CHAPTER TWELVE

I regret to inform you I don't own Firefly. I also regret I'm not making money from this. But, it's a labor of love.

FF

Mal and Inara had just sat down when the sound of a shuttle setting down was heard in Rose's. Mal thought it sounded awfully familiar, and he was right. Not five minutes later Zoe and Goldie walked in. Mal caught their attention, and waved them over.

"Well, look who's out and about," Goldie smiled, shaking hands with Mal. "Good to see you boss."

"You're looking well, sir," Zoe agreed. "Hello, Inara."

"It's great to see you two!" Inara said. "Please join us, we haven't even ordered yet."

"Sure you don't mind?" she asked.

"Not a'tal," Mal smiled. "We'd love the company." Goldie and Zoe settled into seats, and a waitress hurried over to take their order. Once she was gone, the four of them visited.

"We walked up here," Inara told them quietly, pride evident in her voice.

"Is that right?" Zoe looked impressed. "No cane, sir?"

"Nope," Mal smiled brightly. "I ain't exactly fit as a fiddle, by no means, but I'm a heap better'n I was."

"He actually practiced for a week before asking me to walk up here with him," Inara smiled. It was clear that she was on cloud nine.

"That's great, boss," Goldie commented. "And right sweet, too," he added. "Proud of ya."

"Thanks, Goldie," Mal might have blushed a bit. "Tryin' to make up for all I put 'Nara through."

"This is a step in right direction, I'm sure," Zoe agreed. "I'm proud of you, too, sir. And it's really good to see you up and about, and out."

"It feels good," Mal admitted. "Pain ain't nothin' like as bad as it has been, either."

"It sounds like things are really lookin' up for ya," Goldie said, and everyone agreed.

"Give anymore thought about the passenger line, sir?" Zoe asked once their food had been brought.

"Some," Mal admitted around a mouth full of meatloaf. "Ain't sure it's feasible, though," he continued. "We rarely have enough folks on the regular runs to be full, so I ain't satisfied we'd make anything."

"We'd have to have a regular schedule," he pointed out. "Be a mite costly to make that run with only one or two passengers."

"That's true," Zoe nodded. "I really hadn't thought about that part of it."

"I still wanna try something similar, though," Mal said. "I gave a lotta thought about that courier service you mentioned. A small, fast ship running errands and what not for folks. But still, I ain't convinced even that would work."

"Well, there's always outbound and inbound distance freight," Zoe said. "Takin' and bringing supplies, or even people, from back coreward."

"Thought about that," Mal nodded. "Thing is, there really ain't much in the way o' exports that head inward. Not enough, leastwise, to support a ship. Comin' in works well, but without outbound cargo, it get's expensive."

"Make your own exports," Goldie shrugged, tearing through his own meal.

"How's that?" Mal looked at him.

"Find a business o' some kind, and make your own exports," Goldie clarified. "Gotta be something you can grow or manufacture that'd sell back toward the core. I know there's mines over on Alco moon." Alco was another moon in the Astra system, noted for mineral mining.

"Well, suppose that's true," Mal pondered. "But they haven't really advertised for no shippin' as I'm aware."

"Buy it yourself, and sell it somewhere else," Goldie shrugged again. "And it ain't gotta be ore or minerals, Mal, just somethin' that sprung to mind. This far out, dependable shippin' ain't what you'd call readily available. There's passenger services o' course, but they don't haul much freight."

Mal considered that. Their own being here was due to lack of shipping. They had taken the job because it was available, and the pay had been pretty good. The fact that they had lucked into a good job was just that. Luck.

He remember the passenger line that had taken Jayne, River and Kaylee to get the Companion. It had been costly, and there hadn't been another ship out for a month.

Maybe a combination of the two? Find a ship that can haul some passengers in comfort but also carrying a goodly cargo. And Goldie had a good point, too. What if he could find some export or other? Either buy goods for resell, or maybe start his own business.

As the talk around the table continued, he sat back, considering all of this.

FF

Jayne lay awake, River in his arms, sleeping soundly. He was still in a daze from the night before. He'd wanted so much for her to remember, and had all but given up, and then. . .she was back.

The two had retreated to their bunk. No sooner had they closed the hatch than River begin removing his clothes.

"River, we. . . ."

"Quiet, my husband," she told him. "There is much to make up for, and much to catch up on. And we will. But later. Much later. This is something I have wanted for some time. Long before I remembered it was mine by right."

There had been no talking to amount to anything after that. Not for a long time.

Later on, much later on, River had broken down completely, apologizing over and over for having left in the first place, and put all of them, him most of all, through the agony of her abduction, injuries, and amnesia.

Jayne had held her close, letting her cry as long as she needed to, softly stroking her hair, kissing her softly atop her head, and hugging her tightly to him. Eventually she had cried herself to sleep, and he had joined her, never releasing her.

He had woke before she had, and despite the need to answer nature's call, he had remained unmoving, simply holding her tight. He was intoxicated by her closeness, her smell, her very presence. So longed for, so missed, so loved.

He tilted his head to look at the repeater station on the wall. He studied for a moment, not sure he was seeing correctly. When he realized he was, he moved.

"What the hell?" River was instantly awake.

"What. . .what is it?" she asked groggily. Seeing him, she smiled brightly.

"I was afraid it was dream," she said, kissing him soundly.

"It was," he assured her. "But I. . .I need to check on somethin'." He hit the comm.

"Blade, what the hell is goin' on up there? Why are we off course? And why the hell are we at full burn?" he demanded angrily.

"We ain't," Blade called back, oblivious to his tone. "Well, we ain't off course, anyway. We're on our way back to Astra. We are at full burn," she admitted. "Have been since you two. . .uh, you know," she trailed off lamely.

"Why in the blazes o' hell are we headed back to Astra?" he demanded. "Somethin' wrong?"

"All is right in the world, Cap'n," Blade assured him. "We're just takin' your visitors back to Astra so they can start their long journey home. Lunch is about ready, by the way. You two gotta be hungry by now," he voice held both mirth and happiness.

"Who. . .never mind," Jayne sighed. "We'll be up in a bit," he promised, and shut off the IC. He looked down at his wife. . .his wife, who was where she belonged, and smiled ruefully.

"Looks like a mutiny."

"And a good one," she smiled. "Let's bathe and go to the galley. I am hungry. And so are you," she grinned impishly.

"Reckon I am."

FF

"So who made the decision to turn us around?" Jayne demanded. Simon and Kaylee were at the table. Both looked sleepy.

"We all did," Simon replied, rubbing his eyes. "Well, everyone but Susan and Liam," he amended. "They were in favor of shooting, and then spacing, the passengers."

"Sounds like them," Jayne nodded.

"We decided there's no reason for them to go to Argo," Simon shrugged. "And there was no reason not to return them to Astra. As quickly as possible," he added.

"Right," Kaylee nodded, then yawned.

"You two have a late night or somethin'?" Jayne asked.

"We've been alternating with Holly in the engine room during the burn," Simon answered. "We just got off shift. And we're about to go rest," he ordered, looking at Kaylee.

"But I wanted to visit with River!" Kaylee objected.

"And so do I," Simon nodded. "There'll be three days to do nothing but visit, once we're shut of that bunch downstairs. And we have to go back in four hours."

"Awwightt," Kaylee yawned her answer. "I am tired," she admitted sheepishly.

"We'll see you two later," Simon promised, leading a stumbling, smiling Kaylee toward the bunk they were using. Wart met them coming into the galley.

"Look what the cat dragged in!" he smiled.

"Hello, Peter," River smiled. The short man looked at her for a moment, then engulfed her in a bear hug.

"You made a whole lotta people happy last night, girl," he growled. "Includin' me," he added, releasing her so he could stand back and see her.

"Me too," she grinned.

"How you doin', kid," Wart asked, taking a seat.

"I reckon I'm just fine," Jayne smiled. River kissed him.

"Well, you two look good together," Wart nodded. "Reckon you done know we're headed back."

"I do," Jayne nodded. "Reckon it's as good a plan as any."

"Good think the Doc was along," Wart shrugged. "Him and Kay are the only thing kept Susan and Liam from spacin' the lot of'em, to be honest."

"Yeah, that might have been extreme," Jayne agreed.

"Oh, I don't know," River said wistfully. "I could have gone with it."

"I bet you could have," Wart chuckled. "They ain't really happy with the situation, just so you know."

"I'll lose sleep over that," Jayne snorted. "I still. . .there ain't no way in hell a tribal chief promised his daughter, let alone his only heir, to an unraised boy. Just ain't done."

"Why?" River asked, curious.

"Big loss of respect, the boy don't make his raisin'," Jayne shrugged. "Most always do, mind, sooner or later. But no chief would take that chance. Don't make no sense."

"They're after something," River observed. "Need you to get it."

"But there ain't nothin' to get!" Jayne exclaimed. "There ain't nothin' left to have. It's. . .it's all gone."

"There has to be something."

FF

Jayne, accompanied by River, walked down the stairs to the lower lounge, where the Flints and their entourage were sitting. Anger was prevalent, easy for River to read.

"It's about time," George Flint's voice was angry, as he rose to confront Jayne. The others rose in deference to him. "I'll have you on charges for this!"

"For what?" Jayne asked, looking at him. "For deciding you were a problem, and returning you to where we picked you up? Returning your fare? Ain't gonna happen," he shook his head. "We're within our rights."

"Your rights!" Flint almost exploded. "You are obligated to us, Ironhorse. If I have to get the authorities involved. . . ."

"On what grounds?" River asked.

"You be silent!" Flint roared.

Severe error in judgement. Jayne's backhand sent him sprawling. The others crouched, about to leap, only to hear a rifle being cleared for action on the stairway, where Peter Micelli stood, watching.

"You are a brave warrior, striking an old man, aren't you," Annassa Flint's voice was full of scorn.

"He needs to watch how he speaks to my wife," Jayne's reply was cold. "I don't know what the hell kinda game you're playin', but this ends, now. I'm not under any obligation to you, whatsoever. And you know it," he added when George Flint started to speak.

"We'll be on Astra in six hours," Jayne said simply. "Your fare will be refunded, and you'll disembark. That's the end of whatever this is you're up to." He looked at Flint, eyes full of anger.

"You ever raise your voice to my wife again, old man, I'll kill you."

"Brave words from a man who holds the only weapons," one of the retainers scoffed. Jayne smiled at him.

"How old are you, boy?" he asked.

"I'm not a boy," the man sniffed. "Unlike you, half-breed, I'm Raised. A man and warrior of Clan Dos Oso, Walks Plenty."

"Sure it ain't 'Talks Plenty?" Jayne scoffed. "When I was your age, I'd already killed over a hundred men. How many you killed?"

The man wilted slightly, but stood his ground.

"I do not fear you, Blood Knife."

"Then you're a fool," Wart observed from the stairwell. "You're lookin' at death incarnate, boy. That man can kill you before you could blink. And don't think he needs no weapon, neither. I've seen him kill more than one with nothin' but his bare hands. Men that make you look like a pimple on a baby's ass."

Walks Plenty paled at bit at that.

"Enough," Jayne said simply. He looked at the attendant for another minute, then focused his attention on Flint, who was slowing getting to his feet with the assistance of his daughter.

"Don't make me your enemy, old man," he warned softly. "Never seen you 'fore you showed up at my ship. I don't know you, and I ain't never done you a wrong o' no kind. I can't imagine what it is you're after, but leave me out of it. Understand?"

"There will be a reckoning for this," Flint warned, his voice tinged with rage. "You will pay for every insult, and every offense."

"You ain't listenin'," Jayne took a step forward, but caught himself. "I don't know you. I don't owe you, neither. Don't make this a feud o' some kind. When you get off this ship, go home. Stay there. Marry your daughter to some fine, upstanding young man, and let them give you heirs to your tribe."

"I'm not your suitor," he told Annassa. "You know that as well as I do. I'm a half-breed who never completed his Raising. I have no clan, no family, no wealth. There is nothing here for you." He took River's hand.

"This woman is my wife. My life. I will never leave her. I will not betray or forsake her. And I'll kill anyone," he looked again at the elder Flint, "who so much as looks at her the wrong way. Anyone," he added for emphasis.

"It will not be so easy," Annassa told him. "I assure you of that."

"It is that easy," River spoke directly to Annassa. "He is mine. Try and interfere, and there will be no heir for your clan. Understand?"

"This isn't over," George Flint was seething.

"It had better be." Jayne's voice was final. Pulling River along with him, he headed upstairs, followed by Wart.

"Tell Blade to get us there quicker, if she can," Jayne ordered softly once they were back in the galley. "Before I kill that old man."

FF