Joss owns them, except for Abeni Hedge, who is totally mine (and based on my friend Val). You may want to listen to "I've Been Everywhere" by Johnny Cash OR "Milkshake" by Kelis. Both would be appropriate for this chapter. Read on, and please review!
They landed on Spake's Fault. Mal and Jayne carried the spy out on a stretcher. Simon had removed both bullets and tidied up both wounds as best he could, although he had not wasted any anesthetic in the process. The spy was swearing a blue streak as they set him on the ground outside the ship.
Inara had stayed behind to watch River, who had been restrained to her bunk. The Companion had strict orders to call the rest of the crew immediately if anything went wrong. They hadn't had to give her suggestions as to what "wrong" would consist of.
"Where's Abeni?" Wash asked as they descended from the ship. "Don't seem to be nobody around."
"Did you wave her we was comin'?" Jayne questioned.
"Tried to, my signal was out," the pilot replied.
"Then she don't know we's comin'," Jayne informed him.
"Best be on our best behavior then," Mal said. "Let's go."
They carried Miles to Abeni's trade post, a building a bit nicer than a shack with a rusty sign out front: "SPACE PONIES FOR LEASE! REASONABLE RATES!" Kaylee grinned up at the sign. "I love space ponies," she told Simon.
"Is that Malcolm Reynolds my eyes see fer me?" a voice demanded from inside the open door.
"Yes, it is," Mal said sincerely, smiling.
A woman came out from the trade post. She was younger than Simon had expected, and very blond. "Whaddya got this time, Mal?"
"Spy," Mal answered. "He's had a bit o' a fight with the PRFO, and we're lookin' t' dump him 'fore they get t' us."
"Ah," Abeni said with a knowing smile. "This wouldn't be Miles Cromwell, would it?"
"How did you know?" Zoë asked.
"Got a wave few minutes ago," Abeni replied. "PRFO's lookin' fer a place t' set down so's they can kill him."
"Well, we almost did," Jayne said. "Cap'n wouldn't let us finish the job."
"Somethin' tells me the PRFO are gonna want him alive," Mal said, and Abeni nodded, then asked, "What's yer plan, Mal?"
Mal shrugged. "Ain't got one as o' yet. You got any ideas?"
"I'm thinkin' yer gonna need some ponies fer this one," Abeni replied, grinning bigger. "I'll offer m' own prize steed fer ya, plus some o' his best friends."
"Will we get t' ride them?" Kaylee asked excitedly.
"Come with me. We'll hook ya up."
"River?" Inara opened the door to the bunk and found the Reader in the same position she'd been in previously, sitting against the wall of the bunk, her arms chained to the handles on the wall behind her, her legs tucked under her. Her eyes were awake and bright, no longer wild, even though orange syrup was still smeared all over her face. "I brought you something."
"Presents. Gifts. Shiny."
"Not exactly a present, but I suppose you could say it was shiny," Inara said with a smile. "Do you like chocolate?"
River looked at her, puzzled. Inara showed her the smooth, round cup she was carrying, full of steaming chocolate from Inara's personal stash of exotic treasures. She usually only served it to very, very important customers, but for some reason she had felt compelled to give it to the girl. Simon had left her a small tube of powder, telling her, "Put this in a drink and make sure she drinks all of it. Then she'll sleep for you and she won't be apt to go wild." Inara was sure the boy had meant cider or even the watery powdered milk they drank every day, but she had felt that after all they'd been through that day, River deserved a treat.
"Chocolate," River said, as though remembering something. "Fermented, roasted, shelled, and ground cacao seeds, often combined with a sweetener or flavoring agent."
"Right," Inara said. "This is from Osiris. Maybe you had some when you were there. A long time ago?" she suggested. She set down the cup of chocolate on the table and retrieved a wet washcloth she'd left there. "I'm going to wash off your face, all right? You won't feel so sticky then."
"Sticky," River agreed, and moved her hands to touch her face, forgetting she was restrained.
"I'll do it," Inara told her, and tenderly washed the girl's face, carefully avoiding the long cut from the fight earlier. River closed her eyes. When Inara was done, she took the cup of chocolate from the table. "Are you ready?"
"Presents," River repeated. "Shiny."
Inara gently put the cup to the girl's lips and tipped some of the hot chocolate into her mouth, stopping when River didn't swallow. "You have to drink it. Swallow so it won't spill and make a mess."
"Hot," River mumbled around the chocolate. "Mama."
"Oh," Inara said, taken aback.
River swallowed and looked at Inara confusedly, as though seeing the Companion for the first time. "You don't belong here," she said. "Why are you here? Where's Simon?"
"He went out with the captain," Inara replied. "He'll be back in a little while."
"Simon pours the teapot," River continued. "The big blue one with the handle that we broke once. Mama put it back together with sticky. It was always her favorite. Simon pours the teapot and he serves the cups. Who are you?"
"I'm Inara, River," Inara answered. "Remember? We're on Serenity."
"Finest ship in the verse."
"So they say." Inara put the cup to the girl's lips again. "Would you like some more?"
This time River didn't fight and swallowed the rest of the chocolate. When she was done, just as Simon had promised, she was fast asleep. Inara knew she should go back to the common area and clean up, but for some reason she didn't; she sat on the chair across from the bunk and watched the girl sleep. The cup in her hand was still warm, though empty, and she wrapped her hand around it, hoping it would give her strength. She didn't want to give a name to the emotion she felt, but she could almost feel danger crackling in the air like electricity.