FIC: Different Eyes (Anita Blake/Firefly crossover) part 1/6
Different Eyes (Anita Blake/Firefly crossover) part 1/6
by Mhalachai
Rating: PG
Spoilers: All of Firefly, same for Anita Blake.
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own all things Firefly. Laurell K. Hamilton owns all things Anita Blake. I am but borrowing the characters for a brief time and shall return them intact at the end.
Summary: Serenity gets four new passengers and, as usual, things are not as they seem.
Author's note: An anonymous poster on my LJ asked for a drabble of Anita in the future. "What will happen if Anita gets the fourth mark and lives forever till she's killed?" I thought on it for a while, and then out of nowhere came the idea of Anita's future being the Firefly universe.
~~. Part One .~~ ~~. Part Two .~~ ~~. Part Three .~~ ~~. Part Four .~~ ~~. Part Five .~~ ~~. Part Six .~~
~~*~~
It wasn't the men that Kaylee noticed first, even though they were both looked mighty fine under the bright yellow sun of the world. It wasn't the black box they carried between them, balanced carefully as they walked through the dusty port. It also wasn't the little boy a few steps ahead of them, occasionally looking back at the shorter of the men. Kaylee knew that look; she'd used to look at her Daddy like that when she was a little girl, when Daddy knew everything and always kept her safe.
No, it was the woman, holding tight to the little boy's hand, that first caught Kaylee's eye. She was looking carefully at every ship they passed. When her eyes landed on Serenity, she stopped walking. Kaylee felt nervous, like she should be defending Serenity to this woman. But the woman looked at the ship, at the hand-painted sign next to Kaylee's perch on the ramp, asking for passengers to Gunnerole, then finally at Kaylee herself.
Kaylee put on a big smile as she twirled her parasol. It was so bright and cheery, it made her feel shiny. After what happened with Early the month before, she needed to feel shiny.
The woman turned her head and spoke quietly with her two companions. The little boy stared up at Serenity with wide eyes, and Kaylee wondered if he liked ships as much as she did when she was little.
The group talked for so long that Kaylee found her mind wandering. Would the Captain be able to find those pieces Kaylee needed for Serenity's engine? They didn't have much money left from the last job, and the Captain had been swearing up a storm over the lack of work. But even Jayne didn't bother to point out anymore that if they just dropped Simon and River somewhere, they'd have an easier time with work. It was just something that they did these days, taking it all in stride. Simon and River were a part of the crew now, and that's the way it was.
Finally, the woman broke off from the conversation, and made her way toward Serenity, the two men just a step behind her. She let go of the little boy's hand, but he trotted along at her side easily, as if he was used to how fast his momma walked.
The woman stopped a few yards away from Kaylee, one hand on her hip, the other holding the strap on a large duffle bag. "Is this your ship?" she asked.
The woman talked strange, like with an accent, but not really. "Yeah, this is Serenity," Kaylee said, smiling again. "She don't look like much, but she's fast, and she's reliable. Get you where you want to go. Are you headed in our direction?"
"Gunnerole," the woman said shortly. "Are you going anywhere near Black Canyon?"
Kaylee nodded and set down her parasol. "We're aiming to land in Waterdown, which is sort of near Black Canyon," she said cheerfully. "Are you looking for passage?"
"Yes," the woman said firmly. It sounded to Kaylee like this was a woman who was used to getting her way. "For the four of us, and our cargo." She put her duffle on the ground. "How much are you asking for passage?"
Kaylee told her. The woman narrowed her eyes at the rather large figure. She opened her mouth to speak, but one of the men, the tall one, put his hand on her shoulder. "Anita," was all he said, but it made her stop and turn. He gave her a look.
Anita turned back to Kaylee, and they began to bargain. Kaylee had intentionally set the price very high, so she'd get a fare that wasn't going to make Jayne threaten to shoot her. Even after the woman made a final offer, with half price for the boy, Kaylee was jumping with glee on the inside. She'd be able to get another converter for Serenity with that money, she knew.
Then she remembered something that made her smile fade. "All I need to do now is run it past the Captain, and we're all set," she said.
The woman looked up at her sharply. "What are you talking about?" she demanded, brown eyes flashing dangerously.
"Just that the Captain has the final say-so, it's his ship," Kaylee stammered. This Anita person was really starting to remind her of Zoe, and in that special scary way.
The man at Anita's side touched her arm again. "Then we wait," he said calmly. "Anita, maybe we should get our stuff out of the sun."
Anita let out a sharp breath, almost in a hiss, then turned and stalked back over to the box. She and the other man picked up the box and walked it toward Serenity's lowered ramp.
The tall man gave Kaylee an almost apologetic smile, and her insides started to melt. Oh, he was so handsome, sort of like the Captain, all big and strong like.
A scraping sound made Kaylee realize she'd been staring, and she quickly looked down to see the little boy trying to drag his momma's duffle bag toward the ship. He wasn't having a lot of luck.
"Want a hand with that, sport?" the tall man asked.
"No, I got it," the boy said. He tugged so hard on one of the handles that he lost his footing and ended up on his butt in the dirt.
Anita started toward the boy, but the tall man got there first. The man swung the boy back onto his feet. "How about I give you a hand with that?"
The boy look up, squinting in the sun. "Okay, Richard," he said.
Richard picked up the boy, dropped him on top of the duffle bag, then picked up the bag and swung it towards the ramp, the boy laughing with delight the whole time. It made Kaylee happy, that the boy seemed so happy. Out here on the border worlds, kids didn't often get to be so happy. Life was usually hard and brutal and short.
Going back to her place on the ramp, Kaylee picked up her parasol. After Richard put down the duffle bag by the box, he went and joined Anita, who was standing in the shade of one of Serenity's thrusters. They spoke in low voices, and Kaylee tried hard not to listen in.
The boy rolled off the duffle bag and arranged the cloth handles just so, then pulled off his jacket and put it over the bag. The shorter man looked on, amused at the kid's antics.
Then the boy marched over to Kaylee and planted his little feet firmly on the metal ramp. "How does it fly?" he asked.
"Serenity?" Kaylee asked, twirling her parasol idly. The boy nodded as the shorter man knelt by his side. Kaylee hadn't ever tried to talk about the workings of Serenity to anyone as young as this kid before, and she didn't know how much he'd know. "It's got an engine in back, and that powers the thrusters," Kaylee explained, pointing at where the boy's momma was standing.
"Oh." The boy frowned slightly as he thought about it. Up close like this, he really did look like his momma, Kaylee thought, with her black hair and pale skin. But his eyes were a brilliant purple, just like the man next to him.
The man caught Kaylee staring at him, and she smiled shyly. He smiled back, and Kaylee felt her heart go pitter-patter. It wasn't fair, to meet two such handsome men in one day.
"Ashley," the man called. Obediently, the boy turned around. "You should introduce yourself to this nice lady."
The boy nodded and held out his hand to Kaylee. "I'm Ashley," he said loudly. "Who are you?"
Kaylee took the offered hand and shook it. It was so tiny and soft, she was almost afraid she'd squeeze too hard. "I'm Kaylee," she said. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Ashley beamed at her, then whirled around and ran down the ramp toward his momma. When the boy got near enough, Richard easily swung the boy up onto his shoulders.
"I'm Nathaniel," the man in front of Kaylee said pleasantly.
"Nice to meet you," Kaylee said. "That your boy?"
Nathaniel nodded proudly, tucking a stray piece of his shoulder-length hair behind his ear. "Yes, mine and Anita's."
Another prying question was on the tip of Kaylee's tongue, but she managed to squash it back. The boy looked equally at home with Richard as with Nathaniel, even if Richard didn't look like he was kin to either Nathaniel or Anita.
Nathaniel smiled again and stood up. "Do you think your captain will have a problem taking us on board?"
"He probably won't," she said, mentally crossing her fingers. They really did need the money, and how else would Kaylee ever figure these people out? "Do you have people waiting for you at Black Canyon?"
"Yes, but they'll wait for us," Nathaniel said. He looked out at the dusty port. "It would just be nice to get off this rock. Time to head for home."
~~*~~
Jayne swore fiercely as the mule drove over yet another bump in the dirt road. Mal kept his mouth shut. He knew better than to criticize Zoe's driving. And the roads on this pile of rock really were damned horrible.
Instead, Mal thought about another job, done and over. The cash was burning a hole in his pocket, and he couldn't wait to get Serenity out of the world.
He'd radioed Wash just as they started the drive back to the port, to tell him to get Serenity ready to fly. The feed had been a bit garbled, but it sounded like Wash said something about passengers. Just what Mal didn't need.
At least the cargo was gone, so there was nothing illegal on board. Except for those two Alliance fugitives. No problem there. Right.
"Problem, sir?" Zoe asked.
"Not yet," Mal said. "Seems as if Kaylee found us some passengers off this rock."
Jayne snorted. "Like that worked out so great last time."
Mal turned his head, just a little bit, but Jayne shut his trap quickly.
The mule rounded the bend of the dirt road, and there was Serenity right in front of them. Kaylee's bright parasol was like a beacon, guiding them home.
Zoe began to slow the mule, coming to a stop in front of the ramp. Mal jumped off, then Zoe drove the mule into the hold.
Mal was already sizing up these potential passengers as he walked toward Kaylee. Three of them, two men and one woman. The woman was tiny, next to the tall man, but Mal knew people, and he saw right away what this woman was. A warrior. Deadly.
He really didn't like this.
"Captain, these here are some people who want passage to Gunnerole," Kaylee said. "This here's Anita, and Richard, and Nathaniel's over there with--"
"What's your purpose in going to Gunnerole?" Mal asked, interrupting Kaylee.
Anita crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not sure that's any of your business," she said. "We just want a flight, and we're willing to pay that ridiculous fee your crewmember asked for."
How much had Kaylee wheedled out of these folk? "I'm sure you understand, me making sure it's all clear for my crew and all." Mal glanced back at the ramp. All the luggage these people seemed to have was a smallish box, a large duffle bag and a couple of knapsacks. "What's in the box?"
"Books," the man next to Anita rumbled.
Mal's eyebrows went up. He wasn't getting a bad feeling off these folks. If he could just keep River out of their way, things would probably--
"Sir." Zoe stood at the top of the ramp. Her hands were empty, which meant she didn't see any threat, but she was looking down at the man on the ramp. As Mal looked at the man, someone peeked out from behind the man's shoulders.
Mal's first thought was, why do they have a midget? Then his brain kicked into gear. "We don't do kids," he said.
Anita glared at him. "I'm very glad to hear that," she said sarcastically. "But you're taking us to Gunnerole. All of us."
"And why is that?" Mal demanded.
"Because we're paying you good honest money," she said. "Ashley won't get in anyone's way."
Mal glanced up at Zoe. Her face was blank, but he could read her eyes. She was fine with these people being on board.
"Fine," Mal said as he walked up the ramp. Behind him, he heard Anita muttering something, but he was too far away to hear. "Zoe, tell Wash to get us in the air."
Zoe gave him a look, but went to the intercom without a word.
Kaylee stepped just inside the doors and pointed at a spot on the floor. Richard and Anita carried their box over to the spot by the wall, and Nathaniel trailed after them, carrying the duffle bag in one hand. The boy walked right behind Nathaniel. When he saw Mal looking at him, he ducked behind Nathaniel.
Mal gestured Kaylee over. She came reluctantly, a slightly disapproving look on her face. "What?"
"You didn't need to scare the kid like that," Kaylee said.
"I didn't scare him, I--" Mal stopped trying when he saw Kaylee's face. "How much are they paying?" Kaylee named a sum that made Mal let out a whistle. "For the lot of them?"
Kaylee nodded.
"Huh." The ramp started to lift, cutting off the sunshine. "Go make sure Serenity's ready to go, will you?"
"You're welcome, Captain," Kaylee said, sounding slightly annoyed as she walked off.
"What I do?" Mal asked as Zoe joined him. She had that look on her face, the one that clearly said she thought he was being an ass, but wasn't going to say it out loud.
"Wash says we're ready to go," Zoe said.
"Good. Everyone's on board?"
Zoe nodded. "Want me to take our guests to the passenger dorm?"
"Yeah, you do that. I'll be there in a few minutes." All he wanted to do was put the money away, and make sure there were no problems with his ship.
He'd deal with the passengers in a bit. One crisis at a time.
~~*~~
"... and this is the kitchen," Zoe finished as they walked through the back hallway. The group gathered around the table looked up curiously as the new passengers.
"It's a nice ship you got here," Richard said, taking in the kitchen. Anita didn't say anything. She hadn't said anything since Zoe started the tour of the ship, which Zoe found odd. It didn't tally with her first impression of the woman, when she'd been facing down the Captain like that outside.
At the table, Shepherd Book stood up. "Are these our new guests?" he asked.
"Sure thing, Shepherd. They'll be going with us to Gunnerole," Zoe said, stepping aside a bit to be able to watch the newcomers. Most people usually took poorly to the knowledge that there was a preacher on board.
These people didn't react at all. Richard took a step forward, hand out. "I'm Richard. Good to meet you."
"Likewise," Book said. He turned to the others.
"I'm Nathaniel, and this is Ashley," the other man said.
Book nodded and looked at Anita, but then the little boy piped up. "Where are your sheep?"
Looking slightly confused, Book said, "My what?"
"Your sheep," Ashley repeated. "You need sheep to be a shepherd."
Nathaniel picked the boy up. "Remember we talked about Shepherds?" he said. "They're like preachers back home."
"Oh." Ashley put his finger in his mouth and stared at Book.
Simon slid out of his chair and joined Book. "Hi," he said with a little awkward wave. "I'm Simon, the doctor."
Nathaniel gave him a nod and a smile.
Throughout it all, Zoe had been keeping an eye on Anita. She seemed preoccupied now, hardly paying attention to the introductions.
Now Inara approached the group, wearing the shiny red dress that made her almost glow. "Welcome on board Serenity," the Companion said.
The words seemed to startle Anita back from wherever she'd gone. "Sorry, what?"
"I wanted to welcome you on board," Inara said, glancing toward the far door as the Captain stomped down the hall from the bridge. He stopped on the far side of the table and put his hands on the back of an abandoned chair.
"Now that we're all here, may as well go over the rules," he said shortly. Inara pursed her lips in that move she did when she wanted to roll her eyes, and Simon coughed to cover a smile. "I'll have to ask you to stay in the passenger area while we're flying, not poking around the engine or the bridge or whatnot. You'll also need to keep that boy in line until we land."
Anita faced the Captain. "My son won't be getting in anyone's way," she snapped.
"Good."
"Now I have a few questions for you," Anita continued. Zoe saw Richard's shoulders stiffen, just a little. "Is this everyone who's on board? The ones we've met, as well as this mysterious pilot?"
Zoe hadn't seen River since they returned to the ship, but that wasn't anything new. The girl often hid herself in the tiniest corners for no apparent reason.
"No," the Captain said after a moment's hesitation.
Taking his cue from the Captain, Simon said, "There's also my sister. She's... around."
Anita and the Captain just looked at each other for a long moment, then he glanced away. "We're in for the long haul, folks. Make yourselves comfortable." With that, he headed back toward the bridge.
All Zoe wanted to do was follow him to see Wash, but her husband could wait. She wasn't ready to let these folks loose on the ship quite yet.
Book and Inara started to clean up the card game off the table. Anita took the boy out of Nathaniel's arms and walked with him to the couch at the far end of the room. She sat down and lifted her son onto her lap so he was facing her.
"Are we going to talk about the rules?" the boy asked, long suffering impatience in his voice.
"Yes, we are." Anita smoothed his hair back from his face. "I know you don't like having to behave like this all the time..." She smiled as the boy nodded. "But we're almost home. Now here's what I need you to do." The boy sat up straight. "I need you to be on your best behaviour. No sneaking off. No bothering anyone. If you want to go anywhere, you ask me or Daddy or Richard."
"But Mommy..."
"Ashley, I'm serious." Anita's voice was firm. "This is very important."
"How important?" the boy asked.
Anita looked over at Richard, then back to her son. "Do you remember how important it was for you to behave at the Castle?"
It was as if someone sent an electric charge through the room. Both Richard and Nathaniel reacted to the words. It was barely perceptible, but it was there.
Ashley nodded, strange purple eyes wide. "I remember," he said solemnly.
Anita tried to smile. "I know you do." She kissed him on the forehead and lifted him to the ground. "Why don't you go with Daddy to get your book from the bunk?"
The boy scurried across the floor to Nathaniel, who took his hand on the way down the steps. When they were gone, Richard walked over to Anita. "Was that necessary?" he asked, hands on his hips.
Anita leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes. "Yes."
The other people in the room were moving very quietly, not wanting to interrupt the brewing argument. Or, more likely, not wanting to miss a word, Zoe thought.
"Anita--"
Anita's eyes snapped open and she stood up in a fluid motion. "I'm going to go check on the books," she said, sarcasm heavy in her voice as she pushed past Richard. Second later, the sound of her boots sounded against the metal steps.
Richard stared after her, then gave Zoe an apologetic smile. "She's just... under a lot of stress."
"She's not always like this?" Zoe said. She wondered if he'd take offence at her words, but Zoe didn't not say things because it might lead to a fight.
With a shrug, Richard said, "No, she's always like this." He pushed his short hair back from his face. "Is there anything I can do to help out?"
Book finished removing the cards from the table and said, "It's my turn to make supper. If you're handy with a knife, I wouldn't mind hearing a new story."
"Sure."
Zoe stayed by the door and watched their tall guest walk across the room. He moved like he was used to wide open spaces, and was having to pull back his steps in the tiny kitchen area.
Inara paused at Zoe's side on her way to her shuttle. "What is it?" she murmured.
"Something's off," Zoe said quietly. "Part of their story's missing."
"Isn't it always?" Inara said with a smile, and continued on her way.
Zoe went back to watching. She'd have to ask Kaylee, but there was a big chunk of information missing on their new guests. Whatever their cargo was, what Anita had gone to check out, probably wasn't books. But what else could fit in a box that small?
Next chapter...
by Mhalachai
Rating: PG
Spoilers: All of Firefly, same for Anita Blake.
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own all things Firefly. Laurell K. Hamilton owns all things Anita Blake. I am but borrowing the characters for a brief time and shall return them intact at the end.
Summary: Serenity gets four new passengers and, as usual, things are not as they seem.
Author's note: An anonymous poster on my LJ asked for a drabble of Anita in the future. "What will happen if Anita gets the fourth mark and lives forever till she's killed?" I thought on it for a while, and then out of nowhere came the idea of Anita's future being the Firefly universe.
~~. Part One .~~ ~~. Part Two .~~ ~~. Part Three .~~ ~~. Part Four .~~ ~~. Part Five .~~ ~~. Part Six .~~
~~*~~
It wasn't the men that Kaylee noticed first, even though they were both looked mighty fine under the bright yellow sun of the world. It wasn't the black box they carried between them, balanced carefully as they walked through the dusty port. It also wasn't the little boy a few steps ahead of them, occasionally looking back at the shorter of the men. Kaylee knew that look; she'd used to look at her Daddy like that when she was a little girl, when Daddy knew everything and always kept her safe.
No, it was the woman, holding tight to the little boy's hand, that first caught Kaylee's eye. She was looking carefully at every ship they passed. When her eyes landed on Serenity, she stopped walking. Kaylee felt nervous, like she should be defending Serenity to this woman. But the woman looked at the ship, at the hand-painted sign next to Kaylee's perch on the ramp, asking for passengers to Gunnerole, then finally at Kaylee herself.
Kaylee put on a big smile as she twirled her parasol. It was so bright and cheery, it made her feel shiny. After what happened with Early the month before, she needed to feel shiny.
The woman turned her head and spoke quietly with her two companions. The little boy stared up at Serenity with wide eyes, and Kaylee wondered if he liked ships as much as she did when she was little.
The group talked for so long that Kaylee found her mind wandering. Would the Captain be able to find those pieces Kaylee needed for Serenity's engine? They didn't have much money left from the last job, and the Captain had been swearing up a storm over the lack of work. But even Jayne didn't bother to point out anymore that if they just dropped Simon and River somewhere, they'd have an easier time with work. It was just something that they did these days, taking it all in stride. Simon and River were a part of the crew now, and that's the way it was.
Finally, the woman broke off from the conversation, and made her way toward Serenity, the two men just a step behind her. She let go of the little boy's hand, but he trotted along at her side easily, as if he was used to how fast his momma walked.
The woman stopped a few yards away from Kaylee, one hand on her hip, the other holding the strap on a large duffle bag. "Is this your ship?" she asked.
The woman talked strange, like with an accent, but not really. "Yeah, this is Serenity," Kaylee said, smiling again. "She don't look like much, but she's fast, and she's reliable. Get you where you want to go. Are you headed in our direction?"
"Gunnerole," the woman said shortly. "Are you going anywhere near Black Canyon?"
Kaylee nodded and set down her parasol. "We're aiming to land in Waterdown, which is sort of near Black Canyon," she said cheerfully. "Are you looking for passage?"
"Yes," the woman said firmly. It sounded to Kaylee like this was a woman who was used to getting her way. "For the four of us, and our cargo." She put her duffle on the ground. "How much are you asking for passage?"
Kaylee told her. The woman narrowed her eyes at the rather large figure. She opened her mouth to speak, but one of the men, the tall one, put his hand on her shoulder. "Anita," was all he said, but it made her stop and turn. He gave her a look.
Anita turned back to Kaylee, and they began to bargain. Kaylee had intentionally set the price very high, so she'd get a fare that wasn't going to make Jayne threaten to shoot her. Even after the woman made a final offer, with half price for the boy, Kaylee was jumping with glee on the inside. She'd be able to get another converter for Serenity with that money, she knew.
Then she remembered something that made her smile fade. "All I need to do now is run it past the Captain, and we're all set," she said.
The woman looked up at her sharply. "What are you talking about?" she demanded, brown eyes flashing dangerously.
"Just that the Captain has the final say-so, it's his ship," Kaylee stammered. This Anita person was really starting to remind her of Zoe, and in that special scary way.
The man at Anita's side touched her arm again. "Then we wait," he said calmly. "Anita, maybe we should get our stuff out of the sun."
Anita let out a sharp breath, almost in a hiss, then turned and stalked back over to the box. She and the other man picked up the box and walked it toward Serenity's lowered ramp.
The tall man gave Kaylee an almost apologetic smile, and her insides started to melt. Oh, he was so handsome, sort of like the Captain, all big and strong like.
A scraping sound made Kaylee realize she'd been staring, and she quickly looked down to see the little boy trying to drag his momma's duffle bag toward the ship. He wasn't having a lot of luck.
"Want a hand with that, sport?" the tall man asked.
"No, I got it," the boy said. He tugged so hard on one of the handles that he lost his footing and ended up on his butt in the dirt.
Anita started toward the boy, but the tall man got there first. The man swung the boy back onto his feet. "How about I give you a hand with that?"
The boy look up, squinting in the sun. "Okay, Richard," he said.
Richard picked up the boy, dropped him on top of the duffle bag, then picked up the bag and swung it towards the ramp, the boy laughing with delight the whole time. It made Kaylee happy, that the boy seemed so happy. Out here on the border worlds, kids didn't often get to be so happy. Life was usually hard and brutal and short.
Going back to her place on the ramp, Kaylee picked up her parasol. After Richard put down the duffle bag by the box, he went and joined Anita, who was standing in the shade of one of Serenity's thrusters. They spoke in low voices, and Kaylee tried hard not to listen in.
The boy rolled off the duffle bag and arranged the cloth handles just so, then pulled off his jacket and put it over the bag. The shorter man looked on, amused at the kid's antics.
Then the boy marched over to Kaylee and planted his little feet firmly on the metal ramp. "How does it fly?" he asked.
"Serenity?" Kaylee asked, twirling her parasol idly. The boy nodded as the shorter man knelt by his side. Kaylee hadn't ever tried to talk about the workings of Serenity to anyone as young as this kid before, and she didn't know how much he'd know. "It's got an engine in back, and that powers the thrusters," Kaylee explained, pointing at where the boy's momma was standing.
"Oh." The boy frowned slightly as he thought about it. Up close like this, he really did look like his momma, Kaylee thought, with her black hair and pale skin. But his eyes were a brilliant purple, just like the man next to him.
The man caught Kaylee staring at him, and she smiled shyly. He smiled back, and Kaylee felt her heart go pitter-patter. It wasn't fair, to meet two such handsome men in one day.
"Ashley," the man called. Obediently, the boy turned around. "You should introduce yourself to this nice lady."
The boy nodded and held out his hand to Kaylee. "I'm Ashley," he said loudly. "Who are you?"
Kaylee took the offered hand and shook it. It was so tiny and soft, she was almost afraid she'd squeeze too hard. "I'm Kaylee," she said. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Ashley beamed at her, then whirled around and ran down the ramp toward his momma. When the boy got near enough, Richard easily swung the boy up onto his shoulders.
"I'm Nathaniel," the man in front of Kaylee said pleasantly.
"Nice to meet you," Kaylee said. "That your boy?"
Nathaniel nodded proudly, tucking a stray piece of his shoulder-length hair behind his ear. "Yes, mine and Anita's."
Another prying question was on the tip of Kaylee's tongue, but she managed to squash it back. The boy looked equally at home with Richard as with Nathaniel, even if Richard didn't look like he was kin to either Nathaniel or Anita.
Nathaniel smiled again and stood up. "Do you think your captain will have a problem taking us on board?"
"He probably won't," she said, mentally crossing her fingers. They really did need the money, and how else would Kaylee ever figure these people out? "Do you have people waiting for you at Black Canyon?"
"Yes, but they'll wait for us," Nathaniel said. He looked out at the dusty port. "It would just be nice to get off this rock. Time to head for home."
~~*~~
Jayne swore fiercely as the mule drove over yet another bump in the dirt road. Mal kept his mouth shut. He knew better than to criticize Zoe's driving. And the roads on this pile of rock really were damned horrible.
Instead, Mal thought about another job, done and over. The cash was burning a hole in his pocket, and he couldn't wait to get Serenity out of the world.
He'd radioed Wash just as they started the drive back to the port, to tell him to get Serenity ready to fly. The feed had been a bit garbled, but it sounded like Wash said something about passengers. Just what Mal didn't need.
At least the cargo was gone, so there was nothing illegal on board. Except for those two Alliance fugitives. No problem there. Right.
"Problem, sir?" Zoe asked.
"Not yet," Mal said. "Seems as if Kaylee found us some passengers off this rock."
Jayne snorted. "Like that worked out so great last time."
Mal turned his head, just a little bit, but Jayne shut his trap quickly.
The mule rounded the bend of the dirt road, and there was Serenity right in front of them. Kaylee's bright parasol was like a beacon, guiding them home.
Zoe began to slow the mule, coming to a stop in front of the ramp. Mal jumped off, then Zoe drove the mule into the hold.
Mal was already sizing up these potential passengers as he walked toward Kaylee. Three of them, two men and one woman. The woman was tiny, next to the tall man, but Mal knew people, and he saw right away what this woman was. A warrior. Deadly.
He really didn't like this.
"Captain, these here are some people who want passage to Gunnerole," Kaylee said. "This here's Anita, and Richard, and Nathaniel's over there with--"
"What's your purpose in going to Gunnerole?" Mal asked, interrupting Kaylee.
Anita crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not sure that's any of your business," she said. "We just want a flight, and we're willing to pay that ridiculous fee your crewmember asked for."
How much had Kaylee wheedled out of these folk? "I'm sure you understand, me making sure it's all clear for my crew and all." Mal glanced back at the ramp. All the luggage these people seemed to have was a smallish box, a large duffle bag and a couple of knapsacks. "What's in the box?"
"Books," the man next to Anita rumbled.
Mal's eyebrows went up. He wasn't getting a bad feeling off these folks. If he could just keep River out of their way, things would probably--
"Sir." Zoe stood at the top of the ramp. Her hands were empty, which meant she didn't see any threat, but she was looking down at the man on the ramp. As Mal looked at the man, someone peeked out from behind the man's shoulders.
Mal's first thought was, why do they have a midget? Then his brain kicked into gear. "We don't do kids," he said.
Anita glared at him. "I'm very glad to hear that," she said sarcastically. "But you're taking us to Gunnerole. All of us."
"And why is that?" Mal demanded.
"Because we're paying you good honest money," she said. "Ashley won't get in anyone's way."
Mal glanced up at Zoe. Her face was blank, but he could read her eyes. She was fine with these people being on board.
"Fine," Mal said as he walked up the ramp. Behind him, he heard Anita muttering something, but he was too far away to hear. "Zoe, tell Wash to get us in the air."
Zoe gave him a look, but went to the intercom without a word.
Kaylee stepped just inside the doors and pointed at a spot on the floor. Richard and Anita carried their box over to the spot by the wall, and Nathaniel trailed after them, carrying the duffle bag in one hand. The boy walked right behind Nathaniel. When he saw Mal looking at him, he ducked behind Nathaniel.
Mal gestured Kaylee over. She came reluctantly, a slightly disapproving look on her face. "What?"
"You didn't need to scare the kid like that," Kaylee said.
"I didn't scare him, I--" Mal stopped trying when he saw Kaylee's face. "How much are they paying?" Kaylee named a sum that made Mal let out a whistle. "For the lot of them?"
Kaylee nodded.
"Huh." The ramp started to lift, cutting off the sunshine. "Go make sure Serenity's ready to go, will you?"
"You're welcome, Captain," Kaylee said, sounding slightly annoyed as she walked off.
"What I do?" Mal asked as Zoe joined him. She had that look on her face, the one that clearly said she thought he was being an ass, but wasn't going to say it out loud.
"Wash says we're ready to go," Zoe said.
"Good. Everyone's on board?"
Zoe nodded. "Want me to take our guests to the passenger dorm?"
"Yeah, you do that. I'll be there in a few minutes." All he wanted to do was put the money away, and make sure there were no problems with his ship.
He'd deal with the passengers in a bit. One crisis at a time.
~~*~~
"... and this is the kitchen," Zoe finished as they walked through the back hallway. The group gathered around the table looked up curiously as the new passengers.
"It's a nice ship you got here," Richard said, taking in the kitchen. Anita didn't say anything. She hadn't said anything since Zoe started the tour of the ship, which Zoe found odd. It didn't tally with her first impression of the woman, when she'd been facing down the Captain like that outside.
At the table, Shepherd Book stood up. "Are these our new guests?" he asked.
"Sure thing, Shepherd. They'll be going with us to Gunnerole," Zoe said, stepping aside a bit to be able to watch the newcomers. Most people usually took poorly to the knowledge that there was a preacher on board.
These people didn't react at all. Richard took a step forward, hand out. "I'm Richard. Good to meet you."
"Likewise," Book said. He turned to the others.
"I'm Nathaniel, and this is Ashley," the other man said.
Book nodded and looked at Anita, but then the little boy piped up. "Where are your sheep?"
Looking slightly confused, Book said, "My what?"
"Your sheep," Ashley repeated. "You need sheep to be a shepherd."
Nathaniel picked the boy up. "Remember we talked about Shepherds?" he said. "They're like preachers back home."
"Oh." Ashley put his finger in his mouth and stared at Book.
Simon slid out of his chair and joined Book. "Hi," he said with a little awkward wave. "I'm Simon, the doctor."
Nathaniel gave him a nod and a smile.
Throughout it all, Zoe had been keeping an eye on Anita. She seemed preoccupied now, hardly paying attention to the introductions.
Now Inara approached the group, wearing the shiny red dress that made her almost glow. "Welcome on board Serenity," the Companion said.
The words seemed to startle Anita back from wherever she'd gone. "Sorry, what?"
"I wanted to welcome you on board," Inara said, glancing toward the far door as the Captain stomped down the hall from the bridge. He stopped on the far side of the table and put his hands on the back of an abandoned chair.
"Now that we're all here, may as well go over the rules," he said shortly. Inara pursed her lips in that move she did when she wanted to roll her eyes, and Simon coughed to cover a smile. "I'll have to ask you to stay in the passenger area while we're flying, not poking around the engine or the bridge or whatnot. You'll also need to keep that boy in line until we land."
Anita faced the Captain. "My son won't be getting in anyone's way," she snapped.
"Good."
"Now I have a few questions for you," Anita continued. Zoe saw Richard's shoulders stiffen, just a little. "Is this everyone who's on board? The ones we've met, as well as this mysterious pilot?"
Zoe hadn't seen River since they returned to the ship, but that wasn't anything new. The girl often hid herself in the tiniest corners for no apparent reason.
"No," the Captain said after a moment's hesitation.
Taking his cue from the Captain, Simon said, "There's also my sister. She's... around."
Anita and the Captain just looked at each other for a long moment, then he glanced away. "We're in for the long haul, folks. Make yourselves comfortable." With that, he headed back toward the bridge.
All Zoe wanted to do was follow him to see Wash, but her husband could wait. She wasn't ready to let these folks loose on the ship quite yet.
Book and Inara started to clean up the card game off the table. Anita took the boy out of Nathaniel's arms and walked with him to the couch at the far end of the room. She sat down and lifted her son onto her lap so he was facing her.
"Are we going to talk about the rules?" the boy asked, long suffering impatience in his voice.
"Yes, we are." Anita smoothed his hair back from his face. "I know you don't like having to behave like this all the time..." She smiled as the boy nodded. "But we're almost home. Now here's what I need you to do." The boy sat up straight. "I need you to be on your best behaviour. No sneaking off. No bothering anyone. If you want to go anywhere, you ask me or Daddy or Richard."
"But Mommy..."
"Ashley, I'm serious." Anita's voice was firm. "This is very important."
"How important?" the boy asked.
Anita looked over at Richard, then back to her son. "Do you remember how important it was for you to behave at the Castle?"
It was as if someone sent an electric charge through the room. Both Richard and Nathaniel reacted to the words. It was barely perceptible, but it was there.
Ashley nodded, strange purple eyes wide. "I remember," he said solemnly.
Anita tried to smile. "I know you do." She kissed him on the forehead and lifted him to the ground. "Why don't you go with Daddy to get your book from the bunk?"
The boy scurried across the floor to Nathaniel, who took his hand on the way down the steps. When they were gone, Richard walked over to Anita. "Was that necessary?" he asked, hands on his hips.
Anita leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes. "Yes."
The other people in the room were moving very quietly, not wanting to interrupt the brewing argument. Or, more likely, not wanting to miss a word, Zoe thought.
"Anita--"
Anita's eyes snapped open and she stood up in a fluid motion. "I'm going to go check on the books," she said, sarcasm heavy in her voice as she pushed past Richard. Second later, the sound of her boots sounded against the metal steps.
Richard stared after her, then gave Zoe an apologetic smile. "She's just... under a lot of stress."
"She's not always like this?" Zoe said. She wondered if he'd take offence at her words, but Zoe didn't not say things because it might lead to a fight.
With a shrug, Richard said, "No, she's always like this." He pushed his short hair back from his face. "Is there anything I can do to help out?"
Book finished removing the cards from the table and said, "It's my turn to make supper. If you're handy with a knife, I wouldn't mind hearing a new story."
"Sure."
Zoe stayed by the door and watched their tall guest walk across the room. He moved like he was used to wide open spaces, and was having to pull back his steps in the tiny kitchen area.
Inara paused at Zoe's side on her way to her shuttle. "What is it?" she murmured.
"Something's off," Zoe said quietly. "Part of their story's missing."
"Isn't it always?" Inara said with a smile, and continued on her way.
Zoe went back to watching. She'd have to ask Kaylee, but there was a big chunk of information missing on their new guests. Whatever their cargo was, what Anita had gone to check out, probably wasn't books. But what else could fit in a box that small?
Next chapter...