Title: See
Series: Slayers in Space
Author: Sevangel
Disclaimer: Not mine
Rating: R
Last time: Kaylee, River, and Faith went into town while Zoe, Mal, and Jayne went on a job and Wash stayed behind. Faith got the shot and then her and River got hit on while they were in a clothing store. They went back to the boat, late, Mal and Jayne both pissed off but were attacked by a demon before they could tell them what happened. They killed the demon but got covered in slime. Jayne kissed all River's boo-boo's better and Mal and Faith have sex, finally.
-
Kaylee opens her eyes and glances over at the bed Faith sleeps in only to find it empty. Kaylee knows Faith didn't sleep in here last night because she rarely gets up before Kaylee herself does. Kaylee stands up and walks into the bathroom to take a shower. She's been sleeping in Faith's room every night since Simon left. Partly because she didn't want to sleep alone but mostly because she couldn't sleep in her bed without Simon.
She misses him so much. She's trying to move past it but it's so hard. She's just glad she has River and Faith. She knows without them she wouldn't be able to do this. She dresses in a pair of loose pants and a t-shirt before heading down to the mess to cure her growling stomach.
Kaylee grabs the box of pancake mix they bought yesterday in town and starts mixing a huge bowl of batter. Separating the batter into two bowls, she adds some of the chocolate chips to one of the bowls. After testing the griddle she turned on a few minutes ago, she pours some of the batter onto it. She gets a rhythm going, humming a happy tune, her hips dancing along with it.
-
"I'm gonna have to start takin' vitamins or somethin'." Mal pants. His arms are braced on the shower wall behind him, Faith leaning on his shoulder with her legs wrapped around his hips. "Cause I ain't gonna have the energy to do anythin' if we sex this often."
"We'll find you something." Faith assures him, her mouth warm against his neck. "And I'm thinking food to begin with because I don't know about you, but I'm starving." She unwraps her legs from around him, hops down, smacks his ass, and then walks out of the bathroom. She grabs the boxes that he was wearing last night and pulls them on before grabbing her white tank top and putting it on.
"Hell, no." Mal growls.
"What?" Faith replies looking at him with a confused expression.
"I can see your nipples." Mal says, waving towards her chest.
"Huh." Faith mutters as she looks down at her chest. "Been a long time since I've done the wet shirt thing." She then starts to walk towards the door.
"I believe I said no." Mal says, grabbing Faith's arm.
"I'm hungry." Faith replies.
Mal grabs his shirt off the floor and hands it to her. "Here, put this on."
"I don't do orders, Mal." Faith glares, her arms crossed across her chest.
"Gorramit, I don't want you goin' up there with…" Mal yells.
"All my goodies showing?" Faith supplies.
"Yeah." Mal agrees. "I don't want Wash or Jayne seein' you like that."
"Like either one of them will really notice." Faith mutters. "And even if they do, they're not going to do or say anything; in case you forgot, their girls can break them in half without breaking a sweat."
"Haven't forgot that." Mal replies. "Doesn't change anything. Just put it on, please."
The last work is said so quietly that Faith barely hears it. She grabs the shirt out of his hand with an angry growl. "I can't believe I'm doing this." Faith mutters as she puts the shirt on. "I should just walk out of here naked on principle, but no, I just don't want him to be all uncomfortable."
Mal bites his lip to keep from smiling, completely amused by her rambling. He finishes getting dressed then moves out of his bunk to catch up with her. "Thank you, darlin'." Mal says as he wraps an arm around her.
"Oh, bite me." Faith growls.
"Believe I done did." Mal whispers, running his hand over her bite mark. His teeth marks may have started to heal over, leaving the vampire's bite visible, but it's his bite now.
Faith shudders at the feel of his hands rubbing her bite mark and leans into his side. "Do me a favor, okay?"
"What baobei?"
"You have to promise me if I start wearing a lace apron and bringing you your slippers, that you'll shoot me." Faith replies.
"Ain't gonna shoot you." Mal says.
"Fine." Faith mutters. "Then just have R knock me around a bit."
Mal laughs and pulls Faith closer to his side. "You're just all kinds of cute, aren't you?"
Faith glares at him. "Ass."
-
Kaylee dances happily around the mess, setting plates down as she moves. She sits two huge platters of pancakes down, one regular and one chocolate chip. Digging through the cabinets, she finds a jar of syrup and a jar of peanut butter and sets them both on the table.
"Good morning." Kaylee says when River and Jayne walk into the mess followed closely by Zoe and Wash.
"Good morning Kaylee." River replies, tilting her head to look at her friend. "You look like you're feeling better today."
"Yeah, I just woke up this mornin' and realized how shiny of a day it is." Kaylee explains as she pours coffee into the cups around the table. She then grabs the pitcher of grape flavored drink she made and pours some into her own glass.
"Kay, you're awful chipper this morning." Faith comments as her and Mal walk into the mess. He starts to pull the chair out for but stops when Faith glares at him.
The platters of pancakes are passed around the table as breakfast starts.
"Kay, what the hell are you doing?" Faith questions, looking at Kaylee with a grossed-out expression.
"What?" Kaylee says.
"You just put peanut butter on your pancakes." Faith replies.
"Yeah, I know." Kaylee says as she puts a bite of the peanut butter covered chocolate chip pancake into her mouth. "It's good."
"It's gross." Faith replies. "I'm all for mixing peanut butter and chocolate but not pancakes."
"Just sounded good." Kaylee says.
River looks at Kaylee again and then glances at Faith.
"Little Kaylee, it's good to see you in such high spirits." Mal says. "Are you on drugs?"
Kaylee laughs. "No, cap'n I ain't done drugs since I was a teenager."
"I'm still wantin' to know why they were late gettin' back yesterday." Jayne says as he looks between the girls.
"Damn, I hoped you guys forgot bout that." Faith mutters.
"We ain't." Mal says.
"Where's a demon when you need one." River mutters.
"Somebody start explaining." Mal orders.
"It's not that interesting of a story." River replies. "Kaylee was trying on a dress and Faith and I were trying to figure out what I was holding when some guy suggested I try it on."
"What guy?" Jayne growls.
"Some little punk kids whose daddies have power." Faith answers. "The other one gave me a, okay I'm still not sure what it is, piece of fabric and told me to try it on. I took it and told them to leave. That got all pissed and I thought we were going to get to fight them but Kaylee came out, one guy grabbed R, we made them see the errors of their way, and they ran off. That's about the it."
Mal and Jayne both look beyond pissed, hands clenched on the tables.
"Just a questions." Wash says as he raises a hand. "Can you two go anywhere without a fight almost starting?"
Faith and River look at each other. "Probably not."
"Least they're honest about it." Kaylee says with a giggle.
Mal and Jayne glare at her.
"Don't know why you're glaring at me." Kaylee protests. "I did stop them from fighting. Had it been up to them, they would have waited until the guys and their friends came back, right?"
River and Faith both look extremely interested in their pancakes.
"She's gonna give me a heart attack." Jayne mutters.
"She's gonna give me an ulcer thing." Mal mutters.
Kaylee starts to giggle again.
"Glad you're finding somethin' amusin'." Mal drawls. "You've been all kinds of depressed since Simon left."
The table goes quiet.
Kaylee drops her fork as tears start falling down her face. "Sorry if I ain't been happy enough for you, cap'n. I'll try to do better." She then stands up and runs out of the mess.
"Sweetie, you really suck at the whole girl thing." Faith says, patting his hand. "Pointing out that her boyfriend's gone, not really the smartest thing to do."
"But she was happy." Mal says, confused by his mechanic's reactions. "How does she go from being all smiles and giggles to running out of the room crying?"
"She's still trying to deal with him being gone." Zoe says.
"Yeah." Faith agrees, looking over at River. "But I wonder…"
"Me too." River agrees. "We should…"
"Yeah, but how are…"
"Maybe we can contact…."
"R, that's a genius…."
"But we can't let…."
"I agree." Faith says. "When are we…."
"After breakfast." River answers.
"What's goin' on?" Mal asks, looking between the two slayers. "You guys know somethin'?"
"Maybe." Faith answers. "But we're not saying anything."
"Faith." Mal warns.
"Nope." Faith replies. "Not saying anything."
"We're not saying anything until we are certain." River adds. "Nothing short of torture is going to get us to talk."
"And not your everyday run-of-the-mill torture." Faith says. "But the deep, 'I'd rather be dead' type of torture."
"Nobody's gettin' tortured." Mal growls.
"We'll talk when we're sure." Faith assures him. "But not till then. And don't even think that us sleeping together is going to get any results."
"Sleeping together?" Wash says. "Mal, is there something you need to be telling us?"
Mal glares at him.
"Now, I don't like relationships on this boat." Wash says, using his 'captain-mocking' voice. "Too many problems happen and loyalties get torn. Not to mention, if it doesn't work out, then I've got 2 people who can't stand being around each other. This boat is a well-oiled machine and I don't want no wrenches thrown into it, dong ma?"
Mal glares harder.
"What was that?" Faith asks with a laugh.
"What Mal said to me when I started dating Zoe." Wash answers. "Only there was some gun waving and threats."
"Since when is this boat a well-oiled machine?" Jayne questions. "Cause it ain't ever been the whole time I've been here."
"Hey, this boat runs okay." Mal protests.
"When we're not under fire." Wash says.
"Or being chased by feds." Zoe adds. "Or reavers."
"Or not moving." Jayne adds.
"Or being taken over." River puts in.
Mal stops to think about it. "Okay, sometimes we run okay."
-
"I can't believe Simon left Kaylee and you." Inara says to River and Faith.
"Yeah, we should have called you earlier but with demons and helping Kay deal and all, it's been kinda busy around here." Faith replies, still weirded out bout the whole TV-phone thing.
"And you guys are sure…" Inara starts to question.
"Almost positive." River cuts in. "The math has been done and all conclusions can only lead to one thing."
Inara is quiet for a moment, the companion's eyebrows furrowed. "When are you picking up post next?" Inara questions.
"We should be by the normal post pickup spot next week." River answers.
"There will be a package waiting there for you." Inara says. "It will be addressed to both of you; all you'll have to do is tell the attendant your first names and he'll give it to you."
"Thank you Inara." River replies. "It is most appreciated."
"Just keep me informed." Inara says.
"We will." Faith assures her.
"River, you seem, happier and more confident." Inara observes.
"I'm having sex with Jayne." River replies.
Inara looks shocked for a moment and then starts laughing. "I wondered when that would happen." Inara comments. "You're happy, right?"
"Very." River answers. "I love Jayne and he loves me."
Inara looks shocked again. "Oh, mei-mei, I'm so happy for you." Inara says. "You deserve this so much."
"Thank you." River replies.
"You're making him happy, right?" Inara says quietly. "Mal deserves to be happy."
"Yeah, we're happy." Faith answers.
"That's good." Inara replies, visibly upset. "I'm happy for all of you."
"You okay, Nar?" Faith asks.
"Fine." Inara answers. "I have to go now but don't forget to keep me updated."
"We won't." River says. "Bye Inara."
"Bye ladies." Inara replies.
"She's in love with him." Faith says once the screen goes black.
"Yes, she is." River agrees. "But not like you are. A companion doesn't fall in love like us. And Mal doesn't love her."
"I never said I love him." Faith replies.
"You don't have to." River replies. "It shows. He doesn't know yet."
Faith sighs heavily. "I'm not ready to tell him yet." Faith says. "Still haven't gotten used to it myself."
-
Simon opens the door to his parent's house, takes a deep breath, and walks in. He's managed to get out of going to his parents parties since the last one over a month ago but his mother wouldn't accept any more of his excuses.
"Simon, you're late." Gabriel Tams says as he walks up to his son.
"I know." Simon replies. "It has been extremely busy at the hospital."
Gabriel stops one of the servers and grabs a glass of champagne off it. "Here, son." Gabriel says, handing the glass to Simon.
Simon takes a sip of the champagne before looking back at his father. 'Where's mother?" Simon asks. "I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to stay but a few minutes. I have back-to-back surgeries scheduled tomorrow morning."
Gabriel sighs but takes Simon over to his wife. "Regan, Simon is here but he's not able to stay." Gabriel tells his wife. "He has to work in the morning."
Regan looks at her son with a smile. "You are so much like your father." Regan tells Simon.
Simon stiffens but shows no other reaction. "How are you, mother?"
"Fine." Regan replies. "The garden club is having a party next weekend. You should try and attend."
"I'll have to see what my schedule looks like." Simon tells her. He spends a few minutes talking to his parents and their friends before being down to kiss his mother's cheek. "I have to go now; it's getting to late."
"Very well." Regan replies. "Don't forget to call us next Thursday."
"I won't." Simon assures her. He shakes his father's hand and leaves the party. The car that drove him is still sitting outside and he gets into the back seat with a relieved sigh.
He's been back for almost 2 ½ months and he still wakes up reaching for Kaylee. Every time a ship flies by, he automatically looks to see if it's Serenity. He's still working 16-hour days and it's starting to get to him. He almost gave the wrong medicine to a patient yesterday, one that would have killed him. He caught himself before doing it but it doesn't matter. He's never slipped up that way and it scares him.
The vehicle drops him off in front of his apartment and he waves to the doorman as he passes. He rides the elevator to the top floor and unlocks his door. Opening it, he turns the alarm off and then shuts the door. He hangs his coat by the door and walks through the bare living room and towards the kitchen.
"Raiding a prissy core boy's refrigerator is about the same as dating a nun." A voice says, stopping Simon in his tracks. "You never get the good stuff."
Simon steps back and stares at the short, badly dressed man. "Who are you?" Simon questions, looking around the room for a weapon. There isn't anything. "There's nothing here to take, as you can very well see, and all my money is in the bank."
"You humans and your being robbed paranoia." The man says, slamming the refrigerator door shut. "Have a seat, Dr. Tam, we need to have a little talk."
"How do you know who I am?" Simon questions. "And who are you?"
"I know more about you than you do." He replies. "And the name's Whistler."
-
Faith opens her eyes but doesn't get up. She likes these first few moments lying naked in Mal's arms. She feels safer than she ever has and more content. She's been sleeping in Mal's bed for over a month now and can't imagine not waking up next to him. And that scares the shit out of her. She's never been dependent on anyone and to need this man as much as she does is hard for her to handle. But she's handling it. Angel would be proud of her, she knows that. Proud that she hasn't run; proud that she won't. Serenity is her home; the only home she's ever had. She loves this ship. She wants to stay in his arms for a while longer but the urge the pee has finally taken over.
"Where you goin' darlin'?" Mal murmurs, wrapping an arm around waist to hold her against him.
"Where I always go." Faith answers. "Bathroom." She moves out from under his arm and walks naked to the toilet. He rolls onto his stomach with his face pressed into the pillow. Faith pees and then washes her hands before walking back towards the bed. And just like every other morning, he's watching her walk back.
"Mornin', baobei." Mal rumbles, grabbing her hand to pull her onto his chest.
"Morning." Faith replies, rubbing her naked body against his. "Looks like my boy's all ready to go."
"Always is." Mal growls as his hands grip her waist.
Faith starts to ride him slowly, both of them just enjoying the contact.
"Mal." Faith moans.
"Yeah, darlin'?" Mal replies.
"If I tell you something, you promise not to freak?" Faith asks, her nails digging into his chest.
"This that thing about Kaylee you still refuse to tell me?" Mal asks. He slides a hand between them and starts to pet her clit.
"No." Faith moans, her hips writhing on top of him. "Harder."
Mal starts to twist her clit with one hand and pull her nipple ring with another. "I won't freak." Mal assures her.
Faith's hands grip his chest and she looks towards the wall. "I love you." Faith whispers.
"Love you too, baobei." Mal replies without hesitation.
Faith stops moving and stares down at him. "You do?" Faith asks. "Why didn't you say something?"
"Didn't want to push you." Mal replies. He flips them over in one quick move and starts thrusting deeply into her. "Can we talk bout this later?"
Faith thrusts up and rolls her hips against his.
"I'm takin' that to mean yes." Mal groans.
Faith whimpers as Mal pushes deeper and deeper inside her. She always thought banging one guy for a while would get old and boring but it hasn't. She loves having sex with Mal.
"Harder." Faith orders. Her right foot braces on the wall while her left leg wraps around his back.
Mal pounds into her body and knows if she weren't a slayer, this would be hurting her. But he's learned that Faith likes it hard and fast most of the time. He feels her walls start to flutter and waits until she moans before pushing deep inside while at the same time pinching her clit. Her eyes fly open and she moans his name loudly. Mal thrusts once more and then groans her name.
"Mal." Faith says a few moments later.
"Yeah?" Mal grunts.
"Just cause I love you, it doesn't mean I'm going to be all obeying you." Faith says. "I'm still going to argue with you when you're being an ass."
"Wouldn't have it any other way." Mal replies with a smile.
-
"What did you mean by 'you humans'?" Simon asks as he sits down on the barstool.
"Exactly what it sounded like." Whistler answers. "You are a human; I'm not."
"What are you, a vampire?" Simon questions sarcastically.
"No." Whistler answers as though he's been insulted. "Vamps can't enter a home unless the person who lives there invites them in or is is dead. I'm a demon."
"I have to work in the morning." Simon says. "Let yourself out the way you came in." He stands up and starts to leave the room.
"You don't know how lucky River is." Whistler says, stopping Simon in his tracks. "How lucky she is to live in a world where she doesn't have to fight every single night until one night, she loses. She is a slayer, yes, but she will never face what other slayers have; what Faith did."
"Why are you telling me this?" Simon asks through gritted teeth.
"Because you need to know." Whistler answers. "You need to see."
"See what?" Simon questions curiously.
"What a slayer was." Whistler answers.
"How are you…" Simon starts to ask when suddenly they are no longer in his apartment. "What just happened?" Simon gasps, looking around the white room he is now in.
"It's time for you to see." Whistler says. He waves his hand and one of the white walls turns black before a picture starts to play. "Her name was Annabel." Whistler says, pointing to the young, redheaded girl. "She was 14 when she was called and is 15 here."
Simon watches as the teenager fights some large, slimy looking creature. She manages to stab it once before it takes her weapon away and cuts her in half with it.
"She went by Margret." Whistler says, indicating to the tall, young girl with black hair. "She was called two weeks prior than this, 15 years old."
Simon watches as the tall girl is brutally beaten, raped and killed by 3 vampires. Then its just girl after girl after girl; all of them young and all of them dying bloody, painful deaths.
"Her name was Sara." Whistler says quietly. "Up until Buffy and Faith, she was the longest living slayer in history. She managed to reach her 20th birthday before she was killed."
Simon watches as a short, blonde girl is bitten by a vampire and then dumped into a pool of water.
"That's Buffy." Whistler tells Simon. "Faith called her B."
Simon watches as this young girl is brought back with CPR and then goes back and kills the vampire that killed her. Then it's the same girl, only she's a few years older, and she's standing on a tower talking quietly to a younger girl. Then she kisses the girl's forehead and runs off the edge of the tower, her body being raked my what looks like electrical shocks until she hits the ground, dead.
"She stayed dead for 3 months, happily in a heavenly dimension until her best friend brought her back with magic. She spend the next couple months wanting to die and she finally got her wish."
Then the same blonde girl is shot in the chest and the doctor in Simon knows she won't survive it; he's right, her heart stops.
"The same witch brought her back." Whistler says.
A girl with black hair and eyes removes the bullet with what Simon thinks to be magic.
"I don't need to tell you who she is." Whistler says.
It's Faith and she's fighting what Simon counts to be 12 vampires. And she kills them all but doesn't come out of it unscathed. She's bleeding from various wounds and holding her stomach as she limps out of the graveyard. Then she's dead. Her neck snapped by a vampire she didn't see.
Simon sits there numb, staring at Faith's dead body. When he finally realizes what's going on, he's somehow back in his apartment.
"I didn't know." Simon mutters. "I didn't understand."
"No, you didn't." Whistler agrees. "River is lucky and so is Faith now. They won't go out in a fight outnumbered and out muscled. They're aren't enough demons left for that to happen."
"Why?" Simon asks quietly.
"You needed to see." Whistler repeats. "You're at a fork in your life; you can either take the easy road and become your father or you can risk it all and become who you are supposed to be. I can't make that choice for you; nobody can." Then he's gone.
Simon numbly stumbles to his room and waves the hospital to tell them he won't be in tomorrow. Then he collapses on his bed, his mind still reeling from what he was just shown.
-
"They should be back by now." Wash says worriedly. "They're more than an hour late."
"Maybe it just took longer than it should." Kaylee says hopefully.
"Kaylee, they aren't answering the com." Wash replies. "Zoe always answers the com, not matter what."
"What do we know about the meeting?" Faith asks, not having been present for the rundown.
"It's at a greenhouse, I think that's what they called it." Wash answers. "Some type of building from Earth-that-was. They're meeting inside with a couple brothers that we've done business with many times. Whatever happened, it wasn't them."
"How big is it?" River asks. "Have you met them at it before?"
"Yeah, it's been a while though." Wash answers. "Couple weeks before you and Simon came on board. It's bout three stories high and all glass. The owner is some rich guy who wants to stay rich by not having to pay the high taxes here."
"How many entrances?" Faith asks.
"One." Wash answers, starting to grow a little nervous. "And you can't get in without fingerprints from one of the brothers or their father."
Faith and River look at each other, both thinking of the possibilities.
"Hell, the only way in would probably be breaking one of the glass panels but there's sensors on the ground so you can't sneak up." Wash comments.
Faith looks at River with a big smile on her face.
"Fly is to this building." Faith orders.
"Faith.." Wash starts to protest.
"Wash, I don't want to hurt you." Faith says. "But I will. Fly us to this building. We're just going to look."
"We'll have to take a shuttle." Wash replies quietly. "Serenity is too loud."
"Let's go." Faith says. "Kay, you're coming too. I don't want someone coming to the boat and finding you alone."
The four of them walk to Inara's old shuttle, the other one having been taken on the job, and wait while Wash starts the shuttle and flies off.
"I wouldn't have hurt you." Faith tells Wash. "I would have just thrown you over my shoulder and locked you in a room until we got back."
"That's good." Wash replies. "Because wifey would have been upset."
Faith can see a large, glass building a ways in front and twists nervously in the chair her and River are sharing. They fly over the glass building and Wash idles the shuttle a few feet above it.
"Jayne's in there." River whispers.
"So is Mal." Faith replies.
Both girls stand up and walk over to the door.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what the hell are you two doing?" Wash screeches when they open the door.
"Just getting a closer look." Faith answers. "Hold it still."
"You don't get it." Wash replies. "Mal and Jayne are going to kill me."
"We'll just tell them we made you." River says.
River and Faith jump out of the door and hit the glass with a grunt. They both grab onto the framing of the panel they're sharing to keep from sliding down the roof.
"There are 10 men." River says.
"Yeah." Faith agrees. "Don't look like they're hurt though."
They continue to watch the leader of the gang as he paces back and forth in front of Mal, Jayne, Zoe, and 3 men who have to be brothers.
"We have to come up with a plan." River says.
"Yeah." Faith agrees. "Let's get back to the shuttle."
They both start to move when the glass starts to crackle.
"Oh, fuck." Faith mutters as her and River fall through the glass and towards the ground. Luckly, their falls are somewhat broken by the three men they land on.
"That's gonna leave a mark." Faith groans.
"Oh, yeah." River agrees with a whimper.
"River!" Jayne bellows.
"Faith!" Mal yells.
Both men turn to look at each other and then back at the blood covered slayers lying on the ground. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOIN' HERE?"
-