Sorry about the long wait. I hope this was worth it!
The sun beat down brightly, warming Josephine's skin and the grass around her as she absently plucked a blade and twirled it between her fingers. She lay on her back, eyes to the blue cloudless sky, the familiar twinkle of birds and hard work in the distance, just like so many days of her childhood.
She knew instantly that she was home, on Sydney, but she couldn't remember how she came to be there. Even stranger was the soft warm presence beneath her head, of which Jo knew she should react but, whether it were the hot sun or the comforting warmth where her head rested, she felt utterly lazy and relaxed.
Josephine raised the blade of grass towards the sky, blotting out the sun and allowing her to look into the sky without squinting. A hand reached out from behind and took her own, leaving the grass to fall back to the ground. Again, she had the strangest sensation that she should have been startled, but she could only smile as Mal brought her hand up to his mouth, running his lips across her knuckles briefly. He kept her
hand held loosely in his own, and Jo heard him sigh softly from behind her but she dared not look back, for fear that he wouldn't really be there.
"This ain't real," he said softly.
"I know." She squeezed his hand lightly, as though afraid that if she applied any real pressure it would disappear. "How did I get here?"
"Not sure... I'm not even here."
His words were so quiet that she tilted her head back on his lap, his face coming into view for the first time. Mal smiled softly and brought his other hand to her face, tracing an invisible pattern across her cheek with one rough finger and locking his eyes with hers.
"Time to go," he whispered, his voice even quieter than before. Mal leaned over her slowly and Josephine closed her eyes as his lips found her forehead in a chaste kiss.
She could still feel her hand in his and his finger gently caressing her face, but when she opened her eyes again, the world around her was dark and cold.
She blinked a few times, moistening her eyes and bringing her new surroundings into focus. The lap she rested on belonged to Mira, and it was Mira's hand that she held, Mira's finger tracing a pattern across her face. Josephine looked up towards the young woman in an attempt to read her expression, but Mira was staring off into space as usual.
Jo sighed and turned her attention towards her surroundings once again. The room was dimly lit by only a few lights on the far wall but she could easily make out that she was in a cell of some sorts. It was large and held together by thick metal bars. Josephine had heard of old fashioned ships with brigs but had thought they were no longer in service, aside from law enforcement vehicles of course. The other passengers and surviving crew of the transport vessel all sat unceremoniously on the ground, remnants of old food and plates scattered about.
At the sight of the food Josephine felt her stomach lurch and immediately began to sit up. She only got about half way, however, before pain exploded behind her eyes and nausea threatened to overtake her. She closed her eyes and felt hands pushing her back down gently.
"Don't try to move just yet," a soft feminine voice spoke from above her and Jo opened her eyes to see the face of the young mother hovering over her.
Josephine closed her eyes again before speaking. "What's wrong with me?"
"You took a nasty blow to your head dear, you've been unconscious for four days."
Jo's eyes shot open at her words. "That's not possible."
The woman tutted softly, making Josephine rethink her age. "Obviously it is. Listen I know we've already technically been introduced, but just in case, my name is Elise. I used to be a nurse on Osiris, and I'm fairly certain you have a concussion."
Running a hand over the back of her head, Jo winced in pain as she brushed a very large bump on her skull. "Will I be alright?"
"I think so." Elise paused as though considering it. "We managed to get some liquids into you while you were out, but I imagine you're famished."
"I am. Can I sit up now?"
"I suppose, but slowly... that is if your friend here will let go of you." Elise's eyes traveled over Mira and then back to Jo. "She wouldn't let me get close enough to examine you for the first few days, but I think when you didn't wake up she finally gave in."
Josephine looked up again but the younger woman was still staring off into space as though oblivious to the conversation happening right under her nose.
"Mira?" Josephine waited for a response for only a moment before repeating her name more forcefully. "MIRA?"
The young woman looked down at her finally and released Jo's hand. Elise motioned for someone to her left and was soon joined by the man Jo had seen her with days before. "This is my husband Richard, if it's alright with you he's going to help..."
Josephine nodded and together the married couple had her leaning against the wall, her legs curled to her side, in a few minutes.
"Did you say something about food before?" Josephine rubbed her head, trying to quell the dizziness that had found its way there.
"I did," Elise smiled stiffly. "They bring it around this time everyday."
At Elise's words, the past days events swarmed back into her head painfully and she groaned. "Do we have any idea where they're taking us?"
Richard shook his head. "Not really. We've overheard some things, but nothing like the name of a planet or moon. But where ever we're going, they plan to sell us off, of that much I'm sure."
Josephine closed her eyes, trying to force the pain back enough to think clearly. "So probably some place on the rim... some place not really that settled."
"Most likely," Richard agreed.
Jo opened her eyes in time to see the little girl walk over to her father and climb into his lap. "They're coming daddy."
"Thank you xin gan." Richard rose to his feet, easily cradling the seven year old against him, and moved to the far side of the cage.
Elise nodded after them. "That's our daughter Libby. She was running mad in here with nothing to do, so now she's in charge of telling us when they're coming." Elise paused, her eyes forming a question as she looked at Josephine. "Do you know when yours is due?"
Jo started, her hands going absently to her stomach. "Is it really that noticeable?"
The older woman smiled at her kindly. "No I don't think so. But I worked in the maternity ward... I know what to look for." Elise paused again, and bit her bottom lip absently, as though silently pondering whether to continue.
"What is it?" Josephine prompted.
"Where's the father? Is it that gentleman who boarded with you?" Elise glanced at the bodyguard who sat uselessly by himself.
Jo's gaze flew first to her stomach and then back to Elise in surprise. Before she could realize what she was doing, she began to laugh softly. She knew that she must look crazy, but try as she might, she couldn't get herself to stop. Before long, her shoulders were shaking with the force of her laughter and tears had begun to creep out of her eyes until she wasn't sure if she was laughing or crying. The others glanced her way oddly and Elise put a tentative hand on her shoulder.
Josephine wiped her eyes with the back of her hand as she finally began to quiet down and could meet the other woman's gaze again. "No, I don't really know him... it's a very long, confusing story."
"I would like to hear it someday."
"Maybe..." she placed a hand on her stomach again as a question popped into her head and turned back to Elise. "Is it alright, did the concussion hurt it?"
"I don't know. I could do some tests, but without my equipment it would really just be guess work. It takes it's nourishment from you, and you didn't have much to give it... I imagine it's even more hungry than you are."
As though brought on by Elise's words, Josephine looked up in time to see two of the strong muscled men come through a hallway on the far side of the room. In each of their hands was a large rusted tray, which they sat on the floor near the bars. The tallest one's eyes drifted to Josephine as she sat against the wall, and stepped towards her.
"Tell Mr. Pierce this one's alive," he barked back to his comrade. He grabbed a shock of rough looking white material from a shelf on the wall and thrust it threw the bars at her. "Put this on, should be arriving soon."
Josephine stared at his hand holding the fabric for a long moment before her eyes drifted over the rest of the people in the cell. For the first time she noticed they were all dressed in the dirty white fabric, even Mira. Long, loose dresses for the women, trousers and tunics for the men, all made out of the same coarse looking fabric.
"Do it, or we'll do it for you!" The large man shook the fabric in his hand, regaining Jo's attention and Elise got up to take it from him quickly.
The two men left soon after and Elise sat the clothing down next to Josephine.
"Let's get some food in you first, and then I'll help you change."
Josephine snorted loudly. "Why should we make it so easy for them?"
The older woman smiled slightly and shook her head. "Because we don't want to give them any excuse to hurt us, or my daughter. They've been almost... civil so far." Elise got up and went over to the trays, whispering quietly to those already gathered around it. She came back with two plates, one that seemed almost overflowing with a tan bread and some sort of vegetable paste. Elise sat this one down in front of Josephine before joining her on the floor.
"Everyone's given you a portion of theirs. It's not great, but it's edible."
Jo didn't care. She barely looked at it before she began eating ravenously, only pausing briefly to chew. Richard and Libby joined them a moment later, carrying a pitcher of water and three plates of food. He sat one in front of Mira, who, Josephine was surprised to see, began eating almost immediately.
Richard and his daughter situated themselves on the floor with Jo and Elise. He saw Jo staring at Mira and cleared his throat to get her attention.
"We've been taking care of her best we can, but it hasn't been easy. How my wife got her to change I'll never know."
Elise smiled. "I just told her that Josephine would want her to change and she did. That little girl has a lot of faith in you."
"Don't know why," Josephine mumbled between mouthfuls, "I'm the one that got her into this mess."
"Speaking of messes," Elise began, "we've had four days to come up with some way out of this..."
"And?" Josephine asked.
"And we have nothing," she admitted. "We've actually been very anxious for you to wake up. We thought maybe you might be able to figure something out."
"Why's that?"
She shared a look with her husband. "Well, back on the Finder, the tall woman called Gwen seemed to imply that you'd been in this situation before... and you had a gun."
"I haven't actually... not like this. And a lot of good that gun did me." Jo paused, as though unsure about how much to tell them. "But when I got to where I was going I was supposed to wave someone. They'll have assumed the worst when I didn't."
"Are you saying there'll be people looking for you?"
"Should be..." Josephine sighed and set her empty plate on the ground. "But whether or not they'll be able to find me... I don't know. If I could just get out of here and get on the cortex..." She paused as an idea popped into her head. "Wen... has anyone seen him?"
Elise shook her head. "I think they're afraid to let him in here... afraid he'll just let us go or something. Though where we would go on a spaceship I've no idea."
"He's the only one we could talk to... he might help us," Josephine suggested.
"Well," Richard began, "they did say we'd be landing soon, I'm sure we'll see him then."
Josephine nodded. "We've got to talk to him. He doesn't want to do this, he was trying to run away from it. What about the others? No offense, but I'm a little surprised you two are the ones in charge of planning."
Richard turned to look at the bodyguard and the two crew members. "They haven't said much of anything. I think they've already given up. But I'll be damned if I'm going to sit by and watch my daughter and my wife sold into slavery."
Elise put her hand on her husband's shoulder, but turned to Jo. "I think we'd rather die," she said quietly, so Libby, who was still eating, wouldn't over hear.
Josephine turned her gaze to the little girl, apparently oblivious to the conversation going on around her, and tried to imagine what it would be like for her to be separated from her parents at such a young age, forced to do hard labor... or worse.
"I don't blame you," Jo spoke softly, still staring at Libby.
She felt a slight tremor beneath her and placed her hand on the cool metal of the ships floor. "They started descending. We'll be breaking atmo soon."
Richard looked down at the floor and then back to Jo skeptically. "I didn't feel anything... how can you be sure?"
Josephine shrugged her shoulders. "I lived on a spaceship for a few months, you start to learn what things feel like."
Elise stood up suddenly. "Well we should get you changed, and then you can try to reason with Wen."
"If we even see him," Josephine admitted bitterly, standing up a bit shakily for the first time in four days. "If not... I don't think we have much of a chance."
"Maybe," Richard began. "But once we get on land we'll know better. We might be able to fight our way free during the transfer."
Josephine frowned and allowed herself to be ushered into the corner a short distance away by Elise. "With what, our fists? That's not going to do much good against their guns."
Richard stood up and turned his back, attempting to block his wife and Josephine from the others view. "Well at least we'll die trying."
Elise helped Jo remove her shirt and trousers and slip the coarse dress over her head. When they were finished, Josephine turned back to Richard.
"That's a very real possibility," Josephine spoke softly, just as the old bearded man called Mr. Pierce and a few of his goons stepped into the brig. Jo wasn't surprised in the least to see that Wen wasn't with them.
"Everyone up, hands behind your backs," Mr Pierce barked loudly, pausing for only a moment to make sure he was obeyed.
The heavy iron gate was opened and the small group was forced into a straight line. Josephine found herself near the middle, staring at the useless bodyguards back, the Finder's pilot and mechanic just in front of him. Mira and Elise were behind her, followed by Richard, holding Libby tightly to him, her tiny face pressed into his neck.
Josephine stood as still as she could while her hands were bound behind her back with a thin piece of material. She couldn't tell exactly what kind of apparatus it was, but she knew from it's slick, soft texture that it wasn't any type of rope she'd seen before.
"Please... just let me hold her."
Jo cocked her head to the side until she could see Richard out of the corner of her eye. One of Pierce's men was staring at him menacingly, and Richard had taken a step back from the others.
"Put her down so I can bind your hands," the man spoke lowly.
Richard hesitated, his eyes shifting between the man and his wife.
"I suggest you put her down yourself. If Olen takes her from you he won't be half so gentle as you would like." Mr. Pierce's cultured voice floated over loudly from the cage's gate and Richard's eyes shot to him. "And if you set her down now, we'll leave her hands free," he continued more quietly.
Richard shared one more look with Elise, before slowing lowering a whimpering Libby to the ground. He patted her on the head once as she clutched at his leg before finally placing his hands behind him.
When they had finally finished with Richard, their captors led them, single file, to the ships main entrance. Somewhere along the way, Josephine felt them land softly and they were joined by Gwen and a sullen looking Wen. Jo tried frantically to catch his eye but failed every time.
Pierce stopped at the controls to the doors and ramp and turned to address them.
"We aren't going to bind you together, but a piece of advice," he paused for a moment, smiling pleasantly. "I wouldn't try to run if I were you. You will undoubtably be picked up by one of the other trading companies, and they aren't nearly as pleasant as we are." With that, he hit a button on the control panel and the doors slid open.
Josephine had no idea what time of day it was and found herself unprepared for the bright, harsh sunlight that blinded them. After her eyes had adjusted to the light, she saw that the planet, or possibly moon, was much as she expected. It was dry, hot, and flat. A few scattered buildings in the distance indicated a settlement of some sort, and it appeared as though clusters of different colors were moving around together outside the buildings. She blinked in confusion as they were led down the ramp and onto the world. She saw that they had landed among many other spaceships of various shapes and sizes, and Jo assumed they belonged to either potential buyers or other slavers. The thought made her nauseous.
Mr. Pierce led the way towards the throng of moving colors, his men moving up to flank Jo and the others. By some manor of luck, Wen wound up just to her right and she turned her head towards him.
"Wen?" Josephine lowered her voice to something below a whisper.
He continued staring straight ahead, but flinched at the sound of his name, indicating that he had heard her.
She stared at him for a moment, waiting for him to acknowledge her. When he didn't she tried again.
"Wen... please."
"I can't," he finally whispered back, his voice coming out strained.
"You can... you have to."
"Bi zui!" Josephine started as Gwen came up behind Wen and grabbed him by the shoulder. "In the back Wendell." She pushed him roughly and he immediately obliged, Gwen taking his place next to Josephine.
She smiled at Jo cruelly and stepped closer until their shoulders bumped together as they walked.
"You know," Gwen began quietly, "even if he really wanted to help you, there's nothing he could do." She pointed a large meaty hand out in front of them. "You see that? There just cattle, like you."
Josephine looked past the head of the bodyguard in front of her and gasped audibly. Now that they were closer, she could see that what had appeared to be moving colors were really hundreds of people, dressed similarly to herself and the others, only grouped together in different colored garments. It was some sort of coding system. A way to tell who belonged to what group of slavers.
"They all used to be like you," Gwen continued. "Hopeful, making plans, waiting to be rescued. But no one is coming for them... and no one is coming for you, because no one cares. You know why?"
Jo kept staring straight ahead, her hands clenching uncomfortably from where they were bound behind her back.
When Josephine made no inclination that she had heard her, Gwen placed one of her large hands under Jo's chin, turning her face towards her.
"Moo."
Jo stared into Gwen's smiling face, anger coursing through her and wishing her hands were free so she could smash in the smirking woman's nose. She remained calm, however, and turned her head back to the front.
As they grew closer to the crowd, the noise and unpleasant smell threatened her senses and caused her to flinch. Pierce stopped them just short of the crowd as a short, round man approached him. Jo watched them talk for a few moments before Pierce passed the man a few coins. The short man wrote something down on the small ledger he carried with him and pointed towards the center of the throng before walking away briskly.
Pierce turned to one of his men and spoke in hushed tones. Before long they were moving into the crowd and Jo found herself being jostled, struggling to keep her balance with her hands behind her back. They reached a small wooden platform and stopped again, Mr. Pierce turning towards them.
"The organizer of this little function has reluctantly agreed to let us begin earlier than we were scheduled. I'm going to take you up there," he pointed to the platform, "one at a time, and we'll begin the bidding. They may want to look you over. My advice?" He smiled again, still playing the jovial old man. "Let them." His smile faltered a little. "If you try anything, try to run, my men will not hesitate to shoot you. Any questions?"
Yes, how can you live with yourself you hundan, Josephine thought bitterly. She stood there rigidly as the reality of her situation flooded over her.
"This is really happening," she whispered to herself as Pierce brought the Finder's mechanic up on the platform. Her eyes roamed the crowd as Pierce began to speak. Over the faces of men and women, both old and young, some dressed handsomely, others in farmers clothes. Some bidding eagerly, coming up to inspect their potential purchase, others simply watching and chatting casually to those around them, seemingly oblivious to the fallacy going on around them.
She caught snippets of Pierce's words as they floated down from above her: "Strong build... good with machines... hard worker."
Before long the mechanic had been sold to an old couple and was led off into the crowd. The pilot soon followed. One look at how handsome and strong Josephine's incompetent bodyguard was and he was gone too.
Gwen grasped Jo by the arm and brought her up the few steps to the raised platform. She went numbly and without protest, her docility surprising them both. She barely heard what Pierce was saying about her, but started when he turned her around and pulled the back of her dress down a bit.
"This one will be easy to manage. You see that? She's already been owned, knows the ropes this one."
Josephine was turned back around roughly as the bidding began. A large man near the front raised his hand.
"I'll give you forty for her."
Pierce shook his head smiling. "Sir, this is an experienced slave, is that the best you can do?"
Josephine lowered her eyes to the wooden planks beneath her as the bidding continued. It went on for a few minutes, getting as high as a hundred. It seemed no one wanted to go any higher than that and after a few moments she looked up to see who wanted to buy her.
"Two hundred!"
Josephine's head jerked sharply to the right in astonishment at Jayne's familiar gruff voice.
"Two fifty!"
Her head jerked to the left as the sound of Simon's voice reached her ears and her mouth dropped open in surprise.
The crowd began murmuring loudly as Jayne turned angry eyes towards the Doctor. "Three hundred!"
"Four hundred!" Simon retorted.
Josephine could practically feel Pierce salivating next to her and she began to smile.
The crowd gasped as Jayne took a few menacing steps towards Simon and pushed back his coat to reveal a large gun. "Five hundred!"
"Six hundred!" Simon shouted quickly.
Jayne growled in frustration and took the last few steps towards Simon, balling his hands in the Doctor's shirt and raising him a little until his toes skimmed the ground.
The crowd grew louder and began moving back as a group. Josephine's smile grew wider as she saw Zoe and River pushing their way through the throng out of the corner of her eye. She began searching the crowd frantically, knowing that he was out there somewhere too.
"Gentlemen please," Mr. Pierce sputtered next to her. "There's no need for this. I'm sure we can come to some arrangement," he said loudly to be heard over the crowd.
When no one paid any attention to him, he turned startled eyes to Josephine, who was now grinning broadly. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her slightly, his eyes betraying his sudden alarm.
"What are you doing? Why are you smiling?"
Josephine looked him in the eyes calmly, the gleeful expression never leaving her face.
"Because we're getting out of here... and you're in big trouble."