Disclaimer: Characters do not belong to me; they are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and Fox.

Feedback is always welcome.

Takes place shortly after the series ended and about a month after the events in Delta Rain. Beware, Tori's evil plot bunnies are infiltrating at alarming rates! I took some liberties on how the Blue Hands rods work in this chapter, hope it's not to jarring...I am working with the assumption that they have different settings, one for when they want to clear a whole room and one for when they have a specific target in mind. The other seeming inconsistency becomes a little clearer later, I hope.

Thank you Miss Evil Giggly Laugh (aka Cassie E) for the beta.

Chinese translations: Go se: Crap; Ai ya: Damn; Hwoon dahn: Son of a bitch; Chusheng xai-jiao de xiang huo: animal fucking bastard

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"My apologies, Captain," he said, his voice utterly void of human emotion. "It appears Mr. Wing has had to bow out of your negotiations."

River watched as a second figure moved into view behind the other. She felt the fear threatening to overwhelm her as she pulled Jayne's blanket tighter around her, his warm scent enveloping her like a shield. Dimly aware that everyone but Mal and herself had stepped back out of view. She wished she could escape those piercing eyes so easily. They pecked at her flesh, stripping, peeling, rending...

"Two by two, hands of blue...two by two, hands of blue..."

"I see Ms. Tam is still with you." A ghost of a smile settled on his lips, "Perhaps we can help each other out. We have no interest in you or your crew Captain, just in the safe return of Ms. Tam."

She felt the Captain's gaze on her; his irritation that she had not stayed out of sight. All sharp little pin pricks jabbing into her; not like Jayne's irritation, which was more like sandpaper rubbing against her. Her soul cried out for him, but he did not answer