Life on this boat. A Firefly story. #fanfic

the end

The days flew fast and too soon the gang were prepping to leave. Boxes of honey and produce from the farm were loaded onboard and Lou and Adelia had filled the foodstores to the brim.
A couple of runs into Thingwall had exchanged the gold into credits at a bank that Lou knew didn't ask questions. The profits were split evenly all around. It didn't leave as much for each as some had hoped, but once the ship was fueled and furnished, there simply wasn't a huge amount left.
Mal was sat at Lou's kitchen as she was cooking up a huge farewell dinner.
"You seem quiet, Lou," Mal remarked.
"Yeah. Kinda lost in thought," she said.
"Anything I can do to help?" He asked.
"Yeah. Stay here," Lou said with a sad smile.
"You know that ain't happening," Mal smiled.
"I'm gonna miss you so much," Lou said fighting back some tears.
"We'll be back here Lou. You have made it easy to take breaks," he said.
"Yeah, I know," Lou smiled.
Mal studied her carefully.
"I think there will be a gap at our table too. I'm actually really glad I picked you up on Boros," he said.
Lou smiled at her brother-in-law.
"Even if you have twisted some of my crew member's heads," Mal grinned.
"Hey.. I made him better!" Lou laughed.
"Yeah... you have," Mal replied.
"So. I have set aside a plot of land for Zoe and Wash," Lou admitted.
"Yeah. They are bound to wanna breed soon," Mal nodded sadly,  streching uncomfortably.
Lou laughed at his innsight. He knew his crew better than they thought and accepted change better than any of them anticipated.
"And I have decided that when you get enough of being out in space, there will be a home for you here," Lou said.
Mal nodded.
"You know. Brooke insisted on the new foal being named Mal," Lou smiled.
"Really?" Mal asked.
"Yeah," Lou replied.
He laughed quietly.
"So. What are your plans once you get out there?" Lou asked.
"First cash. We are going to Persephone forst to sell your produce and see if we can pick up some trade. If not there would be some fun to be had at Constance," He said with a shrug.
"Constance? There is nothing there!" Lou asked.
"If we time it well we might be there around the time when they store the money going to the colonies," Mal grinned.
"Bankheist?" Lou laughed and shook her head.
"Yeah. Minimum chance of people getting hurt. Maximum chance of profit," Mal replied.

Later, Lou wandered onboard the firefly with a heavy heart. She was going to have to say her goodbyes to the people she loved and the ship that had been her home for only a few months, but still was where she belonged.
In her arms she carried a few presents. She quietly snuck into Mal's cabin leaving him the deeds to a plot of land and ownership papers to Starlight's foal. At least the cowboy would get a fresh start.
In Wash and Zoe's cabin she left the deeds to the land around the lake where they stayed and the blueprints to the new house she wanted to raise there.
Kaylee was given a pretty dress that Lou had sewn for herself before Saffy was born. She had worn that dress to her first date with Danny and hoped some of the good memories had attached as good love magic in it. River was given an old star map showing constellations from earth-that-was and a book on the language of bees.
For Simon, Lou selected a book of Shakespeares sonnets in the hope it would help his eloquence.
Lastly she went into Jayne's cabin. She left the jumper she had knitted on his bed. It had taken forever and she knew he had seen her working on it, even when they were fighting. Her chest hurt with the thought of letting him leave, but keeping him with her would be a terrible idea.
She left his cabin only to come up on him outside the ship.
"One final look, huh?" He asked.
Lou nodded.
He looked at her with something, some thought or emotion she couldn't quite pinpoint. Lou knew she had to speak first, but couldn't find any words.
"I kinda wanna stay," he mumbled.
She loked at the man in front of her with all the tenderness she could muster.
"I wish there was some way for this to work. You're not the settlin type and would get bored and restless within a month. Then you'd start resenting me and I don't want that," she said.
He kicked the dirt trying to think of something to say.
"And I can't raise my kids on Serenity. There are too many risks. Shootings, crime, reavers, fights," Lou continued.
"It's my kinda life tho," he murmured.
"I know. And that's one of the things I love about you," she smiled.
A crooked smile flashed across his face. Lou grinned back.
"Yes, you dumbass. I said it," she laughed. "It's just that we would destroy eachother. I can't let you burn me up. But I can not resist you either. It is too much. No one can stand in the fire and not be destroyed," Lou said sadly.
"So what do we do?" He asked.
"I stay here. You try to stay in one piece out there. And on the occasion that you pass by here or you feel like taking a break, you come find me," Lou suggested.
"You'd wait? For me?" Jayne asked.
"I'll rather wait for you than not have you at all," she whispered.
"Then I'll have to come visit... a lot," he grinned.
"You know where to find me," she said.

The next morning she hugged all her friends goodbye. Her farewells with Jayne had been languid and passionately done in private and she felt herself longing for one more kiss, one more... well everything.
Still, the cargo door sealed, the engines came to life and as a shooting star, the tiny, fragile, metal vessel took the people she loved out into the big black nothing. There was a small comfort knowing they would return soon. She prayed for their safety.
Returning home, she tidied up after their messy breakfast. As she closed her eyes she could almost imagine hearing their laughter, their familliar banter and mutual teasing.
Her daughters came storming in after staring for the last traces of the spaceship and Lou felt her heart fill up with gratitude for the smiles on their faces.
Lou was where she belonged.
Her daughters at her side and a promise that her house would be full of laughter and people for a long time to come.