BLUE SUN ROOM FAN FICTION - GENERAL

VALERIEBEAN

That Went Well - Part 7/7 (REPOST)
Monday, November 19, 2007

After a week marooned on Perth, the crew finally returns home. Fluffy, happy, fuzzy-warm things happen. Post-BDM, Mal narration, canon pairings.


CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 2765    RATING: 9    SERIES: FIREFLY

PART 7:

By the end of the third day, Jayne had traded his keep for a high-quality sidearm and a hunting knife. Mal had no idea what Jayne thought he needed such things for when they were working on a ranch to make ends meet. Though he had to admit that if he hadn’t seen his own pistol in Monty’s hand, he probably would’ve sacrificed a few meals for a new sidearm as well. Jayne hadn’t mentioned it, but Mal knew for a fact that three other ships leaving Perth had tried to hire him on as a mercenary. Jayne had bedded the last ship’s cook, but otherwise took no interest, even when offered cash up front. When it came time to go, Mal found Jayne in the hotel’s gym, pressing weights and working up a sweat. As much as Jayne had changed since Miranda, Mal supposed some things never would. “Time to go, Jayne. Last chance for a shower.” Jayne grunted one last lift and sat up, slinging a towel around his neck. “We got showers at home.” Home. Not Serenity. Home. When had Jayne started that? Jayne stood and brushed past him, heading back up to the room. Mal continued his circle of the grounds to collect the rest of the crew. Kaylee and River were at the hotel’s indoor pool, tossing an inflatable ball around the shallow end and squealing madly at the game. Ever since Inara had returned from the hospital, River had been sleeping soundly through the nights – a fact Mal was grateful for now that he’d grown sensitized to her sad, puppy eyes whenever Simon had to medicate her. She’d also stopped cuddling on Jayne and that eased Mal’s mind a bit too. When Kaylee had teased him about, Jayne just shrugged and grumbled about the fact that he “weren’t paid to nanny after little sister.” The room was warm like summer, filled with sunlight, and smelled strongly of chlorine. The floor was slick, and Mal walked slowly so he wouldn’t slip. He caught River’s eye first, and when she stopped to look at him, Kaylee tackled her and dunked her under the water. “Hey, play nice or I’ll shoot ya both!” Mal hollered. Kaylee looked at him and grinned broadly. River surfaced a moment later and hopped on Kaylee’s back, but didn’t push her under. “You coming swimmin’, Captain?” “Not today. You two best hit the showers anyhow, it’s time to go.” “Ten more minutes?” Kaylee pouted. “Checkout’s at noon. I told you all this morning. Don’t see why I have to collect you now.” “We don’t know one home from the other,” River explained. “Home is each other.” “Uh huh,” Mal grunted, only half listening. “Either of you seen Simon?” “He’s doing laps,” Kaylee answered nodding to the far side of the pool. “I’ll get him.” Before Mal could protest, both Kaylee and River were swimming away from him to the far side of the pool, making a quick game of who could reach Simon first. He really didn’t care if they smelled like chlorine later. He only worried they weren’t thinking about the fact that the outdoors wasn’t nearly as heated as the indoors and they weren’t giving themselves time enough to dry off. Zoë was exactly where Mal thought she would be – in the hotel’s hot tub soaking. She looked so restful, Mal was hesitant to disturb her, and he was startled when she spoke first. “I know, sir,” she said flatly, without opening her eyes. “I didn’t say anything.” “I have three more minutes.” Mal smiled, not at all surprised that Zoë had timed her relaxation to the minute. He didn’t waste any more words on her, he just let her be. He found Inara standing in the cold just outside the front door of the building, dressed serenely in a navy blue gown, dark green cloak wrapped tightly around her shoulders, long black tresses flowing. She shivered and stared skyward. Her voice had returned, but was slow in recovering; she preferred silence to the hoarse sound of her own words. Hands buried in his pockets, Mal closed his coat more tightly around his chest and stood next to her. Inara pointed up as Serenity burst through a cloud and floated gracefully toward the city. “There she is,” Mal agreed, admiring his ship. “Home.”

*~*

Mal found Inara leaning on the catwalk as the others bustled around, doing last minute prep for Serenity’s departure. Monty hadn’t been kidding in implying that the ship was barely space worthy. Most of the valuables had been stripped, but fortunately their ship-nappers hadn’t had time to get all the treasures off. A lot of the first few hours had consisted of transporting the stacks of possessions from storage bins in the cargo bay back to their original homes. The pots and pans hadn’t made it very far, nor had Kaylee’s tools or Jayne’s weight set. But about half of Jayne’s gun collection had disappeared – mostly the smaller firearms. Most of the armory, all of their food stock, the mule, Kaylee’s pink dress, Mal’s best suit. Those were gone. Of all the things looted, Inara’s shuttle had suffered the worst, and after a cursory survey, she’d simply come out to the catwalk and waited. For what, Mal knew not. Perhaps for the strength to return and face her violated sanctuary again. “You need a hand straightening up?” Mal asked her, nodding toward the shuttle. “Not presently.” Her voice was quiet, smooth, and sweet as honey. “We’re headed to Persephone next. Setting a leisurely pace in case there are problems. Should be there in a few days.” “That shuttle won’t be ready for clients so soon.” That shuttle?! Mal’s heart lurched. “You don’t have to work from the back of a shuttle, you know. Can’t you set up elsewhere? I’m sure Persephone has a Biltmore Plaza whatever.” Inara looked meekly at her fingernails. “I won’t be ready for clients so soon,” she confessed softly. His heart faltered again. Much as he abhorred her work most days, her working meant her staying, so as a rule, he didn’t discourage it. “Let me know when you’re ready,” he said gently. “I’ll be sure to take you some place nice.” He wanted to put a hand on hers, but he didn’t. Now was the test. The fairy tale that was Perth was over. Life back to normal. He waited for her to say something, but she didn’t. When she didn’t even meet his eye, Mal headed upstairs to check on Kaylee’s progress in the engine room. “Mal,” she called, her voice filled with quiet urgency. Mal paused and turned, and she met him half way up the stairs. “What is it?” She closed her eyes and her hand wavered in the air, hovering just inches from his chest as if she wanted to touch him but wasn’t sure she was allowed. “Mal, things happened on Perth. Things. Unexpected things,” she stammered. “What do you want, Inara?” Mal interrupted impatiently. “I want to acknowledge that they happened,” she said simply. “And acknowledge that they were good.” Mal braced himself for the brush-off to come, but it didn’t. Bravely, Inara reached out and cradled his face. Her hand trembled ever so slightly and a soft breath shuddered out of him, relishing the contact. “I want to build from there,” she said. As gently as she did the first time, Inara pulled his face closer to hers and kissed him as delicately as angels breathe. The world melted into ethereal light and all he felt was her presence next to him, enveloping him with her scent, her touch. His hands rested softly on her waist, then wandered from there. By some mutual signal, they both floated back out of the kiss, and the light slowly sorted into the shape of the world. Mal kept himself from diving back in because he knew if he initiated the kiss it would be raw and animalistic. When she did it, it was like an invitation to a dream, and he kind of liked that pace better. Even the look in her eyes was like she was watching a dream unfold before her. “I should clean up … my shuttle,” Inara said, nodding back toward the door. “I will have to work eventually.” “Wouldn’t ask you to stop,” Mal agreed, breathlessly. “I could use a hand when you’re done out here.” Mal blinked, his brain still struggling to function. Serenity. He needed to fix his ship. Inara disappeared into her shuttle and Mal stood on the stairs, trying for the life of him to remember where he’d been headed. “We’re ready to break atmo, Captain,” Kaylee called, peaking her head into the hallway. Mal looked up in surprise. He had been headed to the engine room. “Cap’n?” Kaylee prodded, giving him a significant grin. Mal met her eye, a mischievously eager glint in his own. “Tell Zoë she has the con,” he ordered, striding purposefully toward Inara’s shuttle. “Things are going well.” *~*

COMMENTS

Monday, March 24, 2008 12:52 PM

AGENTROUKA


Oh man, I am SO glad you reposted this! One of the best Mal/Inara relationship developments ever, PLUS the PLOT that is poignant and works on so many levels, not to mention to managed to make the "damsel in sickness distress" cliche actually work! I'm so impressed with this. LOVE it, in fact.

Just.. you got Mal down pat in this one. The worrier, the parent, the former soldier, the wary traveller. The way he realizes that his family is going to be there for him even without the ship, even Jayne, makes this a worthy partner to "Out of Gas", taking it that one step further. Plus doctor!Simon. Every note hit perfectly. :)

I can only hope you'll write more crew-centric pieces like this. Brilliance, I'm telling you! *G*

Wednesday, December 31, 2008 3:28 AM

AGENTROUKA


I cannot get over how much I love this story. It's absolutely one of my favorite Firefly fics ever, for all of it, pacing, plot, character examinations... the whole Simon/River/Kaylee cuddle pile of family love you have going there, the subtle looks at Zoe.

Just had to say it again. *G* Brilliant!


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