Niska's eyes were squinting at his victim. "Perhaps I need to bring somevone else."

Virgil's eyes sagged with fatigue as he rolled his shoulders and pulled on the restraints. "Why do ya wanna play with others? Thought I was your special friend."

"Oh, you are very special indeed Mr. East." He smiled tightly. "Now vhat...."

"Sir." a guard broke his speech.

"Vhat is it now?!" He snapped.

"We found someone."

Niska's grandfatherly face pulled into a warm, pleased smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Separation, is a right all Long Zhanshi must go through before reaching the higher plane." He told her.

Her eyes grew dark. "I am not a Zhanshi." she murmured, hedged. Grand Master had told her before she had even begun training that it would take at least a year until she was a fully realized Zhanshi, and then decades until she hopefully reached a higher plane and became a Shifu. This, was too soon. Even if she was a prodigy.

"You are, you have been, for quite some time." He acknowledged. "And Separation is a mediative technique that will take all your being, for you are separating your mind, from all emotional, physical and metal attachments in order to become one with the universe."

Her eyes snapped wider, and her ankle twisted to tighten her stance. "I can't detach myself from any attachments..."

"Yes you can.."

"Attachments keep me from shattering. Million pieces of glass scattered in the black.." She explained, distantly, voice low and foreboding as her eyes glossed over. "Found Serenity.... Found the pieces, picked them up, kept them safe. Found the bond to glue the pieces together. Pieces come to be the girl... and she walks... she walks in reality... tangibility." Her voce hitched. "I can't do it."

"You have to." Reaching out, he caught her chin and stared into her eyes as she winced and her mind pounded with thoughts of her friends, family, lover. However he focused on her, wrapped his mind around her own, and felt her slip into the trance state. She became the girl at the maidenhead, easily moldable a puppet in which to train and turn into what he wanted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was near midnight on New Haven Ranch.

The babe had been put to bed, and Shanshan was sleeping by the bassinet for she was the Nana to Inara's Mrs. Darling. Zoe was in her room, though she had been distant all day. It left the two couples and Jayne downstairs. Simon was at his piano playing Fur Elise with a cup of mint tea resting on a coaster on the top of the upright, Kaylee was in an armchair reading a copy of Airworks Monthly with York perched up on the top of the chair's back, dogs sprawled out by the fire, Jayne seated at the kitchen table smoking a cigar and playing some solitare with a cup of mighty strong hootch by his side and Mal and Inara sharing the couch. They were enjoying some Meilin free time, Mal was stretched out on the couch in his PJs and dozing whilst enjoying the warmth of the fire and the soft music, while Inara was gracefully nestled against him in a robe and reading a book. Kaylee couldn't help but be amused by Inara and Mal, she peered up from her magazine every once in awhile, for Inara only had one hand holding up her book. The other was resting atop Mal's, that had draped over her side to rest against the silk on her abdomen. They were mighty happy, the captain kept on waking up from time to time and smiling, petting the place where his hand rested or something to that effect.

Simon stopped playing the ivories to reach up and take hold of his teacup. Draining what little was left, he rose up and stiffly walking towards the kitchen. He always played at night, practicing, trying new sheet music he downloaded off of the Coretex and printed. He had strayed away from classical, and was enjoying learning some rags and other more rim-esque tunes, though as the night progressed he tended to slip back into more soothing classical pieces. "Inara, would you like another cup of tea?"

"Just one more please." Inara rubbed her fingers against Mal's as he had pulled her closer. Regardless he had whinged like a child about getting a physical, he sure had stopped griping when it came time for them to snuggle up on the couch. "I think after that we'll be going to bed."

"Hm?" Mal opened his eyes and looked down at his lover who's dark head rested on his chest. The scent of jasmine from her tresses made him content.

"Going to bed in our room after my last cup of tea." She explained.

"Bed... rather clever concept." He yawned as Simon had poured a cup, dropped a tea bag in and was walking towards them.

Inara sat up more against the captain, gratefully taking the cup. "Thank you Simon."

"You're welcome." He took a sip and retreated to his piano. Playing, was the way he was dealing with River's lack of corispondence. He kept on practicing and telling himself she was fine, he was just a mother hen that needed to snip the apron strings so to speak.

Mal watched Inara take a drink, then reached out to take the mug himself.

Eyeing him in a sideways fashion, she pulled the mug out of reach.

He frowned.

"Couldn't you have asked for your own?" She quizzed.

"Don't couples do the sharey thing?" He asked back.

Jayne snorted, sneering at them and all of their lovey behavior. He was sore, 'cause his squeeze the school teacher up and took to some bow tie johnnie's wooing and he couldn't see her anymore. Not that she was the only girl in town he was occupied with, it just soured him to see her fall for some fella that was sort of like... well... Simon.

As Inara, feigning annoyance, relinquished hold of the cup, Meilin could be heard fussing upstairs. The fussing, quickly turned to angry screams, which made all look to the stairs for the little one never screamed.

Mal sat up, moving his legs towards the edge.

"No, no, I got it." Inara rose up herself and hurried up the stairs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No one was watching them.

The operative was asleep, recovering, and the woman the girl feared was off somewhere else. Leaving the children unattended, left to their own devices, the pair had played with just about everything in the room before the girl tired and trundled off to the door.

The boy followed, cautiously. "Wee're... wee... wee're... 'sposed to tay here." He squeaked. "Gotta tay."

"Dare's nuting to pway wif." She protested, struggling with the handle. It turned, and the door cracked open much to the delight of the abducted cherub. With mischievous excitement she pushed the gap open more and hurried out with a giggle.

Scared of being separated from his only companion, he hurried off. "Waaait!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Virgil's head rose up as Niska's guards dragged in three men and chained them to posts.

"Now this, is most exciting." Niska lifted the chin of the older man up, he was bruised, bloodied, and with a defiant snarl on his mouth. "Hershel Reynolds." He turned to the other two as Virgil gawked at the latest prisoners. "And sons! Such an exciting day, because today I must ask you a very important question." Reaching across to a tray he picked up a hooked blade and admired it. "Where is Malcolm Reynolds?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He had her running through Nei Jin.

It was fluid, water-like movement, she truly was a River in Nei Jin, flowing in internal exercise. She was still in the trance, not completely controlled by him, yet guided, open to his thoughts, direction and suggestions. Through Nei Jin he hoped to pull her away from her attachments and have her reach Separation. Though the teachings said she needed to willingly take Separation upon herself, he had no time for that, she needed to reach her plateau quickly for the destiny ahead of her.

Yet she was holding on.

She would not break from her brother, from his caring soul and his loving face. She would not break from her Lover, his humorous attitude and his amorous side. She would not break from the image of a man in a brown coat with suspenders, his paternal side that he would never admit had nurtured her and helped her find her place. And she would not break from an old, tumbledown Firefly, a relic of a ship she seemed to bond to like a soul mate. Images of him, them, together floated through her subconscious, as did images of her brother and a crew standing in front of the old ship. The bond was deep, too deep for him to subliminally break.

It would have to be physically broken

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"SIMON."

Inara rushed down the stairs, worried. Meilin was in her arms, as red as a beet and screaming bloody murder and Shan-shan was following dutifully behind.

Mal, without hesitation, leapt up and followed Inara to the kitchen.

"What's wrong?" Simon went to retrieve his med bag on the coffee table.

Shan-shan let out a nervous 'Raowl', ears twisted slightly. She didn't what was wrong with her little charge.

"Um... Fever, coughing, diarrhea, mucus.... she keeps on pulling her ear." Inara was flustered as she unbuttoned the babe's onesie and grabbed a cloth from a drawer. "Shh... xiao xiongmao. Wo shi zheli, muqin jiushi zheli wu tian ying." Turning on the water, she ran the cloth under the water and rung it out with one hand as the others gathered. Even Zoe came out of her room to see what had set the normally peaceful babe so.

"Who coulda got 'er sick?" Kaylee mumbled.

"Weren't me." Jayne grunted, arms crossed. "Hell I ain't never touched her."

"We won't let you." Zoe added.

Jayne curled a lip at that announcement. "Well I don't wanna."

Mal stood right behind her and put his hand on her back, Inara was so fraught as she wiped Meilin with a cool cloth.

Simon tried to move in, however Inara was turned into the counter and her hold on Meilin was not going to flinch. Meilin had only had a diaper rash, she had never been ill. "Inara...."

"Hey." The captain rubbed her back and nudged her towards turning. "She's gonna be ok, let Simon suss out what's going on."

Meilin pushed her mother away, gasping, screaming bloody murder and pawing her ear.

Reaching in, Mal took Meilin from Inara. Inara was highly hesitant, however it was obvious she would only hinder Simon's check up. "S'okay, we're gonna be fine." He told both mother and daughter, cradling Meilin and turning to her uncle.

"What's going on Xiao Xiongmao." Simon asked, going over and taking a seat next to the bed as Kaylee and Zoe hovered around the with Inara and Shan-shan who had jumped to put her front paws on the counter for a better view. Jayne had grabbed his cigar and begun to pretend to be aloof, when in reality he was just as worried about the pip squeak as the others.

Meilin screamed, crying crocodile tears.

"Well let's find out." He took out his otoscope and clipped a disposable liner to it. "Hold her still." Turning on the light, he squinted an eye and checked her ear. "I don't see anything suspicious."

Meilin howled, jerking away from her father.

"Oh baby it's alright." Inara was heartbroken by her daughter's suffering as she stood there, unable to help.

Setting the otoscope down, Simon reached for his forehead thermometer and gently brushed some tears off of her cheek as Meilin shied away. "Easy, this isn't going to hurt..."

Meilin turned her head and clamped down on his fingers, gnawing, whimpering.

Simon stopped moving, and everyone raised an eyebrow as Meilin hushed to murmured growls of pain.

"Huh." Was all Mal could say.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The girl squealed.

She was being chased down the hall by the boy, speeding as fast as little legs could carry.

The little boy laughed, catching her, tumbling on the floor. "I dew id now!" He got up and began running away.

She crowed happily, alerting those on the grounds children were loose, and took up chase.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Niska went over to Pacey, young and full of life left in him, and positioned the knife at the skin where there was a gap betwixt his ribs. He relished the pain on the father's face. "Now Mr. Reynolds, who will you give up? This son? Or...."

"Malcoln Reynolds lives on Shadow." Ezra blurted desperately.

Hershel, Pacy and Virgil all lifted their heads, gawking at the young pilot.

"Western Shadow, a few miles out of the town Pryor on a Homestead called New Haven Ranch." He finished more precisely, gritting his teeth.

Niska was stunned, and somewhat sad he did not get to play.

Ezra pulled on the bonds at his wrists, snarling regardless he was terrifying about being before Niska. "That's what you wanted, right? They're all there, take 'em."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her mind touched it.

Li Ten could feel his student's mind grasp something planets away. Gleaning, he felt her touch the mind of a cruel old man, and his knowledge of where her family was. It only fueled her resistance, as she began to come out of her trance state with the information driving her.

He could not lose her, not to that.

Keeping as firm of a grip as he could on her mind, he walked away and towards the sounds of gleeful children inside the hallowed halls. Opening the door to find the children running towards him as well as the Nameless man and Tasya coming to retrieve the whelps, he reached out with a firm hand and grabbed the boy.

The child shrieked.

He dragged the boy outside into the courtyard by the furred scruff of his wee anorak jacket.

The adults, the people sworn to bring the children to their rightful homes, saw and picked up their pace.

For there was a dark purpose on Li Ten's face. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Reckon' there's some teeth comin' in." Zoe yawned.

"Well that's good, at least she ain't sick." Kaylee said hopefully.

"Bout time someone bit him."

Kaylee socked Jayne.

"Well it is." The merc mumbled.

"Teething would cause all of those symptoms?" Inara brushed the fine baby hair as Meilin proceeded to chew on her uncle's fingers as she rested in Mal's arms, and the doctor paid no heed.

"Yes, actually." Simon used his one good hand to reach over and access his med bag. "I've thought about her teething so I pulled some topical reliever out of my cellar yesterday, this should do the trick. Inara would you unscrew the cap?" She obliged, and he nodded his head in gratitude as he dipped a finger into the goop and hovered it near the little maw that was eating his other digit. "Open up Meilin." He used the finger in her mouth to tickle her gums, making her mouth open up. Quickly, he spread a thin layer on the agitated gums. She coughed, protested, whined, and thrashed about as it took time to work.

Mal gingerly passed the fussy little one to her mother and padded off.

"This'll take away the pain?" Inara drew Meilin up and rubbed the miniature back. Her daughter's face rubbed against her soft robe as she fussed.

"It'll take the pain away, but it needs a minute or two to take effect." Simon cleaned his hands as Kaylee went over and petted Meilin's fluffy hair and help soothe her.

Inara heard more footsteps, and gazed up to find her lover walking over with the infant's toy keys.

"Easy little one." He positioned the keys in front of her mouth, and helped her get to chewing. "It's just a little tooth, nothin' more." The last words were more for Inara, who had been near panic with Meilin's pain. Looking to her, he set a hand on the mother's shoulder and pressed a kiss to the back of her head for support.

Gnawing on the keys, she settled.

"Another big stage." Simon mused, screwing the lid to the oinment back on and setting it on the counter for further use. "Teething, I'd say in about a week or two she can start solids." He neatly tucked his things back into the bag. "In the meantime I suggest we invest in a few freezable teething rings, and it won't hurt to give her a bottle of cold water now and again. It'll cool her gums down and rehydrate her since she's drooling so much and has diarrhea."

Meilin murmured through her lips and pushed the keys out of her mouth as the gums were numb and comfortable. She yawned, mightily, and pressed against her mother with a grouchy whine, seeking comfort from the traumatic bout of pain as well as possibly a snack since she was thirsty.

"Thank you Simon." Inara let out a grateful breath, using the corner of a blanket to clean up the tears and drool.

"I'm just glad it's nothing serious." He smiled, tiredly, leaning in and kissing the downy baby hair "In the morning we'll put some more oinment on her gums and take it from there, in the meantime, I suggest we all go to sleep."

"Glad nothin's wrong" Kaylee reached over and petted the baby's head again. "G'Night Xiao Xiongmao," She kissed the baby soft curls. "You be good for momma and daddy."

Meilin grunted, peering up to Kaylee, the fat cheeks expelling a lungful of air before she let out a loud, squeaky yawn. Her face scrunching itself afterwards.

"Yeah, and don't wake me up." Jayne lumbered off to the bunk room.

Zoe smirked as Kaylee went over to Simon to retire. "Sleep tight Meilin." reaching out the first mate stroked a tight miniature fist before telling Inara good night and heading back off to her room.

"You ready ta go to bed?" Mal smoothed his hand up the length of his lover's back, the L of his palm resting against her nape before moving to a shoulder. "Looks like she's thirsty, you want me to fix a bottle'a..."

"No, no, she needs to have the contact." Inara kept her eyes on Meilin as she snuggled in yet let out a demanding noise. Tired, and needing Inara to fill her belly as well as sooth herself, she drew a fist to her mouth, and found a thumb to fervently suck on in an attempt to placate herself. Shushing her grumpy little one, she turned and pressed her lips to the little scalp. "It's cathartic."

"For you or her?"

Dark brown eyes glanced up to his blue ones, and he saw that while she was happy Meilin was fine and growing, the baby was going to be weaned soon and Inara's bond would be broken. It was bond she loved dearly, it was what separated herself from her mother, from her past. It was testament to how nurturing she was, and how Meilin was every bit her daughter regardless the baby was not biologically her own.

Mal leaned in and kissed her forehead, tired, yet understanding as he gave her a nudge back towards the couch so they could continue to bond for the time being. He took a seat first, lying down with his back against a few pillows and the couch arm. Inara was next, her head on his shoulder, back against his chest. Shan-shan took her place on the floor with the dogs, and Mal grabbed the throw and tossed it over their feet as Inara untied her silk robe and unbuttoned the top of her night shirt. Mal let out a sigh, a hand around her waist, the other taking hold of a set of bootie covered feet. Peering over a shoulder, he watched Meilin nuzzle in and latch onto a breast, kneading and suckling, calming down as she molded her body against her mother. "Nin shi xuanba mam ci bian de fushizhiwu xingxi." Reassuring Inara and her place as mother, he pressed his lips to her hair and held his girls. Musing about how he had never thought of himself as that type of man.

A family man.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tasya ran towards the courtyard. "Li Ten!"

Hold them back he ordered his followers. Students, practitioners swarmed the woman and the Operative, the girl raced away to hide behind a statue as the Long Shifu drew his sword and tossed it to his pupil.

She sensed it, and caught it effortlessly.

"Oh gawd." Tasya gasped in realization.

"Renci de fozu.." The operative immediately began to tear through the league of men, charging them all to get through to the courtyard. Tasya took up the fight as well, she pulled the guns out of her anorak and fired at them, plowing them down with precision known to finely trained readers. However she only took out three before the others came upon her, knocking the weaponry out of her hands and locking her into a hand to hand battle with other clairvoyants. A grueling and confusing clash as minds and bodies collided.

Li Ten still had a grip on her mind as he tossed the three year old onto the cold ground in front of her.

The operative was almost through the mob of warriors.

Tasya was kicked across the back of the scull and brutally knocked to the ground.

The boy's eyes were wide and fearful, like his mother's eyes so many times before.

Li Ten knew she sensed him, though did not know he was physically among them, he kept that way from her. But she knew of him like a beast in the darkness, there was a wave of pain through her, a bitter torrent. She wanted the pain to go away, and he gave her the answer. Sever the thought, distance it, break the bond, and the pain would disappear.

Tasya saw the gun on the ground, reaching she grasped it and found the trigger.

The sword was poised to strike.

The sacrifice shook with fear.

Tasya's arm whipped up, finger squeezing the trigger, shooting the two men holding the Operative back.

The Operative broke free.

The boy screamed in fear.

He raced over, diving and shielding the child as the blade came down.

A hairs breadth before it met the nameless man's back, she stopped the blade.

River Tam stopped herself.

*** *** *** TRANSLATIONS/DEFINITIONS Long Zhanshi: Dragon Warrior, the second class of Long, between Young Dragon and Master. Nei Jin: 'Internal Power'; a form of internal exercise, in which body and breathing become one. It is characterized with flowing movement. Shh... xiao xiongmao. Wo shi zheli, muqin jiushi zheli wu tian ying: Shh... little panda. I am here, mother is here my sweet baby Nin shi xuanba mam ci bian de fushizhiwu xingxi: You're the best mother this side of the galaxy Renci de fozu...: Merciful Buddha...

*****As always, the writer appreciates all comments whether they be positive, negative, or suggestions.**