A/N: Here is the next installment. Hope you like it.

“Are they on us? Have the Reavers latched onto us?” Zoe asked.

“No. Looks like they are boarding through the Alliance ship. We probably got a bit of time before they get this far,” Kaylee continued as she ducked, avoiding another close shot. “Zoe, we have to disconnect or we’ll be done for!”

“Jayne,” Zoe called out. “How many we still have down there?”

“Three that I can see,” Jayne responded. “All the others have up and run.”

Serenity suddenly groaned and lurched towards the Alliance ship.

“They’re trying to run!” Kaylee said with shock. Zoe peered into the airlock door.

“We’re still attached to them,” Zoe informed Kaylee.

“Zoe, if we don’t disconnect, the stress will put a hole in our hull!”

Before Zoe could stop her, Kaylee bolted towards the cargo bay doors.

“Kaylee!” Simon shouted.

Kaylee ran down the stairs and started to make her way up the side of the cargo bay. Bullets glanced all around her, connecting with the hull and the crates she ducked behind. Somehow, she made it to the airlock door and with some newfound strength, pushed it closed and entered in the code to make a space-worthy seal. She turned to her left to come face-to-face with one of the soldiers. He had sneaked up along the side of the cargo bay where Jayne could not see him. Kaylee stepped back in fear.

“Don’t shoot me, please,” she whispered. “I have to disengage this airlock. We will all die if I don’t.”

The soldier paused, trying to decide what he should do. That pause was just long enough for Zoe to stand and move to the end of her catwalk so she could get a good shot at him. It only took one shot from her gun to bring the man down. The soldier hit the floor hard, but he wasn’t dead. Shakily, he raised his gun at Kaylee and pulled the trigger. It knocked her backwards and she fell to the floor with a thud. Another shot from Zoe made sure he would never shoot anyone again.

“Kaylee’s down,” she whispered into her comm. Zoe stood there, unable to move. How many do we have to lose?

Jayne rotated further out of his designated space and took out another man. Just one left. Then she saw Kaylee stand up shakily and continue her work. Zoe smiled.

“But not down for the count,” she commented. “Jayne, get down to Kaylee. She needs some help.”

“On it!” he confirmed. Jayne took the fastest route to Kaylee by climbing over the rail and dropping straight down to the cargo bay floor.

Zoe looked up to see Simon starting down from his position.

“Zoe!” he screamed. “Look out!”

Just as his words registered with her, a single gunshot rang out. The bullet connected with her side, knocking her backwards. She nearly fell off the back of the catwalk, but she regained her balance and righted herself. She turned to where the bullet came from and lifted her gun, removing the last threat left inside their ship. She sat down to rest.

“I got it. We are free from their ship,” Kaylee said wearily as she removed the comm from her ear. The blood from her wound was dripping onto it.

Simon got to Zoe and clumsily started assessing her wound with his uninjured hand. At the same time he glanced anxiously back to where Jayne and Kaylee stood.

“She’s OK, Doc,” Jayne relayed back to Kaylee’s worried boyfriend. “Grazed her temple. Not a bad wound, it’ll just bleed a bunch.”

Simon let out a breath as he tried to take a better look at Zoe.

“I’m OK, Simon,” Zoe told him. “Hit my armor. May have a cracked rib.”

“Good. Don’t think I could do any major doctoring anyway,” Simon smiled at her.

Zoe stood up and brushed herself off.

“It’s good time to split up. Make use of the confusion out there,” she said. “Simon and Kaylee are injured, so we’ll have to modify the Plan a bit.”

“What do you need?” Jayne asked from the cargo bay floor.

“Jayne, I need you to take Kaylee and get off this ship. Take the shuttle and use whatever means to get free of us.”

“Zoe, I need to look at Kaylee’s head,” Simon objected.

“I’m fine, Simon,” Kaylee reassured. “Just surprised me, s’all.”

“Jayne, you protect her no matter what,” Zoe ordered.

“You have my word,” Jayne said as he shuffled Kaylee off to the shuttle.

“Simon and I will finish up here,” Zoe said.

As Jayne passed into the shuttle, Kaylee lingered at the door. She smiled at Simon and disappeared into the shuttle.

“See you soon, bao bei,” Simon whispered.

They heard the shuttle disengage. Jayne’s voice came through the comm.

“There are more ships approaching. Whatever you need done, do it quick.”

“More Reavers?”

“Don’t know.”

“Well, you all get going. Be safe.”

“You too.”

Zoe and Simon looked at each other.

“You ready?” Zoe asked him.

“Not really, but tell me what I need to do.”

“How’s the shoulder.”

“It hurts. I am losing some blood, but I think I’m OK for now. Let’s just get this done.”

“Let’s get up to the bridge.”

“I’ll go check on Mal first,” Simon said as he looked down at the cryo unit. “I’ll meet you up there.”

Zoe followed his gaze down to where Mal was.

“Be fast,” Zoe warned.

They moved quickly to their intended areas. Zoe felt hot tears sting her eyes and she ran up the stairs. She missed having him by her side during the fight. She couldn’t remember the last time he wasn’t. When she got to the bridge, she wiped away the tears and started assessing what she saw outside. The Alliance ship was sustaining major damage and despite their efforts to escape, they were drifting. She saw the shuttle speeding off in the opposite direction, but she could barely see the other ship Jayne had told her about. She hoped it wasn’t Reavers. At least dying by the Alliance’s hands would be more humane. Simon came up behind her.

“Mal’s unit is good. Didn’t sustain any damage at all,” Simon informed her. “Still strapped down tight.”

“Good.”

That’s when they saw the shuttle violently jag to the left. The airlock blew and debris flew out of the ship. Simon and Zoe winced as the shuttle started to drift.

“I didn’t get to tell her I loved her,” Simon whispered as his eyes followed the path of the shuttle.

Thanks for reading. Please comment. Shiny reviews are immensely appreciated.