A/N: All right everyone - now it's getting serious ... within the following post, the angst will commence and pretty much not let up for the rest of the piece. (I really hope you enjoyed those first few chapters of fluff!)

Thanks again to Leiasky for the beta.

This is a long one so it might just have to hold you over the weekend ... of course, I could be persuaded (read: bribed) if I got a whole bunch of nice, shiny comments ... In case you missed the subtle reference - COMMENT!

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Link to prompt table

***

The Right To Love - Chapter 4 (Prompts 21-30)

***

021. Lonely

Kaylee was always smiling. It wasn’t a secret to anyone on board that it was her preferred expression. But, since she and Simon had been together, her normally radiant smile had turned to blinding. And she was fairly certain that no one, not even Jayne, was immune to its uplifting powers.

But apparently, today, at this moment, Simon was. Kaylee regarded him unnoticed from the entryway to the infirmary, her head cocked to one side. He was working in his normal, efficient manner, hands sure and steady as they parsed out medication and made quick notes in each of the crew’s charts. That wasn’t what concerned Kaylee.

What concerned her were the darkening circles under his eyes – the ones he tried to pretend weren’t there. What concerned her more was Simon’s increasing agitation as it became obvious he wasn’t sleeping well. And Kaylee knew he had to be tired. Grinning wickedly at the thought of what exactly they did to get so tuckered out, she allowed herself a moment of wistful daydreaming, before turning her attention back to her swai boyfriend. Something was bothering him and Kaylee was going to find out what it was.

“Hey sweetie,” she said brightly, bouncing into the room.

Simon turned slightly to acknowledge her, mumbling some kind of greeting before going back to work. Frowning slightly, Kaylee made her way to his side in just a few steps, bumping her hip lightly against his and teasing, “What? Ya sick o’ me already?”

Sighing softly, Simon turned to her and smiled wide. “Of course not, bao bei.” Moving his arms to wrap around her waist, he kissed her slowly, telegraphing in that one gesture how not sick of her he was. As they parted, both a bit breathless, Simon rested his forehead against hers, and said, “Sorry. I’m just busy.”

“And tired,” Kaylee added, not surprised when Simon pulled back from her, his brow furrowed with confusion. Rolling her eyes affectionately, she rested her hands to his chest and said, “Simon, we’re sharin’ a bed. I think I’d know if you ain’t been sleeping.” As he blushed a furious shade of red, she lifted one hand to his face, her fingers gently brushing under his right eye. “An’ if that weren’t enough, those bags under yer eyes would be plenty to convince me.”

As much as Simon was unsettled by Kaylee’s insight, he was also slightly humbled by it. It was just another example of how close they’d gotten, how much they’d become a part of one another and he found the prospect of someone knowing him that well exhilarating. As Kaylee’s hand moved from his cheek to his chin, he glanced up to her, meeting her concerned green eyes with a small smile. “C’mon, Simon. What’s goin’ on?”

Shaking his head once, he let out a heavy sigh. “It’s really nothing, I’m sure. I’ve just been having trouble sleeping, that’s all.”

Kaylee had wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers gently massaging the tense muscles of his shoulders as she asked, “How long’s this been goin’ on?”

Closing his eyes against the feel of her magic touch, Simon murmured, “I don’t know. I guess for a little over a week.”

Resting her forehead against his, Kaylee whispered, “Simon, a week? That ain’t good. You gotta get some rest.”

Nodding once, Simon opened his eyes to gaze at her beautiful face. “Trust me, I know.”

Leaning back from him, Kaylee studied him for a moment longer before grabbing one of his hands at her waist and tugging him from the room. “C’mon. I think it’s time for a nap.”

Moaning softly, Simon begrudgingly followed. “Kaylee, I have work to do.”

“You ain’t doin’ any more work ‘til you get some rest,” she ordered, pushing open the door to his bunk and ushering him inside.

His head hanging like a toddler being scolded, Simon entered the room. Kicking off his shoes, he pulled his shirt from the waistband of his pants and over his head. “Well, no one appears to be injured,” he reasoned.

“Exactly,” Kaylee told him, smoothing the covers back. Simon removed his belt, keeping his pants on in the off chance someone should need him quickly, and then slid into bed. Kaylee tucked him like a child and Simon had to smile as she took a seat beside him. “Nurse Kaylee says it’s time to rest, dong ma?”

Smiling wider, Simon told her, “Why is it every time you want to roleplay I’m not quite up to the challenge?”

Giggling softly, Kaylee smoothed his hair back from his face, before leaning down and kissing him. “I don’t know. We’re gonna have to work on our timin’.”

His eyes closing against his will, Simon murmured, “I don’t know. I didn’t hear any complaints last night.”

Blushing, Kaylee inched closer to him, one of his hands wrapped up in hers. “Oh no, sweetie. There ain’t nothin’ to complain about.” She watched as Simon rolled onto his side, turning to face her.

His dark eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks before opening slowly, a sly grin spreading across his features. Tugging gently on the hand she held, he told her, “Take a nap with me.”

“Not ‘til you tell me why you ain’t been sleepin’,” Kaylee bargained, her other hand running through Simon’s hair and lulling his eyes shut once more.

Shrugging, he yawned, “I don’t know. I guess I’m worried about River.”

Fear gripping the young mechanic’s heart, Kaylee tried to keep her voice steady. “I thought she’d been doin’ good.”

“She is. She’s just … I don’t know, I haven’t been able to spend a lot of time with her.” Unfocused blue eyes opened once again as he slurred, “I’ve been a bit preoccupied.”

“You an’ me both,” Kaylee whispered, dipping her face to his and kissing him again. “You sleep an’ I’ll be back in a bit.”

Simon wanted to protest her absence, but the power of speech left him as he finally succumbed to sleep. He wasn’t sure how Kaylee had persuaded and enabled him to finally get some rest, but as Simon drifted into a REM state, he didn’t really care.

***

“River?”

Kaylee was really hoping she’d finally found her. She’d already searched River’s bunk, the bridge, the galley and the engine room. Peering over the catwalk’s railing and down into the cargo bay, she let out a small sigh of relief as she made out River’s slim form, sitting atop a crate, her sketch pad and colored pencils in hand.

“Hey there, mei mei,” Kaylee greeted her jovially, skipping down the stairs. “Whatcha doin’?”

“Drawing,” River answered, her long curtain of black hair unbound, keeping her face from Kaylee’s view. She wasn’t upset with the other woman, not really, River just really wanted to be left alone.

“Can I see?” Kaylee asked, hiking herself up onto the crate beside the young reader. As River turned away from her, Kaylee felt her face crinkling with worry. “You okay, sweetie?” she asked gently, reaching to brush a light hand through River’s hair.

Shrugging, the young psychic knew there wasn’t much she could do to avoid the coming conversation. But she didn’t have to make it easy either. Keeping her back to her friend, River murmured, “I’m fine. Where’s Simon?”

Frowning at the girl’s back, Kaylee crossed her legs in front of her, resting her elbows on her knees. “Sleepin’, finally.” Her gaze flickering back towards the passenger dorms, she added, “He’s been havin’ a rough time gettin’ rest.”

“You two are very busy at night,” River commented. Her voice was devoid of any real inflection, but Kaylee still flinched at the sentiment.

“Well, yeah, I ‘spose we are,” Kaylee told her, still wondering why exactly her friend was acting so standoffish. “But I don’t think that’s the reason Simon ain’t been sleepin’.” As River remained silent, Kaylee decided to just confront her. “He’s worried ‘bout you, River. That’s why he can’t sleep.”

“I’m fine,” River said petulantly, deliberately avoiding the other woman’s unspoken question.

“Somethin’ tells me that ain’t so,” Kaylee retorted. Fed up with being ignored, she hopped down off the crate and circled it, standing directly in River’s line of sight. “Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong, mei mei? Maybe I can help.”

Her friend’s features were full of hope and optimism, two emotions not often associated with River Tam. Sighing heavily, she set her sketch pad aside, smoothing her skirt back over her knees. Resting her chin on top of them as she hugged them to her chest, she regarded Kaylee with those huge brown orbs. “I don’t want Simon to worry,” she stated softly.

Reaching up to pat her shin, Kaylee assured her, “I know that, sweetie. But you know how he is. Simon’s been worryin’ after ya for so long, it’s hard for him to stop.” As River ducked her head in a bit of embarrassment, Kaylee added, “And he’s feelin’ guilty. For not payin’ you as much attention, since we … well, ya know.”

Frowning, River quickly hopped down to the deck, taking Kaylee by the shoulders so the young woman would meet her gaze. “No,” River said firmly, her heart beating fast as she considered that her brother might actually do something idiotically stupid and mess up the only good thing in his life. “No, he doesn’t have to worry about that. I’m happy for him. And for you,” she added, allowing her features to break into a smile. “Always wanted a sister,” she said, getting the bright, beaming grin from Kaylee she’d been hoping for.

“Well, then, you gotta tell me what’s worryin’ ya,” Kaylee reported, pulling River to the deck to sit beside her. “’Cause that’s what sister’s do.”

Sighing, River nodded once, her hands absentmindedly twisting into shapes in her lap. She watched her fingers weave into a triangle, a rectangle, a square, a heart – before she sighed heavily, and again regarded her friend. “I’m lonely,” she confided, her voice a whisper. “You have Simon and Inara has the Captain.” Kaylee’s eyes widened at this admission and River forged on, not wanting to sidetrack her with news of a pending relationship. “Zoe has Wash’s memory and Jayne has … Well, Jayne.” Again drawing her knees into her chest, River said, “But I don’t have anybody.”

“Oh sweetie,” Kaylee breathed, her face a study in concern and compassion. “You know that ain’t true. You got Simon an’ me an’ the rest o’ the crew. We’re your family, River. We ain’t goin’ anywhere.”

Shaking her head firmly, River told her, “It’s not the same. And you know it.” Since Miranda, so many things had changed for River. Not only was she now piloting the ship, but she could concentrate for hours, days at a time, without an episode. And with clarity came the realization that while she loved her new family and would risk her life again to protect them, she was still different – apart, alone.

Kaylee was running a comforting hand through her hair and River leaned into the touch. Finally, with a sigh, she laid down, her head on Kaylee’s thigh as the girl continued to stroke her hair. “I ‘spose it won’t do no good for me to tell you that you won’t always be lonely,” Kaylee said, not surprised when River shook her head. Sighing, she added, “Or if I tell ya that every young girl feels this way?” Another head shake and another sigh. “Will anythin’ make it better?”

River closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She could feel Kaylee’s concern and even Simon’s latent worry as he slept. River knew she was cared for and while she wouldn’t have thought it possible, just the knowledge that she had shared her feelings with someone had seemed to lighten her heart.

Raising her head, she met Kaylee’s wide eyes and thought a minute more on her question. A small smile tugging at her mouth, she told her, “Chocolate.”

Giggling, Kaylee rose swiftly, tugging River to stand beside her. “Well, then, it’s a good thing for you that I got a stash.”

River followed the young girl from the bay, more than surprised that as they talked for most of the afternoon, occasionally indulging in a piece of the rich candy, she felt some of her loneliness dissipate.

022. Hunger

“Mal, there are other jobs.”

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Mal didn’t break stride as he passed Inara on the catwalk, making his way towards the bridge. The Companion, not to be deterred, followed closely on his heels.

“Not that I’ve seen,” he told her, glancing over his shoulder. Damn if she wasn’t followin’ him – and with those blazin’ eyes of hers too.

“Have you really looked?” she retorted, stopping abruptly as Mal whirled to face her. Standing on the cargo bay floor, he ignored the inquisitive look from Jayne where the man sat lifting weights and took another step forward. Inara, still standing on the bottom step, was now at his eye level and he watched as her face blanched at his closeness.

“Don’t tell me what jobs to take, ‘Nara.” His voice was a growl, but Inara had long ago learned not to be frightened by it. “We gotta keep eatin’, an’ we gotta feed this ship with nice shiny fuel. Unless you’ve got some squirreled away in that shuttle o’ yours,” he added, waving a hand towards the craft above.

Inara opened her mouth to say something and then closed it just as quickly, still holding his gaze. She saw something else in his eyes too, something more than just annoyance at her second-guessing him. Dropping her gaze to the floor, she took the slightest step back and told him, “No, Mal, I don’t.”

Puzzled by her sudden change in demeanor, Mal decided to go with it, lest she swing back to being annoyed and fed up with him. Although she was awfully cute when she was annoyed … Shaking that thought away, Mal turned and headed out of the bay. “Good.”

Inara listened to the echo of his retreating footsteps long after the sound had faded. Since their argument over a week ago and the subsequent conversation he’d had with Zoe, both Mal and Inara had been avoiding each other like the plague. While Inara liked to think it was for the best, she also knew she was just fooling herself. She didn’t want to be ignoring Malcolm Reynolds and she damn well didn’t want him ignoring her.

Screwing up her courage, she headed after him, not missing the low chuckle that emanated from Jayne as she hurried past. “Oh, he’s in for it,” the merc rumbled, enjoying the view of the Companion’s backside before returning to his workout.

***

“We gotta job, sir?” Zoe questioned, swiveling in the co-pilot’s seat to regard her captain. He was tense, that was obvious and Zoe had one guess who had caused his muscles to bunch up that way.

“That we do,” he reported, standing behind River as she tapped out their new course on the console. “How long, Albatross?”

“Three days, five hours and thirty-seven minutes,” she answered matter-of-factly, her eyes never leaving the readouts.

“Thirty-seven, huh?” Mal teased lightly, smiling wide as she finally turned to regard him with her own small grin.

Shrugging one shoulder, she answered, “Give or take.”

Dropping a kiss to the top of her head, he told her, “All right then. Keep her steady.” He turned to go, almost cursing when Zoe’s voice called him back.

“Somethin’ ‘bout this job that maybe I should know?”

Why was everybody makin’ such a fuss? They’d pulled stupider jobs for a lot less coin in the past. Of course, they’d also been nine then instead of the seven they were now, but –

Glancing to her, Mal shook his head once. “Nope, not a thing.”

Zoe thought about pushing the issue, but luckily the decision was made for her when Inara appeared in the doorway. “Don’t lie to her, Malcolm Reynolds,” she bit out. Flashing her gaze to Zoe she elaborated, “It’s insane is what it is.”

“An’ why would that be?” Zoe addressed Inara now, ignoring the anger that was rolling off Mal in waves.

“Tell her, Mal,” Inara challenged, crossing her arms over her chest. As he turned to regard her, blue eyes steely with resolve, she baited him again. “Go on, tell her.”

Bullied on his own ship – did the title of captain mean nothin’ to his disrespectful crew? Apparently not.

Shooting one final glare to Inara, Mal deliberately turned his back to her so he could address his first mate. “What I believe ‘Nara is referrin’ to is the cargo we’ll be transportin’.” Taking a breath, he finally admitted, “It’s a bit excitable.”

Snorting from behind him, Inara muttered, “That’s one way to put it.”

“And what would the other way be?” Mal was mad now. It was one thing for Inara to question him in front of Jayne, it was an entirely different matter for her to be so insubordinate in front of Zoe and River. “Huh, ‘Nara? Since you are apparently the expert, how else would you describe it?”

Taking one more step forward, Inara’s fierce brown eyes bored into Mal’s with an intensity the two of them often shared, but never acknowledged. “Suicide,” she bit out. Then, turning swiftly, she stalked away, Mal quickly following.

Zoe watched the two of them go, not at all surprised to hear their continued bickering as Mal caught up to the Companion in the corridor. Sighing, she wiped a hand over her tired eyes and looked to River. The reader was sitting very still in the pilot’s seat, her eyes unfocused and distant, setting the first mate on edge.

Moving to her side, she leaned against the console and asked casually, “You all right there, River?”

Blinking rapidly, River nodded once, turning swiftly back to the controls. Zoe, still puzzled, studied her for a moment more and then asked, “What do you say ‘bout all this? We gonna be okay on this job?”

Pausing, River inhaled a sharp breath and closed her eyes. She wanted to tell the woman that yes, everything was fine. That she had seen the outcome and they would all fly away from this job rich and prosperous, but the words wouldn’t come and she could not lie.

Shrugging once, River intoned, “I don’t know. Can’t see it yet.”

Zoe considered the statement, wondering if vagueness was enough to convince the captain to forgo this job. Knowing that stubborn hun dan would no doubt just dig his heels in more fiercely at the prospect of a challenge, she decided it wasn’t worth the fight. Sighing, she told River, “Well, no mind. We’ve made it through worse before.”

As the Amazon woman left the bridge, River’s eyes again lifted to the canopy, studying the stars beyond. “Have we?”

023. Vampire

“’Nara!” Mal caught her elbow just as she passed the hatch to his bunk. Gripping tightly, but not hard enough to bruise, he whirled her around, more than accustomed to the look of anger she had fixed him with. “What in the nine hells was that all about?”

“The job, Mal,” she explained, forcing a patience into her voice she did not feel. Shrugging out of his hold, she crossed her arms defiantly over her chest and told him, “In case you missed it, I think taking this job is just about the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.”

“Look, ‘Nara.” Mal took a deep breath. He was really trying here. Trying to keep his cool, trying not to let what had been a fairly decent couple of months since Miranda devolve into sniping between them. Placing his hands lightly on her shoulders, he met her fiery gaze and explained, “I agree with you.”

The look of shock on her face was more than worth the admission. Mal stifled the chuckle he felt threatening to burst from his lips as she opened and closed her mouth soundlessly several times, apparently at a loss for words. “Well, that is amazin’,” he commented dryly, fixing her with that cocky grin he knew she had a weakness for.

Clearing her throat, she finally managed to sputter, “Really? And what is so amazing?”

“I just made you speechless,” he teased, dropping his hands from her shoulders and crossing his arms over his chest. “I do believe that is a first.”

Inara refused to be baited yet again. Studying his overconfident expression, she asked earnestly, “Mal, if you agree with me, then why are you taking this job?”

Sighing heavily, Mal explained. “’Nara, first off, I got me a genius mechanic who I have no doubt can help us transport that material. Kaylee’s dealt with her share of impossible situations before an’ lived to tell the tale.” As Inara opened her mouth to protest, ready to explain that her faith in Kaylee was not her overriding concern, Mal continued. “An’ there’s a good chance that once this job gets done, there’ll be others. Less dangerous ones maybe, but well payin’.” A slight blush of red coloring his cheeks, he admitted softly, “We need the money, ‘Nara. That is a fact. The retainer was enough to get us fueled, buy a bit o’ food, but it ain’t gonna hold.”

Inara’s eyes searched his, looking for the bravado in his statements and finding only sincerity instead. She knew Mal cared for his crew like family and she knew that since Miranda especially he had felt that burden more acutely. She knew she shouldn’t be giving him grief, but if it meant keeping him safe, preventing him for blowing himself to smithereens than she would.

“You do wanna keep eatin’?” he teased lightly, taking their moment of truce and current closeness to move his hand from her shoulder and cup her cheek. “Don’t ya?”

Smiling softly, Inara took a hesitant step forward and teased him right back. “Actually, I was looking to lose a few pounds.”

Grinning, Mal licked his lips in anticipation of something, he wasn’t sure what. They were so close, closer than they’d been in a month and he was reveling in the proximity of her beauty and warmth, of the scent of her that filled his nostrils and made his head swim. “Don’t need to,” he breathed, every second she was close making his heart pound a bit faster. “You’re perfect.”

Inara was just as enchanted by his nearness. With an almost unrecognized will, she stepped closer, pushing herself onto her tiptoes. In an instant her lips were against his and while Inara felt a spike of fear shoot through her, she could not find the strength to push him away – not now.

Mal felt the same fear, and chose to ignore it as well. Ai ya, she was soft and warm, and all the things he’d dreamt about night after night, but so much better than he could have imagined. The hand he held to her cheek slid along her smooth flesh, his fingers curling into her soft hair, his palm cradling the back of her head as he deepened the kiss. Inara’s arms had found their way around his neck and he placed his other hand at the small of her back, pushing them closer together.

They shouldn’t be doing this here, not in plain sight of everyone, but neither of them could care. It was a passionate embrace, full of pent-up emotions that the two stubborn adults had long denied. Mal’s mouth was soon trailing from hers, his lips making a warm, wet path along her cheek, past her ear and finally settling on the side of her neck, where he bit down, just slightly and started to suck on her skin. Inara’s barely audible mewls of pleasure simply spurred him on, her own mouth finding his ear lobe and teasing it relentlessly.

“Oops.”

Springing apart at the sound of the new voice, Mal and Inara hurriedly wiped at their mouths, casting embarrassed glances down to the decking as Kaylee’s bright eyes flitted between them. “I din’t mean to interrupt nothin’,” she said suggestively, winking to Inara as the other woman sheepishly covered up the mark she knew Mal had left on her neck.

“That’s okay, mei mei,” Inara told her. Looking quickly to Mal, she noted the red blush to his cheeks and forced herself not to giggle. He looked like a school boy caught kissing in the barn; frowning slightly, she realized she probably did too. Moving to her friend’s side, she asked, “Did you need me or the captain?”

“Um, well, the Cap’n,” Kaylee admitted, disappointed that she had unwittingly hindered her friend’s love life. “But it can wait,” she said, doing her best to backpedal.

“Uh, no, that’s all right,” Inara said. Turning back to Mal, she forced herself to meet his gaze and keep her voice steady. “We can discuss this later, Captain?” she asked, not missing the flash of mischief that flickered in Mal’s eyes before he collected himself.

“Yeah, later,” he told her, assuming his gruff, captain-y tone. “O’ course.”

Nodding slightly, she gave Kaylee a wide grin as she passed the girl before heading back to her shuttle. Suddenly, later seemed very far away.

***

“Captain Reynolds has just made contact with our buyer, sir.”

“Good.” The warlord’s beady eyes lit up with a devilish gleam that struck fear into the hearts of all who knew him – or at least knew of him – his reputation was almost as deadly as his actual presence. Steepling his fingers in front of his face, he asked, “And when do we expect Mister Reynolds to be in position?”

“About four days, sir.”

“Excellent.” He had waited a long time to exact his revenge, preying on all he knew of Malcolm Reynolds, both the man and the myth. And now, he was closing in, ready to sink his teeth into the only man ever tortured by Adeli Niska and allowed to escape.

024. Day

Kaylee was moving about his bunk, her hair still damp from the shower she’d taken and she could not stop talking. Simon watched as she moved from one side of the room to the other, getting ready for the day, picking up first her bra and panties and pulling them on, before donning a fresh shirt and pair of coveralls that she pulled from one of Simon’s drawers. Not remembering how they’d gotten there, Simon shook his head a bit and tuned back in to what she was saying, while simultaneously trying to quell his unease.

“I mean, the cap’n’s taken me on a couple o’ jobs ‘fore,” she was saying, moving to sit beside him on the edge of the bed as she pulled on her socks and boots. Lacing them up, she continued. “But this is real important, ya know? An’ the cap’n said he couldn’t do it without me.” Turning shining eyes to him, she smiled proudly and said, “Without me? Ain’t that shiny?”

Smiling slightly, Simon fell back against his pillows and sighed heavily. “Yes, shiny. It’s great,” he muttered sarcastically.

Adjusting so she could more fully face him, Simon watched as her bright smile was replaced with a dark frown. “Ain’t ya happy for me?”

Propping himself back up on one elbow, Simon took one of her hands and said wryly, “Of course I am, Kaylee. I’m thrilled that Mal is so eager to make my girlfriend a party to his crime.”

With a scowl, she rose and went to the mirror, brushing out her hair. “This from the criminal mastermind,” she muttered under her breath.

Wincing at the reminder as she wasn’t in the least bit wrong, Simon sat up and pulled on a pair of sweatpants, before moving to stand behind her, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders. Meeting her eyes in the mirror, he said softly, “I’m sorry, Kaylee. I want to be supportive really, especially because you’re so excited. But this is dangerous and I don’t like it.”

Frowning at him slightly, Kaylee pinned back her hair, before turning to face him. Placing a light hand to his cheek, she told him, “Simon, most of our days are full o’ danger. This is a job an’ I’ll be with the cap’n an’ Zoe. I’ll be fine.”

Rolling his eyes, Simon said, “Oh yes, because the two of them always come back from jobs looking rosy.”

Giggling a bit at his continued snarkiness, Kaylee leaned up on her tip toes and kissed him hard. When they parted for air, she rested her forehead against his and said, “I’ll be back by tonight an’ we’ll be rich.” Kissing him again, she murmured, “An’ then we can celebrate.”

Grinning at her, Simon managed to get in one more quick peck before Mal’s bellow could be heard. Smiling back at him, Kaylee rushed from the room. Simon watched her go in silence, unable to quell the unease growing in his gut.

***

River stood in a shadow of the cargo bay as Mal, Kaylee and Zoe hopped onto the mule and drove off. She wanted to warn them, wanted to tell them that something wasn’t right. But the captain had scolded her, not more than a day before, about coming to him with less than complete information.

Since she didn’t have all the facts, she’d only told them to be careful, like she always did. River watched them leave hoping that what she felt would not come to pass.

025. Night

Kaylee looked towards the horizon and could see the sun lowering behind it. She couldn’t believe it was nighttime already. Knowing they would be heading for Serenity just as soon as they unloaded their very precious and very volatile cargo, Kaylee sighed a bit, thinking of Simon.

“You all right there, lil’ Kaylee?” Zoe asked, watching as the girl’s face curled into a grin.

Blinking at her and smiling sheepishly, Kaylee told her, “Oh, yeah, Zo, I’m fine, jus’ a bit anxious, ya know?”

Fingering the handle of her gun as it rested snugly against her thigh, Zoe let her eyes wander back towards Mal. He was a few feet off, trying to negotiate their passage with some local patrol men. As Zoe’s gaze roamed around them, she looked at the high walls of the buildings on either side and encroaching darkness as the sun sank. Nice place for an ambush, she thought, her old soldier skills kicking in. Shaking the thought from her head, she looked back to Kaylee and asked, “You sure this stuff ain’t gonna blow?”

With one of her trademark grins, Kaylee said proudly, “Nope. I got it all trussed up good.” And indeed, she had. Kaylee wasn’t exactly sure what was in the three wide canisters strapped to the back of the mule, but the captain had told her it was highly excitable, which in this instance meant it could go boom pretty quick. That’s why he’d needed her; Mal had needed Kaylee and her mechanical genius of a brain to be sure they transported the materials safely and securely to the rendezvous. Using some fairly high-tech equipment that Kaylee knew she’d more than likely never see again, she had calibrated the tanks for the trip and they were now as innocuous as jars of air.

Giving the girl a lingering look, Zoe could only smile at her cheeriness even as her discomfort over their situation grew. It might have been the years of fighting at Mal’s side or the sheer number of scrapes they’d seen or maybe just her own pessimism that alerted Zoe to the danger a split second before it hit; she would never know.

Hearing the click of a trigger cocking, Zoe shoved Kaylee down roughly by the shoulder as she drew her own firearm and whirled, shouting for Mal in the process. “Cap-!”

The cry was cut off as the attacker fired at point blank range, knocking Zoe back and unconscious and causing Kaylee to cry out in fear as her comrade fell at her feet.

Her eyes hurriedly searching for the captain in the darkness, she tried to call out to him just as a large hand closed over her mouth and she was unconscious, consumed by the dark.

027. Light

She was light, a big ball of it, sunny and bright and brilliant and glittering. And then she was nothing.

Sitting up and gasping for air, River immediately called for her brother, her voice shaky. “Simon!”

He was by her side in an instant, unable to sleep as their crewmates had not returned as planned. Even as he moved to comfort her, River could feel Simon’s concern for Kaylee and it brought bigger, more urgent tears to her eyes.

Reaching for him, he cradled her against his chest, trying to soothe her as his heart and mind raged with fear over Kaylee’s whereabouts. When she finally felt she could speak, River pulled back and said, “The light’s gone.”

Narrowing his eyes at her in an effort to understand, Simon asked quietly, “What, mei mei?”

Falling back into her dream, River tried to pull out the details, the things she could tell him that would bring the brightness back. But it was muddy and she wasn’t sure what was shadow and what was real. Finally drawing her tear-filled eyes to his face, River could only murmur, “They took your sunshine away.”

Knowing inexplicably that his sister was talking about Kaylee, Simon grabbed her by the shoulders and asked hurriedly, “River? What happened to Kaylee? To all of them?”

Shaking her head, River said, “Warm light, red light. Feet to the volcano,” before again dissolving into sobs.

028. Shadow

They were shadowy figures and Kaylee supposed she should be glad. It was probably best she couldn’t see their faces as they beat her, kicking her ribs and head, mashing on her fingers and toes, cutting at her flesh.

She was in a lot of pain, blacking in and out of consciousness. Her lips were already swollen and cracked from the numerous slaps and hits she’d gotten, and her arms were bruised from where they had shoved needles full of drugs into her system. Drugs, that hurt more than the physical pain, tearing at her insides, wreaking havoc on her body’s organs.

Everything hurt and Kaylee had never felt more alone or scared in her entire life. Every time these faceless men left her, crying and broken and bloody, she prayed it was the last time; that they wouldn’t come back. But they always did.

Shivering with pain and fear, Kaylee slumped onto her aching side as the shadowy figures again retreated. She whimpered pathetically, doing her best to pull her sore legs into her chest. She was fairly certain one of them was broken – every time she attempted to move it she almost blacked out from the effort.

Crawling on bloody hands, dragging her lower body more than anything, Kaylee found the nearest, darkest corner and curled into it. Laying her bruised cheek against the cold cement floor, she allowed her eyes to close, indulging in memories of Simon. He would find her and take her home and she would once again be safe. Kaylee knew it, believed it – she had too. Beginning to cry again as fear battled to take control of her, she forced herself to think of Simon, his name recited as a breathless mantra until she finally fell asleep.

029. Space

There was too much around him; that was the first thing Mal realized: too much air, too much light, too much space. He should be drowning or suffocating, if the pressure in his chest and the heaviness of his limbs were any indication.

Only with a concentrated effort and a loud groan was he finally able to open his blood-caked eyelids and take in the emptiness around him. Meeting a bright white light that instantly blinded him and caused salty tears to pour into his already open wounds, Mal blinked rapidly, still trying to get his bearings.

“Ah, Mister Reynolds.”

With another groan, Mal wished violently that he’d stayed unconscious. He saw the man’s shadow pass over him and grimaced as the beady little eyes and round glasses came into focus. The man’s light and balding hair were illuminated by the light above, giving him a decidedly angelic quality, that Mal might have found amusing – considering that Adeli Niska was the devil reincarnate.

“Mister Reynolds, you are finally awake I think, yes?” His accented English assaulted Mal’s ears like the loudest of roars and working his tongue in his mouth he tried to form a snappy comeback. Judging by the lack of saliva and the abundance of blood in his mouth, he guessed he’d been out for quite a while.

“Now, Mister Reynolds, it occurs to me we never really finished our business from before,” Niska was saying, his raspy voice pounding in Mal’s head.

“Oh, I think we did,” the captain managed to bite out, coughing up blood as he continued to speak. “Seems to me my crew shot up the place real good. The end.”

“Always with the kidding,” Niska remarked, his voice taking on that amused quality that aggravated Mal so. “I wonder if the girl with you would be up for the kidding?”

Mal’s entire body tensed as a memory from his last unsullied bout with consciousness came back to him – the job, Zoe, Kaylee … oh god. “You just leave the girl alone an’ deal with me,” Mal told him, trying to sound as authoritative as possible. Praying guiltily that Niska had Zoe as he knew she could withstand the torture, he fished for information. “This’s between you an’ me.”

“True,” Niska tsked and Mal’s heart sank. If the sadistic son of a bitch had Zoe he would have disputed the claim, not likely to forget that it had been Mal’s second who had come waltzing into his complex and bartered for Wash’s life. Tamade hun dan bastard had Kaylee and Mal had never felt more despair in his life.

Again filling the space over his head with his own grim countenance, Niska continued. “The girl is pretty no? And she flies with you, so I think maybe we keep kidding with her.”

Wanting desperately to rage at the man and strangle his scrawny neck with his bare hands, Mal was stopped from taking any revenge as Niska’s henchmen coursed more electricity through his body and he was again unconscious.

030. Coffin

The room was too small. Even as Kaylee crouched herself into the smallest possible ball, she knew it wasn’t small enough, she was going to die, crushed by the heavy walls as they moved towards her.

It was a figment of her imagination, a result of the hallucinations she’d begun to suffer after fifty hours at the mercy of these men. Her cell was as big as it had always been and while a small section of Kaylee’s mind knew that to be true, the rest of her refused to believe it.

She didn’t cry anymore, there was no point. It didn’t stop them from hurting her and it didn’t stop her from hurting. She could only curl into the smallest form, trying to give her lungs all the air they could need.

Her thoughts often drifted to Simon – his face, his eyes, his smile. When she could think, he was there, whispering softly to her, telling her to hold on, promising her that he would come. At first, she had believed him. He had, after all, come for River, when bad, shadowy men had been hurting her, surely he’d come for Kaylee, the woman he’d professed his love to no more than a week ago.

But the walls were still closing in; even thoughts of Simon’s swai face could not stop them. Kaylee couldn’t breathe and then for a few heady moments she could, before she was again panting, hyperventilating, pain wracking every breath as cracked ribs poked into flesh and lung, puncturing, bleeding, killing.

Her own coffin with collapsible walls and a locked door.

***

Anybody?

Chapter 5