Title: We all have our battles
Part Ten: Fights, Blood and Boxes
Author: Take a wild guess
Disclaimer: Think really, really hard. Would I be posting fanfics if I owned Firefly and made hundreds of dollars off of it anyway? Come on people!
Spoilers: Duh
Summary: Jayne's younger sister is now the newest addition to the crew, Mal is violent and Tara loses more blood. Any one else have some secrets they want to spill? Book?
A/N: Hope y'all are enjoying this. I personally like the way this is going and my muse REALLY seems to like me. I mean, three chapters in one day is a record. Doing it TWICE has to be worthy of a medal or something. *balloons and confetti start falling from the ceiling* For me? *guy holding medal nods and places it around her neck* Yay! So I DO get an award. Okay. Enjoy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" That would be the assumption."
" Yes. Judging by the test, a good assumption."
~~~~~
" Jayne, what's goin' on?" Tara walked into the cargo bay to see her older brother and the doctor about to get in a fight.
" Nothin'." He muttered. " Just go back to your room." Jayne's eyes were flaring, full of anger. Tara latched onto his arm and tried to tug him backwards.
" It ain't worth it. Don't matter what it is." She fell backwards when he flung his arm back in an attempt to get her off.
" I would never do a thing to hurt her."
" So says the science experiment gone wrong."
" Hey!" Mal shouted just as Jayne lunged for Simon.
" He started it." The two men pointed their fingers at each other and spoke simultaneously.
" I don't care. I'm endin' it. Now what in the 'verse is goin' on?" Inara's form drew Mal's attention towards the wall behind Jayne. Inara was helping Tara sit up.
Simon and Jayne were still talking over each other, but Mal had stopped listening. Tara was bleeding from a wound on her forehead, but was trying to get Inara to leave her alone.
" Tara! You okay?" He shouted, the two men shutting up at the question. Tara ducked her head and shouted back.
" Yeah." She scuttled out of the room quick as Nara rocked back on her heels shaking her head.
When Tara left, Simon started yelling again a second before Jayne. Neither noticed Mal's total lack of attention, nor did they realize when he walked over to the wall where Tara had been resting.
" How much was she bleeding?" He asked, seeing the lines of blood dripping to the floor.
" Bad. Wouldn't let me help her though." Inara looked sick at the thought of someone with that much of an injury refusing help.
" Go find her. See if you can at least get her to wash it. I'll deal with these two."
Inara nodded and rushed off. Mal, turning to his old method, picked up a crescent wrench and whacked the two men over the head with it.
" Help me tie 'em up, would ya?" He asked Book, who was standing in the shadows.
" Of course." He replied, stepping forward to help, holding rope in both his hands.
~~~~~
" Would one of ya mind tellin' me what started this little argument?"
Mal waited a second before looking at Book. The two men were tied together, arms behind their backs, seated on the cold metal deck.
" NOW your silent?" He asked.
" He started it." Jayne argued stubbornly.
" I don't care who started it. I want to know what it was about."
" River." Simon answered, still trying to wiggle his way out of the cable that held him and Jayne together.
" I knew that girl was gonna cause problems. What now?"
" She refused to take her medicine, saying Jayne had said she didn't need 'em."
" That all?"
" When I confronted him he got defensive and said that I shouldn't accuse him without proof."
" I did not!" Jayne yelled, jerking forward, causing the doctor to wince in pain.
" What did you do?" Mal covered his eyes with his hand, shaking his head in confusion.
" I said that maybe he should hold off. She's seems ta be doin' better. Maybe she doesn't need anymore."
" Is that possible?"
" Until I can figure a way to fix what they did to her permanently, the medicine is her best shot at being normal."
" How far away 'til ya figure it out doc?"
" I don't know. Longer than it might if I had the proper technology available."
" Well, get back to work on it." Mal sighed and cut the two men loose. " Until then however, River takes her medicine like a good girl and you two don't fight. Deal?"
" Fine."
" Whatever."
" Good. Now get."
~~~~~
" So, why'd ya run?" While Mal had interrogated the two idiots, Inara had found Tara already cleaning the wound.
" He didn't mean ta hurt me. Honest." Inara had to strain to hear the girl's quiet voice.
" I'm sure he didn't. Let me help." The girl whirled around and slammed back into the cabinet.
" No! I- I don't need help." She turned back to the sink and ducked her head under the sink. Inara bit her lip trying to decide what to do. Tara was cleaning the cut on her own so she was already technically doing what Mal had wanted her to do.
" Well, I'll leave you alone then." Turning around slowly, Inara shuffled out of the room. Pausing outside the door, Inara heard a muffled sob break loose.
~~~~~
" So, how's Tara?" Mal asked when he sensed Inara stepping up behind him.
" She's cleaning the cut on her head. It's not as bad as I thought it was."
" Head wounds rarely are. Give out a lot a blood."
" Yeah. So, did you settle the conflict?"
" Yep." Mal sunk further in the chair he was sitting in.
" Well that's good. Had a chance to tell the crew 'bout their next job yet?"
" I'm waiting for dinner. Figured that'd be the best time." Nodding, Inara stood up to leave. " Please don't." Mal's hand shot up to her arm.
" Okay."
~~~~~
" I got us a job." Mal announced at dinner.
" What is it?"
" Smugglin' mostly. Just a couple of boxes, twice as big as Jayne."
" What's in 'em?" Kaylee asked the question everyone was thinking.
" Don't know, nor do I care. We're gonna treat 'em like they've got explosives inside, understand?" A chorus of 'yes sirs' was heard around the table.
" How's your head Tara?" He asked as everyone quieted down and started eating again.
" Fine sir." The blood had been washed thoroughly from her hair and skin, but she looked pale after the amount of blood loss.
" Sure? Ya look sick." Mal was trying to get the girl to say what had happened, even though he had a very good guess.
" Just not very hungry." Which for the most part seemed true, she'd barely touched her dinner.
" Okay."
The crew ate in silence as Serenity creaked around them.
~~~~~
" Here we go." Mal said, looking at the boxes they had to transport. " Aren't ya glad we got rid of the other cargo two planets ago?"
" Wouldn't have had enough room if we hadn't Mal."
Wash stated, breathing heavy after helping push the boxes up the ramp. Even with wheels under them, they were still heavy.
" True. Listen, let's get off of here. Wash, ya know the drill. Get us out nice and fast."
" Aye, aye captain." He faked saluted and ran off towards the cockpit.
" Zoë, that husband a yours gets weirder everyday."
" I know sir." Jayne secured the cargo and Zoë flipped the lever that closed the ramp up.
" Ready for take off."
" Go." Mal could feel the engines roar to life under his feet and felt the feeling of gravity as the ship went to break orbit. It was a comforting feeling.
Part Ten: Fights, Blood and Boxes
Author: Take a wild guess
Disclaimer: Think really, really hard. Would I be posting fanfics if I owned Firefly and made hundreds of dollars off of it anyway? Come on people!
Spoilers: Duh
Summary: Jayne's younger sister is now the newest addition to the crew, Mal is violent and Tara loses more blood. Any one else have some secrets they want to spill? Book?
A/N: Hope y'all are enjoying this. I personally like the way this is going and my muse REALLY seems to like me. I mean, three chapters in one day is a record. Doing it TWICE has to be worthy of a medal or something. *balloons and confetti start falling from the ceiling* For me? *guy holding medal nods and places it around her neck* Yay! So I DO get an award. Okay. Enjoy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" That would be the assumption."
" Yes. Judging by the test, a good assumption."
~~~~~
" Jayne, what's goin' on?" Tara walked into the cargo bay to see her older brother and the doctor about to get in a fight.
" Nothin'." He muttered. " Just go back to your room." Jayne's eyes were flaring, full of anger. Tara latched onto his arm and tried to tug him backwards.
" It ain't worth it. Don't matter what it is." She fell backwards when he flung his arm back in an attempt to get her off.
" I would never do a thing to hurt her."
" So says the science experiment gone wrong."
" Hey!" Mal shouted just as Jayne lunged for Simon.
" He started it." The two men pointed their fingers at each other and spoke simultaneously.
" I don't care. I'm endin' it. Now what in the 'verse is goin' on?" Inara's form drew Mal's attention towards the wall behind Jayne. Inara was helping Tara sit up.
Simon and Jayne were still talking over each other, but Mal had stopped listening. Tara was bleeding from a wound on her forehead, but was trying to get Inara to leave her alone.
" Tara! You okay?" He shouted, the two men shutting up at the question. Tara ducked her head and shouted back.
" Yeah." She scuttled out of the room quick as Nara rocked back on her heels shaking her head.
When Tara left, Simon started yelling again a second before Jayne. Neither noticed Mal's total lack of attention, nor did they realize when he walked over to the wall where Tara had been resting.
" How much was she bleeding?" He asked, seeing the lines of blood dripping to the floor.
" Bad. Wouldn't let me help her though." Inara looked sick at the thought of someone with that much of an injury refusing help.
" Go find her. See if you can at least get her to wash it. I'll deal with these two."
Inara nodded and rushed off. Mal, turning to his old method, picked up a crescent wrench and whacked the two men over the head with it.
" Help me tie 'em up, would ya?" He asked Book, who was standing in the shadows.
" Of course." He replied, stepping forward to help, holding rope in both his hands.
~~~~~
" Would one of ya mind tellin' me what started this little argument?"
Mal waited a second before looking at Book. The two men were tied together, arms behind their backs, seated on the cold metal deck.
" NOW your silent?" He asked.
" He started it." Jayne argued stubbornly.
" I don't care who started it. I want to know what it was about."
" River." Simon answered, still trying to wiggle his way out of the cable that held him and Jayne together.
" I knew that girl was gonna cause problems. What now?"
" She refused to take her medicine, saying Jayne had said she didn't need 'em."
" That all?"
" When I confronted him he got defensive and said that I shouldn't accuse him without proof."
" I did not!" Jayne yelled, jerking forward, causing the doctor to wince in pain.
" What did you do?" Mal covered his eyes with his hand, shaking his head in confusion.
" I said that maybe he should hold off. She's seems ta be doin' better. Maybe she doesn't need anymore."
" Is that possible?"
" Until I can figure a way to fix what they did to her permanently, the medicine is her best shot at being normal."
" How far away 'til ya figure it out doc?"
" I don't know. Longer than it might if I had the proper technology available."
" Well, get back to work on it." Mal sighed and cut the two men loose. " Until then however, River takes her medicine like a good girl and you two don't fight. Deal?"
" Fine."
" Whatever."
" Good. Now get."
~~~~~
" So, why'd ya run?" While Mal had interrogated the two idiots, Inara had found Tara already cleaning the wound.
" He didn't mean ta hurt me. Honest." Inara had to strain to hear the girl's quiet voice.
" I'm sure he didn't. Let me help." The girl whirled around and slammed back into the cabinet.
" No! I- I don't need help." She turned back to the sink and ducked her head under the sink. Inara bit her lip trying to decide what to do. Tara was cleaning the cut on her own so she was already technically doing what Mal had wanted her to do.
" Well, I'll leave you alone then." Turning around slowly, Inara shuffled out of the room. Pausing outside the door, Inara heard a muffled sob break loose.
~~~~~
" So, how's Tara?" Mal asked when he sensed Inara stepping up behind him.
" She's cleaning the cut on her head. It's not as bad as I thought it was."
" Head wounds rarely are. Give out a lot a blood."
" Yeah. So, did you settle the conflict?"
" Yep." Mal sunk further in the chair he was sitting in.
" Well that's good. Had a chance to tell the crew 'bout their next job yet?"
" I'm waiting for dinner. Figured that'd be the best time." Nodding, Inara stood up to leave. " Please don't." Mal's hand shot up to her arm.
" Okay."
~~~~~
" I got us a job." Mal announced at dinner.
" What is it?"
" Smugglin' mostly. Just a couple of boxes, twice as big as Jayne."
" What's in 'em?" Kaylee asked the question everyone was thinking.
" Don't know, nor do I care. We're gonna treat 'em like they've got explosives inside, understand?" A chorus of 'yes sirs' was heard around the table.
" How's your head Tara?" He asked as everyone quieted down and started eating again.
" Fine sir." The blood had been washed thoroughly from her hair and skin, but she looked pale after the amount of blood loss.
" Sure? Ya look sick." Mal was trying to get the girl to say what had happened, even though he had a very good guess.
" Just not very hungry." Which for the most part seemed true, she'd barely touched her dinner.
" Okay."
The crew ate in silence as Serenity creaked around them.
~~~~~
" Here we go." Mal said, looking at the boxes they had to transport. " Aren't ya glad we got rid of the other cargo two planets ago?"
" Wouldn't have had enough room if we hadn't Mal."
Wash stated, breathing heavy after helping push the boxes up the ramp. Even with wheels under them, they were still heavy.
" True. Listen, let's get off of here. Wash, ya know the drill. Get us out nice and fast."
" Aye, aye captain." He faked saluted and ran off towards the cockpit.
" Zoë, that husband a yours gets weirder everyday."
" I know sir." Jayne secured the cargo and Zoë flipped the lever that closed the ramp up.
" Ready for take off."
" Go." Mal could feel the engines roar to life under his feet and felt the feeling of gravity as the ship went to break orbit. It was a comforting feeling.