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.

Epilogue

Kaylee checked the reading on the thermal scanner in her hand. She had rerouted the coolant through an auxiliary bypass to compensate for the damage Amelia had done with the pulse charges. The system appeared to be functioning within limits, and Kaylee was confident that Serenity could easily make it to a maint station.

“Hi.”

Kaylee turned and saw Simon standing at the doorway.

“Oh, hi,” Kaylee replied.

“Everything working?” Simon asked.

“So far, so good,” Kaylee answered. “The damage was minor, and we only need to make it to Antigone.”

“That’s good,” Simon said. “I suppose...that is, I should go check on Wash. I just wanted to make sure that everything was...working.”

Simon turned to leave, but then stopped and said:

“I’m sorry. I know that Amelia caused a lot of trouble. Trouble seems to follow me around, and I end up sharing it with everyone around me. I’m sorry if things have been difficult for you.”

“Aw, heck,” Kaylee said. “If things didn’t get broke on the ship, the Captain wouldn’t need me around. And the other stuff, well, it wasn’t a carnival or nothin’, but I’m okay.”

“Okay,” Simon echoed. “Um, when you say that you’re okay, does that mean that I’m supposed to assume that you’re not okay, or...?”

“That’s an okay that means okay,” Kaylee assured him. “But it’s good that you were wonderin’. You just might learn a thing or two about women one of these days.”

“Yes, well, better late than never,” Simon said, casting his eyes on the ground.

“How about you?” Kaylee asked.

“What?”

“You,” Kaylee repeated. “For you, is everything, you know, okay?”

“I wasn’t hurt. That is, my leg’s fine.”

“So, you’re alright?”

“Yes,” Simon said, nodding slowly. “I wasn’t sure I would be, but I am.”

“It’s okay if you’re not,” Kaylee said. “I mean, anybody’d be in a state, after that pan tu sold you out.”

“Well, maybe it just hasn’t hit me yet,” Simon replied. “I mean, I’ve grown used to looking for the Alliance around every corner. But Amelia...I never thought that she’d be someone I couldn’t trust.”

“Never? I mean, when you came out to the Rim, and she stayed behind, you didn’t think that was peculiar?”

“It never occurred to me,” Simon said. “It seemed natural. I certainly didn’t ask her to come with me.”

“See, I don’t get that,” Kaylee said. “I mean, I thought you two were supposed to get hitched?”

“We were,” Simon said. “But I couldn’t ask her...I couldn’t ask anybody to follow me.”

“Why not? I mean, I know she was used to being rich and all, but ain’t that bad out here.”

“That’s just it,” Simon explained. “It’s not just ‘here.’ It’s this place, then the next place, and God knows where after that. If the Alliance ever found out where we were, we’d have to just pick up and go, leaving behind anything we’d grown attached to. River and I have to live with that, but....”

Simon bit his bottom lip, then said:

“It would be really selfish of me to ask someone to live that way.”

Kaylee shrugged. “I guess you rich folks got different ways about you. Out on the Rim, half the people there’ve been dragged by somebody. Other half did the draggin’, I suppose.”

Kaylee absently turned the scanner in her hand, then added:

“Just doesn’t seem like that big a deal, is all. I mean, I could see myself gettin’ dragged a bit. Not that I’d just up and chase any ban wen mang that made moon eyes at me, but...for the right person, I could see it.”

“Well, that’s you,” Simon said. “You’re special.”

Kaylee’s eyes widened, and a wide grin crossed her face. Simon smiled gently, then took a step toward her.

Before he could take a second step, a rapid chirping sounded from the engine’s control panel.

“Bo ming,” Kaylee grumbled, as she turned and checked the panel.

“Something wrong?” Simon asked.

“It’s nothing,” Kaylee said. “The main breaker just went out. Actually, that keeps the ship from blowing up, so maybe that’s not nothing.”

“Blowing up?” Simon gasped.

“It’s fine,” Kaylee declared. “There are two redundancies built in.”

Simon let out a sigh of relief.

“Of course,” Kaylee added, “I ain’t checked those redundancies since we got zapped.”

“Uh....”

“It’ll be fine,” Kaylee said. “I’ll just...I just need to....”

“Get back to work?” Simon asked.

“Yeah,” Kaylee sighed. “I really need to....”

“It’s okay,” Simon said. “We’ll talk later.”

“Good plan,” Kaylee said, pulling open a panel on the engine casing.

“I’ll see you at dinner.”

“See you then,” Kaylee agreed.

“If we don’t blow up.”

“Goes without saying.”

Simon turned and left Kaylee to the engine.

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

Mal stood on the catwalk above the loading bay, looking down at the empty horse pen. He would help Jayne take it down when they reached Antigone, and they could sell the metal for scrap.

“Shepherd Book wanted me to tell you that dinner would be served late,” Simon said, approaching Mal on the walkway. “He decided to put a little extra preparation into tonight’s meal, in celebration of our latest windfall.”

“It is nice to have a little cash for a change,” Mal said. “It should last us a good while.”

“At least we won’t have to take on passengers in the near future,” Simon said.

“I’d agree with that,” Mal said. “Trouble always does seem to follow. No offense.”

“None taken,” Simon replied. “And I do appreciate all you did to help.”

Mal shrugged. “Wish it didn’t have to end the way it did.”

“That’s no one’s fault but Amelia’s,” Simon said.

“Don’t be too hard on her,” Mal advised. “Take a good person, put ‘em in a tough spot, you got to give ‘em a little consideration for circumstances.”

“I wonder if the same could be said for Marsh,” Simon suggested.

“Naw, he was just a rat bastard.”

“Probably true.”

“Well, I’d best get on the Cortex and set up repairs,” Mal said. “Fortunately we got the funds to cover it this time. Kaylee says the breakers need replacing, and the hull of Inara’s shuttle needs a little work after that crash landing. Don’t want her complaining about her ship’s condition. At least as long as she’s still got use for it.”

Simon leaned against the railing next to the Captain, then turned his head toward Mal and asked:

”Would it kill you to just ask Inara to stay?”

“Would it kill you to just throw an arm around Kaylee and kiss her?” Mal retorted.

Simon bit his bottom lip.

“Not that I’m suggesting or endorsing such a notion,” Mal quickly added. “I still ain’t measured you up to my Kaylee. I’m just tryin’ to win the argument, which, as you may have noticed, is a habit of mine.”

“I’ve observed the characteristic,” Simon said. “I suppose that’s a necessary property for a leader.”

“Right,” Mal mumbled. “That’s me. Malcolm Reynolds, leader of men. Most of what I got I stole, most of what I steal I can’t sell. I can’t even horse trade a horse without calamity and bloodshed. Half the crew can’t stand the other half, and the one person on board who gets on with everybody’s leavin’, ‘cause she can’t get on with me. Yeah, I’m one hell of a leader.”

Simon’s eyes dropped. Then he looked up, and said:

“We’re still flying.”

Mal’s eyes darted toward Simon. Mal then shook his head, smiled, and said:

“Yep. We are at that.”

THE END

a/n: Big thanks to Estepheia for all of her help, input, and encouragement.