Fanfic: You Don't Throw Family In The Airlock
Title: You Don't Throw Family In The Airlock
Fandom: Firefly (Post-BDM)
Characters/Pairings: Mal, Zoe, Kaylee/Jayne, Simon, River, OMC (Zeru Washburne), OFC (Honora Washburne)
Rating: PG
Summery: You don't throw family into the airlock because... well you just don't!
Author's Note: This is part of my goal to write something, every day, even if it's crap. So take heed that this fluffy little piece is incomplete and not likely to be finished, it's just part of my twelve hundred step program. Featuring the fanatically fictional twin set of Honora 'Nora' and Zeru Washburne, children of one Hoban 'Wash' and Zoe Washburne. Look, didn't I warn you it was fluff?
You Don't Throw Family In The Airlock
You Don’t Toss Family In The Airlock
Always heard it said there were two types of people in the ‘verse: those always meant to keep to the sky and those fare far better when they got a solid piece of dirt right 'neath them. Personally speaking, Mal’s taken to the first, mostly on account of all the law trying to dictate every little gorram detail of how a person should go about living right on down to the way a man should stand when he’s on Alliance soil because apparently they think they can own the gorram dirt now. Probably go and make you shake your boot down before you go and charge you by the grain. Can you imagine? No, there ain't no piece of land left that feels right, feels like home.
Not that the skies are completely lawless. Oh, the Alliance has written up all sorts of statues and orders and what have you, but while you can run a man into corner down here, the black never ends. She stretches herself right on forever and laughs at any fool who thinks he can put a hold around her. Alliance thinks their arbitrary little rules make the worlds go round and maybe they do, but they can't touch his sky. Just go and ask anyone's hand their ship near taken out from under them by some scavengers a time or two. Mal's heard plenty such stories (has a few of his own, just doesn't see much point in telling them is all) and ain't a single one ends with the Alliance carvery flying in to save the day. In the black a man has only himself, like a small floating world standing good and well alone.
Only thing that keeps him coming back to these rocks is the need for fuel and food and some shiny expensive bit Kaylee keeps insisting they need if they want to keep on breathing - he just passes through each world to gather up what it is he needs so that they don't have to stay stuck to the ground. That's all any world ever meant to him.
Then on occasions when he ain’t watching himself there's a real bad ache catches up to him and you would swear it's like a ghost that goes right through him, leaves him chilled and warm all at once and he can see just a hint of darking skies and a woman coming in from a days work with a young boy right at her side covered in wet patches and flower grass and all sorts of dirt. Behind them the fields stretch out until they meet the sky and it seems to a babe just as endless as the sheet of stars that covers the sky each night.
“Make sure everything’s secure like,” Mal reminds Jayne, scouting out of the way as the brute pushes the oversized block up the ramp. Whatever the man’s flaws (and there was plenty of ‘em), he was good to have around when you find yourself in need of guns or muscles - both of which the crew seem to find necessary a far sight too often.
Jayne stops with the work, cleaning the sweat out of his eyes so as he can properly glare at Mal. “Ain’t like they’re gonna be moving none. They each weigh agora ton-”
“Just do it, Jayne.” Mal didn’t have time to argue. Or, well, he did but he didn’t feel much like it, and besides he’s captain. There was no arguing with the captain, it’s a rule.
It was too pleasant a day to be arguing. Stepping out of the ship, Mal had to shield his eyes and wait for them to adjust to all the brilliant sunlight. The world smelled heavily of spring, trees and grass growing up just about everywhere. Even those not working were standing about, just bathing in the scene. It ain’t often that Mal finds himself tempted by that old ache, but surely any man could appreciate this here little patch of paradise. Even a mean old man like Mal.
He looks about at the rest of the crew lying about like they hadn‘t done plenty of that on ship. Hell, they could sure use some rest, standing about for a bit when they ain’t in trouble or starving to death. Any good works gotten harder of late, and the number of pirates out there willing to attack just any old vessel, even a fellow mercenary type, have taken to crowding up his sky. After the Miranda tapes, the Alliance answered by clenching up it’s fist, making jobs against them a damn death wish, but no one ever stood up for the scavengers. Got so bad at a point, Mal seriously thought of waiting ‘til everyone stepped off, and then taking Serenity up himself as so he didn’t have their lives on his conscious, especially with Zoe being in that way. The thought passed soon as he realized he’d just be setting himself up to get his ass kicked by Zoe, and probably some bad yelling at by Kaylee and the rest.
Even with the Alliance loosening up, they still made themselves something of a vexation, and the pirates weren’t lessening any, either. So Mal couldn’t blame the crew for being lazy, soaking in the feeling of a beautiful day.
“Cargo is in place, sir.” After helping Jayne lock down the last of the boxes, Zoe can ambling down the walkway. Did the same work as the two of them, so how is it that Zoe can come out of it looking as professional as always? Swear, that woman has some secrets she ain’t sharing. “Should I start herding up the xiao zinu?”
Zoe don’t appreciate nature enough, Mal decides, although she’s right they gotta be taking off. Damn woman and her sense of responsibility, helping to keep Mal employed. Work don’t come easy, and he don’t want to leave anyone displeased when they’re offering him a job, but this right here? This little patch of grass and forest, it’s like the edge of his old ranch. He can heard cows and a group of men laughing as they walk towards the house, his ma telling him to come to dinner clean or not bother coming at all. “Yi, yi.” Mal sided, dropping his hand into his pocket. It ain’t good to get caught up in these memories, anyway. “Alright, everyone back on board. We don’t have time to be wastin‘ sitting about this rock!”
That got him groans and muttered curses, all things he expected. “But, cap’n!” Mal gave Zoe a sideways glance, cursing her some for making him be the one to say anything, and now he’s got to deal with Kaylee and the woman has the nerve to snicker some, shaking her head as she walks away from him. Aiya.
“Cap’n,” Kaylee runs up to him, eyes all big and pleading like. She’s got something in her hands; what is that? A bunch of weeds? But he notices for all the dirty and roots that some of them have traces of flowers on them. It’s the weakest looking bouquet Mal’s ever seen, and she’s clutching it to her chest like a diamond. “Can’t we stay just a little longer, can’t we?”
“So you can pick more weeds?” Mal asks, flicking a bug off the top of one of the leaves.
Kaylee pouts, and behind her he can just make out a worn down Jayne picking himself up like he’s ready to start a fight. “They’re flowers, cap’n. Jayne pick them for me. I think they‘re gorgeous, xi?” That takes away a lot of Jayne’s malice. He perks up some, even smiles like he’s just oh so gorram proud of himself. Mal’s eyebrow goes up, laughing some at the merc’s acting like a silly school boy with a crush. Funny to see as huge a man as Jayne reduce to feel proud over his ability to pick flowers. Sort of flowers.
“Well, you can stare at them just as well on the ship as off,” Mal reasons, pressing his hand gentle to Kaylee’s back, urging her up onto the ship with Jayne glaring at him the whole time. He still ain’t approving of the two of them dating, but at least it can be funny to watch now and again. Besides, it’s been two years now, and Mal don’t trust Jayne with his little mechanic at all, but he also knows the brute’s more than willing to take a bullet or two for her. And, well, with how hard things have been Mal don’t want to go wasting bullets. He does want to protect her, and if nothing else Mal can agree to that. “We gotta make a drop off, xiao meimei less you want to just sit about watch Serenity rust to death.”
Kaylee tries to turn but Mal’s being clever. If she don’t have a chance to look at him with those big brown eyes of hers, he won’t risk giving in. “It won’t hurt to stay for just a day, cap’n. Me and Jayne ain’t had a day to ourselves in-”
“Aiya!” Mal winced, letting Kaylee go after having walked her up into Serenity’s hold. He turns around, hands pressed over his ears. “I don’t wanna hear another word of that. You know better, Kaylee.”
Jayne pushes up against him on his way passed, but Mal doesn’t do more than glare backwards, and looks away the moment he has his arms wrapped around Kaylee. He was serious, he really didn’t need to hear any more on that.
Instead he walks down towards another figure standing with his back towards the ship, but at least he’d made his way up on the ramp. “That would mean you, too, doc. ‘Less you’re thinking of leaving us again?”
This has turned into something of a joke between the two. Enough so that when Mal says it, Simon stops searching the sky and smiles over at Mal. The first while after Miranda, and then again after his job with Zoe was done (good doctor, knew better than to leave a patient but that didn’t surprise Mal anymore) had been a long battle of threats between the two. Simon thought while the Alliance wasn’t searching for them it would be safe for them to left to land, and Mal argued that he needed his pilot and besides Simon didn’t know what the Alliance would do, only had the word of the same man just spent all his time trying to kill them as Mal liked to remind him. They went in a flash to Simon trying to be the one to leave and Mal keeping him about, and Mal isn’t even sure what made him turn sides.
Well, sure he did. Always had known, just didn’t want to go admitting it and making it any more true than it already is.
Simon had gone back to watching the sky with the kind of intense interest that Mal finds somewhat troubling. That boy has so much strength held right under him, and in the last couple of years Mal’s seen it forced to the surface. Prefers it hidden, to be truthsome. Mal looks between Simon and the sky, trying to follow his gaze right up through the clouds. “What you looking for, doc?”
“This sunset… It reminds me so much of hom- of Osiris.” Shaking his head out, Simon runs his fingers through his shaggy hair, messaging his temples gently. Mal just stands there, shifting his weight about somewhat awkwardly. Setting this up to be something emotional, but Simon should know by now the captain doesn’t do these scenes very well. “We can never go home, you know? River… She doesn’t mind, of course. She loves Serenity. I think she was made for spaceships and what have you.”
“They say some folks do better in the belly of a ship then the curve of a planet, heard it said myself more than a few times.” That feels like the best piece of advice Mal could impart on the boy - well, not really a boy anymore, closer to a man, but it ain’t easy for Mal to think on him as such when times like this he seems to be as lost as a babe.
Simon laughs, but it sure don’t sound like the happy sort. “I think I must be the latter, then. I - I don’t know. I don’t mean to imply that I’m ungrateful,” he said suddenly, turning on Mal quick enough to startle him some, and now those intense eyes were all trying to explain and apologize. Well, here Mal could help.
He gave the boy a heavy pat on the shoulder. “I know that well enough.” Simon physically relaxes at that, Mal can feel his shoulder loosen some. The boy’s started to slump more in the last few years, that’s for sure. His hair is a bit longer, more shaggy and less so proper gent like. Even his clothes are more at ease now, less fancisome. In Mal’s opinion it suits him, almost handsome Mal would say, but maybe this is all about him not being so uptight and core-breed no more. Well, to Mal’s mind that’s nothing but a positive. Can’t understand Simon’s point at all.
“I just wonder how things would have gone, if they had gone different. The career that I would have had, where I would have been in my life.”
“No sense in such things,” Mal says, shaking his head. “Only way is the way it is, thinking on anything else is just wasting time.”
“And seeing Zoe… I could have a family.” So was this what he was so caught up in? “Even Kaylee and Jayne are talking about-”
“Whoa now!” Mal cut him off with a wave of his hands. “I haven’t heard of this? Why haven’t I heard about this? I’m the captain, peoples’ gotta ask me to be bringing babies onto this ship. I don’t care about doctor-patient anything, you hear about babies and you come to me, you understand that?”
“Yes,” Simon said with so much dryness it’s a surprise all the nice wet vegetation around him didn’t turn to desert. “I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t brooch the subject with you.” His lips had gone up in a sort of smile, though, and damnit, for such a terrible straight up liar, sometimes it’s hard to tell when the boy is being on the level.
“Simon?” Mal didn’t get to prod further on that family subject. Both men turned their attention to Zoe. The woman was always so calm and collected, sometimes Mal felt he needed to rile her up to make sure she wasn’t a machine. So when there was even a hint of worry in her voice it’s enough to get everyone worried. “You seen your sister? I can’t find them around.”
Good way to make the doc forget about everything else, just like that. His eyes went wide, and he quickly stepped down off the ramp to have a look around. “She stepped into the forest with them,” Simon admits, hurrying around one side of the ship. “She said they wouldn’t wonder far.”
The moment he stepped around one side, who would pop up from the other side of the ship. Mal had to do a double take, she’d appeared so quick and without a sound -all in her usual form. “I wouldn’t worry too much, doc. I think she’s right around.”
“We were trying to get lost, but the world is too small for all of us together,“ River explains as Simon reappears from around the ship. Zoe walks over towards her, and before she can say anything River looks right at her, head cocked to the side, like she can stare right through her. It makes Zoe stop with a bit of a stumble, but then Mal knows how intense that girl can stare, and even after seven years knowing her it can still be quite something. “I brought them back! All safe and sound just the way you wanted them!”
Zoe smiles, but doesn’t relax until the first kid comes bolting around after River.
The girl slides to a stop, grabbing hold of River’s leg to keep herself from splattering around the ground. She’s flushed and wild eyed, looking from her mother back to Mal in this wide eyed way. Now what’s all this about. “Are we late?” She asks, pushing off River to stand up. “Sorry captain! Sir!” She gives Mal a salute, but only pays them half attention, keeps looking behind her.
“You need to stay closer to the ship,” Zoe reprimands, but she doesn’t seem upset. Probably just realized they didn’t wander off as far as they had at the Eavesdown Docks. Those two had a talent at hiding and seek, possibly the worse game to teach a couple of babes growing up on a ship like a Firefly. “Where’s Zeru, mìfēng?”
“He, uh…” Honora taps her foot nervously on the ship’s ramp, looking over her shoulder every few moments. “He’s just slow walker and I told him no - here! Here he is!”
Zeru did not manage to make it all the way to River. He came running around the corner, and everyone seemed to spot it and move forward at the same time, but too late: the little boy already went crashing headlong into the dirt.
He picks himself up, hands clamped over his baggy flight suit pants, and picks himself right back up without a word, jogging to hide behind his sister. “Both of you know to stay near the ship.” Zoe walks over and kneels down, trying to brush Zeru clean. The boy just yelps, wiggling out of his mom’s hands and holding tight to Honora. Zoe cocks her head to the side, looking back to her daughter. Turns out that being born forty two whole minutes before makes for a very protective older sister, even if they were both five years old all the same. “Is everything alright?”
Honora nods, reaching back to take her brother’s hand. “Of course, ma! We’re okay. Sorry we wondered off,” she adds as Zoe starts ushering the two of them onto the ship. “We were with an adult, though. Auntie River was with us the whole time so we couldn‘t do anything bad, see? Promise absolutely.”
Fandom: Firefly (Post-BDM)
Characters/Pairings: Mal, Zoe, Kaylee/Jayne, Simon, River, OMC (Zeru Washburne), OFC (Honora Washburne)
Rating: PG
Summery: You don't throw family into the airlock because... well you just don't!
Author's Note: This is part of my goal to write something, every day, even if it's crap. So take heed that this fluffy little piece is incomplete and not likely to be finished, it's just part of my twelve hundred step program. Featuring the fanatically fictional twin set of Honora 'Nora' and Zeru Washburne, children of one Hoban 'Wash' and Zoe Washburne. Look, didn't I warn you it was fluff?
You Don't Throw Family In The Airlock
You Don’t Toss Family In The Airlock
Always heard it said there were two types of people in the ‘verse: those always meant to keep to the sky and those fare far better when they got a solid piece of dirt right 'neath them. Personally speaking, Mal’s taken to the first, mostly on account of all the law trying to dictate every little gorram detail of how a person should go about living right on down to the way a man should stand when he’s on Alliance soil because apparently they think they can own the gorram dirt now. Probably go and make you shake your boot down before you go and charge you by the grain. Can you imagine? No, there ain't no piece of land left that feels right, feels like home.
Not that the skies are completely lawless. Oh, the Alliance has written up all sorts of statues and orders and what have you, but while you can run a man into corner down here, the black never ends. She stretches herself right on forever and laughs at any fool who thinks he can put a hold around her. Alliance thinks their arbitrary little rules make the worlds go round and maybe they do, but they can't touch his sky. Just go and ask anyone's hand their ship near taken out from under them by some scavengers a time or two. Mal's heard plenty such stories (has a few of his own, just doesn't see much point in telling them is all) and ain't a single one ends with the Alliance carvery flying in to save the day. In the black a man has only himself, like a small floating world standing good and well alone.
Only thing that keeps him coming back to these rocks is the need for fuel and food and some shiny expensive bit Kaylee keeps insisting they need if they want to keep on breathing - he just passes through each world to gather up what it is he needs so that they don't have to stay stuck to the ground. That's all any world ever meant to him.
Then on occasions when he ain’t watching himself there's a real bad ache catches up to him and you would swear it's like a ghost that goes right through him, leaves him chilled and warm all at once and he can see just a hint of darking skies and a woman coming in from a days work with a young boy right at her side covered in wet patches and flower grass and all sorts of dirt. Behind them the fields stretch out until they meet the sky and it seems to a babe just as endless as the sheet of stars that covers the sky each night.
“Make sure everything’s secure like,” Mal reminds Jayne, scouting out of the way as the brute pushes the oversized block up the ramp. Whatever the man’s flaws (and there was plenty of ‘em), he was good to have around when you find yourself in need of guns or muscles - both of which the crew seem to find necessary a far sight too often.
Jayne stops with the work, cleaning the sweat out of his eyes so as he can properly glare at Mal. “Ain’t like they’re gonna be moving none. They each weigh agora ton-”
“Just do it, Jayne.” Mal didn’t have time to argue. Or, well, he did but he didn’t feel much like it, and besides he’s captain. There was no arguing with the captain, it’s a rule.
It was too pleasant a day to be arguing. Stepping out of the ship, Mal had to shield his eyes and wait for them to adjust to all the brilliant sunlight. The world smelled heavily of spring, trees and grass growing up just about everywhere. Even those not working were standing about, just bathing in the scene. It ain’t often that Mal finds himself tempted by that old ache, but surely any man could appreciate this here little patch of paradise. Even a mean old man like Mal.
He looks about at the rest of the crew lying about like they hadn‘t done plenty of that on ship. Hell, they could sure use some rest, standing about for a bit when they ain’t in trouble or starving to death. Any good works gotten harder of late, and the number of pirates out there willing to attack just any old vessel, even a fellow mercenary type, have taken to crowding up his sky. After the Miranda tapes, the Alliance answered by clenching up it’s fist, making jobs against them a damn death wish, but no one ever stood up for the scavengers. Got so bad at a point, Mal seriously thought of waiting ‘til everyone stepped off, and then taking Serenity up himself as so he didn’t have their lives on his conscious, especially with Zoe being in that way. The thought passed soon as he realized he’d just be setting himself up to get his ass kicked by Zoe, and probably some bad yelling at by Kaylee and the rest.
Even with the Alliance loosening up, they still made themselves something of a vexation, and the pirates weren’t lessening any, either. So Mal couldn’t blame the crew for being lazy, soaking in the feeling of a beautiful day.
“Cargo is in place, sir.” After helping Jayne lock down the last of the boxes, Zoe can ambling down the walkway. Did the same work as the two of them, so how is it that Zoe can come out of it looking as professional as always? Swear, that woman has some secrets she ain’t sharing. “Should I start herding up the xiao zinu?”
Zoe don’t appreciate nature enough, Mal decides, although she’s right they gotta be taking off. Damn woman and her sense of responsibility, helping to keep Mal employed. Work don’t come easy, and he don’t want to leave anyone displeased when they’re offering him a job, but this right here? This little patch of grass and forest, it’s like the edge of his old ranch. He can heard cows and a group of men laughing as they walk towards the house, his ma telling him to come to dinner clean or not bother coming at all. “Yi, yi.” Mal sided, dropping his hand into his pocket. It ain’t good to get caught up in these memories, anyway. “Alright, everyone back on board. We don’t have time to be wastin‘ sitting about this rock!”
That got him groans and muttered curses, all things he expected. “But, cap’n!” Mal gave Zoe a sideways glance, cursing her some for making him be the one to say anything, and now he’s got to deal with Kaylee and the woman has the nerve to snicker some, shaking her head as she walks away from him. Aiya.
“Cap’n,” Kaylee runs up to him, eyes all big and pleading like. She’s got something in her hands; what is that? A bunch of weeds? But he notices for all the dirty and roots that some of them have traces of flowers on them. It’s the weakest looking bouquet Mal’s ever seen, and she’s clutching it to her chest like a diamond. “Can’t we stay just a little longer, can’t we?”
“So you can pick more weeds?” Mal asks, flicking a bug off the top of one of the leaves.
Kaylee pouts, and behind her he can just make out a worn down Jayne picking himself up like he’s ready to start a fight. “They’re flowers, cap’n. Jayne pick them for me. I think they‘re gorgeous, xi?” That takes away a lot of Jayne’s malice. He perks up some, even smiles like he’s just oh so gorram proud of himself. Mal’s eyebrow goes up, laughing some at the merc’s acting like a silly school boy with a crush. Funny to see as huge a man as Jayne reduce to feel proud over his ability to pick flowers. Sort of flowers.
“Well, you can stare at them just as well on the ship as off,” Mal reasons, pressing his hand gentle to Kaylee’s back, urging her up onto the ship with Jayne glaring at him the whole time. He still ain’t approving of the two of them dating, but at least it can be funny to watch now and again. Besides, it’s been two years now, and Mal don’t trust Jayne with his little mechanic at all, but he also knows the brute’s more than willing to take a bullet or two for her. And, well, with how hard things have been Mal don’t want to go wasting bullets. He does want to protect her, and if nothing else Mal can agree to that. “We gotta make a drop off, xiao meimei less you want to just sit about watch Serenity rust to death.”
Kaylee tries to turn but Mal’s being clever. If she don’t have a chance to look at him with those big brown eyes of hers, he won’t risk giving in. “It won’t hurt to stay for just a day, cap’n. Me and Jayne ain’t had a day to ourselves in-”
“Aiya!” Mal winced, letting Kaylee go after having walked her up into Serenity’s hold. He turns around, hands pressed over his ears. “I don’t wanna hear another word of that. You know better, Kaylee.”
Jayne pushes up against him on his way passed, but Mal doesn’t do more than glare backwards, and looks away the moment he has his arms wrapped around Kaylee. He was serious, he really didn’t need to hear any more on that.
Instead he walks down towards another figure standing with his back towards the ship, but at least he’d made his way up on the ramp. “That would mean you, too, doc. ‘Less you’re thinking of leaving us again?”
This has turned into something of a joke between the two. Enough so that when Mal says it, Simon stops searching the sky and smiles over at Mal. The first while after Miranda, and then again after his job with Zoe was done (good doctor, knew better than to leave a patient but that didn’t surprise Mal anymore) had been a long battle of threats between the two. Simon thought while the Alliance wasn’t searching for them it would be safe for them to left to land, and Mal argued that he needed his pilot and besides Simon didn’t know what the Alliance would do, only had the word of the same man just spent all his time trying to kill them as Mal liked to remind him. They went in a flash to Simon trying to be the one to leave and Mal keeping him about, and Mal isn’t even sure what made him turn sides.
Well, sure he did. Always had known, just didn’t want to go admitting it and making it any more true than it already is.
Simon had gone back to watching the sky with the kind of intense interest that Mal finds somewhat troubling. That boy has so much strength held right under him, and in the last couple of years Mal’s seen it forced to the surface. Prefers it hidden, to be truthsome. Mal looks between Simon and the sky, trying to follow his gaze right up through the clouds. “What you looking for, doc?”
“This sunset… It reminds me so much of hom- of Osiris.” Shaking his head out, Simon runs his fingers through his shaggy hair, messaging his temples gently. Mal just stands there, shifting his weight about somewhat awkwardly. Setting this up to be something emotional, but Simon should know by now the captain doesn’t do these scenes very well. “We can never go home, you know? River… She doesn’t mind, of course. She loves Serenity. I think she was made for spaceships and what have you.”
“They say some folks do better in the belly of a ship then the curve of a planet, heard it said myself more than a few times.” That feels like the best piece of advice Mal could impart on the boy - well, not really a boy anymore, closer to a man, but it ain’t easy for Mal to think on him as such when times like this he seems to be as lost as a babe.
Simon laughs, but it sure don’t sound like the happy sort. “I think I must be the latter, then. I - I don’t know. I don’t mean to imply that I’m ungrateful,” he said suddenly, turning on Mal quick enough to startle him some, and now those intense eyes were all trying to explain and apologize. Well, here Mal could help.
He gave the boy a heavy pat on the shoulder. “I know that well enough.” Simon physically relaxes at that, Mal can feel his shoulder loosen some. The boy’s started to slump more in the last few years, that’s for sure. His hair is a bit longer, more shaggy and less so proper gent like. Even his clothes are more at ease now, less fancisome. In Mal’s opinion it suits him, almost handsome Mal would say, but maybe this is all about him not being so uptight and core-breed no more. Well, to Mal’s mind that’s nothing but a positive. Can’t understand Simon’s point at all.
“I just wonder how things would have gone, if they had gone different. The career that I would have had, where I would have been in my life.”
“No sense in such things,” Mal says, shaking his head. “Only way is the way it is, thinking on anything else is just wasting time.”
“And seeing Zoe… I could have a family.” So was this what he was so caught up in? “Even Kaylee and Jayne are talking about-”
“Whoa now!” Mal cut him off with a wave of his hands. “I haven’t heard of this? Why haven’t I heard about this? I’m the captain, peoples’ gotta ask me to be bringing babies onto this ship. I don’t care about doctor-patient anything, you hear about babies and you come to me, you understand that?”
“Yes,” Simon said with so much dryness it’s a surprise all the nice wet vegetation around him didn’t turn to desert. “I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t brooch the subject with you.” His lips had gone up in a sort of smile, though, and damnit, for such a terrible straight up liar, sometimes it’s hard to tell when the boy is being on the level.
“Simon?” Mal didn’t get to prod further on that family subject. Both men turned their attention to Zoe. The woman was always so calm and collected, sometimes Mal felt he needed to rile her up to make sure she wasn’t a machine. So when there was even a hint of worry in her voice it’s enough to get everyone worried. “You seen your sister? I can’t find them around.”
Good way to make the doc forget about everything else, just like that. His eyes went wide, and he quickly stepped down off the ramp to have a look around. “She stepped into the forest with them,” Simon admits, hurrying around one side of the ship. “She said they wouldn’t wonder far.”
The moment he stepped around one side, who would pop up from the other side of the ship. Mal had to do a double take, she’d appeared so quick and without a sound -all in her usual form. “I wouldn’t worry too much, doc. I think she’s right around.”
“We were trying to get lost, but the world is too small for all of us together,“ River explains as Simon reappears from around the ship. Zoe walks over towards her, and before she can say anything River looks right at her, head cocked to the side, like she can stare right through her. It makes Zoe stop with a bit of a stumble, but then Mal knows how intense that girl can stare, and even after seven years knowing her it can still be quite something. “I brought them back! All safe and sound just the way you wanted them!”
Zoe smiles, but doesn’t relax until the first kid comes bolting around after River.
The girl slides to a stop, grabbing hold of River’s leg to keep herself from splattering around the ground. She’s flushed and wild eyed, looking from her mother back to Mal in this wide eyed way. Now what’s all this about. “Are we late?” She asks, pushing off River to stand up. “Sorry captain! Sir!” She gives Mal a salute, but only pays them half attention, keeps looking behind her.
“You need to stay closer to the ship,” Zoe reprimands, but she doesn’t seem upset. Probably just realized they didn’t wander off as far as they had at the Eavesdown Docks. Those two had a talent at hiding and seek, possibly the worse game to teach a couple of babes growing up on a ship like a Firefly. “Where’s Zeru, mìfēng?”
“He, uh…” Honora taps her foot nervously on the ship’s ramp, looking over her shoulder every few moments. “He’s just slow walker and I told him no - here! Here he is!”
Zeru did not manage to make it all the way to River. He came running around the corner, and everyone seemed to spot it and move forward at the same time, but too late: the little boy already went crashing headlong into the dirt.
He picks himself up, hands clamped over his baggy flight suit pants, and picks himself right back up without a word, jogging to hide behind his sister. “Both of you know to stay near the ship.” Zoe walks over and kneels down, trying to brush Zeru clean. The boy just yelps, wiggling out of his mom’s hands and holding tight to Honora. Zoe cocks her head to the side, looking back to her daughter. Turns out that being born forty two whole minutes before makes for a very protective older sister, even if they were both five years old all the same. “Is everything alright?”
Honora nods, reaching back to take her brother’s hand. “Of course, ma! We’re okay. Sorry we wondered off,” she adds as Zoe starts ushering the two of them onto the ship. “We were with an adult, though. Auntie River was with us the whole time so we couldn‘t do anything bad, see? Promise absolutely.”