Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me, just writing for fun

A/N: So here’s a new little series, something completely different from my other ones. This takes place about five years after the BDM. I’m trying something new, so please let me know what you think!! I have not tried actiony angst but, well, here it goes! This is going to be a two parter, I think! Hope you guys like it and PLEASE comment!!!

___________________________________________________________________ "I am not going to argue with you anymore Kaylee, this is how it has to be." Simon stared down his wife, who was clutching their two year old daughter in her arms around her pregnant belly, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I won't leave y'all to die!" Simon sighed as he reached back to hold onto the counter behind him, steadying himself. His heart was breaking as he stared at her tear stained face. The fierce loyalty present struck him to the core and made him love her a little more. All he wanted to do was wrap her up in his arms, comfort her and his child. He wanted to promise her that everything would be just fine, but there was no chance of that happening now. "Kaylee, please, you have to listen to me. This is not just another job gone wrong. They will run us down. These are hardened criminals, and they will not be forgiving if we lose this fight. You have to leave with River and Inara, you have to save yourselves and Molly. I will not allow those animals to get a hold of any of you-" "Simon! I can't do it! Maybe we can rewire the press regulator-" Simon bridged the gap between them, grasping her shoulders to garner her attention away from fool hardy ideas and face reality. "It's too late Kaylee, they've gained on us and we can't outrun them. The only way we are going to get through this is to have River launch the shuttle the minute we break atmo. We have the goods, they will follow us. We're just lucky they don't have a shuttle themselves. They want the cargo and no complications. If you are here, they may want more, and I cannot face that Kaylee, " Simon moved one of his hands to her face, cupping her cheek while his thumb rubbed away the tears that slid down her face. He had to feel her skin one more time," This is the only way." The ship shook as River made one last attempt to outmaneuver their pursuers. Feeling the tension between her parents, Molly, who had been sniffling all through the fight, broke out in great wails. Simon took his daughter out of Kaylee's arms and tried to gently shush her, running his hands through her soft, dark hair. Kaylee threw her hands up to her face as she began to sob uncontrollably along with her daughter. Mal entered the infirmary, the strain evident in his face and eyed Simon, who responded with just a nod. Mal walked up to Kaylee and grasped her heaving shoulders, turning her to face him. "Listen Lil' Kaylee. River is all ready on her way to the shuttle and we're just waiting for you. There's no time left, we have to go now." His voice was calm but it revealed the urgency he felt. Kaylee was not yet willing to give up the fight. "Cap'n, I know we can do-" Suddenly, Kaylee stiffened. Simon pulled back the tranq gun from Kaylee's neck as the drugs took immediate effect. The betrayal on Kaylee’s face as her eyes fluttered shut smacked Mal through to his soul. He reached out immediately as her knees gave in from under her. Swinging her into his arms, he exited the infirmary, closely followed by Simon and his howling daughter. They made their way up to Inara’s shuttle swiftly, Simon passing Mal in the cargo bay. He took the stairs two at a time, jostling Molly, creating more screams from her. Rubbing her back with the one hand he had wrapped around his child, he grabbed the handle of the shuttle door with the other, thrusting it open. Inara turned to face him, spooked by the jarring sound, her tension already at a high level. Her eyes widened as she saw Kaylee was not present. “Where’s Kaylee?” Her voice almost cracked as thoughts of the little mechanic staying behind flooded through her brain. “Mal has her.” Simon kissed his crying daughter as he propelled her into Inara’s arms, Mal finally making it up with Kaylee’s limp body in his arms. Inara sucked in her breath, the confusion of the situation mirrored in her eyes. “What happened?” They were all cut off as Zoe’s voice echoed through the com. “It’s time, Sir. We’re coming up on the planet, we’ll be hitting atmo in a few minutes.” Mal placed Kaylee gently on Inara’s bed. Simon rushed over to her, quickly checking her over before kissing her on her forehead., whispering one last good bye to his comatose wife. He moved back over to Inara, shoving a note into her hand and kissing his daughter. “Please give this to her.“ “Why is Kaylee-“ “We had to drug her,“ Mal interjected. Simon stroked his daughter’s hair again and then whispered to her,” Be good, Molly. I love you.” River ran over from the shuttle controls and slammed into Simon as he turned to say his good bye to her. “Simon, I don’t want to go!” Simon held her even closer. “Take care of them. I love you mei mei.” River extricated herself from Simon, raking a hand across her eyes before giving Mal a forlorn look. She then raced back to the controls. Simon turned to Inara, reached out and squeezed her free hand that still held the note in a silent good bye. Simon exited after one last look at Kaylee and his daughter. Mal and Inara stared at one another for a split second before Mal bridged the gap between them and seized her shoulders, Molly still squalling in her arms. She held her breath as he stared down at her. In that moment she wanted to just melt into him. All the feelings she had been so tentative to share came bubbling up in her mind, almost spilling from her lips. “Live.” It was a command, one Inara prayed she could obey. Mal leaned down to take Inara’s lips in a quick, crushing kiss that held all his heartache, then released her and exited the shuttle, slamming the door in his haste. Inara looked to River, who was prepping for detach, and then back to Kaylee. She took shallow breaths, the only sign that she was still alive. The fear that Inara had been keeping at bay welled in her eyes and slowly slid down her cheeks in the form of hot tears. She sat herself on the bed next to Kaylee and tried to focus all her attention on the squirming, frightened child in her arms. Molly was clamoring to be free of Inara's arms and reach her slumbering mother, but Inara just held her tightly. She gently began to wipe the tears from Molly's cheeks as she whispered a prayer to Buddha in the most calming and soothing tone she could muster. River’s nimble fingers flew across the controls, searching for the best way to escape when an image flooded through her brain. “Change of plans,” she whispered to herself as she suddenly bolted from the pilot’s chair and sprinted through the shuttle. “River, where are you-” “No time.” River slid open the door as the ship rattled, entering atmo at a breakneck speed.

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Zoe was trying her best to keep Serenity running at full speed while breaking atmo. It had always amazed her when Wash was at the controls, he had complete control, even when things were at their worst. Yet she always had confidence that her man could pull them out of any situation. At this moment, the fear at her own inadequacy lumped at the top of her throat. She had learned to fly many years ago, but was by no means the natural Wash had been, nor the genius River was. Zoe soon began to lose herself in all the lights on the control panel and had to shake herself out of the panic that was settling in the pit of her stomach. The Captain breathing down her neck was not making matters any better. “Sir, best tell River she needs to detach now.” Mal moved over to the com and Zoe took a deep breath, steeling herself for the inevitable. They were going to go down, no two ways about it. Zoe began to look for the best spot to crash land, just in case. Jayne was checking over Vera while Simon loaded his own weapon. He still abhorred the employ of guns, but living on Serenity over the years, he had become accustomed to their use. As he slid the cartridge in place, his heart did a flip. Images of the funeral that took place after Miranda flooded his mind and then the idea of his own demise chilled him to the bone. Who would hold Kaylee at his own funeral? Who would comfort her as she wept? Would his children grow up knowing nothing of their father except the memories Kaylee could impart to them? Simon pushed those thoughts out of his mind as he cocked the gun, trying to focus on the present. As Mal brought the com up to his mouth, River burst into the cockpit. She pushed Jayne, who had been cradling Vera in his arms and blocking her path, out of the way. “What the hell, crazy!” Jayne stumbled over his own feet and slammed into the lockers by the side of the cockpit entrance. “River what are you doing?” Simon, stunned by his sister’s abrupt entrance, was even more concerned that the shuttle wouldn’t be launched. “River, you have to-” Simon was silenced by Mal’s hand on his chest. He had taken a step back as River flashed him a look he hadn’t seen in a long while. It was that same far off look she had in her eyes those many years ago at the Maidenhead. She seemed to be on automatic as she took the co pilots chair and began punching in coordinates. She then began to whisper to herself as she pulled up nav stats on the screens that surrounded her. The only audible words that escaped from her mouth hung in the air. “Only one probability.” Zoe, still stunned by how quickly River had been able to reroute control to herself and take over the helm, looked down at her own screens. It suddenly popped out at her, what River had planned. Mal swiftly came to his senses and turned back to Jayne and Simon. “You two get to the shuttle, this don’t work out, you’re gonna be needed there.” Simon took one last look at his sister, then put his full faith in that she could save them. He nodded to Mal and raced down the corridor back to Inara’s shuttle. Jayne hesitated for a moment, which was a moment too long for Mal. “Why the hell are you still here?” Zoe turned her unyielding eyes to Jayne and spit out,” The Captain gave you an order.” “I’m...”, Jayne looked back to River, then Mal and Zoe. Without another word, Jayne fled the cockpit. Mal took to Zoe’s side as River broke out of atmo and began to head straight for an open canyon. Serenity buckled under the pressure she was exerting on the hull and engines, shaking the entire ship. “We’re going to be sitting ducks out here,” Mal’s confidence in River was beginning to wane as the great red, rusty ship slid into position behind them, preparing to ram Serenity into the ground. “No, sir. Look,“ Zoe pulled up the schematics that showed the canyon they were racing through in detail,” There.” Zoe pointed at a bend in the canyon, where the walls crammed in together. “We ain't gonna fit through there!” Mal turned to River with wide eyes. “That’s the point.” Zoe turned her eyes as well over to where River was maneuvering the ship to make the impossible pass.

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Jayne dashed along the catwalk, his heart pumping the adrenaline through his veins. He slammed against the railings as the ship quaked under River’s piloting. “Moonbrain’s gonna kill us all,” Jayne muttered under his breath as he steadied himself and continued on. Simon was already relaying to Inara that River had a plan when Jayne took up sentry duty at the entrance of the shuttle. He had glimpsed Kaylee’s immobile form on the bed and the trembling child in Inara’s arms, but just turned his back on them to keep it out of his mind. He had never really liked Simon, but a respect for one another had slowly forged between them. He made Kaylee happy, at least most of the time. He always had a soft spot for Kaylee, which grew when she had Molly. Little bitty thing she was, she took up a enormous place in his heart and now with another one on the way, the thought of them in pain or danger just made his pulse race. Molly was making a horrible noise, grating on Jayne's nerves but he thought to himself-Just keep hollering baby girl, let's me know we're all still alive.

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Mal clutched the console, keeping his heart from leaping out of his throat as River closed in on the canyon floor, dodging another ram maneuver. "They really mean business, Sir" Mal just gave Zoe the eye and then noticed River's agile fingers moving over buttons they really ought not to be near. His eyes grew wider as she continued on her course. "River why the hell are you extending the-" Serenity shook as River turned her on her side, pushing forward while the legs of the landing gear stretched into place. Pulling into position, River pressed on, their pursuers still on their tail. “No, no, no, we ain’t gonna-” “Sir, I think she’s-” Mal grabbed the com, cutting off Zoe as he yelled, “Everyone, brace for impact!” River swung Serenity through the pass as the canyon’s walls closed in on them, scraping the top of the hull along one side, the landing gear bashing a boulder that had been wedged into the side of the cliff out of place. The enormous, red, crab-like vessel that had been hot on their tails had it’s back end pummeled in by falling sheets of rock. The landslide flipped the ship up only to be slammed back down by the rest of the cliff sliding to the ground, smashing it to pieces. Everything was portentously quiet as River pulled up out of the canyon. Mal pushed himself up off the floor, Zoe still gripping the console that she had been thrown against when Serenity hit the side of the canyon wall. Mal and Zoe were still in shock at how quickly River had disposed of the threat that they had been convinced would have ended badly. She turned to smile back at them, her own pride shining through her eyes at how well everything turned out. She read over the controls ,making sure all that was really wrong with her was one leg of the landing gear being lost in a big pile of rubble that was just settling on the bottom of the canyon floor.

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Simon rushed over to the shuttle’s windows in the cockpit, Jayne close on his heels. Inara had laid herself over Kaylee and Molly when Mal had called for them to brace for impact, and was just moving herself back up into a sitting position, still clutching Molly in her arms when Simon whispered, “She did it.” Fear was still coursing through her veins as she looked at both men wide eyed. Jayne got a full glimpse of the devastation River had caused by removing one little boulder, as Serenity pulled up out the canyon, righting itself. The whole left side of the canyon was clouded by dust and debris, minor slides still occurring, the ship that had been hot in pursuit of them buried under all that rock. “Gorram qingwa cao de liumang!“ Jayne yelped as he slapped Simon on the back, his joy evident in the gesture. Simon just looked back at Inara and Molly, then his eyes trailed over to the limp body of his wife sleeping on Inara’s bed. His heart sunk as he knew that there was going to be hell to pay when Kaylee woke up.

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TBC: Next installment, major angst and some difficult decisions will be broached.