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Author's Note: birthday fic for celli!

The Rescue
by Tara LJC O'Shea

"Where is he?" Jayne growled as he stomped through the hatchway from the passenger dorm. He was still moving stiffly, and wore a make-shift brace over one knee.

"Gorram sumbitch's gonna wish he never set foot on this boat after I'm done with him." The big mercenary was practically breathing fire as he ripped open the hidey in the cargo bay and reached inside, groping with one arm blindly in the dark.

Kaylee stood in the pit, her head and shoulders the only thing visible with one half of the double doors in the cargo bay floor open. She'd done a quick and dirty job of repairing the DC line after the Reavers had attached a jury-rigged booby-trap half a year back, and with the engines purring like kittens, she was finally getting to the bottom half of her massive to-do list.

"Where's who?" she asked as she pulled off her goggles and powered down the torch she was using to weld a new plate into place above the DC line.

"The ruttin' doctor."

"I ain't seen him since breakfast. What's got you so riled up?"

"He—he—look what he did to Vera!"

He held out the Callahan he'd had as long as she'd known him, eyes practically welling with tears.

Kaylee inspected the gun with a critical eye. "It's only the one pin."

"Kaylee, it's the firing pin!" Jayne exploded.

"Well, would you rather have the titanium in your gun, or in your knee?"

"She's my very favourite gun! I'd cut off my own damn leg