Title: Fractured

Author: Obsidiana Girl

Rating: E

Pairing: River/Mal/Serenity

Summary: A series of companion pieces that predate, ‘Flight of the Albatross’.

Disclaimer: I don’t own them and I am simply an out of work Chef with too much time on my hands. So, suing me would get you a series of empty Pepsi cans and a few flavorful curses from me. Joss Whedon is the brain child behind all the SHINY characters on Firefly/Serenity.

Author’s Notes: I was inspired first by the movie to write, ‘Flight of the Albatross’, and a few scenes of Mal that touched my heart gave birth to these companion pieces. I utilized the deleted scenes, which having not become canon were fair game. I then twisted them a bit to suit my shippy notions and went from there. I hope you enjoy!

FRACTURED

“Sir,” Zoë could tell that Mal was hurtin’ but she didn’t know how to help him.

“Just tell me when we’re close.” He ordered as he headed down the stairs to the upper level of the cargo bay. At the foot of the stairs he grasped the railing as though he could change the things that had been done to them he called friend.

Book was dead and there weren’t nothin’ he could do to bring him back. The man had become a cornerstone for Mal and a safe harbor for the rest of his crew. Sliding his hand along the rail he headed for one of the shuttles. He’d held his emotions in check from the first sight of Haven as they flew overhead, but he was feeling the walls crumbling down around him with each passing moment.

Pushing his hand roughly through his hair he thought of the look on his crew’s faces when he’d marked the line in the sand. Some had never seen that side of him. Hell, even Zoë’d looked flummoxed by the tasks he’d laid out before them. Never had she questioned him so openly before. That was an added burden knowing he’d pushed the bounds of trust between them.

Wash looked at him differently now, and Kaylee couldn’t get that frightened look from her eyes when ever she met his gaze either. They were the ones that made him reg