The Last Spartan – Chapter Twenty-Four Im sure you all know this, but I own no rights to Firefly or it’s universe. But I do love it so. ********************** A week passed at the estate with little more drama. Jayne and River continued to work on both her sword training, and her developing control over her new abilities. As the week neared it’s end, Jayne’s prophecy of illness came to pass. “I’m dying, Simon,” River groaned, then once again bowed her head, the contents of her stomach being rejected. “You’re not dying, mei mei,” Simon assured her. “We just have to make sure you don’t get dehydrated.” “How are you faring, River?” Jayne asked, walking into the small hospital room that had been set aside for River’s use. “I hate you,” River growled from her spot before the toilet, before yielding once again to the need to rid herself of undigested food. “I told you that you would, eventually,” Jayne smiled. “But it will pass. What you are experiencing is simply the side effects of the shock your system has gone through during your adjustment. Once. . .” “I know, I know,” River cut him off, raising a hand. “And I still hate you. Both of you,” she added, glaring at Simon. “You can’t hate me,” Simon smirked. “I’m your brother. You can only despise me.” “Fine, I despise you, then,” River muttered, rising unsteadily to her feet. Simon reached out to help her, and she jerked away from him sharply. “I don’t need your. . .” River started, but her jerking motion had upset her balance, causing her to fall the opposite way, right into Jayne’s arms. “Sure about that, are we?” Jayne tried to keep the humor from his voice. “I don’t need your help, either,” she growled, but didn’t attempt to move away. “Well, shall I drop you then?” Jayne smirked. River sighed in defeat, and allowed Jayne to lift her into his arms. He placed her carefully on the bed, and pulled a sheet up over her. “It really will pass, My Lady,” he whispered gently, kissing her forehead. He frowned as he felt the heat from her skin. He looked at Simon. “She runs a fever?” “A low grade one, yes,” Simon nodded. “I’ve just given her a shot that should help with that.” Jayne frowned again. “She shouldn’t have a fever, Simon,” he told the doctor. “Unless. . .” “Unless?” Simon prompted, now more concerned. “I had almost forgotten,” Jayne sighed in relief. “The fever, and the sickness, are likely side effects of the organisms attempts to repair the damage done by Blue Sun. It is attempting to stimulate other parts of the brain to accept the functions of the missing portions.” He looked down at River. “Light-headed? Dizzy, even? Nausea? Difficulty in focusing?” River nodded at all these questions. “Then that is the likely problem,” he nodded, kissing her forehead again. “Rest, my sweet. Your ordeal will end soon, I promise.” “It better,” she warned sullenly, and he smiled. “Hell, indeed, hath no fury.” ******************************** Mal was up and on his feet by now. He had avoided most of his crew, taking his time in making sure he was able to get around. Now, as he rounded the side of the house after a short walk, he spied Zoe reclining on a bench, staring off into the sky. Steeling himself, he decided it was time to start mending fences. “Zoe,” Mal called, walking up beside her perch. His first mate looked up at him. “Good to see you up and around, sir,” Zoe said, almost smiling. “Good to be that way,” Mal smiled in return. “River’s got a punch like a mule, nowadays.” He sat as Zoe chuckled drily. “Makes you want to examine what you’re thinking,” Zoe nodded. “Or saying,” Mal agreed. “How you doin’?” “I’m good, sir,” Zoe replied. “Wondering what’s next, now you’re up and about.” “Well, I ain’t rightly got that far,” Mal admitted. “But I have done a bit of soul searching, so to speak, whilst laid low. I aim to make some changes in how we do things, Zoe.” “What kind of changes, sir?” Zoe asked, eyebrows raised. “I ain’t rightly sure, just yet,” Mal told her. “But I don’t aim to do no more running about by the seat of my britches, and living hand to mouth just to avoid the Alliance. I’ve had enough, and so has everyone else.” “Jayne, River, and Inara are gone, now,” he continued. “I don’t know about Kaylee. Doc’ll go where she goes. What about you?” “Me?” Zoe asked in surprise. “I ain’t done you right, neither,” Mal acknowledged. “And I ain’t gonna ask you to stay with me, if’n you ain’t of a mind to. Ain’t right. I hope you want to stay on, but if you don’t, this is a good place for you to land, I’m thinking.” “You telling me I should stay here?” Zoe questioned. “Nope,” Mal shook his head. “I’m done with telling folks what they need to do. I’m saying that I hope like hell you still want to be first mate on Serenity, but I don’t aim to take it for granted no more, like I done in the past. You’re my best and oldest friend, Zoe. You deserve better’n that.” Zoe regarded Mal with something like suspicion, mingled with a bit of wonder. “Did Simon clear you to be up and out of bed, sir?” she asked, and Mal laughed. “I’m in my right mind, Zo’,” Mal assured her. “First time in a while, maybe, but I am. I want the ones of us as want to, you among’em, I hope, to take back to the black, and try to make a better life than we’ve had so far. Maybe find a steady job or two, and put down some roots somewhere. Stop taking questionable jobs and risking our lives for the coin we need just to live.” “Gotta be a better way, Zoe,” he explained. “And we all deserve it. Don’t know yet how to make that happen, but I aim to try. You in?” Zoe looked at him for a long time, mind churning. Finally she smiled slowly. “I’m in.” “Let’s go talk to Kaylee, then.” *********************8 “So you aim to leave here, after all?” Kaylee asked sadly. “Kaylee, I ain’t the kind to live on charity, even Jayne’s,’ Mal told her quietly. “It’s well and good to light here a spell, rest and relax. But I can’t just stay here. I got a ship, and I need to make my own way, whatever it is. You want to stay, I don’t blame you one bit. Just wanted to know how you felt, and what you wanted to do.” “How long ‘fore you plan to leave?” Kaylee hedged, looking away into the trees. “Don’t rightly know,” Mal told her. “Ain’t thought much on the exact day, as yet.” “We can’t leave before River’s Ball,” Kaylee said firmly. “Break her heart is we wasn’t here.” “When is this ball?” Mal asked. “Week or two,” Kaylee admitted. “Depends on how fast River recovers.” “Recovers?” Mal asked. “She sick?” “Jayne says it’s normal after. . .after what he did. She needs time to get over the ‘justment,” Kaylee informed him. “Well, I don’t see why we can’t wait for that,” Mal nodded firmly. “Take us that long to set up a few jobs anyway. ‘Spect you can decided by then what you want to do?” “Yes, Cap’n,” Kaylee nodded. “I’ll let you know ‘fore then.” “Thanks, mei mei.” ************ River was better the next day, as Jayne had predicted. Her nausea and dizziness had gone, allowing her to regain her feet. She was still a bit light headed at times, but that too was diminishing. “A week, then?” Inara asked, as she and River sat outside on the balcony. “I think so,” River nodded. “I should be well enough by then to attend.” “Excellent!” Inara beamed. “There will be a rather extensive guest list, but you won’t be troubled with that. Prim and I will greet the guests as your representatives. You’ll have to talk to some of them, of course, but you won’t have any trouble.” “Not unless my stomach rebels again,” River said glumly. “Well, if you have to disappear early, no one will notice, I’ll make sure of that,” Inara assured her. River smiled her thanks. “Are you sure you want to stay here, Inara?” River asked suddenly. Inara looked up sharply. “Why do you ask?” Inara wanted to know. “Second thoughts about me running the house, River? If you would rather. . .” she trailed off as River held up her hand. “Please, Inara,” River frowned. “I told you, I can’t do it. It’s not about me, it’s about you. Are you sure you’ll be happy here? Without Mal? Without the others?” Prim appeared before Inara could answer. “Your pardon, My Lady,” he bowed to River. “I need to steal Lady Inara from you for a few moments, if possible. There is a decision to be made concerning the fare for the ball.” “I’ll be there in a moment, Prim,” Inara smiled. “We’re all but finished.” Prim bowed again, and was gone. River almost smiled as she watched Inara watching Prim. “He’s a good looking man, isn’t he?” River asked, and Inara blushed. “River,” Inara scolded, then turned serious. “Back to your question, River, yes. I want to stay. This is the job of a lifetime. A place of safety and security, of comfort. I’ll never need fear someone like Wing or Niska again, here. As for Mal,” Inara’s face turned sad. “Mal and I, we won’t make it, River. We can’t,” Inara told her frankly. “I thought that love was enough, but it isn’t. Mal can’t, or won’t, treat me as anything other than ‘the little woman’, and I can’t live like that. I won’t. I had hoped, so much, that he would change. But that’s not going to happen.” “We’re better off apart. If I go back to Serenity, I’ll have no choice but to return to being an active Companion. Which to Mal means ‘whore’. I can’t stand any more of that. Here, none of that matters. I’m simply Inara Serra.” “Nothing simple about Inara,” River grinned impishly, and Inara grinned. “Just keep that to yourself,” she chided playfully. “Prim isn’t what you think, Inara,” River said suddenly, inspiration coming from nowhere. “Don’t take him at face value. Look deeper. It might be that you will find what you’re looking for.” Inara looked closely at the little reader. “Meaning what?” she asked. “Meaning look deeper,” River mused. “More to Prim Vatorian than meets the eyes, Inara. Just like there was with Jayne.” Inara gathered her notes and left River in the terrace, thinking over what River had said. Thinking very hard, indeed. Behind her, River ‘heard’ those thoughts, and smiled. ***************** “Sir, Mister Prescott asked me to give this to you.” Hiram Nettles looked up from his desk at the young courier. He took the envelope without comment, opening it. Inside was an engraved invitation to a ball at Sapor Parco, the estate of Lord Janos. It was also an announcement of an impending marriage between . . . . “Is this genuine?” Nettles asked, looking at the courier. “Mister Prescott said it was hand delivered to his home this morning, sir,” the courier nodded. “Thank you,” Nettles said, dismissing the man. Nettles settled back into his chair, deep in thought. River Tam, of all people! Right here on Londinium! A genuine stroke of luck, no doubt. He lifted the phone from his desk. “Director’s office,” the secretary answered brusquely. “This is Nettles,” he said equally brusque. “I need to see him. Soon as possible.” There was a pause. “Come right up, Mister Nettles.” He replaced the receiver and stood. *************** “No.” Nettles was struck dumb. No? “Sir, we’ve been trying to re-acquire this subject for some time! This is the perfect opportunity to d. . . .” “I said no, Nettles,” the director told him flatly. “River Tam is no longer ours. She is beyond our reach now. Forget her and get on with your other duties. Lord Janos will mash you like an insect should you try and harm her. Losing you wouldn’t really hurt us, but the attention it would draw is counter-productive. So no.” “I don’t understand, sir,” Nettles argued. “We’ve wanted her back for so long, gone to such great lengths to ensure her return, and now, suddenly, we just stop?” Nettles felt himself grow cold as the man known only as ‘the Director’ looked up at him. “I. Said. No. The reasons are not your concern. Leave River Tam alone, and continue your work elsewhere. See to it that the others know this as well. No more pursuit of River Tam. Period. Am I understood?” “Of course, Director,” Nettles caved under that glare. He turned and left the office, almost furious. It rankled that his own importance had been dismissed so cavalierly. Wouldn’t be missed? Well, he’d just see about that! Once he had River Tam back in custody, the Director couldn’t touch him. The prize pupil returned, and who knows? Promotion? Maybe even a new Director. Since he was getting on in years. Maybe that’s what they needed, some new blood. “And who better for the job than the man who finally returned River Tam to the fold?” he asked himself, strolling down the hallway to his own office. He had calls to make. Plans to make. His future to make.