Archive of Our Own ^beta

Ed Darlas stared out over the silent dunes. Today, he would get revenge. It might be 20 years too late but revenge was, after all, a dish best served cold. Or, at least, unexpectedly.

The crunch of sand behind him made turn, the moon glinting off his dark hair.

"Sir?"

Ed hummed and turned back to the dunes. The sky was getting lighter, the moon and stars disappearing.

Sam nervously fiddled with his sleeve, his eyes straying to the shadowy figure he called captain.

"What's the plan, sir?"

Ed's smile glinted in the early morning haze.

"Don't ya worry about that, boy. I'll tell y'all when the time's right."

He suddenly turned and looked Sam right in the eye. Sam was vaguely aware that they were the same brown as the sandy dunes.

"Tell the rest o' the crew to get the horses ready. We ride at dawn."

Sam nodded and walked away, leaving Ed standing on the cliff edge. The captain gave one last look at the horizon. The sun was shyly peeking out above the dune line, painting the sky blood red. He smiled. Today would be the day he would finally get revenge on Malcolm Reynolds.

Serenity was quietest at night.

Simon sat reading on the common room couch, his sore leg stretched out in front of him. The only sound in the room was the silent turning of the pages and Serenity's gentle hum. The book dipped, Simon's eyes fluttering shut, when a sudden thump from the cargo bay made him start awake and drop the book, the movement jostling his sore leg.

"Wo de ma he ta de fen kuang de wai sheng dou-"

"Easy there, doc," Mal said, appearing in the doorway, the portable Cortex held in his hands. "Just me."

"I don't know if that's better or worse." Simon muttered, grimacing when a spasm shot through his leg.

The captain smiled and put the Cortex down on the coffee table next to Simon's leg, taking a seat on the chair next to the couch. "Leg botherin' ya?"

"Not at all," Simon deadpanned. "I've had mosquito bites worse than this."

Mal laughed, a small smile making its way onto the doctor's face.

The Cortex pinged and Mal's smile fell.

"Is something wrong, Captain?" Simon asked. He tried to push himself up but hissed when his leg shifted. Mal passed him the screen and sighed.

"They, uh, they updated yer wanted bulletins."

He didn't need to see the screen to know why the boy froze. Hell, he would have done the same.

Both of the Tam's bounty had been increased with a 1000 credits and the words Dead or Alive flashed next to Simon's name.

It was quiet, Serenity's engine a steady hum.

"It's a few days old-"

Simon's voice was soft and Mal almost missed it, but missing what he said was as hard as missing a brick wall.

"We'll leave."

Mal stopped, stunned.

"Huh?"

Simon's eyes were downcast, his jaw set and his body tensed.

"I said, Captain, we'll leave. River and I are a threat in more ways than one and-"

"Doc."

His voice was harsh but Mal wanted, needed, the kid to hear this.

"Doc, listen to me. You and yer sister are crew and that's not nothing. Ya ain't leavin' this ship just because yer bounty'd been increased. Yer safer here than anywhere else."

He tried to catch the doctor's eyes.

"If ya want to leave, then so be it. But it should be yer own decision, not out o' some misplaced sense of protection. We can look after our own, and, well," Mal smiled, "having a doc on board to patch us up after ain't too bad."

Simon laughed quietly and looked up at the Captain with suspiciously bright eyes.

"Why?"

"How many times do I have to say this, son? Yer on my crew."

Mal gently clapped Simon on the shoulder, careful not to jostle him.

He stood up, picking up the fallen book and handing it to Simon before he left. Just as he reached the doorway, he turned back. Simon looked up at him, frowning.

"Oh, and doc?"

"Yes Captain?"

"Try not to get shot again, dong ma?"

"You... are a goddess."

Wash watched in awe as Zoë walked down the cargo bay stairs, the golden spaghetti-strap dress clinging to her hips. A few wisps of hair escaped the golden leaf clip holding her hair up, framing her face.

Zoë smirked and Wash felt underdressed in his Hawaiian shirt and dark blue blazer. He swallowed when she stopped, barely a foot away, the faint scent of leather lingering in the air. Unconsciously, he leaned forward, wanting to feel her full lips on his -

"Hold your horses, cowboy."

She leaned closer to whisper in his ear, her breath warm.

"I'll kiss you when there ain't a horsebrush on yer lips. Until then, you'll have to live with this."

With excruciating slowness she kissed his cheek, lingering for a second, before pulling away.

Wash was, for the first time in his life, speechless. He watched, gaping like a fish out of water, as she walked down the cargo bay ramp, the lights of Bardant glinting off her golden dress. Mal's loud laugher brought Wash crashing back down into reality.

Throwing the Captain a dark look, Wash ran back to his bunk, frantically wondering if he still had a razor.

Simon sighed and stretched, groaning when he stepped out into the bright midday sun. Shielding his eyes he absent-mindedly pulled at his itchy collar, watching as someone walked up the rocky path, the big figure wavering in the heat.

"You done boy?" Mayor Jace Tugelbend huffed. He reached the barn where Simon stood, huffing and puffing from the long walk and tipped his hat, slightly red in the face.

The doctor smiled shyly, nodding.

"Yes sir."

Jace smiled and his eyes strayed to something in the distance. He got a speculative glint in his eyes, his smile turning manic for a second. Simon blinked and the smile and glint were gone, replaced by the Mayor's usual relaxed grin. Simon wondered if the heat was starting to get to him.

"Your Captain's waiting for you at the bar," Jace said. The Mayor shook Simon's hand and watched as the doctor began the long trek back to the town. He grinned and called someone closer.

Simon was almost at the ranch's border when it felt like he was being watched. He swallowed and risked a glanced over his shoulder. The Mayor was talking to one of the ranch's owners, a tall man with cold blue eyes. And the man was staring straight at Simon, like a hawk watching its prey.

A cold feeling washed over the doctor despite the heat of the day and he started walking faster. He crossed the border that separated the ranch and the open fields but the cold feeling didn't go away. If anything, it only got worse.

***

"Sir, are you sure 'bout this?" Zoë asked, her voice low.

Mal took a sip of cold water and shrugged.

"It's the only way Jace would let us stay."

The bar was quiet, a few people sitting near the door. Mal glanced at the clock, wondering when the doctor would be joining them.

"Something doesn't feel right," she murmured. There was something about Tugelbend that made her hackles rise and her hand stray to her gun.

Mal opened his mouth to say something when a shout from outside made his blood run cold.

"Stampede! Stampede near the ranch!"

Sometimes, Inara wondered what she was still doing on Serenity.

As a Companion she was used to the wide open spaces of the training house, the fresh air and the blue sky. She wasn't used to the cramped spaceship with its recycled oxygen and its annoying Captain who didn't have even have a lick of manners-

Something deep inside Serenity snapped and the whole ship shuddered. Inara winced and grabbed onto a beautiful crystal vase one of the Guild Mothers had sent her. She barely caught it when the whole ship shuddered again.

"Kaylee! What in the gui happened?" Mal asked, tinny voice reverberating through the small shuttle.

"Nothing to worry 'bout, Cap'n! Some of the 2XE-T3's came loose. But I can fix it! Just... just gimme a minute. I'll need ta bypass the-"

"Can ya put that in Captain Dummy talk?"

There was a pause. Inara carefully wrapped the vase in a thick blanket and put it away in a trunk. Hopefully, it wouldn't break.

"Well, the, uh, the..." Kaylee mumbled something Inara couldn't hear.

"What was that, li'l Kaylee?"

"The, uhm, couplings snapped, Cap'n."

"The couplings?"

"Uh huh."

"Kaylee. Didn't I tell you to-"

"Sorry to interrupt," Wash said over the comms as Serenity shuddered again, more violently than last time, "but some of us are trying to fly a dying ship and we need to concentrate on not crashing into a planet and dying in a big ball of flames-"

"Bi zui-"

"Cap'n!-"

Inara shook her head and glanced at herself in the slightly grimy mirror Kaylee had given her months ago. She was smiling, a real smile, not the one she used during jobs, despite the very real threat of crashing. The truth finally hit her, as hard as if Serenity had already crashed.

Family.

She was still on Serenity because she had found a family. And one thing you never left behind was the people who cared for you. Even if there was a shuai annoying Captain on board.

His eyes were green. That was the first thing Kaylee noticed. The second thing? Well, the second thing was something she would never tell anyone. Except, maybe, Mr. Tall Handsome Stranger with the emerald green eyes. She would happily tell him the second thing.

Kaylee blushed and stuck out a hand. The man took it, his soft fingers catching on her rough skin.

"I'm Kaylee."

"Nova." The man, Nova, smiled. "Cassian Nova Brown."

"The human body can bleed out in less than 2 minutes," River whispered, her eyes shut tight. She whimpered when a bullet clipped the rocky dune above her.

Simon pulled her closer, his own eyes squeezed shut and he was vaguely aware that he would never get used this.

"I'm sick and tired of these gorram plans o' yours Mal!" Jayne yelled above the sound of gunfire. There was a split second of silence and the merc sprang up, returning fire. The gun clicked uselessly and he dove back down behind the rocky river bank, hands already searching for another clip.

Mal grinned, his eyes wild.

"Just trust me Jayne!"

He suddenly sprang up and fired, a splash signaling that one of the bullets had found its mark.

With a grunt, the Captain sunk back down, a hand held to his shoulder. Dark red blood leaked out between his fingers, staining his coat a dark brown.

"Qing wa cao de liu mang."

"Let me see." Simon's voice was soft, his hands firm. Gently, the doctor prodded at the wound, quietly apologizing when Mal hissed.

"I'll need to get the bullet out." Simon said, starting to protest when Mal pulled him away.

"Captain-"

"Ya can fix it when we're safely onboard Serenity."

More gunfire sounded and Mal grinned again when more splashes came from behind the bank.

River uncurled, her brown eyes wide and full of awe.

"Robin Hood came to save Maid Marian and the Merry Men."

"I'm not Maid Marian!" Mal protested while he stood up.

Zoë laughed as she walked towards them, her Mare's Leg still slightly smoking.

"She ain't wrong about the saving, sir."

She frowned when she saw the blood but left it when Mal shook his head slightly.

"Shepherd Book's tyin' up the few we managed to haul out o' the river."

Jayne gaped, his eyes wide. "You're meanin' this was all part of the plan?"

"Not the gettin' shot part, no." Mal said, grunting when he moved his arm. He ignored the doc's concerned look and started the walk to the small band of bandits tied up on the opposite bank.

This was the last time Wilder talked him into patrolling the river.

The last thing Simon saw before he passed out was a pair of dark brown eyes filled with hate.

Cole Smith pulled down the mask covering his face and stared down at the body on the ground in disappointment. So, this was Captain Reynolds' medic? Some bu lang bu you ben dan from the Core that took up more space than he was worth?

He shook his head and threw down the rock, ignoring the blood that ran down his fingers. With a grunt he slung the doctor over his shoulder and started the walk back to the town, quietly whistling an old War tune.

One down, eight to go.

"But Cap'n it's the Neon Moon festival!" Kaylee exclaimed, her eyes wide and pleading. "Can't we just stay a li'l while longer?"

Mal frowned, swallowing his tasteless bite of protein.

"The what festival?"

"The Neon Moon festival. One week ever year the planet's two suns and the only moon align, causing the moon to be extra bright. There's usually a big celebration at the beginning... of the... week..." Simon trailed off, aware that the whole dinner table was staring at him in varying degrees of fondness and hate. He flushed and looked down at his food, missing Kaylee's starry eyed look.

Mal closed his eyes and sighed.

"Kaylee-"

"Aww, please Cap'n? Serenity ain't entirely fixed yet-"

"I thought-"

"- and it'll take at least another day or two for her to be right again. Please?"

"Come on, Captain," Book said, laying down his utensils, "let the kids have some fun."

Mal shook his head, denial clear on his face.

"The Alliance-"

"The nearest Alliance presence is the Reliant two planets over," Zoë off-handedly said, ignoring the Captain's wounded look.

"Mutiny. Y'all are-"

"I heard there's some good company near the town square iffin ye catch my drift." Jayne wiggled his eyebrows much to Mal's disgust.

"Jayne. Don't ya ever-"

"Do you want to go shopping with me River?" Inara asked, ignoring Mal's spluttering. The Captain was getting really annoyed at being ignored.

The girl nodded eagerly, her mouth full.

"Can I-"

"Maybe we can find you a slinky dress lamby-toes," Wash leaned in to whisper to his wife. She smiled and pecked his cheek.

The conversation rose and reached a crescendo and Mal had had enough.

"Bi zui!"

Everyone looked at him with wide eyes, the only sound the humming of Serenity's engine.

"Fine! Y'all can go to the festival! Just, just stop with the telling, I don't want to know."

Slowly the conversation trickled back and Mal turned to Zoë.

"Ya planned this, didn't you?"

She smiled and nodded at Book.

"I had some help."

"Relax, Captain," Book said, his eyes sparkling, "I'll be sure to keep an eye on them."

Mal nodded, satisfied, and turned back to his flavourless meal.

Maybe, it wasn't such a bad idea. They could find some fresh stuff to eat at least. Anything would be better than what was on his plate.

"They hide their wicked horns behind glowing halos," River whispered.

Simon looked up from his book, frowning. "Mei-mei?"

She ignored him and stared at the wall of their room, looking at it as if it held all the answers in the 'verse. For all Simon knew, it did.

"But the wolf in shepherd's clothing wears both with pride."

Suddenly, she turned to look at her brother, tears in her eyes. He put down the book and pulled her closer. She clutched at his shirt, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

"What are we supposed to wear? Horns or halos?"

Gabriel Tam sighed and dragged a tired hand down his face.

Quietly, he shook his head and stood up, loosening his tie. Why couldn't Samuel do his job for once? Was it really so hard-

A soft snick caught his attention.

Gabriel watched, frozen, as someone opened his study window and crawled through, another person following closely behind them.

"Who are you?"

The question was out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

The two masked figures froze, but before Gabriel could so much as blink the tallest one had pulled out a gun and was pointing it at him. The shorter one was still frozen, slightly hidden behind the gunman.

"I could ask ya the same thing," the man with the gun said, his voice muffled behind the dirty brown bandana.

Gabriel drew himself up to his full height, drawing on every etiquette lesson he had to sit through when he had been younger.

"I'm Gabriel Tam, owner of this house. I'll ask you again, who are you?"

"I'm 'fraid that's none of yer business, Mr. Tam."

The tallest man turned to his partner, his eyes softening, "You go and get what we came for, boy. I'll make sure he stays here."

The man gave a stilted nod and walked past Gabriel, avoiding the older man's eyes.

"Eyes here Mr. Tam."

Gabriel turned, his eyes narrowed.

"Why are you here?"

The man shrugged, his gun steady.

"Let's just say I ain't here for me."

Gabriel wanted to press for more information but before he could the shorter man had come back, a small duffle bag slung over one shoulder.

As he brushed past, Gabriel caught his eyes and the older man drew in a sharp breath.

"Simon."

The man, Simon, froze, his back to Gabriel.

"Are you happy?" Gabriel spat out without waiting for a reply. "You've ruined this family and now you have the audacity to-"

"It ain't audacity if it's his to take," the gunman said, his eyes sharp, "You go doc'. There's something I need to discuss with Mr. Tam."

"Captain-"

The Captain shook his head, leaving no room for arguments.

Simon gave the captain a long look before he nodded. He clambered back through the window, never once looking back at his father.

When the gunman was sure Simon was out, he stalked forward, holstering his gun.

He grabbed Gabriel by his lapels, his eyes blazing. The older Tam swallowed, the collar of his shirt digging uncomfortably into his skin.

"Now, you listen carefully, Mr. Tam. You may think Simon is a chi sin no fu but if there's one thing he ain't it's that. The kid's loyal to a fault, smart and brave too. Three traits I don't know where he got it from 'cause it certainly ain't from you.

He gave up everything for his li'l sis when you wouldn't even look at her letters. You've lost the best pair of kids in the 'verse, Gabriel, and I ain't even sure you realize it."

The man let go of Gabriel and strode to the open window. Gabriel smoothed down his lapels and tried to fix his hair, his head spinning.

Before the rogue reached the window he turned back, his browncoat flapping in the slight breeze. "Oh, and one more thing. You ever hurt them again you ta ma de hun dan, I'll hunt you down. And I won't be so civilized next time. Dong ma?"

With one last look, the man climbed out and shut the window. It was quiet in the study, almost as if nothing had happened. Taking a deep breath, Gabriel pressed a key on the Cortex. He scrolled for a while, searching for a specific number. It wasn't long before he found it. The call connected and he cleared his throat.

"General Huo? It's Gabriel Tam. I have news about the fugitives' whereabouts."

Was this the right thing to do?

Shepherd Book sat in the shade of an old oak tree, idly watching the other brothers tending to the great garden.

Was leaving the Abbey the right thing to do? And even if it wasn't, what other choice did he have? If he stayed bad thing would happen. Of that, he was certain.

He sighed and pulled out his old and battered Bible, reverently tracing the faded gold lettering. His rough skin caught on the broken leather, the fraying ribbon fluttering weakly in the wind.

'Send me a sign,' he thought and glanced up at the leafy canopy. 'If this is the right thing to do, send me a sign...'

A flutter of wings nearby brought Book out of his reverie.

Two crows were playing near the base of the tree, chasing each other through the exposed roots.

The Shepherd smiled.

Pocketing his Bible, he stood and took one last look at the garden. Shaking his head, he slowly started to walk back to the Abbey, feeling lighter than he had done in a long time. An old nursery rhyme his mother had taught him years ago came back and Book quietly hummed it under his breath, savoring the sunshine for the last time.

"One for sorrow, two for joy..."

The only thing Jayne remembered from his first hunting trip was the blood.

It matted the wild dog's fur and dripped down its fangs, staining the sand brown.

It had been the first time he'd come face to face with fear. Fear in the animal's eyes, fear for himself.

His oldest sister had shot the dog between the eyes before it could so much as bare its teeth.

That was the day Jayne realized that fear was a much more vicious motivator than anything else.

Mal glared at the bouquet of Desert Roses in Inara's hands.

With a vicious thump he threw down the crate of cargo, quietly swearing when it landed on his foot.

The Companion ignored him and walked past, the golden ribbon tied around the stems of the succulents trailing after her.

"Yer client give 'em to you?" Mal asked, refusing to look at Inara as she brushed past him, her perfume lingering between them like words unsaid.

"That's none of your business, Captain."

Mal ignored the erge to tell her it was.

"But if it's any consolation, no. Kaylee bought them for me as an early birthday present."

"Prairie fire!" A ranch hand yelled, soot stained and sweaty, as he ran up to the fence, "There's a prairie fire over at McGill's!"

A young Mal swore, dropping the axe he had been using. Mrs. Reynolds didn't even bother cuffing his ear.

She turned to her son, a look in her eyes that would have made a fire stop in its tracks.

"Gather the others and go and warn Mick. Tell 'em McGill needs help."

Mal nodded and ran, his arms and legs pumping. He vaulted the fence, not daring to slow down.

Mrs. Reynolds turned to the ranch hand, her greying hair escaping her bun.

"John? Tell McGill we're on our way. We won't let him down. Not this time."

She didn't have brown and her green pencil was beyond saving.

River blew an errant strand of hair away and picked up the purple and yellow pencils.

Carefully she drew in the roadrunners' feathers, the quiet scratch of pencils on paper filling the room.

Luck. Loyalty. Strength. Speed.

That's what roadrunners stood for.

Courage. Protection. Magic. Endurance.

Symbolic of so many things.

Mal. Zoë. Jayne. Wash.

The people she cared about.

Inara. Book. Kaylee. Simon.

Family.

With a flourish, River put down the pencils and held up the small family of roadrunners she had drawn. They weren't perfect by any means but they were hers.

And she wouldn't exchange them for anything in the 'verse.

"Red Rock Canyon," Wash read, squinting at the Cortex screen, "is an abandoned town near Ashton. It was once a thriving mining community but something happend - the article's pretty vague - and the town just..."

He made a sweeping motion with his hand.

"Boom, instant ghost town."

Mal frowned and absent-mindedly scratched at his neck. Zoë stared at the Captain with dark eyes, her hand gripping the back of Wash's chair.

"We go." Mal said, uncertainty clear in his eyes. "We don't have much of a choice."

River stared at Simon. He stared back.

Jayne walked in, took one look at the siblings and walked back out. Both of them were chi sin.

Neither one of the siblings paid him any attention.

Simon took a sip of water, still maintaining eye contact. River crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue but her brother didn't even crack a smile.

They continued staring at each other, their faces blank.

Mal walked in, his boots ringing on the grill, ignored the siblings sitting at the galley table and started making coffee.

River tilted her head; Simon threw a napkin at her.

The Captain frowned but shrugged after a while. They weren't hurting anybody and they were quiet for once so Mal left them to it. He poured the boiling water into a chipping cup and took a sip.

A sudden shout made him start. He jerked and cursed, futilely trying to peel his soaked shirt away from him. Putting the now empty cup down with a loud thunk he turned to the siblings.

River glared through her fingers at her brother, but she was struggling to hide a smile.

"Cheated."

Simon shook his head, laughing.

"Fair's fair, mei-mei."

"Annoying song. Made me laugh."

"It's not my fault you were obsessed with the games. The amount of times you woke me up with it-"

She was on the verge of sticking out her tongue when she caught the Captain's eye. Her eyes widened.

"Flee, flee for hellfire shall rain upon those who dare to stay!"

Before Mal could so much as blink, the two kids were gone, their laughter echoing through Serenity's hull.

The Captain shook his head and started making another cup of coffee.

"What do you wanna be when you grow up?"

A young Wash looked up from playing with his dinosaurs and smiled at his grandma.

"A Rodeo clown!"

Grandma Selvie laughed nervously. She gently ruffled his hair and went to join his mother in the kitchen.

A shadow fell over Wash and he looked up. Grandpa Sean's eyes sparkled and he leaned down conspiratorially until he was level with Wash.

"Did you know, I was a rodeo clown before I met your Grandma?"

Wash's eyes went wide.

"Really?"

Grandpa Sean nodded vigorously and winked.

"Really. But don't tell her that. She doesn't like clowns."

That day, Wash decided that he didn't want to be a Rodeo clown anymore. He wanted to be a pilot just like his grandpa.

Mal had to admit that his steed wasn't the most conventional.

The horse's armor squeaked as he shifted and Mal shushed it, desperately trying to stay on the horse. What did Sanxing have against him?

A creak that didn't come from him or the horse made Mal freeze. Quickly, Mal shut the helmet visor with a clang and he tried to act like he belonged on the horse dressed in knight armor and that he wasn't planning on using it for a getaway.

"Mick?" a voice asked from near the back of the dressing room. "Tha' you? Stop horsin' around and get movin'! The show's 'bout to start!"

The Captain gulped and nodded, anxiously wondering how he'd get out of this.

"Wo de ma he ta de fen kuang de wai sheng dou."

"I think I should be the one saying that Captain," Simon hissed through clenched teeth.

He groaned when Mal put pressure on the shoulder wound. Shaking his head, trying to stay awake, the doctor tapped Mal's arm and pointed to something behind him.

"The-the med-"

Mal's hand shot out and haphazardly grabbed at the red bag he hoped knew should be behind him.

"Tell me what I need to do."

Simon's eyes fluttered. The Captain gently tapped the kid's cheek.

"Hey, hey, doc'. Focus on me. I need you to tell me what to do."

Hazy blue eyes met his. Cold fingers struggled with the zip and Mal scrambled to help.

"Ad-adrenaline. Sh-should keep-keep me..."

"You know, doc," Mal said while he loaded the hypo with clumsy fingers, "when you said I should start learning the ropes, I didn't think you meant like this."

Simon laughed breathlessly, pain etched onto his face.

"Sor-sorry."

Mal's eyes softened and he brushed a quick hand through Simon's hair, trying to hide how much it was shaking.

"You won't apologize when you see my needle work. There was a reason my ma never let me near a needle and thread."

A small dust devil tore through the open cargo bay doors, covering everything in a thick layer of dust, and it made Wash cough.

He stood and squinted into the glaring midday light with his hands on his hips. And he was just finished cleaning too.

With a sigh, Wash picked up the broom and started sweeping again.

"What song are you humming?"

Wash jumped and the broom fell to the grill with a clatter. He turned and saw Simon standing near the back of the bay, his pale skin almost glowing in the sunlight.

"Doc! Sorry, I didn't realize- "

Simon shook his head and joined Wash at the front of the bay. He picked up the broom and handed it to the pilot.

"Don't worry, I do it too." He laughed. "River hates it."

Wash laughed and half-heartedly started sweeping again.

"I can't remember the name but my brother used to blast it through the comms back at home. It drove my parents insane. After a while my dad disconnected them, hoping it would stop him. Let's just say, it didn't."

Simon glanced at the cargo bay. He winced.

"Do you- do you need some help?"

Wash gave up on sweeping and slung an arm around Simon's shoulders, giving the doctor a giant grin.

"Y'know kid, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

"So... yes?"

"Yes. Please."

Book stared out of the viewing window, his heart sinking at the sight of the busy space port.

"Uranium fever," he whispered, his voice lost in the noise.

Mal joined him in front of the window. He grinned humorously.

"Sad, ain't it?"

The Shepherd glanced at him, frowning.

"That most of 'em won't leave ever again," Mal elaborated, his eyes dark.

"Their Serenity Valley," Book added quietly, ignoring the way the Captain tensed.

Both men stood in silence, each lost in their own thoughts and memories.

Kaylee tugged at the collar of her shirt, wrinkling her nose when the fabric stuck to her skin. She took a deep breath and absent-mindedly wiped at her forehead.

Azra's heatwave had nothing on the summers back home but being cooped up on Serenity had made her used to cooling systems.

Throwing down the wrench, Kaylee stood back to admire her handiwork. If you didn't know Serenity had lost an armor plate back on Boros, you'd never have known it was cheap sheet metal she's just bolted to the side, it looked almost exactly the same.

She stretched, scratched at a dry patch of grease on her cheek and started picking up her tools.

A strong wind suddenly blew, kicking up dark red dust. The mechanic shielded her eyes and stared out at the open plains, a bad feeling bubbling up in her gut.

There was an East wind blowing and Kaylee knew, deep down inside, that trouble was brewing.

She just hoped that it stayed far, far away from them.

The horse didn't have a name. Mal wasn't sure if he remembered his own.

No-name slowly manoeuvered up the sandy bank, cautious of the man slung over his back. He neighed softly, trying to wake him up, but the man didn't even so much as stir.

A fly near No-name's ear buzzed loudly and he tried to flick it away. How much further could he go?

In the distance something blue glittered in the bright sunlight and he started walking faster, his footsteps muffled on the sand.

He need to save the man because he was their only hope.

No-name hadn't thought that he'd ever say that but look at him now. Despair had a way of changing how you looked at the 'verse.

"This is your Captain speakin'."

Mal's voice echoed through Serenity.

"The Reaver belt's comin' up soon and I just-"

He cleared his throat and the comms crackled.

"-I just wanted to say, I'm sorry for draggin' y'all into this mess. I brought down a whole heap of trouble onto your heads and it wasn't my intention. If I could go back in time and shoot myself before I agreed to this deal, I would.

"You're the best crew a Captain could ask for and I'm... I'm thankful. For all of you. Even the one's who caused me more trouble than anythin' else.

"Together we've faced everythin' the 'verse could throw at us. I just hope we can survive this too."

The Cobb house had always smelled of gunsmoke, tobacco ash, sugar and cinnamon, no matter the time of the year.

After the mine accident, though, the whole house had smelled like sickness. Jayne's da' had escaped the mine with everything but his right arm and the light in his eyes.

It took a long time for Robert Cobb to recover and become a shade of himself again.

It took an even longer time for the house to start smelling like a home again.

"That was some mighty fine shootin' for someone who's supposed to be a man of God," Mal said once the smoke and dust cleared.

Men were groaning in pain, most of them clutching at their kneecaps.

Shepherd Book reloaded his gun and looked at the Captain with mischievous eyes.

"I wasn't always a Shepherd, Captain."

Mal shook his head and started walking back to Serenity, Book falling in to step behind him.

"Y'know, that ain't the first time I heard something along those lines."

The Shepherd shrugged and threw the Captain a secretive smile.

"And it won't be the last time. The 'verse ain't as big as we think, son. Remember that."

"Why is it that every time we go to a do-si-do, we end up captured?" Mal asked, ignoring the man behind him who was gripping his shoulder hard enough to bruise.

" 'Cause you have no common sense. Sir," Zoë said.

"Because you thought it would be a good idea to bring a known fugitive to an Alliance Ball," Simon deadpanned.

Mal glared at the two of them.

"It was a rhetorical question."

"Didn't sound that way, sir."

"Bi zui."

"Dang, Mal, you've really scraped the bottom of the barrel with this one," Jayne said, looking down at the cage full of Jack Russell Terrier pups. "Although I heard there's some good eatin' on 'em for sure."

"Jayne! That ain't right!" Kaylee scolded, kneeling next to the big cage.

River giggled when one of the puppies licked her finger.

"Can taste freedom. Tastes like cornmeal."

Jayne glared at her, his hand straying to his gun.

"You keep yer mouth shut crazy-"

"Jayne, your mouth's moving. Might want to do somethin' 'bout that," Mal said, glaring at the merc. His eyes were hard and his hand was already on his gun.

Jayne threw Mal one last look before he stomped off, shouldering past Simon. The doctor glared at him before joining his sister at the cage.

"Wash!" Mal yelled to the pilot standing above him on the catwalk. "Set a course for Cassia. The client wants their goods before the week's out."

"And don't the rest of you have something else to do?" Mal added, looking at the group huddled around the crate.

The three kids shook their heads and turned back to playing with the yapping puppies.

Mal shook his head and slowly made his way to his bunk.

Sometimes the bottom of the barrel held all the treasure, Mal thought, gently patting Serenity's hull before he dropped down the ladder. Laughter sounded from the cargo bay and the Captain smiled. Just look at what it brought him.