Angelle is mine...all else belongs to Joss. --------------------------------------------

Twists....usually defined as the act of turning something in two different directions to cause a shape similar to an 's' or in stories, a plot turn that causes the reader to gasp and say...I can't believe that just happened. Got your attention, yet?

Inara and I sat in Serenity, hoping against hope that good old Suga would get herself bored and wander away looking for something better and easier to eat. Sad to say, it took her a long damn time 'fore she did and not on her own, I don't mind tellin' you. No, it took some rather loud gunfire and just a few screams and hollers before the big Mama headed on her way, far from our metal prison (no offense again to Serenity, but after being stuck on her for a good seven hours with not much to do, well, let's say it was nice to see the light.)

"Thank Buddha, we're free." Inara spoke on my left as she pushed the button to lower the ramp, it screeching and a wailing after the pounding Suga had put on it. Something tells me I got some serious explaining to do to Mal. Here's hoping it didn't effect the wedding.

"Angelle Marcs and Inara Serra," a voice before us as well as the cocking of several guns made me very aware that we were definitely not in the presence of friends. Among the green and brown of the swamp...my swamp was a color I had hoped would never make it to solid ground, at least not without the presence of a set of very large teeth following after....the color was purple. "You are under arrest for the murder of various members of the Alliance as well as harboring fugitives."

"Angelle, what are we going to do?" Inara whispered beside me as I noticed one uniform that was not purple, not the color of my hated enemy, at least not yet.

"Jericho, you son of a bitch." I yelled and went for him, but a guard grabbed me by the shoulders, my fist barely missing the nose of the man I had talked to not hours before.

"Aw, come on, Angelle. The price on your head and hers is just too much for me to pass up. No hard feeling, though..." He shrugged his shoulders, the balls of steel about to be tested by my foot.

"What about burning bridges and all that bullshit from earlier? My father is not this forgiving, you asshole."

"Burning ain't a big deal if you build new ones in the process. Besides, I found the Alliance pays a lot more than I once figured." His quirky smiled made me want more than ever to knock it off his face, maybe add a bit of blood to that pretty boy glaze. "Commander Jarvis here promised me lots more if I could lead him to the Captain of this vessel as well as the crew. Figure a good pay day's worth it. Wouldn't you say, Marcs?"

Oh, I had a lot to say, but it would remain quiet as the water behind Serenity burst forth, spilling up the biggest gator any of those Alliance bastards had ever seen, Old Scar. He was definitely a sight for sore eyes and probably about to tell these purple belly men that he wasn't gonna let them take his meal without a fight. Daddy always said me and that beast had a connection.

Purple scattered as well as Jericho, but not without me taking that punch I was telling you about, giving him a nasty bloody nose. His words were none too sweet, but then my intention wasn't to get on his good side. It was to attract my would be savior to his next meal. Figure at least that way, he couldn't lead these asses back to the village. Oh, I was assured the Alliance might find it on its own, but at least then, 'Nara and I would have time to figure out what to do.

Commander Jarvis shouldered the long rifle barrel, grabbing for the trigger, hoping for a good shot. Scar, though was much smarter than the younger Suga or even Hoban. Like a turtle and its hard shell, Scar hunkered his massive...mass to the ground covering the soft underbelly and taking his plated spike filled tail, swung into the crowd. Suddenly, it was raining purple. Kind of cool, if you ask me, but then I had to concentrate on the reality of the thing. We were still captured and my village as well as the people I loved were in danger.

"Get the prisoners on to the ship!" The commander yelled as three men went for me. Inara hit one without a thought, knocking him flat on his ass and I had to give it to the girl...she was pretty okay for a Companion. The next one met my forehead, a move I had learned from my father, who told me that as heads go, he had never met anyone with a harder one than me. Though if truth be told...he said Mal was a very close second.

Sadly though, the last one was a little smarter and with the back of his gun, delivered a good whack to the Companion's head. Inara dropped into his arms like a bag of rocks and the rescue was left to me along with a very nasty, ill tempered scaly gator.

Jericho ran and I went after him, dodging as much purple as I could. He was quick, but I knew this swamp like the back of my hand and you could say, just like your hand has hairs on it, so the swamp has roots. He tripped and I was on him.

"Don't kill me." He cried over the noise of gunfire, useless as rocks against the fully armored adult gator. Unlike Suga, Scar didn't have any babies to worry about and as far as he was concerned, the Alliance presence was like a Sunday afternoon buffet.

"You were going to turn these assholes on my village...my bloody home, you piece of shit. You think for one moment, I'm gonna let you remain breathing."

"I wasn't...honest. They stumbled on your captain's ship, saw the gator, and were going to destroy both. Figured if I told them who was inside and what was around the area, they'd get you out safely. Wasn't gonna risk your family. Dad's done too much for me already." Remember that twist I told you about...well, that was it.

"So what was your plan to get us out once we were in custody?" I called to him, letting him get up and looking back to see Scar snap up a guard. The man slid down the large gullet of the gator and sadly, I was so glad it wasn't me. Been there....done that...almost.

"Figured that would be your department." He smiled, the commander heading toward us, Inara being drug into the awaiting scout ship. Something told me that was the reason Scar had shown up. His dinner car had arrived.

"Can you get Mal? Tell him that we've been captured." I looked to him and probably got the same look back as you have on your face now.

"Ummm...yes." He questioned.

"I've got to go with Inara. I can't let her deal with this mess herself. Might even be able to convince the purple bellies into not giving her to that Higgins character."

"You believe me then?"

"Co, one thing you're not is a liar, at least not to my face where I could kill you. Figure you had your reasons and that's got to be good enough for me. Now, I'm trusting you to do this job for me."

"Okay. Where are you going?" He muttered preparing to disappear before anyone else noticed he was missing.

"Gonna go get myself caught." I shook my head hard to believe those words were coming from my mouth.

"Good luck, Angelle." He whispered as I smiled.

"You too." Walking toward the scout ship, looking like I was going to save Inara, it came to no surprise when I felt the butt of a gun strike the back of my head. Damn it, I hope the asshole gets eaten.