TITLE: "ROUGH JUSTICE"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

PAIRING: No specific pairing.

RATING: G.

STATUS: New. SEQUEL to "RED HANDED"

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed.

EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com

WEBSITE: http://carlajane.50megs.com/Ali00.html

SUMMARY: "Book realises he has made a great mistake

and tries to put it right. Jayne begins to piece the puzzle

together. Meanwhile the town prepare a necktie party."

The usual disclaimers apply. The characters and 'Firefly'

are the property and gift of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.

No infringement of copyright is intended.

"ROUGH JUSTICE"

A "Firefly" story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

Zoe stared hard at the Preacher. "What are you talkin' about?"

Shepherd Book had a sick look on his face. "This is my fault."

"Your fault?" Echoed Wash, not understanding.

Kaylee could not stop crying. The cargo bay seemed to echo as if empty despite the fact that they were standing in it. Jayne still had not spoken. He was standing by the open bay door, staring off into the distance with a look that said he was not seeing a gorram thing. He looked to be in shock. Hell. They all were.

"Preacher," Said Zoe stepping up close and personal, her eyes cold and hard, calm as the eye of a hurricane. "Best you explain that comment."

He looked a mite uncomfortable but mostly sad. "When the Sheriff and his men came I was still up. Had just finished a last work out and was fixing to call it a night. I went to see who it was and we had a conversation."

Zoe's eyebrows rose. She had not known he had already spoken to them. He looked a little unsettled when she made no comment, her jaws a steel trap to keep stray words from leaking out until he had finished.

"He told me what had happened. The way things were described I realised he was talking about the Captain and Yen Mah. What with the Captain losing his memory and being