Disclaimer: All Belongs To ME and Joss Whedon ……..

Notes: Sorry it takes me longer and longer, But I am writing my thesis and time seems to run …..

I will still continue writing, so don´t worry! I hope you still enjoy this. I will try to update more regularly!

Thanks!!!!

Persephone

„ She feels cold!" Jayne´s rough whisper echoed through the lab as he hesitantly withdrew his palm from River´s forehead.

" I know." Simon turned around to meet the mercenary´s scrutinizing stare. Jayne Cobb liked this about as much as he himself did. A bewildering and not at all comforting thought: the fact that they finally had something in common.

Simon could see Jayne´s jaw working as he pondered the implications.

Now he was no doctor, he knew nothing about medicine or healing, quite the opposite…Jayne knew more about causing damage and inflicting pain, but it did not take a genius to figure out that River´s body temperature running so low, that she was cool to the touch, was not a good thing.

Jayne´s gaze wandered from the young doctor back to the girl on the gurney. For all he knew she was sleeping, trying to gain access to Inara´s mind…….she looked serene and peaceful…but to Jayne she seemed lifeless and …almost dead.

The sparrow had flown to unknown places…..his girl was not there.

" I´ll give her another 30 minutes, then I´ll wake her up…..no matter what!"  Simon told him wistfully.

He leaned against one of the cabinets, his arms crossed in front of his chest, taking it all in.

He had the syringe already prepped with adrenalin…..

When Jayne had sauntered in a few minutes ago, Simon had frowned inwardly. Still he knew there was nothing he could do. It was obvious that the tall, grumpy mercenary was worried……he could relate to that.

Jayne simply nodded, his eyes still fixed on River.

Not for the first time he wondered how something so small, so fragile could be so incredibly strong and stubborn.

She looked so …….oh  no, she would never fool him again!

The gorram´girl! He knew her now, no matter how sweet and innocent and serene she seemed to be …….she could look like it all she wanted, but he knew her better than that!

He couldn´t help but smile with some sort of grim satisfaction.

Jayne couldn´t  help it……..she made him feel all kinds of things…….he might be worried about her, but somehow he knew he´d not lose her to something like this.

She was a fighter, she´d come back from the dead just to spite him …….haunt him with those white little feet, those wild, unruly tresses of dark hair and those big, knowing eyes.

" Inara ….." Even the timid whisper echoed through the giant halls of the House Madrassa like a shout. It might just be a dream image, but to all intents and purposes it was real to River….

It had taken her a while to find the companion. She had been wandering through Inara´s mind for what seemed like an eternity. River knew that in fact it had just been a few hours, but she could feel that her strength was on the wane every step of the way. She was reaching too far…….she could not keep the connection up for much longer.

Now …finally she had found  Inara. The companion was kneeling in front of an altar, lighting incense sticks. She was dresses in a beautiful crimson silk robe that reminded River faintly of some of the Sari  she had seen Inara wear before.

She turned around, a look of bewilderment and confusion on her face.

" River?"

Inara gracefully got to her feet, gathering the veil around her shoulders in one hand.

" What are you doing here, how did you ….."

River shook her head, stepping towards the companion quickly.

" I walked into your dream, I am sorry …..I have no right to intrude, but we are running out of time. I cannot explain all this now…"

" Time is of the essence little sister!" With a suppressed gasp Inara turned to find another River standing behind one of the giant pillars, her face half hidden from view as she was facing away from them. The eerie whisper had unsettled her.

" What is this?"

" Inara …."

She turned back towards the girl she had just been talking to. Then she understood …

" So this is her …the other one? She looks just like you."

" Yes……I know." She sighed.

" She helped take me here, I could not have done it alone ….I am reaching too far, Inara. This will not last, so we need to hurry! Mal sent me….."

She could see Inara´s face fall as the companion realized what River´s appearance was really about, her facial expression becoming tense bordering on  fear.

" No!"

Inara said loudly, shaking her head. She took a step back, turning away from River.

" Do you know where they are taking you?"

The moment River uttered the question, she could already feel the answer. The other woman´s feelings were like warm waves licking at her feet.

Inara was angry, angry with herself and scared to death at the same time. A brief, fleeting image of the captain drifted through her thoughts, the memory warmed her heart but it also filled her with fear.

River stepped closer, almost touching her shoulder.

" Inara….you need to tell me what you know. We need to know so we can help you, Mal needs to make plans…."

The companion shook her head again, the veil gliding from her shoulders to the floor.

" No…..there is nothing you can do, tell him that!"

River frowned.

" I have not known the captain that long, but even I know that telling him that is not going to change anything. You should know that!"

" And what does he propose? I tell you…."

Inara whirled around to face River, searching the girl´s face.

" ….then you tell him and then what? He follows Niska, trying to save me ……guns blazing?"

She laughed bitterly, still shaking her head.

" He´s going to get himself killed!"

" Inara …."

" No ……if he tries anything that´s how it´s going to play out! I will not see him dead or anyone of Serenity´s crew for that matter!"

She leaned forward slightly, taking River´s hand.

" River …..I have known this man Niska must have told you all about for a very long time. I know he did, because he told me so. He is a very dangerous man, even Niska is no match for him. He is ruthless in his pursuits and his standing in the alliance is very high. There is nothing Malcolm Reynolds can do for me now, please understand! You need to save him from this insanity!"

River closed her eyes for a moment, breathing deep. She could feel her strength seeping away faster and faster.

Opening her eyes she looked back at the incredibly beautiful woman in front of her.

" Even if I wanted to…..Inara…", River said slowly and seriously,

" I don´t think that is possible. Malcolm Reynolds will never leave any of his crew behind, no matter how bad things are. It goes against his very nature and deep inside you know this, Inara."

" But I am not part of his crew!" Inara returned heatedly with an edge of despair in her voice, however faint it was, River picked up on it.

She knew Inara felt that she needed to prevent this at all costs, she felt she needed to save him….all of them. This was all her fault, she had insisted to go to this planet…….she could not pull Serenity and her crew down with her……

The onslaught of Inara´s guilt made River sway ever so slightly. Suddenly she could feel the other thing´s cold finger´s  on her back like the touch of butterfly wings . Her mirror-image had moved behind her, cowering there, leaning against her back, supporting her.

" We need to leave soon, little sister …or all will be lost….."

River  looked directly into Inara´s eyes, smiling sadly.

" No ……you are  the woman he loves." River told her simply.

Inara gasped, covering her mouth with one hand.

" Don´t say that ….you have no way of…."

" …knowing?"

River smiled sadly, feeling very cold.

 She remembered seeing Inara´s face, her graceful way of moving, the scent of her perfume imprinted in the captain´s mind. She could still feel the longing, the inability to reach out , the fierce pride and the trepidation that held him back …….

" I can look inside his heart just like I can see what you feel right now, Inara. I don´t know how we do it, be we do …..and this I know….I have never met two people as pigheaded and stubborn as you and captain Malcolm Reynolds. All this wasted time ..over what?"

She shook her head.

" I do not have time for this now, Inara …please! I know it is not my place to tell you what to do …but he will come for you, if you tell me where they are taking you or not ….there is no doubt about that."

Inara furrowed her brow, lifting her veil off the floor.

" I don´t want to put any of you in harms way….."

River felt a hand tugging at her sleeve. The other one´s cold, cold finger´s interweaved with hers.

" I know …."

" We need to do it now …or we will not find our way back." It whispered in her ear.

" Inara ….you need to tell me now, or …..I need to find out. This cannot have been for nothing. If you don´t tell me know I will pull the information from your thoughts, it is wrong and I know that but you leave me no choice …so please….there is no time left!"

She could see that the companion was still torn, but she finally nodded with a resigned sigh.

" Hades…." She whispered hoarsely.

" They are taking me to Hades."