History of Future 13

I know, 3 chap for 3 diff fics in one day, what's going on ? thanks for everyone who's enjoying my stories, I appreciate all the support.

at the time of this being typed, 15181 hits and 33 reviews.

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Although he would never admit it, he was worried. After dealing with the authorities following the attack, they had been quietly and politely, if also firmly, encouraged to vacate the world ASAP. With the repairs and upgrades complete, he'd been eager to hit the black anyway. He found he missed the tension of living on the edge and didn't want to grow soft with all the comforts available on this world.

A soft step behind him caused him to tense then relax as a familiar perfume drew his attention. Almost afraid of her reaction, he waited an extra minute before speaking. "Morning, 'Nara. Why you up so early?"

Inara serenely stood next to him, gazing out across the city. The 3rd floor balcony overlooked the edge of the city and the surrounding suburbs and the nearby spaceport. "Are you worried Mal? I know you don't like this plan to resurrect Wash and Book. But I've seen and heard of similar plans using the duplicates. Nothing that required this precise timing. Have you thought of the impact this will have on all of us? We've mourned and missed them for a long time. Things have changed. . . we've changed."

Taking a breath, Mal turned to look at her. As always his chest tightened as his pulse rose. "Have we?" he asked softly. "You don't seem to have changed much to me Inara. Still the same damn woman driving me crazy."

Her heart beating wildly, Inara kept her gaze fixed in the distance. "And you're still the cocky, self righteous carefree rogue who woke something in me I'd buried for years." Finally she turned and met his eyes. They stood silently for a moment, watching each other.

"Does my past bother you?" she asked, broaching the subject for the 1st time since the revelation.

Mal took a moment to consider before replying, not wanting to appear to lack sincerity in his reply. "Not if it don't bother you. What happened then . . . well ain't neither of you be faulted for looking for a piece of home. And neither of you knew who the other were. Can't rightly hold it against ya seeing as I hadn't even shed my diapers. Vera and Casey are gone. Here, now, you're Inara Sera, and that is more ten I deserve. I'm nothing but an emotionally crippled, physically beat up old warhorse who almost threw a way the best damn thing I'd ever seen cause I was too ornery and too scared to let anyone in and risk loosing someone else I loved. I lost too much in that damn way Inara, and it hurt too much for me to accept what I knew from the minute we spoke."

Her voice trembling, tears escaping, she managed to ask. "What did you know?"

Mal's hand crept up and wiped a tear from her cheek. "l'd found my home." He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, allowing his control to relax and show her what he felt, even as he struggled to think the word.

Inara melted into the kiss, savoring the first genuine unforced or fabricated emotions she'd felt in decades. Her arms embraced him as his circled her waist and she felt the connection of their mismatched pieces finally fitting together. In his arms, she too was finally home.

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Jayne grunted as he lowered the barbell and let the weight rest on the supports. They were nearing the sire of what he considered one of his worst moments. He should have been on the bridge and take the hit himself. He could have played dead and disappeared, starting a new life far from Serenity and far from the knowledge he now possessed. He jerked up to sit on the bench, wrenching his mind from the depressing thoughts. He stood and looked around. The bay was cleaner then anytime since it was first built, as were all the common rooms.

He was bored with working out and his usual distractions didn't seem appealing. For the 1st time in a very long while, he wanted to give his mind a workout. He made his way to his room, dug through his tattered duffel bag and pulled out an old cigar box. He then made his way to the mess, his senses identifying the location of his target.

"Hey core boy, you know how to play?" he asked, opening the lid and showing the Doctor what it contained.

Simon's slim, plucked eyebrow rose a fraction. "Yes, but I'm surprised a man ape gone wrong such as yourself even knows what that is, let alone be able to play."

Jayne grinned and threw himself into a chair, pulling out the game board and the sealed container filled with the game pieces. "Let's play Doc."

"We would be better if there were more players." Simon mused. Seconds later River glided into the room, followed by Inara. "Tams was Howletts or Civil war." River asked as they stood near the table.

"What do you mean by that River?" Simon asked.

Rolling her eyes, she slid into the seat opposite Jayne. "Brother vs Brother or in this case Brothers vs Sisters. Inter family squabbling. Simon and Inara against River and Jayne."

Simon and Inara shared a look and a shrug, taking their seats as Jayne set the board and the pieces. They spent a few hours playing, changing teams every few games. The rest of the crew and their guests wandered by stopping to watch and chat before moving on with their own tasks. Kaylee made a light lunch for the crew from their new stores. Fresh salad, real meat chicken sandwiches and no protein cubes/paste of any kind. Eventually the game came to a stop as each had duties they had to perform,

River heading for the bridge, Simon the med bay and Jayne decided he should get some rest. He had the late watch tonight and wanted to be rested. He left the game out in case others wanted to play.

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"Shut up sir."

Mal blinked. "I ain't said nothing Zoe, just sittin' here minding my own self, eating these sandwiches Kaylee made us."

Zoe turned, a slight smile one her face. "Don't need to say a word to hear you screaming, sir. Known ya too long. You and Nara finally on the same page and I am happy for ya, but don't wanna hear nothing about it. Kind of like hearing your parents talk about their sexin' or maybe listen to some dolt brag on bedding a sibling."

Mal snorted. "And you don't think that's how I felt with you and Wash always hanging on each other? The two of ya would eye-fuck so often, sometimes I felt like I needed a smoke. I wanted to ban Kaylee and River from being around you two, the way ya carried on."

Zoe raised one eyebrow, "Kinda odd considering how we came to hire little Kaylee? Rim girls ain't much call for modesty or innocence. Got to grow up fast or world would wipe you out." There was silence for a moment as Zoe finished her salad and started on the sandwich.

"Are we doing the right thing?" she asked quietly.

Mal was surprised by the question and took a moment to think. "Lot of water under the bridge since Miranda. Lot of changes to get used to, and will take a while to accept changes with all of us. We learned some new things about ourselves and about the verse. But we ain't whole Zoe. And we never will be unless we get the rest of our family back."

Zoe blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. "Aye sir." she settled in and they finished their meal in the comfortable silence.

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AN

hope you enjoyed, should have another not too long from now.