“It’s nice to finally have a couple weeks when people ain’t tryin’ ta kill us,” Kaylee observed, her face resting on Simon’s bare chest. “Mm-hmm,” was Simon’s lazy, closed-eyed response. “My guess would be life wasn’t nearly this interesting for you before my sister and I arrived.” Kaylee shrugged against him. “It had its ups an’ downs. Mostly bar fights an’ Alliance trouble. Weren’t a lot of cases when me, personally, was facin’ death. Cap’n ‘n’ Jayne, on the other hand, have a problem with pissin’ people off.” Simon chuckled. “I never noticed. You must be lying.” “Simon Tam!” Kaylee exclaimed, raising her head to mock-scowl at him. “I have never lied to you in my entire life!” Simon laughed. “First *and* last name? I’m glad you don’t know my middle name, or I’d really be in trouble, wouldn’t I?” Kaylee sat up suddenly, grabbing his arm with one hand and her pillow with the other. “I *don’t* know, do I? What is it? What is it? What is it?!” Simon was laughing as she shook the pillow in his face. “I don’t have one.” “Yes, you do!” Kaylee exclaimed, pretending to smother him with the pillow. “What is it, Simon Tam? What’s yer middle name?!??” “Mmphbrr,” Simon muttered through the pillow. Kaylee released him from his suffocation. “Say it again.” Simon raised his head to surprise her with a slow, passionate kiss. When he finally pulled away, she whispered, “*Wow. That’s some middle name...*” There was a pounding on the hatch. “Hello?” came Zoe’s muffled voice. “Is Simon in there?” Simon sighed. “Always on call, huh?” He slid out from under the covers and off the bed. “Now you know what it’s like being with a doctor.” “I think I can manage,” Kaylee replied. Simon moved to the wall, thumbing the hatch button, but being careful to stay out of Zoe’s line-of-sight. “What’s the problem?” he asked. “It’s your sister,” Zoe answered. “You’d better get up here quick.” Cursing under his breath, a habit that had begun to wear off on him since living on the Rim for so long, Simon scrambled for his pants. Kaylee tossed him a shirt, and Simon clambered up the ladder without the benefit of shoes. Zoe led Simon into the common room, showing him where River sat on the floor behind the counter. Her knees were pulled to her chin, her arms wrapped around her legs, and she was mumbling quietly to herself. “Found her like this,” Zoe explained. “I tried to talk to her, but instead of sayin’ anything back, she just started cryin’. At least she stopped that.” Crouching beside his sister, but not yet touching her, Simon quietly spoke, “River? Do you know I’m here?” River ceased her mumbling. She turned her head, her eyes meeting Simon’s. “Simon?” she questioned. Simon moved closer, sliding a hand gently onto River’s shoulder. “Yeah,” he replied, forcing a small smile. “It’s Simon.” River’s face scrunched up as her eyes began to water. “Oh, Simon!” she squeaked, wrapping her arms around him. “I don’t know what it was, but I know where it went!” she wailed. “You need to change my medicine; I can’t go back there! Not after so long of being here! Of being *normal!* I can’t!!” “Shh,” Simon soothed, rubbing his sister’s back. “Everything will be fine. I’ll substantially raise your dosage...” he explained, reminding himself that she was still more intelligent than he could possibly comprehend, “...but since the resulting combination might cause a sharp drop in your brain’s natural production of Serotonin, I’ll reduce your weekly shot of Milazopine to once every two weeks.” “Please,” River pleaded, tears streaming down her face, “I can’t go back. Not to that.” “Let’s go down to the infirmary,” Simon decided, helping River to her feet. “Where’s Mal?” he demanded. “I haven’t seen him,” Zoe replied. “Come to think of it, where’s Jayne and Gabriel?” River stopped suddenly, her face going blank. “They’re getting into trouble,” she informed, her tone haunting and distant. *************************************************************************

“*Yeah!!!*” Jayne shouted at the top of his lungs, attempting to hear himself over the cheering, catcalling, and booing from the other observers. “*Get up!!!*” Mal screamed. “*You’re good now!!!*” Gabriel pulled himself from the mat, blood running from a cut on his temple. *Kid’s a great actor,* Mal thought to himself. *The other guy actually thinks he’s winning...* “Hope Gab finishes this one off quick,” Jayne confessed into Mal’s ear. “I gotta grab a piss somethin’ fierce, but I wanna see when I win my money. That, an’ I wanna see the kid kick some ass.” “You should leave the piss there,” Mal joked. “Won’t be too long now, though,” he added, watching Gabriel straighten and bring his bleeding, bare fists back to position before his face. The young fighter smiled over his mouthguard. “Did I mention I’m gonna win a *lot* of money?” Jayne reminded. The bald, bareknuckle boxer on the other side of the net shot a jab at Gabriel, who took the blow like a champ and returned it with a hard right that was delivered faster than Mal had ever seen any other boxer deliver a quick left jab. As the man stumbled back, Gabriel jabbed with the left (which had more force than a right cross), then finished with a right cross (which had more power than a flying cinder block) and the opponent collapsed to the mat, one hundred percent unconscious. Gabriel spit his mouthguard onto the mat, flexing his bleeding hands. “TKO!” the bar’s owner announced through the microphone. “Darvinus wins the match!” Elated, Mal and Jayne went to collect their money. “Easiest three k I ever earned,” Jayne commented. “Darvinus, though? Ya coulda come up with a better name fer ‘im than that?” “It sounded Latin,” Mal replied. “Or, at least, as Latin as I know anythin’ ‘bout it.” He palmed his own bag. “Huh. Ya bet higher than I did. I only got two six. Kinda feels like we’re cheatin’, though, bettin’ on Gab.” Jayne raised an eyebrow. “Ya actually got a *issue* with this?” Mal scoffed. “Hell, no! I just won twenty six hundred credits! I was just bringin’ up the facts.” “Hey!” someone shouted from behind them, and Mal and Jayne turned to face three seedy-looking individuals. “There a problem, gentlemen?” Mal inquired. “Yeah,” the lead fellow replied. “There’s a problem. Y’all the folk who sponsored the kid? Entered him in the fight?” “Yeah,” Jayne responded before Mal could say ‘no’. “What of it?” “What of it is the fact of the matter of y’all cheatin’,” the man growled. “We lost a lot of money on this fight. What ya got yer kid on, Bats? ‘Lectrocutors? Steroids?” “Ever occur to you that yer fighter was just real, real bad?” Mal suggested. He added a punch to his taunt, sending the man reeling, and Jayne immediately stepped in to help with the other two. Six more men appeared, looking very upset. “We don’t need to call Gabriel for backup,” Jayne wondered, “do we?” *************************************************************************

“Who won?” Inara called from the upper catwalk as bloodied Jayne, Mal, and Gabriel stumbled into the ship. “We’re still alive, ain’t we?” Mal shot back. “Technically,” Gabriel explained, “it was cheatin’. I had to bail ‘em out.” “How was we s’posed ta know over half that bar bet on the other guy?” Jayne defended. “An’ was real touchy ‘bout losin’? Guess the guy was s’posed ta be good, or somethin’.” Inara’s eyes widened as she descended the stairs. “You *bet* on *Gabriel* in a fight?!??” she deduced, excitably and disapprovingly. “‘Course,” Jayne growled. “Ya ‘spected us ta bet *against* ‘im?” “Shoulda seen the takehome,” Mal added. “I let him get a few hits in,” Gabriel continued, “if that makes ya feel better about it.” He stretched his jaw. “Man hit like an old woman.” “Was she a two hundred eighty pound old woman with cauliflower ears?” Zoe joked, crossing the deck to greet the arrivals. “Because I’ve met a couple like that.” “When are you gonna stop *doin’* that?” Mal protested. “Kinda creepifyin’.” Zoe feigned innocence. “What?” “So this is our only welcome party?” Mal wondered. “Where’s the rest of the family?” Zoe and Inara suddenly looked somber. “In the infirmary, Sir,” Zoe reported. A look of pain crossed her face, and she brought her fingers to her temples. Mal’s blood ran cold. “What happened?” “There was an... incident.” Zoe replied hesitantly, still massaging her temples. Gabriel could tell she was in a lot more pain than she was revealing. “Simon and Kaylee are with River,” Inara explained. “She had a bit of an attack.” Gabriel turned very pale, but said nothing. *Oh, dear God, no...* “I want to see her,” Mal declared. “You should-” Zoe halted in mid-sentence, sucking in a breath and clutching her head with her hands. She then doubled over sharply, vomiting onto the deck. “Zoe?!” Mal exclaimed, moving toward his first mate. He arrived just in time to catch her as she collapsed. “Jayne, we need the doc, right now!!” he shouted. Almost on cue, Simon rushed into the cargo hold, Kaylee immediately behind. He tripped over his own feet, such was his headlong rush, and Kaylee slammed into him. They both tumbled to the deck in a heap, and Jayne and Gabriel immediately switched to high-alert. “*Run!!!*” Simon screamed, blood running from his right ear as he pulled himself and Kaylee up and to their feet. “*Ruuuuuuunn!!*” River exploded into the cargo hold, her face clouded and dark. Without thinking, Gabriel grabbed Jayne by the arm with one hand, lifted him into the air, and tossed him backward with little effort. He then planted himself firmly between her and the rest of the crew. *This ain’t you,* Gabriel thought toward River. River slammed her fist into Gabriel’s temple, and he was barely fazed. “You shoot her,” Gabriel called, not looking, but pointing his finger behind him at Jayne, “I will tear your ruttin’ head off with my bare hands.” Jayne did not fire, but still continued to hold his automatic pistol ready. “Eta kooram nah smech!” Simon shouted, with no effect. “Eta kooram nah smech!!!” River redoubled her efforts, striking Gabriel with two roundhouse kicks to the face. Gabriel collapsed to the deck, and River began to move past him and toward the crew. Gabriel flipped and scurried back in front of her, coming to his feet. *This ain’t you,* he thought again, and River took him to the floor again. Gabriel came to his feet again, only more slowly this time. “Fight back!” Jayne yelled. “Hit her back!” *You know why I keep getting up?* he thought, blood streaming from his nose, mouth, and multiple lacerations. River’s response was another formidable strike. “*Leave him alone!!!*” Kaylee screamed at the top of her lungs. “*Leave him!!!*” *I want you to know,* Gabriel thought, coming to his feet yet again, *so you’ll understand after I’m dead and you’re in your right mind again.* River slammed her elbow into Gabriel’s face once, twice, three times, blood spraying into the air. As he fell, she delivered two sharp kicks to his right side, snapping still-healing ribs. *I love you.* River froze, expressionless. “I do,” Gabriel spoke. He sluggishly forced himself to his feet once more. “I love you.” He paused to spit two teeth out. “You’re the only thing in this ‘Verse that I do.” River’s face paled, and tears began to appear in her eyes. She trembled, the tremors worsening exponentially. “So you finish beatin’ me to death,” Gabriel finished, voice soft and calm, “an’ after I’m gone, I want you to remember that this is how much I love you.” Dead silence rang deafeningly in the hold. No one spoke; no one moved. Several seconds later, Gabriel collapsed to the deck, propped on his elbows and trying not to inhale blood. “*God...*” River finally whispered as the image in her eyes returned to normal. She, quite literally, *fell* forward, clutching at Gabriel as one who was sliding down a cliff face might clutch at the rock. “Oh, no, no, no...” she sobbed, the waterworks bursting forth. “*No...*” Jayne started to rush in, but Mal stopped him with a hand on the chest. Gabriel grinned. “*It’s okay,*” he rasped. “*They were both molars. Won’t show on my purty smile...*” “*I’m sorry,*” River cried in a whisper. “*I’m so sorry. I’m sorry-*” “No!” Gabriel demanded, pressing a finger to her lips. “This ain’t your fault. It ain’t.” His elbows slipping, he sank to the deck, too dizzy and disoriented to sit up any longer. “Ya didn’t know what you were doin’, but I *did.*” He closed his eyes. “*I did...*” River pressed her face into Gabriel’s chest, muffling her sobs. Jayne holstered his pistol, moving to pick up Zoe. “This drama is all shiny ‘n’ all,” he spoke, “but *Zoe’s hurt!!!*” Kaylee and Simon jumped at his sudden shout, and Simon straightened out immediately. “Infirmary,” he ordered, turning and walking. “Bring her along, Captain,” he called over his shoulder, pointing to his distraught sister. Not questioning the fact that Simon just gave an order to him on his own boat, Mal walked over to River and Gabriel. Kaylee and Inara followed him. “River,” the captain spoke, crouching and placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “We need you in the infirmary. Doc’s gonna fix ya up, dong ma?” River spun and grabbed Mal. She wrapped her arms around him, weeping on his shoulder. “Get me away from him, Malcolm!” she heaved. “Get this monster away from him!” Fighting through the haze of unconsciousness and pain, Gabriel listened to it all. Then, there was Kaylee’s face close to his. “Gabriel,” the mechanic spoke, her voice wavering, “can you hear me?” “No,” Gabriel managed. “Can’t hear ya.” He chuckled. “Simon’ll getcha patched up,” Kaylee assured him. “Everything will be fine.” “Sure,” Gabriel slurred lazily. “I’ll play this game with you.” He bared his teeth, which were laced with blood. “How’s it look? The missin’ that obvious?” “Kaylee an’ Inara are gonna take ya to yer brother,” Mal told River. “I need to see to Gabriel.” At the mention of his name, River’s sobbing doubled. Mal stood, moving to Kaylee and giving her a gentle nudge. Swallowing thickly, she took River gently into her arms and led her away with Inara keeping slow pace. “No,” Gabriel burbled, turning his head to spit blood as Mal knelt beside his old friend. “She ain’t to be touched.” “Gabriel,” Mal warned, “I-” “Yer my sarge,” Gabriel growled, laying back again, “an’ yer the captain of yer ship. I’ll follow yer orders to the end of my days.” He tried to sit up, groaning as the splintered ribs stabbed into his lungs. “This is differnt. I’ll kill every being in this ‘Verse to defend her. Don’t think I won’t.” Mal’s face clouded in anger. “You think I won’t do the same?” he growled. Gabriel tried to laugh, and failed. “Glad we’re on the same page, more’re less.” He coughed blood. “Havin’ troubles breathin’, Sarge.” “C’mon,” Mal urged, moving Gabriel’s body. He pulled him up, then onto the shoulders in a Fireman’s Carry. “We’re gettin’ ya to the doc.” “Mal,” Gabriel muttered behind his head, “I know who can tell us what’s happenin’ around here.” Mal halted for just a second, then continued across the cargo hold. “I’m listenin’, Buddy,” he replied. “Two weeks, Mal,” Gabriel murmured sleepily. “It’s been two weeks since I promised.” Mal said nothing as he stepped through the door and descended the stairs to the lounge. “I’ve been receivin’ intel from the Operative,” Gabriel admitted. Mal came to a full halt just outside the infirmary doors, where Simon was attending to Zoe and River’s sobbing could still be heard. “What name did you just say?” he growled dangerously. Hatred emanated from him, Gabriel sensed. “The Operative,” Gabriel repeated, anger and hatred in his own, quieter voice. “I’ve been talkin’ to the son of a bitch since before I came on yer ship.” ************************************************************************

Dante pushed the bloody body of the pilot out of his way as he took the helm of the stolen ship. “I have half a brain ta shoot’cher body into space, Lad,” he told the pilot’s corpse jokingly in his Scottish accent. The body had half of its skull ripped away. “Then again, I’d enjoy the company.” He left the body on the floor, powering up the ship, instead. “I’m here,” Ray Foster answered after Dante padded in the correct number and transmitted. “I got a ship,” Dante informed his employer. “Trackin’ down Serenity will commence immediately.” “Outstanding,” Foster returned, “but this news is of no use to me. I don’t want you to contact me again until you have fulfilled your mission.” “Whatever you say, Doc,” Dante decided, hanging up on the man. “Bleedin’ wanker,” he muttered, thumbing controls. The thrusters fired, and the ship left the surface. “Can ya believe the nerve of the bastard?” he asked of the corpse on the floor. “Rudeness. Unnecessary rudeness. Sure, he’s all professional with Ritter, but me? The mindless monster?” The corpse said nothing in return. Already, the presence of spooky death radiated from it. Of course, Dante would never have noticed. “Bah, no matter,” he decided. “At least *you’re* polite enough for my tastes.” He turned to gaze out the window. “Where are ya, my fellow McDavin?” Dante wondered aloud. “This lifelong rivalry needs to be brought to an end.” He drew the ship through the atmosphere and into space, and began his pursuit.