Solaira: LOL, sorry for the cliffy, well not really hehehehe, hope this satisfies you.
Sabrina1204:YAY! Survived Christmas without any fatalities hehehehe, hope you made it out alive as well, much luv girlie, hope you like this one.
Zen007: hehehehe, hope the update was worth the wait :D
Hotagainstthewall: Okay don't freak on me I promise I'll clear up the Jayne thing in the endnote. Lol
DemolitionV: lol, wasn't gonna make ya'll wait too long for this one.
Celticicegoddess: much luv girlie, hope your holidays rock as well :D enjoy.
Beth Weasley: LOL, thanks for reading momma.
Rachet: *Blushes* aww thanks :D
Hope I didn't go too far with this one…
Don't own a thing… Just a fan with delusions of grandeur.
"Kaylee!" Mal yelled from the cargo bay as Zoe closed the hatch behind them, "I want my gorram ship ready to fly!"
"She's gone shop… my god you've found her!" Simon raced across the bay.
"She's fine Doc, she's out, need ya to take a look at the bit bleedin' on my shoulder you didn't seem to notice."
"Mal what happened?"
"Ain't got time for that," he said shrugging Jack into Simon's arms, "gotta get gone."
"But Mal, they've gone shopping."
"What?!"
"They went shopping after I came back."
"Qing wa kao de liu mang (frog humping son of a bitch)!"
"Sir," Zoe pressed anxiously.
Mal paced for a moment, "Simon, get the girl to the infirmary, she's bleedin' all over my bay, Jayne get River up there too, and for the love of fucking Buddha make sure their restrained."
Jayne shot Mal a glare as he stomped by, muttering in Mandarin as he followed Simon to the infirmary. "Ain't chainin' her up Doc, you want it done you do it your gorram self," he said firmly after setting River down.
"I really don't have time for this now Jayne, the bullet went straight through clean, but I need to stop the bleeding and get this girl stitched up. What the hell happened out there?"
"What do you care Doc, you got your sister back?" Jayne snorted but didn't wait for an answer.
"Where are you going?" Simon yelled at him.
"To my bunk, this is my stop."
"What?"
"Girl's bleedin' Doc, focus." Jayne said and left the infirmary without another word, he had shit to do, and had to be done 'fore he found himself dead.
Riddick pressed his shiv against the throat of a young docking bay worker, inhaling in deeply the scent of fear which poured out of him. "Malcolm Reynolds, want his ship name and docking number," his voice was a gravelly whisper as he tightened his hold from behind the boy, increasing the pressure of his shiv against his throat.
"Ain't knowin' that kinda gou shi (shit) offa the top of my head," the boy stammered out.
Riddick growled.
"Left cargo pocket, there's a handheld…" The boy's words were irrevocably lost as Riddick snapped his neck cleanly and drug him further back behind a stack of crates.
"Thanks kid," he smirked to the dead body as he removed the portable computer, "Ain't personal, understand that, just happened to be in the way of what's mine." He explained to the corpse as he powered up the handheld and brought up a listing of ships currently in dock, smiling darkly as the information he had been looking for appeared up the screen.
Jayne looked around his bunk, empty now save the two faded green duffels on the floor by his feet, he left them there for a moment as he climbed from his bunk, still had work to be done.
The infirmary was empty and silent save for the incessant quiet beeping of the several machines both girls were hooked to. He could hear the voices of the crew echoing down through the hallways, he had to be quick, girls might be alone now but it wouldn't be for long. Rummaging through one of the cabinets he found was he was looking for, a large needle wrapped in yellow, the word ADRENDALINE written in bold black Chinese characters across it.
He left River's restraints on, case she decided to go all crazy killer woman the moment she woke up, he needed at least a gorram second to explain himself 'fore she offed him, and hopefully afterwards she wouldn't. He took a deep breath and steeled himself for what he was about to do, and pulling up her tank to expose her chest he drove the needle straight into her heart.
River shot up immediately, the restraints forcing her back down as Jayne clamped one large hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming and alerting the whole gorram ship. "Bi zui (Shut up) gorram it!" Jayne snapped in a whisper.
River's eyes instantly landed on Jayne's the whole of the afternoon coming back to her in a flash as well as Jayne's true intentions. She nodded her head, and silently shook off his hand.
"Ain't got time for explanations, can you tell where your man is?"
River closed her eyes for a moment and pushed her mind outward, locating her Riddick quickly thanks to the surge of strength the adrenaline was pumping through her system. "He is coming for what is his, all whom have crossed the girl and the cub should quake with fear, his wrath knows no boundaries."
"Yeah was 'fraid of that." Jayne grumbled mopping his hand across his face. "Listen good girlie, didn't want no part in this, not from the start, didn't sign up to chain up feng le women and fight off serial killers, hell alls I wanted was to make a coin or two to send home to Ma. Gorram captain's got me fightin' Reavers and playin' at hero, Jayne Cobb ain't no hero, never wanted to be." He pushed a key into one of her hands, and the small handgun he had purchased for her birthday a year ago that the captain had not allowed her to keep, "It's got a full clip, done my part." He turned his back on her but paused at the doorway, "Zoe done put a bullet in your little bit, it's clean though, yer brother done fixed her up."
"The girl will not forget this Jayne Cobb, but she must ask why."
"You're a reader." He snorted.
"The girl would like to hear it from his lips."
"Ain't forgotten a little feng le woman who stood drippin' with Reaver guts on the other side of that door, we's even on that score now girl. I'll be takin' my leave of Serenity for good, should rile up 'nough of a distraction for you to do whatever the gorram hell that genius brain of yours decides to do." He didn't wait for her to speak again.
River took several deep calming breathes, forcing herself to control the adrenaline which pumped ferociously through her veins. She needed to formulate a plan, so long as the crew could speak they could shut her down. She had not wanted to hurt them, but they had used the words they were warned about, they had shot her cub, they had stolen them from their Riddick, she would not be generous.
**
"Mal!" Jayne roared from the cargo bay.
"What Jayne?" Came the answer a minute later.
"Be takin' my leave."
"Ain't goin' nowhere Jayne, wanna be off this floating rock soon as the girls get back."
"Ain't talkin' like that Mal."
Mal looked confused for a moment, before clarity set in. "Might be best seein' how you ain't playin' for our side no longer anyhows," poorly concealed anger evident in his tone. "Ain't forgotten 'bout your actions back at the bar, you was supposed to take her down the second you laid eyes on her."
"Told ya Mal, only 'round 'til the better offer came up." He said simply.
"And what's the offer Jayne?"
"Livin'."
Mal cocked an eyebrow.
"Ain't no point in explainin' it, you wouldn't get it anyhow, 'sides ain't none of you cared for my thoughts 'fore, why should they matter now?" He said, there was no anger or remorse just resignation in his voice, "Do me a favor Mal, cause you still owe me for that Miranda shin dig, tell little Kaylee goodbye for me, mayhap I'll see ya'll around." He grunted as he lifted his duffels to his shoulders, he'd added that last bit 'cause he couldn't think of much else to say, Mal wouldn't listen to a warnin' or hear reason, only thing that would convince the man he'd fucked up was the tip of a shiv or the barrel of a gun.
"Don't come crawlin' back Jayne, and since you ain't crew no more don't think I won't hesitate to shot your desertin' ass 'iffin' we meet on opposite sides of a job."
"Wouldn't expect anythin' less Mal." He grumbled as he opened up the hatch.
"Ain't got your cut yet from the last job."
"Don't want it Mal, just want out." Jayne called over his shoulder as he exited closing the hatch behind him, leaving an opened mouth, fuming Mal behind him.
As soon as Jayne stepped off ship, the hairs on the back of his neck raised, every nerve ending in his body twitched, sure as shit they was bein' watched. His eyes scanned his surroundings, locating every spot a body could hide with a good view of the ship, which was quite a few considerin' it was a gorram docking bay, but his eyes finally settled on the one spot he would have chosen himself and he strode confidently toward it, pausing just out of reach should anything or anyone chose to strike from it, unlessin' they had a gun in which case he was fucked, but that was a risk he was willin' to take.
"Jack," River whispered.
No response.
"Jack."
No response.
"Jack," River ordered this time, and the girl's eyes fluttered open.
"Son of a bitch," Jack croaked, her throat was on fire, "Oh god."
"The Jack has been shot."
"Yeah no shit."
River rolled her eyes as she unlocked the restraints. "The pain will be great but she must rise above it our Riddick is coming for us."
"Riddick?"
"Yes, the Riddick waits in the shadows the man named Jayne will give him the key."
"Riv, gonna have to break it down into stupid talk, can't understand shit of what you just said right now, everything hurts and is fuzzy."
"If we let the Riddick save us he will be up in the game."
"Gotcha." Jack winced as River helped her up. "What's the plan?"
"The girl lived in this cage, she knows the secret ways, the paths the others never bothered to take."
Jack groaned, "Tell me we ain't climbin'."
"Into the lungs." River whispered helping Jack stand.
"Stupid talk Riv."
"The ventilation shafts."
"I've just been shot."
"And the girl named Jack will need to learn how to overcome pain to survive, she wanted to train, the lesson begins now." River growled, pushing a scalpel into the girl's boot.
"Fuckin' hell."
Riddick growled as he watched the merc step from the cage which held his girls, a small smirk forming as the man unintentionally stepped closer towards his hiding spot. His smirk fading as he realized his movements were purposeful, his eyes hard and set, he knew exactly where Riddick was hiding.
Jayne paused, looked off in the other direction, but a fraction of his gaze was fixated on Riddick's spot, when he spoke it was seemingly into the air, "Girl knows you're coming, I got her up and movin', little bit's been shot."
A snarl interrupted his words.
"Doc patched her up, bullet went clean through her shoulder," he dropped a scrap of paper on the ground, "ship's access codes, left 'em in the infirmary, doubt they'll still be there, look to the ventilation shafts, girl has a fondness for them," he half smirked.
Riddick suddenly stepped from the shadows, a breath away from Jayne's face.
"Could kill you now," he growled low.
"Suppose ya could," Jayne didn't even flinch.
"Why?" He snarled.
"'Cause that girl done saved my skin more times than I can count, just evenin' the score is all."
Riddick circled him, Jayne didn't bat an eyelash. "Know you got a score to settle Riddick but seein' as I did you a favor you do me one, leave the women folk be."
"Bitch shot my cub." He snarled.
"Only 'cause she was shootin' first."
"And why was that? Ways I hear it my girls was tryin' to walk leave you and yours in peace."
"And that's the right truth, ain't mine no mores, just ain't one to see woman folk getting' hurt."
"And what about my cub? 'Iffin they ain't yours what does it matter?" Riddick asked forcefully.
"Leave 'Nara and Kaylee be, ain't fighters ain't had no part in what went down, Zoe's a soldier, you wanna call even take it out on her, she's the one that fired the gorram gun." Jayne answered, Zoe's words to him ringing in his ears making him angry all over again, 'Ain't no good comes from reachin' higher than your worth.'
"Done." Riddick rumbled and reached down to pick up the scrap of paper.
Jayne nodded, and walked on without a backward glance at the ship that had played at bein' his home for the better part of a decade. Girl was right 'bout that ship, wasn't nothin' more than a pack of lies all prettied up.
Jack bit hard against her lip to keep from screaming out in pain as she pulled herself up into the shaft.
"Does the cub wish to learn how to disable a ship?" River asked sliding up after Jack with ease.
"They done shot me River," Jack snorted, "I'd like to rig this ship to blow them all off the gorram face of the 'verse."
River shook her head, "An explosion of that magnitude would most likely rupture the hull of the station, putting the girl, the cub, and their Riddick all at risk."
"Valid point." Jack admitted and began moving forward in the direction River indicated.
"It is wiser to disable the ship so they may not follow."
"We ain't killin'?"
River shook her head again, "Negative, the keepers played their part well and protected the girl while she was weak, that cannot be forgotten, but a lesson must be learned, they must learn that the girl is not to be caged, she has paid her debt and owes nothing more."
"Seems like killin' would be lesson enough," Jack bitched, bitter over bein' shot and not allowed to kill the fuckin' bitch that did it.
"The cub will be compensated, blood for blood." River promised picking up on her thoughts, "The Riddick comes and sees nothing but rage, the man has stepped aside and the animal has come to play, even if the girl was against it, she could not stop him from claiming what is owed." River felt the cub's mood lift considerably at her answer and couldn't help but smile slightly at the words she knew were coming next.
"'Iffin' you woulda given me guns of my own this wouldn't of happened," Jack pointed out smugly.
"Incorrect assumption, the cub must learn to shoot, had her aim been more accurate this would not have happened."
Jack frowned, River had a point. "Well, 'iffin' we had waited for Riddick like I wanted wouldn't had to shoot."
River did not have an answer, and mentally cringed over the thought of the inevitable confrontation that was awaiting her once they were clean of this current misfortune.
"By the by," Jack added, cringing herself but against the pain of looking over her shoulder, "I'm tellin' him this whole thing was your fault, I was against it from the beginning."
"Traitor." River giggled slightly.
"Nope, survivor," Jack chuckled weakly.
River stopped her from moving further, "This is the exit we wish." River cocked her head to the side and listened for the familiar thought patterns, only opening the vent once she was sure all of the onboard crew were gathered elsewhere, and eased herself out into the cockpit, helping Jack descend as well.
"So what's the plan?" Jack whispered, swaying slightly from the heady combination of smoothers and pain.
"We disconnect the wings from the brain, sever flight controls, make the mother feeble and confused."
"Stupid talk Riv," Jack reminded her again, gingerly cradling her wounded arm, she needed to sit, and obliged herself by flopping into the pilot's chair.
"The cub will rest, while the girl destroys the false peace's ability to maintain her lies."
"Not stupid enough, but I get it, I sit here and die a little, while you break their ship, gotcha." Jack half groaned, the exertions of moving through the shafts catching up with her.
River pushed back a stray strand of Jack's hair from her face, lovingly tucking it behind her ear, she gently kissed the girl's forehead, "The girl is sorry her cub was injured, she will be made whole and well again."
Jack smiled, "Ain't a thing, this is the life I wanted right? Figure it won't be the first scar."
"The probability of the defamation of the cub's flesh is high," River agreed absently, "but she will wear them as the Riddick does, with pride." She finished as she cracked open a paneling beneath the console and disappeared nearly completely into the guts of the console, reemerging a few moments later with a broad satisfied smirk across her face.
"Finished?" Jack asked tiredly.
"Yes, and our Riddick has arrived, it is time to take our payment."
"Finally some fun." Jack pushed herself up from the chair, gratefully accepting River's offered support, "Suppose I'll just be a spectator."
"The girl will insure proper payment is made," River whispered to her quietly.
"Knows you will River."
River couldn't help but beam as she felt Jack's absolute trust and certainty wash over her like a warm rain.
Access codes in hand Riddick strode onto Serenity as if he owned it, right through the gorram front door, slipping behind a stack of crates as the echo of footsteps bounced off the metal walls.
"Kaylee gorram it when I tell you to sit with the god damn ship I mean it!" Mal barked, halting suddenly when he was greeted by a silent and empty bay. "What the hell?"
"Hatch sensor must be on the fritz 'gain Sir." Zoe answered coming up behind him.
"Swore I heard it though," Simon wondered, and then shrugged it off. "They should be back soon, they had left more than an hour before you returned."
"Sooner we're off this floatin' rock the better." Mal grumbled.
"Couldn't agree more Sir," Zoe nodded.
Silently Riddick moved, placing himself directly above the trio, utterly oblivious to his presence.
"Doc check on our girls make sure they're both still doped up, don't much care for them waking up 'til we're safely in the black."
Riddick snarled from the shadows, their girls, their mother fucking girls? Thems were his, and he wanted them back now.
"What was that?" Mal asked.
"ME." Riddick growled jumping down, "And them girls you got is mine." He landed directly behind Zoe who found herself with a shiv to her throat before she had time process somebody had spoken.
Mal swore and had his weapon drawn before his stream of cursing had run its course. "You harm one gorram hair on my first mate's head and I will shoot you down."
Riddick chuckled, licking a bead of sweat which had formed on Zoe's temple, tasting fear, "Way I hear it this bitch put a hole that didn't belong in something that was mine, an eye for an eye Captain Reynolds." He smirked, lowering his shiv towards Zoe shoulder he pushed the blade in.
Zoe cried out in pain, struggling against him and only succeeding in pushing the blade further in.
Mal cocked his weapon. Simon stood slacked jawed unable to process the sudden turn of events as Mal's finger twitched at the trigger the sound of a gunshot drew the attention of all, and four heads jerked up in unison.
"Drop your weapon Malcolm Reynolds." River said coldly, approaching slowly, half supporting the girl Simon had doped up enough to make her sleep for weeks as she closed the distance between them. "Should you choose to pull that trigger the girl will end you."
Riddick growled taking in Jack's wounded condition and pale coloring, "Jackie-girl you with us?"
Jack snorted at the absurdity of his question, but she got the point, was she capable of running on her own when the time came to move, "Been shot Riddick ain't fuckin' dead." She scowled at him, "'Course I'm fuckin' with ya."
Riddick laughed pushing his shiv in deeper. "Your first mistake," Riddick growled low, speaking to close to Zoe's ear, "was comin' for my girl, your second fuckin' mistake, takin' a shot at my fuckin' cub," he paused to again drive the shiv in slowly deeper, "Scream for me girl," he whispered almost seductively in her ear, and she complied almost instantly as she felt the blade tear through the muscles of her shoulder. "Put your gun down boy, 'for I start poking holes in places that won't heal on your girl here Reynolds."
"Nothing but a gorram weapon aren't you girl," Mal growled throwing down his gun.
River smirked, "Malcolm Reynolds is a fool, the girl warned him, she gave him his chance, what did the girl tell him would happened should he use the words, they never listen, never, never ,never. That is why the girl fled, they did not see her, they did not hear her, until they needed her, want and take, how can we use her, how can we make coin from her? The girl heard their thoughts, the girl swallowed it as another bitter pill, she let the Ge-ge poke and prod, let the captain use her, let the first mate blame her, let the sunshine pet her, let the perfumed woman pity her, the girl will not swallow another pill, she will not be poked with another needle, she tires of being owned, of being a pet." She ground out the last few words, her voice once more like ice against glass, the look in her eyes the same the captain had seen in the Maidenhead and for the first time since they had begun the search for the girl Malcolm Reynolds felt a cold wave of fear rush over him.
Another cry of pain refocused their attention.
"That is enough." River told Riddick firmly.
"Ain't girl, bullet went straight through Jack, I'm only half way in," he argued.
Zoe attempted to use Riddick's momentary distraction to her advantage as she made her move for her sidearm. Riddick had not been as distracted as she thought, she realized only too late as the shiv drove in deeper and her wrist was snapped in half, the sickening crack echoing through the hold like manic laughter accompanied by her scream.
Aside from her newly broken wrist, Riddick paid little attention to Zoe's attempted outburst, his gaze still fixated on his girls.
"Mei-mei," Simon said softly.
River whirled on him, but her gun did not leave Mal, "Do not address her so."
"River," His voice was firmer.
"Do not scold her as though she was a child!" River snapped.
Mal had apparently not learned from Zoe's attempt to utilize the trios seeming distractions and took it as a good opportunity to try to speak the phrase.
River fired.
"Gou neong yung de (son of a bitch)!" Mal yelled as he clutched his knee cap.
"The girl will not warn you again." River said coldly.
Riddick's laughter echoed throughout the hold, "Shoulda listened the first time Malcolm."
"River this is insanity, look at yourself, look at what you've done, look at what you're allowing to happen?!" Simon yelled at her moving for the captain to help staunch the bleeding.
"To everything thing there is an equal if not greater reaction Simon," River said harshly as if she were correcting an ignorant child, "It is a basic fundamental law, they came for the girl, she warned their messenger to let her fly free, they did not listen, they hunted, they tracked," her voice raised an octave, "they shot her cub, made her sleep, took away her will and chained her into the cage. THEY CHAINED HER. An eye for an eye, the Riddick takes what is owned to our cub, a tooth for a tooth, the captain wished to make the girl sleep, he should thank her that she did not make him sleep, for his there will be no waking up from."
"Merciful Buddha listen to yourself River! There's nothing left of my mei-mei in there!"
"She was weak, the girl has killed her, she is a new kind of animal now."
"So you're going to kill us?!" Simon screamed at her.
"Negative, the Simon is so dramatic," she scoffed at him, "payment has been made, blood for blood, this is the last warning the girl will give them though, should she sense them in the shadows, lying wait in the high grass she will bare her claws and will leave nothing breathing in her wake."
Riddick felt the tip of his blade pierce the skin of Zoe's back and he dropped her to ground after unmercifully ripping the shiv back out of her flesh, planting a quick kick into her ribs for good measure, he leaned down low and close, "'Iffin' I feel you on my ass 'gain woman I will personally skin the flesh from your face, 'fore I kill you." He whispered close, bringing his shiv back to his lips and tasting her blood. "Know you're smell now woman." He rumbled before standing and picking up Mal's discarded weapon.
"You gorram fucking animal!" Mal roared at him, but those were his last words as the butt of his own six shooter was brought down against his temple.
"Man's fucking mouth is worse than yours Jack." Riddick smirked looking up and approaching a trembling Simon.
"Oh fuck you Riddick," Jack snorted, wincing in pain, an action not missed by Riddick who tensed.
"Be finished her in a second girl," he told her more softly than Jack had ever heard him speak, "Get you safely back in the black." His tone changed abruptly as he turned his attention back to the doctor, but River stepped in his path.
"He will not kill the Simon."
"Ain't got no right to stake a claim on you girl," Riddick growled.
"The girl agrees, but the Simon did free her, his intentions have long since been poisoned by bitterness, but the girl cannot fault him in this," she turned to face her brother, "that is why she left him, to give him his freedom as well as her own, he should have not come looking."
"Mei-mei…"
River's face hardened, "Do not address her so."
Simon looked confused, one minute River was angry with him, and the next second compassionate and forgiving, followed blindly by anger once again, her sudden mood shifts only reinforcing his belief his mei-mei was indeed very sick.
"THE GIRL IS NOT CRAZY!" River shouted at him bringing the butt of her own gun down on his temple, knocking him out in the same fashion Riddick had taken down her former captain. Her chest heaved as she stared at his unconscious form, "The girl is reborn." She said quietly.
"The girl," Riddick whispered seductively coming up behind her and running his fingers along the lines of her sides and hips, "is the most beautiful creature in the 'verse, and she's mine."
River smiled deeply, her eyes lighting up and shining in pure adoration for the man who now had his arms wrapped around her.
"Hate to break up this little love fest," Jack only half heartedly snapped as she swayed, stumbling against a stack of crates, "But girl's been fuckin' shot over here and she could really fucking use a place to moan in agony for awhile without worryin' 'bout bein' shot, kidnapped, or eaten."
Riddick chuckled, and dropped his hands reluctantly from River's body to scoop Jack up easily, "Come'on kid, found us a ship."
"What about all the new gear?" Jack whined as she felt the black edges of unconsciousness swim against her vision, but the reassuring and comforting beating of his heart she could hear as she rested her head against his chest soothed any and all of her fears and concerns.
"It shall be reacquired." River answered taking her place besides Riddick and smoothing out Jack's hair, "The cub shall not worry on it." She cooed as the trio stepped off the ship, River pausing only a moment to make a face as she wiped the blood off the bottom of one of her boots.
Six hours later…
"There's nothing left off her," Simon said quietly to the captain as he sat beside him in the infirmary, Zoe in the second bed sound asleep thanks to the cocktail of smoothers and sedatives he had given her.
"Had a conversation 'bout what to do 'iffin' the girl couldn't be brought back," Mal said, though slightly groggy from his own cocktail of smoothers his wits still remained generally about him.
"Cap' you can't be serious!" Kaylee exclaimed, one hand moving to cover her mouth as she remembered sitting in the mess with the crew after the Maidenhead Incident.
"Ain't likin' it much either little Kaylee, but can't see no other way 'bout it, girl was our responsibility, sometimes hard choices gotta be made."
"What are we talking about?" Inara asked, one hand wrapped in one of the captains.
"They mean to put her down!" Kaylee snapped angrier than she ever remember being, "they mean to shoot down one of our own!"
"Mal!" Inara recoiled away from him horrified, "You can't be serious!" But his expression told her he was and she felt her heart sink into her stomach, tasting revulsion and disbelief.
"You didn't see her," Simon said quietly, "You didn't hear her," his voice cracked slightly, "there's nothing I can do to fix her, that man…that gorram beast… he has destroyed her completely, my mei-mei is dead, and the weapon the Alliance had tried to build has taken her place."
"Simon, she's you're mei-mei!" Kaylee accused her face red, her fist balled up in rage.
"Not anymore," Simon sighed rising wearily from his seat, "Kaylee, she said it herself, called herself an animal, said my sister was dead, I fear there was an alternate personality I missed, she said the girl killed her, I never thought... It is my fault I should have been treating her for Schizophrenia, it appears it is too late."
"Simon, think about this," Inara pleaded, "This is River, she saved us all countless times."
"Yeah and I watched her hold a gun to me while Riddick played fucking pin cushion with Zoe!" Mal snapped, "Watched her shoot me in the knee, and she was the one 'Nara that knocked her own brother out cold."
"What I wanna know," Zoe started hoarsely having woken without notice, "Is how in the gorram hell the girl got free, and how Jayne seemed to jump ship right in the nick of time." Her voice though scratchy was full of bitterness and hatred. "Goddamn merc Mal, that's all he ever was , greed is the creed," she sneered.
"You don't seriously think River offered him money to set her free?" Inara asked, entirely aware this conversation was spinning completely out of control.
There was a responding silence from Simon, the captain, and Zoe.
"Ni men dou shi sha gua (you are all idiots)!" Kaylee yelled at them, "Yous talkin' on killin Jayne nows too ain't ya?" She demanded.
"Man don't live that crosses us like he did," Mal said coldly.
"Ain't got the proof." Kaylee argued.
"Not yet," Simon said calmly walking over to the infirmary computer, "but the ship security feeds should tell us how it was done."
"The first sensible thing anyone has said." Inara huffed.
Kaylee and Inara watched the feed in horror, seeing Jayne slip a key and a gun to River after waking her up. Simon, Mal, and Zoe however were not horrified, nor surprised in any manner, the feed had merely confirmed their suspicions and set their resolution.
Jayne Cobb would die for his betrayal, and as for River Tam, none of the three saw it as murder, no, to them it was a mercy, like ending the life of a terminally ill patient. They would be ending the tortured existence of a poor little girl locked deep inside a weapon who would not wish to live if she understood fully all that she had done.
"Soon as I'm capable and the Doc clears me, we'll be off this hellhole of a station, and we do what needs to be done." Mal said.
"I will not be a party to the murder of a child." Inara said rising, "You may drop me on the first landfall, I will find my own way." She finished coldly.
"And you Kaylee?" Mal asked harshly not sparing a glance for the woman he loved.
Kaylee looked to her feet, "Killin' her ain't right cap', ain't a bit of any of this right, Serenity's my girl though, I fly were she flies, don't ask me to hold a gun 'gainst her though, I won't, ain't thinkin' she's too far gone to be saved," a few tears slipped down her cheeks, "Sheppard Book said all of us could be saved."
"Book died for that girl who so easily shot me down Kaylee girl, you member that when the time comes." Mal answered her.
River giggled madly as Riddick tossed her onto the bed in their bunk on their newly acquired ship. In the bunk across the hall the cub slept, safe and pain free, and so her attention was fully and rightfully so where it belonged at the moment, on the beautiful mercurial blue gaze of her Riddick.
"Now on," he growled, "When I say fucking stay you stay girl." His playful gaze turned serious.
River nodded, "The girl is sorry," she whispered, truly repentant as the depth of his fear and worry for them overcame her, nearly bringing her to tears, the Riddick's rage had been nothing compared to his fear, his fear he would come too late, his fear he would never smell his girls, or run his fingers through their hair, hear their voices, or hunt with them again.
"Coulda lost you both," he rumbled low, his mind recalling images of Jack pale and weak leaning feebly against the stack of crates, his lips forming a small smirk as he also remembered the girl had enough strength even then to tell him to fuck off.
River giggled slightly sharing his memory, she stood on her knees on the bed and wrapped her arms around his neck, "The pack fights as one, it is a lesson we have learned well today, the girl loves her Riddick and she will never be parted from him."
Riddick did not return the sentiment with words, he had no need to, where his voice was lost, his lips were not and he spent the next several hours reacquainting himself with every inch of his.
Jayne dropped his duffels on one side of a booth and plopped down on another, resting Vera gingerly across the table, he signaled the waitress and ordered two whiskeys. The first disappeared directly down his throat, the empty glass slamming back down on the table before the waitress had turned to leave.
"Rough day honey?" She cocked an eyebrow at him.
"Rough couple of years," he grunted.
Eyeing his duffels she nodded in sympathy, "Lost your gig huh?"
"More like told 'em to fuck off," he smirked.
The waitress giggled, "Honey been wantin' to do that to the old hun dan that runs this joint for years, does it feel as good as you hoped it would?"
Jayne actually smiled, thinkin' on the matter for a moment, "Yeah, feels ruttin' damn good." He slammed back the second glass.
"Well whiles I go and get you another I'll let ya in on a little tip, see them two burly lookin' men over at the table in the front."
Jayne looked without lookin' , a skill one develops after a time in his line of work, "Yeah."
"Wells heard tell they was lookin' for another gun hand for their crew on account of their last got shot. You ain't afraid of bein' shot at are ya?"
"Sister, after staring down a whole gorram horde of Reavers a little bullet don't stir much fear."
"Golly Reavers!" She breathed in barely a whisper.
"Ain't as mean as they look," he smirked, eyeing the low cut neckline of the girl's shirt and sittin' up a bit taller, thinkin' he wasn't gonna miss that piece of gou shi scrap metal not one little bit.
Endnote: JAYNE IS COMING BACK…. SUPER HUGE BIG PINKY SWEARIN' PROMISE ON THAT ONE…
On that note lol, hope ya'll enjoyed. Merry Happy Holidays to you and yours may it be safe and everything the songs sing about. I'll try to crank out another update before the New Year but just in case, party like rock stars and ring in it right…much luv to you all, your overwhelming support is mind blowing and I am grateful to you all for finding at least something mildly entertaining about my mindless ramblings.
'Til After Now