The Last Straw - Ch 8/ Epilogue
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Ch 8/Ep: A bit of recovery and figuring out where to go from there... The crew says good-bye to Inara. Jayne says good-bye to his mother and his kid.
CATEGORY: FICTION TIMES READ: 2687 RATING: 9.0 (G) SERIES: FIREFLY
CH 8
“Doc!”
“Wash, fire it up,” Mal ordered as soon as the hover mule had come to a stop in the cargo bay.
“Kaylee, tell me we’re free to fly.”
“Free as a bird, Captain.”
“Doc!”
Simon dashed in, stretcher ready. It took all of them to carry Jayne to the Infirmary. Mal backed off, letting Simon and Zoë fall into their natural rhythm, turning his attention to Mattie. She was pressed against the counter in the corner, leg bleeding, moon-eyes fixed on Jayne.
“Up,” Mal ordered, motioning her onto the second bed so he could tend to her wound. He wanted so much to pound her, but that could wait. As Serenity lifted off, sending a wave of freedom through the walls, Mal felt the familiar calm of the Black.
“You and me are gonna have a chat now,” he told Mattie, who still had her blue eyes fixed on Jayne. She turned those frightened-little-girl eyes on him, but Mal had been played too often to feel sympathy. Mattie tensed as the heart-monitor on Jayne flat-lined and Simon charged the defibrillators. Mal took her by the shoulders and led her out of the Infirmary. It was her fault Jayne was there. If she wanted to watch him die, he wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction. If she regretted the choice, he was willing to spare her the front row seat. Mattie followed his lead numbly, not looking back. Mal glanced back only briefly at his unconscious crewman.
“You and me are gonna chat later,” he promised Jayne under his breath. “You better live for it.”
*~*
Two days later, they were nearly to Boros. Simon found Mal brooding in the galley, cleaning his guns. He had kept Mattie shackled and confined to her room since it had happened, making Zoë bring her meals, because he refused to give the girl more face time. Jayne had been asking to see Mattie since he woke up, but Mal refused to let the girl out for anything. Simon knew Mal meant to toss Mattie from the ship with a few unkind words as soon as they hit dirt… and a few unkind bullets if she didn’t go quickly.
“Captain,” Simon began.
“Ain’t gon
Of course I'm not a big Kaylee/Jayne fan but you actually made the hints work.
Nice resolution with Jayne and his daughter. I guess no dad wants their daughter to grow up to be a whore, even a high class well paid one. Love that!
Mal's and Inara's situation backs-up perfectly with the BDM, and yes! you included the trunk.
I love the Christmas morning analogy. One has to appreciate Inara's bittersweet revenge.
Great job! and thanks for writing.
I too like how you explored Jayne and his intricacies in a believable manner while also letting us see more of what makes him tick, both in grief and in work. Him becoming a mercenary makes perfect sense in the past you've given him. I'm sorry that things with Mattie couldn't have ended better, but I suppose it was the most any of them could hope for.
I also love your exploration of Jayne and Mal's friendship at the very end. Perfect!
You can't take the sky from me
Have to admit I generally agree with AMDOBELL’s assertions about Inara here, though I think I’m a bit more forgiving of her behaviour long-term. What is really striking is her reaction to basically getting confirmation that Mal hired someone to beat the crap out of her psycho client. Neither overjoyed that the hundan got what was coming to him or blatantly offended Mal went all chivalrous by seeking vengeance on the person who wronged Inara like she’s incapable of dealing with things herself…coupled with the fact that she never seems (that you directly indicate) to consider that Mal’s act of hiring the unidentified attacker is both a sign of his improved maturity about dealing with Inara (no taking a shuttle and hunting the bastard down his own self) and that he used SHIP funds to help finance the purchase of the services needed. Such an act is one that makes one have to assume he would only do if he considered Inara worthy of being crew. Admittedly, the last point is only known by Mal and Zoë…so I get the feeling that Zoë would have words for Inara about just how much Inara meant to Mal and the crew post-BDM
Finally, I do hope that we get to see more of Mattie. I think that there’s a lot more that can be done to explore Jayne and her rebuilding what was lost all those years ago. Slowly, mind you. With a lot of speed bumps along the way;)
BEB
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