Sushi_Fic!-The Empty Nest
Author: blugreendreams
Title: The Empty Nest
Prompt: Jelly and a bunch of balloons. Eiether could be replaced with fresh flowers. Inara has to teach Mal something.
A/N: Thanks to terimaru for the nudge and to browncoat_2x2 for the early, early beta and advice. Looks like I got the damn thing to work. After all this build up and trouble, I hope you all like.
Malcolm Reynolds walked slowly through Serenity taking in all the little nuances of his life on her. Every nook of her held a story to be told, every door led to a room full of memories, some to cherish and some Mal would like to think on a little less.
He wasn't one to forget.
He paused as he noticed a piece of metal near the floor that didn't quite match the rest of the wall. It covered a sharp piece of the ship that jutted out near the shuttle he and Inara once shared. Alley wasn't barely walking when she fell and cut herself on it. Took Doc 25 stitches to mend that pretty little head.
In all my life, Mal thought, still cringing at the memory, I ain't ever wanted to shoot an inanimate object as badly as I did that piece of metal.
Before she even stopped bleeding, Jayne had welded that cover over it, so she wouldn't get hurt again.
He stood on top of the spot in the cargo bay where a scavenger tried to trade his life for an engine part. Kaylee nearly scrubbed her knuckles off trying to get rid of that blight but it was still there. A reminder to Mal of how much things had changed.
At the time, I reckoned that a fair trade, my life for Serenity's. Things're different now, he thought as he headed to Serenity's upper levels.
He avoided the bridge all together. There was too much happened there that still hurts to think on.
Mal paused in front of the engine room and leaned against the doorjamb, watching Serenity's heart beat.
"Ain't just about me anymore. It's about Alley and Inara. 'Bout Alley comin' up with a daddy."
He listened to his voice echo through the empty ship. The life in her gone, the hum of her engines the only indication she's still alive.
A whole family forged on a ship.
If you take the family off of a ship, does it take the ship out of the family?
I sure as hell hope not.
"I'm sorry," he said aloud to the turning engine. "I'm so sorry."
**
Saturday morning, Inara stood over the kitchen sink and tried not to look out the window for the umpteenth time. Her heart jumped at any bit of brown that caught her eye.
She chuckled into Matthew's chubby neck as her chest tightened at a dog, just before it came into plain sight. Well, it's a brown coat, she thought shaking her head, just not my Browncoat.
"Momma,"asked Alley,"are you looking out the window?"
Only every five minutes for the last three hours.
"No honey," she lied, not wanting to worry her. "I'm just thinking about some new curtains."
Alley nodded. "Momma," she asked grinning wildly,"do you know what today is?"
Well it's not every day your father has a bad dream and then disappears before dawn.
Inara turned from the sink, giving her daughter her full attention, a look of deliberate confusion on her face, "Is it a special day? Is it because it's Saturday?"
Alley shook her brown curls with such force she lost her ponytail. Inara stood behind her and gathered her hair in her free hand, "I know. I put jelly in your oatmeal!"
"No!" Alley said defiantly, despite her grin.
Inara put one finger to her lips, "I know... I know what it is, it's-"
Inara's revelation was interrupted by the click of the back door as it opened. I've been at that window all day and as soon as I turn away...
"Good morning,my women."
"Daddy," squealed Alley, running over to him, unintentionally smearing jelly on his pants. Mal looked down at the newly purple spots on his leg as he carries her back to her seat. "Thanks for sharing your breakfast with me, darlin'. What're we eating?" he asks, kneeling next to her chair.
"Oatmeal with jelly. Makes it good, see?" asked Alley spooning some into Mal's mouth.
"Mmmmm, that is good," he said forcing a smile. Inara chuckled at the attempt; he is clearly not a fan. He stood and walked to her as she looked him over.
"Hello to you too, little man," Mal said taking Matthew,"can't have you thinkin' I forgot ya. Just, as you'll learn some day, the smart thing for us menfolk to do is acknowelge the ladies first." He would have been grinning at Inara, had be not been too busy making faces at his infant son.
He looked no worse for wear, unless of course you knew where to look. Physically Mal was fine; his eyes were clouded with thoughts Inara knew he wasn't ready to share.
"Are you alright?" Inara whispered, trying not to catch Alley's attention.
"I'm fine," Mal said pulling her towards the front room and away from Alley. "You got nothing to worry-"
Inara holds up a held in protest. "Men who disappear in the dead of night lose the right to tell their wives not to worry."
She watched him nod in a manner that was nearly an apology. The lines around her lips and eyes eased as relief flooded over her anger.
"Where were you, I was-"
"Momma, can I have more milk?" interrupteds Alley from the kitchen.
"Alley," said Mal, eyes not leaving Inara's, "How do you wantin' to be ending that sentence?"
"Please?" she asked sweetly.
Before they returned to the kitchen Inara shot one last look at Mal, mixed with both relief and frustration. She knew he was aware of the subtext: This isn't over.
"Did you want something, Mal?" Inara asked, pouring Alley's milk. "Abigail brought over some eggs earlier."
"No, thank you," he replied, leaning against the sink. "I ate already, actually. You all have plans for the day?" he asked, knowing full well what today was.
Alley jumped out of her seat,"Daddy," rolling her dark eyes in annoyance, "today I'm going to a birthday party! Going to a birthday party," she sang as she danced around the room.
Ethan Morrell's daughter, Sadie, was turning six today and it was the social event of the year for Paraiso's under ten crowd. Alley and Sadie had become friendly despite their age difference. It was the first invitation Alley had ever received and she was near ready to explode.
"Daddy, can you come?" Alley asked looking up at him.
"Sorry, bao bei, I can't. Doin' a quick job for Abel."
Inara looked up at him, surprised. "On a Saturday?"
Mal nodded. "Some big magistrate's daughter is getting hitched next planet over. Payin' us a pretty penny for the express delivery, actually."
Inara sighed. She had wanted him alone. So much of their early relationship had been spent keeping things from each other. She worried it would be all too easy to fall into that pattern again. She was not about to allow it. She couldn't.
"You know, Alley is going to be with Zoë, I could come with you," suggested Inara.
Before Mal could respond, there was a knock at the door.
"Zoë!" squealed Alley as Mal opened the door. "Zoë, I'm not dressed," she said, voice full of worry.
Zoë knelt down, "It's okay, little one. I came early to talk to your mom. You take all the time you need."
Alley nodded with great relief and laid a hand on her forehead with a dramatic sigh. Then she grinned, turned tail, and ran to her room.
"Zoë," Mal said looking at her. Inara noticed the long look the two exchanged. Something was off with both of them, and each knew it.
"Nothing to report, sir", Zoë said standing straight as a board. "Just came for some girl talk."
"Momma, I'm stuck", echoed a sing-songy Alley from down the hall.
Mal looked at the two women curiously; two sets of dark eyes each silently ordered him to go away. "You two hens get on with your cluckin'. Matthew and I will see to Alley."
"Tea?" asked Inara, motioning for Zoë to sit.
She accepted with a nod and sits at the kitchen table. "He dreamin' again?" Zoë asked and Inara nearly dropped the mug she was handing to her. "How did you know?"
Zoë shrugged. "Been like that since the war, something on his mind becomes his dreams, nightmares more like. It'll pass."
"He did have a dream last night," Inara started cleaning up Alleys bowl, "and I thought he had gone back to sleep, but when I woke up before dawn he had disappeared."
"Inara, he didn't disappear," Zoe said shaking her head. "You know where he was."
Inara nodded as she sat across from Zoë, trying to drown her worry and confusion in her tea.
Zoe looked at Inara intently. "When that catalyzer blew on Serenity, Mal didn't expect to be found. He wasn't going to die saving her, he just didn't want her to die alone," she paused, understanding too well how Mal felt. "After the war, Mal clung to Serenity. Now he clings to you. I think he feels bad for the girl he's leaving behind."
Inara nodded, knowing Zoë was right. There were times when having another woman around who knew her husband as well as she did had its advantages.
"As grateful as I am for the insight," she said, smiling at Zoë, "that is not what brought you here. What did you wish to discuss?"
Zoë straightened again, but didn't look happy to be sitting there. "Ethan Morell," she said hiding her eyes behind her mug.
For the second time that morning, Inara nearly spilled her tea. "Zoe! Well, that's-what about him," she asked, leaning in.
"I was thinkin' we might have dinner with him, Sadie and the crew. I'd like our folk to get to know them better."
"Of course, I'd be glad to host. Zoë is something-?"
Zoë put her hand up, cutting Inara off. "It ain't at all simple, but he's a good man. Want him to meet my family is all."
Inara nodded, and was about to inquire further when she was interrupted by Alley squealing down the hall.
She stood in front of Inara and Zoë, in her light pink party dress and her red cowboy boots. "Daddy wants to know if it's safe to come out."
Inara rolled her eyes as Zoë held back a chortle. "Tell him no, it's not. Then tell him to put your party shoes on."
"Awww, Momma-"
Inara shot Alley a look that caused her to slink back to her room, knowing she had been beaten.
Inara turned back to Zoë, an idea forming in her head. "Actually Zoë, I think I may have a plan that will solve both of our problems."
**
" I'm sorry," Mal said aloud to the turning engine. "I'm so sorry."
When Inara was able to close the door to the galley without Mal turning around, she realized how deep he was in his reverie.
"You know, the average woman would be worried," Inara commented, causing Mal to turn his head briefly to look at her.
Why is that? he asked, turning back to Serenity.
"Well, first you disappear in the dead of night, and then the next day I find you alone talking to another woman."
"In out time together, I have called you many things," Mal replied, pulling her to him. "Average has never been one of them. He rested his head on top of hers, letting her very presence sooth him.
"Don't mean to be keeping you out like I have. Just got no need for you to be seein' what's been playing in my head. It ain't been pretty and I would do whatever I need to so that you don't need to see that. Even if it means pushing you aways some."
Mal turned her slowly and held her at arms length so he can look her in the eye, trusting that she will be able to see all the things he isn't saying. Knowing it will help her understand.
"When I bought her, I thought she'd be it. Never saw a life on nor off of her. Never expected a family to spring up. Never expected you," he said as he cupped her cheek with his hand. "When I bought her, all we had was each other. She made me what I am. Almost everything I have is because of her. But without me-"
"What is she?" Inara finished for him. "I owe her a great debt myself. She brought me to you. I could never thank her enough for that. She will always be a part of us, Mal. Always."
Mal nodded his voice thickening. "Feel bad about leaving her empty is all. Abandoning her after she has taken such good care of me and mine."
"She's not empty. You're still doing those runs for Abel."
"People aren't living on her anymore, 'Nara. Kaylee told me yesterday she's moving in with the doc, we're buildin' a ranch and Jayne ain't no kind of company for her. Still got Zoë on board. Don't see that changing no time soon, but still. The family's splitting off, Inara. They're slippin' away."
"They're not, Mal. And Serenity isn't going to lose her family. Quite the contrary, actually. Turn around."
Why is my galley door closed? Is that 'Nara's favorite kitchen towel over the window? Mal thought as his confusion turneds to anxiety. "Inara you schemin' behind my back?"
Inara grinned in anticipation as she grabbed his hand. "It's a little something I took from traditions on Earth That Was. Sunday nights, whole families would meet at the matriarch's house for a meal. Since Serenity brought us all together, well..." she trailed off as she opened the door.
It was the warmth that radiated from the room that hit him first. Not just the light, but the room itself had a happy hum that could not be ignored.
It was life. It was family.
"Huh," Mal said, pleased with that he saw.
"Surprise!" squealed two young voices popping out from behind the door that led to the bridge. "Daddy, look! Sadie's here and she brought balloons," Alley exclaimed as she pointed to the bunch of balloons that River was tying to the top of Sushi and Sashimi's fish bowl.
"Aww. Come on girls," complained Jayne, coming out from where the girls had been hiding. "You was supposed to tell me when to jump out wichas."
"Sorry, Jayne," said Alley, taking her seat next to Abel so she could help him feed Matthew.
"Nara?" asked Kaylee nervously from the stove, "how much rosemary did you say to use?"
Inara cringed and gave Mal a quick kiss. As she went to walk away, he grabbed her wrist.
"Thank you," he mouthed silently.
She replied with a nod and a look that said more than she could have, then turned to assist Kaylee.
Mal turned around when he heard someone behind him clear his throat. "Ethan," Mal said heartily, reaching out to take his hand. Mal was somewhat unsettled by the nervous nature of the usually confident man.
"I hope you don't mind me and Sadie-"
"No, course not. More the merrier, but I am curious who-." At that moment Zoë appeared, laying a hand on Ethan's arm.
"He's with me, sir."
Mal opened his eyes wide with surprise and took a good look at his old friend. His first mate. Still stickin' with him after all this time and through all that crap. She could have brought home Badger and if he made her as peaceful as she was right now, Mal would have embraced him.
"Ethan," Mal said smiling, "welcome to Serenity."
"Soup's on!" hollered Abigail as she moved a streaming pot of something yummy smelling to the table. Simon moved some fresh flowers out of the way so she could place dinner in the center.
Mal watched the assembled group as they sat. He was waiting for the lump in his throat to clear, so he could do this right; say something that would inspire, reduce Kaylee to tears even. Inara squeezed his knee under the table, reminding him he wasn't alone. And neither was Serenity.
Mal cleared his throat and everyone looked at him expectantly. He lifted his mug, smiling. "To Serenity."
"To Serenity," chorused the group.