*You like to kill.* Gabriel gritted his teeth. *I *hate* to kill.* *Stop lying to yerself,* the voice spoke in the young man’s head with a Scottish accent. *You love it. The thrill of it. The physical exertion of it. The *blood* involved in it...* *Stop it!* Gabriel exclaimed mentally. *Rutting stop it!* *Yer an animal,* the voice spoke, *not a human being. Calling yerself one is an *insult* to human beings.* *This isn’t me...* Gabriel thought. *This *must* be someone else, because this *can’t* be me...* *This is you,* the voice assured. *Don’t be mistaken. This is most *certainly* you...* “It is *not!!!*” Gabriel screamed. “Gabriel?” Inara inquired as she approached him across the cargo hold. It was at that moment that Gabriel fully realized that he spent most of his time in this large room. “Are you all right?” the Companion inquired. Gabriel paused for a moment. “I’m fine,” he replied. “Jus’ talkin’ to myself, ‘s all.” He glanced around the large hold for a moment. “Make no mistake, I am very afraid of myself.” Inara stood stock-still for a moment before moving to the man’s side. She placed a hand on his right shoulder, then reached her other hand around to grasp his left shoulder. “You are a good man,” she assured him. “The decisions you make are moral.” Gabriel turned to stare at her. “I’m Christian, you know,” he factualized. “I’m Buddhist,” Inara replied. “Is there a point you’re trying to make?” Gabriel shook his head. “Guess I’m s’posed to try an’ save yer immortal soul or somesuch, but I’ve said before, I ain’t a very *good* Christian. You got the right to believe anything ya want; that’s why it’s called *your* beliefs.” Inara nodded. “I’m glad you see it that way.” “I know,” Gabriel replied, giving her a smile. “I know a few things about you.” “Oh?” The Companion smiled back at him. “Things such as?” Gabriel’s expression turned somber. “You got a dark sadness and guilt. It’s why you left the Core.” Inara’s eyes widened. “I...” Her voice caught in her throat, and her gaze settled to the floor. “Don’t worry; I don’t know what it is. River does, but that’s to be expected.” He looked to the floor. “We all have our secrets, but the way to know a true friend is if they know your worst secret, and they’re okay with it.” Inara began trembling. “I...” Gabriel’s head jerked back toward Inara. “Inara, you don’t have to tell me.” There was a moment of silence. “I... fell in love with a man. I wasn’t supposed to, but it happened. He died, and...” She blew out a breath. “...it was my fault.” Gabriel nodded. “I was addicted to Lava for two and a half years. Bad enough that I was killin’ folk for a gangster to pay for the addiction.” Inara had no outward reaction, and they had another moment of silence. Gabriel extended his hand. “Now, we can be true friends.” Inara took his hand, then leaned forward and hugged him. “*Thank you...*” she whispered. *************************************************************************

When Mal entered the cockpit, River was seated in the pilot seat, examining the instruments. “You’re not trying hard enough,” she explained in greeting. “Yeah, well that doesn’t...” Mal paused as he realized what she just said. “ What?” “You’re not trying hard enough,” River repeated. “You’re cut off. Maybe you like it that way, or maybe you don’t. We’ll be in Hera’s orbit in under a day, regardless.” Mal rubbed his face. “Yanno, I usually have no idea if you’re tryin’ to make a point or not.” River glanced curiously over her shoulder. “I’m *always* making a point.” “But yer always talkin’ all quizzical an’ riddlesome an’ the like,” Mal countered. “No, I really wanna understand this. How am I cut off? How am I not tryin’ hard enough?” “As I’ve said before,” River attempted to explain, “you’re a ball of yarn, all knotted and tangled with different weights and colors. But pull one string, and you pull-” “That means nothing to me,” Mal interjected, “dong ma? Pretend like yer talkin’ to an innocent child.” “I practically am...” River muttered to herself. “What was that?” Mal prompted. “Nothing,” River replied. “As simply as I can put it... Inara.” Mal forgot to cross his arms before his chest. “Inara,” he repeated. River began punching buttons to change readouts. “Yes, Inara,” she repeated back to him. “Maybe youth has some manner of input on the directional variations of relationship protocol. I just do not know. I’m eighteen years old.” “So you are,” Mal confirmed. “Gabriel is twenty one,” River continued. “You are thirty three. Barring intelligence, and introducing experience into the equation, that puts you approximately fifteen years ahead of me and twelve years ahead of Gabriel. Gabriel is like you in two ways: he contains intelligence that passes into the category of slightly unique, considering his selected lifestyle. He also suffers from a sociological stupidity, but he seems to have surpassed this obstacle because he is in love with me. Do you agree?” “*Hwoon dahn,*” Mal muttered quietly. “Yes, River. I agree completely with whatever you just drooled. Continue with your point.” “You have not surpassed this obstacle,” River observed. “You’re not the only person in the Universe.” “I know that,” Mal objected. “No,” River corrected, “you do not. Get out of Serenity Valley. Get out of being the captain of this ship. Get out of being the macho killer-for-hire. I will repeat the Operative, as horrible a man as he is. You are a human man.” She swiveled in her chair. “Start acting like one.” *************************************************************************

“What in the *‘Verse* are you doing?!??” Emily exclaimed upon her appearance in the personnel unloading bay of the tactical deployment gunship. “Preparing, Lass,” Dante grunted, hefting the broken component of spacecraft engine over his head once more. “Preparing.” “That machine must weigh three hundred fifty kilos!” Emily observed loudly. “Close,” Dante confirmed. “And I’ve military pressed it over a hundred times today. I don’t need your distractions at this stage of my workout. It won’t do at all to attack Gabriel underprepared.” Emily crossed her arms. “He’s really *that* strong?” she queried incredulously. Dante dropped the section of junk onto the deck. The impact of the weight made the deck shudder beneath her feet. “Aye,” he returned, flexing his arms that were twice the size of the woman’s thighs and sucking recycled oxygen into his titanic lungs. “He really is.” Emily took a step into the cavity. “You really look like you’ve got the hefting of garbage down to an art form.” Dante nodded. “I have.” He squatted, finding now-familiar grasps on the equipment, and stood, bringing the machinery to his waist once again. “Over-preparation is not an issue when dealing with my young counterpart.” He muscled the mass to his chin. “If yeh know anythin’ about River Tam at all, yeh can understand what I’m tryin’ to accomplish here.” “River Tam is a tiny, teenaged girl,” Emily countered. Dante had to drop the engine, he was laughing so hard. “Yeh have no... *chortle*... clue, do ya...? *guffaw*,” he belted. “River has more potential than she could possibly realize. Ever gone rabbit huntin’?” Emily frowned at him. “No,” she admitted. Dante smiled evilly. “A rabbit can *hear* the bullet approaching before the sound of the gun firing reaches its ears. It also is fast enough to jump *over* the bullet after it's fired. If Tam can succeed to the next level of her potential, she can do the same.” Emily continued to look confused. “But... you’re training to fight *Gabriel,*” she observed. Dante crossed his massive arms across his massive chest. “Tam cannot beat me,” he explained. “There is no possible way she could deliver a blow powerful enough to incapacitate me. At the same time, there is no way Gabe could defeat Tam. However, he *could* beat *me* in a fair fight, given the proper circumstances.” Emily shook her head. “I don’t understand.” Dante shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “It’s very complicated, but let me put it this way, Love. It may help.” He moved to lace his hands behind his back. “I may have to mix extinct species with existing species, but this is the best way I can put ‘er. A velociraptor can defeat a gorilla, but the possibility does exist of a gorilla defeating a bear. At the same time, a bear could *not* be defeated by a velociraptor. Tam is the raptor, Gabriel is the gorilla, and I am the bear.” He crossed his arms again. “Does this make more sense to you?” Emily considered for a moment. “Yes,” she decided. “I mean, no. But you mentioned Damian earlier. What animal is he?” It was Dante’s turn to consider. “He’s a velociraptor, like Tam,” he decided, “only with more extensive trainin’. He’s most like had the highest-quality military training of anyone alive. Tam *is* a psychic, however. I would relish the observation of those two goin’ at it in mortal combat.” “I’m sure you would,” Emily agreed. Dante peered at her with curiosity. “Right. Now, if you’ll excuse me...” He squatted to seize his makeshift weight once more. “...I got a fight with a gorilla to train fer.” *************************************************************************

Jayne drained the last of the saki from his bottle and plunked it down onto the counter. He blinked at a bit of haziness and walked away from the bottle. *Balance is a little off, but ain’t bad.* He swaggered toward the crew quarters, nearly bumping into Simon in the process. “Yer in my way, Fancy Pants. Ya might wanna see to that.” Simon frowned. “I’m sorry, I-” “Yeah,” Jayne interrupted. “Whatever.” He bumped past the doctor and was almost to his room when he heard Crazy Girl giggle in the cockpit. Frowning in curiosity, he leaned to the side enough to see Gabriel sitting in the copilot seat, facing the pilot seat, and grinning. Jayne stalked over to the stairs and called. “Boy! C’mere fer a minute.” Gabriel raised his eyebrows at River jokingly and stood. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he quipped, “Should I be duckin’ fer cover, Old Man?” Making it obvious that he was in no hurry, Jayne leaned against the wall beside Kaylee’s room. “I ain’t mad at you, Kid. It’s Mal that’s gettin’ me riled.” Gabriel shrugged. “To be brutally honest, as I’m known to be, I don’t think Mal’s the one with a problem.” Jayne snorted. “You wouldn’t. Yer the one who was just made second mate.” Gabriel laced his hands behind his head and stretched lazily. “Piece of real friendly advice. I think what’s givin’ ya the most trouble is the whole ‘I got a boss’ thing. Once you finally accept that Cap makes a decision an’...” He shrugged. “It’s law... you’ll do fine.” Jayne barked a laugh. “We’re criminals, an’ yer talkin’ to me ‘bout law?” “It is what it is,” Gabriel offered. “It also only applies when on the ship or when on a job.” He clapped Jayne on the shoulder. “Don’t look like we’ll be on ship *or* on *job* for awhile, so that oughtta make ya feel better.” Jayne grumbled. “It’s still jus’ sittin’ around, waitin’ to see if *some* rutter or another finds us.” Gabriel acquired a sly smile on his face. “Preachin’ to the choir, my man. Preachin’ to the choir.” *************************************************************************

“The cast itches,” Kaylee complained, rubbing at the aid. “Has been for all three weeks. When can we take it off?” “A couple more days,” Simon informed. “The immune boosters helped the break to mend very well.” “But you said before that it would be on for only a week!” Simon’s eyes widened. “No, no! That’s not enough time to- I would never... When did I say that?” Sitting across the common room’s table from them, Zoe laughed. “Doctor, you need to work on that sense of humor just a little more.” “You believe every single word I say, don’t you?” Kaylee giggled, squeezing his opposing shoulder. “I do not!” Simon protested. “And it wasn’t that funny!” “Honey,” Zoe informed, still smiling, “it’s less what she said and more the gullibility factor.” “He’s *my* Honey,” Kaylee crooned in joking disapproval, pulling his head to her shoulder. “I’m really not that gullible,” Simon argued. “Lookin’ forward to some vacation?” Kaylee inquired. Zoe rolled her eyes. “Hidin’ in the middle of nowhere playin’ mole an’ waitin’ to get found and retired ain’t exactly what I had in mind for a vacation.” “I’m really not!” Simon repeated. Kaylee kissed the top of his head. “Sweetie,” she informed lovingly, “ nobody’s listening to you anymore.” She redirected her gaze to Zoe. “I actually think it’ll be kinda fun. Ain’t like it’ll be permanent or nothin’, just sorta like... campin’.” “I did a lot of camping nearly eight years ago,” Zoe mentioned. “Wasn’t too fun then, though. That reminds me of something...” “Mal,” Kaylee deduced. Zoe nodded solemnly. “Hopefully, this visit’ll be good for him, rather than the bad.” “What about you?” Simon inquired, sitting up straight. “You were at that battle, as well.” Zoe closed her eyes and shook her head. “You both need to understand something. I lost Wash, an’ that crushed me in a way I never thought possible. Serenity Valley just seems small potatoes in comparison.” She finished her coffee. “I’m completely over what happened at that battle.” *************************************************************************

“What was that?” Mal inquired, looking from the window of the cockpit. “I didn’t catch that.” “It’s Italian,” River spoke, reaching up to flick three switches. “A line from a song about a beautiful valley.” “Italian, huh?” Mal arched an eyebrow. “How many languages do you know?” River looked up at him with the expression that she couldn’t believe he had to ask. “All of them.” Mal looked stunned. “All of them?” River nodded silently as she double-checked their entry angle. “Gabriel said there’s a grove about twelve-” Mal stopped himself. “Why am I tellin’ *you* any of this?” “A grove about twelve kilometers south-southwest of his farmhouse above the upper Dover Glen region,” River continued for him, “with a clearing that’s the perfect size in which to hide Serenity.” “Exactly,” Mal vocally confirmed. There was a silent moment. “I forgot how it looked,” he confessed, looking back out the window. “Before the fightin’ started, I mean.” There were long moments of silence as Mal’s mind existed in a different time at that exact location. Unbeknownst to the captain, River had purposely set their entry course to take them over Serenity Valley. As she was making progress with Gabriel, she had opted to give more effort on her prior project, which was Mal. *I still need to work on that pattern in the Reaver attacks, as well,* she reminded herself. “It grew back,” Mal muttered, describing the vegetative growth he saw in the valley. “After the war, it all grew back.” River looked up from her instruments. *Perfect line, right here.* “I guess the valley moved on, Malcolm.”