Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon, except for Rosemarie Velaine, who is mine. Mainly because I haven't the courage to stick in a Mary Sue. Also because Joss is awesome. Will continue to live vicariously through Mal. *******************************

Note: Diplomatic Immunity, plus Our Co-Pilot Tam, is now my NanoWrimo submission.

******************************* This is Chapter 9 of the story that began here:

Part 1

and continued here:

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5 Part 6

Part 7

PArt 8

and is a continuation of Our Co-Pilot Tam, which can be found here *************************************

Mal paced, listening to Inara fill him in on the events, his eyes fixed on Alexandra and Rose. Rose was watching him warily, while Alexandra kept her knife point fixed on Rose's jaw. “So you brought her old student and rival, hit her, and brought her up here in the hopes she'd be glad of the rescue?” he asked, as Inara finished. “It seemed a better idea at the time,” Inara explained. “She didn't expect any former Companion would leave the life willingly,” Alexandra added. “Least of all for this.” “Sadly, that's true,” Inara added. “And what about you?” Mal asked Alexandra. “Seems to me you had to have had as big a part in this as anyone else.” Alexandra shrugged. “I planned to kill Carter Lang. For some strange reason, he would never dance with me.” “I wonder why,” Mal shot back. “Question is, how are we going to get her out of here?” “Every word of your conversation goes straight to Carter,” Rose warned from the floor. “And unfortunately, leaving her in a pool of her own blood would raise more questions than it'd halt,” said Inara. “We could always get her drunk,” Mal suggested. “Drink enough and you'll forget anything.” “Won't work,” replied Inara. “We don't know her alcohol tolerance, and I doubt we could steal enough alcohol from the servers quietly enough.” “Then I guess we've got a bit of a problem,” Mal said, hooking his fingers through his beltloops. “I could cause a scene downstairs while you two sneak her out somewhere...maybe punch someone out?” “No,” said Inara. Alexandra laughed, sending her knife point almost into Rose's eye. Mal turned to her. “I don't suppose you've got any ideas,” he asked. “I thought you'd never ask,” Alexandra replied. “Hold my knife?” Inara came over to take her knife. Alexandra rose and drew out of her cleavage a tube of lipstick, which she carefully applied, then bent down over Rose and kissed her full on the lips. Mal whistled, drawing a glare from Inara, and after several seconds Rose's eyes closed and her body drooped. Alexandra rose, replacing the lipstick with a wink at Mal. “She won't remember a thing when she wakes,” she said. Mal smiled wryly. “You do always come prepared.” Alexandra smiled smugly at the others and walked to the door, saying “You two are so stupid.” Mal followed Inara out of the bedroom, keeping a wary eye out for any observers. As he passed the main upstairs gathering room, he saw several guests inside gathered concernedly around a com screen, conversing heatedly in low voices. “Cut the sound, I can't bear to hear,” said one man, reaching to the screen. “Troops thought it was a false alarm,” another man said. “Typical of them, lazy,” a woman replied. He raised his hand, catching Inara's attention as she turned to descend the stairs, and gestured to the room. Inara nodded and followed Alexandra to the first floor, as Mal slipped into t he crowd around the com. The com was showing aerial pictures of a Central Planets shopping mall in flames, with the bodies of ships strewn over the roof and in the open walkways. The view zoomed in to show dead bodies lying on the ground, with Feds kneeling over them and blocking off the paths. “Ships didn't take to the air 'til it was too late,” said the second man. “I hope they get on their horses and catch them,” added the woman. Mal made a small bow to the second man, asking “What happened?” The man replied gravely, gesturing to the screen, “Boros has been Reaved.”

************************************************

The Tams' float truck flew swiftly along the road in the night. Jayne sat shotgun next to the driver, while Gabriel and Simon shared the back. Simon leaned to the side, moodily staring out the window. “That went moderately well, despite all the fuss,” Gabriel said. “That was a disaster,” Simon said to the window. “I spoke to General Lang before we left,” Gabriel continued, “And he told me that he definitely found you someone he could work with. He had been a bit concerned about your ability to manage your staff, but he himself had managed to let Rosemarie drink herself unconscious, so he just laughed that off. What did happen in the library, by the way?” “I'd rather not talk about it,” Simon said blandly. “I am concerned,” Gabriel said. “You should not be getting into scraps with Jayne.” Simon sighed. “You haven't known Jayne long enough, if you think that's avoidable.” “In any event,” Gabriel replied, “Everything is ready for you to officially announce your candidacy.” “Except I'm not running,” Simon said. A silence filled the back seat. Gabriel, caught mid-breath, glared at Simon in surprise. “You're not thinking of going back to the Outer Moons with those ruffians,” he said. “Whatever happened in the past two years, here is where your roots are. Osiris is your home.” “My home is not a place, Dad,” Simon replied. “It's a person. Kaylee. I've thought about this. I don't care what else I lose, but I ain't losing her.” “You...ain't?” Gabriel asked, incredulous. “I ain't losing her,” Simon repeated. “I know I'm no good with words, so I'm going to keep it simple. I can't spend my whole life trying to make other people happy, not you 'cause you want to, not even River 'cause I want to. Find someone else to fight the Academy, or run yourself if you've got to, or guay, put River up if she's interested, but if Kaylee wakes up tomorrow still telling me not to run, I'll step down. I'm not driving her away, and I'm not putting her through hell 'cause she won't leave.” “Well,” said Gabriel, taken aback. “I don't know what to say.” “'Congratulations for having backbone' would be a start,” Simon replied. “'You're an idiot, but I wish you well' would be more what I'd expect.” The truck banked into the Tam estate's parking area and came to a halt, settling onto the ground. The doors popped open and the three passengers stepped out, Gabriel still speechless. “Where's Mal and Inara?” Jayne asked. “They left before us.” “Mal said they wanted check something out before they came back,” Simon explained. “They'll be back later.” “All right,” Jayne said. “I just got to check one thing in Serenity, then I'll be back to the house.” He trotted off toward where the ship was parked. Simon walked back toward the darkened house, followed by his father. Gabriel caught up with him at the edge of the front walkway and laid a hand on his shoulder. “What will River say?” he asked. “I plan to ask her as soon as we get inside,” Simon replied. “Though it's ironic you trust her judgment in this and not in her own romantic life.” “That's different,” said Gabriel. “In any event,” Simon continued, “I think I know what she'll say.” His voice took on a faraway quality as he quoted, “'You've always looked after me, Simon. Now it's my turn.' I don't think she'll begrudge me this happiness—she called me a boob enough times for not seizing the moment.” He unlocked and opened the door, stepping inside. The house was completely dark, lit only by the moonlight. “River?” he called into the blackness. “Zoe?”

*******************************************

Jayne opened the door to Serenity and stepped inside. The ship was dark, lit only by the light streaming in from the security fence outside, and his fancy shoes made hollow clangs on the cargo bay floor. He retrieved a flashlight from its place by the wall and made his way to the back of the cargo bay and through the door to the infirmary. There he stopped and listened. No sound. “Gorramit, what am I doing here?” he said to himself. “Ain't my job.” Nevertheless, he climbed up the stairs to the aft passage, quieting his steps. The light shone eerily through the darkened corridor, and he nearly stumbled twice, but finally arrived outside the closed engine room door. There he set the flashlight down and knocked. No answer, but his eye caught movement from inside. “Kaylee?” he asked. “What is it?” her voice came back. “It's Jayne,” he said. “Can I come in?” After a moment, the door slid open. Kaylee stood there, in the undergown of her dress, incongruously wearing heavy work gloves. Behind her Jayne could see the overdress hanging from a corner of the engine. “You all right?” he asked. “I'm fine,” Kaylee sighed. “Just went back to be with Serenity. How'd you know I was here?” Jayne shrugged. “Where else would you be? Said you were going home.” Kaylee stepped aside, letting Jayne into the engine room. He took off his jacket and hung it next to her dress, then turned back to Kaylee, still standing by the door as she closed it. They looked at one another in the dim light of their flashlights, then Kaylee spoke. “I'm worried, Jayne. He's home now, even if he says he ain't, and none of the rest of us are, 'cepting Inara. What if he goes back to being who he was, before he got on our ship?” Jayne threw up his hands, sending light darting all across the room. “I don't know,” he said cautiously. “Never could figure the man myself.” “I know he ain't good at communication,” Kaylee continued, “But I don't know when he's saying what he means and when he's just trying to please people. I just wish he'd...I don't know, treat me like I was important. Even if he went against what I wanted...he ain't his daddy's left arm, and I ain't his.” Jayne kicked the floor. “The world ain't fair, Kaylee. Gorramit.” “I'm worth it, ain't I?” Kaylee asked, shining her light back onto herself. “Simon ain't better off without me, is he?” “Oh, Kaylee,” Jayne replied, “You're about the loveliest, shiniest thing I've ever seen. He ain't worth you, less'n he opens his eyes.” “Aww, Jayne,” Kaylee said. “That's real pretty and poetical.” “It's the truth,” Jayne said embarrassedly. He stepped a step closer to her and took her gloved hand. “Just keep being you.” Kaylee tossed aside her other glove and pulled Jayne into a hug. “You ain't always so crude, when you put your mind to it,” she whispered. Jayne smiled down at her, brushing the hair out of her eyes. They held each other there, for a moment, then Jayne broke away. “What,” asked Kaylee wryly, “You ain't gonna kiss me and offer to take me away from all this corruption?” That brought a smile to Jayne's face. “I like corruption,” he said. “And you ain't like other women, Kaylee. We ever do anything together, it'll be right and proper.” “What do you mean?” asked Kaylee, retrieving her glove from the floor. “I ain't doing anything to get in the way of you two,” Jayne said. “You've spent the last five minutes doing nothing but talking 'bout him. I know what that means well as any.” He took his jacket back off the engine housing. “But one thing I can do, I am going back inside and making sure no one hurts you again.” Donning the jacket, he stepped to the engine room door. “You going to be all right here?” he asked. Kaylee nodded. “It's home.” Jayne ducked through the door and down the stairs, and back into the cargo bay, putting his light back in its place, then opening the bay door and stepping out into the world. He noticed that Mal and Inara were still not back as he crossed the parking area and came to the door. Opening it, he stepped inside, closing and locking the door behind him. He turned to enter the living room, and his world turned to fire.