Disclaimer: Joss, Fox, Universal Own em’. (Except for Maxine and the rest of my OC's. they're mine) I’m just playing. No money being made.

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Continuing on the storyline I started with “New Blood” Read that first so you will know who is who and what has happened in the 'Verse.

Warning: This storyline includes 'gasp' fem slash. It won't be graphic but I know some are offended by any depiction of homosexuality. If you don't like this kind of thing... stop reading right now.

AN: Just some fluff before the action starts.

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Guardians

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Chapter Two

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“What's our ETA, Ni-zi?” Mal asked as he entered the bridge.

“Be on Whitefall in eighteen hours, Cap'n,” Xue smiled.

Mal matched the teenagers smile, “You're startin to look mighty comfortable in that seat.”

“Serenity talks to me,” Xue replied.

“Talks to you?” Mal asked as he settled into the co-pilots chair.

“It's like... I become... part of the ship when I fly. I just get into this place in my head and I can almost see gravity and force vectors. How to surf the ship on the energy of the 'Verse... it's... hard to explain,” Xue sighed.

“Kaylee says she can hear Serenity's engine when she's hurtin. I reckon that sense you got o' the 'verse is why the Academy was after you. I'm thinkin you got that ability from your Ba-ba. Wash could do things with Serenity that she shouldn't have been able to do.”

“I wish I could have known him,” Xue said sadly.

“I wish you could have too, Xue...” Mal trailed off.

“Even though she's with Max, I can still tell Mom misses him when she talks about him.”

Mal stood and stepped to the teen's side, squeezing her shoulder, “We all do, little one... we all do.”

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Bobbie Williams was still adjusting to civilian life. She'd been 'Gunny' for five years and 'Sargent' for many years before that. She hadn't been simply 'Bobbie' since before she joined the Marines. She had fought and bled for a government that killed it's own people as a science experiment. Her patrio