A/N: Sorry to make you guys wait. I hope it was worth it. I'm trying to really set up for a whole lotta drama.

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Chapter 4

Mal dipped his head once at Jayne who nodded right back before Mal kicked down the door and they both stormed in, guns drawn and pointed at the four inhabitants of the room. One man slid back from the table in surprise , where the four men were seated, but Thayer just continued to shuffle his hand of cards coolly before saying, “Well Captain Reynolds, I didn’t send you a WAVE and you certainly didn’t send me one, so you can understand as to why I’m a little upset by this, how shall we say, unfriendly disturbance.” Thayer looked at Mal patronizingly. “I like my entrances to make a statement.” Mal quipped with a humorous shrug of the shoulders. One of Thayer’s men stood and shoved his chair back into Jayne which caused quite the upheaval. Jayne bent over from the pain in his gut for all of two and a half seconds before quickly hitting him hard enough to knock him up and onto the table, and then he moved to fight the second man who had run up behind the first, “Ooo, goodie, seconds.” Thayer nodded his head to his large henchman and looked at Mal. Even though Mal still had his gun trained on Thayer, when the henchman stood to his full height, Mal’s face twisted in the most comical ‘holy crap’ kind of way. About a full second of stunned silence passed before Mal said, “Alright, then.” and nodded his head matter-of-factly before deftly moving to shoot him in the chest. The henchman stumbled backwards for a second and glared at his now bleeding chest and then back at Mal before approaching Mal again. Mal’s frame went from rigid to a comic shake of his body as he said high pitched, “God! Don’t you die?” Two more shots to his chest and he dropped to the floor in a dull thud. When Thayer realized his men were so easily dispatched he stood quickly and moved to leave the room, but as he turned to the exit Jayne stood there leaned up against the doorframe and picked his teeth with his left hand, having easily induced a nap in the other two men. Mal came up beside Thayer and with his outstretched arm, aimed his gun at his temple. Thayer’s demeanor had not changed during this, and he didn’t look to be bothered in the slightest. “You recently acquired somethin’ ‘o mine. And I want it back.” Mal let his gun inch so close to Thayer’s head that he could feel it without his skin ever making contact with metal. “I assure you Captain-” Thayer’s words were cut off by the deafening sound of Mal pulling back the hammer of the gun. “Don’t believe I was done talkin’.” Jayne grinned and gave a little chuckle. Thayer hesitated for only a moment before regaining that haughty demeanor that grated on Mal’s nerves. “I am a very busy man. I’m afraid you’ll have to be more specific.” “A girl. My mechanic got snatched today, and Jayne here says you just recently happened to make a similar acquisition. So hows about you take that pretty nose outta the air and tell me where she’s at.” “I’m afraid it’s already out of my hands Captain Reynolds.” Thayer looked at Mal coolly, ignoring the gun pointed now directly at his right eye. Jayne stood upright, alarmed. “What do you mean out of your hands?” Mal probed.

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Thayer, now tied to a chair, tried to ignore Jayne sitting comfortably, directly across from him staring holes right into him. Zoe, Wash, Book and Mal all stood in the room having tied the still unconscious men up and piled them up in a corner. “Sir?” Zoe always had a way of making that one word mean dozens of things, sometimes even simultaneously, but right now it just meant one thing. How do you wanna go about this. “Thayer said that transport is due to leave in bout an hours time, We’re going back to Serenity so we can pick up a few necessities and then we’re gonna go get Kaylee. Book,” Book inched closer to Mal, more than willing to do anything to help out Kaylee. “I need you to stay here and keep an eye on Thayer. Don’t want him messin’ up our little adventure.” “Mal, I think I might be of some use to you.” Book leveled Mal with one look and Mal considered the possibility but shook his head. He pointedly looked at Thayer and said, “S’man is a whole heap of trouble, preacher. We got a little out of him, but I‘d still like to be knowledgeable about why. I’d take a bit of ease out of the fact knowin’ you was here with him, maybe you can get that little tidbit for us.” Book slowly nodded in agreement. Mal led the way out of the building, Zoe and Jayne close on his heels.

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Simon squatted in front of River in the Cargo bay while Inara just barely paced not five feet from them. “Had one already.” River said matter-of-factly. “Non-compulsory necessity for an additional. Men lining the walls and streets with sweat and tears.” Her brother stood and looked down on her with such concern before his mind focused in on their mechanic. Simon couldn’t bear to think of where Kaylee must be. All that was important was that she return to the ship and that was inevitable because the others were retrieving her this very second…inevitable, right? Simon doubted his own self-assurance before quickly squelching his disbelief. He couldn’t allow himself to get emotional about this. Logic and judgment and facts; these were all things that had held him together thus far in life. And. presently, the fact at hand was that Mal was not going to come back aboard Serenity without Kaylee. Please come back Mal. Simon thought without restraint.

If Inara had mentally berated herself once in the past few hours, she had done it dozens of times. It never once entered into her mind that if she had stayed with Kaylee she herself may have been harmed. Being well educated, cultured and refined was a significant part of Inara Serra. Albeit, that’s certainly not all of who she is. Inara possessed an innate kind of confidence that came with more than just companion training. She rarely worried for herself, however, no vessel could contain all the worry emanating from her on this day.

Just then Mal, Zoe and Jayne came quickly up the ramp and into the cargo bay. Without Kaylee, Simon registered and his confusion was palpably painted on his face . Mal gathered weapons from the cargo bay while Jayne went to go fetch Vera and Zoe paid a visit to her own reserve. “Mal-” Inara started but Mal cut her off by saying, “Don’t have time to explain just yet. Might know exactly where she’s at. Came to gather up some gear and Kaylee will be back onboard ‘fore long.” Inara noticed that by the tone in Mal’s voice, he wasn’t up to any questions or suggestions so, pushing her fears back down her throat she offered her help. To which Mal simply looked at her guardedly and said, “No, we got this. Wash you have her ready to fly soon as we get back.” The three of them, Mal in the center, Zoe on his right and Jayne on his left, marched off of Serenity‘s ramp, guns in tow. Mal said quietly to himself, “We won’t be long.”

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Kaylee drifted in and out of consciousness, now numb to the cold the majority of the time. The blood coming from her head was slowed and begun to dry and harden on her face. Her mind was somewhat quieted now, because of her physical state. The few thoughts she did have ranged from that of her family back home and her family on Serenity. She remembered her pa’s gentle and care worn face and smiled. He was the most important man in her life for so many years, and then she met Mal. Mal brought her on the ship and made her part of his family, whether he cared to admit it or not. And then there was Simon. She had never labored for a guys attention the way she fought for Simon’s. Contemplating the time on Canton and then dead Bessie, Kaylee came to the swift decision that if she made it out of this she was going to be more patient with Simon and not flee like she had the tendency to do.

Kaylee’s subconscious musings were interrupted by the door sliding open and that horrible bright light intruding in the dark space. Kaylee tried to force her eyes open, but for some reason her body wouldn’t comply. As Kaylee lay there drifting back out of consciousness her less than hospitable captive came and lightly nudged her with his boot. All that generated from Kaylee was a groan. “Come on, git. Time to go.” When he couldn’t get her to rise on her own, he reached down and roughly grabbed her by the arms, hauling her up brutally. At the sudden rush to her head Kaylee went completely limp as she fainted. “Ai ya, girl.” he grunted as he bent and shoved her over his shoulder. No sooner had he taken two steps than three people burst through the door, rushing him. Mal, Zoe and Jayne adeptly came in, guns drawn, and all moved to surround the man holding Kaylee. The sight of Kaylee unconscious and slung over this guys’ shoulder scared Mal more than he’d like to concede to himself. He quickly swallowed that feeling and said just one word, “Jayne.” Jayne moved to take Kaylee from the man and said, “Cap she’s hurt pretty bad.” as he cradled her tiny frame in his arms. Mal clenched his jaw and his nostrils flared as her reared his gun hand back to pistol whip the man, but before he could get the chance Zoe came up and fiercely knocked the man out cold and on the floor in one punch. Mal blinked. “I was gonna do that.” he wined. “Sorry, sir.” Zoe didn’t sound in the least apologetic. “Couldn’t help myself.”

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To be continued in chapter 5