Continuum: Part OneJordan Owens
The time comes in a man's life when he has to make a stand. This was not that time.
Mal turned away, thinking that it was the hardest thing he'd ever done. She was walking away.
He thought about it for a minute, finally settling his thoughts enough to head to the galley. He was in need of some very strong drink. He knew there was one more bottle of Mechandrus Silver Sake hidden behind the couch, just for him. There were a few good things about being captain, after all.
He entered the galley and felt something brush into him. He looked around quick as lightning, his mind flashing back a few days to the bounty hunter and his easy entrance into Serenity. His fears were ill-founded, however, as he couldn't find any source of the feeling. Still, it was strange. Although after what Inara just said his nerves were probably just wound up too tight, is all. He shrugged and pulled the couch out, looking down into his little hiding spot with a smile. The bag was still there, wrapped up and slotted into the wall. He pulled it out slowly, grinning with anticipation, and sat down at the table. He kicked the couch back into position just as he heard footsteps approaching from the crew quarters. He started to stow the bottle when he realized who it was. Not two on this boat that made that much noise just walking. Jayne walked in yawning and scratching his belly, obviously just woken up.
"Cap'n. Whatre you doin up an about?"
"Could ask you the same, Jayne. It's a little early still for breakfast."
Jayne stumbled over to his section of the freezer cabinets and pulled out a bottle of beer, "Not too early for a brew, though." He sat down opposite Mal and put his foot up on the next chair.
"Well," Mal started, before he had a chance to think, "How's about a toast?" He pulled the bottle out of the bag and set it on the table between the two of them.
For a second Jayne just stared at it. "Is that?" he asked, hands frozen in the act of opening his bottle.
"I do believe it might be" said Mal, with a mischievous smile.
Jayne chuckled appreciatively, "You hid the last bottle, you sly son of a..." he paused, "Forget this gosa." He pushed the unopened beer aside and reached behind him to grab two small cups. Mal, meanwhile, opened the bottle. Both men smiled and laughed a little at the strong smell, knowing full well that this particular sake was known as one of the strongest alcohols in the verse.
Mal poured the first cup for both, and Jayne caught a little bit of the reason for his sudden late-night binge. He wasn't great at telling what people were thinking, but he knew enough about Mal, especially drunk.
"To Serenity!" Mal picked the best toasts. Jayne raised his cup, and they drank.
Jayne immediately poured another cup, despite the face he was making. Mal spluttered a little, but held his cup out.
"To the crew!" Jayne thought Mal would like this one, and he did.
"Good one, Jayne. To the crew" They drank again.
The two men slammed their cups down and regarded each other, watching for reactions to the incredible toxin they had just taken in. Jayne showed first, as usual, grinning and then even giggling.
"Good, huh?" Mal started, "Pretty good..." He dissolved into laughter as well, staying there until his sides hurt and he was holding back tears.
Jayne slowly poured another cup.
"You talk to Inara lately, Cap'n?" It was a bold statement, not the kind that a sober Jayne would make. But the two drinks had made him woozy, and the third in front of him promised to help out with that cause.
Mal just looked at him, although a bit unsteadily, and slowly appraised his friend. They had become that, over the past few years. Drinking buddies, war buddies, whatever. He had never really thought about it, but Jayne was his only really good buddy now. Zoe had Wash, Kaylee had Simon, and Inara, well. She was just herself, and that was unsettling enough.
"I suppose I did, Jayne. But I never really know, do I?" he replied finally.
Jayne laughed, "I think I know what you mean,"
Mal had never even thought too hard on Inara, until she said she was going to leave.
"You worry about what you got, and then you worry about it more when it's gone." he added.
Mal looked really hard at Jayne then, like he was seeing him for the first time. He had not said a thing about Inara leaving, and he was sure she wouldn't have told Jayne first. 'This brother of mine is a smart sumbitch', he thouhgt, 'whether or not he puts on that way.'
"Jayne, I do believe you and I make a pretty good team." They drank.
"Don't get all weepy on me yet, we've still got quite a ways to go." Jayne pointed at the bottle, and both men laughed.
"What's so funny?" Kaylee flounced into the room, smiling like it was her birthday party, as usual. Jayne groaned and Mal looked up at her, eyes gleaming.
"Oh, you two are drinking? And you left everyone else out, come on!" She was obviously not sleepy, and sat down next to Jayne with her own cup. "Come on, where've you two been hiding the good stuff?" She pinched Jayne as hard as she could, "I swear, we've all been getting put over on!"
Mal looked at her again, then looked at Jayne. "You think she can handle it?" They both fall over laughing as she pours four more drinks. When they resurface, they notice and look at each other, puzzled.
"Is the good doctor joining us for a drink at this late hour?" Mal added a royal tone that he always used to impersonate Simon to Kaylee.
She laughed, "Nope, hes asleep so hard he didnt even hear you two laughing up a storm."
Jayne kept laughing, "Well, whos this for then?" pointing at the fourth drink.
Neither of the drunken pair had noticed Zoe standing in the doorway, clad in her robe. "Cap'n, dont you think its a little late to be rousing the crew for a drinking game?"
Jayne cut in, "Only game here is who gets the most sake?" He holds his glass up, "To all the crazy non-sleeping people on this boat!"
Even Zoe laughed out loud at this, but put her cup up just as high. Spirits were high all around, and even Jayne got in on a few good-natured pokes at the sleeping crew members. They made fun of each in turn, Zoe even calling Wash up on his abilities as a pilot! Mal had never laughed so hard, it seemed, and he forgot all about his troubles. How anyone stayed asleep through it all, none of them could tell.
In the morning spirits were at an all-time low. Jayne and Mal were sprawled out in the galley, the empty bottle resting in the remains of a scrounged midnite snack that had been left mostly to sit on the table. Wash was the first up, and stumbled into the mess on his way to find coffee. He looked confused as always, but his confusion included a very intoxicated wife entering bed late last night, so he pieced it together quickly. He kicked Jayne in the boot and pushed Mal off the couch.
"What are you two doing?" he wasn't much for reprimands, especially not to the captain, but he was up to the challenge and it was too good a chance to pass up, "We've got a meeting in a half hour, and you guys are sleeping? What about the job?"
His insistence roused them immediately, and sent them stumbling toward their cabins. He chuckled, thinking about how long it would take them to realize they actually had two hours.
Kaylee passed the two in the crew hallway, smiling and looking to Wash as she entered the dining room. "What did you do to them?"
Wash just put his finger to his lips and Kaylee could guess. She laughed, going for some water to take back to her room. Simon was still asleep, 'and who could blame him', she thought. She had accidentally woken him as she returned to bed, so they had stayed up very late, after all.
"You were awake for this, I take it?" Wash sounded resolved, like a man that knew he would have to clean up the mess. He didn't regret being the pilot, even though that included small chores noone else remembered or cared to do.
Kaylee smiled again, "Yep, and Zoe too. We all had a little drink since we couldn't sleep."
"Yeah, okay." Wash laughed. "Go on, I'm sure you've got places to be."
She darted off toward her bunk and Simon. Wash still couldn't really believe that part, those two getting together. He had always assumed Simon was too shy to get with Kaylee, even though she was cute as a button. 'Good for them, I guess,' he thought, 'but it sure is getting lonely around the common areas.' Wash could remember a few months back, when everyone would always gather round for conversation, and how he would miss it because he would be actually working. As time wore on, though, people grew closer than close to each other. He had guessed that he and Zoe would not remain the only couple on board.
"What're you doing?" Zoe entered the room, gliding along like normal, entrancing him.
"Just a little tidying up, thought I'd dust around the doilies and whatnot, you know."
"You don't have to do that by yourself, here, I'll help."
With the two of them it took no time at all to straighten the room up, and then they sat down to eat. The protein was flavored, so it reminded Wash of eating a side of beef or bacon, but he couldn't place it. It was always the same with the protein meals, a vague memory of what it was designed to imitate.
"So, what prompted the drinking?" he asked.
"They woke me up, Jayne and the cap'n. Laughing like schoolboys. Kaylee was already up, so I figured I'd try some of that Mechandrus Silver." she smiled.
Wash whistled, "So, Mal still had some. I'm not surprised, but why would he break it out?"
"I know," Zoe began, "he wasn't himself last night, Jayne and Kaylee could see it, too. I think that's why I stayed up. He seemed...depressed. Like he wanted to say something but couldn't. I don't know, it just bothered me."
"Well, the extremely strong liquor probably helped a little," he chuckled, "but I'm still not sure what could have made him depressed."
Inara chose that moment to walk in, unconsciously of course, but both Wash and Zoe had their answers.
"Good morning Wash, Zoe." she gracefully strode over to make some tea water.
Wash looked at Zoe and nodded, then stood up quickly, "I'll be in the shower, honey. Save my breakfast, could you?"
The minute he left Inara knew their purpose. She sat next to Zoe, holding her teacup in both hands.
Zoe broke the silence, "How have you been doing, Inara?"
She looked away for a moment, "I know what you're doing, Zoe," she started, "and I assure you, I don't blame you and Wash for your curiosity, but.."
"Look, I know what's going on, Inara," Zoe had never cut her off before, and Inara obviously noticed, "I always have. I've known the cap'n longer than anyone else here, and I can tell when someone is in love, I see it every day. Besides, if you're gonna try to tell me you don't love him back then you're forgetting that I'm a woman."
"But Zoe, I..."
"I know, you're a Companion. But someday you're going to remember that you're also a woman, and that what you have here is more important than some house a thousand light years away."
She stood up, leaving Inara speechless at the table. She walked away, silently cursing the woman for being so mysterious. Zoe and Mal had been good friends for a long time, and gorramn if she was going to let Inara destroy him. If she couldn't be made to see reason, then she had to go.