Disclaimer: recognisable characters, places and so on belong to the mighty Mouse and the god that is Joss.
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Chapter 4
Jack Sparrow handed River over the rail of the Black Pearl as if she were a princess, and, Mal thought, gorram it if she didn't respond just like she were a princess. Simon, watching from the boat, seemed equally disconcerted.
On deck River stood gazing at the masts and the sails, stowed away neatly, a smile on her face.
"My man's below," said Sparrow to Simon.
"What about River?" Simon asked.
Sparrow glanced at her. "She'll be all right. Plenty o' men to keep an eye on her."
They found the injured man, a young pirate named Bob, in Sparrow's cabin where he was laid out on the captain's bunk. He looked pale.
"Cap'n," he managed.
"Eh, no need to talk, savvy?" said Sparrow. "Brought you a doctor. Can fix your leg."
"Well, I'll try." Simon pulled up a chair and sat down by the bed, pulling back the blanket covering Bob's leg and grimacing as he did so.
Mal leaned over to have a look, and even as a veteran of many an evil wound caused by anything from a laser pistol to a knife, he was impressed by the leg. Simon probed the gash, which was festering and yellow, with a scalpel and frowned.
"I'm going to try and stop the infection," he told Bob. "It'll hurt. First I have to clean it out, and then I'll wrap it and give you some antibiotics - medicine."
Bob, pale under his suntan, nodded. Wordlessly Sparrow handed the pirate a flask of something.
Simon fished some gauze and antiseptic out of his bag and set to work, and Mal left them to it.
Up on deck River was dreamily trailing her hand along the rail, but she looked up as Mal came up to her.
"She's freedom," she said.
"Who is?" Mal asked, caught off guard.
River gave the rail a pat. "The ship, silly. Like Serenity. And both of you feel the same." She met his eyes with that disarmingly penetrating look she had.
"I ain't the same as Sparrow," said Mal.
"Inside you are," River returned. She regarded him. "You both need your ships. You'd both kill for 'em, but only if you have to."
"No sense in ang'ring folk," Mal said. "You're a mite unnerving when you do that."
"Do what?" River turned around, leaned on the rail and looked up at the sails.
Mal looked the other way, toward the shore. "Tell a man what he don't want to hear."
She glanced at him briefly, expressionless, and returned her attention to the ship's ropes.
In the middle section of the ship Gibbs was thoughtfully mending ropes, whipping frayed ends with thinner thread and discarding lengths that could not be salvaged. Mal leaned against the rail surrounding the tall mainmast and watched him.
"Cap'n's below with Bob?" asked Gibbs, holding a needle between his teeth.
"And the doc," Mal agreed. "He's in good hands. Doc's a bit stiff, but he'll fix the kid up."
Gibbs jerked his head towards River, who was now examining the helm minutely. "What's the lass's tale, then?"
"Don't rightly know," Mal said, looking at River himself. "She ain't right in the head, but nobody's sure why."
"Ah." Gibbs nodded, sagely. "A bit simple, like?"
"Not at all," said Mal. "Half the gorram problem."
Simon and Sparrow were below with the boy for a while, but emerged eventually looking hot and sweaty but relieved.
"He'll live," said Simon to Mal's questioning look. "And I think he'll keep his leg. I've left him some antibiotics; we've still got plenty from that raid on Ariel. But he mustn't drink too much alcohol," he added, turning to Sparrow. "It affects the medicine."
"Aye aye, doc," Sparrow returned. "I'll keep the lad on water, till he's mended. But I'm grateful - he's a good sailor, would've been a shame to have had t' send him ashore, or worse." He gave Mal and Simon both one of his little bows. "Now, where's that lass? She needs a tour of the Pearl."
In short order Sparrow had River's arm tucked under his, and Simon and Mal were following them on a thorough tour of the ship. Sparrow talked non-stop, illustrating his points with elaborate gestures of his beringed hands. For her part, River threw in the odd question, laughed often and hung on his every word. They saw the ship from its lowest decks to the tip of the bowsprit, where Sparrow climbed out and pointed out the detailed carving of the figurehead.
"She brings you luck," said River.
"She does that, love," agreed Sparrow. "Wish you could see her underway. Ain't nothing so lovely on the high seas."
River sat down and pulled off her boots, and grasping hold of a rope stepped out to join Sparrow where he sat astride the bowsprit.
Simon let out a gasp. "River, be careful!"
"Oh, don't be such a fishwife!" exclaimed Sparrow. "Lass is fine. As surefooted as I ever saw."
"And a habit for stepping where she ain't wanted," added Mal. "Sure she'll be fine, Doc."
They watched as Sparrow, sitting behind River with both of them facing back towards the ship, gestured at the rigging and the sails, clearly explaining how everything worked. She nodded and smiled, and pointed herself at various ropes to ask questions.
Simon turned away. "She hasn't been this happy since she left for the Academy."
"I'd not say that," said Mal. "Why, there've been those times when she and Kaylee have run over my ship and I'd've sworn she was happy then."
Simon smiled, briefly and sadly. "She'd be happy here, and I don't think there's Alliance."
"She ain't staying," Mal said. "'Cos you won't leave her, and I ain't losing my doctor. You're part of my crew, not Sparrow's."
The doctor looked at him. "Sheh sheh, captain. You always surprise me."
"I do try," said Mal.
Eventually Sparrow and River came off the bowsprit, still chattering. Sparrow picked up his hat from where he'd left it and put it on.
"That's me Pearl," he said. "Listen, Cap'n Reynolds, I've a proposal. In thanks for your surgeon's tending of my man, I suggest a bit of a knees-up on board tonight. We'll get some rum and ale in, and I'll ask old Martha at the 'Faithful Bride' to provide some vittles, and I'll rope in Dick with his fiddle so's we can have some dancin'. What d'you reckon?"
"Mighty kind," said Mal, "but I don't see as how you owe us anything."
"You can pay for the rum," Sparrow suggested. "And you can take me for a sail in that boat of yours, 'afore the evening."
Mal was about to find an excuse as to why Serenity needed to be on her way as soon as maybe, but River's face at the prospect of dancing - and Simon's, at her face - made him stop to reconsider.
"We could do with another few hours to stock up," he allowed. "Let's go for that flight, then, cap'n, before night."
Sparrow grinned at him, and then dashed off calling for Gibbs. In a few moments he had returned with pistol and sword strapped around his waist. "Off we go, then!"
Serenity was quiet when they arrived back. Mal led the way up to the bridge, which proved to be empty. He picked up the intercom.
"This is the captain speaking," he said. "I expect y'all are getting reacquainted with the ship, or with each other; but I could do with a pilot round about now."
In a few moments the door to Wash and Zoe's cabin hissed open, and they emerged looking a little dishevelled - Zoe dishevelled and resigned, and Wash dishevelled and decidedly not.
"Nice time to need a pilot, Mal," he said, tucking his shirt into his pants.
"I promised Cap'n Sparrow he'd have a flight on my boat," Mal explained. "Now would be about a good time. Just out of atmo, coupl'a orbits, back down. We've a party to go to tonight."
"Shiny!" said Kaylee, appearing in the doorway. "Shall I get her goin'?"
"Power her up, little Kaylee," said Mal. He turned to Sparrow. "Best have a seat, Cap'n Sparrow. You may find this a little odd."
Still grumbling to himself, Wash settled down in his chair and moved the dinosaurs away from the Cortex monitors before flicking switches and hitting buttons. Sparrow sat down on the other side, leaning back and clearly trying to appear nonchalant.
"Right then," said Wash, as the engine roared into life.
Serenity lifted off the ground steadily, guided by Wash's experienced hands, until she was clear of the trees surrounding the clearing in which she had been hidden. Then she accelerated and Wash pointed her nose towards the sky.
Mal glanced at Sparrow to see how the pirate was taking the new experience. His hand was gripping the arm of his chair a little more tightly than necessary, but on the whole he seemed to be reasonably relaxed.
"Where d'you want to go?" Wash asked.
"This ain't a world used to boats like ours," said Mal. "Let's just break atmo quickly."
Wash nodded, and pulled back. With a shudder, Serenity shot upwards.
They were through the atmosphere quickly, and Wash brought the ship smoothly into orbit.
Sparrow stood up. "Bloody 'ell," he said, with feeling.
Mal folded his arms, and went to stand by Sparrow's side. "Quite something, ain't it?"
"For once in me life," Sparrow said, "I may be lost for words, savvy? And here's me thinkin' there was nothin' so fine as the view from the top of the Pearl's mast." He paused. "I was wrong."
"First time I flew," said Mal, contemplating the sight of the world below them, "I couldn't believe there could be so many stars."
"They look diff'rent up here," Sparrow noted. "Don't s'pose you use 'em to steer by, like us."
Jayne stomped up to the bridge, chewing a protein bar. "Where're we off to, Mal?"
"Nowhere," said Mal. "Least, not right now. Just a sightseeing tour, as it may be."
"Oh." Jayne had evidently caught sight of Sparrow. "Right."
"In exchange for a bit of a knees-up on board the Pearl, later," said Sparrow, not taking his eyes away from the stars. "Reckon I'll invite a couple of the lasses, from Tortuga."
"Fine by me," Jayne said, and disappeared.
They watched the stars, and the world below, in silence for a while, Serenity gliding smoothly through space. Finally Mal turned away, breaking the spell.
"Take her down, Wash," he said. "We've got a shindig to go to." To Sparrow, he added, "just sit down and enjoy the view, Cap'n."
Mal left them to it, and made his way along the passageway, down the stairs and round to Inara's shuttle. For once, he tapped at the door before entering.
She was occupied with paintbrush and paper, thoughtfully doing calligraphy, but paused as he came in and put the brush down.
"Mal."
"'Nara."
"Have you come to tell me where we're going?" she asked.
"Nowhere, for the moment," he returned.
"Mal." She eyed him with raised eyebrows. "We're in the air."
"Only temporary," Mal said. "Cap'n Sparrow wants to throw us a farewell. Wanted to make sure you'd come."
"Why in the 'verse shouldn't I?" Inara responded. "Yes, I'll come."
"Shiny." He nodded. "Well, we'll be on the ground shortly." He turned to leave, bidding her farewell with a nod and wishing, as always, that he could find more words to say.
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TBC