Inferno – Chapter Seven

I do not own Firefly, and no copyright infringement is intended. I write only for the pleasure of doing so.

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River guided the shuttle expertly over the terrain, following Ethan Frye’s directions. Jayne sat beside her, eyes scanning the country side constantly. There was real danger here, he knew, and it didn’t please him that River was a part of it.

“It pleases me that I am with you,” River said quietly, and he shot her a mock glare.

“That’s cheatin’,” he admonished with a grin, and she raised a delicate eyebrow at that.

“Not at all,” she informed him airily. “We are now married. All’s fair.” Jayne laughed at that, turning his attention back out the window.

“You guys are married?” Ethan asked, surreptitiously eyeing River from the corner of his eye.

“Seven whole days,” River nodded, trying not to grin at Ethan’s adolescent attention.

“Seven days?” Ethan was astonished. “And this is your honeymoon?”

“More or less,” Jayne nodded, resisting the urge to glare at the boy. He couldn’t blame him. River was beautiful. She looked at him for an instant at that thought, and smiled.

“You guys came here the day after your wedding? To help us?”

“Yep,” Jayne nodded, looking again out the window. “You’re Kaylee’s family. We look after our own.” The simple statement made Ethan stop and think.

“I’m glad you feel that way, sir,” Ethan said finally, his voice betraying his emotion. “We was in a right bad fix.”

“We wouldn’t leave Kaylee’s family in a bind,” River assured him. “Captain Reynolds had us on our way here two hours after he heard the news.”

“Sounds like a good man to work for,” Ethan observed. Jayne stiffened a little at that, and River hid a smile.

Things might work out yet, she decided.

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“I need to check everyone over for injuries,” Simon told Caleb quietly. “If there are any obvious or known injuries, I’d prefer to start with them.”

“Marylou’s little boy may have a broken arm,” Caleb pointed to a boy of about six. “Fell down the steps