More Than Two Mistakes By: Keridwen Anna-Rose Lewis The crew walked down a dusty yellow pathway. They were on their way to their next job. "Hey!" Wash said, grinning from ear to ear, "It's the yellow brick road! The pathway to our next pay day!" Kaylee giggled from next to him, then began skipping. "C'mon" she said, lightly linking arms with Simon, who sort of just dragged along next to her. River trotted over to Simon's other side, now both girls dragged Simon, who looked helplessly back at the rest of the crew. Kaylee and River then started to sing "We’re off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz" "Hey, can I join?" Wash asked. "Yeah!" Kaylee yelled behind her. She held out her arm to him and he jogged over, merrily singing along Zoë laughed at the four of them skipping up the path. She was happy her husband was having fun, she loved to see him smile, like he didn't already. "C'mon Zoë!" Kaylee yelled. "No way" Zoë replied. "Awe, come on Zo" Wash turned his head to look at her. She just shook her head. "Me?" Mal asked laughing. "Sure, cap'n" Kaylee looked back grinning. River held out her arm smiling. Mal skipped up and joined the chain, leaving Zoë, Jayne, and Book behind. "Ehy!" Jayne yelled out, Zoë could sense another joiner to the now 5 person chain in front of them. "Can I join?" "Your not taking my side" Wash tucked his arm to his side. Zoë laughed. "But Zoë can" He added. Jayne looked at Mal who quickly tucked his arm in too. "Ahck, fine!" Jayne sank back to a sulk behind Zoë and Book. Zoë tried very hard not to laugh at Jayne’s ridiculous stance. When they got to the end of the yellow brick road, the chain broke. Wash skipped backwards to Zoë’s side, taking her hand. "You missed out in allot of fun" He smiled at her. It made her heart skip a beat. She still couldn't get over the fact she had found someone so different from her, yet so perfect for her. " 'spose I did" Then they reached a door. You couldn't tell what kind of a place this door was attached to, because there were so many tree's and bushes covering it, more than Zoë had ever seen in her life. "Wo" was the only sound that escaped the hush of the crew. "So..." Mal finally spoke out "Who's gunna knock?" No one volunteered. So Zoë, without hesitation, walked up to the door and knocked. Three loud pounds. She then took a step back. The door flung open the minute Zoë had stepped back in position. "Ahh, we'd be expecting you, would we?" A short fat man in 'rich-ish' clothes eyed everyone in the crew. "Yes, sir. You would be." Mal, after a moment, answered "We'd be looking for Jaquen Hahnbon" "Ahy, I thought his name was Jake Hamboil?" Jayne spoke up from the back of the group. Mal turned back to glare at him. "You'd be Malcoom Reynolds?" The fat man asked, miss-pronouncing Mal's first name. "Malcolm, yes that would be me. Captain of a firefly class transport ship." "Ahh, and this be your crew?" "Um, ah..yes. This 'ere is my first mate Zoë" Mal held his hand in direction of Zoë, who was standing quite close to Wash. "Oh. Zoë is a man's name?" "What!?" Mal looked taken-a-back. "You point to the one in the hi-wi-ahy shirt?" The fat man asked, pointing at Wash. "Oh. No I was referring to the one next to him" This time Mal patted Zoë’s shoulder. "That’s Wash, our pilot." "Ah, well come in Jaquen will be down in a minute, okay?" "Yes, er.. sure." Mal waved the crew to come in. Inside the house was very large. Every inch of the floor was covered in rectangular rugs, all different colours. There was a large couch like thing off to the side, several chairs about, a small coffee table with Japanese magazines, and a very tall desk near the back. They walked over to the couch, but it only fit about 4 people, so the rest sat on chairs or pillows on the floor. Mal, Book, River, and Kaylee sat on the couch, Wash, Zoë and Simon sat on the chairs, and Jayne sat on the pillows. "Malcoom Reynolds, come over here please" The fat man called. Mal got up and crossed the room to the tall desk, Jayne quickly took the empty seat next to Kaylee. "Yes, I am Grouol Tymo" The fat man finally introduced himself. "These are Mihki, Kybra, Fiona, and Hedia. They be the maids here" He was pointing to 4 woman who bowed to Mal. Mal smiled at them, and Jayne stared at them, his mouth fallen open. Mihki was the tallest, she had long brown hair that reached all the way down to her knee's. They were all wearing short belly shirts with beads on them, long see-though skirts that only really covered part of them, and scarves that covered most of their faces. Kybra was short with shoulder length black hair. Fiona and Hedia both had long-ish strawberry blond hair. Zoë sighed as she watched all the men, aside from Sheppard Book, oggiling at the ladies. "I could dress like that too" Zoë said to her husband "Okay!" Jayne said turning to look at her. "Ha ha, not for you" Zoë glared at him, he smirked and turned back to look at the other ladies. "Man dem are some real sexy laddies" Zoe rolled her eyes. Wash turned to his wife, kissed her on the cheek. She smiled and kissed him back. * * * Later as they were walking up the ramp to the ship, they saw Inara standing there looking worried. "What is it?" Mal asked "No time to talk we've gotta leave, now" "Why?" Mal asked again, looking confusingly at Inara who pushed the lock button as soon as everyone was aboard. "Should I be running up to the bridge screaming in terror right now?" Wash asked "Yes" She replied Wash did just that. "Okay so what is it?" Mal asked for the third time "Ten Alliance cruisers, docking in ten minutes" Inara replied. "Oh...,well-" Mal was cut off by the sound of Wash's voice on the com. "Every body don't panicky, but, WE'RE ON LANDLOCK!" He shrieked over the com. "there is a LANDLOCK ON SERENITY!!" Every body froze. Mal reached for the com button that led to the bridge. "Wash, tell everyone that there will be ten Alliance cruisers docking in nine minutes" There was a moments pause and then the com went back on. "And, I have just been informed of ten Alliance cruisers that will be docking in nine minutes" * * * Simon, who had been cleaning the tables in the infirmary, looked up from his job. "No" he shudder. Ten Alliance cruisers, and they were put on land lock. What could be worse? River walked into the infirmary. "They'll find us" She said "We’re not easy to miss" Simon grabbed River's arm and ran up the stairs to the bridge, where most of the crew were. "What are we going to do?" Zoë was asking Wash "Ten Alliance cruisers, that'd be a hundred odd men" "We aint stand a chance in the 'verse against all them" Kaylee said "No, not even Vera here" Jayne pointed to the gun in his hand "Could take all those gorram feds" "We've gotta run then" Simon said as he and River stepped into the room. "No use, it's a desert practically, no were to run to" Wash said "Even if there was, you wouldn't have no chance 'genst all them feds" Mal said as he reached the bridge. "We could shoot 'em" Jayne suggested. "See how many we could kill" "No" They all said. "What are me and River going to...." Simon cut off because he noticed River was gone. "Were is that sister of yours, better keep her in check" "River!" Simon yelled. Just then an alarm sounded and a screen came up. "Serenity, prepare to be docked" Was what is said. They all stood their in silence. "You've gotta hide" Kaylee said. "I know just were to" She grabbed Simon's arm and dragged him into the engine room. "Climb up 'ere" She said pushing him toward a latter.” Keep on climb'n Intel you find a hatch. Only climb up the hatch if you hear someone coming, dong ma?" "Yeah, okay." Simon climbed up to the very top. He slid into a little cubby space, and waited. hoping that River was well hidden. * * *

Meanwhile, Kaylee walked to the cargo bay. "Well I got 'em hidden, in that escape hole I made ma self" "Good" Mal said. They all stood there, waiting for the Alliance to board the ship. "Well, what do you think they will do?" Jayne asked. "Search the ship. Take over. Kill us all, what ever they feel like" Mal said. "Ahh" Wash came down from the bridge. "They'll be boarding in less then 5 minutes." He walked over to his wife and kissed her. "Do you think they'll kill us?" He asked. Zoë just shrugged. "Hopefully not." Just then the doors opened and 20 or so Federals walked in. "We have been called here by many citizens, saying that a firefly class transport was hiding wanted fugitives. A brother and a sister, by the names of Simon and River Tam" One of the feds said. "Called? By whom?" Mal asked "Grouol Tymo, Whitlock Regins, Lymen Fess and other unknown citizens." "[in chinese, dear mother of god]" "Yes, we will now search the ship." "Yes by all means, but uh, try not to break anything" The Feds seemed not to hear and stocked off to look around the ship. "[in chinese, take hostages]" One of the fed's said. Just then 5 federals came and took the arms of, Wash, Kaylee, Book and Inara. " A companion" Said the fed. "Odd" "What are you going to do with them?" hissed Zoë. "Whatever we feel like." "Whhy??" "Oh, is this one your husband?" He asked jabbing Wash in the side. Zoë simply starred at the fed, discussed. The fed pushed Wash on to his knee's, and kicked him on to the floor. Zoë reached for him, but the fed pushed her away. "Gorram fed's" Jayne spat. The fed turned and glared at him. "Don't hurt him" A voice came from no where. Everyone looked around but saw no one. "It's me you want, why kill him?" Then they saw River walk out from one of the shuttles. "There she is. She-" The fed was cut off by the sight of River, and Vera. River Held the gun firmly in place. She had never shot one before, but she knew she could do it. “Feel my wrath” Locking her target, she shot the fed. More of them were running up the stairs towards her. "Hey" She yelled at the fed that was currently beating up Wash. "Stop that" All the feds were at her now. River glanced on either side of her, then jumped. She jumped off the catwalk, landing as gracefully as possible. The feds all ran off after her, she led them out the door. River ran out of Serenity, she knew what she was doing. "Landlock, is off" She yelled back at the crew as she ran, every fed there was on her trail. The crew watched in horror as the feds chased River around. "Go!" Mal yelled at injured Wash. Zoë helped Wash up and up to the bridge. A few minutes later Serenity was lifting off the ground. Just before they closed the door River jumped up out of a crowd of feds barely making it in the closing doors. "We made it" She said grinning. And indeed they did.