Chapter 18
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Week 1 Day 1
After dinner the day they leave of off Liann Jiun Alexis goes to see Inara in her shuttle, when she enters Inara is lying in bed reading.
"Hey Lexis, come sit down." Inara tells her referring to the spot on the bed.
Alexis nods and walks over and sits in bed next to Inara.
"I'm sorry." Alexis tells her.
"What are you sorry about Baby Girl?" Inara asks confused.
"That I couldn't protect you when those men grabbed us I couldn't stop it, and I couldn't stop them from hurting you when they had us." Alexis explains sadly.
Inara is shocked about that she had no idea that Alexis blamed herself she puts her arm around her and tells her "Listen to me Lexis, none of what happened is you fault ok, it was only mine, I love you and Kaylee so much, you're the daughter I never had and Kaylee is my little sister I'm the one who should be apologising it's my job to protect you and I failed, so don't you dare blame yourself for a second ok, it's not your fault." Inara tells her.
Alexis leans into the hug a bit more and tells Inara "Its not yours either you did protect us, you're the reason we weren't hurt more." Alexis tells her.
"No blaming ourselves." Inara tells Alexis putting the blanket over Alexis as well knowing that it is kind of cold in her shuttle.
"I was so scared that I was going to lose you." Alexis tells Inara.
"Lexis I want you to understand something as long as I have a say in the matter you won't lose me." Inara tells her.
Alexis just smiles then after a few minutes speaks again "The entire time you were out Dad was with you and with every passing hour he got more worried, he was trying to keep a brave face for Kaylee, River and I, I don't think he wanted us to be as afraid that we were going to lose you as he was. But I could tell it was killing him to see you in that bed and know that there was nothing he could do." Alexis explains.
Inara is silent for a few minutes trying to decide on the best words because she is positive that Alexis doesn't know about her and Mal feelings and as Mal is happy and in love with Kate she doesn't want Alexis to know "Your Father is my best friend, I can't speak for him but If I thought I was going to lose him, I would have sat by his bed the whole time, I bet that's what he was doing sitting by my bed to make sure his best friend was going to be ok." Inara explains.
Alexis nods in understanding though she does make a note to talk to Kaylee, and River to find out what her father and Inara were like before he went to the past.
The two sit there for a little while when Alexis yawns " I better be get to bed, night Inara." Alexis says getting up and leaving.
"Sweet Dreams Lexis." Inara tells her.
Alexis smiles and heads to the door but then turns back to face Inara before she leaves and says "You said I'm the daughter you never had, well you're the mother that I never had and I thank you so much for that I love you Inara, and I'll see you in the morning. " Alexis says to her.
"Love you two Lexis." Inara says to her retreating figure.
Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle
Week 1 Day 2
The following night Ryan, Esposito and Wash are playing cards in the bridge, as it is their turn to take the night shift and stay awake being on alert for dangers.
"Bro did you ever think we would be playing cards in the bridge of a spaceship, hundreds of years in the future?" Esposito asks Ryan as they look out to the black sky.
"I never thought that this was possible let alone that I could be doing It." Ryan tells him.
"I never thought I would be playing cards with two cops who weren't trying to arrested me, I know it's not as big but I wanted to say something." Wash says as the two give him confused looks.
"Guess you have a point." Ryan comments.
"What I can't believe is that the Captain worked with police for 4 years I mean this is a man who has been bound by law 5 times." Wash tells the other two surprised.
"Bound by law?" Esposito asks confused.
"Arrested." Wash says simply.
Ryan and Esposito look at each other they are aware that the work Castle does here isn't legal but they had no idea that he had been arrested so many times.
"He's been arrested more than that he was arrested a couple of times back in our time." Ryan tells him.
"What for?" Wash asks interested winning the current hand that they are playing.
"You know he may not want that story to be public." Ryan tells his partner.
"Even more reason to tell it." Esposito tells him.
"I agree tell it." Wash tells the two.
"So Castle was once arrested because he stole a police horse and road it through the park." Ryan explains.
"What about that would make the Captain not want it to be made public it's a great story." Wash tells them disappointed that it's not any better.
Ryan and Esposito look at each other "He forgot the best part, he was naked at the time." Esposito tells Wash.
Wash is in a state of shock for a little while then laughs unable to believe what the Captain did. "Oh that's good, though I am going to have to discover the perfect moment to reveal that information, Inara and Zoe will never let him hear the end of it." Wash says with a slightly evil smile.
"We have to plan this evilness well, I want revenge for all the pranks Castle has pulled on me throughout the years." Ryan says putting down his cards.
"You in?" Wash asks Esposito.
"You two idiots are going to need someone who has intelligences." Esposito tells them Ryan and Wash both punch Esposito before they begin work on their plan to get back at the captain.
Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle
Week 1 Day 3
Since her talk with Inara Alexis hasn't been able to have a chance to talk to Kaylee and River alone just the three of them, she is presented with the chance when 2 days after her talk with Inara Kaylee announces that her River and Alexis are having a girls night that night, just the three of them, so after dinner that night the three of them head to Kaylee's bunk where it is just the three of them.
The talk about all different things before Alexis decided that it is time to ask "Kay, Rivi, what happened between my Dad and Inara before he went to the past?" Alexis asks watching them carefully for their reactions.
"That's complicated." Kaylee answers.
"Isn't everything between Dad and Inara complicated, what happened?" Alexis asks interested.
Kaylee is silent for a few seconds trying to find the words for what she wants to say "Ever since Inara joined Serenity there had been tension between her and your Dad, mainly because he didn't approve of her job, as time went on they became friendlier but there was still that tension and I think they liked it like that. They became closer and then they would have a bad fight, at one point not to long after Simon and River joined us Inara left Serenity, don ask me why coz I don't know, but when she was gone you dad was miserable, Zoe even stayed away from him for a time." Kaylee explains.
Alexis sits their surprised by the new information "Do you think she loves him, that Dad loves her?" Alexis asks interested.
"I don't know, I was watching Inara when your Dad was introducing everyone back on earth-that-was and I saw a flicker of pain cross her face when he said that Kate as his girlfriend but she made her face go blank pretty quickly." Kaylee explains.
"Rivi what do you think?" Alexis asks as she realises that River would know the truth.
"She loves him, he loves her, but he loves Kate as well neither of them want to destroy what Kate and Mal have together." River explains simply.
"So basically we just have to wait and see how this turns out and hope that all of their hearts don't get broken in the process." Alexis realises hoping that they don't get hurt in the process by realising that there is nothing she can do.
"Basically." Kaylee says nodding.
"Now we didn't come her to talk about my Dad's love live, where hear to talk about yours, how's things going with Simon?" Alexis asks Kaylee interested after a few minutes silence.
"It's going great." Kaylee says with a smile before she begins to explain how things are between the two of them.
Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle
Week 1 Day 4
The following night Kate and Rick don't join everyone else at dinner as Rick sets up a candle light dinner in her bunk.
"This is really nice." Mal tells Kate.
"It is, we haven't really had some time just the two of us In a little while." Kate tells Mal as she takes a bite of her food.
"Yeah I know sorry about that, one of the side effects of being Captain, I don't have much time." Mal explains.
"It's odd you act like you have never left, like you have always still been here." Kate tells Mal as it is something that she has noticed in the last few days.
"I guess that it's because part of me never did, Serenity is my home, being Captain of here is my job." Mal tells Kate.
"What about writing did you enjoy doing that?" Kate asks curious.
"Yeah I did, it was something different and I was still able to keep in touch with this world this life in a way." Mal explains with a small smile.
"What do you mean?" Kate asks confused.
"All my stories are based on something that happened here, so through my writing in a way it was like I never left." Mal explains looking around.
"And when you started working at the precinct?" Kate asks wanting to know what the job and by extension her mean to him.
"Working at the precedent gave me live, I was still able to be Mal in some way," Mal explains and Kate gives him a confused look "The longer I spend in the past the more I felt that the Mal part of me was disappearing that I really was Richard Castle the writer that that is who I always was but when I started working at the precinct I was able to be both you see Richard Castle has never learnt to fire a gun but Mal is an expert I got a part of myself back when I stated working with you it gave my life purpose and home again, and I feel in love." Mal explains hoping that Kate understands what he is saying.
"It must have been odd for a man who has been arrested 5 times to work with police and begin to consider a precinct a home." Kate tells him.
"Yeah it was, but I think it helped, In a way I was able to think liked the bad guys." Mal explains then is silent for a few seconds before saying "How do you know how many times I have been arrested?" he asks curios as he hasn't told her.
"Wash told the boys, they told me." Kate explains.
"Of course." Mal says with a smile.
Kate and Mal spend the rest of their dinner having pleasant conversation laughing and having a fun for the night it is like there the only people in the verse.
After dinner they move things to Kate's bed slowly enjoying each other spending the time together that they haven't had time to do lately.
In the early hours of the next morning Kate and Mal are laying in each other's arms slowly drifting off to sleep both thinking that this is perfection.
Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle
Week 1 Day 5
Like Kate and Mal and the other couples on the ship Kaylee and Simon haven't really had much time to spend together.
"So just the two of us today." Kaylee says to Simon as they sit in his bunk.
"Yes, Lanie and Jenny are covering the infirmary and Alexis and River said they would keep an eye on the engine room." Simon tells his girlfriend trying to get her to relax a bit.
"Alexis and River, they have never been in the engine room without me they won't know what to do." Kaylee objects.
"Not going to work Kaylee, you know as well as I do that River most likely knows everything there is to know about the engine room and Alexis has spent enough time in there with you that she knows what to do." Simon tells her trying to get her to relax.
"Fine." Kaylee says leaning up against him realising that he is right that she can't worry about it.
"So relax today is just about the two of us." Simon tells Kaylee.
Kaylee nods and leans in and kisses him.
"Just the two of us." Kaylee says once they break away. "So Dr Tam, what do you have planned for today?" Kaylee asks interested.
"We I was thinking that we could talk, you know so much about me but I don't know much about you, I don't even know what planet you are from." Simon tell Kaylee.
"You don't, I thought I told you." Kaylee says surprised.
"No you haven't I don't know much about your childhood either." Simon tells her.
"Well we have to fix that." Kaylee says with a smile as she leans on Simon and becomes more comfortable "I was born on Angel where I was raised. I am an only child though for my parents I was all either of them needed, I would fix ships and play sports with my dad and I would go shopping and play with makeup with my mother" Kaylee explains with a smile fondly remembering.
"How are you parents? When was the last time you saw them?" Simon asks interested.
"They're both good, Dad is working when he can same with Ma, the last time I saw them was a few months before you joined us, we had work on Angel, I got to spend some time with my parents it was great." Kaylee explains with a smile.
"That's good, what about other things what were you like in school? What did you like doing when you were home?" Simon asks interested.
Kaylee smiles and them she begins the explanation about her child hood and what else she has done the two spend the day each talking about their lives before they joined Serenity and what they want for the future.
Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle
Week 1 Day 6
As they do all the time Martha, Jim and Shepard Book are in the dining area playing cards and talking.
"Is it always like this? Spending more time flying than on land?" Jim asks curios putting his card for the hand down.
"Usually, it is vary rare for Serenity to spend large amounts of time planet side." Shepard Book explains to Jim.
"Has Malcolm realised that he has meet you before you joined the crew yet?" Martha asks curious.
"I don't think so, I knew you realised as soon as he introduced us when we got you of whiteful but as you never mentioned it I never bought it up." Shepard Book tells Martha.
"You two have met before?" Jim says surprised.
"Yes." Martha tells him "Malcolm was about 6, he and one of my ranch hands were going ridding, the was a storm and he and Malcolm got separated, Liam the ranch hand arrived =back at the ranch without Mal and I was panicking I was getting a search party ready when Book here road into my ranch with Malcolm on his horse." Martha explains with a smile.
"Where either of you hurt?" Jim asks interested and concerned.
"I was a little, Mal was fine." Shepard Book tells him.
"You were a whole lot more than a little hurt, If I remember correctly you stayed with us for nearly two weeks before you disappeared again." Martha reminds him sounding a little angry about him disappearing.
"I had to leave Martha, I had no choice." Book tells her.
"I understand than now but I didn't back then, would it have killed you to say goodbye?" Martha asks as she wins the hand they are playing.
"No but it could have killed you." Book tells her effectively ending the conversation.
The three sit in silence for a few minutes before Jim decides to talk ending the awkward silence.
"So um, why didn't you talk about this before you left to come to my time?" Jim asks.
"Because during that time he was hurt and Malcolm was worried about keeping me safe so I berely left his site, I didn't want to talk to him with Malcolm around as I realised that he didn't remember and I thought It was best if it was bought up when he was around and I hadn't quite got around to it yet." Martha explains.
"That makes sense, I win." Jim says referring to the hand that they are playing.
"Are you still mad about me leaving Martha, I did what I had to do." Book tells her.
"I'm not mad I understand." Martha reluctantly admits.
The three continue to play their game and have pleasant conversation.
Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle
Week 1 Day 7
The next day Esposito and Jayne are down in the cargo bay working out like they often do.
"So the captain had to follow orders." Jayne says surprised as the Mal he knows doesn't know how to follow orders.
"Yep in the begging he wasn't too good at it." Esposito tells him while he bench presses.
"That's not suprin." Jayne tells him.
After a about a minute they switch places so that Jayne is bench pressing "What about you do you think your going to stay on Serenity for ever?" Esposito asks curios.
"I don't know, for the moment I'm happy." Jayne answers.
"You live in the moment don't you?" Esposito asks.
"Best way to." Jayne tells him.
"I win." Esposito tells Jayne as he helps him with the bar.
"How the goram do you keep beating me?" Jayne asks surprised.
"I was special forces I had to be strong." Esposito tells Jayne
"What's special forces?" Jayne asks Esposito confused.
"A special branch of the military." Esposito answers then realises something that he was meant to talk to Jayne about "Wash, Ryan and I are planning on getting back at Castle for things he has done to us in the past you in?" Esposito asks.
"Of course." Jayne answers not even having to think about it. "What, When and where?" Jayne asks interested.
"I'll let you know we haven't completely worked everything out yet." Esposito explains then looks around the cargo bay "I have an idea how about we race we start here have to run up the stairs at the far end around the platform to the other side touch the wall then back around to the stairs we went up go back down then then back here we'll time see who is fastest." Esposito explains.
"Sounds good who will time?" Jayne asks interested.
"Be back in sec." Esposito says walking into the common area then comes back with Kate. "Kate will time."
"Kate will time what?" She ask confused.
"A race between me and Jayne start here have to run up the stairs at the far end around the platform to the other side touch the wall then back around to the stairs we went up go back down then then back here you time each of us to see who is fastest." Esposito explains.
"Makes sense I'm in." Kate tells them looking at the pair. "Who's first?" she asks.
The two look at each other neither looking at Kate "Rock Paper scissors." Kate says with a sigh realising that neither is going to choose.
The two do rock paper scissors and Jayne wins "Jayne do you wish to go first or second?" Kate asks him.
"Second." He answers.
"Ok Espo. Stand here and when I say go you go." Kate tells him. Esposito gets in to position and when Kate says go he does he does the course and gets back to the sport.
"How long?" He asks.
"I'm not telling you two Jayne does his." Kate tells Jayne who stands in the starting spot and when Kate says go he does and when he gets back Kate announces that "Jayne won by a second." She tells the pair before walking off.
"Good try." Jayne says shaking Esposito's hand.
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