A/N- This is in a parallel 'verse where Book and Wash are still alive.

Give me feedback or I will die an unpleasant death.

Part 1

What is death really? Is it when the human heart finally slows its frantic rhythm? Or is it when one loses oneself in the midst of this façade? All Zerri was aware of was the light at the end of the tunnel, and that the light was not good for her. Light was bad. Light=bad. And then she was suddenly aware of loud voices interrupting her quiet, still darkness, and the light suddenly enlarged and enveloped her until she was staring it in the face, and it looked surprisingly like the overhead light the doctor used when examining patients. “Ow,” Zerri finally decided on, blinking blearily. She wondering briefly why she was in fact in so much pain, and then the facts came rushing back to her with the speed of a train. Zerri had been a Brown Coat, and she had fought dearly for independence. She had been young, only seventeen, but had been talented at killing people. Somehow her mother and father didn’t understand her belief in independence, and she had been marked the black sheep and disowned. Zerri took to roaming about between worlds, taking whatever work might come her way, legality not an issue, along with Luke, a prominent young doctor who had quit work at one of the largest cities hospital, Kiri, who was a violent psychopath with a manic love for big guns, Ryan, the pilot, Peach, the mechanic, Keith, who was kept around mainly for his fighting skills, and Staci, who could kill a man with as much as a look. Their latest job had been of the not so legal persuasion, and the last thing Zerri remembered was bargaining for Luke’s life when someone had shot her. “Hey, Zerri, you’re finally awake,” said Peach delightedly from her perch on an old bar stool. “Are you sure about that?” Zerri moaned, stretching her arms only to feel a shooting pain in her stomach. “Stop stretching, I nearly have it stitched up,” Luke admonished her, swatting at her arms. “I thought I got shot,” she said, attempting to bend her head enough to see the wound. “You did, but while we were struggling for our freedom, someone thought it would be hilarious to stick a dagger into your stomach,” Kiri growled, toying with what Zerri figured to be the blade. “Nice to know people still got their sense a humor about when they’re killing people,” Zerri said, wincing slightly as she clambered to her feet, shoving Luke lightly when he went to help her. “Now, why are you all in this goddamn tiny infirmary? There is barely enough room for the stretcher in here, much less six people.” “Whatever. Anyway, Cap’n,” began Staci, her lips stretching into a hopeful grin, “I was kind of hoping that we could think about taking on a cook at the next port.” “Well, I’m kind of hoping you have that kind of money. It costs enough paying you idiots. Anyway, what is for supper?” Zerri demanded, wobbling into what could be compared to a rec room. “Grits. Do you know how I hate grits?” Keith complained. “And beer. Beer isn’t that bad, though.” A sudden bump sent everyone stumbling, and Ryan’s eyes widened slightly as everyone turned to glare at him. “Isn’t there somewhere you’re supposed to be? Like maybe landing this heap?” growled Kiri, tugging a dagger out of her boot and running her finger along the blade. “Right,” said Ryan, backing out of the room. “That might be my job, wouldn’t it?” Peach shook her head and flounced into the galley to start heating up the grits. Staci followed her, probably to get to work on the last of the beer. **** Many miles away, Malcolm Reynolds was wondering what to do with his crew. Kaylee was grinning at him happily while perched on Simon’s lap. Jayne and River were looking innocently in opposite directions, hands discreetly clasped under the table. Only Inara noticed the latter, but that was when she wasn’t looking at Mal with a genial smile. Zoe and Wash were trading innuendos, and Book was watching Mal’s face with increasing interest. “Did anyone hear what I just said?” Mal repeated loudly. “Nope,” River said happily, pretending not to be looking at Jayne. It amazed Inara how she was the only one who saw what was going on between River and Jayne, who knew that River snuck into Jayne’s room a few times a week. “I said Badger knows the captain of a ship called Kleodora. Says her name’s Zerri. Has a good crew, a lot like ours, and he gave me the code to send her a wave,” Mal said. “Now, anyone interested in getting money to keep up our atrocious habit of eating can come with me and witness our exchange.” “I dunno, I gotta lotta things to get done,” Jayne began, “An’ River said she needed a nap…..” “I’m sorry, did you think it was an option? I everybody to see what we’re dealing with here,” snarled Mal. Jayne opened his mouth to say something, but River squeezed his hand, and he snapped his mouth close, a gesture that was not lost on Inara. **** Zerri was checking on the controls while Ryan fiddled with switches. No matter how experienced he was and how good of a pilot he was, it was a gesture that always made her nervous. “Could ya stop that?” she snapped, and he jerked his hand back. “I was setting the course directives….Are you alright?” “Yes!....No. I’m just tense about this Malcolm Reynolds. I mean, what if he was for Unification and he only turned to crime because the Alliance didn’t want him after the war?” considered Zerri. “What if our captain is a nut job and a half?” laughed Kiri from the doorway. “What if I took away your food for a week and a half?” returned Zerri, folding her arms, unfolding them, and letting out a sigh of frustration. “Well, now, it looks like your fears are about to be faced,” Ryan said with a diabolical laugh. “We got a wave coming in,” he added quickly at Zerri’s glare. “Well, let’s say hello,” laughed Kiri. *** The screen immediately switched to reveal a ragtag crew, not unlike Mal’s own, and he scanned faces to see who might be in charge. His gaze settled on the scarred face, much too young to be that marked with signs of battle. “Would you be Zerri?” he asked. She moved forward, and Mal could the baggy thigh length brown leather coat she was wearing. “Brown Coat, huh?” He could see her squint and glare at him, attempting to see him. “Y’all got a problem with that?” she drawled, somewhat testily. “No….Do you know who I am?” he asked slowly. “Malcolm Rey- That Mal Reynolds? Hell, Mal, I haven’t seen you in ages,” she said cheerily. “Who- Zerri? God, you were what, seventeen? You haven’t aged a day, have you?” Mal exclaimed, and Zoe elbowed him out of the way. “Gorramnit, Zerri, we thought you musta died!” she exclaimed. “Almost, a coupla times,” Zerri laughed. “Cap’n Mal Reynolds….never thought I’d see the day.” “Well, god, Zerri, you still look seventeen…you’d be twenty four now, right?” Zoe said, still beaming at the young girl. “Last time I saw you was the….” “Battle of Serenity,” finished Zerri and all three were silent for a moment. “Anyways, Badger said he had a job for the both of us.” “Think we can share?” teased Zoe. Mal glanced at her, understanding completely. Zerri had been young, and while one of the best in combat and in gunfights, she was still disturbed at times by what she wound up seeing. Zoe had been like an older sister to the girl, between comforting her when she saw her friends dead and dying and covering her when she went on a dare devil mission. Zoe and Zerri had bonded to where they had actually fooled a few lieutenants into thinking they were actually sisters, despite the difference in appearance- Zerri had full pink lips, high cheekbones, deep tan colored skin, large green eyes, and long, silky completely straight black hair. Now that hair swung forward to shade her eyes as she studied Mal’s crew, starting with Wash, who was fondling two small plastic dinosaurs. “That your husband?” she asked, gesturing in his direction. He jerked alert, and stared at her. “How did you do that?” he demanded. “No one does that.” “It’s true. Nobody ever figures on us bein’ together,” admitted Zoe. “’Cuz Zoe needs a little laughter….Hell, I don’t know. Just a feeling,” replied Zerri, moving on to River’s face. “I know you….” “She’s a fugie,” Jayne cut in, wrapping one arm discreetly around said fugie. “No, before….Oh, my god. River, you don’t remember me do you?” Zerri asked sadly. “Specimen Seventeen….Tried to escape twice before you actually did it…..Tried to take me with you the second time, because you didn’t think I would last…..You were there a month,” muttered River, a trace of bitterness creeping into her voice. “Your poor soul….You an’ me were the only ones who were fighting them, weren’t me? I’m so happy you managed to get out…That would be your brother, then?” Zerri nodded to Simon. “You’re like River? You ain’t seeming like a crazy,” snarled Jayne, tightening his grip around River’s hips, a move only Inara and Zerri, from so many miles away, noticed. “I was held in the Academy for a month after the war. I wasn’t the star pupil by far- that was River, and I wasn’t I psychic. After I escaped, they stopped searching. My only asset to them was my skill in combat and the like, and River surpassed me at that. They let me fade into the black,” Zerri explained mournfully. “I imagine River’s a lot worse off than me.” “Obviously,” muttered Jayne. River shot him an almost grateful glance- she had learned after two months of their secret little relationship, he was a gorramn good liar. He had everyone but Inara convinced he was just as apathetic to her as he had been before. “Anyway, that your mechanic?” Zerri changed the subject, pointing at Kaylee. “Engine grease...” “Best one in the ‘verse,” said Mal. “We-ell, I wouldn’t be too sure a that. This is Peach,” said Zerri, pointing out a cheerful, pretty girl. “Then we have my violent psychotic, Kiri…” “Oh, well, ours is probably much more violent and much more psychotic,” laughed Mal. “This is Jayne.” “Well, this is Luke, my doctor. He’s a Core bred boy, but Kiri’s beatin’ it outta him,” laughed Zerri. “Kinda upright an’ proper, but alright. This here is Ryan, our pilot. He’s alright, but y’all got Washburn, right? That’d be Zoe’s husband? And then we have Keith and Staci- Staci’s my first mate, and Keith’s…well, he’s Keith.” “And wassat supposed to mean?” growled a burly man on her right. She giggled, a silvery, tinkling sound, and pushed him slightly. “Anyway, we gonna meet at Galileo?” she asked. “See you then,” Mal agreed. “Be good, mei-mei.” “Love you, girl,” said Zoe, smiling indulgently at her. “When am I not good?” she giggled again at the look Mal and Zoe exchanged. “See you soon.” The screen cut to black, Mal and Zoe still gazing at it and wondering if that had been real. Wash finally broke the silence. “Well, I think I like her.”