Title: Hell Raising

Rating: PG-13 for mild torture and violence

Pairings: heavy on the M/I, by the nature of the 'verse, references to S/K, Z/W, Jayne/Vera

Setting: 18ish years post-BDM

Summary: “I just wish you would’ve killed the old bastard.” – Inara, War Stories. Eighteen years later, so does Mal. Set in the same 'verse as Pirate Children, but three years later.

Author's Note: Thanks for the great response! Here's the second and final part of this little story. There will be more in the 'verse, so stay tuned.

Part 2

Mal slowly makes his way back to their shuttle, relieving Lolly and a fairly calm Kaylee from their duties and sending them to bed with the bare outlines of the plan. That’s all he has so far. The crew is going to meet in eight hours for further discussion.

Inara’s still asleep, so Mal removes his boots quietly, tucking them aside so no one will trip, and climbs gently in beside her. Nausea settles heavily in his stomach, tears stinging his eyes again. He puts an arm around his wife, burying his face in her hair, trying hard not to think about how similar it is to little Mei-Mei’s.

He half-sleeps, dreaming of his children’s bodies, and wakes instantly when Inara stirs beside him three hours later.

“Mal?” she questions, shifting onto her back.

He meets her eyes in response, and they immediately fill with fear at the hollow look she finds.

“Mal, tell me it was dream…”

“Ain’t much for lyin’ to ya, darlin’,” he says as gently as possible, one hand tucking a curl behind her ear.

She feels nauseous, a kind of fear she’s never experienced before, worse than the multiple times she’s seen Mal’s life in the balance. At least then, she’d seen it.

“We know where they are; we’re headed there now. Gonna mount a rescue, kill the hun dan, and get them back to you. But you’re stayin’ on the ship, dong ma? Can help Lolly and Kacey with the defendin’, but I don’t want you near that place. You ain’t gonna like where we find them, how we find them. I ain’t gonna like it, neither, bu