TITLE: "TWIXT HEAVEN AND HELL"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

PAIRING: No specific pairing.

RATING: PG-13.

STATUS: New. SEQUEL to "HELPING HANDS"

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed.

EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com

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

SUMMARY: "Briny and Ricky take what is on offer. Captain

Reynolds begins to remember but not enough to keep him

from needing to face his pain and sorrow head-on."

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.

"TWIXT HEAVEN AND HELL"

A "Firefly" story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

"It wasn't our fault." He whined.

"It's never your fault." The man replied. Voice as stony as his closed off expression.

Briny flinched. Even though he was sitting in a cell across from his brother he was more afraid of the cold eyes looking at him through the bars than anything this rutting town could do to him. Life or death did not hang in the balance of their fickle justice. It lay in the depth of grey staring back at him. "What ya gonna do?"

"I don't like problems. Complications."

"We found the girl." Spoke up Ricky for the first time. Both men were nervous and hiding it badly.

"And allowed her to get away."

"Not our fault, it's that ruttin' Captain. Almost had him danglin' on the end of a rope."

"Almost doesn't cut it." The man with the cold eyes snapped. Emotionless, his voice cut through the arguments they were planning to use to plead their cause. They knew as certainly as night followed day that their fate was already sealed.

Briny licked his lips. "Ya could just let us go."

"Yeah," Chimed in Ricky. "Say we broke out, overcame the guards, whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?" Murmured the man slowly.

The brothers stared at him, willing him to take up the challenge.