Life’s Too Short- Part Six

These characters do not belong to me, though I love them as much as if they did.

Sorry this one is the shortest- I was going to put another battle scene in here, but I didn't want to take away from Mal/Inara near the end.

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“So… I’ll be sending you a wave in a day or two. If you’re blown up, please don’t bother to respond.” Mal raised a hand and gave Patience a mirthless smile.

“Thanks. Boy, that’s a relief. Wouldn’t want you thinkin’ we was rude.” She smiled, and turned her horse. Mal sighed and walked onto Serenity, punching the button to close the door with an angry fist.

“That went well,” Simon said. Mal glanced up to the stairs where he stood. Simon looked extremely pissed off. Mal rolled his eyes.

“No one got shot.”

“Zoe did!”

“Just a scratch.”

“If River hadn’t knocked that man out, you would be dead!”

“You don’t know that,” Mal argued, though he knew it was probably true. Just as the Alliance commander had fired, River had done… something… and the man had crumpled to the ground. His arm had swung up as he fell, sending the bullet off over Mal’s left shoulder in a skewed shot that blew past the shuttle’s cockpit and into empty air.

“I do know that! You brought her down there into a mess of soldiers. With guns!”

“We got ‘em all, doc. Don’t see what you’re so upset about.” Mal started up the stairs towards Simon, who didn’t move.

“And now Zoe says they have a fleet waiting for us in orbit! A fleet that will undoubtedly send more ships down here in about an hour when that commander doesn’t check in! That, Captain, is what I’m so upset about!” Mal gave Simon a crooked smile.

“We’ve been in worse situations.”

“The last time we were in a situation this bad, people died, Mal!” Simon stopped, as if realizing he’d gone too far. Mal’s smile faded and he stared the younger man down.

“Bad things happen to good people, doctor. We got through that. We’re still flying. Ain’t much, but it’s enough. And we’ll keep flying. You can be sure o