Archangel – Chapter Twenty-Two

Author owns no rights to Firefly, and no copyright infringement is intended. Fanfic only.

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Kaylee hadn’t quite gotten back to sleep when she heard someone pounding on the hatch to Jayne’s bunk. Again. Muttering she slipped from the warm bed, and pulled on one of Jayne’s t-shirts. She’d taken the time, while he was in the infirmary, to wash his clothes, and clean his bunk. She’d been surprised how neat and orderly his bunk had been, but in hindsight she shouldn’t have been. Jayne rarely left anything undone, for all his complaining.

Opening the hatch, she was surprised to see Zoe standing there.

“Zoe?”

“Need you on the bridge, mei mei,” Zoe said softly. The woman was still limping to get around, and held her right arm to her side stiffly. But she was stubborn.

“What’s wrong?” Kaylee asked, looking for the dress she’d worn to the party.

“Wahng bao dahn Operative is on the wave, and Jayne’s like to erupt over it,” Zoe told her. “Maybe you can help.” Kaylee abandoned her search for the dress, and pulled on a pair of Jayne’s sweat pants. They were ridiculously large on her, but she pulled the drawstring tight, and tied it. Then she was up the ladder, and out the hatch, following Zoe to the bridge.

“. . . .blindly following the Alliance,” she heard the Operative’s voice. Jayne was almost shaking in fury. Kaylee walked to his side, and laid a gentle hand on his arm. Jayne’s head snapped around, and his fury instantly burned away.

“Easy, ai ren,” she said softly, then hugged his arm to her. He nodded, and turned back to the screen.

“Your father?” Mal almost screeched. The Operative nodded, and Kaylee bit back a gasp. Zoe didn’t bother, snarling a string of Chinese curses under her breath.

“You killed your own father, and ‘spect us to help you?” Mal was incredulous.

“As I said, Captain, I wasn’t aware he was on the planet. If I had been, I would have certainly. . . .”

“You knew he was our friend, though, didn’t you?” Mal demanded. “And s