milliways_bar | (no subject)

(no subject)

The front door opens.

She looks a little scruffy, and there's a big smudge on one cheek, but Kaylee Frye is indeed in Milliways Bar.

Say xiexie.

[Locked due to shared computer issues -- sorry. Will be back for things tomorrow.]

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Mal immediately spots his mechanic walking through the door, and he practically races to her side - holding two canes; one decidedly more decorated than the one she's seen him with.

"Kaylee you will not believe me when I tell you this."

Kaylee sees the two canes.

Kaylee jumps to the logical conclusion.

"...you got hurt worse?"

"What? No!" Mal's almost too hyper to be contained.

"Sit down."

The couch by the door is empty; Kaylee obeys. Mal's the captain, after all.

There's staring, though.

"Wash," Mal flails wildly in happiness with the decorated cane, "Is Alive."

And that's Mal's cue to wait for a reaction.

There's not one.

Not for a few seconds.

Her closed mouth trembles. Just a little. Then:

"Captain, I can get him bein' here, but -- he's still dead."

"No. That's why there was no body on the bridge, meimei--" Now Mal's teetering a bit on his cane for being too excited, but he doesn't care. "Lilly and Raven forced a door from Milliways to rescue him. All 'cause Lilly wanderin' through the Dreaming."

"He's alive."

Strangely, the first thought to her mind is So that's why Jayne looked so...odd.

It's good that she's sitting.

"You tell me you ain't jokin', Mal."

Mal, through great effort, kneels at Kaylee's feet, looking straight at her at eyelevel as she sits.

"I. would never. joke. about this."

Kaylee stares at him. She knows it's true. But...

Some small voice pipes up and says, Why aren't you believing him? It's what you want to hear.

It's been six fucking dismal weeks on Serenity, is all.

Her eyes fill with tears, and spill over.

And she nods, wordlessly.

And that's when she flings her arms around his neck.

Kaylee needed this. Mal needed this - hell, they all needed this. After everything, they needed normal.

Mal hugs and laughs with joy with Kaylee clinging to him for as long as she stays there.

Mal needed that too.

She stays there for a while.

"Where is he? And -- and can we go see him?"

"Faith's apartment. And yes, we can go see him. I hadn't yet, 'cause there were some folk I needed to speak to."

He still hasn't found Lilly, but.

"Want me to take ya?"

Kaylee nods -- and jumps a little. "Captain -- you shouldn't be kneelin' like that -- you need help gettin' up?"

Mal almost laughs. "Yeah. Maybe." With Kaylee's help, he stands easier than he did the last time she helped him.

"I just needed you to believe me. After all o' that, you're still thinkin' o' me 'fore goin' off and seeing Wash. One o' these days I'll understand you. Not today."

Said with the biggest grin imaginable.

Kaylee stood herself in helping Mal up. Now she pauses.

And thinks a moment, hands on her hips. And then grins.

"Well...he's alive, so he's not goin' anywhere. But neither were you, without help. And you're right here, and I love you just as much. That explain it?"

Teddy Frye had asked Mal if he approved of Simon for Kaylee.

That's a father's job. No. Not a father's job, he doesn't want to be a father. A ge ge. Big brother. That's a title he hopes he has.

That don't mean his first xiao meimei can't watch over him sometimes, though.

"That's clear 'nough for me, lil' one."

Ge ge, sure. But mostly captain.

A warm smile. "All right, then."

She holds out her hand. "Let's go."

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