Disclaimer – Everything either does belong to Joss or it should. I’m just borrowing his shiny ‘verse for a while.

The 21st Lancers belong to the British Army so I’m borrowing them too. I hope they don’t mind

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Transport Ship Serenity – Deep Space – 2519AD

Once again wandering, or rather limping, around the ship at night Mal found Steven sitting at the table with a cup in his hand. Tea most likely as he had bought a couple of pounds of the stuff with him when he arrived on Serenity. He had the tea, his wife and kids, a really big gun and all the rest of his remaining worldly possessions were in a few bags.

Steven looked up as Mal entered and nodded a greeting.

‘Just put Cally back to bed?’ Mal asked heading over to make himself a coffee.

‘Yes she’s calmed down now’ Steven gave Mal an apologetic look ‘Sorry if she woke you up, another nightmare. I’m also sorry we couldn’t keep her in the shuttle with the other two but they can’t take it either’

‘I guessed at the nightmare from the screaming. That’s three out of the last five nights’ Mal poured his drink into a cup and sat down across from Steven.

‘Four’ Steven said ‘You must have slept through one of them. Tomorrow night I’ll take up Simon’s offer and give her a sleeping pill’ Steven shrugged ‘she probably needs the rest herself anyway’ He drank sipped his tea and grimaced ‘artificial sweetener’ he said ‘It’s the most heinous invention of human chemistry’

Mal gave Steven a look of concern and commiseration ‘I guess ten is a bit young to have ended a life. I was fully grown and the first time bothered me for weeks’.

‘Same here and I did it from eight miles away not eight feet. I suppose she’ll get over it but I’d give anything if she didn’t have to’ he looked sad beyond measure.

‘How are the other kids holding up?’

Steven brightened a touch. ‘John’s fine, he’s just got a new Firefly shaped adventure playground to explore. Kaylee keeps finding him in the ducts. We had to send Claire-Marie in after h