i am so sorry i haven't updated soon but, here is the second part. enjoy!
i don't own anything besides Dinah and her family and her food
Three days later
Clatter. Boom. Crash. "Gorram it!"
Dinah stirred a little in her bed, unwilling to wake. People were so loud. She needed a little more sleep. Just let her nod off a bit and she'd be right back on duty. Hell, they probably didn't even need her. Maybe she could stay here for another hour. Yes, just sleep a little bit more.
"Who the hell stacked the gorram pots like this?"
Huh?
Dinah bolted out of the bed, jumping into her boots and pulling a fresh shirt on. She nearly missed the doorway entirely. Dinah slid on the grating and her shoulder collided with the wall as she darted out of her room. Her shoulder ached as she slowly regained conscieness, falling into the kitchen. Funny how close her cabin was to the kitchen.
"Hwoon dahn! I'm sorry, Mal! I forgot about the pans! I was rearranging them a few days ago and I never got to put them in their proper place and well...you know," Dinah hastily explained pulling her hands through her blonde hair. It must have been a mess. Mal was rubbing his temple and giving her a sour look that she deserved. She quickly piled all the pans into her arms and shoved them into a floor cabinet where they were less likely to clock someone in the head.
"Why in the whole 'verse would you leave the pans like that?"
"Well, I didn't exactly intend to have them crash down on the captain's head, now did I? Besides, why were you nosing around in the kitchen, anyway? Ain't I the cook or were just teasin' me?"
"I think a captain should be allowed to go around his own kitchen," Mal said taking a seat at the table.
"Only if he can cook, and from what Inara and Kaylee told me, that's near impossible."
"I ain't that bad. I mean, I can cook for myself, just not others," Mal defended. Dinah snorted, stretching the stiff muscles in her neck. She must have been asleep for less than 3 hours.
"Sure, Captain. So, should I start making breakfast for the crew, then? I ain't exactly accustomed to your boat's schedule," she said, putting her hair up.
"You can get on it, if you want. The crew ain't gonna be up for another 2 hours at least," Mal calmly said, rubbing his eyes while suppressing a yawn. Dinah just stared at the man who had just woken her from a peaceful slumber.
"So I got up for nothing then."
"Well, not nothing. Your gorram pans attacked me," Mal said, with a chuckle. "you can go back to sleep if ya want."
"Nah. I am already up. Your loud screeching made sure of that."
It was at that moment Dinah realized that she had her shirt on backwards,the raised collar tickling her neck. And she was wearing two different shoes. Which was peculiar because she didn't own two pairs of shoes. "On second thought, I think that's a rather good idea."
FIREFLY***FIREFLY***FIREFLY***FIREFLY***FIREFLY***FIREFLY***FIREFLY***
after breakfast
Dinah huffed. On the kitchen table sat a plate. A dirty plate. With leftovers on it. It really pissed her off. She wasn't no gorram maid! Everyone on board serenity was generally nice and usually they never made too much of a mess with their meals. However someone on board seemed in the habit of leaving their dishes out. And it wasn't even an empty plate; it was usually piled with half eaten food.
She didn't want to make a big deal about it but, it was gross. And sure, maybe it was her job to make the food but, she wasn't supposed to go around cleaning up after people. She shook her head and carried dirty plate over to the sink. It fell with a clatter. 1 more hour till they reach Artemis.
"Good morning, Dinah. My, it smells good in here."
"oh! Morning, Inara," Dinah greeted as she carefully lifted a hot saute pan off the stove, pouring the hot oil down the drain. "Everyone else just had breakfast but I can make ya something, if you'd like? Toast, tomatoes, rice, tea?"
"I'll have some tea, please. If its not too much trouble."
"Oh, don't worry. No trouble at all. Frankly I like keeping myself a bit busy," Dinah said, putting the kettle on. "What kind would you like?"
"Oolong would be delightful," Inara responded, easing into a seat.
"Oolong? Really?" Dinah asked scrunching up her nose as she picked up the tea packet. "I ain't too fond of that stuff. I prefer rosehip myself. Then again I don't normally drink tea. Ain't got the patients too let it seep," Dinah explained. The companion gave a soft laugh.
"Oolong is an acquired taste. I find it helps ease me into the day though. Its a good breakfast tea."
Dinah nodded as the water boiled. She began to wash the dishes. She could smell the strong tea leaves. It wasn't a smell she particularly liked. Kind of musty and too heavy for her taste. Too decadent. Thinking on the tea, Dinah began to wonder why Inara was on this boat. Inara was nice and all but, she was very high class; you'd expect her to be on a core planet. Not way out here in the black. She scrubbed the dirty dishes before she realized Inara was saying something.
"What? Sorry. My mind was elsewhere," Dinah muttered turning around to remove the kettle.
"I asked if you are going to see your daughter. On Artemis," Inara asked as Dinah handed her the tea.
"Hopefully," Dinah admitted, tracing an invisible stain on the table. "The arrangement my ex and I came to was that Leah would live with him while she was in school. When she's on holiday, I take her. I travel with her. I take to Gaea to see the theatre house there and the Ocean festivals they have on during July. She loves travelling. And seen all them strange places. Bit of a bragger she is. Goes to her school and tells all her peers about the adventures we have together. She's an explorer. She got that from me, I guess."
"You sound like a wonderful mother," Inara commented, putting her at ease. Dinah shrugged.
"I wish I could see her more often. That's for sure. I just- I can't really hold down a job on that planet. Its hard. I mean, I grew up working on Artemis but, I don't want to go around serving snotty rich people. But Leah's happy with the arrangement and that's really all that matters," Dinah said, playing with the edge of her shirt. Inara sipped her tea.
"We'll be in the atmo in about 10 minutes," Zoe said, poking her head into the kitchen.
"Thank you, Zoe. I should probably get going," Inara said, taking her cup to the sink.
"I can take that," Dinah said, referring to the mug.
"No its alright," Inara said, graciously with a smile. So the dish-deserter definitely wasn't Inara.
"You got a client to service or somethin'?" Dinah innocently asked before realizing how tactless she sounded. She smacked her forehead with her palm. "I'm sorry! I did not mean it like that-"
"Don't worry. I do actaully have a client to meet."
"I'm sorry. If it helps, you're one of the nicer ones I've met. Most act like queens of the gorram moon, instead of a fancy whor- I'll shut up now. You are a nice person, is all," Dinah finished, her cheeks turning red. Inara laughed.
"I've met more offensive people, Dinah. The captain being one of them. Don't worry. I am not offended. Xei-xei for the tea," and with that Inara left the room, her silk gown swirling behind her. Dinah collapsed into a chair with her own usual awkward coordination. What a rough day so far.
FIREFLY**FIREFLY***FIREFLY***FIREFLY**FIREFLY***FIREFLY***FIREFLY***
Tall trees encircled them towering towards the sky. The trunks were huge, not the weak skinny saplings that Mal was used to. And into between two massive bushes, there was path that cut clear through the wild foliage. The air wasn't dry either. It was warm and heavy with moisture. It smelled like fresh plants and sweet flowers. Ripe fruit hung from the enormous trees in thick clumps, weighing down the branches with their treasures. Birds sang, all different and strangely harmonious, flitting from branch to branch, underneath the climate control grid, lacing the sky with white steel ribbons. Creatures stirred in the undergrowth, shaking leaves and snapping twigs. It was a wild jungle, dark and mysterious. So strange and foreign. So far from mankind.
"Wash! Where in ai ya hell did you land us?" Mal yelled as he stood on the landing dock of Serenity.
"Its the safest spot around for miles. The city has major security. Checkpoints, ship scans, alliance officers. Some people here are very paranoid," Wash said taking in the sight of the forest before sneezing."Is it supposed to be this...green?"
"So you don't think they'll find it odd that we just landed right here in their little forest?"
"Don't worry. Sometimes people will hire private contractors to come down here all the time."
"Besides, Capt'n, it ain't exactly like we have a huge carbon readin' that any good locator scanner would lock onto. We'd probably be a little blip on their screen," Kaylee said coming up behind Mal, hair brushed, bright eyed and ready to go. "We gonna get going capt'n?"
"In a minute. Hey Zoe! Whose staying with Serenity?" Mal called to Zoe who was walking down the stairs followed by Dinah, who held the silver case which had originally brought her on board.
"Shepherd Book," Zoe replied. "River and Simon are staying too."
"Good. I hear there is a lot of Alliance influence on this moon. We don't to be known for harboring fugitives."
"I am staying on board too," Wash said, as he suppressed another sneeze.
"What's wrong with ya?" Jayne asked, a confused expression on his face.
"I don't- I lived most of my life on a- Achoo! A planet with the highest smog coverage. I am not- Achoo! Can't stand this climat-"
"Well, just stay here then. Lets get going," Mal said and the group walked off down the worn path. The tree branches merged, blocking out the sunlight, creating a thick canopy over head. It was shadowy as they tread down the foot path.
"Wow! Its so...pretty! Like a paintin' or soemthin'! I ain't never been on a jungle plant before!" Kaylee chirped as she examined the world around her.
"too overgrown for me," Zoe said.
"I second that. 'sides, its so sweltering here," Mal agreed as they walked. Something rustled and the group froze. Zoe, Mal and Jayne reached for their weapons. Just in case. Dinah suppressed her grin. All of the hardened thieves tensed ready for anything to pop out of the undergrowth. Dinah couldn't blame them of course; being a criminal, anything could happen if a job went wrong for them. But, Dinah knew there weren't any alliance officers or crime lords in these forests. Just free range wild animals.
"Twitchy lot, ain't cha?" Dinah asked. "Don't worry, Captain Reynolds. Probably just one of them monkeys. They let them run wild here."
"Can't be too careful," Zoe said, putting away the pistol Dinah hadn't even seen her remove.
"Excitin', ain't it?" Dinah said. "Oy! Just remembered. Anybody got an idea whose the slob who always leaving their dishes out?" Dinah asked as they walked. Everyone automatically looked at Jayne. He was too busy nosily clearing his throat to notice their stares.
"Why y'all looking at me? I ain't done nothing recently! And I sure as hell, put away my own gorram dishes. I wasn't exactly raised in a barn!"
"Really?"
"Ye soo! Well- I did spend sometime in a barn but, that don't matter none. Just because I am...me doesn't mean I don't know to put my dishes away!"
"Never mind! I was just wondering. Some one has been doing that lately," Dinah muttered as they walked on.
No one noticed something watching them in the shadows, calculating and planning. Neither did they see it quickly dart on board the ship, as silent and as unnoticed as a shadow.
FIREFLY**FIREFLY***FIREFLY***FIREFLY**FIREFLY***FIREFLY***FIREFLY***
"So you really grew up here?" Kaylee asked as her and Dinah wandered through the city streets. Mal, Zoe and Jayne were off doing crime. Port Harring wasn't as populated as other ports but, there were crowds of people making it very to navigate. It wasn't the neatest street but, it was busy if anything.
"Shi. I did," Dinah said as she looked at the familiar buildings.
"I couldn't imagine leaving here! Its so pretty and clean and fresh. And you got all them animals and wildlife back in those woods," the engineer said excitedly.
"I guess. I prefer space though. I ain't one for settling down," Dinah said as her eyes searched for a particular building. Finally her eyes settled on it, a place of familiarity.
"Kaylee, c'mon!" Dinah said, running across the street the silver case in her hands as she wove through the crowd. "I just need to hand this off to someone and then we'll be on our way."
Dinah pulled Kaylee into a building and up the stairs. They climbed two levels before Dinah stopped and quickly found a worn dirty looking door. She knocked on it. There were no ID scans or easy access locks here. That was just one of the other thing about Artemis she didn't like. It tried so hard to be like the Earth That Was and it just wasn't. It was called classically styled but, Dinah had always found it ridiculous. The door opened and a dark haired woman peeked around the door.
"Dinah? Oh Dinah!" the woman asked before pulling the blonde girl into a hug. "my god! I haven't seen you in the longest time, dear! You never come round anymore! Oh and your hair? Is it still that color? My god! It so wonderful to see ya!"
"Hiya, mum. This is Kaylee. She's the engineer of the ship I am traveling with. Kaylee, this my mum- I mean, Miriam."
"Hi," Kaylee chirped. Her mum smiled brighter.
"Well, come in then."
They were shuffled into the apartment Dinah had grown up in. It seemed just as messy. She recognized her sister's shoes and her brother-in-law's jacket handing on the old armchair. A large screen hung on the wall, as images of the daily news flashed. The large window showed a good view of the city, shiny and silver with classic styled skyscrapers and trains and park and the clear blue climate controlled sky. And there was the same worn table that miraculously fit all eleven family members. Well, nine actually. No, eight family members, since she didn't come around that often. Dinah leaned against the wall, not wanting to sit down. This was a quick visit. Then her and Kaylee could go find those engine parts and maybe Dinah could see her daughter.
"What are you doing here, then? Come to see Leah, then?" her mum asked, smiling again and hastily cleaned up.
"I plan on visiting her. I got something for you though," Dinah said, looking at the silver case in her hands.
"Kaylee, can I get you anything? Tea? Some sort of drink? I got some oranges from the market the other day. Nice and sweet." Kaylee's face lit up at oranges. Dinah laughed.
"Kaylee'd like that. But, we actually have to be going-" Dinah began. Kaylee's face fell.
"-But, oranges!" she complained, looking disappointed and sad.
"Didn't you say you needed a compression coil?"
"But...oranges!"
Dinah rolled her eyes and grabbed an orange from her mum and handed it too Kaylee.
"This for ya. And this," Dinah said, lifting the silver case onto the table. "is for you, mum."
"Well, what is it?"
"Mum, we really ought to be going," Dinah hastily said, not wanting an emotional reaction from her mum. "Please mum! we need to-"
"I think we can stay a bit longer-" Kaylee added.
"WE INTERRUPT YOUR USUAL VIEWING FOR THIS-" the TV suddenly announced on full volume, startling all three women.
"Damn contraption! Its been doing this for a few weeks. Turning on at the most random moments," Dinah's mum said, smacking the screen with her hand. The screen flicked but then resumed showing the news. And apparently the news was about two very familiar fugitives. They flashed on the screen but, then was replaced by an exceedingly large bounty. Kaylee and Dinah looked at each other, wide eyes. They were both thinking the same thing: oh, shit.
"Bye, Miriam!"
"Ta, mum! Gotta run!"
They both ran out of the apartment as if they were being chased by wild dogs. They practically leaped down the stairs, before Dinah ran right into a wall. She would have fallen if Kaylee hadn't hung onto her
"Liou coe shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze fuh ur-tze ! That wall wasn't there a year ago." Dinah muttered rubbing her forehead as they stepped outside into the brilliant sunlight. They were both breathing heavily from their running.
"I think we overreacted," Kaylee panted. "A lot."
"Agreed," Dinah said, hoping the throbbing in her head would subside. Combine that with her pounding heartbeat and the clatter of the city and she was in for one hell of a headache.
"Well, she was nice. Your mom," Kaylee said as she peeled the orange a part. "You want a slice?"
"Sure. I am starting to think that is this a bad day."
FIREFLY**FIREFLY***FIREFLY***FIREFLY**FIREFLY***FIREFLY***FIREFLY***
Wash really loved the smell of bacon. That heavy smoky meat smell was the second best thing to wake up too. He had been aghast to learn that Dinah wouldn't cook it. No, apparently being kosher meant no pork products and that was the best kind of bacon to eat! Poor Dinah. So he made a whole skillet full of it since she was gone. When the cook is away, the mice (or pilot) will play...or eat bacon.
The fantastic smell wafted from the kitchen down into the cargo bay. Meat. It attracted a visitor.
"What are you up to?" River asked, peering around the doorway.
"Hey, River. I am makin' bacon. You want some?" Wash asked.
"No."
"Alright. Ouch!" Wash shrieked as some hot oil splattered onto his hand as he removed the fried bacon from the skillet. The girl watched him from the doorway, staring at him with curious eyes.
"Did it burn your skin off?"
"Not really. I mean, it stings, I guess."
"I've never felt hot oil splash."
"Oh, well. Lets hope it stays that way. You know, River, I was almost a fry cook once. But then I got fired and- uh River?" Wash asked but, the girl was gone. "Oh. Okay. More for me." the pilot piled the slices onto his plate. He hadn't bacon in a long time. It was so good.
Then came a crash, a loud clatter of heavy things. Wash stood up quickly, startled by the loud noise. He was willing to bet Jayne had dropped his weights. Again.
Only Jayne wasn't on board.
Wash deserted his half eaten plate of bacon; large srashing noise were never good in his experience. He walked out into the cargo bay to find Shepherd book and Simon, who was struggling, picking up some fallen crates.
"What happened?"
"A few boxes fell. Nothing more," Simon said, slightly winded from the strain. He sniffed. "is something burning?"
"Bacon. I made some."
"Oh. Have you seen-"
"River?" Book said, with a chuckle.
"Am I that transparent?" Simon asked.
"No. it just seems to be the only thing you do on board," Wash said good naturedly,
"I think she's getting restless," Simon said.
"You can take her for a walk outside. Its beautiful here," Shepherd book said.
"Be careful though. This planet is very alliance family and we really don't want you to get whisked away again," Wash said before he went back to the kitchen for his bacon. He could smell it. He hummed. This was such a treat. Then he heard the munching. Someone was eating his bacon.
"That wasn't made for just-" Wash choked on his words, just as he was about to enter the kitchen. He froze, stiff with fear. Wash's blood run cold at what he saw.
review with comments or questions.
also, if you want to see anything new, like a focus on a particular character or something just ask.