Disclaimer: I do not own Firefly nor do I own any of its affiliates. I'm just a fan playing in Joss Whedon's world.
Rated M for nakedness and mentions of Jayne whoring.
Storm's Coming
The hand that fell on his shoulder was slim, tan, and tipped with a nail painted the red of dried blood. Of course the guild probably had some fancy-schmancy name for the dark red color but to Mal it would always look like the dark red stains that coated his brown coat during the battle of Serenity Valley. His blue green eyes traced their way up the slim arm to the face of the woman who dared lay a hand on him, one of the only ones allowed to do so. "What's wrong Inara?" He asked when he saw the concern written on her face and the way her eyes kept darting around the small dingy bar.
"River. She was fine for a while but then she started shaking and muttering about a storm coming and we need to break atmo before it hits. I'm not sure if she is being literal or figurative but either way something bad's coming and I don't want to be here when it arrives." Her lips were painted the same shade of red as her nails, he noticed as her lips moved to carefully pronounce every word with that core bred accent he had come to love.
Mal slammed the shot of whiskey that had been sitting in front of him on the bar and wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt causing Inara to roll her eyes. "We better get going then. Grab the others, I'll get Jayne." Of course she would get the easy job. Then again, no one should have to see what he was about to see. Mal got up from the bar stool and made his way to the staircase on the other side of the room. He ignored the protest of the scantly clad woman at the bottom of the stairs and marched up to the door he had seen Jayne enter into. "Jayne! Storms coming, we gotta get!" he yelled while trying not to look at the naked figures writhing on the bed.
"Awe Mal! We's just getting' to the good part. Why ya always gotta go an' interrupt my fun?" The Merc complained while rising from the mattress on the floor. Chancing a glance inside, Mal saw the big burly man buttoning the fly on his pants and pulling on that horrific shirt he always wore when he went whoring. "Sorry darlin'. Maybe next time." Jayne nodded toward the dazed whore who could only smile and giggle in response. No doubt she was strung out on some drug and drunk to boot.
The two men plodded down the stairs like it was just another day. No need to raise suspicions just yet. You would have thought that after the Miranda incident was exposed to the world that the crew of Serenity would be hailed as heroes. No such damn luck. The video aired yes and the Alliance's squeaky clean image was tarnished. For all of five minutes. An hour hadn't even passed before Alliance news anchors were calling the video a hoax made by rebel browncoats. The rim planets believed the truth but the core worlds were naive. They didn't want to or chose not to believe that the people governing them could do something so terrible.
Thankfully the crew of Serenity had caught a break. The Alliance, with thanks to the Operative, believed that the ship carrying those who had broadcast the footage had faked it's identity so that it looked and when scanned read as Serenity. The crew of that ship along with the escaped Tam siblings fell to the Reavers on Mr. Universe's moon, or so the Operative reported. The crew of Serenity was now free to transport cargo of their choosing, legal or illegal. They were free.
At the door to the bar, the rest of the crew was waiting. Wash leaned heavily on Zoe. The fact that the man had survived being impaled by that Reaver harpoon was a miracle but the young Doctor Tam had many surprises up his sleeves. Injecting Wash with pentobarbital before they had fled the ship was an act of genius. The Reavers had not paid attention to the limp body in the cockpit and had gone after the rest not knowing that Wash was in an induced coma. Mal's lips got that funny itch and he knew he was close to smiling, something that happened a lot as of late.
"Let's go." He wound his arm around Inara's waist, taking note of how River's frail arms were wrapped around herself, fingers clutching at her thin shoulders blades through the rough wool of her pink sweater. The girl had gotten better since the Miranda secret had got out but there were times like this when she reverted to the old ways. This wasn't necessarily a bad sign, it just meant that she was seeing things beyond everyone else's notice.
"The storm approaches, we must depart." He was damned glad that she didn't speak in those damned riddles anymore.
He nodded her way and used his free hand to ruffle her hair. "I know, we're heading home 'tross." To Serenity, to the black… Both were home to the crew. None of them could ever imagine settling planetside and none of them wanted to. "Come on crew." He led the way, the fearless leader of the ragtag group of misfits. Out the door they went, turning the corner that would take them back to the docks. In the distance he could see thunderheads building, lighting streaking through the murky clouds. It always amazed him how accurate River could be with her predictions.
They were halfway to Serenity when River froze and refused to budge. "What is it River?" Simon, the ever worrying brother, fret over his little sister. Mal would have worried over her too what with the look on her face. He had seen fear, looked it in the eye more than once and spat in its face. River had an expression of sheer terror painted over her once serene complexion that made the horrors of war look like child's play.
"Rain." Her eyes looked upward and sure enough a raindrop fell on her cheek.
"It's just water meimei." Simon smiled wiping the drop from her cheek. "You won't melt."
"No." She lifted a shaky finger upward. "Rain."
Mal reached for his gun only to find it not in its holster. "I assume you're looking for this." Soft and feminine the voice drew everyone's attention to the person standing a few feet behind the captain. The gun was in her hand but her finger was not on the trigger.
"You best be givin' that back little girl. Guns ain't for no child to be playin' with." He reached forward to take his gun back but stopped when she stopped her examination of the revolver to look at him with those eyes. The sun had gone down hours ago leaving the streets to be lit by lanterns lining the dirt roads but that little light was all they needed.
Blue. Her eyes were the deep blue of the sky, the outer edge of the irises ringed in ocean teal. Her hair fell past her shoulders in well tended golden curls framing her petite form. "Tross, is she like-" He trailed off not wanting to give away too much.
"No she is not like Saffron." Both River and the girl spoke at once. Everyone else looked startled but the girls remained stoic, their eyes locking together.
"Two by two, hands of blue. But if they send the hands of red, fear no more cause you'll be dead." River chanted more to herself than to the others.
"Well I ain't likin' the sound a' that." Mal grimaced.
The little blonde stepped closer. "Just when you thought it was safe to come out and play, here comes the rain!" She giggled, completing her song with a twirl accompanied by a bout of maniacal laughter. Mid spin she released Mal's gun so it flew off into the alley, hidden by the shadows.
"Hey! I liked that gun!" He whined.
In a move that reminded him of River, the girl tilted her head, smiled and said, "Guns are for cheaters. Rain doesn't like cheaters."
"Am I speaking to Rain?" Mal cocked an eyebrow and spoke slowly, not sure of the girl's mental stability.
She smiled. "Of course."
Clearing his throat, Mal stepped closer to the girl. "Well then Miss Rain, what is it that you want with my crew?"
"Not the crew. Her." Rain pointed directly at River, her eyes never leaving the dark haired girl. "The River must be punished for what it has done. Rain can make the River or Rain can break the River." Just when Mal thought he had gotten rid of that damned riddle speak. Wait a minute… Speaking in riddles, the crazed ramblings, the incredible stealth.
"Are you… Did the Academy send you?" One hand was outstretched toward Rain with his index finger raised like he was pointing at her, the other was behind him as if to push the crew out of harm's way.
"The Academy has its desires but Rain is volatile. It can't be controlled. It is because of the River that the Rain was caught on the Academy's tongue, swallowed and changed into something else. The Rain didn't have a loving brother to rescue her. The River was dammed, drowning the life as the River pooled in the reservoir until it could be considered whole. The River tries to change its path and over time it will succeed, wearing down the land until by force the River erodes itself a new path. But the Rain is caught in an endless cycle, condensate then evaporate. There is no respite for the Rain. For that the River must be punished." The blue eyes hardened as she spoke.
Mal's head whipped back and forth between looking at Rain and River. "Huh?"
"Simon saved me." River stepped forward, ignoring Mal's attempt to stop her. "The Academy needed a replacement so they took her." River leaned closer peering into the girl's eyes. "And others. Thirty of them. To insure they wouldn't escape, someone they loved was captured and held hostage. When the subject died, the hostage was killed as well. No one can know what the Academy is doing. Who do they have?" She now stood in front of the blonde who was so much like herself, her hand brushing a damp strand of hair away from the younger girl's face.
Rain's fist shot out and connected with River's cheek knocking her to the ground. "You are the reason for the Rain's problems. The Rain will not merge with the River. The drops used to be many but now only Rain is left. If the River had just stayed its course the Rain would be happy and whole! The drops would be with their kin. The River must be punished for its negligence."
Before Rain could strike again, Mal jumped between her and River. "Now hold on just a minute. Instead of attacking my Albatross for getting away, why not strike back at the Academy? They are the ones who did this to you, not River."
"The Rain is not sufficient enough. They've captured the Rain's reservoir; the only place the Rain has ever felt safe… I can't let them kill him." The use of the first person in her speech shocked Mal and the rest of the crew. It was like a switch had been flicked shutting off the insanity in the little blonde.
Simon took the opportunity to check on River. He helped her to her feet and wiped the blood from her split lip. "I'm alright, Simon. I think she can help me, help us."
"Meimei, what are you talking about?"
"Her… My surgeries were complete. But she has had something else done to her, to help keep things out or in. What else have they done?"She broke from her brother's grasp and stood in front of Rain, fearless.
Rain smiled. "You were their inspiration. Crazy little psychic couldn't hold a civil conversation. They created a special membrane that would allow me to choose when to feel and when to know. I lose myself when I open my mind but when I shut the world out, it is easier to return. It is why I am perfect."
Rain's eyes widened at the feel of cool gun metal against her neck. "Only my ass is perfect sweetheart." Jayne ground out from where he stood behind her, Betty clenched in his hand, ready to fire with the mere pull of his large meaty finger.
"Wait!" Simon pushed past Mal to have his chance at the assassin. "Can you tell us how to make or get one of these membranes?" Rain nodded. Simon turned around, "Mal! We can make River better for good!" That was all he felt he needed to say.
Mal looked around at the crew and the hostage in Jayne's grasp. "You can help us make River better?" Rain nodded. "Will you help us?"
"For a price."
"Name it." That damned Doctor was always speaking when he should really shut up. Mal bit his lip and glared at the doctor who may have well just blown their chances at negotiating a reasonable deal.
"Help me rescue my boyfriend from the Academy. They have what you need and what I want. I'll help you if you help me." The steely resolve in her eyes let the crew know she was for real.
"River." All Mal had to do was say her name, she knew what he wanted.
Carefully River began to probe the girl's mind looking for any deception. Finding none, River smiled and nodded.
"Captain, she's fooled River before." Zoe, always the voice of reason.
"Well that's a chance we will have to take. We all have something to lose here. But how bout we put it to a vote. All in favor of helping?" Unsurprisingly everyone raised their hand, even Zoe. "It's settled then. Jayne, set her loose. It's time for some daring heroics." Still keeping an eye on Rain, the crew headed back to Serenity to plan the bravest and stupidest mission they would ever go on.
So there are two choices:
1: I can leave this as a stand alone to let you all finish in your imaginations
Or
2: I can update whenever I get inspired and work at making a good quality fic.
If choice two is your poison… Pairings will be Mal/Inara, Simon/Kaylee, Wash/Zoe. Would you like to see some River/Jayne or no?