A/N: I put the translations of the Chinese I used in brackets following the sayings; because I hate having to scroll up or down to get them myself.
Ruth squirmed trying to get comfortable, she ran her tongue around her teeth, as she slowly became aware of her surroundings, surely she hadn't indulged that much that she was on the floor. Ruth moved experimentally, bumping into a warm body that was curled up behind her.
Praying it was James and not some húndàn she picked up, Ruth rolled over and pried open eyelids that felt as if Katie's Pride was docked on them.
"Simon" she croaked, "what in the hell are you doing here?" Taking a look around, "Where in the hell is here anyway."
Simon groaned, his head felt like Mal had hit him again, he tried to remember what he had done this time to incite the Captains ire; from a distance he heard a woman's voice calling out his name waking up a little further, he managed to utter "tianna" as he rolled over to see Ruth lying beside him, and from the look on her face her head felt the same way.
"Ni meí shì bà?" (Are you okay?) He managed to croak out as he sat up.
"I'm fine, I think, just one yaoguài (monster) of a headache," Ruth answered as she clambered to her feet as the door opened.
"So sorry about that dear cousin, you wouldn't be in this mess if Amanda here hadn't run off with my employer's property." A tall slim man said as he walked into the room, Simon studied the man. Not much older than himself, good looking but somehow still giving off a sense of something slimy that crawled out from under a rock.
"You qingwa cào de liúmáng (frog-humping sumbitch)" Ruth snarled, she started to charge but stopped short when a gun appeared. "What do you want Gerald?"
"Now, now Ruth," Gerald tsked, "I see running about with all sorts has not improved your manners in anyway." Shaking his head, Gerald gestured to someone outside the door, a small slim silvery case was slid through the opening.
With difficulty Simon rose to his feet, "What do you want with us?"
Finally taking a good look at Simon the man started to curse in Chinese, "Who the hell are you?" he finally managed to grind out between clenched teeth.
Before Simon could think of an answer, Ruth barked out a laugh, "bèn dàn!(you) idiot) Your thugs were after Amanda, not me and the luckiest guy in the bar." With a grace that would have done any society matriarch proud, Ruth introduced the two men, "Simon Lang I would like you to meet my liúmáng (bastard/asshole/criminal/gangster) cousin Gerald Reid, Gerald I would like to introduce you to"
Before she could finish, Gerald waved the gun, "I don't want to meet the latest chûnrén (fool, jerk) who was planning on crawling between your legs." Turning he left the cell, the door clanged shut behind him they could hear him yelling at the guards stationed outside the door.
Simon moved to the wall and slid down to sit, his legs no longer able to support him, he listened as Ruth called her cousin every name imaginable before she to sank down beside him.
Conversationally Ruth said, "you know he must have been listening to me and Amanda all those times"
"Huh"
"Gerald, he must have been listening when we were kids, cause I really don't know where else he would have learned the phrase dāì ruò mù jī (dumb as a wooden chicken). That was what he told the guard wasn't it."
"Hmm, I'm not sure I was to busy trying to figure out how to stay alive."
"Sarcasm Simon, at a time like this" Ruth rolled her head to look at her cell mate, "Is it even appropriate in this situation? I mean everything has its time and place."
Simon laughed at the oft repeated maxim, as Ruth continued, "I mean really Simon what do we do? Amanda will be pulling her hair out trying to figure out where we are, Chloe might or might not be able to come after us, I know that Gerald has no love for me, chances are he'll keep me alive long enough to contact Amanda, then he'll kill me."
Ruth shuddered, she was a strong woman but in this situation she did not know what to do, to her immense surprise Simon pulled her into her arms.
"If it's one thing I have learned over the past few months it's that Captain Reynolds never leaves a man behind. He will find us." Simon was surprised at the conviction he felt making that announcement, "He will come."
"Wash we're probably going to be doing a fast takeoff from here so be ready." Looking over the motley assortment of people standing behind him, Mal shook his head, River and Amanda stood behind Zoë, the two women had simply not argued about going they just would not leave, neither would say a word, they just waited to follow. Jayne and Cord looked ridiculous in heavy coats that they were wearing to hide their armaments. Kaylee simply looked frightened and hopeful at the same time.
"All right people let's move out" Mal led the rescue group out through the cargo door and into the station. As promised by Chloe's contact they emerged into a little used corridor, they swiftly moved toward a door set on the far end, without attracting undue attention the group managed to merge with the foot traffic that was browsing around the market stalls.
Amanda discreetly pulled up the tracking imager on her bracelet, as River distracted the vendor by bargaining for a sheer scarf, Mal stifled a laugh as River made Jayne pay for the scarf.
Amanda led the way to a dingier part of the station; more lights were burnt out or simply broken, she gasped as a man stepped out of a hidden doorway, Amanda used Cord's body as a shield when he passed.
River who was off to one side cooed at him to get his attention, "ooh your shuài (hansome/snazzy)"
Jayne rolled his eyes as River batted her lashes and tried to swing her non-existent hips, he threw and arm around her shoulders and glared at the piece of slime who was curling his lip. "Ah c'mon girl, ya got me, ya don't need him."
River wrapped her arms around Jayne's waist, as Cord slipped past them, nonchalantly hiding Amanda under his arm. "But qin ài de (dear, darling) I want him to come and cào(v/t screw, fuck)"
Without batting an eyelash Jayne retorted, "Nah, how bout we get another woman?"
Gerald edged his way around the big man and woman who had draped a gauzy scarf over her head, 'probably as ugly as everything else out on the rim' he thought, not even giving her a second glance. Gerald did cast a nervous glance at the man, who was giving him an evil eye. He had learned the hard way that all his money and looks didn't count for anything out here on the rim, the first day he landed.
River watched him walk away with a pout on her face, as soon as he was out of site she released Jayne and walked down the corridor to the hidden door. Pulling the scarf off so she could see better, River pushed a series of nearly invisible buttons around the edge of the door.
Stepping back with a huge smile on her face, she gestured the others through.
Mal stopped in front of her, "Don't think this little bit of trickery excuses that stunt you just pulled."
Rolling her eyes River followed Mal through the door, moving quickly the group did not receive any resistance, in fact there were no guards. River patted what appeared to be another section of the station, turning to Jayne she said, "Locked"
Before anyone could even react the merc had fired a few rounds where River had patted, quickly the young woman pushed on the correct sequence of buttons and the door slowly ground open, sticking at the halfway point.
Cursing under his breath Mal shot Jayne a glare, at the big man's "What?" Mal just shook his head and followed River through the door.
Catching up with Amanda and River, Mal saw that the two women had taken down three guards and were in the process of opening up the cell door. "Huh, looks like we aren't rightly needed here gentlemen." He noted to Jayne and Cord, they just looked proudly at the guards who were out cold on the floor.
Grabbing Ruth in a tight hug Amanda started to ask, "Who kidnapped," only to be cut off by Mal's sharp "Later, right now we have to mâshàng (on the double/quickly/right away/immediately)
Quickly they moved through the station, they slipped unnoticed through the shopping crowd and back onto Serenity.
Zoë, Chloë, James and Kaylee, who had gone shopping on the station in caseanyonehad actually wondered why Serenity had docked,met them in the cargo hold, Mal commed Wash "take off we're all here"
On the flight back to Katie's Pride, Ruth outlined who had kidnapped them and why.
"That no good, chùsheng xai-jiao de xiang huo (animal fucking bastard)," Amanda spat, "I knew I should have done something to him when I had the chance."
Ruth looked thoughtful for a moment and started to chuckle, "Sister do you recall who sits on the Board"
As everybody stared as Amanda started laughing, "Sister you are down right evil."
Ruth turned and explained, "the majority of the stockholders and board members of Blue Sun Synth also hold stock in Harrison Pharmaceuticals, Amanda and I hold every patent of every drug that is made at Harrison Pharmaceuticals. All we have to do is refuse to let the company use our patents, the stakeholders will be out billions."
At the blank looks she received from all except Simon, Ruth continued. "They won't want to lose the money, if I tell them not to release Version 7 and to leave Amanda and me alone, they will listen."
Serenity landed safely and the crew of Katie's Pride got ready to disembark, Chloe and Mal confirmed another job, Jayne and Cord shook hands, River hugged the twins goodbye, and Zoë looked impassively on as the women hugged and kissed every man on Serenity's crew goodbye.