Title: Love
Author: Lil' Bit - Jan 06
Genre: General; One Shot Scene
Rating: G
Spoilers: BDM.
Characters: Mal; and others through his thoughts.
Summary: Mal's thoughts during the last scene of the BDM.
A/N: The basic themes of Serenity were faith and love. Belief in something, anything. Love that everyone has for that ship, the characters, the fans. I wanted to write something about that, and I hope I did. PLEASE REVIEW!
Disclaimer: I wish that I could have the rights to such an amazingly written work of fiction. Thanks Joss Whedon. (The Italic quotes are his)
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Serenity was all patched up, her hurts healed. The crew's hurts would take a little longer to patch up, but all things heal with time.
Mal walked toward the bridge, a hand skimming the walls of his ship. His crew was finishing up last minute preparations before leaving Persephone. He watched Zoë after speaking to her. She loved this ship, even though it was the place her husband died. This was her home, the place where her memories kept her, where she met her husband.
Mal made his way up stairs to the bridge, passing the galley where Simon and Kaylee were putting final stock away. The two of them found love on Serenity. Kaylee loved the ship, almost to an intuitive sense -- when there was something wrong, Kaylee would know. Simon had even grown to love the ship, a way to get away from those forces that used to follow him. Even Jayne had affection for the ship, if it was possible for Jayne to carry any affection for anything.
Mal continued through the galley and toward the bridge, where Inara stopped him briefly. In her hesitation, he could tell that she loved this ship, and perhaps had something deeper for him. Though she left, he could tell that she missed everything in her absence.
Stepping onto the bridge Mal hesitated, smiling at the dinosaurs that still rested on the pilot's console. Wash loved the ship more than anyone. When he was piloting, he was nothing more than an extension of the ship itself. It could be argued that Wash loved the ship more than anything.
Mal sat down at the pilot's console and flicked a few switches, thinking to the men now buried on Haven. Even Shepherd Book had a love for the ship, even when he told Inara that he believed he got on the wrong ship.
He looked over to the girl sitting in the copilot's chair. She was flipping switches and preparing to launch the ship. She loved the ship, even though she had only been onboard for eight months. She launched the ship with ease, but Mal was still prompted to tell her about flying.
It ain't all buttons and charts, little albatross. You know what the first rule of flying is? Well I suppose you do, since you already know what I'm about to say.
I do, but I like to hear you say it.
Love. You can learn all the math in the 'Verse, but you can't take a boat in the air that you don't love; she'll shake you off just as sure as the turn of the worlds. Would have with himself and Zoë, if both hadn't fell for the ship they way they did.
Love keeps her in the air when she ought to fall down, tells you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens. To Wash and Kaylee, who could read the ship better than anyone else, who love the ship.
Makes her a home. For everyone.
