Not my ‘Verse. Joss Whedon’s ‘verse. I just move the dinosaurs around in it. Title belongs to George Axelrod and 20th Century Fox. I used even less of his play than the movie did. A/N Sequel to Interludes. Our BDHs are at the skyplex (The Message, not War Stories) on their way to Haven for the BDF.

Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter (pt 2)

Zoe Alleyne Washburne

The money meant almost as much to her as it did to Simon. Her ego wasn’t busted over a rodent, a stupid song and an ugly statue. She had no family anymore but Mal. Wash was dead, the child she wanted gone with him. No amount of money could replace what a reaver harpoon had taken from her. And she had double what was represented on that table. That fact only made her miss Wash even more. Damn River for doing this to her. She would have sided with Jayne and dumped the entire payment into one pool and taken only her cut.

Maybe it was being back here remembering Tracey; maybe it was remembering Tracey so soon after burying Wash. She wondered if Tracey ever managed to leave the war behind him. He certainly never got smarter. Maybe this money could break the bond between her and Mal ... maybe not. She could buy her own boat. Heck she could find a nice world somewhere and buy land, cattle, build her own spread, have a normal life, maybe meet some cowboy [Rance Burgess came to mind and she immediately forced that image away] and have that child.

She and Mal could rethink the entire thing, pool their assets, sell Serenity, Jayne always wanted to be in charge, buy a used yacht and just sail the black with whomever of their little family wanted to stay. She would have to talk with Mal then with everyone. Yes, she did need this time to sort things out.

*****

Hoban Washburne

How River knew he was here, he didn't know, but his dinosaurs were a good focus for him. He could move on at any time, he would soon. But he wanted to know Zoe was going to be ok before he did. No, that wasn't it. His warrior-woman that could kill him with her little finger would survive, he wanted to be sure she would move on with her life, not stay bound to him like she was bound to Mal. And he liked watching River play with his toys among the piles of "money" on the table.

Imagine that, twice that pile for his Lamby-Toes. If he had a voice he would yell at her to get a divorce from Mal, buy her own ship, her own ranch, heck, her own skyplex- without Neska. But only River seemed to notice him and when did Zoe ever listen to him at all, much less where Mal was concerned.

*****

Malcolm Reynolds

This was more than he payed for Serenity. All he could see was his family, the only people left in the 'verse would scatter like leaves in a wind storm. There would be no reason for Jayne to stay, he'd probably want to return to the Heart of Gold and open an account with Petaline, heck if he was smart he would buy into it and provide security. Zoe ... what would Zoe do? If everybody left he would probably fill the hold with food, fuel and spare parts and just fly that way until he ran out of sky or fuel or food or ran into a sun.

No, Kaylee would probably stay unless he flew her back home and forced her of at gun point. He hoped Zoe would stay, they'd been through hell together, even been through her marriage. He'd be lost without her. And the Little Albatross, what would she do? Her decision would decide what Simon did. She would still be safer on the move, but maybe safer moving on her own boat, not being on the ragged edge.

And if most of them stayed? Would they have to live so close to the ragged edge? They could take mostly safe jobs like hauling cattle, maybe the odd salvage job, avoid Badger altogether. They were family this should be a family decision.

*****

River Tam

All the emotion threatened to overwhelm her. Her family realized that now they truly had a choice beyond the next job. She thought about what she did, agonized over it, even talked to Wash about it. She could have done it different, heck there was more than 40 times the money on the table plus whatever柑橘 卫星 LLC turned out to be. But this was enough for each of them to be able to have the option to stay or to go. Yes, the next few days would be very busy and enlightening for River Tam.

She was out to build a better world, one more in the Browncoat tradition. She needed a nest-egg and a solid base. She didn't want another war, she was thinking more of a non-violent revolution. But she would have to get their attention first. She doubted the transmission about Miranda would have any play in the core. The Mr. Universe Job would be another almost useless gesture, left to itself. Eventually the mighty Alliance will track it down and kill it, but until they do, it will create a lot of mischief, and possibly a bit of crime. And no matter what was said or promised,靑日would not stop trying to recover their property.

Bottom line, she wanted her family to stay together because they were each better as part of the family, not because they had no other viable choices. She was the genius, that made her the general ... or was it Admiral?