Angelle is mine. All else belongs to Whedon.

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Dads...God's way of telling little girls that they will never ever get to grow up no matter how long or how old they get. They are our shoulder to cry on, our hug when a boy breaks our hearts, the constant shadow that hovers over us when we are in the midst of doing something we may or may not regret, always there when we need them, and currently the man holding the gun at my fiancé.

"Sam, you gave me permission." Mal stated nervously, my father holding tight to the shotgun and shaking his head.

"Ain't thinkin' you'd be fool enough to ask her." He grimaced at the weight of the barrel in his hands and I walked over to relieve him of the heavy gun. "Back off, Stix. Me and Mal are havin' a discussion. Get to you in a minute." I took an audible gulp.

"Listen, Sam, I love her and you know how hard it is for me to admit feelings of that nature." He ran a hand through his slightly wet hair. "Now, you can go around pointin' that gun at me all you want. Ain't gonna change the fact, though I was kind of hoping for your blessin'."

My dad smiled and then dropped the gun next to him on the bed. " 'Swhat I wanted to hear."

"Huh? Sam, ain't nice threatenin' a man with a gun."

"Had to be sure you weren't just playin' wit my Stix' emotions." He reached out as I smiled and grabbed my daddy's hand. "You takin' her away from theconly home she's known. Had to make sure you wouldn't just leave her in the black somewhere."

"You know me better than that, Sam."

"Different with your own flesh and blood, Mal. You should know that. Only kid I got left." He wiped a tear from his face. "Damn meds makin' me all emotional."

"Want me to take Annabelle and put her up somewhere?" I reached for the double barreled beast.

"Annabelle?" Mal seemed to question and then grin wide. "Men and their guns..."

"You named your ship, Angelle named those beasts out there that protect us from the Alliance or anything else that co