Chapter Two: She Dances

Men in Alliance uniforms stormed into the establishment from all sides. Mal, Jayne, and Zoe instantly backed against the wall. Turtle tried to run, but he was the first shot. They regarded him with a somber glance, as he was truly a great contact until the end. Everyone inside the backwater bar pulled their weapons and added fuel to the fire. The patrons all lived by the old adage: shoot first and ask later. Their addition to the fight helped and hindered the entire situation. Mal flipped their table over as a makeshift shield, and they crouched to start shooting.

The trained men were clearly the better shots than the patrons. Most everyone without an Alliance uniform besides the trio were shot, killed, or running away with their tails between their legs. Regardless, shots echoed outside. No doubt, the entire building was surrounded and the fleeing men were killed on sight. To make matters worse, their table was getting weaker by the second. They were able to take a few men out, but new men took their place.

"We're in it now!" Jayne hissed over the noise. "I should of brought a grenade!"

"I can't believe I'm agreeing with you, but you're right!" Mal retorted as he shot one in the chest. "Zoe, what can you make of it?"

She shook her head gravely. "We're pinned and running out of bullets. We could try for the window near the bathroom, but we'd have to get through fifteen or so men with more firing at us from behind. Maybe one of us could make a play for the other guns while we cover them. At least we could get more ammo."

"We're done in," Jayne responded darkly. "Ain't no way somebody would live through that. I say Mal should do it."

"Hey! You should do it! You're bigger and could take more bullets!"

Before Zoe could make a snarky remark about being surrounded by children, a scream sounded on the outside of the bar. Several more followed. Frantic gunfire added to the noise, but it stopped with more screams. Mal peeked over the table to see the door kicked in by a combat boot. The gunfire stopped as River Tam stood in the doorway with her hair covering her face. A gun was in one hand while a knife was in the other. Everyone was confused, especially Mal. No, Mal wasn't confused. Mal was mortified. This wasn't a place for her. The odds were bad even for a skilled assassin. If she died…he didn't want to think about that…

She smiled prettily and announced, "Time to dance."

Just like that, the killer girl began her number. She emptied the cartridge in merely seconds, and the first wave of soldiers were done. She threw the knife into the skull of the man farthest from her. As they fired at her slender frame, she flipped onto the bar and began kicking glasses and bottles. They took down more men, but for the final few she went in with a magnificent leap. Her feet landed on one man, and she took down the rest with only her hands and bloody knife. No enemy was left alive. The room was still.

"Gorram," Jayne muttered. "I knew that moonbrain was tough, but seein' it is different than walkin' over Reaver corpses…"

Zoe grinned at her friend with a sense of relief and pride. "Good work, River."

Mal didn't have the same feelings. His expression was hard and angry. Inside, he was a nervous wreck. One false move, and she could have been riddled with holes and bleeding out on the floor. "I left you in charge of the ship. You shouldn't of come."

"Saved your lives," she argued. "Born dancer has to dance. Inevitable."

He brushed by her and out the door across more bodies. Jayne shrugged and followed him with a comment to the girl, "Er…thanks…I guess."

Zoe put a hand on River's shoulder as she felt wounded by the captain's behavior. They got back to the ship as quickly as they could. Luckily, River had placed it in a secure location and the Alliance had yet to find it. When they got onboard, Simon checked for injuries and then rounded on his mei mei.

"What were you thinking? That was far too dangerous! If you continue to run off on a whim, you're going to get yourself killed, River!"

Mal stood at Simon's shoulder as backup. "We had it under control."

"Sir, we didn't…" Zoe defended the youngest Tam with a respectful nod.

"Yeah. The crazy killer girl got us out. Don't matter if she could of been shot. She wasn't and we escaped. Where's the problem?"

"I can't believe I'm sayin' this, but I agree with Jayne…" Kaylee squeaked from the back of the group.

"Why's everyone sayin' that?" Jayne grumbled.

Simon was appalled. "You agree, Kaylee?"

"Well, Simon, I know you're protective and all, but River's part of this crew. We're all in danger at some point or another. She made a decision, and this time it worked out."

River went to her brother with a faint smile. "You've always protected me. Not a broken girl anymore, Simon. Have to grow up. Do what's right. Protect the family. Keep flying. You can trust me."

"I do trust you, mei mei. I'm always going to worry."

"It would be exceedingly suspicious if your mind were devoid of all anxiety and agitation in regards to your sister or any particular subject."

The Tams shared a moment before River suddenly darted towards the bridge with a horrified appearance. Everyone followed as the ship began to take off. Mal was the first to arrive with a curious expression. "Little albatross?"

"The Alliance. They were about to find Serenity."

"We're wanted for a hefty bounty, Captain," Simon added. "I found it when I was on my encyclopedia. We're marked as highly dangerous."

Zoe's eyebrow curved. "Do we know why the Alliance is after us this time? Is it just for you and River, or is it the whole crew?"

"Whole ship and crew," Kaylee spoke nervously. "No tellin' why. Didn't say nothing anywhere we looked."

River drew her knees to her chest. "They're afraid. Sparked a greater fear. Terrified children on the first day of school. Don't know what to expect. Don't want to learn. Just want to go home. To be safe again. To be lost in ignorance. About to be taught a lesson. I can't calculate the details. Only know the feeling. Darkness. Blacker than the black. It's coming."

Silence covered the bridge like a dusty shroud. Jayne was the first to speak. "Her creepifying words still scare the hell out of me. Gorram witch with her ghost stories. She ain't ever wrong."

"Well, it ain't here yet. I conjure that we should find ourselves another job and keep flying," Mal declared as everyone made noises in agreement. "Set a course for Kerry. I know a guy that might have something for us."

River set the course and the crew slowly left to unwind. Simon and Mal were the last crew members in the bridge after the others dispersed. Simon embraced River to show that he had calmed down and accepted that she did what was necessary. Granted, he would never be happy about her relationship with danger. She almost seemed to seek it out. Then again, they were criminals. Danger was a constant friend.

When he left, Mal sighed and sat heavily in the copilot's chair. They didn't say anything for the longest time. She knew what he was going to say and why he waited to be alone with her, but she also knew that he needed to tell her in his own way and time. Close to thirty minutes later, the words dripped from his mouth like water from a leaky drainpipe.

"You could of gotten yourself killed and you left my ship. The Alliance could of found it while you were gone and my boat wouldn't have a pilot. What you did was not just risky but against my orders."

She refused to speak for a few minutes. In that moment, Mal wished that he was the mind-reading genius. At least he'd know what she was thinking instead of going half mad. His brain silently pleaded for a response. Though she heard it, she made him wait until she could work up the nerve to say it.

"That isn't why you're upset, Captain."

"It is. I don't much like having my crew disobey me."

"Did not disobey. Left in charge. Made a decision. Knew the Alliance couldn't find Serenity yet. Knew you needed me. So, I ran. Captain saving her crew. Her family. Would have done the same in my position."

He hated having a quarrel with their resident psychic. "That ain't the point."

"Exactly. You aren't angry, Captain. Anger is a mask. Hides the truth. I see through plastic layers and false noses. See beneath it. You are scared. Scared that you'll hurt."

"I am not scared. I'm not scared of anything."

"Liar. All humans experience fear. Fear is a primal instinct. Keeps us alive. Holds us back. Perfect balance. Essential. You were terrified. Didn't want to lose me too."

His jaw set and he swallowed the knot in his throat. "Let me know when we reach Kerry."

With that, he stood and left her to the bridge. The captain retreated to his bunk and kicked the wall. She was right. He didn't want to lose her. That fact sent chills through his spine. Sure, he didn't want to lose any of his crew. They were a family. But, there was something about that slip of a witch that pulled at his guarded heart. If she died, he thought that he just might die with her.

Meanwhile, the rest of the crew were back in the cargo bay. Zoe was Jayne's spotter as he lifted weights, and the happy couple sat on the crates near them. They were discussing their current situation and the captain and pilot.

"I'm thinkin' that maybe those Alliance fellas are gonna pay us back for Miranda," Jayne suggested between lifts.

Simon sighed in distress. "But, why now? Why take three years to come after the ship?"

"Maybe someone different is in office. Priorities and policies change in politics," Zoe offered as she added weights for Jayne.

"River seems to think it's gonna be bad," Kaylee shrugged. "It could be somethin' new. Somethin' she didn't knew she remembered."

"It's possible," Simon nodded. "The new medications have improved her psychosis and nearly eliminated her nightmares, but that means that we're in the dark. If she does know something, it wouldn't even occur to her. The medications suppress stressful memories."

Zoe intervened so they wouldn't go crazy wondering about the unknown. "I think the captain was right. We shouldn't worry on it. Just live our lives and be alert for now.

"Works for me," Kaylee agreed as she grabbed Simon by the sleeve. "C'mon, honey. I wanna show you what I did to the engine this afternoon."

As they went off in a cuddly manner, Jayne grunted. "Ever bother you that we're the only single people on this ship?"

"Mal and River aren't with anyone."

"Zo, you seen the way they are. I bet they're sneakin' around together."

"He's still hurting. Inara's death hit him harder than he'd admit. But, I don't think you're wrong about the way they are. Maybe in time."

Jayne finished his workout and sat up with a gloomy expression. "Well, maybe. I've learnt in four years that the crazy girl is right 'bout most things. If she is right now, none of us will get time for anything."

"Try not to go there, Jayne. One day at time. That's what it's about. We'll make it through. We always do."

However, the crew of Serenity was not at all prepared for what was to come.