Glad you're enjoying this fic, it looks like there's going to be possibly 2 more chapters after this one. I keep on trying to wrap it up, but I don't want to skimp out on some things so it just tends to get a bit lengthier.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inara had promised to watch River.

She had gotten into a bit of trouble, mainly getting into a strange argument with Jayne and calling him a girl. So while everyone was busy cleaning up, Inara had been put on babysitting duty. As she thought about how she had killed someone, River curled up on her luxurious couch and drew pictures.

“What are you drawing sweetie?” She said while coming over after having a long debate over her future with Serenity.

“Two by two.” River looked up, somewhat nervously, and pointed to her sketchbook that had the drawings of four blue hands. An upturned palm, a clenched fist, a down turned palm, and one holding a strange pen-like object.

The Inara furrowed her brows, confused, but then again it was normal for someone to be confused regarding River. When someone came into her shuttle, she turned around and saw Mal there.

He stopped and realized something was amiss. “Not gonna call me manly ‘n impulsive?”

“I assume you’re here to check on me.” She sighed. “And yes, I’m fine.”

“Doc said you shot someone.” He walked over, closer to her, within a few steps they were face to face. “Killed ‘im.”

“Well Simon would have been arrested or worse if I hadn’t.” She said a bit too quickly to sound composed.

Looking down, he saw her hands trembling, a reaction towards taking someone’s life he had seen many times in the past. “’Nara,” Taking her hands he rubbed his calloused thumb over the top of her knuckles.

Inara pulled away from the soft contact. “I’ll be fine Mal.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wash, groaned.

Zoe walked over to their bed with a basin of water and a cloth and sat down next to him. Dipping the cloth in the water she then dabbed his face with the cool, damp rag. She watched him carefully, looked at him in his boxers and an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt as she had stripped off his bloody coveralls. Clutched in his right hand was his favorite T-Rex, which brought a smile to her lips. Leave it to Wash to hold a toy dinosaur while recovering.

“Baby?” He asked in a disoriented fashion.

“Just rest.” She told him lovingly, leaning in and giving him a kiss.

Wash smiled an achy smile. “You think you can do that again? I think it’s helping me feel better.”

Zoe chuckled. “Wash.”

“Zoe, that whole ‘kiss and make it better’ thing, really works when you’re doin’ it.” He explained.

“You don’t say.” Leaning in she kissed him again, and again, and again.

“Hmmmm…” Wash kissed back, enjoying all of the attention. “I should get shot more often.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was quite a bit to do.

They had taken all of the bodies to the airlock, where Book said a few words over their deceased enemies. After releasing the corpses into space, everyone who could grabbed brushed, rags and buckets of bleach to scrub out the blood that clung to any surface that was near a spot where John had maimed a fed. Mal pulled the bandana down that covered his mouth and nose to block out the fumes as he went down to the cargo bay and stood on the staircase. His eyes wandered to the nook where their fortune lay hidden, and he breathed a thankful lungful of air as the horse clattered around on the cargo bay floor.

One million credits.

Fresh food for their bellies, some fuel cells, parts for Kaylee, good pay for the crew, perhaps a little winter holiday bonus even for them, along with a vacation so everyone could relax. Only Ru knew about the massive payload, but everyone would be celebrating once he announced the side job and handed out healthy pay percentages. They were going to be living well for a spell, which meant they didn’t have to be so desperate for jobs. It brought a sideways smile to his lips.

“So, when are you gonna tell everyone?”

Looking over his shoulder, he saw Ru sidle up to him. “I figger soon. Let things settle a bit as everyone’s a might ruffled ‘n the Alliance is gonna be jumpy when all of the feds on a ship’s missin’.” He arched a brow. “Are you supposed ta be flyin?”

“Wash woke up and was all sorts of anxious cause someone was flyin his boat. So Zoe’s keepin’ an eye on him while he’s at the helm.” She clarified.

“Glad he’s doin’ ok. You know how Kaylee’s feelin?”

“She’s sleepin’ all cozied up in her hammock. Hasn’t woken up since she fell asleep, but the doc says it’s the pain killers he gave her.”

“Good, good.” Malcolm shifted his weight from one foot to the next and glanced at her wrist. Her gloves were still on, but he saw the self inflicted cut had been repaired seamlessly. “You wanna tell me just what the gorram hell you did in the bank?”

She looked down and held her own wrist, then gazed up and stared out into the distance. “The Alliance is all about making people better, Mal, especially pertainin’ to their soldiers. Build a better warrior, like that toe headed pitbull on board that killed them feds." Letting out a deep brath, she dwelled on it for a minute "‘Cept with me it was build one integrated into the cortex, less will, less humanity, more machine.” Her face was solemn as she squeezed her wrist. “Us in the cybernetics program…”

“Guinea Pigs.” Mal’s jaw set.

The auburn head nodded slowly. “They wanted to see if they could do it, if they could connect our minds to the cortex.” Her shoulders dropped as her face tightened. “You know Mal, I appreciate my arm every day, but when you’re in a situation like me, it’s hard to feel less… of a person…. When you’ve got mechanics plugged inta your brain and it ain’t all natural.”

He placed his hand on his shoulder.

“I hear the more metal they sewed into some of the more severely injured soldiers… less personality… some was so mechanical… just stopped being men.”

“Well then it’s best we don’t have ya lose no more of the parts you were born with, mei-mei.” Giving her shoulder a squeeze as he was troubled with the information of the Alliance trying to build a better soldier, human perfection was what he was smelling more and more of. Now, it made sense why she didn’t like to use her prosthesis to connect to the cortex, it made her feel less of a person. River, John, and now Ru, victims of the Alliance’s tests. It made him angry, as well as disgusted as he gave Ru a side hug. However he stopped when he heard footsteps.

“You know captain, showing affection isn’t a crime.” The Shepard told him as he went over to the two.

“Prefer ta be seen as the mean ol Capin’.” He explained. “No one respects the Capin’ who’s all warm ‘n fuzzy. What brings ya over Preacher?”

“Well,” He laced his fingers together. “I received a wave from the town I visited on Haven last time we touched down. They liked my sermon I gave, don’t have a Shepard that’s nearby and the Winter Festival’s comin’ round. Would like to have one when Christmas comes in a month….”

“Sounds like you’re finally getting’ off this boat n’ away from us unsavory folk.” Malcolm said with a stiff smirk.

“Just for a spell. Couldn’t leave you and this crew forever, left to your own devices, who knows what trouble you’ll muck yourselves into.” Book teased.

“Oh we’ll git inta trouble, that’s a fact.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Simon finished stitching everyone up.

After checking on River, and discovering her rather contently drawing the horse in Inara’s shuttle, he had skipped dinner, which had been done in the common area since the stench of bleach was still heavy in the kitchen even though Inara had some incense burning to get rid of the smell, did a quick sweep of most of his patients and found himself doctoring mug of soup.

Or what was supposed to taste like soup.

Moving towards the engine room he caught a glimpse of his sister, out of the shuttle and in the common area stealing food off of Mal’s plate as everyone else was fine dining with what had been salvaged from the kitchen. With her seemingly alright, it meant he didn’t have to worry so much as he went up and peered into the humming engine room to see Kaylee disoriented and in her hammock.

She heard his footsteps and looked up drowsily, officially out of her drugged state of mind and feeling mighty sore. “Hey.” Her eyelids bobbed a few times before they managed to open. Giving a tired smile she lifted head up while struggling to sit, running her fingers through her hair.

“Hungry?” Simon asked, watching as she sat up he took a seat next to her and carefully handed her the mug. “It’s um… tomato soup… I think… that’s at least what it I was told.”

“Thanks.” Giving him a weary smile, she put the warm mug to her lips and took a long drink. Which, led to her gagging cough as the soup tasted rank. “Uuuuck….” She coughed and smacked her lips together. “Ackkk…”

Simon patted her back, the strong face his normal ‘what did I do now?’ expression. “Not good?” He began to feel like a fish out of water. Here he had just tried to be sweet and bring her some soup, and she had choked on it. Yes, he was smooth, so very, very smooth. “I’m sorry…”

“No it’s ok..” She coughed a few more times. “It’s um… it’s sweet.” Kaylee smiled genuinely at him, reaching over and setting the mug on a shelf near her hammock before allowing her hands to rest in her lap. “I mean, ya took the time out ta fetch me some soup. It’s the thought that counts. And I’d kiss ya as thanks but I’d probably taste like rotten tomatoes n’ protein.”

He cracked a smile, as there was her natural state of making everything sound so positive. “How’s your leg?”

“Better, can wiggle my toes.” She showed him the slight movement.

“Good. You should be able to walk in a few days, it wasn’t a very deep gunshot wound but you need to keep your weight off of it for little awhile. I’d say you can run in about a week.” After he finished, there was a silence as Simon remembered her little drugged outburst.

Kaylee’s smile turned nervous as she grasped at the fabric of her coveralls. “Did I say somethin’ stupid when I was all… outta it?” Reading his face she shrunk back, green eyes widening “Aiya… how bad was it?”

He shook his head to hide his embarrassment. “It um.. it was nothing.” Putting on a false smile. “You just said some things… sweet things… I guess… in front of everyone.” The doctor began to blush profusely. “It’s ok, I think everyone’s getting a good chuckle out of it.” Seeing her own embarrassment, he wrapped his arm around her and gave her forehead a tense kiss as an attempt to be reassuring. “It’s ok… I have a feeling that even though we don’t think so, we’re the most obvious couple on the ship besides Zoe and Wash.”

Kaylee’s eyes sparkled a bit. “Couple? As to say…?”

There was an awkward pause as he pulled back and stared into her eyes. Air thick with nerves, fear, hormones, and want, from the both of them. He was hoping he hadn’t made a mistake, and she was hoping it wasn’t something he was going to quickly take back.

Sighing, Simon nodded his head and wrapped both of his arms around her, it was his silent response, while Kaylee smiled in his arms, pleased with the development.

They were a couple.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

John came out, dressed in his new clothes.

After cleaning everything up, Jayne reluctantly had given him some cargo pants and a snug blue tee that read ‘My Friends Went To Capital City And All They Got Me Was This Stupid Shirt’. He had pulled his golden locks back into a low ponytail, and was still prowling around barefoot as he found Mal on the catwalk, watching the horse while also eyeing the storage of his money. He sidled up to the captain and placed his hands on the railing.

Mal’s blue eyes glanced over and he pursed his lips. “Mighty nice heroics. Savin’ my crew like that. If ya weren’t here, they wouldn’t have made it.”

“I like your crew. I hate feds.” He said simply.

“Well if that ain’t the honest ta god truth.” Malcolm scoffed. “Took out damn near thirty men, all by yourself, without a gun, jus beatin’ on them.”

“I’m not a fan of guns,” he gripped the railing, muscles flexing as he stared out into the distance. “I was taught there are other more satisfying ways to kill a man.” Glancing over he saw how Malcolm wasn’t fazed.

“Most people would see that type of bloodshed, say a human couldn’t have done it.” He said simply. “Hell, I ain’t even seen a Reaver work like that. That efficiently.”

“I’m not a human anymore. You take so much away from a person, and put so much back in, they don’t think like you humans do.” He smirked as he had overheard the conversation with Ru. “More of a toe headed pit bull I guess.”

“Heard that eh?”

“I’ve been called worse.” His tone said he didn't care, the insult didn't bother him at all.

“What do you prefer to be called?”

The broad shoulders shrugged. “Been called many things, and John Woolf isn’t my real name.”

“Shen-me?” Malcolm gave a puzzled face.

“It’s just an alias the people who created me gave me... gave me a lot of names, but they took away my real name.” Aqua eyes narrowed as he stared at the back of the ship. “Erased it from my memory. I remember my childhood, my family, but not my name.”

“Well I hate ta say it, but John’s not a name that best describes you. Too plain, if you’re gonna stay we’ll haveta come up with somethin’ more fittin’…” He paused and gave a sideways glance. “That is of course whether or not you fancy stayin’ on this boat.”

“I like you and your crew, seems to be the only place I feel I have a chance of fitting in.”

“Good ta hear, cause I think you should stay.” He nodded his head. “Of course, only if you want to. If you do though, I’ll give ya some cash so you can buy some effects ‘n what not. All you gotta do is help me on jobs, listen to my commands and keep my crew safe.”

“It would be my pleasure.” His aqua eyes followed the movement as River ghosted in without a sound or word. John smirked, and watched her as she took her time to go down to the cargo bay to see the horse she was fixated on.

She stopped, turned and looked up to him with a knowing smile. “Good stay.”

Mal smiled sideways and shook his head. “Girl’s all fragmented ‘n the head, but she’s got ‘er moments.” he tensed as he saw how she was headed towards the stubborn show horse. “River…”

“She’ll be fine.” The blonde man reassured. “Trust me.”

“Hey,” Ru’s head popped in from the corridor. “Anyone wanna play Tall Card? We’re starting a game, me, Kaylee and Simon.”

“You, me ‘n card games don’t mix.” Malcolm told her with a headshake and a chuckle. “So that’s a no from me.”

John turned around and looked to her. “Can I play?”

Ru stiffened, as she was still wary, yet nodded her head. Looking down to River she also asked. “You wanna play?”

River cocked her head up, dark locks spilling into her face.

*****

*****

***** Translations

*Aiya: Damn

*Shen-me?: What?