21 Normal?
The last few weeks had been bearable but the crew had been busy. Zoë was forcibly kept on bed rest even though she managed to sneak out of the infirmary much to Simon's annoyance. The doctor was very vocal and forceful; something Zoë had trouble dealing with. Not so with Kaylee who granted the Mother to be a few moments of peace when she 'stole' Simon away. The captain was a different beast entirely and Thaïs got some amusement from his reaction to the realization his first mate was a delicate creature- of the female species. Not that Mal hadn't known that before but… well, now that she was carrying a life inside it was just too obvious to ignore. He was all thumbs when Zoë was around and he worried she was doing too much which only annoyed Zoë more. She'd gotten to the point of threatening Jayne with all sorts of death scenarios that the merch just stayed out of her way altogether. He kept muttering about crazy pregnant women and their hormones which made Thaïs a bit curious. Neither was saying why Zoë had threatened him with violence and since the only one- aside from them- who would know was River, that secret was safe.
Thaïs let out another breath and tried not to think of River. Her reaction to the girl she'd played with was not because of what was done to her by the Alliance, not entirely. She could understand, even accept that River was different, she had been as a child as well but there were things Thaïs had done since, things she didn't want anyone to know, things she wasn't proud of…
'Things that would get you tossed out of that airlock.'
Lies.
There was no excuse, nothing that could save her and avoiding River was one way of keeping her secrets. The girl, crazy as she might be was still a Reader, a stronger one than before.
"You're not following orders." Apollo yelled at her. She wasn't listening even though he was there to help. He knew she could hear him over the loud shouts of the crowd that had gathered to watch the match.
"Shen me?" Thaïs winced as Seiji wiped the cut on her brow.
"Quit being such a pig headed know it all." Ahrens shouted into her other ear. She turned her glare on him only for Apollo to grab her chin and force her attention back to him.
"Listen Thaïs." He ignored her pained wince never letting go of her face. "You let your mouth get you into this. Now, we are trying to help you. So do what I say. Dong ma?"
Thaïs glared at him knowing he was right because she'd asked for it…
"Xie-Xie."
"Good." Ahrens moved right on to business. "That fungus fuck has the advantage. At least a good eleven inches in reach and a definite thirty five pounds."
"This is helping?" Thaïs demanded.
"You want to go down again?" Seiji asked drawing the violet glare at himself but she didn't say anything.
"Ginner's getting overconfident. He's not bothering to block so you have to start hitting."
"I've been hitting!" Thaïs exclaimed glaring at Apollo. Hadn't they been watching her? "What the hell do you think I've been doing out there? Playing tag?" she demanded in a huff. She had bruises and was bleeding!
"Well…" Seiji shrugged looking down at her. He almost laughed at her open mouthed shock.
"Hey!" Ahrens snapped his fingers in front of her eyes. "Focus on the freckled freak."
"Get in close." Apollo ordered. "As much as you can. Sweep his legs and deflect his hands."
All three watched as Thaïs got up muttering under her breath. They all knew she was cursing them though nothing was audible over the shouting crowd.
"She's going down." Ahrens sighed with a shake of his head.
"Wha- you shit for brains." Seiji scowled.
"I'm just sayin'." Ahrens shrugged following the younger cadet out of the ring.
"Ginner knew what he was doing." Apollo growled staring at Thaïs who wasn't doing all that well. "Thaïs walked right in, put herself on a silver platter for the xìngjiāo."
"She's not going to win this one fair." Ahrens agreed. They watched Thaïs get a fist in her face. Before she could recover Ginner followed with another fist to her stomach. Thaïs tried to catch her breath on the mat while Ginner raised his arms and yelled playing the victor. With a gloating smirk he turned to finish the fight expecting to find Thaïs still on the mats. Instead he was out of breath, eyes bugged out and grabbing at his sack. He barely felt the sting on his cheek from Thaïs' fist or the mat at his back.
"Fénbián!" all three cadets slipped into the ring. Both Seiji and Ahrens had to hold back Ginner's pals while the crowd shouted louder. Some whistled, happy Thaïs was beating on the freckled face. Some booed complaining it hadn't been fair. Apollo didn't care one way or another. All he knew was that Thaïs couldn't continue beating on Ginner's face even if it were sort of protected by the mat. He grabbed her around the waist hauling her off in one motion.
"Get off me! Let go!" Thaïs shouted kicking and screaming as Apollo tried to control her. It was difficult and she managed to slip from his arms only to get yanked away from the red head trying to get up from the floor.
"To bad I couldn't put them out of service permanently!" Thaïs screamed as Lahmis reached down to help Ginner. Once he was on his feet Lahmis rammed her knee into the red heads groin. He let out a squeak of breath that sounded loud in the sudden quiet of the room. Lahmis, not satisfied, added a right cross spitting a curse on the half conscious Ginner.
"Huh." Seiji grunted while Ahrens watched slacked jawed as Lahmis walked off. Apollo stared after her as well, a half smile on his face which she noticed. He barely felt Thaïs slip from his grasp to sit on the mat, sweaty, bloody and tired from the fight.
"Hum lun…" Thaïs muttered from her spot.
"Inara." Kaylee exclaimed as the shuttle door opened and the Companion stepped onto Serenity's catwalk. She was resplendent in a cream robe with gold embroidery; a copper satin sash cinched her waist while a simple twisted chain of gold adorned her neck. "Isn't it great?"
Inara smiled at Kaylee, her exuberance was contagious, and nodded.
"Yes, it is." She turned following Kaylee along the catwalk and down into the cargo hold. "Where is Zoë?"
"Oh." Kaylee waved a hand rolling her eyes. "Simon said she couldn't be going up and down the ladder to her bunk so of course the Capt. had her moved to the passenger cabins." She leaned in lowering her voice as they neared Zoë's temporary bunk. "She's not happy about it but its best." Kaylee stepped back allowing Inara to knock on the thin door.
"Come in." came Zoë's voice sounding annoyed. The door slid open and Inara stepped inside with a soft smile on her lips. Zoë sat up on the bed, the bruises and cuts on her face from the crates had healed nicely and her broken rib didn't pain her every time she took a deep breath. So long as she stayed put Simon left her alone only checking in once a day instead of every hour as he'd done at first.
"How are you feeling?" Inara asked moving to the side of the bed and taking a stool set in the corner.
"Fine." Zoë sighed leaning her head against the wall. Both hands slid over her stomach which still didn't show but had begun to make her trousers feel a tad uncomfortable. "I'm good."
"Well, I can't say I'm surprised." Inara said softly. Her brown eyes were drawn to Zoë's hands where they cupped her child. There was a wistful quality in her expression that she quickly hid. "You'll be a wonderful Mother."
"Hmm." Zoë smiled sadly, her eyes flicked towards Inara and they held each other's gaze for a while, just sitting in comfortable silence.
"She docked?" Mal asked coming into the bridge.
"Xie-Xie, sir." Thaïs replied without looking at him as she plotted their next course. Picking up Inara had taken them a day off their course to Juno but the Companion had taken a client on Aerion…
"Good. Get us going. 'Don't want to keep Charlie waiting any longer than we have already." Mal muttered watching the stars turn to darts as Serenity picked up speed.
"He's been very understanding so far." Thaïs murmured with a slight twist of her lips Mal didn't miss. The fact they were dealing with a fem who liked to pass off as a boy wasn't as amusing as it had been. Even if Charlie had a liking for Zoë, which his first mate wasn't as amused about.
"Yeah… You'll be coming along." Mal said without looking at his pilot though he was aware of the sudden stillness. "Seeing as how you're observant an' all…" he patted the back of her chair and turned with a tiny smirk as he walked away. Behind him, Mal heard Thaïs mutter a few choice curses in regards to him and her own inability to; just shut up.
They'd be a few days late getting their cargo to Juno and Charlie but it wasn't a deal breaker which gave Mal a sense of relief. He couldn't afford to be loosing any jobs and the cargo they had… it wasn't like he could sell to just anyone.
"She's a demon she is." The little BrownCoat was complaining. "Like to see her try it again. Wont get me distracted, no sir." He grumbled and Mal could hear Kaylee's soft giggle as they walked from the infirmary into the cargo hold.
"She don't seem to mind whether you're paying attention or not." She said smiling. Mitsuru glowered, his hand gingerly touching the stitches Símon had taken out.
"She didn't have to hit me." he exclaimed wincing.
"Who is he talking about?"
Mal turned at the soft voice floating to him along with the familiar scent of flowers. He turned and found Inara dressed in a filmy gown the color of sunset floating towards him with a smile. She'd docked late the day before and this was the first he'd seen her.
"Thaïs." He replied shortly though he hadn't meant to sound it. "She knocked him out."
"Oh." The smile slowly died and they stood there staring at each other in uncomfortable silence.
"We'll be in Juno earlytomorrow." He said shifting from one foot to the other and hooking both hands into his gun belt.
"Oh. Uhm… thank you." Inara nodded.
"Good lord." Both turned at the high whistle, Mal frowning at the BrownCoat. "Honest to goodness, a Companion! Real beauty."
"Passenger?" Inara asked arching a dark eyebrow at Mal.
"No." he growled and it sent her back to her shuttle without a word and barely a glance into the cargo hold.
Another whistle and Mal was itching to put a bullet in the little man, BrownCoat or not.
'Aint jealous.' He told himself stalking back towards the bridge and then deciding he really didn't want to sit beside his pilot turned towards his bunk.
'And why in gorram hell am I going in there? It's my boat!'
Mal stomped up the steps; "Take a break." He ordered.
Thaïs frowned but seeing the stormy look on the captain's face decided it was smarter just to walk away. Mal took her empty seat and just glared out the window.
"Aint." He muttered but it didn't stop him from clenching his fists…
Thaïs sat in the little alcove off the kitchen sipping a cup of tea. It wasn't helping diffuse the sudden energy coursing through her and neither was anything she'd learned with Inara-
"Inara."
Thaïs scowled. The Companion was back, no reason why she couldn't go ask for an early session so she stood up draining the last of the tea. The cup was left on the counter on her way out. Even before she set foot on the catwalk she caught the threads of conversation floating up to her. The scowl was in place again hearing the BrownCoat boasting.
"What's that?"
Mitsuru jerked as though someone had yanked on his coat.
"It was nothing." Kaylee said looking between them a bit nervously.
"Sounded like something." Thaïs insisted still staring at him. She could see it made him uncomfortable and then he got a backbone and straightened.
"Said I'd kick your ass."
Thaïs smiled. Kaylee was surprised, she hadn't seen their pilot smile since- well, heck… and then Thaïs laughed. It was low, a soft little laugh that made Kaylee shake her head.
"Oh no. No, no…"
"What's going on?" Símon asked coming out of the passenger bunks. He found River perched on a crate staring into the cargo hold. "River?"
"Fight." She said and smiled. Símon heard the pained groan and glanced over only to find Jayne perched on the stairs laughing. Looking higher he saw Kaylee with Inara on the cat walk.
"Had enough of 'kicking my ass'?" Thaïs asked and Símon frowned. He looked back just as Mitsuru aimed a kick. He got Thaïs in the stomach and it doubled her over.
"Not fair." River murmured and Símon couldn't help but agree. He scowled moving towards the scuffle intent on putting an end to it when the BrownCoat was caught in a painful hold. "Not fair."
"I'll be." Jayne muttered eyeing the entwined pair.
"Stop." Símon ordered reaching down to try and pry Mitsuru from Thaïs' hold. "He can't breathe, Thaïs. Let go!"
"Not safe, not right, kill, hurt… not her, not her." River muttered climbing off the crates and shaking her head as she watched the struggle. She gripped the arch to the bunks and slid down, unable to stop looking.
"Let go!" Símon stumbled back as Mitsuru was released. He coughed and sputtered dragging in breaths as Thaïs got to her feet. "What are you-."
Mitsuru lunged at her, caught her around the middle and they went down. Thaïs put her leg between them tossing him over her head as they landed. She heard the echo of metal but didn't gloat. She got to her feet and found the BrownCoat doing the same though he looked in pain.
"Get back, Símon." Thaïs snapped watching Mitsuru circle her.
"You're going to end up killing each other." Símon retorted knowing she wasn't listening to him, not when she had that stubborn look on her face. That hadn't changed and then Mitsuru was kicking and punching dancing around Thaïs but as far as Símon could see he hadn't hit her. Yet.
"Better move, Doc." Jayne warned grinning. "You're mighty close to getting knocked on your citified be-hind."
Símon glared but took a step back; even Kaylee looked worried though Inara was expressionless.
"Símon." He turned to River, frowning when she wasn't on the crate where he'd last seen her.
"What-Oof!" he didn't know how he'd ended up on the grates.
"Símon!" He recognized that voice….
Thaïs ducked under Mitsuru's leg taking the other out as she came up. "Get him." She pointed and Jayne hopped down with a grin.
"Símon… Símon." Thaïs felt the back of his head with gentle fingers ignoring the rush of feet as Kaylee came down. "Your head's not cracked. Are you seeing blurry?" she asked slipping an arm under his chest and helping to sit him up.
"Símon?" Kaylee murmured, concern drawing her features and Símon smiled. The little mechanic gingerly drew her fingers through his hair.
Thaïs made a noise in her throat, shaking her head. "Faker." She flicked his nose and just then it was like they were kids playing out in the gardens…
"Made you stop." He muttered with a wince.
"You were faking?" Kaylee exclaimed with a glare and Símon's look was enough to make Thaïs laugh. "And you-."
"I didn't kick him." Thaïs protested holding her arms up in surrender. "BrownCoat." And she pointed to the man held down by Jayne's big foot being pressed into his chest.
"Let him up." Símon sighed wincing as Kaylee shoved him off her chest where he'd been resting.
"Don't know." Jayne tilted his head looking down at Mitsuru. "Kinda enjoying squashing the little man."
"Jayne…" Thaïs got up offering her hand to Símon who took it.
"Alright." Jayne grumbled and just for fun shoved Mitsuru who scowled but didn't say anything as he stood.
"You bloodied him up again." Símon complained eyeing the busted lip and cut on Mitsuru's forehead.
"What? It's not like you have anything else to do on board." Thaïs smirked. She was feeling… normal. No funny butterflies in her stomach at their scents or proximity and she wasn't getting any hot flashes which was a blessing. This was as close to her original self as she'd felt since Apollo-.
"I suppose this is for my benefit." Símon waved a hand at the BrownCoat not at all amused by the banter. "I can do without, Thaïs."
"He's talking crazy, Kaylee." Thaïs leaned around and waved a finger at her ear. "Maybe you should check him. Just to be sure nothing got unhinged up there." She added, though her smile was a bit forced.
"What's all the noise?"
Everyone turned to see Zoë standing above River. The silence only lasted a moment before Símon was ordering her back to bed while pointing Mitsuru to the infirmary.
"You might want to buffer that." Thaïs urged Kaylee towards the passenger bunks. "Zoë looks like she's ready to rebel."
"Don't help none keeping her confined, either." Kaylee retorted though she went, her voice blending in with Símon's.
"You were graceful."
Thaïs barely kept herself from jerking at the sound of Inara's voice so close.
"You've been trained."
"Like all cadets." Thaïs replied more uncomfortable each second the conversation lasted and looking at Inara she knew the Companion was learning something Thaïs wanted to keep hidden.
"Before, I noticed you were very calm. With the pirates." Inara explained.
"So were you." Thaïs replied putting up her guards. River sat in the arch between the cargo and the bunks watching them fence. Her eyes bouncing from one to the other as each spoke and yet didn't.
"So much hidden." She mumbled. "Not all…not all…"
"We've had occasion to be prepared." Inara tilted her head watching Thaïs with interest. "I'm surprised. I never said a word…"
"It's not like you can, in those situations."
"But you knew. You saw me shift my hold…"
"Figured you could handle yourself and the Capt. wasn't going to wait around…" Thaïs paused watching Inara. "Not the way he feels about you." She almost smiled at the reaction Inara couldn't hide. It was there, just as much as Mal denied it…