Persephone

Mal had to fight with his emotions for a moment, his brain fighting with his heart as he trained his gun on the imposing figure of Jubel Early. His finger tightened on the trigger, but he couldn’t bring himself to shoot. He didn’t know yet what fail-safes Early had in place if he was killed. Mal simply couldn’t risk Kaylee getting hurt any more than she already had been.

Kaylee…

Mal looked at his engineer, and his heart screamed in pain. He had vowed long ago to keep Kaylee innocent, to keep her safe from anything that would damage her sunny disposition; but he had failed, and seeing her now broke his heart. She was naked in the chair, obviously meant to humiliate her; but what caught Mal’s breath was her face. Bruises covered her left cheek, blood trickling from half-a-dozen little wounds. Her left eye was nearly swollen shut, and her lip was split. Still, amazingly enough, she had her head raised high, and that in itself lifted Mal’s spirit. Kaylee was brave, and Mal owed it to her not to let her down again.

“How’re you doin’, little Kaylee?” Mal asked softly, fighting to keep the anger from showing in his face.

“Cap’n?” she asked hopefully, looking around the room.

“I’m here,” Mal replied, fighting the tears that were threatening to pour from his eyes, tears of sorrow, joy, and anger.

“Oh Cap’n, I’m so sorry,” she cried, tear ducts opening.

Teeth gritting so hard his jaw was on the verge of breaking, Mal forced his gaze to remain on Kaylee. He could see Jayne out of the corner of his eye, rage written all across his features.

“Ain’t nothin’ here your fault,” Mal said to his engineer. “I don’t want you to be thinking none of that.”

Kaylee nodded slowly. She opened her mouth to speak again, but before a single word could come out, she disappeared. Vanished.

“What the hell!” Mal yelled. He took a step forward, finally letting the anger get the better of him as he pointed the gun right in Jubel Early’s face. “Where is she? What did you do with her?”

Early stared ba