Serenity 2: Back on the Path 6

******** A River Weighs Through It ********

-The scene; A group meeting inside Serenity's galley-

An hour...actually over an hour, and Malcolm Reynolds was seemingly getting less than positive responses from his crew about doing the deal with the ex-Alliance Operative (aka-Otter). Also, the gap seemed to be getting wider...

"Ok, so you guys tell me what we should do? We've been "on the lam" for some time now. No money, No prospects, other than this one, and soon...no fuel. I'm sorry but sitting on a street corner selling pencils from a cup is not what I see myself doing to get coin," he paused, "so I'll take suggestions. If not this, what's our next move?"

There, he had laid it out for his crew. It was in the hope that it would bring at least someone to his side.

"Not this," Jayne said, arms folder across his chest. "Mal, don't you remember that this guy tried to blow us out of the sky. He took out Mr. Universe and two of our crew. You gonna side-step that and just let bygones be bygones?"

There, another negative response.

"Jayne, you were there with me when we met with Otter in the warehouse. If he had wanted trouble don't you think that would have been the prime time for it? Why try to recruit us for a mission if his only goal is to kill us? Does that make sense?"

"Well..."

"I'm with Jayne on this one sir," Zoe voiced her opinion. "Yes, he seemed sincere and, to have cut his ties and become a pirate? That sounds a little crazy and is somewhat questionable. After all, we wouldn't know if his plans are to actually kill us, or just sell us to the other side? Might be his way of into getting back into good graces."

A second negative answer, Mal looked over at his engine room mechanic.

"Kaylee...?"

"Well Cap, I don't know if I agree totally with Jayne..."

The big man frowned...

"...but I do think we should be more cautious. Why we gotta base it all on one meeting? Can't we have one or two more...you know, sit back and watch him a spell? See if he changes his story."

Mal didn't take that as a no. But it wasn't a yes either.

"Kaylee, IT is about time. Time is something we don't have. He might have luxury of moving things a little slower but we don't. Our stores are down. Our auxiliary batteries need to be replaced. That cost money. You don't want to us lose our "gravity grappler" do ya (the system which creates artificial gravity while Serenity was in space)? You'd be floating around the engine room trying to collect all your wrenches."

Kaylee didn't have an answer for that.

"Mal, I realized that there's a time element," Inara spoke up, "but moving too quickly may have us all floating...out in space. Remember Jubal Early? Yes we all want to work. Yes we all want to eat, but not at the cost of taking a big risk. Maybe I can boost my base list a little more. Take on a few more clients. You can raise my rent and I'll be happy to use some of my retiral funds. We can keep Serenity afloat and not have to be so dependent on finding a job right now. Maybe give us a chance to watch and see who this guy really is. After all, I did deal with him longer than you, or anyone,...while at the Guild House."

Malcolm Reynolds, a man among men, a Captain's Captain...Call it backwards thinking, Neanderthal mindset, or whatever you will. He was totally against this.

First of all, he didn't like the idea of Inara being a Companion. After she'd been aboard ship a while, he had changed his mind about her, but not her craft.

(Raised on a planet in the old-ways where tradition didn't just sink into the cow manure, Malcolm Reynolds had his own opinions. And besides, his feelings for this woman went well deeper that any of them knew, or actually what he would confess to himself)

Then there was the other thing. Having Inara use her assets to bail him out? Well that was entirely against what he felt that a man should do (yes he was a male chauvinist, but in an honorable, chivalrous kind of way...opinionally speaking).

Inara, knowing men the way she did, knew this about the Captain, and his stubbornness. However, she loved him anyway.

Mal had always tried to keep her business separate from his own. She knew that, and their arguing (difference of opinions, let's just say), well, they aired their nastiest quips for each other in private. They did seem like a real married couple, in some ways, only without the bedroom part (for now).

"Inara, I will not have you spending you gains to fund my...my, questionable business dealings. That could cost you your license."

(He was full of shit, everyone knew, but they wouldn't refute him, not to his face? He looked over at his second)

"Zoe, would you have her do that? Spend all of her money to nursemaid us?"

The woman warrior was caught off-guard. And of course, the way he had phrased the question left only one way to respond...it was a smart move.

"No...no sir I wouldn't have Inara do that."

Mal looked at his big mercenary.

"Jayne?"

"Well, I..."

"Never mind...Kaylee?"

"Cap, why you gotta drag me into this?"

"Well, because you're part of the crew, and we're sharing a crew moment."

Kaylee paused, and then she looked over at Simon.

"Doc...?"

Simon opened his mouth. However, before he could vent his opinion...

"What about me?" Everyone stopped. "What about what I think? I'm part of the crew too, aren't I?"

They all turned to the little girl who'd spoken those words.

River Tam, the gifted clairvoyant, Simon's younger sister had stolen her brother's fire, even before he'd had a chance to offer his opposition.

"...Seems that this job includes me. You said so yourself Captain that Otter requested me by name."

"River it's a bit dangerous...," Simon finally got the words out.

She looked at him.

"...Said the older sibling who watched his sister eliminate fifty Reavers."

It was like a cold slap in the face. Simon shut up immediately.

"It could be that I'm the major player in this game," River continued. "He wants to use my talents more than anyone's. I'm OK with it. I'm with the Captain on this. If we don't keep Serenity flying, who knows where we'll end up? Better to find out where we're going now instead of shrinking and rotting off the vine...later. I'm in."

There was a long pause. Everyone had been stunned. Even Mal hadn't anticipated that the smallest member of his crew would have the biggest set of Qiu. Jayne might have to get on the cortex and look into getting a bottle of one them Male Supplements. She was right. River likely had the most to lose in all of this.

Ever since the day her brother carried her onto Mal's ship, she had lived in fear. And although it had eased a bit, the blue-hand creepers were still out there. She was not running, not anymore. She was home. Serenity was her home. And she loved it dearly.

End Part 6