Childlike Melodies

A/N:I always seem to have little ficlets between the larger ones. This one was written yesterday, after a few days of thinking about my current arc. On the fly, but perhaps some clues into the future, as all three are set a few years forward.

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*D-D-D-D-Dora*

"Aaaaaabyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy."

Mal shoves his face into a pillow and groans.

"Aby." Inara whispers from under her tousled hair and shut eyes.

"Of all the people...."

The baby starts fussing.

"She wants you." Inara lets out a heavy sigh, reluctant to lift her head from her pillow and pull back the quilts.

"Aaaaaaaabyyyyyyy." The little voice sings, again.

There is another groan from the stubble faced Captain Aby.

The newborn coughs, her fussing turning into hungry cries the pierce the early morning.

"Sophia." Inara coos as she sits up, "Sophia, Sophia, Sophia." reaching out to the bassinet she gathers up the tiny week old newborn. "Shhhhh. Ta hang shi xiao yi ge."

The sound of little feet thundering across the hall comes from beyond the door.

"Mal." Inara, with Sophia whining and pulling against her body, rearranges her pillows and reclines back.

"I know." he sits up and watches Inara unbutton the pajama top, it's the mate to his pants as he reaches out and fixes the little pink cap on the small, bald head. "You know, seems complainin' is what you do best."

"She's very talented." Inara agrees tiredly as the baby clings to her and she begin to hum the bars of a lullaby to mollify little Sophia. Her cries once more dying to fusses as her mouth is on the smooth skin of her mother, looking for milk.

The door knob turns a few times, trying in vein to open.

Sophia stops crying and starts feeding as soon as she finds the right spot, kneading Inara's milk laden breast and letting out eager grunts.

"There we go." Inara shuts her eyes as the infant works for her meal. A heavy sigh comes forth, before she continues humming, for though she handles her family with much grace, the early mornings have recently become difficult.

Leaning over, he watches the newborn. Looking up, he sees the dark crescents under the mothers eyes and gives her a kiss. "Nin shi xing ji de zui jia de mu qin."

Before Inara can respond, the door opens and Meilin, a tiny toddler with thick curls and large brown eyes that could melt an icicle, scurries in wearing her pink nightgown. "Abyyyyyy." She calls out, sing-song in her small voice.

"I hear ya." Mal peers over to the foot of the bed, listening to determined grunts as their rather independent 'I'm a bigd gurl' toddler scales up the quilt to reach her Aby, Amah, and new Xiao Mei-mei.

Suddenly she's in front of him, standing, tugging on her nightgown, gazing at him all puppy eyed. "You no come'd in." She announces, sour faced.

"I was sleepy." Mal rubs his bed hair, then tries to smooth it down as his body is still slowly coming to.

Not liking the explanation, Meilin pounces on him, crashing into his chest.

Mal falls back against the pillows with an 'oof'. "Xiao Xiongmao." He sighs, wrapping his arms around her before smooching her nose. She is beginning to look less like Inara, they have spent many moments discussing her changing looks, and the most solid theory is that Meilin isn't of Middle Eastern lineage, but possibly a good deal Indian. At any rate, she's gorgeous and Mal feels her tuck herself in his arms for warmth. "You know Little One, you gotta be more quiet comin' in here. Sophia's brand new and she don't take kindly to your caterwauling."` Meilin, hair tumbling in her face, cranes her neck out to watch the tiny, bald, pink sister that is suckling for her first breakfast of the morning. "Ih sorrwee."

Inara watches Meilin's large, dark eyes easily express her genuine apology. The girl can not hide anything, the eyes tell all. "Let's just be a little more quiet Xiao Xiongmao." Inara shifts Sophia as she reaches out with one hand and gingerly combs the unruly curls out of Meilin's precious face. "Did you sleep alright?"

The small head nods briskly. "Aby go'd wif me Amah."

"He is, he's going to go downstairs with you to watch your shows. And in three hours after Sophia and I have slept some more he's going to be wonderful and make Amah breakfast." Inara intones, glancing up to Mal. His half brother Ezra had given Meilin a set of disks he had burned. They were old earth-that-was children's shows. Meilin adored them, and Mal every morning usually scooped her out of bed, popped in a disk downstairs, plopped on the rug with a quilt and watched them with her on a screen Kaylee had bought at the scrap show and fixed. However, since the newly acquired Sophia Yuming Serra-Reynolds, mornings were a little difficult.

Mal's head nods. "Anything specific?"

"Eggs, toast and tea?"

Mal gets up in his gingham pants, Meilin set on his hip as he stares at Inara. "Alright, Meilin,"

"Bye Amah, byee Toe-fee-a." She waves.

"Bye Amah, bye Sophia." Mal stifles back a yawn, and a mumbles some concealed profanity and envy towards those who are still in bed. Snagging a quilt at the end of their bed, he heads over to the door and holds it open for Shan-shan, who lazily pads into the bedroom before he takes off with his daughter.

"D-D-D-D-D-Dorwa!" Meilin begins to sing as the door shuts behind them.

Shan-shan jumps onto Mal's side of the bed and sprawls out with a sigh.

"Good morning to you too." Inara tells the feline.

"D-D-D-D-D-Dorwa! Dorwa Dorwa Dorwa dee exporwor!"

Sophia's eyes flutter open. Her skin is so fair and pink, and her eyes are navy as Inara soothingly strokes a finger across her nude belly as she keep nursing.

"Sing id wit me Aby!"

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*Chopsticks*

Simon watches them, his posture straight, his sleeves rolled, a proud smile toying with the corners of his lips. He watches Dakota, scrambling up onto the bench, and Liam using a phone book as a step stool. Dakota grunts, her tongue protruding out of the corner of her mouth as she struggles. Simon rocks forward, preparing to help, yet she manages. "Does the bench need to be closer?" He steps in, reaching out and adjusting the sheet music perched up on the piano.

"No daddy." Liam says, his fingers resting easily on the ivories that they both need to grow into.

Simon reaches over and brushes the shaggy hair out of his son's face, reminding himself they both could use a trip to the barber's. He watches them, their perfect postures, Dakota in her favorite pair of overalls and a ruffly pink tee, Liam in his brown courduroy pants with his button down shirt and little tan braces and open waistcoat. "You ready?" Leaning forward, he switches on the little metranome, adjusting the speed of the beat.

They both nod their heads, their eyes eager. Out of all of their advanced schooling, this is their favorite lesson.

"Alright, one two, three." He studies them, as their fingers take off. They're young, little for their age too, but like many of the things he teaches them, they are extremely gifted with the piano. As Dakota and Liam, working in unison, produce the melody of chopsticks, his smile widens. Dakota hits the wrong key for a moment, making her face screw up with determination, and Liam struggles with reading the music, but he doesn't press them.

Because they're exceptional.

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*Mama Hao*

Zoe's tired.

She's in her loose pajama pants and camisole, rocking with each step and patting the back of Violet Lois Alleyne as her bare feet walk the catwalk. The ship, hums through the silence of the crew's designated night hours. Everyone else is asleep, in their bunks and beds, and she wishes the same. However Violet, with her mass of dark curls and her light brown skin, had developed colic. So, like every night, she had gathered the baby up from their bed and had taken to walking around to try to soothe the fussy four month old.

"This thing has gotta finish runnin' it's course soon, Violet." She whispers in exasperation as the infant cries against her shoulder. Seeing Violet in so much pain breaks her heart every night, as she wishes her precious baby girl could sleep peacefully through the night has she had before. Waking up happy and wanting all of their attention, instead of awaking surly from a poor night's rest.

Violet coughs, rubbing her chubby face against a bare shoulder as her fingernails tear at Momma's skin.

"I know, I know,wo zhu yuan wo men ke neng ting zhi ta nu ying. Even Uncle Simon's tried." Zoe tells the baby, shifting her hold, taking her off of her shoulder to try a different position. Draping the baby on a forearm, she keeps patting her back as she walks around the massive cargo bay before heading back towards the dorms.

Violet screams.

"Alright," Zoe immediately changes the position, cradling her to her chest "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I won't do that again."

Violet looks up with enormous brown eyes, thick with tears, and kicks her feet.

Her Momma's face is clearly saddened by all of the agony she's in, not knowing what to do as some tricks work some nights, and others don't. Walking past the blue-lit infirmary, Zoe treads up the stairs to the warm, purring engine room in an attempt to quiet the cries. Upon cross the hatch, entering the small space, Zoe glances over to the hammock where their mechanic sleeps, for he never wanted a bunk space, and watches how he only rolls over and how his muscular olive arm falls over the lime green hammock's rim. Impervious to the wails, she concludes he can sleep through anything, except the engine making a funny noise.

Violet's crying subsides, coughing, then hiccuping.

Zoe brings her up, slowly drifting around the engine housing, and kisses the little forehead. "Shi shang zhi you mama hao," She sings, softly as Violet is down to whimpering. Her voice is hush and loving. "You ma de hai zi xiang ge hao."

Violet looks at her, her mouth moving as she squeaks.

"Tou jin mama de huai bao Xin fu xian bu liao." Zoe keeps on singing the lullaby, the infant snuggling in as she kisses a small hand. "Shi shang zhi you mama hao."

The baby screws up her face and yawns mightily. When her eyes reopen, the lids bob as her breathing slows. Viola finds her fingers, and suck on them as her belly heaves with another relieved sigh.

Her Momma smiles, thankful that baby Violet's finally looking ready to go back to the dorm room. Zoe tugs the lavender tee down over the tummy, as us has ridden up. "Mei ma de hai zi xiang ge cao,"

"Li kai mama de huai bao Xin fu na li zhao." A soft voice from behind finishes the lullaby.

Zoe doesn't turn as a hand gently presses on the small of her back, she just allows a smile to form on her lips. "I told you to go back to sleep."

Violet yawns with her fingers in her mouth, both voices familiar and only further soothing her off to sleep.

*** *** *** TRANSLATION/DEFINITIONS Aby: arabic; Daddy Ta hang shi xiao yi ge: it is alright little one Nin shi xing ji de zui jia de mu qin: You are the best mother in the galaxy Amah: Arabic; Mommy Xiao Mei-mei: little sister Xiao Xiongmao: Little panda, a pet name Mal bestowed upon his daughter when she was a baby Mama Hao: A traditional mandarin lullaby, akin to twinkle twinkle little star in popularity. Most Chinese children learn the song. wo zhu yuan wo men ke neng ting zhi ta nu ying: I wish we could stop it baby girl Shi shang zhi you mama hao.: lyrics; Only mama is the best in the world You ma de hai zi xiang ge bao.: lyrics: With mama, you have the most valued treasure Tou jin mama de huai bao Xin fu xiang bu liao.: lyrics: Jump into mama's heart and you have endless happiness Shi shang zhi you mama hao.:lyrics: Only mama is the best in the world Mei ma de hai zhi xiang ge cao: lyrics: Without mama you are like a piece of grass Li kai mama de huai bao Xin fu na li zhao:lyrics: Away from mama's heart, where will you by happiness? *****As always, the writer appreciates all comments whether they be positive, negative, or suggestions.**