The Circular Irony Part 5 by Nailani Williams

Disclaimer: No Copyright Infringement intended so Joss put down the Sword of Infinite Truths!

Summary: After the BDM. Zayne, M/I, S/K, R/OC pairing. Taking place after the events of “The Bravest Thing” and “The Welcoming Committee”. When Mal gets a job on Persephone he realizes he’s transporting a new generation of Browncoats, who have their own special person straight out of the Alliance Academy. Meanwhile Zoe and Jayne work out their working relationship and River gets a new creep-a-fying boyfriend.

Rating: PG-13

A/N: Merry Christmas! Sorry, if this has some typos.:D!

~

Mal:

Night was near middle when I woke up and Inara was no where to be found. I put on my pants, grabbed my shirt, and looked for her. She wasn’t in the shuttle and she wasn’t in the galley. This night traveling of hers was becoming a habit since we got off of Deadwood. And I was mighty angry with her for disturbing my rest. Last thing I need was Nara doing a River on me.

I finally found her on the catwalk. Sitting down her fancy kimono hanging around her in waves she was so pretty, no beautiful, it stopped my anger cold.

“Nara, what the hell are you doing?” I said softly, with less anger than I intended. She looked up at me and smiled.

“I needed to think. I had to clear my head so I decided to take a walk,” she said to me like I was the stupidest man in the verse.

“And you can’t clear your head back in the shuttle. You scared me,” I admitted leaning again the railing beside her. A part of me was just waiting for the day Inara came to her senses and hightail it far away from me.

“Why? I’m not going anywhere,” she said and took my hand. I thought it was to help her up instead she pulled gently and I came down to her sitting besides her. I couldn’t help tucking her hair behind her ear and kissing her temple. She smiled and then took a deep breath.

“I’m pregnant, Mal,” she said a rush. I blinked once…twice, my mouth hung open, I couldn’t seem to get it to function.

“I don’t care what you’re thinking right now, because I know this is going to be difficult for you to adjust to, but I’m having our child and I would really appreciate if you would be happy about this,” She said, a little teary eyed and I closed my mouth and swallowed.

“You sure?” I asked finally not knowing whether to be please by this news or to start complaining. She of all people knew I wasn’t the type of man to make a father, but I couldn’t help smile at the idea of a little Reynolds running around.

“Very, I went to a doctor on Deadwood,” she placed one hand on her abdomen and then she place one on my face. I was quietly trying to wrap my mind around becoming a father…Wo de ma, I’m completely humped, I thought.

“Are you okay, Mal?” she said and I nodded.

“Would you take scared out of my mind?” I asked her and she nodded. “I love you,” I told her so she didn’t get in her shuttle and leave my sorry ass.

“I love you too,” she smiled and I nodded. We kissed and I held her in my arms.

“This is weird…” I blurted out.

“Yup,” she agreed.

Jayne:

I was glad when Simon and Kaylee finally took there lovey dovey act in to their bunk. I couldn’t sleep, mostly because I was nervous about the job tomorrow. I went into the galley to get me a drink and found them cuddled up kissing like a bunch of teenagers. I bumped into Inara who was looking all types of distressed pacing back and forth on the catwalk, but she weren’t my woman so I weren’t concerned.

I stopped and checked in on River. She was sitting in the pilot’s chair curled up like a little cat. I leaned against the doorway.

“Hey Jayne,” she sighed not turning around and I grinned.

“So, I hear, Simon took you off of your meds?” I mentioned, carefully making sure she wasn’t bonkers, yet.

“You checking up on me?” she asked and I hunched my shoulders.

“Maybe,” I said and she stuck out her tongue.

“Well, if I go…how do you put it? Apeshit? I’ll start with my brother,” River sighed. Somethin’ was up with the Tams, probably why I walked into the Simon, Kaylee hug fest. “Why are you up?” she asked me and I shook my head.

“Bad vibes,” I admitted. “I ain’t too keen about this job.”

“It’s the right thing to do,” she said and I nodded.

“Right and smart, ain’t the same thing, little girl. We ain’t freedom fighters. We ain’t lawmen.” I sighed.

“Zoe, knows you feel this way?”

“Zoe already knows I don’t care too much for Mal’s decisions,” I hunched my shoulders. “Sides she got her own beef with Mal, me bitchin ain’t gonna do nothing but put me in the dog house.”

“I knew there were more sides to Jayne Cobb than you were let everyone see,” River smiled wide eyed at me. “Easier playing the one note,” she imitated me.

“Yeah well, can’t do much of that now that I’m with Zoe, she’d kick my ass… well, at least she’d try,” I grinned. “Night little girl.” I said and she grinned.

“Night old man!” I heard her say as I left.

Zoe:

When I woke up Jayne was gone. I heard him leave last night. I knew he was feeling uneasy just by number of times he tossed and turned before he finally got up. He didn’t say anything to me, though I knew he wanted to.

I dressed, grabbed my pistol and my Brown coat before leaving my bunk. I went into the galley and only River, Kaylee and Simon were there. Before I could ask where everyone was at River looked at me and said:

“Inara and Mal are in the shuttle and Jayne’s on the bay,” she smiled and I gave her a nod.

I found Jayne loading one of his guns on top of the Mule. I said nothing as I climbed into the seat besides him. He didn’t look up at me, he just kept at fixing up his small artillery.

“Something’s on your mind,” I asked him and he grunted. “What’s that mean?” I asked him insulted.

“It don’t mean nothing, Zo, nothing I’ll say right now will help anything so I’ve opted to shut my trap and follow orders. I’d thought you’d appreciate that, I guess I was wrong,” he sighed and I rose to my feet and put my hand

“It’s gonna be bad today ain’t it,” I asked him. I could feel in the pit of my stomach something was going to go terribly wrong. I didn’t know until five minutes before we were outside of Persephone’s orbit just how wrong it was gonna get.

Mal:

“Ai ya women wanle,” River said as we both looked outside of Serenity’s cockpit. There were several Alliance ships patrolling Persephone’s orbit which meant we had to be out of sight and quick.

“Find us someplace to hide,” I told River.

“We got trouble,” I said to Zoe while coming down the stairs into the cargo bay. “Mules out. We’re going to have to take the shuttle down and scoop up our passengers.”

“Alliance?” Zoe asked, unphased by the news.

“Chock full of,” I confirmed and she nodded. “You’re sitting this one out, Jayne,” I said and Jayne stood up. I knew he was going to give me hell, but the shuttle was going to be crowed with the New Browncoats and their cargo.

“The hell I am,” he yelled from the mule making him seem twenty feet tall. I looked at Zoe for help.

“There’s going to be limited space on the shuttle,” she stated the fact for his information.

“Then Zoe sits out,” Jayne said, climbing down from the mule and I shook my head.

“Oh no, no, no, Zoe knows The Alliance like the back of her hand I need her out there with me,” I explained.

“She’s not going alone,” he said and Zoe gave him a look that I swore would burn him up in flames. Jayne didn’t falter, which surprised me.

“You don’t decide what I do, Jayne,” she stepped up to him.

“And you are eventually gonna learn when it’s best to let me lead. I ain’t Wash. I ain’t just gonna sit back why you to put yourself in harms way, following this feng le hwoon dan!” Jayne yelled, then as I expected Zoe punched Jayne in the face. It wasn’t hard enough to knock Jayne on his ass , but it did turn his head and bust his lip. I almost laughed out loud. Jayne really thought he was going to get away with talking to Zoe like that. The man was really dense.

Even still he grabbed Zoe by the arm and yanked her to him. He stared down at her, the vein in his jaw ticking from great aggravation. Zoe didn’t hit him again, which surprised me. They stared hard at each other like they were having a silent argument. When Jayne didn’t immediately let go of Zoe’s arm, I started to get nervous.

“Don’t make me shoot you Jayne,” I said.

“Fine…go,” he yelled at the same time. “Go, chase after your Captain, since you trust him *so* much…” he let Zoe go, pushing her towards me and stalked off, muttering about how two half brains don’t make one whole one.

“You okay?” I asked Zoe, she gave me an unfriendly look and walked away.

I took a deep breathe, this day had just begun and it was already strenuous and with The Alliance so close it didn’t seem like it was going to get any easier.

Simon:

I was having a bad morning. I kept hearing others thoughts in waves. It strated this morning as soon as we came close to Persephones orbit. Sometimes the voices were so loud it drowned out all other noise. I was in the middle trying to block it out, squeezing my eyes shut and cursing in mandarin, when Kaylee walked into the infirmary.

“Oh poor baby,” she came to me with quieted the noise around my. I clutched my ear as if it was bothering me.

“This ear infection,” I groaned and she hugged me.

“Did you take anything for it?” she said, but I heard. “Maybe he needs a doctor.” “No,” I shouted by accident. “I mean, I don’t need a doctor. I -I mean.” I sighed and realized I was a terrible liar when it came to lying to those I loved. I smiled looking into her worried face. I kissed her gently on the lips. “Don’t worry, bao bei, the meds here on Serenity should be enough for me to knock out this pesky ear infection,” I said when we broke apart.

“You sure,” she said her hand was on the back of my neck playing with the hairs on the back on my head. Something ain’t right, I heard that thought and I kissed her again.

“I…” I sighed again. Then smiled, “I’m fine.” I assured her. She quickly kissed me and began towards the doorway.

“I’m gonna be fixin’ up the shuttle for Mal, but if you don’t feel well you come and get me, so I can *nurse* you back to health,” she gave me a wink and a look that sent images of what she was thinking about doing straight into my brain. A blush began crawling up the back of my neck and made my ears burn.

“Will do,” I said and she left. And the voices began to swell again. So many thoughts at once, none of them I could hear clearly. It was static in my ears…in my mind. Stop! I thought, Stop! There’s too many…too many. I collapsed onto the floor crawling to the cabinets. I found the antipsychotic.

Just one shot, one shot to clear my head, I had the needle filled with the drugs. All I had to do is puncture myself and push the drug into my veins. I was so close, but I couldn’t do it. My eyes burned with tears, I was stronger than what they did to me. I would control this gift. I refuse let it control me.

River… I thought, I need you!

It was only a few moments wait and then she was there at my side. She looked at me with the drug and was relieved that I hadn’t injected myself.

“It’s getting worse,” I whispered. “I hear everything…everyone. I can’t tune it out. Make it stop.” I pleaded.

“Oh bao bei,” River sighed, wrapping her arms around me. “We’ll figure out how to help you. I promise,” she said and I laughed bitterly. I remember saying those same words.

Inara:

I watched nervously as Mal and Zoe loaded themselves on the second shuttle. Jayne stood next to me, I was surprised when I saw him, especially after Mal told me exactly what happened in the cargo bay. That he and Zoe were fighting. I knew then that even though he was a gruff, gorilla of a man, there was a deep love and respect for Zoe that he showed only to her. That idea was solidified when I saw them exchange one look that said, “I love you, I’m mad at you, and be careful”, all at the same time.

“Are you okay?” I asked Jayne as the shuttle departed and he walked away without a word, angrily. I sighed and touched my abdomen. I knew it was about time I told my resident doctor that I was expecting especially since he was probably going to have to deliver the baby on Serenity, even though I would want my first child born planetside.

When I walked into the infirmary I found River holding Simon on the floor. His shirt was rolled up on one side, a needle was slack in his opposite hands as if he was administering himself a shot, but the needle looked full. Simon looked paled and sweaty, he was squinty as if he was trying to concentrate hard on something. I went to his opposite side.

“Simon, what’s wrong?” I asked and river shook her head.

“Dam’s broken, thoughts flowing through, like water, he needs the quiet,” she said, and I shook my head in confusion.

“How long has he been this way?” I asked and she shook her head.

“Don’t know,” she held him to her, hugging his head and rocking him gently.

“We need to get him a doctor, River,” I said.

“No,” both of the Tams cried out. I sighed, we didn’t need Simon out of commission especially not today when Mal and Zoe were going to be surrounded by the Alliance. Anything could happen. Anyone could need patching up and that included Mal.

“I’m fine, Inara, it’s just an ear infection. I just need some sleep to give the meds time to work,” Simon said, breaking away from River. He rose from the floor and stumbled a bit when he got on his feet. I caught him by the arm while he straightened himself out. He looked at me and placed his hand on my stomach.

“Congratulations,” he said and I looked at him surprised.

“How do you know?” I asked and he grinned.

“You’re glowing,” he said and River took his hand.

“I’m going to help Simon to his bunk,” River stepped between us placing Simon’s arm over her shoulders.

“Do you want me to get Kaylee, Simon?” He shook his head no.

As he left the infirmary I caught notice of the vial of meds and the full syringe on the floor. I picked them up and read the vial. Antipsychotic.

“Why would Simon need antipsychotic?” I said to myself, something was going on with the Tams, but what?

“Dam’s broken, thoughts flowing through, like water,” River words came back to me.

He knew I was pregnant, just like River. Wo de ma… was Simon a reader? ~

Ai ya women wanle- We’re in trouble now feng le hwoon dan- crazy bastard