Please contact me if you would like to archive this fanfic.

Firefly is the sole property of all the wonderful people who created it. I don't own it. Just write silly stuff based on it.

Hope you enjoy.

PS. The little bit in the beginning is inspired by artships comment. But dont take it in a negitive way. Just wait to see what happens. ;) ---------------------

“What!” Simon barked in shock and then turned to go see what was waiting for him in the Medbay.

Hey! Wait.” Jayne called and grabbed Simon’s arm to prevent him from leaving. Simon looked at the hand and then at Jayne with impatience. The serious expression on the other man’s face caused Simon to pause. Jayne looked like something was deeply troubling him. Like someone had stolen his porn collection.

“What’s wrong Jayne?” Simon asked anxiously and started to look him over for injuries. Maybe the Captain had attacked him as well. Who the gorram knew what to expect lately from any of them. It was like whatever affected River was spreading through the crew.

“So where’d’ they go,” Jane asked tersely.

“Where’d who go?” Simon paused and looked at Jayne in puzzlement.

“Those Jus-titty people,” Jayne said and jerked his head back towards River’s room. “Folks don’t jus’ vanish,” he said suspiciously. “An’ they don’t go helpin’ others for nothin’. Only the Alliance does that. An’ usually only when it suits um.”

Simon gapped at the larger man and then threw his hands in the air in exasperation. “It’s a STORY Jayne,” he said and practically ran for Medbay. “There is no such thing as the Justitia. It’s just a nursery tale.”

He could hear raised voices as he neared the door to the infirmary. Mal was shouting and more surprisingly it sounded like Book was shouting back. “And what the gorram were you doing LURKING outside my sister’s room,” he accused over shoulder and slide open the door, stepping inside.

“Didn’t want ta interrupt,” Jayne said. “ such a touchin’ scene…” he trailed off uneasily at the sudden silence that had descended upon the pristine room.

Blood stained the Preacher’s white shirt. He sat on the infirmary table; head tilted slightly back, hands held to his nose. Surprisingly, he looked perfectly calm, if very grim. Mal stood across from him, gun drawn, nostrils flaring, and his face flushed with color. His arm lightly trembled as if he was fighting some instinctual impulse. They stared at one another, eyes locked. The tension in the room vibrated violently between the two men. Simon hesitated at the entrance then made to move in and help Book. Jayne’s hand stopped him a second time. This time the grip was far strongly, Jayne’s fingers digging into his shoulder.

“Ain’t wise to walk into a room like that,” Jayne said gruffly. The man’s body was taut, as if he was ready to jump in at any moment. Simon frowned in nervous impatience but wondered if it would be to help the captain or restrain him. When no one moved for a moment Simon shrugged off Jayne’s hand and entered the room.

“Captain,” he snapped, voice made sharp with stress, “If you plan to shoot Book, please do it, because I have a job to do.” Simon wasn’t looking at any of them now. He moved with swift efficiency to the draws and cabinets that held the supplies he needed.

Jayne hissed in surprise from his spot at the door and drew back a step at the vicious look Mal turned on the Doctor. He swore silently under his breath and superstitiously sent a prayer to whatever deity was listening. After the last time, he prayed that he never did something to get that look turned on him again.

Simon approached the Preacher, but Book lowered his hands and pushed the younger man aside, out of the line of Mal’s gun. “Not now Simon. You can set it in a second,” he said quietly. “Well… are you going to shoot me Captain,” he questioned calmly.

“I gorram just might,” he growled. “But first your gonna tell me where’ve you got Kaylee at.”

Simon stumbled back a step like he had been dealt a blow. He looked at the Preacher in deep shock, his hands gripping the counter behind him to keep from falling.

Jayne swore loudly and creatively, his hand moving to the gun in its holster. “I knew it. I gorram knew that shu ma nyaow tah mah de was no goddamn good. Man of god my puckered ass. Why I always say we shouldn’t take tourists and jus’ stick to thuggery. No damn good comes from it...” Jayne raved.

“Jayne!” Mal shouted, silencing the other man. “Could yah kindly bi zuie and close that hole of yours.”

Book watched the chaos with an expression of deep sadness. Yet his eyes reflected a strange resolve.

“Now where is she,” Mal said through gritted teeth.

“I told you Captian,” he replied coolly “I can’t tell you where she is. But she is safe, unharmed, and most importantly, where she is, is by choice.” The Shepard picked up a piece of the gauze Simon had carried to the table and gingerly applied it to his nose.

“Well that ain’t good enough.” Malcolm growled.

“Why all the shouting… did Jayne break someth..,” Wash joked as he wandered into the door. He looked at the scene before him with alarm. “What’s going on?”

Simon had regained his composure by this point and stood rigidly watching the Preacher with a frighteningly chilled look in his eyes. “He knows where Kaylee is,” he said tenuously. “Captain, I have some pharmaceuticals that will make him talk.”

Wash’s mouth hung open in shock and he looked at Jayne who seemed equally surprised by the Doctor’s suggestion. “Well… now that’s more like it,” Jayne finally said eagerly. “Little torture… usually my area of Ex-per-tise… but I don’t much mind sharin’.”

“Wait.. what! Torturing! The Preacher??” Wash gasped. “How does Book know where Kaylee is?”

Mal jerked the barrel of the gun at Book. “He has a message from her,” he said, voice tense with some indefinable emotion. The gun slowly lowered but wasn’t put away. His side was throbbing with each shallow breath he took. But there was no gorram way he was gonna stop to get patched right now. “I don’t believe it though,” he said harshly.

Wash slowly retreated from the door. “Umm I’m gonna go get Zoe…she should be here… to um” he back away and turned, scrambling up the stairs. “So that no one gets killed,” he mumbled. The distance from the Infirmary to the Helm had never seemed so long.

Jayne watched Wash leave and then shrugged. “So where’s this torture medicine at,” he said and wandered into the room. Simon glared at him when it looked like the mercenary was about to start opening draws.

“Let me see the message,” Simon said tightly.

Book looked towards Malcolm, who nodded his head sharply, and withdrew a small handheld from the depths of a pocket. Simon could tell that it was very expensive. Definitely not something a Preacher could own. He activated the unit and almost gasped in pain as Kaylee’s face filled the small screen.

“Umm. Hey guys. Well. I’m guessin’ if you’re seein’ this… the Preacher decided it was time to tell you all what was goin’ on.”

Simon could see that she was outside. Sunlight caught in the strands of her hair and she had a tan one could never get from living in space. She looked tired, worried, but not hurt. A clinical part of him diagnosed that she appeared stressed but unharmed. Jayne crowded in next to him, watching over his shoulder.

“I… Lao-tyen boo, this is gorram hard,” she said with a weak smile. “I gotta go away for awhile. There’s somethin’ real important that I gotta do. I’m workin’ with some people and they think I’m the best person for the job." She paused and pressed her lips together. Zoe and Wash silently entered the Infirmary. “I’m needed,” she said urgently, looking to the side, off the screen. “An’ I’m real sorry I couldn’t tell yah all what was gonna happen,” her face crumbled with misery.

“Cause I know the Captain… and Simon… that yah all were gonna worry about me.” She brushed at a tear that had gleamed for an instant on her cheek. “But it’s gotta be a secret see? So it had to look like I disappeared. That you were lookin’ for me. An’… an’ its gonna be real hard, but its gonna have to keep lookin’ like you’re lookin’ for me. No one can know that you’ve seen this message. Nothin’ can change.” She tried to smile again.

“You see, my life kinda depends on it. Cause… well… it has to do with the Alliance.” She laughed nervously. “Captain you’d be real proud of me,” she said breathlessly. “I’ve finally learned how to shoot a gun,” she finished in a rush, looking off from the camera again. A frown creased her brow and she shook her head slightly at whatever she saw there. “Guess I shouldna’ said that,” she said unhappily. “It’s time to go. But we’ll be seein’ each other real soon. I promise.”She paused as if done then suddenly leaned forward. “Bao bei,” she whispered. “Simon. Wait for me.” Then stepped back giving them one last glimpse of her, before the screen went dark.

Silence hung starkly in the air. Simon continued to look at the small blank screen as if it would call forth the person who had so recently spoken from it. It was her and she didn't look like she was being forced to tell them that she was leaving for who knew how long. It seemed Kaylee had left and meant for them not to know the details of her travels.

Mal had tightened his hand on the grip of his pistol, his face set in stony lines. The rollercoaster of emotions, almost being killed three days ago, hell just about the whole week had clipped his fuse short. He just couldn't imagine Kaylee going off without a word of warning.

Wash looked shocked and even Jayne looked worried by what he had seen. Zoe looked at Book thoughtfully, who had continued to watch the Captain steadily. “Well that’s it. Small-Stuffs on her own,” Jayne said shortly. “Say we sell what we can. Don’t want no more trouble with the Alliance.”

“So why can’t she tell us what she's doin?,” Mal said, holstering his gun and ignoring Jayne. “What’s so gorram important that she can’t let us know where she is?” He laughed harshly. “See this is where I'm havin' the problem with all this. Why are we needin' to hide the fact that we know that she wasn’t taken. Cause she's mixed up in Alliance mess? And why would Kaylee be mixed up with the Alliance?”

Wash shook his head in confusion wishing now that he had hadn’t left the room. Because it surreally felt like something important had happened while he was gone. Zoe crossed the room to stand behind the Captain, arms crossed. “I think what the Captian is tryin’ to say, is that you owe us an explanation,” she said.

Book sighed tiredly; the pain in his nose was distracting. He hadn’t thought the Captain would take the news so badly, but obviously he had misjudged the timing of his disclosure. “I will tell you exactly what I told the Captain. I can’t give you any more information then Kaylee already has. She has agreed to the task given to her. A task she does not wish to share with you. You must respect her wishes.” Book remembered warily that it was at this point his nose had been broken.

Shocked silence greeted this answer until Simon sprang at the Preacher. “Chu ni duh!” he shouted and swung at Book. Jayne was a step behind. The smuggler wrapped one arm around Simon’s waist, dragging him back. The other he locked around the Doctor’s neck in a Sleeper hold. “Woaahhh,” Jayne shouted and slowly strangled the other man into panting silence.

“Huh choo-shang tza-jiao duh tzang-huo,” Simon spat at Book.

Zoe ignored the Doctor’s attack and looked at Mal. “I’m thinkin’ that’s not gonna be good enough for us Preacher. Is it Captain?” she asked mildly.

“No. Not good at all.” Mal replied tersely. Simon stopped struggling and Jayne carefully released the boy, just a tad impressed that even the usually civilized Doctor had his breaking points.

“Preacher. I think you’re a fair, decent man." Mal said. "But I’m mighty fond of my mechanic. I hope you see where I’m gettin’ to with this.”

“Yeah,” Wash said. “I thought you were on OUR side Book. You know… what with the camaraderie-stranded-at-the-edge-of-space thing.”

“I don’t think that’s where the Captain is going sweetheart,” Zoe said gently and reached for Wash’s hand. “But he has a point Preacher. You betrayin’ us?”

The Preacher looked at each person in turn and slowly shook his head. “No. How could you believe I’d betray the people and the place I consider my home,” he said sternly. “But, as a man of my Order, there are some things that I can not speak to you about.”

Mal frowned and shook his head. “Not the answer I’m lookin’ for. And I think we’ve come back to an old debate. Who exactly are you workin’ for? Cause I still seem to remember a fond welcome by the Alliance that day you got shoot. If Kaylee is goin’ up against the Alliance, how can we know you’re not settin’ her up?”

Book’s lips flattened into a thin line and his expression hardened.

“You workin’ for the Alliance Preacher?” Mal asked. His question was greeted with stony silence.

“Sounds like he’s guilty to me,” Jayne grumble.

“Well.” Mal said. “Seems we got a bit of a standoff here.” Mal looked towards Jayne. “Jayne, toss the preacher out the airlock. Wash, set a course for Persephone, we’re gonna go look for Kaylee. Startin' there seems like the best idea. Doc, I need you to look at my ribs. They’re hurtin’ somethin’ awful.”

Everyone stood for a moment, and then Jayne shrugged, walked forward, seized Book’s arm and dragging him upward. Simon and Wash started to protest but were delayed by the Preacher. “Wait… wait! Wang bao dahn,” he swore in a harsh clipped voice. “I’ll make you a deal,” he said.

Mal looked at the Preacher coldly. “Deal? We’re dealin’ now? So far I'm still thinkin' Kaylee's been kidnapped. You keep talkin’ and we'll see what you gotta say.”

“I will take you to Kaylee, but first you have to do something for me.” The Preacher frowned at Mal in open irritation. “I had already planned to do this after showing you Kaylee’s message. I thought you would take her words more seriously.” It almost looked like the man was annoyed that everything hadn’t gone as planned. “I need you to deliver a message for my Order.”

Mal looked at the Preacher in amazement. “You want us to deliver a message while Kaylee could be in danger? You’ve been hangin’ around River to much,” he said with a tight smile.

“Kaylee is fine.” Book argued evenly. “She said so herself in her message. Look,” Book sighed. “Kaylee is well protected and can handle any danger she might find herself in. You don’t give the girl enough credit. Furthermore, when have I ever betrayed you? The message IS from her. If you deliver my message I will take you straight to Kaylee afterwards.”

Malcolm lowered his head, one hand looped in the leather of his belt. He was silent for a long time. “Alright. Where’s this letter goin’ to,” he asked finally. “You’ll have to take it to the Reavers,” Book said plainly.