Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Firefly characters or am in any way connected to the show.

Right and Wrong By KaySky

Part Two

All of the crew settled around the kitchen table for the meeting.

“As you might have already figured out, we have changed our course.” Dark circles lay underneath Mal’s eyes. He was too worried about Kaylee last night to get any sleep. “We should be arriving at Calentuck tomorrow morning.”

“Calentuck?” Inara repeated. “Why are we headed there?”

“Lil’ Kaylee has a friend that could use are help.”

Everyone turned their attention to Kaylee. She, too, had dark circles under her eyes. Hers were also red and puffy. It was obvious she had been crying all night.

“Three Musketeers are one Musketeer short.” River started rocking back and forth in her chair. “Soon there will be the Sole Musketeer.”

Simon went to comfort River. He had given up trying to figure out most of her ramblings. Sometimes they were clear as day, but times like now, he was lost.

Kaylee’s eyes filled with more tears. “That’s…that’s…” Her motions resembled much of Rivers’. She started rocking back and forth; tear after tear was streaming down her cheeks.

Mal and Inara tried comforting Kaylee. “Meimei,” Inara said softly, “its okay.” She brushed Kaylee’s hair out of her face. A few wet strands remained stuck to her checks. Inara was scared for her.

“No!” Kaylee screamed as she jumped out of her chair. “That’s what they called us! River is talking about us!” Mal grabbed her in his arms and pressed her hard against his chest. He was trying to calm her…trying to keep her safe.

“The Sole Musketeer…loses a friend and someone who was more.” Tears rolled down River’s cheeks. “More than just a friend…”

“Okay, Kaylee, honey, who is your friend?” Wash had gotten use to River’s spells, but seeing Kaylee go through one was unbearable.

“Her name is Krestanya Arabella Aarons. That’s what her letter said anyways.” Kaylee took comfort in Mal’s arms and managed to somewhat calm her nerves.

“What letter?” Zoe asked.

“She sent a letter askin’ me for some help. She signed it Aarons. She musta gotten married…married to Vincent Aarons.” She wrapped her arms around Mal and squeezed him tight…maybe if she squeezed tight enough the sadness would go away.

“So this Vincent, he was a friend of yours, too?” Book had so much worry in his voice. Seeing any child…let alone Kaylee…this upset was devastating.

“Yep, Shepherd. When Anya, that’s what we use to call her…when we were fourteen we met Vincent.” She loosened her grip around Mal and wiped the final tears away. She paused, taking a moment to recall all the events of that summer. “He was visiting his aunt. She lived two houses down from me. Anya and me thought he was real cute…kinda special. It wasn’t every day some Core boy shows up. That whole summer we were inseparable…daddy use to call us the…” The tears she worked so hard to suppress came pouring out. “…the Three Musketeers.”

The whole crew was silent. They were replaying River’s words in their minds.

“So, Anya and Vincent became more than friends?” Wash realized the connection he just made…more than friends. If Vincent and Anya are more than friends…Kaylee is just a friend…

“Hey, nothin’ is gonna happen to Kaylee or her friend.” Mal was holding back his emotions. River was almost always right…but this time…she couldn’t be.

“Cap’n, it’s okay.” Kaylee gave him a final squeeze, a kiss on the cheek, and headed for the door. “Don’t go worrin’ about me. Here you are doing me the favor and now the whole crew is worried that I might…” She bit her bottom lip. “It don’t matter what River thinks might or might not happen to me.” She walked out of the room leaving the crew bewildered. Kaylee had never put on such a brave face.

* * * *

She never went home last night. She hadn’t been home in days. There was an old couch tucked away in the storage closet. Several springs poked through the bottom cushion making it very uncomfortable, but it least she felt safe…safer than being at home anyways.

There was a loud pounding on the front door. Startled, she jumped up. She looked into the mirror. “What a mess.” She pulled her long, strawberry blond hair into a ponytail, brushed the wrinkles out of her clothes the best she could, and went to answer the door.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was only Charlie. She barely had the door unlocked and the open sign turned around before he was sitting in his usual stool demanding a drink.

She looked at her watch. It was five past ten. As much as she always got on Charlie’s case for drinking so early in the day, she was starting to think it might not be such a bad idea after all.

* * * *

Kaylee was sitting in the common area reading the letter over and over again. She never heard Simon come into the room. She didn’t even notice him sit down next to her.

“Kaylee,” Simon didn’t know where to begin. He wanted to pull her close and tell her everything was going to be okay, but was it? If she was bleeding or broke a bone he knew she would be fine. He could guarantee she would be fine, but with this…he had no control. “Do you want to talk?” He put his arm around her pulling her against his chest.

“Nah, Simon.” Even though resting in his arms grew to be an everyday routine, she still got goosebumps when he pulled her close. She smiled. It was a good feeling knowing that he could take her away from reality, even if it was just for a split second. “I just don’t know what Anya coulda done.”

Simon wished he had the answers. “You were very close, the three of you?” He was hoping Kaylee would say her and Vincent had a relationship. Under different circumstances he would be jealous, but he couldn’t stop thinking about what River had said…the remaining Musketeer losing a friend and someone more than a friend.

Kaylee was never the top 3% of anything, but it didn’t take much to know where Simon was headed. “Simon, we don’t know anything. We don’t know about Vincent. Maybe River’s ramble has nuttin’ to do with death. Maybe Vincent and Anya and me…maybe it’s just somethin’ different.”

Simon squeezed her tight and kissed the top of her head. “Baobei…” He wasn’t very good with words. He always said something stupid from time to time, but it least he said something. He had never felt such a loss for words in his whole life.

“We’ll know more in the mornin’. No need to be gettin’ ourselves all worked up until than.” Simon ran his fingers through her hair. He knew she was right, but he couldn’t stop worrying. She meant so much to him…he never wanted to know the feeling of losing her.

* * * *

“Sir, why exactly are we helping this girl out?” Zoe had a bad feeling about the situation. Whoever this girl was it was clear she had gotten herself into big trouble and Zoe didn’t want her brining Kaylee and the rest of the crew down with her.

“She is a friend of Kaylee. That’s all I gotta know in my book.” Mal was pacing back and forth. “It’s not like we don’t get into trouble on our own.”

“Exactly, we get into enough trouble on our own. I don’t think we need to take on more trouble willingly.”

“Zoe, it ain’t right. Ain’t right at all to leave a lil’ girl scared half to death all on her own”

“Sir, she’s not Kaylee.” Everyone on Serenity had a special place in their heart for Kaylee. Almost anyone of them would do anything to keep her safe. Taking her directly into danger’s path didn’t seem like a brilliant way of doing so to Zoe.

“I know she ain’t Kaylee…but one of Kaylees’ is good enough as one of mine…least for the time being.” It was apparent Mal had made up his mind. Zoe just hoped the crew was prepared for whatever lye ahead.

To be continued…