Thank you to all my faithful readers and the lovely reviewers =) My updates may be a little more irregular from now on (I am starting Law School in August and moving in two weeks) but I promise to continue writing and updating. I have to give a special shout out to LeaFairy124 in this chapter, one your reviews a while back caused a plot bunny in my head, and I have been waiting to use it for a while now ;) Anyways, as always I don't own anything.
Chapter 23 Come on Closer
XXX
"Zoe tell Wash to get this boat airborne, I think I've had quite enough of this planet for today." Mal said as they walked into the cargo bay.
"Yes, sir." She said as she moved to the controls to close up the cargo bay.
"I'll be in my bunk if anyone needs me." He said as he turned and walked out of the cargo bay towards the crew bunks.
He reached the hatch to his bunk without running into any of the crew and slowly descended into his bunk for some much needed shut eye.
However, the sight that greeted him as he turned towards his bead was not what he was hoping for or expected.
"Hello Captain Daddy." River said from her seat on his bed.
XXX
River's POV
"I told ya before I ain't your daddy." She watches him close his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose. "…Can't she give me a day before she…"
"No, the girl will not wait." She says.
"Bit, I'm tired, I've been stabbed, and…"
"Irrevlevant. What the girl has to say is important and needs to be addressed." She can feel his mind starting to relent now.
"If I let you say your peace will it get you out of my bunk faster?"
"Affirmative."
"Alright then, let's get this over with."
XXX
Mal watches as the small girl in front of him rises from her seat and stands in front on him. A small predatory glint flashes in her eyes.
"Do you like flesh wounds Malcolm?" She asks nonchalantly.
"I'm not lookin' for you to give me one if that's what you're asking."
Now the corners of her mouth turn up into a Cheshire cat like smile. "Would it help her make her point if she did? It can be arranged."
Mal changes tactics now, holding up his ends in mock surrender. "Hey! No call for that!" And slowly takes a step away from her.
If she was trying to make him nervous she was doing a bang up job. Girl's turning out to be a might unpredictable.
"You realize that today's events could have been avoided."
"Bit…"
But she silences him by quickly raising her hand…the fact that said hand also now held a small throwing knife helped too.
"Success in war lies in scrutinizing enemy intentions and going with them. You failed to do this and it will cost Serenity a great deal."
He looks at her with a hint of confusion and anger now. "This isn't war bit."
"That does not mean that military tactics cannot be applied."
When he doesn't protest any more, she continues.
"The odds are never stacked in your favor, you continually run into backstabbing, crooked, and unscrupulous people who will always seek to exploit and ruin Serenity. The fact that you have not been killed yet amazes the girl. But, the odds can be influenced…if you let her be the weapon they made her into." Her smile widens at the last part, something a bit unnerving.
"You really think you're that good, bit?"
"She knows it."
He pauses a moment. "Fine...I'm sorry I didn't listen to you about Niska. That's what you wanted to hear isn't it?" He says with a somewhat defeated slump in his shoulders.
"Affirmative…The girl also requests chocolate for saving your ass." She says as she moves over to climb out of the Captain's bunk.
He grits his teeth. "FINE!"
Just as she is about to close the hatch to his bunk she calls back to him. "Oh and one more thing…" She calls after him, her voice dripping with sweetness. He stops and walks over to look up the ladder, which turns out to be a big mistake.
"Enjoy your soup Captain Daddy."
"What? What s…" But he doesn't have time to finish as a bucket of cold soup pours onto his head and his bunk hatch slams shut. He can hear her howling with laughter in just outside the hatch.
"That's great, just great." Mal says as he wipes Soup from his face. "I got a gorram vindictive government trained assassin woman on my boat, just great."
XXX
…The next morning at breakfast…
When Mal entered the mess the next morning everyone was silent. Unbeknownst to him, River had rigged a vid to capture the soup pouring incident, and they all had seen it. The entire crew, including Riddick and Inara, had been howling with laughter not long before Mal had entered, and it was threatening to bubble over.
"So Capn'," Kaylee said holding in laugher. "How'd you sleep?"
"Fine, little Kaylee…why do you ask?" He said looking at her and then the rest of the crew suspiciously.
"Oh, just curious is all."
Again Mall looked around the room suspiciously. "So…what's for breakfast then?"
"Soup." River said, and that was all it took the entire crew couldn't contain their laughter any longer.
Mal looked around entirely confused. "How the bloody hell do you all know about that?"
"The…girl rigged…. a vid." Jayne said between laughs.
"Oh Capn' you should have seen the look on your face." Kaylee said has she clutched her sides.
Mal sat in silence for a few minutes, glaring at the small girl across the table from him. But with his entire crew laughing around him, it didn't take long for him to dissolve into laughter as well. It took another few minutes before any one of them could calm down, after that they all returned to eating their breakfast and discussing yesterday's events.
"So what do you think Niska will do when he finds out we gave the cargo back?" Wash asked. He was promptly elbowed by Zoe sitting next to him who shot him a look that said 'not now husband.'
"He'll probably have people looking for us." Riddick supplied.
River shook her head in the affirmative. "There is a ninety three percent chance he will seek retaliation against Serenity."
Mal pinched the bridge of his nose, a clear tell he wasn't happy. "Well it's probably best we get the hell out of the Georgia system then."
"Captain, if I might make a request." Inara spoke up.
"Which is?" Mal asked.
"I have received several invitations from clients on Persephone for my services. If you have no other destination in mind I was hoping we could set a course for there."
Again there was dead silence from everyone in the room, except this time it wasn't to hold in laughter.
XXX
River's POV
She can calculate every outcome of this argument. Hear all of the 'you're insufferable' or 'whore' comments each of them will make. See the painted flower storm off in a huff or Captain Daddy sulk off to the bridge. She can also see what they really want…she wants him to refuse for other reasons…he wants her to stay…it's so obvious that it is infuriating. The girl closes her eyes and lets their memories wash over her.
XXX
…Reality shifts…
"…Were we to enter into this arrangement, Captain Reynolds, there are a few things I would require from you. The foremost being complete autonomy. This shuttle would be my home. No crew member, including yourself, would be allowed entrance without my express invitation…"
"…You'd get your privacy…"
"…And just so we're clear, under no circumstances will I be servicing you or anyone who is under your employ…"
"…I'll post a sign…"
XXX
"You want me. You want me on your ship."
"Do I?"
XXX
"What are you running from?"
"I'm not running from anything."
XXX
"Oh - one further addendum. That's the last time you get to call me "whore."
"Absolutely. Never again."
…Reality shifts again…
XXX
…An hour later…
River's POV
It ended predictably, the painted flower won, Captain Daddy went storming from the room, and everyone else watched in silence.
They were now twenty nine hours from Persephone…there were twenty two hours until the girl would be able to utilize the bridge. This was…aggravating. The girl does not like waiting, it makes her twitchy. But she could hide it, would bide her time. It was best to keep up appearances anyways.
She skipped towards the cargo bay to begin her daily stretching and exercise. The ape man and Hermes were presently occupying the gym portion of the cargo bay, which was a little bothersome. Oh well, at least she would be amused by Jayne's ineptitude.
"Forty eight…forty nine…fifty…" The ape man counted out loud as he finished bench pressing the weight, Book spotting him and helping to return the weights to the holder. "So like, never?
She just rolls her eyes and walks into the middle of the cargo bay to begin stretching.
"Well, no." Book answers.
Jayne looks shocked. "Not ever never?"
"Some orders allow Shepherds to marry, but I follow a narrower path." Oh if the ape man only knew the truth of that statement Hermes she thinks to herself.
"But, I mean, you still got the urge. They don't... cut it off, or nothin'?"
"Mm, no, I'm more or less intact. I just...direct my energy elsewhere." "…like my other skills…"
"You mean like masturbating?" She shakes her head to try and clear her mind of the image the merc has put there with his thoughts.
Book looks at him a little more seriously now. "I hope you're not thinking of taking orders yourself."
"Oh, yeah, that'll be the day." Jayne says as he takes his place behind the bar to spot Book.
XXX
…Twenty Five Hours till Persephone…
Riddick's POV
I'm sitting at the dining table with the new guns and blades we collected after the last job went…south. In total there are about four decent hand guns, two rifles, and a handful of blades. Each one lined up with careful precision, waiting to be sharpened, cleaned, recalibrated, or inspected.
"That's an interesting placement." Inara half jokes as she walks by the table towards the kitchen portion of the room.
I don't bother looking up at her though as I sharpen one of the knives. "Every well-bred petty crook knows that the small, concealable weapons always go to the far left of the place setting."
"I'll have to remember that the next time I attend a dinner party with thieves." She says as she puts the teas kettle on the stove.
"Isn't that what you do on a regular basis?" Mal says as he walks into the room.
It's funny, the woman is trained in the art of being submissive and hiding her emotions, but when it comes to Mal, she can't help but get defensive. "My clients are not thieves Mal. They are respectable members of their communities."
"They must be thieves to pay your rates."
"Jealous you just can't seem to raise enough coin Mal? Or maybe you just don't have the stamina."
I roll my eyes behind my goggles. These two are worse than two teenagers the way they bait each other back and forth.
"Is that a challenge Inara?"
"In your pathetic and lonely dreams Malcolm." The whistle for the tea goes off, and Inara snatches it up quickly and leaves the room.
"What'd I say?" Mal asks, surprised she left the room.
"Not getting involved in this." I grumble and continue sharpening the knives.
XXX
…Twenty four hours from Persephone…
Riddick's POV
Jayne wandered in to the mess shortly after I had finished cleaning and sharpening the weapons. He had suggested a game of tall card to kill some time and I had nothing better to do so I agreed. The first game was spent mostly in silence, but gradually he and I started to talk.
"So you really name your guns Cobb?" I ask Jayne as I draw another card.
He takes a swig of his drink and sets it down. "I still don't understand why you don't."
I discard a card. "Cause they're weapons, not people."
"So? People name their ships and what now, why not their guns? I mean saying my Ruger Vaquero single-action .357 Magnum Revolver is a mouthful…so I call her Eleanor. Then there's Angelina, my Compact semi-automatic Smith & Wesson .45 ACP, two Walther P99's, those are the twins Helen and Cassandra, a Stainless Raptor II I call Kimber, and then my Callahan Full-bore Auto-lock…I call her Vera, she's my favorite.""
I look at him for a moment, trying to rationalize how a grown man could actually name the weapons he owns. "Anyone ever tell you you're a strange man Cobb?"
He just shrugs his shoulders. "Occasionally."
XXX
…Eighteen hours till Persephone…
River's POV
She is not happy, waiting does nothing to assuage her calm…she is restless and needs an outlet. Her heavy footsteps echo through the halls as she walks towards the cargo bay, where her maestro is presently.
He is training with the punching bag, trying to release his tension, but it isn't helping. His thoughts mimic hers, he craves violence. His mind is going over all the different ways he could kill a man with the various objects available to him.
"There is a bit of insanity in dancing that does everybody a great deal of good." She says as she watches him try and sate his appetite for violence.
He stops and looks over at her. "That an invitation?"
"Affirmative."
"Same rules?" He asks.
"Negative, the girl wishes for us to use our claws."
"When?"
"Now." And she produces his curved blades and two of her blades from behind her back.
He smiles. "Beautiful."
She hands him his knives and walks over to the center of the cargo bay. "Maestro, if you please."
He moves towards her like a panther stalking its prey in the jungle; each move slow and deliberate.
"First one to draw blood wins." Riddick says.
She acknowledges with a slight head nod, but does not move to make the first strike. They have all the time in the world, why rush the dance they were about to engage in.
The soft little notes swirl and she can feel her adrenaline rising. He moves towards her now, swinging his blade at her face, but she turns, spins underneath, and away from his reach.
…Come on closer,
I want to show you,
What I'd like to do…
She turns her back to him now, as if daring him to move in for an easy strike. He knows better though. She looks back over her shoulder as if to taunt him even more.
"You're going to have to try harder," she says as she spins, her arms twirling out like the blades of a fan, each one holding a sharpened blade.
…Hot temptations,
Sweet sensations,
Infiltrating through…
He takes two steps back, avoiding the blades she holds by mere inches. But as she spins for a third time, he catches one of her blades with his and the action stops her mid rotation.
"You're getting cocky." He says as he twists the blades together a bit more to force her blade from her grasp, and it falls to the metal floor.
She frowns momentarily and then throws a punch towards his jaw. He leans to the left, and narrowly avoids her fist.
…Gonna take it slow babe,
Do it my way,
Keep your eyes on me…
It's a blur now…a blur of limbs, blades, and emotion. For every spin she did, he advanced, for every strike he attempted she countered. It was a beautiful dance, and if anyone had seen them it would have looked choreographed…but it was impossible to tell which one was leading the other.
…Rhythmic motion,
Raw emotion,
Infiltrating through…
Her mind flashes with images of their bodies intertwined; the heat of the memories on her skin. She doesn't know how, but somehow they ended up against one of the walls, each with a blade pressed against the other's throat.
"Stalemate." She says through pants.
XXX
Riddick's POV
Standing there against the metal wall, panting and out of breath, covered in a thin film of sweat the girl looks like a slice of heaven. She smells like cloves and gunpowder, it's intoxicating
…and it isn't doing anything to help me be any less tense.
I lean his head against hers, my own breath coming out as pants as well. "Round two?" I asks in a gravelly voice and I can feel her shiver. Girl is just as tense as I am.
"The girl…wants…a different kind…of dance."
And I know exactly what kind of dance she means. "Shiny."
Our blades crash to the floor and then my lips come crashing down on hers. I hoist her legs up around me, and her arms instinctively snake around my neck. She bites on my earlobe, and I can barely keep from ripping her clothes off right there. But just as I am about to start pulling clothes off her I hear a yelp behind us.
"GHAA! MY EYES!" Mal screams. "You got a bunk use it!" He yells as he retreats from the cargo bay.
"Well, you heard the man." I say as I throw her over my shoulder and walk towards our bunk.
XXX
…Seventeen hours till Persephone…
River's POV
When she walks into the kitchen later on, disheveled and thoroughly sated, she is greeted with the sight of one very irritate merc.
"You know, my bunk is right next to your's, and the walls ain't sound proof." He says as he scowls at the girl.
"Sex is as important as eating or drinking and we ought to allow the one appetite to be satisfied with as little restraint or false modesty as the other." She says as she grabs two cups to make tea for her and Riddick.
"Yeah, but you scream like a bloody banshee!"He yells at her.
She merely rolls her eyes. "Jealous Cobb? Perhaps you lack the necessary parts to make someone scream; after all…Jayne is a girl's name."
"Well, Jayne ain't a girl! And if you starts in on that girl's name thing, I'll show ya' good and all I got man parts."
"She could kill you with her brain." She says as she takes the kettle off the stove and pours the water into the two mugs. He doesn't say anything, but his mind is working overtime. As she walks out of the door she catches his last thoughts.
"…I'd show her, Jayne ain't no girl…I've made plenty o' women scream…Stupid Moony… Could she really kill me with her brain though?..."
She laughs as she walks back to her bunk.
XXX
…Fourteen hours till Persephone…
"You think the Captain will give us a couple days leave when we hit Persephone, lamby-toes?" Wash asks Zoe as they sit on the bridge going over the flight plan.
She thinks about it for a moment. "Don't know, but we could all use a couple days' leave."
"Wouldn't it be nice, spend a few days holed up somewhere." He asks idly.
She looks over at him, a playful smile on her lips. "Yeah? Thought you'd get land crazy that long in port."
"Probably, but I've been sane a long while now, and change is good."
She thinks about it a little more now. "Oh, wouldn't mind a real bath..."
"Yeah, and a meal that included some sort of food." Wash says dreamily.
No he has Zoe's attention. "Ooh."
"Just a couple of days lying around, you with the bathing…Me with the watching you bathe."
Zoe smiles. "Well if the captain says it's all right..."
This is not what Wash wants to hear though and he shuts his eyes a moment, quietly pissed. "What if we just told Mal we needed a few days, 'stead of asking him?"
She deflates a little. It's the same argument every time. "He's the captain, Wash."
"Right. I'm just the husband." He deadpans.
"Look, I'll ask him."
"Don't forget to call him 'sir'. He likes that."
XXX
…Twelve hours till Persephone…
Inara sits at her portable cortex terminal, reviewing potential clients. She deletes a few faces, and then selects one which enlarges and begins speaking. The face belongs to a well-dressed but awkward young man.
"I understand your time on our planet is limited, and if you've selected my proposal to hear, then the honor you do me flatters... my honor...and I hope that..."
She shakes her head and smiles. She cuts off the recitation and as she is about to select another face a live vid request pops up. She smiles and accepts the request.
"Now there's the smile made of sunlight."
She blushes. "Atherton, how wonderful to see you."
"Did you get my message? I was extra appealing."
"What a flattering invitation. I had no idea I was arriving in time for the social event of the season." She says will smiling.
"So, you'll accompany me? I ask, heart in my throat. There's a certain offer I'm still waiting to hear about."
As she is about to answer she hears a knock at the door.
"Yes, I imagine there is. I'm delighted to say I'll be there. Now, I'm sorry Atherton, but I have to run."
He smiles. "No, please, I understand. I'll see you soon, bao bai."
Inara disconnects the vid and covers the screen with a nearby drapery. She then gets up and walks to the shuttle door, and finds Mal standing on the other side.
"Oh…hello Captain." She says almost tersely as she retreats into her shuttle.
He follows her in. "I wanted to see if you had any plans we needed to be aware of when we reached Persephone."
She walks over and sits at her dressing table. "As a matter of fact I do, a client has engaged me for several days while we are on Persephone."
Mal is clearly not happy about this. "Well...fine." He says through gritted teeth. "Is he letting you out at all?"
"Actually, we're attending a ball tomorrow night." She says with a smile.
His eyes narrow briefly. "Tell me, do all the men there pay for their dates?"
"Most of the women in there will not be Companions, if that's what you're asking. Perhaps the other men couldn't attract one."
"Hmm. It's sounds like the finest party I can imagine getting paid to go to."
"I don't suppose you'd find it up to standards of your outings. More conversation and somewhat less petty theft and getting hit with pool cues."
He winces; he knows has no come back after that. "Well then, I'll just go let Wash know we'll be staying a few days then."
XXX
…Seven hours from Persephone…
River's POV
The minute the Captain's eyes closed and he faded off to sleep her eyes shot open. She extricated herself from the cocoon of warmth of Riddick and crept up the ladder to the bridge.
This close to Persephone the proximity censors had been activated to afford everyone some sleep, and the bridge was left unattended for an hour or so between the Captain's shift and the time Wash took control. It was a small window, but it was enough.
She sat herself down and quickly pulled up the sub-system folder that held the downloaded copy of Inara's file. The file sprang open before her and she began to read every detail it contained. While most of it was of little use, there were a few interesting little tidbits.
She is older than she appeared, possibly due to designer pharmaceuticals, but that is not listed …she had been trained in advanced fencing and archery, which was somewhat unusual…and several of Inara's clients were high powered members of various government agencies…
But the most curious piece of information that was contained in that file was what wasn't there. Two years after Inara entered her training, there was nothing listed for an entire year. No comments from her superiors, no training schedules, nothing; it was as if she had vanished. It was highly irregular, given the through documentation her file presented.
The girl frowned. She was sure that these were the memories hidden in the music, what the flower kept hidden behind the vault in her mind.
The girl deletes the file…it would not be of any more use. While she has gleaned a few things from this endeavor, it did not provide any satisfactory answers. She retreats back to her room with a scowl on her; the girl is not pleased.
XXX
AN: Hope you all enjoyed this little update. Next time…the beginning of Shindig! Till next time. =)