The Hole in the 'verse

An alternative Firefly story

Rating: PG-13, for violence and mild cursing

Summary: AU, post-BDM fic. Kaylee went back to fetch Simon and learned a lot about the doctor she wished she hadn't. While they try to reconcile their differences, it turns out that the Hands of Blue will take what they can get.

Disclaimer: I think I can say I own my Hands of Blue. Which is cool because I actually like them in their evilness.

Author's Notes: What do Simon and Kaylee think of their new friends? Not much, apparently. Honour Roll at the end.

The Book of KAYLEE

part 3

Kaylee heard the thump first, but she didn't register that the sound might be something dangerous. Lots of things tended to go thump, including the rusty plumbing that was snaked in through walls. Someone probably dropped some clothes or flushed a toilet or something. She replaced her head in her arms and sighed heavily. Serenity was going to come, she was positive of that much, but it was a matter of when. Until then, she would content herself to stay secluded in her corner and try to think positively.

In fact, she didn't suspect a problem until she heard a strangled noise from Simon. Simon never made strangled noises. Kaylee glanced up again and frowned at the doctor to better extract an answer from him. He was huddled against the glass door of their cell, trying to peer down the hall at something.

"What's wrong?" Kaylee asked finally.

He didn't turn to meet her gaze immediately, but the look of fear colouring his eyes was enough. Simon was terrified of something in the corridor. Something that goes thump.

"Simon?" Kaylee tried to catch his attention again, though her voice was beginning to betray the first twitchings of fear. The doctor shook his head violently, as though trying to clear his ears of water. He still didn't turn to meet her concerned eyed.

"Th-they're here. Them. Th-the Blue Hand," he stuttered.

Kaylee didn't react immediately. She had heard tales of them like everyone else, but she hadn't put much stock in such scary people. All the tales told of cerulean-fingered people killing vast numbers of innocent people with their brains. Nobody wanted to believe in such horrible creatures. By the same token, that was also what she had also scorned the existence of Reavers until she'd gone and taken up residence on Serenity. However, she thought she remembered Simon saying something about blue gloved people right after the heist on Ariel. Something about screams drowned in liquid. An active imagination like Kaylee's supplied the word "blood" readily enough, just as Simon's medical expertise must have done the same.

"That's bad, ain't it?" she asked softly.

Simon nodded. "He just k-killed him. Just now. Bare hands."

Kaylee had never heard him choke on his own words before. "Out there?"

He nodded the affirmative again.

She crawled over to Simon to get a glimpse down the hall. The first look was innocent enough, because she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. The second look yielded a body lying on the ground at a man's foot. It looked as though he might have been sleeping, until she examined the body further and noticed that he wasn't moving at all. The man wasn't breathing. The cadaver was folded beside a man who wore bright blue gloves. It wasn't until she saw the second blue-gloved person that she began to fear in earnest.

"Jus' like River said. Two by two…" Kaylee whimpered.

"Hands of blue," he confirmed.

She turned to him, eyes wide as dinner plates. "What're we gonna do?"

"What can we do?" Simon muttered.

"Yer not even gonna try 'n come up with a plan?"

"You're approaching this as if there is something we can do. We can't escape this time; they're right down the hall. Kaylee, we're doomed," he sighed. His bad mood had returned and Kaylee had no idea why. It really wasn't the time for antics.

"But Simon, there's gotta be somethin'—"

"No, Kaylee, there isn't. Mal can't help us; nobody on this planet likes me. Nobody is going to save us now. You should try to accept that and maybe they'll just kill us instead of torturing us first."

"But I don' wanna die," she said weakly.

"I'm doubting very much that they care."

Kaylee almost snapped back, almost told him what was on her mind. Instead, she rocked back on her heels so that she could stand up. There was no arguing with Simon while he was like that. He was convinced that they were going to die, and Kaylee had fought too hard recently just to give up. Why, on Miranda, she had been convinced that they were going to die, but they had won. Mal would have said it was because they were big damn heroes, but Kaylee just thought they were lucky. Lucky they had River to save them; lucky to have Simon get mildly injured to give River a reason to become the weapon the Feds had always wanted her to be. Kaylee wanted to be lucky. She wanted there to be some light in the black that offered hope and safety. But her silver lining was wearing thin, like some worry stone that had been rubbed once too often. In some ways, Simon had been her worry stone, and now…now he was huddling in a corner, polished to a mere sliver of the strength he'd once been.

He was probably still thinking about that dark-haired girl.

She heard the clack of in-synch footsteps coming closer, and the mechanic knew that now would be the perfect time for, as Jayne would say, "thrilling heroics." Kaylee wondered where the great brute and the rest of the crew were.

The two men stepped into view as though taking part in a well-rehearsed dance. The one on the left, the taller and darker of the two, smiled pleasantly before speaking, "Simon Tam." Simon flinched at his name, drawing into himself. "Simon Tam, you are to come with us peaceably."

"No. I'm not coming."

"Dr. Tam, this is your choice and yours alone, but we are encouraged to make you come as quietly as possible."

"It's not possible. Kicking and screaming or not at all." Simon's voice was dull and lifeless. Kaylee had never heard quite that tone from him before and it was starting to scare her. He sounded like he'd honestly given up all hope of life and the outside world. In that moment, Kaylee wished that she could do something, anything, to save him from that grim mindset. As long as it was in her power, she could not have him so close to death without cause ever again.

"Then permit us to take your friend here in your stead. We won't be long and we promise to give her back in fine condition. Exactly the same as how we find her." A smile quirked the edge of the tall one's lips. He seemed to be the talkative one. Not that the lighter Hand was any less intimidating. He was probably more so.

"K-Kaylee?" Simon couldn't stop his head from snapping up in disbelief, even as he flinched from the jerking of his wrist. She almost cringed when he'd reacted. Now that she obviously meant something to him, the Hands of Blue were not going to play fair at all.

"Kaylee? Pretty name. Pretty face. Kaylee, would you kindly come with us before we are forced to come to fetch you? Show Dr. Tam how to listen."

All of a sudden, she couldn't stop trembling. She was stricken with a fine shaking that raised gooseflesh all along her arms. She knew why Simon despaired now. This was fear.

XXX

My partner's indiscretions have cost us valuable bargaining leeway. They now expect pain, and they cringe unnecessarily when we so much as cough accidentally. It is quite inconvenient. I will have to teach him his place when we are alone, something in which I believe my superior height will aid. For now, however, we need to show a united front, especially in the face of Dr. Tam and his acquaintance. They are both liable to do something unexpected, though we will likely know if they aim to misbehave. Their thoughts are as an open book, not to mention their facial features. It shows in their expressions that they are scared, but the doctor looks to be burning with anger as well. It is a dangerous combination.

And we shall do what we wish with her? my accomplice asks.

Only if there is need. We keep our promises. No harm is to come to her unless there is very good reason.

That is it; my partner does not issue another request. Neither does the girl move. I allow my eyes to grow cold, so that she knows I am not merely playing.

"Miss, the less inclined you are to come with us, the rougher we will have to be."

She does not respect you. His voice perturbs me, and I sense that it is not she who does not respect me. I am not getting the job done quickly enough for my partner.

"She doesn't want to go, leave her alone. I'll go," Dr. Tam sighs. He is very unhappy and very angry.

"No, Dr. Tam, you've made it quite clear that you are not willing to cooperate. Come, miss, no dallying."

Her body looks warm, but her extremities are blue. She is anxious.

You are too kind, my associate reminds me. Let me handle this.

I shake his presence off and extract the device from my pocket. It is a metal handle with a keypad; when the right combination is dialed, the rod emits an energy beam that is best suited to the task that one has dialed for it. The sonic screwdriver is standard issue for all Hands of Blue, and I make good use of it. The key fits easily and the door swings open. I now am in the presence of two fugitives with my irritated and impulsive partner at my back.

"Kaywinnit Lee Fry, this is the last opportunity you will have to come of your own accord. Should you choose not to, I can assure you that you will not like the methods we employ to extract you from this cell." I feel vaguely like I am talking to a particularly slow child.

"Why ain't I got a choice like Simon?" she asks softly. Her eyes…the pupils are dilated to an enormous degree. I imagine it is because of the ample lighting from the corridor that makes it difficult to see, but there is more to that innocent look than even overabundant backlighting.

"Because Dr. Tam is special and you are not. I'm sorry, miss." I wasn't sorry, but that was beside the point.

"O-okay. I'll go." She hastily makes good on her word, levering herself upright to stand on two wobbly legs. Most of the heat had left the limbs, leaving her to stumble into a wall. It is inefficient, terribly inefficient. The human body is nothing but a profound waste of energy and resources.

"You can't do this!" Dr. Tam rages. He jumps to his feet, intent on teaching me a lesson. My partner pins him against the wall rather easily as I escort the girl out of the cell. He gasps, presumably from the grip on his shattered wrist, but the doctor still insists on doing what he can for her: screaming her name at the top of his nearly empty lungs. My associate has him wedged tightly against the cold stone, making breathing a difficult task.

"Kaylee!"

"I'm alright, Simon. I don't think they're gonna do nothin' ta me," she says warily, cowing under my hand. She either believes in her statement, or she desperately wants to; there is no blush to her face that indicates a level of foolhardy bravado.

"Kaylee, don't let them hurt you!"

"You aren't allowed to talk, Tam. Not a word." My colleague is yet again falling out of my control and getting caught up in bloodlust as he so often does. If he were not required to keep his suit immaculate, he would allow himself to go about in red stained garments with his gloves permanently dyed purple.

Come. Now! I order. I feel his resistance, his anger. He knows we've come for the doctor, but not why we have left him in the cell. He sends the impression that the girl is naught but a waste of time.

"Kaylee, you're going to be a good girl, aren't you?" I ask delicately.

She nods. She smells like fear.

"Good girl, Kaylee. It's going to be all right for as long as Dr. Tam cooperates. Isn't that so, doctor?"

He says nothing, just as my partner has instructed him. It demonstrates weakness and I dislike it. He reminds me of why I am a Hand, and gives me a reason to continue this miserable job; for I am Coi, and I will not be liked.

Chinese:

N/A

Honour Roll: Lynx Ryder: Nope, not pretty at all. The end of this chapter's going to get mighty ugly. Miggyrow: Thanks muchly! Here's the update! garden-crafter: It's always Simon's fault, but oh well. I really like Wash and Kaylee far too much, but they have that inconvenient saying you always hurt the ones you love. Jas-TheMaddTexan: You know, I really like that, they speak and they speak of evil. Welcome back to the fold! BlueEyedBrigadier: I always feel worse for Mal when he'd angsting, just on principle. Simon's woes are usually laughable, I think it's the uprightness of the character. But there's a whole lot more angst on the horizon, so let's get to it.