"You're so skinny." She giggled, running her hands down his body and looking at his young, sweet face. "Don't they feed you any at the base?"
"They do." Mal pulled her close, kissing her neck. "But it's basic, Sarah, so then they go make us hike a whole day." Smiling against her skin, he relished her touch. Leave hadn't come soon enough. Seeing her at the dock, he had nearly taken her there. Thankfully they had made it back to her Mama's house before they had torn the clothes off of one other.
"Between your Ma and mine, you'll get fixed up." She caught his mouth for a long, thoughtful kiss.
Mal groaned, the kiss was giving him all sorts of impure ideas. "How is your Ma? Barely got to say hi runnin' inta your room." He chuckled as his hands wandered all over her lithe, curvy frame.
"She's good. Store is the store." Sarah slipped her hand on top of the one that cupped her buttocks. "Boy you gotta give me a minute." Sarah warned huskily as the hand escaped hers and slipped back around the front between her legs.
"Ain't seen you for nearly seven months." Mal breathed, his eyes clouded with lust but his mouth all lopsided and dopey. "And they ship me out in a week, we gotta make it count."
Sarah settled against the pillows, arching her back slightly to all of the attention as the hand wandered up to stroke her breasts. He was working hard on that second round, he really was. "When-when do you get your orders?"
"I got 'em." He drew little circles on her skin. It was soft, yet kissed by Shadow's sun. "I asked for front lines with Zoe and Bill. We're goin' to Beaumonde to help the 87th."
Sarah's eyes snapped open and she sat up, looking at him in disbelief. "Front lines? Front lines? What happened to the desk job?"
"Yeah, about that." He settled closer, voice somewhat guilty. "I uh-I don't think pushin' papers is really how ta fight in this wa-"
She pushed his hand away, propping herself up on her elbows. "Malcolm, you said you'd get a desk job. Then I'd follow you to whatever base you'd be stationed at."
"And that can still happen! Just after this tour." He sat up with her. "Bǎobèi relax, I really wanna make a difference. Me and Zoe and Billy, we're all in the same platoon! We're gonna watch each other's backs! We're gonna make our stand against those purple bellies." Reaching for her, she pushed him away again.
"You're gonna get killed!" Her raised voice crackled, anticipating heartache. "I'm gonna get some call from your Ma, sayin' how some soldiers came over and said how brave you were-"
"Won't be like that!" He had a stubborn fix in his brow.
"It was like that when Ezra took front lines." There was a bitterness in her voice, remembering a brother long dead. "And now it's gonna-" She couldn't finish as it died in a sob.
Mal watched her, not knowing what to do. He was hurt she wasn't supportive, but also felt some remorse for Ezra as well as guilt for springing it on her like so. "Sarah-"
"Why didn't you call me about this?" She wiped her eyes and slung her feet over the edge of the bed. In the dark, she groped for her robe.
He opened his mouth, but then stopped. "'Cause."
"Because I'd disagree?"
Malcolm's shoulders slumped as she turned away from him. "Maybe so." He mustered out of his chest.
"Malcolm Reynolds, I know too many boys and girls that are either on the front lines or died there-"
"And I'll simply be the former!"
Sarah pulled on her robe, clasping her hand on her mouth to stifle the sob that so desperately wanted to escape. "I thought we were in this together."
"We are!" He strained.
"We aren't if you make decisions like this without me." She dipped her head. Feeling his palm run up her back, she slouched away. "I think it's best you go home."
"But Sarah-" Malcolm's voice crackled as dread crept into his belly.
"Please go home, Malcolm."
Inara found him in his bunk.
It took her awhile to actually venture down. She knew she's find him, but in what state was a gamble. He was seated at his desk with a glass of the scotch he kept in the bottom drawer. One hand was on the glass, toying with the cut, while the other lay in his lap. He was long gone. Staring out past the wall into a life long ago.
A rustle pulled him out of his youth, and he saw her coming over. Averting his eyes, he turned away, not wanting anyone but his own misery.
Inara ignored it. She sidled up to the chair and carefully placed a hand on his shoulder. Neither spoke. The Companion simply watched him take a sip, set the glass down, and continue to fiddle with it.
Slowly, he leaned his head to the side till it brushed against her arm. Soon enough her fingers were massaging his scalp, working away at the ache that had built up in his skull. With a long, heavy sigh he shut his eyes.
"Do you want to talk about her?" Inara asked softly, carefully.
There was a pause, she felt his body tense for a moment before settling back into her fingers. Finally exhaling he seemed to draw further into himself.
It made her heart ache. Leaning forward, she used both hands to rub his shoulders before cradling his head. "Why don't you come lay down?" She kissed his ear, hoping for some response as she applied all of her training. "We don't have to talk, we can just try to relax."
He pulled away from her, leaning into the desk.
"Mal-"
"No." It came out strangled, pained. Soft and full of more hurt than two letters should ever carry.
Inara took a deep breath, pushing away her own feelings. Stepping in one last time, she took his head and pressed a kiss to his crown. "Wǒ ài nǐ." It was a soft, concerned whisper. Standing, looking over the slumped, hollowed out figure that looked less like Malcolm Reynolds, she turned and climbed up the ladder.
Zoe was lingering outside of the hatch. Inara met her eyes, and she could tell that even the normally calm and collected soldier was concerned.
"He doesn't want me there." Inara said as calmly as possible.
Zoe nodded silently, placing a hand briefly on the Companion's shoulder before going down the hatch herself.
Inara watched the door shut. Taking a moment, she composed herself. Mal's pain was raw and was something that she had not quite seen before in any person. It was a mixture of the war, of Shadow, and of her. Once feeling steady enough, she ventured out into the galley where Jayne was cleaning his gun.
"He's all messed up, ain't he?" The merc noted nonchalantly. His fingers deftly disassembled Vera over a carefully spread out towel, his way of keeping busy while everyone else was knee deep in all of that stupid kid drama.
"He's been through a lot." Inara murmured, going to the stove and turning the burner on the kettle was on. As she did, Simon came in with the boys following closely behind. The pair were in the basic cotton pants and tees the doctor kept in stock in the infirmary for emergency situations. Their hair was also curiously wet and plastered to their heads. She watched the two as their eyes wandered around the room. Something told her neither had ever been on a ship before.
"Go take a seat." Simon told them, seeing the Companion, he retreated to the kitchen. "How is he?"
She didn't now what to say and rolled her lips into her mouth before offering up the one response she could. "Poor."
He could see all of the meanings the word held on her face. Nodding, slowly, he began to pull out a set of bowls.
"How are they?" She whispered.
"They both have damp lung." He reported in a low tone. "Probably due to not having access to clean water. The eldest is in early stages so I can treat him and cure it. The youngest has had it long enough that it's moderate. He'll need an inhaler from here on out to manage it after I do a round of injections to get the inflammation and fluid down."
William coughed, catching their attention. He sniffled and looked at Jayne cautiously, who gave him the side eye as he oiled a the barrel. The big man trusted no one with his beautiful Vera.
"What happened to their clothes?"
"In the wash on sanitary. I had to… de-louse and de-flea them… and maybe give them some pills that will kill off any internal parasites." Simon told her with a bit of a wince. "Warren was explaining the worker dorms and the conditions seem to be on par with nearly slave labor."
"Poor things."
"I've never had to de-worm a person before." He sighed. "First time for everything."
Inara nodded, getting back to making her tea. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Pour two glasses of milk?" He said, lifting the lid to Kaylee's stew that had been cooking on the stove all day. The smell, rich and savory, wafted up and curled through the air.
"We have other things to-"
"They need milk. Especially the little one."
"Why're you so big?" William half coughed out to the giant man looming over the other side of the table.
"Why you so runty?" Jayne sneered back, wanting to be left alone with his gun.
"He's very small for his age." Simon agreed with Jayne to Inara. She handed him one of the loaves of bread they had bought on Perth and chilled. "Thank you."
"So you're saying they need to be fattened up?" She asked half jokingly, pouring two mugs of cold milk.
"They have deficiencies common with the malnutrition associated with poverty on the Rim. So yes." He told her, cutting two thick slices of bread and laying them on the top of each bowl. "Would you care for some dinner while I'm at it?"
"No thank you." Taking the mugs she walked over to the table and Simon followed. "You two hungry?" She asked, setting the mugs in front of them as Simon slid the bowls onto the table.
"Xièxiè, M'am, Dr. Tam." Warren said in utter disbelief.
Inara put a hand on his shoulder. "Bié kèqì. Just tell us if you two need seconds."
"We can't have two growing boys hungry. And please, call me Simon."
William's eyes widened slightly at the large helping of hot food. The savory scents that floated up from the broth made his mouth water. Leaning over, he tucked into his meal and ignored the others.
Warren elbowed his brother.
"Xièxiè." He said quickly between bites.
Inara fetched her tea before returning to Simon. The pair stood back and watched the boys hungrily wolf down their food. The doctor slipped a hand on her shoulder and leaned into her ear. "I can watch them."
"What about River?"
"She went to her room to lay down." He reassured. "I don't see them being up much longer. Been washed, now fed, they're exhausted, and Kaylee's already set them up in bunk rooms."
"And Kaylee?"
"With Emma."
Inara nodded her head slowly, torn between helping and retreating to her shuttle. "If you need me, I'll be in my shuttle." She compromised.
Simon pressed a kiss to her cheek. "You have my utmost sympathies, Mèimei." He exclaimed sincerely.
"Thank you. If he wants me, he can find me in there." She said tightly, composing herself as she picked up her skirts and headed for her shuttle. Opening the door, she found a thin, slouched figure on her bed. "River?"
River looked up at her, her eyes pained and tired. "Too much."
Rushing to the girl, Inara gathered her up in her arms. "Oh Bǎobèi."
"Too much emotion. It's everywhere." River groaned, nuzzling against Inara. "He's so sad it's swallowing him whole. It's like the big fish gobbling him up. Makes him mean, gives him scales." Her dark, wet eyes fixated on the wall closest to the vicinity of the crew bunks. "The past is a wound, and it bleeds and it's everywhere." Turning to Inara, she whimpered. "And they're scared he hates them, and they'll have to leave." She shook her head, trying to knock the thoughts away. "It's safer in here. Further away… and there's jasmine and tea."
Inara passed the girl her mug of tea, watching her gulp it down as she brushed the wild tendrils of hair from River's face. "I'm so sorry you have to hear all of it."
"I'm sorry I didn't knock. It's so impolite." She whimpered miserably.
"You always know you're welcome in here."
"Except when there's sex."
"Except when there's sex." Patting River's back, she hugged her close as the girl slowly began to relax. Inara did her best to expedite the process by clearing her own mind. While the poor girl since Miranda was subject to pick up bits and pieces of their thoughts and have some control over them, the strongest emotions could wreak havoc on her. Kaylee was arguably the best at providing River thoughts to calm herself with. The infectious positivity of their mechanic was like a mental salve. However Inara took a deep breath and tried her best to be what River needed, as Kaylee was indisposed of.
"That's nice." River told her, shutting her eyes as Inara's meditating served to be a buffer against rougher weather. "Very, very, very nice."
"I try." Pressing a kiss to the top of River's forehead, she stroked her back. "Alright, Sweetie, let's get you settled in."
Translation
Bǎobèi: Baby
Wǒ ài nǐ: I love you
Xièxiè: Thank you
Bié kèqì: You're welcome
Mèimei: sister
A/N: Reviews are always appreciated.