Chapter Five

"So any ideas on what we're suppose to do? I mean besides stand here looking all ..."

"Lost?" Cat suggested as Declan shook his head.

"Was gonna say unwanted, but lost works well." Looking down at his clothes, he smiled. "Just realized I left my things back on Hera ... future Hera ..." He sighed. "Where ever the good gorram it was that we just came from. By the way, why ain't I gone? I mean this is obviously a time before I was born and ..."

"Never are going be here." She climbed into the mule, shifting the rifles and odd weapons around so she could get to her clothes. "And you can probably bum something from Hank or maybe even Simon. Mal ... when he's in a good enough mood."

"Hank and Simon I can live with. Not sure I want to be wearing Reynolds' clothes."

"Respect him," Cat warned. "Won't ask you to like him, but you want to stay here, you will respect Malcolm Reynolds. Your daddy always did."

"His daddy always did what?" Mal spoke as he dropped down from the steps to the common area, Cat looking at Declan with the order of keep quiet oozing from her eyes. She hoped the boy was a bit smarter than his father.

"Thanks ... for letting us stay," Declan managed before deciding whether to go on and brave Cat's wrath or just let her deal with it.

"Am I?" Mal asked in turn.

"Uh ... you're not?"

"Yeah, well, maybe I am."

"Then ... thanks." Declan headed towards the back end of their mule, mumbling something about hot tempered women and the trouble they could get a man into.

Mal looked at Cat. "Still, it ain't my choice, but the land back there's pretty much burned to nothing. And there are still places we got to go. Badger I'm thinking might know what to do with you. Leave you off at Persephone. Better that way." He cast a glance at her, but didn't hold a stare.

Cat could smell the fresh stitches to his bullet wound, relief escaping from her in the form of a sigh. At least, Freya seemed to take care of him well enough.

"But, ain't it a