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"We have a whole 'nother week before we have to make you supposed rendezvous with your dead sister in Beaumonde, Simon. The crew could use a night of fun," Mal reasoned, clapping him on the shoulder reassuringly, then returning to his place next to Inara before the large bonfire. Simon, whohad been trying to talk him into leaving right when the job was done, walked to another log huffily and sat and Kaylee draped a comforting arm around him while she sipped spiced wine out of a tin tankard.
Mal'd been recounting the details of their gig earlier that morning to a laughing crew. He looked at Inara. "We'll head for Beaumonde in the morning, give you a chance to do some of your work."
Inara flashed her beautiful smile. "I appreciate it. This place is lovely, but-"
"Not your clientele. I'm wise. You got to play at being a lady," he finished.
"Well, yes. So explain to me again why Zoe wasn't in the dress?" she asked mockingly, referring to the morning's events where they overtook some of the bandits that had been harassing the colonists. Mal laughed and made a joke, then swatted the small hand that had been trying to swipe his tankard from behind him. Evie looked affronted and flounced away in search of other cups to steal sips from.
Mal grinned wryly, more than a little buzzed and asked Inara to dance. She politely refused. He looked at the rest of his crew. Jayne was already drunk, no surprise there. Elder Gommen handed him a stick filled with beads and illustrated how it mimicked the sound of rain.
"It makes the rain come when you turn it. The rain is scarce, and comes only when needed most. And such it is with men like you," Elder Gommen explained to the big mercenary. Jayne's eyes filled with drunken tears and he pulled the man in for a bear hug, obviously touched.
Mal then looked to Zoe and she was making out with Wash like mad, obviously also very drunk- a rare occasion for the warrior woman.
Simon had finally chilled out and he and Kaylee were swaying merrily to the music while sitting on the log. Boy had a drink in his hand for once, bless his heart. He watched as Evie sneaked Kaylee's cup from off the ground and then went running into the shadows. Smiling, he shook his head at the little scamp. Shepherd Book had obviously seen this action too, for he closed his Bible and went stalking off in her direction. Mal resolved to let the preacher handle it, for he was enjoying himself immensely.
A pretty buxom girl shyly approached him and to his delight and confusion, knelt and placed a wreath on his head. Mal looked at Jayne quizzically and Jayne motioned for him to go on. The redhead offered him a bowl of wine. Mal drank heartily and she smiled and rose, turning to join the group of colonists dancing merrily. The villagers grabbed Mal and Jayne up to join in and they let them, Jayne refusing to let go of his precious rainstick.
Evie was pouting a little by a tree and watching the revelers as Book stalked away with her purloined cup of spirits. She heard someone approaching and looked over her shoulder. The lanky form of the boy from yesterday, Mitchell, his name was, came into view as he stepped closer to the firelight. Evie braced herself and went into a fighting stance.
"Relax, I come in peace," he said wearily, as he stood beside her, watching the festivities. Evie visibly relaxed and turned to join him, watching the merry folks. Then she peeked at him from the corner of her eye. He had a bandage over the bridge of his nose and purple shaded beneath both of his eyes. He sighed, "Jesse said I had to apologize to you."
Evie scoffed and looked forward again, folding her arms. "Are you actually sorry?" she asked disbelievingly.
Mitchell thought for a moment. "Y'all done right by us. Had no cause to go off on you like that," he said noncommittally.
"Old man told us some of your story. Guess I can see why you did it," she said then looked at him pointedly. "He whup ya?" She knew the answer was yes, but wanted to unnerve him a bit for some reason.
He fixed her with a wrathful stare. "What business is that of yours?" he asked heatedly.
"Relax, cowboy. I get the same treatment from Mal when I done wrong," she said, trying not to laugh.
He seemed to quiet down at that. "You call your Daddy by his first name?" he asked and she coughed. There was that word again. "Or you're like me and you don't gpt any parents," he said rather than asked, reading her facial expression. She said nothing. "They dead?" he asked after a moment, his face softening at their commonalities.
She kicked a rock. "Might as well be," was all she answered, then nodded toward where most of the crew was laughing and dancing or indulging in some other sort of hedonism. "Them's my family now," she said matter-of-factly.
"Know how that feels," he said wistfully, his thoughts traveling to another world. He snapped back after a few seconds. "Say, you want some wine?" he asked, focusing a playfully mischievous look at her.
Evie blew out a breath. "Managed to nab some, but the Shepherd took it away," she said contemptuously.
Mitchell laughed and gestured with his head. "Come on, I know where they keep it." His infectuous smile crept onto her face and she followed after him.
Mal and Elder Gommen looked at the small snoring bodies passed out amongst the barrels in the wine storage shack. They weren't intertwined or anything illicit. Mitchell's body was upright, back against the barrel, legs straight out, hands in his pockets and Evie was completely prostrate on her side, using her arm as a pillow. In spite of this, Mal's temper flared. His temples pounded from too much drink the night before and that didn't help.
"Hey!" he shouted, not helping his own ailment. The children both jumped and stirred, opening their eyes and were very confused. Evie put her arm over her eyes, the brightness of the open door making them scream.
"Mal?" she asked, still confused. Then, "Mal!" She jumped to her feet, immediately regretting it as her stomach pitched and her body ached.
Mitchell jumped up just as quickly and appeared to regret it just as much. "Elder," he started. "This... this isn't... this isn't what it looks like," he stammered, gesturing to Evie.
"Looks like a coupla wan nao's dippin' where they don't belong," mused Mal, looking at them reproachfully. There was silence as the two kids gauged how much trouble they were in by the looks in their authoritarians' faces.
"Mitchell, you have chores to do. Get to them," said Elder Gommen softly but firmly. "We'll talk about this later." Mitchell shot Evie an apologetic look and whispered a goodbye before cagily pushing past the two men.
Mal watched the kid go over his shoulder then turned back and pinned Evie with a no-nonsense look. "Jayne!" he shouted without taking his eyes off her. Behind the standing body's in the doorway in the shed, she saw the big man kick up dust and stir at the spot by the fire he had passed out in. He unwrapped his arms from the girl who'd kept him company for the night and stood. "Get the girl back to the ship."
Evie eyed Mal circumspectly, not daring to move until he prodded, "Best be moving your pi gu, little girl." She took two hesitant steps then tried to dart between them doing her best to avoid a smack on her behind and failing.
She yelped and put her hands on the seat of her pants but kept moving. Jayne didn't know what was going on but he knew she was in trouble. He took her wrist and started motoring to the ship. "Jayne, will you carry..."
"No," he said gruffly, not slowing his stride so that she had to scurry to take two steps to his one.
Mal shook his head and started ambling in the same direction, Elder Gommen walking by his side. Townsfolk were loading a few crates onto the ramp of the ship. "Well, now that we found the lost children, Elder Gommen, I thank you for your hospitality."
"Have a feeling those two are gonna be lost children for a while," Elder Gommen speculated. Mal couldn't disagree. The Elder turned to him. "We owe you a great debt. I'm sorry we have so little to pay it with. Though, I hope our gifts will show our regard."
"Seein' as how the little imp drank half your stock of spirits- and I don't think Jayne's ever letting go of that rainstick... well, we gotta fly," he said, searching for the right goodbye as Serenity's engines began revving up.
"We will pray for a safe voyage and hope to lay eyes on you again before too long, my friend," Elder Gommen said, shaking his hand.
"Count on it," Mal said then turned and ran up the ramp, closing it after he was aboard.
Nearly everyone dosed another hour or two, sleeping the rough night off. Mal rose, his hangover mostly subsided. He smelled what he supposed was breakfast cooking in the dining hall. Not quite ready to put anything his stomach, he went down to the cargo bay to square away the goods and work up an appetite.
He began moving boxes and was startled by a figure huddled in a corner between two crates. He made a loud, "Ahh!"
A pretty redheaded woman wearing a potato sack shift and sandals looked up at him and then back down to her feet fearfully.
"Who the hell are you?" Mal demanded.
She looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"I think I was pretty clear," Mal said pointedly. "What are you doing on my boat?"
Her confused expression continued. "Did Elder Gommen not tell you?"
Mal was losing his patience, his mind swirling as if he was drunk once again. "Tell me what? Who are you?" he demanded again.
"Mr. Reynolds, Sir..." she began and then her lashes fluttered shyly as she looked at him with big blue-green eyes.
"I am your wife."
