Angelle is mine, but all the rest is Whedon's.

-------------------------------------------

Surprise....as defined by the latest dictionary, a coming upon unexpected or catching one unaware....to catch one with their pants down is another good one, though not sure that is in the local dictionary anywhere. For me, the news of my father made my heart beat and stop all at the same time. Sometimes, surprises were not a good thing.

"He's been what?" I spoke, but hardly heard myself. My arms were stiff at my side as Lou Lou clung to me, her tears smearing my shoulder with her black mascara. Jayne put a hand on my shoulder for only a second, completely out of character of the big bad merc. If I hadn't been still trying to pick my brain from the top of Serenity's catwalk, I probably would have uttered a voiceless thank you.

"Honey, he's stable. Needles was able to remove the bullet and it seemed to have only grazed a lung. You know your daddy is a strong sumabitch and ain't gonna let some little Alliance bullet..." Lou calmed down enough to speak, but at the word Alliance, I stopped her.

"Alliance?" It was spit more than spoke and I looked at her, my daddy's eye reflecting back.

"Scout that the gators didn't kill. Said that your daddy tried to pull him from the swamp and he shot him. Ain't like it doesn't happen, Angelle. Bayou folk got more odds and ends of lead in them than blood."

"Doesn't matter." I shook my head and walked away from her heading for the ramp out to the fresh air. "Did they at least kill the pbelly who did it?"

"Gunner said your daddy insisted they save him. Show the Alliance the Bayou's hospitality. You know how your daddy is." She almost laughed, almost and as I saw just the boots of Mal coming down the stairs I shook my head heading down.

"Ya, well, I plan on rectifying that mistake." I muttered and Lou gasped behind me. The last thing I heard from Serenity before the wind and crowd's noise made it impossible was Mal's voice.

"What happened?" He had stated and al