Freedom to the Free 20/21
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!
The next two days were very much a repeat of the same. Simon continued the physicals, although at some point on the second day they had begun sending him a group from a different ranch. Whether they were from Jackson's or someone else’s, he didn't know, but one thing he quickly realized was this group as a whole was not nearly as healthy as Carsey's people. Most of them were malnourished; many of them had severely neglected injuries and illnesses, and most disturbing were the number of scars and defects. Everything from obvious lash scars to missing body parts: castrations, missing fingers, ears, eyes, and in a couple of cases tongues. When Simon made that particular discovery, he went cold.
And, even given the situation, Simon noticed that this group seemed much less 'alive' than Carsey's slaves. There were no smiles, nor any real acknowledgement of him or Abigail, other than to do what they were asked and answer any questions that were put to them. Although a few either couldn't or wouldn't answer.
At the end of the day, Simon was glad to be away from the parade of tragedy. At least until after supper, when he realized that Buckey was leading him back to Carsey's quarters. When Simon came through the door, Carsey looked up from the desk and asked, "So, did you get a good look at your patients today, Doctor?"
She got up and walked over to stand in front of him, stroking his hair. "I told you I take care of my property, as long as my property does what it's supposed to do. Now that you see what could happen, do you still think I'm so evil?"
"Yes." Simon wasn't surprised by the slap, but it still made him stumble.
Carsey shook her head. "I really thought you would have learned something."
"What? That you are a real humanitarian because you don't chop off as many body parts as your neighbor? Then yes, you are truly a caring person."
She crossed her arms, looking at him. "You are either more stubborn or more stupid than I gave you credit for. Do we need to start the lessons all over again? The bridle didn't apparently teach you anything, and this time, if I have Buckey bring the little mechanic here, there ain't no amount of pleading you can do to prevent what'll happen, and it will be all your fault."
Simon took a breath. He couldn't let Kaylee suffer, not for this. He looked down and answered, "Yes. I’m sorry."
She smiled, stroking Simon's hair, then walked over to one of the bookshelves where she took down a book and handing it to Simon, said, "Let's start with this tonight."
A few hours later, Simon finished checking on Wash, who seemed to be healing well, then fell into an exhausted sleep.
Suddenly Simon was jarred awake by a loud roaring that was accompanied by a vibration that shook the building. What little sky he could see through the small slit in the wall, showed that it was still night. In the dim light Simon could see the others were also awake and sitting up. River, smiling beatifically up at the ceiling said, "It's time."
Wash gingerly leaned forward slightly, looking around Kaylee and Simon at River. "Are you sure?"
She turned her smile from the ceiling to Wash. "Serenity."
Simon felt his heart speed up and throwing his faith to his sister shouted, "Kaylee, now!"
Kaylee didn't hesitate. She jumped up and throwing her bedroll aside, she grabbed the stolen tools. She sat back down and began working on the hobbles encasing her ankles. "Hope this works."
"Kaylee," Wash asked cautiously, "what happens if it doesn't?"
She continued working, not looking up as she answered, "Don't know. Maybe boom."
"Boom?" Wash asked.
"Maybe boom. Small one." She glanced up then smiled as the first hobble fell from her ankles. It was only seconds later that she had all of them free.
"Now what?" Wash asked as Simon helped him carefully to his feet.
Gunshots sounded outside their door and Simon, still supporting Wash with one arm, reached into his pocket where he had stowed the bandage scissors then held them up as a weapon. The door flung open, revealing a backlit figure and the outline of a gun.
Simon squinted into the light coming in from the hallway. "Captain?"
"Doc, you plannin' on givin' me a haircut?"
"What?"
Mal nodded toward the scissors in Simon's hand. Simon followed the motion, looking at his hand. "Oh."
"Captain!" Kaylee threw herself across the room to hug Mal.
"Kaylee." Mal smiled at her then looked at the others. "Well, let's go. We're in kind of a hurry."
River was first through the door, smiling at Mal as she walked passed. Simon and Wash followed more slowly as every step jarred Wash's bruised body. As they passed Mal and Kaylee, Mal looked at Wash. "There's somebody out there waiting for you."
In the hallway stood Zoe, Jayne, and Book. All armed and watching both ends of the hallway.
"Zoe." Wash said quietly, his voice cracking.
Zoe slid the strap of the rifle she was carrying over her shoulder, coming over to take Wash's weight off of Simon. "Hey, baby."
The reunion was short lived as a group of Carsey's people came around the corner on one end of the hallway, guns in hand.
"Mal," Jayne said, "we need to go."
Simon and Zoe, each supporting Wash on one side, started down the hallway with Shepherd Book in front closely followed by River and Kaylee. Mal and Jayne brought up the rear, facing backwards as they fired back down the hallway as Carsey's people ducked back around the corner for cover.
As the group turned the corner at the opposite end of the hallway they were met by Mabel, Abigail in tow.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Simon shouted as Jayne aimed his gun at the woman.
Mabel barely seemed to notice the others as she pulled Abigail over to Simon. "Doctor, please take her. Please."
Simon looked at her, "What about you?"
"I've got no future out there."
"What will happen to you?"
"I'll be fine."
"Mama?" Abigail's frightened voice broke in.
Mabel turned to her daughter, putting her hands on Abigail's shoulders. "Honey, it'll be fine. Out there, you've got a chance for something. I don't belong there."
She pushed Abigail at Simon, and then ran back down the way they came as Abigail yelled after her.
"Come on. We gotta go!" Mal got them started back down the passageway.
When they reached the end there was a door, already opened, and inside the door was a room where a rope ladder led to an open hatch up to the roof.
"Jayne," Mal said, "you go first, then the girl, then Kaylee and River. Wash, can you make it up on your own?"
"Kind of have to." Wash answered.
"Just take it slowly." Simon started.
"But not too slow." Mal interjected.
“Try to use your legs as much as possible." Simon continued. "Try not to pull as much on your arms."
After Jayne reached the roof, he reached back to help Abigail up. River and Kaylee quickly followed. As Wash started up, Book and Simon held the ladder as still as possible while Zoe followed him up, supporting him from behind.
"You next, Doc." Mal said.
Simon climbed up the ladder then stepped out onto the roof, only momentarily shocked to find Serenity, the cause of all the noise and vibration, parked there. Book and Mal climbed up right behind him, Mal herding them all toward the ship.
As they got closer, Simon noticed a large dent in one of Serenity's thrusters that he was pretty sure hadn't been there before. Kaylee and Wash apparently noticed it at the same time as they simultaneously shouted, "What did you do to my ship?"
"Your ship?" Mal stopped moving looking at them in disbelief before he followed them onto Serenity.
"Wash," Mal turned to him as the door closed behind him, "you think you can fly us out of here?"
"Hell, yes."
"Then do it."
Wash turned toward the stairs, stopping with one hand on his ribcage, then slowly started to ascend.
"Gorrammit, we ain't got all day." Jayne holstered his gun, then picked Wash up, one arm under Wash's shoulders, the other under his knees, and effortlessly started up the stairs.
"Jayne!" Simon shouted after them. "Be careful, his ribs are cracked."
"That'll be the least of his problems if we don't get off this roof before the building collapses." Jayne continued up the stairs.
Simon turned to Mal. "Building collapses?"
"It was the fastest, safest way in and out."
"Really-really not arguing."
"Ok," Mal said, "Simon, Kaylee, take River and the girl to Inara's shuttle. If this goes south, Inara has instructions to get you all out of here. Zoe, let's see how fast our wayward pilot can get us off this gorram world."
They had entered the bridge and had just begun lift off, when Wash turned to Mal, "Someone's trying to contact us."
"Well, let's see what they want."
Carsey's face filled the screen. "Captain Reynolds, you are stealing my legal property. You will return that property immediately."
"Well now, I can't do that.” Mal answered, leaning in toward the screen. “Besides, they were stole from me first."
"You will return them now!"
"Did I not just tell you no? I swear I thought I heard my voice and felt my lips move."
"I'm going to make sure life gets very difficult for you Captain Reynolds. I will have them back. And, when that happens, they'll learn what a mistake they made thinking they could escape."
"Blah, blah, blah. Lady, if you had any idea how many times someone has said something like that to us; you'd maybe understand why I don't really care. Besides, half the 'verse is already lookin' for us, what's one more? Wash, turn that thing off and get us out of the world."
When they felt they had put enough space between themselves and Carsey, Mal gathered them all around the dining area. Without consciously realizing it, Simon and Kaylee hovered close to Wash, who was seated at the table with Zoe's arm around him. Abigail, overwhelmed, hid behind Simon.
"Well," Mal said, "first of all, who’s that back there?"
Simon reached behind him and gently guided Abigail around to stand in front of him. "Captain, this is Abigail."
"Ok, and Abigail is here why?"
Simon became nervous, realizing he had, yet again, brought someone else on board without the Captain's approval, and as he realized that, he realized something else; everyone was looking at him. He couldn't think. He felt sweat breaking out on his skin.
"Doctor,” Abigail’s whispered voice brought him back, "it's ok."
Simon looked down at her hand, still clutched-what had to be painfully-in his hand. He let go and said quietly, "I'm sorry, Abigail." Then to the others - "I'll be...I'll be right back."
"Simon?" As Kaylee started after him, Jayne's voice stopped her cold.
"What's his problem? Runnin' out after what we risked to save his ass. That boy's an ungrateful little bastard."
Kaylee didn't get a chance to respond, because as she turned on Jayne, Wash grabbed Zoe's gun from her holster and aimed it at Jayne. "That boy saved us. He protected us. You have no idea...” Wash’s voice shook with anger. “If you ever say something like that again. I will kill you. No - if you even think it - I’ll know, and I will drop your ass off in Reaver territory!"
"And how will you know what I'm thinking?" The bravado in Jayne’s voice trying to cover his surprise at Wash’s sudden vehemence.
River walked over to him, and leaning down spoke into his ear, but loud enough that they all heard. "Because I'll know, and I'll tell him." She stepped back, smiling at him eerily.
Jayne pushed back away from her, nervously.
"Now, hold on." Mal held his hands out. "Ain't nobody dumpin' anyone anywhere. Though Jayne, you watch what you say. Now Kaylee, go see to the Doc. And Miss Abigail, it's a pleasure to meet you, but who exactly are you?"
"Um. I'm Abigail." She looked at the room, at all the strangers. "I, uh..." She looked at the doorway Simon had left through as though to will him back.
"She helped Simon in the clinic." Wash said, taking the pressure off of the girl.
"You mean like a nurse?" Zoe asked.
"Yeah."
"Well then, the question becomes what do we do with her?" Mal asked.
Abigail, frightened, began backing away toward the door and backed into Simon as he and Kaylee returned.
"Sweetie," Kaylee put an arm around the girl, "it's ok. Ain't nobody going to hurt you."
"I should say not. Don't scare her, Mal." Inara pushed by Mal, giving him a look of exasperation, and went over to squat down in front of Abigail.
The girl looked at her wonderingly. "I met you. At the clinic."
"You did, and you are very brave."
"I'm not."
"Yes. You are." This from Simon.
"And," Inara continued "we'll make sure you are safe."
"We will?" Jayne asked as Zoe elbowed him in the side.
"We will." Book said.
"For now, why don't you accompany me back to my shuttle, and you can have a chance to clean up and rest." Inara took Abigail's hand, and led her away.
"Ok," Mal said, turning back to the others, "now can anybody tell me what we're supposed to do with a kid?"
Book looked thoughtful, "I believe between Inara and myself, we can find a place for the child."
"What as Companion or a Priest?" Mal scoffed.
"Most likely neither." Book answered, not rising to the bait.
"Well, as long as it gets sussed out." Mal sighed then looked around. "I think we're safe for now. We'll head back toward the core for a while; put a little space between us. Until then I think Inara's idea about getting some rest is good one."
Wash looked up at Mal from where he was still seated. "Captain, if you don't mind my asking, how did you know about the roof?"
"Yes." Simon looked at Mal. "None of us knew about it, and I can't believe Inara would have been taken there."
"It was a fellow named Frank. He came to us looking to sell Carsey out."
"Frank?" Simon's voice went hard as he pointed at Wash. "Frank is the one who did that to Wash."
Zoe stroked Wash's hair as she stood behind his chair. "We know. Told us himself, which is why as soon as he gave us the codes we needed to get through the security around the compound and a way into the building, we took his papers and dumped him for the slavers to find."
Simon, remembering the fear on Kaylee's face when Frank threatened her, and his own fear when Carsey told him to kill Wash if he didn't regain consciousness, felt a small sense of justice.
"Come on, honey," Zoe kissed the top of Wash's head, "let's get you into bed."
Wash smiled up at her. "That's something I've missed hearing."
She smiled back as she helped him to stand.
As the group left the dining area, Simon watched as Kaylee walked up to one of the railings, and stroking it fondly, rested her cheek on its cool metal. He watched as she closed her eyes and a small smile appeared on her lips. Suddenly River sprinted by Simon, grabbed Kaylee's hand, and pulled her along as they both laughed. Simon closed his eyes and took a breath, realizing for that for the first time since River had left for the Academy, he felt like he was home.