Hello again! I hope you liked the first chapter – and I hope you haven't been waiting long for this one. I swear, I'm starting it the same night I finished that last one! But . . . life is busy.

Anyway, just so you know, I own nothing. Sadly. But I am a browncoat! TO THE BLACK AND BACK!

I hope you all enjoy!


Chapter 2: Doing Crime

Dow had a bad habit of peaking in on River's bad thought while sleeping, so to avoid a screaming wake-up time, River tried to listen in on the other members of the Crew beginning their morning routines. Wash was already on the bridge, talking to Mal, and it seemed like they were about to begin their entrance into the planets atmosphere. This is going to be a rough landing, River though, and she prayed to anyone out there that Mal would not make any announcements over the intercom to avoid a completely different kind of screaming-toddler situation. Shadow may be a genius child, but she was still set in her terrible twos these days.

Her mind began wandering around the ship to where Jayne was picking out his weapons for the raid. Grenades . . . he was thinking, and she rolled her eyes at this and moved on, knowing the Mal would not let the "power-hungry maniac" – Zoe's words – from bringing them. Zoe herself was readying the Mule to go, and while her military-styled thought process was often intriguing in the insight it gave River about Mal, she kept moving on. Kaylee was working in the engine room, thinking about Simon. Simon was working in the med-bay, thinking about Kaylee – which wasn't unusual. But she could also see that his thoughts kept moving towards the fact that River was going on this raid. It upset him.

Not that River hadn't done crime before – she had, many times now. But she was normally a factor that was kept at a distance, safely aboard the ship. This usually pleased both Mal and Simon, as both were rather jumpy when she was within thirty miles of harm's way. And she had agreed with them, before her sanity began to settle, and when she was pregnant, and then when she was nursing . . . but enough was enough. Mal knew that he needed her out there, and even when he disagreed . . . she had ways of convincing him. It was Simon who would never budge.

She felt a little distress in the corner of her mind, and felt a violent shake as the ship began to break atmo.

And here it comes . . . she thinks, when she hears Mal's voice over the intercom "This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our entry sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and then . . . explode."

"And that means your going to have to work for our 'later'," she mutters to herself and Shadow's eyes shoot open and the child jumps up, unaware of where she is and already at the verge of tears.

"MOMMA!" She screams, clearly not noticing her mother lying right beside her. River quickly grabs her a comforts her in a way only a mother can, shushing her a stoking her hair and whispering sweet nothings that calm the child down almost instantly.

"Mommy," Dow sniffles, hiding her face in Rivers chest, "what's wrong with Serenity?" They are suddenly rocked by another violent shake, and River inwardly curses Mal. Dow would have slept through this if he had kept his captain mouth shut – or at least not broadcasted into their room. Yep, he is definitely going to have to work for that 'later'.

"Nothing baby," River murmurs, starting to stand, carrying her child, "Your daddy just forgot to listen to Aunty Kaylee. Again."

River didn't bother dressing Shadow, as the crew was all more accustomed to seeing her run around in her pajamas that in actual clothes. She did throw a dress on, but didn't bother with shoes before carrying Dow out of the room, and making their way to the hull. Once setting her down, both laid on the floor of the rafters above where the mule was taking up most of the room, and stared at each other as they listened to Serenity settle, continuing her inevitable, but now safe descent.

"River?" She heard Simon whisper to her sometime later – she didn't know how much.

"I know," she said, not looking away from her staring child. "I'm going for a ride."


No matter how much time passed with them on Serenity, Simon still did not trust Mal with River. Not when he had saved her life after their third run in with Safron, who had taken River hostage to insure the ship – Mal had shot the bitch in the shoulder without hesitating. Not when Niska had taken the whole crew hostage but for Jayne and Mal, and Mal had all but torn threw the men about to torture River and left Jayne to find everyone else. Not when Mal had completely given up a payday to make sure River was safe on her last "hands of blue" episode. Never.

He just couldn't understand how the two were together. Given, they had been stuck together for a week on one of River's few out-door jobs where she had played his young wife, and they were locked up in prison together for three days when authorities grabbed them for starting a bar-fight while visiting Jayne's family a few years back . . . although Jayne's sister had been really asking for it . . . and there was the time when . . . In truth, there had been many times where Mal and River were alone. Mal was also the only man on the ship who wasn't married, crazy, celibate or her brother. Simon used to calm himself by thinking "Mal's her only option, she'll realize soon that there are more boys her age out there – not that this notion really appealed to him either.

Eventually he had to concede though – when she announced she was pregnant – that Mal and River were very much in love, and Mal would do anything for her.

Not that Simon trusted him.

So when River handed Dow over to Kaylee who was all-too ready to spend time with her favorite niece, and began descending towards the mule, Simon didn't like the small talk they made about the job. He didn't like it when Mal gentlemanly gave her hand into that unsafe contraption. And he definitely didn't like it when Mal joked to him about the possibility of River getting hurt, even while she was giggling just behind him.

He didn't like it one bit.


River loved going out for jobs, and if he was honest with himself, Mal like having her there. She was useful, for one. She knew when trouble was coming before it hit them. Also, when she was out with him, he knew she was safe. He knew he would keep her that way.

As Jayne and Zoe talked the job, Mal looked over his shoulder to look at River wearing her ridiculous goggles that always made him laugh. She was pointedly not looking at him though - he could tell because she was pointedly looking at Jayne, who never interested her.

"What did I do?" He called over his shoulder, which both Jayne and Zoe ignored, too used to the captain and his wife being domestic.

"Intercom," was all she said, before looking out at the non-descript landscape they were passing. Again, not looking at him. But at least now he knew why.

"Was it that bad?" he asked, smirking a little bit. He knew his little girl could be a bit of a screamer when she felt like it – and first thing in the morning, she always felt like it.

"Let's just say you are going to have to work later," River said significantly, finally peaking Jayne's interest. He smirked and looked between them.

"Someone burrowed himself in the doghouse, I think," the large man said gruffly, laughing at the couple next to him. Zoe rolled her eyes and punched him, before returning to talk about the job.

Mal didn't say anything else, but smirked a little himself. River knew he was always up for doing a little overtime.

They arrived at the small town where the alliance kept their security payroll for the month, which they were all very ready to take. River began her descent from the mule when Mal grabbed her arm.

"This might be a bit messy from the get go, darling," he said, looking at building. "Why don't you wait out here until everything's neat and tidy, dohn-ma?"

"Shiny, captain," she mutters, staring at the sky. Something's . . . off.

"Yeah, shiny," Jayne says, beginning is dismount and unbuttoning his jacket to reveal the ammo hiding underneath.

"Let's be bad guys."


So, for my own sake, I needed to add that last line! LET'S BE BAD GUYS!

Also, I know River is a little different here than in the show/movie, but remember, I needed to make her a mother and a lover. Don't worry, crazy River will arrive in the next few chapters.

Also, Review please! I live for it!