TITLE: "FRIENDS IN NEED"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

PAIRING: No specific pairing.

RATING: PG-13.

STATUS: SEQUEL to "BURDENS"

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed.

EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com

WEBSITE: http://carlajane.50megs.com/Ali00.html

SUMMARY: "River amends her plan. Mal convinces Rafe to

fight for what was lost. Then Inara lands on Glory."

The usual disclaimers apply. The characters and 'Firefly'

are the property and gift of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.

No infringement of copyright is intended.

"FRIENDS IN NEED"

A "Firefly" story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

The sobbing cut through Simon Tam like butter through a knife. Bad enough to be trapped in this stinking hell-hole without being tormented by the sounds of the innocent crying for help that never came. It made him feel all manner of guilty, hiding away in the ceiling space like some common criminal trying to outrun the law. Only he was no criminal, just another victim in a 'verse adept at churning them out. Where were the Big Damn Heroes when you needed them? Not on this mining platform that was for sure. He had paused in his tracks and was now holding everyone up. River had insisted they keep phyiscal contact with the person just in front. It was a slow laborious way to move but kept them all together and made sure no one went the wrong way. Simon would have thought the sounds of so many people moving around and breathing heavily might have been a clue but who was he to talk?

River touched his face gently to draw his attention. He could just make out her features in the dim light. "Can't stop now, *ge ge*."

"But those people..."

She shook her head sadly, face filled with compassion but with an odd kind of strength. "No time. Later."

"What if later is too late, River? What if those people die and we could have saved them?"

It took her a moment to respond, aw