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The Trunk By KaySky Chapter Two

The trunk was about four feet long, two feet wide, and three feet tall. It was just an ordinary trunk. Two tiny keyholes were the only obstacles standing in the way of knowing what was inside. If only someone had the keys.

It was supper time on Serenity and Kaylee had convinced the crew it would be fun to have a picnic in the cargo bay. She didn’t want Danielle to feel left out. Some more reluctant than others, they all agreed.

The whole table was in tears after Wash’s reenactment of a tale about a lonely pirate, his dead parrot, and a buried treasure chest.

“I wouldn’t have thought being on a ship would be this much fun. And that says a lot seeing how I’m handcuffed to a trunk.” Danielle laughed as she looked at everyone sitting around an old quilt Kaylee had used for a picnic blanket. This picnic was definitely more interesting than any other she’d ever been on.

“Just need to find the right ship is all.” Kaylee said with pride.

“Well I think Uncle Holden did a fine job picking us a ship, don’t you think Daniel?”

“I think Uncle Holden is out of his mind and so are you for dragging me into this.” Daniel was still irritated with his sister for getting him involved.

“Don’t mind him,” Danielle rolled her eyes. “He’s not very much fun.”

“I can be fun, but when my sister drags me into one of Uncle Holden’s stupid ideas, I get a bit irritated. Unlike you I have a wife, a child, and a real job that I’d like to get back to.”

“Sorry, Mr. Fancy Pants Lawyer Man. I didn’t realize how inconvenient it would be for you to attend your cousin’s wedding.”

“You’re a lawyer?” Mal asked.

“A wedding?” Kaylee exclaimed. “I love weddings.”

“So do I, which is why I made it a career. I’m a wedding planner. My brother however is a divorce lawyer.”

“Sis, throwing parties is not a career.”

She ignored her brother’s remark. “Yep, I help put them together and my brother helps break them up.”

“I’m sensing a little tension between you two.” Book said politely, looking back and forth between the twins. “Do you not usually get along?”

“We usually get along fine, Shepard. Dani just has a way of getting under my skin at the worst times. I’m no longer a divorce lawyer. It’s depressing being a happily married man who has to listen to unhappy husbands and wives fight all day. I started feeling bad for them. I started trying to talk them out of it, counsel them. One day, exactly two weeks ago, I reached my breaking point. I quit. Three days ago I opened up my own practice as a marriage counselor. If I knew I’d be stuck taking this trip I could have planned things out better.”

“Well I believe people come together for a reason. Timing might not be ideal, but maybe there is something to be found on this trip.” Book was a strong believer in fate.

Silence fell over the cargo bay as everyone finished their meals. Finally, Inara started conversation again. “So Dani, do you enjoy being a wedding planner?”

“I love it. I’d much rather be the one behind the scene than actually walking down the aisle and saying I do.”

“So there’s no man in your life you’d like to make that journey with?” Inara’s eyes wandered to Mal.

“I don’t see myself every getting married. Relationships haven’t been my strong point.”

“She’s not lying.” Daniel added.

Her brother was out reach for a good smacking. She’d have to remember to do that later. “I recently made the decision to live vicariously through my job. So when you think of it that way, I’ve already been married hundreds of times.”

“But don’t you want kids?” Growing up in a big family like Kaylee had, made it hard for her to imagine anyone not wanting to get married and have a family of their own.

“Kaylee dear, I’m not sure how the conversation went with your mother, but it’s not the act of marriage that creates a baby.” Danielle’s smile lessened as Shepard Book’s moral stare made her overwhelmingly uncomfortable. She needed to take the spotlight off herself. “Besides, things seemed to work out fine with Daniel on the issue.”

Suddenly Daniel was the uncomfortable one as Book’s stare shifted to him. “Alana, my wife…” He started to explain. “…she may have gotten pregnant before we were married.” He never felt guilty about admitting this until he tried admitting it with Shepard in the room.

“May have, brother? Umm, let’s see you’ve been married a year now and little Leah is almost three. Add nine months of pregnancy…”

He gave his sister an evil look. “Okay, so maybe I did get Alana pregnant, but I didn’t see the point in marrying her because of it. The thought of marrying her before she got pregnant never crossed my mind. I’d seen so many marriages fail on a daily basis. I didn’t want to represent myself on the issue someday.”

“Son, that is precisely the reason why fornication should not happen …”

“I don’t think he needs a lecture, Book.” Mal said.

Daniel made a mental note to thank Mal later. “Change of subject anyone?” He asked hopefully.

“So any guesses what’s in the trunk?” Kaylee imagined it was filled with strawberries. The chances of that were rare, but it was her fantasy.

“Knowing Uncle Holden there’s probably nothing in that trunk.” Daniel said.

“And people think you’re the smart one.”

“I’m the smart one, the funny one, and the good-looking one. You my sister, you’re just leftovers.” He laughed as the expression on her turned crude.

“Can you imagine twenty-six years of this?” She rolled her eyes, but then smiled at her brother. Their childish banter seemed to be something they both enjoyed.

“I think you two are sweet. Dysfunctional perhaps, but most good families seem to be.” Inara smiled at the twins and took a final sip of her tea. The dinner hour was winding down. “Dani would you like to join Kaylee and myself for some girl talk?”

“Sure, Inara. I could use a break from being handcuffed to this trunk.” She held up her arm as her brother unlocked the cuff and placed it on his own wrist. “What about Zoe and River?”

“Don’t really find the need for girl talk. I’d rather spend the time ravishing my husband.” Zoe squeezed Wash’s thy and his face light up like a child in a candy store.

“And River?”

“Too consumed with Kaylee’s reflections on my brother.” She said getting up from the floor. “Simon talk is not that interesting.”

“River you’re not supposed to say what goes on in girl talk.” Inara put her hands to her mouth trying to cover her laughs as she saw Kaylee turn red.

“Kaylee,” Wash exclaimed. “You have a thing for Simon? Who else knew about this and didn’t tell me? I demand to know!” He jumped up, placing his hands on his hips, and a serious expression upon his face. Well as serious as he could look with that stupid eye patch. It was only seconds before everyone busted into laughter.

Mal stood up, quieting the crew. “Alright, don’t think Kaylee can get much redder. Best leave her and her thoughts about the doctor to Inara. At least she’ll hold a straight face during them strawberry/engine/naked doctor fantasies.” Simon’s face was now as red as Kaylees. Teasing Kaylee about Simon was fun, teasing Simon about Kaylee was even more fun, but teasing them both at the same time, that was golden. Mal was definitely having a good day.

* * * *

Aboard the Ship, The Dorjan

“Sir, in about ten minutes Serenity should be close enough to read our distress signal.” He was a young man, skinny as a twig. He didn’t look like he could do much harm. Appearances can always be deceiving.

“Good work, Davis.” The older man said. He was much bigger, fatter. His hair had started to grey and dark circles nestled under his eyes. “Make sure the crew is prepared. Shut down all systems expect for life support.”

“What if they choose not to respond to the hail, sir?” Davis knew better than to question the Captain’s plan, but he foresaw too many things going wrong with this one.

“Then it’s on to plan B.” Tension soared through his voice. He paced back and forth, thinking, plotting. “Make sure they know we only came for the trunk. We get in and get out.”

Taking a deep swallow before speaking, “What if there’s resistance, sir?”

He could see fear as he starred into the young man’s eyes. A half smile fell upon his face. He liked being feared. “We will do whatever is necessary to get that trunk.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, “Yes, sir. I’ll inform the others, sir.” Davis didn’t hesitate to update the crew.

* * * *

Back on Serenity:

“So what do you think?” Danielle was delighted Kaylee was the same size as her cousin, Hayden-Lee. Finishing the last minute touches aboard Serenity would give her one less thing to worry about on the wedding day.

“It’s gorgeous, Dani.” By Dani’s appearance Inara knew she had well-defined taste, but the design of this dress, it was so simple, yet so glamorous. Breathtaking was a way to describe it.

“I feel like a princess.” Kaylee was beaming as she looked in the mirror. Thoughts of her and Simon getting married danced around her head. She was on cloud nine.

“Maybe you’ll be wearing your own wedding gown someday soon.” Dani smiled as she inspected every inch of the gown. She was a perfectionist. “I’d be more than happy to design you one.”

“Simon and you do seem…” Inara couldn’t think of how to describe Kaylee and Simon’s behavior over the last few months. It was so innocent, so pure. Something she wished she could share with a certain captain. “…really shiny, meimei.”

“Things have been shiny.” Her eyes remained focused on the mirror. This wedding gown was prettier than any dress she’d ever seen.

“So, will there be wedding bells between Simon and you anytime soon?” Dani was a hopeless romantic. Even though she’d given up on finding her own Prince Charming, her heart still ached for romantic tales.

“Don’t know if he’s ever though about it.” She sad a bit sadly. She had thought about it and even found herself doodling Mrs. Kaylee Tam throughout her diary. She wished she knew if Simon ever had those kind of thoughts. “A few months ago I was in the infirmary with Simon and he was being all sweet. It felt… all romantic and all…” Inara’s eyebrow rose in interest. She didn’t remember hearing this story. “…like he was gonna… Then Shepard went and ruined the moment.” She rolled her eyes as she recalled how many moments were lost between her and Simon because of Book. “Later, outside the infirmary, the moment was back…Simon even knelt… Jayne interrupted us.”

“Meimei, how come I have not heard this story before?” Inara couldn’t believe Kaylee wasn’t bouncing off the walls to tell her this new information right when it happened.

“Didn’t know if it really happened. He’d given me a lot of drugs.”

“The boy drugs you?” Dani asked, alarmed and confused.

Kaylee laughed. “No, Simon’s not like that, Dani. I was hurt. He gave me something for the pain is all.” Her shine was slightly less bright as her mind was taken over with thoughts from that night.

Dani sensed a change Kaylee’s mood. She looked at Inara who nodded in agreement. “Kaylee dear, are you alight?”

“Fine, ‘Nara.” She perked back up, Inara’s soothing voice taking her mind away from Vincent.

“So, no moments since then?” Dani said, prompting Kaylee to finish her story.

“Oh there’s been moments.” Kaylee said excitedly. “Just not all sweet… more like hot and spicy.”

The girls laughed easing Kaylee back into her beaming state, naughty memories of her and Simon flowing through her brain.

* * * *

“We got a hail. A ship called The Dorjan”. Wash was explaining to Mal. “Seems they’ve had major system failure.”

“Did you run a scan?” Mal asked.

“Radio communications and life support are the only systems up.” Wash turned to Mal. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking we got us a job we need to get done. Other ships will pass by.”

“The bible says something about doing onto others as you would have done onto you.” Book was like having living, breathing, walking conscious on board Serenity.

“Shepard this could all be a scam.”

“If Serenity was making a distress call, wouldn’t you want it answered?” Book replied.

“Captain’s right, “Zoe said, “There’s no telling what we could walk into.”

“It may be only a matter of time before their life support fails.” Book’s voice was very stern as he looked into Mal’s eyes.

“I can’t take risks on strangers.”

“You could take a small risk to help out the fellow man. We can prepare for the worst.” Book looked to Zoe and Wash, hoping to gain support.

He knew it. Nothing could ever go according to plan. “Wash, answer the hail. Let me speak to the ship’s captain. Zoe, find Jayne. Let him know we might be needing him. Shepard, don’t make me regret this decision.”

* * * * Simon stayed in the cargo bay after dinner. It was nice to have someone different to talk to.

“What made you choose law?”

“My father was a lawyer. I never really considered anything else. I started my schooling and eventually found an internship working under a divorce lawyer. The man was my idol. He had the money, the women, and the large estate by the lake. Everything I thought I wanted.”

Daniel’s words reminded Simon of his old life. “What changed your mind?”

“Alana was my boss’s secretary. We both got stuck spending many late nights preparing cases for the following morning.” He smiled, reminiscing of the old days. “Ever hear the expression, love at first sight?”

“So it was love?” Simon thought of how much Kaylee had changed him. How her love had made him a better person.

“It was more like lust at first sight.”

“Oh...” Simon didn’t see that one coming.

“Our fling was about six months old when she told me she was pregnant.”

“My guess is your parents didn’t take the news too well.”

“I believe it was the most uncomfortable dinner conversation I’ve ever had. They gave me the options of marrying her or tossing her to the side, denying the child was mine.”

“How sympathetic of them.” Simon said sarcastically.

“As horrible as this is, I considered the second option. I was only twenty-two. My goal was to finish law school. I went to break things off with Alana, but when I got to her place and saw baby name books scattered across the coffee table, it hit me that I was going to be a dad.”

“And that didn’t scare you?” Simon was pretty sure if Kaylee ever told him she was pregnant his reaction would be to pass out.

“No, I was shocked. I felt good. I felt alive. I was going to be a dad.” He reached into his pocket, grabbing his wallet and pulling out a picture of his daughter. “That’s Leah. Once she was born… she’s what changed my mind.”

She had her daddy’s eyes and his great big smile. “She beautiful.” Simon said as he handed back the picture.

“It’ll be the best feeling you’ve ever had.” He placed his wallet back in his pocket.

“What feelings that?” For the top three percent, sometimes Simon was clueless.

“Being a dad someday. Fatherhood.” A feeling of down right terror flowed through Simon’s body. Babies, the word registered in his mind. How could he have a baby as long as he was on Serenity? Would he be a bad father? How would he know what to do? Babies, he thought again. Kaylee would be a good mother. Kaylee would make everything perfect. Kaylee would tell him not to worry.

Simon was so wrapped up in his own thoughts he didn’t hear River walk in. “The dark man is coming.” A frightened expression lay upon her face. “Will be here soon.”

To be continued...

Notes: Supposedly the name "Dorjan" means dark man.