Disclaimer: In no way whatsoever am I connected to Firefly. I'd like to be though. Does anyone know if Joss is hiring?

Authors Notes: A litte less action packed.

Right and Wrong By Kay Sky Part Nine

Kaylee was all out of strength. She fainted.

Simon ran over to her. “Boy, back off.” Vincent aimed his gun at Simon, turning his back towards the rest of the crew.

“If I don’t do anything she is going to die.” Simon glanced at Mal. No words were necessary. Mal nodded in return. “So either you let me help her, or you take her place.” Simon reached for his med kit when Vincent stepped on his hand.

Vincent laughed. “I don’t think you have it in you.”

“I might not have it in me…”

Vincent’s arrogance had got the best of him. He never heard Mal creep up behind him. “But I sure as hell do.” Mal swung Inara’s table lamp at the back of his head. *Crack* Glass and blood scattered everywhere.

He screamed, he cursed, and he lifted his foot. Simon’s hand, now free, grabbed onto Vincent’s leg, knocking him off balance and to the ground. He was out cold.

“Simon, Book, get Kaylee to the infirmary, now! Jayne, keep an eye on the gorram qingwa cào de liúmáng! Zoe, stay with Inara and River. Lock the door from the inside. Don’t let anyone in. I’m going to find Anya.”

* * * *

“Don’t suppose we could work something out?” Anya said flirtatiously.

“Hmm…no, I think I’m going to have to go with doing the right thing.”

Anya chuckled. “The right thing? We’re in the black. There is no right and wrong. There is only living.”

“Living?”

She crept closer to him. “Living any way a person sees fit. I could make us a real good living.” She was in arms reach of Wash. “A real good living.”

“I’m sure you’re a real peach, but…”

She moved closer to him, only inches away now. She might never have learned all the fancy skills companions have, but if there’s one thing she knew for sure, that was how to seduce a man. She could persuade most men to get whatever she wanted. Unfortunately for her, Wash isn’t most men.

He let her get close enough so he could pull the gun out of her hands. “Like I was trying to say before you stared seducing me. I’m sure you’re a real peach, but I don’t think the wife would like you to much.”

“Huh…” She didn’t foresee this reaction. She needed to think quickly. She leaned into him, whispering into his ear. “She doesn’t have to like me, but I’m sure I can make you like me. Want a test ride?” She planted a few soft kisses on his neck and moved her mouth to his….

Well almost. “Nice try.” Wash said as he pushed her back into his chair. “Now, if you behave while I tie you up, I promise to let you play with my dinosaurs.”

* * * *

Book laid Kaylee down on the examine table. The cold metal bed caused a shiver to run down her spine. She grunted.

“Kaylee, you’re awake. Can you hear me?” Simon examined the cut on her forehead. It looked older then the rest. Definitely not from a knife. . “Course I can, silly.” She tried sitting up on the table, but Simon held her down. It was probably for the best. She’d save her energy for later.

“You should stay still. I’ll give you something for the pain. Then I’ll take care of your wounds.” He went digging through drawers looking for the proper medication.

“I fainted on purpose. I’m fine.” She looked down at her pajama pants. She frowned. It was her first time wearing them. She blamed herself. She should have known better than to think she could wear new clothes on Serenity. If it wasn’t engine grease, it was something else. “Owe.” She felt the syringe go into her arm. Simon lifted up her shirt, inspecting the cuts. “Maybe not fine, but…”

Simon wasn’t listening to her. He couldn’t. He was in doctor mode. There would be time for talking later. “I’m going to need to remove your shirt.”

“I’ll stand outside the door, son. I’ll make sure no one comes in.”

“Thanks, Shepard.”

* * * *

Vincent was conscious again.

“Well, pretty boy has woken up.” Jayne smiled. “Let the fun begin.”

“Where am I?” He was groggy. His vision was out of focus and his head hurt. Why did his head hurt? Did he pass out? He couldn’t remember anything.

“Special room we have here on Serenity. It’s were we like to hold the prisoners. We call it the holding room.” Jayne held his gun. He caressed the barrel, ran his hand up and down the shaft. “Don’t really like it when people touch my girl.”

Things were starting to come back to him. “I know what it looked like, but I assure you, I wasn’t going to kill Kaylee. I…”

“First mistake.”

“Excuse me?”

“Your first mistake was assuming I was talkin’ ‘bout Kaylee. Now I love that girl to pieces, but first we are gonna discuss what you did to Vera. Then well move on to Kaylee…”

“Vera?”

* * * *

“Three Musketeers are one Musketeer short. Soon there will be the Sole Musketeer.”

“River, now’s not the time.” Zoe paced back and forth. She hated not being included in the action, but she knew Mal was right when he told her to stay in the shuttle. Someone had to keep an eye on the girls. This day didn’t need any more catastrophes.

“The time is 5:48 am.” Zoe looked at River. It was a horrible thing the Alliance did to her. She understood why Kaylee would do anything to prevent her going back. She was proud of her. She never would have guessed all that courage was lying deep inside Kaylee.

“I hope Kaylee will be alright.” Inara kept herself busy cleaning up the pieces of shattered glass.

“I’m sure she’ll be fine. Simon can fix her up just fine.”

“Did you sense something?”

“About Anya?” Zoe sat down on Inara’s bed. Pacing was getting her nowhere.

“Yes. I didn’t really see her but once or twice. By looking at her I never guessed she was capable of all this.”

“Don’t they teach you looks are deceiving in the academy?”

“Certainly, and upon conversing with someone I usually can spot deceit, but having a gut feeling about it…that’s different.” Inara sat next to her.

“The problem with gut feelings are no one ever wants to act on them until its too late. There’s no science behind them, no logic. It’s hard to make a convincing case.”

“The Sole Musketeer loses a friend and someone who was more.” The very first time River spoke this line, tears rolled down her cheeks. She was acting very different this time. No tears, no look of fear in her eyes. What could cause such a change in behavior?

* * * *

“I knew I paid you for something other than flying this ship.” Mal smiled as he walked into the cockpit and saw Anya tied up in the pilot’s chair.

“I believe it falls under that part of the job description that says ‘and anything else the captain asks you to do’.” Wash was filled with adrenaline. “What should we do with her?”

“Haven’t quite decided yet. I reckon Kaylee should get a say. After all,” He stood behind Anya, placing his hands, a firm grip, on her shoulders. “…you might as been the one holding that steel blade as it cut through Kaylee’s skin.” His hot breath made her tiny blond neck hairs stand on end. “But I don’t think Kaylee would get mad at me if I had some fun with ya first.”

* * * *

“Simon,” Kaylee was exhausted. While most others had gone to bed, she was up tinkering with the engine. Then Vincent showed up. It was definitely passed her bed time. If that wasn’t reason enough add a mild concussion, lots of bruising, and those nasty knife wounds. She had more then enough reason to feel so fatigued. “I’m okay.”

“After I finish bandaging the wound on your back I’ll take you to my room so you can lie down. It’ll be more comfortable in there.”

Normally an invite to Simon’s room would have created an earth-shattering rise in her hormone levels, but she was too distracted by unfinished business. “I need to talk to Anya.”

“Maybe you banged your head harder than I thought. What’s five plus four?”

“Simon, my head is just fine. A bit colorful and lumpy is all. I’m thinking clearly. I need to know the truth.”

He sat on the table and pulled Kaylee into his arms, careful not to hold her too tight. He didn’t want to cause anymore pain. “Baobei, you have such a good heart, but sometimes people change. Who we remember isn’t necessarily the same person as who stands before us in the present.”

She loved that all he needed to do was touch her and she could feel safe. She needed that. “You know she did save me from a fire. I don’t know if I coulda done the same for her. It was a bad fire…lots of flames and smoke…I’d be scared. It was all my fault, I started it.”

When he heard Anya mention saving Kaylee from the fire he never thought Kaylee started the fire. Luckily he learned to think before speaking. “Well, I don’t believe you started that fire on purpose. People make mistakes and sometimes bad things happen because of them. I’m thankful Anya did save you because if she hadn’t…” He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ears and gently cupped her check with his hand. “I can’t even imagine my life without you in it.”

“Simon…” Kaylee was blushing.

“I’m serious. When I saw you faint my heart stopped. I couldn’t breathe. Things went dark. I didn’t know if you were going to be okay and in that split second before I rushed to your side, all I thought about was everything I regretted never saying to you, never doing with you.” Simon’s brain stepped aside. His heart was in control. “I’ve been told that I’m an easy mark and for a minute there when you said Mal and you wed, before I realized you were planning, I… I had to overcome a strong desire to punch Mal in the face.” He never appreciated life until he stepped foot on Serenity. He never appreciated life until he met Kaylee Frye. Countless times the crew came too close to death. He couldn’t imagine how they survived before they had a medic. And Kaylee…Kaylee gave him a new outlook on life. An outlook that wasn’t shadowed with darkness, bitterness, and hate. She gave him an outlook of hope, happiness, and most importantly she gave him love. Life was too short. He didn’t want to waste time waiting. His palms were sweaty as he took her hands in his and kneeled down in front of her. “Kaylee, I’d be the happ…”

“Sorry to interrupt, I need to speak to Kaylee for a minute.” Book always seemed to find the worst moments to get between Simon and Kaylee.

Kaylee remembered she was still only in her bra, turned red, and used Simon for cover.

“Yes, that’s a much better view. I think maybe you both need to… I’ll be in the hall.”

Simon looked down at himself. When Zoe barged into his room, he through on a shirt, but never buttoned it. He laughed, looking into Kaylee’s beautiful eyes. “Is it just me or anytime things are actually going good between us he interrupts?”

“No, that’s the Shepard for you. Umm, Simon…” Kaylee’s eyes were focused on Simon’s hands as they buttoned up his shirt. “Where’s my shirt?”

* * * *

“And what kind of fun do you plan on having with me, Captain?” She was angry. Things never worked out the way they were supposed to.

“Not rightly sure. I will tell you what I am sure of. I am sure you hurt Kaylee a whole hell of a lot. I am sure I can’t trust you. I am sure whatever Kaylee thinks we should do with you isn’t going to be nearly as much fun as what I would like to do with you. Wash, anything you’d like to ad?”

“I’m sure glad we got to eat something other than protein for dinner.” Wash took any opportunity to be funny…to be Wash.

“Look, Anya, I think the whole crew needs to have a little get-together in the cargo bay.”

“Like a town meeting?” Wash squealed. “A trial…we can put her on trial. I’ll be the bailiff and…”

Mal raised his hand at Wash. It seemed politer than telling him to shut up. “Ready for your trial, Anya?”

To be continued…