BLUE SUN ROOM FAN FICTION - ADVENTURE

DANNIISUPERNOVA

Better Times- Ch 1- Gifts
Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Sequel to 'Life Goes On'. More of a crew centric story, very dark later on. This is my big epic fic. WARNING: Non canon relationships. Post BDM, post Life Goes On


CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 2464    RATING: 9    SERIES: FIREFLY

Zoe and Simon had been arguing again. There fights usually got real loud which was strange considering the mates taciturn nature. Mal could not recall her ever being so hotheaded the entire time he’d known her, even the fights the captain had had with her in the days approaching her marriage to Hoban Washburne. The baby would be born in about three months. Zoe expressed vehemently that she wanted the child born as far away from the alliance as possible, perhaps somewhere out. She’d begun to show two months before at which point most of the crew had gone crazy for the coming baby. Kaylee was always talking about what to name the baby as Zoe expressed little interest in the subject. She did however veto naming the child after it’s father. The little mechanic had taken to writing long lists of boy names and girl names. Jayne was distracted with baby proofing the ship, though Zoë told him that it was totally unnecessary as the child was still three months away. Inara constantly spoke of initiation to samsara for the baby, which Zoë was partial to. She out rightly refused to have the baby baptized in the Shepard’s faith. “He ain’t here to complain anyway.” Zoe would say defensively if asked.

River was keeping to herself more often then not. She had grown distant from Simon after her recovery from psychosis. She rarely spoke with anyone and when she did, it was only in the riddle like verse that had grown more and more difficult to interpret. The only thing that seemed to ground her was putting her ear to Zoe’s belly and feeling the baby kick. Simon personally believed that she was listening to the child’s uncomplicated thoughts as a distraction from all the friction on board.

The only exception to all the excitement was Mal. He just couldn’t seem to get enthusiastic about the baby. All it meant to him was that there would be another small person underfoot and that his first mate would be moody and for all practical purposes incapacitated for close to six months. The ship had enough problems as it was. There was still considerable tension between Mal and Kaylee after his threats of kicking her, Jayne and Inara off Serenity. Mal wanted to make things right between himself and Kaylee but he still distrusted Jayne. He was also loathe to facing Jayne after the death of the merc’s family. Mal felt that it was his fault for making his crew a target for the Alliance. Things were not going well for him.

Around that time they got a call to smuggle some illegal weaponry from the factory on Lilandra to Redrock, at the drop point in B’Dari. It was far enough out of Alliance control that it wasn’t very likely to be a trap, but Mal insisted that they prepare for one. He didn’t want another incident like the one on Sol 3. In fact, Mal did not want to go at all, but food and fuel were running dangerously low.

*****

Kaylee found River, sitting alone in the engine room. They’d been on Redrock for about two days and the rest of the crew was out transporting the goods from the ship. Kaylee was just eating up time until Jayne came back. She was surprised to see River there. Usually she was on the bridge or down in the infirmary.

“Hey, mei mei! Watcha doin?”

River sat, her head in her arms. She looked up at Kaylee, crying.

“I’m getting worse.”

Kaylee was shocked. “But after Miranda, you said you were fine! You’ve been fine.” River smiled at her sadly. “I was wrong. I see things. Horrible…horrible things. And I don’t know if they’ll happen or if they already have! I hear everything in your head right now. You’re happy that you’ll see Jayne again soon when he comes back, I can see you with him in my head! It’s too much! It’s like drowning.” River sobbed. Kaylee reached out to hold her. River pulled away. The psychic looked up at Kaylee for a moment before pulling her near and placing an ear to her stomach.

She smiled excitedly. “A present! All wrapped! Her daddy’s eyes!” As River listened closely to the thrum of new life, Kaylee was terrified. “River, I can’t be havin a baby!” River drew a sharp breath. “You’re afraid.” “Well, I can’t have a baby! What the hell would I do?” “No, you’re afraid…of what he might say.” River looked the mechanic in the face. “Don’t lie, or try to hide it. Just tell him. Bad things will happen if you don’t.” There was a hard glint in her eye. “Tell him. I see him…dying. Do what I say or you’ll regret it!” Kaylee’s heart somersaulted. River pushed her away. “You’re afraid of me, of the things I see!” Kaylee turned and ran.

“You should be.” River whispered and began to cry again.

***** Redrock wasn’t the nicest planet in the middle ring, but it was the pick up spot. Jayne sat, cigar in his teeth, waiting for Mal and Zoe to return with the mule. Zoe had wanted to pick a few things up while they were planetside. Jayne shuddered thinking of all the vile things Zoe had been eating: tangerines and noodles, ice planets with curry on em. It was enough to make a man heave, which was probably why, or so Jayne thought, women had the babies instead.

B’Dari had a flea market, which was where Jayne had gone. Zoe’s cravings were a guarantee for extra time on the ground so the merc had decided to do a little shopping of his own. When the mule arrived he’d got what he’d come for: an old war issue pistol for Kaylee, almost like the captains but then Mal had reassembled that gorram thing so many times it barely looked like this one. Of course he’d already ‘lost’ one of the assault rifles from the delivery in his pack. It amazed him sometimes the sloppy way people inventoried restricted firearms. In a way, both were gifts for her. In his mind at least.

*****

Jayne was covered in dust when the three of them returned to Serenity. Without even pausing to brush himself off he headed to the engine room. But only River was there, acting even crazier than the day he’d met her, mumbling and pacing. “She loves it already.”

River was looking straight at him. “Go give it to her. Then she can love it to your face.” She then kept on just mumbling and walking back and forth. “You didn’t tell her that I- ” River began to shout at him.

“GET OUT! GET AWAY FROM ME!”

Shaken, Jayne left the engine room. Kaylee was in his bunk, laying face down. Jayne felt a moment of panic. Was she dead? -layin there with her throat slit, gasping like a fish, just staring at him, dying a thousand miles away nothing to do but sit there and watch. Watch her die. The woman who’d raised him, fed him, sent him out to get work. What if he turned Kaylee over and she was gasping like that covered in her blood, dying and then there would be nothing he could do, nothing that-

Then Kaylee sat up. “Jayne-” Before she could say anything else, Jayne pulled her tight to him. “You’ve only been gone for three hours.” Kaylee said, surprised. Hell even after six months sleeping with the man and almost three years knowin him he still surprised her. Jayne pulled back. “Sorry.” “It’s alright, not like I didn’t miss you.” Kaylee smiled at him.

“I bought you something. In B’Dari.” Jayne took out the service pistol and proudly gave it to her. “I figured ya should have this, seein as ya ain’t got one of your own.” Kaylee laid it down next to her on the bunk. She’d never had much of an affinity for guns nor the skill to shoot but she appreciated the thought in any case. “And this,” he continued, “is for me. I’m going to name her Kaylee, ‘cause she’s small but can do some damage when she wants to.”

Kaylee decided this was her moment. She was scared, but she was more scared of what River had said. She looked him in the face. “I’ve got something else for us to name.”

COMMENTS

Thursday, September 21, 2006 12:20 AM

AMDOBELL


Loved it! For some reason I read part three first - I know, Jayne must be rubbing off on me (well ain't that shiny). Ali D :~)
You can't take the sky from me

Friday, September 22, 2006 6:49 AM

BLUEEYEDBRIGADIER


Ooh...pregnancy cravings! Those are always fun;)

And I certainly hope Vera doesn't get jealous that Jayne's got two sexy ladies named Kaylee;D

BEB


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