Shadow's Breaking.
None belongs to me, it's the amazing creation of Joss. I'm just trying to put my ideas to rest.
One
She had turned away from him before he even had time to process what had happened.
"Hwen Dan" She muttered under her breath. Tears rolling down her face. It was Zoe she brushed past.
"Everthing okay sir?" She had known Mal for so long and sometimes he just tended to be so...unsensitive. Even after becoming a parent.
"I'm not even sure of that myself Zoe." He admitted. Gorramitt. He hated to see Kaylee cry. It was the worst thing and having being the reason for her tears made him even more mad at himself. "Wanna explain women to me?" Zoe smiled softly.
"Mama?" Her child was the last person Kaylee wanted to run imto. But there weren't a lot of people on the ship that slimed that possibility for her. "Something wrong?" Katie was Kaylee's carbon copy of a child, the only thing different between them was those deep blue eyes. Right now full of worry. "Something wrong?"
"Kaylee!" Mal came after her, a little bit out of breath. "You gotta let me.."
Just in time. "Something is wrong." Katie said softly. "She's got all teary," The little girl said. Mal's eyes scanned for her. "You'll make her better, won't you daddy?"
Kao.
"Katie Kay, won't you go check on your brothers and Jayne? I sure don't wanna find a mess before we land."
Katie looked at Kaylee and then back at her father. She nodded wth a smile.
"Kaylee..." Mal said softly, joining Kaylee at the table, he dragged a char, turned it around and tried to face her.
"Got nothin' to say to you." She said. "Nothin' at all."
"Then you just gotta listen," He said, tried to reach for her face but she pulled back. "I don't really know what you want me to say Kaylee."
"Then you're that stupid." She said quickly. She was mad.
She was hurt and mad and she was the mother of his children.
To make matters worse they were far from reaching their destination just yet. Shadow. Mal never thought he'd return home.
Let alone with a family of his own, but there was Betty, she was the old woman who'd taken care of him after his mother had died and she had done the impossible to reach him. Lettn' him now she was ready to leave this world and her last wish was to see her boy again.
Mal had changed. If you'd told him ten years ago he'd go so close to home. Even visit, he'd tell you you were Feng Le. But losing Wash had changed him. Emma and Zoe had too.
Kaylee had made him turn on his head, more so after she told him she was pregnant.
Katie. His sweet little girl who had him wrapped around her little finger. She wasn't so little no more and yet he couldn't phanthom the idea of her growing up any more.
"Please just tell me what I said so I can..." Mal began. Janye busted into the room, two little boys trailing behind him.
"Sorry." The man said, Mal shot him a death glare. Finn and Steele stood behind him. "We heading back from where we came from."
"Don't bother, it's time to get ready for bed anyways." Kaylee said with a sigh and pushed back standing up. She picked up Finn and just then Steele slipped from her grasp, he didn't need to shower. He had just done that yesterday.
Kaylee sighed. "Might wanna think that twice kid, she looks as if she could kill someone." Jayne chipped in.
Steele looked at his mother. "Don't have to shower, do I mama?"
"Steele..." It was Mal. He was now back on his feet. "Do as she says, don't want you stinking up the ship."
"But daddy..." He groaned. "I'm shinny...see?" He grinned widely. "Don't need no shower." Mal smiled.
"Go on, might let you be on the bridge with River for a little while if you be ready soon." Mal said sofly. Kaylee looked at him. She honestly thought he might be ready to celebrate the little boy's insubordination.
"For real daddy?" The brigde had been Wash's home and now it had become River's safe haven. It was off limits for Serenity's youngest crew. Most of times, Mal used to go up there with each child when they were babies and show them the vast way of the Verse. It was a thing he considered a ritual to him.
He wasn't going to be anything like his daddy, walking on him on the moment he'd known about him. It had just being him and his mom, plus the ocasional 40 hands of people helping out 'round the ranch.
"Only if you're a good boy and do as your mom tells ya'" Oh he was sold alright. He trailed in front of Kaylee as she walked ahead, holding on to Finn as he bounced on her hip.
"Good bargain captain, I'd say." Jayne sighed as he took on Kaylee's previous spot. "I ain't got no power on those little feet no more, the little one is almost as fast as the big one."
"They're children Jayne." Mal laughed. He was whipped. Those four kids had turned Jayne into puddle. He'd play princess with Emma first and then pirates with Steele. He was Serenity's official babysitter, not that there was loads of people to pick up from since Inara had left a few years back. Without Wash and Book and Inara they had to make ends meet with what they had. Brought on Deeks. He was a good cook. Had not taken anybody's place amongst the crew but rather be an aid for Zoe and Jayne. He'd been in battle , although not in a war as bad or near Zoe or Mal had gone trough, and yet the boy reminded him too much of his younger self. He'd had been with them for a year or so, learnin' all he could from both.
And stealin' a few glances from River much to Simon's dismay.
"Sometnhin' wrong?" Jayne asked. It was fair play, to this day, Jayne knew Mal almost as much as Zoe did.
"Just wondering how I got myself into such a big mess." Mal sighed. It was no lie he was stressed out about going back to Shadow, he hadn't been there in more than 20 years. He'd been gone from home since he was 18, a year after his mother had died, he had not being able to stay there and tend the ranch.
He had to do somethin' more with his life than bein' in charge of cattle and horses.
A thief was not one of the things on his list, and yet life had a funny and twisted way of getting in the way of people's plans.
"Lady problems? That's why I got no one else but Vera in my life." Jayne said.
"How I allow you to be around my children, still amazes me." Mal said in disgust. He stood up from the chair he'd taken again. "Good night Jayne."
He hadn't dared to look for Kaylee. He couldn't bring himself to. He walked over to Katie's room instead. She no longer shared a room with her brother at age 10.
"See someone's busy." Mal smiled. His daugther was so much like Kaylee. She was sittin' on her bed, her eyes glued to a book. School work from Simon, there was no doubt about it.
"Hi daddy." She grinned up at him. Mal sat next to her in bed. "I'm almost done." She stated proudly. "Mama said she'd come in a minute to say good night. She feelin' better?"
"What do you mean bao- bei?" Mal asked.
"She was sad. Cryin'. Wouldn't tell me what was wrong." Katie explained bitting her lip. "She sad cause we are leavin' Serenity?"
Shuh Muh?
"Heard aunt Zoe tellin' Deeks we might be leaving the ship soon." The little girl explained.
Oh. "We're only heading for Shadow, not gonna stay there long."
"Wasn't that where you lived as a boy?" Her eyes sparkled in the dim light of the cabin.
"It is. But it's not my home anymore. Serenity is." Mal said.
"I often wonder what it'd be like being on the ground." Katie said in all seriousness. Mal often thought of it too. He'd thought about it when Zoe had first told him she was pregnant. She couldn't possibly still be living on Serenity while havin' a child.
That had been over twelve years ago and there had already been 3 more children welcomed aboard the ship.
"I do too." Mal admitted.
"Don't you miss it?" Katie asked.
"You wonder too much Katie Kay, best if you put that book away and sleep." Mal pushed the little girl back on her bunk while taking the book away.
"You miss your mama, don't ya?" Katie was one stubborn little one. Just like him really. "That's why you wouldn't go back, till now."
"Best if we answer the mysteries of life in the mornin' alright?"
"Daddy!" She pouted. "You do miss her, don't you? I mean if mama wasn't around, I'd sure miss her." Katie said. "She'd tuck you in and everythin' wouldn't she?"
"Enough drillin' tonite miss Katie, you gotta sleep." Mal kissed her cheek.
"Didn't know you were down here..." Came Kaylee's voice. Mal turned around. "Done with schoolwork? Gotta tell me all you learned tomorrow at breakfast, right?"
"Almost, daddy said I should sleep now, I'd be ready for tomorrow though." Katie said proudly.
"That's a good girl, learnin' important, no matter what people tell you. You always gotta want to learn somethin' new." Kaylee leaned down to kiss her child goodnight. "Best be prepared for life, you don't want anythin' slowing you down."
Ouch. She'd look at Mal.
"Best if we let you sleep Katie Kay." Mal said with a smile, as Kaylee waited for him to leave the room. "Sweet dreams."
"Daddy?"
"Yeah?"
"You gonna teach me how to ride a horse?" She asked.
"Sure I will. Now you need to rest."
He climbed out first, followed by Kaylee.
"Boys are tucked in, Steele wanted to make sure to tell you, he's ready for goin' to the bridge." Kaylee was about to turn on her heel when he stopped her.
"Kaylee. Please don't." He pushed her agaisnt him, and she gasped. "You giving the cold shoulder is the worst thing, it's drivn' me crazy." She tried to pull away from his grasp.
"Let go." She said. "Just let me go, gotta make sure everythin' is ready..."
"That can wait, I need you to talk to me..."
"You need?" She spat at him. "Funny how that works uh, cap'n?"
"Little Kaylee..." He said agaisnt her neck. She sighed.
"I know you stressed cause we going to where you grew up, but you..."
"Sorry Captain, I didn't see nothin'." Deeks suddenly made them pull apart.
Gorramit.
"What is it Deeks?" He asked frustrated. Wasn't the ship big enough?
"Finished my rounds, gonna head to bed now." The boy said. "Need somethin'?"
Mal sighed.
Yes, he needed to stop being such a Ben Tian Sheng De Yi Dui Rou
"Good night, Deeks."
The boy shrugged and turned on his heels.
Mal made it over to the boy's room. Steele was not awake. Sleep had beat him to it.
Just one more thing, he'd have to fix in the mornin'.
Thankfully Kaylee had not locked him out, instead she was sittin' on the bed, didn't even acknoleged him at first.
Not until he took off his shirt. "You going to talk to me someday soon?" He asked as she looked up at him.
She sighed, rolling her eyes at him. "Want me to apologize? Fine. I'm sorry."
Not good enough Mal.
"Want you to mean it, for real, not just cause you wanna get into my pants."
"Kaylee..."
"Oh, wait. No, that not gonna happen anymore cause you no more want me to have a baby."
Gorramitt Mal. You've done it this time.
No one will read it anyway, yet I need to write it down.