Serenity started the trip back to Badger with an overall surly crew, or rather, a surly Captain. He was still upset with Jia for her comments in the hotel room and with Book for his assumptions. This made meals and general conversation difficult.

It was about two days away from Persephone when Mal got a very rude awakening. Wash was at his door shouting for his captain. Mal went up to the hall. Wash was talking too fast and without consonants. One thing was clear, he wanted Mal on the bridge.

Mal followed his pilot and was greeted with a sight he had seen way too much lately, an Alliance Battle Cruiser.

"Firefly Serenity, you are ordered to stand down and prepare to be boarded."

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As a month before, the crew was gathered in the cargo hold to await their dictators. There were marked differences this time. River was not smiling, and Jia was as close to Mal as she could be without touching, and terrified underneath her usual veneer of anger. The door opened and Alliance flooded in. This time, however, they did branch out to search the ship. Also, no one came to meet them. Instead, they were told to follow one of the soldiers. They were led without a word to a blank room and left there. It was twenty minutes before they were blessed with anyone else's presence. It was someone Mal recognized, if only because he had once saved his life from a lone Reaver in training. The man gestured for Mal to follow him. Mal did so. He figured it was the only way to end this. Again he was led to the interrogation room. He was instructed to sit. When he did he was handed a picture of another man he recognized, the Operative.

"Do you recognize this man?"

Now was not the time for lying, that time would come, "Yeah. Nice fella."

"He was in charge of a ship. That ship was found with the airlock released and the crew all dead."

That was unexpected, but Mal's face didn't show that fact. "Really."

"His specific job is unimportant, however, his relation to you is not. The last ship they came in contact with was yours. What business did he have with you?"

Again, not the time for lies, yet. "He was returning a crew member of mine that he had kidnaped and beaten nearly to death. Case of mistaken identity."

"Interesting."

"Not really, but sure."

"The nature of his job left no paper trail to follow. It took us this long to even find out he had contact with you."

"What do you want from me?"

"Which crew member?"

Mal was silent. He couldn't do it. He couldn't give them her.

"It's just a formality that I asked you. It's probably the girl with the faded bruise on her jaw line right?"

Again, silence.

"That's what I thought."

The man got up and left. Mal sat there hoping Jia knew when to keep her mouth shut.

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Back in the blank room, the man came in. "Miss, I want to talk to you."

Jia stood there deciding what to do. She was about to refuse when she saw Jayne and Zoe start to react. She stepped away from the wall and shook her head at them. She followed the man out the door with a backward glance at her friends.

He led her to yet another interrogation room, and she sat at one end while he sat at the other. She sat with her hand tightly gripping the side of the chair. He showed her the same picture he had Mal.

"Do you recognize this man?"

"Maybe."

"His ship was found with every member of the crew dead from exposure to space. What did he have to talk to you about?"

"Ask him."

"I would, but he was among the dead."

"Then I guess it's too bad for you then."

He smiled, "Now is not the time for stalling."

"I wasn't stalling, I genuinely don't want to talk to you."

"Does it have something to do with the return of your two other crew members?"

"Which ones?"

"Don't try to be cute."

"It's just that I lose so many people to you bastards it's hard to keep track."

"Ah, now the truth. Your scan shows you to be no stranger to Alliance. Your father was the arch traitor James Mason."

Her grip on the chair became tighter, "My father was no traitor to anything that matters."

"I think you may disagree once you see what I have to show you."

He turned the screen in front of him to show Jia. It was something she had seen once and continuously in her head since. Her father's last day. James sat in a room by himself. The giant man weeping like a child. A tear ran down Jia's face. She looked at the man in front of her. He was still wearing the smug expression of all Alliance.

"I've seen this before."

His face fell.

"I see, you thought you would be the first to show me these and I would immediately drop to your feet and thank you for showing me the truth." She laughed, "You're too late. They sent all his recordings home with his body. I've seen the truth, and it's not the gosa you wanted me to get. I see cowards. Cowards who experimented their techniques on a man whom they knew had no information. A man with a family, a family that needed him. I know the real truth. One day so will everyone. You can shove your tapes. But you won't get it. You'll return to your ivory tower and put your blinders back on. You look at this and you see a traitor. I see a patriot. A great man, who died unnecessarily for his cause. I can't put any blinders on. I had mine ripped off at the age of sixteen."

He was notably stunned. He couldn't speak. The only sound that could be heard was James Mason killing himself. A sound that could only be a man cutting his own throat. Jia's tears had dried up. She couldn't cry anymore.

"I'd like to go back to my ship now.

Jia never explained to anyone why they were let free, or the circumstances involved in the entire incident. Mal softened, his problems forgotten. He watched his cook retreat to her room with no expression, and he worried.

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Zoe went to her room later that day when she didn't show for supper. She was sitting with her knee's pulled up to her chest. She was staring into nothing. Zoe went up tp her and sat beside her. When the smaller woman didn't respond, Zoe pulled her into her arms. Only then did Jia start to cry.

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Jia was better after that, complaining about the mess the Alliance had made. Their arrival at Persephone was uneventful. When Badger requested Jia's presence again, Mal didn't bat an eye. After all, he would only be dropping off Badger's forty percent.

When he, Jia, Jayne and Zoe were once again in front of Badger, Mal was about to speak when Badger went right by him to be in front of Jia.

"Did you get my note love?"

"Yes, thank you."

He reached down and grabbed her hand, "I've been looking at your records love. Fastenatin'.

Read all about your dad."

Jia looked capable of murder, Badger didn't get it.

"Brave man that J..."

Jia had grabbed him about the throat. All his men's guns were instantly drawn. She pulled him so they were nose to nose.

"You are not fit to say his name. Don't you dare." She never raised her voice.

The silence was deafening. Jia released him. Then Badger did something incredible, he laughed.

"You are the cheekiest little girl I have ever met, much less heard of. Very well, love. I have business to attend to anyway."

He backed away from Jia with a smile on his face. Mal was still struck. He blinked rapidly and shook his head.

"Where's mine?"

Mal handed him a package.

"Pleasure doing business with ya. Especially now your tastes have so vastly improved." He winked at Jia and gestured for them to leave. They did with vastly more confusion then usual.

They were all the way back to Serenity before anyone spoke. It was Mal. "I have to say, that Badger is getting less and less predictable every day."

"You have a point sir." Zoe was just as surprised.

"Jia, you sure do have an odd effect on men?"

She asked, "What do you mean?"

Mal turned to face her, "I have never seen him ignore someone touching him, much less threatening him."

Jia laughed, "Well, it wasn't a threat, it was a promise. And he's really not as bad as you seem to think."

Jayne passed her, "No, he's worse."

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Jia never would understand what everyone thought was so bad with Badger. He was a useless worm, but he was harmless. Another thing she wouldn't ever really understand was Jayne. An example of this was on the way to their next job. Kaylee, Jayne and Simon were all gathered in the galley when Jia came in.

She looked at Kaylee, "There you are. I have a job for you. Could you put a locked drawer in the kitchen. I need to put my knives in there."

Simon was concerned, "Has River been taking them?"

Jia looked confused, "River? She wouldn't. It's this Idiot." She pointed to Jayne. "He keeps stealing them to use for target practice."

Jayne barely looked up, "They stick in the targets better."

"I don't care what they do for you Jayne. They are very expensive and not for throwing. Stainless steel isn't unbreakable."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Whatever." Jayne walked out of the galley.

Jia turned back to Kaylee. "Can you do that for me?"

"Sure."

The conclusion of this particular drama came a week later, the day before they arrived at their job.

Jayne, Mal, Book, and Zoe were in the cargo bay when Jia came in there, wielding a broken knife. She pointed at Jayne.

"You."

Mal picked her up before she could go after Jayne. "Whoa, what did he do now?"

"Piece of gosa broke my very expensive knife when I specifically told him not to touch it. He even broke into a locked drawer to get them."

Mal looked at Jayne, "Please tell me this isn't true."

"It's not like I meant to break it."

"I should let her kill you."

"Come on Mal, it's just a knife. I'll buy you a new one, Jia."

"Really, you willing to pay about two years pay to get me a new knife?"

Mal almost dropped her. "Two years!"

All the blood drained from Jayne's face. "Two years?"

"Yes, two years. My brother got them for me when our mother died. I told you to leave them alone."

"I didn't know them was that expensive."

"No, you didn't, so you should have left them alone."

Jia shook out of Mal's grasp and went towards the kitchen. Mal turned towards Jayne with his hands on his hips. Jayne shrugged.

Book said, "I'd come up with another way to eat for a few days."

Jayne may have starved if not for the distraction of the next few days.