CALL THE MAN – CODA [12]

Several days later, the Serenity crew plus their assorted children paid a visit to Jennings' carnival. Later, they looked in on the Ben Nevis children. They'd been settled into one huge house together and were now being looked after by Mattie, her husband and some of their eldest natural children as joint house parents. Jayne didn't seem to mind that thirty odd kids were now wanting to call him 'Pa'. At least he didn't have to look after them all and he could visit now and again when he felt like it. The huge group hug they gave him nearly took him off his feet, but he coped, pretending to be grumpy, but with a smile playing around his mouth. Melissa grinned, “Got me lots of new brother and sisters! I pick all of 'em!” Jayne looked at her, “Don't be expectin' 'em all to come around for tea, huh?” The new school down the road had taken all the children in and they had a secure future ahead of them. Mattie's old home was lived in by her younger teenage offspring, largely looking after themselves with some help from Hillary and Sam Cobb. * Serenity eventually made the modest hop to Burnham and everyone moved back into the old joint house near the beach as a semi-permanent base. The children were enrolled in the local schools again and Junior started kindergarten whilst Serenity ran its accustomed harvest run around the Newhall system until just before Solstice and Christmas. Mal and Inara were walking along the beach, “So, another year gone.” Inara squeezed his hand, “We've survived.” “Jayne has almost as many scars as he has regular skin!” Inara smiled, “Yes. Have you seen the frisson between Clarry and Jessop?” Mal nodded, “They're teenagers. I remember what that was like, plus we've all been close to death a few times this year.” “And birth. That bitch from the Skyplex and her puppies.” “We're going to have to find new homes for them soon. Couple of 'em fathered by Camulus I'm thinking.” “Jayne and Vera might want to keep the one that looks most like Ares.” “Hey, we ain't snarking!” “You *want to snark?” Mal smiled, “Remember the sparks when we do?!” “Ah; my Benedick!” Mal made a mock grimace, “Shakespeare! Never did get that guy! I'm just a mean old man who gets turned on by sexual tension and conflict!” Inara teased, “Old? You're getting past it?” Mal turned to her, “Careful, bao bei. I'm *this close to draggin' you into those dunes and showing you how *not 'old' and 'past it' I am!” Inara did her best affronted act, “Barbarian! You wouldn't dare!” Mal slashed a grin and began dragging her, “That warrants being shown *very thoroughly!” Inara gasped, upping the ante and deliberately pushing the right buttons, “You...you heathen!” Mal picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, “Twice! Any more and you won't be able to sit down for a *week without feeling me inside you!” Inara was dizzy with arousal and heightened anticipation. She made a show of kicking with her legs and mock pummelling his back, “Brute! Ravisher!” Mal knew *exactly what she was doing, but played along, “Three times; maybe even four. And you'll be screaming my name when you come, every time!” Inara hoped he'd find somewhere really secluded; but then he always had in the past. * Jayne picked up two of the puppies, “So, which one?” Vera looked at them, “One's a dog, the other's a bitch. Any preference? They've both got a bit of Ares in them.” “I'm thinkin' it's time for a girl dog. We've got Camulus.” “This one then. Another war god? Freya? Morrigan? Athena? Brunhilda?” The little dog waved it's tiny tail at the last one. Vera smiled, “Brunhilda it is, then.” When Junior came home from kindergarten that afternoon, he was ecstatic about the new puppy. “She won't die, will she?” Vera had him on her lap, “Hopefully not for years and years. She should live until you're a young man and maybe as tall as your Pa.” “That's *forever!” Vera chuckled, “Not quite, but it feels like a long time right now.” Junior stroked Brunhilda's snout and ears, “She'll have puppies too.” “Maybe when she's bigger. She's still a baby at the moment. Got a lot of growing to do, like you.” “I'd like a dog of my very own.” “Maybe one day. You can walk Brunhilda with me or your Pa after school, when we're dirtside.” “That'd be shiny!” Junior ran off to find Melissa. * Clarry came in some time later, looking scared, flushed and nervous. Jayne looked at her, “What is it, Clarry?” She looked at her shoes, “Jessop and I; we've been courting, kinda.” Jayne snorted, “I saw you go moon eyes on him soon as you saw him.” Clarry blushed, hard, “We only started...recently.” Vera could see there was something major on Clarry's mind, “What is it, sweetie?” Clarry twisted her fingers together, “Don't be mad. We didn't mean to...” Jayne got it ahead of Clarry spitting it out, “Cobb seed workin' overtime, huh? So, what are you going to do about the baby?” Vera gasped, “You're pregnant?” She went over to Clarry and gently held her shoulder, “We'll be with you, whatever you decide.” Jayne folded his arms, “Won't be the first time a Cobb had a shotgun weddin' and probably won't be the last.” Clarry looked up, face stained with tears, “I'm scared.” Vera pulled Clarry into her arms, “It's okay. We're here.” “I want to keep the baby and stay in Burnham with Jessop. He wants that, too.” Jayne groaned softly, “Mal is gonna be all kinds of pissed about this.” Vera smiled, “Don't mind being a grandmother, either.” “Thanks, Ma.” “Anything we can do. You're starting young, but we'll be right behind you, promise.” Jayne ran a hand through his hair and came over to hug Clarry. Then the reality hit him and he grinned, “Oh, Lord; Mal is gonna rib me summat awful for being a Grandpa!”

FINIS