A/N: And this is how I'm choosing to end this. Well, with this chapter, and one more little piece to follow... probably tomorrow. I don't know if this will prove anti-climactic to you reader-types, but it's how I wanted it to go. Hopefully, you don't hate it. Thanks for the reviews on the previous, lovely folks :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 26

The calm had returned to her since they got back aboard the ship. Serenity sure did live up to its name where she was concerned, or so Jayne thought. His little woman had a peace about her more often than not since they headed out into the black. Osiris and the house she grew up in weren't no comfort nor use to River. Folks that ought to love her had made her as scared and messed up as she had been when Jayne first met River. Things was different now.

Serenity started the change, but Miranda finished it. She was still his bao bei, no doubts about that. Jayne knew when she smiled at him a while back that every bit of the River he knew was still right there inside, but it was kinda like a fog got lifted out of her eyes, or her head, or somethin'. Jayne couldn't make an explanation for it. Even the doc couldn't manage that, so he figured he weren't bein' so dumb if that were the case. Seemed to him even River weren't altogether sure what had happened in that brain-pan o' hers, only that she had answers she needed now.

"Key to the puzzle," she had said by way of explanation when Mal asked about it. "Pieces were floating, twisting, didn't fit as they should. Miranda was the cypher, decrypted the code. I understand now."

The fact she even used the right words proved more to the crew than any other thing out of her mouth so far. I where she would say she before. River was all of herself now, not so many bits of other folk, least that was how Jayne thought of it. He figured when all this was over, she'd prob'ly explain it better, but for now he didn't care much. His little woman was doin' better. A whole barrel load of better. Plus they had intel such that'd blow holes in the Alliance, and that was a shiny piece o' news to Jayne's mind too. Mal sure seemed awful determined to have the entire 'verse know about Miranda, and plans was fast made to have it sent out into every quadrant just as soon as they could. First came the problem of gettin' past way too many Reaver ships and past the Alliance that was waitin' for them outside of the ass-end o' space.

"He doesn't know," said River, standing suddenly from her seat.

They'd been sat at the galley table, the two of them plus Simon, Kaylee, and Inara. Nobody could settle to any activity or rest until they all knew they were safe. The bridge would be too crowded if they were all there. Only Wash, Zoe, and Mal were permitted, the others hanging back, trying to process all they had seen, make plans for what might yet be to come. At least that was what was happening until River moved.

"Who doesn't know what, sweetheart?" Inara asked her.

"He doesn't know the way," River replied, eyes on nothing a moment before suddenly snapping into focus. "I can help."

She headed for the bridge and Jayne went to go after her. Simon stood too, stopping short when he felt a hand on his arm.

"Cap'n asked us to stay here," said Kaylee, a pleading in her eyes when the doctor looked back at her.

She wasn't saying that just to be a goody-goody and play by the rules. Truth to say, she just didn't want Simon anywhere but at her side right now. Kaylee was tough enough for the black, that much they both knew, but the horror they had seen and heard today, the drama that had been and what was still to come, it was too much.

"I'm not going anywhere, Kaylee," he promised her, dropping back into his seat and wrapping his arms around her.

It was more than his not leaving the table now. It was what the future held. They could lose each other yet if some terrible fate beheld them. The Reavers, the Alliance, they faced enemies outnumbered yet, and there was no guarantee of survival. Beyond that, nobody knew that the future held. Perhaps Kaylee was wondering if Simon would even stay aboard now that River was better, after the truth being out meant they had nothing left to fear from the authorities.

Inara spoke softly of making more tea and slipped away from the table, as much to give the couple privacy as to keep herself busy. If she were able, Inara knew she would be clinging to Mal right now, as Kaylee clung to Simon, for more than one reason that she was not sure she could put into words if asked. Luckily, her friends did not seem to have such troubles, and she smiled as she overheard a little of their conversation.

"None of this changes what I feel about you," Simon promised Kaylee. "I don't know what the future holds, but I would like to think that if I have a life to live, that life would have you in it."

"Ain't plannin' on bein' without ya if'n I can help it at all," she replied, her hand to his face. "I know I ain't the kinda girl you prob'ly saw yourself makin' a life with-"

"Kaylee, none of what has happened this past year and more is anything like I imagined my life to be," he assured her with a smile, "and yet, I can't imagine being happier with any other person in any other place."

When they kissed, Inara kept her back turned and then side-stepped quickly towards the door. She ran completely into Mal, losing her poise and grace in that moment and almost collapsing into his arms that shot out to catch her and set her right.

"Hey, you okay there?" he checked. "'Nara?" he tried again, encouraging her to look his way when she seemed to wanna do everything but that.

"I'm fine," she assured him. "Well, not fine. Knowing what surrounds us and what awaits us, how could I be?" she asked with a shudder she could not surpress. "I would be more worried about myself if I were fine in a moment such as this."

When she looked up then and met his eyes, Mal wondered just exactly what they were talking about. Unfortunately, now weren't no time to wonder on it much. Adventure weren't over yet, and the endin' was as like not to be pretty if they didn't get this right.

"Got a need of your shuttle and your good self, if you could stand the mission," he told her then.

"Mission?" Inara echoed. "I don't understand."

Mal smiled then, reaching for Inara's hand and bringing her to the bridge.

"Little River here has herself a plan. You won't believe it 'til you hear it."

There wasn't one amongst the crew that hadn't been overwhelmed by her abilities, her brain, the very fact of her before today. Now it was different. They were just as over-awed by her, River knew, and they were just as scared, fearful of what they couldn't understand, but at least now one above all knew that everything was going to be alright, and that was River herself.

The jumble in her mind was clearing. She wondered if all the pieces would ever truly settle. There would always be bits that didn't fit, conundrums that even her advanced mind could not quite solve, but it was better. It was not enough to drive her to madness anymore. There was an amount of control that she had now, something she hadn't felt in too long and revelled in now, even as danger swirled around her home and family. She knew, above all else, that they would be safe, so long as she kept her wits about her. So long as she put her faith in Mal, and he put his faith in himself and those around him. So long as Wash listened when she advised him of things he could not understand.

"Should I even ask how you suddenly know more about piloting a spaceship than I do?" he asked, glancing her way just for a moment before his full attention was pulled back to the view ahead.

"I don't," said River, unable to keep from smiling. "But I see a version of what comes next. Not good for you." she shuddered inspite of the look on her face, confusing all, but River was used to that. Wash at least accepted her words and her advice. Flew them safely through Reaver-infested space and out the other side. It didn't scare her, didn't even make her flinch at all, save for the frightening scene she encountered in her mind, a picture of what might have been. She glanced at Zoe when it faded from her brain and smiled slowly.

"All's right with the 'verse."

"Wouldn't go that far, little one," said the second with a grim look. "More than one enemy in play today."

"And what a game we'll play," said River, still standing tall.

"You sure on this, bao bei?" asked Jayne, hovering behind her. "Ain't so certain myownself that this is where we wanna be right now."

"Very sure," River confirmed. "Have faith."

The Alliance ship hailed them, they knew it would, and instead of running, Mal instructed Wash to do as River advised and head straight towards the enemy. They latched on and the air lock was opened. For the first time ever, Jayne stood by and watched as the Hands of Blue were invited in rather than turned away. As much as he trusted his wife to know what she was doin', this didn't sit right with him. The gun in the back of his waistband weren't as much comfort as he'd like. Nor was the calm sittin' on her face. Sure'n his bao bei was a Reader and all. She'd know first if this whole thing was gonna go south, but that didn't mean she knew everything. Nobody was that good. Even as he thought it, he saw her look his way and smile some. She knew what he was thinkin' and she didn't mind none. Fear come natural on days like this, even for the toughest of men.

"To meet our fate," said River, more to herself than to anybody.

It suprised even her that she wasn't more concerned about it. After so long being so terrified of everything, including her own shadow, now she looked upon those who would torment her and no worry pulled at her mind, nothing told her to run, to hide, not even to fight.

"Mei mei?" said Simon softly, looking pale.

"It's alright," she assured him. "Nothing to fear anymore."

River stepped up close to Mal who stood firm before his crew, ready to face whatever come next. Jayne and Simon, with Kaylee by his side, crowded in close, along with Zoe and Wash. They were a united front, though against quite what enemy, they weren't too sure. The Alliance soldiers in their protective gear, carrying blasters, they was familiar, but these two fancified men in suits with 'hands as blue' as River described more'n enough times, they was a whole other thing to face.

"Captain Reynolds," said the one of them, with a smile that no man should oughta trust. "We meet at last."

"Seems that way," said Mal, nodding once. "Seems to me you been chasin' members of my crew a whole spell longer than you been lookin' to meet me."

"Yes, that is true," said the other man, eyes wandering to River.

Jayne's hand was on her shoulder in a heart-beat. To the end, he was her protector and they all knew that. The Hands of Blue both smiled, shared a look nobody else much cared for.

"You know how this ends, don't you?"

"I surely do," Mal said, smiling just the same. "See, I know the secret now. The truth that burned up River Tam's brain and set you after her," he said, tilting his head towards his young charge. "And the rest of the 'verse is gonna know it too. Cause they need to. Message is already on its way to someplace special. The whole o' mankind'll know it soon enough. Ain't worth chasin' us no more."

Inara had left on the shuttle, shortly before they were close enough to the Alliance ships to be detected when she detached. With her, she took the cylinder from Miranda, the recorded message that'd tell anyone who saw it what happened there, what the Alliance had done, how the Reavers come to be. She would deliver it to Book and onto his friend who would make sure the whole of the 'verse got to know the truth, and that'd be an end to River's torment and pain. 'Course, it'd be the start of a whole other chain reaction, the like of which Mal could hardly quantify, but he didn't care much about that.

"You believe in what you have done?" said one of the men. "That it is for the greater good?"

"I do," Mal agreed, holding firm.

"And you are willing to die for that belief?"

The words weren't hardly out of the fella's mouth afore he had some creep ass looking device in his hand. Jayne didn't wait more'n a second to find out what it was for. His gun was in his hand and a bullet was in the other man's head as fast as blinking.

It wasn't much of a fight. Simon dragged Kaylee to safety as River dodged bullets, pulled the knife from the sheath at her leg and threw it expertly into the enemy. Jayne, Mal, Zoe, even Wash fired off simultaneously, cutting down Alliance men where they stood. Somehow amongst the furore of bullets and carnage, one of the Hands of Blue found sanctuary in a corner of the cargo bay. He reached into his pocket, not for a gun, but for something far worse, River knew.

"No!" she yelled, racing to him.

Kicking out, she knocked the dangerous device from his hand, sending it skittering across the floor. The danger was gone, and yet she fought on. Something took her over, nothing like the madness she had known before, instead the perfect clarity fuelled her anger and pain. She knew who had done this to her, that she had suffered because of people like this. Not this man specifically perhaps, but those like him. They caused so much suffering, so much darkness. Now she saw the light, in herself, in the eyes of her enemy, which she could crush, crushing, squeezing the life...

"River!"

Jayne's voice cut through the buzzing of her own anger, pulled her up sharply. For just a moment she had lost herself again, in a new way, but it was no better. The violence took her mind and body, swallowed her whole. She wanted to cause pain, even death, to bring upon her enemies what they had tried to bring to her and her people. It was no good. To make herself as they were, it was not righteous, it was not needed.

As River's eyes and ears focused on the ship around her, she loosened her grip, fingers sliding from the throat of her victim. The man with hands of blue fell to the ground gasping, as Jayne pulled River to him. Zoe stood over the man with her Mare's Leg trained. All others were slain, this fella probably wasn't much to worry on, but she weren't about to take any chances, not today.

Mal walked over to the device the man has dropped, crushing it under his heel. Wash picked up the other one, gave it a look, then placed it back on the ground, following the Captain's lead. They looked to each other and nodded, job done. It had been a hell of a day, but they might just have come through it alright yet.

"We need to clean this mess up," said Mal, "get ourselves outta here."

Though no word was spoken, the whole of the crew seemed to agree.

Wash moved towards the stairs, headed back to the bridge. Mal turned to speak with Zoe, as Simon and Kaylee came forward now, to check on River and Jayne as much as anything it seemed.

A noise more than gasping suddenly came out of the man on the ground, the only one from the Alliance ship still alive as yet.

"You think you've won?" he asked, almost laughing through his half-crushed windpipe. "You have no idea what you've done!"

He was looking the wrong way, never saw the fist come flying until it was too late. His head hit the deck with a satisfying crack as Simon righted himself, shaking his hand that hurt like hell.

"Ai ya!" he exclaimed.

Mal smirked at the doctor's sudden act of violence.

"Y'know, son, they tell ya, never hit a man with a closed fist, but it is on occasion hilarious."

"Yes. I'm quite delirious with laughter," Simon dead-panned, though a smile broke through before long.

Jayne wasn't watching at all. He pulled back to see River's face, almost afraid of what he might find in her eyes. Her body shook still, tears streaking down her cheeks, but she was with him, she saw clearly now, and she was gonna be alright.

"You with me, little woman?" he checked, just to be absolutely sre.

"Always," she told him, nodding her head. "Always with you," she said with a smile. "Forever."

To Be Continued...