DISCLAIMER: Everybody/thing belongs to their respectful owners (who are not me) and I am making absolutely no money off this.
I've seen a lot of Simon/Kaylee wedding stuff around lately (or maybe it just seems like it…whatever) so I decided I wanted to put my own twist on what their wedding would be like, which is where this comes from. The picture I have in my head is just so clear I can't let go, and I hope I make it clear enough that you can see it too.
Takes place Post-BDM, but as you'll see I've changed some horrible lapses in judgment on Joss' part. Feedback is always shiny. Good, bad, other, just bring it on.
Enjoy.
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FAVORS: RIVER
Three months. That's ninety-two days.
Ninety-two days since Miranda became public knowledge, since Mr. Universe's complex had been inefficiently ransacked by Alliance troops, since River was almost completely herself again.
Of course, she couldn't ever fully return to how she'd once been. Her amygdala had been stripped, and there was nothing Simon could do to repair that. But still, her periods of lucidity where more frequent and longer lasting, and while some moments you could still see the instability and lethal calculations going on behind her eyes, she seemed more at peace and happier to be alive than ever she had on Osiris.
And happiness was a feeling Simon shared whole-heartedly now'a'days. It was ninety-two days since impending death had overpowered his shyness toward a certain someone. Ninety-two days of bliss and laughter and joy, and if he had his way of things, there'd be many more than just those.
There'd be years. Years and years and years, and a whole here-after to look forward to. Now, the trick was figuring out how he wanted to go about it. Proposing that is. He wanted to do it all, make sure everything was perfect for the woman he loved, something she'd remember forever.
But marriage isn't something they'd even talked about really. Hell, they hadn't really talked about anything relationship wise, they were together at last and that was all either of them, or the rest of the crew for that matter, needed to know. There weren't any questions about it. She loved, he loved, they loved – simple as pie.
So before he went about making any plans or talking to anyone about nuptials, he needed to get inside her head. Well, not him exactly, then she'd know he was up to something, but lucky for Simon he happened to be the loving only brother to a psychic. And River would do anything for her brother.
He stood outside her door for a moment 'fore she said to come in. For a second he cursed the ability he was going to ask her to employ. He slid her door back and walked in as she laid down the black colored pencil she was drawling with. He stood behind her and looked down to the sketch of himself and Kaylee dressed for the occasion and wearing great big smiles.
"Heard me all the way down the hall, did you?" he asked.
She smiled up at him, "You think loud when you're nervous." She stood up and moved over to her bad to sit on the corner, and she patted the spot next to her.
Simon sat down next to his dark eyed sister, "You know what I'm going to ask then?" he hoped it would double as his actually asking her to do it. Invading people's thoughts wasn't something she liked, or even wanted to do, it was just something she couldn't help.
"But you didn't ask." She said. Of course she'd never let him get away with that.
"River, will you-" he looked at the door quickly and got up, looked outside, slid the door shut and sat back down, "I want to ask you a favor. River, will you please find out what kind of wedding Kaylee would want if I asked her?"
"She'll say yes."
"Yes to marrying me, or yes you'll do it?" He squinted at her, sometime she said the simplest things, but they could always have double meanings. She just smiled brightly at her brother and got up. "Don't, don't let her know, don't let anyone know." She made an incredulous face, "Not that you would…I just want everything to be perfect."
She turned on her heel, opened the door, and stepped out humming quietly to herself, the wedding march.
Dum, dum, de, dumm…dum, dum, de, dumm….
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River twirled about the ship on her way to Kaylee, and as she got closer the humming got softer and softer, until all together she stopped, just as she stopped at the door to the kitchen. Kaylee was sitting at the table, alone, eating a protein bar. Lord knows she needs it, runnin' around Serenity day and night trying to keep her in the air.
"Space, no air here." River quietly corrected herself before moving into the kitchen, twirling about on her toes and the like.
Kaylee watched her with a smile. Other than her self it seemed that River was the only person able to keep up a smile at the worst of times…course, sometimes smiling at the worst of times could be scary. She shuddered as she remembered how River had killed those men back at Niska's complex and then smiled like all was well and fine.
Seemed like a long time ago. She went back to watching River dance about, "Someday Kaylee, I'm going to be married…but now, now I don't know anyone to marry." River stopped dancing just to Kaylee's left. She hoped this wasn't going to be one of those times River started spoutin' nonsense. "No." she stated, and sat down next to the mechanic.
River continued on, she didn't want to have to read this from Kaylee; thoughts may be misinterpreted sometimes, best to hear the words. "I want there to be flowers, lots of them. And food and people and I want a big dress and pretty ribbons," she laughed, "and games, and children, because I like children, they deserve good things." She paused, "And cows."
Kaylee cringed a bit, "Cows, sweetie? They don't really go to well with weddings."
River shrugged, and it had the desired effect. "Well," Kaylee said, "If'n someone was ever to ask my hand, I'd want…well…like you, lots a food and pretty decorations, whites and pinks and such, and some music like Inara's type listens to, and lots a folk. All my family, and the Cap'n and 'Nara, and Wash and Zoë and Book, and a'course you and Simon – him being the one marrin' me and all." She smiled and laughed, leaning over to River just a bit, "Even Jayne."
And her dream kept unfolding to River, she heard what Kaylee was saying and saw what she thought. Her mother's wedding dress, a veil of flowers and lace; pinks and whites and purples. Like a rainbow had crashed on to her home-world – she couldn't think'a gettin' married no where but, 'cept maybe here on Serenity if need be. River closed her eyes and let the picture form in her mind. She could near smell the food stuffs, feel the wind, hear the children's laughter.
She stood back up and resumed her twirling. She moved toward the door she'd come through, "Someday Kaylee, I'm going to be married."
Kaylee smiled back at her as she disappeared down the hall. She still had those moments about her.
"She dancin' again?" Mal asked as he came in the other door.
--
Simon was in his own room now, lying on his bed, hands clasped and on his stomach, his thumbs rotating around one another. He'd sent River away nearing a half hour ago, he hoped Kaylee's dream wedding wouldn't be beyond his reach, and if it was, well, he'd stretch till his arm broke clean off for her.
When his door slipped open he practically jumped out of his bed, he was up right and sitting 'fore it even opened the whole way to reveal his mei-mei. She came in and sat down cross-legged on the floor before him, and told him what she'd heard and what she'd seen.
Now, it was time for the next favor, and this was probably the biggest one.
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TBC
Mei-mei : little sister (shame on you if you didn't already know)
Anyway, please, please, please R and R! One Browncoat to another. R and R.
