Chapter 37: Terminus Bliss
"I've missed you guys." Tess said softly while gently stroking one of six headstones that were currently facing her. She was kneeling inside of a small cemetery on the outskirts of a nearby city located on the colony of Terra Nova. "It took us a little bit longer than expected to deal with the assholes who had the nerve to try and invade our home, but we handled it, just like we always do. Mal killed another yahg commander and a ZEN Geist Unit. They're pretty dangerous, but not as dangerous as my man." she explained proudly. "I've got a lot to tell you, but for now I'll stick to the important parts. Our dysfunctional little family has gotten a lot bigger since the last time I visited and Mal hasn't dumped me yet, I guess he must be a masochist or something for putting up with my crap all the time." she quietly joked. "Damn, I imagined this being a lot easier when I went over it in my head." she finally sighed after several minutes of silence. Moments later, a familiar pair of muscular arms gently encircled her from behind.
"Let me handle it, Tess." Mal said firmly before kissing her. "I, Malcolm Hunter, am here today to humbly request that the Edwards family allow me the privilege of marrying your youngest flower. I can't claim to be a good man or even a decent one, but I can promise to be a man that Tess can always rely on, no matter what. She means more to me than anything and every day that we spend together is another day that I consider myself blessed by the universe itself. But it won't mean a thing if I don't have your blessings, so I'm asking you right here and now to trust me with her." Mal declared. Afterwards, he joined hands with Tess and in the subtle early morning rays of sunlight, a brilliant emerald engagement ring shimmered faintly in front of the headstones while resting snugly around Tess' finger. A few seconds later, a gentle breeze swept through the small cemetery carrying a vivid array of brightly colored petals from a neighboring field that happened to be full of flowers. "I'd say that's a 'yes,' wouldn't you?" Mal quietly joked.
"It's so romantic, it's almost corny." she replied in embarrassment.
"Well, it works for me." Mal replied cheerfully before picking her up in his arms. "Now, let's head home and celebrate." he added while smiling. Tess returned the smile and quickly kissed him as he carried her off. Their friends were waiting and Mason would probably already be at work planning Mal's bachelor party.
Several days later, Omega was abuzz due to the return of The Terminus Wolves and the raucous celebration that they were currently throwing. News had already spread about their exploits on Terra Nova and rumor had it that their contracts were piling up. It seemed like every colony and species in the galaxy was clamoring for their services, but The Wolves were pretty particular when it came to selecting their contracts. Nobody could actually figure out how they chose their jobs, it seemed completely random by outsiders. The Bekenstein operation was an obvious opportunity, dozens of millionaires and billionaires had come together to create the most insanely lucrative proposal in history. The job had also been believed to be impossible, but doing the impossible was a daily routine for The Wolves. Many of the other contracts that they'd accepted made little or no sense to their professional rivals. But The Wolves understood all too well that there was a method to their leader's apparent 'madness' and trusted his judgment above everything. Thanks to Mal's leadership, dozens of dignitaries, entrepreneurs, politicians and even Aria herself owed them favors. Their network of connections would've made even the Shadow Broker blush. Despite all of that, Terra Nova had represented their first assignment that offered no real discernible benefits. The payout had barely covered their expenses, but earning credits hadn't been the point and they all knew that. Terra Nova was their den mother's home and it was where her family was resting. The moment the Trio of Evil made their move against it, The Wolves knew that their boss would strike back, HARD. It was a testament to how much he loved Tess and they couldn't fault him for it. They had all chosen to follow the Terminus Hunter for good reasons after all and he never made any of them regret their decision.
After strolling into Chase's Place, the bar that was well known as The Wolves' primary hangout, Tess took a moment to observe her fiancé's eclectic group of followers. Their clique had grown considerably over the past four years and now contained even more oddballs. The first person she noticed was Blaze who was talking excitedly with Mason, probably about Mal's upcoming bachelor party. Blaze was the first new recruit that they'd picked up four years earlier. He was a turian and a former smuggler and gunrunner who'd actually been the one to deliver a birthday gift that Tess had commissioned for Mal. She and Max had arranged to have an M-99 Saber assault rifle custom made specifically for Mal. Unfortunately, someone in the Alliance had discovered that the weapon was headed for the Terminus Systems and quickly arranged a pursuit. Several pirates also caught wind of the firearm and attempted to steal it. Not only did Blaze manage to shake his Alliance tailgaters, he also killed every pirate and merc who tried to steal the gun before safely delivering it on the evening of Mal's birthday bash. "Satisfaction guaranteed." was all he said afterwards. He and Mal had been tight ever since.
After grinning at the recollection, Tess immediately took notice of Brix who was having a drinking contest with their other resident krogan, Tag. Tag was a new generation krogan battlemaster and an oddity to say the least. He'd survived the rather dubious surgical procedure that conferred biotic ability to krogans, but left Tuchanka soon afterwards. He spent the next few months killing his way across the galaxy using the yahg, ZEN and Equinox as target practice for his new powers. Eventually he made his way to Omega for the sole purpose of challenging Mal, who was famous among his people. They ended up fighting for an hour all across the station and nearly tore several areas completely apart, evoking Aria's wrath. After Mal defeated him, she demanded Tag's head as penance but Mal ended up bartering for his life. Afterwards, Tag swore his undying allegiance and quickly became one of The Terminus Wolves' biggest heavy hitters.
Next up was the quiet, reclusive and hopelessly in love Nox, who was sitting with TED and Zade. Nox was a quarian that they'd all met during a job near Rannoch. He'd been aiding a squadron of geth who had been tasked with intercepting a ZEN convoy before it could reach the quarian homeworld or the nearby geth satellites. He had a reputation for being a loner among his people despite his military background and actually preferred the company of the geth. After witnessing how easily he dismantled the ZEN, Mal invited him to join his crew. Nox likely accepted for several reasons, his primary one being his admiration of Mal but his crush on Lira was definitely a close second. He also enjoyed TED's company and talking at length with Zade who shared a similar disposition.
Sitting at the bar were the resident mischief makers of the group, Lance and Gage. Lance was a human and a former freelancer who owed Mal his life. During the early days of the war, he'd accepted a job for the Alliance to aid in safeguarding a munitions depot on a satellite in the Attican Traverse and quickly found himself wounded and abandoned. As an Equinox phantom prepared to decapitate him, he found himself being rescued by The Terminus Hunter himself. Mal had been impressed with just how many enemies Lance had managed to take down on his own, hell if the Alliance cowards who had been stationed at the place had actually backed him up, they probably could've won. In the end, The Terminus Wolves laid claim to the abandoned munitions and gained another follower. Gage on the other hand was a drell biotic and a former thief, mostly former thief. Mal had caught him red-handed several years earlier when he tried to steal a shipment of weapons from Max's shop. At first he appeared to flee, but Mal quickly realized that his goal was to wear him down in an extended chase across Omega while using his biotics to strip him of his defenses. Mal respected the drell's tactical prowess and after beating him senseless, he decided to recruit him. Gage for his part was not only grateful to be alive, but also honored to be chosen by The Terminus Hunter to be a member of his company.
As Tess proceeded further inside the bar, she finally took notice of her girls. They were all huddled together at a table talking excitedly and clearly awaiting her arrival. Lira and Taya were already discussing human marriage ceremonies while the final two members of The Terminus Wolves offered their own insights. First there was Rika who was a goddamn ninja, pure and simple. She was a former Alliance N7 Shadow Infiltrator and easily put all of Equinox's phantoms to shame with her sword moves. Her agility, acrobatics, martial skills and mastery of stealth were simply astonishing. Her first meeting with The Wolves however, had been tense to say the least. Rika wasn't just a former Alliance soldier, she was also a former assassin and during their first encounter she attempted to kill Mal in order to complete a contract that she had with a mystery employer. She and Tess ended up fighting and their battle ended up escalating across all of Nos Astra on Ilium. They ended up causing millions in property damage before Tess finally managed to take her down. After her employer was revealed to be an Equinox operative who promptly double-crossed her and attempted kill both her and Tess, she immediately slaughtered the bastard and joined The Wolves. "You and your boyfriend, you both give me a good feeling." she calmly stated afterwards. Tess always found herself smiling at the memory despite how tense the situation had been at the time.
Finally, sitting close by Rika was Hildy, a two hundred and fifty year old asari huntress who they'd all met shortly after recruiting Rika. She had been one of the many observers who witnessed the clash between Tess and Rika as it raged across Ilium and found herself impressed with both of their skills. So impressed in fact, that she decided she wanted to challenge the both of them herself. Mal had of course vehemently objected on the grounds that Tess was still nursing several injuries from her fight with Rika and that the whole thing was stupid. Tess had to hand to her man, he could be a stubborn hypocrite when he wanted to be. It was perfectly okay for him to fight krogan battlemasters and drell biotics all across Omega, but she wasn't allowed to fight an asari huntress and a former N7 infiltrator in a battle royal. In the end he finally gave in after she reminded him of all of the bruises on her body that he'd get to treat. The resulting struggle afterwards nearly killed everyone involved. Hildy had gone into the fight with the full expectation of dying if she had lost, which she did but Tess opted to recruit her instead. She became the final member of their small but deadly band of mercenaries and since then, The Terminus Wolves had become a constant plague on the Trio of Evil.
"Our den mother finally arrives." Rika announced while smiling as Tess approached.
"You know, that's still embarrassing. I'm younger than almost everyone here." Tess replied while taking a seat.
"So is Mal, but that doesn't change the fact that he's our leader." Taya replied brightly.
"Consider it a mark of respect Tess, we all look to you for guidance and leadership whenever Mal is preoccupied. It is a quality that many matriarchs possess." Hildy added serenely.
"I'm not even thirty yet and you've got me labeled as a matriarch." Tess remarked in exasperation.
"So, let's see the ring!" Lira shouted excitedly.
"You got to gawk at it during our entire trip back." Tess replied irritably. She quickly sighed after Lira began sulking. "Fine, here." she relented. After placing her ring laden hand on the table, her friends took the time to once again marvel at its beauty.
"Mal really is a romantic at heart, isn't he? The stone matches your eyes almost perfectly." Taya remarked fondly.
"Have you set a date yet?" Rika asked curiously.
"How could we? This damn war is going to have us too busy to make any proper preparations. For now, I'm just happy to know that he's in it for the long run." Tess replied happily. Afterwards, they all took a few moments to playfully tease her.
"So where is our dashing leader hiding? He paid for this affair and I'd feel bad if we drank him into debt without sharing a little with him." Rika said humorously.
"He's at home resting on my orders. Between the negotiations and the fights he just went through, I wanted him to relax for a few hours before the next job drags us to another hellhole that we'll have to clear out." Tess explained.
"Aww, amazon! You're killing me here!" Mason shouted in faux desperation after making his way over with Blaze. "I wanted to get our fearless leader's opinion on some of the entertainment ideas that we were brainstorming for his big sendoff." he added slyly.
"Let me guess, a horde of asari strippers and enough alcohol to kill a thresher maw." Rika remarked wryly.
"You know you've got me all wrong ninja, it'll be a lot more tasteful than that. Tell her gunrunner." Mason replied before slapping Blaze across the back.
"Actually, there's going to be enough alcohol to kill three thresher maws." he quickly elaborated while Mason shook his head.
"You're the worst wingman ever, you know that?" he remarked afterwards. Mason had been chasing after Rika from the moment she joined their group, if nothing else the guy was persistent. "By the way, you should let the boss know that Aria's calling for a meeting tomorrow. I hear all the big shots are going to be in attendance." he added seriously while facing Tess.
"It must be serious if she's planning to have us all there at the same time. Well, I guess we'll all have to restrain ourselves. That means no killing the Blue Suns, Eclipse or Blood Pack." Tess announced sternly.
"We'll see." Rika replied darkly.
"The Talons are supposed to be providing security to make sure that we all play nice." Blaze added. "If things get rowdy, it won't be because of us. Just because we're all fighting the Trio right now doesn't mean those bastards won't take a shot if they see one, Mal makes an attractive target for too many assholes." he added cautiously.
"Then it's a good thing I'm here." Gage remarked confidently after he and Lance made their way over. "No one's taking a shot at the big guy while I'm around." he added cheerfully.
"You mean as long you don't get distracted by a stray credit chit or an unattended purse." Blaze replied mockingly.
"Low blow smuggler, but I don't see you stepping up to watch Mal's back." Gage shot back. They quickly advanced on each other while exchanging glares before being halted by Tess.
"Enough! Am I going to have to send you idiots to time out again?" she shouted irritably.
"I say let em' fight it out." Tag chuckled from across the room.
"You were so close too, you almost managed to make it a full day without trying to kill each other." Lance added humorously.
"Another tragedy to record in my personal stanza dedicated to fools and here I thought Mason would be the one to occupy all of the pages." Zade commented sardonically.
"Don't worry about it gadget man, I'll be back in there soon enough." Mason replied cheerfully, his desire to annoy Zade as strong as ever, despite the passage of time.
"He realizes it's an insult and yet he plays along simply to garner a reaction. I don't think I'll ever understand the dynamic between them." Nox quietly pondered.
"Don't worry, at the very least you'll eventually get used to it." TED replied pleasantly.
"I'm heading back now, Mal needs to know about this meeting. Mason, do me a favor and keep these two from acting stupid and all of you of make sure you aren't too hung over when we meet up tomorrow." Tess ordered.
"Yes ma'am!" The Wolves shouted in unison.
"Smartasses." she muttered while smiling.
Afterwards she made her way to the loft that she and Mal had now shared for four years. It was just as spacious as it had been when she'd first set foot inside it all those years ago, back when Mal had first recruited her and the others for what they all believed was a suicide mission. It was no longer just a storage area where Mal kept spare supplies or slept off an occasional hangover, over the last few years it had become their home. Images of them and their friends adorned the walls and each of The Wolves had some sort of keepsake that they kept there. One of Rika's swords hung on the wall of their living room alongside Blaze's antique assault rifle, both Brix and Tag had hammers sitting in a corner close by, souvenirs of their victories over a pair of krogan warlords. Zade's chessboard sat on the coffee table, the pieces still carefully positioned and at the ready for when he resumed his match against Taya. There was also an incredibly beautiful painting of a young quarian woman resting above the mantelpiece, a 'gift' from Nox who was fully aware that Lira often sat across from that very spot whenever she visited. Hopeless bastard.
The poker table that stood on the second floor was an addition made my Lance and Gage. The boys had a game at least once a week and Mal always managed to clean them out. Hildy had given them an exquisite sculpture that sat as a centerpiece on their dining room table. It depicted an elegant and fierce looking asari warrior holding a spear, she claimed it was good luck, if nothing else it did provide a good source of dinner conversation. Mason had built them a fully stocked liquor cabinet near the kitchen, but he used it far more than they did and mooched off of anything that he didn't buy himself. Taya maintained a small garden on their second floor window sill, it possessed over a dozen flowers of varying varieties from different planets across the galaxy that all coalesced into a single, beautiful form. It obviously symbolized the bond between her friends and the gesture hadn't gone unnoticed. They all pitched in to care for the plant whenever she happened to be busy. TED himself was also technically a resident of their loft, or his mobile platform was. He often stored it in the first floor closet whenever he felt the need to upload his programming into Nox's portable terminal in order to play a more interactive game of Kepesh-Yakshi against him or to keep him company and make his own attempts at cheering the lovelorn quarian up whenever Lira unintentionally snubbed him. Lira herself kept a varied assortment of starship models in their lounge and wasn't shy about adding more. They were going to have a talk with her at some point.
After making her way to the upstairs bedroom, Tess quickly took notice of Mal sleeping peacefully in their expansive and comfortable bed. She couldn't help but smile at the sight and quietly undressed before creeping into bed with him. She enjoyed waking him in her own way and preferred her method instead of an impersonal alarm clock or a simple tap on the shoulder. As he continued to sleep, she gently ran her fingers across his body while kissing his neck causing him to stir. Moments later he awoke and stared back at her while smiling. "You probably shouldn't spoil me like that, especially if you want to get any sleep yourself." he said seductively.
"Talk is cheap, tough guy." she replied eagerly.
Several hours later as the couple held each other, Tess found herself experiencing the familiar feeling of bliss that she always felt after they made love. It was always more tender and intimate when they were at home and off the clock. Their frenzied and passionate trysts that usually served as a prelude before a particularly dangerous mission or as a celebration after the fact were also amazing, but sometimes she simply longed for their true alone time at home in their own private corner of the galaxy. Overall, she knew that her current euphoria could be seen as selfish. A war was raging across the galaxy and yet she was completely at peace. She had the man that she loved, friends that she could count on and ultimately, a family. A weird but reliable family of dangerous killers who were capable of going toe-to-toe with anyone who threatened them. It was nice and after having had so much taken away from her earlier in her life, she'd be damned if she'd feel guilty for enjoying what she had now.
"So, how was the party? Any fatalities?" Mal quietly joked while stroking her back.
"No, just the usual bullshit between Blaze and Gage." Tess replied. "Blaze will never let it go you know. The fact that Gage tried to steal guns is a personal affront to him." she added while curling up closer to him.
"Yeah, I know. After all this time I just figured they would've worked something out by now. Blaze really wanted me to kill Gage back then, he even offered to do it himself." Mal said wearily.
"They'll honor their little truce out of respect for you, but I doubt they'll ever really get along." Tess replied.
"Well, that's something at least." Mal sighed. "Anything else I should know about?"
"Aria's calling for a meeting in the morning, all the big merc groups will be there and the Talons are providing security. Equinox must be making another push." Tess explained.
"Then I guess we'll just have to hand their asses to them again." Mal replied confidently.
"Damn right." Tess added. A few minutes later she'd fallen asleep while Mal watched over her. He had to end the conflict soon, he wanted to give Tess a wedding that didn't have a war serving as its backdrop. The Terminus Systems may have been safe at the moment but the rest of the galaxy was falling apart at the seams, the huge pile of contracts waiting for them at their HQ was proof of that.
"One thing at a time." he told himself before gently kissing Tess' forehead and drifting back to sleep himself.
Sometime later, Mal and his Wolves found themselves inside the Afterlife Club where several other mercenary gangs had gathered. Even though they were the smallest band on Omega, everyone steered clear of them as they took seats at the bar and awaited Aria's arrival.
"This had better damn well be important. I was planning to make pancakes today." Mal complained.
"Pancakes? You have a beautiful fiancé longing to savor every moment with you and you wanted to make pancakes?" Tess replied indignantly.
"My extraordinarily gorgeous fiancé needs her strength after all, especially with an entire day off and a man with an appetite for more than just food." Mal added suggestively before kissing her.
"Hang on, I've got to write that one down." Lance remarked humorously before summoning his omni-tool. "This is way better than that garbage Mason spouts." he joked.
"Screw you, Lancelot." Mason said in a mildly agitated manner.
"I guess the truth hurts, huh?" Rika replied casually.
"Ninja, if you give me a chance, I'll serve you a few lines that are sure to get you-"
"Some of us have actually had the misfortune of eating breakfast, so I'll have to ask that you postpone your uncultivated attempts at seduction." Zade calmly interjected.
"Why's everyone kicking me in the balls today?" Mason mused.
"Boredom most likely." Gage joked while both Brix and Tag laughed.
"I find myself wondering just how serious the situation is for the Pirate Queen to summon the leaders of every mercenary gang on Omega, including the filth." Hildy pondered.
"It's not just merc leaders, some high profile loners are here too." Brix replied while staring forward. Several moments later, his statement was clarified when a familiar and welcome face approached the group.
"It's about time one of you bastards noticed me." Zaeed said gruffly after making his way over.
"Still not dead yet, old man?" Mal laughed before greeting his mentor.
"What? You think I'm gonna let a few eight eyed monsters do me in? That's as insulting as saying I can't handle a few goddamn robots or whores with swords." Zaeed replied brusquely.
"I'm amazed that no one with a sense of decency has put you down yet, they'd be doing the rest of the galaxy a favor." Rika remarked irritably, his 'whores with swords' comment had clearly struck a nerve.
"Still keeping this one around, huh? Is it because of her skills, her looks or are you just doing a favor for junior here?" Zaeed asked mockingly while motioning to Mason. Both Mal and Tess moved in quickly to stand between Zaeed and Rika, who was already making a move for the old man.
"Rika's the best, Zaeed. All of my people are, you know that." Mal replied sternly. "Besides, only one woman has my attention and that's why I decided to make it official." he added affectionately while placing an arm around Tess.
"What are you-don't tell me you're getting hitched?!" Zaeed asked in shock.
"I'd show you the ring, but I wear it on a chain around my neck whenever we're suited up." Tess cheerfully added.
After a few stunned moments of silence Zaeed started to laugh. "Well I'll be damned! Good for you kid, but I guess I should stop calling you that now. You're twenty-four, leading your own company and on your way to getting married. Hell, it seems like it was only yesterday when I first met you in the basement of this dump." he added warmly. He quickly shook the nostalgia and faced Mal. "So when's the big day?"
"We haven't set a date yet and with all the crap that's going on, I'm not sure when we'll be able to plan things out." Mal replied honestly.
"Take it from me Mal, don't let those goddamn monsters, their machines or the bastards who control them all stop you from doing what makes you happy. You've got a good woman here, a damned good one." Zaeed said fiercely. "It wasn't that long ago when I thought...nevermind, in the end I should've been worrying about whether or not she was good enough for you." he muttered angrily. "Anyway, once you set a date, let me know. Right now, you're the only one I can honestly say I'm proud to have had a hand in raising. So...you let me know." he added. Mal was almost caught off guard by the old man's uncharacteristic sentimentality.
"I will Zaeed and I'll definitely take your advice. Thanks, old man." Mal replied sincerely.
"Alright, enough of this, I need a drink." Zaeed announced in a surly manner before hitting the bar.
"It's still morning." Tess whispered while grinning.
"And he's still Zaeed." Mal replied humorously. They both laughed and several minutes later Aria finally made her appearance. After approaching the center of the club she began making her address.
"I'm sure you're all wondering why I gathered you here, especially when you could be out right now murdering each other or accepting contracts, these are fortunate times to be in your line of work after all. So, I'll make this quick. Right now, the Citadel governments are desperate. The poor salarians have nearly been wiped out and the results of their stupidity and arrogance are now running amok across the galaxy destroying everything in their path. If history has taught us anything, it's that when times get tough the fools will always turn to the Terminus Systems." Aria explained casually. There were murmurs of agreement and a small surge of anticipation at what she'd reveal next but Mal had a feeling that he already knew. "The Alliance is offering contracts-"
"We're leaving." Mal announced to his team. Without hesitation, they all obeyed and began making their way towards the exit.
"I take it The Terminus Wolves won't be accepting the offer?" Aria asked dully while watching Mal and his group leave.
"Nope, see you around Aria." Mal replied casually before departing. Aria simply stared in his direction before finally allowing herself the smallest and faintest of smiles. "Poor Shepard, it seems The Wolves won't be answering your call." she whispered to herself. Afterwards she began relaying details to the remaining mercenary groups.
"The nerve of those bastards!" Lance grumbled angrily after they were outside. "Any idiot that takes a job from those assholes deserves whatever they get." he added irritably. The fact that he'd been abandoned and left to die by Alliance soldiers several years earlier was still a sore spot for him.
"Trust me, we hear you. Our fearless leader knows better than anyone how dirty the Citadel and the Alliance can be." Mason replied while looking towards Mal. They all grew silent at the statement. They hadn't all been there, but they all knew the story. Mason and the others had told it on many an occasion.
"If they're recruiting mercenaries for high risk assignments, it means that that their special forces units have likely taken a hit. Desperate doesn't begin to describe the situation if I'm right." Rika finally said.
"You were an N7 Rika, how good are they?" Mal asked.
"It depends on the soldier, but the training itself is designed to weed out the weak. Only the best earn the distinction. But even their best couldn't hold a candle to us." she replied earnestly.
"Yeah, that's what I think too." Zaeed added after catching up with them.
"You're not taking the job, old man?" Mal inquired curiously.
"No, not this time. I already did Shepard a favor during The Reaper War, you'd figure that after you fought an army of goddamn skyscrapers for a man, he'd remember a few things." he replied bitterly. "I think I'll head for Tuchanka, I hear Wrex needs a few extra hands. The krogan are still holding strong but the yahg won't stop pushing and it won't be long before he needs a few wolves to even the odds." he added seriously.
"When he does, we'll be there." Mal replied resolutely.
Zaeed quickly slapped him on the back affectionately before making his way towards the docking bays. "So, should we head to The Den and peruse a few contracts that we might actually want to accept?" Lance asked curiously.
"I wouldn't be so quick to assume that you won't get any other offers." a familiar and alluring voice suddenly commented.
They all quickly turned to see a beautiful asari who seemed to have a habit of popping up whenever Mal least expected her at the most inopportune moments of his life. "Zelia." he quickly sighed.
"Damn." Brix commented sympathetically while both Taya and Lira stood gaping at the woman.
"Well, aren't you going to introduce me to your Wolves and your newest toy?" she asked brightly. As the others stood in confusion, Mal found himself wishing that he'd simply stayed in bed that day.