Angelle's mine. All else belongs to Joss. ------------------------------------------

Sisters.....women that bond to each other like glue and are not easily separated. Most of the time will in fact die for the other without much complaint and if you go against one, you might as well take them both on, because, honey, that's exactly what's gonna happen.

Now I ain't talking blood sisters, though they can be a might dangerous as well, but these are the ones formed when women come against major odds and win, or have just lived together for so long that a natural bond forms usual after lots of hair brushing, makeup applying, and some old fashioned people gossiping. Of course, when it came to Zoe and I, it was more like liquor drinking, bar brawling, and wound mending. Though, one could wonder what our captain would think if we continued on that pathway anymore. *grin*

As I was sayin', Sisters as a whole, aren't really something you want to go against, even when one of them actually likes you. Inara and Kaylee were close, I could tell that from the week I had been on the boat...the way Kaylee seemed over protective of the Companion as well as Inara being rather watchful of the feisty engineer.

"It ain't like Cap'n and you ever...well, you danced around a lot." I could hear Kaylee's voice coming from Inara's shuttle as I walked by.

"Oh, Kaylee, it's not that. There's just something about that girl I don't like." Her sing song voice flowed like honey from a carnivorous flower. Like I told you before, I respected everyone, Daddy had taught me that, but it was down right hard respecting anyone who's busy it was to lie. Sometimes even my aunt Lou and I had problems. Inara didn't like me because I had the natural talent to see through lies, born and bred in me by a Browncoat and a slow to trust anyone mother.

My daddy will tell you that lying is my greatest pet peeve and probably the one thing that will make me hate you fastest. Hell, shoot me and I'll get over it, unless it kills me and then, well, you get the picture, but if you are gonna shoot me, at least have the audacity not to lie about why you're doin' it. Same with a Companion. I mean hell you might think the guy's an absolute prick, but he's paying you for a service rendered, didn't say you had to like it. Maybe that's why I never would make a good whore....Companion as the case may be.

"Angelle's harmless. Look how she handles River. Ain't no one we've had on this ship since Miranda dealt so easily with her and I really like her daddy. Right nice fella."

"How much though do we know about her or her family? Really?"

"Ain't something you have to know. Didn't know much about Simon and Cap'n let him on the ship, gave him a home, and now, well, I love him...might even marry him someday."

"That's different. He's safe." I would have listened more with a dirtier conscience, but as always the good in me out weighed the bad. Besides, as much good as was in me, so was a very mean and rather nasty temper, plus Mal hadn't removed my knife.

"Angelle?" A voice behind me made me turn and Zoe walked up to me, favoring that wounded leg of hers, but only if you knew where it was and of course, maybe how it happened.

"Good to see you up and around." I smiled as we clasped hands and then leaned against the rails of the catwalk.

"Please. Take more than a little scratch keep this warrior woman down. 'Sides, got to be a Maid of Honor and can't be rolled up the aisle in no hospital bed."

I laughed. "Trust me, if that is the only strange thing happening during my wedding, I'll count my blessings. Hell, hundred bars says my daddy will have Mal completely drunk before he even walks me up the aisle."

"I ain't takin' a bet I know I'm gonna lose. Hell, I'm just glad I'm gonna be there to witness it. We thought the war was bad."

A pair of warm strong arms wrapped around me and both Zoe and I looked over to see Mal staying behind us. "And exactly what is going to worse than the war?"

"Well, first we were thinking the wedding, but the more I though about it, the more I'm leaning on the honeymoon." Zoe smiled as I slapped her shoulder.

"One day Zoe Washburne, you will find someone else to warm your bed, I promise you. Maybe be a few more years, but there is some else willing to take on the warrior woman in you and when they do, gorramit, I will have some stories to tell him. Last night's comes to mind."

Her lips curled in a grin and gingerly she touched my wounded shoulder. "You're right, but they will be so much more fun to tell your children."

All three of us stopped for a second as if we were all pondering the same thing. Children...sired by the ultimate Browncoat himself and come out of the Bayou princess.....god, help those poor wee ones.

Inara and Kaylee emerged as we stood there, the Companion dressed in the purple and I couldn't help but noticed it did bring out her eyes. Just like Mal had said. "Oh, we didn't realize you all were out here."

Zoe and I shared a look. It wasn't exactly like we were quiet, and trust me, I had heard perfectly fine what had been conversed inside the shuttle. "Ain't been standing here long." Mal smiled, straightening up running his thumb under his suspenders.

"Oh," Kaylee smiled at each of us in turn and then continued. "Me and 'Nara are gonna go make dinner. Jayne's awful busy with Angelle's aunt and well, I ain't one to ask him to leave her side."

"It shouldn't take her much longer to recover, but I thank you." It was a bit humbling to hear the two of them taking up for Jayne as well as Lou. Made me feel a wee bit better. "I could offer my help, since it's kind of my doing that Lou's on the boat in the first place."

"Nope. Two in the kitchen's enough." Kaylee smiled as Inara and I shared a rather strange look. If I didn't know better, eventually me and her were gonna have words and not the good kind.

"Okay, well, don't say I didn't offer." I smiled, trying hard to spin this rather awkward moment into something...well, less uncomfortable. So far...it wasn't working.

"Thank you anyway." Inara finally spoke, but not directly to me, her eyes holding tight to Mal's. As they walked away, I could feel what fingernails I had making imprints in my palm, a good thing since it was my own skin and not the companion's the nail marks were on.

"Think he's having a problem with the wedding?" Mal spoke beside me and Zoe shook her head.

"Ain't like you all haven't been stepping around the issue of being a couple, Sir."

"Job was always more important." I couldn't tell whose he meant, his or hers, but something in his voice sent chills down my spine.

"Don't let me stand in the way of what might have been." I spoke moving away as Mal caught my arm and pulled me into him.

"Been through it, Angelle. She's the past, you're my future and the crew is just gonna have to get use to it or deal with me."

"And me...after all, who else can I go get drunk with and know I'll find myself back on the ship safely in the morning or as safe as one can get after a good fight."

"I'm good in a fight." Mal almost pouted and Zoe shook her head, patting his shoulder.

"Didn't say you weren't, Sir, but with Angelle, I don't end up looking through the wrong side of a set of vertical iron bars."

"There's a right side." I joked and whatever bad emotions had come passed just as quickly. Maybe that's why I liked this ship, these people...the bad seemed to quickly be over taken by good.

"Well, as far as jail bars go, the looking in is much better than looking out." My future husband smiled.

"Funny. Never been looking out so wouldn't know. I'm too slick to be caught."

Zoe leaned over and whispered in my ear, loud enough for Mal to hear. "Could you teach him that."

"You know, I don't have to take this. I am the captain."

"And what do you plan on doing? This boat ain't got a brig and between Zoe and I, we could take you." I grinned and he kissed me, Zo laughing behind me.

"Mmmm...Mutiny never looked, nor tasted this good." He let his blue eyes roll in the back of his head for added effect as anyone in board could hear Zoe and my laughter across the ship, shortly joined by Mal's.