shook River some. Never was he ever just gentle.

"You're got about ten minutes to get us unlocked from this hunk of junk and to that rock Mal's on or we go boom."

River still squirmed in pain as Jayne lifted her and rushed back onto Serenity. Mal was dying, she could feel it. She felt the bullets through her stomach as if they had struck her and not the captain.

“I’m gonna bleed out in a sundress…” she muttered vaguely, her arms gripping the shoulder of Jayne’s shirt as it draped over his neck.

She was fading just as Mal was fading; she could feel the black overcoming the man’s mind, pulling him away from them…Jayne shook her somewhat violently, and River managed to push herself out of her stupor. She tore out of the man’s grip, standing with a little balance as she stumbled back up into the ship.

“Gotta get down there,” she insisted, her pace quickening as she traipsed up the stairs towards the bridge. She had to get Serenity back up and flying.

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Mal could hear Inara somewhat. It was kinda like he was in a tunnel and she was speaking through a peep hole. He was certainly going to have a hard time dealing with this. Part of Mal wondered where he'd be going if he died. Would he see Wash and Book? Would they be at peace and ok? Would he? And then like that over the horizon he could see that same gawky figure. The loud loose button up beach shirt. Firey hair and the grin. The heat. Blinking it was gone a second later. It was so hot here. She had stayed. Could he stay too? He was supposed to still be around.

Simon couldn't feel his face much. He lifted his hand up to touch his forehead. A cut there and that was about it. His body ached a lot though. He held the gun limply at his side as he turned around. His arm shook as he saw Draedon holding what looked like Kaylee. He was behind him so he could see real good. He could hear him though. Stepping forward he lifted the weapon up and fired at the man. Over and over.

"Neither are you." He said stepping at him. He kept moving and firing. Heading straight for him even when his gun clicked alerting him he was empty. Finally realizing he wasted a whole round on that monster he looked at his gun and tossed it to the side.

Kaylee was held back in pain as Draedon prepared to fire off a shot up into her head. Just as his finger tapped the trigger, a blast of gunfire broke the silence in the air. Kaylee flinched, her eyes closed as she thought it was Draedon’s gun going off.

When she suddenly felt the grip on her loosen, Kaylee pushed away, turning around to see the blank, pain-filled expression of Kerrn Draedon, blood pooling from underneath his black fatigue jacket. He stared at her in confusion and shock as he stumbled to his knees.

She shook, breathing heavily as she watch the man crumble to the ground, a deep red pool of liquid forming beneath his lifeless body. Kaylee looked up at Simon, gun still clicking in his hands. With a deep exhale, she staggered towards him, collapsing against his chest as she held him close. She bit back a sob, but the tears began flowing as the full extent of their situation hit her like a ton of bricks. She winced at the sharp pain in her chest from her ribs, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was that Simon was safe.

The blasts of gunshots made Inara cower away, sheltering Mal instinctively by hovering over his weakening body. As the noise receded, she looked up, watching in stunned silence at Simon’s handiwork. Draedon hit the ground, and it took her a few moments to regain her attention. She collapsed on the ground, her skirt drenched in dirt and blood as she cradled Mal’s head in her hands. Her tears dried hot against her cheeks, the sun beating down on them. This couldn’t be how it ends. Not here. Not in this dead, barren wasteland.

All of a sudden, Mal cried out in pain, inhaling sharply, but to Inara, it was the most beautiful sound she could think of.

“Mal!” she cried, letting herself openly weep for a moment after the sheer terror of almost losing him. Inara held his cheek in her palm, her thumb tracing over his skin tenderly as she prayed silent thanks for having Malcolm Reynolds returned to the land of the living. But he was still mortally wounded, and he wasn’t going to survive unless he got some medical attention.

“Simon!” she suddenly called out, slightly more desperate now.

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Jayne secured everything in cargo bay. With Zoe they made there way to the weapons cage. Putting the side arms away Jayne let Vera hang over his back. He went into the kitchen to strap down into his seat. They were gonna have to get out of here in a big time hurry. Zoe was up on the bridge after River.

Plopping down in the co-pilot seat she secured herself. "Get us out of here and to the planet, River." She said sharply. River had been mumbling things about sundresses and Mal earlier. She could only assume the girl was feeling something going down on that planet.

River exhaled softly, sensing that Mal had ceased fading away, and was going to come back to them. Now fully alert, she nodded at Zoe’s order, her hands a blur across the piloting console as she unhitched Serenity from the Moriarty’s shuttle bay. It took a bit of creative maneuvering to get them fully unattached, but in a few moments, they were racing into the moon’s arid, smoldering atmosphere. Sensors picked up the coordinates that had been transmitted by Draedon, and River burned the engines as hard as they would go in atmo, glancing out the window in search for their friends and crewmates.

“There!” she called out swiftly, making a hard turn towards a small, desert-like valley. She could see bodies strewn near the landing sight of what she assumed to be Draedon’s missing shuttle. Peeling out, River flew Serenity about a hundred meters away from the group, sending dust and rocks kicking up in their path. Moments later, they hit the ground with a slight bump, and River leapt out of her chair, not even bothering to shut down the engines.

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Simon could feel his hand shaking. He had killed that man and he didn't stop. He wasn't even sure he felt bad about it. He didn't in fact and he knew that was probably the wrong way to live, but this man had done so much wrong and so much evil. He had kidnapped Kaylee and attempted to black mail Simon into turning himself and River in. Plus there was something else with Mal he wasn't sure about.

When Kaylee collapsed into his arms he held her tightly. God it felt good to have her back. Over her shoulder he looked onward as Inara called his name. Mal? Was he down? Oh no. Gulping he let go of Kaylee and side stepped.

"Come on." He said looking her way. He took her hand. "Mal's hurt." He stumbled across the terrain to the fallen captain and Inara who was holding him gently. He dropped to his knees next to him and put his hands over the wound.

"We have to keep a lot of pressure. I don't have any of my things to get him comfortable. The bullets are going to have to stay in till I can get him onto Serenity. Too much stuff out here could infect the wound if we dug."

Simon removed his vest with shaking, blood soaked fingers. He balled the vest up and pressed it to Mal's stomach. Mal could feel his stomach clenching and his intestines spewing somewhere. He had an uneasy look as he watched them. His eyes went to Simon and he gave him the typical Malcolm Reynolds smile.

“Whatcha think, doc? Think I'll live to wear another dress?" He asked.

Inara nodded at Simon’s instructions, but almost choked on a laugh, comforted to hear Mal crack a joke.

“Shut up, chuen, and let him work,” she bit back a chuckle, no amount of annoyance able to break her elation at having Mal still alive.

As Simon took over the pressure, Inara’s hand delicately slipped into Mal’s gripping it almost as tight as he was at the pain from the wounds. Wiping away the last strains of tears with the same arm, she lifted the back of his hand to her lips, not caring at all for the thin trace of blood coating it. Shutting her eyes tight for a moment, Inara kissed his knuckles, holding his hand close to her lips as she smiled down at him, her entire body washed with relief at Mal’s consciousness.

Mal swallowed whatever foul tasting liquid was in his mouth. Oh yeah blood. He shook his head and made a choking sound. Tilting his head to the non occupied side he spit out whatever it had been. His eyes went upwards and looked at Inara. A slow smile crept over his lips. "You’re holding my hand..." He almost taunted. Clever Mal tone.

Kaylee followed Simon back to the spot where Mal and Inara were on the ground, and she bit back a gasp at the sight of all the blood, coating both the captain and Inara’s clothing.

“Are you ok?” she asked the Companion in a panic.

Inara nodded, her sole concentration on Mal at this point. “I’m fine, mei mei.”

Kaylee exhaled softly at her admission, suddenly noting the pain in her ribs once more. She winced, holding her side as she tried to breath in shallow gasps. She heard Serenity break atmo before she’d even seen the ship. Kaylee knew her baby.

“There they are!” she commented, lifting her hand to block the sun as she watched the ship speed toward them and land nearby.

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Zoe held tight as River did the piloting. This was good. Before the broke atmo she could hear the explosion of the Mortiary blowing up out there in the black. She gave a solid smile and kept her eyes peeled on the grounds. Finally they were able to land and She was up and following River. Jayne had already gotten out of his before they broke atmo. He was hitting the button for the doors to open when River came running. He went out after her Zoe joining him. He kept Vera level as they headed across the terrain to get the others.

River plodded down the ramp, seeing the group congregated in the near distance. She broke out into a full one sprint, and seeing that her brother was occupied with treating Mal, she decided to make her way over to Kaylee instead. She collided with the young mechanic in a big hug. Kaylee grinned wide at seeing her friend, but groaned in pain as the girl hit her ribs.

“Sorry,” River whispered, pulling away.

“It’s ok, sweetheart,” Kaylee reassured, pulling the girl back into a much easier embrace, draping one hand over the teenager’s shoulder, partly for support.

"Oh. Little Kaylee, there you are," Mal mumbled from the ground, his voice semi holding a pleasant tone. "Now the next time you go and get kidnapped by an evil war commander I don't think I'll be able to pull all this off again." His voice almost sounding chipper. He was scared as could be right now, but he was holding on just fine.

“Everyone’s alive?” River asked, excited since she already knew the answer to her own question, seeing Mal squirm with discomfort.

Kaylee nodded with a chuckle. “Uh huh,” she answered quietly. “Everything’s gonna be shiny, River.” She watched Simon press his vest into Mal’s wounded torso, offering her own silent prayers for the Captain.

He felt Simon hold too hard and he kicked his leg glaring at the young doctor. "Bun tyen-shung duh ee-dway-ro!" He growled out at Simon. "Yeah, it’s shiny when you don't got bullet holes in ya..."

“Yes sir, Cap’n,” Kaylee responded to Mal with a smirk, still holding tight onto River for balance. The girl instinctively picked up on her friend’s injury, and gave Kaylee all the support she needed, slowly turning back toward the ship.

Mal’s head looked up at Inara. "I hope you know that you’re nursing me back to health. Just so were clear there will be full bossing around privileges and such."

“I’m not one of your crew, remember?” Inara muttered back at Mal, her smile never faltering. “Can’t go barking orders at me.” She lowered his hand somewhat, her fingers tracing the curves of his knuckles as she kept his attention, hoping to ease some of his pain. She released her hold on his hand as Jayne picked him up to carry the captain back to Serenity. She stayed in stride with the bulky man, gently running her hand across the bruises forming on her face.

Simon could only sit and hold pressure to the wound. He was trying his best to keep his composure. Even after everything that happened. He kept pressure the best he could while waiting. When Mal cursed at him he only shook his head.

"You're commander friend is dead."

Mal gave him a nod. "You shoot him?" He asked, Simon looking up at him.

Simon only nodded. He heard the sound of his sister and gave her the best smile he could. Then he noticed Zoe and Jayne with her too. Jayne could help with this.

"Jayne I'm gonna need you to pick Mal up and keep him completely leveled out in your arms...can you get him to the ship like that set him up right?"

Jayne just sort of snorted. "Can I do that..." he muttered sarcastically, and then a confused look overtook him. "Oh… Yeah, I can." He said slinging Vera over his back. He stepped forward scooting past some folks. Simon kept his hand on the vest and Jayne moved in beside him.

Standing he heard a yelp of pain from Mal and a hit to the back of his head. "Gorramit Mal I'll drop you." He threatened. Together, the crew took all stumbled back into the main hold of Serenity, and all towards the infirmary.

.................................. To be concluded! Please R&R! ..................................

Chinese Translation:

Translation: Kao! = Fuck! Chuen = dumbass Bun tyen-shung duh ee-dway-ro! = Stupid, inbred pile of meat!