The Teaser Pony

By Mikelesq

Concept: The crew of Serenity provides passage for horse with an unusual talent, and a woman from Simon’s past.

Rating: R

Feedback: Please. E-mail Mikelesq@aol.com

Spoilers: For all episodes, including the three unaired episodes. Do NOT read if you’re remaining spoiler free until the DVDs. Takes place approximately three weeks after “Objects in Space,” and presumes that “OiS” was the final episode chronologically.

Legal disclaimers: "Firefly” characters and situations are owned by Joss Whedon and the producers of the show. The story is entirely fiction. Distribute if you like.

Part III

“You can just take a seat at the end, Doctor,” Mal said, gesturing toward an empty chair at the corner of the dinner table.

“Please, Captain, call me Amelia,” she replied as she entered the galley.

“Call me Mal,” he replied.

“That’d be right next to me,” Jayne said, scurrying behind Amelia and pulling her chair back, as he had seen Simon do for Kaylee.

“Why, thank you,” Amelia said, walking in front of the chair and turning to face the table.

“Glad to,” Jayne said, walking past her and taking his own seat.

Amelia stood for a moment, cast a puzzled look back at the chair left two feet behind her, then sat down and scooted her chair forward. She flashed a polite smile at Jayne, who grinned from ear to ear. Mal and Inara exchanged wry glances, Zoe smirked, and Wash rolled his eyes.

Kaylee kept her eyes cast down at the table.

“Dinner is served,” Book announced, walking to the table with a two large bowls and setting them at the table before taking his own seat.

“The brown protein’s got salt,” Mal said to Amelia. “The grey stuff the preacher usually throws a dash of pepper into.”

“I added a pinch of oregano this evening,” Book said. “In honor of our guest.”

“I’m sure it’s wonderful,” Amelia said. “A welcome break from the dehydrated mealbars we had at the clinic.”

Book raised his open hands, then brought them together. Amelia, catching his meaning, lowered her head for grace.

Mal noticed Amelia raise her eyes slightly at the silence. He followed her glances as she noted the bowed heads of the crew, and as she observed his own head lifted high, but his hands flat and still on the table.

When Book raised his head, and the rest of the crew followed suit, Amelia flashed a slight smile at Mal, then took the bowl Wash passed to her. It had taken a month for the Preacher and the Captain to wordlessly compromise on their mealtime ritual. It had taken Amelia less than a minute to ascertain its meaning.

‘Smart girl,’ Mal thought. ‘Real sense of people. Simon must’ve been richer than I thought.’

“Wash, what’s our position?” Mal asked, grabbing the other bowl from Inara and scooping a glob of the brown goop onto his plate.

“We’ll reach Iocasta in the morning,” Wash said. “Which will be their dusk.”

“We’re headed straight to Iocasta?” Amelia asked.

“Yep,” Mal replied. “Inara’s got a client waiting for her, so we figured we’d go there first as a courtesy to you both.”

“Oh, don’t bother on my account,” Amelia said. “I’m already arriving more than a week before I’m due.”

“It’s really more for me,” Inara said. “My timetable can be somewhat demanding.”

“So how’d you get so far out on the rim, Doctor?” Wash asked.

“There’s a program,” Amelia replied. “It brings doctors to the outer planets, where medical care is generally unavailable.”

“Something to do with schooling, ain’t it?” Mal asked.

“That’s one program,” Amelia said. “But I’ve completed my residency. This is another program for doctors who are young enough to weather some of the more difficult challenges of life out here.”

“Must be good experience for a doctor,” Zoe said. “Lots of folks out here are sick, or hurt.”

“Well, my specialty is emergency medicine,” Amelia said. “And some of the health problems are educational, and definitely unique. On one planet, I actually treated a patient who got a concussion from a goose. The bird’s bill hit him square between the eyes. Apparently people juggle them for sport.”

Zoe scowled, and glanced at Wash out of the corner of her eye. Wash stopped chewing long enough to raise his eyebrows and smile.

“But in a way it’s somewhat of a professional hindrance,” Amelia continued. “When I complete my year out here, I’ll be a little behind. The medical technology of the Central planet hospitals advances almost daily. It could take me six months just to catch up.”

“So why?” Kaylee asked, raising her eyes from the small portions of food she’d spooned onto her plate.

“Why what?” Amelia asked.

“Why do it?” Kaylee explained. “I mean, if you’d be a better doctor, and life wouldn’t be so much of a ‘challenge,’ why do it?”

“Someone has to,” Amelia answered. “People out here need doctors.”

“I suppose,” Kaylee sighed, then forced a weak smile.

“I think it’s estimable,” Book said. “Those that have, give. It’s the Lord’s way.”

“The ‘verse needs more kind-hearted folk,” Jayne said through a mouthful of mush.

“Please, it’s really nothing,” Amelia said. “Many doctors participate in the program, and I had my own reasons for...that is, I needed....”

Amelia’s voice trailed off, as her eyes drifted down to her plate. She absently poked a chopstick into the protein compound, then raised her eyes and said:

“I found myself suddenly needing a change of scenery. There were, well, personal issues.”

Serenity’s crew exchanged glances in spite of themselves.

“Most folks out here got something they left behind,” Mal said, breaking the silence.

“Some don’t,” Amelia replied, forcing a smile. “In any event, the work is rewarding in its own way.”

“Captain,” Kaylee said, rising from her seat. “I best go tend to Serenity. Check the engines and such.”

Mal looked up at Kaylee’s solemn expression, then said:

“Suppose you best.”

“Scuse me, all,” Kaylee said, then scurried out of the dining room.

“Nothing wrong, I hope?” Amelia asked.

“Sometime’s Kaylee just needs to sit with her engine a spell,” Mal replied.

Mal cast a glimpse at Inara. They exchanged looks of concern, then resumed eating.

---------------

“A bit cramped for two,” Inara said, slipping a beige camisole over her head. “But we’ll make do.”

“I suppose,” Kaylee muttered, swinging slightly in the hammock that now hung in her room.

“Of course, it’s probably the best arrangement,” Inara continued, reaching into her small satin bag and taking out a crystal vial. “Shepherd Book can’t stay below with the ‘manure,’ and it doubt either Mal or Jayne would be good company for him. Better for him to take the spare bunk.”

“Yep,” Kaylee replied.

“Did you remember to seal the airlock doors?” Inara said, pouring a small dab of the lotion from the vial onto her fingertip and rubbing it gently into her hands. “So Dr. Brakestone can’t leave the shuttle?”

“Checked it twice,” Kaylee said, as she stared at the opposite wall.

Early in their training, Companions were taught the Rule of Three: If three attempts at small talk do not prompt a person to lower their defenses, one can either give up, or be direct. Inara chose to be direct.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Inara asked.

Kaylee shrugged, then shook her head and groaned:

“She’s perfect.”

“She’s not perfect,” Inara said, sitting on Kaylee’s bed. “Nobody is.”

“She’s closer’n most,” Kaylee sighed. “I mean, I know it’s kinda petty, but I was hoping that she’d be all snooty and such. Turns out, she goes out of her way to come out here and help folks, and it’s all on account of her broken heart over Simon.”

“That hardly qualifies as perfection,” Inara argued.

“It must in Simon’s eyes,” Kaylee replied.

“Kaylee,” Inara said. “I’ve met some of the richest men in the Core. Most of them have buildings, even cities named after them, from giving money away to charities. That doesn’t make them better men, despite their desire to have people believe that it does. There’s a difference between giving what you can easily spare, and giving whatever it takes. Simon gave that for River. He knows the difference, and I’m sure that he can find all sorts of people in the ‘verse that would impress him just as much as Dr. Brakestone.”

“Maybe,” Kaylee mumbled.

“Speaking of giving,” Inara said. “You don’t need to give up your bed.”

“It’s alright,” Kaylee said. “It won’t be the first night I’ve spent in a hammock.”

“It wouldn’t be mine, either.”

“Oh,” Kaylee said absently, before she absorbed Inara’s statement. “Ohhhhh, really? Does that cost extra?”

“A bit,” Inara said. “And it’s not an option for clients who are not physically coordinated. Injury is always a concern.”

“Is it, you know, better?”

“Some clients find it pleasant.”

“What about you?” Kaylee asked.

“It’s not unpleasant,” Inara replied. “It doesn’t really matter what...well, it’s something you sometimes do.”

Kaylee glanced over at Inara. The Companion’s eyes had lost their focus, as they sometimes did in her rare unguarded moments.

Inara replaced the cap on the vial in her hands and put it back in her bag.

“That smells pretty,” Kaylee said.

“Thank you,” Inara said. “The scent is the same as one of my perfumes. It’s called ‘Skylight.’ A little expensive, but I like it.”

“Smells like marigolds,” Kaylee observed.

“That’s just the head note,” Inara said. “The heart note is more of a musk.”

Kaylee scowled.

“One perfume is made up of many fragrences,” Inara explained. “Much like a song is made up of many notes. The head notes are the first scents that come from a perfume. They fade after several minutes. Then the heart notes emerge. Those frangrences last for a few hours, then you smell the base notes.”

“Too bad they don’t make engine grease with head notes,” Kaylee muttered.

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Inara said. “Men don’t know a thing about perfume.”

“Then why bother?” Kaylee asked.

“For the same reason a composer writes a symphony,” Inara answered. “A room full of people who are tone deaf will still appreciate a beautiful piece played by talented muscians.”

Kaylee considered this.

“You know,” Kaylee said. “What you said before, that got me thinking about Simon.”

“I wouldn’t try anything until you get a stronger hammock,” Inara warned.

“Not about that,” Kaylee giggled. “No, I was thinking about what you said, about how Simon gave all he had to? Well, that’s kinda what the Captain did. Simon and River need a spot to hide out, so he gives them the spot he has, even with the trouble it causes.”

“I doubt he’d admit to anything so noble.”

“Nope. ‘Cause it wasn’t for show. It was just what he had to do.”

“I suppose.”

“Seems like the kind of person you’d want to keep near,” Kaylee said.

“Kaylee,” Inara sighed. “I think I know where you’re going with this.”

“It just seems to make sense, is all,” Kaylee continued. “I mean, I’m sure you and the Captain could work something out. Maybe set aside times when he’d take jobs closer to the Central Planets.”

“It’s not that simple,” Inara replied. “There are...complications involved. For a time our arrangement was of mutual benefit. It’s not anymore.”

“Just don’t know what to hope for,” Kaylee muttered.

“What do you mean?”

“With Simon and River on Serenity, we can’t get too close to the finer spots,” Kaylee explained. “It’s like hopin’ Simon’s around’s the same as hopin’ you leave.”

“Kaylee,” Inara stated. “Simon is not the reason Mal avoids planets where I can work.”

“Oh, I know what the Captain says,” Kaylee responded. “How we got to stay clear of the lawful types on account of our smuggling, how he don’t give two humps about your trade, but that’s just pi hua. T’was just the same a year ago, and we’d still come in off the Rim pretty regular. That all changed since Simon and River signed on.”

“A lot has changed since then,” Inara said, absently twisting the lace on the hem of her camisole.

After a silence, Inara got up, walked over to Kaylee, and softly rested her hand on the girl’s shoulder.

“You don’t know what to hope for?” Inara asked, smiling gently. “Well, I’ll tell you. And I want you to listen to me, mei mei, for this is very important: Hope that Simon never leaves. Never stop hoping for more time, more words, more chances. When you stop believing that enough time and words and chances can solve anything...well, that’s when you have to give yourself permission to smile. That wouldn’t suit you, Kaylee. Your smile’s too much of who you are.”

Kaylee looked up at Inara, her face beaming.

“Anyway,” Inara said, walking back to the bed. “When when I start enjoying the sound of my own voice that much, it’s time to sleep.”

“Goodnight, Inara,” Kaylee said.

“Goodnight,” Inara replied, crawling under the covers and reaching up to turn out the lights.

Inara folded her hands on her stomach, waiting for the silence and the darkness of the room to tempt sleep, until she heard Kaylee say:

“So, how strong a hammock?”

The women’s laughter echoed against the metal walls of the room.

-------------------------

“We’re in atmo, Shuttle One,” Wash called toward the comm microphone. “You’re clear, Inara.”

“Copy that, Serenity,” Inara replied from the cockpit of the shuttle. “Shuttle One detaching in five...four...three...two....”

Down in the cargo bay, Mal checked the ties on the pen while Jayne steadied the horse. Both men braced themselves as the ship wobbled from the force of the shuttle’s launch.

Mal’s eyes drifted toward the shuttle bay door. The ship listed slightly to starboard for a moment, until Wash compensated for the change in ballast. Mal had captained his ship long enough to feel the effect when Serenity flew with a shuttle missing. The difference was more noticeable when it was Inara’s shuttle. Mal attributed that to the weight of her furniture. He did not permit himself to consider other, less objective reasons.

“What you lookin’ at?” Mal heard Jayne ask.

Mal’s eyes darted toward Jayne, ready to growl a reply. Then he saw that Jayne was addressing the horse.

“That’s just the shuttle takin’ off,” Jayne continued. “The companion’s off to ply her trade. Nothin’ to gawk at. Heck, Barney, it ain’t the first time you watched a filly on her way to make time with another fella.”

Jayne turned his head toward Mal and said:

“You’d think an old teaser pony like Barney’d be used to seein’ a classy lady head off to lay with a stud.”

Jayne grinned at his own joke, until he noticed Mal’s icy stare.

“The hay needs changing,” Mal stated, turning away and walking toward the stairs. “Clean it out.”

“It ain’t my turn,” Jayne complained.

“It is now,” Mal snapped as he quickly climbed the stairs and disappeared into the hallway that led to the bridge.

Jayne scowled at the floor inside the pen, which was covered with a thin layer of stained, fetid hay, then cried toward the bridge:

“What did I say!?” ----------------------------------

“Hi.”

Kaylee dropped the wrench in her hand and gasped as she heard the voice call from the hallway. She then heaved a sigh of relief as she saw Simon standing in the doorway to the engine room.

“Ye su,” Kaylee gasped. “You scared me.”

“Sorry,” Simon replied.

“What are you doing here?” Kaylee asked. “She ain’t left yet.”

“She’s in the shuttle,” Simon explained. “Mal’s helping her pack her things, and he sealed the cargo bay and dining room doors, so there’s no way for her to get here. Mal said it should be safe until he flies her into town.”

“Still seems risky,” Kaylee muttered.

“I was just going a little stir crazy down there,” Simon said. “And besides, I...well, I missed you.”

Kaylee’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” Simon said. “I know everyone’s been put out a bit with Amelia on board.”

“Wasn’t so bad,” Kaylee mumbled. “It was a little awkward at first, but we all were fine in the end.”

“Everyone?” Simon asked.

“Yeah, everyone,” Kaylee said. “Even me. It was a bit strange and all, but I’m fine. The Doctor seemed okay, too. She got along with everyone alright. Told us a couple of stories about the stuff she’s seen, doctorin’ on the Rim.”

“I can imagine,” Simon said. “She’s a long way from her father’s estate. It’s good to hear that she’s adjusting well.”

“Is it, now?”

“I’m actually surprised she’d come out this far,” Simon continued. “I mean, she used to do a lot of charity work, but she stayed connected to the hospital. Even if she wanted to leave Osiris, I would have expected her to take a position on Tethys, or perhaps Priam. She was actually offered a residency on....”

“Bu hao yi si,” Kaylee groaned.

“What?”

“You are...!” Kaylee cried, then forced her voice lower as she cast a cautious glance toward the closed door to the hallway. “You are unbelievable.”

“What’s unbelievable about me?”

“You didn’t come up here to see me. You came up here to find out about her.”

“That’s not true,” Simon replied, a stupefied look on his face.

“Oh, really? You don’t seem all that concerned about how I’m ‘adjusting’ to things.”

“You said you were fine,” Simon responded.

“And you believed me?” Kaylee shot back. “Ugh, you are so...zhe me ben!”

“Look, just because I asked about Mela, that doesn’t mean I don’t care about your feelings.”

“Mela?” Kaylee asked. “What are you...wait, is that your pet name for her?”

“Well, yes.”

“And you still call her that!?”

“I don’t call her anything! We haven’t been on the same planet for almost a year!”

“Aw, poor baby.”

“Kaylee, if all I wanted was to check up on Mel...I mean, check up on Amelia, I would have just asked the Captain.”

“Yeah, well, I wish you had.”

“I didn’t mean....”

“Bi ni de zui,” Kaylee said sharply, turning her back on Simon and reaching her hand into the engine compartment. “We’ll be landing in ten minutes, and I’ve got work to do. Just go.”

Simon stood for a moment, then turned and walked to the stairwell, frustrated that he could think of no parting words that would help.

Of course, goodbyes had never been Simon’s strong suit. ----------------------------

Osiris, 2517

“So when do you leave?” Amelia asked, staring down upon the city lights that outshone the stars in the night sky.

“Tomorrow,” Simon replied, leaning against the railing that circled the hospital roof. He stared at Amelia’s face, but there was no expression in her faraway gaze.

“And then what?” she asked.

“Then to Persephone,” Simon answered. “If all went well, River will be waiting for me. If not, the men who have her will either bring her to meet me on Boros, or have a messenger there to tell me the next step.”

“And then?”

“Then, I guess we find somewhere that’s safe.”

“You’re never coming back, are you?”

Simon drew a long, labored breath, then said:

“I don’t see how we ever can come back. The first man who contacted me was killed. It seems unlikely that they’ll just give up.”

“So they’re going to kill you?”

“They’re not going to kill me,” Simon assured her.

“Well, they’re going to find you,” Amelia said, her voice rising. “Let’s be honest, Simon. There’s little hope that you can outrun the whole government. So they’re going to find you. And when they do, you’re dead.”

“You don’t know that.”

“The hell I don’t!” Amelia shouted, turning to face Simon. Her jaw trembled, and her hands were balled into fists.

“What would you have me do, Mela?” Simon asked. “Leave her?”

“Of course not!”

“Then I have to do this.”

“I know!” Amelia cried.

She turned away, closed her eyes, then wiped a tear away from her cheek with the heel of her hand.

“I know,” she repeated, her voice soft and steady. “I just wish you didn’t have to.”

“I’m sorry,” Simon said.

“It’s not your fault.”

“I’m still sorry.”

“Yes,” Amelia sighed. “I’m sorry, too.”

Simon swallowed, then said:

“I have to go.”

“Simon, wait,” Amelia said, turning and running into his arms. “We still have tonight. I can tell Doctor Hilbert that I’m not feeling well, and we can....”

“No,” Simon whispered. “They’ll know. After I’m gone they’re going to be looking for me. It’s important that you appear just as surprised as anyone that I left. I don’t want you to be hurt by this.”

“A bit late for that,” Amelia sighed.

Amelia sniffed back a tear, then tilted her head and leaned toward Simon. He bowed his head, then gently kissed her.

“You have to go,” Amelia whispered, releasing herself from Simon's embrace. “If you’re late for your shift, it could be trouble.”

Simon slowly backed away toward the stairwell door, his eyes fixed on Amelia. When he reached the door, he said:

“I love you, Mela.”

A weak smile crossed Amelia’s face as she replied:

“Don’t call me that. And I love you, too.”

Simon smiled back, then disappeared into the stairwell. Amelia stared at the door as it slowly drifted shut.

------------------------

“Let the horse stretch his legs a spell,” Mal instructed Jayne, gesturing at the grassy field beyond the open ramp of the cargo bay. “I’ll be back as soon as I’ve got the doctor flown to town in the shuttle.”

“Fair enough,” Jayne replied.

“Captain,” Zoe called, as she approached with Wash at her side. “Shuttle’s fueled and ready to go.”

“I sent a wave to Atreus,” Wash said. “Told them we’d be there in about twelve hours.”

“That should be about right,” Mal said. “Provided the Doctor doesn’t take....”

“Mal!” Wash screamed, shoving the Captain aside as a man leapt up onto the loading ramp and fired a shot from his pistol. The bullet struck Wash’s side as he fell to the deck. Jayne drew his gun and shot the man in the chest. Barney neighed and rose on his hind legs. Zoe drew her sidearm and ran to Wash’s side.

“Take cover!” Mal shouted, as four men ran up the loading ramp and fired a hail of bullets. Jayne returned fire, backing toward a stack of packing crates. Mal crouched behind a steel barrel and drew his pistol, as Zoe dragged Wash behind the stairwell.

“Captain?” Mal heard Amelia call from the scaffolding.

“Doctor, get outta here!” Mal yelled, shooting at the approaching men to take attention away from Amelia. He heard Amelia run away, and when the footsteps stopped, he surveyed the opposition. At least six men were positioned near the ramp, all carrying rifles. Mal crouched as two of the men fired at him.

On the other side of the cargo bay, Jayne squeezed off three rounds at Mal’s attackers, then turned and shot another man, who’d been trying to creep farther up the cargo bay. His partner fired a shot at Jayne, but missed, and the bullet ricocheted off the metal horse pen.

“Watch what you’re shootin’ at!” one of the attackers cried.

Mal took note of the comment as he leveled his pistol and shot the man in chest. Zoe scurried to his side.

“Wash?” Mal asked.

“Don’t know,” Zoe said, a hint of disquiet in her usual stoic demeanor. She raised her gun and fired a volley.

“Hear that?” Mal asked. Zoe paused, and noted the sound of galloping horses approaching.

“Doubt that’s the cavalry,” Zoe muttered.

“Can’t get to the door control,” Mal grunted. “And we got more company on the way. This is a problem.”

Mal was cut off by the lurching of the ship as the engines fired. He braced himself against a barrel as Zoe dove to cover Wash. The ship shuddered as it rose in the air, tilting to port, then sharply pitching starboard.

“Think it’s Kaylee?” Zoe shouted over the engine noise.

“One problem at a time!” Mal yelled back. “Jayne! Move!”

Mal and Jayne both emerged from their positions and fired, balancing themselves as well as possible as the ship rocked violently . Jayne was thrown to the deck as he fired a shot that caught one man in the stomach.

The ship then pitched forward, sending two of the men flying out of the cargo bay. Mal tumbled down the deck, but managed to grab a post on the horse pen with his left hand. His right hand still held his pistol, and he fired a series of shots at the last of the invaders, who had wrapped his arms around the hatch control panel. The shots caused the man to panic and release his grip, and he toppled backwards down the loading ramp and out of the ship.

Mal released his grip on the post, and crawled toward the control panel with his body flat on the deck. When he reached the panel he reached up, and his probing fingers reached the hatch button. The ramp slowly lifted, then closed.

“Everybody stay put!” Mal shouted, lifting himself to his feet and stumbling toward the stairs. On the way, he noticed Barney, who despite the swerving motions of the ship, had managed to stay afoot. ‘Never thought I’d envy a second set of legs,’ Mal thought, as he reached the stairway and climbed up to the catwalk.

With great effort, Mal managed to negotiate the hallway and make his way to the bridge. When he arrived, he saw Amelia wrestling with the ship’s controls.

“Somebody take this!” Amelia cried.

“How’d you get us airborne?” Mal asked, as he took the seat from Amelia and adjusted the stabilizer settings.

“My father’s in shipping,” Amelia explained. “We had dozens of freighters in our fleet. I grew up watching men fly ships. I guess it’s not as easy as it looks.”

“May not have been the smoothest saving of our necks,” Mal replied. “But it did the job. Hang on.”

Mal punched the afterburners and guided Serenity out of the atmosphere. He them engaged the autopilot and allowed the ship to settle into an orbit before turning to Amelia and saying:

“Speaking of saving, I got a job for you.”

Before Amelia could react, Mal grabbed her hand and led her down to the cargo bay.

“Got a patient, Doctor,” Mal said, leading Amelia down the stairs and over to Wash, who was laying on the deck with Zoe crouched at his side. Jayne stood by, his eyes scanning the deck, still tense from the firefight. Kaylee had come down from the engine room, and stood silently a few steps back.

Amelia surveyed the wound quickly, then pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and applied direct pressure to the wound.

“I need my medical kit,” Amelia said. “I have to stop the bleeding before we move him.”

“I’ll get it,” Mal replied. “Jayne, follow me.”

Jayne trailed behind Mal as he ran up the stairs toward the shuttle. When they reached the entrance, Mal said:

“I’ll get the lady’s bag. You get below. Tell Simon to come running if I call him, but that he’s to stay put if I don’t.”

“On it,” Jayne said, running down the catwalk as Mal entered the shuttle.

END PART III