Title: self contained

Author: joly

Rating: Over all R

Genre: Drama-y, Romance-y, Angst-y (very little), Adventure-y

Pairing: Mostly Simon/Kaylee

Spoilers: All the way to 'Objects in Space'. But no BDM spoilers. In this story that hasn't happened yet. We can, however, assume that things have gone all canon-like after 'Ariel' and up til this point.

Summary: A continuation of 'Anti Hero'. Set significantly after 'Objects in Space'. Xiaofan has to make a quick exit after thugs bust into her practice. She assumes it's just a robbery gone wrong. But is it ever that simple? It's now her turn to call on the help of her old friend Simon Tam and the crew of Serenity.

Disclaimer: I don't own Firefly, the crew, the 'Verse, any of that stuff. I just like to tell stories. Joss and The Man own the stuff. All the OFC's are mine and I reserve the right to use them any way I please. I make no money, I expect none. Peace and Blessings.

Thanks: To everyone who read 'Anti Hero', much thanks. Makes me all squishy inside. And to those reading this who continue to read, yes, more squishiness.

Distribution: Any where, just let me know so's I can do a little dance.

Feedback: Please and Thank You. Read and review at your leisure.

Chapter 1

"We're here to see your Mistress."

Catrin looked up from the file on her desk at the tall, burly, ugly hundan standing in front of her. A quick glance to his left and she took in three more men, just as brutish and filthy standing behind him. She put on her best game face.

"Nihao, gentlemen. Do you have an appointment?"

The man pulled a large weapon from behind his back.

"We do indeed, sweetheart. Tell your Mistress her next appointment is here. And disable that there weapon scanner. Me an' the boys want to sit in the comfort o' the waitin' room."

"Of course, sir. Right this way."

Catrin stood and escorted the men to the entrance of the waiting room. She disengaged the scanner and the men followed her through. Once inside, she paged Xiaofan on the intercom.

"My lady?" Xiaofan heard under a pile of files on her desk.

She was caught off guard and the words, then her eyes hardened and she forced steel from her voice.

"Yes, Catrin?"

"Your next appointment is here, my lady."

There was no confusing it. Catrin had said 'my lady'.

Xiaofan quickly keyed in the program to delete all her files, legal and not.

"One moment, Catrin. Just finishing up here. Offer them a beverage while I square myself away."

'Square myself away.' The other side of the code, meaning 'I'm buggin' out'.

In less than a minute Xiaofan had irretrievably erased all data and hit the code by her bookshelf that led to a secret exit. When one consorts with criminals one must always have an escape plan. Catrin knew hers. The faint buzzing coming from inside her jacket let here know that Catrin had found a way to make herself scarce.

She pulled out the comm unit and poked a button.

'Safe,' she thought as she raced towards the exit, out into the street. She lost herself in the crowd and headed for the safe house. She hoped Catrin was already there.

…At the same time Xiaofan was making her hasty exit…

Catrin was calm. She walked to a door just adjacent the waiting room.

"Hey, where you goin'?"

"My apologies, sirs. My Mistress bade me offer you beverages. It is my duty to comply."

He looked at her closely a moment.

"You," he barked, motioning to one of his men. "You go with her. Make sure all we get is refreshed."

The man nodded and trailed after Catrin.

Once inside the other room, Catrin quickly sealed the door and pulled a weapon from it's hidey-hole. With the door sealed no one heard the blast, it also kept them from chasing her.

Pressing the code into the panel next to the bar, a secret door sprang open and Catrin leapt out, slamming it behind her.

…all was quiet onboard the Serenity. At least momentarily…

Mal was sitting his shift on the bridge, staring out at the black. Inara had been gone… Well, she was gone. He didn't want to be thinking about her, but every damn thought he had seemed to run back to her.

Said woolgathering would be why he didn't notice his resident reader sneak up behind him and startle him into a near- coronary.

"Fenglabushanfengduhaizi!(Crazy ill-mannered child)"

She giggled and crept all the way into the bridge.

"Toes comfy. Not managing your time efficiently. Dreaming time is for bed."

"I mighta been herding sheep there, missy, gives you no call ta startle the bejeebers outta me!"

Mal heard clamoring coming from crew quarters. He punched the comm and hollered, "We are not being boarded by a thunderin' herd. Just Simon's ill-gotten sister makin me loony."

The clamor desisted and River took a seat by the Captain.

"Anything in particular you need, girl, or you just testing my coronary health?"

River looked at him questioningly.

"What? I can't know words?"

She raised an eyebrow. Mal sighed.

"I heard Simon say it. Had 'im tell me what it means."

River relaxed into the co-pilot's seat.

"Don't mean I'm ignorant. I even used it in the right context n' everything," he continued.

"Wanted to see stars."

"If you ever pull that fei hua again and you'll see stars aplenty."

River just continued to stare out into the black.

"I'm 'fengla'."

Mal just looked out in front of him a while.

"Yeah, girl, a bit. But it's not your fault."

"Does it make it better, that I'm irresponsible?"

"Irre- Girl, I wish you would speak…" Mal mentally slapped himself in the head. "I don't suppose it makes any diff'rence in the long run how ya got crazy. I suppose it's in how you try to take care o' yourself."

"Like Simon and the sharp, sharp… Like sleeping…"

"We all gotta sleep, li'l one."

"I never wake up."

Mal could see her shutting down. Like that semi-lucid conversation just took it all out of her. He pondered what position he would be in had his head been messed about so thoroughly. He didn't have brother like Simon to care for him.

"Sometimes being awake ain't all what they say."

Xiaofan and Catrin had met at the safe house. After she had been paid her severance, Catrin left with a short farewell.

Now, Xiaofan thought, the thugs would toss the place, tear her things apart and generally ruin her home. She knew it wasn't safe to go back. Not right now. But she had no basis for a time table. She didn't even know what they wanted.

She could alert the authorities but that may also draw attention to the less legal applications of her education. Files were no trouble, her back-up set was safely stored, she'd have her business up and running as soon as she set up a new shingle.

'I'll have to have the meds couriered out. I'll have to start all over.'

"Hundan," she said aloud, to no one.

She settled into the safe house and formulated her plan.

Kaylee and Simon stood in the cooking area, she was laughing at something Simon had attempted to cook.

"It's not that bad…" he stopped. "And if you say another thing about" here he lowered his voice, "crotch" then back to his normal tone, "I'll have half a mind to throw it at you."

Jayne, sitting at the table, cleaning his guns, didn't even bother to look up.

"I ain't worried about you, Doc. Or any of yer stink-smellin' porridge. Whyn't you just stop tryna cook altagether?"

"Simon jus' don't like not bein' good at somethin'," Kaylee said, then laughed and poked Simon in the arm.

"It's not that. Well, maybe some of that. But… I should know how to cook. What if…"

"What if ya ain't got nobody ta cook fer ya in the future?" Kaylee questioned.

"It could happen."

"I suppose. But I think you should jus' spend tha extra money and have somebody else do tha cookin'," Jayne spoke, then spat on his blade, working it to a shine.

Simon gave a disgusted shiver and turned to Kaylee.

"You can show me how? Can't you?"

"I'll try. Simon. But you gotta awful thick head sometimes."

"'Thick head,'" Jayne laughed from the safety of the table. "Ain't nothin' thick I see from here."

"You jus' hush up, Jayne Cobb, and keep yer dirty mouth outta my conversation."

Under his breath Jayne whispered, "I'll show ya a dirty mouth."

Kaylee started showing Simon ways to salvage creation, ignoring Jayne entirely.

"What do you mean you can't pick up my items? You're a courier. It's what you do."

"I'm sorry, Doctor Lo. We're not to accept any contract from you."

"Why in Tian a(Heaven's name) not?"

"Good day, Doctor Lo."

This was the third courier service she'd called in half an hour. All three had declined to pick up her drugs from her office. None had said why. Xiaofan had an incredibly sinking feeling that this boded ill for her. That it had not been random thugs looking for narcotics. There was someone out to for her.

"Why?" she to the empty living room of the safe house.

She buried herself in thought.

She usually kept her dealings spread out amongst the many criminal contacts she had acquired in the last year or so. No need to upset any local crime boss' ego. She usually contracted through one of them to move less legally acquired items. Which she hadn't recently, it did seem to be quiet on the black market drug scene.

Xiaofan had enough patients that a lack of side income was no terrible hardship. Though it was usual for her to get a call at least once a month to assist in the moving of something or other.

Was that the sign in itself? Was there something more to it?

'It must be. I Just have to put the pieces together, link things until I have a common denominator.'

She sat there in silence for some time, linking and back tracking, things in her mind adding and multiplying. Until she came up with a theory.

"Simon," she said aloud, once again, just to herself.

Things had started to dry up a month or so after she'd helped Simon. She hadn't paid it much notice as she'd been flush with patients at the time. But it was very definitely not long after Serenity had left that her side business had dwindled.

"I have to tell him."

Xiaofan pulled on her jacket and went to the door.

'But what if someone wants me to call him? What if it's a trap for him?'

"I need to warn him anyway."

A moment later she was down the street in a private comm. She bounced from foot to foot, willing the connection to open.

"Come on, come on."

A second later a smiling face filled the screen.

"Need something?"

"I need to speak with Simon Tam."

He suddenly looked uncertain.

"I don't… I don't know any Simon Tam."

"Nice poker face."

"I've never had someone wave and just ask for…"

"I'm Lo Xiaofan, I'm…"

"You helped after we picked up…"

"Yes, yes, great. You have my pedigree. Now tell Simon that someone just came for me. I think they're looking for him. I can't talk long, I have to get back…"

"Yea, yea, I'll give him the message. But how will he…"

"I'll try to get back to you. But I have to go."

"Okay…" he said, shaking his head, "Bye?"

Xiaofan switched the comm off. She got her bearings and headed for the exit.

She opened the door and walked right into someone. She blinked and when she opened her eyes she saw a man in front of her, a man she recognized.

"Jus' the lovely lady I been lookin' for."

Xiaofan didn't get a chance to respond, as a meaty hand socked her in the face and the world went black around her.