Disclaimer: Go ahead sue me. I'm a college student. If you think I have any money, you clearly never went to college. I don't own these characters, I just find it fun to use them.

Authors Notes: I would like to send another shout out to Reginaroadie. As always, he has been a great wall to bounce ideas off of. He was also the voice behind Travis Walken in this piece. So I'd just like to say thanks. =o)

The Unexpected By KaySky Part Two

“Cap’n…” Any other time Kaylee would have been delighted to see her captain. She’d been so hopeful those footsteps belonged to Simon and River. Now she was devastated. Simon and River were really gone. She tried telling Mal, but her emotions got the best of her. The only thing she could do was run into his arms and sob.

“Guess this means the doc got snatched.” Jayne said ever so insensitively.

Mal turned his head slightly. His eyes fell upon Wash. Had he not been holding Kaylee, he would have begun beating his pilot into a bloody pulp.

Zoe saw the look in Mal’s eyes. It was rage, undeniable, justifiable rage. She was angry, too. At the moment she couldn’t think of a single time she was ever angrier at her husband. He fucked up. That’s all there was to it. She took him by the arm and led him up the stairs. He needed to sleep now. In the morning when he wakes up, he will be dealt with. An apology wasn’t going to cut it. Wash really fucked up.

* * * *

Simon awoke to find himself lying in an empty, cold, concrete room. His head was trembling with pain. As he rubbed his hand across the massive welt on the back of his head, he remembered. He quickly jumped to his feet, yelling out his sister’s name.

The door to his cell slowly opened. An Alliance official carrying a briefcase stepped into the room. His footsteps sounded like hammers pounding against the cold concrete. Simon immediately yelled, “Where is my sister?”

“She’s being tended to, Mr. Tam. But that is of little importance. What is of major importance is what you’ve done.” Travis Walken was a faithful official of the Alliance. Since he graduated from the university, he had been taken under their wing. He quickly rose to the top of the ranks and nearly five years ago, he was given high enough security clearance to learn of The Academy. These past years of his life had been devoted to finding the Tams. He couldn’t believe it all came down to a matter of luck. He had been sitting in the right place at the right time.

“What I’ve done?” Simon’s face expressed exactly what he was thinking; I can’t believe he just said that. “I’m not the one who turned her into some lab rat.” Simon’s tone was incredibly ugly.

“You have interrupted a highly sensitive, top secret treatment—the matters of which I cannot disclose to you for security reasons. Whether or not the methods are ethical is irrelevant. What is relevant is the level of compromise you’ve brought with your meddling.”

Simon was extremely pissed off. “My sister had her skull drilled into over and over again.” The veins in his forehead were bulging, his fists were clenching, and his teeth were grinding. “Ethics is not an issue. Humanity is the issue. What those men did to her… What they did to her is inhumane. The blue hand men are hardly better than reavers.”

“Reavers partake in cannibalism for their own selfish gain. What we’re doing is for the greater good of humanity. While it is deplorable, it is necessary for progression.” Walken realized the interrogation was going nowhere. He noticed the ring on Simon’s clenched fist. “When did you get that?”

“I cannot disclose that to you for security reasons. It’s a highly sensitive, top secret, matter.” Simon answered mockingly.

Walken walked towards Simon. “I can understand that. You see this?” He motioned to his own finger. As Simon glanced down at the ring, Walken quickly formed a fist and punched him in the nose. He grinned as he watched the blood flow from Simon’s nose and his eyes water in pain. “That I got nearly thirty years ago. I tell you, the feeling one gets when you feel that gold band is indescribable. What’s even more indescribable is the indignation of using it as an interrogation tool. Now before I have to use even more drastic instruments of interrogation, I’ll ask you again. When did you get that ring?”

* * * *

Zoe slowly climbed down the ladder into his room. “Sir, have you made a decision yet?” She needed to know what to do. If they were going to act, they needed to do it soon.

Mal’s back was towards her. He stood in his room, feet planted firmly on the ground, and hands stationed on his waist. His eyes focused on a tiny scratch of paint on the wall.

“Sir?” Zoe had seen Mal like this once or twice before. She knew it was a hard decision to make. She was partly glad it wasn’t her that had to make it. Whatever Mal decided, she would support it. Mal just needed to decide soon.

“Ain’t like it was back on Jiangyin.” Mal said softly. “We wouldn’t be taken on hill folk. We’d be taken on the whole Alliance.” He lowered his head. “Wouldn’t even know where to find ‘em.”

Zoe walked towards him. Standing just a few steps behind him, she placed a soothing hand on his tense shoulder. “Either road we go down ain’t going to be easy.”

“After dealin’ with Niska, an army of Alliance patrol should be nuthin.” He reasoned.

“It’s a fair assessment to say we’d be greatly outnumbered, sir.”

“Even if we had the numbers…” Mal shook his head. “I don’t like leavin’ anyone behind, but risking everyone to go after the doc…” Mal turned around to face Zoe. “How am I supposed to tell Kaylee?”

* * * *

Simon wiped away the blood from his face. “I don’t see how my ring is of any relevance.” He paused for a second before intently staring Walken in the eyes. “What are you doing with my sister?”

“We are reviewing her to see if the damage you’ve done is reversible. The ring is of relevance because it may be the only thing that’s going to get you out of here. We don’t care about you. We care about what you know and what you’ve done. But as for yourself, you’re just another cog in the machine, easily replaced. You’re nothing but a speck of dust in the grand scheme of things. It would make for an open and shut case, but seeing as how there’s at least one other who actually gives a damn about you, that makes you desirable to us. As for whomever it is on the other end of the line fishing for you, we will bring them down to the bottom of the ocean, thus solving the problem once and for all.”

“I’d rather you kill me than bring anyone else into this hell.”

“It doesn’t matter if you are alive or dead. We will find those who know of this security breach and eradicate them. Now we could very easily let you go, erase specific aspects of your brain and the people who know of your situation. We’d give you all a fresh start, a blissful ignorance. All we ask in return is for you to tell what you know and what you’ve done.”

“I’d rather be dead than have you erase the only things I care about. Besides, no one knows anything of value. I don’t even know all the horrible things that have been done to her.” Simon had calmed himself down some. He needed to divert his energy towards fighting off his uncontrollable urge to bash his head against the wall. The guilt of the Alliance possibly finding Kaylee because of him was overwhelming. “No one knows anything…nothing.”

Walken looked at Simon oddly. He pulled out a flask from his briefcase and opened the top. Very quickly he grabbed Simon’s hand and pulled out a knife, slicing his hand diagonally. He watched Simon grit his teeth as he poured alcohol over the open wound. “You lied. I don’t like liars.” He took out a cloth from his coat pocket and threw it at Simon. “Clean yourself up and stop whining. From here on, this is going to be as good as it gets.” He began walking towards the door, but stopped, turned around and said one last thing to Simon before exiting the room. “And the sound of screaming infuriates me.”

* * * *

When Wash awoke the next morning, his wife was sitting on their bed, her back towards him. His head was beating like a drum. “What time is it?” Wash asked groggily.

Zoe didn’t answer him right away. She’d been thinking about what she was going to say to him all night, but nothing, nothing prepared her for what she was feeling right now. She was hurt and enraged. She’d usually been able to keep her cool, but at this moment she felt like a kettle waiting to whistle. It was only a matter of time before the steam would rise.

“Zoe….” Wash sat up in bed and saw her to his side. He reached out a hand for her and felt hurt when she rejected his advance.

“Do you realize what you have done?” Her tone was cold.

“What I’ve done?” Wash was confused. He’d just woken up, how could he have done something already? He sat there, dumbfounded.

“Fugitives.” Zoe impatiently blurted out.

The word felt like a sword piercing his heart, but he didn’t know why. “Zoe?” He questioned with a blank expression upon his face. “What did I do?”

“Husband, what you did was unforgivable. I wouldn’t blame Kaylee if she never spoke to you again.” Her words were filled with anger and disgust. “I wouldn’t blame anyone if they never spoke to you again.”

Wash was feeling so many different emotions all at the same time. He had no idea why Zoe was acting this way. What could he have done that was so devastating? He didn’t remember a gorram thing. “Zoe, if you’re going to hate me, I’d like to know why!” Wash was frustrated.

“Fine, I’ll tell you why.” Zoe turned to her husband and began reminding him of his actions from the previous night.

* * * *

The next five days passed by slowly. Kaylee had spent them curled up in the soft, silky sheets of Inara’s bed. The pillow was tear soaked, but she still laid her head upon it. She barely even noticed it was wet. All she felt was emptiness inside.

“Meimei, I think you need to eat something.” Inara ran her fingers through Kaylee’s hair. It had been days since she washed it. It had been days since she changed her clothes.

“Not hungry.” Kaylee said in between sobs.

“Simon would want you to eat something. He wouldn’t…”

Inara was cut short by Kaylee’s motion. She had sat up in the bed and was staring at Inara. “Simon isn’t here now is he!” Kaylee yelled as more tears trailed down her cheeks at an expedited rate.

Inara knew Kaylee didn’t mean to snap at her. She pulled Kaylee into her arms. She held her tight, all the while trying to think of something to say. Words would mean nothing, she thought. There wasn’t a right thing to say. All the training in the ‘verse couldn’t provide anything to fill the emptiness nesting inside Kaylee.

*knock*

Mal thought this was one of those times when knocking was appropriate. He’d done a lot of hard things in his life, but what he was about to do made everything else seem easy as pie.

“Come in,” Inara said.

Hesitantly, Mal walked into her shuttle. “I need a minute alone with Kaylee.”

Inara nodded her head. She gave Kaylee a tight squeeze before letting her go.

* * * *

It had become a normal routine for the young girl to enter his cell this time of day. She always brought him a tray of food, sat it down next to him, and left the room. She never said a word, but she always watched Simon from the corner of her eye.

“Do you know what they’ve done to her?” Simon asked her this every day. She’d always just walk away, but today she flinched when he asked him. She did know something, Simon thought. “Please, tell me. I promise I won’t let anyone know.”

She stood still, her back towards him. “I can’t.” She whispered.

“You can’t actually think what they are doing is right, can you?” Simon continued to question the girl.

“I’m sorry. I can’t say anything. I’ll get in trouble.” Her tone was sympathetic and apologetic at the same time.

“Do you have any siblings? Wouldn’t you like to know what’s been happening to them?” He didn’t want to raise his voice or sound aggressive. He could tell the girl was very fragile.

“I can’t.” She bit her bottom lip as she turned around to face him. “They’ll kill me.”

“So you’re afraid of them?” Simon raised his eyebrow.

“Not afraid, just doing my job.” Her eyes wandered to the tray of food. “Please eat something today.”

“Why do you care whether or not I eat?”

“She’d wanted me to tell you to.” She said softly. “Your sister told me to tell you.” Her eyes fell to the floor in shame. If Travis Walken had found out what she had just done, the consequences would be unbearable.

Simon didn’t respond. For the first time in nearly a week he had confirmation that his sister was still alive. That she was at least okay enough to worry about him. He looked up at the young girl and studied her. She couldn’t have been more than a few years older than Kaylee. She didn’t smile, she didn’t frown. Her face was almost expressionless. “What’s your name?”

“Kiara.” She said shyly.

“Kiara, how is it that you came to work for the Alliance?”

“A government job seemed stable and there was an opening here for an administrative assistant four years ago. They hired me and I’ve been here ever since.”

“You must know a lot.” Simon was very interested in her. She obviously knew something and he couldn’t be sure, but he strongly felt she might be willing to tell him.

“I can’t do this.” She said nervously as she turned around and headed out the door.

The door to his cell may have closed, but Simon felt a door of hope opening. Kiara just might be his way out of here.

* * * *

Mal sat down on the bed next to Kaylee. She had immediately brought her head into his lap. He stroked her hair for several minutes. Neither one said a word. Finally, Mal decided the silence was just as bad as what was about to come. “Meimei, I’ve spent several days thinkin’ on this and I just don’t see how we can go after the doc.”

The tears that had vanished by the warmth of her captain’s lap were now turned back on, full flood. She didn’t have the strength to look at him. She just laid in his lap. “We can’t just leave him.”

“Kaylee we don’t know where he is and even if we did, we can’t fight an army of Alliance officials.” Mal hated himself for having to make this decision. He was doing the right thing. He couldn’t risk them all. He just couldn’t. “I’m sorry, but we have to move on.”

“I love him.” Kaylee cried harder. Mal’s decision was echoing in her mind. We have to move on. How could she move on? How could she just let him go? She couldn’t. Mal couldn’t. He just couldn’t. “I love him.”

“Little Kaylee, this ain’t a matter of whether or not you love Simon. It’s a snowball’s chance in hell of even finding where he is and if we do get that chance, I can’t order my crew to risk their lives for them.” He was doing every thing he could to hold back his own tears. “Gettin’ us all killed ain’t going to bring the doc back.”

“He’s one of the crew. You’ve said it before. He wouldn’t leave you behind.”

The truth behind Kaylee’s words hurt. Mal knew it was true, but the cons of this situation weighed drastically, fatally even, over the pros. He had made his decision. Kaylee was going to have to move on. “I ain’t turning my back against my crew. I’m protecting the majority. I’m doing what’s good for the whole.” He gently pushed Kaylee’s head off his lap as he stood up. “I’m sorry, Kaylee, but that’s my decision.”

Kaylee was hurt. She felt all alone. Her only hope of finding her husband and bringing him back home rested in the hands of her captain. Her captain had just crushed that hope. She was rightfully upset. “Fine that’s your decision, but you’re gonna be the one telling my baby why he doesn’t have a father.”

He had one foot out the door and upon hearing the word ‘baby’, he froze. He took a step backwards, shutting the shuttle door. He slowly turned around and looked at Kaylee. “What did you say?”

“I’m pregnant.” Kaylee whispered. He tears stopped for the moment.

Mal felt lightheaded. He needed to sit down. Next to Kaylee was as good a spot as any. “Meimei, how did this happen?”

“Cap’n, you know how babies are made.” Kaylee took his hand in hers. “Mine was made no different.”

“You haven’t even been married a month yet.” Mal was in disbelief. He thought he’d already experienced rock bottom, he sure as hell hadn’t expected it to get any deeper.

“In three days we’d be celebratin’ our one month anniversary and I’ll be six weeks pregnant.” Kaylee had pictured spending their one month anniversary locked up in their bunk. In their minds, they’d be the only two souls on Serenity. A single tear fell down her cheek as she now realized the hopelessness of that reality. She didn’t want to think about that anymore. She focused her mind on memories. “When we were visiting my family, Simon and I spent some quality time together in a linen closet.” For the first time in days, she smiled. Next to her wedding, that closet contained the best moment of her life.

“So you’re telling me my little niece or nephew was conceived in a closet?” Mal chuckled. If Kaylee was going to bring a baby into this world, leave it to her to have an original conception. He’d imagine the actual delivery would be quite a story as well.

The thought slowly circled Mal’s mind, the delivery. There was going to be a baby, an innocent little baby. The most difficult roads have their share of forks. Though for Mal, this fork seemed to only point one direction. He couldn’t be responsible for Kaylee’s baby never knowing his or her father. It just wasn’t right. He’d have to try to find the doc. If he couldn’t, at least he’d tried. At least he’d given that baby a chance to know his or her father. There was a long silence between the two before Mal stood up and headed towards the shuttle door.

“Cap’n, where are you going?”

“That baby of yours is going to be here in eight months. I’d rather let Simon deliver it than any of us.” With that being said, Mal walked out of the room, the shuttle door closing behind him and Kaylee rejuvenated with hope.

To be continued...