I know a lot of people have been waiting for this and its finally been completed enough that i can post up the first 2 chpaters. This is Mal / River as requested by someone (sorry i lost your e-mail so i don't recall who it was!) Kind of a twisted post-series, almost BDM overlap strange kind of thing. Change of time frame indicated by bold headings.
Disclaimer: I own nothing! Partially inspired by this quote from 'Doctor Who';
"It's hard for the people who get left behind. And that's what they become. Hard!"
Hardening
Chapter 1: Fine!
Seven Months Ago
"Fine!"
"Fine!" Malcolm Reynolds has gone red in the face. "This is my boat you tāmāde húndàn!"
"Then we're off your boat!" Simon spits the words at the captain. "River get your things!"
"No way Doctor. You want off then you go. She stays."
"What?" Simon stares at Mal.
"She's crew. You don't wanna be, you know where the door is. Don't let it hit you in the pigu on the way out."
Simon looks over at River who is sat on the cargo bay stairs, hugging her knees to her chest and looking on the verge of tears. "Do you want to stay here?"
She nods. "Yes I do."
"You don't know what you're saying."
"You heard the girl. River is staying here." Mal is relishing being mean to the Doc.
River stands up, pulling herself up her full height. This is the hardest thing she has ever had to say. "Simon if you leave I'm staying with Captain Reynolds."
Simon stares at her open mouthed for a moment, then she sees the familiar guarded look come to his eyes, and he hides the hurt deep down inside. Like always. "Fine," he snaps at her, "I'll go get my things." With that he marches from the cargo bay.
River sits down heavily.
"Captain!" Kaylee cries running over to him, having watched the whole thing from one side. "You can't let him go!"
Mal looks at her. "He can do what he wants. Good riddance I'll say."
Kaylee glares at him and mutters something in Chinese under her breath.
"What was that Miss Frye?"
"Nothing Captain Reynolds," she says sarcastically. "I'm going to stop this."
"Simon!" Kaylee shouts after him.
He stops in the middle of the town street and turns to look at her. He shifts the weight of his medical bag in one hand and the large duffel bag over his opposite shoulder. "What is it Kaylee?" he asks tiredly.
"Don't leave Simon," she says skidding to a stop in front of him.
"I am not going back Kaylee. I will not fly with that chùsheng xai-jiao de xiang huo."
Kaylee winces. "But River needs you."
Simon snorts. "I think she's made it perfectly obvious she doesn't."
"Don't say that. Other people need you onboard too."
"Really? Being there just to sew up the captain's bullet holes isn't particularly appealing."
"I ain't talkin' about bullet holes," Kaylee fixes him with a wide-eyed look. "I'm talkin' about me."
Simon blinks. "I…"
She cuts him off. "Who am I gonna sit up and talk to all night? Inara's leaving too." Kaylee pouts a little at him. "Who am I gonna test my cookie experiments on? And don't say Jayne because you know he don't taste them he swallows them so quick. And who is gonna burn himself on the engine housing because he was trying to help me?"
Simon shuffles his feet a little. "But Kaylee…"
"I'll deal with Reynolds," she says firmly surprising him a little. "Just come home Simon." She reaches out and takes his medical bag from his hand. "Please?"
"Alright," he says finally.
Kaylee grabs his hand with her free one and starts walking back towards Serenity. "Good."
As they turn into the port they hear a familiar rumble. A sound neither of them wants to be hearing right now. They stare skywards in horror at the ship heading for the clouds.
"You did what?" Inara pursues Mal along the catwalk. "You can't do that!"
"I can't get caught in an Alliance invasion either Inara! There are more people on this ship to save too." He keeps walking
"But Mal this is Kaylee!"
"Don't you think I know that?" he whirls to face her. "Because I gorram well do. But right now I can't help her. And I'd be happy if you kept your opinions to yourself."
"You are a…a…"
"Keep your opinion of me quiet Inara," he snaps cutting her off. "You care about this crew so much then why am I dropping you off on the next planet huh? Your input here is done. The Alliance decided to invade that planet and I will not be their prisoner again Inara. I look out for me and mine. He wanted off the boat so be it. Just like you do."
"Kaylee didn't. You left her." Inara's voice is quiet.
Mal jabs his finger at her wordlessly, then he growls low in his throat, turns and walks away.
"The feds are looking for a dark haired single doctor right?"
"Yeah," Simon says uneasily.
"Then let's change that shall we?" Kaylee holds up the bag of shopping she got on their way to her cousin's house. At least they have a safe house for the moment. She pulls out two cheap wedding rings and a packet of hair dye.
"You wanna be married to me?" she asks smiling weakly at him. "You can be Mr Simon Frye. They won't look for you then."
He reaches out and takes the packet of dye and studies the instructions. "Do you really see me as dark blond Kaylee?" he asks worriedly.
She tugs a lock of his hair. "Not really. Want help?"
He looks at her. "Do I look like the type of guy who uses hair dye?"
"Nope," she pulls him to his feet. "Let me lather you up Mr. Frye."
River creeps into the bridge where Mal sits staring at the stars. Serenity is on autopilot and Wash isn't talking to him.
"You coming to tell me what you think of me to?" Mal asks tiredly.
River shakes her head and steps round in front of him. She swings one leg over his and straddles his lap facing him.
"Ai ya! What you doing?"
River rests her arms around his neck and looks at him expectantly.
"Gitoff!" he growls, trying to keep his gaze away from where her dress has ridden up her legs.
She shakes her head again. "You're broken too."
"No I ain't." Mal pushes at her arms.
River locks them so his pushing is futile.
"Yes. Yes you are. You're like me." She slides herself closer to his torso. "And you want me."
Mal's eyes go impossibly wide. "No. No I don't. River you're just a…"
"I'm not a child Malcolm. I'm eighteen years old. I know what I want."
She wiggles in his lap and Mal closes his eyes. Oh merciful Buddha. "River…" he says warningly.
"You've wanted since the day you met me. I can see your dreams. The ones where my long legs ain't just for dancing…"
Mal groans. He knows the dreams she speaks of. Ones he always wakes from feeling guilty as sin. He is going to Book's Special Hell. How come she knows all this?
"You saw me naked Captain. In my box. Thought I was some slave girl. Thought has crossed your mind since."
Mal opens his eyes and stares at her. "Off my lap River. Now!"
She arches her back to press herself against him. Mal groans inwardly, and grits his teeth. Then she stands, graceful as a cat, and smiles coquettishly at him. "I know you Captain," she actually purrs in his ear. "You're broken like me."
The Present Day
Simon grabs hold of the dark haired girl and whirls her to face him. "River!"
The girl glares at him. "What?"
"Nothing, sorry. I thought you were someone else." He steps away holding his hands up.
"Obviously," the girl says walking away.
Kaylee jogs to catch up with him and takes his hand. He shakes his head silently at her as they walk beneath the huge painted banner proudly proclaiming, "Unification Day Celebration, Town Square, Noon."
Not that they have a choice. Attendance is mandatory.
They cram into the crowded square with all the other people. The whole planet follows a strict moral code, meaning that women are pretty much second-class citizens. Kaylee had been furious when she found this out. They wanted to leave. They wanted to be anywhere else but here.
The square is crawling with Alliance soldiers in their purple trimmed uniforms. Simon keeps his head down.
River watches from her perch on a rooftop and her insides flip flop uncomfortably. Simon, her heart moans softly.
"How's my girl?" Mal asks coming up beside her and running his hand up her back.
She looks at him sadly. "Simon, Kaylee."
His eyes widen. "Where?"
River gestures with her rifle at the crowd beneath the banners. Mal peers over the edge and scans the crowd. He catches sight of Kaylee with a man with dirty blond-brown hair who may be Simon, he can't really tell.
Mal swears. "Jayne?" he mutters,
His comm. buzzes static in his ear. "Yeah?"
"Little lost lambs coming up on your six."
"What?!"
"Watch them, don't make contact. We got a job to do."
Jayne growls in exasperation. "Ok."
Mal drops his hand from his comm. "You alright?" he asking as he looks at River.
She nods. "Yes Captain."
"That means no then," he says, caressing her hand in his.
She smiled weakly at him. "We'll deal with them later. We have a job to do."
"That we do," Mal says. He leans forward and gives her a quick kiss. "Watch my back darling."
He stands and jogs back across the rooftop to the fire escape they came up. River watches him go and returns her gaze to the packed street. She has lost sight of Simon and Kaylee.
"Welcome to the celebration of our glorious Unification Day!" boom the loudspeakers over their heads. "A day of celebration and thanksgiving throughout the universe."
"Yeah right," Kaylee snaps out loud. "I never saw no one thankful for the Alliance back home." She just can't help herself.
Simon turns fearful eyes on her the exact same moment that an Alliance soldier looks round at her.
"Excuse me Miss but you are gravely mistaken," he says.
Kaylee laughs. "Yeah purple bellies like you always think that."
"I trust sir, that your wife will hold her tongue in future."
"Dang ran," Simon starts nervously but Kaylee butts in.
"Bù kê néng you hwoon dahn!"
The soldier slaps her round the face.
Kaylee looks up holding her cheek, her eyes swimming with tears.
Simon punches him. He doesn't think about what he is doing until his fist has connected with the soldier's chin.
"Simon!" Kaylee cries in despair, knowing what will happen now. And it does.
Three more soldiers, alerted by the ruckus, are moving through the crowd towards them. Simon looks round for an escape route but there is none. Before he can move, a boot has connected with the back of his knees and his legs buckle him to the ground. One soldier grabs him by the back of his hair. He hisses while the second soldier cuffs his hands behind his back.
Kaylee darts forwards, but another picks her bodily up while she struggles wildly.
"Now what have we here? A couple of traitors it seems? Independent sympathisers maybe?"
Simon glares daggers at the man talking. The crowd around them are watching nervously. Not wanting to draw attention and be next.
"Cells?" asks the third soldier. "Or is that too much paperwork today?"
One leers at Kaylee. "Take her to the cells. Might as well have a little fun if we got to work on U-Day."
"No!" Simon shouts. Kaylee is kicking and screaming. Simon looks at her a moment, then forces his aching legs to get him up. He shoulder barges the guard holding her. "Run!" he yells as the man momentarily lets her go.
Another vicious kick to the back of his legs sends him stumbling again. His knee hits the edge of a concrete kerb and he growls with pain. His vision goes black and white with stars as something hits him round the side of the head. He can hear screaming. "Kaylee…" he groans. "Run…"
When he manages to lift his head he can see Kaylee on her knees, one of her arms twisted painfully up her back. She is crying. Their eyes meet and Simon knows right now that this is the end.
"Kill him. Take her to the cells."
Simon hears the cocking of a gun next to his right temple. He keeps his eyes steady on Kaylee's and waits for the bang.