Chapter 6 -- Shopping With A Woman

Mal was used to women; they surrounded him on a daily basis. Serenity; the first mate, the mechanic, the Companion, and a teenage psychic. They surrounded him all the time; butting into his life and his affairs; but, not a one of them was a willing to go shopping with him and Caroline. No one was willing to go with him. Book was having lunch with some brothers that he had while he was at the Abbey and trying to see if he could beg or borrow some textbooks. Wash had zipped Zoë off somewhere so fast it made Mal’s head spin; something about wild passionate monkey sex and a bathtub. Simon and River were off with Kaylee looking for something for the engine and then going to get bedroom stuff with which to surprise Caroline. Jayne had been muttering something about grenades, booze, and sex; but, was just going to pick up some essentials and then help Kaylee and River with construction. And Inara, she’d left when they entered atmo, a client.

Mal was standing outside the cargo bay squinting against the sun holding the hand of a small girl in a rather dirty jumper. She was clutching a ragged horse that missing a leg. Anyone that would have looked at them would have seen a father and daughter out for a day in the town. For Mal it was something he never thought he would see – him being a father. He took one last look at the list that Kaylee and Inara had prepared before putting it in his overcoat:

Caroline (Dress (?), Overalls, Sweater, Shirts, Under garments, Socks, & Shoes)

Pants (Mal really needed a pair or two; he was down to one pair without holes, tears, or blood on them)

“Well, little one. Lets go shopping? Gots lots of stuff to get today. Gotta get you some clothes.”

“Yep.” Caroline, holding Zoey under one arm and Mal’s hand with her right hand, looked out at the bustling dusty marketplace and thought that Hilliard didn’t look much different then Persephone. Lots of people going lots of places and lots of dust. Caroline was really excited