BLUE SUN ROOM FAN FICTION - GENERAL

VALERIEBEAN

His Angel
Friday, April 13, 2007

Lots of Mal/Inara moments in the continuing saga begun with Namesake. Post-BDM, snapshots of life. Mal narration. Canon pairings. Two parts angst, one part fluff.


CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 3684    RATING: 9    SERIES: FIREFLY

A.N.: Comments always welcome and adored. Read Namesake, Inheritance, and Terse first or risk confusion.

----

PART 10: HE RECOVERED

Red blood. Waves of black nothingness. An all-consuming ocean, a rip current sucking him further and further from consciousness. Crushing waves of pounding blood, their roar drowned out by sharp shrieks of pain coming from somewhere below his belly. His body screamed, fighting to die, even as his crew fought to save him. Through the deafening cries within, his ears picked up a faint melody from the world outside. “Twinkle, twinkle, great big star. Hydrogen is what you are.” Coughing up consciousness like bad food, Mal’s eyes blinked opened only to be blinded by a painful, white light. Had he been wrong about God? Was he dead? Was that sweet music really an angel’s song? He didn’t deserve such from death. “Mama ‘Nara, he’s wakin’ up,” Little Zoë’s voice floated through the fog of his afterlife. The light burning the back of his eyelids dimmed and he opened his eyes again, this time able to make out the vague silhouette of his family. Little Zoë lay on the bed next to him, putting a nauseating bit pressure on his injured shoulder. Inara hovered like an angel, baby Cole in her arms, back-dropped by the far too familiar Infirmary ceiling. “Ease up, Zo,” Mal choked, swallowing the bile rising in his throat. She slid off the bed, finding a chair to stand on instead so she could still see him. The pressure gone, Mal took a deep breath and tried to remember what had happened. “Jayne? River?” “They’re fine,” Inara assured, touching his cheek. He sighed easily, the pain in his body momentarily forgotten on feeling his angel’s skin on his face. Her tenderness was like a cool, refreshing breeze through his entire body, the sound of her voice like honey. He shivered in pleasure, wanting her to speak again. “‘Nara.” “Shh. Don’t talk,” she soothed, her voice a mixture of old concern and new relief. He was mesmerized now by the sweet melody of her speech and sent the first willing hand he could control up to touch her lips. She found his hand as it groped the air, kissed his palm, then pressed it against her heart, laying baby Cole on top to seal the connection. She swayed lightly, more for the baby than for him, but Mal closed his eyes, relaxed. Little Zoë propped her elbows on the corner of his pillow, resting one hand in his hair, and she started singing again. And as the raft of his consciousness drifted slowly back to the dreamy sea, Inara kept hold of his hand, guiding him to recover.

*~*

PART 11: HE BREATHED

Mal and Inara sat at the kitchen table, mapping out the next job as the babies toddled around the enclosed lounge area. Simon and Kaylee’s twins were just a year younger than Cole, and though they weren’t yet stable on their feet, they were prone to climbing over any and all protective fencing. Kaylee always teased that they’d inherited the escaping gene from their fugitive father. Jayne helped Little Zoë in the galley, making peanut butter sandwiches for everyone before all the bread went bad. The bread had been a present for her eighth birthday and a welcome reprieve from the normal protein mash. “I finally got that printer working,” Simon chirped, waving a printout as he entered the galley “I wanna see,” Zoë squealed, running to the table to look over Mal’s shoulder as Simon laid the picture down in the middle. “Where is he?” Jayne asked grumpily, taking two sandwiches before setting the plate on the table. Mal was at a loss as well; the black and white swirls could easily have been a Rorschach test in still frame. But given the age of the equipment they could afford, this was the best picture he had of his coming son. Instinctively, he touched Inara’s growing stomach, wondering when the first kick would come. “That’s him there,” Simon answered, tracing an outline. Mal believed it for a moment but as soon as Simon’s hand left the paper, he blinked and lost it again. Still, he smiled, seeing Inara beaming proudly. Inara picked up the photo and breezed out of the room, leaving him with only a light kiss on the cheek and the excuse that she wanted to show Kaylee. Mal watched happily the sway of her hips as she walked. The grace she managed to possess in spite of pregnancy-swollen ankles. He hardly noticed Jayne pulling the map he’d been pondering and carrying it to the cockpit to consult with River. “You ready to be a father again?” Simon asked, taking a sandwich as he sat at the table across from Mal. Mal pulled Zoë onto his lap and kissed her cheek as she took a bite of her sandwich. “This is the last one,” Mal said firmly. “No more.” “Isn’t that what you said last time?” “Yes, but Sake is evil.” Mal turned seriously to Zoë. “Remember that, Little One. Sake is evil.” “Sake is evil,” she repeated with a giggle. “If you want, we could take more permanent measures…” Mal’s groin twitched protectively and he shook his head. “No thanks, Doc, I—” His excuse was cut off by a loud explosion from the engine room followed by a deep rumble through the ship. “Inara! Kaylee!” Mal shouted, tossing Zoë from his lap and running toward the sound. Jayne and Simon were at his heels in a heartbeat, Jayne with a fire extinguisher, plowing through the flames into the engine room. Mal felt the heat on his skin and smoke in his lungs as he got closer, and he put a sleeve over his nose, holding his breath until the room turned to stars. Only from years of practice was his head cool enough for action, dropping below the smoke, finding, reaching, carrying. When they’d pulled the women out, Mal sealed the door to the engine room and activated fire suppression. The hallway felt surreally cool, free of the smoke. Simon worked frantically assessing burns, River appearing from nowhere with his medkit. Inara’s face was ashen and covered with black soot, her fist clenching the charred photo of their son. Mal held his breath waiting for the Doctor’s prognosis, the cold air touching his skin, but not entering his mouth. But when Inara coughed violently, sucking in lungs full of oxygen, Mal started breathing again too.

*~*

PART 12: HE WONDERED

“Baba, it’s time,” Little Zoë informed him with stoic calm, poking her head through the door. Mal looked up from the story book he was reading to two-year-old Cole in surprise. “Time for what, Zo? I’m puttin’ your brother to bed.” “Mama ‘Nara’s baby is comin’. I called Uncle Simon.” She sounded so matter-of-fact, Mal wondered at the similarity between her and her momma. Having delivered her message, Zoë turned curtly, and left. Taking his time, Mal kissed Cole, laid him in the crib, and set the baby monitor before following Zoë down the hall to the room where he and Inara had taken up temporary residence. River had jokingly hung a sign on the door saying ‘Maternity Suite,’ and the crew had added their own messages of congratulations and what not around the words. When he entered the room, Inara was pacing the length, one hand on her stomach, breathing deliberately through her mouth. Little Zoë sat on the bed, leaning back on her hands, watching calmly. “You okay?” “Braxton-Hicks,” Inara said between breaths. Zoë met his eye and shook her head, but Mal was inclined to side with Inara on this as she was still six weeks from due. Simon knocked tentatively on the door and peaked in. “I’m fine, Doctor,” Inara assured before he could ask. Her breathing had calmed and Mal escorted her to the bed so she could sit. Little Zoë folded her arms across her chest resolutely. “I seen all the babies born on this ship, Mama ‘Nara. I know what it looks like when they’re ready to come out.” Mal suppressed a smile that quickly became a wince as Inara’s grip on his hand tightened. She was having a contraction – a real one, by Simon’s response. He swallowed a mixture of excitement and nerves, grimacing as Inara cried out. He’d missed Cole’s birth, and when the first gush of blood and water came out, he started wishing he could miss a little bit more of this one too. “Zo, why don’t you wait outside,” he suggested weakly, glad he was already sitting. But Little Zoë watched eagerly, her face filled with wonder as Simon worked. “It’s okay, Baba, I’ve seen this part before. I wanna see what happens next.” A smile spilled across her lips, her awe contagious. She seemed to know better than he did that something wonderful was coming. But then, her hand wasn’t being crushed by a woman in labor.

*~*

The saga continues with First Job

COMMENTS

Friday, April 13, 2007 4:13 PM

KACIDILLA


...two little editing notes: heels, not heals and suite not suit...

but i still LOVE this series!

Friday, April 13, 2007 5:01 PM

SLUMMING


More, more please!

Friday, April 13, 2007 6:03 PM

EMPIREX


Weeeeee! I'm loving this! But what happened to Kaylee?!? Is she OK?

Friday, April 13, 2007 7:04 PM

TAMSIBLING


Absolutely adorable - I loved each moment. You've filled each with just the right amount of tension and angst and love. I can see it all so clearly and it warms my heart.

I just hope Inara's baby is okay - despite carrying to term, there's still a chance ...

Friday, April 13, 2007 9:53 PM

AMDOBELL


Brilliant! Serenity is a nursey now! Really love this series and Mal makes a good daddy. Will we find out how Kaylee is and what in the nine hells exploded in the engine room? I'm assuming they are still flying. And little Zoe, doesn't she just melt the heart? Ali D :~)
You can't take the sky from me

Monday, April 16, 2007 6:53 PM

BLUEEYEDBRIGADIER


Gotta say...little Zoe is all kinds of precocious and stubborn. Can't wait till she starts shifting into her mother's staid and powerful persona;)

And damn it! I thought you were gonna go and cause Inara to have a miscarriage with that explosion! What the hell happened, and is Kaylee A-OK?

BEB


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