Mal Reynolds had only let his anger get the best of him one time in his life. Well that’s a boldfaced lie, he thought. He could remember several times. He remembered this one time though, and it sickened him. Nor is he ever likely to forget it.

* * *

“They’re not coming.”

At first he thought he heard her wrong.

“We’re to lay down arms.”

He slowly stood up, thinking it was the Angels coming down to help ‘em, but, it wasn’t. The Alliance ships were wreaking havoc on Serenity Valley as he stood and watched the destruction happen before his eyes. He didn’t know how long he had stood there, just gazing as the missiles tore from the ships and landed with a supersonic boom on the planet. He tore his gaze away to look at Zoe who was equally shocked. She looked at him, seeing the light of the bombs flicker in his eyes, and they both looked down at Bendis lying in a heap on the floor.

“I…I just told him…” Mal managed to stutter out. He just told Bendis that they were too pretty for God to let them die. But, Bendis was dead, so where did that leave them?

“Sir?”

He didn’t hear her at first, still gazing at his soldiers dying out there.

“SIR?”

He swiveled around and looked at her, eyes wide open, and she saw the anger finally seeking in.

“Sir, are we to lay down arms?”

He grit his teeth so hard they started to ache. He knew what he was going to do, but he did not want Zoe mixed up in it.

“You are. I’m going to help the rest of the soldiers.”

“Then I’m going with you.”

“No you’re not Zoe. You are to stay here and do what Command ordered.”

“Like hell I will!”

“That is an ORDER Zoe!”

“What are you gonna do if I disobey it, sir? Kill me?”

He got in her face, the only time he wasn’t scared of her was when he was pullin’ rank on her, which he only did once before. For which he got a shiner under his right eye. “This is my fight Zoe, not yours. You can still live a full and happy life. But I’ve got nothing left. My family’s gone, an