At first, Mal thought that Rick is going to make an empty promise, that he will never try to keep, but then, when Rick offered him shelter until he find a better place and get to know how to leave in 2012, instead of 2500+.
So Rick try to find what Mal can do to earn his money, so he gave him a tablet to see if Mal can wright something that was decent enough to get publish. He got some stories, pretty good ones, but not enough to make acctualy see the light of day. It was Mal's first try with wrighting and the main problem was Mal's lack of fluence in wrighting, it was like he didn't know how to wright very good.
One day, Kate took him with her to the shooting wrange, because she thought that he knew how to use a gun, so he have to learn how to use their tehnology, instead of his. At the shooting wrange, he was easy to teach and he learn how to use her pistol in no time. On their way back, Mal was telling her the story when he meet Inara. And the entire time Kate was captivated. It's not a great story, a whore came to rent his escape ship and they negociate the price until they agree. But the way he was telling it was hipnotising.
"This is how you have to learn how wright your stories, it's captivating and a lot of people will consider them fiction." He frown a little and she continue "Mal, let's face it, who do thing will buy this story about you being from the future, like a real deal and not just a publicity stunt. If they start thinking that you are somehow from the future, it will not count how charming you could be, they will send you to the psychiatric facility in moments and throw the key." He was getting angry and thought that she was tring to keep him here and make him one of them.
" So you think that I will never get back to my time and my ship?" wow, he was acting like Castle, exactly like a 9 year'old.
"No, I have no idea how you get here and I know you are not crazy, but everyone else, except Castle and his family, will belive that you care crazy, those are just stories like Rick's and you have a brilliant mind, just like him, but don't you think it's a little hard to belive?" ok, now she was sounded like a skeptical and she meet him.
"Fine, but everytime I try, I just fail miserable. What will make this time different?" he wasn't frowning anymore, but know he was just very confused.
"This. The way you talk like your crew. Mal, face it, they are your friends, your family and you miss them so much. Try to wright like they will read it, like you will meet them later and you will read them those stories and you will remember those times. " His smile was hypnotic, just like Rick's. I just want to keep that on his face.
"Fine, I'll give it a try." He sign and left. Alexis sneeze and that's when I notice she was there.
"Hey, you!" I gread her and she gave me her fathers smile.
"I overheard what you told him and it's fantastic." Her face turn a little red
"That was how my mother used to convince me to do stuff that I want good at. She knew that I can do them, but for some reasons I stop belive in myself. And right now it's important to figure out what exactly happen to him and if it's even possible, to send him back." I sign, remembering some moments when my mother motivate me, when Alexis sneeze again." Alexis, you don't look so good."
I put my hand on her forhead, when I notice that she was burning up. So I get her back to her room and put her to bad. She didn't complain. She look so sick. I get to fridge tring to make a chiken soup, but I didn't find all I need. Mal was on the couch, looking at some old tv show, when he saw me looking around. "You don't leave here, do you?" he was over the counter looking for me. I look up and he was smiling. "No, Castle is my partner. I'm a cop and for some reason he find me his inspiration for a set of novels." He was curios, just like Castle, he wanted to know every little detail that I could give him, no matter how small. "Ok, that's nice, now what do you try to do?" he was very amused. "Alexis is sick, Castle is out talking to his agent and Martha is busy with her acting school. So I'm trying to make a chiken soup for Alexis." Right after I finish the sentence, I hit my head from the top drew and he start laughing. " Sorry, I didn't want to laugh, but it's hilarious." I give him the dead stare and I start laughing too. "How can I help?" he offered still kinda laughing. "I can't seem to find anything to make the soup..", "We run out of chicken last night." Alexis surprinse both of us and now she look very sick. "Alexis you look very sick, why don't you go back to sleep and I'll run to the store and buy all I need for the soup." She nod and turn around, keep sneezing and cleaning her nose.
"Hey, you! Are you close to home?" I texted Castle and with Mal help try to see what we have and what we still need.
"About half an hour and I get there. You call my place home, I like that :P" right then I notice that and I smile, I notice that the shoping list is not big and he can buy them so I send another text "Alexis is going down with the flu, can you buy chicken, carrots and a large onion?" I got a text almost instantly "I'm close to … wait, did you just gave me a groceries list for a chicken soup?" I laugh and Mal look at me funny. "Yes, I need those groceries like now, to actually finish the soup in today." "this is funny. Be there soon."
About an hour later, he was at his loft door, with groceries in one hand and a big stuffed bear in the other. Mal gave him a hand to prepare Alexis her well needed soup and to make sure she will be fine in few days. In about half an hour since he get here, Alexis get her soup and Rick just help her eat, like he did when she was just a toddler. Me and Mal just look on how good he is with her and how loving father he manage to be, outside his child-like-self that he show pretty much all the time.
