Firefly and the Wolf

This is the final piece of my Firefly/Highlander crossover series, which starts with The Companion and the Raven and continues with Firefly and the Raven. Both can be found among my stories.

Chapter 1

"Gorram Hell," said Mal.

He said it quiet-like, just to himself, but his first mate knew him too well.

"Inara again?" asked Zoe.

They were both in the front of the cargo bay, inspecting the door. It had been acting up a mite, and as long as they were on Persephone for a few hours they might as well fix it, especially with the rest of crew gone.

"I'm not sure it's anybody's else's business," he said.

She smiled a melancholy smile. "Said the man who spent most of the time he was being tortured complaining about my marriage. Sir."

He said nothing, so she continued, "She's good for you. You're good for her. What's the problem? Her earning her own money?"

"How the tā mā de does everybody find out about everything around here?" said Mal. In his frustration, he twisted a bolt too tight. He took a deep breath, and slowly loosened it.

Zoe said, "We have a reader as a pilot, in case you've forgotten. And sir…."

She grabbed his arm, and turned him to face her. "We all care about you both."

"All?" he said. "Even Jayne?"

She almost smiled. "Jayne offered to hit on Inara if we thought that would help. We voted him down."

He dropped the wrench. "You want to talk? Let's talk. Yes, she wants to stay with me, and I want to stay with her. She knows she doesn't have a job on this ship, and she knows if she stays with me that she can't be a Companion anymore."

"Companion's a respected job," said Zoe. "Nothin' we could offer would compare." He shot her an angry look. "I mean, no job we could offer."

"Which is the problem," he said. "She could help us fence things but, to be honest, I'm getting tired of the petty thievery."

"We always do seem to fall back into that," she said. "It's the life we lead."

"A dangerous life," he said.

She nodded, a sober expression falling across her face. "It's a dangerous 'Verse," she said. "Captain… it's best not to put things off… they can end before you're ready."

He gave her a moment of silence before he spoke.

"She wants to contribute," said Mal. "Can't blame her none for that. Other than being the ship's chef or bookkeeper, both of which are jobs we don't really need, there's nothing."

"We'll figure out something, Sir," she answered.

Their talk was interrupted by a shout. "Mal! Zoe!"

They turned to see, at the end of the ramp, a slender woman with–of all things–bright white hair. She wore a backpack and had a knife at her hip.

Mal blinked. "Amanda?"

"With the ever-changing last name," said Zoe.

Amanda climbed the ramp. "The name never really mattered," she said. She kissed Mal on both cheeks, and did the same with Zoe.

"Fancy meeting you here," said Zoe. "Where's the trouble?"

Amanda pouted. "I don't always have trouble following me."

Mal said, "The first time we met, trouble showed up ahead of you."

Amanda nodded with a smile. "You see?"

Mal added, "…but trouble is following you this time, isn't it?"

Amanda closed her eyes for a moment before speaking. "Well… yes. I need a ride, Mal. And fast."

"Who's chasing you?" asked Zoe.

"Nothing's chasing me but time," said Amanda. "I just need to go to Shadow."

"Your friend, the one with the ranch," said Zoe.

"Him, and others," said Amanda. "A old and dear friend of mine is trapped, and we're going to go get him. Please come? And listen to a proposition? You know I can make it worth your while."

Zoe looked at Mal, who looked back. Both of them had the same "what are we getting into" expression on their faces.

"Please?" said Amanda. "Take me to Shadow, and just listen. I'll pay what I paid you before just for that much."

"Why us?" said Zoe. "As rich as you obviously are, you could afford to buy a ship, or hire any ship at the docks. Why us?"

Amanda said, "I trust you. I trust Malcolm Reynolds and his gallant crew to get the job done, no matter what. I have persuaded some other people to trust you, as well. You aren't going to say no, are you?"

"Who's your friend?" said Mal.

"An honest man," said Amanda. At Zoe's smirk, she said, "Yes, my dear Zoe, I do know a few. He was a lawman when I met him, then a partner, and we could have been more, but… events got in the way. He went back to being a lawman, a sheriff. Now he needs my help."

"You love him," said Zoe.

Mal said, "Shemma?"

Amanda laughed. "Zoe was always more observant than you, Mal," she said. "Zoe, when I first met Nick, I was trying to not get arrested. We kept bumping into each other. He was… very annoying. Then I realized I cared for him."

She looked down, and back up to meet Zoe's eyes. "Then I did a terrible, horrible, indescribably awful thing to him. I haven't seen him since."

"What did you do?" asked Mal.

Amanda said, a bit harshly, "I saved his life. Are you going to give me a ride or not?"

Mal said, "Yeah. We can go to Shadow. Right?"

"Sure," Zoe said, nodding. "Must be some work there, if nothing else."

Mal said, "Then we'll leave when my crew gets back from picking up supplies. Two of the guest quarters are empty. You have any luggage?"

"Just what's on my back," said Amanda. She rested her hand on his arm. "Mal, thank you for this." She entered the ship, and headed towards the guest quarters.

"You think this is a good idea?" asked Zoe. "After what happened last time?"

"No," said Mal. "But maybe this time we'll get some explanations."

The roar of flying mule interrupted their conversation. The other five crew members arrived. Jayne, who was driving, set the fully loaded craft down on the deck.

"We get everything?" asked Mal.

"Aye, aye, Captain!" said River, coming to attention.

"I taught her that," said Kaylee. "Oo! And cap'n, look at this!"

She dug into the supplies, and hauled out a piece of engine.

"A Ludovico thrust app-stabilizer!" she said. "Do you know how much these cost new? It's a little banged up, but I tested it as best I could, and now if ours ever breaks, we'll have a spare! Ain't that shiny, cap'n?"

"How much did that cost, Kaylee?" Mal asked.

"They threw it in with the other parts when I asked them to," said Jayne, with a chuckle.

Kaylee grabbed on to Jayne's arm. "It was fun having someone scary on my side!"

"Be that as it may," said Mal, before the Doc could say anything about it, "we get everything else?"

Jayne nodded. "Yep. Ammo is there, parts is there, food stores is here."

"Good," said Mal, "because…"

"Aye, aye!" said River, and tore off towards the bridge.

"STOP!" yelled Mal.

River's boots skidded on the deck.

"As I was saying," Mal continued, "we are lifting off as soon as we store this. We have a run."

"What's the job this time?" asked Simon.

Zoe said, "We're ferrying a passenger to Shadow."

"A passenger?" asked Simon, worrying about him and his sister.

"You've met her," said Mal. "Amanda Montrose, or whatever name she's using these days. Should be safe enough. Now let's get these boxes put in place! And River…."

"Yes, Captain!" she said, standing at attention yet again.

"Now… you may begin the preflight."

With another "Aye, aye, Captain!" she was off.

Mal couldn't keep a small smile away from his face.

Inara hung back. Mal took her hand. "Anything?" he said.

She sighed. "Nobody seems to want a representative that travels with the cargo," she said. "Although several had suggestions for other things I could be doing for them."

"Hundan biantai," he cursed at the entire criminal underground.

She smiled. "Don't worry. I'm very good at putting irritating people in their place. Surely you remember? The best advice I got came from Badger."

"You went to Badger's offices?" he said. "That's not a safe place to be."

"Nor a nice place to smell," she said, wrinkling her nose at the memory. "But he did point out that more respectable places sometimes like to use a 'pretty face', as he put it, to negotiate on delivery. Perhaps, now that we're not actively wanted for anything…."

"I don't like being on the core worlds," he said.

Her smiled turned into a sad one. "I know, Mal," she said. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "We'll think of something. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go catch up with Amanda."

He nodded as she left. He hit the button to close the cargo door, then went up to the bridge. Sensing his mood, the rest of the crew gave him space. Even Jayne didn't make a comment.