Author’s Note: I’m really sorry for not updating for so long. It’s March break and I got so sick that I had to miss the last days of school and 2 weeks of work. Also I know you guys told me to be nice, but I wasn’t, because I’m a big angst fan. So I apologize ahead of time for anyone who ends up hating me.

Disclaimer: I do not own Firefly/Serenity, nor any of the characters or events that compose them. And if I did, I would be fired for never updating and they would be given to someone more worthy anyways.

Learning to be Patient Chapter 3 Guilt

Kaylee sighed with discontent and placed a hand upon her hip, “Compression coils are costing an arm and a leg these days,” she grumbled to herself as she walked down and oversized aisle in a store that specialized in selling engine parts.

“Anything I can help you with, Miss?” the clerk asked kindly from behind the large wooden counter. He was an older gentleman, who looked as if he’d been running to store since it opened. He wore a soiled, dark green top, with a beige pair of pants.

“Nah, I’m just browsing,” she informed, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and smiling as brightly as she willed.

“Girl like you shouldn’t be hanging around these kinda shops on Tempest. You ought to be out enjoying the finer things in life,” he pointed out with a gentle smile that made his eyes disappear in wrinkles.

“I was thinking of that,” She divulged as she stopped at the end of the aisle to talk, “But I ain’t cut out for that kinda stuff.” She’d convinced herself that’s what it was, she looked down to her clothes, her arms and overall soaked with dried engine grease that wouldn’t come out, her hair hadn’t been brushed in almost a week and her big boots clonked on the hollow floor leaving a track of dried mud.

“Well neither am I,” the man informed, “But I still treat myself and my wife to an evening out once a month. It’s nice to give yourself little rewards, especially when you work hard,” The wrinkles of wisdom devoured his eyes once again as a smile took over his face.

“Well a treat for me, is a new compression coil for Serenity so we can all keep moving and breathing,” she explained a hint of sadness lingering in her words. Something indistinct murmured over her communicator, but she chose to ignore it.

The man opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a blood-curdling scream coming from outside. His eyebrows creased with confusion as he reached under the counter and pulled out a long, shiny shotgun, “What in the name of tyen shuh duh was that?” he questioned as he gingerly moved from out behind the counter and too the door.

Kaylee stood inactive at the end of the aisle, waiting as the storekeeper checked outside.

“Kaylee,” An anxious voice came through her communicator. It was distorted and muffled by static but it never the less sent a jolt of panic up her spine.

“Kaylee, get back to the ship now!” Mal’s voice grew loud and frantic. “Run to the ship now!”

“Captain?” she questioned, her heart beating like a jackhammer in her chest, “What’s going on?”

“It’s Reavers, Kaylee,” Mal responded quickly, “Now where are you, Me and Jayne’ll come and-”

There were shots fired outside the opened door of the store. Her hands trembled, her thumb still on the emitting button, as she crept rearwards until her back hit the old wooden plank wall.

The storekeeper screamed from outside and she let out a frightened sob, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Kaylee!” Mal’s voice rang through the communicator, “Kaylee where in rutting hell are you.”

She heard them running by the door, their screeching. She heard them tear at the kind old shopkeeper as she crept further and further into the corner. There was nothing to hide behind, nothing to make her invisible to the Reavers.

She slunk down into the corner, bringing her knees up protectively and wrapping her arms around them. Mal was still screaming for her, as was Simon and Inara. Their voices overlapped each other on the communicator. Her breathing was heavy, and her hands clammy. She could see a Reaver enter the store between the spaces on the shelves. See it throw around the pieces of machines that adorned the counter.

“Captain,” she whispered, her voice shaking and cracking, as she swallowed a sob, “help me.”

It turned to face her and shrieked. Its mutilated face showed a deformed, superior grin as it bounded towards her. She cried out and threw her hands out as a weak form of protection, but it was useless.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A scream protruded from the communicator and it shook Mal’s spine, “Kaylee!” he yelled into the device as he and Jayne ran down a street. Frightened villagers screamed and ran haphazardly by them, over fallen comrades, away from the Reavers.

“Mal!” Simon yelled as they crossed an intersection in the town’s square. He was huffing and out of breath, but he ran to the two men, “Have you found her yet?” he questioned, his face broken.

“No,” Mal shook his head, wiping his sweat soaked forehead with the back of his hand, “I sent Zoë back to the ship to make sure that we take off as soon as all of us are on board. But we ain’t leaving without Kaylee.”

“Mal, what if,” Jayne began but didn’t know how to continue his sentence.

Mal looked to him, his eyes ignited with vexation, “We ain’t leaving without Kaylee.”

“Well damn Mal,” Jayne mumbled as they continued to search. His hand was ready on the trigger of his gun as they scoped the deserted stores.

“A minute ago you were ready to defend Kaylee’s honor. Now you want to leave her on a planet being attack by Reavers?” Simon questioned with irritation as Mal handed him a gun.

“That was ‘fore there was Reavers involved,” Jayne spat as they scaled a deck of a corner store. Inside over a dozen Reavers roamed, destroying and ravaging all that lay inside the store.

Jayne grabbed his gun and began firing into the window. Mal soon followed as Simon jumped back in surprise.

“Go check over there,” Mal pointed to a small store set off from the others, “If you need backup, just holler.”

“Ruttin’ Reavers!” Jayne yelled as one of them attempted to jump through the window only to be riddled with more then ten bullets.

Simon dashed quickly across the open town square, which was now deserted. The water in the attractive fountain meant as a centerpiece was now a cloudy burgundy color, stained with the blood of the town folk.

His heart dropped as a recognizable, tart taste developed in his mouth. He should’ve gone with Kaylee. The guilt he felt grew, making his stomach churn violently. If he was there, he could’ve gotten her out safely, he could’ve helped. This could’ve been prevented.

His shoes stepped on the rotting deck boards that stood outside the store. Painful creaking protruded from them, each more agonizing then the next. Near to the door, the planks had become tarnished a deep red, with the blood spilt from a man who no longer existed. There was a large splotch of it in front of the door, but his body had been taken, leaving only an eerie outline.

Simon stepped over the puddle tentatively, his gun drawn and ready to shoot at any movement.

The wooden door was left hanging, creaking in the wind since its bottom hinges had been broken off. Blood dripped down it in thick lines like molasses as he pushed the door back quietly, his thumb sliding over the trigger on the gun.

His feet barely touched the wooden boards as he slipped inside. Rustling came from behind a tall shelf, the sound of something metal rolling and falling of a shelf made him jump back, aiming his gun with paranoia.

The shop was dark. Small streams of light filtered in through the blinds that were being tousled in the cool, ghostly breeze that followed him into the store. The air was stuffy and held a pungent odor.

The pistol began to shake in his hand, as he started to walk down the first aisle to the back of the shop. The wind knocked the curtains against the wall, causing the small amount of light to move around the store creating a dizzying effect.

He reached the end of the aisle and his heart stopped. A few feet away from him on the ground lay Kaylee. Blood speckled the floor around her as she lay crumpled and unmoving and for a brief moment, Simon couldn’t do anything. His brain didn’t think as he simply stared, everything around him becoming deadly silent.

His mouth hung open as the immediate shock of seeing her in this position wore off, and the severity of her injuries dug in. He fell to her side, and checked her wrist for a pulse as he eyes swept her broken body, tallying up the noticeable injuries.

Her face and chest were covered in blood. Deep gashes ran over her shoulders and collarbone, slowly exuding blood and her face was bruised. The bottom half of her coveralls were ripped and tattered, but the top was completely removed. Her top was shredded and the vibrant white material of her bra seemed to glow in the darkness of the store.

Her pulse was faint, but her heart was still beating. He removed his shaky fingers from her wrist and looked upon her again. Her eyes were closed, but she didn’t look at peace like she did when she was asleep. Her face seemed stoic and indifferent.

His body was becoming clammy as his stomach turned over. He wiped the cool sweat off his forehead and quietly slipped his hands under her limp body to carry her back to Serenity

Her body felt awkward in his arms. So different from the last time he’d carried her. She’d been squealing and wriggling about in his arms, trying to get out of his grasp because he’d pulled her away from working on Serenity’s engine. He remembered fighting for his grip on her, and her finally giving into him after they made it to his room.

He began to retreat back down the aisle, when Mal stepped out, blocking the exit. His gun was cocked and aimed at Simon. His eyebrows were furrowed with vexation, and his lips pursed together.

Before Simon could register what was happening, Mal had fired a round of bullets without hesitation. Simon felt them rush past him; the warm wind they brought skimmed his cheek. Mal’s finger still pulling the trigger even after there were no bullets left.

“You missed,” Simon stated simply after his heart had stopped pounding in his chest. His words were empty of emotion.

“No I didn’t,” Mal replied indifferently and gesticulated behind Simon.

He turned to look and found the body of a Reaver sprawled out across the floor. Rivers of blood trickling out of it and adding to the ocean of blood already covering the floor.

“Reavers’ set traps,” Mal reminded quietly as he turned his body away from Simon. His eyes scanned the front of the store, “She okay?” he questioned. Simon could hear the emotion as his voice cracked.

“She has a pulse,” Simon answered calmly looking down to Kaylee’s beaten form in his arms, “But she’s lost some blood and has some substantial injuries. She’ll wake up, but she’ll most likely be in shock.”

He saw Mal’s shoulders shake as he reloaded his gun, “Best be getting her back to the ship then,” he informed blandly and gestured for Simon to step out the door, “Jayne and I’ll watch your back.”

Simon nodded gravely and walked down the aisle past Mal, who kept his eyes focused on the counter up front the entire time. He stepped outside and down the front porch of the store to where Jayne was waiting, his gun cocked as he investigated the area surrounding the shop.

Jayne glanced Kaylee’s body as Simon briskly walked by, then glanced to Mal, who trailed closely, not uttering a word. “Gorram Reavers,” Jayne growled allowed as he followed them back to Serenity.