Thankyou for reading, and thanks to all the reviewers!! This story is getting longer then I expected, hope you aren't bored yet!

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Sivella opened her eyes the moment her face collided with something hard and rough. She coughed when a dustcloud invaded her nose. She lifted her face a bit and recognised the grey colour of sand and small stones beneath her. It was a pathway. A pathway she was all too familiar with.

Someone pulled her arm up forcing her body to follow. Pain shot through her every limb instantly.

'We're home.' A sarcastic voice spoke in her ear.

The moment she looked up cold fear spread through her again. But this time it was like all her senses were freezing over.

The house that she had run from so hard was right in front of her. It was ironic in a way. She had tried to get away so hard, so fast and all had been for nothing. She was back again.

'Edward has been waiting for you. He is thrilled to see you again.' Rogan said as he dragged her inside.

Her insides twisted. Now she knew for sure that there really was no hope anymore.

Serenity, Kitchen

'What is the plan?' Inara asked the moment she entered the kitchen. She knew the crew had been talking about many plans and possibilities over the last days, but she wanted to know the current plan they had chosen.

'There's a big chance they'll be expectin' us. Think it's safe to say that they're with too many men.' Mal said, still in the conversation they were having as he looked up at Inara.

Zoe nodded as Inara sat down quickly.

'They already outnumbered us when they were looking for Sivella.' Zoe explained. 'We have to come up with something else.'

'But when we are going there-' Inara began.

'-We?' Mal interrupted hard as he looked at her.

Inara met his cold and warning gaze.

'There's no we. You ain't comin'.' He stated matter of factly.

'I beg your pardon?' Inara said surprised. He was not telling her what to do, was he?! She just had to make sure that he wasn't, because if he was, she would become very angry. And she didn't have the energy to keep that anger under a controlled mask anymore. These last days had taken a big toll on her.

'You heard me the first time.' Mal stated.

Wash looked with big eyes from Inara at Mal and then at his wife.

'This is my friend we are talking about. The last time I had to see how she got dragged away. I refuse to do nothing.' Inara tried. She just wanted him to understand. She was too tired to argue. Please Mal, do not get in my way.

'You are stayin' here, that's final.' Mal ordered.

'You don't get to boss me around Mal.' Inara said defiantly as she heaved her chin at him.

'Ain't bossin' you around. I'm still the captain of this ship, the only captain. So I decide what is going to happen.'

'No you don't, I only rent your shuttle that is all. It is strictly a bussiness agreement, you are the captain, nothing more. I am free to stand where ever I want.' Inara reminded him in a tranquil voice. She was surprised that she could still control her emotions at this point.

That stung Mal. Nothing more?

'Thought we were past the bussiness agreement nonsense.' He snapped remembering the last time she had used this statement. It was when he had wanted to help Nandi for free because she was her friend. She had made him perfectly clear that she wanted him at an arms length, if possible even further away.

'You don't respect me.' Inara snapped.

Mal raised an eyebrow. What was the woman talkin' 'bout now?!

'Respect? Respect got nothin' to do with it woman!'

'It has everything to do with respect Mal!' She suddenly spat angrily. Her dark eyes fired at him. 'You don't get to order me around. No one does.'

'Just your clients get to do that in all sorts of ways.' Mal insulted her angrily.

'This is exactly why we don't get along Mal. Because of this!' Inara stated furiously. 'You say that you respect me, but you don't! You insult me whenever you want. And when it comes down to it everything has to go your way!'

Mal stood up now. 'It has to go my way 'cause I don't want you to get hurt!' He snapped angrily. How clearer could he be?!

She stood up now too. 'Maybe that is not a decision for you to make. I still have the right to decide for myself, you seem to forget that!' She said poisenessly.

'Suposse you forgot what happened last time he took you. This ain't 'bout us or 'bout respect.'

'I surely did not forget what he did to me Mal!' Inara barked.

'Then you should make sure that it don't happen again. I need fighters with me, not you. Can't be watchin' out for you.'

'I don't need anyone to watch out for me!'

'When it comes down to it, you're just like Sivella!' Mal said as he looked down at her. 'Thought you Companions were trained to recognise danger and dangerous men. You ought to keep away from them.'

'You didn't mind when I came to get you and Zoe out of the sheriff's custody a year ago, or when we got Saffron.'

'That was different.'

'And what exactly was so different about that?' Inara questioned angrily.

'Saffron and the sheriff both weren't a sadistic man who likes hurtin' people like that.'

'You can keep arguing with me Mal, but it will not help. I am going with you.' Inara stated strongly.

Mal's nostrils flared and he crossed his arms in front of his chest angrily as he stared her down.

'Inara, I think it is best if you stay at Serenity.' Zoe tried.

'I don't think it is Zoe.' Inara said as she looked at the tall woman now.

'You are not trained like us. You know that.' Zoe said.

'Yes I do, and that is a risk that I am going to take.' Inara stated.

Zoe looked at her and finally nodded. Mal's arms dropped to his sides the moment Zoe agreed.

'That's all? That's all that you're sayin'?'

'Yes Mal it is, at least Zoe respects my wishes.' Inara stated she sat down again.

Blake's Mansion

Sivella swallowed the moment she was pushed in one of the many rooms in the cellar. She had never been here when she had lived here. She froze instantly when she saw Edward sitting behind a long table. He got a grin on his face the moment he saw her. She remembered how he had dominated her, how he had hit her, how his knife had cut her flesh. She went into an automatic mode.

'How nice to see you again.' Edward said.

'She still didn't tell me.' Rogan said as he pushed Sivella forcefully towards the table.

'Ahh, that's too bad. But she'll crack soon.' Edward said with a wide smile. 'And I'll like being right there when you do.' He said as he took a large knife and put it with a slam in the table in front of her. She looked unphased at the knife that she recognised immediately. It was the knife that she had put between his ribs.

'Was there any trouble?' Edward informed.

Rogan shrugged. 'Nothing much. Just another Companion of hers with a captain on a piece of scrap. I don't think they'll come after us but just to make sure we should double the guards. Nothing we can't handle.'

Edward stood up as he walked towards Sivella.

'I bet that you missed me.' He said as he stopped in front of Sivella. 'You really shouldn't have stabbed me.' He said. She could feel his breath on her face.

'You were going to kill me.' Sivella stated.

He laughed. 'I still am. And I will enjoy it.'

'You can't get away with this.' Sivella said in a flat tone.

'O yes we can.' Edward said as he grabbed her by her neck and slammed her head on the table. He bended forward and whispered in her ear.

'You came back to kill me, we just had to stop you, it was selfdefence. And that's the end of Sivella Thenar. And there will be no one thinking about you anymore. Never.'

'That won't work.' Sivella whispered from the table. But all the power had gone from her voice. Because she knew, somewhere deep inside that it would.

Edward turned her around on the table so she could face him.

'She didn't inform the Guild.' Rogan said in an amused voice.

Edward grinned at that. 'O really? How neat of you!'

Sivella clenched her teeth.

'Did you really think you could get away from me? And that you could take Mary and David from Rogan?'

Sivella suddenly smiled. 'I did and I do. You filthy monster!' She shouted.

'Ahh, you still have some power in you. Let's see how long it takes before the great Sivella can't reply back anymore. I'll enjoy this.'

Kitchen, Serenity

Mal watched Jayne leave and then Inara when they had gone over their plan for the last time. He looked at Zoe with anger.

'You think it's a good plan for her to come?' He asked angrily.

'No sir, I don't. But she insisted. She is her own woman.' Zoe explained him.

Mal stood up and raised his trouser a bit further. Don't care 'bout her bein' her own woman right now, this was serious bussiness, fightin' bussiness. No Companion's place to be. 'specially not her. All he could see was how Sivella's back had looked and how that monster could hurt Inara just as easily.

'Wash, I want you to shut down the shuttle when I tell you to.'

Wash's mouth fell open. 'Wha-?' He asked.

Mal gave him a cold, angry stare.

'I am not going to do that.' Wash said.

'You are disobeying my orders?!' Mal snapped angrily as he leaned forward on the table. His blue eyes cold as ice.

Wash just stared at Mal with big eyes and then at Zoe.

'N… No, no.' He stated. 'Just wondering if that's the right thing to do..'

'I tell you it is.' Mal snapped as he straightened himself and left.

Blake's Mansion

'I always admired your strenght. For a Companion, you are pretty strongwilled.' Edward said as Rogan gave him his knife.

Sivella forced herself not to look at the knife. She forced herself not to swallow. She wouldn't budge. She wouldn't let them know how she feared for her life. How awful she felt.

'And now I will make you feel exactly how I felt.' Edward said as he looked at her side. 'It's a waste really, you could have been such a pretty Companion, if you had only listened and followed my rules.'

Sivella had told herself that it was best to keep still. To keep her temper in because otherwise it would make things even worse. It would give her even more pain. But his words cut through her deeply and she couldn't resist her anger anymore.

'Your rules?! You are a monster! You don't respect people, you just-' She began an angry tirad as her mouth fell open. She knew that look. That look in his eyes. 'What are you doing?' She asked in a dreaded voice.

'O sweety, you'll see.' Edward said as he grinned. He placed his hand on his own stab wound. Sivella noticed the white bandage under his blouse.

Her eyes went from his wound to the knife. And then realisation hit her. He really was crazy, he would…. O, no, he wouldn't, no he wouldn't- A hard cry errupted from her throat.

Cockpit

'She will never forgive you for this.' Wash said as he pulled the switch that shut the shuttle off and took all the electricity away from it.

'Did I ask for your opinion?!' Mal snapped roughly.

'Just wanted to give you some advise.' Wash said softly.

'When I'll be needin' your advice, I'll ask.' Mal barked impatiently.

'O, you'll be needing it.' Wash stated when Mal had left the cockpit.

Blake's Mansion

The cry died in her throat the moment the cold knife had penetrated the soft tissue of her skin and got pushed forcifully in her flesh. Her breathing just stopped and she felt how all life seemed to drain from her body. She opened her mouth to breath but the pain was too immense that she couldn't. The last thing she saw was Edward's face and his wide amusing smile. Her legs gave way and she felt the impact of the floor against her knees. His hand had left the knife. Edward watched Sivella fall on her hands and then on her side as she tried to breathe erratically.

'That's exactly how I felt when you stabbed me! Bitch!' Edward snapped as he enjoyed the scene in front of him. He looked at the blood that poored from the wound.

Edward looked at his brother and smiled reasurringly at him. 'Don't worry brother, all will be fine very quickly.'

Rogan nodded. He was sure of that. Edward could take care of anything.

'Now, where did you take Mary and David?' Edward asked as he squatted in front of her.

Tears left her eyes. She just wanted the pain to stop.

'That hurts don't it?!' He shouted.

'I can't hear you!' He snapped as he put his hand on he grip of the knife. He began to twiste it agonisingly slow in her body. She cried out in pain at that.

'Please stop.' She begged. She couldn't hold on any longer.

'You can make me stop. You know how.' He twisted the knife again. She shouted again in pain.

Inara's shuttle

Inara looked around her in shock. The lights had suddenly failed, all the electricity was gone instantly. She hurried to her door to find it locked. She couldn't get out. She could have sworn that Serenity had just landed. How could this be? She slammed against the door and cried out for help. She needed to get out! She need to get to Sivella!

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