Angelle is mine, but the rest belongs to Joss. ================================================= Past....the steps you have already taken and the words that have already been spoken...things that no matter how much you want cannot be changed. It has a habit of haunting you, linking you to places you would have rather not gone, and to people you would rather not know. Worse though than all that, it has a rather horrible way of biting you in the gorram ass.

"What do we do now?" I heard Zoe beside me as we moved back inside the safety of the bathroom and Aunt Lou Lou gasping as she heard a noise coming from outside the door. "I've got a single shot pistol on me, but I'm sure Jayne somehow strapped something to him, even in that tight suit."

"Unless they search him." I smiled, positioning myself between the girls and the entrance. My hand rested on the knife at my thigh as the door swung open, light pouring in as well as noise from the ball. The first man walked in and I pounced, wrapping my arm around his neck, even though he was a little bigger than me. The next one in was Zoe's and she slammed her fist into his face, dropping him like you would a rock. It didn't take long for mine to do the same from lack of oxygen.

"Got any other bright ideas?" Lou Lou asked as we both turned to see a group of five standing in the door with guns drawn. Lifting our hands in surrender, I huffed.

"How good is Mal at negotiating?" I whispered as Zoe just gave me a funny look. "That bad, huh?" She nodded as we were taken out of the bathroom, the men stripping us of our jewelry and our weapons.

"Bring the woman in black to the front. The one with the red hair..." I heard the ring leader comment and as I looked around, I realized I was the only one in all black and red. Mal moved toward me, but a gun to the chest stopped him. Raising my hand to signal that I would be alright, or at least I hoped, I saw him frown still, the worry lining his face.

A barrel in my back made me move, and brought my eyes away from Mal and to the front. Atherton called out something about taking me and being done with it, an elbow to the gut I think that came from Jayne silencing him. Through the crowd of fancy dressed folk, the man pushed me forward and then to stand in front of the four foot high stage, as I looked up into the eyes of the bandanna clad leader. Wait, I knew those eyes...

"Cadaver?" I used my arms to push myself up on to the stage's floor and then stood brushing off my dress. The leader stood back a bit, moving the rag down to get a better look at me.

"Angelle Marcs...thought that was you, but never seen you in a getup such as that and with fineries...hey boys, give Miss Marcs back her stuff. She ain't one of these rich folk and her daddy'd tan my hide he find out we robbed her."

"You usually deal with small crimes. This is a little big for you." I looked over at Mal and shrugged. Was it my fault the Bayou attracted other characters as well and my father had a soft spot for criminal types, well, any type that didn't comply with Alliance regulations. Of course, it also meant they knew me and most had the idea that I felt the same way about everything as my daddy did.

"You know how it is, Angelle. Things are startin' to get tight and food scarce. Need to feed the family." He was about the size of Badger, but imagine if the little Leprechaun ate his fill in French pastries for the next year while sitting on his ass. He was rather stocky, if you got my drift.

"What family?" I shook my head. "Don't tell me Robin finally said yes to your sorry ass."

The large black bearded man almost blushed. "Ain't nice now, making me all warm in front of my men and these fine folk that are lightening their pocket books for me."

"Well, I've got friends here, Cad. Ones I don't want hurt. Now, you know I can and you know I will fight you, die if I must protectin' that which is mine so..." I looked around plotting another course of action, one that could save both our lives as well as the fine people before us and that's when I saw the perfect solution, to both our problems. "I think I've got a way for you to make a lot more money and for all these wonderful people to go free and not get hurt. Is there a chance that me and my captain can speak to you and Bear in private?"

"Don't see why not. Ain't like any of these people got a stitch of backbone in them.” He motioned for Bear to let Mal come toward us as I pointed him out. “You truly think I can make more money?"

"You listen to me good and I promise you...you'll be able to roll around in it."

**************************

"You sure you know what you're doing." Mal whispered to me as we all sat in the entry way to the girl's bathroom, the same one not a few minutes before I was calming down Lou Lou.

"Nope, but ain't that the way most Browncoats do it." I commented receiving something like a wry smile from him as Cadaver and his right hand, Bear walked in the room with a bottle of whiskey and four glasses. It had been quite awhile since I last drank with anyone that was set on robbing an entire party full of people, and if I remember right last time, I ended up shot. Guess it's too late to dwell on the past now.

"Milton Graines, but my friends and working associates call me Cadaver and the man at my side is Bear. He don't talk much." Actually, if you knew anything about Bear, the big massive mound beside Milton, *snort* you'd know that he's probably the only man to have ever come face to face with a Reaver scouting party by himself and lived to tell about. He did lose most of his tongue and had more knife scars than swiss cheese had holes.

"Captain Mal Reynolds." Mal, like a gentleman, shook Cad's hand, but remained with his other hand on me. I could tell he was nervous, probably more so since he didn't have a gun and wasn't quite sure how well I knew what I was doing. Of course, neither did I, but my father always said that my false sense of security was my downfall and my greatest strength, not sure how that works out. "And I guess you know the lady on my left."

"Angelle and I have a history. That is true. Her daddy's a good man. Kept me and my men from 'Liance more than once." Cadaver looked at me nodding and Bear grunted. "Reason I'd let her and your people go if you so desire, but seems to me Angelle here as a better idea."

Mal cast a look at me and I shrugged my shoulders. "Ain't good robbing all these people. Daddy can't hide you all forever and the Alliance is breathing down our necks as it is with all their scouts being lost to the gators and Betsy Lou. Way I figure, we both need a good plan." All three men seemed to nod as Cad poured us a shot.

Now like I told you before, I failed lady skills about a hundred times over and though I can get by in a pinch, you put a strong high priced whiskey in front of me and damn it, don't all that fine ladiness go out the window. Taking the small glass, I tipped it back letting the rich caramel liquor burn my throat. God, it felt good.

"We've got a thorn in our side that needs removing and I'm thinkin' if you were to ask a pretty good ransom, his people would gladly pay it. Could get maybe a million or so."

"A million? Bars?" Cad looked shocked, Bear, too, but I had to give the best performance to my main man, Mal. He picked up exactly what I had in mind and slipped into his patten Reynolds charm.

"At least. Maybe more you threaten to cut out his tongue they don't deliver and if you want, I could make sure he's quiet 'fore you take him. You know knock him out." A grin spread wide his face and I couldn't help think about a Cheshire cat.

“So who's this man that can make us a bunch of money?” Cadaver poured another shot for us and I picked my glass up as Mal clicked his against mine.

“Atherton Wing.” We both smiled.

**************

“You back water pieces of niu shi.” I could still hear the sumabitch screaming as Mal wrapped the gag even tighter around Atherton's mouth. I was quite surprised that even Inara seemed to be enjoying it. At least either it was that or she had been visiting the open bar one too many times. I was proud to say that even after about three more shots of whiskey, I could still stand, though to tell you the truth, after the moonshine they served on the Bayou, it took quite a bit to get me drunk.

I could tell that Mal was enjoying himself as well as Jayne, who had made fast friends with just about Cadaver's entire party. Maybe it was because they kind of spoke his language. Of course, this was after they had returned his guns and had apologized to Lou for acting rude to her. Maybe the big merc was good for my aunt. It was the first time she had ever taken a date to a ball she could have earned good money at.

Kaylee had never left the strawberries and if the bulge in her clutch wasn't the round red fruit, then I was a virgin and Mal was a priest. She smiled innocently and I just shook my head, handing her the little bag I had taken, removing my id card and putting it in my bra. By the wider grin on her face, I could tell what would fill it and that the stains inside would probably never come out. Oh well, ain't like I used it too often.

Zoe had managed to settle down the crowd, convincing them that we had defused the situation and they all had nothing more to fear. If you ask me, the woman was a born politician. I would have told her ifn I wasn't afraid of being shot. Her dark skin and the dress my aunt had picked made the warrior woman radiant. She sure didn't match the stories my daddy told me, but then when you looked into her dark eyes, you could see that Browncoat come through.

Cadaver hadn't stopped smiling since we had told him the money he could make, though it was totally depending on who would actually pay for his safe return. Truthfully, I secretly hoped that both of them would be stuck together for a very long time. Kept both Wing out of my hair and Cadaver's people off my planet.

“You sure this is a good idea, Bao Bei?” Mal spoke at my side, my thoughts coming back to the land of the now. I breathed in the smell of his subtle cologne and glanced at the dark suit that still wrapped around his delicious body.

“It was either that or kill both of them and between you and me,” I laughed a bit giddy, “This is so much better than I could ever do myself.”

Atherton looked at me, glaring like he thought he'd scare me. I just stared back, then grinned as wide as I could. Walking over, my lips whispered in his ear. “Ain't life a bitch, Wing. You fucked with my family and now, I fucked with your life. Next time, I bet you'll think twice about messing with a Marcs girl.”

He growled something that was unreadable due to the tight gag on his mouth. I'm sure it was insulting and I brought my knee up into his groin as he fell to the ground in a heap. “Hey, no damaging the merchandise.” Cadaver spoke.

Tossing him the diamond necklace that had been around my neck, I shook my head. He picked it up and placed it in his pocket, before helping his prisoner to his feet. “Lost your necklace?” Mal asked, running a finger over where it had been and sending a chill down my spine.

“Yes, but what I got in return was so worth it.” My lips spoke before they found their way to Mal's. All in all, it had been a rather fun night.