A/N:So I'm a big browncoat. Have been for about a year now. Never thought I'd be writing let alone publishing a story for Firefly. I know I have other stories to write and finish but this got stuck in my head and I couldn't not write it down. I have no beta so the mistakes are mine. If the Chinese isn't correct I'm sorry but I don't speak it so this is from a translator (the English translations are below at the end). Also this is somewhere in the BDS because I'm in denial over obvious character deaths in the BDM and always will be.
So I hope you will enjoy this bittersweet one shot and leave a review please?
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Mal was good at fightin', hell he liked to pick ones in Alliance friendly bars when it tickled him so. But even when he most hurt, or outnumbered, he was always holdin' back. There was something hidden in his eyes, almost like restraint when he would drive his fist through a man's jaw. Even when he shot that lawman after he put a bullet in Kaylee, it almost came to the surface, but he swallowed it and carried on as per usual.
There's only been one time that that rage, that fire has ever broken free, and it's a good thing he didn't kill him cuz we would be in mighty bad shape what with our heists always bringin' extra surprises along the way. You can't blame the boy though. He didn't know, hell I don't think anyone knows besides me, the true reason behind Mal's ever-watchful protective stance he has for Kaylee. To the rest of the crew, it's just another piece to the confusin' puzzle that is Capt' Mal Reynolds. But I know, and I had to let the doctor know- well, after we picked him up off the floor and made sure he was still breathin'.
Everyone was silent that day; even the Sheppard couldn't come to chastise the angered Captain. They all just stood back in amazement as Mal delivered blow after blow until the Doc lay sprawled and unconscious on the floor. River understood though, in her own special child way, I could see the sadness for him in her eyes, a brief moment of understanding before she went back to the half-vacant look she normally possessed.
We carried his limp form to the infirmary and cleared out till he was in his senses again, moanin' and groanin' on his table, I quickly walked in and slid the doors shut makin' sure no one could be spyin' in and sat next to the young doc.
"Good afternoon." I said.
"Uhh, what happened?" He groaned and propped himself up painfully on his elbow.
"Well for starters you had your lights punched out by one very furious Captain." I said with a raise of my eyebrows.
"I don't understand though… What did I say that made him put me in my own infirmary?" He winced and grabbed the ice pack I offered him.
"Well this is how it happened…"
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"I'm saying that this is way too dangerous a heist to perform, with the crew, and especially my sister!" Simon yelled waving an arm towards River who was standing between a soothing Kaylee and Inara.
"And I'm sayin' boy that I'd never put my crew in unnecessary harm's way that could hurt all of us, especially Kaylee, and especially your moon brained sister!" Mal raised his voice back, hands on his hips as he calmly took a step forward.
"You don't care about our safety, all you care about is money, and yourself. I bet you've never gěi dìng yīgè gǒu shǐ about anyone, even your own family!" Simon seethed back just before Mal's fist connected with his face, knocking him to the ground as Mal delivered blow after blow, face red, full of unrestrained anger. All the time yelling,
"Nǐ bù zhíqián de gǒu! I could kill you now! Nǐ wàng'ēnfùyì dǎnxiǎoguǐ!" Jayne finally pulled Mal off and he stormed away to his cabin, Inara following after she checked to make sure River was okay.
"Wow." Kaylee first spoke up, awe in her voice.
"Okay, I been pilot here for a long while and haven't ever seen Captain get that Jīnù (enraged)." Wash said amazed while Zoe just stared on in understanding.
"If you understood the insult, you would have bloodied the good doctor too." Zoe sighed, uncrossing her arms to go check on the doc.
"Then what in tarnation was that great display of violence for then?" Jayne asked, confusion written all over his hard features as he helped Zoe hoist up the unconscious doctor.
"If Mal wants to say then he would. Some stories are best left untold." Zoe sighed sadly. Everyone nodded and slowly began to disperse back around the ship, taking in this new side of their usually stoic Captain…
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"Well that explains the injuries. But not why Mal almost killed me." Simon sighed and lay back against the propped up table. I looked around the room, wonderin' if giving up this kind of sensitive story about the reserved Capt' was good. But rememberin' all the punches they have given in passing since pickin' the strange pair up on Persephone, this might prevent future brawls- or beat downs.
"What I'm about to tell you is secret, you tell anyone else and I will shoot you without second thought before Mal even has a chance in the hot place to kill you himself, Dǒng ma?" I stared at him as intensely as I could muster. He nodded slowly, the seriousness of it all finally sinking into that big brain of his.
"The Captain is from Shadow. I'm sure you've heard of it?" I asked, makin' sure he knew the background before I gave more. He nodded again.
"Well then you are familiar with the fact that the Alliance destroyed in pretty much. No one can live there anymore. Its empty- well, there's no living soul there now." I waited seeing if he would catch on without me sayin' it.
"So… the Captain's family is dead?" He asked, looking at the ceiling, not meeting my eyes, either out of horror or out of shame, hard to tell with the blank faced doc.
"Yeah. His momma raised him on a ranch there, he was off runnin' a goods delivery off world when the Alliance decided to hit it." I sighed, rememberin' the night Mal told me the story himself when we were buried in the trenches, the only time he was ever vulnerable and said anythin' about life before the war. His voice shook, eyes lookin' as lost as some of the brain-fried cadets in out troop, a deep sadness in his eyes.
"But I still don't understand the full rage. I said family, but he kept going on about Kaylee and River specifically, didn't mention you or Wash, hell not even Jayne?" Simon's browed furrowed as I swallowed the lump lodged in my throat, saddened by what I had to say next, knowing it was something Mal couldn't ever say himself again, at least not to me, maybe to Inara one day.
"He also had a sister back home. She was still on the ranch when the Alliance blew through. Lost 'em both during the attack. That's why he volunteered for the Independents. That's why he acts like the war is still on. Why he takes from the Alliance and will readily fight them, to take a little bit of what he can never get back. Why do you think he's so sweet on Kaylee and protects her, why you are River are still on board? They remind him of his little sister, the family he deeply loved and cared for. The way he looks at little Kay? I think she is most like her, she was probably light hearted and carefree, a spirit of her own will. And helps fill that whole he has for his mèimei. I know this is a lot, and damn too emotional for me and him both. But I thought you should be of knowing before you decide to sign your own death warrant the next time around."
I finished after a quick breath. I looked up to see the doc's stunned yet quiet face. His eyes showin' the zoomin' of his thoughts. Understandin' finally comin' to light at the weight of his earlier words.
"Should I apologize to him?" He looked down at his scraped palms resting in his lap before glancin' up to meet my eyes.
"I think you should wait. When he comes out of the cabin, keep a little distance and approach him slowly. You don't want him to kill this time round." I smirk slightly before sliding the door shut to leave him to his healing.
I headed up to the cockpit to check our heading, but not before pausin' near the Capt's room to hear the muffled sounds of voices, one being Mal's, the other Inara's. I shake my head with a light chuckle, I know he will feel better, she was good at doing that. She just hoped that soon they would lose their blindness and see how much they mean to each other. Oh well, that was a surprise for another day…
The End
translations:
gěi dìng yīgè gǒu shǐ - given a shit
Nǐ bù zhíqián de gǒu - you worthless dog
Nǐ wàng'ēnfùyì dǎnxiǎoguǐ - you ungrateful coward
Jīnù - enraged
Dǒng ma - understand
mèimei - little sister
A/N: Yay! My first Firefly fanfic! Was it good? I hope the characterizations are good. Please tell me what you think and I might write more one shots for Firefly! Keep flyin' folks and stay shiny!