This belongs to Joss, just borrowing them for a while, 'cause they're so shiny :)

***

The afternoon was shiny. Rain in the morning had left the air scrubbed clean. Water puddled everywhere in this little backwater town with dirt, now mud, streets. The crew people from Serenity did their best, but Simon ran out of luck and lost his right shoe to the morass with a sucking sound. Jayne wasn't around to bray his head off, for which the young doctor was grateful. As he stood there on one foot, looking at the hole in the mud which was rapidly filling with brown water, Mal made his profound thoughts known.

"Huh!" He looked at the Doc. "I guess you'll be needing an advance to get some decent boots?"

"What about my shoe!" Simon hated the way he sounded and visibly calmed himself. "I don't suppose there's much point?"

"Even if we were able to find it, do you really want it back? They've got horses passing through..."

Simon nodded. "Right." He hopped along, then gave in to the inevitable, sat down and took the other shoe off, then pulled his socks off and stuffed them into the singleton shoe. "Not much good without the other one, I suppose..."

"Hang on to it. We might meet a one-legged man who'd really appreciate it," said Zoe.

"In the country of the lame, the one-legged man is king..." River smiled, as if that meant something. The terrifying thought that it probably did was, well, terrifying.

"This place here will do." The captain hooked a thumb at the general store. "They'll have boots or know where we can get you something."

The mud was cold and squished between Simons' toes. Being a doctor, he couldn't stop himself from making a list of all the diseases he was potentially being exposed to. Simon gingerly made his way into the store, his bare feet tender on the rough wooden planks. Mal and Zoe were following when they heard the gun-fire.

"Tamade! Everybody down!" Mal and Zoe where quickly crouched by either side of the door, looking. Mal, on the right, could see a squad of Alliance soldiers and a few lawmen up the street, still taking cover. Zoe, on the left, could see three or four ragged men, shooting from cover at the mouth of an alley on the other side of the street. They were right next to a stables.

"Where's River? Where's my sister!?" Simon shouted. He moved towards the open door, but Mal turned, quick as a cat. "Gorram it! Get down, Doc. There's folk out there intent on exchanging bullets. They really don't care who stops them!"

"Sir?" The tone Zoe used registered on Mal just as Simon shouted "River!"

River was across the street, oblivious to the danger. While bullets whizzed around her, none of them touched her. When she bent over to pick up a pebble, a bullet meant for her sprayed splinters from it's passage through the wood of the building behind her. River moved without haste, that chilling smile on her face, as if she was listening to music that others couldn't hear. It went on for a long time, long enough for the captain to realize he was holding his breath. A man darted from cover to grab her. He was rewarded with a bullet wound for his troubles, superficial. River cried out as she was borne down behind a crate.

The volume of fire from the men on the right had fallen off, as that of those on the left increased. The was a commotion in the stables, the sound of hooves stamping and horses whinnying. Simon watched in disbelief as the man pulled River into the stables. He started to go to her when Mal tripped him. "No! You can't go out that way. Damn you, think!"

A half dozen or more men on horses, plus River, galloped out of the stables. Frightened horses didn't seem to mind where they were going, so long as it was away from the gunfight. Simon groaned, but he stayed down. Soon the shooting ceased. They went out into the muddy streets, where Mal and Zoe sized up the situation. Simon seemed lost, but he became aware of the sounds of the wounded.

"The lawmen as are still in one piece are scrounging up transportation. The purple-bellies seem to be in a bad way, only a few of them left on their feet." Mal looked back at Zoe. Then they both looked at Simon. The doctor had taken a step towards the wounded to the left, but his head was turned in the direction River had been taken.

"Do we head back to the ship or go after them, Sir?" Now Simon was intent on their every word. Mal was still looking at Simon, considering.

"Doc, you're a sight! Dirty face and that beard you've started to grow, I don't suppose your own Ma would know you." He nodded. "Do what you have to. We'll get your sister back. Just don't go to getting yourself burned at the stake-" He was talking to Simons' back.

"Don't like it, Sir."

"He'll step careful around them. If we took him with us after his sis, he'd only get in our way. Splitting them up is about the best way "Zoe snorted" I know to make them harder to find. 'Sides, we need Jayne."

Simon ran to the Alliance casualties, his bare feet slapping the mud. The irony of it didn't matter. This might not be the trauma center on Osiris, but Dr. Tam was in his element. Just one prudent little misrepresentation of the facts. "I'm a medic, I can help. Who's hurt the worst?'

The lawman who seemed to be in charge turned away from the big soldier he was talking to- shouting at, really. "The sergeant and his lieutenant. Those bastards targeted them-" He rounded back on the soldier "Which is why you're so hot to go after them, aren't you, Corporal?!"

"I gotta stay wi' Jack." He looked confused, then added "Sir."

"Then you stay with him, dongma? I'm taking the rest of your squad. There'll be hell to pay over this, Corporal, you count on it." He whirled and left, taking three men. The walking wounded where seeing to each other, the noncom and the officer.

"Medic! I can't stop the bleeding!"

Simon glanced at the sergeant, then made his call. The lieutenant was ten years younger. She had a better chance, all things being equal. Ten minutes later, Simon reflected that all things were not equal. The officer was dead, having bled to death while Simon was trying to find all the holes. A simple transfusion would have bought them valuable time, but there was no transfusion to be had. The soldier who'd been working with him on 'Max' was crying, but all Simon could do for him was squeeze his shoulder. He moved on to the sergeant.

"Got a tourniquet on the leg, kid. I've been letting up a little from time to time." He was watching the big, confused soldier. "Claude, I'm thirsty, can ya get me a drink?"

"I got it Jack!" He was a little too eager as he offered his canteen.

"A little harder than the water. Max wouldn't mind. Go on, there's a bar over yonder." He indicated with his head.

After he went, Simon spoke. "He seems to be, ah-"

"The term you're looking for is mentally retarded. Slow, dim... one thing or another, I've heard him called them all. Not more than once, on the occasion." The sergeant's grey face was set. "It's a cruel 'Verse. Some fuck up or other, he ended up in Boot. During the War, I guess we'd take anybody. Then, of course, the paperwork is never wrong." He spit. "Name's Jack."

"I got that, Jack. Look, you want to keep talking, don't mind me, I'm working." Simon was probing the wound in the man's side, worried. It was not good. A lot of very dark blood, which probably meant the liver. The flow had started to pick up. Should have triaged the woman, he thought. It might have made a difference. Simon worked less frantically now. He wished Shepherd Book was here.

"Sort of been taking care of Claude for a while. He's a legacy. Had a bunch of us looking out for him, but I'm the last one." He was deflated, losing track. "We're vets, y'know. If it matters..."

"That's okay with me. I didn't fight in the War."

"Too young to, or smart enough to steer clear, huh? Wish I had. Ain't been good fer nuthin else, since." Jack closed his eyes. "Shoulda got us both out, but it was better for Claude. Real good soldier! Don' know what that says 'bout the Army..."

"Sarge, I got ya a cold brew! Sarge?" Claude set the mug down. "Don't die! You hear me?!"

The words were slow, like a clock winding down. "I'm ... trying... not too... Claude.." Jack let out a sigh. He was smiling for Claude's benefit, but the eyes were vacant. Simon closed them.

The doctor was expecting Claude to breakdown at this point, but instead he was quiet. The soldier picked up the mug of beer he'd gotten for Jack. He took long pulls on it, pouring out some between each drink until it was gone. Then he started speaking quietly.

"God? It's Claude, again. Can you look out for Jack? It's a long way from here, to Heaven, I mean. Don't let him get lost." He looked over at the dead lieutenant. "Maxine, too. I don't know if the officers go to the same place, but Jack says... said she was an honorary sergeant."

The soldier who had been working with Simon to save the lieutenant stood. Another soldier had bandaged his arm where it had been grazed by a bullet. He made his way over to the doctor and stuck out his hand, then realized it was covered with blood. He wiped it off as best he could, then offered it again. "Thanks. I know you did your best, Mr..?"

Simon shook his hand. "Samuel Tanner. I'm a medic on a small transport ship. Look, it was the least I could do. I just wish we could have moved them to our infirmary." He realized it was high time for him to make his exit. "I need to get back to my ship. We have this tendency to clear out of port whenever there's trouble. I don't want to get left behind."

"Go. I understand. Guess I'm in charge, now, seeing as how the Corporal is, you know." He turned away.

***

Simon headed quickly back to Serenity, squishing through mud or walking carefully across rough lumber 'sidewalk'. Shepherd Book was the first to see him. He saw the blood on Simon and came running up the stairs from the passenger area. "What in God's name has happened!? Are you hurt?"

Simon looked at the blood. "None of this is mine. Didn't the Captain or Zoe tell you?"

"I just came back to the ship. The Mule is gone, but that isn't so unusual. I was just headed upstairs to start on a meal, tell Wash I was back." His eyes went wide. "Where's River? Wasn't she with you?"

"(God in Heaven!)" Wash bounded down the steps. "Book! The Captain, Zoe and Jayne went after River-"

"Oh no!" Book looked from one man to the other. "Tell me she's not been taken by the authorities..."

Simon tried to outline the nightmare scenario as correctly as he could. Mistakes would have fatal consequences. "She was taken, probably as a hostage, in a shoot-out between some Feds and a group of men, most likely criminals."

"Then perhaps they will extend us some professional courtesy." Inara was standing on the catwalk outside her shuttle. "Wash, my 'contact' tells me that the Alliance was responding to a tip about an attempted bank robbery. The Federal troops were assisting. He says he will get me more information when he can."

"Assisting the local Law?" Wash said in amazement. "That doesn't sound right. Since when..."

"A local gang hit a bank in the next town along the monorail, last week. Killed the mayor."Book shrugged. "She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but she was the Governor's Aunt."

"Shiny," Wash said sarcastically. He sniffed. "Is there a horse around?" He looked down at Simon's feet.

"It's a long story, and not really important right now." Simon grabbed a towel off of the weight-lifting setup, then sat down to wipe off blood, mud and whatever else he had tracked into the hold. "Can someone please lend me some shoes?"

"Simon?" Kaylee came up from the lounge and Simon stood up. She gave a little cry and rushed up to him, hugging him. Simon stood there, holding his arms out trying not to get her dirty. He realized how stupid this was, how 'proper'. He hugged her back, dropping the towel. It felt good. The 'Verse wasn't completely bad.

Kaylee had to pull back a little to speak. "River?" was all she said.

"We're getting her back," Book assured her, assured Simon too, when he laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I'd join in to make this a group hug, but there's plotting and maybe scheming to be done." Wash hit the button to close the ramp.

***

River hung onto the rider for dear life. As far as she could tell, riding for this man was not about directing the horse but bending it to his will.

The horse was winning.

This was partly because of the breakneck pace. River could clearly see what was in the horses' mind (Not all that different from Jayne, she reflected to herself, aside from guns) and let go of the man as the passing brush caught and dragged him from the horse. River got her hand around the saddle strap, barely holding on, then managed to get herself in the saddle, leaning forward with her arms around the frightened animals' neck. She said soothing nonsense to it.

"Slowly, slowly, don't fear, under the wide sky, calm, out to the black, sweet grass, cool water, your dam's milk, yes, let's trot along, Star..." She sat back in the saddle finding her seat as if she'd done so before. She smiled, turned Star with her knees and guided them back to the road. The gang waited there, two of them down over the body. One of them turned, grabbed the reins and pressed his gun up against the horses' head. "Broke his neck!"

"Karl, we all know ya ain't got the sense ta come in outta the rain, but please don't go proving it again. We need the girl, which means we need the horse." The other standing man looked puzzled. "Can't figure why she came back."

Karl grunted and put his gun away. Then he grabbed the dead man's hand and dragged him off the road. "What we need right now is a plan. The Law is right behind us."

The other man looked up at River. "Look, honey, we won't let no harm come to you, but we have to..." He stopped. "My name is Tom, we-"

"You need to use me as a hostage, so that the Federals will not shoot you on sight. You are all wanted for murder, Thomas."

The awkward silence stretched out until they could hear the sound of an approaching engine. Tom yelled. "Cover! This is as good a spot as we'll get for an ambush." He grabbed River's hand. "You're with me."

Karl said "Spooky!" as they got off the road.

***

Jayne crouched over the tracks. Mal and Zoe stood to either side of the mule, facing out, watching for trouble. Dead feds were all around, plus three of the gang. He ran his fingers through some dirt, picked up a clump of it. "Only been a few minutes. This feller is still leaking. Somebody dragged something over here, before the fight..." Jayne stood and walked over. A man lay under a fallen log, a drift of leaves kicked over him. His neck was hanging funny. "Man broke his neck, musta fell off his horse before they set up this ambush." Jayne shivered. An awful lot of dead people. Ones that he hadn't seen to always affected him like this. He moved around until he found what he was looking for.

"There she is, boots but not pressed in so deep. Didja ever notice how River walks on the balls of her feet, even in combat boots?"

"You been studying on her, Jayne?' There was a dangerous edge to the question.

"Course I have Mal, and a gorram good thing, too. How'd I know who it was had made these here tracks, if I hadn't?" Jayne saw the look Zoe was giving him, what the Doc called her basilisk stare, whatever a basilisk was. Made his blood freeze, which wasn't doing nothing good for his goose bumps.

"Hey, I want to get her back, just like the rest of ya!" Can't have her telling the Alliance all about Jayne Cobb, wasn't healthy. "I was the one that come up with bleaching her hair blond ta hide her brains, wasn't I?"

"Jayne, you need to shut up before you say something offensive," said Zoe, her look a mite colder, now. Mal looked like he was about to forget he was pissed off at these thugs, or at least more pissed at them than at Jayne.

"Which way, Jayne?"

***

"Jerry was a nice guy..."

"Who's Jerry? What are you talking about, girl?" Karl asked, feverish. He'd lost a lot of blood. Only him, Tom and Mike were left. They were scouting ahead, to make sure the hideout was safe.

"Interstellar Alliance Marshall Gerald Carson, a veteran of the Unification War, is survived by his wife, Paula and their three children..." River was cleaning the wound on the horses' neck, where he'd been grazed. The nervous animal flared his nostrils and stamped hooves. River looked up at the bushes. She held her gaze on the spot until Tom stepped out. He looked at her curiously.

"Pretty attached to that gelding, are ya?" He frowned at Karl. "Coulda seen what you could do for Karl here, if you know what you're doing."

"Would not let me touch him." River stepped away from Star. Her voice went funny, like she was quoting. "'Seems to have developed an irrational dislike.'"

"So what? He won't bite." He mumbled under his breath. "And if he did, he's had his shots." He picked up Karl, grunting. "You need to lose some weight, cousin."

Karl laughed. "Lost my right foot and I'm down at least a pint. How much does that weigh?" He was pale, but the tourniquet on his leg would probably save his life. "What about her? We don't need her around any more and now she knows where we are..."

"You're scared of her." It wasn't a question.

"She knows stuff- probably knows how much a pint of blood weighs!"

"About two pounds, two ounces." River answered. "It depends on how anemic the subject is."

"She comes with us. I promised her she'd be safe and besides, she knows where we are." He shifted Karl, started to walk. "Don't worry, we're gonna relocate. This rock has gotten a little too hot for us."

"How's your arm?"

"I picked you up, didn't I?"

"And complained about it! Coulda left her out playing amongst the bullets..."

"'Coulda, woulda, shoulda.'" River followed, leading the horses.

***

"So what do we know?" Book said. Wash, Kaylee, Simon and the Shepherd were sitting around the table in the common room, looking at the map-reader and working up a plan.

"The bank-robbers operate in these hills, hitting towns near the maglev line, here, here and here." Simon touched the spots in the map-reader, highlighting them.

"That puts their base of operations about here," Book remarked. He circled an area in the fold of the mountains to the northwest.

Simon and Wash shared a look, the familiar 'How does a Shepherd know so much about crime?' passing unspoken.

"Be nice to have a better view..." Wash mused.

"Ask and ye shall receive!" Inara walked in and placed a data strip in the extra slot on the map-reader.

"I think that was my line," said Book. The group around the table laughed and fell to examining the high resolution satellite images.

"Pretty rough going, for an ATV," Kaylee put in.

"Hard to land a ship anywhere... here, maybe, in this field-" Wash pointed. "Get a shuttle in and out in of a few places."

"My, my..." Book was tapping on the hilltop overlooking the field. "St. Martins' Monastery. They take a lot of veterans, no questions asked."

"So they hang out there, unbeknownst to the brothers?" Wash sounded like he didn't buy it.

"Couldn't say." Book looked thoughtful. "I've never been to St. Martins. Perhaps I should correct that oversight?"

"I won't move Serenity without word from the others. This is where they expect us to be, if things go... more wrong than they already have."

There was silence as they thought about the situation.

"So you need a shuttle pilot?" Inara said.

"I'm sorry, but I really don't think I should show up in a Companions' shuttle." Book looked embarrassed.

"Not my shuttle, shuttle two. Also, I wouldn't be dressed as a Companion." She smiled at Kaylee. "Mei-mei, can you lend me some clothes... and top the ensemble off with a little engine grease?" Kaylee was laughing with her hand over her mouth.

***

When they climbed up out of Kaylees' bunk, Inara was wearing an old pair of Kaylees' coveralls with the sleeves torn off, a dirty red bandana at her neck and had her hair tucked up under a Blue Sun cap. Wash was sitting on the stairs to the bridge.

"It must be a trick of the light, you don't seem as tall as you did," he said.

"I'm not standing up perfectly straight, but I think it's the clothes." Inara readjusted the cap. "Where did you come by this, Kaylee?"

"Jayne scarfed up a few at a Bluke promo. He gave me one, but I ain't worn it. Don't like hats." Kaylee frowned and moved the bandana. "Now it looks used, put on sloppy-like."

"No offense, mei-mei, but years of Companion training cry out against this..."

"It's just play-acting, 'Nara. Relax! You're always putting others at their ease- this is just like that. Show people what they expect to see and put them in a comfortable place." Inara made a face. They began walking to shuttle two, Inara and Kaylee arm-in-arm with Book trailing. "Good Luck!" Wash called after them.

"You know, it could be that you don't want the Captain to see you like this," Book opined.

"Hardly. But this would be the wrong thing for the Guild to hear about..."

"Needs must, when the Devil drives." It was an odd thing for Book to say and he looked uncomfortable.

"Shepherd! 'Nara's the one that's gonna be drivin'," Kaylee exclaimed as they came down onto the catwalk and turned towards shuttle two. Simon was waiting outside with his red medical case.

"Should you be going with us?" Book asked.

"I honestly don't know. The two patients I lost this afternoon argue for me staying close to the infirmary, but..." Simon sighed. "This may actually be the first time I haven't rushed blindly after River."

"Son, it's your place to do what's best for your sister. You were right to leave this to the Captain and Zoe."

"Even Jayne?"

"Even and especially, in this case, Jayne Cobb." Book put his hand on Simon shoulder. "Stay. This many people out looking for River, someone is bound to need your services. Here."

"I see your point." He and Kaylee watched as Inara and Book boarded. The door was secured and the shuttle slid away on its cradle, then launched. Kaylee took his hand and Simon laughed.

"What!?" She said, exasperated.

Simon did not say that she always found the good in any situation. He did not even say yet another apology. He just kissed the back of her hand. "For good luck."

Three words, three syllables, at a time, he was going to make things right with the only girl in the 'verse for him.

Hand in hand, they walked up to the bridge.

***

To Be Continued...