Miss something? Read: Head Trauma, Focus on the Fine Qualities of Dinosaurs, Translation, All Kinds of Brilliant, The Passion and the Freedom (1/2)

River was seated in the pilot’s chair when Zoe walked onto the bridge, her hands on the yoke and her head tilted to the side. She was murmuring, little poems and half-phrases that didn’t make any sense, but Zoe found she didn’t mind. “What are you up to, little one?” She stood behind River’s chair, one hand on her shoulder, and almost shuddered at the familiarity of the gesture. She didn’t move. “Talking to Wash.” River turned her face up to Zoe, starlight reflecting on her pale skin, and Zoe thought she looked more somber than she’d seen her in a long time. “I miss him, you know. Everything I know about flying – not just books and simulators, but the passion and the freedom – I learned from Wash’s head. He was better than I’ll ever be, and he loved this ship almost as much as he loved you. I think, if he was going to be a ghost, he’d be here, where he could feel Serenity hum and watch the stars go by.” “I think you may be right.” Zoe squeezed the shoulder under her hand. Inara, eyes bright, watched them from the open doorway until she heard Mal clomping up the hallway to the crew’s quarters behind them. ))) There was one major problem with fencing diamonds: they made you a target. Mal had asked River to set a course for Persephone, where he might be able to find a fence for some of the jewels and a lower-profile job. When they landed, he ended up having to go through Badger to unload the diamonds, which left him in a foul mood. He had Badger set him up with a black-market jeweler who had riffled through Mal’s handful of gems, painstakingly prized from their settings by the ever-industrious Kaylee, and given him a ridiculously low price. He knew that diamonds weren’t worth as much as they had been – synthetic diamonds had flooded the market almost four centuries ago, and were virtually indistinguishable from the real thing – but these were diamonds from the jewelry of some of the most elite members of Core society. He was glad that the majority of the stones were hidden on Serenity, most of them still in their settings. Underpriced or no, diamonds were diamonds, and Mal ended the day with enough money to send Kaylee to buy just about anything she wanted for Serenity (“But nothing brand new, mind! We don’t want to call too much attention to ourselves.”), to stock the galley with fresh food, to send Zoe and Inara out for an evening on the town before Inara left for a client the next morning, and still had enough money in pocket to treat the remainder of his crew to a dinner that wasn’t grilled on skewers. They were finishing their meal at a tavern – Jayne and Kaylee had both balked at the thought of finer dining, and Mal discounted Simon’s opinion altogether – when River reached around her brother to poke Mal in the side. “Tell them now!” She commanded. “That’d be a bit more convincing if you didn’t have hosin sauce on your face, Albatross.” But he did as she said and got Jayne and Kaylee’s attention while she scrubbed furiously at her chin. “From what I hear, both of you have families what could do with a bit of coin. I got enough in trade today to have a bit left over, and thought I’d pass the extra along. Ship don’t need nothin’ and there’s more where that came from, so I thought to take a bit out of your cut. Fifty platinum each, and we can stop by and deliver it the next time we’re headed that way.” Kaylee was glowing. “That’s just shiny, Cap’n!” “Thanks.” Jayne’s voice was gruff, and he turned immediately to his dinner of strip steak and bao, but it wasn’t just River that could hear the pleasure hidden under his tone. ))) They had just gotten back, Mal and Simon half-carrying a very tipsy Kaylee, when Zoe and Inara returned. Zoe was wearing some stretchy green thing that nobody had ever seen before, but River knew had been purchased in response to Wash’s request for a slinky dress, and Inara was wearing Mal’s favorite peach gown; the two were half-drunk on good food and better company, and on a long afternoon spent being pampered at one of the finest spas on Persephone. “Zoe! You ain’t armed?” Jayne’s voice was incredulous. Mal just lifted an eyebrow, and Zoe produced a large knife from a sheath strapped to the inside of her thigh before he could get a word out. That earned her a smile, but the sight of Inara extracting a small revolver from her handbag had him out-and-out laughing. “You done good by her, Zoe.” He clapped his first mate on the back and continued prodding Kaylee towards her bunk. By this point, the mechanic was singing chirpily about some girl named Lucy who had a thing for pretty rocks. “Could I have something like that?” River appeared at Zoe’s side like a shadow, her dark blue dress flapping around her and her feet bare. Zoe smiled to see her boots placed neatly by the cargo bay door. “Something like what, little one?” She slid her skirt to the side so she could replace the knife. “Something like that.” She was pointing at the sheath. “I don’t like wearing the gunbelt, and there’s no reason unless I have to carry a comm.” “You want to start carrying a knife? I thought you didn’t like carrying weapons.” “I don’t like guns.” Inara had gone to help Kaylee settle into bed – Mal still played at being willfully blind when it came to his mechanic’s sex life, so Simon was puttering in the infirmary – and Jayne was raiding the kitchen for apples, but River still lowered her voice to a whisper before continuing. “Just in case… something happens. If I have a knife, someone can shoot me, put me down. If I have a gun,” she shrugged. She didn’t have to finish; Zoe knew that none of them were faster on the draw than the psychic. “You expectin’ something to happen?” Zoe’s voice was stern. “No. But you are.” She smiled, a little warily. “But that means that you’ll shoot me if you have to. Just don’t… make sure you have to, first.” “It’s a promise. And I’ll take you shopping for a good knife tomorrow.” River beamed, reached out and squeezed her wrist, and made her way towards the passenger dorms. Zoe was still holding her wrist, watching the empty doorway, when Mal came down the stairs from crew quarters. “You okay, there?” “Yes, sir. Just thinkin’.” “Anything worth askin’ about?” “Just… I think she’s gonna be okay.” She smiled at Mal. He knew she wasn’t just talking about River. “Good to hear. Now go get some sleep; hear tell from ‘Nara that you two had a busy day.” “Think I’ll do that, sir. Good night.” She left for her bunk as Mal closed up the bay doors, still feeling the warmth of River’s grasp on her arm. ))) Sir Warrick Harrow, hearing of their arrival on Persephone, had invited the crew to dinner. He had sent a wave to Serenity inviting Mal to meet him at a reputable club midway between his estate and Eavesdown Docks to discuss business over a drink, and Mal soon had him so engaged with tales of Serenity’s exploits that the man had felt compelled to meet them all. When he had informed the crew of their new plans, the girls had been nigh on ecstatic. Zoe had given him one of her cool smiles, Kaylee had squealed and thrown her arms around his neck, and even Inara had looked subtly pleased at the thought of going out with friends who hadn’t paid for the privilege. “River? Ain’t you happy about this?” She was the only one who hadn’t responded with some variation of pleasure – Jayne was already pestering Simon about the loan of another of his fancy shirts – and that had Mal worried some. He hoped like hell the girl didn’t see some boogeyman coming. “I am allowed to come?” She had remained seated at the table after the rest of the crew had left to ready themselves for the coming evening, drawing patterns on the wood with her finger. When he spoke, however, she had looked up with hope in her eyes. “Of course, Albatross! You’re my pilot, aintcha? Better claim to crew than just about anyone but Zoe.” “But I am still wanted by the Alliance. I could be recognized, and put you and yours at risk.” She looked down and resumed her drawing. “Hey now, none of that. You’re as much mine as anyone, and I don’t think Sir Warrick’s the kind to put you in the way of any feds. Not if’n he wants to keep breathin’.” He said this with a smile, looking down at the top of River’s head. She swept her still-moving finger through the water-ring Jayne had inevitably left under his mug, and the pattern resolved in lines of damp – the Chinese character for “dance.” “Hell, girl, you gotta come. Need you and Inara and Simon to show the stuffed-shirt that we’re a reputable crew.” He suddenly had an armful of wriggly female, and little lips pressed against his cheek. “Kaylee says it best: I love my captain!” He chuckled as she wormed free and took off for Inara’s shuttle, hoping to borrow something appropriate for the occasion. ))) Three hours later, Mal and Jayne were waiting in the cargo bay for the rest of the crew to assemble. “Damn lot of crazy women,” Jayne muttered. “Takes ‘em forever to get all pretty.” “If I recall correctly, Jayne,” Simon interjected as he walked from the passenger dorms, “River did a fair amount of waiting for you and the captain to ready yourselves during our last caper.” “Don’t call it a “caper,” man, that just ain’t dignified!” Jayne protested, while Mal smirked. “Heist, then. But the point remains.” He smiled. “Well then, Doc, give us a spin and show us the pretties.” Mal made a spinning motion with his hand, and Simon huffed and complied. He turned sharply on his heel, the tails on his jacket flying out behind him. He was dressed much as he had been when he first came onboard, in a simple three-piece suit with a mandarin collar, elegantly cut, but his vest was some dark red embroidered material that looked strangely familiar to Mal. It took a moment for him to place it, but when he did he started to laugh. “Ain’t that one of ‘Nara’s curtains?” Simon looked slightly abashed. “They were mostly ruined when her things were shipped back to Serenity – something broke and stained most of the fabric. She, Kaylee and River made this up for me on the trip.” “Why?” Was Jayne’s blunt question. “To express my gratitude for his excellent work patching me up after my little… mishap.” Inara’s voice was wry as she swept down the stairs, Kaylee and Zoe following. “Well that’s right kind of you, ‘Nara, but the boy gets paid for that.” Mal’s eyes flickered over each of his female crew in turn, and he couldn’t keep the appreciation from his face. Zoe was again wearing the slinky green number she’d worn the night before, and Kaylee was set to dazzle in a pink corseted contraption that had almost as many frills as the layer-cake she had worn last time. She had sworn to Inara that she was fine with just wearing that again, but Inara had reminded her that Sir Warrick had already seen the sartorial confection and assured her that the loan really wasn’t any trouble. Only Inara – and perhaps River – knew that the garment on offer wouldn’t even fit Inara, and had been purchased with Kaylee in mind. Inara herself was wearing a corseted dress as well, fawn-colored and simple with a wide flowing skirt. She wore no jewelry but for the diamond hair-comb set in amongst her piled curls. That bit of flash had Mal looking over the other two again, and sure enough, Zoe had taken off her usual necklace – the bootlaces of men who had died during the war were important to her, and went with her usual apparel, but weren’t exactly appropriate for the dress – and replaced it with the heavy silver torque that had been her own selection from Serenity’s pilfered diamonds. Kaylee’s delicate diamond flowers dripped from her ears and her wrist. Mal checked her fingers, but there was no ring on any of them. Huh. “You all look lovely,” Simon stepped in to fill the short silence that had fallen while Mal looked over the women. Jayne was still staring gap-mouthed at them, flicking from one to the other with something like a smile curving the edges of his open mouth. “Thank you, Simon.” Zoe nodded at him and finished her descent. “And you look loveliest of all,” Simon whispered into Kaylee’s ear as he tucked her hand through his arm. Her dress clashed a bit with Simon’s vest, but the vest was dark enough that the contrast didn’t smart the eyes too badly. Kaylee giggled at the compliment, and leaned up to whisper something that Mal was sure was entirely indecorous in his ear. Simon flushed, and she giggled again. “Where’s the moonbrain?” Jayne was getting impatient – his nice trousers were itchy, and he had spent a good hour working out today which meant that his biceps were still somewhat engorged, and pushed unpleasantly against the constraining fabric of Simon’s black shirt. They would go down in a bit, but right now he wanted something to complain about. “The moonbrain is here. My apologies for taking so long, but if I could borrow Zoe for a moment, I will be right with you.” River’s voice floated out of the passenger dorms, and Mal rolled his eyes at Simon as Zoe shrugged and went in. She stopped dead in the doorway between the passenger commons and the cargo-bay, something like pride percolating in her stomach. River looked incredible, some red silky strapless thing skimming her slight curves and setting off her smooth white skin. Her hair had been set into heavy curls that had been gathered atop her head in a messy knot, set off by the diamond tiara that had been her choice from the last job’s take. All of this passed Zoe in a heartbeat, however, and instead she focused her attention on the girl’s attempt to strap her new sheath to her thigh. “I can’t figure out how to make it stay, and still be able to get to it,” she whined, making Zoe chuckle. “So much for genius.” Zoe knelt carefully, trying not to dirty her dress. The lounge floor was fairly clean, for Serenity, but that didn’t mean much. Everything was always dusty. “Let me see that.” Zoe had taken River shopping just after breakfast, as promised. They had looked at knife after knife, and it had done Zoe proud to see River flicking her fingers contemptuously at the pretty, useless knives that merchants usually tried to pass off on women. They had gone through two shops before River found one with a selection of knives appropriate to her purpose, thin-bladed, reasonably long, strong, with plain, flat hilts that would fit snugly under her dress. Since she didn’t much go in for dresses slit up the sides, she had been satisfied with a sheath that would strap to the outside of her thigh, but spent a while choosing one that was flat enough, easily secured against accidental blade-removal, and small enough to fit. She had chosen a slim, double-edged knife with one serrated edge and a slightly tacky flat black hilt, and a cream-colored leather sheath with a pressure catch that would keep her blade secure even if she stood on her head. River had spent at least ten minutes trying to secure the silly thing to her thigh, but was having trouble working with the stiff clasps. She couldn’t figure out how to keep it in place without strapping it so high that she wouldn’t be able to access it in a hurry. “What about this?” Zoe asked, hiking River’s dress up even further and setting the sheath upside-down against her leg. “You’re not quite so curvy as me, so you can’t wear it as low. But if you wear it like this, you can draw the knife straight down and that won’t matter.” “Sounds good. Can you help me strap it on? I didn’t have time to loosen all the pressure catches, and I broke a nail trying to do it earlier.” She held out a chipped thumbnail for Zoe to commiserate over, but she just rolled her eyes. “Whine, whine, whine.” River held her skirt up and spread her legs as Zoe finished fastening the catches on the inside of her thigh. The two were snickering over some joke when Mal burst out, “Zoe, what in the fifty-nine hells are you doing to my pilot?” River instantly dropped her dress and tried to smooth the fabric over the slight bump on her leg, and Zoe stood slowly and turned to face her captain. “Helping River with a problem, sir.” “I can see that! I’m not gonna like any explanations I hear out of you, am I?” Mal looked them both over sharply. “Zoe, your knees are dirty. River, you look nice. Both of you, let’s go.” And he marched out. Behind him, River and Zoe followed, laughing so hard they had to hold each other up. Mal would be hard-pressed to admit it, but he loved that sound. ))) “Ah, Miss Serra, it is lovely to see you again. And I do believe I recognize… Miss Frye?” Inara dipped into a slight curtsey of acknowledgement, but Kaylee stuck out a hand in greeting. “You can call me Kaylee, Sir Warrick. Thanks for the invitation!” Sir Warrick seemed somewhat taken aback by her boisterousness, but he shook the proffered hand with commendable gravity. “This is my first mate, Zoe Washburne,” Mal gestured toward Zoe, whose handclasp was much more demure than Kaylee’s. “My public relations officer, Jayne Cobb,” and Jayne gripped Sir Warrick’s hand firmly. There had been some initial discussion about whether or not to let the uncouth mercenary attend the gathering, but River and, to everyone’s surprise, Simon had rallied to his side. With River’s eyes on him, he was on his best behavior, and released Sir Warrick without doing any damage. “My ship’s doctor, Simon.” Simon stepped forward and bowed a bit over Sir Warrick’s hand in an attempt to cover Mal’s avoidance of his last name. Sir Warrick’s eyes crinkled slightly at the strict following of social protocol – he hadn’t expected any of Mal’s crew beyond Inara to be versed in nicities. “And this is my pilot, River.” River slipped just the tips of her fingers into Sir Warrick’s proffered hand and sank in a curtsey as strictly proper as Simon’s bow. “Thank you for your gracious invitation. You have a lovely home.” River’s voice was soft and measured, and it made Simon start. The echoes of his mother rang clearly, but as soon as Sir Warrick had turned to gesture them all further into the parlor, she dropped him a wink that made him smile. “You are certainly welcome, my dear. Please, come in!” As Serenity’s crew filed past him, Sir Warrick secured Mal’s attention. “Well, Captain Reynolds, they are certainly not what I expected.” “I may have to deal with Badger-types, but I don’t fly with ‘em.” Mal’s voice was scornful, and Sir Warrick laughed. “Yes, I see that. Please, make yourself comfortable.” He and Mal joined the rest of the crew, most of whom were settled onto the chairs and lounges that surrounded the fireplace, where holographic flames added sound and color, but no heat to the warm room. Jayne and Kaylee were perched uncomfortably on the edges of their seats, but Simon stroked his fingers along the back of Kaylee’s neck and she was induced to sit a bit farther back on the comfortable couch. Her corset kept her from lounging the way the furniture seemed to demand, but she figured that that was for the best. Zoe and River sat together on the sofa opposite, and each maintained both their erect posture and a sense of self-assured relaxation. Inara, of course, looked perfectly comfortable, arranged elegantly on one of the matching chairs, and Mal settled into the one next to hers. Sir Warrick offered drinks, and served those who accepted – Jayne, Mal, and Inara. Soon he, too, settled down with a drink in hand, and the sight of him puttering about had set the rest of the crew at their ease. Mal thought it might have been a contrived gesture, and his suspicions were confirmed when he turned to Inara with a raised eyebrow and she just smiled at him. Sir Warrick asked excellent questions, and soon had almost the entire crew chipping in on various stories. He had paid close attention to Mal’s tales earlier in the day, and used them to draw out the more recalcitrant conversationalists. “Mr. Cobb, Captain Reynolds mentioned to me that you managed to instigate a mudder’s revolt on Canton Moon?” Sir Warrick’s eyes were wicked. “Weren’t none of my doin’,” Jayne muttered, and Simon smirked at the slow flush climbing his neck. “There was a statue of him in the town square, and he had his own theme-song.” River grinned conspiratorially at Sir Warrick, and the conversation was off and running. Soon even Jayne was laughing along, and Sir Warrick found himself enjoying himself a good deal more than he had anticipated. He appreciated Captain Reynolds’ general devotion to his work and hoped to do a bit more business with him, especially as exportation restrictions were growing ever-more strict with the increasing occurrence of pirates and reports of reaver attacks closer and closer to the Core. He had invited the captain and his crew as a good-faith gesture, but had expected to spend a long evening of boorish conversation, lightened only slightly by the delicacy of Inara’s presence. Instead he found himself entertaining four beautiful, capable women, one man who was obviously Core-bred, and two men who, if indeed somewhat boorish, were nonetheless practical and good at their respective jobs. “Not what you expected, are we?” Sometime during the conversation, the drift of people between the drink-cart at the seats had left Sir Warrick seated at River’s side, and her soft voice slipped under the general discussion. “Nonsense!” Sir Warrick blustered a bit, worried that his original skepticism had shown somehow. “You all seem perfectly capable.” “Excellent dissembling, Sir.” She smiled at him. “Captain Reynolds is the best at what he does; he cares more for his crew and for his integrity than he does for money. He doesn’t have the ruthless disregard for anything but profit that would secure him the best jobs, but he makes up for it by collecting the best crew.” “Even you? He called you his pilot, but you certainly aren’t old enough to have gone through Flight School. I of course mean no offense.” “None taken, I understand your perspective.” River looked down at the juice that Sir Warrick had been kind enough to bring her when he was informed that she was not yet old enough to drink. “I have minimal formal training.” That was true enough – she had been put through a handful of simulators during her time at the Academy, after a grueling session of being chemically triggered while mentally eavesdropping on a hot-shot Alliance pilot. “Our original pilot was Hoban Washburne, Zoe’s husband. He was killed almost a year ago. He was incredible; I am merely very, very good.” Her voice was inflectionless, and Sir Warrick found it hard to doubt her. “That you are, Albatross.” Mal, seeing the two engaged in private discussion, had moved closer. “It is not polite to eavesdrop, Captain.” River’s voice scolded, but her eyes laughed. “Good thing I’m not much for manners. Can I get you another juice? Another drink, Sir Warrick?” Sir Warrick, whose attention had been caught by the delicate teenager who attested to skill as a pilot and wore diamonds like they were glass, shook himself and rose. “No thank you, Captain. I believe that dinner should be ready.” He nodded at one of the two servants who had remained discreetly in the shadows by the doors at the back of the room, and he slipped out. The other prepared to open the doors at Sir Warrick’s signal. “Is your wife not joining us?” Inara slipped her hand through Sir Warrick’s proffered arm, and Kaylee and Simon, River and Jayne, and Mal and Zoe paired up behind them. “I’m afraid not, though I’m sure she would have enjoyed the company. She has taken a fancy to the idea of visiting a relative on Ariel with the intent of doing some shopping. My wife likes pretty things, and she has grown somewhat bored with the more mundane goods this planet has to offer.” River turned and grinned at Mal as his eyes lit with an idea. Zoe and Jayne looked bemusedly at one another, but followed their escorts through the now-open doors and into a small formal dining hall. Although River had to prod Jayne through the necessary courtesies, soon each of the ladies was seated and the men moved to find their own seats. When that was done, Sir Warrick nodded and the salad course was brought in. River gave a slight sigh of relief; the challenge of getting Jayne to refrain from slurping his soup was more than she was ready for. “Sir Warrick, could you tell us a bit more about your wife’s interests?” River asked as she settled her napkin in her lap. Jayne, to her side, quickly followed her movements. Good. He was willing to take his cues from her. She noticed that Mal, across the table and one seat over, was following Simon’s gestures with equal intensity. Sir Warrick seemed surprised by the request, but was willing to humor her. “Recently she has been unusually interested in the history of the items she acquires. Most of the artifacts that take her interest are understandably secured in museums or private collections, so she has to make do with items of slightly less illustrious providence. She last acquired a quite lovely cloisonné brooch that was alleged to have been stolen by an Independent General for his bride who perished before he could return to her; she was quite dismayed to discover that the same General never actually existed. She did love the story, though.” He chuckled for a moment, but stopped when he realized that the room around him was silent. “Is something the matter?” He was unsettled by their silent regard. “Sir Warrick,” Mal’s voice broke the hush. “I think we might have somethin’ to help you out.” Zoe cracked a smile at his temerity, offering to do business as a favor. “What might that be?” He asked, a bit of ice creeping into his voice. Inara unhooked the comb from her hair. The other women followed her lead, and soon a small pile of diamond jewelry was set beside Sir Warrick’s plate. “They aren’t the love-gift of a war hero, but they are part of a cache secreted aboard the smuggling ship responsible for the Miranda Broadcast.” Mal grew rigid at that; he hadn’t expected her to bring Miranda into anything. It was obvious by the stunned look on Sir Warrick’s face that it was the right move, however. “You must be joking. I certainly can’t believe that this small crew was responsible for the greatest blow to the Alliance since the end of the war?” Sir Warrick was laughing, but his eyes were caught by the steady stare of each member of the crew in turn. “We would prefer that that not become common knowledge.” Zoe’s voice was dry and deadly, and it was her calm that convinced him. “If you do decide to purchase something for your wife, we would recommend that you not inform her which ship brought them to you.” Sir Warrick sighed, though he was obviously intrigued. “I suppose that it is too much to hope that such goods were acquired… conventionally?” “Define convention.” River retorted, earning a glare from Mal. Sir Warrick chuckled. “A fair point. Are these the only items?” He picked, with affected idleness, through the small pile of diamonds at his place-setting. “No. In fact, these particular pieces are the personal property of the crew and are not for sale. We would prefer not to transport the entire selection through the city, but if you would deign to join us tomorrow – I would suggest before we load your cargo – I am sure you could find something appropriate.” Simon took a gamble on Mal’s not hitting him for taking over the role of negotiations, but thought that Sir Warrick would relate better to a suggestion presented as an inevitability than to a request. “Aren’t you the doctor?” Sir Warrick was obviously confused as to why Simon was dealing directly with him. “Among other things,” was Mal’s response. His tone, more nuanced than Inara would have given him credit for, suggested that Sir Warrick drop that line of reasoning, but did so in a sufficiently respectful manner. ))) The dinner had lasted several hours, and just about everyone was moaning from the pain of overstretched stomachs by the time they made their way back to the docks. Sir Warrick had offered them the use of his hover-car, as his estates were located more than twenty miles from where Serenity was docked, and they were even more grateful for it on the return than they had been on the way there. Most of the crew headed straight for their bunks as soon as Mal keyed in the code to open Serenity up, but Simon pulled Kaylee aside and asked if she would like to take a walk. When she giggled and agreed, he took Mal aside to tell him where they were going. “Stick close to the ship, take a comm, and here,” Mal pulled a spare gun from where it was strapped to the side of the mule. “Know you’re not much for one of these, but take it just in case.” Simon nodded and was about to leave when Mal spoke again. “And good luck.” Simon stiffened and craned his neck just enough to see Mal out of the corner of his eye. “Ain’t stupid, boy. G’on now, get!” And Mal turned and walked back into the ship. “Simon? You comin’?” Kaylee’s voice was soft, calling from just outside the ship. “Be right there!” He called, and looked at the gun in his hand. It looked clunky, dark and slick against the pink of his skin and the yellow-white of his calluses. He checked the safety and slipped it into his waistband at the small of his back. By the time he left the ship, Kaylee was leaning against one of the display posts that listed the classification and destination information for each ship. She was looking out above Serenity’s bulk, watching the smooth curve of her cutting off the stars. Simon fingered the ring in his pocket and reconsidered his plan. He was speaking before he could finalize anything, and that felt more than right. “I wanted to take you away from the docks for a bit,” he paused, looking at the play of blue neon across her features. “Wanted to take you away from the sights and the smells and the rough edges. Wanted to show you something beautiful when I said my piece.” She was watching him, curiosity and pleasure chasing each other across her face. “But there is nothing I love more than seeing you grinning, wrench in hand and streaked with engine grease, and nothing more beautiful than Serenity. And I was wondering if, if…” He couldn’t finish. Her eyes were wide and his heart was pounding and a man like him just didn’t have the words for something as perfect as this. “Wondering what, bao bei?” She wound her arms around his waist and tilted her head back so she could see him. He brushed a quiet kiss against the tip of her nose and held her tight, and he knew that the words didn’t matter as much as the sparkle in her eyes when she played with his sister, the scowl she gave Jayne when he cleaned his knives at the table, the heartbroken looks she cast at Mal when he didn’t buy the parts she wanted, and the way she had looked the first time he pushed into her, flushed and heated and his. “Kaylee, would you marry me?” ))) “You can take the boy outta the Core, but you can’t take the Core outta the boy,” was Mal’s only offering. “What’re you gonna do, Kaylee? Sex the starch right outta his spine?” River’s question had Mal spluttering and Kaylee gaping, but had sent Jayne into wild hoots of laughter. Zoe pounded Jayne on the back when he couldn’t catch his breath, and he nodded his thanks with tears squeezing through squinted eyes. “Sounds like quite the party. What did I miss?” Inara moved past them and towards the kitchen, retrieving her tea-makings from her food locker. “Doc asked Kaylee here to marry him, she said yes, and suddenly he wants to be settlin’ down and poppin’ out a passel of brats.” Jayne’s summary was mostly accurate, but Kaylee didn’t like his disparaging tone. “It wasn’t that bad, ‘Nara. Just, he’s already talkin’ about children and I’m not fixin’ to go anyplace without Serenity.” Inara noticed, though, that beneath the worried expression, Kaylee was glowing. And she kept touching the diamond ring on her fourth finger. Small, she realized, though there had been bigger ones in the take. It was small enough that Kaylee wouldn’t have to take it off to fiddle with the engine. Mal, seated on the small lounge beside Kaylee, wrapped one arm around her and squeezed. “Li’l Kaylee, it comes to me that this ship won’t fly so good without you. But it’s just as true that you won’t fly without that pretty-boy doctor o’ yours. So the way I see it, get hitched, stay on the ship, and we’ll deal with the little ones as they come.” Kaylee’s eyes were wide, and hers weren’t the only ones. Inara nearly dropped her kettle, and Jayne did drop the knife he was fiddling with. Only Zoe and River looked unperturbed. “But Mal!” Jayne whined. “You said no pets!” Kaylee tossed a pillow at him. ))) Sir Warrick was half an hour late for his appointment. Mal was pacing back and forth in the cargo bay, with River and Jayne sparring behind him. Then Jayne was at his side but the music was still playing, and when he turned to look, Inara and River were wrapped in each other’s arms. His eyes bugged for a moment until he realized that they were teaching Kaylee how to dance. “Little Crazy figures we teach Kaylee how to dance, first, and then we teach her how to defend herself. Zoe and I are gonna teach Simon how to shoot straight.” Jayne nodded, as if this decision hadn’t been sprung on him all sudden-like. “What brought this about?” Mal kept an eye on the loading ramp, but his attention was focused on Jayne. “We’re gonna get kids runnin’ around, need everybody able to protect ‘em. Kaylee ain’t much for guns, and I don’t see that changin’, but River and ‘Nara ain’t fond of ‘em neither. Inara offered to show her how to use that crazy bow o’hers, but Kaylee didn’t seem keen. Figure hand-to-hand’s the best option, at least show her how to get away.” Mal rolled the idea around in his mind. He didn’t like the thought of Kaylee fighting, but then, he hadn’t liked the thought of her tied up in the engine room with some feng le bounty hunter runnin’ ‘round his ship, and look how that turned out. He gave a sharp nod at Jayne and resumed his pacing. Moments later, Sir Warrick’s hovercraft touched down at the end of Serenity’s extended ramp, and the man himself got out. “Zoe!” Mal barked into the comm. “Everything shiny?” “All in order, sir.” “Good.” Mal walked out to greet Sir Warrick. “Afternoon, sir.” “Good afternoon, Captain. I’m sorry for the delay, but there was some trouble with the cargo. All fixed now, of course,” he said, preempting Mal’s comment, “but it took some sorting out.” “No problem at all, sir. Please, welcome aboard.” He stood to one side and gestured the man into his ship. A dark-suited, broad-shouldered man who had emerged from the craft –presumably a bodyguard – followed. Jayne, River, Inara and Kaylee all stopped what they were doing as soon as they noticed Sir Warrick’s presence. That left Jayne with his arms around Inara and River holding Kaylee, but he simply bowed and greeted them all. Inara was dressed in her usual finery, but Kaylee was wearing a pair of coveralls and a flowered tank-top and Jayne wore his usual pants and a red T-shirt with an advertisement for a gun company on the front. Sir Warrick’s eyes lingered on River, however, whose hair was spilling wildly down her back and who looked much less the lady in one of her diaphanous dresses and bare feet. He didn’t say a word, however, and River’s responding curtsey was as elegant as the one she had given him the night before. “This way,” Mal directed, leading Sir Warrick towards the steps up to the common room. He hadn’t thought, he realized, as he checked Sir Warrick’s girth against the many steps between here and there. But it couldn’t be helped. Everything was ready, and the man could do with some exercise anyway. By the time Sir Warrick, puffing only slightly, had reached the entrance to the galley, the rest of the crew had run through the passenger dorms and up the second flight of stairs to come around from the other direction. When he and Mal entered the room, it was to see the entire crew standing against the back wall, with Simon, in shirt and vest, sitting at the head of the table. The lights were dimmed slightly and Inara’s black velvet half-cloak was draped over one end of the table, the collar hidden by Simon’s body. The diamonds spilled across the cloak like stars, glinting in their twists of platinum or silver, and the sight nearly took Mal’s own breath away. Sir Warrick just stared. “I see you didn’t exaggerate.” He and his companion moved towards the dazzling array. “I’m not much of one for tall tales, sir.” He heard a huffed breath like a repressed snort, but spared his crew only the slightest glare. “Not exactly legal, but perfectly lovely. And our resident expert here has checked them out,” he nodded at Simon. “Each one’s genuine.” “I don’t doubt your honesty, Captain, but I brought my own specialist. Mistakes do happen, you know.” Sir Warrick’s smile was shrewd, and Mal couldn’t really fault him for the caution, but this didn’t sit right. “I thought that our desire for secrecy was made clear.” He didn’t growl the words, much as he wanted to. “I can personally attest to Roderick’s discretion.” Sir Warrick nodded to the man who had accompanied him. “He has served me well in the past.” “Very well,” Mal grunted, and swept a hand towards the pile of diamonds. “Please, feel free to browse. Would you like something to drink? We have tea, coffee, water and rotgut.” That earned him a scowl from Kaylee and a small chuckle from Sir Warrick. “No thank you, I am quite alright.” He settled himself in the chair beside Simon and began sifting through the jewelry. “Some of these pieces are quite fine. Where did you say you obtained them?” “I didn’t.” Simon’s voice was curt; he was playing the bad guy in this scenario, the hard-nosed gem-dealer. He certainly looked the part. Kaylee spun her ring on her finger and felt a tiny thrill; she liked Simon when he was commanding. “Very well.” Sir Warrick sighed. “This is nice.” He held up a necklace that spread into a lattice that would drip down over the sternum, each crossing marked by a single stone. “If you would, Roderick. And Captain, I presume you will want your payment in platinum?” “That would be preferable. I assume you didn’t bring the funds with you?” Sir Warrick shook his head, not lifting his eyes from the gems. “We’re leaving tonight, soon’s we get your cargo loaded; if you can’t have it by then, we’re back on Persephone in three weeks.” He preferred being paid immediately, but if the pile of jewelry in front of Roderick was any sign, the funds required to cover this sale might be hard to scrape together in an afternoon. “I will give you what I have to hand by this evening, and have the rest for you upon your return. Presuming, of course, I make any purchases.” His last words were empty; he was stroking one finger down a double-twist of platinum as he spoke. ))) By the time Sir Warrick had made his selection – ten of their more intricate pieces – and an agreement had been reached as to price, it was time to fly Serenity out to pick up the cargo at one of the farms affiliated with the Harrow estate. The crew bid their farewells in the cargo bay, then sealed up and lifted off. Simon and Kaylee were soon, in Jayne’s words, engaging in “marriage humpin’,” Jayne and Mal were in the cargo bay putting down the sheeting that would keep the cow patties from dropping through the grate, and Zoe and River were on the bridge. River was taking a slow turn over the farm, half an ear on Zoe’s companionable silence, when she felt something strange inside Serenity. She settled her as quickly as she could, trying hard to keep Zoe from noticing the strain in her arms and in her eyes. As soon as they touched down, she flashed a fake smile at Zoe. “Best get to loadin’,” she drawled, mimicking the captain, and Zoe laughed and left the bridge. River followed close behind; she had a rat to hunt. It didn’t take her long to find him, a plain-faced man in a pair of dark grey coveralls. He was on his knees by the gradually slowing heart of Serenity, and it took her less than a second to paralyze him with a thrust of her fingers. She laughed as he toppled to his side. “Sometimes I do find myself creepified That Alliance-men thought themselves justified They cut on my brain They drove me insane And you look like you’ve just been ossified.” River concluded her disturbing limerick with an even more disturbing giggle. The man on the ground rolled his eyes helplessly, fixed them on something behind her and to her left. Zoe had followed her. “Hello, Zoe.” River gave a little giggle. “Look at the doc I caught! Found this fine fellow fiddling with the fore thrusters. Thought I’d take a walk through his mind, and guess what I saw?” She turned her back on the rigid form of the doctor and Zoe hissed. River’s eyes were dark and deep and more than a little crazy; the girl was still giggling, but her face was taut with anger. “Our little friend here,” and she kicked back at the prone man’s foot, “is fond of finding friendly females and forcing them to fight.” “Shen me?” Zoe trusted River that the man littering her engine room was bad news, but the headlines hadn’t come in yet. “He was going to rig Serenity to stall out. We’re headed into deep space, so by the time we realized that something was wrong, we’d be weeks from anyone. His ship would just happen to be passing by, give us a lift, and suddenly Mal, Simon and Jayne would be on the auction block and the rest of us would be hyped up on pain-blockers and testosterone-derived stimulants, duking it out in some qiang bao hou zi de arena for the gratification of a crowd of sadistic voyeurs.” She looked so lost, riddled with anger and sorrow and fear. “He wanted to make reavers out of us.” “Don’t think I like that plan.” Zoe cocked the loop lever on her maresleg. “Me neither. So I decided to paralyze him and see what the rest of you wanted to do with him.” River beamed, suddenly, like a little girl with a new puppy. “If he’s a slaver, why’d you call him a doctor?” Mal had come in looking for Zoe while River was explaining the man’s plan. He was not amused. “Academy hired, Academy fired.” River kicked the man again and left. Zoe turned to see Mal staring fixedly at the man on the floor, holding himself back against so much anger that he was shaking with it. Zoe wanted to put a few new holes in the man her own self, but knew that this wasn’t the time. “Captain!” Mal shook himself and looked at her, but didn’t speak. “We need to get this man contained, figure out what to do next. Dong ma?” He didn’t say anything, but the muscle beneath his eye jumped. “Dong ma, Captain?” She advanced a step towards him, wondering if she would need to slap him out of his trance. “Fang xin, Zoe. I’m okay. Just…” He looked towards the doctor who, according to River, had been party to the experimentation done on her. “Understood, sir. Shall I deal with him?” “Please.” He turned to head back towards the cargo bay, where Jayne was still loading up the mule with the last of the second run of crates. Before he left, though, he spoke again. “Once we’re done with him, I’m gonna slit him open and thread his guts out the airlock.” “Good plan, sir.” She struck the doctor in the head with one of Kaylee’s wrenches, and watched with satisfaction as his eyes rolled back. ))) “I ain’t likin’ this plan.” Mal nodded along with Jayne; he didn’t like it any better. “No choices, no spaces, no room to move, no room to breathe, to think…” River trailed off in mumbles, tacking her left index finger against each finger of her right hand in turn. “And I’m likin’ it less, now,” Mal grunted. “Going to a party, Captain!” River’s eyes were wide and doll-like. “And Alice will think I’m the dormouse, until all but my grin disappears.” Suddenly she flashed a wide, feral smile. Simon flinched away from her, and she shuddered and hung her head. “Not to scare you, never to scare you. Take care of you, save you, not to make you wary.” “Ai, never, mei mei.” Simon ducked down at her feet so he could look up at her face through the curtain of hair. “You are my sun and my moon, the stars in my sky.” “And Kaylee is the earth beneath your feet.” River nodded sharply. “I’m not sure as I like the sound of that,” Kaylee interjected. River laughed. “You keep him grounded, keep him happy with the Black…” she raised a wicked eyebrow. “You sex the starch right out of his spine.” The rest of the crew cackled as Simon blanched. “You have been corrupted!” He shook a finger in her face, but a smile was working at his lips. “You only just noticed?” River smirked at him. “What was your first clue? When I stole all of those diamonds or when I started living through every orgasm on this boat?” The silence was thick, shocked and embarrassed. Even Jayne couldn’t meet her eye. “What, y’all didn’t know?” River dropped into Kaylee’s speech-patterns. It was easier, for talking about sex. Kaylee was so practical about the whole thing. “Why’d you think I was crazy, then?” That set Jayne chuckling, hard, like he couldn’t help it. The rest of the crew followed – there was really no other response to learning that a nineteen-year-old schizophrenic girl felt it every time you came. “I may never have sex again…” Mal moaned. “Have you ever had sex on Serenity, Mal?” Inara’s question was sly, and she cocked a questioning eyebrow at River. River just grinned. “I refuse to think about you answering that question,” Simon grumbled. “Right,” snorted River. “Because you’re just Colonel Chastity.” “I am now more disturbed than I have ever been in my entire life.” That set Mal off again, with everyone else tumbling behind. Zoe, rueful smile firmly in place, slipped slowly out of the door. “I’m sorry,” River whispered from behind her. “I didn’t mean to make you sad.” Zoe sighed. It hurt, knowing that Wash was gone, that nothing was bringing him back, and that every moment of their last months together had been shared with a psychic. Some things were meant to be private. “I know. And I couldn’t help it, then. I could now, but,” she spread her hands at the futility of that offering. “But how an orgasm feels? That’s how it sounds in my head. Everything narrows down to a tiny point and there’s only one thought behind it all. I have a hard time not hearing it, even now.” She clasped her hands in front of her. “Wash’s thought was always about how much he loved you.” Zoe choked. She missed her husband, her crazy, fool-hearted, mixed-up, dinosaur-lovin’ man. She missed their fights and their drama, the love and the giddiness that eased everything inside of her, slicked and softened the hard edges of memory that threatened to cut up her insides. River pressed a soft hand to her cheek. “I’ll bring you some tea on the bridge. Captain can fill you in on the rest of the plan later.” Zoe nodded, and left. She made her way to the bridge and coiled herself into Wash’s chair; she hadn’t sat there since it happened, since that spike drove through him and tore away everything that made him wonderful. She did now, feeling Serenity hum and remembering all the reasons she loved him. By the time River pressed the mug of tea into her hands, her cheeks were dry. The tea warmed her, but she made no move to drink it, just watched the stars. River stood behind her, the only person on the whole gorram ship who truly felt her pain. After a few minutes, drinking in the ghost of her husband’s presence, she turned in her chair. River was still behind her, calm face laced with the tracks of tears. “How’s a little girl like you know what an orgasm feels like, anyway?” Zoe’s voice was still a bit shaky, but the humor was real. “Got ten fingers, don’t I?” River wiggled them and shot her a cheeky grin. Behind her, in the corridor, Kaylee rose on her toes to whisper into the captain’s ear. “Lemme guess, Cap’n: you can’t know that?” “Nah, I could stand to hear a little more.” He turned to her with a smile, but it faded as he took in the startlement on her face. He quickly ran his words back through his head and swore. “Well isn’t that just… interestin’.”