Disclaimer: Ha! I don't own Firefly, because if I did, it would still be on the air.
A/N: First Firefly fic….hope you like it! Xx Cassie
CHAPTER 1
"Zoe, you seen Kaylee?" Mal barked.
"No, sir, not recently," his first mate replied, shaking her head.
"Gorram curiosity," Mal muttered. Then, he raised his voice, but kept the irritation out of it as he turned to River.
"Hey, Little One?" he called. she turned, meeting his eyes with that wide-eyed gaze. "You see Kaylee lately?" he asked.
"No," River replied. Her gaze flickered past Mal to Serenity's open door, and then back. "But we should be ready. she'll be back soon, and not alone." Mal had barely had time to process this when they heard Kaylee's panicked call from outside.
"Capt'n!" she yelled. "Simon!" Mal and Simon looked at each other and then ran off the ship, following the sound of Kaylee's voice. It didn't take long to spot her, gently supporting someone's limp body. The captain and the doctor ran toward them. As they got closer, Mal and Simon could see that the woman had been shot, and that she was barely conscious.
"Kaylee!" Mal groaned in frustration as he and Simon helped Kaylee pick the woman up and continued toward Serenity.
"I know, Capt'n," she replied. "We don't rightly have the space, but I just couldn't let her be. She's hurt." As they moved up the ramp and onto the ship, everyone moved out of the way. They carried her to the infirmary and laid her down. Simon immediately shooed them away and began working on her. Mal scrubbed his hand over his face, glancing back through the window, where Simon was working almost frantically on the woman.
"How in the 'verse are we to know she ain't Alliance?" Mal demanded of Kaylee.
"Cause I saw 'em drop her here," she replied immediately."
"Who did?" Mal asked, and Kaylee sighed.
"Them," she stressed. "Alliance." Mal stared at his mechanic. He knew the Alliance was cruel, but what in the 'verse could she have done to bring this on herself? Mal turned to the rest of his crew, all of whom were staring at him.
"Who is she?" Inara asked.
"Ain't a clue," he replied. "But, thanks to Kaylee, she's ours for now." He turned to Wash.
"Let's get her in the air," the Captain directed, moving out into the open to press the button which cause Serenity's door to clank and begin to drift closed, narrowing the strip of sunlight bleeding into the ship. Wash nodded and headed to the cockpit. River drifted by, barefoot, looking disturbingly calm.
"I told you," she said softly. Mal just shook his head. That was one weird girl.
"Kaylee, are we good to fly?" he asked. She nodded, still standing in front of the infirmary window. Mal caught her reflection in the glass. She looked fearful, and younger even than her years.
"Yes, Capt'n," she replied quietly. Mal just nodded and strode away from the infirmary, already looking ahead to getting her off his ship