Chapter Eight. Sorry about your crane.

Time passed slowly on Lampasas, and not just because they were further from the sun. The crew of Serenity took the week to rest. No one had the motivation to get much done anyway. Jayne, for instance, spent most of the time drinking at the saloon. Mal was shocked he even stuck around, with the ship broken and all, but figured he didn't have enough money to abandon them yet. Zoe found herself spending time at the schoolhouse, tending to the children. This took the Captain off guard, as Mal never imagined her having much patience for little ones. River joined her sometimes, and spent the rest of her time wandering. Mal helped with some of the destruction the pirates had caused as best as be could, and Kaylee helped Simon in the medical station, and stayed far away from anything mechanical. In their own way, they were all doing what they could to stay busy, to keep their minds off of Serenity, but on the seventh day they finally took their first assessment of the damage.

Mal heaved a great sigh as Kaylee approached him. He was seated on an old crate that had fallen out of the ship, slicing into an apple with his pocket knife. "What's the damage, mei mei?"

"Engines' surprisingly okay," Kaylee told him, wiping her hands on her coveralls. "Our right extender took most of the damage, that's why we was spinning so bad. The hull is the main issue, Cap'n." He nodded, squinting into the sun. "But we are gonna need a new catalyser. The port compression coil took a bad beating-"

"Alright, alright. Just make a list of parts we need," he told her. "Let's see what we can do about getting her upright." Taking the last bite of his apple, he put away his knife and hopped down from the crate. Kayle gave him a small smirk.

"I think River has an idea about that." Kaylee glanced over, and Mal followed where she was looking.

Mal caught sight of the girl, drawing numbers in the sand a few yards away. She was speaking, though only to herself. Mal tried to understand what she was saying, but had no luck. He approached anyway.

"We're going to need cranes," she told him absently.

"What, like the little paper ones?" Mal asked, teasing. She glared at him.

"We only have enough fuel cells for a few minutes of flight. It'll have to be quick," she went on, drawing numbers and figures in the dirt with a stick. "Two minutes and fifty eight seconds after the extender is turned on… Hard switch to balance… Not enough fuel for artificial gravity. That could be problematic…" The captain squinted at the ground.

"So... cranes, huh?"

Some of the townspeople had volunteered their time to help. They had a few cranes and other vehicles, and River and Kaylee were able to coordinate between the two of them a plan to flip the ship right-side-up.

"You sure this is gonna work?" Mal asked as he helped River strap down (up?) into her seat. Her hair hung into his face, and he pushed it out of the way as he kissed her head.

"Yes." She assured him with a smile. Mal didn't know if he would have believed her otherwise. "Now get out of here," River ordered seriously.

"Yes, Captain Tam," Mal teased, before climbing back out of the upside-down cockpit. Trying to navigate Serenity while she was upside down was like something out of his worst nightmares. Despite what the doc had told him, he had abandoned his crutch in favor of limping around, which did make things a little difficult for him. Once he'd exited the ship, he found the rest of his small crew waiting, watching with arms folded. The morning sun was behind them.

"This plan is making me a mite nervous, little Kaylee," Mal said to his mechanic, who had just returned from getting the cranes in place.

"Can't see it gettin' much worse than it already is," Jayne interjected. "We're basically trapped on this god fersakin' planet with no way off." He took a long drink from his flask. "Might as well try somethin' stupid."

"River says it'll work," Kaylee said to them, and turned to give the crane operators a thumbs-up.

The town's two cranes were lifting the broken extender off of the ground. Serenity groaned and screeched as she was lifted against her own will. As soon as she was at a certain height and the cranes were locked and secured, the other extender ignited. Mal could just make out his pilot's pale face through the broken windshield of the cockpit. She was grinning.

"Here goes nothin'," Kaylee murmured. As the starboard extender ignited, Serenity raised herself up to be level, using the cranes as a crutch on the port side. Just as quickly as she leveled, she continued to rise on the starboard side, lifting up into a roll. The cranes whined and groaned under the weight, but River was moving quickly. Serenity continued to roll, in one fluid motion, the starboard extender switching at the last moment to level out. One of the cranes snapped, and Kaylee winced as River landed Serenity as gently as she could.

Mal let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. The whole process had taken less than thirty seconds, but to the crew it was much longer. It may have even taken several sunlit days. The crowd cheered. Mal resolved to give River the greatest kiss she'd ever gotten. The pilot climbed out of the ship a few minutes later, triumphant. "No power in the 'Verse can stop me," she explained to her disbelieving crew.

"I'm gonna go see if we can repair that crane that broke," Kaylee said before taking off. Mal wrapped River tightly in his arms, kissing the top of her head.

"Proud of you, River girl."

"I know." She winked at him as they pulled apart. There was a soft clearing of the throat off to the side, and Mal turned quickly to see who it was. Bert held his hat in his hands, a small look of victory on his face.

"That was a sight to see," he admitted.

"Sorry about your crane," River interjected, though she didn't sound too apologetic. She had a way of doing that.

"It's a small price to pay," was Bert's humble reply. "Some of the townspeople were wondering if they could help clean her up," he added. "To be honest they've been dyin' help, but haven't known how. Not to mention a lot of them have lost their loved ones, and are lookin' to find a distraction." Mal was about to reply, to tell him that wasn't necessary. It wasn't their responsibility, no matter what they thought they owed the crew.

"We'd love the help," Zoe cut in. She'd been silent until that moment, uncharacteristically so. Mal could only nod his head in agreement.

And so it was. Thirty volunteers met the crew at the cargo hold, and together they began the arduous task of emptying Serenity's belly. Kaylee and Zoe directed the efforts, making sure there were separate piles for cargo that could be salvaged, things that were now junk, and parts of the ship that could be reattached. River disappeared. Jayne mumbled about how he wasn't gettin' paid for this. Everyone else was pitching in with their best effort, and after a few days, Serenity had been emptied out. She had several hull breaches, not to mention parts that were banged up beyond repair. Kaylee was keeping a running list of everything that had gone wrong, but it was about as tall as she was at this point. Her eyes filled with tears as she brought him the list after dinner that night.

"Cap'n," she said quietly. "I don't think we're gonna be able to afford to get her flying again. Just these parts out of a salvage yard would cost more'n we've ever made in a whole year." Her eyes were filling with sad, hopeless tears. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"Now Kaylee, you leave all that worryin' to me. Have I ever led you astray before?" Mal countered, and she shook her head. "Now I know it's been a rough few days, but I heard that Bert's niece Bea made a plumberry pie she needs help gettin' rid of. Think you could go help her out?" It took a moment, but after some convincing, Kaylee's smile brightened the whole room, and she departed the house, the screen door closing loudly behind her. River met Mal's eyes, and he saw her lips form words that he wouldn't recognize until later as, "Uh oh."

The door hadn't even slammed shut when they heard her scream.

Zoe and Mal were the first to react, as always, jumping with a start and making for the door.

In the dim of the porchlight, Mal could make out two figures. At first he imagined that someone had Kaylee by the throat, a gun to her head, but then his eyes adjusted and he saw it for what it was: Kaylee embracing a tall, dark-haired woman.

"Oh, mei mei, I've missed you too," the woman said, her voice as smooth as butter.

"Inara! What are you even doing here?" Kaylee questioned, finally letting go of the embrace.

"I heard you were in some sort of trouble, I came to see if I could help. I would have been here sooner, but there was a delay…" Her voice trailed off as she looked to the Captain. Mal stood there, trying to figure out why there was a knot in his stomach. He averted his eyes, looking for River. She hadn't come outside yet, and he thought he might know why.

"Well why don't you come on in," Mal said to her, trying to mask his discomfort. "Kaylee was just about to run and get some plumberry pie. We've had a long day and we're pretty tuckered out-"

"No we're not!" Kaylee cut in, hugging her dear friend tightly. "'Nara, come get some pie with me and then we can go back inside," she urged, holding the older woman's hand tightly. Inara smiled, placing her free hand against the mechanic's cheeks.

"Of course, Kaylee." Inara looked to Mal one last time before the two girls disappeared. Mal sighed, running his hand through his hair. When he turned to go back outside, River appeared, startling him.

"Qīn'ài de shàngdì," he swore loudly, taking a step back. Time slowed as he saw her face, lit by porchlight, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"She wants to help." Her words did little to comfort the captain.

"Yeah, I don't recall askin' her for help," he replied, clenching his jaw. "Is there a chance that a little bird with a name like water called her?" River shook her head. They stood there, a few feet apart. It felt like a mile. He closed his eyes on his exhale, trying to clear his mind. Inara had a way of fogging him up. A gentle touch caressed his check, and he opened his eyes to see River close to him. The fog began to lift. His hands moved to her waist instinctively, and he didn't pull away as she moved to kiss him. A soft sigh left him, and he closed his eyes again. River had always made the nightmares disappear. Could she make this one vanish as well?

"Said I'm your River girl," she said to him, real soft, as their lips were about to touch. "Said I'm yours."

"That you are." He closed the distance, pouring himself into her. When he tried to deepen the kiss, she pulled away, leaving a hole in his chest as she did so.

"Are you mine?" Everything else seemed to fade away as she regarded him with those big, doe eyes of hers. There was a slight pause as he reached up and tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear.

"As long as you'll have me," was the gentle reply. River was quiet as she met his gaze steadily. "You're worried 'bout Inara being here," he observed aloud. Her gaze faltered. "Can't you read my mind, Albatross?"

"That's... complicated."

"Yeah, well, this ain't. Not anymore." And then he pulled her to him, his grip firm. But instead of pressing his lips against hers in an act of passion, he slowed, and kissed the top of her head. River's hands went to his chest, fingers tightening around his coat. With unnatural strength she pulled herself up and kissed his lips. The intensity of the kiss caught him off guard, and the way she kissed him always made his head spin. He hadn't ever been touched the way she touched him.

Finally, she pulled away.

"How come you won't sleep with me?" she questioned.

Mal let out a chuckle. "You stay in my bunk all the time. And then last night… I'm not rightly sure if I was in your room or you were in mine." This got a smile out of her, and he couldn't help but run his thumb across her cheek. She rolled her eyes.

"Not what I meant."

"Ah. You mean to say…" There was a pause, and he winked. "I've always known you to be precise and fanciful in your speakin' to me." She rolled her eyes at him, and he ran a hand through her long hair. "River girl…"

Their conversation was interrupted as a throat was cleared. Mal's first instinct was to pull away quickly, but River's presence cleared his mind, made him sharp. He had nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, he knew this day would come. River's fingers were still wrapped around the edges of his coat, and his hands were on her waist. Looking over, he saw Inara's alarmed expression, alongside Kaylee's perplexed one.

"There a problem?" Mal asked the two of them. No one spoke. The situation was only made worse when he realized that Simon had watched their entire interaction through the window from the kitchen. Instead of reacting the way he wanted to, he simply looked to River. She was ignoring the others, and a broad grin was starting to spread across her lips. It was infectious, and Mal found himself doing the same. He gave her a wink. "Now, is that his angry face or his scared face? He mentioned there was a difference a while ago, but I still can't quite tell," he said to River, who radiated joy. She didn't care one bit. Finally, Mal kissed the top of River's head, and ruefully let go of their embrace. She smoothed out his coat, fixing his collar before turning to the women who were staring at them.

"Is there still pie?" River asked Kaylee, her eyes big and wide. She looked positively radiant in the glow of the porchlight, and Mal watched as she danced away without waiting for an answer. There was a loud door slam from inside the house, and Kaylee frowned, darting inside, avoiding her captain's gaze as she went. That left Mal and Inara outside. Mal remained on the porch, and Inara stood a few feet away, her hands folded in front of her. She did look particularly dressed up, wearing what Mal was certain to be some fine silks. He took a few steps forward and casually leaned against one of the posts that held the porch roof.

Inara was livid, pressing her lips together. "Somethin' botherin' you, Inara?" he asked, not unkindly.

She stepped forward. "Gwai-gwai long duh dong do you think you're doing? She's just a girl, Mal!"

He was unfazed. "Now, y'see, this conversation might be a little different if she were, in fact, just a girl-"

Inara shook her head, interrupting. "She doesn't know what she's doing," she hissed.

"Try telling her that."

"I get it, Mal. You're having a hard time dealing with what happened to Serenity. But to take solace in the arms of a young, impressionable, innocent girl. She's basically a child!"

"Last June she turned twenty, which I reckon is older than you were when you became a Companion. And I don't rightly imagine that this is any of your business.". He already felt the absence of River as he started to grow angrier. "I'm not a learned man, so please, educate on how this is your place to speak on. You know as well as we do what she's been through, but you don't know a thing about what I'm 'dealing with'. You left Serenity the first chance you got." She stepped forward, narrowing her eyes.

"And you didn't stop me!" Her voice raised, too, her dark eyes narrowing.

"Didn't know I was supposed to. Companion'in' is a way of life for you, 'Nara. It wouldn't have suited you to stay anyhow. We both know you'd never have stayed."

"I might have," she retorted, "if I had a reason to." There was a quiet in the conversation. Mal sighed.

"You had plenty of reason. But if you were waitin' around for me, you would have been waitin' in vain. It woulda never worked."

Inara finally looked away, unable to reply.

"Why're you so upset? Don't claim it's for fondness for River. I saw how you looked at her just now." The Companion folded her arms.

"I only came to make sure that everyone was okay. I would have been here sooner but… well, there was a delay with the transport from Persephone. I'm sure you'll hear more about it tomorrow." Mal shrugged. Inara glared at him for his dismissal. "I came to see if I could help."

"Oh, so you didn't come to berate me," he quipped, which earned him a sharp glare. "We don't agree on much, you and I. Politics. Business. In fact, you run a business that was long ago considered immoral and wrongful and now you're praised and respected, while I do what I can in the best way I can just to make a living and stay out of the Alliance's radar, and I'm still the petty criminal."

"You and I will never understand each other," she stated, and he was shocked that she'd chosen this moment, of all times, to agree with him.

"You don't have to understand me," Mal told her. "But this is what I've chosen. River's what I've chosen. She kept Serenity flying long after you left. She kept me flying. For that I owe her a great deal."

"Touching." Simon's harsh voice that dripped with sarcasm nearly startled Mal, who turned quickly to face the elder of the Tam siblings. He cocked a brow at his doctor.

"Thank you, doc," he replied. Kaylee was standing behind Simon, her eyes lowered. "Well, I figure this's as good a time as any. Already getting berated by on person. Speak your peace then, Simon."

There was a long silence. Mal was amazed that Simon didn't punch him clear across the face. He'd done it once before. The doctor's eyes were dark and narrowed, and Mal was almost nervous.

Finally, Simon spoke: "My sister is a genius. She could be anything she wanted, do anything in the 'Verse. Her IQ is four times your own, not to mention it appears she can take down an entire army single handedly. You… well, let's take inventory. You're a captain without a ship. Should I even list the ways you're not good enough? Explain to me how you think you're worthy of her."

A silence fell over them. It was heavy, and would have weighed on Mal heavily - if he hadn't already thought the question to himself a hundred times over. He could feel eyes on him from all over. Mal tilted his head to the side. "Don't reckon' I am, Doc."

Simon's mouth hung open for a moment. It was obvious he wasn't expecting that one.

"You said it yourself. Your sister's a genius. Odd at times, I'll admit. We've all seen the improvements she's made since Miranda. I reckon now she could be anything she wanted. And you know what she chose?" Mal asked. "She chose be on Serenity. Even chose to be a pilot. Even when she thinks it'll kill her - "

"She chose Mal." River's voice piped up, causing everyone to spin. She had some plumberry pie on her cheek, and Mal found himself thinking it made her even more beautiful. "Every day. And will chose him again and again."

"River," Simon said, walking forward to intercept her.

"Don't." Her word had taken on a different tone. In that one syllable, she commanded more strength than they'd ever seen from her. Mal knew her to be brilliant, whimsical, and maybe even strange. But now she stood firm, and no one argued against her. She kept walking, making her way inside the house, passing Mal and her brother and the quiet Kaylee. "Besides, I should be thought of as the lucky one. To love Malcolm Reynolds, greatest Captain in the 'Verse." She disappeared into the house, wishing Zoe goodnight before going upstairs. Mal figured he would know where to find her.

"You heard the little lady," Mal added, earning him a few glares. Two, to be specific. Simon turned, following his sister's lead and heading back inside, and Inara shook her head disapprovingly before making her way back to… well, wherever she'd come from. Kaylee peered up at him.

"Got something to add, mei mei?" Mal asked, not unkindly, and she offered him a half smile.

"I think it's sweet, Cap'n. I seen the way you look at her. I think it's real sweet. Do what makes you happy." She stood on her tippy toes to give his cheek a chaste peck before heading back inside. Mal figured that wasn't too bad of an idea, and reentered the house, slipping inside the front door.

Zoe grinned at him from her bed across the room. "Quite a day," she commented, and he shook his head before heading up the stairs.

I knew one day, someone would fall in love with my sister. She was beautiful, and gifted with a genius that is once-in-a-lifetime. Words cannot describe how amazing she is. I always knew that one day someone would come along and court her, try to win her heart. I never quite thought about what would happen if she fell for him, too. I suppose it was selfish of me to be with Kaylee and deny River whoever she wanted. Given the opportunity, I'm not sure I even could change her mind about it. River didn't do anything she didn't want to. I would have always be her brother, her protector. But to deny her love, despite what all she'd been through? I didn't dare. I couldn't take that, too.

Simon Tam