A/N: To put it simply, my PC died. It took a while to get my hands on a laptop and save all of my old files. That being said, I'm not done here just yet.

Sky Song

Trap

Machines were easy to fix. At least, it always came easy to Kaylee. They keened to her touch, told her what was wrong, allowed her to tinker, to pull them apart and to put them back together again. Machines came with instruction manuals. Machines told her what they were feeling in the simplest of ways, and there was almost always a solution to the problem. As her gaze lingered on Simon at war with himself, she was realizing it was a damn shame that people weren't as simple. Like any good friend, she was concerned for him and was unsure of how to approach this particular situation. So she stalled instead, waiting quietly from behind him; waiting for him to realize if he needed her.

"This is never going to work." His voice was quiet and distant, but Kaylee was happy enough at the fact that he was speaking at all. Ever since the rest of the crew, including his sister, had departed Serenity for what seemed to be a suicide mission, the doctor had gone rigidly quiet, with his lips tight and brows furrowed. Anyone who didn't know him, would have guessed he was merely watching Liam play in the cargo bay. Kaylee knew better.

It was anger. Anger, and perhaps a mix of fear.

Seeing her window of opportunity, Kaylee made an effort to console him, "You're worried about her, Simon. But you're forgetting this was River's decision..."

He slammed his palms against the rails of the bridge in frustration. "I know that! It doesn't mean...that I have to like it..."

"No, but bein' angry with the capt'n isn't gonna help much, neither."

Simon chuckled at that, although there was little sincerity in his sudden mirth. He turned to look at Kaylee, still smiling at her as she watched him with mild apprehension.

"How ironic," he started, shaking his head, "we finally have the ship to ourselves, finally have some time alone together, and all we can do is argue about the captain!"

"I ain't arguin', Simon. Capt'n's got nothin' to do with this and you know it," Kaylee said softly.

"Of course he does! He always has the final say in everything! He says River is fit for combat and she follows, he tells Zoe to abandon her daughter and she does," a pause, and then Simon hung his head low before adding, "and...when he tells you not to marry me...you don't..."

Kaylee's small hands came up onto his shoulders in a comforting, warm embrace. They traced a way to his face, where they forced him to meet her eyes. When she spoke, her voice was shaken; "You...you know why we can't...not yet, anyways. Simon, ain't no one else in the 'verse..." she broke off, her eyes large and watering.

When a tear rolled loose down her porcelain cheek, he was quick to wipe it away with the pad of his thumb. He wrapped her in his arms then, where she snuggled her head into the warmth of his chest. He kissed the top of her head and ran his hands through her hair, cooing softly to her words of endearment in mandarin.

Zoe hated the little man that was currently towering over her. She'd never trusted him and had only ever shown obedience out of respect for her captain. Even now, she sneered at the ground he walked on, despite the barrel of the pistol pointed firmly against her head. In defiance, she spat at his shoe, and he returned the favor by hitting her head with the butt of his gun, hard enough to send her kissing the desert floor. Then, she felt the pain of his little stubby fingers grabbing her by the hair and pulling her head in his direction so that she was forced to look at his gloating face.

"If I were you, I'd be avoidin' doin' tha' again, love." Badger smiled at her mockingly.

With that said, he threw her head back with enough force to make it hurt, and made his rounds to the other three people he'd managed to capture so successfully. He stopped in front of Jayne, who was practically snarling in his direction. The big mercenary was not fond of being bound and kneeling, most especially in front of the likes of Badger and his gunmen. But they'd won them out, and the evidence was in the bruises, cuts, sweat, and dirt that covered the four crew members.

For added emphasis and insult, Badger crouched down before Jayne so that they were eye level. He cocked his pistol, and then pointed it at the man's sweat coated forehead. "Darn shame it had to come to this, you know. Try to understand here, I'm just a businessman tryin' to do some...business," he explained politely.

"Didn't know you were in the sorta business that involves tradin' folk for money, Badger," Mal argued aloud, trying to draw attention away from his comrades. He received a swift kick to the gut for his outburst by the man holding a gun to his head. He keeled over, breathing heavily as he regained wind.

Badger laughed and stood up, looking directly down at Mal. "Aw, do ya think so li'l of me, Mal? I don't care for no kělián reward. Ain't got interest in the bounty huntin' field. No. Me? I got a real knack for high prized cargo...cargo that I know you got on your háo wú jiàzhí ship, capt'n. Now all's you got to do is tell me where, and you and your friends can go free. Rather fair trade off, innit, Mal?"

It was Mal's turn to chuckle. Badger's smile was quick to turn into a frown once he realized he wasn't being taken seriously. Serenity's captain looked up into the arrogant man's face, squinting up at him as the sun blazed overhead. Despite the pain he was in, Malcolm Reynolds struggled to argue the very thing that could save his and his crew's lives.

"To hell with that, you lyin' yīkuài fèn de. We both know you ain't gonna do that, so skip the fake promises and tell me why in the hell you want that gorram cargo so badly."

The man holding the gun to Mal's head grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled back, straining Mal's neck at a painful angle. The move had him gasp for air while he tried to fight against the man's strength. Mal could no longer see Badger, only the endless blue sky overhead, but he heard the dirt crunch beneath the other man's feet as he moved closer towards him.

With his shadow hovering over Mal, Badger informed him, "You don't get to ask the questions here. Each time you resist, I'll kill one o' your crew. Starting with the youngest one over there."

At the mention of her, River cried out in pain as the man holding her at bay hit her on the back with the end of his shotgun, forcing her down to the ground. Mal grimaced in response, and tried to hold back his fury. Bringing River had been a bad idea, he reflected on that now. The plan couldn't have gone more awry. The girl was unstable, couldn't control her abilities for any long period of time. Simon had been correct; something was throwing her off, and she'd become more a liability than anything in the previous battle.

That was when she started to mutter, face pressed hard against the ground with the boot of one of Badger's goons placed directly atop the side of her head.

"What's she sayin' over there? Speak up, love," Badger queried, attention now directed at the empath.

"Wants what's in the box, but what's in the box doesn't want out. Not yet, not yet. It'll kill you, destroy you even. You're not meant to have it. Can't coax it out, can't follow it back in. Valuable, but only when it's with us. Worthless otherwise. It won't be of any use to you, don't you see?" River giggled, and then sputtered as spittle dribbled down her mouth from the pressure of the foot above her, pressing her harder into the ground.

"What's all that gibberish mean?" Badger pestered, pointing his gun at the girl in front of him now.

River opened her eyes then, only to glare heatedly at Badger when she added in an agitated voice, "It doesn't want you. So kill us, but then you'll never, ever find it, and you'll lose the only bounty you actually had, you stupid little worm."

There was nothing but silence that followed River's prediction. Mal couldn't believe his ears; the girl had figured out something that had eluded him the entire time. He almost burst out laughing at how obvious it had been. Seeing it now, he wondered how he ever could have missed such a crucial, tiny detail in the first place. He remembered the note, remembered Syaoran and what he'd died for, remembered all of the trouble his crew seemed to have found themselves in. All the hints he was given, all the clues, and he still had to hear it from the mouth of the girl with the addled mind. She'd pieced it all together before he could, and with it, had just potentially saved their skins from the reaper's skeletal hands.

With the new piece of information fresh in his mind, Mal attempted to bargain once again for their lives; "In case you didn't get that, Badger, she means that the cargo only has its value if we're the ones makin' the drop."

More silence, and then Mal couldn't help the genuine, grateful laugh that slipped his lips. "In other words, you need us alive, Badger. You can't kill us, because if you do, those credits die along with us, cargo or no."

Judging by the expression on Badger's face, Zoe and Jayne realized their captain and River had called his bluff. The man with the fancy hat was at a total loss for words, not having anticipated any of the events that had recently transpired. The goon holding Mal had relinquished a bit of his hold in the sudden turn of events, and Mal took it as an opportunity to look directly at Badger with a lopsided grin on his face.

"So how's about we end this farce, and you get to tellin' me exactly what you know about this job," Mal offered.

Badger sneered at him. "Even if the cargo ain't worth nilly, I still got you as a bargainin' chip. The lot o' you are more valuable than splittin' the reward of that caper. If you don't tell me where she is, I'll find Serenity by force, and drag the rest of your measly l'il crew back here myself."

He smirked then, a dark look entering his features. "Even if one o' you dies in the process, that money's still pretty good." He then nodded in the direction of his men and called out an order; "Take 'em back to the den. One of 'em is bound to talk...eventually..."

Liam was always curious about the box.

They'd all told him to stay away, warned him that it was dangerous and that he should play away from it, on the opposite side of the cargo bay. But Kaylee and Simon were busy preparing dinner, the rest of the crew was out in the town, and he figured now was his only chance to really examine it.

Everything lately seemed to have to do with the box. Everyone was angry and fighting, and it was often that the box was mentioned in the most heated debates. Some wanted it off the ship, others wanted to sell it. Mal didn't seem to know what to do with it. Liam could see it upsetting all the people around him. If only he could open it. If only he could figure out what was inside, then maybe everyone would stop the arguing and finally figure out what to do. Maybe they'd regard him as a little hero then. Maybe Inara would be proud of him when she came to pick him up instead of the usual disappointment she conveyed whenever he'd tried to help.

He stared at it from across the room, wondering if he should go near it. River's warning had been clear, and he knew that she was scared of it, too. If it scared even her, then he knew he had to be brave. So he took a step closer. And then another.

The box seemed to grow the more he moved towards it, until it was bigger than him. He felt so small beside it, and when he touched it, his fingers recoiled from the cold chill of the steel box.

He couldn't do it. He didn't have a gun, like Jayne. He wasn't brave like Zoe. He wasn't the hero Mal was. He didn't even have a clue as to how to open it. All he would manage to do was cause more trouble. It was the only thing he was good at.

It was when he'd finally turned away to attend to his toys that were generously donated by the crew, that the box began to hiss, and a cool mist seemed to roll out from inside of it.

Mal could withstand torture. After all, Niska had successfully killed him through similar means. Whatever Badger would do to him would therefore be utterly ineffective. But that wasn't his concern. His crew on the other hand, was. Specifically, River Tam.

He knew Zoe could withstand similar pressure, and that Jayne wouldn't make the same mistake twice of ratting out the crew. This was most certainly the case when the merc was aware that Kaylee was on Serenity, and was also a wanted fugitive. That left River. The girl was wildly unpredictable. They'd thought her to be mostly tamed after the events of Miranda, but ever since they'd picked up the job, she was slowly reverting back to the damaged little girl they'd found in cryo. However, she had the potential to not only break herself free from Badger's clutches, but to break all of them free, if she were to use her...abilities. At the same time, she was extremely vulnerable, and any form of torture could only worsen the condition of her mind.

"They can't hurt me, captain," her voice echoed from the cell over, as if she'd gleaned his very thoughts.

"Not anymore than they already have..." he could hear her chains rattling as she struggled against them.

Simon was going to kill him, if they ever got out of this alive.

River laughed softly. "Simon...I won't let them hurt him, either."

Mal recalled the image of the girl bathed in the colour of reaver blood, and knew all too well that she meant her words.

Finding his voice, Mal asked her a question he didn't know she'd be able to answer; "Albatross...you think you can get us all outta here?"

Silence. Mal sighed, and mumbled under his breath, "Didn't think so..."

"Don't need to, captain. Help is already on its way," River finally replied. If Mal could have seen her, he'd have known she was smiling.

"Help? As in, Serenity? No...Kaylee has direct orders. She knows what to do if we don't get back. A rescue mission ain't part of the plan," Mal argued.

"Getting captured wasn't part of the plan, either, captain," River reminded him.

No, it hadn't. The plan was to ambush Badger before he could ambush them. Only, the clever little rat had more goons, more ammo, and the advantage of home turf. River had sensed them, and for a moment, they'd assumed that they'd had the upper hand. The element of surprise had been on their side. Mal had been banking on Badger making an appearance himself, that way he could have potentially snuck away and got him at gunpoint. But the slippery character was nowhere to be found, like the coward he was, and therefore, their advantage quickly became a disadvantage.

"My fault...," chimed in River, as if adding to Mal's own thoughts.

It may have been, a little. Mal had been counting on the psychic to potentially unleash some of her abilities, but he knew better than to force her since she was so unpredictable in combat. Typically, whenever she'd volunteer to help on a job, she was calm and in control with very little relapses. This had not been one of those times. Instead, nearer the end, she'd chosen to curl up into a ball and scream, as if something terrifying was happening to her, as if she were somewhere else entirely. Her eyes had glazed over, and Mal had to slap her to get her to come back to, but by then, it was too late. Zoe and Jayne were both down to grinds, and Badger's men just kept on coming. For every one they downed, two more replaced them.

He was so lost in the memory that he didn't even hear River whisper; "And then all the evil escaped into the world..."

"Ain't your fault, albatross. We were far from victory even before your...episode," said Mal.

River smiled at his kind words, even if he may have been lying to her.

Footsteps echoed outside their dingy little cells, and Mal knew the torture was about to begin. He steeled himself, prepared his mind, his body, in the best way he knew how, and hoped against hope that they chose him before River. He almost waited for her to reply to his thoughts, but instead, he heard the girl scream a bloodcurdling scream. He heard her chains rattle as she thrashed about as if in complete pain. She was crying out, tears spilling down her cheeks as she lived through a moment that was not here. Her attack was so sudden, and so fierce that Mal had briefly panicked, fearing that the torment had begun and that they'd chosen her instead of him.

He only realized that this wasn't the case when the two burly men had stepped into his cell, with one passing off instructions to the other to get the girl to shut up with her incessant wailing.

River's voice echoed in the dark, dingy hall, tainted with tears and pain, quivering; "No...No...No...Stay away...stay away, please, stay away!"

Inara wrapped most of her shawl around the bottom portion of her face, obscuring her nose and mouth. Only her rich, exotic eyes peeked over as she made her way around Persephone's underbelly. The dust and dirt swirled around her, getting into her eyes, packing into the creases of her clothes, and kissing her sandaled feet. Yet none of it seemed to faze her; she was, after all, on a mission to retrieve something most precious to her. It had taken quite the effort to locate Serenity's crew, seeing as how the ship itself was not in the typical docking bay. Inara had figured Mal was in some sort of trouble after realizing that the ship was most likely in hiding out in the desert. She also knew that the captain had taken up a job, which therefore allowed her to deduce the identity of the only man on Persephone in charge of all shady business deals that transpired.

Which naturally led her to Badger's den of thieves and slum rats. She walked boldly towards the men on guard, and removed her shawl so as to speak to them more clearly. They eyed her suspiciously and perhaps a bit maliciously as well. They had no shame when they blatantly allowed their eyes to roam the curves of her body. She smiled sweetly at them regardless.

"I'm here to speak to Badger," she informed them.

The bigger one moved forward, invading her personal space in the effort to examine her. "Lotta folk need ta see the boss. Gimme a reason why I should let you pass, whore."

If the derogatory term bothered her in the slightest, Inara did not let it show. Instead, she maintained her charm, and devised a plan that knew would get her past the thick headed moron before her.

"Perhaps I wasn't clear, my apologies. You see, your boss is expecting me, and I don't think he'd be too fond of the idea that he's been kept waiting. So, if you'll please excuse me." Inara made to enter the den then, only to be stalled by the brute's massive body still blocking her path forward.

"Boss don't hire companions. Can't afford 'em. He wants whores, he gets 'em from the local whore house. So scram," the man instructed in his gruff voice, shoving Inara back a few steps rather roughly.

She nearly stumbled to the ground, but gave the two men a fiery glare, losing the mask she had so carefully put on. Fed up with playing games and being pushed around, Inara walked up to the men before her and forgot all her companion training in that instant.

"Listen here, you gǒu shǐ chòu mádài, you go in there and tell Badger that I need to speak to him right now, or I swear, I will have your testicles removed and fed to the rabid dogs of your precious little city, dōng mǎ?" Inara seethed.

The man seemed unaffected by her sudden insult, but the woman did not back down. "You tell him Inara Serra wishes to speak to him, and it concerns the crew of Serenity."

The bodyguard with the sour face did not flinch, the anger flaring up in his beady brown eyes. Inara wasn't having it, either. She had a pistol on her, just in case, and she was very well trained in its usage, although she did not enjoy the thought of having to draw it. Nonetheless, if push came to shove, she would be able to defend herself. Thankfully, before the arguing could have the chance to escalate, it was Badger himself who had appeared at the entrance, wondering about all the commotion. Upon seeing Inara, his expression changed into one of surprise, and then mild intrigue.

"Well, well, never thought I'd see the day that a companion was on me doorstep. There somethin' you be wantin', love?" He inquired, a corner of his mouth upturned into a smile.

Inara didn't miss the splotches of dried blood on his jacket, and knew they didn't belong to him.

"I'd like to speak to you in private, Badger. About Serenity," Inara prompted, keeping her chin up as she spoke, so as not to betray any fear or apprehension.

Badger's smile grew wider. "That so, love? Well then, do come in. Apologies for the blubbering idiots at the door. My men don't quite know how to speak to a lady. You'll forgive them for it; it ain't exactly in the job description." He beckoned her forward, much to the disdain of the grumbling, snarling guards he had just insulted.

"No, I doubt manners, etiquette and...proper hygiene are what you pay them for...," Inara added as she walked past the two mercenaries. She heard one growl deep in his throat in response to her jab.

This elicited a laugh from Badger, deep and hearty. With a mischievous glint in his eye, he said, "No, I don't suppose I do. That's more like what they pay you for, m'dear. Among other things, o' course..."

"Yes...other things," she replied as she brushed her elbow reassuringly against the butt of the gun concealed beneath her gown.

He'd escorted her to his office then, where he assured her the guards in the room would be the best privacy they could possibly have at the moment. He sat down in his chair, and kicked up his feet, admiring her from the shadows.

"You say you got information on the whereabouts of Serenity?"

Inara had to be cautious. But she also had to be efficient. Something wasn't right, that much she was certain of. If she played the wrong cards, she had a feeling lives were at stake, if not only her own.

She smiled at him as she calculated her reply. "Perhaps. Why is it of such importance to you?" She was bluffing, but lucky for her, the man was too dim to notice.

Badger maintained his cheerful disposition, but still watched her carefully. "You don't know about it then, do ya?"

"That the crew has a bounty on their head?" She retaliated, as if the question was stupid.

"So you do know...well, just so happens that your friends have somethin' o' mine, somethin' very valuable, and I'll be needin' it back," Badger explained.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Now, seems they've disappeared off the grid, and may be in some trouble. If I can find 'em, I may even be able to help..."

"How selfless of you," commented Inara, sarcastically.

His smile did not reach his eyes.

"Whatever you may think of me, I am always a businessman first. They have cargo, and o' course, I have payment. But here's what I don't get. Pretty l'il companion flies to my nest claimin' she knows where the ship is, and I gotta wonder...why?"

He was on to her. Or at least, he thought he was.

But Inara never lost her composure. It was her job to know how to play people, after all. Badger would be no different. "Here's what I don't get, Badger. A businessman who lost his cargo would never care to find the crew who took the job. He'd want to find the empty ship his precious cargo is stashed away on. A smart businessman would turn in said crew for the bounty on their heads, and make off with the cargo once he's found it, therefore doubling his profits and losing virtually nothing in the process. You're a smart man, Badger. So how about we cut to the chase; you release Serenity's crew, escort them safely back to the ship, and I'll double that bounty on their heads."

A thick silence fell over them then.

From the look on his face, she knew Badger was contemplating his next move, pondering her offer. In that instant, she was sure he was holding Serenity's crew hostage, sure that the blood that stained his clothes, and his gunmen's faces, would belong to Mal, Jayne, and Zoe. She prayed to Buddha that it wasn't any of the rest of the crew they'd harmed. Finally, after the impregnable silence, Badger stood up at his full height, still wearing one of the most curious smiles, like that of the mad Cheshire cat.

He wagged his finger in her general direction when he said, "You're one hell of a woman. I see that now. Not such a smart businesswoman, though. Tha' crew ain't worth so much as a quarter o' what you're offerin', but who'm I to complain? Your bad decision just made me a richer man."

Inara would have let out a sigh of relief, if she wasn't too busy trying to remain in character. She could show no signs of weakness. After all, she had won, but Mal was going to owe her big time for the ordeal she had to go through to simply retrieve her son. Now all she had to do was grin and bear it. Just as she prepared to make the transaction, Badger stopped her rather unexpectedly.

"We ain't finished makin' a deal, love. 'Fraid there's still the matter of my cargo...Y'see, it's quite valuable even on its own, don't think even a well seasoned companion can afford it's price...Now, I'm not unfair, I'll give the lot o' them a cut o' the spoils, but seventy-five percent will be my share," stated Badger. Inara knew why he had been wearing such a gleeful smile now, even after the fact that she'd offered him double the credits.

She grabbed the machine from his hands, still smiling brightly, and quickly finished the transaction with her card before saying, "I'm afraid I can't help you there, Badger. I'm not crew and haven't been for a number of years now. Therefore, it's fair to say that I have no sway on matters of the ship. However, if you'd like to speak to Mal on the subject, I do believe he'd gladly oblige you and, perhaps, the two of you can work out a deal."

His smile fell almost as quickly as it had spawned, while he stood there digesting what he had just been told. The machine beeped, signifying that the transfer of funds had been complete.

"Congratulations. I do believe you've just become a richer man."

After Mal could finally tune out the ringing in his ears, he noticed how quiet River had gotten. The sound of his blood and sweat dripping onto the cement floor seemed to echo in the otherwise silent cell. The awful, gut wrenching pain had taken much out of him, to the point where he had almost forgotten about the troubled girl not so far from him. Eventually his cries had drowned hers out, and all he could hear was the sound of his own agonized voice. During the torment, he sometimes hallucinated and saw Niska's greedy old face grinning down at him instead of Badger's man. But their tools were far more primitive in comparison to Niska's toys, and so he held his ground, but not his tongue.

After what felt like an eternity, the questions stopped, and the feeling of cold steel against his warm flesh was gone, leaving behind only the ebbing, pulsating pain all over his body. His tormentors had left for the time being. When he was finally able to talk, he called out her name in what came out to be a hoarse whisper; "River? River, are you okay?"

Nothing. Mal gulped and tried to pry open a blackened, swollen eye. His vision was completely blurred, but he finally heard a door being opened, and footsteps approaching. The voice he heard was undeniably Badger's. He was the only one with the cockney accent among his band of thieves. That was when he made note of River's whimpering. She was speaking gibberish, or at least, she was too quiet for him to make out the exact words. For now, it was enough that he knew she was alive. While they'd been punishing him, he couldn't be certain if any of the others were harming her.

He then heard a woman gasp closer to him once the footsteps had approached his cell. And then, an angry female voice spoke aloud; "Take them down. All of them, now."

There was some laughter on Badger's end, but it quickly died down when the woman laid out a threat for him. "Don't make me alter our deal, Badger..."

Mal was only moments away from passing out, the pull of sleep quickly winning him over now that the torment had been halted and he'd ensured River was okay. The last thing he remembered was the feel of soft, gentle hands on his face as they wiped at the sweat and blood that marred his dirty skin. The last sound he heard was the comforting hush of an angel, soothing him. And then there was nothing but darkness.

They had looked everywhere. Every nook, every cranny, every potential hiding spot there could have ever been, all to no avail. Kaylee had never been so panicked in her life, her heartbeat racing inside her chest the more she realized her efforts were futile. Simon appeared to be calmer, but knew that the situation was bad. Very, very bad. As if things couldn't possibly have gotten worse, they always seemed to find a way. They tried calling out, everywhere they went, hoping against hope that it was just a game. But as time passed and their search held no fruition, it became apparent that they were at a loss. Dinner sat cold and untouched in the mess, seeing as how both parties had lost their appetite.

"What do we do now?" Kaylee asked, slouched in her seat, fingers fidgeting in her lap.

Simon sighed deeply. "We explain the situation to them. We explain it to her."

Kaylee shook her head. "Nuh-uh. That'll just cause total pandemonium. We gotta keep lookin'. Serenity's got so many potential hidin' spots. You should know; River finds new ones every day."

"We have, Kaylee. If only River was here, she'd...she'd know..."

"She would. But it's almost time...accordin' to capt'n, plan B is to rendezvous offa Persephone towards Santo...they shoulda been back by now..."

"We're not leaving, Kaylee. They'll be back, just wait a little longer..."

"What if they're in some kinda trouble? Shouldn't we go help?"

"We can't just leave. Not when we've got a situation of our own."

"Our situation ain't a matter of life and death. Theirs might be."

"For all we know, our situation could be a matter of life and death. We wouldn't be of any help, anyways. If anything, we'll be walking right into a trap, too."

"But we can't just sit here and do nothin', Simon!"

"I'm thinking, Kaylee. River's out there, so believe me when I say there's nothing more that I want to do than to bring her back. But getting caught won't help anyone."

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

Kaylee jumped out of her chair, eyes wild. "The intercom! Someone's buzzin'!"

From then on, things happened rapidly. Simon and Kaylee jolted down to the cargo bay, with Kaylee in the lead. One look at the intercom, and the door was rushed open to allow entrance to the injured remaining crew of Serenity. Simon's initial reaction was to tend to his sister, but as he approached her, River shook her head, pointed in the captain's direction, and said, "Mal."

He looked to see the captain being carried in by a dishevelled Inara and a bloodied Zoe. River was fine, aside from a few scratches and bruises. She had Jayne using her as a crutch though, limping on his already injured leg. Blood flowed freely from the wound Simon had worked so diligently to repair. With the reminder from his sister, the doctor started prioritizing the way he should have. He rolled up his sleeves and instantly set to work. He gave instructions on where to put who, and started immediately prepping his lab for his most critical of patients first. He worked quickly, knowing time was of the essence. He checked vials, filled syringes, and had Kaylee and Inara aid him with what they could. In time, everyone was covered in blood, and not necessarily their own.

"What the hell happened?" he finally managed to ask, after finishing up with the stitches Jayne's leg wound needed. Jayne and Mal had both passed out, needing the rest to recuperate from their injuries. Zoe was holding on a brave face as Kaylee disinfected the wound below her eye, while Inara tended to the tiny cuts and abrasions on River's limbs. The girl could not seem to look her in the eyes.

Zoe was the one who responded to Simon's question. "We were ambushed. Badger caught us off guard. Coward hid in his den while his men did the dirty work. Capt'n had to surrender. When he didn't let up Serenity's location, he figured he'd threaten to kill one of us off 'til someone spoke up. Then he'd turn us all in for the bounty and steal that gorram cargo."

Kaylee looked to Inara after Zoe had explained the situation. "What's your part in all of this, 'Nara?"

The companion took in a deep breath, and stopped what she was doing for the moment. "I happened to be in the area at the time. Figured if Mal was on Persephone, Badger would be the man to see. I paid him a visit, only to realize my suspicions were true. Good thing that little bug of a man was so easy to read. He was practically gloating over his victory, almost like he wanted me to find out what he'd just done."

Simon sighed, and massaged his temple with his thumb and forefinger. "So you paid him off, and that was it?"

Inara nodded. "More or less. He tried to make me discuss the profits of the cargo, but I informed him that it wasn't my call to make. He didn't seem too happy about that. I figured I'd let Mal handle it all once he's gotten better. What Badger failed to mention was the torture..." There was a note of bitterness in her voice with her final statement.

"Just tell me one thing: were you gonna actually use that pistol?" It was Zoe who boldly asked the question.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the companion, who seemed to be caught off guard.

"If I had to, yes," she replied firmly, after she'd gathered her bearings.

"Good," was Zoe's final comment on the matter.

"How in the heck did you manage to sneak that in there? Doesn't he normally conduct a weapon's check or something?" Simon asked, amazed at Badger's sheer lack of insight.

Inara smiled. "Companions aren't known to be violent, Simon. Our art lies...elsewhere."

Simon blushed at the insinuation, and scratched at the back of his head before mumbling under his breath, "Oh...right."

"Now, what I am curious about is the nosy little child who normally would be running amok in here at this very moment. Have you finally managed to tame him?" Inara laughed lightheartedly, making a jest, despite the fact that her heart swelled at the idea of reuniting with her son.

There was a cold silence that permeated in the room then. No one laughed. Simon and Kaylee both had gone stone faced. River covered her face with her hands. Zoe and Inara were the only two left in confusion at the strange response of their friends. Inara still hadn't quite caught on, and it was Zoe who reacted first.

"Where's Liam?" Zoe asked, the muscles in her face twitching as she looked between doctor and mechanic. Neither could meet her gaze.

Kaylee's bottom lip quivered, and it was then that Inara realized that something else had gone terribly wrong. She stood abruptly, the panic and fear settling in and causing her breathing to become shallow and short. She could feel her pulse increase as she looked about the room frantically at all the people involved. Simon stood up as well, wearing an expression of guilt and worry, clearly unsure of what to deal with first; the fact that his sister had nearly been tortured again and could have been killed, or that he needed to calm down the situation before anything else got worse.

He raised his hands in defense when he spoke softly to the woman before him. "The ship is big, Inara. Many places to go, plenty to hide in. I've lost River countless times to Serenity, but she's always turned up. He's probably just playing a game. He's going to come out sooner or later. There's no way he could have left the ship, no way."

Zoe stepped before him, staring him down accusingly. "Where were you two?"

It was Kaylee who piped up to Simon's defense. "Makin' dinner. Only took our eyes offa him for a second!"

"Then you can't say he ain't left the ship." Zoe argued coldly.

Inara lost her balance as the world around her was suddenly so dizzy. She clutched at the bed, still breathing heavily. River whimpered, and huddled her legs against her chest, still not speaking on the matter.

It took a moment for her to find her voice, as Inara's eyes darted back and forth between everyone around her.

"Are you...are you saying...you lost him?"

A/N: Hints. Hints everywhere! As per usual, all feedback is welcome. Translations below.

Translations

Kělián: pathetic

háo wú jiàzhí: junky

yīkuài fèn de: piece of turd

gǒu shǐ chòu mádài: stinking sack of shit