Freedom to the Free 14/21
Title: Freedom to the Free
Author:Dreolin
Summary: To protect River, Kaylee, Wash and himself after they are abducted and sold into slavery, Simon is forced to make some difficult choices while hoping for rescue. Will he be able to keep them safe? And at what cost?
Rating: M
Characters: All
Pairing: Simon/OFC, (hints at future Simon/Kaylee)
Warning: Non-con (mostly off "screen") directed toward Simon by OFC, also some violence and adult themes.
Genre: Angst
Setting: This story can be seen either as taking place pre-BDM, or as going AU after the final episode. However, if I write the sequel that I hope to, then it will be considered AU.
Disclaimer: Neither “Firefly” nor any of its characters belong to me, unfortunately. As everyone knows, the honors go to Joss Whedon.
Author's note: Previously posted on fanfiction.net. Any mistakes in Chinese translation are mine alone. I would like to hugely thank the wonderful and patient Annuette wild for being the best beta one could hope for!
That evening Mabel surprised Simon by bringing him and Abigail an early supper, as well as broth for Wash.
“I’m told that they’ll be coming to take the two of you,” she indicated Simon and Wash, “straight upstairs tonight, and that I should go ahead and bring you supper.”
“Thank you, Mabel.” Simon took the tray from her, sitting it down.
“Your friend,” she nodded her head toward Wash, “he gonna to be ok?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Good. I’m glad.” She smiled at him before she went out the door.
+++
Just as Mabel had said, Buckey, along with a man Simon had never seen before, came for him and Wash. Buckey let Simon gather up the things Wash would need during recovery: antibiotics, pain medication, and bandaging material. As Simon picked up a pair of bandage scissors, Buckey took them from his hand.
Simon looked at him, then at the blunt scissors and back again. “Really?”
Buckey looked at the scissors in his hand.
“What am I supposed to do?” Simon asked, exasperated, “Chew through the bandages?”
“Ok.” Buckey conceded, handing the scissors back to him. “But only while you are in the room, you’re not to leave them with him and your sister. They’re to come back with you when you come back to the clinic. Anytime you’re somewhere else,” obviously meaning when he was with Carsey, “they stay with me.”
As Buckey watched, Simon and the other man got Wash onto the stretcher, with Simon laying the supplies next to Wash. Getting Wash back up the stairs was only slightly less difficult than getting him down them had been, and now that he was awake, Wash felt every bump and jar impacting on his already abused body.
Simon had assumed since he had been returned to the room with Wash that he would be staying. He was wrong. Buckey waited until Simon had gotten Wash settled, and the other man was leaving to take the stretcher back to the clinic, before motioning to Simon.
“Come on, Boss wants to see you.”
Simon looked up at him from where he was kneeling beside Wash.
“Well, come on and give me those scissors.” He said, hand out. “You’ll get ‘em back when I come get you.”
Simon glanced at Kaylee, who had come to kneel at Wash’s other side, worry plain in her eyes. Simon wanted to ease that worry, but at the same time he knew there was really nothing to be said. He gave her a slight smile instead and said, “Wash, will be fine while I’m gone.” Simon looked down. “Won’t you?”
“Fine as fine.” Wash answered, hoarsely.
Simon looked over Kaylee’s head at River who was standing behind her, then stood, walked over to Buckey, handed him the scissors, and passed through the doorway.
+++
When Buckey left Simon in Carsey’s quarters, she was standing in front of her desk, leaning back against it. He entered the room, stopping just inside the door as Buckey closed it behind him. She looked at him a moment, then pushing away from the desk, she moved around behind him, suddenly shoving him forward.
“On your knees.”
Simon felt a flash of anger as he realized he was half way to the floor, responding to the command without having thought about it. Once he was on his knees, she shoved him again, forcing him to put his hands down to stop himself from falling on his face. She stood in front of him looking down. “I. Am. Really. Tired. Of. Your. Attitude.”
“Attitude...”
She squatted down in front of him, clenching his jaw tightly in one hand, pressing the index finger of her other one against his lips, she whispered, “Shhhh.”
She leaned her face closer to his. “The knowledge in your brain, it’s a tool I need. But, I like tools I can wield. I don’t like tools that act on their own. The only reason you’re not dead from that little act of defiance this morning is Frank follows orders worse than you. Damn near killed the pilot when all I told him to do was give ‘im a couple of hits.’
“A boy like you...I grew up knowing boys like you. Born to money, gettin’ everything you ask for, no matter if you deserve it or not. The privilege of getting the best education money can buy. Then you come out here to the Rim, lookin’ to take over. Thinkin’ it’s owed you; thinking you’re superior to everybody else!” She shoved his head roughly away and stood up.
Simon sat back on his heels and glared up at her. “You know nothing about me! You don’t know the hell the Alliance put my sister through, while our parents turned their backs. Yes, I had money, education, a job I cared about, but I gave it all away to save my sister. You have enough money to buy me, my friends, and the ship we came here on a hundred times over. That’s more money than I have ever had on my own. I am superior to you, but it has nothing to do with money or education.”
The kick hit him under the chin, sending him over backward, before he saw it coming. He landed on his side where she pinned him down, straddling him, trapping one arm with her weight against him, while the other one was caught beneath and behind him. She grabbed a handful of his hair, and drew back her fist.
“You’re in control,” Simon said quickly, “is that what you want to hear? You are! I know that! You have more control over life and death here than I do as a doctor. I have had to stand by while you tear a baby away from its mother, threaten and beat my friends...” He trailed off, the fight suddenly going out of him.
She lowered her fist then stood, leaving him lying on the floor. She went back to leaning against the desk, and stood looking at him.
“Maybe you can learn after all. Still,” she cocked her head, “I can’t let it go. I had to get rid of Frank. He’s just lucky he was a hired-on, not bought. But you need to be punished; slaves can’t be seen challengin’ their betters, and this is the second time. In fact, this time the mechanic and your sister were right there with you. By right I have cause to punish all three of you.”
Simon felt the blood drain from his face as he remembered Frank’s hands on Kaylee.
“Don’t worry,” she continued, “The fact is, your little show of solidarity might have saved me the need to track down another pilot, which saves me some money, not to mention it showed me I had a loose cannon working for me, and gave me reason to get rid of him before he could do some real damage.”
“Real damage...” Simon, who had risen to a sitting position, shook his head in disbelief.
“Now see,” she said, “that’s what keeps getting you into trouble. It’s your mouth, pretty and useful though it is.”
The blood that had left Simon’s face came rushing back with a vengeance.
“Now, like I said, I can’t let you go unpunished, even if you did save me some money. But, because you did, I’d planned to go a little easy on you. And your smartin’ off just gave me the perfect solution.
She reached behind her and pressed the com button on her desk. “Buckey, come pick up the doc; then take him to be fitted for a ‘bridle.”