“Why are we all gonna be in there?” Mal demanded. He was glaring at the cluster of people at his back.

“Whys he gotta be there?” returned Kaylee, folding her arms. “Let’s move ‘im to the cargo bay, ‘cuz I know we all want a shot at him.”

“He can’t die,” interrupted River.

“He can hurt, can’t he?” growled Kaylee, tapping her foot impatiently.

“We get to torture ‘im?” Jayne asked enthusiastically.

“I vote for the cargo bay,” Kaylee said.

“Since when is my boat a democracy?”

“Can we just get to the torturin’?”

“Gosh, Captain Tightpants, what’s wrong with a democracy?”

“Everybody shut the hell up!” River finally yelled over the rising clamor. “What is wrong with you? We have a violent psychotic in that room, and you’re bickering with EACH OTHER!!”

For a moment, everyone looked ashamed, and then River started yelling again.

“Just put him in the cargo bay! We just need his information!”

*~*

Jubal Early looked calm for someone facing the entire crew of Serenity….Sans a few.

River and Jayne were glowering at him from above, and Kaylee and Simon were lurking in the shadows with Zoe. Mal was standing in front of Early imposingly, an angry look on his face.

“Honestly, Malcolm, what did you think I wanted?” he asked. “The girl’s blood on my hands.”

“Liar, liar,” said River in a singsong voice. “Tell the truth.”

“You can’t die. Somethin’ all manner of unnatural ‘bout that,” Mal said. “I think we deserve an explanation before we find a way to kill you.”

“What happened to that man with you, the one claiming he was a Sheppard?” Jubal asked.

“Dead a while now. Operative killed him,” Mal said shortly.

“And he was a Sheppard,” added Kaylee coldly.

“Nobody’s born into that life,” said Early.

“So I’ve heard. How did you know him?” asked Mal.

“Like I would tell you,” Early laughed.

“Couldn’t drag it from him with wild horses. I know the truth. Couldn’t regenerate lost body parts,” River called down.

“Is she sayin’ what I think she’s sayin’?” asked Mal s