Joss's toy's I just like to break them

~

“and they all lived happily ever after!”

“Do they's always gots too end so gorram happy?” Asked the small dark haired boy Kaylee was tucking into bed.

“Watch your mouth, Capt'n's liable to skin you alive he hears ya talkin' like that.”

“Capt'n don't care, he says it all the time!”

“Don't mean little boys should be sayin' it,” Kaylee said with an air of finality the little boy knew all too well. He let out an exaggerated sigh

“Is Capt'n coming down tonight?” And as if on cue heavy footstep sounded on the steps above. When Mal reached the metal floor he folded his arms across his chest.

“You givin' Mrs. Kaylee here a hard time? Because that's an offense punishable by severe lack of bedtime stories.”

“No Sir!” The little boy sat up in bed and saluted the Mal, ruining all the tucking in Kaylee had just done.

“That's my little crew member.” He looked over at Kaylee, and with a twinkle in his eye asked, “How is it no one else shows me the respect I, as Captain of this boat, deserve.”

“I'd love to see the day you convince Jayne to click his heals at attention and salute you.” Kaylee laughed at the thought as she crossed the small room and started up the stairs leaving Mal and the small boy alone. Mal sat down on the edge of the bed.

“So tell me Jeremy, did she tell you any good storyies tonight?” Mal winked as he asked, knowing the routine answer Jeremy was about to give. It was how he answered every night.

“No, just the happy ones.” Mal smiled as a familiar smile crept his face. When the boy smiled, it was like she was there again. A twinge of guilt sank into Mal's chest as he remembered yet again, the woman missing from this boy's life. “Will you tell me a bedtime story tonight, Sir?”

“What kind of story do you want? How about the time we saved the world?”

“No, you always tell that one. I'm not even sure it happened.”

Mal's face feigned innocence at the truthful accusation. “I would never lead you to believe I saved the world ju