Picking right up where Part 1 left off.

All Firefly characters are the property of someone else. All original characters are copyrighted by yours truly. This is not in any way, means or intention meant to infringe on anybody.

MIGHTY BIG THANK YOU goes to Defender for another killer beta.

MIGHTY BIG APOLOGY goes to anyone who can read and speak French. An online translation program was liberally used. Any and all helpful suggestions/heckling would be cheerfully accepted.

Chinese Glossary:

Shulian - skillful

wangu - stubborn

All other use is stock language and/or swearing.

Feedback? Oh yes - the more, the better.

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Heartbroken - Part 2

Mal reacted instinctively. As the blade came from his right, he grabbed the arm by the wrist, twisted and swung his body completely underneath it, then plowed his attacker headfirst directly into the bulkhead.

Jian groaned in pain and Mal tightened his grip. "Well now. Fine development this is."

Having his face mashed into the bulkhead made it difficult for Jian to speak. "Lemme go," he managed to mumble.

Mal smiled, feeling more than a little smug. "I figured there was something amiss with you. Didn't figure it was a murderous inclination."

"I said, let me go." Jian struggled, but to no avail. "I wasn't going to hurt you."

"No?" Mal bent down to pick up a small knife and admired the dual-sided inlay design on the hilt of the four-inch safety blade; polished wood on one side, and some kind of black and green stone mosaic on the other. "Well, alright. I would have to say this here sure ain't no respectable assassin's weapon. More like costume jewelry. Downright embarassing to my mind--hey now!" When Jian tried to struggle, Mal shoved him into the bulkhead again. "No squirmin'."

Jian had managed to squirm himself into position to send a steely glare over his shoulder. "Look, I think you and I both know wh