Addicted
Chapter 10: Good Bye... For Now.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: If I said I owned them, I lied.
Author's Note: So, yah, this is the last chapter for this one. There is a second one coming extremely soon, and it'll be full with twice the fun... and romance.
To RebelRgoue127, I thought I would clear up the confusion.
As River bounded back onto Serenity, Nivia looked back at Oren before following River. River ran passed Mal. "What's wrong with lil Albatross?" He asked as Nivia came up to him.
"The Alliance is coming. You have to go."
"What? How do they know we're here?"
"Oren."
"Alex's husband?" He asked, confused. She nodded.
"Apparently, Oren's an Alliance soldier. I told Alex about River, and she must have told Oren, who told his General. I don't exactly know what the whole story is, but I know they're coming." Mal looked at her blankly. "Are you sure?"
"Pretty darn." She said as she watched River sink and huddle in the corner of the hold.
"You have to go. Get outta here. Take River and Serenity and go." She ordered.
"You coming this time?" He asked. Nivia avoided the question by walking over to River.
"Cap'ns gonna get you outta here. I promise." She cooed. River was starring into space muttering, "Two by two. Hands of blue. Two by two. Hands of blue."
"What's goin on?" Kaylee asked coming down the stairs.
"You gotta go find Simon." Nivia told her. Kaylee took one look at River and ran off. When River continued not responding, Nivia got up up and walked back to Mal.
"I got this feelin..." She said.
"What kinda feelin?"
"They're comin soon."
"You can't know that. It'll take 'um at least a couple days to get here. We got at least east another day-"
"Mal, I lived in this town a long time. My whole life. I know it well enough to know when the dust aint settlin right. Now, you're gonna take our boat, and you're gonna get our friends outta here."
"I'm gonna ask you again. You comin this time?" Nivia looked away, then looked back at him and said, "No." She didn't give him a chance to respond. She just walked over to newly surfaced Simon and began to explain. She could feel Mal's eyes on her, and she could feel his disappointment.
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Nivia burst through the door without knocking. She never did, but this time she entered forcefully. "Alex!" She yelled. She walked into the common room. "Alex!" Her dark haired friend came out of the kitchen. "What?"
"How long you known?"
"What?"
"How long have you known that Oren was Alliance?" Alex looked away and didn't say anything.
"How long!"
"A year." Nivia let out a loud, mad and disappointed sigh.
"You wanna tell me the story, or do I have to beat it outta your good-for-nothing husband?"
"Hey!" Alex yelled, in a warning fashion.
"He didn't tell me till I found out I was havin Cassara. He said he didn't wanna lie anymore. Said that he kept in touch with the core, but was done for the most part. Said he was sorry that he didn't tell me when we first started court'n."
Nivia shook her head and looked up at the ceiling, asking God to give her the strength not to seriously hurt her best friend. "How could you?"
"I told you, I didn't know-"
"How could you stay with him?" Alex looked at her in disbelief.
"What was I supposed to do? I loved him, not to mention I was pregnant!"
"He's Alliance Alex."
"So? He's a good man."
Nivia was getting more furious by the second. "It don't matter what kind of man he is! He's Alliance. We're Brown Coats. We fought against them! We're supposed to hate them!"
"I do hate the Core. But I don't hate Oren. Even had I known that he was part of the Core, I prolly still woulda given him a chance."
"How can you say that!" Nivia didn't understand. "Have you forgotten what he did to my family?"
"No. You won't let me. Or anyone else, for that matter." Now Nivia was the one looking at Alex with disbelief. "I can't believe you just said that to me."
"And I can't believe you stormed into my home and started accusin my husband of being a terrible person. You know Oren just as well as I do. He's you friend. He's not out for power. He's not doin work for the Core anymore."
"Yes he is. He just ratted out River to the Alliance. They're on their way here." Alex couldn't believe it.
"Thats not true."
"Yes it is. River read him." Alex thought for a moment then said, "Get out."
"Al-"
"OUT!" Alex roared. Niva had never heard Alex yell like that. She stormed out.
When she got home, she found River sitting on her porch. "River, what're you doin here?" She asked.
"Don't be mad at her. She didn't know. She really didn't."
"If you were me, you'd be mad at her. And Oren."
"Oren has beliefs. Beliefs that were put in his head by the Alliance. He doesn't know any better." Nivia sat down next to her. "I don't really know who I'm mad at. I'm not really mad at Alex, you're right, she didn't know. I'm sorta mad at Oren. He ratted y'all out. But I think I'm really mad at the Core. Or maybe I'm mad at Mal for bein so much gorram trouble." Then, they sat in silence.
"You're not coming with us." River said, still looking at the dusty ground. Nivia didn't say anything. She knew that River already knew the answer.
"The Captain want's you to. He's almost never wanted anything more in his whole life. And I know that you want to come. But you can't."
"I gotta stay here. I gotta tell 'um to stop lookin for ya, cause you gotta be long gone by the time they get here."
"They'll take you instead."
"I reckon they'll try. But they won't."
"You won't be able to stop them this time. Last time you fought with the Alliance, you got away with your life. This time that might not happen.:
"Well, hon, you gotta remember, I got the best shot in Shadow."
"Second best." Mal said from in front of them. Nivia looked up at him, but didn't say anything.
River hugged her new friend goodbye, then stood up. She looked down at Nivia.
"Don't let them be real. Remember that they're just pictures. All fake." And then she turned and walked away.
"You wanna tell me what the hell that was about?" Mal asked.
"Would if I could." Nivia said as he sat down next to her. They sat in silence.
"You talk to Alex?" He asked after a while.
"Yah. We're not happy with each other right now."
"What'd she say?"
"That she didn't know 'till she was pregnant with Cassara. She didn't leave him cause she was havin a baby, and cause she loved him."
"Would you have left me if you found out that I was Alliance when you were pregnant with Nathan?" Nivia laughed. "That would never happen. You'd never be Alliance." He laughed at that, then told her,
"We're leavin at sun set. Have your things ready by then."
"Didn't I already tell ya I wasn't comin with ya?"
"I think I reckon you're not. I was just hopin you'd say 'sure thing' and kiss me." He said, standing up.
"I never begged for anything in my life. But, I'm willin to beg you to come with me this time."
She looked away, "Mal, I can't." She said, her voice scratchy from trying to hold back the tears.
"Then you give me one reason. You gimmi one reason as to why not."
"Someone has to stay. To throw them off your trail."
"I don't care about them. I just want you with me."
"You can't come back after five years and demand to be a part of my life again."
"Gorramit, woman! Don't you pull that doe se on me. You love me, I love you, I don't see no problems."
"Once the Alliance is done doin what ever it is they're gonna do, I'll contact you, we'll set up some kind of plan-"
"They aint never gonna give up! As long as River's out there, they're gonna be lookin. If you don't come with me now, we'll prolly never see each other again."
"That's just a chance we're gonna have to take."
"Why are you so hellbent on stayin?
"Because Alex needs me. If I go, there's no one here to protect her from them."
"Are you forgetting the husband she has? Maybe he'll surprise us all and keep his mouth shut this time."
"And then they'll kill him. And then they'll prolly kill her. I don't even wanna think about was could happen to Cassara..."
"Fine then. Stay here and rot in this god forsaken town!" Mal yelled before turning and walking away. But then, he stopped. He stood there, his back to her. She got up and walked to him. She laid her hand's on his upper arms, and rested her head against his shoulder blade.
They stood there in silence until he turned around and pulled her into a hug. He kissed her on the top of the head as he felt her tears soak through his shirt.
"I'm real proud of you." He told her. He heard her sniffle before she pulled away.
"I haven't done anythin."
"You've done more then you know." He said.
It's like I can't breathe
It's like I can't see anything
Nothing but you
When she looked up at him, the rest of the world just seemed to fade away.
"You'd better get back to Serenity. Get your gang together. I'll be up after I go back and talk to Alex." He nodded, then began to walk away.
"Mal!" She called from behind him. He turned around. "You glade you married me?" She asked. He smiled.
"Every day of my life. You glade you married me?"
"No." She said, shaking her head.
"You been too much trouble."
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This time, she knocked on Alex's front door. After a few minuets, she called, "Alexandra, open the door." There was no answer. "C'mon. I know you're standin right there." Again, nothing.
"I... I came to apologize." The old oak door creaked open.
"Well, as I live and breath. Nivia Reynolds is apologizing."
"Shut up." Nivia said with a smile.
"Look. I over reacted. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. Now I know why you didn't tell me about Oren." Alex looked like she was going to laugh, but she didn't. Nivia sighed.
"It's just... I've been mad at the Alliance for so long, I hate every last one of them. All 'cep Oren. You're right. He is a good man. I love him like a brother. He aint done nothin wrong. Just what the Alliance brain washed him to think what was right."
"Means a lot that you said that." Oren said from behind Alex. "I'm real sorry, Nivia." She nodded.
"It's okay. I'm doin my best to understand. Look, I gotta go say goodbye to the crew."
"You're not goin with 'um?" Alex asked, surprised. Nivia shook her head.
"Things are gonna get real bad here, I can feel it. I'm needed here." Before either Alex or Oren could say anything, Nivia turned and walked toward Serenity.
When she got there, the whole crew was standin outside, waiting.
"You better send us a wave every now and then," Kaylee said as they hugged.
"I'll do my best." Nivia said with a sad smile. She moved down the line, saying her goodbyes to them all. "Why Zoe, is that emotion you're showin?" Zoe just laughed and Nivia hugged her. "You take care of him." She whispered into her war buddy's ear. Zoe nodded in compliance. Mal was last.
"I think I'm gonna miss you the most, Sergeant."
"You gotta stop callin me that. You know I hate it."
"exactly" She said, a wicked smile on her face. "Just like when you called me Via for all those years." He didn't say anything. They just hugged. Then, he looked at the crew and cleared his throat. And, with 'right' and 'got ya's, they disbanded into the ship.
"I love you." He told her.
"I know. I love you, too."
"If things get to hairy round here, you just send me a wave."
"You gonna come and rescue me?" She joked.
"I'd have ta. Got the best shot in Shadow, after all."
"Second best." She corrected before she kissed him. When they finally parted, she let her tears fall.
"You best be gettin on the ship. 'Afore I shoot ya down just to make ya stay." He kissed her again, more lightly this time.
It's like I'm lost
It's like I'm giving up slowly
"I'm gonna miss you." She told him as he whipped a tear from her cheek. She heard the sound of feet on the ramp, and they looked over. River was walking to them. "I am told it is proper to say good by to people. Especially those whom you attack. Jayne told me that last part." Nivia chuckled. She put her arms out to hug River, who didn't understand. So, Nivia ended up doing most of the work.
"Be careful. Mind your brother, and the Captain. Try not to get into too much trouble. That goes for you, too." She called over her shoulder. "I aint makin no promises." Mal told her.
"Thank you." River said before bounding back onto Serenity. Mal walked up to her.
"Goodbye." She said.
"It aint goodbye. It's... see ya soon."
"Isn't that what you said last time?" She said, laughing. They kissed a final time before Mal started climbing the ramp.
"You be careful with my boat."
"Your boat?" Mal asked.
"Well, you bought it with our money so..."
"You just keep thinkin that, woman." They smiled at each other, before he went inside Serenity and the ramp went up. Nivia watched them ascend into the air, know that what was to come was going to much worse then anything she had ever faced.
But, she'd get through it. She had her Mal to get back to.
It's like I can't breathe
It's like I can't see anything
Nothing but you
I'm addicted to you
It's like I can't think
Without you interrupting me
In my thoughts
In my dreams
You've taken over me
It's like I'm not me
It's like I'm not me
It's like I can't breathe
2nd story coming very soon!