Author's Note: Thanks for your patience, sorry it's been so long again. Holidays and work and crazy, crazy other stuff. Ugh! But here is another chapter. I hope you enjoy. Thanks for the reviews.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
"Kaylee! Gorram it! Come back to me!" Simon's voice echoed through Serenity's silent chambers. He slammed his fist hard on her chest.
Mal was stricken, he backed away from the table. Zoe held Lily in her arms waiting for the antidote to work.
Simon kept pushing on Kaylee's heart, trying to get it pumping again and then the monitor started to beep. Simon stopped and watched as her heart stabilized. Simon wiped away the tears as he reached for the medicine vials that Inara had brought. He injected Kaylee with the antidote and waited.
No one said a word. Everyone waited for the two girls to come around. Jayne's back was to the infirmary now, he couldn't bear to watch. Simon stroked Kaylee's cheek and pushed her sweat soaked hair from her face. Mal stood with his hands fisted on his hips alternating between looking at Lily and Kaylee. Inara leaned her forehead against Mal's back, trying to support him and to keep herself from slipping to the ground in a heap of tears.
Mal found himself wishing he prayed to God; wishing that he could beg for their lives to be spared. Not them, he pleaded, please not them.
River stood at the edge of the Tam residence. The lights were on and she watched her mother stroll through the house. Then she saw Thomas Tam. He was sitting in the comfort of his extravagant living room. River hadn't said everything she had seen in her father's mind. She blamed herself for not knowing that he had poisoned the ring. Too many people had died because of her…and Kaylee, she made Simon happy and she was a good friend. Kaylee had always stuck up for her, even in the worst of times.
River was about to slip through the security fence, she had memorized the field pattern.
"River?" Milo's voice surprised her.
She spun around and looked at the boy. She was struck how handsome he looked to her. She tilted her head. "What are you doing here?" Then she held up her hand. "You shouldn't have followed me, Milo."
"I couldn't…I saw what was happening and you looked like you were going to do something rash, so I wanted to…make sure that you didn't."
"I'm not going to do anything rash."
"Really? Cause it seems to me that you're breaking and entering."
"I haven't broken anything yet," she retorted.
"River, what's…"
"I have to kill my father."
Milo looked at her. "Why?"
"He poisoned Kaylee."
"The ship's mechanic?"
She nodded. "My brother loves her." She glided over to the window and peered out into the darkness. "He nearly killed Lily."
"Why?"
"To teach my brother a lesson."
"That's some lesson."
"My father is responsible for my…" River trailed off.
He approached her. He reached for her, but she stepped back. "Your father sounds like a son-of-a-whore, but if you kill him, how does that make you better than him?"
"I'm already a killer. He sent me away to be a weapon instead of his daughter. Too smart, too good and Alliance was willing to pay the price. He told my mother Simon and I were dead. Simon…he was the only one who cared. He came and got me. He wants to kill our father. Simon's a doctor, he gives life, he shouldn't take it. I was born to kill. I excel at…"
"You're not a killer. I have no doubt that you've killed people, maybe even a lot of people, but you're no killer. Vengeance isn't the answer."
"Why should he live when Kaylee doesn't?"
"Kaylee died?" Milo's hand instinctively reached for her.
"I couldn't hear her anymore. Simon was pumping her heart with his fist. Her voice was weaker and weaker."
"Maybe your brother pulled her back. Maybe she's okay."
"It should've been me." River couldn't stop the tears that pouring down her cheeks.
"Don't say that. I'm sure Kaylee doesn't feel that way." Milo took her hand in his. "Do you believe in Fate?"
"Implausible. Your actions can be calculated to their consequences. There is no plan only cause and effect."
"I used to think that."
River glanced over at him, still feeling his hand on her wrist, his thumb gently stroking the top of her hand.
"I should be dead. I should've died when I was sixteen."
River stared at him. "You were fighting and you got pushed and you fell on a metal rod, right through your tummy." River absentmindedly lifted his shirt, revealing a large scar just to the left of his belly button. Her finger traced the jagged scar. "You were dead for nearly two minutes." She felt a shiver course through his body.
"I should've died that night but they brought me back."
"And that leads you to Fate? Someone was just able to sustain you long enough to help your body keep working. Fate means that everything we do has already been planned."
River's thoughts turned to Simon and Mal and the crew of Serenity. The Firefly class spaceship was the first place that felt like home since she had been taken from hers. She looked over at Milo.
"He can't get away with this," she growled. Tears poured down her cheek.
Milo shook his head. "It isn't fair, but…"
River put her hand over his mouth and started to usher him away. It was too late. River watched as a group of Feds moved in around them. There were two dozen, but only five stepped forward.
"River Tam, you are bound by law."
She clenched her hands into fists and she let her instincts take over. She waited as they closed in around her and Milo. She could hear Milo's fear; she ignored it and focused on the men advancing on her. That's when she realized something. These were not normal Feds.
The five men that surrounded were Readers, like her. They were listening to her plans to escape. She glanced at the house that contained her childhood. Her father…he had set her up.
"Stand down, River Tam, and we wont' harm you."
River eyed each of the men. They were weapons. And they were the best.
"It may be a while before Kaylee comes to," Simon said at last.
Zoe held onto her little girl. "How long does it take to work, doc?"
"Mama?" Lily's small voice startled everyone.
Simon examined the now very awake little girl while everyone watched with wide eyes. Inara was still standing behind Mal, her hands gripping his upper arms for support.
"Doc!" Lily exclaimed. Simon laughed, feeling elated. He didn't look at Kaylee. He wanted to be relieved for a moment, just one moment.
"Hi, Miss Lily." Simon caressed the little girl's cheek. "Her fever is dissipating. She's going to be fine."
Zoe grinned and hugged Lily close to her.
"Doc?" Mal quizzed, hovering over Kaylee.
"Mal!" Lily cried noticing him for the first time.
"I don't know, Captain. We're just going to have to wait. There's nothing more I can do. It's up to her now."
Mal reached behind him and gripped Inara, pulling her to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist. He felt her sob against him.
"Where's River?" Simon asked.
Jayne looked back, just now remembering her exit through the door. He looked back at Mal. The Captain nodded and Jayne headed for the bridge.
Malcolm couldn't say for sure, but he had the very distinct feeling that she was no longer on board Serenity.
"Mal," Jayne's voice came over the intercom. "I don't know where she is, but shuttle two is gone."
Simon started swearing under his breath.
Mal hit the intercom. "What was her trajectory?"
"Middle of Osiris prime."
"She's gone home, Captain." Simon crossed his arms over his chest. "I can't go anywhere. I have to be here in case something goes wrong with Kaylee."
Mal nodded. "Jayne, we're going to take shuttle one and go find her." He turned Inara. "Come with us?" he asked.
Inara gaped at him for a moment. "Er…" she stammered. "Yes, of course."
Mal gave her a weak smile and turned to Simon. "We're going to go find her." Mal squeezed his shoulder. "Call if anything changes."
Simon nodded.
Mal checked his gun and ammunition as they boarded shuttle one. Inara took the helm. Mal gave her coordinates to the Tam Residence. "That girl is in big trouble," he muttered.
Inara glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "What upsets you more, Mal? The fact that she left the ship without your permission or that she's going to kill Thomas Tam first?"
He looked down at her. "It can't be both?"
"I should've stopped her," Jayne growled under his breath.
"If River doesn't want to be stopped, ain't much gonna stop her. You remember the slicing and dicing of the Reaversand she was going to take on the Feds right after that. I don't think there is a lot that can stop her," Mal replied.
"Mal?" Inara's voice was strained.
He followed her gaze out the window. River Tam was being dragged into a van.
"Hey, isn't that Rafe's kid?" Mal asked.
Jayne, Inara and Mal stared out the window as the men wrangled their prisoners into the Alliance ships. Inara turned the shuttle around.
"This is a whole world of bad," Mal sighed.
"Yeah, cause now, Rafe is definitely gonna to shoot you," Jayne grunted.
Simon stared at the Captain. He had heard the words but he still couldn't seem to comprehend what he was saying. River couldn't have been taken by the Alliance, because that would mean her life would be over. He would never find her again. How could he possibly? The first time had taken…and everything that he had sacrificed and now he had nothing.
Simon felt his knees wobble. He sat on the couch behind him.
He was only partially aware of Inara's hand on his and Jayne's quiet distress.
"Doc, I need you to stay with me here," Mal ordered.
Simon peered up and met Mal's stern gaze. He nodded solemnly. "Captain, I understand the position that she's…but I have to get her back. I can't…"
"Doc, it ain't about whether or not we're going to get her, it's about how we're gonna get her." The Captain crossed his arms over his chest.
"We're going to need an army," Inara murmured.
"That's an idea," Mal retorted.
"Where are we going to find an army, Mal?" she questioned.
"Rafe," Zoe's input. "If his son was taken, he's going to want him back." Everyone turned to see Zoe standing in the doorway of the infirmary holding a sleeping Lily. "He's got a whole bunch of employees and none of them Alliance-lovin' folk."
"It sounds a lot like we're planning on going to war with the Alliance. Is that what we're doing?" Simon questioned.
Mal's lips curled into a daunting smirk. "I've never stopped being at war with the Alliance."
"We're going to need more than an army. We're not talking about breakin' into a ruttin' hospital this time. Alliance facilities are going to have top notch security and ain't none of us going to be able to get into the front door let alone the front lawn. I'm sure we're all plastered across their boards. Shoot to kill or some nonsense." Jayne stood. "We're going to need to find a way in and my guess we ain't got much time. They was sendin' an assassin last time they wanted her and I don't even want to know how they were able to capture her this time."
Mal nodded in agreement. "We don't even know where they took her."
"I may know."
Everyone turned to see Rafe standing in the doorway. Milo was leaning against him.
"They took her, I couldn't…" Milo cringed against the pain that racked his body. The boy had been beaten savagely.
Simon stood and helped the boy to a seat. "You were there?" he asked.
Milo replied, "Yeah. I followed her. I came here looking for her and she left in such a hurry, so I followed her."
Simon eyed Milo carefully. He decided not to give the boy a hard time, but he could tell immediately that there was something brewing under the surface. He wondered if River felt something for him as well. Simon ran his fingers expertly over Milo's ribs.
"The gorram Alliance needs to pay. They can't do this to my son and get away with it. They've gotten away too much already."
"I thought Miranda would've shed some light on what the Alliance is capable of. But apparently not enough to make any kind of difference. They can't treat people like property, like they're not even human." Mal crossed his arms over his chest.
"We have to do the job I hired you for," Rafe said.
"What? Why?" Mal's brow furrowed.
"Because I was already planning to go to war with the Alliance. After what they did to my wife and my daughter, I couldn't allow them to get away with it. You were picking up the things I needed to break into the building of an Alliance facility. I bet that's where your girl is being held."
Malcolm just stared at Rafe. "I thought Reavers got a hold of…" he trailed off.
"Someone has to show the people of the Verse what the Alliance really is," Rafe barked.
"Let's set a course for Tempus," Mal ordered Zoe.
She nodded, carefully handing a sleeping Lily to him as she headed for the bridge.
Mal looked down at Lily and stroked her cheek gently.
Inara smiled watching him.
"I…" Simon stopped whenl he heard a faint voice. His entire body hummed. He ran into the infirmary. He looked down at Kaylee. Her eyes were closed and it didn't look like anything had changed. "Kaylee?" he called.
Everyone huddled in the doorway. "Kaylee?"
She didn't stir.
"Wishful thinking. Sorry," Simon muttered.
He jumped when he felt a hand touch his. He looked down and Kaylee was peering up at him through puffy, sleepy eyes. She managed a weak smile. "Hi, Doc." Her voice was dry and scratchy.
"Hi," he whispered stroking her brow.
"You saved me," she said.
"Inara helped." Simon wiped the tears that streamed down his cheeks.
"Something's wrong," Kaylee reached for him.
"River's been taken."
Kaylee's brow furrowed. "Who? How?"
"Alliance."
Kaylee muttered something in Chinese.
Simon nodded. "We are going after her. We've got some help this time."
Kaylee closed her eyes. "How long until I can get out of bed?"
Mal stepped forward. "You're going to sit this one out, Kaylee, you've been through too much."
"Ah, Captain, you worry too much."
"I beginning to think I don't worry enough."
"Kay-ee." Lily was awake now and reaching for Kaylee.
"Easy, little one." Mal let Lily hug Kaylee.
Serenity started to shake as Zoe pulled them out of orbit.
"We've got a long battle ahead of us," Mal said to his crew.
Rafe clapped his hand onto Mal's back. "Just think, Mal, now I don't have to put a bullet in you, most likely someone will do it for me."
To Be Continued...