Chapter 19

Rose sat up, wrapped in the Doctor's coat. She wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep—recovery from the Bad Wolf wasn't always predictable—but the loading bay had cleared out, and the lights were dimmed. Two figures were silhouetted against the spare light, the larger sitting with his head in his hands.

"It weren't like I wanted to, Mal. The little chùsheng xai-jiao de xiang hu had a gun to my neck. What else was I s'posed to do?"

"I can't help but feel a mite bit suspicious, Jayne. This ain't the first time you've tried to sell us out."

Jayne snorted. "You think I'd sell myself along with y'all?"

There was a long pause, and Mal nodded begrudgingly. "There is that, I s'pose."

"I ain't gonna pretend like I never did somethin' like this before, Mal. But this is different. This ain't just the pansy-ass doctor and his freak of a sister." Jayne swallowed. "You think I'd really sell out Kaylee? Book? Hell, even Zoe an' her little nugget? I don't care if you believe me or not, but there ain't no way I'm hurtin' them."

Mal just stood there, his voice even. "How long ago did you install it, Jayne?"

He sighed and rubbed his hand roughly through his hair. "Last time we were in Persephone, a couple weeks ago. I didn't have no choice, Mal, I really didn't."

"We ain't got many chances for lettin' you off, so I'm goin' to choose to believe you, Jayne." Mal's voice hardened. "Don't make me regret it."

Jayne swallowed. "Yessir."

There was a heavy rumble through the whole ship, and the lights flickered before brightening. The Doctor and Kaylee hurried in, both smeared with grease but grinning madly. Kaylee hurried over to Mal. "We did it, Cap'n! Serenity's up an' runnin', and the Doctor's got the pulse rigged to knock out anythin' that might pick us up. We can get outta here, no problems." She glared at Jayne. "No thanks to you."

Mal rested a hand on her shoulder, and she glanced at him uncertainly. He cleared his throat. "Kaylee, he was bein' held at gunpoint. It weren't like he had much of a choice."

She deflated a little, though her shoulders were still tense. Finally, she tossed her hair. "Well, fine. But you get to help me clean up the engine room."

Jayne bit back a groan and ran his hand through his hair again. "All right, I guess." He glanced at her and snorted. "Well? Lead on."

They left the room, and the Doctor collected his coat from Rose. "You feeling better?"

"Plenty—though a cargo bay isn't really the most comfy of places for a nap."

He winced. "Well, I thought it'd be best if I got started right away. After all, the sooner we get to Ariel, the better."

Rose nodded emphatically, rubbing her arms against the chill air. "I can't wait to see the TARDIS again. I've missed her so."

"Tell me about it." Rose glanced up at him, noting the carefully restrained agitation in his movements. He'd been away from the TARDIS for months—it had to be driving him mad.

She smiled and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Hey. You'll see her soon, yeah?"

He grinned down at her, dark brown eyes bright with excitement. "Oh, very soon. I showed Kaylee a few tweaks she could make to Serenity's engine—we should be there in less than a day." He engulfed her in a hug suddenly, spinning her giddily as she laughed into his shoulder. "We're going home, Rose."

The atmosphere on Serenity was tense as Wash piloted them though Ariel City, flying high to avoid bothering any of the scans that constantly monitored traffic.

The Doctor leaned forward over Wash's shoulder, pulling out his glasses and peering out the window. "Ha! There it is. That's where I parked her."

Mal followed his finger and swore. "Gen houzi bi diushi! You parked outside the Alliance Parliamentary building?"

The Doctor blinked and raised an eyebrow. "Well, where else was I supposed to find the information I was looking for?"

The Captain rubbed a hand across his eyes. "Nimen, duo shi shagu."

The Doctor's other eyebrow raised as well. "I can speak Mandarin, you know."

Mal glared at the Doctor. "Well, good! What kind of a gorram idiot goes around poking his nose into the Alliance's secrets right outside their door?"

He shrugged cheerfully. "This kind of idiot, I suppose."

Rose had been staring out the front window, watching the bustling streets and cramped buildings that passed beneath them. "As much fun as it is to listen to you squabble, boys, what're we going to do about gettin' the TARDIS? It doesn't look like there's much open parking down there."

Wash glanced over his shoulder. "No, she's right. All the docks are for registered ships only, and unless you think Captain Harbatkin's gonna work again, we've got to figure something out."

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Actually, we could probably fetch the TARDIS with the cart."

There was a long moment of silence.

Wash spoke up. "We could fetch your ship with the cart." The Doctor nodded, and he frowned. "The cart that can't even fit the whole crew."

"She really doesn't take up much space."

The pilot rolled his eyes. "Shyeah, no kidding."

Mal frowned. "So, what, is your ship like a shuttle or something?"

The Doctor scowled. "Oi! She's not just a shuttle! She's just a bit different than the other ships you've seen."

"A bit?"

The Doctor sighed and pushed his glasses into his hair, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Look, can we just go fetch her? I'll feel a lot better with her on board."

"Fine. Wash, prepare to move in—we'll need you to keep circling 'till I call you back."

They gathered in the loading bay a few minutes later, and Mal's jaw dropped when Rose walked in in the distinctive grey-and-black uniform of an Alliance Commander. "Where in the flowery names of God and Buddha did you get that?"

She grinned and slid her pistol into its holster, attempting to ignore the Doctor's disapproving stare. "I picked it up when I first arrived here. After all, you never know when you might need to impersonate a government official, do ya?"

Mal blinked. "Well, do you have any others?"

"Sorry, just the one. I figured this way, even if anybody does recognize any of us, they might not bother us."

The Serenity landed with a thump, and Wash's voice filtered through the intercom. "I've got you guys as close as I could—Parliament's only a few blocks away." Mal revved the cart's engine as Kaylee opened the bay doors, and before the ramp had fully lowered, they were on the move.

Rose sat next to the Doctor, her hair tucked into a stiff Alliance cap. The Doctor was a lot stronger than he looked, of course, and Mal and Jayne was both well-muscled—but even with their help, she wasn't sure how they were going to get the TARDIS attached to the cart. The streets flew past, the well-coiffed citizens of Ariel City stepping back with murmurs of disgust and annoyance as they plowed through.

The Doctor leaned closer to Mal. "There, in that alley." They skidded to a stop, Mal and Jayne's faces twisted in confusion. The TARDIS sat in the corner of the alley. She was a bit dirty, and some trash was piled against her sides, but she was as wonderfully blue as ever.

Mal turned to the Doctor. "That's your ship?"

The Doctor jumped off, stepping up and resting a hand fondly against the worn paint. "That she is—and she's the best ship in the universe." He opened the door and slipped in.

A hum of excited warmth reached for Rose as she got off the cart, and she followed him in quickly. The lights were dimmed, but as the Doctor stepped up to the console they brightened in greeting. Rose leaned against a coral strut and smiled as the familiar song of the TARDIS thrummed through her. Hello, love. Missed us? Wordless happiness brushed against her mind, and she smiled.

"Laotian zhishang." Rose and the Doctor turned at Mal's stunned voice and found he and Jayne standing inside the doorway. Mal's eyes were the widest Rose had ever seen, and Jayne was leaning heavily against the wall, staring at the arched ceilings and towering console.

The Doctor grinned. "Alright, so she's more than a bit different. Captain, Jayne, welcome to my TARDIS."

There was a shout in the alley outside, and Rose darted to the door and shut it just as a squad of Alliance soldiers rushed around the corner. "Doctor? Change of plans—looks like we'll have to head straight for the Serenity."

Jayne reached halfheartedly for the door. "But the cart's still out there!"

"I'll pay for a new one, then." Rose grabbed the railing as the Doctor began inputting directions, and he glanced at the others.

"You might want to grab a hold of something—the ride gets a bit bumpy, sometimes."

Mal joined Rose at the railing, his jaw tight. Jayne swore and grabbed a strut a moment later, yelping as the TARDIS jostled into flight. The Doctor flew around the controls, his lanky form somehow managing to stay upright through the dips and swerves of TARDIS travel. With one last shudder, the TARDIS landed. He straightened with a grin, waving one arm in invitation to the others. "I believe we've landed."

Rose grinned and hurried to the door, opening it onto the stunned faces of Kaylee and Book.

The Shepherd stared at the inside, his dark eyes wide. "That's remarkable."

The comm unit at Mal's waist crackled to life, and Wash's voice filled the console room. "Cap'n? You might want to get back soon as you can—we've got trouble." Mal stepped out into the loading bay and circled the TARDIS, his eyes still wide. He absently reached down and opened the channel. "I am back, Wash."

"What?"

"I'll be up in the bridge in a minute."

(chùsheng xai-jiao de xiang hu- animal f**king bastard)

(gen houzi bi diushi- engage in a feces-hurling contest with a monkey)

(nimen, duo shi shagu- idiots, all of you)

(laotian zhishang- heaven above)