All disclaimers apply

Ch. 14- Shades of Gray

Mal clomped onto the bridge. "Tell me the good news, Wash."

Wash grimaced. "Well they appear to be moving off. I take it went well?"

It was Mal's turn to grimace. "Too easy. I expect they won't be moving too far off."

"Depends what the range is on this." Wash pointed to a blinking red light on the console. "I think they tagged us."

Mal frowned. "Well, we can't rip it off without raising their suspicions even more that something's going on."

"What's going on? What were they looking for?"

"I don't know, but I aim to find out. Get us back on course."

Mal left the bridge and proceeded down to the mess. Upon entering, he found Zoe standing inside the doorway with her arms crossed and Jayne sitting at the kitchen table, testing a nine inch blade along his thumb. David Janek sat across from him, his eyes large and glued to the knife.

Mal smiled. Trust Jayne to prep someone properly for an interrogation. Mal wasn't planning on hurting David, but a little fear could be a proper sort of motivator.

"So, how's about we have us a little chat?" Mal began.

David looked up at him and seemed to regain some confidence. "Captain, I'm sure I don't know what this is about, but I think threatening your passengers is in poor taste."

Mal glanced at Jayne. "Jayne, did you threaten Mr. Janek?"

Jayne paused, inspecting the blade edge. "Nope. Haven't said a word." He resumed sliding his thumb up the knife, testing its edge. He never once lifted his eyes up.

David shifted nervously in his chair. "Now look,…"

"No, now you look," demanded Mal. "We got some crates that may not be what they appear to be, some feds asking questions about said crates, and some questions about you as well. Start talking, young man."

"I assure you, Captain, those computer crates are nothing more than innocent, outdated computer components. Tools necessary to assure updating the quality of life on a Rim planet."

"And I assure you, young man, that that there large man with the long cutting implement is my tool necessary to assuring the quality of life on this here ship. What aren't you telling us? And before you begin tryin' to put me off again, why don't you tell me about Setec Astronomy?"

Unbelievably, David smiled. Mal was curious that that hadn't caught him off guard. "Captain Reynolds, Setec Astronomy is the incorporated front that I and my colleagues use in order to move a little more freely amongst places that are a little Alliance heavy." He stood up. "I would be happy to open any crate you pick and prove to you that what I say is true." He gestured towards Jayne. "I'm sure your security would be happy to help you by prying open the wooden crate with his sharp tool."

Jayne looked up, startled. "No way ya openin' up some friggin' crate with my good knife. Sure we got a crowbar 'round here somewhere." He rose to presumably find it, but Mal stayed him with a wave.

"Nah, we're all set here for now." David, Jayne, and Zoe looked at him in surprise. "Yeah, if you'll excuse us Mr. Janek, I need to speak to my crew for a moment."

David nodded, glancing at Zoe and the still knife-waving Jayne. He moved out from behind the table and disappeared out through the door of the mess. Jayne turned to Mal.

"Well, I see we're gonna need to have us some lessons about, oh, I don't know, Interrogation 101?!"

Mal looked thoughtful. Zoe stepped up. "Sir, what are you thinking?"

Mal turned towards her. "Don't you think it's funny that we get stopped by the cops looking for this Cosmo guy, and our own little resident reader hasn't ever said anything to us 'bout him?"

Jayne took a step. "You ain't sayin' she's been withholdin' info from us?"

"No," Mal said, "I think she would tell us if he was a danger, but the only thing she ever said to me 'bout him was that he 'had my mind'. Don't rightly know what that was about."

"Maybe it's about time we asked her, Sir," Zoe said.

"Reckon' your right." Mal went to turn towards the com to call River, but she suddenly appeared in the doorway. She stepped through, smiling brilliantly at Jayne before turning to the Captain.

"Did you have fun scaring the little boy, dear?" she asked Jayne.

"Yeah, but Mal wouldn't let me…hey, are you makin' fun of me?!"

River patted him on the arm. "Of course not." She turned to the Captain.

"You were looking for me?"

"Well, yeah, was about to, you reading me?"

"No, I deduced that two point five minutes after the interrogation was scheduled to end you would want to ask me what I meant when I said that David had the same mind as you." Jayne reflexively growled as River said Janek's name. She patted his arm again.

"Well, my fine little witch, you deduced correctly. So what gives?"

She leaned in and waved her arms in a gathering motion so that Zoe and Mal stepped closer to Jayne and her. "He was young and smart like me, and they gave him a job. And now he's brown!" She jumped back and giggled, as if her statement had explained everything. Except maybe it did.

As Mal's face started to scrunch up in frustration, Zoe interceded. "I think I got this one, Sir. River, honey, you mean that David got a job working for the Alliance when he was younger?"

River nodded vigorously, a huge smile plastered on her face.

Zoe continued. "And they screwed him over?"

River continued to nod, more slowly, sadness crossing her face.

"And now he's somehow involved with the Independents?"

River nodded vigorously again, smile back on.

"There is no Independent movement," Mal said with a flat face. He moved to leave the mess. "Zoe, Jayne, you keep an eye on him."

"I understand," River said. "You're not ready yet."

Mal glared at her, then stomped out. Jayne looked to River. "What was that about? Inna-pendents startin' up again?" A frown crossed his face. "And this Janek's one 'a them?"

But before River could answer, Zoe spoke up. "I don't know about David, but Monty mentioned rumors when we ran into him a couple months back." She shook her head, then made to follow Mal. She looked back to River.

"You're sure he's okay, little one?"

River smiled and nodded encouragingly. "Jayne should not be beating on him just yet." She grinned up at him. Zoe nodded and left. Jayne grunted.

"He keeps makin' googly eyes at ya, and I'ma gonna have to beat on 'im whether or not he's one a Mal's good guys." He tried to glare at her, but she just laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"There's no one here," she whispered conspiratorially. She started to rise up on her tiptoes and purse her lips, but Jayne hesitated.

"Yeah, but someone'll walk in on us, or the ship'll get shot at, or somethin's gonna happen…" He was silenced in voice and thought as her lips touched his. After pressing with closed lips for a couple seconds he lifted his eyes to glance around the room.

"Well, mmm, maybe I'll catch a break this time…" he mumbled as he felt her lips open against his.

And no one interrupted them for a good ten minutes.