Title: We all have our battles
Part Twenty-one: Sad Tidings
Author: Kryptonite
Disclaimer: Look at the first nineteen chapters and draw your own conclusions about what this should say.
Spoilers: None.
Summary: Tara finds the cure, doesn't work exactly. Kaylee and Simon get married (no descriptions for weddings, sorry). Tara and Book leave, Tara comes back, simple as that. Very short sections.
A/N: Another, final chapter. If you want descriptions of the three weddings that take place, say so and I'll add three chapters, one for each. If not, this is the end. Hope everyone reading liked this. I know I did. I really didn't expect it to end here but... my muse seems to like cutting me off where I don't expect it. Anyway. Please tell me what ya think and if you want any more detail, just tell me and I might (or I might not) put more in. Enjoy and have a nice day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" What's going on?" Mal asked, coming in to see Tara practically jumping around for joy and River scowling at the girl. Book and Jayne looked as confused as he was.
" I found it."
" You shouldn't have gone so deep." River said at the same time.
" I found it, I found it!" Tara continued to crow with delight. Then she stopped and looked horror-stricken. " You still have the ship, right?"
" Yeah. We didn't leave it." Sighing, Tara finally got control over her joy.
" Tara?"
" I found it Book. I found it!" Tara's eyes gleamed with something most of the crew of Serenity hadn't seen or had for a long time. Hope.
~~~~~
" How much longer we gotta stay here? Those guards are starting to wake up."
Zoë complained to Mal once more, hoping that he would call Tara back, they'd dump the prisoners and zoom away before the feds found them.
" Relax. Tara only needs a few more minutes. Do ya want her to keep turnin' inta... ya know."
" No, but-"
" Well then sit and calm down." Zoë sat and glared at her captain.
Tara's voice rang out a few minutes later, " Let's go."
" Did you get what you need?" Book asked before Mal could.
" Got it. Let's jet. I don't want to be here any longer than we have to be.
Nodding at Jayne, Mal turned to Zoë, " Looks like you got your wish. Go tell Wash to get ready."
" Book, I'm gonna need your help." Tara called, climbing the stairs two steps at a time.
" Way ahead of you." He answered, heading towards her room.
~~~~~
" So, you and Book have been pretty quiet lately. No more explosions."
" We finally got the chemicals to settle down in the proper order."
" That means..."
" No more explosions. We already tried it but... we don't have a way to test it." Tara fidgeted.
" What do you need to test it."
" Well there are two ways. I don't like either one."
~~~~~
" Is this the only way?"
" Do you have any access to that cargo you picked up months ago?"
" No." Mal admitted grudgingly.
" Then this is the only way. Book will intervene if it turns out that it didn't work."
~~~~~
" I can't believe it."
" It didn't work, so? That was a possibility, wasn't it?"
" No, no. It did work. Just not the way I wanted it too."
~~~~~
" Well. It's been two months since you tested your cure and we've actually done pretty well. Anyone have any complaints? With everything going so great I can only expect some sort of rebellion." Mal joked one evening at dinner.
" Everything's perfect. Just keep bringing in those jobs." Mal noticed a sparkle coming from Kaylee's left hand.
" Kaylee, what's that?" Mal asked, motioning with his fork what he meant.
Kaylee looked at her hand and blushed, then hid it under the table. Simon pulled it back onto the tabletop.
" It's about time we told, Kaylee." Kaylee licked her lips and nodded. " We're engaged." Simon said simply, tightening his grasp on Kaylee's hand. The crew started clapping.
" About time." River muttered, smiling happily while stealing a roll off of Jayne's plate.
" Good fer you." Jayne said, snitching the roll back.
Kaylee and Simon smiled like idiots, now that the secret was out, until their wedding day a month later.
~~~~~
" So, where ya goin'?" Mal asked, watching as the young women shoved all her belongings in book bag.
" I don't know."
" Why don't you just stay here?" Mal suggested.
" Wish I could. You don't need me. Book and I were going to go find another ship to stay on for a while."
" Jayne know?"
" No." She answered sadly. " Book was going to leave soon anyway. Our jobs here are done. I plan on staying in touch with Jayne anyway. I want to be invited when he and River finally get married. She'll be a neat sister-in- law."
" You and Book are part of my crew, you'll always have a place here."
" Thanks for the offer Mal. But River told me what I said when that idiot Captain whats-his-name came for Book. Our jobs are done. We've fulfilled our purpose here. And I'm finally able to have a normal life."
" So, what're ya gonna tell people?"
" That Book's my father. We'll get jobs as cooks or something." Tara smiled. " We'll do alright."
" Good luck Tara." Mal said as the girl walked out of her room door and then walked on to walk out the ships' doors. Tara left with Book and the two started a new life as family.
~~~~~
Jayne and River got married the same month as Mal and Inara finally tied the knot. The crew missed the comforting presence that had been Book and Tara's interesting quirks that had helped balance everybody.
Tara came back, but not until Book had left. For good.
" I'm sorry."
" Don't be. He was shot, I shot the idiot who shot him. We're even already."
" Welcome back."
" Thanks."
The End
Part Twenty-one: Sad Tidings
Author: Kryptonite
Disclaimer: Look at the first nineteen chapters and draw your own conclusions about what this should say.
Spoilers: None.
Summary: Tara finds the cure, doesn't work exactly. Kaylee and Simon get married (no descriptions for weddings, sorry). Tara and Book leave, Tara comes back, simple as that. Very short sections.
A/N: Another, final chapter. If you want descriptions of the three weddings that take place, say so and I'll add three chapters, one for each. If not, this is the end. Hope everyone reading liked this. I know I did. I really didn't expect it to end here but... my muse seems to like cutting me off where I don't expect it. Anyway. Please tell me what ya think and if you want any more detail, just tell me and I might (or I might not) put more in. Enjoy and have a nice day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" What's going on?" Mal asked, coming in to see Tara practically jumping around for joy and River scowling at the girl. Book and Jayne looked as confused as he was.
" I found it."
" You shouldn't have gone so deep." River said at the same time.
" I found it, I found it!" Tara continued to crow with delight. Then she stopped and looked horror-stricken. " You still have the ship, right?"
" Yeah. We didn't leave it." Sighing, Tara finally got control over her joy.
" Tara?"
" I found it Book. I found it!" Tara's eyes gleamed with something most of the crew of Serenity hadn't seen or had for a long time. Hope.
~~~~~
" How much longer we gotta stay here? Those guards are starting to wake up."
Zoë complained to Mal once more, hoping that he would call Tara back, they'd dump the prisoners and zoom away before the feds found them.
" Relax. Tara only needs a few more minutes. Do ya want her to keep turnin' inta... ya know."
" No, but-"
" Well then sit and calm down." Zoë sat and glared at her captain.
Tara's voice rang out a few minutes later, " Let's go."
" Did you get what you need?" Book asked before Mal could.
" Got it. Let's jet. I don't want to be here any longer than we have to be.
Nodding at Jayne, Mal turned to Zoë, " Looks like you got your wish. Go tell Wash to get ready."
" Book, I'm gonna need your help." Tara called, climbing the stairs two steps at a time.
" Way ahead of you." He answered, heading towards her room.
~~~~~
" So, you and Book have been pretty quiet lately. No more explosions."
" We finally got the chemicals to settle down in the proper order."
" That means..."
" No more explosions. We already tried it but... we don't have a way to test it." Tara fidgeted.
" What do you need to test it."
" Well there are two ways. I don't like either one."
~~~~~
" Is this the only way?"
" Do you have any access to that cargo you picked up months ago?"
" No." Mal admitted grudgingly.
" Then this is the only way. Book will intervene if it turns out that it didn't work."
~~~~~
" I can't believe it."
" It didn't work, so? That was a possibility, wasn't it?"
" No, no. It did work. Just not the way I wanted it too."
~~~~~
" Well. It's been two months since you tested your cure and we've actually done pretty well. Anyone have any complaints? With everything going so great I can only expect some sort of rebellion." Mal joked one evening at dinner.
" Everything's perfect. Just keep bringing in those jobs." Mal noticed a sparkle coming from Kaylee's left hand.
" Kaylee, what's that?" Mal asked, motioning with his fork what he meant.
Kaylee looked at her hand and blushed, then hid it under the table. Simon pulled it back onto the tabletop.
" It's about time we told, Kaylee." Kaylee licked her lips and nodded. " We're engaged." Simon said simply, tightening his grasp on Kaylee's hand. The crew started clapping.
" About time." River muttered, smiling happily while stealing a roll off of Jayne's plate.
" Good fer you." Jayne said, snitching the roll back.
Kaylee and Simon smiled like idiots, now that the secret was out, until their wedding day a month later.
~~~~~
" So, where ya goin'?" Mal asked, watching as the young women shoved all her belongings in book bag.
" I don't know."
" Why don't you just stay here?" Mal suggested.
" Wish I could. You don't need me. Book and I were going to go find another ship to stay on for a while."
" Jayne know?"
" No." She answered sadly. " Book was going to leave soon anyway. Our jobs here are done. I plan on staying in touch with Jayne anyway. I want to be invited when he and River finally get married. She'll be a neat sister-in- law."
" You and Book are part of my crew, you'll always have a place here."
" Thanks for the offer Mal. But River told me what I said when that idiot Captain whats-his-name came for Book. Our jobs are done. We've fulfilled our purpose here. And I'm finally able to have a normal life."
" So, what're ya gonna tell people?"
" That Book's my father. We'll get jobs as cooks or something." Tara smiled. " We'll do alright."
" Good luck Tara." Mal said as the girl walked out of her room door and then walked on to walk out the ships' doors. Tara left with Book and the two started a new life as family.
~~~~~
Jayne and River got married the same month as Mal and Inara finally tied the knot. The crew missed the comforting presence that had been Book and Tara's interesting quirks that had helped balance everybody.
Tara came back, but not until Book had left. For good.
" I'm sorry."
" Don't be. He was shot, I shot the idiot who shot him. We're even already."
" Welcome back."
" Thanks."
The End