(Untitled)

[crazyspacegirl]

One good thing about Serenity's change from spaceship to manor house was the large room full of toys: dolls and toy soldiers, a child sized table and chairs with a large fancy tea set, marbles and tops and skipping ropes, a rocking horse, an elaborate doll house, and small clockwork train that circled the room

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[mademighty]

Mal can't pretend that he cares for the changes that the gorram island's wrought to his ship. Serenity is what she is and, as such, she's always had a pure and proper place in his heart and here she is, transformed. He hasn't had a proper night's sleep since all this started and he's grouchy as sin.

But, for Zoe, he's willing to try.

[crazyspacegirl]

River wasn't anything even resembling happy about the current state of Serenity, but she was finding it a little bit easier to deal with than the Captain was. She figured she just had a lot more experience with island weirdness in general, and she definitely wasn't going to let it ruin Zoe's birthday.

Zoe saw her father come in and was more than pleased to see him. She grabbed one of the toy soldiers, carried it across the room, and offered it to him. "Soldiers have cake now."

[mademighty]

Mal crouches down to be better on Zoe's level, reaching out to take the soldier and turning it over between his fingers. If River's right and things go back to right sooner rather than later, it wouldn't be so hard to make Zoe a set of these. Maybe he could even dress 'em in brown.

"Is that right, little bit?" he asks, reaching up to smooth her hair back from her forehead. "Enough for me too?"

[crazyspacegirl]

"Cake for Daddy, cake for Mama, cake for Zoe, cake for Simon 'go..." She'd seen a lot of cakes today, and though she was willing to try to eat them all herself, Zoe did like to share. She grabbed his hand and tugged him in the direction of the table. "Cake party."

She hadn't quite grasped the concept or point of a birthday yet, but she did know all about parties and cake.

[mademighty]

"Cake for all of us, huh?"

She tugs him and it doesn't take much to scoop her up and settle her on his hip, big as she is. There's some joy in carrying her.

"You havin' fun, little bit?"

[crazyspacegirl]

"Cake party," said Zoe again, giving him a look that said of course she was having fun and he was very silly for having to ask. It made her look an awful lot like her mother.

[mademighty]

She looks an unsettling amount like River and, for a moment, Mal finds himself off-balance under that scrutiny.

"Well, we're gonna eat cake," he promises. "And then what do you want to do?"

[crazyspacegirl]

Zoe considered the question, not willing to be distracted from the promise of cake for just anything. "Ride horsie," she answered after a moment. "Baby Shadow." She pointed at the rocking horse, which had quickly become a favorite among the room full of toys.

[mademighty]

"Baby Shadow, huh?" says Mal, taking in the rocking horse and the flounce of the little girl's skirt. "Sounds like a perfect idea. Maybe we could go for a ride on Shadow later, too?"

[crazyspacegirl]

"Horsies," said Zoe, putting her arms around her daddy's neck in an affectionate near-stranglehold. She made a passable attempt at a horse noise of approval.

[mademighty]

It's not the closest Mal's ever been to strangling, but it's a pretty close run thing. He gently disengages Zoe's arms from around his neck.

"Where's your Mama at, Zoe?"

[crazyspacegirl]

"Mama!" Zoe pointed across the room, where her Mama was sitting on the floor sharing a plate of food with Simon Chicago.

River looked up and waved at both of them.

[mademighty]

"Well, hello there," says Mal, walking over with Zoe settled comfortably on his hip. "Anyone told you you through a fine party, River?"

[crazyspacegirl]

"Simon Chicago has always been very appreciative." Simon wagged his tail to demonstrate the truth of her words. "Are you having a nice time at your party, Zoe?" River asked.

[mademighty]

Zoe nodded emphatically, holding onto to a fistful of Mal's shirt as he crouches down next to River and Simon.

"I'm told that there's cake," he says.

[crazyspacegirl]

"Who in the 'verse would tell you such a thing? It's not like this is a birthday party."

"Cake party," insisted Zoe.

"Okay." River slipped the last of the food on her plate to the dog and rose to her feet. "Let's see if we can find some cake."