Forgotten Holidays
Rated: PG
Category: Gen, Mal/Book Friendship, Crew.
Spoilers: None. Entire Crew Present.
Summary: Mal Learns That Some In The Black Still Celebrate The Ancient Holidays-Complete With Traditional Libations.
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The Alliance and most of the galaxy subscribed to the theory that only the nations formerly known as The United States and China had much influence on the culture and belief structure of the verse, but Malcolm Reynolds knew different.
So did anyone else who cared to look.
There were pockets of ancient life from all corners of Earth That Was scattered here and there in the black.
One such pocket thrived on the rocky desert moon on which Serenity's crew now found themselves.
Mal had visited this moon many times, but this time he'd managed to land right in the middle of some local holiday. Serenity's stop had been only for fuel, but when Kaylee saw the women's clothes and River learned to dance like the locals in three minutes, Mal decide to stay in port for a while.
No one had argued. They'd been cooped up on the ship for weeks (again) and with no job to accomplish on this piece of dirt, they could actually relax. The day, and more so the night, had brought food, fun, and fellowship.
But now it was nearly time to go, and there were only eight on board.
Serenity's captain was nowhere to be found.
Jayne insisted he'd probably found a warm bed to share.
Inara thought that was probably true, but denied it anyway.
Kaylee wondered if something had happened to him.
Simon agreed that Mal might be in danger, as it was his habit to find even the most benign of journeys far too exciting and adventurous than was expected.
Wash thought the whole thing was funny, and River merely seemed bemused.
Zoe was starting to get antsy and was already planning a search when Book slid slowly out of the mess and left the ship. No one noticed his departure in their debate about whether or not to go looking for Mal or give him more time.
Book headed straight for the barn where he'd last seen his captain. The others had had far too much fun to observe the movements of the crowd last night, but the Shepherd was nearly always alert.
He'd learned long ago that he couldn't afford not to be. The others didn't know his story, and they likely never would, but while Malcolm Reynold's was lucky, Shepherd Book was good.
And his skills paid off again this time.
He found Mal while Zoe was still berating Jayne about sensitivity on board the ship.
When he did, he laughed to himself. Mal was curled up in a fetal position in a pile of hay. He sported a new bruise along one cheekbone, and it looked like his nose had been bleeding at some point. He'd obviously been on the losing end of a fight, but if the smell coming off him was any indication, he'd probably never felt the blows.
Mal was also wearing a huge wide-brimmed hat and a dopey grin, even in his sleep.
Book laughed more.
He couldn't help it. Mal made such a ridiculous picture that the Shepherd couldn't be anything but amused.
But as funny as Book found his captain's predicament, he was still a man who'd been in Mal's shoes more than a few times, and he knew that the others would be looking for Mal before long. He decided to spare the captain any further embarrassment. He knelt next to the sleeping, and most likely still drunk, man.
"Captain."
Mal started awake, then winced at the bright light streaming through the high windows into the barn from outside.
"Bit of a headache?" asked Book.
Mal glared at the Shepherd, then finally nodded slowly as he managed to pull himself to a sitting position.
"Night like yours, I'm not surprised."
Mal glared more, then started to stand.
"Not sure if I'd do that yet, Captain…"
Mal pushed away the hand that Book offered him as help and staggered to his feet, despite Book's warning.
He immediately regretted it.
Mal swayed on his feet as a wave of nausea hit him. Book smiled in a maddeningly patient way as Mal glared more, as if his situation was in some way the Shepherd's fault.
"Think you might be right about that," mumbled Mal, as he sat again on the floor.
Book held out a small packet. "Here. Take these."
Mal looked at the two pills in the packet as if they were poison for a moment, then shrugged. The way he felt, he didn't really have much to lose. He tore open the packet and dry swallowed the tablets.
"They won't kick in right away, of course," explained Book. "But they should help the nausea. As for the headache, well, that you'll have to fix on your own."
Mal nodded his thanks and slowly stood again. This time, when Book rather reluctantly offered a hand, Mal took it without hesitation.
Book helped a staggering Mal all the way back to Serenity.
When they got there, the rest of the crew was just leaving to search for them.
Zoe addressed Book first.
"Thought we were going to have to find the both of you, Shepherd. Where'd you find him?"
Book smiled. "Oh, let's just say he had a rough night."
"Yeah, well, we ain't got time for any more delays if we're going to make that rendevous on Boros like we said," groused Jayne. "Rough night or not."
Jayne's tone acted on Mal more than any panacea ever could. He suddenly stood erect from his place on Book's shoulder and glared at the mercenary.
"Damn right. Zoe, Wash. Get her prepped and in the air in fifteen. I'll be in my bunk."
And with that, Mal walked evenly and purposefully to his cabin.
The rest of the crew watched him go for a moment, then scattered to attend to their various duties in the pre-flight activity of Serenity.
Once everyone else had gone their separate ways, Inara caught Book by the arm and leaned in close to him, nodding in the direction Mal had disappeared to as she did so.
"So, what really happened to him?" she asked.
Book smiled in a wise way. His one word answer was more than enough to explain the entire situation to Inara, who was, after all, extremely well-educated in the ways of the world.
"Tequila."
In his bunk, where his façade of sobriety had ended with the grace of a ship without grav thrusters, Malcolm Reynold's muttered the same word, but his voice was far from amused.
And as much as Mal admired the sentiment of the holiday, Serenity never celebrated Cinco De Mayo again.