Carry On.
Chapter one.
Dinner was silent, as usual. Mal sat staring at his plate, while Jayne went to town on his. River and Simon merely sat there, River's hair spilling down around her face, hiding her eyes. Even Kaylee, the eternal optimist, was silent. Inara sat next to her, sipping her drink. From time to time, they would all glance at Zoe, but never spoke about the elephant in the room.
Finally, Mal spoke. "We're gonna need to put down soon and get supplies, see if we can get a job to work." Everyone nodded in agreement. Satisfied, Mal stood and cleared his still-full plate into the trash and left the room.
Twelve hours later, River piloted the ship carefully into port, exactly as Wash had taught her.
"Good landing, lil girl." Mal said approvingly. River gave him a small, distant smile. Simon touched her shoulder, and nodded his approval as well.
There was a footstep behind them, and all three turned to see Jayne standing there, his big bowie knife in his belt, ready to go into the city. Zoe and Kaylee followed him.
"Ready?" Asked Mal.
"You betcha, Mal. Let's go stir up a fight." Jayne grinned. Though he too had been affected by Wash's death, he wasn't one to dwell on things when a brawl may be near. Mal sighed but didn't scold, and one by one they all filed out.
Stepping off the ship, they all blinked at the bright sunlight, and almost everyone loosened their collars. "Shouldn'ta dressed so…warm" Simon commented. River laughed, being dressed in a light shirt and skirt, similar to Kaylee's outfit. The others, especially Jayne, loaded down with his weapons, frowned and shook their heads. Then, Mal leading the way, they headed toward the city.
Once in town, they were able to get swept up into the buzz of business among the people. Jayne immediately headed for the pub on the corner, and the Captain and Zoe followed him, both thinking a drink may indeed be in order. River, Kaylee and Simon headed towards the vendors along the other side of the street.
It was noticeably cooler inside the pub, and the three of them made their way over to the bar and ordered drinks. Once they had them, they headed over to a secluded corner and took a seat.
Mal glanced at Zoe, who was still quiet, although just as stoic as always, and then at Jayne, who was awkwardly holding his drink to his lips, about to drink. Mal raised his glass and said in a low voice, "To Wash." Zoe and Jayne clinked their glasses to his, and drank silently, well, except Jayne, who thoroughly enjoyed his drink and let the whole world know. Zoe finished hers and set it down, then signaled the bar for another. Together, the three of them drank their fill.
Simon, River and Kaylee slowly made their way down the street, taking in the people and things for sale. Kaylee squealed with excitement when they came across a vendor who sold cherries. River smiled, and nudged Simon, who immediately bought a small bagful from the man and handed them to Kaylee with a smile. Kaylee grinned and pecked him on the cheek, then popped the first cherry into her mouth with a look of heaven on her face.
As they wandered up and down the street, River, who had been laughing and giggling with Kaylee, suddenly grew quiet. Simon glanced at her with concern, dreading that perhaps something here might trigger her. Instead, she turned and pointed at the other side of the street, about fifty feet from the pub where the others were. "Something's wrong." She said simply.
Kaylee and Simon turned and looked where River was pointing. What they saw surprised them. A girl, about twenty, was wielding a knife, glaring at a two men in front of her. Simon glanced at River and Kaylee.
Then the yelling began.
Inside the pub, as they were finishing the third drink, they all heard a loud commotion coming from outside. Jayne, smelling a fight, was on his feet in a heartbeat, and dashed out the door, pulling his Bowie out of his belt with a war cry and a grin. Mal and Zoe both followed, cocking their guns.
When they stepped outside, they saw the beginning of a brilliant street fight. Mal was able to discern Kaylee and Simon running after River, who was in the thick of it, fighting alongside a tough looking young women. Jayne was was working his way toward the center of the hullabaloo, knocking men over left and right, his strength and skill causing those near him to back away.
As Mal and Zoe joined the fight, working their way toward the Kaylee and Simon, they heard a scream. With horror, Mal thought it would be River, but it was the girl fighting beside her. One of the men has slashed her arm, and she was screaming. Not with pain, but anger. Her knife flashed, and the man jumped back with a yell, a long cut extending across his chest. Mal watched in shock as she fought; her skills rivaled River's, the two of them fighting with graceful kicks, the girl slashing with her knife so naturally it was as if it were a part of her arm.
Then, a man's fist broke Mal's stare, and he proceeded to beat the living tar of the guy who'd socked him.
Given the manpower on the girl's side, people began to back off, one by one, until the girl, River, Mal, Jayne and Zoe stood there, with Simon standing nearby in front of Kaylee protectively.
The girl was breathing hard, shaking with adrenaline. One by one they all looked at her, with Mal taking in her posture and clothing. She wore a simple pair of trousers, a shirt with the sleeves torn, a vest, and dusty black boots. Her hair was cut short, her bangs hanging in her eyes. She was tall, about five foot eight, and slender yet strong. She held the knife at her side, blood staining the blade.
She looked at each of them slowly and carefully, and then said simply, roughly, "thank you.".
"Uh..Mal…" Jayne sputtered.
Turning, Mal saw what he was referring to: men, deputies by the looks of their clothes, were heading down the street toward them.
"That explains why the men left." Mal remarked wryly. "I think it's time we best be leaving."
The rest of the crew needed no written invitation, and they all proceeded back toward the ship on the edge of town. Mal turned and motioned to the girl to follow them, and she obeyed without a word.