-1Title: Sacrifice
Series: Our Mrs. Cobb
Author: Sevangel
Disclaimer: Not mine, not even the dialogue I stole from the episode.
Rating: PG-13
FYI: Okay, I know this may seem like the shortest case of writer's block but I assure you it wasn't. I worked on that part for 'Heart of Gold' for like a week and half before I finally finished. Then I sat down and thought I'd try writing a bit of this (thinking I'd maybe get out a page or two) while I was watching Law & Order: SVU and this just poured out. How Law & Order inspired Firefly fic, I got no clue but I'm not going to question it.
-
"I want to hear about the natty thing." Wash says as he sits down next to his wife. "What was natty?"
"Shepard Book was just tellin' us funny stories bout his days at the monastery." Kaylee explains.
"Monastic humor, I miss out on all the fun." Wash complains, looking down at the empty serving dishes. "And all the food apparently.."
"Just who do you think you're married to?" Zoe says as she whips a napkin off a plate to reveal it full of food.
"I love my wife." Wash gushes as he starts eating.
"So, we gotta course set?" Mal questions.
"We do. Took a little creative navigating, but we should make it all the way to Greenleaf without running afoul of any Alliance patrols. Or a single living soul, for that matter." Wash answers between bites.
"Good." Mal comments. "How it should be."
"Course what should be a 18 hour trip is gonna take the better part of a week." Wash comments.
"We're in no rush." Mal replies. "I like an easy, languorous journey."
Kaylee giggles. "What would that be like, I wonder?" Kaylee starts to clear the dishes off the table.
"Let me help you with that." Simon says as he starts to stand up.
"I got it." Kaylee says, indicating that he should sit down. "Who's next?"
Mal turns to look at Willow. "I think our little stowaway should tell us a story."
"Me?" Willow squeals nervously. "I don't, well I have stories, loads of stories but not a lot of them are as funny as Book's. I can't think which one to tell."
"When you were kidnapped." River suggests from her place between Willow and Jayne.
"Kidnapped?" Mal repeats with a raised eyebrow.
"Which time?" Willow asks River.
"Which time?" Zoe says. "How many time have you been kidnapped?"
"I'm not sure, a dozen or so." Willow replies, her eyebrows furrowing. "Does being held hostage count?"
"Not technically." River answers, being the only one not completely shocked. "The rebar story."
Willow giggles. "Okay, that one is kinda funny now that I look back." Willow agrees.
"Well, you gonna tell us or not?" Jayne questions.
"Sure." Willow replies. "Okay, so it was when I was in high school, I was 17. Me and my bestest bud Xander were staying after school to..work on an project of sorts when Spike comes in and knocks Xander out.."
"Spike?" Mal cuts in.
"Spike, is well Spike." Willow answers. "He's about Wash's height, as pale as Simon, blenched white hair, a scar over one eyebrow, and is always wearing this long, black duster that he nipped off a…girl he killed."
"So he's a killer?" Mal replies.
"Yep." Willow says, thinking about the blonde vampire. "Of sorts. So, anyways, Spike knocked Xan out and then used some chloroform, I think, to knock me out. I woke up a little while later and we were in a basement of a burned out building and Spike was trashed, beyond trashed actually. He wanted me to help him get his girlfriend back. I refused and then he broke a beer bottle and then put it like an inch from my face and was all like 'you'll help me or I'll shove this bottle through your face', it was beyond scary. So, I agreed to help but didn't really know how and he said 'well, if at first you don't succeed, I'll kill him and you can try again'…"
"I thought you said this was funny." Kaylee cuts in, astonished by the story.
"I was getting to that." Willow replies. "So, then Spike set down next to me and started crying bout Dru leaving him. Said 'she didn't even care enough to set me on fire or cut off my head' and then was talking about how lonely he was. Then he kinda looked at me and said he 'hasn't had a woman in months'. I got all freaked out and told him there would be no having of any kind, that I would help him but he couldn't have anything. He left to get supplies and then Xander woke up a few minutes later and asked what was going on. We really only had a few choices; either I help him and he kills us, I refuse and he kills us, or he's so drunk that he forgets we're there and we starve to death, which was the best option."
"How'd you get out?" Mal asks, not finding any humor in the story.
"Oh, my boyfriend and Xander's girlfriend found us." Willow answers, before she starts giggling again.
"I'm not finding the humor." Wash comments.
"Oh, you'd have to know Spike to see the humor, I guess." Willow replies. "He's a bad-ass, called himself the 'big bad' and he was all crying over his girlfriend dumping him."
"You didn't help him get her back?" Kaylee asks.
"No, he said he was going to do it himself." Willow replies. "Be the man she fell in love with him by finding her and torturing her until she loved him again, not that it worked cause he was back a year later, trying to kill us all over again."
"Didn't you turn him into the officials?" Simon asks.
"Nope." Willow answers. "We did keep him chained up in a bathtub for awhile till we let him go and then bout two years ago we had to keep him chained up in the basement for a couple of days."
"You still see him?" Book asks.
"Yeah, we all went out to see a movie awhile before I got here." Willow answers.
"You're sayin' you socialize with a man that tried to kill you twice?" Mal asks in disbelief.
Willow and River snort.
"Twice?" Willow replies. "For like 3 or 4 years Spike was always trying to kill us. Heck, he used to sit around and tell us all the different ways he was going to kill us, some of them were rather inventive."
"But you consider him a friend?" Book questions.
"Yeah, close one actually." Willow answers. "Oh, he stopped trying to kill us a few years ago so it's all good."
"Now I see why you and moony get along so well." Jayne comments. "You're both crazy."
River punches Jayne in the arm and he pulls her hair in retaliation.
Willow smiles at the 'flirting' being reminded of Xander and Cordy. She gives them a week before somebody finds them making out in a closet.
"Hey doc." Zoe says, drawing all the attention to her. "I think maybe our Kaylee could use your help after all."
Simon turns around to see Kaylee walking towards him with a small cake, 4 large candles in it.
"Care to make the first incision, Dr. Tam?" Kaylee asks as she sets the cake down in front of him, a huge smile on her face aimed right at Simon. "Happy birthday, Simon."
Simon looks around the table as everyone wishes him a 'happy birthday'. "Well, this is…I didn't…how did you know?" Simon then turns to look at River. "River did you.."
"'Day is a vestigial mode of time measurement." River says as she stares at the cake. "Based on solar cycle, not applicable."
"She didn't get you anything." Willow explains to the confused looking crew. "And she thinks if she uses big enough words, she'll confuse everybody into not noticing."
River sticks her tongue out at Willow. "Squealer."
"Seems a fresh warrant for your arrest come up on the cortex." Mal explains. "Had your birth date attached right to it."
"Oh, well..really?" Simon replies, slightly started.
"I hope you like it." Kaylee says. "Couldn't get a hold of no flour so it's mostly protein. In fact, it's pretty much what we just had for supper. But I tried to make the frosting as chocolatey as possible."
Simon looks at the cake and then up to Kaylee. "Thank you." Simon replies. "I'm very deeply moved."
"Well, deeply move yourself over there and blow them candles out so we can try a slice." Jayne says, swiping a bit of the frosting out. River smacks him, again.
"Girl." Jayne warns.
"Boy." River warns back.
"Come on, doc." Kaylee says, smiling slightly at the exchange between River and Jayne. "Give a good blow."
Willow and River giggle.
"Perverts." Kaylee says.
"Other pervert." River and Willow reply.
Simon turns slightly red but starts to bend over towards the cake when the boat shudders, the light flickers, and the engine goes off for a second before going back on.
"What the hell was that?" Jayne grunts.
"Maybe just a hiccup." Kaylee replies as she starts for the door. "I'll go check."
"I'll check the helm." Wash jumps up to move off in the opposite direction.
"Fire." River whispers.
"Oh, yeah." Simon says as he moves to blow them out.
Willow looks at River and then out towards the door Kaylee is almost at. "No, Kaylee."
Zoe sees the look in Willow's eyes and runs after Kaylee, pushing her out of the way from the huge ball of fire coming towards her. Kaylee hits the floor hard in one direction while Zoe hits hard in another.
"ZOE!" Wash yells as he drops down beside his wife.
Mal slams the door shut before another ball of fire comes into the room.
Willow moves down beside Simon and Wash while River watches the scene objectively. "Fire..fire." River whispers.
"Seal off everything that lead below deck." Mal orders. "Do it now."
Jayne jumps up to follow Mal's order, even stopping Simon from getting his med bag. Once the fire is not longer a threat, Mal and Jayne carry the unconscious Zoe out of the mess and into the infirmary.
"I could have stopped it." Willow says to River, the two of them huddled on the couch as they watch Kaylee talk quietly to Mal. "I could have stopped the fire."
"Yes, but it would have hurt you, badly." River agrees. "You don't access to enough earth to do that strong of magic and you know it. You would have to drawl energy from us."
"Yeah, but she might die." Willow replies.
"Yes." River agrees. "We all might."
-
"Well, as you're all aware, we've run into a bit of a situation." Mal says to the gathered crew. "Engines down and life supports on the fritz and I got 10 people here wantin' to breathe. Could take turns, I suppose but that don't really appear to be an option. Truth is, ain't gotta whole lotta options at this juncture." He reaches up to pat a piece of pipe lovingly. "So, now instead of focusing on what we don't have, time to talk about what we do. And what we do got are two shuttles, short range, won't go far but they each got heat and they each got air, last longer than what's left in Serenity."
"Long enough to reach somewhere?" Simon asks hopefully.
"No." Mal replies.
"So..where will we go, then?" Book asks.
"Far as you can get." Mal replies. "We send both shuttles off in different directions, betters the chances of somebody bein' seen or maybe picked up. Doc, you and Book are ridin' with Zoe and Wash, seein' how's Zoe still needs some doctorin'. Rest of ya will be with Inara in hers."
"I want River with me." Simon cuts in.
"I'm doin' what's best for the crew." Mal replies. "You get picked up, who's gonna protect your sister? Cause it ain't gonna be you, Wash, or the Shepard. Jayne will, which is why he's goin' with the girls."
"Hey." Willow protests. "I can protect myself."
"What about you?" Kaylee asks Mal.
"I'm stayin' with Serenity." Mal replies.
"What?" Willow says. "Why?"
"Just am." Mal replies.
"This isn't the Titanic." Willow says. "You don't need to go down with the boat."
"Boat ain't goin' down." Mal replies. "Ain't goin' nowhere."
Willow glares at Mal, a plan forming in her head.
"Don't." River advises. "The captain will be very upset with you if you do."
"Do what?" Mal asks.
"Hit you over the head hard enough to induce unconsciousness before moving you into the spare shuttle." River replies.
"Hey now." Mal yells.
"You're the one being all self-sacrificing and Mr. Broody-coat-of-pain with your refusing to leave the boat." Willow replies. "Do you even realize what it's like for the people you're all sacrificing yourself for? No, you don't. You just ride off into the sunset, knowing you kept everyone else safe while they're stuck with the guilt of your selfless death." She glares at him once more before storming away, River right behind her.
Mal stares after Willow for a few moments, completely confused. "I ain't sure if she just insulted me or complimented me." Mal says.
"Either am I." Wash agrees before running up the steps and onto the bridge.
"Where you goin'…oh I don't even care anymore." Mal mutters. "Jayne, I wanna talk to you."
Mal follows the merc down to his bunk and waits outside while Jayne loads up with weapons. "I'm goin' out and trustin' you in a way I never thought I would." Mal tells Jayne. "Don't make me end up regretting it. You keep them safe, not matter what, dong ma?"
"Yeah." Jayne agrees as he walks towards Inara's shuttle. "Well, bye."
Mal watches while River leads Willow into the shuttle, the redhead sending him one last glare and then a small, sad smile.
"Cap'n, you could still come with us." Kaylee whispers as she hugs him tightly.
"This is the way it's gotta be." Mal replies, kissing her on the forehead. "Bye little Kaylee."
Kaylee chokes on a sob and then runs to the shuttle.
"Willow's right." Inara agrees. "There is not reason for this sacrifice but I know you better than her; this is the only way you'll have it."
"Yep." Mal agrees. "Well, it was nice ridin' with you, Miss Serra."
"Goodbye, Malcolm." Inara whispers before turning around and walking into her shuttle.
Mal waits until he hears both shuttles disconnect before moving out of the bay and onto the bridge where he sees a piece of paper propped up against a red button that wasn't there before. 'When your miracle comes, push the button and it'll call us back'. Mal sighs as he recognizes Wash's familiar handwriting, so that's why the pilot ran up here. He plops down in the pilot's chair, covers up with a blanket, and kicks his feet up on the console as he waits for death's little visit.
-
"What the hell is that smell?" Jayne grumbles from his place in the co-pilot's seat.
Inara glances over at Jayne as she steers the ship with shaking hands. "Incense."
"It smells." Jayne grunts.
"Lilac and rosemary." Willow comments.
Inara turns her head, a little started that the redhead was able to recognize the scents. "Yes."
"You're confused and want to see everything clearly, hence the lilac." Willow says. "And you need to find some direction, a path, and are using rosemary."
"Yes." Inara replies, still startled.
"I would have used lavender to cleanse my aura first." Willow says. "And honeysuckle instead of lilac."
Inara turns her head to study the redhead; her knowledge of incense isn't something that you find with normal people. It's mostly found in religious sects who claim to use incense to perform magic, of all things, or with companions, who are taught the different benefits of incense during their training.
"Shouldn't you be concentratin' on steerin' us?" Jayne questions Inara.
Inara turns her head back around and flies the shuttle away from Serenity. Once she's far enough away, she sets the autopilot and spins around to see River and Willow sitting crossed legged on her bed, their eyes closed and their hands clasped between them.
"Don't ask us." Jayne says. "We're just confused as you."
"Think they're prayin'?" Kaylee asks.
'I could have made the boat run." Willow says mentally to River.
'Yes, but for how long?" River asks.
'I don't know, maybe an hour or two.' Willow replies.
'And we would have been stuck in the same position, only this time we would have had two severely injured people instead of one.' River points out. 'This is the way it has to be.'
'You know something.' Willow accuses. 'Something's going to happen.'
'Perhaps.' River replies.
'Oh, that's so frustrating.' Willow growls into River's head, causing the genius to laugh out loud. 'Angel used to do the cryptic thing all the time; no wonder it pissed Buffy off.'
"What's she laughin' bout?" Jayne ponders out loud. So far, the two 'crazies' hadn't moved once in the past 20 minutes. Hell, their chests are barely movin' and if'n he didn't know better, he'd think they weren't breathin'.
"I think they're meditating." Inara says. "Shallow breathing exercises to clear the mind, and with our situation, preserve air."
"Huh." Jayne mutters.
"Awful nice of em." Kaylee comments. "Savin' air…."
Kaylee is interrupted when River's eyes fly open and she's thrown off the bed by, well, nothing. She stands up after a few moments, moving to face them.
"What the hell?" Jayne mutters, standing up to walk towards her.
"Jesse, don't call Stern." River says in a voice that deeply mimics the captain's. One hand is held against her stomach while the other points at them as though she's holding a gun. "Billy, leave the catalyzer." She pauses for a second; listening to something they can't hear. "Take your people and go." Another pause. "We can already see I haven't." Her hand reaches out to slam onto something that isn't there. "Now, get the hell off my ship." There's another short pause and then River falls face forward in a dead faint.
Jayne grabs River before she hits the ground and swings her up into his arms. He moves back to his seat and plops down, studying the bundle on his lap. "What the hell was that?"
"Um, I think that was Mal." Willow replies as she moves to stand behind Jayne.
River opens her eyes with a wince, her hand still held against her stomach. "We can go back now."
"What?" Jayne replies.
"We can go back." River repeats. "Serenity is feeling much better."
Inara spins her chair around and releases the autopilot. She turns the shuttle quickly and expertly, flying back to Serenity.
'What the frilly heck was that?' Willow asks River.
'I told you I felt things.' River answers. 'I think you amplify that ability.'
'Huh.' Willow mutters. 'So I make you feel more?'
'I'm not sure yet.' River answers. 'Only time will tell.'
'There you go with the cryptic again.' Willow mutters. 'That is so annoying.'
Jayne looks down at River and then up at Willow, confused by why they're giggling. "What the ruttin' hell is so funny?"
Willow looks at River and they start giggling harder. "Inside joke." Willow manages to say between giggles.
Jayne rolls his eyes but can't keep the smile from crossing his face. "Ruttin' moonbrains."
River pinches Jayne's thigh, giggling more when he growls down at her.
-
"She's runnin' again." Kaylee says as they move through the ship. "Wonder where the cap'n is."
"Infirmary." River answers as she starts that way, her hand held in Willow's while her other hand is holding onto Jayne's arm. He shakes it lightly in protest but doesn't force her off him.
Book turns around from his observation of Simon's bullet removal. "What are you doing back?"
"Moony said we could come back." Jayne answers. "What happened?"
"He was shot in the stomach." Wash answers. "Why did she say to come back?"
"Don't know." Jayne answers. "She had some kinda fit and once it was over, told us it was time to go back."
Simon looks up briefly from Mal. "Is she alright?"
"Oh, she's fine now." Jayne answers. "Giggling with red and actin' like her normal moonbrain self."
River pulls her hand out of Willow's and reaches up to smack Jayne when he catches her hand by the wrist.
"Gorramit, moony." Jayne growls down at her. "You ruttin' smack me again and I'm gonna turn you over my knee and tan your hide."
River looks up at Jayne with a look that is so purely sexual that his mouth drops open. "I assumed we would kiss first before engaging in the kinkier side of sexual intercourse." River comments huskily. "But as the less experienced one, I will trust your judgment."
"River!" Book says in a scandalized tone.
River looks at Willow and they start giggling, again.
"Looks like everyone's getting spanked but me, again." Willow says.
"Mei-mei." Simon scolds, not looking up from the man he's operating on.
River rolls her eyes.
Willow walks up to the bed and looks down at the sedated captain. "Do you need a hand?"
Simon glances up at Willow. "Do you have any experience.."
"Removing bullets?" Willow interrupts. "Yep." She walks over to the counter and grabs a pair of gloves. "What do you need me to do?"
"He needs a transfusion." Simon says, relieved at the prospect of having experienced help. "Can you do that?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure." Willow replies. "But who?"
"Wash." Simon answers. "Mal is A positive and Wash is O."
"Oh, universal donor." Willow replies. "Where is everything?"
"In the cabinet below the sink." Simon answers. "It's clearly labeled."
Willow opens the cabinet door and takes out the packaged labeled 'transfusion kit'. Smiling at Simon's anal retentiveness, which reminds her of Angel's habit of labeling his weapons and things, she grabs the kit and walks over to Wash. She opens the kit and pulls out the alcohol swab, using it to clean the inside of the pilot's elbow.
"You do know what you're doing, right?" Wash asks as Willow moves a needle towards his skin.
Willow pushes the needle gently into his vein. "In theory." Willow replies before looking over to Simon. She strings the tubing through the IV stand pushed beside Mal, watching as Wash's blood filters into a bag. She then moves over to push a needle through Mal's skin and hooks it up to the other side of the bag, the pilot's blood flowing into the captain's body.
-
Mal opens his drug heavy eyes and looks over to see Zoe smiling back at him. "Welcome back, sir."
"I go someplace?" Mal grunts out.
"Very nearly." Book replies.
"We thought we lost you." Inara adds quietly.
"Been right here." Mal mutters as he looks over at Wash, confused by the tubing in the pilot's arm. "Wash, you okay?"
"Yeah, Mal." Wash replies with a laugh. "I'm fine."
"Got a thing in ya." Mal points out groggily.
"Yeah." Wash agrees.
"Try not to speak." Simon advises. "You're heavily medicated and you've lost a lot of blood."
"Oh." Mal mutters. "Thought I ordered ya'll off the ship?"
"You did." Wash agrees.
"I call you back?" Mal questions.
"I take full responsibility." Zoe says. "Won't happen again."
"That decision saved you life." Simon points out.
"Huh." Mal says before turning to look at Inara. "How come you're all back for?"
"River said it was time to go back." Kaylee replies for Inara. "Said Serenity was fellin' better."
"Which is a good thing." Simon says. "Willow's help was needed."
Mal slowly turns to see Willow smiling at him. "You helped?"
"Yep?"
"You a doc too?" Mal asks.
"No, I did think about it for a while, when I was little." Willow answers.
"She played doctor like you did, Simon." River comments.
Willow turns bright red.
"Playin' doctor, huh?" Kaylee says with a grin.
"Oh, no, not like that." Willow squeals.
"They played it wrong." River explains. "But Xander never had the heart to tell Willow and I couldn't tell Simon he was playing it wrong, I was very little at the time and he would have been concerned had I pointed it out."
"Wrong?" Wash questions, his eyes furrowed in confusion. "How does one play doctor wrong?"
"Simon would use medical textbooks downloaded off the Cortex to give me symptoms and then he would diagnose me with a disease." River answers.
"How did you play doctor?" Simon questions Wash, not understanding how he was playing it wrong.
"Yeah, husband, how did you play doctor?" Zoe asks.
"Um, I never did." Wash replies.
Mal laughs at the look on Wash's face and then groans loudly at the pull on his stomach.
"Alright, I have to insist." Simon says as he ushers everyone out of the infirmary. "The captain needs his rest."
"Yeah, I think the doc's not wrong bout that one." Mal agrees. "Just for a few…you're all gonna be here when I wake up?"
"We'll be here." Book assures him.
"Good." Mal mumbles as he falls asleep. "That's good.."
-
"Well, look who's up and walking around." Wash comments when Mal walks into mess.
"Yeah, doc says I'm feelin' better or some such." Mal replies as he walks slowly over to his chair, Simon right behind him. "Where's our crazy girls?"
"Off bein' loony." Jayne answers.
"You best stop sayin' that." Kaylee advises. "Cause River's gonna smack you again and then you'll have to spank her."
"What?" Mal grunts, looking at Jayne.
"It's nothin'." Jayne replies. "Moony just went to smack me and I threatened to turn her over my knee if'n she did."
"Jayne." Mal warns.
"He's leavin' out the part where River said she thought they'd kiss fore gettin' to the kinky stuff." Kaylee says with a smile.
Simon and Mal both glare at Jayne.
"Hey, I didn't say it." Jayne says. "Moony did."
"It's rather sweet that you have a special nickname for her." Inara comments with a knowing grin.
Jayne rolls his eyes. "Hey, Mal."
"Yeah?" Mal says, still glaring at Jayne.
"The guys that got onto the boat and shot ya, one of em weren't called Jesse or Stern, was they?" Jayne questions.
Mal's eyes widen before his lips set in a thin, angry line. "Gorramit, Jayne, if'n you know the people that shot…"
"I don't know em." Jayne cuts in.
"Then how'd you know their names?" Mal asks.
"Moony." Jayne answers.
"What?" Simon says. "What does my sister have to do with the men that shot Mal?"
"I don't know." Jayne answers. "All I know is her and Willow was sittin' on Nara's bed when Moony suddenly flies cross the room like she's been shot. Then she stands up, holding her gut right where Mal got shot, with one hand and holdin' the other out like she had a gun in it. She started talkin' soundin' just like you, Mal, and was sayin' weird stuff, like tellin' Jesse not to do somethin' and for Stern to leave the catalizer. Then she kept pausin' like she was listenin' to somebody else, b'fore tellin' somebody to get the hell of the ship."
Mal sits back in shock. "How the hell could she know what was happenin'?"
"She was right?" Jayne asks.
"Yeah." Mal replies. "That was their names and pretty much what was said."
The mess goes quiet for a few minutes as everyone tries to find a logical explanation for River's little "channeling" of the captain.
"There's somethin' strange goin' on with that girl." Jayne comments and then pauses thoughtfully. "Well, stranger than we first thought anyways."
-