This is my first fan fic.
Hope you all like.
Disclaimer: I own neither Firefly or Serenity A/N spoilers for Serenity
Before The Funeral
Mal stepped up the edge of the cliff searching the sky above Haven. The others were back at Serenity getting fixed up by the Alliance doc's.
It felt right that he would be here alone. The night before they'd lost the war, he'd stood on watch over Zoe, Bendis and the others, while he buried the last of his friends.
While it could be said he had never attempted being a friend to any of these men, he'd respected them.
He dug for over two hours. His gut ached somethin' fierce but he kept going.
Without turning he yelled over his shoulder "Jayne! You take one more step this way them Reavers wont need no knife to get at your guts!"
He stops digging long enough to hear him back away.
"Captains duty to bury his crew." He mutters as he continues shovelling.
An hour later and he carries Wash over to the first hole. He laid him as gentle as possibly into the ground all wrapped in white cloth. Cloth he'd had left over from the valley. He cleared his throat as he climbed out.
"I'm not much good at this. Funny considering the practise I got in the war." He coughs, theirs some blood as he wipes his hand on his trousers. "I never really liked you much, you took Zoe from me. Maybe not all but she didn't need me any more not like she needs you now. But she ain't half the person she were when you held her." Another cough and dizziness hit him then, he sat on the edge of the grave staring up. Past the clouds to the stars.
"That's where we should have buried you. The black, where you were happy. Where ya made us all free. It's somethin' I never thanked you for: keeping me from having to look over my shoulder at them ghosts. The ones I failed and the ones I put their with reason." He sighed and slowly stood leaning on the shovel "I guess 'part from little Kaylee you was the most innocent on my boat. So I'm sorry Hoban Washburne. I'm sorry I gone and got you killed on account of me. Rest easy and know I'll look after Zoe." He threw the dirt over his body without further ceremony.
Book was a mystery wrapped in another one just to make it more difficult.
"Well Shepherd, I guess I'm really not gonna hear another sermon from ya. Cant say that doesn't piss me off since I could never stand them." Mal coughed again and looked away from the filled grave, betraying his inner feelings briefly. "I know you had your troubles and your woes, but you never heaped on us. I thank you for that, had enough with that scatty girl and her pencil neck of a brother." He returned his gaze to the grave "Men like us I reckon won't get in your Heaven, and I figured you knew it. But you didn't give in." and in a quieter voice barely a whisper, loud enough for the dead and no other ear "You were a better man than me. You moved on at least. I can't ever cos part of me still stands there. Good-bye Derrial Book."
The sun was beginning to set as he buried Mr. Universe. It felt wrong not having a real name to say as he buried him with his Lovebot ©. Yet it was in his final message on a stray monitor, he surely was a strange fellow, but he was in love. So he figured he'd had one up on Mal.
He reckoned tomorrow they would all say their good byes, but tonight he'd watch over them; like he'd done many a night previous in a life long since past. Sitting back against some rocks he looked over his days work and shifted his weight hopin' he hadn't pulled the weaves the doc's had sewn in out.
He woke to find the others standing viewing his handy work in silence. Zoe reached out and pulled him up. Maybe he wouldn't have to bury them; maybe he could go before them all. He didn't think he could bury any more of his crew. He watched them all searching his eyes for any fear or doubt. He cleared his throat,
"Lets get a move on, we need to get us some fireworks people."