Chapter 10
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Inara allows Mal and Zoe to kneel there for a few Minutes then Mal's words come back to her and she realises this is what he was talking about this is what he needs her for. She slowly walks from her place next to Kaylee around Alexis so she is right in front of Mal she kneels so that she is looking him straight in her eyes, she sees more pain than she has ever seen in him, more than she ever wanted to, she grabs both of his hands gives them a squeeze then starts talking "Mal, its Inara focus on me don't look at the valley, just listen to me, look at me." Inara says then waiting to get some kind of responds.
"Nara.." Mal finally quietly mutters.
"Yeah Nara, you told me I had to kick you back together if needed that's what I'm doing, I'm right here Mal, Alexis is right next to you and to be honest your scaring her. Don't let this valley take anymore of you; don't let it destroy you all over again. Close your eyes and look away, get up and do your job, do your crime, you can do this Mal, were all here, you're not alone, there's no guns being fired, no bombs falling, You can do this." Inara says to him.
Everyone else is looking on Kate can't help but feel jealous that Rick asked Inara to help not her she notices that it does seem like Inara is helping and can't help but think that it should be her. Everyone else is hoping Inara can do something to help no matter how small as long as it helps.
"I can't Nara." Mal mutters, Inara does the only thing she can think to do, leans forward and gives him a hug "You can do this Mal, I won't leave you, you can beat this valley." She whispers into his ear.
With what feels like all the strength he has inside of him Mal breaks away from Inara and stands up, he faces away from the Valley, then he sees Zoe. He slowly walks over to her and like Inara did kneels in front of her. Meanwhile Inara stands up and gets pulled into a hug by Alexis.
"Zoe, go back to the ship I can do the job this black doesn't have to adsorbed you to." Mal tells his first mate.
"No Sir, we said we would stick together on this hell, if you go through the Black then I do to." Zoe says standing up still holding on to her husband for support.
Mal nods "Let's go." Mal says as he walks back to where Inara and Alexis is gives them both a hug and leads everyone to the town of Serenity View.
"Wash, you stay with Serenity, be best for your leg." Mal tells Wash.
"Can do Captain, you ok." He whispers to his wife who nods, so he turns and heads back to Serenity.
Mal and Zoe walk in front with everyone else following behind them. Neither allowing themselves to get caught in the memories not allowing each other to go back.
"You landed where you did on purpose didn't you?" Simon asks his little sister making sure he's not talking loud enough for anyone but her to hear.
"They needed to see it, see that it's just black that they can't let consume them anymore." River tells her brother.
After about 5 minutes of walking the reach the town, once they do Mal turns to face everyone.
"Jayne, Ryan, Esposito, Kate you come with Zoe and me, the rest of you stay around town, we'll come find you when we done." Mal says. Kate, Ryan, Esposito and Jayne follow Mal and Zoe who seem to be heading through town.
"Are they going to be ok?" Lanie asks looking at the original members of Serenity the people who knows the pair the best.
"It will be a battle one that will never end things could slowly get better then get worse again, got to enjoy the good." River answers.
"What do we do?" Jenny ask confused, not sure what to do when they are in a town, while the others are on a job.
"We look around, stay close to town in case something happens, and don't go off alone." Simon tells Jenny.
"You ok dear?" Martha asks walking over to her granddaughter.
"Yeah it was just such a shock to see Dad fall like that see him in so much pain." Alexis tells her grandmother.
"I know, Malcolm doesn't usually show that much, but being back here he just couldn't handle it." Martha tells her granddaughter.
"Should we be worried about the preforming a job when their like this?" Jim asks.
"No, Mal and Zoe might be in pain but now that there focused they won't let it get in the way of the job." Inara tells Jim.
"Let's look around, see what we can find." Kaylee suggests.
Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle
While everyone else is talking about whether they are ok or not Mal, Zoe, Jayne, Kate, Ryan and Esposito are making their way to Kyle Chang's store. They 6 people walk in total silence Zoe and Mal not wanting to talk and the others not wanting to bring the subject up, eventually they reach the shop. When they do Mal turns to everyone and addresses them, Kate, Ryan and Esposito more specifically.
"You let me do the talkin, and if Chinese is spoken don't get looks of confusion on y'all face, it's a give-away that you're not from here." Mal tells them before entering.
The 6 people enter the shop and see a man with blond hair, who is fairly tall standing behind the counter watching them suspiciously.
"What can I do for you?" The man asks.
"That depends you Kyle Chang?" Mal asks.
"So what if I am?" The man asks.
"Then it's more a question of what we can do for you, I'm Malcolm Reynolds, this is my crew, Badger sent us." Mal tells the man.
"Badger, he told me to expect you, didn't say there were so many of you." Kyle tells Mal.
"Recently increased my crew, didn't feel the need to broadcast it." Mal answers.
"I understand, the less people know one's own business the better, please follow me." Kyle tells Mal as he points to the door behind him and goes through it followed by Mal, Zoe, Kate, Ryan, Esposito, and Jayne, they follow the man through a hall way leading to a back room of some sort.
"The job is simple get 2 crates off here and go back to Badger and he'll organize the trade." Kyle tells Mal.
"Sounds simple."
"You can collect the crates tonight I don't want this to be done during the day, need the cover night does." Kyle tells Mal "8pm tonight come back and collect it take it to your ship."
"Done." Mal says as he and the crew leave.
They walk back through the corridor and through the shop and finally exist.
"We'll go find everyone else, tell them we should be outer her by 9 tonight." Mal tells the crew as they begin to make their way through the town. Kate walks faster so that she is standing right next to Mal "You ok?"
"Not now Kate, I can only focus on one thing at a time at the moment and that's the job." Mal tells Kate who is surprised to hear anger and undertone of coldness.
They arrive back in town and start to look for everyone, the look through a few places before finally finding them in a little shop, seeing everyone he says "Lets get back to the ship for now."
"Malcolm Reynolds you said you would never return." A voice says one that both Zoe and Mal recognize they see that it is coming from the young man who is talking to Alexis, by the look of him he looks like he can't be older than 20.
"Joey." Mal and Zoe say surprised walking over to the man as they didn't realises what shop their crew found themselves in, Alexis walks over to Inara and Kaylee with a look of confusion on her face.
"And Zoe." The man says equally as surprised.
"We never planned to return, but something came up." Mal says shaking hands with the man and Zoe does the same.
"Have you taken over now?" Mal asks the boy curious.
"Ma needed me to, she's got a lot worse than she was "Joey explains to Mal.
"Tell her that I said hallo and hope she has more good days." Mal tells the boy sadly
"You could always come to see you, both of you. She would love to see you again." Joey tells both Mal and Zoe.
Mal and Zoe look at each other, not really sure if they should or not, not sure if they can "She upstairs?" Mal asks.
"Yeah."
"We'll come see her." Zoe tells Joey, the simple act of Zoe accepting something for both her and Mal surprises the group as it is always the other way around.
"We'll be back soon." Mal tells everyone else as both Mal and Zoe follow the man upstairs.
"Anyone have any idea who that was?" Kate asks the group once again expecting for Inara to know something about her boyfriend that she doesn't.
"Maybe they knew him in the war" Alexis suggests.
"The war was 9 years ago, he would have only been a kid" Kaylee tells Alexis.
"He could have known his parents, they went up to talk to his mum so they must be familiar." Shepard Book points out.
Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle.
Mal and Zoe follow Joey upstairs through a hall way and into what seems to be the master bedroom.
"Ma, look who's here." Joy says to his mother a woman who looks like she is only the same age as Mal and Zoe but looks very sick. Hearing her son she looks up and sees Mal and Zoe.
"I must be dreamin there is no way that Malcolm Reynolds and ZoeAlleyneare here they swore they would never come back, though If I was dreaming I don't know why I would be dreaming of them." The woman says when she sees Mal and Zoe.
"Oh it is us Paige." Zoe says walking over "How you doing."
"Same as I always am Zoe, just doing what I do." The woman named Paige says "You going to say hallo Mal." She asks.
"Hallo Paige." Mal says also walking over.
"So what are you two doing back on this sorry planet?" Paige asks.
"Got work." Mal tells her.
"You going to go to Valley?" Paige asks.
"No." Mal and Zoe say together.
"That doesn't surprise me." Paige says before a coughing fit cuts her off, Mal looks worriedly at Zoe then both of them look worriedly at Paige "Now you two don't look at me like that, it's just a little worse than it used to be." She tells the pair.
"We have a medic with us, want him to have a look?" Mal ask part of him hoping that she will agree though he knows that she won't.
"I know what he would say, you do to." Paige tells Zoe and Mal "How long you guys here?" she asks.
"Leaving tonight had a job to do that bought us here." Mal explains to Paige.
"Well then go I know you two you always have work to do, I'm glad you came to see me." She tells Mal and Zoe who nod then follows Joey down stairs,
"Joey send us a wave if there is anything we can do." Mal tells Joey as they do.
"I will."
"Good seeing you Kid." Mal says giving him a hug followed by Zoe who whispers something that the no one including Mal hears.
"Let's go." Mal says to the crew and his daughter who follow him out though Alexis gives him a smile and a wave as she leaves.
"Who was that Captain?" Kaylee asks.
"Tell you when were back on the ship." Mal answers
Everyone follows Mal back up the hill and back to the ship.
"You liked him, found him cute." Inara says to Alexis as they do.
"Can you blame me, he's the first guy I have seen since arriving who isn't my father, old enough to by my father, old enough to be my grandfather or dating and madly in love with my best friend." Alexis tells Inara.
"Jayne's none of those things." Kaylee playfully teases.
Alexis playful elbows Kaylee "No, just no, Jayne is like the scary older brother who you don't introduce to anyone because you're afraid he'll beat them up." Alexis says as she Inara and Kaylee all burst out laughing at how true that is.
Once they arrive back at the ship everyone follows Mal and Zoe back up to the dining room.
"So Rick who was the kid?" Kate asks interested wanting to know more about Mal's past.
"What kid?" Wash asks walking in.
"We were in a shop in town Mal and Zoe came in and they knew the kid running the place." Shepard Book explains.
"His father was in our unit." Zoe explains simply before Mal takes over.
"His Mother would have fought to but she was ill still is, the three of us, Zoe, me and his Dad was close friends, 2 days into the battle of Serenity Valley he was killed. When word reached the town his son Joey ran off his mother didn't know it but he stole his Dad's old weapon to join the fighting, he didn't care that he wasn't old enough he was only 12 he wanted to fight, Zoe and I saw him before he could get into the thick of it, when we found him would couldn't get him back to safety right away, he had to stay with Zoe and I for a day, we were finally able to get him back to his mother, he saw a day of the war and didn't try to run off again. That's who that kid was." Mal explains.
Everyone is surprised by that, shocked that a 12 year old kid would join a war that was killing so many adults.
"I remember you tellin me about him, after the war you and Zoe still kept in contact with him." Martha says to her son.
"We wanted to make sure he was ok." Zoe explains.
"What's the job." Shepard Book asks wanting to get the topic of the poor kid.
"We have to go back later tonight collect 2 crates get them off and get them back to Badger." Mal tells him. "So y'all go do what you want to then but meet back here at 7." Mal tells Everyone.
Everyone leaves the room except for him and Kate.
"You said we'd talk." Kate says to him.
"Let's go to my bunk." Mal tells Kate and they walk to Mal's bunk
"How you doing Rick?" Kate asks once she climbs down the ladder to enter his bunk.
"I honestly don't know." Mal admits.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Kate asks wanting to do something to help him.
"No Kate I can't." Mal admits.
"We'll I'm here If you do." Kate tells him.
"You know what I want to do, I want to lay down and just for a little while forget where I am." Mal tells Kate.
Even though Kate wants to discuss the topic of Inara she decides that it may not be the best time so she walks over to Ricks bed and sits down on the edge. "If that's what you want to do then do it." Kate tells him and Rick walks over and lays right next to her.
Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle
Ryan, Esposito and Jayne have decided to use the extra time to get some working out the three of them when for a quick jog followed by some weight lifting each of them trying to beat each other. Esposito ending up out lifting both of them, which caused Jayne to become very angry.
"How the Guai, did you beat me." Jayne asks Esposito.
"I'm stronger isn't it obvious." Esposito says to Jayne.
"You couldn't beat me in a shooting contest." Jayne tells Esposito.
"Wow, hang on guys you can't have a shooting contest here." Ryan says to Jayne and Esposito.
"Sure we can." Esposito tells him. "We can use the wood from the old table as targets draw on bulls' eyes." Esposito says.
"Good idea, then we'll see who's the best" Jayne tells Esposito.
Together Esposito and Jayne use chains to tie the planks of wood up to the above platform and then use a pen to draw balls eyes on. Throughout the process Ryan is standing there telling the two that they are insane and that it really isn't a good idea, but neither of them are paying attention to him they are both to determine to beat the other.
"Yours left mine right." Jayne says to Esposito.
"Who goes first." Esposito asks and they both look confused for a second.
"How about rock, paper, scissors." Ryan suggests despite how much he doesn't approve of what they are doing.
"Do you know what to do?" Esposito asks Jayne not sure if they have rock paper scissors in the future.
"Of course I know what to do." Jayne tells Esposito and he wins and gets to go first he shots from the line the worked out earlier
Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle
Mal is still laying with Kate in a complete state of relaxation when he hears the gun shot, "that was a gun shot." Mal says grabbing his gun and climbing as fast as possible up his ladder with Kate right behind him.
Mal runs in the direction of the cargo bay as that is where he herd the shot coming from. Half way between his bunk and the cargo bay he hears another shot that only makes him run faster "Zoe what's going on?" He asks seeing who is right in front of him.
"Don't know sir" Zoe tells the captain and they both continue running when they reach the cargo bay they see almost everyone else standing above looking down at Jayne and Esposito both of whom are still standing next to each other holding their guns , Mal seeing the two walks down and stands in front of them and everyone can tell that he is angry.
"What the Guai, do you two Chwen Joo, think you are doing?" Mal asks but neither answer him, "ANSWER ME."
"We were working out and I could lift more than Jayne, but then he said I couldn't out shot him, so we decided to see if was true." Esposito explains surprised at how scary Castle can look when he is angry.
"You have shooting contests at a shooting range, outside, NOT ON MY SHIP." Mal yells then to angry to deal with them walks off so Zoe takes over.
"Until the job tonight you two are to stay in your Bunks, you are not allowed to leave, Understand." Zoe tells the pair, unlike Mal she doesn't yell but everyone can hear the anger in her voice.
"Understood, Mam." Esposito says.
"Go." She tells both of them.
Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castel Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle
When 7 arrive everyone comes to the kitchen, so that Mal can explain to them the details of the job.
"Wash, River, and Kaylee you three have Serenity ready to go quickly if needed. Doc, Lanie, Jenny you have the infirmary read just in case. Zoe, Kate, Ryan, idiots one and two your with me." Mal says before Turing to walk off, but Alexis walks up and gives her dad a hug "Good luck Dad, be careful."
"I will pumpkin." Mal tells his daughter as he Zoe, Kate, Ryan and Esposito walk out.
"Inara can I stay with you in your shuttle to they get back?" Alexis asks walking up to Inara once her dad leaves.
"Of course. " Inara tells her putting her arm around her shoulders and leading Alexis to her shuttle.
Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle
Mal, Kate, Zoe, Ryan, Esposito, and Jayne leave Serenity and make their way down through town and to Mr Change's store. Zoe and Ryan are riding the mule why Kate, Mal, Esposito and Jayne are walking besides it.
"Zoe drive it around the back, you and Ryan wait there for us to bring out the crates." Mal tells Zoe as he, Kate, Jayne and Esposito enter the shop, as Mal is doing his usual sweep of the area he notices that there are about 6 horses tied around the side, completely tacked up and he files the knowledge away in case he needs it in the future.
"Mr Chang." Mal says as they enter the store.
"Come quickly, some local law men were around not too long ago you have to take the stuff quick." Mr Chang says quickly and everyone can hear the worry in his voice, and it's clear that he would get in trouble for whatever is in the crates.
Mal, Kate, Esposito and Jayne quickly follow Mr Chang. Though as they do Mal says to Wash through the commination "Get her ready to go, law been spotted in the area want once we get the job done and us gone as quickly as possible."
"Do you know how to ride a horse?" Mal asks Kate and Esposito who both nod.
"Good we get the stuff on the mule, we borrow the horses I saw around the side get back to Serenity as quick as possible." Mal whispers to them.
The four of them arrive in the other room collect the two crates Kate and Mal holding one Esposito and Jayne holding the other, as quickly as possible the collect the crates and load them on the mule.
"Captain." Zoe says worried noticing a light coming closer.
"Go." Mal hisses at Zoe and Ryan, who speed of on the Mule.
"Come on." Mal says to Kate, Esposito and Jayne as he leads them around the side to the horses that Mal saw when they arrived, as they do all they can all see the light moving quicker and straight for them.
The three of them get on the horses as quickly as possible and start to gallop back to Serenity, they hear yelling and feel bullets flying pass their head, none of them hitting anyone though "Wash in the air in 3 minutes." Mal say over the communicator. They are nearly at Serenity when Mal feels a sharp pain in his arm and he knows he got shot, he falls forward a little but he doesn't let himself full he focuses on ridding. Unfortunately they are in a place that has enough light that Kate sees and starts to panic '"RICK" she yells worried.
"Kate doesn't worry about me Keep riding." Mal tell Kate, within second they are close enough to Serenity to get of the horses and run the rest of the way. Once they get of the Horse Esposito and Jayne both fire back at the figure that shot Mal and it looks like the both hit him.
"Wash, River were on, go." Mal says over the communicator when everyone is on board and he has hit the buttons to close the air lock and door, he looks around the cargo bay an notices Zoe and Ryan loading the cargo into the hidden hatch, something Jayne and Esposito go and help them with when they realizes.
Alexis comes running down the stairs closes followed by Inara she throws her arms around her dad, only pulling away when she notices the winch.
"Dad what's wrong," She asks worried then notices his arm "YOU'VE BEEN SHOT." Alexis yells in complete terror.
She once again throws herself around him but this time around the side of him that hasn't been shot "Alexis I'm ok, it's just a graze, but Simon does need to look at it." He tells his daughter not wanting his daughter to worry but he can tell that it's a through and through wound, and that he is losing blood so he does need medical attention. Alexis is so worried that she doesn't seem like she is going to be letting go any time soon. Doing the only thing he can think of he sends a look over her head to Inara with that clearly says "help me." hoping that she can get Alexis to let go of him as Inara and Kaylee are the people that Alexis is closes to, he does that as he can feel the pain intensifying and can feel the bleeding and he realizes that he needs to get Simon to fix it. Seeing the look Inara walks over, and talks directly to Alexis.
"Lexis, you Dad needs his arms checked, you can stay with him but you need to let go so he can." Inara tells him and Alexis reluctantly lets go and so her Dad can walk to the infirmary but she is holding onto her dad's hand with one of her hands and Inara's with the other.
"Where's Kate?" He asks as they are walking.
"Right behind you Rick." Kate says as everyone else has followed them up from the cargo bay.
"Did you or the boys get hit?" Mal asks worried.
"Nah were fine." Kate tells him.
"Malcolm." Martha says worried when she sees her son.
"I'm fine promise." Mal tells his mother.
When they arrive at the infirmary Simon, Lanie and Jenny are waiting.
"You're all going to have to wait outside." Simon tells everyone but Alexis doesn't seem like she wants to let go of his hand, seeing that Simon walks up and speaks right to Alexis "Alexis I know I said you could observe and help out with procedures, but not when it's you dad, you have to wait outside." Simon tells Alexis.
"But.."
"Alexis you herd the doc, wait outside with Nara to you can come inside." Mal tells his daughter who reluctantly lets go of his hand and throws herself in to a hug with Inara.
"Let's sit down." Inara says leading her to the couch, just as they sit down Kaylee comes running down the stairs and seeing Alexis being held by Inara sits down beside her and grabs her hand, knowing that her best friend needs her. Jenny goes inside to help Simon but Lanie stays and stands with Kate, realizing that like Kaylee her best friend needs her.
"What was that you and Alexis was talking about?" Mal asks.
"She wants me to train her; I gave her a book to read, going to show her how to do procedures." Simon tells Mal before he dopes him.
"Thank you." Mal says before he passes out.
Alexis is sitting on the couch being held by Inara as Kaylee holds her hand and Martha looks worriedly at her granddaughter. After less than an hour Simon comes out "Simon?" Alexis asks.
"He's fine, it was a through and through wound with a couple of fragments still inside his arm will be fine in about a week, a little pain during that time" Simon tells everyone.
"Can I see him?" Alexis asks.
"Of course, but only three or so at a time." Simon tells Alexis.
After giving Alexis a hug Kaylee let's go of Alexis and so does Inara "Aren't you coming?" Alexis asks Inara.
"Simon said three at a time, that's you your grandmother and Kate, I'll wait out here for now." Inara tells Alexis and Kate is surprised that Inara is suggesting that she goes in first and has to admit that she is thankful that she did.
"I'll be right here, I promise." Inara tells Alexis who gives her one more hug before going with her grandmother, and her father's girlfriend to see him.
"Daddy." Alexis says sounding so much like a scared little kid as she walks over and picks up his good hand to hold.
"I'm ok Pumpkin, the Doc does good work, this would take a few weeks to heal back in the past will only take a few days here." Mal tells his daughter allowing her to hug him.
"You scared me." Alexis tells her father.
"I know." Mal tells her running his hand through his daughters hair.
Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle
A few days after the shooting Serenity is making its way back to Persephone. Alexis, Kaylee and River are down in her bunk playing a game that River and Kaylee invented a little while ago, while everyone else is in the kitchen talking.
"So I have to get this ball to fall into that hole right?" Alexis asks Kaylee as the tree of them are sitting around what looks like a box with holes in it.
"Yep." Kaylee tells Alexis.
Alexis nods in understanding but before she can drop the ball she bends over and grabs her stomach crying out in pain as she does. "Lexis." Kaylee says worried crawling on her knees around to her, but the only responds she gets is another cry of pain. Kaylee looks over to River and sees something she doesn't see often in the girls face, worry.
"Go get Simon, NOW." River tells Kaylee worried she craws over to Alexis and puts her head in her lap.
"Just breath Lexis, Simon's going to help." River says to Alexis trying to reassure her but she does sound very worried.
Kaylee who realizes this must be bad for River to act like that gets up and as quickly as possible climbs up the ladder and runs into the kitchen "SIMON COME QUICKLY SOMETHINGS WRONG WITH ALEXIS AND EVEN RIVER IS WORRIED." Kaylee yells as soon as she does.
As soon as Kaylee says something's wrong with Alexis, Simon goes running down to Alexis's bunk as quickly as possible, so fast that the only people in front of him are Mal and Inara.
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