Notes: Sorry, still no smoochies... hopefully later. Again, thanks for the comments!
..............................
Wash pouted as he flew the shuttle back towards Serenity. He was still upset about the commandeering of his dinos... and one was still missing! Poor Harold. And his own wife letting him sweat it outside while that... icky... woman watched in amusement.
Zoë, feeling guilty, came up behind him to rub his shoulders.
"I'm sorry, husband," she said, with a bit of a smile hiding behind her apology, "but Shepherd did say you needed compassion for the elderly."
"Hey," he retorted, still annoyed by her betrayal, "I put up with you, don't I?"
Immediately he cringed at his words, and spun his seat around.
"Hey, lamby, you know I didn't mean it. I'll love your hot, wrinkly ass when you're 104." To prove his point, he gave it a good squeeze and pulled her down to his lap.
Fortunately, she was in a good mood, and just laughed at him.
"Not in front of the children, dear. Besides, I'm only six months older. You'll be catching up in the wrinkly department before long."
Meanwhile, the ship was steadily drifting closer to the ground.
"Wash!" Kaylee squealed, as the shuttle dipped dangerously and began to nose-dive towards the earth.
Wash quickly spun the chair around, complete with wife in lap.
"So, wife," he began calmly, "wanna learn how to fly? They say it's best to just jump in. Pressure's good for you."
Zoë remained as sublime as always and just smiled at her goofy husband, running her fingers through his short hair. She trusted him.
"Wash," Mal warned, "YOU fly the gorram shuttle."
"Not until I get my dimetrodon back!" Wash insisted.
Mal, rather irritated, tossed the plastic dinosaur at the back of Wash's head. Zoë caught it one-handed and handed it to her husband, who placed it reverently on the control panel. He then jerked the controls, yanking the shuttle out of the tailspin and, two turbulence-filled minutes later, docked smoothly with Serenity.
"Thank you for flying Wash Warren Airlines, where it's always a prehistoric hootenanny!"
The crew filed out. Kaylee mussed Wash's hair, while Mal muttered something about 'gorram amateurs'. Book and the doctor appeared faintly sick.
Zoë and Wash just looked at each other.
"Wanna neck?"
................
................
Inara had arrived soon after and had a word with Mal. She was mighty upset at having her work interrupted. Mal didn't mind. He was just happy to have her back on the ship. Inara followed him down to the cargo bay, hoping to continue her argument with him.
Mal was preparing to leave to go pick up Jayne and River from town. Hopefully they'd be there by now. He prayed Jayne had taken good care of River... he knew how irritating she could be.
"Simon!" he called up the stairs, ignoring Inara's attempt to grab his attention. "Get a move on. We got money to be making."
He was in a hurry to pick up his stray sheep so they could exchange the very marked gold with Mrs. McGee's man on the Juggernaut.
Simon came hurrying down, medical bag in tow, followed by a bouncy Kaylee. She was eager to see her friends again.
Mal raised his eyebrows at the med kit Simon carried.
"Just in case," he mumbled.
"Heh, don't trust Jayne, much, do you?"
"Should I?"
The two men walked to Serenity's ramp, and waited while it lowered.
The sight that greeted them stunned them both.
"Ta ma duh," Malcolm whispered.
There was a grey horse, red streaks running down its sides. Pools of blood gathered in the dirt below it. Jayne was slumped over, lifeless. River sat behind him, her face wet.
"Simon..." she held out her cherry-red palms towards her brother. "Simon, he's broken."
"Oh, mei-mei..." Simon whispered.
"Zoë! Book!" Mal shouted, then hurried over to grab Jayne.
Book came running, and Zoë was a few steps behind, followed by a grumpy Wash.
"Oh, Lord," Book muttered.
Mal started pulling Jayne down from the horse, trying not to aggravate the wounds any further. Book and Zoë rushed out, helping Mal carry Jayne up to the infirmary.
Simon gaped at his sister, soaked in Jayne's blood.
"Are you hurt?"
She shook her head, staring miserably at him.
"Simon! Get up here! Now!" Mal shouted from above.
Reassuring himself that River wasn't injured, he turned to hurry back.
Kaylee and Wash followed, leaving Inara alone, gazing sadly at the bloody girl on horseback.
She walked cautiously up to River, patting the horse gently.
"Sweetie, come down. Let me help you."
River looked down at the companion, then took her hand and slid down the horse. She stared up at the sky, and then looked tearfully at Inara.
"He said there were no stars in my hair," she whispered.
A puzzled look slightly crinkled Inara's forehead. But she could see how upset River was, and was careful not to distress her further. Tenderly, she put her arm around River's shoulders, and began to lead her onto the ship.
"I'm so sorry, mei-mei. Let's go wash up."
..............................
Wash pouted as he flew the shuttle back towards Serenity. He was still upset about the commandeering of his dinos... and one was still missing! Poor Harold. And his own wife letting him sweat it outside while that... icky... woman watched in amusement.
Zoë, feeling guilty, came up behind him to rub his shoulders.
"I'm sorry, husband," she said, with a bit of a smile hiding behind her apology, "but Shepherd did say you needed compassion for the elderly."
"Hey," he retorted, still annoyed by her betrayal, "I put up with you, don't I?"
Immediately he cringed at his words, and spun his seat around.
"Hey, lamby, you know I didn't mean it. I'll love your hot, wrinkly ass when you're 104." To prove his point, he gave it a good squeeze and pulled her down to his lap.
Fortunately, she was in a good mood, and just laughed at him.
"Not in front of the children, dear. Besides, I'm only six months older. You'll be catching up in the wrinkly department before long."
Meanwhile, the ship was steadily drifting closer to the ground.
"Wash!" Kaylee squealed, as the shuttle dipped dangerously and began to nose-dive towards the earth.
Wash quickly spun the chair around, complete with wife in lap.
"So, wife," he began calmly, "wanna learn how to fly? They say it's best to just jump in. Pressure's good for you."
Zoë remained as sublime as always and just smiled at her goofy husband, running her fingers through his short hair. She trusted him.
"Wash," Mal warned, "YOU fly the gorram shuttle."
"Not until I get my dimetrodon back!" Wash insisted.
Mal, rather irritated, tossed the plastic dinosaur at the back of Wash's head. Zoë caught it one-handed and handed it to her husband, who placed it reverently on the control panel. He then jerked the controls, yanking the shuttle out of the tailspin and, two turbulence-filled minutes later, docked smoothly with Serenity.
"Thank you for flying Wash Warren Airlines, where it's always a prehistoric hootenanny!"
The crew filed out. Kaylee mussed Wash's hair, while Mal muttered something about 'gorram amateurs'. Book and the doctor appeared faintly sick.
Zoë and Wash just looked at each other.
"Wanna neck?"
................
................
Inara had arrived soon after and had a word with Mal. She was mighty upset at having her work interrupted. Mal didn't mind. He was just happy to have her back on the ship. Inara followed him down to the cargo bay, hoping to continue her argument with him.
Mal was preparing to leave to go pick up Jayne and River from town. Hopefully they'd be there by now. He prayed Jayne had taken good care of River... he knew how irritating she could be.
"Simon!" he called up the stairs, ignoring Inara's attempt to grab his attention. "Get a move on. We got money to be making."
He was in a hurry to pick up his stray sheep so they could exchange the very marked gold with Mrs. McGee's man on the Juggernaut.
Simon came hurrying down, medical bag in tow, followed by a bouncy Kaylee. She was eager to see her friends again.
Mal raised his eyebrows at the med kit Simon carried.
"Just in case," he mumbled.
"Heh, don't trust Jayne, much, do you?"
"Should I?"
The two men walked to Serenity's ramp, and waited while it lowered.
The sight that greeted them stunned them both.
"Ta ma duh," Malcolm whispered.
There was a grey horse, red streaks running down its sides. Pools of blood gathered in the dirt below it. Jayne was slumped over, lifeless. River sat behind him, her face wet.
"Simon..." she held out her cherry-red palms towards her brother. "Simon, he's broken."
"Oh, mei-mei..." Simon whispered.
"Zoë! Book!" Mal shouted, then hurried over to grab Jayne.
Book came running, and Zoë was a few steps behind, followed by a grumpy Wash.
"Oh, Lord," Book muttered.
Mal started pulling Jayne down from the horse, trying not to aggravate the wounds any further. Book and Zoë rushed out, helping Mal carry Jayne up to the infirmary.
Simon gaped at his sister, soaked in Jayne's blood.
"Are you hurt?"
She shook her head, staring miserably at him.
"Simon! Get up here! Now!" Mal shouted from above.
Reassuring himself that River wasn't injured, he turned to hurry back.
Kaylee and Wash followed, leaving Inara alone, gazing sadly at the bloody girl on horseback.
She walked cautiously up to River, patting the horse gently.
"Sweetie, come down. Let me help you."
River looked down at the companion, then took her hand and slid down the horse. She stared up at the sky, and then looked tearfully at Inara.
"He said there were no stars in my hair," she whispered.
A puzzled look slightly crinkled Inara's forehead. But she could see how upset River was, and was careful not to distress her further. Tenderly, she put her arm around River's shoulders, and began to lead her onto the ship.
"I'm so sorry, mei-mei. Let's go wash up."