November 1st 2505, long range shutter landed on Shadow, carrying the last living member of the Le Fey Line, Grace Sullivan. She had Excalibur strapped to her back, and a gun at each hip, and a great deal of magic coursing through her veins. She wasn't entirely sure why she was here but her friend the Immortal Seer, Cassandra of Troy told her, her future lied on Shadow, and her half-sister Talia insisted she go for it. Talia was her only living family, even if she was from her father's side, the Sullivan side was powerful in their own right, even if they didn't come into their powers until 500 years ago, sometime during the late 20th century. The Le Fey Line one of the oldest magical families in the 'verse able to trace theirs back to the late 5th century Wales, on earth that was. There were a few older, but none as powerful. She knew once the Alliance finally spread out and gained enough power she'd have to lay even lower. Magic folk existed but they had to hide even more after the earth was destroyed, they settled on a nice lush Rim planet called Avalon. It was way out on the outer rim, but they'd managed to get it more earth-like then any of the core worlds. It even had different climates as opposed to one for the entire planet. And it was nearly self-sufficient since they had plants from earth that was, including Cotton for cloth, herbs for potions, cooking, and medicines, animals most people didn't, including honey bees, sheep for wool, spiders and worms for silk, everyone knew enough to leave them alone but the war was coming and the Seers knew it. There was a notice me not, and somebody else's problem on the entire planet, most people didn't stop on Avalon and when they did they didn't notice anything out of the ordinary about it. No matter what they might see. She was young she admitted that, but there weren't many magical people left only about was 900,000 on Avalon, That's less then existed on Earth that was before the Exodus. There were also other peoples on Avalon, Magical creatures, mundanes, Immortals, people who weren't quite magical but were gifted in some other way. Avalon was the perfect place to hide, because it was hiding in plain sight. She was on Shadow less than an hour when she was in the local watering hole, enjoying some Stew and some whisky when a handsome man sat next to her.
"You're new in town."
"Just passing through, on my way home."
"Where's that?"
"Avalon."
"That's a long way from here, that world is far side of the rim…..what brings you this close to the border?"
"Had some business on Persephone, won't go further in than that." He nodded in agreement "Now the business is done and I need to get home, but needed some rest after dealing with that Huai Dun Badger."
"Never heard of him, but if I don't like him, why you dealing with him?"
"My sister and I are good at growing things, but we want to keep that to ourselves. We need him."
"Drugs?"
She laughed. "No, rosemary, thyme, Angelica, Parsley, Cinnamon, Anise, ginger, cumin, Oregano, cardamom, Sweet Basil, Saffron, Nutmeg, Allspice, Paprika, Black Pepper, and Tarragon."
He laughed a full belly laugh. "Spices?"
"We have a large Herb garden, we sell locally but if we really want money we need to sell off planet that means Badger." They didn't really need the money, they had enough gold and antiques hidden away that they could always fence some things if needed and they could always transfigure something into plain unmarked Platinum and take it to a Banking station and exchange it for credits. Its not like that was dark magic it was still white some would argue grey the people who believed no personal gain, but as long as you didn't use magic for every little thing and let it consume you, it was fine to use magic for personal gain and for day to day things. "Look you're a very handsome man."
"So kind of you notice, Darlin'"
"And I'm a very attractive woman."
"Very full of yourself aren't you?"
"So why don't you me, take this somewhere else, and get to know each other a little better?" On Avalon such a come on in a bar would be considered normal, even polite. To Malcolm Reynolds the man in Question it seemed a little forward.
"Are you a whore?" He asked.
"No, just lonely and needing a very particular kind of company. But if you're not interested…." She said trailing off. She wasn't offended Non-Avalonans tended to react that way.
Attracted and intrigued he smiled. "I don't even know your name, Bao-Bei (Precious)
"Grace, Grace Sullivan."
"Mal Reynolds." slipped away from the crowd, and laid together under the stars on a blanket she'd produced from her bag.
"Where'd you get this sword of yours?" He said touching holding it and examining it.
"Its my family sword it's been passed down from mother to daughter for generations….." Excalibur always belonged to the Morgana, stupid sexist Mundanes getting it wrong on Purpose. "I don't want to talk about the sword, Blue eyes…." She whispered. Kissing him, this lead to making out, than to the removing of clothing, then to making love. Malcolm Reynolds had never made love before. He had had sex, he wasn't a monk, but this wasn't sex, this something else. It was wild and passionate, and a little dirty, but it was also loving and tender, and there was a connection, feelings between the two of them the depths of which he couldn't even begin to understand. She left the next day and returned to her duties. And he experienced a longing for her neither his heart nor head truly understood, Mika understood that Stupid Hwen Dan, it was a soul bond. They were a Matched set.
September 19th, 2506
A Hospital room on Avalon. Grace was holding a small pink bundle with dark hair and blue eyes. And her sister, Talia was standing beside her.
"Grace you have to tell Malcolm about your daughter, it's only right."
She nodded.
October 30th, 2505.
Her Long range shuttle landed on Shadow again, this time with her sister on board she was planning on staying. She brought daughter in sling close to her chest, her and her sister brought her bags, to the Reynolds Ranch, Caroline Reynolds greeted them.
"You must be Grace dear and who is this?"
"Mika, my and Mal's daughter and this is my sister Talia she's just dropping me off. Then she's going back to Avalon."
Mal showed up a few hours later, and kissed her passionately and saw his daughter and took her his arms kissed her on the forehead. Then he proposed to Grace. They immediately went to the town preacher and got married, then they had another ceremony where Talia bound their hands with ribbons. Their marriage was a passionate it one, they were always touching and cuddling, and having sex, and fighting, but they loved each other.
2509
A Battlefield, a General followed by Mika, come up to Mal and another solider.
"Reynolds, Alleyn this is Pendragon from Intelligence, show her around." The General barks then walks away.
"Grace…."
"Mal." They Kiss passionately. Zoe looked at her. "I've missed you."
"Me too, Zoe this is my wife. Who's staying with Mikey?"
"My sister brought her and your mother to Avalon." He nodded they were safest there with the wards. "I wasn't about to let you fight a war without me, Blue eyes."
"Don't ever change, Enchantress." He kissed her, passionately. She gave him the enchanted sixpence it would protect him and give him luck. They started talking, Zoe came to a stark revelation.
"Grace, we're going to lose this war aren't me?"
"This one yes, but don't worry the Alliance will get there's. It's coming, another war will happen, about 6 years after the war is over, a set of events will start off that will start another war an underground war, one of stealth, and covert operations but a revolution that will not collapse the alliance completely but change it enough that we'll consider it a will. Pity I won't live to see it."
"You die."
"I won't know when, sometime after the war, don't tell him." Looks at her husband. "I don't want to ruin the years we have left."
2511
The War had ended and Grace looked at her broken man she loved, she never wanted to see someone so broken, she had to help him. She held him.
2513-2515
At first they lived on Avalon since the Alliance would never step foot there, the wards and spells on it were too strong, but then the yearning to get out and be under no control, to fly was too great. She took him, to a ship yard on Avalon where the ships were in better shape than other places Zoe came too having been staying with them. The firefly captured her husband's eye. It was in good shape, having been restored as close to its original condition as possible, She and Mal bought and she made some magical modifications. She put Notice me not and someone else's problem spells on it, spelled it so no one could enter past the cargo bay unless invited by someone who lived on board and no one could enter the room of someone's private room unless invited except their child's, or they were needed to for an emergency. She made the hull and glass on the bridge ultra-strong and able to withstand anything, anyone threw at it. And made it so anyone who saw the ship would soon forget about it. Unless the crew used a special pass phrase.
The first thing they did was hire Wash a pilot, despite not liking him at first Zoe soon fell in love with and married him, and a mechanic named Bester who was quickly replaced the next year Kaywinnit Lee Frye, or Kaylie. By 2515, they'd hired a merc named Jayne Cobb away from some people out to steal their good from them, he was originally only there until something better came along but he couldn't fool Grace or Mika, he liked the group he was with, he thought of them as family not that they shared that particular thought with anyone. Meanwhile Grace trained her daughter in magic, and in all the weapons she was trained in. She even trained her husband in swords, axes, and knife throwing.
2516
Mika Reynolds was 10 years old, she was sad that her mother was dead, killed protecting a four year old boy who wandered in the middle of a fight between two mercs. Now they were on Avalon at the reading of her Mother's will, her father, her Aunt, and Caroline Reynolds were there in the Lawyer's office, the Seer Cassandra, her Mother's sister, Talia Sullivan, and the lawyer Dylan Long were there.
"I'll be reading The Will and Testament of Grace Le Fey Sullivan." Mr. Long Said. "I Grace Le Fey Sullivan, Leave to my daughter Excalibur, My Trench 1917 1918 U.S World War II Earth that Was Trench Knife, My Antique Books, My Antique Jewelry, My Antique toys, and all my love. My husband I leave my rapiers, my father's silver Pocket Watch, My Roman Gladius Replica Sword, My Copy of The art of war by Sun Tzu, and Elizabeth Barret Brown's Poetry, There are no words to describe how I feel about you but since you feel the same way there's no need. To my sister Talia who will be moving into Serenity to continue my daughter's training, I give my magic texts ingredients and objects, my sex books, so you may instruct her one day, all my clothes I know you loved them, the rest of my weapons, the knowledge that I am proud of her. To Caroline Reynolds I leave my land you've been working for the last few years and you're happy here, I'm glad you seemed unhappy when we first moved you from Shadow to protect you during the war."