This is a sequel to Serenity's Little Imp found here: s/8871919/1/Serenity-s-Little-Imp. Not necessary to read the previous, but it does help! I've definitely decided to not be as reliant on the dialogue in the show because I think my writing is stronger when I'm being creative, so enjoy. Constructive criticism is always welcome!
Triumph:
Evie hadn't wandered far from where the hut Mal was discussing the details of the job with Elder Gommen. Triumph had been on the way to Beaumonde and when they got the wave from the kind looking man complaining about a group of men harassing every living soul in their colony. The town itself couldn't pay, but from what the Elder said they took already, seemed they'd be able to fleece the robbers for a decent amount.
Mal displayed his soft heart two-fold when he took the job, not that Evie would ever tell him she noticed. Firstly, there were plenty of other possibly better paying jobs on the way to Beaumonde, but Mal opted to help some poor defenseless townsfolk. Secondly, they wouldn't have needed a job as desperately if they hadn't lingered on Persephone for the few days it took to get her away from Badger forever. They needed provisions to last them. They also needed to replace what they played
They want me, she thought, still a bit in shock. She'd felt unwanted all of her life. Growing up with a father who told her her mother high-tailed away from Persephone without her almost as soon as she pushed her out or with said father: a nefarious gangster who had a penchant for slapping her around and telling her she was useless will do that to a girl.
But Captain Mal and his very eclectic crew had all rallied around her the second they discovered her hidden away in one of nooks and crannies in the Firefly class Transport Ship they deemed "Serenity". Not that they had ever intended to keep her, they only meant to keep her safe. Things just sort of worked out that way.
She skipped a rock into the pond at the edge of the town on what Mal would call a "backwater moon" and then sat and leaned back on her elbows. For the first time in her 11 years, she felt at ease in her surroundings.
"Hey!" shouted a voice she didn't recognize behind her. She whirled her head and caught a group of adolescent boys making their way toward her. One of them, an awkwardly lanky boy about 2 years older and a head taller than her with curly brown hair and freckles covering his pale cheeks and nose stepped forward. "This is our spot," he explained. "No outsiders allowed." He stopped about twenty feet away from her and crossed his arms over his dingy green t-shirt. His two minions, twin boys about her age with longer sandy blonde hair and deep bronzed skin wearing matching overalls and plaid shirts of different colors mimicked him as they stood on either side of him, half a step back.
She squinted an eye at them. "Don't see anyone's name on it," she said carefully, warily watching them.
The ringleader frowned at her. "We protect our spot and don't want any outsider trouble so why duncha jest skeedaddle," he suggested rigidly.
"Ain't hurtin' nothin'," she said, rising slowly and brushing the sand from her hands onto her oil-stained work pants. Kaylee had been showing her a few things here and there in the engine room. Most of the crew had taught her something or other in her 9 months on Serenity and she was always eager to know more.
"Remains to be seen," he said, eying her skeptically. "Now git!" he said a little more harshly.
Evie put her hands on her hips and looked at him as if she couldn't tell if he was serious or not. Then she scoffed. "Make me," she challenged.
His minions stayed put but he started towards her with angry steps and his body ended up inches away from hers, his olive brown eyes staring heatedly down into her emerald gaze. She dared him with her eyes and he pushed her with about half his strength. "Usually wouldn't hit a girl, but seein' as how you kinda look like a boy 'n you don't do as your told when you're the stranger 'round here, might make an exception."
"You tell 'er, Mitchell!" shouted one of the toe-headed minions.
She pushed him back and haughtily said, "Go 'head and try." He went to push her harder but she intertwined her foot behind one of his and pushed using a defense tactic that Shepherd Book had taught her one day in the cargo bay. Evie had begged Mal to let her learn how to fight since she was so small, so she'd have a better chance of defending herself and Book had agreed that it behooved everyone to know a little self defense. Mal reluctantly agreed after a few days of begging.
The boy they'd called "Mitchell" fell, his butt hitting the sand hard. Embarrassed and furious that a girl had knocked him down, he flew up and charged at her. Evie used another evasive move that had him using his own weight as he hit the ground with her on top of him. He was swinging wildly now, trying everything to regain his pride. One blow caught her on the right side of her face and she temporarily saw stars. He used this to his advantage to roll her over and get on top of her and continue swinging, hitting her in her shoulder hard.
But she wasn't down long and soon she used another technique Book taught her and kicked him in his loins while pushing him off of her. He was temporarily disabled as he closed his eyes at the pain and simply held onto the collar of her red boy's short sleeve button up shirt and she rolled again and sat atop him, pulling her chest away and pulling her arm back to swing, popping him straight in the nose as she'd seen Mal do to her father not too long ago with the same effect.
The boy shrieked and went to cover his face as his nose gushed blood and Evie got a few more punches in before she was plucked off by very strong arms. She struggled and squirmed in the person's grip and heard Jayne's rough voice rumble, "Settle down, hellion, y'already caused enough of a ruckus." This calmed her but she went rigid again as the boy got up, madder than before, and charged at her. Jayne shoved her behind him just as one of the local men snatched the teen up much like Jayne had Evie held minutes before.
"Now that's enough!" the man shouted, his brimmed hat askew on his head as Mitchell put up a similar struggle. "Mitchell Aaron Wesson, who taught you it was okay to hit girls?!"
"But she's dangerous, Jesse, we don't know her, jest wanted her to stay with her kind," explained Mitchell, his struggles quieting.
"How many times do I have to tell ya, boy? This is not how we treat guests!" the man with prematurely wrinkled eyes and a salt and pepper beard scolded and the boy looked somewhat chagrined. He looked at the younger twins. "Jonathan, Tom, go on home before I tell your Pa you need a lickin'," he said, straightening his hat. "As for you," he said, turning to face Mitchell. "Git to see the Doc and have him clean you up. If I ain't there by then, you go straight home and wait for me, understand? We got somethin' to discuss." Mitchell blanched, then blushed, shot Evie a glare of hatred then turned to run.
The weather-aged man, took off his hat to display longish wispy hair the same color as his beard as he approached Jayne holding out his hand. "Jesse Caldwell," he introduced. Jayne kept his hand protectively on Evie's shoulder. Jesse dropped his extended hand. "Mighty sorry 'bout that, folks. Boy's a bit full of hate after his parents passed." He paused, clearing his throat and continued when they remained silent. "Group-a men landed around 3 years back, claimed they was wanting to settle, farm a little. Turns out they was thugs 'n bandits like the rest of them. Burgled most of the town and the women-" he paused and looked down at Evie and then back to Jayne's angry glare. "Well you know what goes along with pillagin'. Had a few people get killed and his Ma and Pa were among 'em. We're a peaceful group, here on Triumph, weren't able to defend ourselves real good." Jayne's eyes lost some of their steel.
"You took him in then," Jayne said, referring to the authoritative way the man spoke to the boy earlier.
"Well, yeah, in a way. He stays at my place, but everyone in town has taken to help raisin' him in their own way," Jesse mused.
Jayne snorted. "Sounds familiar," he said, glancing down at the little redhead and putting an arm around her unconsciously. She edged closer to his hip and looked up at the man who's crows feet made him look like he was eternally squinting.
"See he got ya in the eye, there," he said apologetically, then to Jayne, "We got a physician in town if you want him to take a look?"
"Don't worry, none, we got our own Doc. Tell that punk we keep to ourselves 'n he best do the same. No need goin' 'round beatin' up on little girls," Jayne said, growing a little heated. He turned and radioed Mal to meet him at the ship—yes, the girl was in trouble again.
Evie thought she was going to be in trouble as she sat in the Medbay, most of the crew gathered around her as Simon tended to the right side of her face. But as she was recounting the entire story to them, she met Mal's eyes and he smirked at her. He seemed amused, not angry.
She winced as the antiseptic that Simon was applying seeped into one of the two small gashes on her swollen right cheekbone. "Got you good, huh?" Kaylee asked sympathetically.
"Naw, used to getting knocked around by now. Anyways, you shoulda seen him when I got him in the nose. Bet it's broken. He thought he was so tough but I clobbered the heck outta him, surprised he didn't start cryin'!" she said, laughing briefly, then hissing again.
Shepherd Book looked up from his Bible. "In spite of what you've observed, violence rarely solves anything," he lectured. He looked at Mal sharply, waiting for him to corroborate what he said.
Mal shook his head as if snapping out of a trance and looked at the holy man. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?" He looked back at Evie. "I was just basking in a moment of Daddy pride," he quipped.
Simon pulled his swab away as Evie's head snapped up quickly, meeting his eyes just as his met hers, realizing the word he just said. Then, just as quickly, they both looked away uncomfortably. The rest of the crew was ill at ease for the moment as well. "Mal!" Inara chided, breaking the silence.
"What?" Mal shrugged. "Boy was out of line," he said, jumping onto the new train of thought quickly. Inara shot him a withering look. Mal rolled his eyes and nodded at Evie as he spoke. "Evie, don't punch boys in the face," he said without enthusiasm. Inara rolled her eyes at his fake lecture and headed out for her shuttle.
He watched her leave and made sure she was out of earshot before crouching down and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Hit 'em in the gut. Much more effective, less damagin' on your hand and doesn't leave any evidence."
He clapped a hand on her shoulder and looked at her, his eyes shining with pride. "Finish getting' yourself cleaned up. I gotta go finish my business talk with the Elder." He strolled out, leaving the Doctor to finish his business. Simon just shook his head and waited for Evie to stop smiling so he could apply butterfly bandages to the small gash on her face.