(no subject)
A/N: I’m not too sure about all the planets, how long it takes to get to them etc. So hopefully you can just ignore my ignorance J
Despite the smile Mal wore on his face, there was an anxious tug to it when they stopped off on Sihnon to pick up Inara. He could see too, that she held that same anxiety, though she was hiding it exceptionally well. But Mal knew Kaylee was the most worried of them all. Inara was one of her best friends and Mal could guess that she felt she’d betrayed her in some way.
Kaylee hung back as everyone greeted Inara. Of course, she was glad to see her but she was nervous about what Inara would think about Kaylee and Mal. She couldn’t stand thinking Inara was hurt because of what had happened. Kaylee never wanted to be the source of anybody getting hurt, let alone one of her best friends.
The other thing Kaylee couldn’t help but wonder at, was Mal’s feelings towards Inara. He’d told her that it was over between them but she knew personally, feelings like that didn’t just disappear. No matter what she’d decided about Simon, she wouldn’t deny that she still had some feelings towards him.
Inara finally stopped in front of Kaylee, her eyes kind. “Mei mei,” Inara enveloped Kaylee in a hug. She held her there for several seconds, finally whispering, “I’m very happy for you. You and Mal.”
When Inara pulled away, Kaylee’s character smile was plastered on her face.
Mal gave her a friendly nod of the head, “Nice to have you back. Best get your things loaded, we’ve got a meeting bout’ a job. Jayne grab her stuff.”
Jayne gapped at Mal, “ Do I look like the gorram help?” Inara gave him a kind smile and Jayne huffed audibly. “Fine, but I ain’t touching no frilly stuff.” He left to retrieve her luggage from outside the ship.
Mal gave Inara a final smile, then turned to River. “Time to get us in the air, little Albatross.” He made his way up the stairs of the cargo bay, “Zoe, meet me up on the bridge, after you’re done visitin’.”
A few hours later, Mal found Kaylee underneath the engine, quietly humming to herself.
“Everything runnin’ smooth?” He was talking about more than just the ship.
Kaylee rolled herself out, “Top notch, Cap’n.”
Mal crouched down next to her head, “Good to hear. So…I was thinking, after we get this meeting done, I was thinking we could stay the night planet-side. Maybe you and I could, uh, you know go…”
Kaylee sat up, a shy smile gracing her face, “Are you talking bout’ taking me on a date?”
Mal ran a hand through his hair, this was proving to be less nerve-wracking then it had been back in grade school, but not by much. “Yeah.”
Kaylee kissed him on the cheek, “Can I wear a dress?”
Mal couldn’t help but grin, the image of Kaylee’s pink, frilly dress instantly popping into mind. “That’d make me right happy.”
Mal stood up, his cool, distant captain composure breaking a bit at the sight of Kaylee’s smile. He leaned back down, wiping some grease off of Kaylee’s cheek. He suddenly realized that the smell of engine grease and plain soap was all he could ever desire. It surprised him, especially since he’d spent far too many years desiring a woman who was the exact opposite.
“You are something wonderful.” He kissed her full on the lips and left the engine room. Sure to secure his Mean Captain look on the way out.
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“Well that went…well, sir.” Zoe was climbing the stairs of the cargo bay following behind the captain. Their meeting had not gone as well as hoped but not as badly as it could have.
Mal tried his best not to glare back at her. “At least we have a job,” he said, as if it were somehow her fault.
Zoe rolled her eyes behind his back, used to his mood swings. She turned to River, who was lounged in the pilot seat, seemingly studying one of Wash’s dinosaurs.
“Where is everyone?”
River didn’t bring her eyes up from the plastic creature, “Simon’s in the infirmary, Inara took Kaylee dress shopping.”
Mal and Zoe stared at each other for several seconds. This was by far the most coherent sentence ever to come out of River Tam’s mouth.
River raised the dinosaur to them, “Do you think it has a soul?”
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Mal checked the clock again, it had been two hours since Zoe and him had returned and still no sight of Inara and Kaylee. He was growing impatient.
“How long does it take to get a gorram dress?” He stomped past Zoe for the third time. “That’s it, I’m going to get them.”
He was on the stairs of the bridge when he heard Jayne yell out his name from the cargo bay. Rarely did Jayne manage the energy to yell like that unless he was mad…or something bad had happened.
Mal and Zoe broke through the cargo bay door to see Jayne, half carrying Inara onto the ship. Simon was already there with his medical kit.
“What happened?” Mal felt panic rising at the back of his throat. Where was Kaylee?
Tears were streaming down Inara’s face, she didn’t look hurt, just scared. “He took her,” she said quietly.
Mal tried to keep his voice calm, “Who took her, Inara. Who took her?”
Inara raised her eyes sadly to Mal’s, her pain so evident, it shook Mal to the core. He already knew who before she said it. “Niska.”
A/N: Thanks for reading!!