BLUE SUN ROOM FAN FICTION - GENERAL

LADYKNIGHT

Funny Dreams - Part 2 - Married with Children
Thursday, June 15, 2006

A strange night results in funny dreams. ...and is there some dream-sharing going on here?


CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 2156    RATING: 9    SERIES: FIREFLY

It was what Mal had always half-expected his life to turn out like. Or, rather, what he’d expected prior to Serenity Valley. Settled on some nice little moon just outside total Alliance control, but just close enough to keep things smooth. Beautiful wife, wonderful kids, working, but not living, on a ranch with a thirty minute commute by shuttle. Really, the only surprise was that said beautiful wife, whom, really, beautiful was an understatement for, was a former companion.

They had a nice little house, two floors. Started as a three bedroom, still mostly was. Mal was working on an extension to make for a new master bedroom so the boys wouldn’t have to share anymore. They were driving each other up one wall, ‘cross the ceiling and down the other. Well, it was mostly James that did the driving. Connor tried to keep to spending time with lil’ Jolie, didn’t work so well. James was everywhere, him and his lighter. As Mal opened his front door and stepped inside after work, the smell of burning plastic hit him in the face and he, not for the first time, regretted giving in to his pyromaniac sons’ demands for a lighter. A rather creative Chinese expression got him around saying something Inara wouldn’t approve of the boys hearing. Hurrying for James room, his suspicion was confirmed by the smell getting stronger. He didn’t knock, his youngest son was a master at hiding evidence with even moments of warning.

The door flew open, James looked up, first surprised, then guilty, then an imminent faux innocent expression crossed his face as he explained “Mom asked me to get rid of her shopping bags for her.” Mal stared at his son, then glanced around the room. Several plastic shopping bags littered the floor. They didn’t have enough money for Inara to shop all that much at once. His eye fell on a bag from Joe’s Depot, which had closed three months ago. At his disbelieving look, James changed the subject. “I took precautions.” Here he pointed at a large pot setting in front of him, still smoking. Then, wrinkling his nose, he commented “Wet burning plastic smells REALLY bad.”

Mal stood in the doorway a moment, undecided; then, silently he turned and walked out, pulling the door mostly, but not quite, shut, behind him. Striding quickly down the hall and back toward the door, Mal was interrupted by a small girl with dark pigtails and big brown eyes who looked up at him and asked “Daddy, what smells?”

Mal scooped her up. “James and plastic.” He informed her, carrying her in the same direction he’d been going. That is, away from the boys room. Downstairs again, this time, he went by way of the kitchen. Connor was sitting at the kitchen counter, quietly eating. “Connor.” Mal began as he walked past, “You may want to go kick your brother out of your room before he gets the carpet on fire again.” Connor was on his feet, food abandoned and racing up the stairs in seconds. Mal hurried out back.

***

It was the last thing Inara had expected for her life. Settled on some nice little moon in a nice little house, two floors. It had started as a three bedroom, and still mostly was. Mal was working on an extension to make for a new master bedroom so the boys wouldn’t have to share anymore. Companion training, companion life, it all seemed so far away now. She wondered, sometimes, why she didn’t miss it. Why it didn’t bother her anymore when her hands got dirty, or that she hadn’t even had a self-manicure in years. Love did strange, strange things to people.

Inara carefully dug at the root of a weed, tugging at it. She couldn’t just yank without uprooting the nearby vegetables too. Digging with a knife, she cut at the roots. Her hair was a tangled mess from spending all day in the garden…and she still didn’t care. It was really odd.

“Inara!”

Or, rather, she hadn’t cared until right then. Almost twenty years of marriage, and she was still terrified when Mal saw her looking anything less then perfect. She knew better then to try and reach up to set her hair to rights, her hands were filthy. Instead she settled for tossing her head back and throwing her hair around for a second, getting it at least off her face as Mal approached, carrying their youngest child and only daughter, Jolie, on his hip. “Yeah Mal?”

“You give James permission to burn a bunch of plastic bags?”

“What? No!” Inara was on her feet in an instant. “I didn’t…” suddenly she groaned. She remembered now. “He…might have taken it that way though…”

“What the hell’d you say to him anyway?”

“Mal, Languauge!” Inara reprimanded.

Jolie giggled. “Say school, daddy.” Then, to Inara “What the school’d you say to him anyway, mommy?”

Inara felt frustration rise. Why was her middle child such a pain, even when he wasn’t present? A glance at Mal gave her all the answer in that regard she needed. “Jolie, we’ll talk about this later.” Then, to Mal “It was that stupid dog of yours, he knocked over our plastics bin while I was heading out for the garden…I picked up some, James came in and I told him to do something about the bags…” Mal groaned. “I know, I know.” Inara responded “I shouldn’t just leave things open-ended like that with James.” There was a brief pause, before Inara headed for the door “I’ll talk to him.”

***

The shower was running, and the kids were all accounted for. In other words, it was Inara in the shower. James was off putting his pyromania to good use tossing raked-up leaves out of the back yard into the burning barrel. The maniacal laughter from the backyard wasn’t comforting, but pretty normal. Connor and Jolie were occupied with Chinese checkers. Considering she was hardly seven, Jolie had quite the talent for games. The kids were all accounted for…and occupied. Now, this was an opportunity that didn’t present itself too often. Wandering into the bathroom, Mal carefully shut, and locked, the door behind him. Kids could go to the neighbors if needed. Mal knocked softly on the shower door, and then peeked in. “Mind if I join you?”

His wife smiled “Of course not, come in.”

Mal was naked and standing under the warm spray with his wife in moments. He put his arms around her, and she rested her head by his shoulder, and for a long moment they just stood there, embracing as the water poured over them. Finally, Mal just whispered “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Inara responded, then, after a moment, she pulled back “But I’m taking this shower to actually get clean.”

“Right.” Mal responded, leaning against the Plexiglas door. “Can’t get your front parts clean hangin’ on me.” he mock-lectured.

Inara laughed, the soft, musical laugh he’d fallen in love with a very, very long time ago. Mal stood back, watching. It was a little cold from where he stood, spray barley touching him, but already wet enough to make things a bit chilly. Mal didn’t mind though, the view went above and beyond making it worthwhile. Inara soaked her hair under the shower and reached for the shampoo bottle. Mal beat her to it, grabbing the bottle and snapped it open with his thumb. Then, stepping up behind her, he squirted a good-sized amount into his palm. Closing the lid and replacing it, Mal took a moment to rub the soap onto both hands before beginning to run it through his wife’s hair.

She laughed again. “Mal…why are you washing my hair?”

“What?” Mal protested the question “Ain’t like I got pretty luxurious hair like that to see to myself.” A long pause as he rubbed the soap through to her scalp, then started down “Sometimes men just gotta touch the pretty, soft stuff.”

Inara just kept smiling, and Mal kept washing her hair.

***

COMMENTS

Thursday, June 15, 2006 8:13 AM

FIREFLYFOREVERX7


Ahhh! I am loving this!! I cannot wait for more!! And soon please!!!!! =) =)

*CAROlYN

Thursday, June 15, 2006 8:23 AM

SOFI


awww! so cuttee!! =D do zoe and wash next... pwese!!

Thursday, June 15, 2006 8:23 AM

SOFI


awww! so cuttee!! =D do zoe and wash next... pwese!!

Thursday, June 15, 2006 8:23 AM

SOFI


awww! so cuttee!! =D do zoe and wash next... pwese!!

Thursday, June 15, 2006 8:23 AM

SOFI


awww! so cuttee!! =D do zoe and wash next... pwese!!

Thursday, June 15, 2006 8:23 AM

SOFI


awww! so cuttee!! =D do zoe and wash next... pwese!!

Thursday, June 15, 2006 8:23 AM

SOFI


awww! so cuttee!! =D do zoe and wash next... pwese!!

Thursday, June 15, 2006 12:01 PM

AMDOBELL


Absolutely adored this! If only... Sigh. Ali D :~)
You can't take the sky from me

Thursday, June 22, 2006 7:22 PM

BLUEEYEDBRIGADIER


Mal and Inara are dreaming of having a pyromaniacal son? Oh how Freud would have a field day on that!

:D

Can't wait for the other BDH's dreams, LK:)

BEB


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