Disclaimer: Firefly, Firefly, nothing to do with I.

Authors Notes: As always, I hope you enjoy this segment. =o)

Right and Wrong By KaySky Part Eight

“Stop! I’m being serious. Cap’n crossed Niska.” She put her hands over her latest wound as if she could stop the blood from oozing out. “Niska tried to take revenge, but that didn’t go over so well. You tell him you got Malcolm Reynolds beloved mechanic…I think it’d settle the debt.” The pain was intolerable, but it would be nothing compared to what Niska would do to her. She was willing to take her chances.

“Kaylee, you are too good of a person.” He shook his head in disappointment. “It’s a shame. I know you were trying to save the doc and his sister, but now you have made yourself a little bonus.”

“Don’t work that way, Vincent.” She was having a hard time standing up. The cuts weren’t deep, but they added up. All the blood loss was causing her to be fatigued. She wouldn’t let it overcome her. “The only way out of this is with me. You call the Alliance and I push that knife into me one final time.”

“Kaylee, I like you, but…”

“I push that knife into me and I’m dead and you ain’t got nothin’ to repay Niska with.”

“I could just give him one of the others.”

“They wouldn’t suit Niska’s needs.”

“And why is that, Kaylee dear?”

“It’s one thing to capture one of Mal’s crew, it’s another thing to capture Mal’s wife.” She had a bad habit of fiddling with things when she was lying. Not this time. Her one hand stayed on her stomach and the other to her side.

The shuttle fell silent.

Kaylee looked to Mal than at Simon. “Mal and I were wed before you and I happened. I never thought you’d come around, but when you finally did… I couldn’t help myself. Mal understands. He’s got women on the side himself.” She took her hand away from her stomach. “Vincent, Niska ain’t gonna have too much fun with me if I’m dead.”

Vincent Aarons didn’t know what to think. On one hand, Kaylee was telling the truth. If she was he didn’t have to worry about Niska, but if she was lying… He supposed he’d think of something. “Fine, Kaylee, will play it your way. You come with me to meet Niska. If he takes you, I’ll forget all about the doc and his sister.”

“No you don’t!” Anya screamed at him. “You know how much money these two are worth? There ain’t no way I’m leaving this ship without them.”

“Well, that could be a problem. Solution? Kaylee’s mine. Do what you want with them.”

“You promised you’d leave them alone!?” Kaylee cried out. Vincent was practically holding her in his arms. All of her emotions were eating away at her, taking all her strenght. She couldn't endure much more.

“Darling, I am leaving them alone. My wife however, she does her own thing now.”

“Well, husband, watch the crew. I am going to the hail the Alliance.”

Kaylee never thought she was capable of giving anyone such a hurtful stare. “Friends for life, remember? We’d always be there for each other. We’d do anything for each other. You walk out that door and we’re no longer friends.”

Anya turned and faced Kaylee. She didn't want to look into her eyes, but she couldn't bare to look down and see all the blood. “Boys were always your weakness. If you spent a little less time chasing them, maybe you would’ve realized what’s important in life.”

“And what would that be Krestanya?” It was getting harder to speak, but this conversation was far from over.

“Money and power: without one the other means nothing. Without either of them, you’re just pathetic.”

“So, I guess silly me thinkin’ all this time love kept the ‘verse together, I was wrong. Love just brings more hate into it.”

“Damn straight, Kaylee Frye.”

Kaylee reached her hand into the pocket of her pajama pants and pulled out a small charm. She found it in her room earlier in the night. Right where she had left it. She meant to show Anya sooner...Anya had one, too…somewhere anyways. Before Anya left town, she gave the charm to Kaylee. It symbolized their friendship and as long as they each had their half, they’d never be alone. She threw it at Anya. “Guess, daddy was right about people having to leave. Three Musketeers had to be separated at some point and I guess best friends do, too. You and Vincent have my blessin’ to continue on as a duo without me.”

Anya clutched the charm in her hand. She left hers under the counter at Arabellas. It had meant something to her.

Kaylee was on a roll. She had a lot of feelings swimming inside her that she needed to release and given her physical state, she figured she better get them out while she still could. “This was a setup right?” Kaylee tried pulling away from Vincent, but he wouldn’t let go. “You talked to my daddy found out about Serenity. Maybe heard rumors ‘bout it getting searched two moons over from Calentuck by the Alliance a few months back. Crazy Alliance was convinced we were harboring fugitives. Was that your plan? Did you plan on killing me before or after Vincent showed up?”

“I’d never hurt you like that.”

“Really cause taking the man I love away from me… You’ll break my heart. You might as well give this knife one last thrust right through the center of my heart.”

A single tear rolled down Anya’s cheek. Hurting Kaylee was never part of her plan. She needed to leave Calentuck, that wasn’t a lye. If she hadn’t seen the flyers of Simon and River posted at the sheriff’s station a few weeks ago, she would have just taken her ride on Serenity and left. No harm done. Or if it hadn’t dawned on her while they were all sitting in the lounge where she knew Simon’s face from. If she couldn’t of remembered …but it was all in the past. Right or wrong, didn’t matter. What was done was done. It was time to move on…bitterly. “Maybe I shouldn’t have pulled you out of that fire.”

“Yeah, but if you hadn’t done that, you wouldn’t be pullin’ off the biggest gorram job of your life, now would you?”

Anya slammed the door as she walked out. She didn’t like feeling guilty. She didn’t like Kaylee too much right now either.

* * * *

Wash heard footsteps coming down the hall. It had been a long time since he heard from anyone. He knew something was going on.

Anya didn’t even remember Wash. She knew there was a pilot, but she never saw him, so he never registered in her mind. Wash never left Serenity on Calentuck. When she boarded the ship he was in the cockpit. He wasn’t there when she told her story. She skipped dinner with the crew. Out of sight, out of mind. She had forgotten all about him.

“Believe it or not I do know how to work this thing.” Wash sat down his dinosaur, keeping his gun aimed at Anya. “Now tell me where everyone is before I have to prove to you I know how to work this.”

To be continued…