Restive, Chapter
We are getting up there, aren't we?
Restive Organizational Post
Title: Restive
Chapter: 26
Setting: Post BDM
Rating: PG
Mal knew they had been a long time in the black when they finally touched down on Draynor. Any time they spent close to a month in the black with only each other for company set nerves on edge.
Granted, it had never ended with his ship shot up, his crew at each others throats and Kaylee laid up in the infirmary.
He rubbed his eyes, if he ever saw her laid out on that table again, it was too soon.
She recovered well enough in the two days since and there had been no further outbursts from Jayne or Simon. He took it to be a blessing, but more than like, Kaylee had managed to work some of her magic and bring the men to an unspoken truce.
He'd even talked to Kaylee about it, or attempted to, but the girl's eyes had welled up at the mention of Jayne or Simon and he didn't have the heart to press her on the issue. Truth be told, he was beyond worrying. There was a job needed doing, finally, and they were gonna do it.
"All clear, Captain Daddy." River's voice drifted through the com, and Mal took a good look at the crew gathered around the airlock, waiting to disembark. Kaylee was sticking close to his side, her hands tucked into her pockets as she bounced on her heels. With his blessing, she was more than ready to raid the nearest junk yard.
Inara had left for an assignation on a nearby moon the day before. Simon stood beside Zoe, his hands clasped firmly behind his back, awaiting any instructions, should they come. Jayne hung back, as he was like to these last few days, checking his weapons and then double checking them.
"All right, folks. Contact is well known to us from a few years back. Cargo's legit this time 'round, so we'll be lettin' our hair down for a spell." He nodded to Simon, "We're far enough on the Rim, don't 'xpect any trouble. You and River got free reign, but I want y'all checking in to the ship regular like."
"I don't anticipate a reason for us to leave."
"Fair certain bein' cooped up in here is reason enough."
"Still--"
"I ain't askin', Simon." He fixed the younger man with a pointed look, "We all need our breathin' space, you included."
"Jayne?" He hit the release on the airlock and the doors started climbing down, "You, me and Zoe will be meetin' our contact, man name of--"
"Charlie!"
Mal barely recognised their contact before Kaylee was running down the ramp to hug him. "Charlie Conway..." he finished, though he doubted anyone was listening.
Most especially since Charlie wasn't contenting himself to a mere hug and was kissing the livin' daylights out of his mechanic. Jayne and Simon wore identical expressions of shock, and he slanted an amused glance at Zoe.
Who glared daggers back at him.
"What?" He mouthed to her.
She continued to scowl.
"Who is...?"
"What in the qil ji de di yu is she..."
Zoe took it upon herself to answer before Mal could, "Charlie Conway. We worked with him just before you joined up, Jayne. He... took a liking to Kaylee."
Mal gave the other men a self-satisifed smile, "That right there is the only man came close to tempting Kaylee away from Serenity."
Kaylee was able to pull herself together about then, and pushed lightly on Charlie's shoulders with a nervous laugh, giving the rest of the crew their first look at him. Only a few years younger'n Mal, he stood a few inches over six foot, his brown hair sun-kissed and hanging down over blue eyes. His skin was darker from the sun and there were a few worry lines that weren't there a few years before, but all-in-all he still had that boyish charm that had abandoned Mal long ago.
He might even be jealous, if he weren't so gorram amused.
Restive Organizational Post
Title: Restive
Chapter: 26
Setting: Post BDM
Rating: PG
Mal knew they had been a long time in the black when they finally touched down on Draynor. Any time they spent close to a month in the black with only each other for company set nerves on edge.
Granted, it had never ended with his ship shot up, his crew at each others throats and Kaylee laid up in the infirmary.
He rubbed his eyes, if he ever saw her laid out on that table again, it was too soon.
She recovered well enough in the two days since and there had been no further outbursts from Jayne or Simon. He took it to be a blessing, but more than like, Kaylee had managed to work some of her magic and bring the men to an unspoken truce.
He'd even talked to Kaylee about it, or attempted to, but the girl's eyes had welled up at the mention of Jayne or Simon and he didn't have the heart to press her on the issue. Truth be told, he was beyond worrying. There was a job needed doing, finally, and they were gonna do it.
"All clear, Captain Daddy." River's voice drifted through the com, and Mal took a good look at the crew gathered around the airlock, waiting to disembark. Kaylee was sticking close to his side, her hands tucked into her pockets as she bounced on her heels. With his blessing, she was more than ready to raid the nearest junk yard.
Inara had left for an assignation on a nearby moon the day before. Simon stood beside Zoe, his hands clasped firmly behind his back, awaiting any instructions, should they come. Jayne hung back, as he was like to these last few days, checking his weapons and then double checking them.
"All right, folks. Contact is well known to us from a few years back. Cargo's legit this time 'round, so we'll be lettin' our hair down for a spell." He nodded to Simon, "We're far enough on the Rim, don't 'xpect any trouble. You and River got free reign, but I want y'all checking in to the ship regular like."
"I don't anticipate a reason for us to leave."
"Fair certain bein' cooped up in here is reason enough."
"Still--"
"I ain't askin', Simon." He fixed the younger man with a pointed look, "We all need our breathin' space, you included."
"Jayne?" He hit the release on the airlock and the doors started climbing down, "You, me and Zoe will be meetin' our contact, man name of--"
"Charlie!"
Mal barely recognised their contact before Kaylee was running down the ramp to hug him. "Charlie Conway..." he finished, though he doubted anyone was listening.
Most especially since Charlie wasn't contenting himself to a mere hug and was kissing the livin' daylights out of his mechanic. Jayne and Simon wore identical expressions of shock, and he slanted an amused glance at Zoe.
Who glared daggers back at him.
"What?" He mouthed to her.
She continued to scowl.
"Who is...?"
"What in the qil ji de di yu is she..."
Zoe took it upon herself to answer before Mal could, "Charlie Conway. We worked with him just before you joined up, Jayne. He... took a liking to Kaylee."
Mal gave the other men a self-satisifed smile, "That right there is the only man came close to tempting Kaylee away from Serenity."
Kaylee was able to pull herself together about then, and pushed lightly on Charlie's shoulders with a nervous laugh, giving the rest of the crew their first look at him. Only a few years younger'n Mal, he stood a few inches over six foot, his brown hair sun-kissed and hanging down over blue eyes. His skin was darker from the sun and there were a few worry lines that weren't there a few years before, but all-in-all he still had that boyish charm that had abandoned Mal long ago.
He might even be jealous, if he weren't so gorram amused.