Life on this boat. A Firefly story. #fanfic

Return to Serenity

The next day, Mal and Zoe were sat making plans when Simon came in.
"So we have a plan for getting onto Briseis, but how do we get the kids?" Mal said.
"I think I have an idea," Simon said.
"Come with it," Mal said.
"I could pose as an up and coming industrialist looking for workers. I know I didn't do too well on Canton, but I have seen more of how things are done now so I think I might be able to convince them," Simon said.
"It could work," Zoe said.
"I can say I am starting a clothmill and need child workers as they have small fingers that can work the threads better for fine cloth," Simon continued.
"You have actually thought this through?" Mal asked.
"I just thought it might be worth a try," Simon said.
"And you need girls because they are easier to control," Zoe nodded.
"And you arrived with us on Sir Warwick Harrow's recommendations," Mal said.
"And I need some that haven't been in the mines too long as their fingers will be scarred," Simon added.
"It could work, sir," Zoe said.
"Let's see what our man on Demeter has before we make a decision. The girls might not even be there," Mal said.
"It would mean another helping hand from Harrow," Zoe said.
"This could become expensive," Mal sighed.

Lou returned to Serenity and coming through the door felt like coming home. As she walked up the dock she was met by Mal who took her backpack, River who took her hand and more or less dragged her in. On the cargo floor Inara gave her a hug.
Shepherd Book had decided to stay and act as Shepherd while Lou's brother went back to Valhalla. The agreement was that Serenity would pick him up on their return to finish the deal with Harrow.
Inside the dining are the rest of them were sat eating whatever dinner one of them had created and somehow Lou thought this was one of the best meals she had ever had. Surrounded by her friends with the familliar banter and jokes she felt herself relax. As they were eating she received little smiles from the big hulk if a man sitting oposite her sending electric shivers down her spine. Occasionally he would reach out a leg and gently kick her knee or ancle with his big bootclad foot. Lou fought the urge to reach across and grab his hand. It didn't seem like the right moment.

After dinner, she took her backpack into her cabin and decided to look through the chest of stuff they had liberated from Badger. She looked the clothes over and checked her sewingmachine for things that might need repairing. From the bottom of the chest she pulled out a brown photoalbum with worn edges and dogeared corners from much handling. She smiled and clutched it to her before bringing it with her up to the dining area.
She found Mal sitting with Wash at the table playing some kind of card game.
"I was looking through my chest. Thought you might wanna look through this," she said and placed the album in front of Mal before sitting down next to him.
Mal opened the album and started studying the photos showing Lou and her family in various poses.
"That there is Saffy as a baby. Danny was the clumsiest dad ever. You'd have thought kiddo was made of sackcloth the way he handled her," Lou pointed out before pointing out several other pictures of Danny and the girls.
Wash moved around the table to have a look.
"Awww... Cute kids," he gushed.
"Look like ordinary kids to me," a dark voice grumbled from behind Mal. Lou hadn't noticed Jayne entering the room.
"They probably are ordinary kids, but they are my kids," she smiled as Jayne sat down at the oposite end of the table.
"Oh... there's Book," Wash pointed out.
"Yeah. That was the wedding. Look. My girls both all dressed up," Lou pointed out, smiling at the memories.
"Looks like a happy day," Mal smiled looking at a picture of Danny in his finery smiling at Lou wearing a flower wreath on her head.
"It was," Lou smiled.
"Zoe! Come look. Pictures of Lou's girls. Ain't they just the sweetest?" Wash gushed as his wife entered the room.
"Cute," Zoe said.
"I bet ours would be even cuter," Wash smiled.
"Shush, husband," Zoe laughed.
"I ain't having you two bring any babies onboard my ship," Mal said dryly.
"It won't happen, sir, " Zoe said.
"But, Zoe! Just look at these ickle cutey babytoes. Tell me that isn't tickling a nerve," Wash smiled looking at one of the baby pictures.
"He'd make a good dad," Lou smiled at Zoe.
"Will you stop twisting my crew's heads?" Mal huffed.
"Sorry, boss," Lou grinned.
"So you went from having all these people around you on a farm to being out in the 'verse all by yourself?" Wash asked.
"I guess..." Lou nodded.
"Were you not lonely?" Wash continued.
"Sometimes. In the beginning. But I found a certain peace in being alone. No one to tell me what to do. I could pick up sticks without asking anybody. No husband to argue with. If I wanted company, there was no shortage of offers... It was comfortable," Lou said.
"And now you're stuck with us," Wash teased.
"Yeah. Sucks to be me," Lou laughed.

Once they were in the air, Lou left the photos with Mal, allowing him to get to know his brother. She was stood at the kitchen making dinner when Jayne came walking in with a scowl on his face.
"Hey you," Lou smiled.
"Ain't no use hey-ing me," he mumbled.
"What's the matter?" Lou asked.
"Just thought you'd be happier to see me is all," he grumbled.
"Right... what did I do?" Lou sighed.
"With your pictures and memories of Danny the wonderful husband and the perfect family," he growled.
"If you need to know. Danny was a very jealous husband. We fought. A lot. About his selfrighteous idea about owning me," Lou said.
Jayne looked confused.
"If you are going to put me through that sort of crap, I'm not interested," she explained.
"But..." he started.
"I have pictures of happy days and I choose to remember the good stuff. I had a husband. I have two girls. Deal with it!" Lou told him straight up.
He gave her a hard stare.
"Look. I like you. Probably more than I should. But it's not a choice between them or you. It's both or it's them," Lou said a bit softer.
"I just thought you'd be happy to see me," he mumbled.
"Well, I was.. I mean. I am," Lou smiled.
"Really?" He asked.
"How can I not be happy to see that wonderful naughty grin?" She asked ironically looking at his scowling expression.
"You just looked so... happy... when you looked at them pictures," he mumbled.
"Of course I was! I am back on Serenity with a bunch of people who make me happy. And they were saying nice things about my children," she explained.
He stared at the floor.
"You really are a nightmare, aren't you?" Lou said with a small giggle.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"Let's just say that the next move is up to you," she smiled.

After dinner, Lou was looking through her knitting bag to see what wool she had left, when a pair of army boots came trudging in with a big Jayne in them. Lou stood up and faced a determined look.
"I'm not gonna ask you to do something you don't want to," he said.
Lou felt confused.
"If the other night was all there was, then I'll accept that," he said.
"What if it's not all there was?" Lou said, feeling a lump of worry gather in her gut.
"Then you know where to find me," he muttered and then left.

In the middle of the night, Lou made a decision. She got out of bed and left her cabin. Quietly, she opened another cabin door and snuck in. Carefully, she went to the bunk and snuck in under the covers and snuggled up behind the man allready sleeping there. He shifted as she moved a hand around him, resting it on his chest so she could feel his warmth and his ribcage contracting and expanding with each breath.
"What are you doing?" He murmured.
"I felt cold," Lou answered, suddenly worried he would turn her away.
He lay still for a moment.
"I kinda wanna turn around," he said.
"Then, turn around," she whispered, resting her forehead on his back.
His hand took hers and he gently stroked her fingers for a moment.
"You know what's gonna happen if I turn around right?" he asked and half turned towards her.
"I missed you," she said, concious that her lips were touching his skin as she spoke.