Chapter 3/ "I've Found Serenity"

"Zoe, did you accept passage of payment for two people at our last stop and neglect to inform me of such?" Captain Malcolm Reynolds was furious as he stared at the two people in question. The only thing he hated more than stowaways were Reavers, but that was because the latter had earned a special place in the seventh circle of hell that was his heart.

"No sir," his first mate replied back over the comm system. "I dont handle passenger manifests. You do, Cap."

"Then can someone tell me what in the gorram are two unpaid, undeclared people doing in MY engine room?!" Kaylee and Jayne raced from the galley, hoping desperately to catch sight of the stowaways before the Captain threw them out into the darkness of space.

Captain Reynolds kept his revolver locked on the two-what looked like human teenagers- eyes narrowed in distrust. The young woman had her gloved hands pressed hard against the bleeding wound on the young man propped up against a large engine. He was clearly in pain but was chuckling through gritted teeth and muttering something along the lines of "dying on Serenity."

"He needs help, ya idiot! Call a doctor before he goes into shock!" The woman screeched at him in an accent he didnt recognize but Mal merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Now, that would be counterproductive considering Im the one who shot him." She rose, hand slowly peeling off one of her gloves as she glared at him with death in her eyes. She made a step towards him but Mal waved his gun at her. "Now young lady, you just stay right there by your friend. I dont aim to miss."

/I aim to misbehave./

She didnt appear phased at having the weapon pointed at her, but before she could move closer, Mal swung his aim back to the man on the ground. Without missing a beat, she sidestepped herself firmly between her wounded friend and the captain's loaded gun.

"Now I dont know who the gorram you two are, or how you even got on my ship, but youve got about thirty seconds before my chief of security arrives to pitch you both into the void, so now would be an excellent time to explain yourselves.

Movement out of the corner of MA's line of sight caught his attention and his interest peaked when he saw River's form gracefully drop from the second level rafter to in front of the two teens. The other woman stiffened at her sudden appearance and watched warily as River ran her hand over the air between them.

"Mei Mei*, this isn't the place for you. Go find your brother or Kaylee." River tilted her head nearly completely sideways, ignoring the captain.

"Tortured mind. Broken soul. Too many of us. Let us out. Let us go. I'm the Untouchable." As if it were possible, the other woman stood straighter, hands clenching and unclenching at her sides. Something on her fallen friend beeped and Captain Reynolds watched hope flutter over the intruder's face. He pulled back the hammer as she lowered herself to her knees, hands opened and rising up. He watched as she crossed her ankles over her friend's legs.

"Now!" Her shout gave way to the quickening chaos. Jayne busted his way right in as Mal squeezed the trigger, aiming at the brightness that had swallowed the teens. River deftly kicked the gun out of his grasp, though, before he could get a single round off.

"What the gorram did you do that for River?!" Captain Mal was beyond furious and Jayne looked around confused.

"Hey, Mal, why were you shooting at the engine?" The man in charge of 'public relations' asked warily, completely oblivious to what he had just stumbled in on. "Doing that sort of thing, out here in the dark, usually causes big explosions, and you know, typically kills us."

Jayne's words jolted the Captain from his rage. He looked from River to the engine in question to back to River again and scratched his head. She was now squatting on the floor, retying her combat boots and muttering, "Rogue, I am the Rogue" under her breath.

Mal shook his head and started his way to the cockpit where he knew Zoe awaited for an explanation.

/Damn Psychics/ He thought, giving River one last glance before stepping out the doorway.

~fin