There were several moments of silence, in which Mal pondered how the situation had gone. Finally, he took the risk of peeking around the corner of the shredded wooden counter. There were several bodies in his range of vision, and no movement that he could detect. Turning to look at Zoe, Mal saw her bring her head back from the other side of the counter and make eye contact. “*Looks as if it’s over, Sir,*” she told him quietly. Mal nodded, then called, “Jayne?” There was no response, and that was a point of much worry. “Jayne?” He repeated, more loudly this time. “Talk to me.” Finally, he heard Jayne’s voice. “I’m here, Mal.” His tone was soft and sorrowful, which bothered Mal even more than the previous lack of response. Chancing a rise to his feet, Mal finally saw that all eight men lay dead in the street, some of them half-hidden by various cover. Zoe stood next to him, her gun scanning the scene of the carnage. The fight was over as quickly as it had begun. Jayne was crouched near the edge of the machine shop over the body of Breana. She had been shot right through the chest. Mal’s heart sank. *Oh, no...* Jayne glanced over his shoulder at Mal, and there was a hurt expression on his face. “Why’d she come out here, Mal?” he queried, his voice strained. “Why the gorram hell didn’t she stay inside?” Mal had no answer for him, and a moment later, the little girl crept from the door to her home and stood beside Jayne and her mother’s body. “Is Mama okay?” she asked quietly, looking at Jayne with large, green eyes that matched her father’s. Jayne looked from Mal to the girl, obviously trying very hard to think of something to say. Finally, he just shook his head slowly. “No, girl. She ain’t.” He stared at the ground, working his jaw and trying to explain. “She’s gone.” Surprisingly, the girl neither cried, nor made any other sort of typical reaction. She simply asked, “Does that mean I’m goin’ with you, Papa?” Mal holstered his pistol, as lost in the moment, if not as utterly confused, as Jayne appeared. He glanced at Zoe, who appeared similarly lost. Jayne stood then, and looked at Mal speechlessly. “You do what you need to,” Mal told him. “This ain’t somethin’ I’m cottoned to interfere with.”

Simon, Kaylee, River, Inara, and Gabriel were standing in the cargo bay, discussing what they should do next, when Mal, Zoe, Jayne, and a little girl ascended the ramp. River stood silently to the side, observing the events with a cautious interest. Her brother, Simon, was taking great care to keep a distance from Gabriel, a fact which distressed River to some degree. Granted, Gabriel’s callous, even cheerful attitude about the two men he brutally killed were, expectedly, disturbing to her brother, but it wasn’t like Gabriel murdered the men in cold blood. They were about to kill Simon... Personally, Gabriel’s responses were bothersome to River, as well. He’d removed the bodies from the scene without hesitation, and was actually a bit amused by the situation. The man clearly had issues, and this fact saddened River to a high degree. She cared about Gabriel very, very much. She wasn’t familiar with romantic love, and so River wasn’t entirely certain if she was in love, but that was the best way she could describe it. *Love is such a dumb, generic, overused word, anyway. I love my brother, I love this ship, I love apples...* Even now, as well as she was doing, River was completely aware of her still-present mental instability, and she could hear in Gabriel’s thoughts that he, too, was aware of his own problems. *They turned me into a weapon, but they turned him into an animal. He’s not evil, he just has trouble understanding that killing is not a good thing.* River’s psychoanalysis of Gabriel and her brother was over in the three seconds it took the others to enter the ship and begin their exchange with the ones already present. River quickly became bored, because she already knew everything that had taken place. The little girl’s name was Janie, and she was Jayne’s illegitimate daughter. The mother was dead, and the captain let Jayne bring the girl aboard. “Captain,” Kaylee greeted. “What happened out there?” River listened to Mal work the details over in his mind, deciding how short he wanted the story to be. “Some men that Jayne crossed some years back caught up to us. There was a gunfight. Is the ship fixed?” Kaylee nodded. “Got everything installed but the accelerator. Did you get a new one?” Zoe held up the part, and Mal explained the situation regarding that. “Girl we bought the part from didn’t have a two-flanged accelerator, only one of these fancy three-flanged deals. Can you make do with this one?” Kaylee took the part from Zoe, studying it. “Yeah, no problem. I’ll just cap the third nozzle; it won’t interfere with the vapor flow.” The little girl was intensely curious, and not at all nervous about her new surroundings, River observed. “Young mind,” she said aloud, and everyone glanced her way before realizing she was referring to the little girl. “Who is this?” Kaylee inquired, kneeling before the girl and smiling. “Hey, there.” The girl clung to Jayne’s leg, which made him very uncomfortable. “Hello.” Mal and Zoe exchanged glances, wondering how to word the scenario. “Um...” Mal began. “This is my daughter,” Jayne announced. Everyone but River was shocked. Actually, Gabriel was not shocked, either, but that was due more to the fact that he was barely paying attention to the conversation. “Her name is Janie.” Mal and Zoe made small, choking chuckles that they attempted to muffle, and Jane growled, “We don’t hafta take this.” “Well, hi, Janie!” Kaylee spoke, grinning. “I’m Kaylee.” “Hello, Kaylee,” Janie returned. “Are you my new Mommy?” Kaylee’s grin faded, and she looked up at Jayne and Mal questioningly. “Mother was the one we bought the part from,” Mal explained. “Got caught in the crossfire. We brought the girl with us until we can find her a home.” “This could be her home,” Kaylee suggested. “Ship ain’t no place to rear a li’l one,” Jayne stated, “an’ I ain’t exactly a charmin’ parental figure, either.” “He’s not lying,” River finally put in. “Shut up,” Jayne shot back. “Okay,” Mal cut in, holding his hands up. “These exchanges are all cute an’ fluffy an’ all, but we got a ship needs fixed an’ space needs reached. We can do this later; I want to be in the air within the hour.”

They were, indeed, in the air within the hour, and Jayne had taken Janie straight to his quarters. After replacing his weapons in their respectful positions on his wall rack, Jayne had sat the girl down on his bunk and attempted to explain the situation to her. “Okay, Girl, listen,” he began. He hesitated, then cleared his throat and continued. “I’m yer father, but I don’t cotton much to the idea of you stayin’ on this boat indef’nately.” He paused, frowning at the sound of the word in his mouth. “I’m not stayin’ with you?” Janie inquired, eyes wide as always. Jayne breathed heavily. “Not rightly sure. Ya won’t be here forever, I’ll tell ya that much.” He pondered for a moment. “I’d say our best bet is to putcha with my mother back home; get ya raised proper.” “That’s my gramma, right?” Jayne frowned. “My ma ain’t nobody’s...” He stopped, his frown deepening to one of recollection. “Yeah,” he said finally. “I guess she would be a grandmother now, wouldn’t she?” “How long do I get to be with you?” Janie asked. “Depends.” Jayne leaned back, propping himself up on the bed with his elbows. “Normally, we go where work takes us, an’ we’d get there whenever we got near, but it ain’t that far. Could be a week; could be a month.” “What’s that?” Janie asked, immediately jumping to another question. Jayne grinned when he saw where she was pointing. “That’s my seven point six two by fifty four R sniper rifle,” he explained. “Manufactured by Aerolite Armaments outta Ariel. Takes strip clips of eight rounds fed through the top. No shell ejection; when ya run outta ammo, the whole strip clip pops out the top automatically.” “An’ that?” the four-year-old inquired, pointing to another weapon. “That’s jus’ a lever action forty five seventy.” Jayne reached for Vera. “Now this is what ya should be eyeballin’.” He hefted the large rifle in his hands, admiring it’s perfection. “Let me tell ya ‘bout Vera.”

Mal caught up with the doctor in the lounge right after they made initial burn and were safely in transit. “Okay, Doc,” he began, “I already noticed ya had company.” Simon frowned. “I... I’m sorry?” Mal gestured over his shoulder. “I saw the blood outside at the foot of the ramp.” His expression became stern, and he crossed his arms. “I also saw you eyein’ Gab in a manner I wouldn’t exactly call settled. What happened?” Simon sighed, his gaze wandering for a moment before returning to the captain. “Two men got the drop on me in the cargo bay. They were about to shoot me. Gabriel shows up behind them, slams their heads together hard enough to bust their skulls right open.” Mal nodded. “Okay. So?” Simon hesitated for just a moment, then finished. “So... after he did that, he grinned and made a joke about it.” Mal nodded. “Okay. So?” Simon frowned in confusion. “So... I’m worried.” “Listen, Doc, the way I see it, the boy saved your life.” “Oh,” Simon assured him, “I’m well aware of that. It’s just-” “And we already know he ain’t exactly as sane as some. I seem to recall a certain girl on this boat goin’ after Jayne with a butcher knife some time ago, and look how she’s doin’.” He clapped Simon on the shoulder. “Like Shepherd Book would say, ‘Have some faith, Doctor’.” He began to walk away, then halted and looked back over his shoulder. “Not that I’m sayin’ don’t keep an eye on the boy. By all means, do so. We don’t need no liabilities.” Simon nodded. “I’ll do that.” He watched the captain go, then turned to walk the other direction. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he realized that Zoe was standing right behind him. “Tzao gao!” he exclaimed, trying to control his breathing. “Sorry, didn’t see you there.” “Sorry, Doctor,” Zoe told him none-too-apologetically. “Thought you should know your sister is in Kaylee’s room cryin’ up a fit.” She fixed him with a pointed expression. “I think it has to do with Gabriel.” “Thank you,” Simon spoke, quickly moving around her to the stairs. He hastily ascended them, then moved across the upper deck of the ship, through the common room and to the corridor just behind the cockpit. He pushed Kaylee’s door opened and called, “River?” down the ladder. “Down here,” came Kaylee’s voice, and Simon slipped down the ladder to find Kaylee comforting a sobbing River, who was curled in a ball on Kaylee’s bed. “River,” Simon asked, moving to sit on the bed on River’s other side. “What happened?” “You have to help him!” she wailed into the pillow. “You have to save him, or he’ll get even worse than me.” “Mei mei, slow down,” Simon urged, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. “Start from the beginning. Are we talking about Gabriel?” “She was cussing him earlier,” Kaylee informed him. “Seems we’re hearing a whole range of emotions on this one.” “He can’t get worse than me,” River cried, “or we’ll lose him forever.” “River,” Simon assured her, “Gabriel’s not getting worse. I actually think being exposed to other people is making him better. He’s becoming more socially adapted.” River stopped sobbing and started sniffling. She turned to look at him, and he wiped tears from her cheeks. “Then why are you afraid of him?” Simon bit his lip. “River, Gabriel... well, he’s...” He trailed off, unsure of what to say. “*I know,*” River whispered. “I heard it. Whispers in the corners of my shell.” She continued sniffling. “If he turns rabid, are you going to put him down?” Simon’s jaw dropped. “River! I-” “Or me!” she exclaimed, her lower lip trembling again. “Would you put me down, as well?!” “River!” Kaylee uttered. “Nobody’s gonna put no one down, an’ I’m sure Gabriel is fine. Right, Simon?” Simon glanced at Kaylee, then refocused his attention on River. “Okay, maybe I overreacted earlier. I was just in a bit of shock over the whole ordeal.” He sighed. “Gabriel saved my life today, and I owe him thanks for that.” River had calmed down a lot by this point. “Even if he admits it to himself, he’s still not mine. I don’t want that, either.” Simon and Kaylee exchanged glances again. “I’m sorry, I don’t... I don’t follow.” River lay her head down on the pillow, staring off into space with watery eyes. “You brought him here hoping he could help me. You had it wrong.” She closed her eyes. “I’m the only one who can help *him*...”

Jayne walked Janie on a quick tour of the ship. The girl’s fascination with his guns had endeared her to Jayne somewhat, and since she asked questions about absolutely everything, he decided to indulge her appetite for knowledge. “This here’s the cargo bay,” he explained as they descended the stairs from the crew cabin area’s side corridor onto the rear catwalk. “Careful on these catwalks, though; fall from up here would be cause for some powerful hurt.” Janie moved forward to the railing, draping her arms over the lower one. “Who’s that?” She pointed, and Jayne followed her finger to Gabriel, performing one-armed pushups on the deck below. “Oh, him,” Jayne muttered. “Aww, ya don’t want nothin’ to do with that one. Creepy ‘n’ inscrutable, that one.” Simon, who had been below, ascended the stairs and brushed hastily past them, a disturbed expression on his face. He ignored them, going up the stairs that Jayne and his daughter had just come down. Jayne watched him leave. *Huh. Wonder what’s eatin’ him?* “I wanna meet the ‘scrubtable man,” Janie urged, still pointing. Jayne made a little grumble in the back of his throat. “Aright, if I let ya talk to him, find out how weird he is, will that shutcha up?” Janie nodded enthusiastically, and still grumbling, Jayne brought her down the stairs. The girl ran up to Gabriel, stopping a safe distance from him, and folded her hands before her. Gabriel stopped his pushups and sat on the grating, folding his legs beneath him and looking at Janie. “Hi,” he greeted. “What are you doing, Mister?” Janie inquired. “Workin’ my body,” Gabriel explained. “Makes a person stronger an’ healthier.” “My papa says that workin’ out is good for ya,” Janie told him. Gabriel glanced up at Jayne, then back to the girl. “Your papa must be a very smart man.” Jayne chuckled. “Course, ya can’t believe everythin’ this character says, Girl.” Gabriel shrugged, smiling at the girl. “Well, there is that, of course.” Janie giggled. “Yer funny.” “Yeah,” Jayne commented, extending his hand to help Gabriel up. It was the first time the two had actually associated, and Jayne meant it as a sort of peace offering. “A real knee-slapper, this one. What’s the deal with the doc, anyhow? He looks to be a mite agitated.” Gabriel stretched his arms. “Guess he’s got a bit of a problem with me bein’ comfy with poppin’ those boys heads like grapes. “Huh,” Jayne commented. “Don’t see nothin’ wrong with that myself.” Gabriel shrugged. “Me, neither. Guess bein’ rich an’ proper mosta yer life, gruesomeness of that sort can be a mite disturbin’.” Jayne laughed. *This guy ain’t half bad...* Gabriel stretched his arms again. “Well, I best be gettin’ some grub.” He redirected his eyes to Janie. “I’ll let you an’ yer dad get back to yer thing.” Cuing his exit, the man passed them and headed for the stairs. Jayne looked down at his daughter. “Common room sounds good a place as any to show ya next,” he suggested. “Ya hungry?”

Zoe picked at her food, eating little. Her stomach had been bothering her for a couple days now. Come to think of it, she’d been getting a couple dizzy spells, as well. *Must’ve caught a virus or somethin’,* she thought. Mal, Simon, Kaylee, Inara, and River were already at the table, as well. Oddly, River had made a particular point to sit between Mal and Simon, which seemed odd to Zoe. Mal and Simon looked as though they, too, thought it odd; River had always made a blatantly obvious point of sitting next to Gabriel whenever possible for the month he’d been on the ship. At that moment, Gabriel walked into the room. *Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear.* Chancing a quick glance River’s direction, Gabriel grabbed himself a plate of protein mash and a helping of canned peas and took a seat next to Zoe. “Gabriel,” Zoe greeted. “How ya doin’?” Gabriel met her gaze for a moment, nodding in assurance. “I’m all right,” he told her with a small smile, then hunkering down over his plate and ignoring his surroundings, as usual. Jayne appeared in the door next, leading his small daughter. The fact that he was a father came as little surprise, and even less amusement, for Zoe. *What kind of ‘Verse gives Jayne Cobb a daughter he probably ain’t gonna take care of himself, and deprives Wash an’ me a chance at a family?* she mused. “Come on an’ sit down now, Girl,” Jayne urged, grabbing an extra chair. He fixed the two of them a plate and returned to the table. Janie wrinkled her nose at the plate. “What’s this?” Jayne frowned. “Whaddaya mean, what’s this? This’s food.” “It looks like dog food,” Janie squeaked. “Are ya gonna eat me later?” Kaylee stifled a laugh, and Zoe couldn’t help but smile a little. “What?!” Jayne exclaimed. “No, we ain’t gonna eat ya!” He scooted the plate closer to the child with the back of a hand. “What kinda question is that? Ya ain’t no dog. Now eat up.” Ignoring the plate, Janie looked at Mal. “Who’re you?” Mal forced a smile. “I’m the captain,” he replied. “The ship is mine.” Janie nodded, then looked at Inara. “Who’re you?” Inara’s smile looked more genuine. “I’m Inara,” she responded. “An’ what do you do?” Inara’s expression went from one of friendliness to one of fear. “I... um... I’m an entertainer.” “She’s a-” Jayne began until Zoe elbowed him in the ribs. “Ow!” “A what?” Janie queried. “I get paid to... keep people company,” Inara stuttered. “I travel from place to place on this ship.” “Why do people need to pay you?” Janie asked. “Can’t they make friends on their own?” Jayne snorted with laughter, and Inara’s shaky exterior seemed even more nervous than before. Finally, Mal cut in with, “I think we need to discuss our next course of action. We need to find us the next job, and we need to decide on the issue of the girl.” He glanced to a surprised Inara, who shot him a *very* grateful look.