Second Chapter

My apologies for taking so long.

iamari: sorry about that. I thought the spoilers were enough of a hint.

Quirk Del: Sorry I took so long. Guess it was a little hiatus from fanfiction.

So Let us Begin

Mal stretched. It was an awfully comfy bed, and one couldn't complain about comfy beds. The one he was in right now had taken a few years to break in, and now, after years of tear and abuse, it was finally comfy. Now, if only things on his ship could be so comfy.

Getting dressed, he mused. Kaylee pregnant, Wash dead, and a stowaway on board. And that was on top of the old problems of the two fugitives on board, and Jayne's unpredictability. The only people on board that he wasn't truly worried about were Inara and Zoe, and they weren't exactly easy to deal with. Oh the fun in that whole equation. The only thing that could go wrong right now, was the… no reason to jinx good things.

And all at once his private musings were disrupted.

"Um, Cap't, the fine lady down the hall wishes to speak with you," Jayne said, poking his head down into Mal's room.

"I'll be there Jayne," looks up expectantly, "You haven't had sex with the fine lady yet, have you?"

"Naw Cap't. Not my style. Too much spitfire in that one," He grinned, "I don't like it much when they put too much fight in their foreplay."

"Too much information Jayne. Just go back upstairs for a second and let a man get ready."

"Okay Cap't," Jayne's head disappeared back into the rest of the ship, leaving Mal to himself.

And all the problems at hand didn't even compare to Zoe. If Wash had stayed alive, he would've solved too major problems, no pilot, a very depressed Zoe. He had dealt with his first mate all through the war, as they helped each other through losing comrades and battles, but how could he help her through losing her husband? That wasn't something you dealt with like the soldier Mal still was. Maybe Inara could help, if she wasn't shuffling herself back into their own banter like positions. Being a Cap't wasn't always easy.

Finally dressed and sufficiently prepared, or so he thought, to face the world, Mal found himself in front of a very irate marksman.

"So," she began.

"That's one way to start it. The other way is with your name," he interrupted, "We don't do too well with strangers in these parts."

"My name is Selene."

"Well Selene, what are you doing on my gorram ship?"

"Cap't, she said," Jayne started.

"Jayne, I didn't ask you, now let the lady finish her sentence."

"She didn't start," Jayne countered.

"Again, Jayne, not necessary," Mal was getting irate.

"Okay, Cap't."

"So, Selene, if you would."

"I'm here because I need a job."

"And the usual venues were shut down?"

"For a gal like me."

"And here I was thinking you were an expert marksman. Best sharpshooter in the galaxy, I recall you saying."

"I am. Haven't made too many friends on that road," Selene smiled.

"What did you do, kill the competition?" Jayne smirked.

"Something like that," The look in her eyes told them she wasn't joking, "I've got the Alliance on my trail, and I needed somewhere to bunk till all this blows over."

"And you expect us to just roll over all easy like?" the Cap't was getting the impression he wasn't going to like the answer.

"I know that you are currently hauling two Alliance fugitives," she smiled, "Just wondering if your hold will fit another?"

"And how would a gal like you come into such knowledge?"

She scoffed, "Oh please, like its such a big secret. How many run ins have you had? And how about the one with the bounty hunter? Did you just think he came across such privilegded information? The Operative tracked you down, so did I," she smiled.

"You ma'am, are more than you seem," Mal was now very suspicious.

"Aren't we all, Malcolm Reynolds?" Her smile didn't waver, "Now how about a position?"

"Currently our personal relations position is filled by a very knowledgeable Jayne," Mal pointed at the very muscular enforcer, "And I don't know that I need another rough to join the crew."

"I'm not just any rough."

"Yeah, so you've said, but I have yet to receive proof of such remarkable marksmanship, and since I am disinclined to present you with a gun, I'm just going to have to take your word," he looked at her suspiciously, "And you don't get to be a Cap't by taking other peoples words."

"Its called trust."

"And that's something that's in short supply recently."

"Fine, how about you ask River what she thinks of me. She's pretty good at knowing people, isn't she?" Mal hid his shock well that she knew of River and her gifts.

"You know what, that's a good idea. Jayne, how about you retrieve the honorable River here, and ask her if she will perform that service."

"In those words Mal?" Jayne asked.

"In any words, Jayne, just get her down here," Mal was beginning to suspect it was going to be a long day.

Jayne came back a few moments later, with River in tow.

"You want to know whether the lady with guns is good or not?" River said plainly.

"Yeah, something like that."

"No ones good, Cap't, some of us are just better at concealing it."

"Yeah, I know, but can we trust her?"

"She's not going to kill you, if that's what you mean. She's not a good person, and she's done a lot of bad things, but so have all of us."

"Don't we know it."

"You want to know whether or not to trust her?"

"Yeah, River."

"I trust her."

"Then, River, I guess I'll go with that." All the sudden River leaned in close to Mal's ear and whispered softly.

"But she's hiding something." Mal tried to shake that off as she left. Weren't they all hiding something?

"Welcome, Selene, to the crew of Serenity," Mal shook his head, "May god help us if River is wrong."