TITLE: "ONE STEP FORWARD"

SERIES: THE DEVL'S CRADLE

CHAPTER: 61. Sequel to "BIG DAMN RESCUE"

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

PAIRING: Zoe/Wash Kaylee/Simon Mal/Inara

RATING: PG-13

SUMMARY: "Escaping from Aneron is not the only

thing the Captain has to worry about."

"ONE STEP FORWARD"

A "Firefly" story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

"Not leavin' you behind, sir."

"Not askin', Zoe. 'Sides, sooner Monty takes off the sooner he can drop everyone off on Serenity an' come back for me an' the others."

"*Bushi*. If the mountain won't come to Mohammed..."

The Captain turned at the girl's voice and stared at River Tam. "Whabba what?"

River smiled. "Sacrifice would be in vain."

If that wasn't all manner of confusing the Captain didn't know what was. Just then Monty's booming voice made everyone pause. The fact that the behemoth was grinning from ear to ear was even more unsettling. "*Fang xin*, gonna get everyone off this rock, Mal."

The Captain exchanged a quick look with Zoe but she didn't know what Monty was on about either. "How you gonna do that?"

Monty stroked his whiskers with one big hand, eyes twinkling like newly lit stars. "Had a wave."

Mal's heart missed a beat. "More gorram Alliance?"

The big man laughed. "*Bu qu*, it's Serenity. Seems they got her fixed up an' she's comin' to help."

The Captain looked as if he could hardly believe his ears. How in the nine hells did his boat, with her engine shot to gorram pieces, get fixed? Was this a wind up? But no, he could see from Monty's face that despite the grin he was actually serious. River sat down next to the Captain.

"If you can't believe your ears lo