Title: On the Run...Again
Fandom: Firefly/Serenity
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Mal mostly, but the rest of the crew cameos.
Rating: PG13/T
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Warnings: None really - set after the BDM
Disclaimer: I own nothing!! DVD's only!
Word Count: 1007
Summary: How does he get into these things?!?


“Ta ma de! How the hell did we get into this?” Mal demanded.

Nobody bothered to answer him. Zoe concentrated on driving as River and Jayne both focused on shooting as many of their pursuers as they could. Inara simply tried to hold on from her spot, crouched down between them, closing her eyes and muttering prayers under her breath. Mal stood in the vehicle, holding onto the side with one hand as he fired with the other.

“Zoe, you need to find a way to go left! Closest place I can land the ship is just beyond the canyon!”

As Simon’s voice echoed over the comm unit, the captain started muttering again.

“And havin’ to let the doc do the pilotin’? What was I thinkin’?”

River glanced at him as she reloaded her weapon.

“Butterfly had to work in the wasp’s nest,” she offered.

“Crazy’s back,” announced Jayne, only to jerk away as Mal swatted at him.

“Crazy or not, she’s shootin’ more than you are – bizui. And, Albatross, you keep firin’ and don’t go lecturin’ me. I know why we’re here.”

“Then why did you ask?” questioned River as she turned back to take out two men who had gotten close on hover bikes.

“Never mind! Just shoot!”

Inara gave him an exasperated look.

“Mal quit being a hwoon dan! So, Simon is piloting the ship! Who else was going to do it? Kaylee? She hates doing the flying, and she is babying the engine right now. Zoe and Jayne had to buy the supplies, and I needed bodyguards. That means four fighters going into the city…neither Kaylee nor Simon qualify.”

“Captain, sir, do you think you could quit complainin’ for a minute and shoot the guy who’s about to cut us off?” Zoe’s calm voice broke in before Mal could retort at the Companion.

He swung his arm around, firing off two shots and dropping the newcomer. Zoe nodded and then glanced over her shoulder.

“River, mei mei, I need some distance.”

The dark haired girl nodded and put her gun down. Reaching across the vehicle, she snatched three of Jayne’s grenades.

“Hey!”

“Bizui!” Mal commanded before the mercenary could even start. Jayne pulled back, pouting and grumbling about the crazy girl getting to have all the fun. River smirked at him and then started launching the grenades.

As the three exploded, they caused the lead vehicles to careen and crash, delaying the others. Zoe took advantage of the momentary lull to aim for the canyon on their left. As they barreled through it, Mal ordered Jayne to keep watch behind them while he and River watched the canyon rim. They flew out of the opposite end without trouble, but that did not last long.

As they came around the final turn, a small hovercraft came out of the brush on the right and the men in it started firing. Mal grunted as two bullets struck him in the thigh. River and Jayne, for once in perfect harmony, shifted and fired, each taking out a man. The captain slid into his seat next to Zoe, grimacing as she maneuvered the vehicle around, looking for the ship.

Serenity came into sight just as the gunfire started back up again. Zoe dodged and maneuvered to line up with the ramp. The ship held steady, and she managed to run right up into the loading dock. As the vehicle came to a stop against the far wall, Kaylee slapped the control, closing the hatch.

River dashed off as Zoe and Jayne helped Mal to sit on the steps in the cargo bay. A few minutes later, Simon barreled into the room, kit in hand. The captain frowned at him, and Simon’s lips twitched.

“River’s flying. She told me to come ‘fix the hwoon dan before he does anymore damage’. I take it that’s you today, Captain?”

“Smartass xiao mei. Albatross is getting’ snippy in her talkin’. It’s just a couple of minor…Yow!”

Mal hollered as Simon probed one of the bullet wounds. The doctor gave him a half-smile.

“Minor wounds or not, why don’t I have a look in the infirmary? River can get us somewhere safe while Kaylee works on the engine.”

“Yeah, yeah,” muttered Mal. “Let’s just get goin’.”

With Jayne’s help, they moved the captain up to the infirmary. Before he had a chance to give any orders, Simon jabbed him with a needle.

“Tzao gao! What was that for?” Mal demanded.

“Just to help get you ready,” answered Simon, never turning from putting his instruments in order. “It’ll make you relax.”

“Relax, my…” Mal began, only to drop off almost immediately.

Zoe snorted.

“Help him, Doc?” she asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

“In no way did I say it would help him. I just said it would help get him ready.”

“In other words, it was helping you,” she chuckled.

“It was either give him a jab or listen to the moaning as I stitched him up,” shrugged Simon. “I went with the least painful for both parties.”

“All right, Doc, you do your work and I’ll go help River.” She started for the door, shouting as she went. “Jayne! Get down there and help Kaylee fix the engine.”

From the distance, Simon could hear the mercenary’s muffled response. Given Zoe’s retort, he assumed it had been less than appropriate. Staring down at the man he had willingly chose to follow, he shook his head.

“I always thought River and I had a wonderful family, right up until our parents ignored her for the sake of their status. Living on this ship with this rather shisandian crew who’ve done more for us than our parents ever did? This is a better family than anything we had back then. They’d never have had the chance to hurt River if you all had been there.”

As he worked to heal his captain, Simon smiled and wondered what Mal would think if he ever told the captain that he made a really good big brother.


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